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Police are looking for a man who punched people he knew in the head at a mall in the city.

By Staff

July 3, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

It is week 11 of Halton Regional Police Service, Burlington station reaching out to the public to help locate wanted persons and hold them accountable for their actions, better known as “Fugitive Friday”

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.

The Burlington Offender Management Unit will shares information on a wanted person in hopes that the public can assist in locating the individual.
In this edition of Fugitive Fridays the 3 District, Burlington Offender Management Unit is searching for Corey RODGERS 29 years old, of Hamilton, ON.

Corey RODGERS 29 years of age.

It is alleged:

– In November of 2011 the accused was in Mapleview Mall in the City of Burlington when he saw a male and female he knew inside a store
– without provocation, the accused walked into the store and assaulted both the female and male by punching them in the head
– The accused was arrested at the scene and released on a Promise to Appear
– The accused was to attend Milton court in May of 2012 which he failed to do and a warrant was issued for his arrest

He is wanted by Halton Regional Police Service for:

Assault with a Weapon
Assault – Adult Female
Fail to Attend Court

RODGERS is described as 6’2”, 250lbs, hazel eyes and brown hair and spacer earrings. RODGERS has several tattoos; Right arm – full sleeve, right hand – “fast”, left hand – “live” and left forearm – “Nautical Star”. RODGERS has ties to Burlington, Hamilton and Alberta

Anyone who may have witnessed this male or has information that would assist investigators in identifying him are encouraged to contact D/C Bulbrook – Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Offender Management Team at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2346 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).

Fibre artists return the collection of Guilds at the Art Gallery of Burlington.

News 100 yellow By Staff

July 3, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

Guilds were a medieval association of craftsmen or merchants, often having considerable power that determined the rules for the practice of a trade. The name stuck and is now applied to groups of people who get together to do a particular form of art.

Burlington has had six guilds working out of the Art Gallery of Burlington; Arts Burlington recently announced a seventh guild that will focus on Fibre Arts

Apiece by Claudette Losier that was included in an Art Gallery exhibition. Losier has gone on to be invited to take part in an exhibition in New York city.

In truth, this is not a new guild. The fibre artists have been a guild of Arts Burlington in the past but were smaller at that time and were unable to provide support to the activities of Arts Burlington at that time.

However today, to our benefit, the Fibre Arts Guild has grown and is able to rejoin us in this exciting new stage of activity of the Arts at the AGB.

There are more than 400 paintings in the Art Rental inventory; just some pf the work done by Burlington artists,

There is a renewal of activities, a spirit of adventure as new things emerge from the Guilds.

The new Juried Show format for 2015 was a resounding success. Arts Burlington looks forward to more great things in the coming years and are happy to have the Fibre Arts Guild join us in the adventure!

The current guilds are:

Fibre Arts
Handweavers and Spinners
Hooking Craft
Latow (Photography)
Potters
Sculptors and Woodcarvers

Fine Arts

Everything you ever wanted to know about the Guilds can be found at Arts Burlington

Reflections on Canada at the age of 148

By Pepper Parr

July 2, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

What have we managed to do as a country in this past 148 years? Stay together is perhaps the biggest part of our success as a country.

Getting the Maritime provinces and what was then the Province of Canada to agree to form a confederation in 1867 was propelled to a considerable degree by the Civil War the Americans were fighting at the time.

Fathers of Confederation negotiating in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

Once Confederation took place Ontario and Quebec were created and the task then was to bring in the rest of the country – everything west of Ontario
We didn’t get Newfoundland into confederation until 1948.

Then in 1995 Quebec missed leaving the confederation by less than 50,000 votes. They had failed to separate in 1980 as well. Many feel the issue of Quebec becoming a spate country is now behind us – we certainly won’t fight that battle for another twenty years. And who knows what kind of a country we will be then?

We are now an ethnically diverse country. An aggressive immigration policy has moved Canada from a French and English country to one that has people from every imaginable country.

We have in the past shown the ability to bring in tens of thousands of people who faced disasters in their own country. The “boat people” from Vietnam was perhaps one of our best moments as a compassionate caring people.

United Nations Peacekeepers were the result of a Canadian resolution at the UN. Were respected leaders then.

The creation of the United Nations Peace keepers was another proud significant time for Canadians.

We have been a country that has gone to war when we felt it necessary – and came close to fracturing the country when Quebec saw both the first and the second world wards differently than the rest of the country.

We overcame those difficulties as well.

We have not become known as a country with strong environment positions. We have failed to live up to the various accords we have signed.

Some of the dirtiest oil on the planet comes out of Alberta

We mine and ship some of the most toxic oil this planet has seen; some of that oil will in the not too distant future run through a pipeline at the top of this city.

Why Canada is not a leader in the environmentally sound refining of the tar sands oil is a national shame. It is the federal government that holds all those cards.

John Kennedy made America the world leader in space exploration when he said they would put a man on the moon in ten years. It became a mission for that country and they succeeded.

Imagine if our federal government did the same thing with the oil in Alberta? We could have billions of barrels of oil flowing out of the tar sands and into refineries and transported around the world.

There is more oil in our tar sands that there is in the ground in Saudi Arabia – we are an oil rich nation but we insist on selling dirty oil to people that need oil badly.

We have not been as judicially sound as we have been in the past. Our Supreme Court is constantly at odds with the federal government.

We have treated our aboriginal people very poorly in the past and are still doing so to this day. Changes are beginning to take place but the price aboriginal people have had to pay while the rest of us began to learn and understand how badly our governments treated these people has been very high.

To our everlasting shame – we did this to our aboriginal people – some thought we we doing the right thing. Most people didn’t even know what was being done.

Many aboriginal communities are seriously dysfunctional and we blame that dysfunction on the racist belief that these people are not ready to govern themselves. We have been wrong in the past and we are wrong now.

Some of our police forces are beginning to look a little like those south of the border. We treat our criminals so badly that they remain criminals for as long as they live. Punishment is part of behaviour change but there are limits which our federal government doesn’t appear to understand – they just keep opening up more prisons and treating those in prison in a manner that all but guarantees they will return soon after they are released.

