 By Jim Young
January 21st, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
I am speaking as a private citizen in support of Burlington Seniors Advisory Committee’s effort to reduce or eliminate Transit Fares for Burlington Senior Citizens. A proposal has been made that City Council and Burlington Transit consider Reduced Transit Fares for Seniors.
In support of, and in addition to the well-made case presented by Mr. Lovell on behalf of Burlington Seniors Advisory Committee, I would respectfully submit to Council and the Budget Committee that Seniors Transit is not just a senior’s issue but is one that affects the entire city, its residents and its reputation as a caring, conscientious community. An issue, which, if addressed effectively, will have beneficial impacts on Traffic Congestion, Road Safety, The Environment and will dovetail perfectly with many aspects of Burlington’s Strategic Plan Proposals currently under review.
As Burlington’s senior’s population approaches 30,000 and continues to grow, it is fair to say our impact on every facet of our city’s way of life is and will continue to be significant.
 Jim Young Seniors Impact on Burlington’s Traffic Congestion:
There is universal agreement that traffic congestion is becoming a more serious issue in Burlington every year. As council strives to encourage continued growth and increasing population to ensure the economic well-being of our city this congestion will only become more troublesome and the economic and the environmental impact more acute. City Council recognizes this and addresses the issue in its Proposed New Strategic Plan (A City That Moves).
Seniors using affordable transit for one in five of their journeys would reduce traffic congestion by approximately 3%. While that may not sound like much, traffic flow science suggests such a reduction has a major impact on traffic flow and reduced commute times particularly at peak volumes. The more attractive any incentive to switch seniors from cars to transit, the greater that improvement will be. More seniors on transit allows working people, business transport and goods to move more efficiently, improving productivity, and supporting the vibrant business environment our city strives to encourage in that Strategic Plan.
Road Safety:
Studies indicate that as we age our cognitive abilities and response times deteriorate resulting in higher levels of traffic accidents, injuries and claims for senior drivers. The safety of senior drivers and their impact on accident rates is an emotionally charged subject we are loath to address for fear offending spouses, parents or potential voters.
Reduced transit costs for seniors would alleviate that burden by providing a dignified and affordable alternative to driving; thereby reducing the risks with all the human and monetary costs involved for their families, the city, traffic authorities and emergency services.
Reducing traffic accidents by moving seniors from automobiles to transit would also go a long way to meeting the city’s Age Friendly City and a Safe Place to Live objectives of its Proposed New Strategic Plan.
 Jim Young The Environment:
Thirty Thousand Burlington Seniors driving an average of 15,000 Kilometers per year, even allowing for some spousal car sharing, emit 105,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. Every car taken off the road by affordable transit for seniors reduces this annual amount by 3.5 tons.
Again, the Proposed New Strategic Plan aims to make Burlington a Greener Place to Live: an admirable objective for our city that we can help achieve by switching seniors from automobiles to transit and reducing our carbon footprint.
Jim Young has lived in Burlington for more than 30 years where he raised his family and involved himself in his community. He still has a pleasantly strong brogue accent. This opinion pice is a delegation he made during the budget deliberations at city hall.
 By Pepper Parr
January 21st, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Robert Lovell doesn’t understand.
 Robert Lovell He was interviewed for the job he has as a member of the Burlington Seniors Advisory Committee and thought he was expected to do just that – advise city council on things that mattered to seniors.
BSAC met on a number of occasions and went into the community to learn when people wanted in the way of transit services.
They researched what Oakville was doing and came to the conclusion that the Free Transit on Monday’s was a good idea and certainly worth trying in Burlington.
They then delegated to city council and made a strong case for trying the Free transit for seniors on Monday’s.
They argued that ridership would rise and the free service might convince people to try the bus. They argued it would also allow people with limited means to use the bus service more often.
 Councillor Jack Dennison, Rick Craven and John Taylor voted not to proceed with a pilot project to learn how much additional ridership could be added to the transit service. All three voted for an allocation of $15,500 for the car free Sunday event that takes place in wards 4,5 and 6. A majority of city council didn’t see it that way and they voted (4-3) against the pilot program that was to run for six months.
Councillors Marianne Meed Ward, Blair Lancaster and Mayor Goldring voted for the pilot program.
Councillor Craven said very little during the debate. Councillor Taylor seemed to feel that the program was intended for those who could not afford transit – and he argued, if that was the case, there were Regional programs that gave financial support.
Taylor seemed quite prepared to have people submit to a financial means test to get support to buy a transit pass. He saw the pilot project as social welfare which he explained is handled by the Region.
Councillor Dennison has never been in favour of much in the way of support programs. Councillor Sharman said he didn’t have a problem with the program but he wanted to be sure everyone fully understood just what the outcomes and expectations were for the pilot project. He wanted the Director of transit to set out what would be measured so that a proper evaluation could be done when the six month pilot ended.
Lovell said he had been told by friends that the Advisory committees were just a sham – that they were put in place to let the public think the city wanted to hear what they had to say. “If that is the case: said Lovell, “then I am out of that committee. I am interested in working on committees that want to make a difference.”
Lovell was one of three people who delegated on the Free Transit for seniors on Monday – a program that Oakville has had in place since 2012 where it is reported to have increased transit ridership by as much as 14% in one period.
Burlington Transit has always had difficulty growing transit ridership. There have been significant price increases which has depressed ridership and route changes haven’t helped all that much either.
When the matter got to council for debate it was clear that some of the members of council didn’t hear what the delegations were saying the day before.
Jim Young was asking council to forget the cost but focus on service – he argued that it was taxpayer’s money and the seniors wanted this kind of service.
What council failed to see was the real opportunity that was being missed. Burlington has busses that travel the streets “more than half empty most of the time” if we understood what Councillor Sharman says.
 A new bus is added to the fleet – city hall staff and area politicians drove over to the transit garage to give a round of applause. They get paid for this – don’t they? We own the buses, we pay a driver to be behind the steering wheel – if there was a chance to increase the ridership at no additional cost and at the same time provide a service and entice people to use the buses – why wouldn’t one at least try the pilot?
The city wasn’t going to lose any money – there would be passengers on the bus who would not pay a fare – they wouldn’t have been on the bus anyway
There is an additional benefit if ridership can be increased. The gas tax rebate the province gives a municipality is based on two measurements: the population of the municipality and the ridership.
There are currently 130 municipalities sharing $332 million dollars.
There was an addition to the 2016 budget that was estimated to cost $14,000 – they spent more than an hour
Burlington has had problems convincing people to use transit. Doug Brown maintains the city does not have a plan to increase ridership and that there really isn’t anyone within city hall who will advocate for improving transit. There is no one at city hall who fully understands transit – responsibility for transit get mentioned by the people responsible for transportation.
More than 17% of the population is over 65 and while many people are able to drive their cars well into their 90’s our aging population is likely to become subject to graduated drivers licenses.
We will get to the point where a doctor will be required to advise the department of transportation that the patient is no longer capable of driving a car. What do we do when we have a growing cohort of people who are either not allowed to drive or are no longer comfortable driving?
The transit free Monday was an opportunity to learn if people would take a bus if it were free. The driving factor behind the pilot project was to see if this was a way to increase ridership.
Old school thinking had Councillor Taylor seeing the request as a social welfare issue, while Councillor Sharman wanted a clear understanding of what the expectations of the pilot were going to be.
