Environmentalist puts his cards on the table: he will create advisory committees and appoint Mike Wallace to one of them - all he has to do is beat Wallace first.

News 100 greenBy Pepper Parr

September 11, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

Deciding to run for public office is driven by a vast range of emotions and ambitions. Some plan for years and have a clear idea as to where they want to go, what they want to be and what they would like to do when and if they get there. Some get there and stay far too long.

And for some – there is a phone call: “Would you consider being the candidate?”

Vince Fiorito got such a call and decided to step up to the plate. The following is the letter he wrote to Green Party officials and friends.

My name is Vince Fiorito. I will be the Green Party Candidate for Burlington. I am still completing the registration process. I have the required 100 signatures. I still require confirming letters from Elizabeth May and my auditor. Then I am ready to file my nomination papers with Pat Barr, Burlington’s Returning Officer.

Sheldon Creek Vince pulling fence GO line

Vince Fiorito pulling up a fence that had been trampled into the ground by trespassers along the GO train tracks. Several months after his finding the fence down – it still hasn’t been put back up properly.

I believe I was selected to be the Green Party Candidate primarily because of my environmental activism. Two years ago I founded a Halton Region Conservation Authority award winning stewardship group to clean the trash out of an urban ravine in Burlington, known as Friends of Sheldon Creek Watershed.

https://www.facebook.com/sheldoncreek

I am an environmental activist because I subscribe to a growing international movement to recognize The Rights of Nature.

I suppose I am a politician now, but until I was contacted by the Green Party last week to be their candidate in Burlington, I considered myself to be an environmental activist.

I expect that the Good People of Burlington will want to know more about their Green Party choice in the 2015 Federal Election.

For the record, I am NOT ambitious for power. I am ambitious for change. I believe our political system has become dysfunctional and unrepresentative because the decision making power has become concentrated in the hands of too few people.

When I beat incumbent Mike Wallace in this election, I intend to create citizen advisory committees, consisting of citizens from Burlington who are honest, reliable and hardworking, one for each Government Ministry and one for the PMO. Each committee will consist of 6 or 8 trustworthy people with impeccable integrity who will be involved in my entire decision making process from beginning until the end. In general, I will respect the will of the committees and vote accordingly in the House. My power will come from appointing people to the committees, casting the deciding vote in the event of a deadlock as well as dissolving and reforming any committee with new members if I believe that committee has become tainted, corrupted or dysfunctional. Other than that, I will respect the will of the committee and vote accordingly, even if I disagree with the committee’s decision.

Sheldon Creek - vince in high water

Fiorito comes across a piece of rusted equipment thrown into the creek – he has taken refrigerators, vehicle tires by the hundreds our of Sheldon Creek The Halton conservation Authority named him a Steward of Sheldon Creek.

I call this decision making process Distributed Democracy. I feel this decision making process will fairly represent the Green Party’s vision of their MPs representing their constituency first and the Green Party second.

The results of Citizen Advisory Committee votes will be available to the public. The committee will be nonpartisan. My expectation is that my future political rivals will likely rise from the ranks of these committees. I will appoint people to these committees based on their qualifications and merit, not their political affiliation. My only stipulation will be that everyone on these committees will balance the Rights of Nature with the Rights of People when they make their decisions.

After I beat Mike Wallace in this election and after he has had a 6 month vacation, I intend to offer him a seat on one of my citizen advisory committees, provided he can pass a vetting process.

I will act as an honest broker to offer the citizens of Burlington an opportunity to participate in the democratic decision making process and transfer to my constituency real decision making power. I feel this offer to share power with the community will capture the imagination of the Burlington electorate.

I expect that once my decision making process becomes more widely known, it will generate a lot of discussion. To be clear, I am offering the citizens of Burlington real political power. In theory a citizen of Burlington on the Finance Advisory committee could cast the deciding vote on a House non-confidence motion that would dissolve the Government of Canada.

Sheldon Creek - farm equipment + Vince

Vince Fiorito, wondering how a piece of equipment this size ended up in the Sheldon Creek – and wonders how he is ever going to gt it out of the creek.

The only Green Party policy with which I disagree is Proportional Representation. I agree that the First Past the Post system is broken. I support a ranked ballot system instead because I feel it would be more fair to candidates who run as independents. Other than that, my viewpoints completely align with the Green Party’s platform.

Regardless, I will always represent the will of Burlington first.

Environmentally,

Vince Fiorito
Green Party Candidate for Burlington

The Gazette has interviewed Vince Fiorito a number of times – he is certainly committed to the environment.  it is not our place to endorse any candidate at this point in time other than to say Vince is one of a kind; a unique human being doing what he believes in.  One can’t ask for much more than that.

Our practice in past elections has been to follow a specific candidate and tell their story – we did that with Carol Gottlob in the municipal election and we will be doing that with Vince Fiorito in this federal election – telling the story of his trials and tribulations as he goes about trying to get himself elected to the House of Commons where he can advocate for the environment on behalf of the people of Burlington.

For a city that cannot get a private tree bylaw passed – Vince has his work cut out for him

 

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Burlington Civic Chorale singers holding auditions for the start of their 22nd season.

News 100 redBy Staff

September 11, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

Choristers in the region are invited to audition for the Burlington Civic Chorale Singers. Rehearsals begin in September and are held Tuesday evenings from 7:15 pm to 9:30 pm, at St. Christopher’s Church, 662 Guelph Line, Burlington.

Burlington Civic ChoirThe Burlington Civic Chorale is a mixed-voice community choir formed in 1994 through the collaboration of founder Dr. Gary Fisher and Mary Jane Price, former organist and music director at St. Christopher’s Anglican Church, Burlington, Ontario.

Their repertoire encompasses classical literature from the 16th century to the present; folksongs; opera choruses and vocal jazz.

2015-16 is our twenty-second season! We couldn’t have done it without some help along the way: grants from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the United Way, the Toronto Foundation, and the former Halton Healthy Foundation; our loyal patrons and members; and local businesses who support us generously.

Please contact Gary Fisher at 905-632-2085 or Email: glfisher63@gmail.com or visit www.burlingtoncivicchorale.ca

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First city council meeting after a three month break looks pretty tame - they will review the property holdings - in a closed session.

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

September 11, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

The last time your city council met was July 15th- they meet again three times next week – on Monday at 1:00 pm as a Committee of the Whole where it looks as if everything is going to be talked about in a closed session.

werv

They should return to the Council Chamber all tanned and rested. Now to make wise decisions on your behalf.

There is to be a presentation by General Manager Scott Stewart, Allan Magi, Executive Director of Corporate Works and Ron Steiginga, Manager of Realty Services.