And we spend a princely sum to keep convicts in prisons but won’t spend an amount anywhere near on a national day care program.

As a society we have yet to realize that no one was born a murderer or a bank robber – the society we are played some part of what happened to turn an innocent into as criminal.

As we move closer towards a critical election in just over 100 days this might be a good time to reflect on the Canada you want and which government you believe will get us all there.

In two years we will have been a country for 150 years – will we be different then?

Delivering the same benefits to every union worker is a question that may not have been settled - but the Outside workers are happy.

By Pepper Parr

July 2, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

When it is in their best interests, city hall knows how to move.

CUPE Local 44 (outside and arena/outdoor pool operators) completed their ratification vote at 3:00 pm on Thursday July 2nd – at 3:48 pm the city issued a media release saying they were pleased to announce that both the members of CUPE Local 44 (outside and arena/outdoor pool operators) and City Council have ratified a three-year collective agreement, which runs from July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2017.

There were no mention of the details of the settlement agreement.

What the Gazette found a little confusing was how the city could accept an agreement without it being ratified by the union.

Access to meetings and critical documents is not what the public thinks it is.

That was easy – the city held a special council meeting – it didn’t advise the media of the Special Council meeting at which they were briefed on the tentative agreement that was awaiting ratification. They apparently said that if the union ratified the agreement that was tentative at that point – then it was understood that the city had agreed.

That sounded a little slick but Roy Male, the Executive Director or Human Resources emailed the Gazette saying: “We did this to be proactive to speed up the approval process to remove any uncertainty in the public’s mind about the services which may have been affected.”

Fine – but the city didn’t issue a statement after that June 30th meeting which media didn’t attend because they were not advised.

To be fair the city does put a notice of meetings in the mail slot each media has however most of us don’t trot over to city hall to see if there is any mail every couple of hours.

When the Mayor wants to call a Special Meeting of Council there is a rigid procedure he has to follow. That procedure should include an electronic noticed to the media. Given that the Mayor has a full time media person in his office he can’t say he isn’t aware of how media works.

The Mayor doesn’t talk to the Gazette anymore. A number of months the Mayor decided he didn’t like what we were saying about him and decided he wasn’t going to return our phone calls. We didn’t know this was the position the Mayor had taken until we asked why phone calls were not being returned.

That is when he told the Gazette we were not fair or balanced.

We have never had the Mayor tell us precisely what it is we were saying that was not fair and balanced.

Milton Mayor Krantz explains to Conservation Halton how the media works.

A few weeks ago the Gazette was in Milton covering a Conservation Halton awards event and met with Gord Krantz, Mayor of Milton, who commented to John Vice, chair of the Conservation Board that he never worried about what the media said about him – he worried when the media stopped saying anything about him. Krantz has been Mayor of Milton for 25 years. Burlington’s Mayor should spend a little more time with Gord Krantz when they cross paths at Regional Council.

Burlington is not a media friendly town. City managers tend to set the tone on what comes out of city hall; each council members decides what they want in the way of a relationship with media. Some council members have particularly thin skins and don’t handle criticism all that well.

But we digress.

According to union negotiators the pressing issue for them was benefits for those workers who were over the age of 65. While the collective agreement that was in place called for the city to pay the same benefits to all employees the union was not aware that they weren’t being paid because there were no members over the age of 65.

The Outside workers ratified their agreement – union negotiators will not say if the benefits issue was resolved; they added that they do not have any workers over the age of 65.

The transit union does have workers over the age of 65 who are not getting the same benefit package as those who are under 65.

The union maintains that they were not aware that union members were being treated differently – it wasn’t until they began getting complaints from union members over 65 that the problem came to their attention.

Apparently the city instructed their benefits provider not to give the same benefits to everyone.

It is clear that there isn’t a collaborative working arrangement between the union and the city’s human resources department.

It will be interesting to see if the transit works ratify the agreement.

Another confusing point; both unions are CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees) members. Why would one union – Local 44 ratify the agreement before the Local 2723 – the transit union if the matter of benefits mattered to both?

We thought solidarity was the glue that gave the union its clout.

Splash pads are guaranteed to be open for the summer – gives the kids a place to play and keep the heat off the members of council

In its media release the city said: “ Thanks to the co-operation of CUPE and our employees, it is business as usual for city services that include outdoor pools, summer ice use, all sports fields and all outdoor maintenance services.”

At the closed council meeting of June 30th the city passed a Bylaw # 71-2015 to confirm the proceedings of Special Council at its meeting held Tuesday, June 30, 2015, being read a first, second and third time.

Fine – what did the Bylaw say: Can’t tell you – it wasn’t published and you can’t get it instantly online. Here is what the city says about Access to Bylaws

“The City of Burlington provides online versions of bylaws for information and reference purposes only. Posted documents are not consolidated with all possible amending and repealing bylaws: users refer to these online documents at their own risk. For the greatest level of accuracy and reliability, please obtain a certified copy of a bylaw and its applicable amending bylaws from the Clerks department: contact Service Burlington at 905-335-7600, or email records@burlington.ca.”

This is not the mark of an open, transparent government.

Sometimes they have to hit you with a 2 x 4 - Ouch!

By Pepper Parr

July 2, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

Maybe I slept in a little longer than I should have this morning, after a long, fun filled Canada Day. Whatever, I wasn’t functioning all that well when putting together the pice on the newest Performing Arts Centre Community Initiative.

Performing Arts Centre comes out with an interesting Community Initiative. You’ll have to hustle to meet that deadline.

By the way the Performing Arts people are doing a better job than the city is so far in the community initiative field – but that’s another story.

We got some information on a new idea the Centre was doing and were putting the story together when we came across a part that wasn’t clear to us. Several back and forths via email (have you noticed that you never get the full answer to the question the first time?) and what was not clear was now clear and we published the piece.

The error in the headline was glaring – we got a polite email asking that we fix it – we did.

Got another call saying it wasn’t fixed – it was. I had changed the date.