 Ward 6 Councillor Blair Lancaster – voted for the Free Monday transit service for seniors  Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward made her presence known to Council well before her election to office, the city knew what they were getting and she has delivered on that promise. Councillors Lancaster and Meed Ward were quite willing to let the Director of Transit take the time needed to prepare a report and if they had to move the start date of the pilot back a bit they could live with that as well. An amendment to the motion allowing for a report to be prepared didn’t pass either – the four opposed to the pilot project just didn’t want to see it take place.
When an item fails at the Standing Committee level there is always an opportunity to debate it again at a council meeting – these are usually held a couple of weeks later. However, budget meetings were slipped in and the normal rotation of meetings got jammed up. If there is going to be a change at city council – those who are behind this project will have to get a wiggle on.
The Gazette understands that the good folks in Aldershot are not at all pleased with the Councillor Craven vote against the pilot.
 By Staff
January 21st, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Two new exhibits that are certainly worth the time are on the Art Gallery of Burlington calendar.
Paul Mathieu has tuned into the reputation the gallery has for a magnificent ceramics collection. His work is exceptional.
 The China Syndrome – work by Paul Mathieu Paul Mathieu – The China Syndrome will be at the AGB from February 12, 2016 – April 10, 2016 in the Lee-Chin Family Gallery
A public reception takes place Thursday February 11, 6pm-8pm; the Artist Walk & Talk will be at 6:30 pm. Paul Mathieu will be in attendance
Internationally renowned ceramist and author Paul Mathieu has spent the last decade periodically returning to Jingdezhen, China to oversee the production of his ceramic works.
This exhibition traces his explorations ranging from the relationship between two and three dimensional form, to the portrayal of gender roles and gay identity. The artist’s role from conception to production is examined from both the artist’s and craft person’s perspective.
Dust, a ceramic installation by Grace Eun Mi Lee opened on the 16th of January and will run until April 17, 2016 at the Perry Gallery
The public reception is on Thursday February 11, 6pm-8pm
 Dust – suspended from the ceiling to create cloud-like mists. On display at the Perry Gallery Grace Eun Mi Lee is known for her ceramic installations. Numerous small pieces, often referencing the hidden world of microbes, are suspended from the ceiling to create cloud-like mists. On closer examination, these mists reveal the hidden world that surrounds us in our everyday lives. We are made to question the visible world and compare it to the unseen reality that goes on around us on a daily bases.
The Art Gallery of Burlington is located at 1333 Lakeshore Rd, Burlington, ON L7S 1A9
Gallery Hours:
Monday: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Tuesday – Thursday: 9:00 am – 10:00 pm
Friday – Saturday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday: 12 noon – 5:00 pm
Parking is available at the rear of the gallery.
 By Pepper Parr
January 21st, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
What started out as a 3.85% increase in the tax rate for 2016 got whittled down to 3.15% at the end of a five hour budget meeting held at city hall on Wednesday.
The Performing Arts Centre got what they wanted, the seniors didn’t succeed in convincing the Councillors that free transit Monday’s was a good idea.
For the first time the public got some sense as to where the city manager ants to take the city of the future.
The disposition of the 2015 surplus was hotly debated – but for the most part those dollars are getting tucked into different reserve funds.
The way city hall is staffed is going to get a hard look and the city manager is going to issue mandate letters to his Directors.
The number of bylaw officers is going to change.
Plans for a program to collect data on the state of commerce in the down ton core got the chop- The Burlington Downtown Business Association (BDBA) was told they could pay for that task themselves.
And Councillor Jack Dennison actually went along with spending some money.
Councillor Sharman continued to hammer away for more data.
The Gazette will report in detail on each of these.
Council met as a Standing Committee – the decisions they made get approved at Council on Monday where they can be changed.
 By Pepper Parr
January 20th, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a different day for Rick Burgess who stood before the Community and Corporate Affairs Standing Committee explaining why funds were needed for two new positions at the Performing Arts Centre.
He got a decent hearing; the Mayor is onside – Burgess was heavily involved in the Mayor’s re-election campaign.
 Rick Burgess, the Mayor’s man. Paul Sharman, who sits on the Performance Centre Board didn’t seem opposed to the addition of the two people but didn’t seem all that keen on adding the cost to the Centre’s base budget.
There was a bit of banter back and forth about a how a Centre board meeting went – Sharman seemed to think the Centre should improve their revenue and pay for the new jobs out of those funds.
Burgess didn’t want to take that kind of risk – he wanted the dollars put into the base budget now and keep them there.
 From the right: Performing Arts Centre Executive Director Suzanne Haines, retiring Executive Director Brian McCurdy who did a great job; Brenda Heatherington who opened the Centre and was the first Executive Director and Ilene Elkaim chair of the board. Suzanne Haines, coming along nicely as the Executive Director, appears to have broadened her role and is more involved in fund raising – even though there is a close to full time fund raiser on staff.
The public has yet to hear anything about what the fall program is going to look like – there hasn’t even been a hint.
Two years ago Burgess was getting a solid dressing down from this same committee when he pleaded for funds to cover the cost over runs and deficits that kept mounting. Council gave him the funds he needed then but it wasn’t a day that Burgess wants to remember.
He got the funding he needed then but the Performing Arts centre lost its Executive Director
Two Executive Director’s later and Burgess is back asking for additional funding – he wants the cost of a technician and the cost of a person to handle community engagement added to the Centre’s base budget.
Getting that additional funding isn’t going to be a slam dunk – there is far from a consensus among Council members that the Centre has earned the right to ask for additional support.
Last year was a good year – but it was not something Haines did – the good year – and it was a good year was made to happen by former Executive Director Brian McCurdy who resigned for personal reasons.
Haines is out in the community doing the networking and learning how culture works in this city and where the clout exists. She has a language of her own and talks of “animating” the place and making it more active.
There have been some small interesting changes. Haines needs time to get her footing and show what she is capable of doing. She has a supportive board and has come off a season that worked very well.
In her delegation to council Haines pointed out that curated performances grew from 30 to more than 100 and that there were 600 uses of the Centre.
 The Pat Methany performance was sold out – it was the day Suzanne Haines started her job as the new Executive Director. She said 100,000 people have bought tickets and added that in August the Centre will celebrate its 5th Anniversary.
There is a Culture Infrastructure Fund, either set up or being set up, that will have $100,000 put into it. The Gazette needs to dig into just what that fund is to be used for and which part of the cultural community will have access to it.
 Royal Wood signing CD’s after the very first commercial event at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre. The Centre people along with its supporters seem to be saying that the first four years were a time when they learned what needed to be done – and that is part of the past.
McCurdy has shown that with strong management the Centre can get by on the close to half a million it needs in the way of ongoing support.
The Centre is always going to need financial support from the tax payers.
Whether they are going to get the support they need is something council will debate today and on Thursday.
 By Pepper Parr
January 20, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
Every chance Doug Brown gets to talk about transit – he shows up. Brown is part of Bfast (Burlington’s Friends and Supporters of Transit) an organization that advocates for improved transit.
 Brown is one of those people who tirelessly make delegation after delegation – he speaks with authority because he does his homework and has a good grip on transit facts and figures.
More often than not, Brown will complete his delegation and Council doesn’t ask a single question. Brown turns away from the podium quietly and returns to his seat.
He must have been pleased to listen to the delegation that Robert Lovell and James Young made supporting the proposal in the budget review document that transit be free to senior citizens on Monday’s.
