By Staff
September 16, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
PRESTO transactions are now available at the Downtown Transit Terminal (430 John St.).
A technical problem disrupted the service – it is now back to normal.
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September 16, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON
Part 3 of a 3 part feature All of the artists taking part in the Supernova this Friday are looking at the weather forecasts – this is an outdoor event.
The now annual event that began in 2013 at the Waterfront Hotel where new ground was broken in the Burlington arts world. The second year drew 3500 people to the Village Square made No Vacancy, which is given a different title each year, an event that was now a must for the city. Selena Eckersal and her crew – the people making all this happen with a piddling $5000 in financial support have announced that The Poacher Ukulele Band will be performing at SUPERNOVA on September 18th on Old Lakeshore Rd in Downtown Burlington, Ontario. They are a fun, passionate group that will have you singing and dancing along with them! Stay tuned to find out exactly what time and where they will be playing. The Gazette has given a bit of a background on each of the participants – there are about 20+ of them – all up for one enchanting evening. We start this time with: My practice is based on hunting and creating stories, scenarios and objects that explore the hidden, oppressed, unexpected, appalling, subtle and forgotten. I am of mixed ancestry: my father is Peruvian; my mother, French Canadian. My origin is a constant personal reminder of the complex story of colonialism, expansion, growth, and its precarious and paradoxical terrain. Through a multiplicity of means, (story-telling, photography, drawing, printmaking, poetry, video, sound, woodworking, installations and slow performances) I contemplate the questions: How do we make meaning? emilioportal.com
Liz Little is a multidisciplinary artist working mainly in drawing, printmaking, and installation. She is a recent MFA graduate from the University of Waterloo and received a BFA with Distinction from Concordia University in 2010. Her work has been exhibited in Canada, the United States, and Germany and is part of national and international private collections. She is the recipient of several scholarships and awards, including the Sylvia Knight Award in Fine Arts, the Keith and Win Shantz Fellowship, and the Bill Watson Memorial Award for Printmaking. She currently lives and works in Toronto, ON. Caitlyn Jean McMillan earned her Bachelor’s Degree at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay ON in 2008, her Masters of Fine Arts at the University of Regina in Regina, SK in 2012, and completed two residencies at the Banff Centre for the Arts in 2008 and 2010. Since graduating, Caitlyn has shown in Thunder Bay, Toronto, Sudbury, and Sarnia, where she currently juggles art-making while working as the Community Arts Educator at the Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery. Caitlyn Jean works in a variety of media, from painting and drawing to new media and projection. Sometimes she enlists the help of Lisa Smith for her expertise with new media work. Miles Rufelds
And All Was Bright (Ben Robertson) is a musician and multimedia installation artist from Burlington, Ontario, Canada. His sound arrangements are progressive, emotive and strongly driven by concept; they span the spectrum of melodic dronescapes, noise, and heavy distortion. His video arrangements are abstract yet convey the underlying concepts behind the work. The installations are fully immersive. He fills the performance space with heavily-processed sound, projected visuals and controlled lighting, occupying the viewers’ auditory, visual, and physical senses. Versa is an audio/visual collaboration between process-based artist Monika Hauck and musician Alex Ricci. Influenced by contemporary soundscape, instrumental post-rock and 60’s psychedelic, the project combines heavily effected bass guitar compositions with projected visuals created live on stage. The composition of the music serves as a cause for the visuals, and vice versa; the need for movement in the visuals dictates choices made in the arrangement. Tomy Bewick is the founder, host and artistic director of the Burlington Slam Project (BSP), a monthly poetry platform in Burlington, On. He is a poet familiar with national and international finals stages, as well as a full-time professional with a specialty in environmentally sustainable construction (LEED AP, BD+C). Tomy has published two collections of poems, released three full length spoken word CD’s and featured across Canada, with multiple appearances in the US. He enjoys working with new poetic voices in his community, as well as continuing to provide a platform for local and international artists to share their words, at the BSP. klaus-pinter.net
Frances attained a diploma in New Media from B.C.I.T. and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Concordia University. The National Film Board of Canada has com- missioned her animations and her work has been exhibited at the Musée de art Contemporain de Montréal, and the Société des Arts Technologiques. Frances also collaborates with Aleks Schurmer, to form the collective Party Like it’s 1699. The collective’s aim is to take classical music from the confines of the modern concert hall and reclaim it as a popular medium in the form of a digital Baroque opera.
Brody Robinmeyer is of European-Dominican descent, was born in Toronto moved to Iceland and then back to Ontario. Briefly studied in the U.K. as well as Germany. Graduated with a fine arts degree from Ryerson University. His artistic practice is strongly influenced by current scientific understanding and its intersection with eastern philosophies (i.e. hsin hsin ming). Currently working from his atelier in Hamilton.
Ms. Anonymous
Late Night transit service on route 51 has a detour for September 16th and 17th.
