 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON June 10, 2010 While Saturday was pretty close to a write off from a weather point of view and it was very difficult for the events being held outdoors at the Burlington Arts Centre as well as the Canadian Equine Outdoor Expo. Sunday was a completely different day..
The sun blessed us all and there was plenty to do for those who got out.
 All for a good cause - midriffs exposed and the dance of the seven veils - or at least parts of it were performed at the PERL fund raiser at the Polish Hall on Sunday. Elvis is reported to have made an appearance at the Polish Hall where PERL Protecting Escarpment Rural Land was holding a fund raiser, but I didn’t see him. I did see two genuine belly dancers who surely raised the blood pressure of a couple of the older lads as well as a bit of money for one of the better causes in the city. The afternoon event had a Silent Auction, a Garage Sale and the bar was open.
 The Cottonwood brass put on a nice little performance that consisted of music on instruments we don't see anymore and the story behind each piece of music. A short drive south at The Different Drummer Bookstore, the Cottonwood Brass were performing before a small but rapt audience. Small because the space available is tiny. Saw instruments that I didn’t think people played anymore. If you hear of an event this group is going to be playing at – make a point of taking them in.
Then across the city to the first Car Free Sunday event. It was a decent first effort that somehow managed a four car pile-up on a street that was closed to traffic.
 The streets weren't crowded but the turnout was worth holding the event again next year. Next car free day will be downtown July 15th. The streets certainly weren’t packed but there were enough to claim the event was a success. These things take time to develop a following. If promoted more creatively and talked of as a way for community to get together we should see this become something of a tradition.
There will be a second Car Free event July 15th in the downtown core. We will put up maps for that event a few days before hand.
 Some chose to sit in the shade listen to the music and enjoy time with their neighbours - summer in the city This Car Free Event was a Councillor Sharman and Councillor Dennison idea, which Councillor Meed Ward eventually bought into as well. Dennison was in Holland on a trip he paid for himself, where he represented the city at a number of functions. He had expected to be back in time to glide up and down Appleby on either his blades or his bike. Didn’t see him but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t on hand.
While other politicians were on hand it was more of a people event. The Teen Tour Band put in an appearance and there was a very robust yet laid back family of musicians on the stage. Pony rides were set up for the kids.
 That there is a two horse hitch girls and boys. There was a time when farmers in Burlington took barrels of apples to the Freeman railway station where they were transported to Toronto and points east. Then North on Appleby Line to the 1st side road and into the Iron Horse Equestrian complex where the Canadian Outdoor Equine Expo was being held. They must have taken a hit on the Saturday with all that rain and by the time I got there on Sunday things were very quiet but there were some fine looking horses to be seen. One magnificent two horse Percheron hitch and some very talented riders in the different rings.
 Not everyone got out to enjoy the sunshine. This horse was part of a larger hitch that was used the day before. It was one of those Sundays where families gather in the back yard with beer in hand and the BBQ sizzling and the kids in and out of the pool.
It was also a day to get out and about the city and enjoy everything it has to offer.
Now we go into Sound of Music week – we will have the full day by day schedule set out for you and get back to you with pictures that tell the story.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON June 10, 2012 He launched and managed to gain some altitude and it looks like he will stay aloft.
Jeremy Freiburger told a close to full house in the Performing Arts Community Studio the fundamentals of the community engagement part of the Cultural Plan that he has been contracted to prepare for the city of Burlington.
Freiburger is well qualified to take on the task and brings both energy and innovation to the work he has to do.
He does have his hands full working with the city’s communications people – but then he’s not the only one struggling with that department.
Freiburger has arranged to meet with citizens in every ward and while the turnout has not been large – those that did show up were enthusiastic. The first event was in Kilbride – to the surprise of many – culture is usually seen as something that happens south of the 401.
 Each yellow marker indicates a location that someone saw as culturally significant. The turnout was better in Kilbride than it was at the Senior’s Centre which is smack dab in the middle of Ward 2 where all the cultural mavens are thought to live. So much for that thought.
While Freiburger was talking to the audience in Kilbride about what he is setting out to do – a group playing baseball got rained out; Freiburger didn’t miss a beat – he invited them in to hear what they had to say about culture. This guy clearly knows how to innovate.
 David Auger thinks about where he spends his disposable income dollars on culture. Freiburger asks those who show up to do three things for him. Put a small dot on a map showing where they spend their cultural time and then go to an identical map and put down dots showing where you spend their cultural money.
Then Freiburger asks people to go to a very large map of the city and put down stickers on the places they like to go in the city. Lowville Park, put a sticker there, Student Theatre, put another sticker there. Freiburger wants to map points of cultural significance.
Out of all this data collection will come a picture of where people spend their time, where they spend their money and what it is about places they go to that attracts them.
Freiburger will be collecting data at events in each ward, for almost the first time we have seen events take place well north of the QEW divide. It would have been nice to see something in the Alton and Orchard communities. The Sound of Music crowd will be invited to take part in this exercise. If you didn’t get to one of the community events – Sound of Music and the Children’s Festival are good opportunities to take part in the data gathering
The crowd at the Performing Arts Centre heard Edie Friel, the man who put the city of Glasgow on the cultural map and made cultural events the strongest part of the Glaswegian economy by using a model from Azerbaijan to catch people’s attention. Using an Azerbaijani model to get the attention of people in Glasgow – – that’s chutzpah!
Friel explained the role culture plays in the development of a city. “People”, he said “don’t go to France, they go to Paris. People don’t go to Italy; they go to Milan or Rome. People go to cities because those cities have created a brand for themselves, a reason to go to that city.”
“When you brand a city you highlight it’s history, its heritage and its culture”, he said. We will come back to those three – they are very relevant to Burlington.
Friel pointed out that “we human beings have a need for membership, we want to belong to something”. That something can be a model railroad club, a photography club, a drama group. People go to things they identify with. There are literally thousands of people in Ontario who want to do nothing more than walk the Bruce Trail.
Most people either know what they want to do with their time and their disposable income or know they are open to a new idea; a new experience. Friel talks of “destination marketing” and he explains that you have to develop the “supply chain”. What does all that mean?
If Burlington is going to attract visitors we have to give them a reason for coming to the city – and those reasons are what he refers to as the supply chain. “Develop the brand” says Friel – “not the artists. When you do that, then people will come and see all the artists.”
 This artists wants to be a little higher up on the food chain - wants people to pay for the work artists do. There was at least one artist in the audience who didn’t see it quite that way. While he had no problem being part of the supply chain he suggested that the artists could be a little higher up on that chain and complained about artists being asked to do their work for free by people who had good jobs running the cultural institutions in the city.