Brown however was surprised and disappointed to see that the budget for transit in 2016 was the same as it was in 2015 – which from Brown’s vantage point meant they were getting less because there was no allowance for inflation.
 Doug Brown and Susan Lewis look over a 1982 copy of the city’s bus schedule. It is worse than that according to Brown. The province gives municipalities a portion of the gas tax they collect. The funds the municipalities get is based on a formula that includes population and ridership.
Burlington has a population that grew a bit – but transit ridership was less in 2015 than it was in 2014 which meant we got less in the way of that gas tax funding.
 Doug Brown, chair of Bfast, wants to see more funding for transit and the development of a long term transit plan. Brown has been toiling away as an advocate for better transit but quietly says: “We have a long way to go” and point to Waterloo which has a council that understands the need for good, reliable, affordable transit.
Waterloo has a population of 97,475 – Burlington has a population that is at the 173,000 level. They can develop a progressive transit system – why can’t we?
Brown points to the city’s Official Plan and the Strategic Plan that calls for a modal split that has 11% of the transportation choices being transit. We are currently at 2%.
Free student passes are also something Brown would like to see.
If the amount of gas tax Burlington gets from the province is based on ridership – would it not make sense to boost ridership?
By Pepper Parr
January 19th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It was delegation time, the occasion when different community groups get their ten minutes to wrangle with council to advance their different causes.
This time it was transit for seniors, transit and the lack of a master plan and two positions the Performing Arts wanted to fill and have added to their ongoing budget.
The Performing arts matter will get covered in a separate story.
Two very effective speakers wanted to see the idea of free Monday transit for seniors make it into the 2016 budget.
Which seniors need the free transit was the question that occupied the minds of many of the council members.
 Imagine a bus service that is free to senior’s on Monday’s – it just might happen. Every senior responded both Robert Lovell representing the Burlington Seniors’ Advisory committee and James Young, a word 1 resident who spoke to the plans for transit fares for seniors.
In Burlington delegations are usually a one way street – the delegations speaks but for the most part doesn’t often engage the members of council.
There are many occasions when a delegation doesn’t get asked questions.
When Councillor Craven is chairing the meeting – delegations are kept to very few words. Not that way when Councillor Lancaster is the chair.
Robert Lovell was asked questions and council got much more in the way of an answer than they expected when Lovell pushed right back. Lovell wanted to see Burlington adopt the free Monday transit for seniors that Oakville uses and he kept chiding Burlington’s council members for not doing what Oakville has been doing since 2012.
The two delegations were both seniors – they were there to see that the senior’s in the city got what they felt was needed. Lovell talked of people who were not able to get out of their homes because they couldn’t afford the cost of transit.
“These people get isolated and there mental health deteriorates”, he said.
Mayor Goldring and Councillor Dennison wanted to know what percentage of the senior population lived on the $12,000 a year Lovell had referred to; he wasn’t able to say but he had a petition with more than 500 signatures.
The short delegation session Tuesday afternoon was all that was needed to handle the delegations that were made. It isn’t clear if no one asked to delegate in the evening or if the city decided it was not going to hold an evening session. So much for an engaged city.
Councillor Lancaster said in her opening remarks there was lot of consultation. There was just the one public meeting held at Tansley Woods last week.
In contrast the Strategic Plan has been put before five different public meetings as well as a very detailed on line questionnaire.
For some reason people in Burlington just accept how much their council decides to tax them.
 Parents at a hockey game while three people next door were listening to a budget presentation. It’s just who we are. In 2015 there was a public meeting that focused on the budget held at Mainway Recreation Centre; it was a winter night – less than three people showed up – next door at one of the skating rinks less than 20 yards away there were several hundred parents watching a hockey game.
Did they know there was a public meeting to review and comment on the budget? The city does advertise the events – and the Gazette certainly spread the word.
 In 2014 – an election year people showed up for the budget review. In 2015 it snowed and there were just three people in the room plus two people who had run in the last election and were keeping tabs on the council they were not part of – this time. There have been other public budget meetings that were very well attended – however the more active citizens complained that the budget decisions had already been made – all the city was doing was explaining what they had decided to do.
There are those who think the public should be at the table helping to decide what and where their tax dollars are to be spent. And that was certainly what Robert Lovell and James Young were suggesting council do – take a much different look at transit. Make it free for seniors every day of the week suggested Young. “That’s what they do in Europe” he said. “You are looking at transit as a cost when you should be looking at transit as a service that is paid for with money the taxpayers give you”, he added.
Several members of council wanted to know how many really poor seniors there were in the city that needed financial support to be able to use the transit system. The figure was said to be 6%.
Mayor Goldring pointed out that 17% of the population is made up of seniors – he seemed to be worried that they all might want to get on a bus on the Monday’s when service would be free – which is exactly the point Lovell and Young were making.
There comes a time pointed our Lovell when you lose your license – what do you do then? The frequency of the bus service really limits how much you are going to be able to get around. If the service were free and frequent you would have people out of their homes spending money, going places and being active in the community, said Lovell
The Mayor, who said he was a senior, one of the younger set – but he does hold a membership at the Seniors’ Centre, told the delegation that he was once carded and asked to prove he was a senior.
The Mayor’s concern was with how many seniors the city will have in 25 years and how a city would manage to deliver the services they will need. The challenge is to develop plans today that will provide the services needed.
One thing became very clear Tuesday afternoon at city hall – if Robert Lovell is representative of the baby boomers who are entering retirement city councils of the future had better be ready for some very local people who expect much more in the way of services And they are not going to be quiet or docile.
Joan Gallagher Bell spoke of a new vision for an age friendly city – for her the minimum was the free transit on Monday.
And that was what Councillor Meed Ward had put forward an adjustment to the budget to make the free service available this year.
Cost – no one was sure but $40,000 seemed to be the number. James Young pointed out that it wasn’t a real expense – it was just revenue the city wasn’t going to get.
 Councillor Meed Ward just might deliver a real benefit to the senior citizens with this budget. There is a side bar to this event. More than a year ago – on a December 18th of 2014 when city council was deciding who was going to sit on which committee, Meed Ward represented the city on the hospital board and she very much wanted to retain that committee responsibility.
Her colleagues didn’t see it that way and gave that task to Councillor Sharman and gave the job of representing council on the Seniors Advisory Committee to Meed Ward.
Meed Ward has delivered big time for the seniors – she will be rewarded when she decides to run for a different role on city council in 2018.
TO: Burlington Community and Corporate Standing Committee
FROM: Tom Muir
Subject: City Budget 2016
Tom Muir wasn’t able to get to the Standing committee and his schedule didn’t allow him to get to the one public meeting held to “inform” the public abouit the contents of the Operating budget. So he took to the media that is open to every opinion out there and sent the following to the Clerk of the Standing committee to have his comments put on the record. Council tends not to listen to Tom Muir.
Councillors;
Since residents did not enjoy city public engagement on the budget, but have just been informed of spending and taxing plans, I have had to spend significant time finding a focus of my concerns.
It’s far to much to cover all the details, however, the big picture over the 20 year forecast is of particular note and concern to me.
1. The compounded average tax rate increases will double the tax take before the forecast period of 20 years is elapsed. Use the rule of 72 to figure that out. The average tax rate increase over the entire period is 3.62% and this leads to the doubling over 20 years.