As a result, Late Night Service Route 51 will detour as follows: Regular routing to Walkers Line at North Service Road
September 15, 20-15 BURLINGTON, ON It is a step – a baby step but everything has to start somewhere. A note from the Clerks department to the Mayor and Members of Council. “We are happy to inform you that the Clerk’s department has posted a link to the tracking of all recorded votes taken at Council. We will update this document after each Council meeting. “The tracking covers all recorded votes taken at Council in 2014 and 2015 to date.” Sounds good – but is isn’t as good as it sounds. What the Clerk’s office is doing is posting the results of just the recorded votes.  The diva of recorded votes in Burlington is ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward. Here she is the lone person voting against an issue A recorded vote takes place when any member of Council asks that the vote about to take place be recorded which means every member of Council is polled by the Clerk and they have to stand until the count is complete. Most of the votes at city council meetings are not recorded – all the public gets to know from the minutes is how the vote went – that how many voted for the motion and how many voted against. It is worse than that though. In Burlington every issue goes to one of the three Standing Committee: Development and Infrastructure and Community and Corporate Services. There is also a Committee of the Whole that tends to operate in a worship style. Everything done at the Standing Committee level has to go to Council for the vote that results in a bylaw. The serious debate takes place at the Standing Committee level – it is at this level that the public gets to see who had what to say and how Council members voted. Those votes are not even written down. A council member who voted for an issue can change their vote at the City Council meeting and that indeed has happened. When bike lanes on Lakeshore Road were being debated at the Standing Committee level Mayor Goldring was for them. When the matter got to city council the Mayor voted against the motion. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a member of council changing their mind – the public however does have a right to know why they changed their mind – did new information become available or did vested interests lean on the member of Council. The Halton District school Board has an automatic voting system – whenever there is a vote all the trustee does is press a button and in seconds the result of the vote shows up on a screen and is part of the public record. Burlington’s city council is not there yet. The voters will probably have to embarrass them into letting the people who put them in office know what they did while there. For those interested in how recorded votes went in 2014 and so far in 2015 – click on the link.
September 15, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON Richelle Pain took a rather circuitous route to becoming a school board trustee. She originally thought about running in 1991 – it didn’t seem right to her at the time.  Richelle Papin describes the board she serves on as cohesive and that serving as a trustee takes up a lot more time than she expected. When she did run in 2010 and lost she found “losing was hard” At the time she had no special passion, no particular issue to run her campaign on – she just felt it was time for her to be in some form of public office. She moved sometime after the 2010 race and now lived in ward 4 where she decided to run in 2014 and won the seat at the public board of education. She had grown to the point where she felt the school boards had to be accountable and she wanted to be part of the process that ensured accountability was in place. Papin is more of a bureaucrat than an issues person – process matters to her which reflects her years of working in the public sector – currently as an information technologist. Papin found the discussion around the French immersion programs all consuming and pointed out that in some western cities in Canada the second language is Spanish. Papin describes the board she serves on as cohesive, “one that works well together” but she was not able to point to anything that she felt she had achieved in her first year as a trustee.  Papin, like every other trustee, said the board’s web site is “lousy”. As the only trustee with as full time job she finds that role requires more work that she thought it would take to get the job done. The leadership conference the board held recently was one she appreciated – “I took quite a bit away from that” Papin said she doesn’t have a strong policy on communicating with parents in her ward – she does have a Face book page but doesn’t get much traffic from it. She wonders if our schools are what we think they are. She mentioned that Tuck, which has one of the best reputations in the city, had problems getting enough parent volunteers to help out at the annual Fun Fair. Households today are not what they once were. The demands and strains on parents are a lot different – many parents don’t have the time needed to be fully active in their community. Those that commute aren’t back in Burlington until pretty close to 6 pm – and if they’re children are involved in some activity – a family around the table dinner often gets a pass. Papin, like every other trustee, said the board’s web site is “lousy” – the current Director of Education has said $100,000 has been committed to upgrading the web site – but no one has attached a time line to the planned upgrade. Papin admits that she doesn’t have nor does she want a high public profile. She feels her job is to look things over and be involved in the process of managing the issues before the board.  “That’s a good question” she said – “it isn’t something I, given any thought to – I am certainly going to finish this term.” While some trustees had an issue with schools being used for voting purposes – Pain doesn’t see any problem with such a practice. “I’m certainly not against it” she said and pointed out that the one parent who delegated at city council and met with people at the board of education is married to a police officer and that may have influenced some of her thinking. Papin says she has a very good working relationship with the ward Councillor Jack Dennison, a former boss. “He copies me on anything that is even remotely related to school board matters”, she said. Is there a political life beyond the school board for Papin? “That’s a good question” she said – “it isn’t something I, given any thought to – I am certainly going to finish this term.” Papin was born in West Africa raised in Aldershot and attended Aldershot High school and earned a degree at the University of Guelph that had majors in English and sociology. “I gave some thought to becoming a teacher but life took me in another direction.” Related articles
September 15, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON Close to the first thing city council did when they returned from a three month vacation away from city business was to go into a closed session to talk about the property the city owned and how it could be leveraged to get something going in the downtown core in terms of development that wasn’t just condominiums and retail operations that lasted a year and went bust. Before the meeting went into closed session Councillors Taylor (ward 3) AND Mead Ward (ward 2) complained about getting a document several hours before the discussion was to take place.  Councillor Taylor wants to see reports in his hands several days before he is asked to discuss the contents, His beef was over getting document just a few hours before he was to make comments. Taylor started out with a Point of Order he wanted to make and then asked why the policy that was agreed upon in 2014 to get material to council members on the Friday of the week before meetings take place allowing time to read the material and think it through. “I don’t know what is expected of us” said Taylor, “there hasn’t been any time to read the material. Are we just going to receive and file it?” Taylor went on to say that “knowledge is power and it looks to me as if you are going to go ahead and do what you want without any input from Council.  General Manager Scott Stewart was away on vacation which meant a report to be discussed wasn’t available in its final form until he returned to the city. General manager Scott Stewart responded by saying the report was meant to bring council members up to date on the thinking that was being done and to give a sense of where staff was going. “If we are offside” he said, “this was the time to let us know”. Staff may have been offside and council may have let them know – but the public will never know – the session in which all this revealing was taking place was closed so the public. City manager James Ridge explained that the documents they were seeing today was one of three pieces of information. Council was getting a look at what staff felt could be done with property the city owned in the downtown core – parking lots for the most part.  Something along these lines was planned for Burlington’s downtown core – but McMaster stiffed the city when a nicer deal came along. The last great hope for the downtown core was when McMaster University got serious about locating a campus on the Elizabeth Street parking lot – McMaster had a change of heart, helped by a great deal on a piece of property and decided that the South Service Road was a pretty good location. Ridge went on to explain that with the basic information clearly understood and agreed upon staff could begin doing some “growth modelling” that would get attached to the Strategic Plan which would in turn inform the Official Plan that is slowly working its way through a required revision. While the process was clear enough Councillor Meed Ward wanted a little more information on why the documents in front of her were not available when they were supposed to be available. Scott Stewart fessed up and explained that he had been on vacation and staff wasn’t able to get as much done without his presence. Stewart did add that changes were being made to the report as late as Sunday night. All well and good – but the public still doesn’t know what the debate was about. The web cast did not catch all the council member remarks – there was a comment from Councillor Sharman – he appreciated “you’re bringing this to us now”. At some point the public might get to know what it was they talked about.
