 By Walter Byj
December 21, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It looked like a pre Christmas agenda, relatively short with a quick adjournment so that one could finish their holiday shopping. Alas, meetings have a way of stretching – -the thought of last minute shopping quickly vanished.
 The first major discussion point was in regard to the Ombudsman of Ontario who now, through legislation, has the authority to review and investigate any complaints dealing with the educational sector and is not required to inform or include the local board in the investigation of any complaints. This would run parallel with the board’s own investigative procedure, “Process for public Concerns” which is their internal process for resolving concerns.
A. Collard (Burlington) presented the following recommendation so that there would be a more collaborative policy with the provincial Ombudsman.
“Be it resolved that Halton District School Board trustees and staff collaboratively develop a policy and an administrative procedure regarding our internal process for complaints made via the office of the Ombudsman and report back to the Board by the second meeting in March 2016.”
After some give and take by the trustees, it was resolved that the motion would require some rework and would be presented again in the first meeting in January.
Student trustee S. Schneider and Director Miller spoke of the recent presentation that Miller did to the Student Senate in regard to the Program Viability study. Both said that the students had some positive feedback and this would be made available in an upcoming report in January.
After reviewing a number of policies that have been posted to the web for public input:
• Program and Accommodation Review Policy
• Director’s Performance Review Policy
• Board Recognition Policy
The board turned its attention to a presentation and interim report on” Active and Sustainable School Travel” by S. Burwell(Environmental Sustainability Co-ordinator).
The Halton school board has committed itself to increase active school travel (students travelling to and from school under their own power) as the most recent data shows that Halton has one of the highest automobile mode of transportation in Ontario.
 Getting the early teenagers off the couch and onto a playing field. Active transportation has decreased by 13% for 11-13 year age group and 14% for 14-17 year age group over the years of 1986 and 2011. Citing studies that show where physical activity in the morning contributes mental and physical well being, the board will continue collecting data and prepare a number of recommendations that will encourage more active school travel. In a give and tack with the trustees, it was mentioned that some students who are constantly transported by automobile, do not have a strong sense of their communities physical layout; not knowing the streets around them.
Director Miller started his Director’s report by stating that there will be no glossy annual this year as it will be modified and will be online only. This will cut done on costs and it will be available quicker and will be more accessible. The assumption is that this will go hand in hand with an enhanced website.
He then stated that the board will be seeking to hire an additional 35 Education Assistants for next year. This will be on the agenda in January. Associate Director Boag will provide in January an update of the community consultation and input to the Program Viability Committee. Miller also thanked the trustees for their participation in a meeting with local Muslim meetings. There was no elaboration of the discussions that took place.
This was followed by a slide presentation by Superintendent Eatough that highlighted the visit of two privately sponsored Syrian families to the Board’s Welcome Centre and presented what was done within the Halton board to help the students/families. This was followed up by a show and tell by Chair Amos where she filled a backpack with all the utensils each student would need and then challenged all those in attendance to do the same. Hopefully all of our students have the same type of backpack.
This was followed by the board reconvening to a private session and back to a public session where they resolved that the board ratify the Memorandum of Settlement with the Elementary Teacher’s Federation of Ontario-Elementary Occasional Teachers the Canadian Union of Public Employees. Both were carried unanimously and are subject to ratification by the unions.
And they all went home for their holiday!
By Pepper Parr
December 21st, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Jack Dennison believes he got himself over one of the hurdles he faces in getting a new pool at Nelson Park for the residents of his ward.
The 50 metre pool at Nelson was taken out of commission in May when inspectors found that it was unsafe – due, apparently to the damage done by two back to back heavy winters.
The pool was first opened in 1963. The steel structure with a commercial grade liner was scheduled for an upgrade in 2019.
 Built in 1963 – the Nelson pool was due for a rebuild in 2019 – didn’t quite make it. The ward Councillor wants to fast track the replacement pool and have it opened for July of next year. The pool was to reopen June 13, but with two severe winter seasons back-to-back, the steel tank at Nelson Pool had seen an accelerated rate of deterioration.” said Chris Glenn, Director of Parks and Recreation for the city.
Parks and Recreation had hoped to find a solution but by August it became evident that the pool was never going to reopen – it would have to be rebuilt.
In December a staff report was issued with a number of options:
Option 1
Re-build the 50-metre – (comparable to original) – $4.6 – $5.2 million
8 lane, 50-metre pool to meet competitive swimming requirements with an adjacent zero depth entry leisure pool and water play features. Original pool was 7 lanes which is not typical. Approximate swimmer capacity would be 550.
Option 2
Build a 25-metre (smaller version) – $3.7 – $ 4.3 million
6 lane, 25-metre pool with an adjacent zero depth entry leisure pool and water play features.
Approximate swimmer capacity would be 350.
Dennison picked up on the views of the community and decided he would fight for what the community once had – a 50 metre pool. He held a ward information meeting at his recreation facility where the audience was small, made up for the most part of members of the Devilrays competitive swimming club.
 The Nelson pool is the only location suitable for competitive events in the city. The swimmers lobbied every member of council – and handed the council committee Clerk a thick file of petitions. That and a solid delegation from a service club and the Standing Committee went for the first option. That got confirmed at the city council meeting last week.
The next step for Councillor Dennison was – When!
He wants the new pool in place for the summer of 2016 – the city manager didn’t see it quite that same way.
Dennison wanted a Design and Build approach rather than the longer, and more expensive approach – putting the job out to tender where the city has to accept the lowest bid that comes in.
Dennison argues that there are a number of pool builders in the province who built swimming pools for the Pan Am Games. They have the experience and have used the most recent technology and could get a new pool in place quite quickly – by July of next year according to Dennison who has had conversations with a number of pool builders.
With a council decision to build a “like for like” – they had a 50 metre pool – so they get a new 50 metre pool – Dennison now needs to convince his colleagues to direct staff to put out a call for Design and Build proposals.
