Mayor spreading his wings and getting into show business; about to become an Impresario.

By Staff

BURLINGTON, ON  October 7, 2011  – Well, talk about being proactive and putting your money where your mouth is – Mayor Rick Goldring has cast a new image for himself and is about to become an Impresario.  He is going into show business and has announced that he is putting on a Cabaret, with the tag line “Life is a Cabaret my friends….come to the Cabaret!”

His Worship is going to dance before the bright lights. Will we lose him to Broadway?

The event will take place February 24, 2012 at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre. It will be a variety show featuring acts in a many genres – from musicians to dancers to magicians to comedy. This is sure to be a spectacular evening with a focus on local talent.

Funds raised from the event will benefit the Burlington Performing Arts Centre and the Sound of Music Festival.

Tickets will be available through the box office beginning November 1, 2011.

In addition to a wonderful show, there will be a cocktail reception and silent and live auctions.  The Mayor`s Cabaret is open to submissions from entertainers. More detail on the submission process will be posted very soon.

Kudo`s to the Mayor for this one.

 

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Baseball bats used in all male altercation outside Burlington McDonald`s

By Staff

BURLINGTON, ON October 6, 2011  Five men with just too much testerone  had it out at the McDonalds at Upper Middle Road and Guelph Line last August.  The police have yet to track them down – can you help

In the early hours of August 13th 2011 two males were assaulted by a group of unknown males outside the McDonalds restaurant located at Guelph line and Upper Middle Road in Burlington.

Just before 3 a.m. both victims were in a white Dodge pickup truck and waiting in line at the McDonalds drive through. A verbal altercation ensued with a group of five males in another vehicle and all males then exited both vehicles. Both victims were then struck with a baseball bat resulting in one victim being knocked unconscious and sustaining facial injuries. The second victim was struck on the leg.

The five suspects were described as all male white and in their late teens or early twenties.

The driver is described as wearing a white long sleeved shirt and red baseball cap backwards.

The front seat passenger is described as wearing a red shirt.

The suspect carrying  the baseball bat is described as having brown hair, approximately 5’10”, 170 lbs, wearing beige pants and

Crime Stoppers is always looking for help.

was ‘not wearing a shirt’ at the time.

The suspect vehicle is described as a small silver car similar to a 2003 Toyota Echo that possibly includes the digits ‘EA1’ or something similar in the licence plate.

Anyone with information on this or any other crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes)

 

 

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Burlington PC candidate did exceptionally well – was very close to Cam Jackson 2003 percentage levels

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON  October 7, 2011  –  It was another provincial election campaign that never seemed to develop any energy or drive.  That was on the surface.  There was a hopeful feeling amongst the Liberals that this time they had it.  They felt they had a stellar candidate and the Premier had come to the riding and things looked great on the organizational side of things as well.

But that isn`t the way the numbers turned out at all.

Jane McKenna the Progressive Conservative Candidate took the riding with 40.4% of the vote – with 20,048 ballots having her name on them.  Karmel Sakran the Liberal candidate  got 36.1 % and 17,903 votes.  Peggy Russell, the NDP candidate got 18.8 % with 9347 votes.

McKenna got 2,165 more votes than Sakran.  When Joan Lougheed ran against Joyce Savoline in the 2007

She had the most signs, she got the most votes - and now she is your MPP.

by -election Savoline won by 1,778 votes and when Marianne Meed Ward, now a member of municipal  council ran against Savoline in the full 2007 election Savoline got just 1824 more votes than Meed Ward.

McKenna, the candidate that was acclaimed  at close to the last minute (I think she was the second to last candidate to get nominated in the province) and who many felt she really wasn`t qualified and certainly didn`t have the support of everyone in the Burlington Progressive Conservative Association – turns out to have done better numerically than any other Progressive Conservative in the last three provincial elections.

Talk about her inadequacies all you like – the lady can win elections.  The people who go looking for candidates for the other two parties, especially the Liberals will want to look at the numbers very closely.

Peggy Russell`s campaign was managed by Cory Judson – who had been the candidate in the 2007 by election where he got 5% of the vote and again in the 2007 full election where he got 11%.  Peggy Russell pulled in a solid 18.8% – nothing shabby about the Russell numbers.

Were they good enough for Burlington to grow to the point where the city will pick up whatever is in the air from the other side of the Bay and make our air orange  Not likely.

The voter turnout numbers were apparently very poor for Ontario this time out – we heard just 45% of the voters entitled to cast a ballot bothered to do so.

For McKenna to get the numbers she did – and make no mistake about her numbers – they are better than previous Tory candidates did in  the 2007 elections.  They were in fact as good as those that Cam Jackson posted in the 2003 election.

Peggy Russell did better than previous NDP candidates. Solid campaign as well.

So the city just might have a candidate that has traction.

The Progressive Conservatives who have almost always owned the Burlington seat in the provincial legislature got their leader Tim Hudak to make at least a pit stop in Burlington the last full day of the campaign – and the turnout wasn`t all that great.  didn’t matter, McKenna is doing something that connects with the people who put the X on the ballot.

A city that has elected Liberals federally but hasn`t elected a Liberal provincially since 1943 has  decided it will remain blue.   It looked like it was going to be an exciting election and it was – the province may find itself with a minority government – but in Burlington there is a new Progressive Conservative member going to the provincial legislture.  She may have more surprises for us.

One of the small pieces of election trivia – A source that has precious little validity, Community Media Burlington,  published the result of a straw poll from people that follow its tweets. had For the Burlington riding, by party, the votes were … NDP 23%, PC 32%, Liberal 43%

This same poll had Dave Bedini beating Marianne Meed Ward in the last municipal election.

The results for this were released just before 8:30 pm and must have had the Liberals ecstatic –

Sakran expected to win this election - it will take some time to figure out where and why he lost. Was it the blue machine? Sakran ran the better campaign and was the better candidate but Burlington was not ready for whatever it was Sakran had to offer.

the NDP numbers were probably close to the mark.

The advance poll in Burlington was up 38 percent over the last provincial election.  Just over 52% of the eligible voters came out in 2007.  The voter turn out numbers, not official yet, were said to be a very poor 45% this election.

Members of the different political parties gathered at different locations in the city; the Liberals at the Burlington Hotel and Convention Centre, the New Democrats at the Black Bull and the Progressive Conservatives at their campaign office on Fairview.

There were two occasions when the CBC computers had a clear 54 seat majority for the Liberals; once at 9:37 pm and again at 10 pm – but on neither occasion were they able to maintain the number.  And on neither occasion did the Liberals gathered at their location let out anything in the way of a cheer.  The Liberals had the largest crowd,  the Mayor plus Councillors Taylor and Craven put in an appearance.  Didn`t see any municipal people at the Tory chow down.  Mike Wallace, the Conservative MP was in attendance along with all the other Tory usual suspects.

It is traditional in Burlington politics for the defeated candidates to call on the winner and congratulate them.  Alyssa Brierley, the federal Liberal candidate paid a call on winner Mike Harris and hung around for some time.  Karmel Sakran is reported to have popped in and popped out of the McKenna campaign offices.

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The member for Burlington in a position to make history for province and city by crossing the floor.

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON October 7, 2011  – We said at the beginning of this election that for the Liberals to win the Tory voters had to sit on their hands and some of the New Democrats had to hold their noses and vote Liberal.  Neither of those things happened in Burlington and the city is basically where it was when this all started – a women representing the riding who is younger than the one we have and in need of a mentor to show her the way around the Legislature.

The Lady Jane is on her own now – even though there are people who know Queen`s Park exceptionally well,  who talk of mentoring Jane McKenna, she would be wise to seek her own counsel an not let any of those who have been that route take her under their wing.

It was our view that McKenna was woefully unqualified for the job she now has, but she is the member for Burlington and we accept the will of the voters.

McKenna could of course make a name for herself and change the course of history in Ontario by giving Dalton McGuinty a call and crossing the floor of the Legislature to sit as a Liberal.  The party would be grateful and groom her as a parliamentary secretary and promise that if she could learn that job she would be made a junior cabinet minister in a couple of years.

