 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON March 29, 2012 The first hint came when the city manager said: “This might not be the best model for the organization. The Burlington Economic Development Corporation is currently an arm’s length one and they have a specific mandate and we have to decide if that is the mandate it should have and then determine how well it is being met.
The comments were made during a Special Council meeting that had the words “Board of Directors” at the top of an Agenda rather than the words City Council.
 Kyle Benham, Executive Director, Burlington Economic Development Corporation. Thinking through a Prosperity Index. Burlington Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Kyle Benham was explaining how his organization works with the different economic sectors to keep an eye open for new business opportunities for the city as well as keeping in touch with those already here and growing. With a Strategic Plan in place that calls for a prosperous community – Benham and his crew are expected to kick in and be a large part of creating that prosperity. So far it hasn’t worked and many are wondering if the city manager might have a point – the model we are using may not be quite right.
There hasn’t been a major new business brought to the city for some time, and worse, several we may have had a chance with that got away on us. There doesn’t seem to be a solid, credible program in place to attract people to this city.
When Money Sense magazine declared Burlington was the 2nd best city in the country to live in the BEDC put out a special press release labelled Important Announcement! That seems to be the level at which the organization works; putting out press release “full of sound and fury but signifying nothing”. Many realize that the Money Sense “listing” is a public relations game and not something that one takes seriously or builds a marketing campaign on.
Mayor Goldring however is going to trot out that listing every opportunity he gets – he did it today at the networking luncheon.
Earlier in the day that Benham delivered his presentation the city’s Auditor, Sheila Jones, had given the meeting a solid explanation as to just what her job was and what she wasn’t there to do. While most tend to see auditors as people who count the money and make sure it was spent properly and then, as Councillor Blair Lancaster commented: “They tell you what you can and cannot do.” Jones explained that auditors do much more than that. We will tell the Jones story in more detail on another occasion – it’s impressive and if followed through on Burlington will see a much more professional level of accountability.
The BEDC is in an awkward situation. The model they work within has them holding events to raise much of their revenue. The organization is reported to raise more than 55% of its revenue through various events it holds which range from the four Imagine, Ignite, Innovate Luncheons which are known generically as the Mayor’s Networking Series. Then there are the two Economic Outlook Breakfasts and the Signature event – the Entrepreneur of the Year Celebration which is really more of a Lifetime Achievement Award.
These events suck up much of the available staff time and many wonder if these events are really a meeting of the mandate – which is to bring new business to Burlington. Each of the events are good networking occasions – but just how many networking events does the business community need each year and isn’t this something the Chamber of Commerce is already doing?
With PROSPERITY a key word in the Strategic Plan it was felt it would be useful to have a Prosperity Index that would pull together a collection of reliable data that would, in an instant, tell business people how the city was doing economically. Benham struggled with explanations as to how such an index would be put together; one didn’t get the sense that we were going to see anything useful very soon.
 There is development taking place but too much of it is public sector development that creates jobs until the task is done - doesn't create long term well paying jobs - and that is what economic development is all about. In one part of the presentation Benham asked: “What are the key objectives of an Index? And then went on to list the following: Common Focus on Strategic Objectives, Greater Accountability, High Performance Governance, Evidence based decision making.
These are first year commerce student platitudes. An Index is a measure. Show how many widgets were made last month and how many were made this month and ask why the difference. And did we manage to sell the widgets we made.
These are the questions and answers the manufacturers along Mainway want and it is what they are entitled to from an organization in place to aid in the development of the local economy. It isn’t an easy job. Everyone out there realizes that manufacturing as we have known it in Ontario is a thing of the past. And everyone wants those high paying, high tech, clean jobs. Those jobs will go to the community that offers the most to the companies looking for a place to live and a place to grow – and they aren’t all that impressed with a sign that says -We are the 2nd best place to live in the country.
Economic development may indeed be more efficiently and effectively delivered if it is run from City Hall.
We did not write this piece, nor did Burlington MPP Jane McKenna write it. The document is a canned letter that was made available to all the Progressive Conservative MPP’s. All they had to do was drop their names in.
The biggest impact the Provincial government is going to have is the notice that the Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital is going to get done with ground breaking planned for next December.
 QUEEN’S PARK March 28, 2012 Burlington MPP Jane McKenna emerged from the budget lock-up today to express her disbelief at the Liberal government’s 2012 Budget, a dismal plan that will do little to stem government spending, spur economic recovery, or create jobs for Ontarians.
“This is an empty gesture,” said Mrs. McKenna. “There’s no plan to make significant structural changes to the way government operates. There’s no plan to deliver the jobs we need. The budget increases spending over last year and – after outsourcing economic vision to Don Drummond – has now apparently outsourced the responsibility for delivering savings.”
The 2012 Budget revealed that the Finance Minister is hoping to find almost $13 billion in savings through restraint by public sector workers, who are apparently expected to balance the books for the government. The success of the budget depends on this sunny best-case scenario.
 Burlington MPP Jane McKenna is not going to support the Liberal budget. As well, the Finance Minister has identified $4.9 billion in savings from overlap and duplication. “That so-called savings is what most Ontarians would call waste,” said Mrs. McKenna. “To be more specific, it’s Liberal waste. The reality is that this government has waited nine years to commit to spending sensibly. And then they actually have the nerve to talk about ‘the respect we owe all Ontarians who are counting on us to eliminate the deficit.’ “This is a government that doesn’t understand how to budget, doesn’t know how to stop spending, and doesn’t have the stomach to lead real change. It doesn’t have the courage or the creativity to tackle the very real, very serious problems that we’re facing. But it’s still costing taxpayers $10 billion annually to service interest on the debt. We have a deficit now three times the size of all other provinces, combined. We’re barreling toward a $30 billion deficit and a credit downgrade. Ontarians are not just running out of patience. They’re also running out of time.”
This government has lost touch with reality, suggested Mrs. McKenna. ”The McGuinty Liberals make no connection between fiscal responsibility and business confidence, but you can bet Bay Street and the ratings agencies get it,” she said. “Capital is mobile. Investors can go anywhere. Why would they go somewhere with high levels of debt and high taxes? What we’re seeing is an almost total lack of a jobs plan except for yet another advisory body. It’s a big zero.”
 Burlington MPP McKenna appears prepared to see the province plunged into an election over the budget. Does she have election signs left over from the last election - when was that? - less than six months ago. “This is the time for tough and responsible fiscal management,” MPP McKenna added. “Today’s budget is a weak and disappointing response to Ontario’s jobs and spending crisis. But there’s absolutely no need for Ontario to be condemned to a $30 billion deficit and continued stagnant economic growth. That’s why I will continue to promote our positive Ontario PC plan to get our economic fundamentals back in shape, as we have been doing every day since the last election.”
Editors note: McKenna doesn’t have a word to say about the hospital news. The Progressive Conservatives are expected to vote against the budget in the Legislature then cross their fingers and hope that the New Democrats hold their noses and vote for it and thus avoid an election which the PC’s cannot afford – they still owe a reported $6 million from the last election.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON March 28, 2012 Did you hear the one about the two cars driving west along the QEW? You really don`t want the details but there were two vehicles that came back to civilization from the Big Smoke where they were locked up in a room with thick documents in front of them.
Burlington sent two of its brighter lights into the city to take part in that budget tradition of locking up a bunch of journalists in the same room where they could swap tales and then rush through the document and write up their stories. In the days when Toronto had three daily newspapers each looked for an angle that was unique to its audience.
Today the “lockup” has more lobbyists in the room than actual journalists, each there to put a specific spin on the budget.
 Two of Burlington's best spent much of Tuesday locked up in a room reading the budget document. Having done that sort of thing with federal budgets I chose not to walk into the room but Mario Joanette, VP Communications for the Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital, and a political junkie if there ever was one, drove into town, snagged a good parking spot because he knows his way around the Legislature and settled in for a day with his chums.
Frank McKeown on the other hand had never been in a “lock up”`so for him it was a totally new experience. It will be interesting to hear what he learned.
The news out of the budget was good for Burlington and its hospital hopes and good for the municipal sector overall. Neither Joanette nor Mayor Goldring were totally surprised by the news. Joanette says the hospital is on track and are close to having a “functional plan” – should be done in a couple of weeks then it goes to the technical people and the architects. “We are still on for the start of construction sometime in December, states Joanette.