The city manager was having a bit of a problem with that approach. His view was that city council was straying onto his turf and that the decision as to which approach should be taken was part of his domain.
City manager James Ridge, who brings his ten years of Canadian Army Military Police experience and background to his task, has run up against Jack Dennison who doesn’t have much time for org charts and chains of command. Jack Dennison just wants to get out there and get it all done.
Next step for Dennison is to see if he can find the three votes he needs to get the Staff Direction passed. Will he be able to convince three of his fellow council members to vote for a Staff Direction to at last take a look at what a Design and Build proposal would look like?
It is going to be hard for those members of council from the east end of the city to say no to just looking.
Mayor Goldring once represented ward 5, will he say no? The 200 emails members of council got from the swimming club members will have an impact on any decision that gets made and when the rest of the community hears that it just might be possible to have their pool in place for next summer – well you can get a sense as to how that discussion is going to work out.
Assuming Dennison can get a Staff Direction voted on – he then has to find the money to pay for the work. Joan Ford, city treasurer, did say the money was in place for the work to be done in 2018 – and maybe 2017 if some juggling around of funds were done.
Dennison points to a number of tasks that were going to be done in the ward that he would have no problem with doing some switching of delivery dates on.
 Ward 4 Councillor Jack Dennison has served on city council for more than 20 years – he knows the territory exceptionally well. Will he have his way with the city manager? What just might be shaping up is a bit of a showdown between the city manager, who has yet to be tested, and a city Councillor who wants to deliver a big one for his constituency.
The two issues just might end up on the front page at about the same time as Dennison’s Ontario Municipal Board hearing on his appeal against a Committee of Adjustment decision not to allow him to sever his Lakeshore Road property where he lives in a historically designated home is heard.
This is one to keep an eye on as we move into a new year.
Don’t count on Dennison losing this one.
 By Pepper Parr
December 20, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The parking spots outside city hall are not actually assigned to specific members o council but they each have habits and the Mayor tends to take the one closest to the building – he also tends to back is car in.
Late last week the Mayor was scooting across the parking lot while I was having a conversation with Councillor Taylor. The Mayor didn’t head for the car the city provides him as Mayor for the city – he headed for a small but very smart looking BMW.
 Smart little BMW being loaned out to people that will allow Burlington Hydro to collect usage data. Mayor was one of the earlier experimenters. Councillor Taylor mentioned something about getting to use the car sometime in the future – that was when the Mayor explained that the car was the property of Burlington Hydro – it was an all-electric vehicle that was being loaned out to various people to learn more about their driving habits. Along with the all-electric car there was an EV charging station where the user of the car could “fill-up”.
Burlington Hydro realizes that electric cars are becoming more popular and they need to ensure that the electricity grid that feeds hydro to our homes can manage the additional load that electric cars will place on the system.
Dan Guatto, a vice president and the COO for Burlington Hydro explained that each transformer on the streets of Burlington could probably handle as many as seven electric cars if the owners had EV charging stations in their homes.
And that is where hydro expects people to get the electricity they need into those cars.
 Electric vehicle charging station in city hall parking lot. The EV charging stations however are not just a big battery that put electricity into a car – they are actually “smart” EV chargers that are tied into the North American electricity grid with enough computing power to be programmed and managed the flow of electricity into the electric car and to manage the flow out of the car as well.
Guatto explains that the managing of the electricity is a significant challenge – the grid that we have in place wasn’t built for this added demand. So we have to manage the process of charging all those cars – ideally he added we would like to use nuclear generated electricity that we call upon late at night when it is least expensive.
The task right now is to determine what the demand I going to be – and the start of that process is to have the Mayor and other members of council driving the BMW while all the data is recorded and analyzed.
The Gazette doesn’t recall getting a media release from the city on this really interesting initiative – had we not spotted the Mayor getting out of the BMW we would never have learned about the program.
The city did have an EV charging station installed at the city parking lot on Locust Street and there was one of those infamous photo-ops done.
What has us scratching our heads is – why wouldn’t the Mayor want the citizens of the city to know about the program. It certainly fits into the Community Energy Plan that the Mayor loves to talk about.
One political wag suggested the Mayor didn’t want to have to explain to the public why he was driving a BMW leased by hydro. The Gazette would love to see the Mayor championing this initiative – it a great one.
The Gazette did suggest that its publisher might be able to help with the gathering of useful data if he had access to the BMW for a period of time – there was no response to that idea.
By Pepper Parr
December 19, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
She did it differently from the very beginning.
For Marianne Meed Ward, connecting with the people she had chosen to represent was her prime focus. Her style was to listen and to be aware of what was happening in her community. Many assume that is why we elect politicians – comments from Gazette readers suggest that does not always happen.
Meed Ward created what was loosely called a ‘ward council’ soon after she was first elected to represent ward 2 at city hall and gave the thirty to forty people who showed up at the regular meetings work to do.
 Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward has identified 15 different communities in her ward and is looking for people to liaise with her on what’s happening in each community. Participating democracy was the approach she used and it worked. For many her supporters are a fan club. During the swearing in ceremony at the Performing Arts Centre for her second term of office the applause from the audience was significant – it came very close to being a standing ovation. No one else got that kind of applause.
Meed Ward has taken the ‘getting right into the community’ a couple of steps further when she announced the creation of Community Liason committes.. She has mapped ward 2 into 15 different communities and is asking for people who want to volunteer to be her eyes and ears in each of those communities.
Meed Ward said: “Residents are the eyes and ears of your community; you know your neighbours and are often the first to learn of issues or opportunities in your area. I’d like to stay in the loop of activities in each neighbourhood in my Ward. So I’m working on creating a Community Liaison committee and am looking for volunteers.
 Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward at an event with Mayor Rick Golding at the opening of a plaque on the waterfront. She added: “We’ve identified 15 distinct neighbourhoods in Ward 2. I’m looking for at least one point person for each area to serve as a Community Liaison, to assist me in sharing information from my office to the neighbourhood and vice versa. Once or twice a year, I’ll convene a meeting of the Community Liaisons to share issues and learn from each other. The idea is that this group would replace the less formal Citizens Advisory Committee from the previous term of council.
“I will be gathering all interested Community Liaisons together to share more information about the role and ask for your ideas. The meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, January 20, 2016, 7:00 p.m. at the Salvation Army, 2090 Prospect St.
This is a new initiative and Meed Ward wants input and ideas from the volunteers involved. If you are you interested in being a Community Liaison contact Meed Ward’s assistant, Georgie at Gartside@burlington.ca, and plan to attend on January 20.
 By Staff
December 18, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Children at local elementary schools were challenged with designing an engaging poster around the theme of the RBC Blue Water Project. Launched in 2007, the RBC Blue Water Project is a 10-year global charitable commitment of $50 million to help provide access to drinkable, swimmable, fishable water, now and for future generations.
RBC and Art Gallery of Burlington teamed up to spread awareness of this project while instilling values of environmentalism and creativity in our future generation.
 “We all know that a picture can tell a thousand words and then some. At RBC, we believe in the power of art to enrich our lives and enhance our communities. We are proud to support the Art Gallery of Burlington and the RBC Children’s Exhibition which encourages students to explore their creativity through visual art,” stated John Lever, Regional Vice President of RBC Halton South.
There were 119 entries; all from Catholic schools.
RBC announced the winners of the environmental-themed children’s art contest at the Art Gallery of Burlington earlier this week. The winners of what the bank calls it’s Leo’s favorite” award were:
Grade 8 – Holy Name of Mary School – (group ) Ariana, Giuliana, Kasia, Natalie & Renata
Grade 6 – St. Gabriel School – Candice
Grade 2 – St Mark School – Lilyanna
All the artwork is on display at the AGB until December 23rd. The event was a curated Kids’ Exhibition
RBC will also be making a donation to the Environmental Charity of choice for the winning participants.
The winners were each awarded with a bag of art supplies from the Art Gallery of Burlington. Additionally, each of the three schools will receive an in-class art instruction from one of our educators.
 By Staff
December 19, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Some people call it ACCOB, some people call it the Collective – its real full name is The Arts & Culture Collective of Burlington – it was formed about two years ago and came out of a delegation that Trevor Copp gave to a city council Standing Committee at which he pleaded for more support from the city for the cultural community.
 Trevor Copp, the Burlington actor who mobilized the arts into a Collective, makes a point on leadership while Executive Director of the Burlington Museum’s operation Barb Teatero listens. “I want to be able to do my work where I live” said Copp at the time “and not have to become a GO train commuter. That delegation opened the eyes of many members of council who had no real appreciation for how robust the non-organized part of the cultural community is.
The Art Gallery has its Guilds, and there are a few other organized arts and culture groups but the energy that exists within the younger people wasn’t on the radar screens the politicians look at.
The Collective has had a very significant impact on the development of the Cultural Action Plan the city seems prepared to implement – much of that the cultural community gets will depend on how the budget deliberations go – there isn’t going to be enough money to cover everything on the want list.
The Collective isn’t waiting for the city to give them a handout – they are currently doing a survey on what the cultural community believes they need in the way of professional development. The creators of the survey are encouraging every discipline to take part – they want to hear what anyone and everyone in the cultural community thinks they need in terms of professional development.
 The Arts & Culture Collective of Burlington (ACCOB) will be surveying Burlington artists (all disciplines) and cultural workers on what they believe to be their professional development needs.
The survey is anonymous and only one reply from any one particular computer.
Some possible professional development workshop/panel choices are:
Auditioning Tips
Avoiding Exploitation as an Artist
Copyright & the Internet
Grant Writing Tips
Improving your Portfolio and Proposals
How To Fund Raise
How Artists Successfully Work with Businesses (bars, restaurants, galleries, sponsors etc.)
Marketing yourself as an Artist
Professionalism (Best Practices): cross discipline panel discussion
Writer Tips
The Collective will be supported on this project by the Art Gallery of Burlington, Burlington Performing Arts Centre, KooGle Theatre Company, Open Minds Respect Events (OMRE), No Vacancy, Teresa Seaton Studio & Gallery, Tottering Biped Theatre and others.
The mission of the Arts and Culture Collective of Burlington is to advocate for the arts and culture of Burlington and to increase appreciation, support and involvement with arts and culture in the community.
Prime contact at the Arts & Culture Collective of Burlington is Jim Riley – 905-979-9583 or by email at artscultureburlinton@gmail.com
Click HERE for the survey.
By Staff
December 18th, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The students at Brookville Public School will have been told that the Police Service dog (PSD) they named Arrow earlier this year will be on active duty on Monday.
The public first saw Arrow as a cute puppy recruit who needed a name. In June 2015, all elementary schools in the Region of Halton were asked to participate in a name the dog contest. Brookville Public School was the winner in offering the name “Arrow”.
 Police Service Dog Arrow goes on duty next week. PSD Arrow, a pure Belgian Malinois, was born December 30, 2012 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in the United States. He immigrated to Canada through a breeder in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario. His father is an active Police Service Dog serving with the Baton Rouge Police Department and his mother is a high ranking sport dog. Constable Kyle Gibson is PSD Arrow’s handler.
Arrow is a “Bark and Hold” trained dog like the rest of the canine team. As a general patrol dog, he is trained to perform the following disciplines; tracking, open area, building, articles, obedience, apprehension, handler protection, and agility. PSD Arrow is also crossed trained in narcotics detection. He has proven himself to be fast, agile and intense.