Then I was told it wasn’t the date that was wrong – it was both the month and the date in the headline that was wrong.

With two corrections – both tweeted – we realized that anyone following the story would be completely confused.

So – here it is again.

The Performing Arts Centre has a really neat community initiative for growing artists called the Lobby Showcase.

The full story is HERE.

And Costin and Stefanie and Hils – I finally got it right – my apologies.

Performing Arts Centre plans to make space on its Main Stage for growing talent - application deadline is July 24!

By Staff

July 2, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

The Burlington Performing Arts Centre has created a new feature: the Lobby Showcase. Auditions are being held on September 19 and 20, from 10 am to 5 pm, for the Centre’s Lobby Showcase Project which will take place during the professional presenting season that starts in September/October 2015.

This is part of the Performing Arts Centre Community Engagement initiative that is intended to find new amateur talent in Burlington and surrounding areas to showcase local artists or acts that are in the process of developing their material and need some experience before a live audience.

These performances will take place on a particular night to introduce these artists to our patrons and a wider audience.

The groups selected will perform in the theatre’s Family Room, that really grand space that a performer can do almost anything with. In the past there have been some superb events put on in that space.

The artists chosen for the Lobby Showcase will perform in the lobby before the main event starts.

Room enough for the Burlington Teen Tour Band to perform – what do you have in the way of an entertainment event for this space?

The intention is to assist local artists or groups on their way to becoming better known in the community. The hope is that some will eventually become professional.

There is no remuneration for the Lobby Showcases but artists will get an opportunity to market their brand at that time, while reaching a new audience. The artists may also be added to the City of Burlington’s Artists database, with their permission.

The selected performers will get one of eight available Lobby Showcase spots available throughout the 2015-2016 Presenting Season and they, as well as others selected, may also get a chance to be featured in the Culture Days celebrations, September 25 to 27, 2015.

The Performing Arts Centre Community initiative is opening up some space for local amateur talent that will take place in the theatre lobby before a main production takes place. Their hope is that these events might be an early step towards an event that will get them to the Main Stage.

We are looking for singer/songwriters, dancers, singers (pop, jazz, blues, folk, classical), bands or combos, instrumentalists and soloists (classical, jazz, etc.), performance art, and comedy; show us what you have.

Please submit your idea by email to: BPACAuditions@burlington.ca

Include a couple of photos, a short bio and some background information and a short description of the act or performer, include any links to YouTube videos, if you have them; don’t forget your contact information.

Dateline for submissions is July 24, 2015.

There are a limited number of spots available; only the acts or artists selected will be contacted with an audition date and time.

Celebrating Canada Day in Burlington was the ‘Best Day Ever’.

By Guida Feliz

July 2, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

This year I decided to celebrate Canada Day in Burlington. On my way to the city I drove through downtown Oakville and was surprised that there were no visible Canada Day celebrations.

The patios were packed and some people walking about but no celebrations. Did I miss it? As I got closer to Bronte Road there were a lot more people and they even had a band playing. But, it wasn’t until I arrived in Burlington that I felt the excitement. This was the ‘real deal’.

Museum staff set out the bunting and get the grounds of the Joseph Brant Museum ready for the Canada Day crowds.

There were signs set up along Lakeshore Road instructing people to take a shuttle bus to the park. There were people everywhere in droves at Spencer Smith Park. It was clear to me “Burlington went all out to celebrate Canada Day!”

The sights and sounds were magnificent and everywhere you could see people proudly holding Canadian flags and wearing red and white. The children wore large smiles, Canada Day stickers on their arms and painted faces.

They happily lined up at the bouncy castles, slides, trampoline and ice cream truck.

Stage is readied for the forty people who were sworn in as Canadian citizens on Canada Day

Forty new Canadians were sworn in at a special citizenship court set up on a stage with two Mounties giving the event a ceremonial touch.

Dishing out the strawberries and ice cream were, from the left Councillor Rick Craven; MPP Eleanor McMahon, unknown lady and Councillor Paul Sharman. The Strawberry Social first took place in the 1800’s – it was part of the summer social season when Burlington was a farming community.

The Brant Museum held their annual Strawberry Social. Of course if you were a lover of Strawberries; you lined up and waited patiently for ‘fresh strawberries and ice cream.’

A Canadian father and his son – showing off the colours.

Parents walked along the boardwalk pushing strollers and pulling leashes showing off their pooches in our Nation’s colours. As I stood at the most westerly end of Spencer Smith park I could see droves of people. Some strolling and others stopping to check out the many booths that lined up all the way from the Brant Street entrance.

The music, festivities and fun filled activities really brought the Burlington community together. There was a lot of good energy, conversations and smiles between strangers.

Burlington Teen Tour Band member keeping her flag in place, looking like a Buckingham Palace Guard with a stern face.

The Burlington Teen Tour Band paraded around the Brant Museum site – one wonders what Joseph Brant would have thought of all those people in military uniforms.

The evening closed with weather still holding and a spectacular fire works display.

Celebrating Canada Day in Burlington was the ‘Best Day Ever’. The weather was hot and sunny with a very light breeze enough to sway the trees. There was laughter in the air and proud Canadians everywhere.

And today we return to our tasks, proud that we live in a city that is blessed with wonderful geography and that we are tolerant, understanding and fair to each other. These are all things that were worth celebrating on this our 148th year as a confederation.

Burlington Bandits lose a tight one to Hamilton Cardinals: 2-1

By Justin Lethbridge
June 30, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON

Right up until the last hit of the game, it looked like the Burlington Bandits were going to steal a game from their rivals in Hamilton.

Those stands weren’t exactly full were they? Hamilton took the baseball game in a close one – 2-1 for the other guys.

It was two errors committed by Burlington that allowed Hamilton to bring in two runs in the bottom of the ninth for their seventh win of the season.

The game got off to quick start as Burlington’s Shaun Cooper caught a fortuitous bounce in the top of the first, when the ball hit his helmet as he rounded third and allowed him to score.