Henry Decker is the Director at the hospital who will oversee the actual construction from the hospitals perspective..
Mayor Goldring is very pleased to see the announcement out there for everyone else to see. Goldring has been in continued contact with people at Infrastructure Ontario, the people who will handle the construction of the hospital and handle the different tendering’s and bid selections. He has had conversations with the Minister of Health and Long Term Care, Deb Matthews, who was re-assuring in her conversations but she wasn’t the Minister of Finance – and that’s where the financial decisions were made.
The hospital has relied heavily on Ted McMeekin, the Minster of Agriculture in neighbouring Flamborough constituency. McMeekin clearly did great stuff for Burlington but wasn’t able to save the Grimsby hospital.
With the doubt that was in the air now gone the mood in the city will get more positive. Hospital Foundation Fund Raising Chairman Brian Torsney can now get out his telephone list and start making calls. His Board can expect a breakfast meeting to be called real soon; they have some catching up to do. The city of Burlington has $8.4 million of its $60 million share in the bank collecting interest.
Mayor Goldring expects the agreement between the hospital and the city to be completed “shortly”, which isn’t exactly a unit of measurement, and suggested that it could be up to eight weeks before the document gets to City Council.
 This is the crew that will head up the raising of $60 million from the community. Back row (l-r): Elizabeth Law, Susan Moore, Carmela Friday, Stephen Friday, Brian Heagle, Mel Griffin, Peter Hogarth, Michael O'Sullivan, Randy Smallbone (Treasurer) Front row (l-r): Kevin Brady, Eric Vandewall, Brian Torsney (Chair), Brenda Hunter (First Vice Chair), Anissa Hilborn (Foundation President) While there were doubts, concerns and a lot of questions about the redevelopment of the hospital, the budget read on Tuesday has put those to rest. The Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital is going to be redeveloped – you won’t recognize the place when they are finished. The only thing that can change the plans at this point is the government failing to get its budget passed in the Legislature and the calling of an election. How will Burlington’s MPP Jane McKenna vote on this budget – will she follow her political party or will she vote for the hospital re-development her constituents want so dearly, and for which she campaigned for during the October election. Politics is a funny business at times.
The hard hats for the ground breaking ceremony that could take place in December are on order.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON March 27, 2012 On Saturday March 24 at 11:00 a.m., a woman was seated in her parked car getting ready to leave the YMCA lot, 500 Drury Lane, Burlington. Just prior to the woman leaving, a man pulled up in his car, exited, and started a conversation with the woman. The man seemed to be expressing some romantic interests. The woman declined the advances and the man got into his car and drove away without issue.
The following morning the woman discovered a note on the windshield of her car, that had been parked in a Burlington residential driveway all night. The note made reference to the encounter that had occurred the day prior. The note contained information that strongly suggested the woman was being stalked (Criminal Harassment) by the same man.
The man who approached the woman in the parking lot is being sought as a person of interest in relation to this investigation. He is described as male, black, 30-35 years, stocky build. He is thought to be driving an older model dark blue or black VW Passat, Volvo or other similarly styled vehicle.
Earlier in the week police reported they had received a complaint about a male committing an indecent act while standing inside his residence, in front of a window and in public view.
The police arrested Anthony MATTHEWS, 51 of Burlington and charged him with Criminal Harassment, Commit an Indecent Act and Breach of Probation. Matthew was held in custody for a bail hearing.
Anyone with information that would assist in this investigation is asked to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905 825-4747 x2315, Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-TIPS(8477), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 275637(crimes).
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON March 27, 2012 Here is the flash we got from Frank McKeown who was in the lock up reading the 450 page plus budget document: Jbmh remains in the budget. So there you have it – straight from the horses mouth.
Burlington had at least two people in the room where they get to sit and read the budget document but can’t leave the room or use their cell phones until the Minister of Finance stands up and reads the document.
Great drama and all kinds of fun being in a room with perhaps as many as 100 people who have read the same document each looking for whatever take their organization has on things financial.
Frank McKeown, top aide and thinker in the Mayor`s office, was there to get a better sense of what Burlington needs to do to improve its relationship with the provincial government.
Mario Joanette, VP communications for the Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital, was also in the room. He wanted to be absolutely certain that his hospital was not on any cancellation list.
The budget document said:
Reducing hospital investments, including cancelling four previously announced major hospital projects and rescoping two others, will result in reduced borrowing of $570 million. The government will continue its investments in more than 30 new major hospital projects, in addition to the 25 major projects currently under construction.
Previously announced major hospital projects to be cancelled are West Lincoln Memorial Hospital Redevelopment; Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre — Replace Hemodialysis Unit; South Bruce Grey Health Centre (Kincardine) — Emergency and Ambulatory Project; and Wingham and District Hospital — Phase 1 Ambulatory and Inpatient Project.
Next steps: Well, once the Champagne glasses have been put away and the high fives are done – the hospital people will get down to work and make this really happen. The city and the hospital still have to work through the agreement that determines what the hospital will do with the money the city sends their way, but the budget announcement will make everyone feel quite a bit better.
Brian Torsney, head of the fund raising campaign for the hospital, now has to ramp up his fund raising team and begin to pull in those dollars so that the Hospital Foundation can begin to show what portion of the $120 million they have to raise on a 50/50 basis with the city. Burlington has more than $4 million of its $60 million in the bank.
Is this a good thing for Burlington? We can wait till later in the week to address that issue. It’s a done deal and that is what most people in Burlington wanted – so let’s get on with it.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON March 27, 2012 One Council member thought it was a “manufactured issue”, the other will use it heavily in her re-election campaign.
A new committee was formed with Hamilton at the table on this one. It’s going to be called the Greater Bay Area Liaison Committee. This is going to be one of those shared responsibility things – which sometimes means that no one is leading and therefore you don’t get anywhere. And, dealing with that democratic mess known as Hamilton will be an experience. But the agenda is a noble one – let’s see how they do.
Councillor Taylor asked to be relieved of his seat at the Downtown Core Commitment Review and was replaced by Councillor Craven who remarked that following Councillor Taylor was like following Baryshnikov as a dancer.
 Owners of properties backing onto creeks in the Alton community got a shock when they learned that a third of their property could not be used. They were stunned - the problem got resolved. Residents in the Alton community got a problem they shouldn’t have had, taken care of. We learned that an innovative taxi service is going to be set up as a pilot project for the downtown crowd that takes to the streets, when the bars close, and get out of hand at times when they can’t get a cab to get home.
Getting more homes off the Heritage Registry got deferred until the Burlington Heritage Advisory Committee can come in with the report the city is anxiously waiting to have dropped on their desks sometime in June. Expect that report to come in later than originally planned. The Heritage Advisory people have realized they need more data on just what people who are not stakeholders in the heritage game – they want to know what the average taxpayer thinks and are hoping to scrape up some funding for a quick public opinion survey.
Heritage, a contentious issue in this city is being handled with kid gloves these days. The Committee is the go to place when someone wants to do something with a piece of property that has or would even appear to have heritage potential. That committee is made of representation from the community, with people who get appointed to the Committee by the city and representation from different stakeholders. The Burlington Historical Society has two seats at the table.
Currently the committee is working assiduously to complete a report for city council which they, the council, hope will point to a direction that will help them get out of the mess things heritage are in the city. They have a very tight deadline with a board that has four new members who have to be brought up to speed and then integrated with a committee that is working full bore at getting their report into the hands of city council.
Those who are working hardest on the report appear to work very well together; there is some solid talent around that table – it will be interesting to hear what they come forward with. While they tend to be a little on the secretive side, and use the excuse that a document is a draft and therefore should not be released – which isn’t the definition of transparency the Shape Burlington report called for, nor is it the rule of thumb Shaping Burlington has been pressing for either, their hearts are in the right place.
 All seven members of Council got a face to face with a team from the Heritage Advisory committee - a second session with each of them is in the works. Members of the community did a Jehovah’s Witness number on every Council member ten days ago when three of them met with each council member to take them through the working draft they had in hand looking for response, comment and input.
They do have plans to take their wisdom to the public but by the time the average man on the streets sees the documents it may well have become close to cast in stone. One hopes not.
Council members have been much more open with their comments with one noting that he had all his comments ready for what he thought was going to be a short meeting – “it lasted more than an hour” and “they seem to be concerned about the short term matters as much as they are concerned about the long term question about what Burlington wants to do with heritage”.