 Police Service Dog Arrow – in his early training days. Cst. Gibson has been training with PSD Arrow since September 2015 on the basic handler’s course. They have achieved certification and have successfully completed the course. PSD Arrow’s first shift is Monday December 21, 2015. The addition of this team will take the active Canine team compliment of dogs and handlers to six.
The Regional Police are anticipating the retirement of PSD Tracker.
Another new recruit, PSD Jax, is working hard to join the team.
 Jax, a new police service dog will be will be cross trained in narcotics when he matures. PSD Jax was born November 5, 2014 in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario. His father is a Belgian Malinois, and his mother is German Shepherd. Jax is big, strong and only 13 months old.
PSD Jax will be utilized for General Patrol, and will be cross trained in narcotics when he matures. Like father like son; PSD Jax’s father is a General Patrol Dog employed with the Niagara Regional Police.
Please Welcome Our Two New Canine Team Members, Police Service Dog Arrow and Police Service Dog Jax.
When Arrow first became a police service dog.
 City hall doesn’t shut down for the holidays until next week but Mayor Goldring clearly wants to get a word out to those people who are packing bags and heading for the airport for the holiday season. Many are looking for snow. In what might become an annual thing Mayor Goldring sends Seasonal Greetings to the people he represents in the best mid-sized city in Canada.
December 18th, 2015
By Mayor Rick Goldring.
Burlington, Ontario
“With the arrival of the holiday season, I am reminded of everything we have to be grateful for in Burlington” he said.
“We live in a city that is rich in environmental beauty, from the Niagara Escarpment to Lake Ontario. These areas offer an opportunity to connect with and appreciate nature.
“Burlington is also a city that brings people together. This season, residents can skate at Rotary Centennial Pond, visit the spectacle at the Burlington Festival of Lights or enjoy a walk along one of our trails. These are times to come together with friends, old and new, and celebrate the season.
 Mayor Rick Goldring “We are an inclusive city, where diversity is embraced and celebrated. We can also be proud of being a safe community. Thank you to those who put their lives on the line every day to protect and serve.
“Among our many assets are our residents, who with caring and compassion, give back to Burlington. “I encourage you to take a moment during the busyness of the season to reflect on what you are thankful for – your family, your health, your neighbours and your community.
“I also ask you to assist, if you can, those who may need a helping hand. There are many organizations across our city that help individuals and families of all ages and backgrounds not only during the holiday season, but year round.
“On behalf of Burlington City Council, as well as the Goldring family, I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and wonderful holiday season.”
 By Staff
December 18th, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
There are numerous people who continue to evade the police and the court system and continue to live out in our communities while having a warrant for their arrest in place.
This is the 35th time the Gazette has published a “Fugitive Friday” feature based on information provided by the Regional Police which they use to reach out to the public to help locate wanted persons and hold them accountable for their actions.
Every Friday, the Burlington Offender Management Unit has shared information on a wanted person in hopes that the public can assist in locating the individual. The police also share “Fugitive Friday” information on their website and via social media through Twitter @HRPSBurl and @HaltonPolice.
This is the last edition of Fugitive Friday for 2015.
 The Burlington Offender Management Unit is searching for Kerry Lee HENWOOD, 54 years old of Hamilton ON.
In November 2015, the accused attended Joseph Brant Hospital and stole employee’s wallets while they worked. He went to various stores and made a number of purchases with the victim’s credit and debit cards. Investigation revealed the identity of the thief and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
To date this career criminal has managed to amass 87 convictions for various offences including; Thefts, Frauds, Break and Enter, Assault with a Weapon, Fail to Comply
Probation and Fail to Attend Court.
He is wanted by Halton Regional Police for:
Theft under $5000 x 3
Use of Credit Card x 7
HENWOOD is also wanted by Hamilton Police Service for:
Fraud under $5000 x 7
Theft under $5000
Possession under $5000
HENWOOD is described as 5’5”, 140 lbs with grey hair and blue eyes. He has numerous tattoos – Right upper arm – “Tasmanian Devil”, Left forearm – skull, Left upper arm – “Devil”. HENWOOD is known to frequent the areas of Hamilton, Burlington, Brampton, Toronto and surrounding areas.
Anyone who may have witnessed this person or has information that would assist investigators in identifying him are encouraged to contact D/C Bulbrook – Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Offender Management Team at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2346 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
News report on the theft of personal property at the hospital.
 By Ray Rivers
December 18th, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
There are only a few days left to buy something to put under the tree for my wife. But what I really need is another car. My beloved decade-old Prius has found a new home with my daughter. I bought the car after reading “The Weather Makers” by Australian paleontologist and climate scientist, Tim Flannery. He was so persuasive I even wrote a song about him.
 A Prius – best car Rivers ever bought – he’s in the market for a new one. According to Flannery the single best thing we can do to reduce our carbon footprint is stop driving gas guzzlers. So, I bought a hybrid. And after 200,000 kms at 4.9 l/100 kms (60 mpg), I figure half of my mileage (100,000 kms) was virtually costless and free from emissions, when compared to a conventional auto.
Last week almost 200 national leaders signed up to the Paris (climate) Agreement. But that was the easy part. We’ve been this road before with the Kyoto Protocol, back in 1997, only to find a change in politics killed the deal. Climate deniers GW Bush and our own Stephen Harper did their best to scuttle any attempts at restraining global warming.
And thanks in some small part to them, 2015 will be the warmest year on record. Greenland’s vast glaciers are now melting twice as fast as predicted by climate scientists. And that means that rising sea levels combined with declining polar ice packs will shift the earth’s mass towards the equator slowing down the planet’s rotation and shifting it on its axis – scary stuff.
