 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON May 24, 2011 – It started with Direction from the Mayor to city staff to provide an update on the status of the Core Commitment Initiative that would include a plan for delivering the vision. There hadn’t been much activity on this file but there had been lots going on in the background for some time and the Mayor wanted to bring things forward. Burlington’s Downtown Core Commitment was getting attention.
The Mayor had perhaps been influenced by comments made by Christopher Hume, Architectural columnist for the Toronto Star who was the Mayors guest at the first of his Inspire Series held at McMaster DeGroote School of Business on the South Service Road in April.
Mayor Goldring commented after the speech that much of what Hume said was “painful, but all too true”. Unfortunately there was only about 50 people in the room and what Hume had to say should have been heard by hundreds – if not thousands. “What you have done in the past and are continuing to do” said Hume “is not sustainable and this city as you know it cannot continue.” Some in the room did not want to hear what Hume was saying but because this is Burlington everyone was polite.
 Council committee agreed to let the building go up. Councillor for the ward and local residents oppose the deal the city made with the developer. The first person to put a question to Hume said: “We like Burlington just the way it is” – and that of courses is the problem; a serious one for Burlington’s long term existence. Mayor Goldring says frequently that Burlington and its suburban sprawl was created when gas and land were cheap. With gas having touched $1.40 a litre and land getting more expensive every week, the sprawl we have cannot be maintained. Will people want the homes with large back yards and swimming pools forty years from now ? Will they be able to afford to heat them and be able to pay for the gas to get home at the end of the work day. Provincial policy and a need to make better use of the land we have has started the city on a process of intensifying development. The recent decision to permit significant intensification on half acre lots in the Queensway area and the vote to be taken at Council tonight on a 14 storey apartment building just to the west of the downtown core are signs that the process had already begun.
City staff are working from a document written in 2005 – called the Downtown Core Commitment, which sets out goals and objectives and ties those tasks to the budget.. Each year, Jody Wellings, Special Business Area Coordinator and a certified planner, reports, to Council on where they are with the work plan.
Mayor Goldring asked for an update of the Core Commitment Plan which is now being worked up and that is where things are today. The report that Wellings will present to Council will talk about a significantly different downtown Burlington. Many of the retail establishments that were part of the Village Square fled to Brant Street when rents and management practices at the Village Square were felt to be onerous. Management at the Square is now in the hands of the owner’s daughters and new tenants are slowly returning. But they aren’t pulling any traffic from Brant Street – so it would appear that there is enough retail trade for both locations to thrive.
A large part of the difference is that there are now a number of condominiums that were not in place when the last draft of the Downtown Core Commitment was released. And a building that will contain both housing units and offices for the medical community in the northern part of the downtown core should see ground turned, probably sometime this year.
 Council committee agreed to let the building go up. Councillor for the ward and local residents oppose the deal the city made with the developer. The Pearl Street Café closed a few months ago and the two buildings sold as part of a land assembly that will run south to Lakeshore Road. The developers of that project have a part interest in Pane Fresco on Locust Street. Downtown Burlington is evolving and the task for Wellings is to keep ahead of the change and at the same time loop back and ensure that it is all moving along the way it should.
A downside to all this development is that property values have been driven up which results in property tax increases for the retailers and that has resulted in a few stores with sheets of paper in the windows.
Getting the right feel for the streetscape was one of the several points Hume made in his presentation and he put forward the notion that there is no public realm in Burlington. “Streets” he said, “are the destination” in vibrant cities but the streets of Burlington are not vibrant. “Burlington” said Hume “is indifferent to the public realm”, which he defined as that space that gives life to streets and creates spaces for people to gather.
Hume was close to scathing in his comments about the moral failure on the part of McMaster University when they located on the South Service Road, outside the downtown core. His belief is that the university had a moral responsibility to the people of Burlington to settle in a downtown location – but that one got away on us.