A near perfect example of just that happening is the two events held at the Burlington Art Centre on the weekend. The BAC had invited more than 100 artists to show their work and at the same time has the six Guilds that work out of the BAC showing their work. The crowds will not be coming to see a specific artist – they will be here looking at artisans and while here get a good look at what the BAC does day to day.
Just what is the Burlington brand? Is Freiburger expected to create a brand for the city? Nope – his job is to put together a plan to market Burlington and its culture – without really knowing what that culture is. THAT is a task and a half. Burlington is certainly festivals. Is it a gathering place for artists? Maybe not yet – but if the Burlington brand is fully developed and exploited the city will become known as the place that always has a festival of some kind going on. If you develop the brand, if you make Burlington a place where people know there are a lot of artists – they will come.
Niagara on the Lake has a very clear brand? Well yes and no. The Shaw Festival takes place there but the Shaw is not the Niagara on the Lake brand. Stratford on the other hand is Shakespeare.
 Besides mapping data participants in the Cultural Conversations were asked to contribute their thoughts and ideas. The city has several events that are part of the brand – the Sound of Music Festival and RibFest – both of which need significant image upgrades. That’s not a criticism – it’s an observation. Burlington types are very edgy when it comes to making any kind of observation about how they are doing. The drama people understand the significant role criticism plays. Good critical comment helps an actor or actress improve their importance.
“A community” advised Friel, “has to believe in itself. You have to decide what the place is going to look like.” Now back to his comment about a community and its history, its heritage and its culture.
Burlington struggles with its history. There is a plaque in the western end of Spencer Smith Park that tells you the Brant Inn once stood there – but it doesn’t tell you very much about the Brant Inn and the very significant cultural events that took place there.
The Burlington Heritage Advisory committee is struggling with a way to get the community to agree on some format to recognize those structures in the city that are of cultural significance. That problem is almost like a festering wound with two sides not seeing the issue the same way.
The Freeman railway station has had to fight and scratch its way to stay alive despite a city council that exhibited truly disgraceful behaviour. Were it not for the efforts of Councillors Meed Ward and Lancaster the structure would be fire place kindling somewhere. It isn’t a completely done deal yet but there is every reason to believe that the structure will be saved and that at some time in the future – maybe before the pier is officially opened – Freeman Station will be open for the public to use.
 Jeremy Freiburger - leading a committee with a mandate to come up with a Cultural Plan for the city. The question that comes out of all this is – how does a city create a cultural plan if it doesn’t have a clear firm sense of what its history is or a civic administration that strives to support and maintain that history? There was a point when Burlington had hundreds of thousands of dollars to restore and find a home for the structure – but the city couldn’t get agreement on where it should be located and the federal/provincial and municipal funding that was in place to do this was lost – it got used to pave some streets instead.
Burlington was once one of the premier locations in the province for fruit farms – that land got turned into shopping malls. Burlington and Maple View malls were once orchards – now they are covered in asphalt and serve as parking lots. The Freeman Station was one of several stations where barrels of apples were loaded into freight trains. There was once a cannery operation at the edge of the lake. Not even a plaque there now to mark a very important part of the city’s history.
Jeremy Freiburger has his work cut out for him. The city is at least looking at how culture can be highlighted and the city turned into a tourist destination. The basic elements are there – all we have to do is bring them to the surface, polish them up and Burlington will be a place to visit and spend some money while they are here.
Is that what this is all about?
We will follow the development of this plan.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON June10, 2012
When you screw it up – well you fess up, apologize and make amends.
 Oh dear - now what? Fess up and then fix it. We goofed on that rain barrel story We screwed up.
We got the dates for the rain barrel sale by the Region wrong.
And – we made the mistake twice – Ouch.
We did three pieces on the rain barrels – one when the Region first announced the sale dates for this year – and we got it right the first time. We made a note to revive the story when it got closer to the date the barrels would be on sale in Burlington. That was when we made the first mistake – then we made that mistake all over again when we re-ran the story.
If you were adversely impacted by the story we ran – would you use the complaint feature – it’s near the top of the web page, send us a note and we will make amends.
We do apologize.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON June 9, 2012 The Halton Regional Police Service were called to the wooded area near Tansley Woods Recreation Center on reports of a stabbing incident at approximately 6:10 p.m. on June 8, 2012.
Two groups of young males were meeting on the pathway when one of the males produced a knife and began to assault another male youth. The victim, a 16 year old male, was struck in the arm and abdomen area before the suspect fled the area on a bicycle.
 The suspect was stopped nearby by Halton Police and taken into custody. A subsequent search of the area by Halton Tactical Officers and a Police Dog resulted in the suspected weapon being recovered.
The victim was transported to Joseph Brant Memorial hospital where he was treated for his injuries and later released.
A 17 year old male from Burlington has been charged with the following offences:
(1) Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose
(2) Assault with a Weapon
(3) Obstruct Police
(4) Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking (2 counts)
(5) Possession of a Controlled Substance (2 counts)
The suspect was held in custody for a bail hearing on June 9, 2012.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON June 8, 2012 We may have spoken a little too quickly – when we said there would be no one marching on Mike Wallace’s Constituency office in Burlington. An organization that calls itself “leadnow” is currently looking for assistance with organizing this event in Burlington to Tell Mike Wallace: “Be a Hero, Stop the Budget Bill.”
They want to gather on Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 @ 05:30 PM at Burlington Mall 777 Guelph Line, Suite 209, Burlington ON, L7R 3N2 Where is Wallace’s constituency office? You got it, same place. Question now is – how many local people will show up and attempt to convince Marvelous Mike to Be a Hero.
The marchers are protesting the 425-page ‘budget implementation act’ – would change over 70 laws ranging from nearly every federal environmental law, to the pension age and rules for the unemployed
 Local group want to turn Marvelous Mike Wallace into a local hero. Asking him to oppose the current budget implementation bill before the House of Commons. What are the odds of that happening? Each rally is coordinated by a volunteer host, and while each will be a little different, the core of each action is simple: we’ll gather at Conservative MP offices, and support locations across the country when there are no nearby Conservative MPs, and take a photo with a banner that says: “Be a Hero, Stop the Budget Bill.”
Each family friendly action will range in size from a few friends to a few hundred people, and give you a chance to stand with people who share many of your hopes and concerns for our country. If you like, we encourage you to bring signs that express your reason for standing against the Federal Budget Bill.