The agenda says they are talking about Downtown Real Estate. The city owns a considerable amount of real estate in the downtown core – parking lots, city hall, the Art Gallery and a number of other lots here and there.

The practice is to review these holdings and determine if there is anything Council wants to do that is Strategic in nature.

Steiginga did his best to acquire a small piece of property adjacent to the Art Gallery – the owner of the property was too long in the tooth to bite that bait that Steiginga offered.

The deal Steiginga got for the city on the sale of the waterfront road allowance between Market and St Paul isn’t one that he will be remembered for – but that ship has left harbour. The public will watch with some anticipation for the Windows on the Lake that are to be created on the land the city didn’t sell.

No city signage on this piece of city owned property.  Plans are in place to make a proper Window on the Lake at this location.

The public will get to walk along this space which will become a Window to the Lake – the obstacles you see in this picture were not put in place by city – they were put in place by property owners who didn’t want the public to enjoy public land. That day is now over.

There was some encroachment on city land by a private driveway – it looks as if that has been resolved.

One hopes that the Mayor is not foolish enough to hold a ribbon cutting ceremony and go for another of the photo ops of which he is so fond when the first window on the Lake is opened.

The first meeting on the Monday looks like a pretty tame event.

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Gazette reader suggests the Prime Minister may have mislead a Burlington audience.

opinionandcommentBy Pepper Parr

September 11, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

There is more to the Advanced Manufacturing hub the ¨Prime Minister announced with great fanfare in Burlington recently. The City’s Economic Development Corporation has been working on the project for some time; their approach is to do away with the fanfare and let the results of their efforts speak for themselves.

“When we have something to say that is relevant” said Fran McKeown, Executive Director of the not for profit organization “you will hear from us”.

Harper in Burlington sept 1 - 2015

Prime Minister Stephen Harper speaking to a hand picked Burlington audience.

The Gazette got a note from Tony Araujo, Vice President – Testing, Paragon Systems, Concord, ON. Here is what he had to say:

I read your story on the Prime Minister’s announcement of a new “Advanced Manufacturing” hub for Burlington and was shocked that the Conservatives would do this again! I’m already fighting the last “investment” this government made in London’s Advanced Manufacturing Park.

In March 2015, Industry Canada’s FedDev Ontario gave Fanshawe College an $8.1 million gift to set up a for-profit commercial testing lab on land provided to the college for free by the City of London. The Canadian Centre for Product Validation (CCPV) will compete head-to-head with existing private sector testing labs throughout Ontario using students as labour.

FedDev Ontario’s own analysis of Fanshawe’s CCPV business plan even concluded that it would “adversely affect” the existing 30 private sector testing labs that “currently serve Ontario industries quite well”.

$8.1 million is bad enough. $100 million will be the death of my business and the 32 jobs that we currently have in Vaughan.

As a small business person, I expected this kind of crazy policy from the NDP, certainly not from the Conservatives.

Is it any wonder the electorate thinks that the Conservatives have lost touch with their values?

There are usually several sides to every story.

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Halton Police Looking for Christian Stuart DRENNAN

Crime 100By Staff

September 11, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

With a model that does work, the Halton Regional Police will now refine what has been working very well and in 2016 roll the Fugitive Friday program out to Oakville and Milton.

FF21

Christian Stuart Drennan has ties to Burlington, Hamilton and Oshawa. He is wanted by the Halton Regional Police for a number of of offenses he is believed to have committed – including not appearing in court after having been given bail.

It is week 21 of the “Fugitive Friday” – Halton Police Looking for Christian Stuart DRENNAN. They are reaching out to the public to help locate wanted persons and hold them accountable for their actions.

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.

Every Friday, the Burlington Offender Management Unit will share information on a wanted person in hopes that the public can assist in locating the individual.

We will share “Fugitive Friday” information on our website and via social media through Twitter @HRPSBurl and @HaltonPolice.

In this edition of Fugitive Fridays the 3 District, Burlington Offender Management Unit is searching for Christian Stuart DRENNAN, 43 years, from Burlington.

It is alleged:

In May 2015, the accused was located in a semi-conscious state revving the engine of his car on a street in Burlington after a concerned citizen called police.
Police investigation revealed the accused was in possession of a quantity of Marihuana, Morphine and Ritalin.

The accused was arrested, charged and was scheduled to re-attend court in September 2015 which he failed to do and a warrant was issued for his arrest

He is wanted by Halton Regional Police for:

Possession of a Schedule I
Possession of Schedule II
Care or Control – Impaired
Fail to Re-Attend Court

DRENNAN is described as 5’10”, 165 lbs, brown eyes and brown hair. He has a tattoo of a “Lion” on his right upper arm and a scar on his forehead.

DRENNAN has ties to Burlington, Hamilton and Oshawa.

Anyone who has information that would assist investigators in locating 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

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Supercrawl in Hamilton means a change to Transit route 1; Detours in Downtown Hamilton Sept. 11 - 14

News 100 redBy Staff

September 10, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

Route 1 bus Detours in Downtown Hamilton Sept. 11 – 14

super-crawlBeginning Friday, Sept. 11 through to Monday, Sept. 14, Burlington Transit’s Route 1 will detour in downtown Hamilton during the James Street Supercrawl.

Detour Information
Friday, Sept. 11 from approximately noon to 5:30 p.m.:

• Regular routing to York Boulevard and Queen Street
• Right at Queen Street
• Left at Main Street
• Left at John Street
• Left at King Street
• Resume regular routing

Friday, Sept. 11 (at approximately 5:30 p.m.) through to Monday, Sept. 14 (at approximately 1 a.m.):

• Regular routing to York Boulevard and Queen Street
• Right at Queen Street
• Left at Main Street
• Left at John Street
• Left at Cannon Street
• Resume regular routing

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Bridgewater development on Lakeshore scheduled to see shovels in the ground right after a big blowout Christmas party.

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

September 10, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

There will be shovels in the ground the first few days of January – and Jeff Paikin will start the next, and biggest phase of his career as a developer.

The three structure Bridgewater project, initially approved in 1985 and justified as a “landmark” project for the city, will rise to 22 storeys under the direction of a man whose first development project was a done more than 25 years ago, which was about when the city approved the project he is going to move into as a resident.

Aerial-rendering-1024x758

The hotel has had an additional floor added to it – shovels are scheduled to dig into the ground first thing in 2016 – now there is a photo op for you!

Paikin will be at the front of a project that will change forever the look and feel of the waterfront forever.

How this came to be is one of those extraordinary  stories of drive, energy and a lot of luck that came about because Paikin decided to go for luxury and quality in a city he loves

There will be a Christmas party for the people who have bought about 60% of the units in the Bridgewater project. Paikin says he needs to be at 62% sold to have the financing he has arranged kick in.