And so what does Jody Welling do with all this? How much can the planners do? Create reports; keep them up to date; make presentations at city council meetings. Wellings explains the document is a ‘guide’ – it sets out the vision but it isn’t a manual and “because streets are dynamic and change easily” all it sometimes takes is one “hot spot” to change a whole city block
Burlington explains Ms Welling “has always been good at public engagement” – a point on which the writers of the Shape Burlington report didn’t appear to agree with – and there have been, adds Wellings “some really hot public meetings”.
By Staff
 BURLINGTON, ON May 22, 2011 – The weather isn’t all bad. The closing dates for the Civic Rose Award nominations has been moved back a week. Lawry Ellis said earlier this week that the wet Spring is going to mean a lot of gardens just won’t be at their best so we have moved the date on which nominations have to be in back a week.
The nomination forms must be in by June 30th. CLICK HERE for a copy of the nomination form. You can if you wish nominate yourself.
The Civic Rose Award is the top and much sought after prize for the gardening crowd with the 2010 Mayor’s Cup going to an address on Idlewood Court. For a look at all the 2010 winners – CLICK HERE.
 - Judge’s Choice in 2010 was a home on Burlington Avenue.
Mayor Rick Goldring mentioned at a recent Council meeting that perhaps the Mayor’s Cup could be renamed the Burlington Cup, which isn’t going down all that well with the gardeners who point to a 32 year tradition which they don’t think should be tampered with.
While the Mayor may not be a gardener he is an environmentalist and does have a sense of history. One would hope that the Mayor doesn’t flush 32 years of history into the lake.
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By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON May 18, 2011 Despite significant resistance to the to the Molinaro application to erect a 14 story apartment building on the site at Brock and Ontario Streets, a City Council committee voted to approved the project.
Ward 1 Councillor Meed Ward, like many, wondered why the city was allowing a building of 14 storeys to be build on a site that was zoned for 7 storeys.
Not only did the developer get to put up a 14 storey building where residents thought 7 storeys was the limit but the community gets a less than attractive structure. The Molinaro family are said to be planning to move their administrative offices to the two floors of commercial space that will be at the base of the building. The need to intensify under the provincial Places to Grow legislation and the fact that the building would not put additional strain on the infrastructure in the area was enough reason for this Council to approve the project at committee.
The proposed building isn’t the largest in the area and it isn’t going to be the prettiest but it was approved and what’s done is done.
Not so fast says Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward. The developer proposed to give the city certain benefits in return for the additional height they were given and put forward a number of what area resident Mark Henderson called “trinkets” worth less then the value of one of the apartment units, which by the way have been registered as condominium units so they can be sold off one at a time by the developer should they choose to do so and market conditions make it possible.
The benefits the developer offered were valued at $500,000.and consisted of:
1. $250,000.00 towards the burial of hydro wires on the west side of Brock Avenue from Elgin Street to Ontario Street;
2. $75,000.00 towards a new play structure in a neighboring park;
3. $20,000.00 towards the construction of the pathway through the hydro corridor;
4. $55,000.00 towards the public art reserve fund;
5. $50,000.00 towards a landscape feature at the corner of Brock Street and Elgin Street; and,
6. $50,000.00 towards the parking reserve fund.
At first glance there is nothing particularly innovative or imaginative to the list and a contribution of $500,000 for an additional height of 7 storeys is close to an insult. Joseph Brant cut a better deal for the Indians than this.
The project will have a total of 315 units – which amounted to an additional 155 units, which at the bargain basement price of say $200,000 each if they were sold as condominiums, amounts to more than $30 million in additional revenue. Meed Ward and the community she represents want to squeeze the developer and get much more than the paltry $500,000.that was offered.
When delegating at the Council meeting that approved the project Mark Henderson asked who decided that $500,000 was adequate and, he wanted to know “who decided what the money was to be spent on?” Meed Ward has for some time been trying to create a situation where the residents of a community that was going to bear the impact of a development have direct input on these decisions and thus her motion to be brought to a Council meeting on May 24th.