Randy McLaughlin points out, quite correctly that, “we are here as advisers. Our job is to canvas the issues, get as much as we can in the way of facts and the views of the community and then give council our best advice and support the advice with rationale that will hold up.” McLaughlin points out that many committees get into advocacy and forget they are there to advise.
All well and good – but for those people who have asked to have their homes removed from the Registry the city maintains – the waiting is awkward. Councillor Dennison, when asked if the people who were at the Committee meeting wanting to delegate could be heard, was told that they had already been told the issue of changes to heritage designations was being deferred until sometime in June – so they didn’t appear.
Councillor Lancaster wanted to be sure these people were not experiencing any financial hardship related to their request to be taken off the Registry. Anthony Facenda, a recently appointed member of the Heritage Advisory Committee, delegated to Council with comments that he believed made it very clear that there is a financial price paid by property owners when their property is place on the list. There are a number of experts who think otherwise – but that’s an issue that will get debated at city Council.
Burlington Taxi and the Burlington Restaurant Association brought an interesting and innovative idea to the committee. More on that one in a separate story.
The Burlington Downtown Business Association asked that the timeline they are working to on the core Commitment Downtown Business Review be extended just a wee bit – Council committee said sure. There is a research report the BDBA is spending major dollars on ($80,000) and they want that information in the report. They want to collect data to ensure that their recommendations are fact based (that would help). Makes sense. This decision moves the final report into the second quarter of 2013.
It was that kind of a night at City Council Community Development Committee.
The real action took place at a Special Council meeting held in the morning, where there was a report and update on the Strategic Plan and where we heard phrases like “how much better can we make things” and the top dog on the administrative side of things told the committee that “the city has clients who pay for services with their taxes” and Jeff Fielding wants to give those customers a report card on how things are going. His report cards will be backed up with data and bench marks and, dare we say it: accountability.
This IS marvelous stuff – new to the city and if they can make it happen you will see significant savings and better value for your tax dollar. Just how good was it? Councillor Mead Ward said she wouldn’t shoot anyone – and that has to be good news.
It was that kind of a day at city hall.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON March 27, 2012 Halton Regional Police investigators have now determined the thieves who robbed a twelve year old girl, who was with a 12 year old girlfriend, of her iPod in the area of Duncaster Drive and Melissa Crescent, Burlington (Brant Hills Park), on March 18th, fled the area on a motorcycle that had been parked at the Brant Hills Community Centre. The motorcycle was being driven by suspect #1.
The motorcycle is described as a sport bike, predominantly blue in colour with white in areas. The motorcycle may have had lightning bolt decals on it.
 To be held up ay knife point is terrifying for anyone - for the two twelve years old girls in the Brant Hills community it was life altering. This is the kind of police investigative work that catches criminals. The guys who own that bike want to begin worrying. If you don’t turn yourself in – look for a good criminal lawyer.
The two suspects were described as:
Suspect #1 – Male, black, mid-teens, 6’, thin build very short hair. He was armed with a knife. Clothing description – grey and white patterned cloth jacket and denim pants
Suspect #2 – Male, Latin American, early teens, 5’3”, heavy build, short black hair. Clothing Description – black hooded sweatshirt, denim pants
Investigators are asking for information about anyone matching the description of the suspects that may own, operate or have access to a motorcycle similar to the one described. Investigators can be contacted at 905 825-4747 x2343, Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-TIPS(8477), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637(crimes).
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON March 27, 2012 The Ontario Municipal Board hearing of an appeal against a city of Burlington zoning by-law change is to take place on Wednesday April 18th at 10:00 am in Room 247 at City Hall and not on the 27th of April as we erroneously stated in a previous story.
 Number of units and prices may change after the OMB hearing Richard Szymczyk was Principal at the Glenwood School from 1968 – 71, worked with his community to stop the development that originally wanted 78 units but saw it brought down to 54 units, when it came before Council and its committees many months ago. The community failed to get the developers plans reduced to the point they felt was in keeping with the scale of the community.
Szymczyk would have walked by the planned development site every day for the three years he ran the school. He knew the community and its residents well and believed the housing project was a mistake.
He decided there was merit in appealing the city’s change in the zoning bylaw and he filed the appropriate papers. Now, more than a year later a date has been set and the community goes up against the city’s planning department and an OMB officer will make a determination.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON March 26, 2012 The residents, in the still under construction Alton community, won a fight they shouldn’t have had to fight last night at city hall. Close to 40 residents filled much of the Council Chamber to support a bylaw change the city was making to basically give the residents of streets abutting the creeks the right to really use property they bought, and in some cases paid premiums of $10,000 to $40, 000 extra to have back yards that abutted into a creek.
 There are a number of creeks running through the Alton community, shown in the squiggly red lines. Residents who bought property backing onto those creeks, often at a premium, found they were not allowed to use a large portion of their back yards. While the technicalities of the issue would only interest a Planning Geek, and we have a few of them in this city, the issue for the property owners was – why can’t I put a deck right up to the fence in my back yard. The short answer was: Because the developer who sold the properties in the first instance did a bit of a number on the Planning Department – some might call it pulling a fast one, which allowed the developer to squeeze in more lots..
Due to Conservation Halton rules, which most people in the community didn’t even know existed, space at the edge of a creek is sometimes defined as “top of bank” or “flood plain” and if either of those existed, then some of the property could not be used. Complex stuff which, as Director of Planning Bruce Krushelnicki said in a voice that was more passionate than one normally hears from him: People buying homes, sometimes their first home, he said, should have to look for and read fine print on a sign.
The end result was a positive one for the community – it is something planners should have seen coming their way back when the sub-division was first planned and laid out. “Lessons learned” was the way the committee session put it.
Councillor Rick Craven , Ward 1, Aldershot, asked if these new interpretation of the rules would apply to the Eagle Heights development in his part of the city and he was assured by the planners that they would. Craven was sending a signal to the developer, in this case Paletta International, that conservation issues would be carefully watched as the Eagle Heights development went forward. While it is not up to planners to insist that developers be more forthcoming with information about the property they are selling – where were all the lawyers who processed these sales and, supposedly looked over the deeds and the documents. What were they paid to do for their clients?
While the debate took place at a Community Development Committee meeting, in Burlington what gets done at committee gets one of the fastest rubber stampings you will ever see, when the Ward Councillors meet as a city Council. See this as a done deal.
The construction of the combination community centre, high school and library is well underway. School has been named; will the library and community centre use the same names?
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON March 24, 2012 It would be nice to know that there has been a meeting that involved senior people at city hall and senior people at the hospital and ideally our provincial MPP, where they attempted to set out what the options for the city and its hospital are when the provincial budget is released on Tuesday.
The likelihood of Jane McKenna being at the table are slim – she has been left out of the loop having to do with the hospital. Senior staff at Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital rely on Ancaster – Dundas – Flamborough – Westdale MPP Ted McMeekin to speak for them and plead their case.
 The provincial government commissioned a document that came to be known as the Drummond Report. The purpose of the report was to tell the government where savings could be found and point to some possible directions for the government. One decision was to sell the LCBO warehouse on the waterfront in Toronto but it went much deeper than small cosmetic changes. The report made it very clear: there had to be very deep and significant cuts in spending which were set out in the 346 recommendations made in the 945 page two volume report.
Premier Dalton McGuinty made it clear that he was not going to cut classroom sizes nor was he prepared to ease up on all day kindergarten plans. He was prepared to ask teachers to get by without a pay raise for two years but that was as far as he was prepared to go with education cuts..
It was clear that infrastructure spending was going to be cut and that hospital construction was going to feel the impact. Pre budget comments from anyone is more than a “mugs” game; budget leaks are a no, no and anyone who says they have spoken to someone “who knows” is spinning fog and deliberately misleading.
There have been reports that Mario Joanette, vice president communications knows for sure that the Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital re-development is not going to be included in the cuts. Joanette just doesn’t know that for certain. The only way he could know is if Treasurer Jim Flaherty whispered the words in his ear, and if that whispering took place on St. Patrick’s Day then it doesn’t count. Joanette, like everyone else, will know what is going to happen by the end of the day on Tuesday, when the budget is read out in the provincial Legislature.