The default time for these actions is 5:30PM, local time, so they take place a few hours before Casseroles Night in Canada. Participants and organizers are welcome to combine the spirit of these pro-democracy demonstrations.
Why “13 Heroes?”
While the opposition parties step up their efforts to slow down and split apart the Federal Budget Bill, Conservative MPs are under intense pressure to pass the bill from Harper and his cabinet. “ It’s our job to counter that pressure, and call on them to represent their constituents and a majority of Canadians by stopping this bill, splitting it and starting over”, claim the group.
“The Opposition parties are already united against the Budget Bill, and, by working together, 13 Conservative MPs can make sure that Harper and his cabinet have to change plans or lose the support of the majority of votes in Parliament they need to pass the Budget Bill”.
“We will shine a spotlight on the choices being made by individual Conservative MPs, and focus the national conversation onto the fact that concern about this Bill reaches all the way across the political spectrum.”
“Finally, we will highlight the fact that our representatives have become increasingly powerless to represent their constituents in Ottawa, and kick-start a much needed debate about the need for democratic reforms and the opportunity for MPs to reclaim some independence.”
Who are the people organizing this event? And, just as important, will they manage to get enough people out to march on Wallace’s office?
What is it that is important about what these people are trying to do? Governments tax the people to raise the money to pay for things like the Passport service, the Correctional Service and the Armed Forces. Part of the process is to prepare and announce a budget that gets voted on in the House of Commons. When the budget is approved, the government then prepares a bill, a document that sets out how they will spend the funds raised. This is all part of running the federal government.
 Burlington did have one public demonstration in front of the Waterfront Hotel. Are we due for another one. What many groups are upset about is that the government has included in this bill all kinds of new rules related to the environment and they believe that environmental bills should be discussed and voted on separately.
Burlington doesn’t have a history of public demonstration or protest but there was a crowd outside the Waterfront demonstrating against Tim Hudak, leader of the provincial Progressive Conservative Party.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON June 7, 2012 Bring it On – sounds like a bit of a challenge doesn’t it? And a challenge it is to protect the rural lands north of the Dundas-407 boundary. Getting out and telling the story and protecting your community costs money. PERL and groups like it hold every kind of event you can imagine. This time it is a Silent Auction, Talent Show & Garage Sale plus a Lucky Draw. Enjoy a beverage and meet your friends. The Polish Hall has a bar.
PERL – Protecting Escarpment Rural Land has been fighting this battle since 2008 and is part of a coalition of more than 13 different organizations the come under the SEHC – STOP the Escarpment Highway Coalition that tends to be the voice of the movement.
 These are the rural lands north of the Dundas-Highway 407 boundary. PERL wants them protected forever. Some want to build communities in this part of the city. The group is holing a talent event at the Polish Hall on Sunday the 10th from 2 – 4 in the afternoon. No entry fee. Just walk in and enjoy watching some local talent. There is apparently going to be an Elvis impersonator on the stage..
PERL is a local group that is part of a much larger coalition with community stalwarts like Isobel Harmer and her daughter, singer, song writer Susan Harmer very active locally.
PERL is a bit more grass roots than many groups – their people live in the community and have a passionate view of how important it is to keep the rural part of the city undeveloped.
While the local public and the Region argue against any highway that would run right through Lowville, the provincial government has bureaucrats and consultants beavering away on drawing for where a road should go and how wide the road should be – with all the work being done using your tax dollars.
PERL fights that kind of insidious effort on the part of consultants who don’t have a vested interest in the community and tend to think along the same lines of the people that sign the cheques.
PERL wants you to sign a cheque as a donation, for something you buy at the Silent Auction or out of the plain goodness in your heart.
Sunday June 10th, Polish Hall on Fairview 2-4 pm. Come for part of the event or make it a full afternoon. This one matters.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON June 8, 2012 The Halton Region Health Department monitors the water quality at public beaches throughout Halton. Beach water samples taken on June 5 revealed the following beaches have acceptable levels of bacteria and are safe for swimming:
• Halton Hills – Prospect Park Old Beach
• Milton – Kelso Conservation Area
 Not all the area beaches are safe yet. The following beaches have high levels of bacteria and are unsafe for swimming:
• Burlington – Beachway Park North, Beachway Park South
• Oakville – Coronation Park East, Coronation Park West, Bronte Park Beach
Residents can also call Halton Region to find out which beaches have acceptable levels of bacteria or which have been posted as unsafe for swimming due to poor water quality. Beach water quality information is available 24 hours a day by dialing 311 or calling 905-825-6000, toll free 1-866-442-5866 or TTY 905-827-9983. During regular business hours ask for beach information, and after regular business hours press 2 for health information.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON June 7, 2012 “Democracy or Harper”, is the theme for a group in Hamilton that intends to march on the office of Hamilton area MP David Sweet, the member of the House of Commons for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale riding. The marchers are protesting the 425-page ‘budget implementation act’ – would change over 70 laws ranging from nearly every federal environmental law, to the pension age and rules for the unemployed.
 Marvelous Mike Wallace amongst friends - but are they constituents? There are apparently no plans for such a protest from Burlington citizens – we apparently don’t do that type of thing here. If a person is unemployed they probably come from Hamilton and that’s there problem. As for the environment – well, what to say. The turbine that was to go on the pier wasn’t going to make all that much of a difference was it?
The groups are also organizing a public forum on Saturday, June 16 in the Dundas Town Hall (Osler and Governor’s Road) from 1 to 3 pm, to which they are inviting all local MP’s to speak about the omnibus bill and explain their positions.
Don’t expect Marvelous Mike to be at that one.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON June 7, 2012 They first of all ensure that you aren’
 The police cannot protect our propert without help from the public. t home by either ringing your doorbell or calling the house.
If you`re not home – they kick in the door and proceed to ransack daytime residential break-ins that have occurred in the Headon Forest, Millcroft, Alton Village and Orchard communities of Burlington.
The Halton Regional Police are investigating a number of daytime residential break-ins that have occurred in the Headon Forest, Millcroft, Alton Village and Orchard communities of Burlington.
Eight reported incidents have occurred since February 25th and investigation has revealed these occurrences are likely connected. In all eight cases the front door is kicked open and the suspects primarily search for gold jewellery. Gold jewellery of South Asian origin is particularly sought after.