Using the example bungalow residence in the budget document, the city tax take will go from $1415 to $2854.
If the other tiers of the total tax burden go up as well, the total tax bill could go from $3410 to $6878.
I have to ask you to ask what residents and businessmen think about that exponential curve trend upwards of this tax burden?
Can business double the price for goods and services over the same time period?
I hope your net income is increasing by more than 4% a year for the next 20. Mine is not.
Is this really raising taxes in an affordable manner?
This is really inflationary, in fact, and is shifting income from residents and business to the city for them to spend.
It seems like Council isn’t really thinking about this cumulative trend, in and of itself, and the consequences, at all.
No comment or request in the budget papers that I saw.
And residents were not asked what they thought, they were not “engaged”, just “informed” – this is what we are doing and here’s the tax take.
I would like to see Council pay a lot of attention to this trend. We need Council to tell the Managers to find the cuts needed to shave this to the inflation rate. And don’t tell me there’s no fat to be found.
Tell them a doubling of city taxes over the next 20 years is not to be tolerated.
2. Regarding the 2015 surplus reported, this $4.75 million is 3.23% of the net tax levy of almost $147 million. Taking $3 million of this and subtracting it from the tax levy, would bring the increase down to about the 2% inflation the city claims.
From the of view of the residents and business people, adding all of this to reserves is akin to adding more fat to the city finances. We don’t need fat there, as the reserves look fat as they are.
I see no explanation of some disaster lurking.
The 20 year trend of exponential tax increases that double the tax take, also has fat, for sure, somewhere, but while there are certainly some Councilor requests for amendments and some cost cutting, overall Council doesn’t appear to have asked Management to go find sufficient cuts needed to stay within inflation.
Here’s another pot of money, paid last year by residents, but not spent, that I am sure residents would agree could help reduce this years increase to something more like the “affordable” the city says is the number 1 goal – inflation.
Let’s see some talk and action about this, please.
I’m retired, and I have to live within my income, which certainly doesn’t increase by this much. I’m told business taxes are already high, so we are all in the same boat.
Management makes do with what Council tells them. It’s their job to find cuts. Tell them to.
 Aldershot resident Tom Muir is usually direct, at times abrasive and always looking for clear answers. When I worked in government, that’s how things were done, just find the cuts, and there were and are no sacred cows.
Certainly, not everything in the budget is needed in the time stated. What’s done is a function of input and time. The first can be reduced some and the time to completion can be extended. Put off spending now to save some. Elementary things we are supposed to teach children about money management.
If the city wants affordable tax rates for residents and business then get going on dealing with the exponential trend that will never deliver such a thing – only a crunch.
By Pepper Parr
JANUARY 19th, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The report to council set out how the treasurer thought the surplus from the 2015 budget should be used. A cool $4,750,000 that was not spent in 2015 will not get returned to the taxpayers – it will get tucked into various reserve funds and saved for those rainy days.
 The surplus came from money budgeted but not spent on city services and significant improvements on revenue the city was able to pull in. We overspent on corporate expenditures. The numbers are in millions. Where were the savings experienced?
The city treasurer reports that expenses were closely monitored in 2015 to find ways to reduce operating costs; she reports the 2015 retained savings as follows:
• Human Resource Savings
City human resource costs (excluding winter control) are projected to have a favourable variance of $1,555,230. (The treasurer uses the term favourable and unfavourable balances which most of us know as a surplus and deficit.)
The city experienced a large number of vacancies throughout the year, some of them for senior positions. The favourable variance is primarily attributed to the period of time from when the position became vacant to being filled after the competition was complete.
• Earnings on Investments
Investment income is projected to exceed expectations by $1,327,017. This positive variance is attributed to $2,287,375 of realized capital gains, of which $960,358 will be used to meet the budget of $5.1 million. The proposed budget for Earnings on Investments for 2016 has been increased by $100,000 to $5.2 million.
• Supplementary Taxes
Supplementary tax revenues exceeded budget by $1,885,369. This is due to one property with three high rise buildings assessed as multi-residential for 3 years of taxes (2013-2015) totaling just over $2.0M in city revenues in 2015.
 The city saved on the cost of fuel – but the projected bus ticket sales target was not reached. Transit is going to be an ongoing cost that the city does not seem to be really prepared for – where is the problem? • Transit Fare Revenues
Transit fare revenue is projected to have an unfavourable variance of $719,870 as a result of the 2015 budget not being in line with actual receipts. The proposed 2016 budget has been decreased by approximately $592K to $5.1 million to better reflect the actual trend.
• Diesel Fuel Costs
Diesel fuel costs are projected to have a favourable variance of $643,572. The majority of the variance is found in Transit.This variance is mainly attributed to lower than anticipated fuel prices.The proposed budget has been decreased by approximately $110K for 2016 to $2.9 million.
The remaining difference in the retained savings is comprised of favourable and unfavourable variances spread across numerous programs within the city. The 2015 Operating Budget Performance Report will provide more details on these program variances.
Consistent with past practice and recognizing the one-time nature of the retained savings, this report recommends a transfer to provide flexibility for addressing future one-time expenditures.
The retained savings is not to be used to directly reduce the proposed 2016 tax increase. As this is a one-time funding source, it is important that there is no reliance on retained savings built into the budget process on an ongoing basis.
2015 Recommended Retained Savings Disposition
• $738,361 Provision to Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve Fund
It is recommended that $738,361 be set aside to finance one-time expenditures included in the 2016 Proposed Operating Budget. This allows unique one-time needs to be addressed without affecting the tax rate and without being built into future budget years. These one-time expenditures will be addressed through the review of the 2016 Proposed Operating Budget.
• $750,000 Provision to Capital Purposes Reserve Fund
In order to meet future funding challenges and for the city to support its vision for implementing priority capital projects, staff recommend that $750,000 be allocated to the Capital Purposes reserve fund. This will provide funding for unforeseen requirements for approved projects, funding related to potential future federal/provincial programs and the accelerated road renewal program approved by Council. The 2015 balance for the Capital Purposes Reserve Fund is $9.5 million.
• $750,000 Provision to Strategic Land Acquisition Reserve Fund
The $750,000 provision will assist in replenishing the reserve fund for future strategic land needs. The 2015 uncommitted balance in the Strategic Land Acquisition Reserve Fund is $908K.
• $750,000 Provision to Information Technology Renewal Reserve Fund This provision will provide funding for life-cycle renewal of Information Technology infrastructure.
• $500,000 Provision to Insurance Reserve
In order to maintain a sufficient balance to cover both premium and deductible expenses, it is recommended that funding be allocated to this reserve. The 2015 balance is $663K.
• $500,000 Provision to Benefits Reserve Fund
It is recommended that $500,000 be transferred to the Benefits Reserve Fund to help replenish the balance which is currently $1.2 million.
• $500,000 Provision to Policy Initiatives Reserve Fund
In order to support resource requirements to finalize the Official Plan and other related studies.The balance is currently $100K.
• $250,000 Provision to Severe Weather Reserve Fund
This will help stabilize future budgets when major storms dramatically impact the operating budget.
The balance in the Severe Weather Reserve Fund is currently $2.8 million. It is recommended that the City target a one-year budget for the Winter Maintenance (which is approx. $4.6 million). .
• $11,639 Provision to Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve Fund
The remaining amount of $11,639 to the Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve Fund.