That was the games sole hit until into the third inning in what was a pitching showcase. Hamilton’s Tim Black pitched all nine innings, giving up only three hits and one run while Burlington’s Dylan Perego threw all but three pitches through nine innings giving up three hits and two runs.

The win keeps the Cardinals in sixth place with as they prepare to greet the London Majors at home.

The Bandits are now mired in a four game losing streak as they head to Guelph for a battle between the bottom two teams in the league.

Community Foundation brings their Disaster Relief Fund drive to a close - 38 of the 310 claims were denied; $2.7 million distributed

By Pepper Parr

June 30th, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

The Burlington Community Foundation got a call on the 5th of August from the Mayor – saying “the city needs your help. We want you to form a Flood Disaster Relief Committee (DRC).” Collen Mulholland, president of the Community Foundation had no idea what the Mayor was talking about but she was fully aware of the serious situation several thousand Burlingtonians were facing with flooded basements. The Mayor was one of that several thousand people.

Community groups, corporations, individuals – they came forward in the hundreds with money that allowed the city to collect just under $1 million in 100 days and get that matched on a 2 for 1 basis from the province.

Mulholland literally put her shoulder to the wheel and pulled together a group that would do what needed to be done.

At some point in the not too distant future the Gazette will tell the full story but today we can tell you that all 272 approved claims totalling $2.7 million have been finalized. Claimants can expect final financial assistance payment to be delivered in the next few weeks.

It was a challenge getting the paper work through an office that was run by less than four people – the |Community Foundation had to being in a van full of part timers to handle the phone calls and the paper work.

Data had to be collected for the insurance adjuster who gave the right nod and the claim got sent to the committee that made sure all the information needed was in the reports and the claim was a fair claim

Many people didn’t understand that the ODRAP (Ontario |Disaster Relief Assistance Program) program was to help cover the cost of replacing necessary furniture and fixtures. The high definition TV was not necessary but the furnace and washer dryer were.

Ron Foxcroft telling his story – there wasn’t a bank that he didn’t succeed in squeezing significant dollars out of – well there was one.

“The entire flood relief experience has demonstrated what a strong, giving and resilient city Burlington is,” said Ron Foxcroft, Chair, BCF Flood Disaster Relief Committee. “I would like to thank the flood victims for their patience, the volunteers for their tireless efforts, the financial donors for their generous gifts, and the Ontario government for its disaster relief financial support.”

After 10 months of dedicated work the DRC has officially completed its mandate. During that time the Committee has reviewed, assessed and processed 310 claims and spent numerous hours providing support and guidance to flood victims. Thirty eight of the claims were denied.

Flood victims continue to share their heartfelt thanks and gratitude to all those who helped in the flood relief efforts. “On behalf of my family, I would like to thank the Burlington Community Foundation Flood Disaster Relief Committee. We will now be able repair our home’s flood damage and once again enjoy it with our children and grandchildren as we have done since 1973. ‘Thank You’ again, and please know that we are incredibly grateful,” said one family whose claim was processed

This is what we need to avoid. If you clear the catch basin a couple of times the next few days we can avoid problems like this.

Catch basins couldn’t handle the volume and got plugged frequently.

Unfortunately with many other regions in the world experiencing severe weather there will often be reminders of last year’s historic rainfall. “Whenever we experience a severe rain storm in this city many of us will think back to August 4th and the devastating weather that changed the lives of many,” said Colleen Mulholland, President and CEO, Burlington Community Foundation. “We hope to also remember the goodness that prevailed in this City. It has been a remarkable experience working with so many devoted Burlingtonians throughout this process.”

The Community is working with the city on a celebration date for early September,

What no one has made clear yet is the “hold back” of 10% that the province has put in place on ODRAP monies. It was described as “risk management” – we will pursue that one a little further.

We understand that the province holds back 10% of the money they provided – the province put up $2 for every dollars the people of Burlington raised.

The fact is the province didn’t put up $2 – they kept 20 cents and gave the Disaster Relief Fund $1.80

Bunch of pikers

What does $50 million of red tape look like? Provincial government has saved us a bundle by using less of the stuff.

By Staff

June 30th, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

What does $50 million worth of red tape look like?

If you’ve ever had to fill informs for any government agency – city hall for that matter – you know what I’m talking about.

In a self-serving media release the province announces that it has streamlined services to help businesses succeed and grow and that this has led to $50 million in savings and 2.4 million saved hours for businesses across the province in the last four years.

Business people and citizens drown in red tape while the bureaucrats keep making more of it. They have forms you need to order forms

The idea is to reduce unnecessary regulatory and administrative processes that cost businesses time and money. The report features 28 initiatives across government that are modernizing services and making it easier for businesses to succeed, including:

• Creating a new online system for processing payments for the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care’s Assistive Devices Program — reducing wait times for payments and saving registered vendors $16.7 million and an estimated 500,000 hours over four years.

• A new, convenient online compliance check tool available to businesses with a good track record, as an alternative to full inspections under the Employment Standards Act,- saving these businesses an estimated $725,000 and 36,500 hours over two years.

• Streamlining regulations and processes with the Ministry of Transportation’s simplified testing requirements for senior commercial drivers to renew their licences — saving drivers $1.87 million and an estimated 57,000 hours over a year.

This could be the logo that could be printed on T-shirts that bureaucrats could wear – that way we would know who they are.

Ontario has set a target of reducing burdens to save business $100 million by the end of 2017. With $50 million of savings so far, our province is halfway to reaching its target. This is part of our government’s broader strategy, aimed at reducing unnecessary burdens to businesses across Ontario. Since 2008, our government has eliminated more than one in six regulatory requirements – or 80,000 regulatory burdens, leading to more efficient, streamlined processes.

And if you believe all this – there is a nice parcel of land in Florida I would love to sell you.

What I want to know is – how many civil servants did the counting of all those hours that were saved?

Police issue an advisory on cell phone thefts after two robberies take place hours apart in south west part of the city.

By Pepper Parr

June 30th, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

The brazen theft of cell phones from people walking the streets of Burlington has resulted in the Halton Regional police issuing an advisory.