What can a homeowner do? Short of putting a stout piece of wood or an iron bar across the door – which kind of takes something away from the décor of the house doesn’it – all the public can rely upon is watchful neighbours or some kind of home alarm system. These are not that expensive and certainly worth looking into. There is one with a $99 set up and $495 a month -0 less than the repairs you would have to do if you got an unwelcome call.
As always – keep the police informed – they can`t do their job without your help.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON June 6, 2012 There are fewer of them every year. Those that do show up carry the scars from their experiences and memories that are old but not forgotten.
D Day – the day the allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy and began the process of taking Europe back from the Axis forces.
 D Day flag party approaching the Naval Memorial at Spencer Smith Park. Some 15,000 Canadian troops stormed those beaches. The day before nine minesweepers had crept in under the cover of darkness to clear shipping lanes for the landing craft with soldiers and equipment aboard.
More than 1,500 of the men who stormed the beach never made it home.
 Hamilton was represented at the D Day service This morning at the Naval Memorial a group of maybe 40 people were on hand. The sun was bright, the colour party, showing its age trooped along the waterfront walkway and presented their colours. The salute was taken, prayers were said. It was quiet.
Our MP was in Ottawa, his wife filled in for him. Our MPP was at Queen’s Park; one of her administrative assistants filled in for her. The Regional Chair was on hand.
The city was not represented. Six council members and a Mayor on our city council. Too busy I guess.
The veterans have a piece of poetry that is brought out on occasions like this. It goes:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn. `At the going down of the sun and in the morning. We will remember them.
We will indeed remember a city council that was unable to muster the decency to respect the memory of the men and the ships we lost to protect a democracy that allows them to hold office.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON June 6th, 2012 – Advocacy is getting a little bit slicker in Burlington. The people that want to make it a better world and do it on their own dime are now sporting flashy corporate logo and getting their proceedings on cable television. – and bringing in some heavy hitters when it comes to speakers.
If Burlington is going to see any real change in the transit service it offers – the crowd behind Bfast, – Burlington for Accessible Transit is going to need all the clout it can muster. At the Public session on the new “interim” routes transit is going to try for a period of about 18 months, our people in the field tell us that not a single politician appeared. In Aldershot the ward Councillor did appear but other than a student who we think might have been lost there was no public.
 Former Planning chief for Toronto and a past director of Metrolinx, Paul Bedford will speak to transit advocates at the Public Library June 11. BFAST has invited former Toronto Chief Planner and director of Metrolinx, Paul Bedford to talk about how transit can be adequately funded. Council is meeting at the same time and so will miss the presentation. However it will be on Cogeco Cable – they can catch it there.
Takes place on Monday, June 11 at 7.00 p.m. in the Centennial Room at the Burlington Central Public Library, 2331 New Street. He will speak on transit issues in urban areas, the GTA and funding the Metrolinx Big Move.
 BFAST will provide information about its mission, the current issues with Burlington transit, especially the proposed cuts to service in the proposed Burlington Transit Interim Transit Plan.
BFAST is a new citizens group in Burlington. It is a coalition of interested individuals and organizations whose purpose is “To make transit better for Burlington residents and businesses.” You can contact this new group at BFASTransit@gmail.com
While Burlington fusses over its 54 bus fleet and people complain about empty buses driving by their homes the province looks at a much bigger picture and searches for a way to integrate transportation between the various communities stretching through what is referred to as the GTHA – The Greater Toronto Hamilton Area – and Burlington is part of the west end of that reach into Hamilton.
 The solution the province came up with was a document called The Big Move that was put together to a significant degree by former Burlington Mayor Rob MacIsaac. It’s the $50 billion transportation plan the Toronto region can’t afford not to build. But where the money will come from still has to be figured out.
With 100 specific projects in the plan, the Metrolinx proposals will add 1,150 kilometres of new transit lines over the next 25 years.
Titled The Big Move: Transforming Transportation in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, the recommendations would ensure that 75 per cent of residents find themselves living within 2 kilometres of a dedicated rapid transit line, up from 42 per cent now.
 Paul Bedford, transit advocate who will speak to Burlington Bfast types, has some well developed opinions on transit. should be a good listen. Although the car would remain the dominant mode of transport in the large region under the Metrolinx vision, the percentage of trips taken on transit would increase to about 26 per cent, up from 16.5. Greenhouse gas emissions from cars would decline to 1.5 tonnes from 2.4 tonnes today.
Metrolinx hopes to spend $500 million on building 7,500 kilometres of on- and off-road bike lanes. It also wants a series of transportation hubs around the region to make it easy to transfer from one mode of transportation to another.
That’s the bigger picture – Burlington meanwhile is looking for ways to stop the bleeding on the financial side of its transit system by moving service levels to the routes that have decent ridership.
We have some distance to go on getting transit right in this city.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON June 6, 2012 Mayor Rick Goldring has upped the ante with his Inspire speaker series – bringing in motivational speaker Chris Crowley, who has been on the New York Times best seller for a book he co-authored with Henry S. Lodge M.D. They’ve sold over a million copies and have been translated into 20 languages worldwide.
Crowley a refugee from Wall Street, will be speaking at the Ron Joyce Centre, DeGroote School of Business on June 12, 2012 at 7 p.m. The online registration is now closed. If you would like to attend – please call 905-335-7607.
Admission is Free and open to all; seats available on first-come, first-served basis with registration. We will be offering a shuttle bus service from the Burlington Downtown Terminal at 6:15 p.m., with one stop at the Burlington Mall in the parking lot on the north west corner at 6:30 p.m. and arrival at DeGroote for 6:45 p.m. The shuttle will return along the same route, leaving DeGroote at approximately 8:45 p.m.
If audience reaction is any measure – Crowley is going to be a smash hit:
“Chris spoke to our manufacturing leadership team last Saturday morning. Wow! What a hit! Everyone is talking about it and they want to know when can he come back! I strongly recommend Chris to anyone, who is interested in improving their health or influencing others too improve. ”
—Dave Clark, VP of Operations, Bath Iron Works (Builder of major, surface ships for the U.S. Navy)
“What a pleasure!…All the audience responses rated you ‘excellent’. THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.”
“From the moment you began until the very end, you had the audience’s undivided attention . You were ENTERTAINING, INFORMATIVE ANED DEFINITELY THOUGHT PROVOKING. You are spreading AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE THAT IS CHANGING LIVES EVERYWHERE. How rewarding that must feel for you. Congratulations and keep up the good work.” ”
Teresa Trembreull, President, The Business Bank, Minneapolis Minnesota
“Chris spoke at the annual retreat of our informal group of senior executives and I have to say he was one of the most inspiring speakers we have ever had over the two decades we’ve been getting together. Our views of the future were completely changed and each one of us is already at work becoming younger next year.”