At the City Council meeting on Tuesday, May 24, 7pm Councillor Meed Ward plans to bring the following motions forward (they will require 4 votes to pass):
1. Motion to refer Report PB 29/11 (on the Molinaro/Brock apartments) back to staff with an instruction to the Director of Planning and Building to refer the allocation of the $500,000 of community benefits for the Brock Avenue (Molinaro) project to a community consultation process involving the ward councillor and community representatives, and to provide a report with recommendations to council based on the community’s vision for how the $500,000 should be apportioned.
Meed Ward needs four votes to get this through Council – hers plus three others. She needs to do more direct lobbying than she appears to have done in the past and also needs to get her fan club on the telephone and the tom tom drums if necessary to drum up support with other Councillors.
 A three dimensional rendering of the proposed site relative to others in the immediate areas does show that the proposed building is not as high as others already in place. Meed Ward is braking new ground here. She wants the community to have a much bigger say in how where they live and raise their familirs is changed. This is a significantly different Coucnil and we will find out just how pro-development they are. All of them were elected on platforms that called for greater public particiaption. This is one of those situations where the rubber meets the road. This will be a recoded vote.
If she can’t get the votes she needs for the first motion – she has another one (At a previous Committee meeting, Meed Ward had four ammendments that required Council to go 40 minutes beyond their usual shut down time of 10:30 pm – her colleagues were not happy campers.) The fall back motion is:
2. Review and report back on the use of Section 37 benefits as a whole (background, should it continue, pros and cons, etc) and provide feedback on how community involvement in selecting community benefits can be enhanced, as part of the Official Plan review process.
Meed Ward expects the second motion to pass. The first, a staff member advised, may not pass because it has the potential to delay approval of the entire project. Tough, the developer should have taken the initiative and put more on the table and asked the people who live in the immediate area for their thoughts.
Meed Ward has talked to people in the Planning Department and has been advised by others to solicit some community input on the community benefits. Her strategy seems to be to get her fellow Council members to bring the developer back to the table and contribute more on this project – and if they don’t buy that (and they should) then ask Staff to come back with a fully researched report on just what can and cannot be accomplished under Section 37 – a part of the Municipal Act that refers to what a municipality can ask of a developer who is seeking additional height and density for a project.
 The site as it exists today. Fourteen storeys is going to add significantly to the traffic and the demand on the infrastructure. On the positive side it is a very short walk – less than a block, to Spencer Smith Park. This is something new for Burlington, with the potential to change the way the city ensures that the citizens have a real, at the table, say in how projects are developed. It willdrive the developers bananas – but is an idea whose time has come.
Residents can register as a delegation to speak to City Council about these benefits. You must register with the committee clerk, Danielle Pitoscia (905-335-7600, ext. 7375) by noon on Friday, for the Tuesday meeting (Monday is the holiday).
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By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON May 18, 2011 – Burlington has parks galore. How well are they used? Do they matter? The question asked was if parks and open spaces were “very important” or “extremely important”. Parks certainly mattered – but what stuck out in the answers to this question was how more they mattered to the people in Ward 2 when measured against the importance to people in the other wards.
 Burlington has great parks – but are the right people using them? Those residing in ward 2 were significantly more likely than those in wards 2,3,5 and 6 to consider parks, open spaces and sports fields important.
Not surprisingly, resident aged 18 – 34 were more likely to make use of parks, open spaces and sports fields on a regular basis when compared to those 55+ – 73% compared to 49%
A clear recreational development and health improvement opportunity and need is to get seniors out into the parks and open spaces.
Ward 2 is the smallest ward in the city and covers all of the downtown core.
The importance of parks, open spaces and sports fields relative to other services is show in the list of ten items that are summarized below.
The Quality of Service Survey was done for Burlington in 1998, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008 and 2011. The data is based on a random and representative telephone survey of 752 residents over the age of 18 and is considered to be accurate to within plus or minus 3.6%, 19 times out of twenty. For the full survey CLICK HERE.