If the re-development of the hospital is the best thing for Burlington, then the project should proceed, if the government can afford it. It is not my belief that re-developing Joseph Brant is the best thing for the community nor do I believe the government has the money to do the job. My view is that at best, the JBMH project will get pushed back to 2017.
What responsible politicians and bureaucrats should be doing is gathering in a room and trying to set out just what the options are if the government moves a starting date back or, what the city does if they take this re-development right off the table.
The city is certainly doing its share to pay for the community portion of $120 million: $60 million from the Hospital Foundation and $60 million by the city. Burlington has already set aside more than $4 million in a reserve fund that will get sent along to the hospital once there is an agreement in place as to just what the money is to actually be spent on. At this point the Memorandum of Understanding is still unsigned.
What has become clearer recently for the public is that the “parking garage” is quite a bit more than a place to store cars. It is going to be the location for the Family Medicine Practice that McMaster University has said they want to locate on the JBMH property. McMaster has basically diddled the city on just about every project they have done with the city.
McMaster announced recently that their “preferred” location for the Family Medicine Practice was on the hospital property. The agreement between McMaster University, the Region and Burlington had an Amendment that defined just what was meant by Health Care and where it was to be located – ”within the boundary of the mixed uses centre” of the city of Burlington. The Health Care part is now known as the Family Medical Practice which we now know is going to be part of the parking garage that was talked about at all the city council meetings. Along with the parking garage, the structure will include two floors of medical services space that is to be a minimum of 10,000 square feet and the offices of the Hospital Foundation. The structure is reported to be seven storeys high.
Quite how one describes the JBMH complex as part of the downtown with a straight face is beyond me. Ian Ross, Executive Director of the Burlington Art Centre, will tell you that he doesn’t see his buildings as part of the downtown core and the hospital is west of the Art Centre. Those academics sure know how to twist language.
The first thing that has to happen is the creation of a common agenda. Differences aside – we are all in this together – and we all rely on the provincial government to provide funding and right now our provincial government is close to broke. The impact of the 2008 recession still lingers, to which has to be has added, the significant structural shift taking place in the Canadian economy. Ontario, once the engine of the country’s economy, is now struggling as it transforms itself out of the manufacturing sector into – well the province isn’t quite sure what it is going to transform into. What it does believe it knows is that we are going to have to have a well-educated work force and thus the decision to pump money we do have into education.
That doesn’t relieve the leaders of Burlington from their responsibilities – and that is to figure out how we will deal with a decision that says “no provincial money” for Burlington for maybe as much as five years.
For something like this to work however, everyone has to come to the table and agree on a common agenda. Right now we have McMaster still taking advantage of everyone. Burlington is still paying McMaster the $10 million it agreed to pay if they located some of the facilities in the city. The DeGroote School of Business did come to Burlington and there was at one point a sign on the Elizabeth Street parking lot announcing it was to be built at that location but, someone else with land to sell got in between the city and the University and the DeGroote School of Business is now out on the South Service Road..
Does Burlington hand over the $4.8 million it has in the bank and continue to pass along the $60 million they have committed tax payers to over the next six years?
The hospital foundation hasn’t exactly been issuing press release after press release telling us that they now have $20 million; now thirty million and getting close to forty five million in the bank. Hospital CEO Eric Vanderwall boldly told Burlington city council that the hospital would match the city dollar for dollar in fund raising – don’t think they can do that today. The people with the fat wallets seem to be sitting on them. The one thing the public has seen is a two page full colour spread in a local newspaper with pictures of the fund raising committee. We hope that space was a gift from the newspaper.
What does the city do if the government says: “Yes, but not right now – and we will tell you when.” Well what can we do? Tell the ambulance to head for Hamilton is one option. The new Oakville hospital is under construction and the flow of funds to that site will not stop so that’s an option – as long as your need for serious surgery can wait that long.
Burlington Council member John Taylor thinks there is a better way to pay for the hospital and has asked that the city look into funding the $70 million city portion with some form of a bond that would be available to the public.
Right now when Burlington has to go to the public financial markets for funds, which we do every year, we tally up what we need and take that number to the Region. Their treasurer adds up what each of the municipalities in the Region needs and then goes to the public markets and gets the best deal possible deal for the debenture they put on the market. Municipal debt is seen as good risk. The Region, as Chair Gary Carr will remind you, has a better credit rating than the United States of America.
 The provincial government will announce on Tuesday where they will cut spending. It is expected to be drastic and may well impact on JBMH re-development plans. No one really knows what is going to happen. Any commment made is misleading and irresponsible. Taylor’s view is that some of the debt the Region sells could be set up in such a way that it qualifies for inclusion in an RRSP for even an RESP. While it takes a little more effort, the Region might have enough clout in the financial markets and be able to cut out some of the middle men in the game and keep the administration costs on these things lower than usual. Are there enough people in Burlington, or the Region for that matter, to take up several hundred million so that Burlington could raise the money on its own and proceed with building the hospital with money ‘invested’ by the community. Taylor has enough people who think the idea has some merit and will be meeting with Regional people to see what’s possible.
The province doesn’t have the money but they do have a credit rating and we could – maybe – sell some of the bonds to the province and have them pay Burlington citizens back in 15 to 20 years when the bonds mature. Regional debentures will certainly pay more than the miserable return the banks are giving these days and they are as solid as Canada Savings Bonds.
There are all kinds of possibilities but we have to get off our butts and do some of this thinking for ourselves because no one else is going to do it for us.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON March 24, 2012 Every year the provincial government requires municipalities to publish the names of those people who earn more than $100,000 during a year, along with whatever supplementary amounts are paid, usually travel or training amounts.
Former city Manager Roman Martiuk is on the list because, believe it or not, he is still on the city payroll. Figure that one out.
Burlington has a very expensive fire department, partly because the firefighters are required to put in a significant amount of overtime.
During the last budget cycle Council did not give the Fire Chief authority to hire the additional four fire fighters he said he needed for the new #8 fire station. He now has to juggle the staff he has and pay a significant amount of overtime.
Some of the amounts being paid raise more than an eyebrow. Some of the increases paid over the previous year almost make one gulp. We did not have access to our figures for last year, but next year we will lay in a year to year comparison.
Disclosure for 2011 under the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act, 1996: Municipalities and Services
Those in the private sector will look at the salaries being paid and look at what they pay their staff and, in some office there will be some head shaking.
 General Manager Scott Stewart doesn`t miss much. One of the most highly paid civil servants in Burlington – worth every dime we give him There will be those at city hall who will see their name on the list for the first time and be quite proud of the achievement – and they should be. Breaking the $100,000 salary level is significant. There are a lot of people at city hall who earn every dollar we pay them. General Managers Kim Phillips and Scott Stewart carried the senior level of administration for the four months we were without a city manager. Burlington doesn’t have a bonus system or give merit pay, had we had such a policy they would have been at the top of that list.
 General Manager Kim Phillips, along with Scott Stewart, carried the administrative load while the city was between city managers. Well paid with taxpayers getting value for money. There are salary levels on the list that quite frankly surprise us – several that stun me. The value for money just isn’t there – some perhaps will not be on the list next year.
Council members don’t appear on the list because a large part of their income comes from the Region and that is a different list. We covered those salaries in a separate story.
For some reason, none of the people at the Economic Development Corporation don`t appear on the list nor is the Librarian. No one from the Performing Arts Centre or the Burlington Art Gallery. we will dig into that when people are at their desks on Monday.
What is clear from this list is that public sector jobs pay very well
 There is a reason for calling the civil servant salary listing the Sunshine List. It was created by the Mike Harris government in 2006. Read carefully in every municipality.
Here it is – THE list.