Superintendent Al Albano, Commander District 3 – Burlington advised the public on preventing cell phone robberies.

“The Halton Regional Police is investigating the recent cell phone robberies; identifying the suspects has been made a priority. Our communities’ safety and security is of utmost importance and we encourage anyone with information on these incidents and/or the suspects described to contact investigators or Crime Stoppers to assist in preventing further incidents” said Superintendent Al Albano, Commander 3 District

The police added: “The public are encouraged to utilize security features and apps on their phones such as “Find My Phone” and to provide the details to police who will continue efforts to locate any stolen phones.

Be sure to alert the police – they are there to help you.

Earlier in the day the Gazette reported cell phone robberies in the south east part of the city. That report said a cell phone robbery took place at 7:15 PM, when two youths were walking north on Burloak Drive, south of Spruce Avenue and were confronted by a male who demanded a cell phone be turned over of they would be shot. The suspect was given a cell phone and fled the area on foot.

Later that evening, at approximately 9:45 PM, another youth was walking south on Hampton Heath Road near Lakeshore Road when a black vehicle with three males stopped alongside the youth. Two of the males got out of the vehicle and asked to use the youths’ cell phone. After being told no, the two males began to forcefully search the youth’s pockets, taking an I-Phone, returned to the vehicle and fled the area.

Being forced to turn over a cell phone at gun point is a terrifying experience

In the first incident, the suspect is described as a black male in his early 20’s, 6’0 tall, medium build, corn row style hair wearing a black hoodie and long cream coloured pants.

In the second incident, the suspects are all described as black males 18-20 years of age wearing dark clothing.
The police are vigorously investigating these two crimes.

Sport Field Status - grounds in D3 at Ireland are iffy

By Staff

June 30th, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

All Sport Fields are currently open.

Please note: Ireland D3 outfield continues to experience wet patches. If inclement weather occurs please avoid use in affected areas.

Log into the Burlington Gazette daily to keep up on local news

Cell Phone Robbery Incidents Connected in South East Burlington

By Staff

June 30th, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

With the shooting death of an 18 year old in London Ontario over a cell phone – the theft of cell phones take on a heightened interest.
On Monday June 29th 2015 two street robberies occurred 2½ hours apart in southeast Burlington where cell phones were taken forcefully from their owners.

At approximately 7:15 PM, two youths were walking north on Burloak Drive, south of Spruce Avenue when they were confronted by a male who demanded a cell phone be turned over of they would be shot. The suspect was given a cell phone and fled the area on foot.

Cell phones are now seen as choice items for thieves – be careful

At approximately 9:45 PM, another youth was walking south on Hampton Heath Road near Lakeshore Road when a black vehicle with three males stopped alongside the youth. Two of the males got out of the vehicle and asked to use the youths’ cell phone. After being told no, the two males began to forcefully search the youth’s pockets, taking an I-Phone, returned to the vehicle and fled the area.

In the first incident, the suspect is described as a black male in his early 20’s, 6’0 tall, medium build, corn row style hair wearing a black hoodie and long cream coloured pants.

In the second incident, the suspects are all described as black males 18-20 years of age wearing dark clothing.

Anyone who may have witnessed these incidents or have information that will assist investigators in identifying these suspects are asked to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2315 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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Dennison OMB hearing ends after two days - decision expected in a couple of months.

News 100 red By Pepper Parr

June 30, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

Ward 4 Councillor Jack Dennison

Jack Dennison had his hearing before the Ontario Municipal Board earlier this week where he is appealing a decision of the Committee of Adjustment that turned down his request to sever his property on Lakeshore Road,

The Gazette was not able to attend the two day hearing but has interviewed a number of people who did attend.

A designated home, bought under a power of sale on a HOW WIDE LOT which the owner. Councillor Jack Dennison wants to have severed into two lots.

A designated home, bought under a power of sale on a lot which owner Councillor Jack Dennison wants to have severed into two lots. The Committee of adjustment said no – an appeal was made to the Ontario Municipal Board – a decision is expected in a few months.

“There were body blows given by both sides” said one well informed observer. Did Dennison have a case we asked?
“Yes Dennison had a case – did he make it is a different question and did the OMB Commissioner buy the Dennison argument.” Our informant wasn’t prepared to say, however he did say that Dennison as the appellant was the first to speak and his people took up the best part of the two day hearing. “They took all the oxygen out of the room” was the way the proceedings were described.

By the time the city got to make its argument things were getting a little rushed and people didn’t have the opportunity to be as fulsome as they may have wanted to be.

The OMB Commissioner who heard the appeal said that he had never experienced a hearing on this kind of issue that ran for two solid days. The hearing was the result of an appeal Councillor Dennison made against a Committee of Adjustment decision not to allow the request for a severance of the Lakeshore Road property.

Dennison - Committee-of-Adjusatment-May-2013-1024x501

The committee of Adjustment that voted 3-2 to deny Councillor Jack Dennison the severance he wanted for his Lakeshore Road property.

That hearing was a long contentious one that did not produce a unanimous decision.

One person we interviewed suggested that the cost of the hearing will run at close to $200,000 – assume a little less than half that a cost the city will have to cover and we are looking at costs that amount to more than the city pays Dennison to serve as a Council member for a full year.

Heritage took a hit said our commentator, the character of the community was a significant part of the city’s case and while some thought that case was well made others didn’t see it quite the same way.

The city’s planning department is in the final stages of completing a “character study” of the community – many had hoped that study would have been completed and available as evidence at the hearing.

It is difficult to find very many people in the community who will speak openly in support of the severance Dennison sought. The community was so upset that at one point they denied his application for membership in a community association. However, in the 2014 election Jack Dennison won his seat again by a more than respectable majority – the voters did speak. In a few months to Ontario Municipal Board will speak and the development direction for the Roseland community will be set to some degree

Background articles:

Width of the proposed lot becomes public.

Property with a complex financial history

Committee of Adjustment meeting

SHOWTIMES for CineStarz from July 2 to 9 , 2015

Show times for Cine Starz at Upper Canada Place
460 Brant Street Burlington On.