The Legislature needs to elect a Speaker.  The Liberals just have to sit tight and not put up any candidates and let the other parties fight it out for the job. The Speaker doesn`t vote – except in a tie vote but if The Lady Jane crosses the floor there will never be any tie votes. McGuinty would have the government he needs to run the province the way it needs to be run for four more years.

Laura Secord, who came from a part of the province just to the west of Burlington,  and look at what she did for the province ?  Possibilities here Jane.  Think about it.

Assuming you do cross the floor,  you would do so on the condition that McGuinty give you an unconditional guarantee that the hospital will be funded – do that and you`ll have the seat until you are well into your eighties.  You might manage to beat Hazel McCallion`s record for political longevity.

Give Regional Chair Gary Carr a call, he was once the Speaker at Queen’s Park,  – he`ll tell you what you have to do to cross the floor.  He`ll forgive you changing your political colours if you get the hospital for Burlington.  While you`re at it – ensure as well that roads don`t get built through the Escarpment – and gosh they just might put up a statue of you somewhere in Spencer Smith Park.

We are looking at a possible Great Moments in Ontario history here Lady Jane.

Minority governments have worked for Ontario before and with a strong enough Liberal government in place to put up a good Cabinet things will go well for the province.  Ted McMeekin may well get a phone call from the Office of the Premier and be asked to return to Cabinet now that Sophia Aggelonitis is no longer a member of the Legislature.  She took a real drubbing whereas Ted McMeekin did just fine up against a very popular public personality.

The Liberal government of course does have a situation on its hands.  It didn`t  quite have a majority when things settled down for the evening and everyone went home.  There might be some recounts, there might be a seat that slips from one side to the other but that isn`t something the Liberals want to count on.

Ted Chudleigh, representing the northern part of the city is going to have to cultivate his soil a little more attentively – don`t think he expect Indira Naidoo-Harris to do quite as well as she did.  Chudleigh is an old hand at the game and if he polishes the apples a little more and delivers something for his riding he should be all right next time around.

Redistribution, which will be in place for the next federal election and if this new Ontario government can stay alive for a four year term that redistribution will apply to the province – so both Halton and Burlington will see changes in their boundaries for the next election.

And that next time could be sooner than we want.  If we end up with a minority government its days will be numbered.  We have a very spunky leader of the New Democratic Party in place and she is going to make Tim Hudak, who will be Leader of the Opposition, wonder at times if he really has that job.  Andrea Horwath has found her mojo and she won`t be doing any backing down.

Tim Hudak has some serious re-thinking to do on some of the positions he took during the election.  Ontario has a number of very serious financial problems to deal with.   This is not the time for the Opposition to be obstructionist.

But it could be the time for a woman who does have one very strong personality trait going for her – the woman has chutzpah – this is time to let it really work for you, for the city and the province Jane McKenna.

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Police release drawings of Hornby gas bar robbery suspects.

By Staff

BURLINGTON, ON  October 6, 2011  Police have released composite drawings of two suspects who robbed a gas bar in Hornby.

The robbery took place on September 19th, 2011 at approximately 8:30 pm  An armed male entered the kiosk of the Hornby Pump Gas Bar and demanded cash from the lone employee.  This confrontation resulted in the employee receiving life threatening injuries, leaving him in critical condition.

Investigation has determined that two males attended the gas bar in a vehicle shortly before the attack took place. Investigators are interested in speaking with these individuals, described as:

One of two suspects the police want to invite in for a conversation.

Person of Interest #1: White, 25 to 30 years, 6’0″, medium build/somewhat muscular with black or dark short hair.

Police drawing of second robbery suspect.

Person of Interest #2: White, 40-45 years, 6’0″, salt and pepper collar-length hair.

The vehicle they were operating is described as an older model, 4-door, similar to a Ford Tempo or Mercury Topaz.  It was white, off white or light grey in colour.

Anyone with information on this or any other crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes)

 

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Bump up the kids allowance – there might be a $100. ticket to pay. Skate board fines might be in the works.

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON  October 6, 2010  –  Redo that budget and get in some money for the $75.00 fine the city wants to levy for those caught using their skate boards on city streets.  Add the victim fee and that $75. which will get you as close to $100. as you want to be.

The city isn`t all that concerned about the money – it just wants to find a way to be able to control the people that are behaving recklessly and feels that a $75.  fine will do the trick.  Problem with the fine is that there are all kinds of legal and Highway Traffic Act concerns.

This is a delicate area – just about every kid that doesn`t use a bike, uses a skate board to get around and the law as it stands now says you cannot use a skateboard on a public road.  You can use it on a side walk or in the bike lane.  All the police can do now is talk to you – there is no penalty for them to levy.

The city thinks that giving the police a tool they can use will solve the problem – and when they do that they shift that problem to the police who are going to be expected to exercise discretion.

The problem is with gangs that see skate boarding as almost an extreme sport.  Ward 1 councillor Rick Craven reports that there are kids who gather at night on Kerns Road where the hills and the grades are great for skate boarding. They get out there with a van and a video camera, film the thrill ride of someone speeding down the hill and post it on You Tube.  The police are powerless for the most part because even if they do catch the kids behaving recklessly they can only warn them off.

Council wants to give the police a bigger stick and wanted to talk about ways that a system of fines could be put in place.  But they didn`t want the police to be slapping a $75. ticket on every kid using a skate board on a public street – they wanted the police to use their discretion.

Can you imagine drivving up the street and seeing this coming at you? Not reckless but not the safest thing to do either.

Police didn`t attend the Committee of the Whole meeting – city staff said they were invited, the police say they weren`t.  Our information from our media man at Regional Police was that :“ I have spoken with the Burlington Operational Inspector who advised me they were aware of the meeting you are referring to, but they (police) were not asked to be in attendance for it.“   Go figure.  Methinks staff were being a little disingenuous.  The police are aware of the problem and they too would like to see a solution.  They are the people that have to attend when there is an accident and report that a young person has suffered serious head injuries.

Giving police the ability to issue a ticket and then expecting them to use their discretion reflects a bit of misunderstanding as to what police do.  They are there to enforce the law.  Give them clear rules and they will do their job – expect them to use their discretion and you invite nothing but problems.  I suspect too that traffic offence lawyers will have great fun with this one should a ticket case every get to traffic court.

That said, there is a problem.  Kids are creating dangerous situations in parts of the city where there are really good hills they can speed down.  The city put up signs saying Skate Boarding was Prohibited – the kids tore down the signs.

The problem however is not limited to parts of the city with steep grades.  Recently there was a serious accident involving a van and a young man on a skate board who was luging along a flat street.  Luging is when a person lays flat on a skate board.  The driver of the van just didn`t see the person on the skate board.

This problem is going to call for some very creative thinking by people who are very familiar with the Highway Traffic Act.  A new fine of $75. and expecting the HRPS to exercise discretion isn`t the answer to this problem.

Educating the kids isn`t going to solve this problem either.  The vast majority of the kids who glide along quiet residential streets with buds plugged into their ears meaning they don`t hear traffic approaching are harming no one.  It is just a few that are creating a problem – let`s find a stick that won`t cripple them when they are hit with it – but let`s not put our police in a situation where they have to solve a problem we can`t solve.

The Highway Traffic Act says that bicycles can be used on the streets.  Blades and boards can be used on a sidewalk or in a bicycle lane if one exists.  Can you imagine the howls from the public if all the skate boards are suddenly on the side walk ?

Sergeant Dave Cross, the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) media man, advises that HRPS does not have a Skate Board Swat Team, so we shouldn`t expect to see cruisers out on the prowl along Kerns Road every night

And as for Officer who gave me a speeding ticket for doing more than 60 on Walkers Line, ( I thought the limit was 80)  – he did exercise some discretion and cut it back a bit and saved me some points.  Will that kind of discretion solve our skate board problem ?  Is it worth a try ?

The officer who caught me was parked behind a cluster of bushes – are we going to see officer hiding in hedges along Kerns Road with bicycles at the ready to race after skate board miscreants ?

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Tickets sales up , Centre is working but the relationship between the city and the BPAC Board needs some work.