SHOWTIMES September 18 to 24 , 2015 PIXELS PG RICKI AND THE FLASH PG TRAINWRECK 18A AMERICAN ULTRA 18A JURASSIC WORLD PG SOUTHPAW 14A INSIDE OUT G PAPER TOWNS PG AMY 14A
September 15, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON The phony election phase is now behind us. The past few days there have been more promises from the four parties wanting to either ensure they stay in power or want to form the next government and exert the power the public gives them. And remember – the power a government has is power you gave them when you voted. Burlington has a large seniors’ population; current MP Mile Wallace has courted that cohort very successfully and they have been loyal to him. Say seniors and you have also said pensions, and that has brought out a statement from Liberal candidate Karina Gould who today said: A Trudeau-led Liberal government will make sure that Canadian seniors get the secure and dignified retirement they deserve.  These seniors are certainly fans of Justin Trudeau – he draws well when he is on public tour. Many of his policy statements have been strong – knowing how it is all going to be aid for is a concern. It isn’t just the Liberals who aren’t being candid about the costs. “With record levels of household debt and an economy in recession, it is no wonder why Canadians in Burlington – and across the country – are worried about their retirement,” said Gould. “Right now, on average, a retired person receives just $618 per month from the Canada Pension Plan – hardly enough to live on. Our seniors have worked their entire lives, and should not have to struggle to make ends meet. Justin Trudeau has a plan to ensure that all Canadians get the dignified retirement they have earned.” “As part of our three-point plan to create jobs, grow the middle class, and help those working hard to join the middle class, a Liberal government will work with the provinces and territories to significantly reform our retirement security system by: • Restoring the eligibility age for Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement to 65; This is good stuff – and as a senior who looks for that pension cheque going into the bank at the end of every month I certainly understand who Gould is talking to – me. How is my government going to pay for this improvement in my pension? Are they going to have to take money away from something else? Will the much touted federal day care program be lost for another decade? Will the aboriginal communities not get the schools they desperately need so I can get a bigger pension? Governing is a balancing act – how do you keep everyone happy?  Liberal candidate Karina Gould watches a group of seniors discuss transit policy – getting around the city is critical for these people – just as critical as their pensions. “I’m proud of the policy my Party announced today for seniors,” added Gould. “It is a product of grassroots discussions, like the town hall I held in January with the Hon. John McCallum, Liberal Critic for Citizenship and Immigration, Multiculturalism, and Seniors. The measures we’re putting forward are born directly out of these conversations. I have been listening to the serious issues that face seniors in our community. I’m proud to stand for a party that will act for all of our seniors and ensure a dignified retirement for everyone in our community.” I too am proud of the policy – I’d just like to know how it is going to be paid for. The Liberal candidates are not the only ones a little shy on the details side of the election promises – a voters question should be ; how much?