Paikin said he would buy another unit if that’s what it takes to get past that magic 62% number.  “Were at 60% with five in the pipeline” he said rather proudly.

The-50-foot-opening-300x192

The view of the lake from a passing car will be brief – the opening is reported to be 50 feet wide – not much more than a glimpse.

What Burlington now knows as the Bridgewater project isn’t something Paikin started and how it ended up in his hands is an amazing story.

Paikin was developing town homes for twenty years.

He was doing custom renovations, moved into high end luxury homes but “land supply changed the market” and Paikin could see that condominiums was where the growth was going to take place.

The day of the small bungalow market that resulted in the sprawl Burlington how has to contend with was a thing of the past.
The first project Paikin took on had 49 units –  then 101 units then a 134 unit  project – the progression was consistent. The 246 unit Vibe was followed by the 400 unit Mint.

Paikin focused on quality finishes and customization. He sees himself as “in touch with the market” and very much a people person.

Paikin is a big man – tall, imposing and available to anyone who wants to talk to him. This isn’t a developer who hides nor is he a man who suffers fools easily.

His office is in Hamilton, a stones throw from the GO station but his home and his heart is in Burlington where he doesn’t get upset at the profile the city has in the rest of the province – or the country for that matter.  He believes Burlington’s objective is to maintain and protect the lead that it has – and in the eyes of Jeff Paikin Burlington has a great lead over other cities.

The Bridgewater project consists of three buildings – all are part of the project Paikin’s New Horizons corporation now controls. The hotel will now be a Marriott – it was originally going to be a Delta and open for the Pan Am Games – that date got missed.

The project has been littered with missed dates – Paikin sounds confident that the breaking ground in January is going to happen.

Sales office Bridgewater

The buyers for the priciest condo property in town will be treated to a smash of a Christmas party – then the wrecking ball rolls in to level the space.

The sales office will be taken apart sometime after the Christmas party for those who have bought units.

How Jeff Paikin actually got the units is due in no small measure to the way the people at Mayrose Tyco think. In the agreement they put together with the Mady Group, the original builder’s,  there was a “reputational risk” clause that allowed them to back out of the agreement if the reputation of the builder was at risk.

Mady ran into some problems with projects in Markham, Scarborough, Waterloo, Barrie and Kitchener – and sought protection from creditors – Mayrose Tyco invoked the reputational risk clause and according to Paikin asked him if he would take over the project – which he did.

Prior to the call from Mayrose Tyco, Paikin was thinking about building a new home in Burlington. His wife wanted something near the lake, Jeff wanted something that wouldn’t require much of a claim on his time.

Bridgewater at night lit up

They will see this from Hamilton – architects rendering of the Bridgewater project at night.

He liked the look of the Bridgewater project – he and his wife looked at the plans and decided that would be home for them. It was going to be the perfect empty-nest home for him and his wife.

Then he got a call in January: did he want to build the project?

The original builder, Markham-based Mady Development Corporation, had run into financial problems with projects – Paikin took over Mady’s position in a development partnership on the 0.7-hectare, block-long property between Elizabeth and Pearl streets just east of Brant.

Paikin was now pumped “The design is so fantastic and the location is probably the No. 1 location in all of Ontario, if not Canada, as a place to live.”

Prices start at about $400,000 and climb to about $3.5 million.

Paiken now has half of the top floor as his home – all he has to do is get the place built –

The 22 storey structire that is due to be built on the waters edge will forever change the look of the city.  For the better?

The 22 storey structure that is due to be built on the waters edge will forever change the look of the city. For the better?

Paikin says the transition from Mady to New Horizon on the Bridgewater project was fast and seamless. Burlington Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward learned of the Mady problems one day and the next learned that New Horizon had stepped in.

The project has been deemed a “landmark” in Burlington’s official plan which some take to mean” “Any future development on Old Lakeshore Road or across the street needs to defer to the landmark and not overwhelm it.”

Deck of sales office

What a great place to make a sales pitch for a condominium that starts at $400,000

One hopes Burlington has a stronger position than that when they oppose the ADI Development at Lakeshore and Martha that is now before the OMB.

Riviera from front

There are people in the city with fond memories of the Riviera – wonder where the sign went?

The site, in what has been designated the Old Lakeshore Road precinct, was once home to an ice cream shop and the Riviera motel, which was built in 1964 and changed very little before it was demolished in 2012.

The approvals for the Bridgewater date back to about 2006 – as a project it was first approved in principle in 1985

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Suicide is the 2nd cause of death in young people; 31% increase for the average wait time for assessment - 47 days

News 100 greenBy Staff

September 10, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

That we even have a World Suicide Prevention Day is painful – we shudder when we hear the words and try to brush away the thought when we think of families we know that have experienced a loss.

The Burlington Community Foundation (BCF) Mental Wellness Alliance is sharing information in an effort to raise awareness and discuss suicide prevention.

Some of the difficult truths about suicide in our communities include:

– Suicide is the 2nd cause of death in young people
– 1 in 5 Ontarians experience mental health problems and addictions
– 1 in 4 teens and young adults in their 20’s will experience mental health issues in Ontario
– 71% of family physicians ranked access to psychiatrists in Ontario fair to poor
– Youth and families can wait for months or up to 2 years for services
– Joseph Brant Hospital Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic reports:
– 16% increase from 2010-11 to 2011-12 in case load
– 31% increase for the average wait time for assessment – 47 days

Suicide - last threadAs outlined in BCF’s Vital Signs Reports, mental health issues are growing. To address this imminent need BCF launched the Mental Wellness Alliance in April 2015 by bringing together a diverse and knowledgeable group of over 55 leaders from a broad cross-section of mental health perspectives. These include practitioners, policy makers, program service delivery organizations, civic leaders, interest groups, partners, caregivers and individuals living with mental health issues. The participants are from Halton Region through to Hamilton. BCF is leading the efforts and recognizes these “communities” are interconnected from both a needs and delivery of programs/services perspective.

Brian Hansell, co-chair of the BCF Mental Wellness Alliance knows all too well how devastating suicide can be. His son Paul lost his life to suicide in December 2010. To help ensure that other families don’t face the same tragedy and to do something in memory of Paul, Brian founded the Paul Hansell Foundation. Its mandate is to promote programs aimed at the mental and emotional wellbeing of youth.

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City challenges residents to Think Outside the Car - the process of changing the car culture has begun

News 100 redBy Staff

September 10th, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

City's biggest advocates for more bike use gather at the announce for the Car Free Sunday Burlington has planned.  All three will be on hand for the Bike to Work event that is taking place all across the Region and in many parts of the GTA..  The guy on the far right is Sound of Music honcho Dave Miller.

Mayor Golding will take part in the Kick off for a campaign to increase the use of alternate forms of transportation – and less use of cars for short trips.