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON  October 5, 2011  –  It was going to be all nicey, nicey; they were going to be friends and everyone would be happy and that is the way Burlington`s Budget and Corporate Services Committee started out earlier this week.  Acting General Manager, Development and Infrastructure Division, Steve Zorbas explained that this was his 73rd and last  report to Council from the Project Management Team that oversaw the construction of the Burlington Performing Arts Centre.  Besides thanking everyone for their contribution, and that list was long, Zorbas informed Council that the phrase “on time and on budget“ had to be revised to “on time and under budget“  – the project team was able to say there was $75,000 left in the bank account.

True, but Zorbas didn`t mention that the Project had been given a contingency amount of $3.5 million to complete the project which Zorbas managed to neglect.  At a council meeting Zorbas asked if the Management Team could hang onto the funds that remained at the time,  rather than have to go back to Council to get each item approved.

Councillor Taylor had major misgivings about the way the capital levy for the Burlington Performing Arts Centre was going to be used and made it clear he didn't thunk the ticket surcharge was high enough and voted against the Relationship Agreement that was being discussed..

Council was listening to General Manager Budget and Corporate Services, Kim Phillips report on just where things were.  Phillips was quite chirpy and talked about what she saw as a good working relationship with both BPAC and the Theatre Board.  But beneath the pleasant demeanour one could sense the gimlet eye of an accountant who knew how to count the pennies.

Councillor Taylor was not as confident as Phillips and he asked why there was so much uncertainty around the capital maintenance charges.  Phillips said that no one had given that aspect all that much attention.  The BPAC people and the Theatre Board were focused on fund raising and getting the building completed and ready for the opening day.

The city thought the capital levy on each ticket sold, would flow into the city`s coffers and the Centre people thought it would flow into their bank account – not wanting to be difficult with each other the city and the Centre decided to make it a 50/50 split.  Councillor Lancaster wanted to know what criteria was used to arrive at the 50/50 arrangement and was told that there really wasn`t a criteria – it was just what was done.  You could almost feel the shiver go through council members over what Councillor Sharman called “”tin cup” accounting.

Staff had developed a chart that set out all the items that came under capital costs – and realized when they were in discussions with the Centre staff that there was significant difference between who was going to pay for what.  Staff had used the word “doing“ in the document to set out who would be doing what and Centre people took that to mean paying – and that certainly wasn`t the case.  Of such misunderstandings are interesting court cases made.

Concerns over capital expenditures and the cost of replacing and upgrading features over the projected 50 year life of the building is still an outstanding issue. The city has one view as to who was going to pay for what and the Theatre Board and the BPAC people had another view.  Much of the capital related costs are supposed to be covered by that capital surcharge that appears on every ticket purchased.  It was to be between $1.00 and a $1.50 – and there is already talk of increasing that amount.

Phillips made is clkear to council that absolute clarity was needed by both staff and the BPAC administration on what was meant by "sustainability".

To be fair – Phillips came onto this file in May of this year and there was a lot of catching up to do.  Vacations and a bunch of other issues plus the fact that she will serve as the Acting city manager for November and December is keeping Phillips very busy.

It`s all a bit arcane but come the day when the roof has to be repaired it`s better to know now just who is going to pay for that replacing.  Phillips had a document that set all the things that were capital related and indicated who would `do`the work involved and who would `pay`for the work that would have to be done.   Exactly who would do and who would pay was not clear during the early discussions between the BPAC people and the city, which is a major concern for the city.  They want to have a policy that applies to every joint ventures group in the city.  The Burlington Gymnastic Club has a roof repair problem and the city wants to make sure that the same policy applies to everyone and that the money to implement the policy is in the budget.

The city is currently short many millions on road replacement work – the money to pay for it doesn`t exist – and they don`t want to find themselves in the same situation with the performing arts centre.  This is the time to do the haggling.

Several council members were disturbed that this level of detail had not already been worked out – staff came back with their being focused on getting the construction of the building completed and they didn`t feel it was useful to get into details that were perhaps a phase 8 task when everyone was focused on tasks 1 and 2. Council made it clear that they wanted to be fully aware of just what the financial ramifications were to the decisions they were making.

It was clear that there is a different financial accountability environment on the council side of the horseshoe they all gather around.  This council doesn`t want any surprises and they are not yet confident that the staff in place fully understands the new accountability regime. There have in the past year been a number of surprises that council feels could have been avoided if staff had been more forthcoming.  The city is in the process of hiring a new city manager.  You can be certain that the new CM will be someone who will be diligent and thorough when it comes to reporting to council.  One can also expect to see much shorter reporting financial reporting cycles in 2012.  The city uses some of the best accounting software available and council expect staff to use all the features – faster reporter being one of them.

Council wants to be sure they don`t get blind-sided again the way they did with the losses that were being experienced at the Paletta Mansion – the place was losing a ton of money and council didn`t know that.  That`s why the city is asking for expressions of interest from anyone who might have some ideas for that  place.

One of the concerns that got expressed was when the city would learn if things did go bad and they found they had to or wanted to exercise the 20 day option they have to ask the Theatre Board and BPAC to give the keys back.  At this point BPAC doesn`t really own the keys they use  – the building belongs to the city and once the lease is signed plans are in place to turn them over to BPAC on October 23rd at a formal public ceremony.

It was emphasized throughout the meeting that while the city owned the property BPAC runs the show.  BPAC`s policy is to have commercial shows in that make money for the Centre.  There will be programs put on by not for profit groups and prices for the use of the building will be lower.  The Centre will also develop a program of its own that will over time develop an appreciation for different art forms: dance, music, drama – trust Executive Director Brenda Heatherington to do what she did so well in St. Albert, Alberta in developing a taste for art forms that the city has not experienced in the past.

Councillors Meed Ward and Sharman weren't in agreement on very much during the Performing Arts discussion. This photograph was taken at a Strategic Planning session - they didn't agree much there either.

While everyone else was consistent in saying that the Centre would never be self-sustaining; that it would always need some form of subsidy from the city.   Mead Ward however said that she believed that entertainment can be made to pay and one got the impression she felt that the place could be made self-sustaining.  Phillips was experiencing small conniptions when she heard that for she is very firm on the need for clarity when the city sets out the relationship and the expectations it has of both the Theatre Board and the hard working folks at BPAC.  As Phillips put it when she said: `We need absolute clarity on this`, she said.  You will not make any money from this facility.  That didn`t stop Meed Ward from saying she felt the city portion of the operating expense would lessen over time.  Meed Ward countered with the bar is very low for sustainability.

The number floating around was about $350,000 a year to cover operating losses that will be experienced.  What had Taylor losing his normal smile and adding to his level of heartburn was the sneaky feeling that the city might at some point in the future be looking at as much as $500,000 more to cover capital replacement costs.  And he wanted those numbers fleshed out now before the lease is signed and the keys turned over.  But the hard number crunching that is needed hasn`t been done.

Taylor estimates that the capital surcharge of $1.50 will provide less than half of what is going to be needed.  Problems is if the BPAC loads on too big a surcharge they will become uncompetitive.

Your council then went back to one of its old habits and moved into closed session to talk about the specifics of the Relationship Agreement with the Theatre Board.  There was nothing in those discussions that had to be kept from the eyes of the public – if anything council should have wanted the public to know everything they possibly could about the largest capital expenditure the city has ever made.  Council members can and should get their views on the public record so that if there is ever a day when the city has to pull the plug and take back the building, which it owns, then the views and concerns of the council members were publicly known.  Not a particularly great start in terms of relationship building.

Councillor Taylor has always had concerns about the financial side of facilities that are tied to entertainment and show business.  He will point time and again to the Hamilton problems with their HEC5 operation. It is not that Taylor has a bias against entertainment – this is a guy who bought tickets to the Jersey Boys production and they weren`t for his children.  His concern is the ability of the Centre to bring in enough revenue so that the city is not on the hook for expenses it has made no allowances for in its longer term budget.

After more than an hour of closed session discussion council then voted on the Relationship Agreement and the Lease that will be in place.  Taylor didn`t vote for the agreements but the rest of council seemed to be comfortable – however you will never know because you didn`t get a chance to hear what was said – the session was closed.

Several changes were made to the Relationship Agreement as well as a few changes to clauses in the lease.  Mention was made of a change to clause 1601 B – which would presume there is a clause 1601 and therefore also a clause 1 – that would amount to a mighty long, complex document.  The Project Management Team also advised council that there were no liens on the property.