SHOWTIMES July 2 to 9 , 2015

ME AND EARL AND THE DYING PG
Fri to Thur 11:20 1:40 3:40 5:40 7:35 9:30

WATER DIVINER 14A
Fri to Thur 1:20 3:25 5:30 7:35 9:40

PITCH PERFECT2 PG
Fri to Thur 11:15 3:25 5:20 7:40 9:45

TOMORROWLAND PG
Fri to Thur 11:20 1:00 3:00 5:20 7:20

MAD MAX FURY ROAD 18A
Fri to Thur 7:25 9:35

ENTOURAGE 18A
Fri to Thur 11:25 9:40

HOME G
Fri to Thur 11:15 1:20 3:30 5:30

WOMAN IN GOLD PG
Fri to Thur 11:20 1:20 3:20

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD PG
Fri to Thur 1:20 5:15 7:25 9:35

City and two of its unions reach a tentative agreement

By Staff

June 29, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

The city and two of its unions have reached a tentative agreement which will, if ratified by the union membership, maintain the no strike in 20 years record.

The Outside Workers and Arena/Outdoor Pool Operators (CUPE Local 44) and Burlington Transit workers. CUPE 2723 were in a strike position

CUPE 44 will hold a ratification meeting on July 2, which was its tentative strike date. If the union fails to ratify the vote, the union has promised the city 72 hours notice before calling a strike.

That union had not yet begin to make up any picket signs.

The public will have to wait until the details of the tentative agreement are known before the size of the wallop to the wallet is known.

Sport Field Closures - Monday, June 29, 2015

By Staff

June 29, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

For Monday, June 29, 2015 just the one sports field is closed:
Ireland D3

The Gazette publishes updates on sports facilities at city parks as soon as they are available.

Weekend rain did serious damage to new plantings in the Beachway.

By Staff

June 29, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

Hundreds of tree saplings were planted in the Beachway just a few weeks ago – details on the damage are not yet in.

BurlingtonGreen spent the best part of a day a few weeks ago planting hundreds of trees in the sand dunes in the Beachway – that work may have come to naught as a result of the wind and rain experienced over the weekend.

Residents in the Beachway report that during Saturday’s windstorm, the beach strip was completely underwater – “all the sand was underwater”.

Two boats were washed off their davits; one smashed to pieces on the seawall and the other appears to have just sunk intact.

These were believed to be an 18ft Seadoo jet boat and a (approx) 26 ft. fishing boat located between Brant and Guelph Line.

City email service experiencing some difficulty. Time to bring in the Town Crier

By Staff

June 29, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

Burlington’s Town Crier

The city is experiencing some difficulties with its email service – they’ve been working on this for a day or so – we saw the first notice during the weekend.

Without the email service we will be unable to report on where things are with the union negotiations.

We have a Town Crier don’t we?

Conservation Halton celebrates its environmentalists with an awards night in Milton.

By Staff

June 28, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

We talk about the jewels that make this city what it is – that Escarpment to the north of the city and that glistening lake that is there for us to watch and appreciate every day.

Those two magnificent geographic features were given to us- our task now is to enjoy that gift and serve as good stewards and ensure that what we have our grandchildren’s grandchildren will also be able to enjoy.

There are people who pay more attention to the environment that most of us – for them it is a passion and they spend countless hours just helping take care of what we have.

Turtle clan longhouse at Crawford Lake.

The Conservation Authority, formed after Hurricane Hazel did some very serious flooding in 1954 when more than 90 people in Toronto lost their lives as a result of the flooding. .

There are a number of Conservation Authorities across the problem – Conservation Halton looks after what we have. They are both a regulatory agency that comments on all development that relates to the lake and the creeks and the land on the Escarpment and the operators of a number of recreational and entertainment locations including Crawford Lake.

They play a critical role that is seldom seen and rarely appreciated. Each year they hold an awards night to recognize those who have done more – made an effort and made a difference. They held their 33rd annual Conservation Halton Awards on Tuesday at the Milton Centre for the Arts. The awards are presented to people and organizations that make outstanding contributions to conservation in the Halton watershed, which includes Halton, Peel, Hamilton and Puslinch.

Every person, group, or school, in the various awards categories (except for the Parks Volunteer Award) are nominated from the community. The 2015 award recipients are as follows:

Citizen:Bethlehem Sahlu; Citizen (Youth) Simone Mantel, Aldershot District High School; Community Toronto Bruce Trail Club; Education (Group or School) Trailhead – Bronte Creek Project; Education (Individual) Nick Bertrand and Kerry Sagar, Halton District School Board; Media / Blogger, Tourism Burlington; Parks Volunteer Kirsten Phillip, Mountsberg Raptor Centre and Chuck Sweet, Kelso / Glen Eden; Stewardship Andrew and Marites Lee, Milton Field and Stream Rescue Team; Ralph Sherwood Honour Roll Keith Bird, Oakville

More than 150 guests and dignitaries attended the awards ceremony. In addition to the award recipients, Watershed Stewards in the Halton Watershed Stewardship Program were recognized, as well as local schools and childcare centres that participated in the Stream of Dreams education program.

2015 Conservation Halton Awards Recipients

Bethlehem Sahlu – Citizen
Bethlehem Sahlu has led three local food initiatives in Oakville. She is the coordinator of two community gardens, Share Land Share Life Community Garden (which is on privately owned land, Owner Mr. Armin Gottschling) and Clear View Community Garden. She also led a Green Your Mind Green Your Plate Presentation Series.

Share Land Share Life Community Garden and Clear View Community Garden were started as joint initiatives between Conservation Halton and FutureWatch EDEP as part of the Natural Connections Program aimed at connecting new and diverse communities in Halton to their natural surroundings, promoting food sustainability, healthy eating and Community engagement. (ODEC) Oakville’s Diverse Environmental Club Program is also a partner on Clear View.