 Ice fields in Greenland melting faster than anyone predicted – water flows towards the equator impacting the way the earth rotates – and some still don’t see climate change as a problem. Mr. Trudeau has committed to meet with the premiers and come up with a feasible plan of action early in the New Year. A major component of any plan will be a smorgasbord of carrots and sticks to help Canadians get out of old habits. For example, since almost half of all Canadian homes are heated with natural gas, we should expect some financial help with home insulation and alternate heating. And a carbon tax on heating fuels would make sense to help fund these kinds of incentives.
Transportation accounts for about a third of our greenhouse gas emissions and the private motor car makes up about half of that, so expect more incentives to get us onto the new public transportation they keep promising, and into more efficient automobiles. Ontario already offers rebates of up to $8500 for full battery-electric vehicles (BEV) and $5000 for plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHV). But the uptake hasn’t been huge and good luck trying to find them at the car dealer. And even better luck finding a salesperson who knows anything about electric vehicles (EV), PHVs or even hybrids – or understands why you should buy one.
 Get used to see more signs like this – Mayor has one where he normally parks his car. But that’s pretty much it – the rest is stuff we individuals can’t do. The oil sands will require a massive clean-up one way or the other, given where oil prices are going. Some provinces in the prairies and Maritimes will need help converting their electricity generation, as Ontario did recently. Then there is the need for increased reforestation and the development of green technologies.
Fighting wars requires massive amounts of energy and results in all kinds of emission releases, especially when oil-tank cars are being hit by bombs. Yet there has been no discussion of finding better ways to resolve conflicts among nations – especially as the world enters a new era of global tension.
International trade, well that is all about moving goods great distances and burning lots of fuel. It is pure hypocrisy when governments which support more free trade simultaneously sponsor those buy-local campaigns. And speaking of goods transport, trucks now release almost as much greenhouse gas emissions as cars. There was a time when most goods were transported around the country efficiently by rail. Today the rail cars are all busy carrying oil to refineries so it can be burned by the trucks which have now replaced them.
Some folks are saying we need to change the foods we eat as well. According to one researcher lettuce has a greater GHG footprint than pork production. But I don’t believe it. Still other researchers claim that meat production accounts for 15% of all GHG emissions. To that end New Zealand has implemented a cow ‘fart tax’. And beef is the worst of the meats apparently, being labelled the ‘SUV of food’. Which gets us back to motor vehicles.
 Gas was cheap and the highways were seldom clogged – the drivers felt like Kings – those were the days! I confess that I have always been a car buff. I was just a tadpole when my dad brought home a new Plymouth with those monstrous fins. He wintered his beautiful baby in our barn and I’d occasionally climb in behind the odd-shaped steering wheel and stare at the push button transmission, pretending I was actually driving the big V8 powered behemoth.
My dream car today is the Tesla, named after Nikola Tesla the brilliant Serbian inventor. The car was developed by Elon Musk, a Canadian/American South African guy who invented PayPal and runs Space X as well. A friend of mine has one of these electrically powered beauties and it can go over 300 kms on a charge and move like a cat on catnip. But it costs a bomb and is the only EV with the kind of range I’d be comfortable with, given where I live.
So, unless my publisher pays me a lot more money to write these columns, I’d have to sell my farm and move to the city in order to be able to afford one. But if I did that, one of those more modest EV would do the job – or I could just use environmentally friendly public transportation instead. I hope you’re having better luck with your Christmas shopping than I am.
 Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran as a Liberal against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province. Rivers is no longer active politically.
Background links
Cool Video Tim Flannery Flannery Song Paris Agreement
Ignorant Car Dealers Tesla What People Can Do The Hard Work Begins
Earth Slowing Down Electric VehiclesRoad Transport
Trade and Climate Household Energy Use Unattainable
Cow Farts Electric Vehicles EV Rebates
Meat is the New SUV
Car and Truck Emissions Greenland Melting Lettuce Causes Climate Change
 By Pepper Parr
December 17, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Major and surprising shake up at Conservation Halton – a leadership change was announced by the Board who appointed Hassaan Basit as General Manager, replacing Ken Phillips, who served as Chief Administrative Officer for just over nine years.
 The Conservation Authority has been around for 60 years – new leadership is being sought to adjust to the changes taking place in how these Authorities operate and the role they play in the development of the Region. The recruitment of a new CAO is anticipated to be completed at the end of June.
Hassaan Basit, was the Director of Strategic Planning & Communication for the Conservation Authority.
“Decisions like these are difficult but it has become necessary for Conservation Halton to look ahead and change our approach in order to ensure that we are able to reach our goals and grow as an organization.” said John Vice, Chair of Conservation Halton. “This will require a defined strategic plan, more efficient, effective operations, strong financial foundation, trust and accountability, and a willingness to invest in innovations.” continued John Vice.
“Transitions can be tough, especially when an organization is going through some turbulence. However Conservation Halton is a resilient organization, staffed by professionals who are focused on their jobs. We are about to enter our 60th year as a community-based conservation authority, and underpinning our new strategic plan will be the core of what we do and have done for decades at Conservation Halton: providing sustainable, quality conservation programs and services to watershed residents and visitors.” said Hassaan Basit, now the General Manager of Conservation Halton.
“As the strategic plan is developed and implemented, the next six months will be nothing short of a transformation for Conservation Halton, and the Board of Directors has absolute confidence in Hassaan as the new General Manager.” added John Vice.
 Hassaan Basit appointed as General Manager of Conservation Halton while the Board searches for a new CAO. Is Basit a candidate for that job? A biologist at the University of Toronto early in his career, Hassaan Basit has been with Conservation Halton for 12 years, starting out as Communications Specialist, before moving to Community Engagement and then Director of Communications. His latest role as Director of Strategic Planning has demonstrated his commitment and skill in engaging staff, asking tough questions, building consensus and moving forward in a focused, strategic direction. He also served as acting Director of Lands, which has allowed him a thorough understanding of Conservation Halton from a conservation, regulation, and operations perspective. In addition to his experience at a senior leadership level, his academic qualifications include a B.Sc in Biology from the University of Toronto, M.Sc from Queen’s University of Belfast, and Masters Cert. in Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business.