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Rushing around to shore up weak spots in the province. Who ever thought Burlington would be on THAT list.

By Pepper Parr

Are there enough of these lawn signs out to identify the votes McKenna needs Will the Hudak visit push her over the top

BURLINGTON, ON   October 5, 2011  –  For a seat the was one of the safest in the province, Burlington is now getting a last minute visit from Tim Hudak.   Hudak is

scheduled to visit the McKenna campaign office at 7 pm Wednesday evening.  That wasn`t part of the original Hudak last minute campaign plan.

That suggests that the polling the Progressive Conservatives are doing is telling them that Lady Jane needs all the help she can get.

McKenna has been described as the candidate in hiding and has not been all that visible.

Our Burlington gets material from the New Democrats and the Liberals several times a day.  We used to get material from the McKenna campaign but that flow stopped when they came to the conclusion that we weren`t being fair to them.  We have treated each of the political party`s equally.  When there was an opportunity for the McKenna campaign to submit some material they took a pass.  They did send in material when asked to set out their campaign.

This is one of those elections when your vote is really going to count.  Do vote Polls are open from 9 am to 9 pm.

This race could well become a squeaker.  Is Burlington going to see an historical change in who represents the city at Queen`s Park ?  You are the person that makes that decision.

 

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Did we get what we deserved from this election process?

By Casey Cosgrove

BURLINGTON, ON  October 5, 2011  –  For the last six -weeks, a process has been underway that is aimed at influencing who we cast our ballot for in tomorrows provincial election.  What should we expect from this election process?   Is it naive to expect spirited debate on the issues, clear communication about candidates ideas and vision, and perhaps a firm handshake at the front door?  Or, have we just become accustomed to, and accepted the fact that campaigns leading into elections are dominated by negativity, ‘spin’, attack ads, smear campaigns, and avoiding responsibility?

Elections are a great opportunity for aspiring ‘leaders’ to actually show leadership, to show vision, but instead, they have become a very ugly, tactical, 6-week communications battleground aimed at swaying voters.  Getting elected is the only focus it seems.

I would have liked more debate on the issues, less 'smoke and mirrors', fewer 'attack ads', more 'taking of responsibility' from the sitting government, and a little bit of 'giving credit' from the 'challengers.

In the past six weeks, we have watched a Premier that is unwilling to acknowledge the mistakes he has made in the past eight years, as if everything has been just fine in Ontario.  Voters may be willing to forgive, but the liberal strategy to simply ignore the mistakes, and hope people forget by the time they go to the polls, is not an accident.  Perhaps it is just not good ‘politics’ to take ownership of the things that did not go well, but it is good leadership.

We have seen challenger Tim Hudak obsess over the Premier, forgetting that voters want to know if he has any ideas of his own.  If you look at the refusal of the Burlington Post and Toronto Sun to endorse his party, it is clear that the jury is still out, even among those that normally support the PC’s.  It seems Hudak has waged his whole campaign on ‘don’t vote for the other guy’, and this is not resonating with Ontarians. We also saw Hudak spend way too much time and attention on a small program that he referred to as an ‘affirmative action program for foreign workers’.  These issues are distractions simply used strategically to knock the other candidate off their game, but I think Hudak erred on this one.  With an 11 point lead in the polls last summer, Hudak may have been better off not campaigning at all.

The NDP leader has fared well throughout the campaign, avoiding any costly gaffes.  Few would argue that she is the most ‘likeable’ leader.  Yet, a key question remains.  Will Andrea Horwath be propped up by the outpouring of support the NDP has received over the past few months across Canada, or does the reluctance to forget the ‘Rae Years’ still exist among Ontarians ?  It seems few are giving the NDP a real chance to govern, but they have run a solid campaign, will have improved numbers, and could hold the balance of power in the Legislature.

Locally, we have even less to go on from those competing to become Burlington’s next MPP.  We have seen a Conservative candidate that has been all but hiding, sharing very little about herself, her credentials, or her past accomplishments.  Jane McKenna’s campaign website is a basic PC party template with very little about her or Burlington, and is just another vehicle for the overall party platform Hudak has set out.  Her brochures are mostly about McGuinty, with little about McKenna.  They are banking in the fact that Burlingtonians will simply vote for the political party, and don’t care to know more about the person who may become their representative in the Legislature.

The Liberal candidate, Karmel Sakran, has a more impressive list of accomplishments and credentials to share with voters, but at times has also relied on touting the ‘accomplishments’ of the Liberals and their leader, which may not resonate.  Voters are upset with McGuinty. Sakran has enough substance and community connection to have distanced himself a little more in my opinion, and has shown focus on two key local issues – the hospital redevelopment and stopping the mid-peninsula highway from paving across our escarpment.

The NDP candidate, Peggy Russell, showed the most balance in trying to connect voters to herself, her party, and its leader, and she has been elected here before, as a Trustee.  This is a much bigger job, a larger stage.

If the majority of voters here cast their ballot for ‘party-first’, we will see another PC candidate claim victory here, as the PC brand has shown 60+ years of staying power in this community.  If voters take a long look at the accomplishments and credentials of those seeking office here in Burlington, we will likely have a Liberal or NDP candidate representing this community.

I would have liked more debate on the issues, less ‘smoke and mirrors’, fewer ‘attack ads’, more ‘taking of responsibility’ from the sitting government, and a little bit of ‘giving credit’ from the ‘challengers. Is it too much to expect clear, honest, communication about the ideas, platform, and vision of each candidate, and their party? Apparently, that is asking too much.   However, I will still be casting my ballot tomorrow, as it is my cherished right to have my say in who governs us.  Whether the candidate I support is elected here or not, I will at least know that I shared my voice in the process, and will support them in their new role as MPP for the riding of Burlington.

 

 

 

 

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How did she get to see a copy of the contract and what`s in that big orange boxÉ

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON  October 5, 2011  The contract isn`t signed – yet; lawyers need time to get all the documents together,  but there is something going on down at the Pier.  Either that or aliens have landed and they are hiding in that bright orange container parked on the Pier.

The contents of that container is the beginning of the construction of what the city is euphemistically calling  phase two of the Pier development.  Phase 1 was a total bust but Phase 2 has gotten off to a great start.

With the contract price for the completion of the Pier fully understood by everyone and the schedule in place, it was time to move on to other issues.  But before your Council could do that Ward 1 Councillor Meed Ward wanted to know more about the sub-contractor that Graham Infrastructure was planning on working with.  The question several people had when the council meeting adjourned was: Who cares ?    Graham Infrastructure is the company the city has contracted with and who they use to work with them is entirely up to them but Meed Ward said she had researched the Joint Venture partner and couldn’t find very much about them and asked staff to provide more detail and background on the company.

Staff has better things to do with their time.  And the councilor needs to let the contractors get on with their job.  Meed Ward didn’t support the decision to re tender – she felt that something could have been worked out with the original contractor.  When it came time to vote for the project, Meed Ward did support the decision and said at the time she would have “preferred the city go through a different door but that door was now closed so we should move on“.  Indeed – it is time to move on.

What's inside that orange container? The three missing lights? Continers are the first step to getting contruction of phase 2 underway. Will we hear jack hammers soon?

Meed Ward however is sticking with this one.  She somehow managed to get her hands on a copy of the contract with the contractor, which has yet to be signed, and mentioned to her fellow council members how thick the document is.  Some time ago this council decided that it didn`t want to “get too far down into the weeds“ when it came to project oversight.  Going through a contract that has yet to be signed is best done by the folks over at legal.

There is a building level of exasperation on the part of several council members (probably safe to say all council members) over the often unnecessary questions that Meed Ward asks and the requests for information that tie up staff time and for the most part serve no useful purpose.  The member for Ward 2 has been on council long enough to have learned just what the job is and t let staff do their work and allow council meetings to proceed in a more timely manner.

What the folks at legal have been doing however is a concern for Ward 3 councilor John Taylor who wanted to know what the city`s legal strategy is going to be once the case gets into what lawyers call the “discovery phase“ and what the legal costs have been to date.  Council has a right to at least be briefed on the legal strategy (that will be and should be a closed council session) and Taylor pushed a bit to get a commitment from staff as to when council would learn where things stand on the legal side.