On balance people in Burlington are happy with the services provided them by the city.
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By Pepper Parr
 BURLINGTON, ON May 18, 2011 – Ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven will tell you that the one thing that will always get your phone ringing is snow on streets that have not been cleared. The only thing that does one better than that is sidewalks that have not been cleared of snow.
The importance of snow clearing was part of a list of ten items that are summarized below.
While the citizens of Burlington are basically happy with the service provided, clearing snow from the streets and roads is always at the top of their “importance” list.. Ward 1 and Ward 2 residents were more likely to show increased satisfaction with snow clearing when compared to those living in ward 6. Of course, the snow removal people have to deal with Councillors Meed Ward and Craven in wards 2 and 1 – and they fight for their constituents. In ward 6 mild mannered Blair Lancaster may not manage to get the response Craven and Meed Ward get.
How important is it to the residents of Burlington to have the snow cleared from the sidewalks? In 2011 28% saw it as extremely important, up from 24% in 2003
Very important rose from 48% in 2003 to 53% in 2011 It would seem evident that the rising seniors population places more emphasis on the importance of snow being cleared from the sidewalks.
When it comes to clearing snow from the roads the numbers shift a bit. Not only are the numbers different but there are significant differences in the views of men and women and then differences in how important getting snow off the roads is in each ward. Women, for the most part saw clearing the snow from the roads more important than men did.
The Quality of Service Survey was done for Burlington in 1998, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008 and 2011. The data is based on a random and representative telephone survey of 752 residents over the age of 18 and is considered to be accurate to within plus or minus 3.6%, 19 times out of twenty. For the full survey CLICK HERE.
On balance people in Burlington are happy with the services provided them by the city.
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By Pepper Parr
 BURLINGTON, ON May 17, 2011 – Boy, when we screw it up, we really screw it up. I took a day off to get caught up on my television watching and well the bottom just fell out of the political world I was watching. Bad enough that the Liberals got creamed federally but to learn that others chose to fall on their sword before they even got nominated – that is something to behold.
In a piece on Karmel Sakran’s acclamation as the Liberal candidate for Burlington in the upcoming provincial election I mentioned that there were two men seeking the Progressive Conservative nomination in Burlington. WOW, was I ever wrong.
 Rene Papin falls on sword. After running at least one half page full colour advertisement in a newspaper that will go un-named, Rene Papin posted the following to his web site:
Bert Radford
President
Burlington Progressive Conservative Association
Box 8007
Appleby Postal Outlet,
Burlington, ON,
L7L 6B1
Dear Bert Radford,
On the advice of a number of close advisors whom I believe to be well connected within the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, I am withdrawing my application for nomination as the Conservation candidate for the Burlington riding. I have been advised that my candidacy, at this time, does not fit the strategic direction of the Party, and that it would be in the best interests of the Party if I were to withdraw.
It has truly been an honour to have been considered as the candidate for the nomination, but I have always believed that the interests of the Party must come before those of the individual.
I therefore, respectfully withdraw my application for the nomination.
Sincerely,
I missed that one. My apologies of the piece I wrote misled anyone.
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By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON May 17, 2011 – Do we like where we live? We do. Are we happy with the services provided by the civic administration? Apparently so. The folks in Ward 4 would appear to be the happiest campers while those in Wards 1 and 2 are not as certain that Burlington is a second heaven.
This information is contained in a Quality of Service survey the city had done by a research firm in the Big Smoke to the east of us. This research work was first done in 1998 and repeated again in 2001, 2003, 2006 and 2008. The 2011 survey gives people who reads these reports a look at where the city is today and where it was in each of the years the survey was done.
The city wants to know if they are delivering on the promise when you put the cheque in the mail to pay your taxes. The research firm interviewed 752 people. It took on average 17 minutes to get answers to all the questions. The person answering the question had to be more than 18 years of age. The survey was done between April 4-11. Some over sampling was done to ensure that at least 125 people in each ward were interviewed.