Basit commentd that the board has to review the job description, form a hiring committee, retain an executive search firm, advertise for at least a month, and then go through the interviews which will likely be late spring.
Basit added that: “The other is that there is a very critical strategic planning process under way at the moment at Conservation Halton, which is going to not just formulate a new set of priorities for the organization but also needs to take a deeper look at current barriers to executing strategic priorities and address those.
“It turns in to a bit of a review of what we do at CH, why we do it, should we continue to do it, and how should we do it in the future. All this requires some time, if we are to move forward as an organization that offers a clear set of programs and services that are sustainable and add value to our stakeholders and to the conservation needs of the watershed. The Board would like this work to continue unhindered, which probably gets us to June again. A steady hand at the tiller if you will.”
By Staff
December 17, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau is currently investigating a suspicious fire that occurred at 606 Artreva Court in the City of Burlington on Saturday December 5,2015
 Halton Police received a call to attend the residence as it appeared there had been a fire inside the home that was no longer active. The fire appeared to have originated in the basement crawl space. Flame marks and black soot damaged the living room area on the first floor.
The owners of the residence had moved out by noon on Friday December 4, 2015 and the damage was observed by a neighbour who attended to clean the home at 1:00pm Saturday on December 5, 2015.
The Ontario Fire Marshall’s Officer attended and determined the cause of the fire was criminal in nature.
Halton Regional Police are appealing to the public for any information that may assist with the investigation as it may lead to identifying the culprit in this crime. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Detective Constable Mallinson of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905 825-4747 ext 2334 or anyone with information on this or any other crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
 By Staff
December 17, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
United Way leaders pushing hard for people in our community saying that 95% is not good enough.
 Chantel Broten, President of Jan Kelly Marketing, heads up the Burlington side of the United Way campaign. Hamilton and Burlington joined forces to raise the funds needed to help the 164,000 people who use the service. Chantel Broten, President of Jan Kelley Marketing and this year’s Burlington Cabinet Co-Chair remains optimistic about the next year. “Given the current economic landscape, we knew this would be tough.
Every fundraiser knows the last 5% is always the hardest, but if we rally together, we can ensure that crucial supports remain strong in our community. We have already had a number of enthusiastic supporters step up to the plate and we are hopeful that we will see more donors offering help to the people of Burlington and Hamilton.” Broten is encouraging everyone this holiday season to give the gift of community by investing in their local United Way. “Every dollar stays local and every dollar counts”.
 A United Way fund raising event. Burlington and Hamilton joined together to raise the funds needed to help the 164,000 people that use the service. “Thanks to the generosity and commitment of hundreds of individuals and organizations, we are projecting to reach 95% of our goal.” said Paul Johnson, Director of Corporate Initiatives at the City of Hamilton and this year’s United Way Cabinet Co-Chair. “Ninety-five percent might be good enough in high school algebra, but it’s not good enough for United Way Burlington & Greater Hamilton.” said Johnson
United Way Cabinet, Board Members and staff met last week to discuss the status of their goal; to change the lives of 164,000 people in our community. The goal is based on the existing and growing needs in both Burlington and Hamilton and represents the approximate number of people helped by United Way last year.
“We have rolled up our sleeves and we are working harder than ever to help maintain the network of social service supports for people in our community. The way we are going to do that is by raising a necessary $6.8 Million” said Johnson. Last year, United Way was able to provide support to thousands of children, seniors, families, and youth-at-risk. Thanks to donors, 53,686 people accessed community mental health services, 35,762 students participated in after-school programs and over 14,900 people obtained increased food security, to name a few.
United Way first announced the goal of 164,000 lives changed at the annual kick-off in September. At that time, the goal was known to be ambitious but striving for less was not an option. The 5% still needed to reach the goal of 164,000 would impact some 9500 people.
 Jeff Valentin leads the United Way operation that is in Hamilton. The annual campaign for United Way brings together over 680 corporate partners and thousands of individuals who work tirelessly to raise funds to help better the lives of their neighbours. United Way CEO Jeff Vallentin is excited to see the energy in everyone involved in the fundraising efforts.
“The determination and enthusiasm of every volunteer and staff person working hard on this campaign is inspirational. I marvel at the efforts being put forth from our donors and I’m confident that our generous community will respond to our appeal.”
Outside of government, United Way is the largest funder of social service programs and initiatives.
 By Pepper Parr
December 17th, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Flu season – time to get your flu shot which is now a lot easier. Many pharmacies in the city offer the service. I got my flu shot at the supermarket – took just a few minutes – no line up, no appointment necessary.
 James Morrison, Walmart pharmacist give Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon her flu shot Burlington’s Member of the provincial legislature, Eleanor McMahon, got her flu shot at Walmart yesterday – took it like the trooper she is.
James Morrison, pharmacist manager for Walmart said they have given about 250 shots “basically the same number as last year”. The government pays Walmart $7.50 for each shot they administer.
 Waiting for the flu shot. “We have been doing both nasally applied flu shot and those given by needle said Morrison.
The Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association surveyed people who got their flu shots at local pharmacy – the 1,610 people surveyed said that for the most part they were happy with getting this kind of service at a local pharmacy.
By Staff
December 16, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halloween contest worked very very well – so it made sense to use the same approach to getting reader attention to run a Christmas house decoration contest.
Even a quick drive around the community will tell you there is plenty to choose from.
 Leslie Bullock Leslie Bullock, a Realtor who has served the city for several decades – she also served as a city councillor when Walter Mulkewich was Mayor, has always come up with imaginative ways to involve the community.
She asks: “Do your neighbours compare your house to the Griswold’s at Christmas time? Or do you prefer to take tips from Martha Stewart?