The process has begun – the attempt to change the culture in the city and leave the car at home and choose active and alternative transportation instead is now a challenge from the office of the Mayor.

Billed as the Think Outside the Car Challenge, it will run from September 15th to – October 30th.

Many of the trips people take in Burlington are within a very short distance and are the ideal distances to cycle, walk or hop on a Burlington Transit bus. These alternative modes of transportation not only promote a healthy lifestyle but also save money on the cost of gas, parking and have very little impact on our air quality.”

To participate in the challenge:

1. Ask a friend or family member to take a photo or video of you using alternative transportation when you would have normally taken your vehicle. Share on social media using #ThinkOutsidetheCar.
2. Challenge three friends, family members or co-workers to choose alternative transportation instead of using their vehicle.
3. Be part of the change.

Campaign Kickoff Event
On Tuesday, September 15th , students at M.M. Robinson High School will be part of the kickoff event.

McMahon with a bike

Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon has been a strong Share the Road advocate – she now wants people to make more use of bikes and public transit.

Eleanor McMahon, MPP Burlington and Danijel Ozimkovic, Transportation Technologist at the City of Burlington will be talking part in the event.

“Travelling by car is very popular in Burlington,” said Vito Tolone, acting director of transportation at the City of Burlington. “Ninety per cent of all trips within our city are made with an automobile. If we are going to reduce traffic congestion and create a greener city, the entire community needs to work together and consider other forms of transportation.”

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Public school board web site give trustee heartburn; says the thing is very hard to use and badly outdated.

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

September 9, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

The second in a series on the Burlington trustees on the Halton District Board of Education.

Burlington has four seats on the 11 member Halton District School Board. All are female; one was acclaimed.

Each had their own reasons for running. Some had a clear objective others were a little more nonchalant about public service.

The three new board of education members were somewhat overwhelmed with the steep learning curve but have for the most part have settled in.  None however has yet made a significant mark on what the board does. There have been issues: The Pineland school concerns; French language classes, starting times, using the schools as voting stations – each Burlington trustee has participated in the discussions – but our reporter Walter Byj, wasn’t able to point out anything significant in the way of a contribution from any of the new Burlington trustees on policy and the thinking as to how the schools should be run.

The one thing this current board did do was put in place a system that records every vote that takes place – the public knows in an instant how a trustee voted on any particular motion, which is more than one the public gets to know about how members of city council votes.

Both Walter Byj and I jointly interviewed all four Burlington trustees. Three were first time members of the Board – Amy Collard is serving her second term – she was acclaimed in both elections.

Grebnex - finger pointing

Andrea Grebenc – a woman seldom at a loss for words.

Andrea Grebnec ran as a trustee when she found she didn’t like the way the Alton school boundary review was handled. Now that she is on the Board she has concerns with triple stream schools. She is also a strong believer in parents being able to have all their children in the same elementary school.  she thought that at one point she would have three children attending three different schools.

Grebnec did some of her elementary classes at a Catholic school and then attended Lester B Pearson. Her Father taught at MM Robinson; her Mother was a librarian.

We leaned from Grebnec that the Burlington trustees never caucus – but are nevertheless described by Grebnec as a collaborative team – a term she uses to describe the full Board.

Grebnec give current chair Kelly Moss full marks for the nurturing and support she was given as she learned the ropes. She doesn’t give Burlington’s ward 3 Councillor John Taylor any marks – says she has never heard from the man even though she was elected by voters in ward 3.  So much for city – board of education cooperation.

Andrea, who covers wards 3 and 6 has a solid working relationship with city Councillor Blair Lancaster.  “I once did some one-one-one work with her on personal grooming – so we know each other quite well.”

Grebenc - expressive hands

Andrea Grebenc – trustee for wards 3 and 6 – when she gets going – there is no stopping her.

Board issues for Grebnec? The web site –“ it doesn’t work – close to impossible to find anything – even though you know it is in there somewhere” says Grebnec, who has a background in IT.  She thinks the website the board has in place now is what they “created originally and just kept adding to the thing.”

We have yet to come across anyone who has anything good to say about the web site – David Euale, the retiring Director of Education, told the Gazette that  $100,000 has been allocated for an upgrade to the web site – which is nice. The disturbing thing is that an institution responsible for the education of our youth – people who will be going into a world where the flow of information and the use of information is foundational – does not itself have a useful web site.

Whoever the trustees decide to hire needs to be on top of this kind of thing. The communications people within the administration need a sound talking to for permitting such a lousy system to be in place.

Grebnec - hands in front

Andrea Gebenc, trustee for wards 3 and 6 explains a point she wants to make during an interview.

Grebnec wants to see more walking and bicycle use; she wants to “get the kids out of the cars”. She maintains that the boards, perhaps unwittingly, have been telling people to drive to school. “we tell them how the traffic circle works, we tell them where they are to drop off their kids – we are telling them they are bad parents if they don’t drive their kids to school. Grebnec wants to see a change in the culture and has advised her colleagues that she will be bringing a motion to a future board meeting suggesting changes.

Grebnec points out that there is a lot of fear in the community about just how safe our children are – “safe streets have children on them” she adds and when children are on the streets with other children they play – which is a large part of what childhood is all about.

She talks about walking school buses – which amounts to a bunch of people who might normally take the school bus – walking to school as a group instead.

Grebnec with Byj

Trustee Andrea Grebenc talks with Gazette education reporter Walter Byj about the job she got herself into when she wanted to see some changes at the school her children attend.

There is a feistiness to Andrea Grebnec. Now that she has a year of service as a trustee behind her – I think the community is going to hear more from her.

To follow – short profiles on Richelle Papin and Leah Reynolds, the other two first term Burlington school board trustees.

We will follow that up with a look at what Amy Collard has been doing on the school board.

Related links:

Choosing the new Director of Education

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If you believe this one – you will probably believe almost anything.

 

Identity theft - laptopBy Pepper Parr

September 9, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

This popped up in my email box – can you imagine a bank asking you what you thought of a change they were making .

That never happens – which was the first clue that the email was the first step in an attempt to get into my identity and rummage around my bank account to see if there was something they could steal.

I’ve not had an account with the CIBC for at least ten years – so there is nothing to learn about me there.

Somewhere along the way someone who makes their living taking what isn’t theirs from people
If you see this one – click on delete, quickly.

The cheek!

Changes to the Electronic Access Agreement

We’ve changed the Electronic Access Agreement.
We wanted to check it’s OK with you.
The following is a summary of the changes made to the Agreement effective as of August 1, 2015
Part I “Terms and Conditions for CIBC eDeposit” is new and applies to your use of the new CIBC eDeposit feature within CIBC Mobile Banking.
Part K was amended to add new definitions to explain the meaning of the following terms: “CIBC eDeposit” and “Images”.
Section 56 “Exclusive Jurisdiction” was removed.
Section 70 “Governing Law” was amended to clarify its meaning and add new information.