September 15, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON City Manager James Ridge put it pretty clearly to council members when, after more than an hour of debate, he said they had to decide how the city wanted to treat coyotes. Do you want them lopping along the streets of the city or do you want us to remove the animals from our urban spaces, he asked? The sense from Council was that no one minded the animals on the streets just as long as they don’t hurt us – and that was the issue – there appear to be coyotes out there that do want to hurt us. The worst concentration of coyotes appears to be in the east end of the city but they are spreading around and are now found in all the wards. In the rural part of the city Councillor John Taylor said “we have our own way of handling the coyotes” which appeared to be acceptable.  There isn’t going to be a coyote kill like this in Burlington – unless someone is attached by one of the animals – there is considerable debate over whether or not coyotes actually attach people. What wasn’t acceptable is shooting the animals, Councillor Craven kept calling them critters. And it isn’t acceptable to bludgeon them to death either, which appears to be what happened to one of the pups belonging to a bitch coyote in the east end. Ward 6 Councillor Blair Lancaster told of an evening driving home and there was a coyote in the middle of the road – she slowed down, drove past the animal and moved on then came upon a resident walking a small dog and suggested he might want to carry the dog. The male resident said he wasn’t worried – he would just shush the coyote away. Two Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry staffers delegated and told council that there were no known incidents of coyotes attacking people. The Mayor Googled and came up with specific incidents in Ontario where people were apparently attached by a coyote. The issues seems to be – what does a community do when a wild animal changes its behaviour and decides it will not co-exist with humans and attacks them instead. The draft bylaw that was in front of the Standing Committee didn’t seem to provide an answer to that question and so it was deferred to the next cycle of Standing Committee meetings.  A coyote that has apparently gone rogue in the east end of the city lost at least one of her pups to a public that wants that specific coyote out of the community Councillor Paul Sharman has what he called a rogue coyote in his ward that had chased a young boy on his bike and another situation where a coyote had circled someone driving a jeep. Council was meeting to debate a proposed by law that none of the members of council had seen more than a half day before council met. The end result was to defer the debate on the bylaw – which was going to make it illegal to feed animals or fowl on public property. What people did on their own property wasn’t something council could do anything about – which didn’t do much for the two woman, Kelly Rosbrook and Jennier Glenn of ward 2 – they had a local resident feeding the coyotes, the pigeons, the geese and apparently anything else that was hungry. They showed a video of vermin scooting through their back yards.  The trumpeter swans can be fed on public property – but only by people with a license to band them for scientific purposes – there are only eight people who can do that in Burlington. The draft by law was to prevent people from feeding wild life on public property – there is to be an exception – the people wanting to restore the Trumpeter Swans were going to get an exemption – however it was to be limited to just the eight people who have a license to band and record data on the swans. Councillor Craven had concerns over the number of people he believes are feeding the swans. He commented that anyone feeding swans in LaSalle park had better have their banding license with them. There is more to this story. Stay tuned. Female coyotes are properly described as bitches
September 15, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON Artists throughout the area are gathering together the material and tools they will need to set up their art installations along Old Lakeshore Road for the third annual No Vacancy event – which this year is being called Supernova. Dozens of art ventures will appear on the Old Lakeshore Road, immediately outside, adjacent to and across the road from Emma’s Back Porch the evening of Friday, September 18th beginning at 7 pm – the installations will be in place until just after midnight and then disappear just as quickly as they appeared. The now annual event that began in 2013 at the Waterfront Hotel where new ground was broken in the Burlington arts world. The second year drew 3500 people to the Village Square made No Vacancy, which is given a different title each year, an event that was now a must for the city. During the next few days the Gazette will tell you a little bit about each participant – there are about 20+ of them – all up for one enchanting evening.
Her work has been exhibited in galleries across Canada, and acquired internationally in private collections. Currently, her artwork explores narcissism within contemporary society through the meaning and interpretation of language, myth, dreams, instincts and objects of desire. Ryan Van Der Hout is a photo based artist working in Toronto. His work explores photographic materials and experimental processes. Ryan has an ongoing documentary project focused on artistic process and studio space. He’s a graduate of Ryerson’s photography program. Hamilton, Ontario based artist Keith Busher started Precious Mutations in January 2012. Inspired by the art of David Irvine, and tired of his kids watching the same old television programs repeatedly Keith took his kids to the local ‘Drop n Shop’ to find an up-cycling project. Keith came home with several ceramic figurines and began his mutating career. Since then he’s created over 50 mutations and continues to create every day. In May of 2013 Keith shared a show with David Irvine at Manta Contemporary Gallery entitled ‘Re-Visions’ and was featured in the Hamilton Art Crawl.Highlights of what he’s accomplished so far include his ‘Zombified Nutcrackers’ which were highly sought after during the holiday season of 2012 and saw his work get shipped globally to Australia, Japan, Europe and throughout North America. Keith has expanded his ‘mutations’ to include photography and other items being up-cycled, no longer just figurines. You can find Keith and his Precious Mutations at this years upcoming Toronto Zombie Walk on October 26, 2013. Sanjay is Canadian of Indian descent, residing in between Hamilton and Toronto. His main focus for, “Live Art” is to capture the atmosphere and energy of the particular events he attends. This talented artist is also carving a path with his one-of-a-kind commissioned work; a unique experience that offers the client a custom abstract representation of the their energy, tastes and personality, while taking into consideration the current colour, lighting, and space in the room. Reg Moore is a projection and light artist holding unique events under the name Realtime Activities. Realtime turns the clock back and forth with shout-outs to eclectic moments and personalities in motion picture, photography, animation, music and popular culture. Using an existing site and manipulating it, Realtime creates installations that are a visual feast for the average individual and a delight to the more seasoned viewer who recognizes Realtime’s incorporation of such ground-breaking works as “Moth Light”, “Rhythmus 21”, “Dog Star Man”, and “Matrix III”, to name a few. A Realtime installation is both a fabulous live event and a compelling expression of art. Jordyn Stewart is an emerging artist from the Niagara Region. Coming from a small town, she adopts child-like fascinations and curiosities from her upbringing. Now, immersed in developing urban environments, she investigates the materials found within these spaces in search for the familiar. Working predominantly in video and performance, she creates site-sensitive performances. Stewart recently received her BA, Specialist in Art and Art History at University of Toronto, joint program with Sheridan College. She has most recently exhibited works at Trinity Square Video,Video Fever 2015, as well as, The Blackwood Gallery, Horizon Line. She is currently living in Toronto, interning as a curatorial assistant for Christine Shaw, the curator of The Work of Wind, an exhibition featured in this years Nuit Blanche. Jordynstewart.ca Tiffany Schofield is an emerging Canadian artist and curator. Her practice explores the relationship between the body, place and history through site-specific performances, photography, and video installations. Her recent work is concerned with the physical and psychological manifestations of the suburban landscape. Schofield recently completed her Honours Bachelor of Arts with a Specialist in Arts & Culture (Studio) at the University of Toronto Scarborough, where she received multiple awards and scholarships. Most recently, her work has been exhibited at Artscape Youngplace and Trinity Square Video in Toronto.