Green Your Mind Green Your Plate is an interactive presentation with the objective to give people who are new in the area an overview of the local food market, to emphasize the importance of eating healthy and locally, and introduce them to the basic concepts of food sustainability. Bethlehem enjoys sharing her passion and knowledge about food sustainability and she believes Environmental Education is the key to success in all the community initiative she has been involved in. Bethlehem has inspired people that change is possible and it starts from the community we live in!

Simone Mantel – an Aldershot residnent

Simone Mantel of Aldershot High School in Burlington – Citizen (Youth)
Simone has been a true Environmental Champion for Aldershot School and the City of Burlington. She has been actively involved in her four years as a high school student, serving as President of the Aldershot School Environment Club and is a Graduate of the ECO Studies Program. Simone organized a community environmental film screening to raise funds for a school habitat restoration project. She also participated and planned invasive species removals at Aldershot School and Royal Botanical Gardens, and also organized school clean-up events for Earth Day.

Simone is involved in the community as well. She is an active member of Burlington Green, and worked to save trumpeter swan habitat at LaSalle Park Marina. She is a Burlington Transit Youth Ambassador for Aldershot School and organized several transportation-related campaigns. She also facilitated the ECO Rangers Environmental Leadership Program at RBG (grade 6 and 7 students).

Due to Simone’s dedication and commitment to the environment, Aldershot school and community, as well as the City of Burlington, have seen significant improvements in the awareness of environmental issues and improvement and protection of natural areas.

Toronto Bruce Trail Club – Community
Members of the Toronto Bruce Trail Club undertook the cleanup of downed trees and branches following the ice storm in December 2013 to reopen the Bruce Trail for hikers. Their clean-up efforts on the Main Bruce Trail in Halton Region involved more than 150 volunteers, who contributed over 600 hours and the cleanup was so extensive it took two years to fully complete.

The Toronto Bruce Trail Club encompasses the northern section of the Bruce Trail in Conservation Halton’s Watershed, this includes Crawford Lake, Hilton Falls, Kelso and Rattlesnake Point Conservation Areas.

Toronto Bruce Trail Club work parties cleared approximately 70% of the Main Trail from January to June 2014. The Bruce Trail and Conservation Halton has been extremely fortunate to have so many dedicated and interested volunteers show up so many times to get cold and dirty, and work very hard to clean up and maintain the trail for others to enjoy.

Trailhead – Bronte Creek Project – Education (Group or School)
Trailhead is a one semester environmental leadership program for 20 grade 10 students. The Trailhead class is made up of students selected from all Halton public and Catholic schools who have applied to be part of this unique and often transformative program.

Students spend every day at Sidrabene, which is located in a rural area, for the five-month high school semester. These facilities allow BCP students to have a mix of outdoor activities and indoor classroom lessons. Trailhead students teach grade 4 elementary students a one-day program called Novice Earthkeepers, where they practice and teach environmental stewardship. For the past three years, Trailhead students have participated at the Halton Forest Festival for Conservation Halton teaching grade 6 and 7 students about the importance of our local forests and the plants and animals that live within them.

Trailhead students explore current environmental issues and human impact, and discover their own relationship with nature. Hands-on learning is at the core of the program, allowing students to experience the curriculum while also learning about different career paths. The semester also involves an Adventure Trip canoeing in Algonquin Park. The program truly is a one of a kind experience for students, led by passionate and knowledgeable staff.

Nick Bertrand and Kelly Sager of the Halton District School Board couldn’t keep away from their cell phones as they tweeted their award to everyone they knew

Nick Bertrand and Kerry Sagar from HDSB – Education (Individual)
Kerry Sagar is an Instructional Program Leader with the School Programs Department at Halton District School Board. She has been involved in Environmental and Sustainability initiatives throughout her career with a special emphasis on Social Justice, Equity and Inclusion, and First Nations, Métis, and Inuit perspectives.

Kerry has been instrumental in developing invaluable resources, as well as developing and presenting countless professional learning experiences to elementary and secondary HDSB teachers, administrators, and superintendents. Her longstanding work with environmental leadership teams at the board level has included the development of inquiry-based learning projects which are directly connected to care and protection of the environment, and include a deeper understanding of the underlying social and equity issues.

Nick Bertrand is also an Instructional Program Leader with the School Programs Department at the Halton District School Board. After a teaching career at White Oaks Secondary School, He joined the School Programs Department three years ago.

Nick has had phenomenal success in working directly to support the Ontario EcoSchools program with secondary schools. Nick Co-chairs the system level Eco Team, HELP (Halton Eco Leadership Partners), and the multiple community partner Outdoor Experiential Education Advisory Team. One of his major accomplishments has been the successful implementation of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Education at both the elementary and secondary level; his connections with local First Nations and other community partners has enabled him to provide powerful support to schools in integrating First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Education, Environmental Education, and Outdoor Experiential Education.

Linda Cvetanovic, blogger extraordinaire with Tourism Burlington was recognized

Tourism Burlington – Media / Blogger
Tourism Burlington consistently supports Conservation Halton’s recreational, educational, and environmental initiatives on their online account. They furiously share tweets about events at Halton Parks, like Maple Town or Endangered Species Weekend. By doing so, Tourism Burlington captivates the online community in regard to outdoor education and our environmental efforts. Not only does Tourism Burlington engage with Conservation Halton, but they also collaborate with other groups to promote and educate others about nature in Burlington. With over 8,000 followers on Twitter, Tourism Burlington is an industry leader in Tourism for online media.

Tourism Burlington tweets and retweets Conservation Halton’s content whether it is a blog about a baby barn owl, or a Facebook link about Endangered Species Weekend at Mountsberg.

Kirsten Phillip, Mountsberg Raptor Centre – Parks Volunteer
Kirsten volunteers at the Mountsberg Raptor Centre every Friday. She is always pleasant and excited to be at Mountsberg and is a joy for the staff to work with. She happily does whatever task is asked of her and has become a master at cleaning the flight cages. Staff don’t quite know how she does it, but Kirsten gets the Turkey Vulture flight cleaner than anyone – even the staff.