What do I have to do?

If You agree with the changes we’ve made, please click on the link below:
https://www.cibc.com/ca/agreement-2015-confirm.aspx

You must use your Bank Card and Password to access Online Banking. You may also be required to answer your Personal Verification Questions when accessing Online Banking.

If you do not agree to a change in this Agreement, you must immediately stop using Online Banking

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CineStarz - SHOWTIMES September 11 to 17 , 2015

Cinestarz logoCine Starz Upper Canada Place
460 Brant Street
WWW CINESTARZ.CA

 

SHOWTIMES September 11 to 17 , 2015

WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS 14A
Fri to Thur 1:20 3:10 7:20 9:15

SINISTER 2 14A
Fri to Sun 5:20 9:10
Mon to Thur 7:40 9:30

AMERICAN ULTRA 18A
Fri to Sun 1:30 5:40 7:30 9:20
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FANTASTIC FOUR PG
Fri to Sun 11:30 1:30 3:30 5:20
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JURASSIC WORLD PG
Fri to Sun 11:10 1:00 3:20 5:10 7:15
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VACATION 14A
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SOUTHPAW 14A
Fri to Sun 11:15 7:15 9:30
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INSIDE OUT G
Fri to Sun 11:15 1:15 3:15 5:15 7:15
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PAPER TOWNS PG
Fri to Sun 11:00 3:20 9:30
Mon to Thur 3:30 5:15 7:30 9:30

AMY 14A
Fri to Sun 5:00 9:15
Mon to Thur 1:10 3:20 9:00

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Butcher store closes after short run at making it work - what was the missing ingredient?

News 100 blueBy Staff

September 8, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

Keeping a downtown vibrant, healthy and attractive with the right mix of merchants is easier said than done.

Butcher and market at street

The location was good: was it the prices?; the service? Many people thought a butcher shop was just what the downtown core needed – apparently not.

For every ten stores that open – ten find they have to close their doors after six months of toughing it out and finding that the great idea they had just didn’t work.

Setting up a new business is not an easy undertaking. That lesson got punched home for the butcher shop that took a brave step and opened up for business at the corner of Lakeshore and Brant street – which is about as downtown core as you can get.

Butcher and market - sorry sign

A sad message about a dream dashed.

It didn’t work out – and the doors were recently closed.

Is there an opportunity for some comment, reflection on what didn’t work and why?

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Reception for Keith Marshall photography at AGB to take place September 9th - evening.

theartsBy Staff

September 8th, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

Keith Marshall will be at the Fireside Lounge at the Art Gallery of Burlington to talk about his latest on Wednesday September 9th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.
Fireside photo NAME 2His work is on display and will be open to the public until September 28th.

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Regional police find the Friday Fugitive program to have been very successful - want to roll it out across the region.

Crime 100By Pepper Parr

September 8, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

When Detective Constable Calvin Bulbrook to an idea into Superintendent Al Albano’s office at the Burlington division of the Halton Regional police he wasn’t at all sure if his boss would go for it nor was he certain it would actually work – he just thought it was worth a shot.

His Friday Fugitive has worked wonderfully well – so well that people who have warrants for their arrest outstanding are turning themselves in rather than waiting to be caught.

There are more than 170 people the police would love to put handcuffs on – they just have to find them first.

These are the Fugitive Friday individuals captured/located to date:

Week 2 – Curtis Komp was arrested on May 5, only four days after the Fugitive Friday release of his case. He remains in custody awaiting trial.

Week 4 – Scottie Ryerson turned himself in on May 15, the same day of his Fugitive Friday profile.

Week 5 – Mark Aubertin was arrested by Hamilton police on July 3.

Week 6 – Michael Ramsay turned himself in on June 19 as a result of media attention.

Week 7 – Milan Suchy and Blanka Dolezalova currently in BC, efforts underway to have their charges traversed to BC. (Both parties remain WANTED)

Week 8 – Jessica Haynes was located and arrested on June 29 as a result of information received after a press release was issued.

Week 10 – Brennan Bowley turned himself into Hamilton police on July 3 as a result of collaborative efforts of the Hamilton and Halton police services, and pressure from media attention.

Week 11 – Corey Rodgers (https://bit.ly/1IyoLLb) currently in BC (Remains WANTED)

Week 13 – Ashley JACOBS and Michael CRICK (https://bit.ly/1JE06BO) currently in Quebec, efforts are under way to have their charges dealt with (Both parties remain WANTED)

Week 14 – Ahmad ALAMI – arrested in Niagara

Week 15 – Beth Michaud – surrendered to courts

Week 19 – Ryan WOOD –  believed to be residing in BC (Remains WANTED)

Halton Police continue to search for eight individuals on the Fugitive Friday list to ensure their appearance in court and to answer to the charges against them.  Click on the red letter for more detailed information

 

Week 1 – Raymond French 

Week 3 – Kenneth Moodie

Week 8 – Sean Kelly

Week 9 – Bryon Bullied 

Week 12 – Marcin Sydor

Week 16 – Darnell Parchment-Yates

Week 17 – Korde HILL

Week 18 – Matthew PARSONS 

 

Of the 22 people the Regional police went looking for there are nine that they have yet to find. That is an impressive record – so impressive that Det/Cst Bulbrook expects the program will be rolled out in Milton and Oakville in the not too distant future.

Of note in many of the offences listed was that almost all of those wanted skipped bail. The police arrest them, the Crown Prosecutor puts a case before a judge – and the judges seem to be quite ready to release the accused on bail. The accused fail to appear and the police have to go looking for them – again.
Det/Cst Bulbrook, like many police officers, look askance at the revolving door and wonder if there isn’t a better way to manage the problem.

Keeping the offenders in custody is expensive but releasing them on bail and then then having these men and woman not show up damages the criminal justice system in the eyes of the public – and that isn’t healthy for any society.

Failing to appear when given bail is a problem that needs a solution.

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A unique opportunity for 11 people to make a significant, lasting contribution to the public education system we have.

SwP thumbnail graphicBy Pepper Parr

September 8, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

The first in a series on the Burlington trustees on the Halton District Board of Education.

In the next 120 to 150 days 11 people are going to make a choice that could change in a very meaningful way how the municipalities of Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills are seen by the rest of the province and perhaps the rest of the country.