Somewhere between meditations and memorials, Elyse Portal’s creative research is rooted in embodied intimacies generated between local material research and place-based exchanges. Textiles and video confront solastalgia, a term coined by philosopher Glenn Albrecht, which means the “homesickness you have when you are still at home.” Here, beauty is (re)discovered within the micro-processes of indigenous and invasive plant species. Materia medica is an ontological survey of ecological remembrance, including dye experiments with organic cloth and video of the watery plant pigment ecologies – alongside urban traffic. elyseportal.com There are others. The event, which has broken several of the artistic boundaries that kept Burlington a quiet sketches of flowers town for a long time is at that point where it will take on a life of its own and draw people from well outside the area. Will it ever equal the Supercrawl in Hamilton – would city hall ever let that happen?
September 14, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON Starting Sunday, Oct. 4, Burlington Transit will have adjusted its schedules, affecting a number of routes, including routes serving Appleby GO station. All bus routes at Appleby GO station will now use the newly expanded transit loop on the south side south of the station.
Routes 80, 81 and 83 will be moving to the south side of the Appleby GO station. All Burlington Transit bus routes will now connect on the same side of the station. Routes 1 and 101 will be returning to their regularly scheduled route, which was temporarily adjusted in May 2015 for construction on Waterdown Road. This construction is now complete. Routes 4, 15 and 20 have been adjusted to better align with recent changes to the GO Transit schedule. Updated schedules for routes 5 and 21 in addition to some minor trip adjustments on routes 2, 3, 6, 10, 20 and 40 will be included. Schedules will be available online at www.burlingtransit.ca starting in mid-September and in Burlington Transit’s Ride Guide by the end of September. Transit riders are advised to review changes that may affect their travel plans.
September 14, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON It was a good healthy crowd. All the right people said all the right things and when it was over Pam Damoff had a campaign office that was open and ready to take her campaign to the next level. The campaign was close to running out of signs – a good omen? Depends on how many signs they printed up the first time around.  Campaign chair Ed McMahon and campaign manager Keri Schoonderwoerd go over the agenda for a full campaign office opening. Fund raising is always a challenge – the Liberals fell back on a tried and true approach – pass the hat. It soon filled with $20 biils  The western boundary of the Oakville North Burlington constituency is Burloak and Bell School line. With candidates in three different constituencies – voters are going to be confused on where they are supposed to vote. Messy re-distribution. This riding had quite an early history. Last summer, former Conservative MP Eve Adams and local chiropractor Natalia Lishchyna abandoned their bids for the Tory nomination amid allegations of wrongdoing.  Liberal candidate and Oakville Town Councillor Pam Damoff opened her campaign office in Burlington on the weekend. Ward 6 Councillor for Oakville, Max Khan was the party’s original nominee. Mr Khan died in September, 2014. Oakville Town Councillor and longtime community volunteer Pam Damoff was acclaimed as the Liberal candidate on May 26, 2015. There are five candidate: A Liberal, a Conservative, a Green candidate; a Libertarian candidate and a New Democrat. The race in this riding, ONB, is between the Liberal and the Conservative. The eventual winner will probably be decided by the strength of the coat tails of Stephen Harper or Justin Trudeau. The NDP candidate brings little to the race, the Greens hope for a strong showing so they have something to build on – and the Libertarian is there because the democratic process allows him to be a candidate. The Conservative candidate has a very strong pedigree, impressive as well but it is going to be difficulty to see her in action. Effie Triantafilopoulos is the Conservative candidate for Oakville North-Burlington. Prior to her candidacy, Effie held key roles in Ottawa as a Chief of Staff to Ministers responsible for three important departments: including, External Affairs and International Trade, Industry Canada and the Treasury Board of Canada. In these jobs, she provided strategic advice to the federal government on how to increase trade and economic growth. She has also served as Deputy Director and Senior Advisor at the Summits Management Office of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada for the G20 Summit in 2010. In the private sector, Effie specialized in corporate, international trade and immigration law while working closely with Canadian companies to create jobs, attract investment and find markets for Canadian products. She served as a director at leading business associations, including Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, Ontario Exports Inc. and the Forum for International Trade Training. In the not-for-profit sector, Effie served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children Canada. In this role, she promoted programs focused on improving the health and education of children in Canada and in countries across the world. Effie received her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of Toronto, followed by a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Ottawa and a Master of Laws in International Trade and Competition Law from Osgoode Hall. Effie is committed to public service and volunteerism, and has played an active role in community and national not-for-profit organizations for more than 25 years, including the Hellenic Heritage Foundation and Accessible Media Inc. The Gazette sent in a request to be added to the ONB media list – and were told we would be added – nothing so far – but then it is early in the campaign. Libertarian Party of Canada nominated David Clement. David is a local entrepreneur in the consulting field. The Conservatives have reportedly told their candidates to keep their heads down – don’t take part in any debates; focus on the core vote, those died in the wool Tories who will take their ballot to the grave with them. The objective will be to get the Tory vote out and hope that the tide does not turn on Mr. Harper. The first candidate campaign for Burlington had candidates from both Burlington proper and Oakville North Burlington (ONB) meeting in the Burlington library answering questions from youth.  Candidates from both the Burlington and Oakville North Burlington constituencies take part in the first federal election event in the area. Wallace took part and managed to get out a statement on the Old Age Supplement – there were some seniors in the room – that is his target market. If he can keep them – and they do like him – he could be safe. They appear to be depending on the solid Conservative vote in this part of the province. Effie Triantafilopoulos does not have a local profile but the party membership thought she was a better candidate than Blair Lancaster who was prepared to give up her ward six Burlington council seat and sit in the House of Commons. We are now into the thick of the campaign that pollsters are calling a dead heat between the Liberals and the New Democrats nationally with the Conservatives losing a bit of the lead they had  Pam Damoff campaign manager Keri Schoonderwoerd passes the hat to raise funds for another print run of campaign signs. The focus of the campaign appears to be shifting from one scare tactic – that the terrorists are going to arrive on our shores in droves to a new scare – the economy is not safe in the hands of either Liberal Justin Trudeau or God forbid the socialists. If the Conservatives can scare enough people – they might get themselves returned to office. Damoff has local experience – she serves on the Oakville town council; she is personable, knows the issues and understands Ottawa where she worked in a number of administrative capacities for a Cabinet Minister. She is certainly visible and has an active, committed, focused campaign team. Burlington residents are now part of one of three different constituencies and will now be represented by three different people: all three could be female. Going to be tough to get anything out of Ottawa with that kind of representation. The municipalities and the Region will have to scurry to get someone to listen to them.