Prior to the calculation of the preliminary 2015 year-end retained savings, staff estimated any minor accounts payable, year-end accruals, and any year-end transfers for net zero activities that needed to be made as part of the year- end close process. The following are the estimated year end transfers for net zero activities.
  
DAAP Reserve Funds
In 2005, the Engineering Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund, the Building Permit Stabilization Reserve Fund and the Planning Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund were created to ease budget pressures should development revenues slow down due to economic and/or market conditions.
The table below shows the projected year-end transfers included in the the calculation of the 2015 preliminary year-end retained savings.
• Engineering Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund
The decrease in Subdivision Administration Fees has resulted in a draw of
$91,829 from the reserve fund. Residential development in Burlington has changed from large-scale Greenfield subdivision applications, to small-scale, infill and intensification sites requiring OPA, zoning, site plan and condominium approvals. The proposed 2016 Budget for Subdivision Administration revenues has been flatlined to $100,000 and will be gradually reduced to zero over time using the $275,000 in the Reserve Fund.
• Building Permit Stabilization Reserve Fund
The Building Permit revenues for 2015 are $3,479,851. These revenues are offset by expenditures (both direct and indirect as per the Bill 124 model), with the resulting draw from the reserve fund of $244,544.
The proposed 2016 Budget for building permit revenues have been increased by
$98,770 to be in line with the 3 year average 2012-2014.
• Planning Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund
Planning Fee revenues have a favourable variance of $566,144 mainly due to increases in official plan and rezoning revenues. A provision of $566,144 has been made to the Planning Fee Stabilization Reserve Fund.
The proposed 2016 Budget for planning revenues has been increased by $45,000 to $1,695,000 to be in line with the 3 year average 2012-2014.
Budgeting is part science and part dealing with the unknown. Set out below is what the city experienced between 2011 and 2015.
 Top portion of the report shows where the surpluses came from – bottom shows what city council decided to do with the surplus.
By Pepper Parr
January 19TH, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
There isn’t going to be a Lowville Winter Fair this year.
City hall has moved the funds that were used in the past today for the event and put them into the Love My Hood project which is a program that allows any neighbourhood to approach the Parks and recreation department with an idea and ideally get the support they need.
 If there is going to be any marshmallows and hot chocolate it will be at a local rink event. Not in Lowville.  You can still toboggan at Lowville – but there will not be an organized Winter Fair this year. Parks and Recreations has come to realize that most communities know what they want and don’t have to be spoon fed.
Love My Hood is a pilot project to build a healthier Burlington by engaging and empowering residents to come together and provide events celebrating their Burlington neighbourhoods.
 Love My Hood helps residents bring events to all neighbourhoods throughout the city by supporting and encouraging Burlington residents to hold their own neighbourhood gatherings, activities or projects where neighbours can get to know each other. Love My Hood provides resources, support, guidance and eliminates some common barriers in event hosting.
There were 13 love My Hood events in 2015 – Parks and Recreation wasn’t prepared to say how many they hoped for in 2016 but they are aiming for 150 of them in 2017 – why 150? 2017 is Canada’s 150th anniversary of Canada.
Want to know more about creating an event for your neighbourhood? Contact Burlington Festivals and Events Office. LoveMyHood@burlington.ca
As for winter activities – the city now has 18 local skating rinks and they felt that Love My Hood programs could be developed around the rinks.
Lowville doesn’t have a local rink – thus – no Lowville Winter Fair. There was some talk about the Lowville community putting on an event – if they do it will be more local and not something that hundrds of people trooped up to Lowville to take part in.
Is this an opportunity lost? It will be interesting to hear what ward 3 Councillor John Taylor has to say on this.
Stay tuned for some comment from him.
In the meantime – if you want to do something for your community – fill in an application form at:
There is all kinds of information on this new approach the city has taken to empowering neighbourhoods and letting each community design programs it wants. Log into for more details.
 By Staff
January 19th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
On Sunday January 17th 2016 at about 7:20 AM, a patrol officer observed a male pull on door handles to several motor vehicles in the area of Elizabeth Street and James Street in Burlington.
 Upon seeing police, the male took off running and was captured after a foot chase where he became assaultive towards the officer and managed to break free. A second foot chase ensued after which the male was successfully arrested.
The male was found to be in possession of a large quantity of assorted coins and a small amount of marihuana.
Arrested and held for bail is:
Willis Lucas Andrew ENRIGHT (18-yrs) of Hamilton
Charged with:
• Theft under $5000 (three counts)
• Possession of property obtained by crime under $5000
• Possession of a controlled substance (marihuana) under 30 grams
• Fail to comply with recognizance
• Assault with intent to resist arrest
• Escape lawful custody
 Snow Update: January 19, 2016 9:00 a.m.
Primary, secondary and local road plowing has been completed.
Plowing of sidewalks is ongoing.
Road and weather conditions are being monitored.
By Pepper Parr
January 19th 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The budget city council is debating this week and will make law next week adheres to the Long Term Financial plan created in 2012 which contained the following key strategic objectives for the city:
1. Competitive Property Taxes
2. Responsible Debt Management
3. Improved Reserves and Reserve Funds
4. Predictable Infrastructure Investment
5. Recognized Value for Services
 City treasurer Joan Ford puts the numbers together – she does so at city council’s direction. Staff have shown a realistic scenario where assessment growth is slowing; no new legacy projects are forecasted; and infrastructure renewal funding is addressed over the 20 year time horizon.
The budget being debated recognizes budget drivers and includes the following assumptions within each item:
Maintaining Current Service Levels – Base Budget
Inflationary Impacts and User Fees
With the exception of human resources and commodities (hydro, water, fuel etc.), 2.0% inflation per year has been applied to all other expense categories (materials and supplies, purchased services and contributions to local boards and committees)
• The increases to User Rates and Fees assumed a 2.0% increase per annum, which is dependent on the nature of the revenues and external market conditions
• An annual increase of 3% to the Vehicle Depreciation Reserve Fund to sustain the City’s fleet and equipment inventory
Corporate Expenditures/Revenues
• An annual increase to the provisions for Insurance and Contingency Reserves of
$300,000 and $100,000 respectively
• An increase in Investment Income of $100,000 per year in 2019 and beyond given the current low interest rate environment
 Long term tax increase projections – above current inflation every year. Other Expenditures
Infrastructure Renewal Funding and Joseph Brant Hospital
• An annual increase of 1.25% for Dedicated Infrastructure Renewal Funding from 2016-2022, reduced to 1.0% for 2023-2033 and 0.5% for 2034 and 2035. This provides funding for capital renewal, as per the Asset Management Financing Plan (approved 20 year scenario)
• An annual increase of 0.2% (2016-2019) in order to finance the repayment of additional tax supported debt for roadways. This will be repositioned in 2020 to fund renewal needs for new infrastructure
• Includes the repositioning of the hospital levy to infrastructure renewal in 2019 ($1.3 million), 2026 ($900,000) and 2027 ($2.6 million)
As with all forecasts, it is imperative to recognize that there are a vast number of unknown factors that will likely occur in the future that could impact the model. In order to address these unpredictable factors, an amount of $300,000 has been included in the 2018 forecast, increasing by $50,000 per year.