Joni Evans, Former Chairman — Simon & Schuster, super agent at William Morris etc. New York City
“Let me say how much I and everyone else enjoyed your talk at La Quinta. You were terrific!”
David Beck, President — American College of Trial Lawyers
“What a home run! You were the perfect catalyst and Keynote Speaker for our “Reversing The Aging Process …Symposium….a trumpet call that gives us hope.”
Bill White, CEO THW Design, International Architects, and Founder, The Vital Nation. Atlanta, Georgia
“He is a terrific speaker, the topic was electrifying and our members loved it.”
Tom Kittredge, Mountain States Young Presidents Organization. Charleston W. Va.
 So – what is all the fuss about? According to the blurb on the book – here s what Crowley is talking about.
“Turn back your biological clock. A breakthrough book for men—as much fun to read as it is persuasive— draws on the very latest science of aging to show how men 50 or older can become functionally younger every year for the next five to ten years, and continue to live like fifty-year-olds until well into their eighties. To enjoy life and be stronger, healthier, and more alert. To stave off 70% of the normal decay associated with aging (weakness, sore joints, apathy), and to eliminate over 50% of all illness and potential injuries. This is the real thing, a program that will work for anyone who decides to apply himself to “Harry’s Rules.”
Newsweek magazine had this to say:
What can you say about a 70-year-old guy who can kick your butt in spin class? Outdoors, it’s below freezing, and, though technically morning, still dark as night. But there he is, bouncing along on his stationary bike like a jack rabbit and grinning happily at his heart-rate monitor, while I, nearly 30 years younger, manage to keep up only by visualizing coffee. “Just 20 minutes till coffee, just 12 minutes till coffee…”
When the class is over, he places one leg up on the bike seat as if it were a ballet barre and gracefully touches his nose to his knee. Back at his apartment, over a bowl of oatmeal and bananas, he chats nonstop about fitness. The coffee arrives quickly, thank God.
 Looks pretty good for a 70 year old. Might be worth listening to. Meet Chris Crowley, who, together with his doctor, Harry Lodge, is on a mission to change your life. Their fast-selling new book, “Younger Next Year: A Guide to Living Like 50 Until You’re 80 and Beyond,” is a wisecracking but scientifically serious guide to health for middle-aged men who may be looking at their widening paunches, their aging spouses and their fast-approaching retirement dates with helplessness or panic. “Younger Next Year” has one main message: stay very fit and you will live a healthier, happier life, with more sex and less depression, well into your old age. What sets the book apart from its self-help brethren is its ebullient personality–which is mostly Chris’s. Describing himself as “lazy and self-indulgent,” Chris laces his very practical how-to advice with hilarious, self-effacing personal anecdotes, like the time he skied so hard “it hurt to sleep.” Then, just when Chris’s abundant cheeriness starts to grate, 46-year-old Harry steps in with sober chapters on body chemistry, which explain why fitness is the best medicine.
On this point, Chris and Harry are zealots: living a sedentary life is not just lazy, it’s lunacy. That’s why they follow what they call “Harry’s Rules” and think everyone else should, too. There are seven, chief among them: “Exercise six days a week for the rest of your life.” And “Quit eating crap.” Any book that advocates an easier way is, says Chris, “horses–t.” A lapsed fitness buff with plenty of excuses–a full-time job, a toddler, a life–I’m hoping these guys can get me back on track.
Chris and Harry met five years ago, when Chris began searching for a doctor in New York City. They liked each other instantly. Both grew up near Boston and share similar, old-school values having to do with discipline and hard work. At their first meeting, Chris was 40 pounds overweight and exercised only sporadically. Harry was already profoundly frustrated by the number of his patients who had diabetes and other “lifestyle” diseases. Harry started preaching the benefits of intense, regular exercise, and it wasn’t long before Chris got religion. He took up spinning, lost 40 pounds and began hounding Harry to help him write this book.
Chris is the flamboyant one: he’s larger than life. Married and a father by 20, he had two more children in quick succession, divorced at 32, made partner at the white-shoe Manhattan law firm Davis Polk at 37, married again, divorced again. After a long stint of dating (see chapter 20 for a wonderful description of a middle-aged man trying to ascend a ladder to a loft bed in a young woman’s studio apartment), he married again in 1993, and this time, “we’re never getting divorced.” Chris writes like he talks, in full paragraphs laced with profanity, but always hammering at his point. “I’m a world of fun and all that, but I’m a closet Virgo,” he says. “Very, very disciplined.”
Harry is the earnest one. Built like a cross-country runner, Harry works out each night on a 1970s-era NordicTrack machine he bought used for $25. He prides himself on being a “mildly Calvinistic Northeasterner. I tend to eat small portions and I don’t like spending money.” His passion is his work, and the quick success of their book fills him with joy. “We think we’re going to start a little revolution,” he says.
As for me, I’m trying. After that humiliating spin class, I vowed to follow Harry’s rules but already I’m slipping. I’ve eaten egg rolls for dinner and brownies for lunch. I’ve skipped scheduled workouts. As inspiring as they are, it turns out Chris and Harry can’t make you go to the gym, and reading their book won’t make you healthier either. The best they can do–and they know this as well as anyone–is give you a kick in the pants.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON June 6th , 2012 There is going to be some public art on the plaza at the front of the Performing Arts Centre at the intersection of Locus and Elgin – and the artist chosen will, we understand, come from either, Montreal, Maine or New Brunswick – according to sources who should know.
Deadline for first round consideration closed mid-April. Submissions were received from artists at the international, national, provincial and regional as well as local levels. The jury that is doing the selection has narrowed their choices down to three artists who have been asked to submit their drawings. No date on just when those drawings and the backgrounds on these artists will be made public. The city’s communications department appears to have run short of pencils and isn’t moving much copy these days.
Burlington insurance company owner Dan Laurie very generously put up a large part of the cost of the art work and he too is looking forward to a public announcement.
 The public art that is being chosen for the plaza in front of the Performing Arts Centre will get installed before the pier opens. With the pier however we know who is doing the work - can`t say the same for the public art. The information we have is that each of the artists has made a major contribution to public art in their communities and that whichever artist Burlington chooses we can expect to see some very good public art in front of a building that will serve as a fine platform.
Burlington is a little on the timid and conservative side of things when it comes to public displays. We are told that at least two of the artists are known to “stretch the envelope” and so we just might see something that will make amends for the unfortunate placement of the very delightful “orchids” on Upper Middle Road west of Appleby Line.