September 14, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON PRESTO customers are advised that transactions normally performed at a Customer Service counter are currently not available at the Downtown Transit Terminal (430 John St.) until further notice.
Terry Fox Run and Amazing Bed Race on the same day at basically the same time - how did that happen?
September 14, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON How did this manage to happen? Two of the more significant community events scheduled for the same day at basically the same time?  Amazing Bed Race – doing its 6th Annual event – same day as the Terry Fox Run The 6th annual Amazing Bed Race on Brant Street in downtown Burlington, Sunday, September 20, 11am-3pm. The Burlington Terry Fox Run course is a 5km or 10km loop long the beach and Spencer Smith Park. The start and finish are at the Pavilion at Beachway Park on Lakeshore Rd. Runners for 5km and 10km start at 9:00am. Everyone else starts at 10:00am. Registration opens for runners at 8:00am. The Amazing |Bed Race has people who formed teams, decorated a bed and race up Brant Street trying to beat a clock – it’s great fun  Burlingtonians have been doing the \Terry Fox Run for 35 years. Raised close to $1 million. The Terry Fox isn’t so much great fun – it is a time of reflection and celebration for the thousands of people who show up – the way they have for the past 35 years. It is a true pity that the two groups were not aware of the conflicting dates. A person could cover both events – it would be a bit of a dash to get from one to the other. Better planning would have made a difference.
September 14, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward brought her constituents up to day on the accident she was involved in that resulted in both whiplash and a serious concussion. One SUV hit her van and forced her into the rear of another SUX. The driver of the car that hit Meed |Ward was charged with careless driving. The Meed Ward van was written off.  Even at 95% recovery from a concussion Meed Ward will keep her council colleagues on their toes. Meed Ward explained that at the time she thought it was a “relatively minor accident, and I was more annoyed than anything. But the next day, at the urging of friends, I attended a walk-in clinic because I felt something wasn’t right. I learned I had sustained whiplash, and tissue damage in my back. “Worse, I was diagnosed with concussion. The double impact had snapped my head forward and back with such force my brain hit my skull on both sides – a common injury for this type of motor vehicle accident. “The result: headache, sensitivity to light and sound, extreme fatigue, nausea. The feeling like your head is full of sawdust.” Rest isn’t something Meed Ward is very good at – she was writing her constituency newsletter at 4:30 in the morning. She did however take the doctor’s advice after “she told me I could either rest over the summer and be fully recovered by the fall, or maintain my usual pace and delay my recovery by six months to a year. So I took the summer off.” “I’m 95% recovered, with a few remaining physiotherapy and concussion appointments. I expect to be fully recovered very soon. The goal is to be symptom free while maintaining my usual work pace” We will look forward to another of her requests for a recorded vote on an issue – this city council never tells the public how members of Council voted at Standing Committee meetings. They record the vote at a city Council meeting, which is where the actual decision is made but the way each council member actually voted is not recorded – so much for accountability.
September 14, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON Dozens of art ventures will appear on the Old Lakeshore Road, immediately outside, adjacent to and across the road from Emma’s Back Porch the evening of Friday, September 18th beginning at 7 pm – the installations will be in place until just after midnight and then disappear just as quickly as they appeared. It will be a Supernova – a now annual event that began in 2013 at the Waterfront Hotel where new ground was broken in the Burlington arts world. During the next few days the Gazette will tell you a little bit about each participant – there are about 20+ of them – all up for one enchanting evening. Teresa Seaton is working with Tomy Bewick
Juliana LaChance focuses on avante garde themes
Her paintings and art have been exhibited throughout southern Ontario and her work can be found on instagram, facebook, tumblr, youtube. She has produced four solo albums that you can listen to on her youtube channel by searching Juliana Lachance She works in a small, cozy studio where she records, creates and paints her heart out in Hamilton, ON julianalachance.com Courtney Lee is a newcomer to this art form – works in water colour on Yuppo paper.
Jefferson Campbell-Cooper has been featured in Nuit Blanche Toronto twice
Mary Ma’s work explores landscape phenomenology.