ALDHAM Judy Field Serv. Supervisor $109,088.86 $1,672.81
ALLDRIDGE, Brian Platoon Chief $114,318.08 $628.68
ANSELL, Daniel T Captain $109,417.89 $577.68
ANTONIOW, Phil Manager $104,156.19 $579.59
BAKOS, Michael Captain $107,309.72 $563.58
BARRY, Phillip Captain $104,788.32 $566.01
BAVOTA, Deputy Fire Chief $129,670.30 $2,165.36
BAYLOR, Mark Captain $109,718.32 $563.58
BAYNTON, Steve T . Captain $109,719.33 $585.84
BEATTY, David . Deputy Fire Chief $122,285.21 $2,130.54
BEDINI, Chris District Supervisor $103,966.34 $642.78
BENNETT, Randy Manager of I T $112,435.50 $622.74
BENNITT, James District Supervisor $101,829.73 $791.25
BIELSKI, Bianca Manager $131,727.94 $735.30
BIRCH, Charles . Captain $114,620.31 $577.68
BOYD, Laura Manager HR $101,698.11 $560.70
CAUGHLIN, Deborah Manager $101,018.52 $561.37
CHOLEWKA, Chris Captain $101,795.79 $535.26
COULSON, Anne Marie Manager $118,422.63 $637.20
CRASS, John Manager $107,364.79 $596.55
DI PIETRO, Manager $117,961.02 $648.48
DONATI, Derrick K Firefighter $105,870.45 $475.50
DOWD, Timothy Captain $109,267.69 $564.69
DUNCAN, John Manager $116,221.86 $1,593.16
EICHENBAUM, T Director $161,136.28 $883.56
EVANS, Frances Manager $106,505.20 $577.68
FORD, Joan Deputy Treasurer $149,695.03 $778.80
GLENN, Christopher Director $130,710.51 $639.54
GLOBE, Darren Captain $104,130.69 $557.34
GOLDRING, Rick Mayor $159,645.38 $3,401.86
GOTTSCHLING, Fred Coordinator $101,499.64 $572.10
GRISON, Gregory Captain $107,255.05 $577.68
HAMILTON, Scott Manager $109,050.72 $589.90
HAYES, Dennis Captain $108,213.16 $563.58
HEBNER, Peter Captain $111,039.78 $577.68
HURLEY, Blake Solicitor $132,139.12 $622.21
JONES, Sheila City Auditor $114,217.17 $645.72
JURK, Robert Project Leader $105,971.50 $585.45
KELL, Donna Manager $114,812.92 $608.10
KELLY, John Captain $107,762.39 $563.58
KOEVOETS, Matt District Supervisor $108,527.14 $1,362.95
KRUSHELNICKI, B Director $159,662.99 $888.04
KUBOTA, Erika Solicitor $136,966.60 $640.76
LAING, Bruce Captain $109,417.88 $585.09
LAPORTE, Jason Captain $100,008.70 $459.54
LASELVA, John Supervisor $104,929.73 $567.72
LONG, Mark Captain $107,106.03 $563.58
MACDONALD, Gary Captain $109,417.87 $577.68
MACKAY, Michael J Captain $109,417.88 $591.58
MAGI, Allan Ex Dir $176,238.07 $960.06
MALE, Roy Executive Director $176,560.52 $985.50
MARTIUK, Roman City Manager $223,221.17 $2,575.63
MCGUIRE, Chris District Supervisor $105,115.55 $598.10
MCNAMARA, Michael Captain $114,223.52 $586.07
MERCANTI, Cindy Manager $104,306.52 $557.88
MINTZ, Shayne Fire Chief $149,779.99 $6,172.98
MONTEITH, Ross Platoon Chief $125,082.15 $642.90
MORGAN, Angela City Clerk $128,022.39 $674.04
MYERS, Peter Captain $109,417.88 $577.68
NICELIU, Kenneth Firefighter $100,832.37 $489.90
NICHOLSON, Alan Captain $110,738.74 $577.68
O’REILLY, Sandra Coordinator $104,015.69 $563.58
PEACHEY, Robert Manager $108,917.26 $609.33
PHILLIPS, Kim General Manager $196,500.29 $9,132.78
POLIZIANI, Matthew Captain $100,608.90 $499.02
POWELL, Lynn District Supervisor $100,902.29 $526.28
REILLY, Peter Captain $106,811.82 $563.58
ROBERTSON, C Director $142,056.62 $1,264.58
ROCK, Jeffrey Captain $106,811.82 $563.58
SCHMIDT-SHOUKRI, J Manager $133,555.64 $713.05
SHAHZAD, Arif Engineer $101,492.56 $555.12
SHEA NICOL, Nancy City Solicitor $161,722.85 $784.50
SHEPHERD, Donna Director of Transit $156,382.79 $880.74
SHIELDS, Lisa Solicitor $108,597.68 $627.93
SLACK, Craig D Platoon Chief $125,082.17 $642.90
SMITH, Clint Platoon Chief $122,658.32 $642.90
SPICER, Mike Transit Manager $115,644.78 $646.50
STEIGINGA, Ron Manager $111,791.58 $614.52
STEVENS, Craig Supervisor $100,806.65 $516.54
STEWART, Scott General Manager $197,697.29 $10,199.63
SWANCE, Jeffrey Captain $109,417.88 $584.30
SWENOR, Christine Director $154,679.63 $840.18
TAGGART, David Manager $113,845.03 $586.08
WEBER, Jeff Deputy Fire Chief $130,247.96 $9,288.98
WEIR, Kenneth Supervisor $103,473.76 $474.21
WHEATLEY, Ryan Captain $101,388.82 $483.15
WIGNALL, Mark Firefighter $111,196.08 $505.46
WONG, Betty Controller- $129,804.94 $716.42
WOODS, Douglas Captain $109,417.88 $577.68
ZORBAS, Steve Executive Dir. $193,149.38 $6,839.64
ZVANIGA, Bruce Director $135,711.05 $764.64
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON March 23, 2012 – The city is now in the match-making business and the Jefferson Salamander is grateful.
Prior to the city getting into – well they didn’t exactly get into bed with Jeffie – but they did sort of make the bed and then left the door open so that the boy Jeffies and the girl Jeffies could get together and make little Jeffies .
The good people in the corporate communications department report that the closure of a stretch of King Road to protect the endangered Jefferson salamander, the annual egg-laying migration, went without any major incidents or disruption and no loss of any salamanders.
Terrestrial ecologists from Conservation Halton have noted viable Jefferson salamander egg clusters in the vernal ponds in the area, while seeing no evidence of salamander road-kill since the closure began.
 He isn't exactly pretty but nevertheless plays an important role in the local environment. Comes in different colours as well. King Road, from the base of the Niagara Escarpment to Mountain Brow Road, has been closed since March 8 to allow the endangered Jefferson salamander safe passage during its annual migration to lay eggs. The closure continues until March 29.
For the most part, public response to the closure has been positive and the city has received national attention for doing its part to help preserve an endangered species.
But not all the reaction has been positive.
“Unfortunately there is evidence that in few isolated incidents, some drivers have attempted to drive around the barricades to use the road,” said Burlington’s Director of Transportation Services, Bruce Zvaniga. “Beyond endangering the Jefferson salamanders and the obvious hazard of damaging your vehicle by driving off-road, drivers doing so run the risk of being fined $110. under the Highway Traffic Act.” The traffic services people encourages drivers to use Waterdown Road as an alternate for the duration of the closure.
Burlington’s social profile seems to be undergoing a change as a result of all the attention the salamander is getting. CBC’s As it Happens did a piece, the Mayor was interviewed; he was all excited about doing a piece on the little critter. Can we can expect to see T-shirts on the streets of the city; perhaps Burlington Green will officially adopt the Jefferson salamander.
The Jefferson salamander played a large part in the Nelson Aggregate hearings to prevent the issuing of a permit to open a new mine along Colling Road on the Escarpment.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON March 23, 2012 They are all aflutter over at Ireland House. The “Queen” is going to be there on Mother`s Day (May 13th) and they are just beside themselves with excitement.
It is truly an event of enormous proportions and all funded by the – well you know who sends cheques to the good people in Burlington, who so continuously and loyally support a government of a certain colour – Royal Blue of course. But I digress. Let me tell you of this event in the words we got from Ireland House.
 “The Museums of Burlington are excited to announce we will be hosting a very special event this May: The Queen’s Jubilee & Mother’s Day Royal Tea. On Sunday, May 13th, from 10:00am to 5:00pm at Ireland House at Oakridge Farm, we will be honouring Queen Elizabeth II and her Diamond Jubilee; celebrating the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne, her 60–year reign and her service and dedication to this country.”
“Her reign of 60 years is the second-longest for a British monarch; only Queen Victoria has reigned longer. Her Silver and Golden Jubilees were celebrated in 1977 and 2002; her Diamond Jubilee is being celebrated during 2012….over her life, she witnessed the ongoing transformation of the British Empire into the Commonwealth of Nations…”
They went on to say: “On this special occasion, the Museums of Burlington will highlight one of the shaping influences of Canadian history – politically, through governance, social values and customs as well as Canada’s role in the world.”