 Assessment growth is stagnant – costs of running the city increasing – there is a crunch coming that is going to hit pocketbooks. Assessment Growth
Assessment growth is estimated to be 0.9% in 2017 and decreasing by 0.1% per year to 0.6% in 2020 and beyond. Over the last 5 years, weighted assessment growth has ranged from a low of 0.5% to just over 1.0%. The five year average is 0.9%.
Financial Matters:
The single largest portion of City funding comes from property taxes. As outlined in the Long Term Financial Plan, strategic objective 1 is Competitive Property Taxes; whereby, “the city must respond to the demand for programs, services, and the continued maintenance of our existing infrastructure in an affordable manner.
The city must strike a balance between conflicting goals, such as minimizing tax increases, while maintaining existing programs, services and infrastructure, and providing new services in a climate of increasing costs.”
The report then comes to this astounding conclusion: The 2017 -2035 forecast meets recommendation 1, whereby, “Base budget tax rate changes align closely with inflation”.
Inflation currently hovers at the 2% level and is expected to remain at that level for the next few years. The simulation forecasts the city tax impact from 2017 to 2035 to begin at 3.89% reducing to 2.96%.
Do they do mathematics differently at city hall?
And if they repeat the statement: “Base budget tax rate changes align closely with inflation”. often enough does that make it true?
By Pepper Parr
January 19, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The report going to the Community and Corporate Services Committee asks city council to approve the 2016 Operating Budget including any budget amendments.
The proposed net tax levy for 2016 is set at $146,883,341.
Members of Council have had the Operating Budget book since November and will now debate the operating budget and listen to public delegations at meetings on January 19, 20 and 21.
The budget goes to city council on January 25th where it gets approved.
The city held a just the one public meeting on January 14, 2016 at Tansley Woods Community Centre. The intent of the meeting was to provide residents with an overview of the 2016 proposed budget.
A disturbing comment was made when city council discussed the operating budget. Treasurer said her staff would inform the public about the operating budget but would not be “engaging” the public. No one corrected the treasurer – so this city might have to swallow a budget that asks for an increase of 3.85 % over the 2015 budget.
With inflation at the 2% level one would think the people paying the bills would want to have some say in why such a big difference between inflation and the increase in taxes. Perhaps city council feels the public had their say when they re-elected every member of this council in 2014.
Members of Council are given thick binders will details on the spending plans and are asked to submit Budget Action requests in which each council member sets out items they would like to see changed.
Some of the changes that have been put forward are set out below:
Members of city council were given the budget on a memory stick that allowed them to do simulations on what the budget total would look like if they added or deleted an expense items. This year they went through the budget line by line individually. Based on what the public has seen so far – it doesn’t look as if there is going to be much in the way of cuts. From the left are Councillors Jack Dennison, ward 4, Rick Craven ward 1 and John Taylor ward 3. Ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven wants to see the one time funding of $35,000 for the Downtown Data Collection Project pulled. He points out that the original staff recommendation in September 2015 included the following observation: “After considering the staff and funding resources that would be required to collect accurate and useful data to inform the performance indicators and headline measures, staff is of the opinion that the value of obtaining and maintaining such data as a means to evaluating the experience of the downtown may be limited” Remove project and one-time funding of $35,000
The Performing Arts Centre appears to be facing an uphill battle for the additional business case funding it is asking for; $72,500 for a technician and $115,800 for someone to work on community engagement.
Ward 4 Councillor Jack Dennison wants the Performing Arts centre to stay within their budget; Councillor Blair Lancaster (Ward 6) wants data to show the success of the previous contract position and indicate if the proposed permanent position could be self-sustaining.
He also wants to know: Why has the Human Resources budget been increased by 6.2%?
Why is the Arts and Culture – Human Resources year-end projection for 2015 $43,000 over the budget?
Why is the budget $1,009,140 for Human Resources?
Why has the Human Resources budget for Council and Citizen Committee been increased by $30,000?
Dennison has always been the Councillor with the best understanding of the budget and has consistently asked the toughest questions.
 Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward seems to have focused on transit and seniors in the changes she wants to see in the 2016 budget. Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward has focused some of her energy on seniors and transit.
She wants to replace the existing business case with the following staff direction (Part 1): “Direct the Director of Transit to implement a pilot program for free transit on Mondays for seniors (65+) for the period April 1 – Sept 30 2016 and report back with results and a recommendation as part of the 2017 budget cycle.” The goal of the program is to increase ridership among seniors; among the Key Performance Indicators that will be tracked during the pilot are: change in ridership among seniors on Mondays; change in ridership among seniors Tuesday to Sunday; change in revenue from seniors Mondays and the rest of the week.
Replace the existing business case with the following staff direction (Part 2): “Direct the Director of Transit to implement a pilot program of a $30 monthly pass for seniors (65+) (about $1/day) for the period April 1 – Sept 30 2016 and report back with results and a recommendation as part of the 2017 budget cycle.” The goal of the program is to increase ridership among seniors and remove affordability concerns for people who may not qualify for the Regional SPLIT pass. Among the Key Performance Indicators that will be tracked during the pilot are: change in sales and revenue of monthly passes for seniors; change in ridership among seniors.
Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman has focused om both information technology and corporate management and is asking that staff be directed to prepare an assessment of each of the services with respect to their relative strategic importance. The objective is help determine where we might wish to reduce/cut spending and therefore be able to re-allocate funds to services which are strategically more important.
 Councillors Sharman and Lancaster – both had changes they wanted to see in the 2016 budget. Staff be directed to conduct a series of Council Workshops to explain and seek agreement about each service: strategic positioning; service improvement goals; improvement actions: short/medium & long term resource/financial requirement projections.
The Strategic Plan has now gone through an extensive public review – when staff returns with its summary of what the public thought of the document it will be brought to Council for adoption. Some of what Councillor Sharman is asking for will then get matched up with what is included in the Strategic Plan.
Sharman is perhaps the Councillor with the best understanding of spending on Information technology. He suggests that a justification based on the 2 1/2 year old report is of questionable value today due the pace of change in technology. He points out that a report did correctly point out that City systems are aging and should be updated.
Rather than spend $209,350 in 2016 and $407,250 in 2017 Sharman proposes the following staff direction: Funding for IT Business Cases be approved but be refined by the City Manager relative to his assessment of the alignment of IT projects, in the context of the Strategic Plan, and the current strategic review of IT now underway, as well as the approach proposed in the subject Business Cases.
City manager James Ridge has some IT experience – but his desk is pretty full with managing the city – and he no longer has a management level between his office and the directors. Interesting that there has been no mention of just what the city is going to have in the way of a management structure going forward.
 Mayor Rick Goldring didn’t ask for any cuts to the 2016 budget but did want the city manager to look for ways to increase revenue. Mayor Goldring didn’t seem to see anything he wanted to cut in the 2016 budget but did want the city manager to study approaches that the city can take in revenue generation and provide a report to committee with the presentation of the 2017 budget
Snow Update: January 18, 2016, 11:00 p.m.
Plowing of Primary and Secondary roads is ongoing, and will continue overnight.
Sidewalk plowing will begin in the early morning and continue throughout the day.
 Roads clearing priorities.
By Pepper Parr
January 18th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
There are traces of Charlie Chaplin, a sense that the mime Marcel Marceau is in the room as you watch a dancer/actor perform an art form that we are lucky to have on the stage of the Performing arts centre.
We wanted to watch Trevor Copp in a rehearsal setting and be in a position to write about his work before the public performances take place.