More work can be found on her website at www.maryma.ca Judy Graham is a multi-media artist who has exhibited her work both nationally and internationally.
There are more – tune in tomorrow.
September 13, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON  Are Burlingtonians fairly taxed – on reader doesn’t think so. The comments section of the Gazette usually has boisterous debate – several of them write far too long but those that participate in the comments return again and again. This came in earlier today. A reader said: Toronto Star, on September 5, published a Home of the Week. It is located in North York, 3,300 sq. ft, 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms. with a pool, and a toboggan hill. It sold for $1,729,000. Taxes are $5,747. I have a small, frame, 1,509 sq ft bungalow in Burlington, assessed at $709,000 which pays $14,433 (including BIA and a commercial surcharge). Even assuming that 1/3 of my tax is commercial, my Burlington property pays almost double the rate of a North York property valued at much more than double my valuation. This is crazy. Why should it cost over 4 times as much here as in Toronto? Interesting question. Our reader should pull the belt in another notch – you are likely to be taxed even more next time around,
September 13, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON Each week between now and the day we all vote, October 19th, Ray Rivers is going to give Gazette readers his take on how the election is going. The week that was will appear every Monday morning. This was the week of the the ‘Mansbridge Moments’, the CBC’s National program of interviews with the leaders of the three main parties, and the Green Party’s Elizabeth May. Much as with the candidate debates, a rarity despite this exceptionally long campaign, the winners and losers will be found in the eyes of the beholders.  Stephen Harper – on the ropes today – but don’t sell this man short. I thought Mr. Harper looked tired, and resigned to the fact that his party has now dropped clearly into third place. A new air of humility, possibly him test-marketing the new Tory strategy, ‘Harper’s not perfect’, was in play. However, after his opining about the consequences of a Tory loss, one would be pressed to doubt his sincerity.. Mr. Harper has also parked his old campaign team and embraced a new hired gun to save his failing campaign. Perhaps that announcement alone was behind his strengthened numbers as the week closed. The ‘Wizard of Oz’, as he is called is responsible for the winning campaigns of David Cameron in the UK and Tony Abbot in the Wizard’s own native Australia. He will have his work cut out for him to effect a mid-campaign correction for Mr. Harper, however. After all, this was a campaign meant to highlight the PM’s strengths as a man of principle, an accomplished economist and a purveyor of security. But that was before the Duffy fiasco, the economy hitting the skids, and the messy refugee crisis. Topical columnist Margaret Wente has called him toast, what we do with stale bread. And Michael Coren took the time to write a column to let the world know that he couldn’t possibly vote for Harper because he is not a real Christian. After all Christians are supposed to steward the planet and pay regard for the meek who will inherit it.  Seem by many as a smart strategic thinker who adds value to the House of Commons – and thinks she might end up holding the balance of power on the day after the election. Elizabeth May unveiled the most progressive policy agenda of the campaign. Free tuition, national high speed rail, the end of fossil fuels, and global leadership on climate change – what’s not to like? But then she knows she won’t be PM this time around. So she might as well be promising us perfect beauty and eternal life, oh and a place in Mr. Coren’s Heaven for the PM. May sees herself as a match maker, as a kind of Lava-Life or, dare I say, Ashley Madison; who can mediate the two left-wing parties into an unorthodox alliance – a same-sex marriage of sorts. And Mr. Mulcair has sworn to wait for ever at the altar, though Mr. Trudeau would need to be dragged screaming. What unites these three opposition parties is their determination to end Harper’s reign. And they are not alone, the Bloc’s Gilles Duceppe and another sixty plus percent of Canadians feel the same way. There are significant policy differences for the two leading opposition parties, despite agreement on restricting tax free savings, enriching the Canada Pension Plan, killing income splitting, and saving the environment. Still, though Mulcair is promoting his $15 day-care plan, the balance of his socio-economic program, so far, looks a lot like what Mr. Harper has been doing. His commitment to balance his first budget as Canada goes into recession, without even knowing what the real numbers are, looks a lot like risky business. Mulcair didn’t have a good answer for how he’d get his agenda, including abolishing the Senate, past a potentially hostile Senate. And he hasn’t even got a lick of NDP in the red chamber to plead his case. Then there is the 50.1% vote he claims he’d accept for Quebec’s separation. A legacy of the Layton era, maintaining this promise is disingenuous to Quebecers and the rest of Canada, given the decision of the Supreme Court and his own history fighting against separatism.  NDP leader Tom Mulcair asks a question during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, on Monday, May 14, 2012. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Sean Kilpatrick) Unlike Mr. Harper he was upbeat and positive in his Mansbridge monument, something one would expect from someone leading in the polls. But he seemed to smile too much, likely to compensate for criticism of bearing a too-serious, almost dower, natural pose. But at least the smiling did detract from the fur on his face, which every woman I know thinks he should shave. But he was articulate, thoughtful and engaging enough to make people want to like him, even if they’ve never trusted his party before. Mr Trudeau was enthusiastic to the point of being almost bouncy. It is hard not to think of the ‘not ready’ ad the Tories have been running, but then we should understand that his age is but a stone’s throw from that of Obama, JFK or his own father when they were first elected. And Mr. Harper, who became PM in his mid forties, is the proverbial pot calling the kettle.… Recall that though PET governed us sternly throughout the FLQ crisis, he also played – for example, doing those famous pirouettes or that ‘fuddle cuddle’ thing.. Trudeau promised to reverse the growing concentration of power in the prime minister’s office, a trend his father had initiated in order to improve the work of government. The alternative is a government which runs the risk of contradiction and in-fighting. While Harper is a control freak, it is the cloak of secrecy and reign of terror he has cast over the entire public service that is so damaging. Demoralized and overworked staff are behind the recent failures in the immigration department, for example. Like Harper, Trudeau’s not perfect. He miscalculated in offering limited support for the Tories’ police state legislation, Bill C-51. It was a political gamble which cost him support both within and outside of his party, possibly one of the reasons for his decline in popularity after having led the polls for most of last year. He claims he’ll fix that though.  The country watched as another Trudeau headed towards the leadership of a political party He is bold, and boldness is on the other side of stale toast. Voters want change in this election. Ms. May could be the outlier of that change, but Trudeau is a close second, staking out some new ground by offering to re-balance the income tax act in favour of the middle class. He has gone where no one else has gone by embracing a deficit needed to build badly needed infrastructure and grow the Canadian economy out of its recession. As a consequence his party has bounced back and is now firmly in the second spot of this tight three-way race. Apparently Mr. Mulcair has more goodies up his sleeve and both opposition leaders are promising a fully costed policy platform before balloting time. And then there will be all that new wizardry from the Harper camp.