We will know what legal is thinking before the end of the year.  Taylor pressed for a specific date and wanted something during the last cycle of council meetings in November – the best he could get was a guarantee that there would be information before Christmas.  We can expect a hefty number when the legal department eventually opens their kimono – expect to experience some heartburn.

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We owe them at least the time it takes to cast a ballot.

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON  October 4, 2011  –  Many, if not most of them, were kids.  They really didn’t know what they were doing but deep within each of them they understood that they were doing something important and they saw it as an adventure and so they “signed up” in 1914 and 1915.

And then the hard, painful reality of it all struck them as they climbed over the top of the trenches at the Somme and at Vimy Ridge – and they died miserable wretched deaths for something they knew was right but didn’t fully understand.  Many of the men that fought didn’t have the right to vote.

Commonwealth cemetery

In 1939 through to 1944 thousands of men once again signed up and once again thousands died miserable, wretched deaths in cold wet places.  Each November we celebrate their sacrifice – there was a time when it was a national holiday.

Every family in the country was touched by those two wars.  Every year we talk about the extreme

We call them the quiet victims

sacrifice they made for us – and while we believe what we are saying we somehow are not able to take the words and translate them into the hour or so that it takes to cast a ballot in an election.

There is an election in the next few days – and YOU get to exercise the franchise for which these

men and woman gave their lives.  Pay the debt you owe each one of them.  We don’t care who you vote for – you can show up be given your ballot and tell the clerk you do not wish to vote for anyone because you don’t feel any of them are good enough.

On your way back from the polling station – talk to the spirit of those men and woman who gave their lives for that ballot you just cast – and thank them for what they did for you.

 

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The party or the person ? Burlington gets to look at how they have voted in the past. Will old habits change ?

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON  October 4, 2011 –  This is the part of the week you get to think about who you are going to vote for.  On Thursday when you go to the polls, you get to act on the decision you make.

Let’s talk about the thinking you are going to do.  Will you vote for the party or the person ?  If you decide at this point that you will vote for the party no matter what – well then you’re some kind of an idiot or at best an irresponsible citizen.

Political parties, like any other organization, have to be held accountable by both the voters and the members of that political party.  It is irresponsible to vote for a party because you have always voted for them.  Paddy Torsney, the former Liberal member of parliament for Burlington learned the hard way what voters do with a political party they no longer trust.

Most people, once they`ve thought about it, find a political party that reflects their views on the way society should be ordered.  And if you`re at all active in your community you support that party with a financial contribution and perhaps take a lawn sign.

And should the party you support deviate from its core principles, a sensible, rationale person would withdraw their support.  If the local political party association forgets what its job is and puts forward an unqualified candidate the rationale human being would withdraw their support. There are occasions when the party is critically important.  Is that the case today in Burlington.  This city has elected conservatives since 1943 – and what does the city have to show for that support.  Certainly not a hospital and the conservatives are talking about significant changes to the geography of the northern part of the city.

The hospital we have is in desperate need of an upgrade and it needs much better funding.  One floor of the hospital isn`t even open – because the President of the hospital can`t get the funding he needs to open up the beds on the floor of the hospital that is closed.  The current member and the member before her didn`t do all that much for the hospital.  The hospital got so run down and so difficult to keep clean that it had a serious C.difficile outbreak that resulted in the loss of more than 90 lives.  That kind of funding failure in any community is criminal.

If the member of the Legislature or the House of Commons cannot deliver for the community then you might want to look for a person who can deliver.  A member who sits in the opposition seats isn`t exactly a cripple – they have a telephone and they can make phone calls and badger the bureaucrats until they do something for you.

While being part of the government certainly has its advantages – it doesn`t solve all the problems.  What a community needs is a member of the Legislature or the House of Commons who understands the community, cares about the community and has the smarts to get the job done.

Running for city council and winning a seat at that level is usually part of the job training that a person goes through as they progress through the ranks.  Nothing wrong with that.  Having someone who is immersed in politics is a plus for a community.  The person believes and loves the job – and it is people like that who deliver for the community.

Is it the person or the party ?  You always have that choice.  And right now Burlington has two very good choices if you take the view that the person matters.  If you take the view that the party is what really matters – then you have a choice for a candidate that will have a very long learning curve and there is no assurance at all that the candidate has the capacity to make it through that curve.

The party or the person?

 

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Why the anonymity from the Pier Watcher ? This one doesn`t pass the smell test.

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON  October 4, 2011  – In the world of newspapers and other media you learn to protect your sources, but at the same time be sure that your sources aren’t using you – and when a source does not identify themselves, by which I mean you don’t really know who they are – be very, very, very careful – because that source usually has something to hide and they want to manipulate the process.

A number of months ago there was an email address burlingtonpierwatch@gmail.com – a citizen who had developed an interest in what was happening at the foot of Brant Street.  The Pier watcher disappeared during the summer and has now re-appeared with information that they could only have been gotten from the lawyers involved in the dispute with the city.

Your city council has finally resolved what has been a debilitating and financially expensive experience,  but to the credit of both the Mayor, his council and senior city staff – plus those secretive folks in the city’s legal department,  the pier project is now back on track and with a bit of a break with the weather you will be out on that Pier in the summer of 2013.

Expect to see men and equipment out on the Pier any day now. The lawyers of course can now begin their squabbles - the city has a strong casse.

It has been an exhausting process and an expensive one in terms of money spent on lawyers and consultants not to mention the staff time the construction errors ate up.  But we are past that – and we truly are past all that.

However, there are those that want to limit the damage to themselves and they are using the electronic media to mess things up a little while the lawyers work towards some kind of a settlement.

The parties in all this are primarily, Zurich Insurance, the company that put up the performance bond – they want to get out of that mess for as little as possible.

Henry Schilthuis and Sons, the original contractor who walked off the job when they found that they couldn’t complete the job with the design they had been given and  Aecom, the company that now owns the engineers who did the original design work.

The city is suing both for $7.5 million and $10 million respectively and looking for $3.5 million from the insurance company.  These are large sums of money and the people being sued will fight very hard to get the amount of the claim they are going to have to pay down to as low as possible.

So when you see things like what is set out below being sent out you begin to wonder – who is the Pier Watcher and who is he working for and where is he getting his information ?  Read on and decide for yourself.

 Enter Howard Wise – the construction lawyer you would rather have on your side.

 Clearly HSS Construction is not planning to back down from the Brant Street Pier fiasco. In fact, they’ve decided that Howard Wise will be replacing Phil Horgan to lead the HSS legal battle. This only can signal that the gloves are coming off. Horgan is known as a construction lawyer who concentrates on reaching solutions. Howard Wise has a reputation of fighting and winning.

 This seems to be a shift for Henry Schilthuis, (president of HSS) well known for his gentle demeanour and his default to working out problems (HSS hasn’t been embroiled in a lawsuit in over 50 years until the pier came along).  It could be that the bonding company is pushing HSS to start playing hardball and teach the municipality a lesson. There are concerns among bonding companies that municipalities are relying too heavily on bonding companies to solve what are contractual disputes.

 What does all this mean? Goldring and company now know Election Issues #1.

Language like “teach the municipality a lesson” and the concerns of the bonding company – interesting.  Will the Pier Watcher come forward and identify himself ?

Election issue # 1 is to deliver on your promises and Goldring said he would finish the Pier and his Council has gone along with him.  All the critical votes have been 7-0  Promises by the Mayor have been delivered.

 

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Lakeshore Road could go dark Christmas of 2012 – Festival of Lights could be discontinued.

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON  October 3, 2011  A tradition that has brought literally hundreds of people down to Spencer Smith Park during the Christmas Season may not take place in 2012.  The Festival of Lights, developed and done for the city by the Burlington Down Business Association (BDBA) was expected to draw traffic downtown for the merchants.  It certainly drew traffic downtown but not enough of that traffic made its way up Brant Street and into the area shops and restaurants. The BDBA has decided that the event no longer delivers enough for their members for them to continue.

The city contributes $5000. to the project but that is nowhere near what it costs to mount the event which is put on by

Part of the delight of the Christmas season may not be seen in 2012. Downtown merchants can't afford the Festival of Lights.

BBDA members.  They do it all“ explained Chris Glenn, Director of Parks and Recreation, who added that the city lets the association use some of the Roads and Parks Maintenance space to build the lighting exhibits that are put up.