 Our Burlington thought the "orchids"would have looked great in front of the Performing Arts Centre but a jury of some very qualified people think otherwise and have narrowed the choice down to three people. You can be forgiven if you’ve never seen the work – it sits at the bottom of a grade separation on a road that has quite a bit of traffic. Nice art though and at some point the city might find the right location for the orchids.
City hall, which is handling the communications on the art that will go in front of the Performing Arts Centre appears to be sitting on the file and not saying a word.
The city hired Cobalt Connects to oversee the art selection jury and based on what little we know they have been doing a good job. The number of submissions was quite a bit higher than expected amd we are told that the quality was superb.
The art that eventually gets installed will be seen by Burlingtonians for a long long time. Given that public money is being used to pay for a large part of the art – it would be nice if the public could be told a little bit more about who the jury is looking at considering. Burlington is still suffering from the information deficit identified in the Shape Burlington report.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON June 4, 2012 Is that culture with a K Sir ?– and would you like fries on the side?
Just what is culture? There is a gang of guys that meets at the Queen’s Head on Friday’s for games of pool and conversation – they’ve been doing that for years. This city has numerous Bible Study groups, a number of book reading clubs. The crowd that gathers at the Legion for Fish and Chips on Friday – does they constitute culture? Or is it just “the arts” that are culture.
 Is this culture or is it craft and does it make a difference which it is? Burlington has realized that culture is business – big business of you do it right. The Sound of Music is said the bring $4million to the city (we would like to see how THAT number was arrived at); The Burlington Arts Centre will have 100 artisans selling their wares later this month and Art in Action will be holding a Silent auction at which 36 artists will put their work up for sale with the proceeds going to fund two scholarships.
Lots going on – but does the city really have a handle on the cultural file and are we making the most of the opportunity? Sometime back the city became aware of some provincial funding that was available for the development of cultural plans and decided to add funds of their own to the pot and is using the $100,000 to develop a Cultural Plan for the city.
During the first cut of the idea that was made to a Council workshop Jeremy Freiburger, the cultural honcho behind the drive, was asked by Councillor Meed Ward – what is culture. Like beauty – it is in the eye of the beholder. That and $5.00 and you’ve got a cup of latte, to which Freiburger is very partial.
So what do you get for $100,000 – it could turn out to be quite a bit more than first realized. Freiburger has made culture a business and he’s good at it. He has taken a number of old buildings in Hamilton and found a new life for them – getting different arts groups in space that works for them in terms of décor and setting and at a cost they can manage.
 Is Freiburger up a ladder on this assignment or is he up there getting a good look at the bigger culture picture in Burlington? Now he has to apply his expertise and experience to Burlington’s situation. The exercise is going to consist asking a lot of questions – and to get the answers to the questions Freiburger plans to go right into the community to the grass roots level and ask questions.
He has set up a Cultural Conversation in each of the six wards and managed to tick off the Council member for the wards when he sort of “uninvited” them to the event. Freiburger wants to hear from the citizens and he felt he would have a better conversation with the Council members out of the room. The politicians didn’t particularly like that one – but Freiburger knows what he is doing.
During his workshop presentation he asked council members some very direct questions. “Do you want more direct input throughout the process? And :How would you like to be kept up to date?
 Councillor Lancaster wants people that don't work at city hall on the Steering Committee. Blair Lancaster wanted citizens on the Steering Committee in a leadership role and “not just sitting there once a month getting an update”. She felt it essential that this look into culture “not be led by staff at city hall”. The Steering Committee currently keeps the following people occupied:
Chris Glenn, Director Parks and Recreation
Karen Sabzali, Manager, Community Development Services
Angela Paparizo, Recreation Planner
Brenda Heatherington, Executive Director BPAC
Jody Wellings, Special Business Area Coordinator (Downtown)
Ian Ross, Burlington Art Centre
Carla Marshall, Festivals and Event, City of Burlington
Barbara Teatero, Museums of Burlington
Maureen Barry, Burlington Public Library
Andreas Kyprianou, Royal Botanical Gardens
There are a couple there that won’t do much more than warm a seat; remove them and add at least four citizens, with at least two of them university students and Freiburger will have more in the way of bench strength. He is going to need it.
 Freiburger wants to get to the grass roots and ask questions; Councillor Lancaster wants to see some of those grass roots on the Steering Committee. Freiburger tends towards having data, fresh data and using that data to drive his decision making process. He mentioned during the Workshop presentation that there were two data bases that had approximately 650 names each – but when they dug down into the data there were something just over 150 that were still active. Freiburger wants better data, and his focus is to go to the community and to the stakeholders and ask a lot of questions.
 Freiburger and his team expect to have thousands of dots placed on maps - that data will tell him what people do culturally and where they do it. For example he wants to know what Burlingtonians identify as “cultural” locations. He will be asking people to put a little sticker on a map. By the time he has finished he will have a very valid representation of where people think culture can be found in Burlington. Then he takes it one step further and asks people: Where do you spend your money on culture? This is an excellent question. He may find that people tell him there are all kinds of cultural locations in Burlington but they don’t spend their money at these locations. His next question is to find out why.
In order to set out a Cultural Action Plan there has to of course be a plan to work from in the first place. Freiburger points out that culture is unique to each community and that what works in Kingston may not work in Burlington and what they do in Hamilton just isn’t a fit for the people of Burlington. It would be kind of nice though wouldn’t it, if there were Art Crawls in Burlington?
Freiburger wants to determine just what we have in the way of cultural resources. Yes, there is the museum, the Art Centre, the Performing Art Centre, Drury Lane and a dozen or so others. But Freiburger wants to go deeper – is there something that is being missed.
One of the things he will be doing is setting up a booth at the Sound of Music Festival and pulling people in to ask questions. He then plans to take part in the Children’s Festival and has some very unique ideas for learning what the young people think culture is and what it isn’t.
 As a video it was called The Sweater as a book it was The Hockey Sweater - a book for every boy and girl in the country. But is it culture ? Freiburger wants his data to be cross cultural and that means getting to the sports groups and hearing what they have to say. While sports at first glance may not fit the cultural lens a lot of people use – watch the British at their soccer matches – that’s cultural. Don Cherry doesn’t fit my cultural lens – but I would argue that Wayne Gretzky and Maurice Richard and Roch Carrier ’s book The Hockey Sweater is as Canadian culture as you’re going to get.