Trustees Kelly Amos, Oakville; Amy Collard, Burlington; Joanna Oliver, Oakville; Leah Reynolds, Burlington; Donna Danielli, Milton; Andrea Grebenc, Burlington; Ann Harvey Hope, Oakville; Richelle Papin, Burlington; Kim Graves, Milton; Jeanne Gray, Halton Hills and Tracey Ehl Harrison, Oakville are the elected members of the Halton District School Board and they as a group will vote on who they want to lead the development, administration and delivery of education in the Region.

Andrea Grebnec

Andrea Grebnec – Burlington Trustee

Amy Collard

Amy Collard – Burlington Trustee

Anne Harvey Hope

Anne Harvey Hope – Oakville trustee

Burlington let itself get caught up in the promotional hype of a magazine that chose the city as the best mid-sized city to live in. That Burlington was chosen was due in no small measure to the persuading former Mayor Cam Jackson laid upon the publishers of the magazine. Jackson convinced them to see Burlington as a separate entity and not lump us in with Hamilton – when that was done Burlington began to look much much better.

For a time that line “the best mid-sized city in Canada” was parroted by members of city council as if it was something we had earned – it was an award made up by a magazine to promote their circulation,

There are many many things about Burlington that are positive. But the city doesn’t have much in the way of a provincial or a national profile. Oakville is known for all the people with bags of money that live there and Milton is known for its explosive growth – they also have an Olympic grade Velodrome that was their benefit from the Pan Am games – all Burlington managed to get was a cheque for renting out the City View Park for Pan Am soccer practice.

Burlington seems to want to focus on its geography – the Escarpment to the north and the lake to the south and that’s about it. A nice, for the most part, comfortable community that has its share of problems that it seems to muddle through.

Hamilton is entering a phase that has some buzz to it – the end of their steel manufacturing stage has begun and they are in the process of re-inventing themselves. Two decades from now Hamilton will be THE place to live in Ontario.

As for Burlington – there is an opportunity that is now in the hands of the 11 people who have been elected as school board trustees.

Current Director of Education for the Halton District School Board David Euale has resigned and the search for his replacement is now down to the short list.

Donna Danielli

Donna Danielli -Milton trustee

Jeanne Gray

Jeanne Gray – Halton Hills trustee

Burlington is the kind of city people like to live in – it is safe, not particularly exciting but a reasonably easy place from which to get to Toronto. But is there a really strong reason to live in Burlington? – it certainly isn’t the cost of housing.

But Burlington could be the city that has the best public education school board in the province. Schools matter to parents – just look at the number of private schools in the Region.

Those eleven school board trustees have the opportunity to put Halton on the map – and by extension Burlington as well.

There are schools in this city that parents will actually cheat to get their children into – Tuck is one of them. Why do they do that? Because the principal of that school has made it one of the best in the city.

Why is Nelson High School the superb institution that it?  Why is Bateman such an excuse for a high school? (That is a person opinion – I have had dealings with the leadership at that high school and this is an opinion column.)

It all comes down to leadership – there are great leaders in the public education system and they are always looking for a great board of education to work for – there aren’t a lot of them around.

Imagine what could happen if the trustees made it known that they want the best person there is to lead their board. To say publicly and loudly that they want an education leader who will not only improve our rankings but develop schools where every principal is not only a leader but an innovator.

Kelly Amos

Kelly Amos, Oakville trustee and current chair of the board

Kim Graves

Kim Graves, Milton trustee

Leah Reynolds

Leah Reynolds – Burlington trustee

A director that knows how to motivate and to take risks and create schools that students are excited to go to each day. A leader that has standing and a profile in the community – a leader that has a grip on the changes taking place in the flow of information that young people have coming at them.

A leader that develops high schools that produces Rhodes Scholars – Halton has apparently produced one Rhodes Scholar.

A leader that has high schools that graduate students who are almost automatically accepted at universities because they came out of the Halton school board system.

There is a line in our Bibles about Daniel from which the phrase “Dare to be a Daniel” has come. “God gave Daniel a special task. He boldly accepted the assignment and God used him to change an entire nation!”

As our trustees begin their task of determining who the next Director of Education should be one hope that they will dare to be Daniels.

Richelle Papin

Richelle Papin – Burlington trustee

Tracey Ehl Harrison

Tracey Ehl Harrison, Oakville trustee

A significant step has already been taken in creating a leadership team at the board in the appointment of Jaqueline Newton who has been appointed the Superintendent of Education. Ms Newton was the woman tasked with opening Hayden High school – she did a superb job there and we believe will do an equally superb job with the Board. A Director of Education made from the same mold would be nice.

There are eleven people in the Region who have the power to do just that. If they aren’t all that close to their Bibles perhaps they can fall back on the Nike advertising slogan – Just do it!

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Transportation Minister explains what the provincial government is going to do with rail transit - catch up and keep up!

News 100 redBy Pepper Parr

September 8, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

Once the “love in” part of the evening was over – those in the room at the Royal Botanical Gardens were able to take part in a good discussion on what the province was planning on doing about transit in the province.

Transit - McMeekin tight

Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs is in the thick of transit issues as well – Ted McMeekin takes part in Town Hall on Transit

Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon and Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs MPP Ted McMeekin hosted the event at which Minister of Transportation Steve Del Luca did most of the talking and the listening.

The stopover in Burlington was the fourth Town Hall type meeting Del Luca has held – 40-50 people in the room – close to a quarter of them bureaucrats of one flavour or another.

He told the audience that his mandate was to “catch up” and “keep up” on transit matters. While highways are a large part of that mandate – this meeting was about transit.

Difficult for a Burlington audience not to want to drift into highways when the QEW and the 403 cut us into pieces.

Del Luca pointed out that the government has committed $130 billion over ten years into getting a transit system that meets the needs – it’s amazing how these people throw around those big number – billions – millions.

An additional $31.5 million has been has been added to put a 15 minute – both ways service in place on the Lakeshore, Kitchener, Stouffville and Barrie services.

De Luca made a strong point when he explained the situation on the Barrie line: four trains leaving Barrie every morning and four leaving Union Station for the trip home each evening.

Which was Ok for people who just commute and stay in the city all day but for those who want to slip into the city for an early afternoon meeting and then head back to an office in Barrie the current service doesn’t work – those people explained Del Luca drive in and out – adding to traffic congestion and wasting a lot of time behind the wheel of a car.

The Transportation Minister added that getting 15 minute service has some hurdles to be gotten over – and the electrification of the system has its own problems.

Track ownership is also a problem – but Del Luca was able to leave the impression that he has a strong team and that they can learn to understand the problems and then find solutions.

What was refreshing was that Del Luca didn’t even try to sugar coat the problem.

Transit - McMahon - tight H&S

Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon hosts a Town Hall on Transit and lets the Ministers do all the talking.

He made it clear that he wants to see the changes made within a decade and that to make it happen there has to be a change in the culture – the car isn’t going to be what it has been – both in the way it is used and in the way it is designed for the future.