“Either way, I would like you to capture your snowmen, reindeer, lights and the rest of your (exterior) holiday decorations in photos and send them to us! Get creative, take your best pictures and upload them to our Facebook page.
 To enter, simply post your photos, no more than three please, to our 2015 Christmas Contest photo album. You must then send us a Message via Facebook that includes your name, address, email and phone number so we can contact you if you’re one of our winners.
All entries must be submitted no later than 11:59pm on Friday Dec. 25th. This contest is open to all residents of Aldershot and the city of Burlington.
The top five entries will be selected by our team and posted to our Aldershot Facebook page by Monday Dec. 28th. Visitors can then vote for their favourite home on our
Facebook page by sending us an Inbox message noting the address of your selection. Voting will run until Friday Jan. 1st at 11:59pm, with the winners being announced by Monday Jan. 4th. The Facebook page is HERE
Prizes: First Prize: A full-year Family Membership to the Royal Botanical Gardens in Aldershot (value = $115), compliments of the RBG
Second Prize: A $50 gift card from Mapleview Mall in Burlington
Enter today and share the most festive images of your home all decked out for the season. Remember, the entry deadline is Christmas Day, December, 25th.
Privacy Policy: We understand that your personal information is very important to you. We at Team Leslie Bullock won’t use, share or sell your personal information to anyone. Nor will your personal information be posted to our Facebook page and photo albums – we will only mention your street name on the page. This information will be used strictly to administer this contest and to inform all winners if and when they are selected.
 By Pepper Parr
December 16th, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It is that time of year when the eggnog is there to be ladled into a cup and the conversation is genial. You use the occasion to get caught up on the gossip and who is doing what.
If the get together has even three or four people who work at city hall then there is going to be some mention of how things are going with city council and the changes that are taking place in the senior staff ranks.
 Will the chain of office be part of Rick Goldring’s wardrobe in 2018 “The Mayor’s office is a mess” said one imbiber, – “the Strategic Plan will get completed – no one is prepared to say exactly when” added another.
A really interesting comment came from a rather athletic male who wanted to huddle in the corner and talk about the “slate of candidates” he and some colleagues were trying to put together to clean out the current city council.
The current council has completed a quarter of its term of office – people who follow politics (some of one crowd I spent time with live politics) ask who is likely to run for office next time around?
Are Councillors Dennison and Taylor nearing the end of their political careers?
What has ward six Councillor Blair Lancaster got her eye on?
Will the public look at Councillor Sharman any differently now that the discussion of the Lakeside Village Plaza has actually begun to take place?
Do the plans ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward have to reach for the brass ring still alive?
Will Rick Goldring go for a third term as Mayor? Not with the mess that office is in. If not Goldring and if Meed Ward is beginning to look iffy – who?
“Pepper”, said my host who seemed to have had his share of the eggnog – “you aren’t looking beyond all the people in the play pen now.”
A quizzical look must have appeared on my face because my host asked if I knew what Mike Wallace was doing these days?
 Wallace conceding to Karina Gould October 19th, 2015 Really I thought – Wallace? Is there any potential there?
Mike Wallace was a council member that many saw as the heir apparent when MacIsaac moved on – however Cam Jackson, who was basically shown the door at Queen’s Park decided he could become a Mayor and the resident’s voted for him.
Mike Wallace had finally beaten Torsney and won a ticket to Ottawa, courtesy of the shellacking the Liberals took over the Sponsorship scandal.
The time line that had former Burlington MP Paddy Torsney beating Wallace in one election then losing to him in another when the Sponship scandal killed the federal Liberals is full of twists and turns. Torsney is now at the United nations
Many thought Wallace was a potential city Mayor – that didn’t work out – he went to Ottawa instead but then got beat by Karina Gould who is now the Burlington MP
 Mike Wallace preparing to deliver a speech. Wallace served the city well while he was the MP. He brought a lot of bacon to the city and put in the hours that were needed.
He may not have done all that much as a legislator and he did soil his copy book with hi shenanigans over that Justice Committee mess – but Wallace did deliver. He knew how to get cheques sent to the city treasurer and numerous organizations in the city.
Mike back at city hall – huh! Possible? Most certainly.
Wallace didn’t personally lose his federal seat. The Burlington New Democrats failed to cast their ballots the way the usually did and Wallace had a Prime Minister who had taken on an odious bent.
Karina Gould ran a solid campaign and while it is way too early to suggest that she couldn’t be beat next time around, she is looking pretty good. Wallace is smart enough to know that she is going to warm the Burlington seat for at least two terms unless Justin Trudeau really blows it.
 Close up – Burlington’s MP Mike Wallace looks closely at a piece of art at the Art Centre. Politics tends to find a balance, an equilibrium. All the seats in and around Burlington are pained a bright Liberal red – the public likes to see at least a bit of a balance.
Mike Wallace never made us famous but he never embarrassed us either. He also has a very smart and capable spouse. Expect to see Mike at a number of events during the next couple of years getting his picture in the paper and keeping the profile fresh.
 Ciné-Starz
Upper Canada Place,
Burlington, ON L7R 4B6
Week of Friday, December 18, 2015 through Thursday, December 24, 2015
Secret in Their Eyes (14A)
Fri – Thu: 5:00 PM
Love the Coopers ()
Fri – Thu: 11:00 AM, 1:00, 3:00, 5:30, 7:10
Miss You Already (PG)
Fri – Thu: 11:00 AM, 1:00, 9:35
The Peanuts Movie (G)
Fri – Thu: 11:10 AM, 1:00, 3:25, 5:10, 7:35, 9:25
Steve Jobs (14A)
Fri – Thu: 9:40 PM
Suffragette ()
Fri – Thu: 3:00, 5:00, 7:35
Bridge of Spies (PG)
Fri – Thu: 3:00, 5:00, 7:00, 9:10
Goosebumps ()
Fri – Thu: 11:05 AM, 1:05
The Martian (PG)
Fri – Thu: 1:00, 2:45, 5:10, 7:00, 9:20
Hotel Transylvania 2 (G)
Fri – Thu: 11:15 AM, 1:30, 3:15
The Intern (PG)
Fri – Thu: 11:15 AM, 7:30, 9:30
By Staff
December 15th, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The month of December is a time of holiday parties, work get-togethers, and family celebrations. Most events include the consumption of alcohol. The Halton Regional Police are well aware and ready to ensure people make the right decision through education and prevention or pay the price of being arrested for impaired driving.