The first step in the developing of a Cultural Plan for the city is a “launch” which will take place at the Performing Arts Centre this Wednesday – June 6th. Go to eventbrite.com and enter Cultural Plan – Burlington and get yourself a free ticket.
There is more to tell about how this Cultural Plan is going to be developed – let’s see how the launch goes and we will follow up from there. In the meantime – check out the dates and times for the Cultural Conversations – and if this stuff is important to you – make a point of getting together with your neighbours and getting your views out on the table. Jeremy Freiburger is sincere, passionate about what he does and he not only wants to listen but he knows how to listen and when he isn’t sure he fully understood what you wanted to say – he will ask you questions.
Freiburger is one of those guys that you would describe as a bon vivant; the kind of person you want at a dinner party.
The question for Burlington as we go forward with the development of a Cultural Plan is this. Freiburger knows how to listen, and wants to listen. Will he be listened to?
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON June 1, 2012 It was a painful evening for our civic administration when they informed council about the problems surrounding the installation of a turbine on the Pier. Turns out that no one even knew about the availability of a process called “net metering”, a procedure we could be using tomorrow that gets around all the nonsense and misunderstanding about the ability to send energy from the turbine to the electrical grid.
Council chose to just walk from the whole thing – foolish, irresponsible and bad stewardship but unless someone decides to revive the matter – that is a dead duck. BurlingtonGreen, an organization not known for giving up easily, is expected to be back at Council June 11th and we will see what they can do. The turbine is not over yet.
 Geese know a good thing when they see it. Mini- beach formed on the west side of the pier will be shored up with large boulders that were delivered on Friday. The other news about the Pier is the delay in getting fully tested steel to the fabricators so they can cut the plates of steel which are 7/8ths of an inch thick; 40 feet long and ten feet wide. It has to be tested and the documentation that came with it has to be checked and if that’s a go – then the process of cutting the steel begins.
The sense at this point in time is that we will not see steel beams on the site until sometime in July and more likely late in the month at that.
As difficult and as embarrassing as all this is for the city administration they are not going to let this delay result in attempt to take short cuts to make up the lost time. There will be some work done on what city manager Jeff Fielding calls, schedule mitigation – looking for ways to shift work around and do tasks now that were scheduled for later in the construction process.
One such task is shoring up the western side of the pier site where a natural beach has formed. This wasn’t a planned feature – just a small benefit that came our way and with this project the city will take every benefit it can get.
 A flat bed truck delivered a load of large boulders that will be used to shore up the waters edge on the west side. Once the steel is tested, cutting will begin followed by welding and galvanizing. Large boulders are being trucked in and will set down and create an edge to this natural beach area. The work was done on one of those days when it wouldn’t have been possible to do much else on the site.
Staff believes that with the fifty four weeks left until Sound of Music 2013 they can get the job done. That will call for several breaks weather wise and we may have had all the breaks we are going to get. We had a very easy Winter and Spring was good to us for the most part. That time was lost.
The one thing city hall is going to ensure doesn’t happen – no more screw ups because they didn’t know what was happening. The city has two consultants in place to oversee and advise on what is being bought and ensuring that what is bought is thoroughly tested before it gets used.
The steel used for the beams that will form the deck of the pier has been a problem from the beginning. I’m not competent to tell you what the problem was and it appears that many in the engineering department were in over their heads as well. That is not going to happen this time around.
The city has brought in Mettko to oversee the testing and to ensure the testing done is thorough and complete. Bill Katsiroumpas, P.Eng. a Principal in the company and the Senior Project Manager on this task, explains what is being done:
The Quality Program is developed to ensure the quality of the work, thus protect the interest of the City of Burlington. It essentially involves two parts, the Quality Control (QC) Program which is implemented by the Contractor and the Quality Assurance (QA) Program which is implemented by the Consultant. The QC Program is specified in the Contract Document, while the QA Program is developed by the Consultant based on industry standards and experience.
 With this kind of weather there wasn't going to be much work done on the Pier. We will need a great second half of July, August and September to get caught up. Prayers are acceptable at city hall.. The Quality Program is applied to all work components, in particular granular base and sub-base, concrete and steel. In general, the Contractor is required by the specifications to perform QC tests in accordance with stipulated standards to demonstrate conformance. Some common standards are the American Society for Test Methods and Canadian Standards Association (ASTM and CSA). Another component of the QC program requires that qualification certificates from the accredited institutions be provided for companies and individual performing work on the project, for example Canadian Institute of Steel Construction or the Canadian Welding Bureau.
The Consultant performs independent QA tests to ensure quality compliance. The QA tests performed by the Consultants are approximately equal to 25% of the QC tests performed by the Contractor in accordance with the requirements of the stipulated standards. The Consultants also review and verify that the qualification certificates provided meet the requirements of the contract documents.
There is very little doubt that anything faulty is going to get through this kind of process. And that explains a large part of why there is no steel with workmen bolting it all together on the deck of the pier in weather that was made for outdoor construction work.
It will get done and it will get done properly.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON June 4, 2012 More than 100 artists and artisans will be selling their original fine art and crafts in and around the Burlington Art Centre (BAC) on June 9 and 10.
 Work by Billy-Jack Miligan There will be two events – The Fine Art and Craft Festival and Kaleidoscope of the Arts, both taking place on the same weekend, and both at the BAC
The place will be filled with a unique selection of artwork to see and buy, from jewellery, clothes, accessories, and home décor to pottery, photography, fine art, weaving and unique crafts, all created by Canadian artists and craftspeople. It’s one-stop shopping at its best, with the added bonus of hands-on activities for all ages and entertainment by musicians John and Sheila Ludgate and friends.
 Rich Baker of Richcraft Ironworks The Fine Art and Craft Festival attracts artists and artisans from Burlington, Hamilton, Oakville, Dundas, Mississauga, Toronto and beyond.
Kaleidoscope features sales of the work of members of six guilds at the BAC, plus hands-on activities for the family in guild studios: create and develop a photogram, weave a mugmat on a loom, finish and decorate a woodcarving or make and paint a sculpture, try rug hooking, and decorate a raku bowl and watch the firing (Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm, $8) or create an urban smoke-fired pendant (Sunday, 12 to 3 pm, $5).
John and Sheila Ludgate and friends will perform throughout the weekend. John and Sheila are award-winning Burlington-based musicians known for their strong rhythms, vocal harmonies, and original and cover songs. Special guests Ian Reid, David Lum, Jericho (Jeremiah Budnark and Eric Bower), Dave Jensen and friends, and Shawn Brush also will entertain.