The rail lines are going to be electrified – if we don’t do that greenhouse gasses will kill us all.

Everyone wants better service but the changes we need to make to provide that service will be disruptive – which boots the ball into the political realm. Del Luca’s trip to Burlington was to get a sense of what the public in this part of the world was thinking.

Something not usually seen at Burlington based event s was the participation of students from McMaster. All males and all appeared to be graduate level students – and they had good questions.

Del Luca, who represents Vaughan in the Legislature, pointed out that his mandate is focused on capital projects – this guy is building a transit system – all the bells and whistles on what happens when the transit system is in place is the responsibility of the municipalities that connect with those rail lines.
The only thing the Ministry does, explained Del Luca, is give the municipalities a portion of the gas tax it collects. Burlington got between $20 and $21 million last year.

There are Buringtonians who come close to swallowing their tongues when they see some of that tax rebate being put into infrastructure (roads) upgrades and upkeep.

The cultural change the Minister is working to bring about hasn’t penetrated as deeply as it is going to have to in Burlington – the city may be one of the last to fully understand what has to be done.

There were people from Burlington transit and transportation in the room – but they didn’t seem to be paying a lot of attention from where I was sitting.
There was a little bit of money for new ideas and pilot projects explained Del Luca. “We put $1 million into a fund for new ideas and doled it out in $100,000 grants. It was so popular and useful that we increased the annual allotment to $2 million.”

Milton got a grant to create an application that would let commuters use their smart phones to tap into their transit schedule – there was no mention of any application from Burlington Transit.

Transit Del Luca + Woodruff

Minister of Transportation for the province Steve Del Luca engages Greg Woodruff on the role of the car in future transit plans – both agree the car isn’t going away.

Aldershot activist Greg Woodruff engaged the Minister on the role cars would play in transportation. He pointed out that the car is undergoing a very radical change and added that research suggests there will be 40% fewer cars on the road within the decade – what does that do to your transit plans he asked.

Del Luca told Woodruff he didn’t think he was wrong and added that within the decade 70% of the cars on the rod will be automated.  Both men agreed that the car was not going to go away and it doesn’t need to go away – it will just play a much different role and will not dominate the way it has for the past number of decades

While transit was the focus of the meeting – land planning policies that make sense was a critical clutch point – and the sense in the room seemed to be that we weren’t doing all that well on developing those policies.

Transit - Rishia Burke + McMeekin

Ted McMeekin, a political activist who got into government to make changes talks with Rishia Burke, a staffer with Community Development Halton – an organization McMeekin got started with others many years ago. One could almost see the torch being passed.

Minister McMeekin, who wasn’t saying all that much, explained that he was coordinating a review of the urban sprawl we have to work with and what part urban boundaries play in transit planning.

There are transit advocates in Burlington who wonder why the Oakville, Milton, Burlington and eventually Halton Hills transit services are not rolled into a single service – York Region has done that very successfully.

At some point there is going to be transit service along Dundas and rolling up into Milton – whose court will that ball be in – Milton or Burlington?
Creating a smoother transition for transit users in the east end of the city who want to or have to use both Oakville and Burlington transit is another problem

When Burlington’s politicians got all hairy about transit and began taking the bus to work, and making sure there was a photo op to prove they had actually ridden the bus, ward 2 councillor Marianne Meed Ward took the bus to a Regional meeting – that isn’t something she will be doing again.
It has become clear to the government that in order for transit use to be increased – growth and intensification has to be along transit lines.

Transit - Vito Tolone

Vito Tolone, interim director of transportation for Burlington, did a lot of listening as the two provincial minsters did all the talking. Their comments seemed to tie into the Draft Transportation Master Plan Tolone is working on

Where are the transit corridors going to be in Burlington. Vito Tolone, interim Director of Transportation, is working on a Transportation Master Plan – a draft was put together by people from both planning and transportation. While far from complete – there were some pretty solid suggestions as to the direction the city could consider taking.

Unfortunately there wasn’t much in the way of enthusiasm in the response from city council on what was a well presented set of suggestions and ideas – whatever Burlington does – transit is going to have to be the core – and this city council just doesn’t have much of an appetite for more busses on the streets – all they can see is empty busses going by.

Minister Del Luca asked the municipalities to “work with us and get it right” He wants to do away with the artificial transit barriers and the artificial municipal barriers to get it right.

It is not going to be easy to do that with the city council Burlington has today.

The last topic to get some time was the HOT lanes that were put in place for the Pan Am Games. It may not be popular, but High Occupancy Toll lanes are becoming the flavour of the month in transit and transportation circles.

Ontario transportation officials are fine-tuning a plan to introduce the concept to selected highways in the Greater Toronto Area. Most Ontarians are familiar with HOV (or High Occupancy Vehicle) lanes that require a vehicle to have at least one passenger.

The HOT lane expands upon that, extending access to lone motorists — but charging them a toll. The government is moving ahead on installing high occupancy toll lanes. These are on the way but “we want to make sure we get it right,” he told the media.

At the Burlington event Del Luca said the move wasn’t intended to produce revenue but to free up capacity – the thinking being that if someone was prepared to pay a fee to drive in a HOT lane that meant their car would not be taking up space in the free lanes.

Del Luca told the Burlington meeting that the government had not clearly communicated what the program was, how it would work and the difference it would make.

He certainly got that part right. Many wonder just what the cost would be – and how much would be spent on creating the things – whenever government and technologically are in the same room – the costs just seem to rise – remember the mess and the expense with making hospital records electronic – gazillions – and it isn’t done yet.

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The week that was in the federal election: Rivers on what media and advertising have done to determine the outcome.

Rivers 100x100By Ray Rivers

September 7, 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.

Thanks to a reader it has been brought to my attention that the report of the father of the drowned refugee child refusing Canadian citizenship was false, despite its broad reporting by media including the CBC and National Post. Please disregard that line in the column for that reason and if interested please take the time to consult….

https://canadalandshow.com/article/media-fact-check-what-press-got-wrong-about-alan-kurdi-and-what-it-got-right

Note from that website that…”As National Post editor Jen Gerson suggests, the blunders in reporting this breaking news story do not change the core substance of it: the drowned boy whose picture made the world suddenly care about the refugee crisis might have found refuge in Canada. His family had tried. Our Immigration Minister was directly approached about this specific case.

The story would have been no less impactful had it been reported accurately, and there is no evidence to suggest that the mistakes were made out of partisan bias or intent to sensationalize or deceive. They were mistakes, which often happen in breaking news stories.”