 Regional police doing RIDE checks – four arrested in Burlington so far this season. The first week of our Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (R.I.D.E.) spot checks ran from Sunday December 6, 2015 to Sunday December 13, 2015. Over 3500 cars were stopped in R.I.D.E. checks. 11 impaired driving arrests were made throughout the Region.
Milton/Halton Hills: 6
Oakville: 1
Burlington: 4
On Thursday December 10, 2015, just before 7:00am, a woman drove herself to the Georgetown District Hospital to get medical attention for an injured finger. After being release four hours later, and ignoring the physician’s advice to not drive as she appeared to be intoxicated, police located her in her vehicle in the parking lot of the hospital. A 50-year-old woman from Halton Hills has been arrested and charged with care or control over 80 mgs.
On Saturday December 12, 2015 at 10:00pm, Milton officers were conducting R.I.D.E. checks on Main Street in the Town of Milton. A vehicle was stopped and police detected a strong odor of fresh marihuana coming from the vehicle. In addition to a small package of marihuana concealed on his person, a further investigation revealed a large duffle bag with 202 grams of marihuana and a significant amount of cash. A 20-year-old man from Milton was arrested and charged with possession for the purpose. A good example that RIDE stops don’t only catch impaired drivers.
On Saturday December 12, 2015 at 4:40 pm, a motorist and his 13-year-old son were driving westbound on Dundas Street near Sixth Line in the Town of Oakville. The motorist observed a white Dodge Ram that was also driving westbound, swerving in and out of the westbound lanes. After narrowly missing the motorist’s car several times, the Ram truck accelerated quickly and attempted to change lanes, ultimately colliding with the vehicle occupied by the father and son.
A 34-year-old man from Burlington was arrested and charged with impaired driving and driving with more than 80 mgs of alcohol in blood. The driver had not been drinking that day; his level of impairment was a residual of drinking the night before.
On Saturday December 12, 2015, just before midnight, a motorist called police to report an erratic driver on Walkers Line in the City of Burlington. Officers located the vehicle and discovered both passenger side tires were flat and the vehicle was being driven on its rims. A 27-year-old woman from Burlington was arrested and charged with impaired driving and driving with more than 80 mgs of alcohol in blood. The woman had a blood alcohol concentration of over three times the legal limit.
Halton officers will be out in full force the remainder of the month working diligently to reduce impaired driving everywhere.
If you see a suspected impaired driver, please call 9-1-1. Officers will respond immediately to ensure the driver is investigated and dealt with accordingly.
The advice and direction is simple: “Don’t drive impaired, you can lose a lot more than your licence.”
 By Pepper Parr
December 15th, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The government is delivering on its promise to allow beer sales in grocery stores by announcing the first 58 locations across the province where Ontarians will be able to buy beer.
There won’t be one in Burlington this time around – the closest will be in Oakville and Hamilton – Longos will have the Oakville location. Their Fairview location in Burlington happens to be in a plaza that already has an LCBO and a Beer Store.
 Premier Kathleen Wynne and Minister of Finance Charles Sousa announced the 13 independent grocery stores and 45 stores owned by large grocers that are now authorized to sell beer.
This is the first round of Ontario’s commitment to make it more convenient for people to buy beer. Ultimately, beer will be available at up to 450 grocery stores province wide — roughly the same number of locations The Beer Store currently operates in Ontario. Beer in grocery stores is part of the biggest shakeup to beverage alcohol retailing in the province since prohibition was ended in 1927.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, which visited all 58 locations as part of the authorization process, will now monitor them to ensure that they adhere to laws on the safe retail of alcohol. These include designated sales areas and hours of sale, limitations to package sizes and alcohol content by volume, and rigorous social responsibility training for staff.
Premier Wynne’s comment that LCBO locations would be ideal for the sale of marijuana is a testament as to just how far Ontario has come. There was a time when the then Premier of the province would not allow news photographers to take his picture if there was a glass of beer in his hand.
By Pepper Parr
December 15th, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It is a little like bowling pins – this great big ball comes rolling down on the pins that are standing there unable to get out of the way. Every time the ball comes rolling – some of the pins take a whack and disappear.
Another pin took a hit – the pin was one of the houses on Willow Street in the Beachway.
 The house in the centre was sold to the |Region for a reported $405,000 with the owner becoming a rent free tenant for two years. Another house was reportedly purchased by the Regional government which basically puts an end to housing on that street.
The house is reported to have been sold for $405,000 with the owner having the right to remain in the building for two years rent free.
 This house was sold to the Region for a price in the $600,000 plus range. This latest sale brings the total to six out of the 28 homes that are in the community.
While the Regional real estate people pick off the homes one by one people in the Regional Planning department toil away at completing the design of the Beachway Park.
 Regional planners are working up a plan that will turn what was once a community that had its own newspaper and was home to hundreds of people. The plan for the park is a splendid piece of planning – but will it meet the longer terms needs of the city – and will it b a safe place? The park design, at least what the public has seen to date, is splendid. The intention is to purchase the homes in the Beachway, on a willing buyer – willing seller basis – which is a bit of a canard and they do seem to be grinding away.
Quite why some of the homes could not be left in the park making it a safer place when the public gets to use it has never been made clear.
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