The nine acts, several are very short, were conceived by Copp who has been a strong consistent advocate the more in the way of opportunities to use the Performing Arts Centre. His day has come.
 A time exposure of Trevor Copp on stage rehearsing for his four day run at the Performing Arts Centre. Copp will perform in “Air” on Thursday the 21st at 7:30 pm; Friday the 22nd at 7:30 pm and on Saturday at both 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm. All performances are in the Community Theatre.
Robin Patterson directs, Kelly Wolf did the costume most of the photography in this article was done by Kaitlin Abeele.
The opening piece, a meditation on Air is superb. While the dance is good – it is the acting that comes across very strongly. The way Copp tells you that he is on a train looking out the windows is just a really fine piece of acting.
1. Opening: A meditation on Air: This piece is not only a fine performance but a delight. Copp takes toy through a number of emotions – you feel what he is conveying –his going up in the balloon was marvelous.
2. Starry Night; Painter Vincent Van Gogh on the verge of a breakthrough
3. The Stupendifying Giganticism of Mr. Small: On the way home, Mr. Small’s passion for the constellations fail to move a woman he meets on the way. A miraculous burst of growth suddenly makes anything possible.
4. Sometimes It Snows in April: Snapshots of the rise and fall of a relationship that starts by offering an umbrella in the rain.
5. Butterfly: A man’s obsession with figuring out how to fly is inspired by a run-in with a Butterfly.
6. Questica: Concept by Stephen Sass; A great search begins. This one didn’t work for me
7. That Time I Asked God a Question: A man’s death is just the beginning of his path to enlightenment.
9. The Stag Hunter : A hunter has visions of a stag as he tracks it deep in the woods.
This is a very powerful performance – it might need a little more work and some refinement – but it is more than well worth watching at this point in its life.
What am I about to see if I buy a ticket?
A series of high impact physical stories: One spontaneously expands to galactic size and climbs the stars. One falls in love. One hunter becomes the hunted. One flies. One dies. ‘Air’ explores the connections we have through the simple act of breathing. Physical theatre performer Trevor Copp uses movement to launch into places where words cannot follow.
 It isn’t magic – but it is in the air. An artist with just a bare chair as a prop and an imagination attached to a body that can move with grace and artistry. Try not to miss this one. What do you mean by ‘Physical Theatre’?
Copp explains: “I spent a lot of time debating the use of ‘Mime’ to describe what I do – because this word is a kind of marketing death. Mime sounds like a thing trapped in an invisible box which is, in turn, trapped in the ‘70s. How did that happen?
‘Our cultural memory of Mime isn’t kind. I was busking (right on the streets of Hamilton) in full classic stripes and white face once and had to cross the street when a car sped up drastically. It was a near miss, and the driver yelled out ‘Mime! 2000 points!’
“But this wasn’t the mime I knew. I studied the Canadian Mime companies from the 70s, 80 and 90s, – and the work was amazing. Rich, varied, complex – and highly disciplined. My studies in Mime in Paris proved this to me further. But the work from Canada in that period is all but lost.
“I got a small but timely grant from the Hamilton Arts Council and started these pieces with Richard Beaune, a wonderful physical theatre practitioner. I went on to develop the production with core members of the Canadian Mime Theatre/Theatre Beyond Words Terry Judd, Robin Patterson, and Harro Maskow.
“Air’ emerges out of the chance to work with them: bringing back their work that inspires me, inventing work under their direction, and getting a chance to work with some of the unsung masters of Theatre in Canada.
“My dream is to create work that takes their theatre and puts it back in dialogue with our time. I ask big questions, hopefully well enough to provoke even bigger ones. I want us back sitting around the fire beside our basic longings: to fly, to die, to want impossible things, to move beyond. Movement has taken me there. I hope to show you what I mean.”
In a comment made by a reader to an advance piece we wrote on the production the ticket price was an issue – at $36 it is certainly more than a movie. See Copp now at $36 – it will cost you three times that at some point in the future and you will be able to see a great before he was discovered.
 Director Robin Patterson on the left and production manager Courtney Pyke talk through a lighting and sound issue during rehearsal. Director Robin Patterson put the performance Copp gives in context – explaining what mime was and what it has become. “Mime’ is not one rarified, historical kind of theatre” Patterson explains, “but rather a range of modern styles of physical theatre with many names. A story might be told by using gesture language, by drawing images in the air, or by carefully ordering a series of actions often supported by text, music, sound effects and/or projections. Pure Mime is the style in which a solo actor on a bare stage creates visual poetry.
“For the audience, the magic of ‘Pure Mime’ is seeing the actor create something out of nothing. For the actor, the joy is in devising a very specific story out of nothing – nothing but air, amazing physical skill and incredible ingenuity. There are no props or set pieces except what the performer is able to define by gesture, action, rhythm and intent.
“Trevor Copp blends the two styles to bring us ‘Mime for the 21st Century”.
 By Staff
January 18th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The provincial Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) outlines which immunizations students must have in order to attend school.
Local health departments are responsible for confirming the immunization records of students to ensure they have either the legally required immunizations or required exemption form on file.
 Students born in 1998 and 1999 who are not fully immunized can get their shots at school. This year, students born in 1998 and 1999 who have not provided this information to the Health Department by February 24, 2016, are at risk of suspension starting in April.
Families with children born in 1998 and 1999 whose immunization records are incomplete, received notices from the Health Department in July and December of 2015.
 Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Halton Region’s Medical Officer of Health “While the majority of families in Halton immunize their children to protect their health, many are unaware that they need to notify the Halton Region Health Department about any immunizations their children have or do not have,” said Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Halton Region’s Medical Officer of Health. “We don’t want anyone to miss school, so as we enforce provincial immunization legislation, we’re making sure it’s easy for students to get updated immunizations by holding clinics in their school.”
If families do not want to wait for the February in-school clinics, they can also receive all required vaccines through their family doctor and report these immunizations back to the Halton Region Health Department.
In February 2016, the Halton Region Health Department will be offering in-school immunization clinics for students born in 1998 and 1999 with incomplete immunizations who are at risk of school suspension.
Although the Halton Region Health Department is taking steps to ensure the immunizations of students born in 1998 and 1999 are up-to-date, all families are encouraged to review their children’s immunization history and make sure the Health Department has updated records either online at halton.ca/immunize, by dialing 311 or by dropping off a copy of their child’s immunization record to the Halton Region Health Department at 1151 Bronte Road in Oakville.
 By Pepper Parr
January 18, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
There is that phrase “build it and they will come” and it might be true but if your sinking millions into the construction of a five tower project that is going to change significantly a part of town that didn’t have much vim or vigour to it – you don’t just build – you sell.
People driving along Fairview can see a smart looking one storey structure with a lot of glass and the liberal use of pink paint. If they stretch their necks they might see the two construction cranes – but traffic moves along Fairview at a pretty swift pace.
 Project manager Rodger Park looks over the second level of the parking garage of the West Tower. In behind the construction hoardings there is a big hole out of which is rising the West Tower – the first of three Paradigm towers that will rise out of the ground and up to a height of 22 storeys at the back of the project. Two additional 18 storey towers will be at the front closer to Fairview.
Project Manager Rodger Park is on the site very early each morning waiting for the arrival of the crane operator who will climb up the 215 foot ladder and get the electricity running to the crane – and in the winter get the heaters turned on as well before the serious construction on the ground can begin.