The whole weekend is a great way to see art in action. There is no admission charge. The BAC also is participating in Doors Open Burlington.
 John and Sheila Ludgate will perform throughout the weekend.
Hours are: Saturday, June 9, from 10 am to 6 pm, and on Sunday, June 10, from 11 am to 5 pm.
You would have to try hard to miss the Burlington Art Centre – on Lakeshore right across from Spencer’s and the Discovery Centre. Plenty of parking in the rear off Elgin Street.
By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON June 2, 2012 If Monday evenings are quiet for you – give some thought to getting out for part of an evening on June 11th, and taking in the Art in Action’s silent night fund raising auction taking place at Rayoon’s Persian Fare, a Burlington secret in the Village Square.
Tickets are $30.00 each and include a drink and appetizers. The food at Rayoon’s is an experience you don’t want to miss.
 A Helen Griffith's piece of fine art should tempt many bidders to the Art in Action Silent Auction. Thirty six artists are donating their work to the Silent auction. Included are hand turned wood bowls, fine art paintings, goldsmithing, iron and stained glass works as well as photography and jewellery.
New this year is the $50 table – bid $50 and you take it home. You might want to get there on time for this table.
This is the 10th anniversary year for Art in Action and to celebrate the event they will be creating two $1000. Scholarships for Halton Region students intending to pursue full time, post secondary education this fall.
THAT is Art in Action.
 A necklace by Terry Silvana will be amongst the items up for the Silent Auction. The group holds an art studio tour every fall – the dates for this year are Saturday November 3 and Sunday November 4th , 2012. If you’ve not been – mark the dates on your calendar – it is a fun experience driving from studio to studio.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON June 2, 2012 It’s sort of like what the big marketing organizations do – they call it brand extension. When you take a brand – say Tide, which every one knows is washing detergents with a very distinctive look and extend that brand say, into hand soap – always a tricky thing to do.
Ian Cameron over at Different Drummer Books is extending his brand from books, for which he is well known, into music – small quintets, trios, quiet, dignified. There will be no Silverstein at A Different Drummer Books, if you don’t mind.
 Cottonwood Brass will play some material from the War of 1812 era, plus some of their usual fine work. Sunday June 10, at 3:00 pm The Cottonwood Brass will be doing pieces under the theme: “Brass from the Past”, it’s a session of rousing vintage music played on antique instruments.
Their repertoire includes two fascinating recently discovered pieces of local origin and a generous helping of music spanning the years from the War of 1812 to the early 20th century.
The artists are Graham Young and Ryan Baker on cornets, Johnny Bissell on horn, Mary Ann Pearson on euphonium and Dave Pearson on tuba.
Tickets are $15, available here at A Different Drummer. Refreshments will be served after the concert.
You can contact Ian at : (905) 639 0925 or diffdrum@mac.com to reserve.
 BURLINGTON, ON June 2, 2012 There is something absolutely delicious about over hearing a conversation others are having about someone you know. Our parents told us it wasn’t polite to listen in and perhaps it isn’t polite – but we listen in nevertheless. And we can’t wait to pass on what we heard.
Our source for what follows is impeccable – we would trust our first born with this man. He was sitting in the lobby of a public building – attending a by invitation only event.
Two ladies of a certain age were seated nearby and noticed Burlington’s MPP Jane McKenna walk into the space and one said to the other:
Oh, it’s going to be one of those events – Marvelous Mike will be here soon too.
To which the second lady replied:
Where have I heard that – the Marvelous Mike thing?
The first lady explains – It’s on that web site, the one done by the guy with the white hair.
Yes, said the second lady. I don’t understand the thing. What does he mean by cheeky and irrelevant.
The first lady corrects her friend and says – he says : cheeky and irreverent.
Oh responds the second lady of a certain age.
And continue with
“Why does he always talk about the kimono having to be open?”
The first responds with:
I think he must have had a bad experience in a Japanese brothel.
Ms McKenna stayed at the by invitation only event.
Marvelous Mike was in Ottawa doing the nation’s business.
Pepper Parr has never been to Japan
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON May 30, 2012 – More than 200 people gathered at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre today for Burlington’s Accessibility Awards. This first-time event, organized by the city’s accessibility advisory committee, celebrates business owners, service providers and community members who have made significant steps toward improving accessibility for people with disabilities in Burlington.
“Today we applaud and thank those who have become champions of accessibility in our community,” said Mayor Rick Goldring. “The collective actions of this year’s 16 award recipients signal that our city’s residents and the local business community are ready and committed to making Burlington a more inclusive and accessible city for all residents and visitors.”
The Honourable David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario attended as keynote speaker and praised recipients for their efforts in making Burlington a more accessible city.
 Row one: The Honourable David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario; Chris Chandler; Sue Shea and Sarah Lisi (Swiss Chalet)Row two: David Fisher (Burlington Accessibility Advisory Committee); Robin Rogers (Burlington Youth Soccer Club); Bob Wercholoz; Jim Casey (Able Sail); Don Green(Rotary Mobility Cup); Catherine Hawkins; Ian Ross (Burlington Arts Centre); Nancy MacMillan (Shell); Gwen Piller; Maria Condello (Longo’s); Mayor Rick Goldring; Councillor Blair Lancaster;Row three (back): Scott Wallace (Burlington Taxi); Dr. Stephen F. Hopkins (St. Christopher’s); Peter Summers (Burlington Youth Soccer Club); Martin McInally (Burlington Arts Centre); Bruce Whitehouse (Whiting Group of Canada); Dr. James Kraemer (Caroline Medical Group); Carole Ward The following is a list of this year’s award recipients in each category:
Education: Catherine Hawkins. Employment: Longo’s, Fairview Street, Swiss Chalet, Bruce Whitehouse, Whiting Group of Canada. Customer Service: Nancy MacMillan, Shell, Scott Wallace, Burlington Taxi. Recreation: Chris Chandler, Burlington Youth Soccer Club, Able Sail, • Rotary Mobility Cup 2011.
Volunteer: Bob Wercholoz , Carole Ward, Gwen Piller. Other: Burlington Art Centre, St Christopher’s Anglican Church, Caroline Medical Group
The awards were presented during National Access Awareness Week, which was established in 1988 following Rick Hanson’s 40,000 kilometre Man in Motion World Tour. The week allowed people to pause and think about accessibility in Burlington, to provide information to others and to call residents of the community to work toward equal access and full participation for people with disabilities.
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