I am just dying to see that “shaping influence”. This is a press release that went over the top and then got away on them. It continues:
“The Burlington community will be able to come together to commemorate this grand occasion. Thanks to the generous support of Canadian Heritage, (a cheque for $20,400 is the definition of generous) we are able to offer the public free admission to the event.”
 Queen Elizabeth II will be impersonated at Ireland House on Mother's Day. Better there than at the Queen's Head on Brant Street. “On May 13th, those attending can celebrate with royal splendor and experience outstanding entertainment, live performances with Sophisticated Brass and the Burlington group “Hotsy Totsy” specializing in songs from the 1940s & 1950s.
“The day will also include special guests and attractions, thematic presenters, royal ceremonies such as a “knighting”, an opportunity to participate in a royal tea garden party complete with specialty sandwiches, traditional scones and sweets, tea workshops, royal horse and carriage rides and the chance to interact with Queen Elizabeth professional impersonator!” Did you see that exclamation mark?
If the weather is good it should be a nice way to spend Mother`s Day and let little girls and boys get all dressed up. Do little girls and boys dress up anymore?
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON March 22, 2012 Last December 4th, at 1:00 am, three masked men broke into a Faversham Avenue home and stormed the bedroom of one of the residents demanding money and drugs. The victim told the suspects he didn’t have any drugs and the suspects left. Three other residents were in the home at the time.
The suspects were described as:
White, 5’4” – 5’5,” 120 lbs, wearing all black clothing and white running shoes;
White, 6’4,” thin build, dressed in black and Black, 6’3” – 6”4,” 150 – 160 lbs
Following an extensive investigation by members of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau, three individuals have been arrested and charged in relation to the home invasion.
Investigative efforts culminated in a search warrant being executed on a London residence on January 9, 2012, the arrest of Jordaine WILSON-CAMPBELL and the recovery of two pellet guns.
The remaining accused have since been arrested, the last of which occurred March 18th.
ACCUSED
Jordaine WILSON-CAMPBELL, 21 years, of London, Facing charges of Robbery, Wear Disguise and Breach of Prohibition Order (weapons)(two counts)
Matthew ROSE, 21 years, of Burlington, Facing charges of Robbery and Wear Disguise
Nicholas ZEMBRZYCKI, 20 years, of Sudbury, Facing charges of Robbery, Wear Disguise
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, on March 23, 2012 – Now this is the way to run a government.
 Frugal - is that what previous Mayor's would call him?
When you are spending public money – tell the public what you spent it on. Mayor Rick Goldring released his use of the $32,000 budget he is allocated. He spent 54% of what was available to him, leaving $14,777.62 sitting on the table. The real sharpies in this town will now expect the Mayor to pick up the lunch tab given that he appears to be rather frugal.
Every Council member should post their figures – each is given $9,000 to spend. We look forward to seeing those numbers. Full details here.
Is not spending the funds made available to him a good thing? Are there things he should be doing with those funds?
 REVISED
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON March 23, 2012 It has the potential to be one of those David and Goliath things – the little guy going up against the big developer who hides behind numbered corporations with lawyers galore involved.
Richard Szymczyk, a Queensway community resident fought along with his neighbours for a different kind of development in his community. A developer bought up six properties that had small tidy bungalows on lots that were half an acre in size. He asked the city for a zoning change to permit the building of a total of 78 townhouses on the assembled land. There were public meetings, community input, reports from the Planning Department – all the usual stuff surrounding a change in a community.
 One of six houses that have been demolished to make way for a 54 unit townhouse development the community is opposed to. Community appeals city zoning decision to the OMB. The city eventually settled on 54 units and thought the matter was a done deal. So did the developer – but that`s when Richard Szymczyk said “not so fast” and appealed the city`s decision to the Ontario Municipal Board.
Few people were even aware that the Queensway community existed before the development application came before city Council. Then when the Bridge over the CN railway tracks that defines the southern edge of the community had to be closed because it was deemed unsafe everyone in the city knew about the place and the city was certainly paying more attention as well. They have decided to spend close to $400,000 to do a five year patch on the bridge and have made a mental note that sometime after that five year period they are going to have to come up with something in the order of $3 million to either put up a new bridge or tunnel under the railway tracks – but that is in the far off future and that kind of thinking and headache gets left to the city treasurer who has to find the money to pay for these things.
 Community residents have held up the construction of these homes as they fight a city decision to change the zoning on six properties. Right now the city, through the OMB, is going to have to deal with Szymczyk who is getting ready to put on his armour and do battle with AMR Homes, known as 1066834 Ontario Limited which seems to be attached to another numbered company that starts with the numbers 938
Szymczyk felt the rezoning was a mistake primarily because of the significant increase in density and the total lack of compatibility with the rest of the community to which Szymczyk added traffic safety issues.
The planner who represented the developer argued that the development fit in very nicely with the provinces Places to Grow policy that requires Burlington to come up with a significant number of new housing units. At the time several members of city council was just getting a handle on their jobs and appeared to take the view that growth was required and the Queensway community was as good a place as any to plunk down some townhouses. The location was very close to the GO station which would give people access to good transit – heck they wouldn’t need a second car in this location.
The arguments for the development and the arguments for cutting it down to size or getting rid of it all together get made before the OMB hearing on April 18th – 10 am in Room 247 at city hall. The Queensway community is fresh from winning the fight to have their bridge repaired. They had eight people delegate at a council committee which included young girls reading poetry and very upset young mothers taking several council members to task over their attitude and comments.
The OMB hearing might find itself facing a handful of angry residents. If it were a weekend or evening event they would pack the room for sure. What the “guys on the other side” have failed to adequately contend with is Szymczyk himself. He was at one point in his career secretary to John Boich when he was with the school board and any one who could work for Boich and last more than a year is someone to be respected and in some circles feared.
Szymczyk was a school principal and taught at the Fishers Corners School that once served the community but was declared surplus and then torn down to make way for a widened QEW.
Szymczyk has the capacity to be very, very direct. Along with his issues with the planning “mistakes” he wants to know why he got telephone calls from someone in the developers office. Szymczyk takes privacy very seriously and getting his personal telephone number is harder than pulling teeth from a hen. Szymczyk is convinced someone at city hall, he suspects it was within the Planning Department, gave the developer his phone number.
 This school was built in 1872 to replace the original log school built in 1835 on one acre of Peter Fisher's farm.The first school, at the corner of Guelph Line and the Middle Road (now the QEW), had been called Fishers Corners School. This more architecturally elegant school was named the Grove Academy, in honour of the bush surrounding it, but continued to be called Fishers Corners. It burned down in March 1924 on a Tuesday afternoon when, owing to the teacher's illness, the school was closed.A third school was built in 1925 and served the area until the QEW overpass was built. Glenwood Public School replaced it in 1946. The lawyers for the developer asked the OMB to cancel the hearing because, they claimed, Szymczyk no longer lived in the community and therefore had no interest in the matter. Szymczyk responds rather haughtily that where he lives is nobody`s business and that he has a right to appeal a city decision if he thinks the change in zoning was a mistake. Trying to catch Szymczyk on a technicality is probably a mistake.
It should be quite a hearing. It certainly won`t be the typical dry, drawn out event – those who are in the room can expect some good theatre. Szymczyk’s witness list will prove to be interesting. And someone in the city’s Clerks office should begin preparing an answer for the question: Who gave out Richard Szymczyk’s telephone number and why was it given out?
 By Pepper Parr
REVISED
BURLINGTON, ON March 22, 2012 A little dis-jointed would be stretching the way the meeting went. Out of the loop for the most part would be another observation of the Burlington Transit Advisory Committee. They were apparently unaware that the city`s budget committee had actively debated a fare increase but that the motion had not passed. They just don’t know what is happening at the Council level to whom they are supposed to be advisers.
 Lots of talent at the BTAC meeting; Eric Pilon, on the left, former Director of Transit for Oakville has worked with Burlington's Mike Spicer who is heading up the public participation part of the Master Transit Plan. Mike Spicer, Transit Manager for Burlington Transit sits in on BTAC meetings and commented that “Transit very much wanted a committee like BTAC in place to give us feedback”, however the committee’s role is not to provide feedback to the transit people but to advise city council on transit matter. This Committee seems to have lost touch with its mandate and doesn’t appear to have any sense of “Mission`. They don’t seem to know what they are supposed to do or even how to do their job.