 John Caronello spends his shift in a crane 215 feet above the construction site John Caronello, the crane operator with 32 years experience behind him, gets his communications gear on and does the sound checks with his rigger Ryan Vandermeer on the ground so the buckets of concrete or loads of steel can begin moving.
The people building the project are focused on getting each level of the building completed on time – and with Park running the show – schedules get met. The construction crews will tell you how big each building is going to be – but oddly enough they don’t know all that much about what the building is going to look like other than what they see painted on the construction hoardings.
When first interviewing Caronello and rigger Vandermeer, we needed a warm place to sit and talk about the job they do so we slipped into the sales office – a place construction workers have no reason to walk into with their muddy boots.
 Ryan Vandermeer on the left along with John Caronello and Paradigm sales agent Sophie look over the model of the development site. Crane operator Caronello and rigger Vandermeer had never seen the model of the site – all they see are the drawings that indicate where the forms are going to be set up for concrete pours and where the steel beams have to be placed so that they can be bolted down tightly.
John was delighted at what he saw when Sophie, the sales agent on duty when we dropped in, explained how the buildings were going to be set on the site and how it all comes together.
Interesting that highly skilled construction workers would move tonnes of material around a construction site and get it to exactly where it is supposed to be with no mistakes and no injuries to anyone on the site don’t have the time to look at the model and see what they are building – and making sure they get it right.
Yards away from the cranes and the excavators and the big dump trucks there are sales agents’ explaining how the community being built is going to work and where all the amenities are going to be.
The construction crews arrive early in the morning and leave at the end of the day tired and ready for the drive home – looking over models of a building isn’t something they have much time for – they build.
 By Pepper Parr
January 15th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
While the construction of the hospital is on schedule –concrete pours for levels 7 and 8 slabs of the tower are now done, and construction of the building envelope and structural steel work has started, the team that is going to run the place when it opens is gearing up to operate a hospital that will be a lot different than the one we have today.
More on the construction side before we get to the Readiness Team.
 It will be up and opened before we know it. The verticals from Level 7 to 8 are complete and the verticals from 8 to 9 are in progress and will be completed by the end of January. Levels 8 and 9 will be dedicated to mechanical and electrical equipment that will run the building.
 Construction cranes loom over the hospital site 0 pouring of the slabs for the top floor expected to be done by the end of the month. • There will be five concrete pours in total for Level 9. The final pour will happen by the end of January.
• The vertical from Level 9 to the roof of the hospital will begin at the end of January and will be completed by the beginning of February.
• The construction of 6 elevator shafts and 3 main stairways from Level 8 – 9 is underway and will be finished by mid-January. Construction of 1 stairway and 2 elevator shafts will continue from Level 9 to the roof throughout January/early February.
• Mechanical work, plumbing, electrical and duct work continues on the Main Level, Level 1 and Level 2 throughout January and February.
• Installation of drywall continues on the Main Level, Level 1 and Level 2.
• Masonry work on the Main Level, Level 2 and Level 4 is happening throughout January and early February.
• The construction of the Building Envelope (also known as curtain wall) continues on the Main Level and will begin on Level 1 soon. If you take a look at the site from the parking garage roof you will see some of the curtain wall panels.
• Structural steel work begins in the Ambulance Garage.
• In our existing hospital, the excavation for footings for the second section of our loading dock is complete and the pouring of concrete for the footings is done. Forming and pouring for the foundation wall has begun and will be completed by mid-January.
You can log into the web camera that runs 24×7 and watch the hospital being built – you get to be a sidewalk superintendent without getting cold.
Construction is on schedule – the people who will run the hospital have been organized into an Operational Readiness Team that will focus on ICAT (Information, Communications and Automation Technology).
“We want staff to feel excited, to be comfortable and confident to move into their new space in a seamless transition so they can operate out of that space on move day,” said Kate Traianopoulos, Project Manager, Operational Readiness.
 Trish Hamilton Readiness Project coordinator Trisha Hamilton, Operational Readiness Coordinator and Registered Nurse is working with 11 programs at the hospital including Emergency, ICU, Finance and Decision Support and IT to ensure staff are prepared to move and operate in our new hospital in 2017. Trisha describes her role: “I meet with my assigned programs and essentially we review every little task that needs to be completed so they can hit the ground running. Staff need to feel comfortable going into that space on opening day because we have patients to care for and we have a lot of safety concerns that we need to address so that everything is smooth right from opening day.”
“Once we move into this new building your entire processes change. It’s a big change and that’s why we need to start early, ” she said. For Hamilton the challenge is “getting right into the minutiae of that program, down to the meat and potatoes of what those programs do and the processes they need to accomplish and how they serve our patients is important.”
 By Pepper Parr
January 15th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The crowd that rides the GO train and those who drive the QEW collectively make up the bulk of the people who think about the economy, where we are going as a country and how their home town Burlington is coping.
Before too many noses get out of joint over that opening paragraph, I did say the “bulk” – not all the people who think in this city.
 How soon might we see a functional club house at the Nelson Stadium? These are the people that sit on community committees with their friends and neighbours – the Nelson Stadium Revitalization group is one example, the Rural Burlington Greenbelt Coalition is another. Burlington has dozens and dozens of strong community based groups.
They are aware of our fragile economy, they see the impact and deal with the stuttering economic growth – and they read – and they hear about the federal plans to take on some debt and build or upgrade our infrastructure.
How much of that infrastructure upgrading money is going to get spent in Burlington? And what will it gets spent on? Surely some of it will go into the roads that the current city council says we are millions of dollars behind on.
But what else – what has city hall got on hold that could be rolled out tomorrow if the dollars were available.
Well Councillor Jack Dennison would be close to the front of that line with a move to get the pool at Nelson started.
 Are the Mainway and east end rail crossing next on the grade separation list? Then there are the two remaining rail grade separations that are on the books: Mainway and the crossing in the east end.
 A plaza with trees liberally spread out – where can you see that in this city? Mapleview? Burlington Mall? Would someone at city hall begin to work with the owner of the Lakeshore Village Plaza and find a way to integrate the city holdings with the private property and get something happening out there? The architect on that project has put forward some excellent ideas and the community took part in a meeting more than a month ago on what they would like to see. City hall has yet to report on just what the 300 plus people had to say at that community meeting.
Would the city want to nudge the Region and fast track the building of the Beachway Park?
 Has city hall passed its best before date? There is a fat file in a cabinet somewhere at city hall with a detailed report on what the city needs in terms of space and also sets out how deficient the city hall itself actually is. We are currently renting office space across the street from city hall.
There is a golden opportunity to goose up the never quite vibrant enough downtown and give it some life. Those who continually tell us that downtown is vibrant have jobs that depend on that sleight of hand. Were we to admit that we have failed with our downtown core – those people would need to find jobs doing something else.
What are we missing here?
There is hardly a word coming out of city hall on what they have in the way of ideas and projects that can be made close to “shovel ready”.
The Mayor hasn’t held a press conference this term – the only real press conference he held in his first term was when the city explained how the pier fiasco was settled out of court – and on that occasion he got the city manager to do all the talking.
The current city manager is basically media adverse.
While we have an economy that is struggling, a dollar that is worth 70 cents; oil that is running at about $30 a barrel – but doesn’t seem to have brought gasoline prices down, we are still a people of ideas and energy and we have within us the capacity to make things happen.
Would someone actually do something – soon?
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