Discussions by the BDBA on what to do with an event that was popular but didn`t deliver the needed economic benefit to the BDBA members took place in August.  At last Monday`s Committee of the Whole meeting Ward 2 councillor Marianne Meed Ward brought up the situation when a report on events in the city  was being discussed and advised that she was going to bring forward a staff direction that would have city hall staff look into possible resolutions to the Festival of Lights predicament.  The event is not a city project and no one at Parks and Recreation appeared anxious to jump in and rescue this event.

And a Staff Direction wasn`t on either.  Meed Ward`s fellow councillors could see no merit in that idea and it got voted down.  The Festival of Lights takes place in Ward 2 and Meed Ward has to find a way to deliver something for her business constituents.  No one jumped in with any ideas or suggestions other than Councillor Jack Dennison who said he and his family walked over to the Festival every year and enjoyed themselves.  But Dennison didn`t say that he wondered up Brant Street and stayed for a meal at one of the restaurants.

And that is the problem.  Spencer Park – a gem if there ever was one, is the focal point for some of the largest festivals in the province.  The Rotary Rib Fest is seen by most people in the tourism business as the Grand Daddy of Rib Fests in the province.  Tens of thousands attend – but they congregate in the park, spend their money there and don’t get very far north of Lakeshore Road.

The retail merchants do all the work and pay for the bulk of the costs for the annual Festicak of Lights - but it no longer delivers the economic benefits the merchants need.

The city doesn`t have any staff sitting on the BDBA committee that runs the Festival and so there wasn`t much in the way of warning to the Parks and Recreation people on the problem.

One of the concerns discussed around the council table is finding a way for a more equitable distribution of events throughout the city.  All the major events take place along the lakes edge and that doesn`t do all that much for retailers sprinkled either side of Brant and up the street to about Caroline.

Meed Ward didn`t leave the Committee of the Whole meeting with very much in hand – this is a can she is going to have to carry on her own.  The lights on Lakeshore Road may not go on during Christmas of 2012.

On the event side of things – the numbers are great.  The city held 78 events so far in 2011 – 52 major and 26 minor events with attendance that ranged from 25 people to 190,000.  Parks and Recreation estimates that 605,000 people attended events in Burlington so far this year.

Grand numbers but they have a lining that is less than silver.  The Latitude restaurant in the Simms building on Elgin just off Brant has closed forever.  Restaurant and retails sales have not fully recovered since the 2008 recession.  People are keeping a tighter grip on their wallets and credit cards.

Burlington has yet to find a formula that will bring customers into the stores and restaurants in the downtown core and many retailers are giving it up.  Store closing have basically equalled store openings so the entrepreneurs that want to give it a go are still out there.

One of the prime concerns is the tax rates that are levied on commercial property.  When a property owner gets hit with a tax increase they pass it right on to the tenant.  The increase in high end condominiums in the downtown core has put pressure on property evaluations which gets translated into increased taxes – and the retail community can`t handle those increases.

The city has a Downtown Task Force looking into the problems.  Councillors Meed Ward and Taylor sit on that Task Force –

Brant Street looking south - needs more hustle and bustle to it.

and they do have their work cut out for them.  While unemployment in the city is not rampant there is still a very soft underbelly that needs to firm up in order for the retailers to make a better go of it.

The Burlington Economic Development Corporation doesn’t appear to be in the picture when it comes to downtown core issues.  Their focus is on bringing high tech, high paying jobs to the city and servicing the needs of organizations and corporations that look at Burlington as a possible head office location.

And that`s where that whole chicken and egg situation comes into play.  Without a really solid, profitable, bustling downtown commercial community the city looks a little drab and doesn`t have that many places one can take a clients out for lunch.   It is the corporate executive class who spend on the lunches and the dinners and because Burlington doesn`t have any Class A office space we have yet to attract much of that community.

And that brought up the question: Where does the Festival of Lights event go from here ?

The cover of the short form Strategic Plan document that is in the process of being taken to the community lists three strategic directions for the city.  Vibrant neighbourhoods, Prosperity and Excellence in Government.  We are falling short on the prosperity side and the Strategic Plan has yet to be approved.

 

 

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Elite level cycling opportunity brought to a close. City will terminate the agreement.

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON October 3, 2011  Today was the Go – No go day for elite cycling in Burlington and because a hard deadline the city had set for a response from the MidWeek Cycling Club did not arrive before the end of the cling events during the summer of 2012 in Burlington.  Which is unfortunate because the city’s geography offered so much potential for the development of some sports tourism that the city had dearly hoped to develop.

The Canadian Cycling Association has given the rights to the 2011 and 2012 qualifying events to Mid-Week Cycling who then approached Burlington and the

We could have become a great place for elite level cyclists to develop their skills. Not this time but the geography we are blessed will be there for the next attempt.

city along with the Burlington Hotel Association put up a total of $50,000. to support the initiative that was to see exciting Criterion races in the downtown core of the city o

n Canada Day.

But it was not to happen.  In 2010 Parks and Recreation staff bent over backwards to make the event happen.  The Halton Regional Police spent hours working through traffic plans and routing possibilities.  But time and again the Mid Week Cycling Club failed to deliver documentation and details.  The last time around in 2010 and 2011 everyone worked very hard and there was the one race event in the Aldershot areas that most people felt went off very well.  But the city tired of never really knowing of the cycling people were going to come through.

At one point in the comedy of errors on the part of the Mid Week Cycling Club a required payment was made to the Halton Regional Police but the cheque bounced.

Police turned a blind eye to the offence and continued with all the field work.  It amounted to nothing.

The contract was for a two year agreement and 2012 was to be the year that it all came together.  This time the city was not going to be run around in circles.  The Parks and Recreation people at the direction of Council established deadlines that had to be met and October 3rd was one of them.  If event route data was not in the hands of the city by 5:00 of the 3rd – the event was off and the agreement  would be terminated.

There was nothing in hand by 5:00 pm.  So no cycling races in Burlington during the summer of 2012.  City hall staff were not as disappointed as they had been in the past.  They learned some hard lessons last summer and were not going to make the same mistakes twice.

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More than $37 million later and there is a performer on the stage and wine and cheese in the BPAC Family Room.

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON  October 2, 2011  The opening piece made you feel like taking the missus into your arms and dancing away.  Royal Wood had that ability to create a mood and keep you with him as he performed exquisitely on the keyboard and moved from number to number during the opening performance at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre on Saturday October 1, 2011

The evening the city had been waiting for actually began back in August – on the 20th, when people lined up around the block to buy tickets at the then newly opened box office – the Centre was open for business.  “There were people who brought lawn chairs to sit on that Saturday, while they waited in line”, exclaimed Hilary Sadler, Marketing Manager for the Centre,  who then told the opening night audience that 6500 tickets had been sold in the six weeks since the Centre opened and that there were already several sold out events.  The Centre had a promotion for the early tickets buyers and “when we went to put all the entries into the draw barrel we had to stuff them into the container we had – there was hardly enough room” but Brenda Heatherington was still able to reach in and draw out the name of Robin Summers as the winner

The sound was just a tad too loud for me – but the piano work was exceptional.  Royal Wood has been at a keyboard since the age of four – and it showed.  He has his fan base and there were many of them in the audience Saturday night .  There were also a lot of people who may not have seen themselves as Royal followers –they just wanted to be in the audience opening night. The event wasn’t sold out but the hall was at least four fifths full – with people in the prime box seats as well.

An interesting and somewhat ironic observation.  Two of the people who were on the ground and in the trenches during the very early days of the drive to bring a performing arts centre to Burlington – then city council member Mike Wallace and bookkeeper Deb Tymstra were in the audience.  Mike was in one of the box seats while Tymstra sat with the regular crowd.  Wallace is now the MPP for the city and Tymstra now runs her own bookkeeping business and had to recently announce that Creative Burlington, the organization she ran to promote the arts and create something of a marketing base of those commercial and artistic organizations had to cease operations for lack of funding.  Life at times appears unfair – but Ms Tymstra, the opera is not over until the fat lady sings; you know that.

Royal Wood signing CD's after the first commercial event at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre. They loved him.