The mandate is pretty clear and its set out on part of the city`s web site.
Provide input to Council and staff on initiatives and strategies affecting public transportation services ….
Review the city`s Accessibility Plan on an Annual basis …
Encourage and establish partnerships that assist with improving accessible transit service and decreasing gaps in service with agencies such as Halton Peel District Health Council … local taxi services
Consider matters related to Dedicated Gas Tax Funds.
These are just a few of the 10 points set out in the BTAC Mandate. Taxi rates are up for discussion at the Community Development Committee this week – (March 26th if anyone at BTAC wants to attend) How the city is going to manage the use of the Gas Tax Refunds from the federal government was part of the vigorous Budget Committee debate but the subject didn’t get a single word of mention at the BTAC meeting – that`s what you call being out of touch.
 Sparsely attended Transit Advisory meeting - staff talent shows up - members appeared to have missed the bus. The committee did go through a significant membership shuffle – three out of 12 members were returned to the committee last February. The biggest problem seems to be getting a quorum and holding meetings regularly. Prior to the March 20th meeting the committee had not met for five months – unacceptable by any standard and what had committee member Kevin Rahmer voicing opinions that were a little tough for Chair Joanne Vassell-Pittman to handle. Other members of the committee – there were just five of them in attendance at the meeting – repeatedly had to ask Rahmer to be more positive and not keep rehashing old issues.
There was apparently an occasion when Rahmer was to address the committee at some length but he failed to appear – which seems to be an ongoing problem for this committee.
BTAC has a new clerk who is more “den mother” than committee Clerk; that description is intended as a compliment. Danielle Pitoscia is one of the best Clerks the city has – I’d go so far as to say THE best Committee Clerk. The BTAC crowd are going to need a lot of help if they are ever to get to the point where they are relevant and know how to operate as a committee and be able to provide city council with useful advice. Right now it seems to be a place where people meet to talk about transit but seldom have a quorum and can`t do anything.
Scheduled to meet once a month, the Committee met last in September and didn’t have a quorum at that time. The twelve member committee has six appointed members and six members from the stakeholder groups. The committee is currently looking for new members – if you’ve a yen for transit matters and you have experience with a re-growing a committee that needs direction badly – this is a place for you.
At least one new Advisory committee member had not seen the Term of Reference for the committee, which is sort of like wanting to drive a car but not having a driver’s license. It didn’t appear as if the committee was fully aware of the scope of their Terms of Reference and the opportunities they had to inform the policy side of transit in the city.
During the last round of serious concern over member participation all the committee members said they wanted to continue serving – then they don`t show up and meetings don’t take place.
Smart thing to do with this one is shut it down – they do have a representative on the Transit Master Plan Steering Committee but Peggy Russell didn’t attend the meeting and was unable to report.
The BTAC didn’t delegate to the Budget Committee on things transit. Other than bicker at their meetings – it`s hard to see what they actually do.
Eric Pilon, a former Director with Oakville Transit sits on the committee; Burlington Transit always send their top people. At times both the Transit Director, Donna Sheppard and Mike Spicer the Transit Manager take part in the meetings. It is the Committee members who aren’t pulling their weight. Joanne Vassell-Pittman, Chair, runs a decent meeting – she doesn’t have a vice chair, that`s vacant. The student representative hasn’t been replaced either.
 Kevin Rahmer, who certainly knows the transit file very well, doesn't make it easy for a chair to run a meeting. Vassell-Pittman is a practiced chair, who is ready now to move on, and has advised her Board that she will not stand for re-election as chair but will finish her term. During the Tuesday meeting she struggled to keep Rahmer under some control; he certainly knows the transit file, but has great difficulty staying focused and disciplining himself. He had to be reminded several times that his comments were disrespectful of the chair.
Peggy Russell, Maureen Van Ravens along with Ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven are on the committee – all missed the bus.
There is a public out there that wants a good, well operated efficient transit service and they have opinions. Having an Advisory Committee that can collect and marshal those opinions and take them to Council would be effective community engagement. BTAC’s not there yet.
 Jane Irwin has the capacity to make a point incisively and with humour. Her submission to the Master Transit Plan team are set out below in a slightly edited format.
By Jane Irwin
BURLINGTON, ON March 22, 2012 I have used Burlington Transit for the almost 30 years I have lived in Burlington. On average, I travel by transit once or twice a week, which works out to 5 to 10 boardings per week. My most frequently traveled routes are (in numerical order, not order of frequency) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10.
I could not attend the public meetings because of time conflicts, but I have read the very extensive background materials online and have also read the comprehensive comments by Walter Mulkewich. The former Burlington Mayor is extremely well-informed on the topic of how transit planning is related to the future well-being of this city. His generosity in presenting his thoughts about Burlington Transit has provoked my writing to express my own more concentrated passenger viewpoint.
Travel choices are extremely important factors in three 21st-century urban goals:
to improve the city’s economic health,
to improve the health of its citizens,
and to improve the city’s environmental conditions.
Measured by these criteria, the preferred travel choices, from best to worst, are walking and cycling, transit, taxi and private car. In terms of cost, the choices are the same.
In terms of the travel time of a journey, the order is reversed: private car is fastest, then taxi, transit, cycling and walking.
 Transit in Burlington is undergoing a major review that will produce a Master Transit Plan with significant public input. The greatest opportunity for transit to compete for increased ridership is to reduce travel time to get from A to B. Everyone in today’s society appreciates more time.
The prime methods of reducing transit travel time include:
1) Greater frequency of buses, including shorter intervals for transfers.
2) Removing unnecessary bus stops ( co-coordinating bus stops with stop signs and lights).
3) More direct routes (not meandering hither and thither).
My own travel choices in recent years include walking, transit, taxi and private car. I stopped cycling 10 years ago because, in my experience, too many private car drivers in Burlington are careless of cyclist safety.
Drawing on my own experience, therefore:
1) Having to wait 60 minutes for a bus is a deal-breaker. A 30-minute wait for a bus makes other travel choices more appealing. BT should aim for a maximum of 20 minute intervals.
2) Here Irwin gets into a level of detail that will interest only those who travel the route but her point is still relevant.
Just as one example, the number 5 route west from downtown at John Street, along Ontario Street to Maple Avenue:
stop for left turn at Pine Street;
stop for left turn at Elizabeth Street:
stop for left turn at James Street:
bus stop and stop light for right turn at Brant Street;
stop for left turn at Ontario Street;
bus stop mid block;
stop sign for Locust Street;
bus stop mid block;
bus stop at Burlington Avenue;
stop sign at Hager Avenue;
two more bus stops mid block;
bus stop and stop light for left turn at Maple Avenue.
In my view, the stop sign should be moved from Hager Avenue (a 3-way stop) to Burlington Avenue (a dislocated corner, difficult for pedestrians), which should be a 4-way stop; and at least 2 bus stops should be removed. I will defer to traffic experts of course, but it seems to me an effort should be made to co-ordinate the facilitating of bus transit. It is also my view that the bus should travel on Elgin Street, thereby eliminating Ontario Street and the number 10 on Lakeshore. The Elgin Street bus stops would coincide with existing 4-way stop signs.
3) I visit Oakville on occasion, and I prefer their grid system.
For example, why not consider one Appleby line connecting with cross-town buses instead of current 5 itty-bitty lines. Walkers Line has no bus connecting Lakeshore and Fairview. Routes Brant Street 2 and Guelph Line 3 do not meet Dundas Street. BT on Dundas Street has three routes 6, 15, and 11, mostly between Walkers and Appleby Lines. Between Brant Street and Guelph Line, Route 2 meanders just south of Dundas, as do Routes 6 and 62 between Guelph and Walkers Lines.
It is really poor practice for neighbouring communities not to have joint transit on city border areas. Why not a Dundas Street bus from Brant Street to Oakville? The Oakville Dundas Street bus does not meet a Burlington bus.
Why not a bus from La Salle Park Road to Waterdown, taking a turn into Aldershot GO and VIA station?
Transfers on grid systems should be manageable with current technology, and therefore minimize delays.
Finally, in my experience, BT drivers are exceptionally courteous and helpful. The drivers are a great asset to Burlington Transit, and it should be recognized that their attitude is a factor in encouraging increased transit ridership. Congrats to BT for that!