When asked to do a spring cleaning on a Wildlife Walkway pen, she remarked at the end of the day that it was her most fun day yet of volunteering! Kirsten has gone above and beyond the duties of a regular volunteer.

On her own time and with her own resources, she developed two matching card games to be used by visitors at the park and these games will be incorporated into the summer Raptor Camp activities this year. She has also started to join Mountsberg staff on offsite presentations and is a great representative of Conservation Halton both offsite and at the park. All of the Raptor Centre staff looks forward to Fridays, when they get to share their day with Kirsten.

Chuck Sweet – Parks Volunteer
During the winter months Chuck is a volunteer patroller at Glen Eden and during the summer months Chuck is a volunteer trail ambassador at Kelso.

Chuck performs at least 140 hours of volunteering per winter helping injured skiers and snowboarders. He is an inspiration to many of our volunteer patrollers through his attendance, commitment, and dedication.

Chuck is an exceptional communicator as a trail ambassador in regards to safety and offering direction. Chuck was seriously injured while on duty as a ski patroller during the 2013-14 season. He returned this season and fulfilled his responsibilities well beyond our expectations. His peers nominated Chuck as Patroller of the year at the end of the 2014-15 season.

Andrew and Marites Lee – Stewardship
Andrew and Marites were two stand-out participants of Conservation Halton’s 2014 Healthy Neighbourshed homeowner workshop program. At each week’s session, they were eager to learn and were inspired and motivated to implement a low impact landscaping project on their property.

Not only did they add to the community of the workshop series by asking questions and discussing topics with fellow participants, they took the projects they learned about home. Andrew and Marites completely revamped their backyard to incorporate low impact development principles. These include: a permeable walkway, native plants and a rain barrel.

Their efforts and enthusiasm are not only helping divert our watershed’s urban run-off, they are acting as environmental stewards to their children and their community by showing what can be done on a homeowner’s property can be both beautiful and environmentally friendly. Andrew and Marites have also demonstrated that even if you live in a suburban subdivision, you still can have a positive impact on your local environment.

David Hulsman of the Field and Stream Rescue

Jeff Stock – Field and Stream Rescuer

Field and Stream Rescue Team – Stewardship
The Field and Stream Rescue Team is a not for profit group that works in Hamilton and Halton. They are 100 per cent volunteer based with a board of eight members and a project planning team of about the same. Their mission is to “Revitalize urban areas by restoring and rehabilitating watercourses, forests and natural areas through community education and hands on activities.”

They accomplish their mission by leading 15 to 20 volunteer workdays per year. Workdays include a variety of projects types such as invasive plant management, garbage cleanups and tree, shrub and wildflower plantings.

A niche that they have filled in Conservation Halton’s area is to clean up the nearly impossible. They rig up a system of pullies and cart garbage out of deep forested ravines that has likely been there for fifty plus years. One of their greatest achievements of late was a two day cleanup of an old dumping site in Bronte Creek Provincial Park. Tires, fridge, freezer and more were hauled out of the Bronte Creek floodplain and up a 150 foot ravine.

Keith Bird – Ralph Sherwood Honour Roll Award
Keith Bird recently served as Vice Chair of Conservation Halton and was a member of the Conservation Halton Foundation Board from 2011 to 2015. Keith served 37 years on the Conservation Halton Board, serving since 1974, except for two years when he was on the Conservation Halton Foundation Board.

During Keith’s time, the Foundation completed the Mountsberg Shrike Project breeding facility, the Deer Clan longhouse which was constructed at Crawford Lake Conservation Area, and the Foundation provided ongoing support for the Halton Children’s Water Festival and the Halton Forest Festival.

During Keith’s yeas on the Conservation Halton board there were a number of improvements at the conservation areas highlighted by the opening of the Crawford Lake Iroquoian Village and the building of the Kelly New Pavilion at Mountsberg. In addition there have been upgrades at Glen Eden to the chairlifts and snowmaking and a new pedestrian bridge built over the railway tracks to accommodate the growing demand. Another park improvement during Keith’s time was the opening of the Brock Harris Lookout at Mount Nemo.

Proudly displayed on the gate of rural homes – some in urban areas as well.

Halton Watershed Stewardship (HWSP) Program Award Recipients
The Halton Watershed Stewardship Program award recipients are members of a group of more than 310 landowners voluntarily protecting over 12,800 acres of land, which includes over 7,800 acres of natural land, and over 160 kilometres of stream. It is important to remember that by simply enjoying these natural heritage features as they are, and conserving them for future generations, Watershed Stewards are making a significant contribution to the health of the environment, which leads to a healthy society.

Each year Watershed Stewardship Technicians assist landowners who are looking for advice and recommendations regarding activities they can undertake to restore woodlands, wetlands, meadows, and streams. The following landowners were recognized at this year’s award as Watershed Stewards:

• Alba DiCenso and Brian Hutchison in the Bronte Creek Watershed
• The City of Hamilton for Courtcliffe Park in the Bronte Creek Watershed
• Wayne Terryberry, who is the first recipient of the new Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System dedicated Stewardship award

These Streams of Dreams are hand painted by students and affixed to school yard fences – a graphic and fun way to teach young students about the environment.

Stream of Dreams 2015
The mission of the Stream of Dreams Program is to educate communities about their watersheds, rivers and streams, while dazzling them with the charm of community art. Since its launch in 2006, Conservation Halton staff has delivered the program to 32,422 participants at 83 schools, as well as many community events, installing these magnificent murals across the watershed.

The teachers and parent volunteers at the participating Stream of Dreams schools put countless hours of work into each project to prepare their fish to be painted by the children and then install their murals on a fence at the school. Conservation Halton staff deliver the program with the message of protecting the fish and other wildlife who live in our community streams. The following schools participated over the past year:

• Balaclava, Freelton
• Bruce T. Lindley, Burlington
• Glenburnie, Oakville
• Hawthorne Village, Milton
• Our Lady of Fatima, Milton
• Palermo, Oakville
• Pilgrim Wood, Oakville
• Pine Grove, Oakville
• P.L. Robertson, Milton
• St. Mildred’s Lightbourn, Oakville