Background links: Mansbridge Moments Polls The Wizard of Oz More Wizard
September 11, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON
The city’s Development and Infrastructure Standing Committee won’t be holding a day time session this time around – there doesn’t appear to be all that much happening on the development side of things – is that good news? Because there are all kinds of projects in the works. The agenda for the Standing Committee meeting, which takes place t 6:30 pm on the 14th is as follows: On the Consent Agenda there are the following: Report recommending approval of a variance to the Sign By-law to permit a fascia sign at 3365 Fairview Street.  The city doesn’t want the public feeding these critters – staff report has some recommendations – will the public go along with them On the Regular Agenda there is the one item: Report recommending options regarding the feasibility of a by-law prohibiting the feeding of wildlife. That issue will draw some views that see this problem quite differently – it is a problem that needs serious consideration. Councillor Dennis and Burlington’s MPP Eleanor have weighed in on this one There are then two Public Meetings. These meetings are required when the city wants to make changes to its Official Plan – the public is given a clear opportunity to express their views. There is a report on the city-initiated housekeeping amendments to Zoning By-law 2020. This is not easy reading and for the most part it doesn’t matter – until you have an issue with city and they tell you that there was a change in the bylaws way back when – didn’t you know about it? Lawyers will get you through that kind of mess. Statutory public meeting and information report for a proposed Official Plan Amendment for 4880 Valera Road. And that is about it for this first cycle of city council Standing Committee meetings. There are some concerns with the rather weak agenda. Has the city manager figured out what it is he wants to do now that he has warmed the chair he sits in for five full months?  James Ridge – the current city manager has yet to give any sense as to the way he plans to run the city. He brings a much different and an as yet understood style to the job. James Ridge has a management style that is considerably different than his two predecessors. Both Jeff Fielding and Pat Moyle served as city managers with a style that was open and transparent for media. James Ridge doesn’t see his job in the same way making difficult to understand how he [plans to communicate with the public. He has not made himself available to media; on those occasions when we have been able to ask him questions at the end of a council session he has chosen to be curt with an economy of words that is – how shall we put his – disarming. Other than that he shipped his pets to Burlington buy air freight rather than drive across the country with them, we know very little about James Ridge. He has yet to make a public comment. He appears to have decided to join himself to the Mayor at the hip – the administration of the city is distinctly different than the political direction – the politicians come and go – the administration is there forever – ensuring that the doors open every morning and that the streets are cleared of snow and leaves and that the parks are in the shape the taxpayers expect. There is a respectful distance required between the office of the Mayor and the office of the city manager. Usually a city manager sets out a work plan and explains to city council in a public setting what and how he expects to perform his duties. This city council has yet to see such a document. We do know that the production of a Code of Conduct for city council has been punted to the city manager who is expected to somehow fit this into the Strategic Plan that is languishing between various dates on the calendars that determine when Councillors can meet. The next reported date for a Strategic Plan meeting is October 19th – the public should not expect to get a chance to comment on whatever comes out of the political process before the end of the year – at which time this council will have completed one quarter of their term of office. The Strategic Plan is expected to inform the review of the Official Plan which is having its own problems getting out of the gate. People within city hall consistently talk about Burlington’s vibrancy – if there is any such thing in this city it has yet to find its way to the 6th floor where the James Fridge rules the roost.
September 11, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON The Community and Corporate Standing Committee will meet on Tuesday September 15th at 1:00 pm in the afternoon and again at 6:30 if required. For the Community and Corporate Standing committee the following are on the September 15th consent agenda: Report recommending approval of Burlington Inclusivity Advisory Committee 2015 work plan and providing the 2014 annual report. From time to time a standing Committee considers Confidential Matters which are usually Human Resources issues or property sale and or acquisition issues. Confidential reports may require a closed meeting in accordance with the Municipal Act, 2001. Meeting attendees may be required to leave during the discussion.  Air Park matter is before the city again – to be discussed as a confidential legal matter this time – something is up. The list this time around is extensive: Confidential legal department report providing an update regarding the Ontario Municipal Board hearing for 374 Martha Street.  The ADI application to put up a 28 storey structure is now before the OMB – city has some information they want to talk about behind closed doors – why? The one item on the agenda that isn’t either a consent matter or a confidential matter is a report providing the state of the downtown which recommends approval of the core committeemen performance measures.
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