Royal Wood moved from number to number and on several occasions you could sense that he was going to let himself go just a bit more and each time he did that – the sound was grand but there was the sense that there was even more voice within this artist.  We have not seen the best of Royal Wood yet.

The piano work touched the very edges of a nice jazz sound and then seemed to get just a little honkey tonk, but Wood always came back to strong, solid keyboard work.

The evening started off with a video on the upcoming programmes which was interesting,  but all that information was in the promotional literature; we were in our comfortable seats and just wanted to get on with the show.  The introduction  ran just a little on the long side as well.  Wood moved from the grand piano (and it indeed is grand) to the microphone where he played his guitar with the back up of three musicians.  From time to time he would engage in light chatter with the audience and we got to see a side of this man that isn’t always noticed.  He talked about teen suicide – not a subject that was sure to endear him to an audience, and said that he didn’t want to be preachy or be “Bono” but he didn’t understand why all teens were not full of life and love and then quietly added that one had to “wait it out .. wait it out.

The concert – more of a performance actually was working towards its last coupe of pieces and when Wood announced that “this will be the last piece this evening” then the sly fox in him added that if the audience insisted he had a couple of others in his bag.   And the audience of course brought him back several times.

During the performance Graham Frampton, Manager, Operations and Facility Sales,  was seen scooting up and down an aisle – whispering a few words into the ears of the technicians handling the sound.  Technically the place works.  The sight lines are perfect and the Main Hall has a comfortable feeling to it – nothing fancy.  Executive Director Brenda Heatherington sat on the edge of her seat for part of the performance – you could almost hear her saying – it’s working.

First two people to enter the theatre with tickets in hand.

Given that this was the first night ever for the Centre, someone sprung for the cost of a wine and cheese reception.  Nice to be able to saunter over to the bar and pick up a glass of wine and then another if you chose and not have to pick up the tab.

People hung around for at least a full hour after the performance, talking in small groups.  Some gathered in the balcony that surrounds the Family room, that is huge lobby area right outside the theatre.  The place works – and it gave Royal Wood, its opening night performer, the “royal” treatment.

Tuesday of this week, the hard financial side of operating the Centre comes before a committee of city council that will receive a report setting out what is left of the $3,439,300 the Centre was given as contingency funds.  There is $74,297 left in that contingency account.

Those behind the development of the Burlington Performing Arts Centre speak regularly about the project being on time and on budget – welcome words to the ears of citizens who have heard nothing but grief about the Pier and, even though a contractor is in place to complete the Pier, there are still many who think the city should have walked away from the project and just blown the whole thing up.

 

The capital cost for the Burlington Performance Arts Centre has amounted to $37.2 million which includes the close to $3.5 contingency.  The city owns the building and is in the process of completing both a Lease Agreement and a Relationship Agreement with the independent arm’s length Board that governs the Centre.  That Board, a non profit corporation will operate what we know as the Burlington Performing  Arts Centre.  The corporation that oversees the Centre staff and its operations as well as representing the interest of the citizens, is known as the Burlington Theatre Board Inc.

So we have the Theatre Board operating the Performing Arts Centre which is owned by the city.  We will get back to you on how the Theatre Board is organized and what role the average citizen can play in the operation of the Centre.  At the Invitation Only event for the donours Vice Chair Rick Burgess explained very briefly that the role of the Theatre Board was one of oversight for the citizens of the city.

Oversight is certainly in order because the city will be giving the Centre $480,700. each year to go towards the cost of operating the organization.  An additional $262,800 was made available to the Centre as one time funding for the opening year.  The city owns the building and is therefore responsible for the upkeep and maintenance which will require the creation of a reserve fund.

The Relationship Agreement sets out the ability of the Theatre Board to make application for financial assistance through the city’s annual budget process.  The Staff report that is going to Council committee emphasizes that the Centre is not expected to be a fully self-sustaining facility.

There is a program in place; it’s called a Capital Surcharge that has an amount of between $1.00 and $1.50 added to the price of every ticket sold.  That surcharge is shown as a separate line on every ticket sold.  At the moment that surcharge amount to $1.70 (HST snuck in there somewhere).  The surcharge proceeds are divided  on a 50/50 basis between the city and the Centre.

Six thousand five hundred tickets for performances at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre have been sold. More than 550 were used on the first night.

The city’s Corporate Strategic Initiatives run by Allan Magi will have input on the capital plant, which means the building and the things actually attached to it and the stuff that is inside the building is the responsibility of the Centre staff.  Tables, chairs, the seats in the theatre – that kind of thing.

The Lease Agreement (which has yet to be made public) and the Relationship Agreement get a thorough going over at council committee.  The nature of the relationship between the City and the Board has more than enough clauses in it to protect the city.  Try this one on for size.  “The city may terminate this agreement by written notice … in any of the following circumstances and then goes on to list the events that would be defined as a default in the agreement.  But here is the killer: “Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the city may, in its sole and absolute discretion, terminate this agreement on 20 business days.  The city may exercise such right arbitrarily…”  That’s a pretty tough clause.  The city owns the building and if they don’t like the way things are being done they can cancel the agreement with 20 days’ notice.

The trade mark “Burlington Performing Arts Centre” is owned by the city and is licensed to the Centre.  The Board of the Centre cannot approve an expenditure of more than $1,000,000 until it has been approved by Council

The relationship between the city, the Centre’s Board of Directors and the staff at the Centre have been remarkably positive.  The city has council member, Rick Craven along with the Mayor, sitting on the Board of the non-profit corporation that runs the theatre as well as a staff member; Steve Zorbas, Acting General Manager Development and Infrastructure.

Volunteers are a large part of what makes the Centre work. Patrons will meet friendly ushers like these two gents.

The city provided the telephone system the Centre uses but doesn’t pay the telephone bill.  The city was involved in the setting up of the web site but doesn’t provide ongoing technical support.  The Centre staff will get paid through the city’s payroll service.

Except for a bit of a flap over the bricks that were to be used on the building the project was completed to the satisfaction of just about everyone.  The city took possession of the building from the contractors on September 13th and, believe it or not, there is a one year warranty on the place.

All however, is not sweetness and light between the city and the Theatre and its Board of Directors.  Staff is providing verbal updates at the committee meeting “so that committee members are clear about the few remaining areas of difference between the parties.”

Will it work, can it work?  There are a number of very positive signs that it will work but show business has never been easy and the entertainment business is fickle at the best of times.  Brenda Heatherington and her crew have their work cut out for them as they not only fine tune the building but also get the full measure of the community and figure out what we want and at the same time discern where the community can be taken.

The Board that provides the oversight is going to have to be both vigilant and supportive and give the staff the room they need to develop the business and at the same time be fiscally responsible.  This isn’t an 18 month undertaking; this is a three year exercise at a minimum and the Centre needs to develop a relationship with the citizens of the city that is strong enough to allow that amount of time.  That isn’t going to be the easiest thing to do in a city that had people who wanted the Pier torn down.

And if the Board and the Centre staff can’t do that – well the Centre could become, as one city hall wag put it, an All Elvis location.

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Mad chase through Hamilton streets, bear spray doesn’t stop Halton’s finest. Got their man then headed for the showers.

By Staff

BURLINGTON, ON September 29, 2011  A couple of Halton Regional Police plainclothes officers drove over to Hamilton to locate a suspect they wanted to put handcuffs on.  The suspect had some outstanding arrest warrants in both Halton Region and Hamilton. Investigation led to a residential address on Victoria Avenue. The police were permitted access to the house by the home owner for the purpose of arresting the suspect.

Two officers went downstairs identifying themselves verbally as police and located the suspect hiding in a crawl space. The suspect sprayed the officers with bear spray, forcing them to retreat from the enclosed area.

Two other officers, stationed outside the house, noticed the suspect emerging from a trap door underneath the front porch. The suspect immediately sprayed those officers and fled.

 Despite the effects of the spray and hampered vision, officers continued to pursue the suspect, while he continually sprayed them. The suspect was eventually apprehended.

You can imagine how ticked those police officers were. One of the officers sustained a serious knee injury when he ran into a fire hydrant while chasing the suspect who was spraying bear repellent at anyone who came near him.  It must have looked like a scene out of wild west movie.