The city’s Transit Advisory Committee doesn’t weigh in transit quite the way Jane Irwin does.
Ed note: This is not a lady to trifle with.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON March 21, 2012 Three or four weeks ago there was a sudden unexplainable burst of traffic from Brazil of all places to the Our Burlington web site. At one point there were over 350 hits to the web site from Brazil. They’d get to the Home page and leave.
We get traffic from more than 20 countries but usually nothing more than two, maybe three except for those bandits from Ukraine – they are always prowling.
 Some of the art work from Burlington public schools and our twin school in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, on display at city hall. Then we noticed there was an increasing number from Holland and it climbed and they were drilling down into the web site and we began to watch carefully and took a second look at our anti-virus and hacking software defences. We got just a little nervous after five days of consistent growth in traffic from Holland while other countries were stable in terms of traffic. Why were those wooden shoes walking across our screen?
When I leave a Council or a committee meeting, I usually have a word or two with Bob, the security guy at reception. Monday evening there were a bunch of partitions on wheels scattered about the atrium that could be rolled around with what looked like art from elementary school students on the panels. “The ones with the red borders are from school kids in Holland, they are part of something being done by the Mundialization Committee” explain Bob.
A quick email to the security people – you can stand down fellows, there is nothing wrong with the traffic from Holland, it’s legitimate but it is sure playing havoc with our day to day, hour by hour analytics. School children were given an assignment that had to do with Burlington, Ontario and if you want to know anything about Burlington, Our Burlington is the place to go.
 The Dutch students took an interesting approach - half of each piece is a photograph the other half was drawn in by the students.. The traffic was the result of the student art exchange that had students from John T. Tuck Public School in Burlington and the Heuvellaan Public School students in Apeldoorn. The Apeldoorn works explore war monuments while the local art is inspired by Burlington landmarks.
The student art exchange is one of many events organized by the city’s Mundialization Citizen committee to celebrate Burlington’s twinning relationship with the cities of Apeldoorn, The Netherlands and Itabashi, Japan.
This is the first of several art exhibitions planned this year. The next exhibition will be held in May and will feature art from four Burlington elementary schools and six Dutch schools. In June, there will be an elementary art exhibition that will also feature art from Japanese elementary schools.
 By Pepper Parr
Five of the very best people the city has took time out of their evening to appear at a city council meeting to delegate to the city on the budget that got passed last night.
Doug Brown, James Smith, former Mayor Walter Mulkewich, Ken Woodruff and Bob Wood each brought their considerable knowledge about transit in this city to the podium. They each spoke for their allotted five minutes.
Doug Brown brought the story he has been telling for years, which is as relevant and as important today as it was when he first told it. Burlington spends just half of the GTA average spends on transit. Today Burlington has just half the transit ridership the city had in the mid 1980’s. Does no one see the link between the lousy funding and the poor ridership numbers?
The portion of the gas tax that Burlington spent on transit was 30% – this budget knocked that down to 20% – but just for the one year explained Council members. When the Master Plan is complete the gas tax portion level can be raised again.
Treasurer Joan Ford was trotted out to affirm that the city could in fact use less of the gas tax and what they were doing was legal. They usually get lawyers to do this kind of thing but Burlington may have spent its lawyer allocation on the Pier.
 Like the statutes on Easter Island, Council members sat mute while five informed men spoke intelligently about the need to confront the serious transit funding problem. Speaking for Poverty Free Halton, Doug Brown asked Council to respect its own planning process and not approve a cut in transit funding from its gas tax.
The gas tax payment to the city is an amount the federal government pays out to municipalities.
Bob Wood was next and approached the podium to speak as a sometimes regular but mostly occasional transit rider. He takes what is called “the best performing route in the system” to get to work. It’s a 75 minute trip door to door from Pinedale in the east end of Burlington to Main and Catherine in downtown Hamilton. Bob Wood was late for work recently and he took Council members through the travails of transit in Burlington when connections are missed.
He then pointed out that the consultants working with the city to develop a transit master plan have said Burlington’s system is underfunded. Other consultants have said the same thing before. As an aside, Councillor Taylor said he has seen five different consultant reports during the 20 years + he has been on Council and they have all said the same thing. That would take us back to the mid 1980’s when transit traffic was twice what it is today – is there a link between ignoring what consultants say to us and what we do? Just asking?
Bob Wood said that “as far as he can tell the Federal Gas Tax Fund is an excellent and most appropriate source of funding to address the transit systems capital needs” – Toronto certainly thinks so – they apply 100% of their gas tax funding to transit.
Wood noted with dismay that “council would consider making such a significant change to transit before the consultation is complete”.
Next was the Grand Daddy of speakers. Walter Mulkewich drew his large frame to the podium and leans in as he speaks. Walter wanted Council to remove the decision to reduce the portion of the gas tax that goes to transit from 30% to 20%
Mulkewich gets technical on them and points out that the January 2010 agreement that has federal tax money going to municipalities requires the “investments will see Ontarians enjoy cleaner air, cleaner water and reduced greenhouse gas emissions” and that local investments in roads and bridges “contribute to sustainable outcomes”. Mulkewich argues that there is nothing sustainable in the “shave and pave” program unless you’re talking about the benefit in recycled pavement.
Mulkewich points out that the transit review so far is that “Burlington Transit will require significant investment to make it what it must be to meet your own strategic and official plans, financial goals to build the economy and to maintain the city’s quality of life for the future. Burlington’s future is in transit – not roads”. Words of wisdom that fell on deaf ears.
He then makes an embarrassing and telling point. Throughout the budget debates most of the comment was focused on the infrastructure deficit. We are short by about $15 million – give or take a couple of million for the next dozen or so years, which as Councillor Craven pointed out is a very serious problem that has to be faced. Not a word, that I can recall, was uttered about the very significant transit infrastructure deficit. It’s about the state of our roads, the state of our roads – they have to be fixed and Councillor Dennison sliced and diced this budget to the point where he moved more than a million dollars out of different programs and into the “shave and pave” program that is going to save millions long term.
 These characters couldn't speak - what excuse did Council members have Monday evening. There was an opportunity to put a bit of a dent in the transit operating deficit by increasing fares – but Council decided that decision could wait until there was a complete report and a Master Plan in place. Then why not wait until those documents were in place before hiving 10% off the amount of the gas tax that currently – well at least until last night – goes to transit? Increasing transit fares would mean putting up with uncomfortable calls from voters.
James Smith also walked to the podium. His delightful little Swiftian rant is detailed elsewhere. Lovely bit of hilarity in an otherwise dull meeting, which was broadcast live. It was even worse than watching the Toronto Leafs lose 8-0 to Boston.
Next was Burlington Green President Ken Woodruff who tried to convince Council to take just 5% away from transit rather than the 10% planned. His association just didn’t support taking money away from transit to fix roads, “not at this critical juncture”.
Woodruff believed Burlington’s Green’s Transit Master Plan recommendations and the Transit Master Plan itself will require the funding, especially in the early years. “We would prefer to see increased funding with in-depth analysis and adjustment to ensure a world class transit system”. Most people in Burlington would settle for a system that is funded at levels close to comparable communities. Right now Burlington is number 14 on a list that has the names of municipalities on it. No one of an equivalent size spends less than Burlington does. The Mayor and members of Council continually remind us that Burlington has more seniors than anyone else in the Region and that we are going to have even more seniors that the other municipalities in the Region.
 Any resemblance between these statutes and the seven members of Council would only be appreciated by those who sat in the public gallery last Monday and to the hundreds that watched the meeting broadcast live. When people delegate to a Council meeting they are given five minutes to speak and then they answer questions from Council members. There is usually a question or two and on occasion a lively and informative debate. I’ve seen this Council swayed by the debate. But on Monday evening, five men who are close to the needs of the community, who have served the community well in the past, stood and waited for questions.
Not one question was asked. All seven members of Council sat there mute. Like the Easter Island statues staring blankly and appearing to be waiting for something to happen. These are your Council members – they’re the people who are supposed to make things happen and for this group to not even attempt to engage the five people who chose to speak is unfathomable.
There were two additional delegations on other subjects – they weren’t asked questions either. Mayor Goldring then said “ seven delegations and no questions from council members- that’s unusual”. It was really more ignorant than unusual.
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