Thanks again to readers who take the time to contribute to the discussion. It is exactly for situations like this that I include my primary source

Ray

Advertising – it’s what chews up so much of the money in election campaigns. And, of course, it usually works, though not always as expected. For example, the Conservative ads prior to the last election in 2011, implying that Liberal leader Ignatieff had returned to Canada out of opportunism rather the welfare of Canadians, may have helped knock the Liberals into the Parliamentary basement.

Trudeau - just not ready

This advertisements did some damage – will it come back to haunt the Conservatives?

This time the Tories have taken aim at another Liberal leader, Mr. Trudeau, claiming that he is ‘just not ready’ to be PM. And one pollster is claiming that it has already been effective in dissuading otherwise Liberal voters. Of course, that seems to fly in the face of the latest CBC ‘poll tracker’ which has the Liberals slipping into second spot, ahead of their Tory arch-enemies and closing the gap with the front running NDP.

One has to recall how the Conservatives blew it big time when Kim Campbell was running in 1993. Tory strategists, including the current Toronto mayor of the same name, had ordered up a series of four ads depicting Mr. Chretien as unsuitable for the big job. The images used were unflattering, highlighting a childhood illness which had left him slightly disfigured.

Despite protestations by her campaign team, Campbell pulled the ad in response to a chorus of public protestations. But it was too late and the Conservatives were decimated at the polls, dropping to only two seats.

MikeDuffy smiling

Mike Duffy is on trail – hard to realize that with the way the proceedings in the courtroom are going.

Mr. Harper’s drop in the latest polls reflects a campaign gone awry. The Duffy Senate scandal is still in people’s minds and nobody believes that Mr. Harper didn’t know about the payment nor try to cover it up. If anything will tick off the public, it is an almost never-ending stream of lies.

Then there is the sad state of the economy, covered in my regular column a week ago. The PM’s has been cherry-picking the statistics to put on a happy face on what is pretty clearly bad news – but nobody is buying.

Most recently Canada’s failure in the Syria/Iraq refugee crisis has demonstrated an inexplicable level of incompetence in administration and policy. The minister, Chris Alexander, clumsily and stupidly attacked the media while being interviewed on CBC’s ‘Power and Politics’. The next day, in an admission of his failure, Alexander postponed campaigning so he could return to his office to fix what he should have taken care of months earlier.

This issue has come back all the way to Harper heartland. While other Calgarians were protesting the refugee mess, the City’s popular mayor, Mr. Nenshi, added his voice. He attacked the PM’s response to the crisis and Alexander’s performance. Nenshi demanded bringing back ministerial responsibility and accountability, code words for somebody needs to be fired.

And that would be the Minister, who is apparently unable to answer Nenshi’s questions on how many refugees Canada will accept or even how many have been admitted so far. Meanwhile the father of the drowned young boy, who has brought this issue to light, is so upset he has turned down a belated offer of Canadian citizenship.

Iggy ad

As a political advertisement – this one worked. Iggnatief lost his own seat and did indeed return to Harvard University – truth in advertising?

Also newsworthy, the PM’s wife, Laureen, appears to disagree with her husband’s views on Marijuana and his so-called ‘tough on crime’ mandatory sentencing policy. And then, the Conservative internet folks seem to be unable to locate and use the right images to go along with their social media stories. One would expect such sloppiness from a losing campaign.

And nobody, it seems, wants Mr. Harper to lose this election more than newly crowned Mrs. Universe. Ashley Burnham, a Canadian of Cree origin has called on the country’s first nations to help vote him out of office.

ashley-burnham

Ashley Burham, a Cree, was named Miss Universe – and is not a fan of the Prime Minister – thinks she can persuade the Aboriginal community to vote this time and vote for someone else

Finally, there is pee-gate. Yes, the Conservative candidate in a Toronto area Riding is caught on camera urinating into a homeowner’s coffee cup and putting it back in the sink, while doing a home repair (his business line). This story is now trending on Twitter and prompting one tweet, “Too bad the Conservatives are no longer progressive, so we could argue whether Jerry Bance is a small p or big P candidate”.

If Mr. Harper’s house of cards includes using his considerable financial capability, particularly during this super-long election campaign period, to fill the airwaves with attack ads, he is in trouble. He knows the opposition can’t match him with attack ads of their own. But with all the bad news the PM has been generating his opponents don’t need them.

Rivers-direct-into-camera1-173x300

 

Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran as a Liberal against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province. Rivers is no longer active with any political party.

Background links:

 ‘Just Not Ready’

Mulcair is Ready

Poll Tracker

Chretien Ads

Nenshi

Laureen

Social Media Sloppy

Mrs. Universe

Refuses Citizenship

Pee in a Cup

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Vince Fiorito named Green candidate for Burlington

News 100 greenBy Pepper Parr

September 7, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

The Greens have a candidate; a little late out of the gate but the Green Party in Burlington has named Vince Fiorito as their candidate – they’ve chosen well.

Sheldon Creek - vince in high water

Vince Fiorito in the middle of Sheldon Creek hauling out waste that shouldn’t have been there in the first place is now the Green candidate for Burlington.

While Fiorito has a lot to learn about electioneering in the six weeks left he has a solid reputation as an environmentalist and has made significant contributions to the environmental welfare of the city.

We will publish a longer profile on who Fiorito is and why he deserves at least consideration.

And with the race nationally being as tight as it is – who knows who is going to come out on top.

Vince Fiorito is going to learn more than he perhaps wants to learn about the political process – come October 19th – he will have seen the world through glasses that were not rose coloured – and we will all know more about why politics and the environment should be in bed together.

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Blistering temperatures - take sensible precautions and avoid heat stroke.

News 100 yellowBy Staff

September 5, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

It was blistering hot out there today and it isn’t going to be any cooler on Sunday – this heat is expected to stay with us until Monday.

Ship at pier - foggy

The lake is often shrouded in fog = as ship works its way toward the entrance of Hamilton harbour – passing the Burlington pier

Maximum temperatures near or above 30 degrees and minimum temperatures near or above 20 degrees are expected through Monday. Meanwhile, peak humidex values near 40 are forecast for Sunday and Monday. These conditions may produce much discomfort for those who may not have access to a cool or air-conditioned place.

It is expected to remain very humid Tuesday, with maximum temperatures in the high twenties.

While extreme heat can put everyone at risk from heat illnesses, health risks are greatest for – older adults – infants and young children – people with chronic illnesses such as breathing difficulties, heart conditions or psychiatric illnesses – people who work in the heat – people who exercise in the heat – people without access to air conditioning and – homeless people.

Extreme Heat - drinking waterDrink plenty of liquids especially water before you feel thirsty to decrease your risk of dehydration. Thirst is not a good indicator of dehydration.

Take a break from the heat by spending a few hours in a cool place. It could be a tree-shaded area, swimming facility or an air-conditioned spot such as a public building, shopping mall, grocery store, place of worship or public library.

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