The suspect was identified as David Thomas of no fixed address.  He was charged with Assault Police (three counts); Breach of Probation (two counts); Fail to Comply with Recognizance (two counts) and possession of a Controlled Substance.  Did you know that bear spray was a controlled substance.  Hamilton police assisted in the arrest.  And Mr. Thomas now has a fixed address.

 

 

 

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Citizens group lays out the facts and the real issue when it comes to the Escarpment.

By Staff

BURLINGTON, ON September 29, 2011  –  For Burlingtonians the two issues are the hospital and the Escarpment – one at the bottom and the other at the top of the city.  The citizens have heard what each of the political parties has to say – but no one is really sure that those politicians will deliver on the promises or on the priorities as some politicians are calling them.

Thus it is good to hear from an interest group that has one objective – No highway here – thank you.  The Stop the Escarpment Highway Coalition

This is the part of the country side the environmentalists want to keep the highway makers away from.

(SEHC) has been consistent in their opposition to any new road.  And they bring  with them 13 organizations with 8500 members on the mailing lists – all a part of the coalition.  In the world of politics – this is called clout.

So here is what they have to say about the position the politicians have taken:

Plans to build a costly Horseshoe Mega‐highway from Fort Erie to Vaughan that will saddle Ontario taxpayers with an estimated $16 billion bill are being fought by a growing coalition of citizens’ groups. The Stop the Escarpment Highway Coalition (SEHC), with 11 member groups from Niagara to Oakville, will now be acting in concert with Sustainable Vaughan and Concerned Residents Against Superhighway in Halton Hills (CRASHH).

While Transportation Minister Kathleen Wynne has announced that Ontario’s Liberal government would not move forward with part of the planned highway from Niagara to North Burlington, other portions of the highway are still on the table and background work and environmental assessments for all portions are still ongoing. As well, opposition leader Tim Hudak has said he would build the highway if elected as Premier.

“We aren’t fighting highways, we’re fighting a transportation planning philosophy that only looks at highways,” says SEHC spokesperson Geoff Brock, adding that efficient, modern, multi‐modal transportation options across Ontario need to be considered including rail, shipping, and many types of public transit. Brock notes, plans for the Horseshoe Mega‐highway, have been announced in stages, with costs relayed separately for each portion, so it hasn’t aroused the public concern that it should have.

Yet, throughout the entire proposed route of the superhighway, citizens’ groups, and in many cases, local and Regional governments have risen up to oppose it and advocate for a better way.

“The problem is the mandate and focus of the Ministry of Transportation precludes this type of planning,” says Brock. “Traditionally, the Ministry has been focused on building and maintaining a road‐based, car and truck focused transportation system.  Ministry staffs know a lot about roads but we need experts who understand integrated transportation networks that include shipping, rail, light rail, buses and subways,” says Brock.

This is the part of the province that all the huffing and puffing is about when Burlingtonians talk about protecting the Escarpment. The province has wanted to build a new highway from Buffalo, New York all the way around the western end of Lake Ontario and into the industrial parts of the province North of Toronto. The good folks of Burlington have no problem with that idea – they just don’t want a highway built through the Escarpment. The Stop the Escarpment Highway Coalition thinks the province needs to re-think transportation and see beyond just building highways.

In a global economy, Ontario has to compete with places that are investing heavily in fast, cost‐effective, multimodal transportation systems for people and goods, Brock notes. “We need a transportation plan that’s faster and cheaper than one based on cars,” says Brock. He cites a recent study that showed Toronto’s commute times are quickly becoming the world’s longest while cities like Barcelona, that have just completed a massive public transit system, have the world’s shortest.

“We can’t afford to be left behind,” says Susan McMaster of Citizens Opposed to Paving the Escarpment (COPE), a Member of the SEHC. She notes that the creation of Metrolinx, and increased Provincial funding for GO expansion, are steps in the right direction but those plans are limited to the Greater Toronto to Hamilton Area (GTHA).

“Many people are commuting from the Kitchener, Brantford and Niagara areas to the GTHA. A lot of goods are moving through the border in Windsor and Sarnia to all parts of the Province. We need a greater vision for transportation in Ontario that will keep people and goods moving now and into the future,” says McMaster, citing the escalating costs of fossil fuels as a major reason to focus on creating a multi‐modal transportation network across the Province.

The cost of building the superhighway is also a major concern, says McMaster.  With the world’s economy in a tailspin the Province is under a lot of financial pressure and there is only so much money to go around. “Funding this proposed highway will cost billions of taxpayer dollars. And given current budget constraints, every dollar spent on new highways is a dollar that won’t be spent on building the kind of efficient, integrated transportation network that would make us competitive,” she says.

COPE, which has been fighting the construction of a Niagara Escarpment highway for years, is also deeply concerned about the new and expanded quarry operations the highway would generate. “By Provincial policy, aggregate must be sourced as close to the area under construction as possible. That means a lot more and bigger quarries; a lot more blasting in the Niagara escarpment and adjacent areas,” she says.  This is a large part of what the Nelson Aggregate OMB hearing is all about.

Country side that was not meant for highways.

Progressive Conservative candidate Jane McKenna didn’t even know what the Nelson Aggregate hearing was even about – which is kind of scary.

Brock argues that:  “Until we hear the announcement that the government of this Province is committed to creating a Province‐wide, multi‐modal transportation network, SEHC will continue to expand our membership and our efforts to make this necessary change happen,” he says.

SEHC also wants the Federal Government to step up to the plate. “The bottom line is the Province can’t do it alone. The Federal Government has an important role to play

especially in terms of providing funding but also in helping to integrate, rail and shipping, and in easing congestion at borders. They need to step up to the plate, like other federal governments have around the world, and recognize that having an efficient, multi‐modal transportation network in Ontario is in the national interest, says McMaster.

“Let’s face it, we can’t get our economy moving if people and goods aren’t,” she says.

 

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Popular jazz vocalist at the Alexander Barn of the Halton Museum in Kelso. Take in the fall colours as well.

By Staff

BURLINGTON, ON September 29, 2011  Gary Carr, the Chief Cheese over at the Region wants you to know that  “Fall is the perfect time to visit the Halton Region Museum in Kelso, you can take in the fall colours, the beautiful views and round it out with a top notch performance from two well-seasoned and soulful jazz/blues musicians, Terry Blankley and Al Matthews.”

Cool, quiet jazz vocals in a fall colour setting.

The Chair is absolutely right on this one.  The Jazz at the Museum program is great entertainment and very good value.  It would be nice to see the Chair at one of these events – he could use a little R&R and the Missus would probably like a chance to get out of the house.

Artist/composer Terry Blankley will draw you in and warm your spirits on October the 9th.   Described as a cross between Bruce Springsteen and Tom Waits, Terry has been a regular at the grand Old Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.  Whether singing Billie Holiday’s classic, “Don’t explain” or the Ray Charles hit, “Hallelujah, how I love her so,” or songs from his latest CD, Cold Weather Blues Blankley is fine entertainment.  Terry will be joined at the Museum by Al Matthews, whose brilliant musical styling’s  and vocals are matched by a wicked sense of humour.

Sunday, October 9th – great way to spend an afternoon – take friends.  Limited tickets are available at the door for $20 per person and include light refreshments. The performance  takes place in the Hearth Room in the Museum’s historic Alexander Barn from 2 to 4 p.m. Doors open at 1:30 p.m.  You can reserve a ticket by calling 905-875-2200, ext. 27

 

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Another heavy equipment theft in Burlington. Insurance rates may rise soon. Crime Stoppers could use your help.

By Staff

BURLINGTON, ON September 29, 2011 –   The construction industry took another hit the past few days.  A loader was stolen from a Longmoor Drive construction site

The equipment was valued at more than $170,000 so you know it wasn’t taken away in a wheel barrow.  If you’re offered a chance to buy a 2008 John Deere Loader, Model 544J, take a pass on the offer and give Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes)

There are always equipment thefts from construction sites – the contractors need to find ways to better secure the equipment at night and on weekends and the police might make a practice of driving by known construction sites regularly but randomly as well.

Perhaps the police could provide a service that allowed contractors to call in and let police know there is equipment on a site.  They could then do drive byes and keep an eye on things.  The thieves will figure out the sites are being watched and look for easier picking.

 

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