Interesting data. In the next few days we will provide data and commentary. If you are a real data geek the full report is available at: Click here.
A difference of 10% in impression level is significant. Those who thought it was very good has been in a consistent decline while those whose impression was excellent has increased. The difference based on ward is quite telling.
How happy are we with the services provided by the city. Basically half of us are somewhat satisfied while the other half is very satisfied. No one is reported to be totally ticked off with the service.
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By Staff
 BURLINGTON, ON, May 16, 2011 – On Saturday, May 14, the backyard of Burlington Fire Department’s headquarters was transformed into the scene of multiple car accidents as seven teams of firefighters from Ontario, the Maritimes and New York State competed in a high-intensity Vehicle Rescue Challenge.
 - Burlington Fire Department’s auto extrication team works to save a mock patient trapped inside a vehicle during one of the simulated scenarios in the annual Vehicle Rescue Challenge. 2011 BFD Team members are as follows: Mark Eales (Team Captain), Derek Baranowski, Chris Porter, (Medic), Jenny Blain, Ryan Head and Mike Carroll
Spectators gathered to watch as each team raced against the clock to complete a series of rescue scenarios and safely remove mock patients from inside the wrecked vehicles.
Fire departments enrolled in this year’s challenge included: Halifax and Enfield, Nova Scotia; Brampton; Mississauga; Chile and Brighton, New York; and Burlington.
“This event spotlights the skills of our city’s firefighters and their commitment to continuous learning,” said Fire Chief Shayne Mintz. “Putting our skills to the test through international competition will allow us to hone our expertise in motor-vehicle rescue so that we can better serve our community.”
This is the 27th year Burlington has participated in the challenge, and Burlington Fire has earned an international reputation as being one of the most respected departments in vehicle rescue. This year was no exception, the Burlington Fire Department came in second just behind Mississauga.
Top Medic Award went to Burlington Fire Department’s Chris Porter and Best Incident Commander was awarded to Trevor Shea of the Mississauga Fire Department.
“The Vehicle Rescue Challenge provides our community with an up-close look at how fire department personnel function as a team to perform vehicle rescues under intense pressure,” said Burlington’s auto extrication team captain Mark Eales. “Sometimes people forget that our jobs go far beyond firefighting. It’s competitions like this that demonstrate the expertise and teamwork that is vital in real vehicle rescues and saves lives on our streets and highways each year.”
The goal of the challenge is to help rescuers stay current with auto extrication practices and share ideas to improve life-saving techniques. The concept of the Vehicle Rescue Challenge originated at the Ontario Fire College in Gravenhurst, Ont., in 1984, with teams from across Ontario and the United States. Since then, this International event has grown to the point where regional and national competitions are held annually coast-to-coast in Canada and the United States and countries from Europe, as well as South Africa, Australia, New Zealand.
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By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON May 17, 2010 – More than 275 people packed the Seniors Centre in Burlington to see Karmel Sakran be acclaimed as the Liberal candidate in the October 6th provincial election.
With the federal election over the political junkies in the city can now focus on the provincial event. After that they are in for a long dry spell until 2014 when another municipal race takes place and, if feelings about the current council prevail – that event will be a snore.
A prominent Burlington lawyer and Chair of the city’s 2010-11 successful United Way campaign, Karmel Sakran is now the official Provincial Liberal candidate .
 The small variety store the Sakran family operated on Ontario Street still serves the community. “Growing up in downtown Burlington on Ontario Street behind my late father’s little grocery store taught me the importance of community,” said 46-year-old Sakran, who arrived in Burlington at age 13. “From behind that counter, I saw how he treated people with friendship and respect and how they returned it in kind. It was a powerful message that will stay with me forever.”
Reflecting that early influence, Sakran has become well known in Burlington for his community involvement. A long-time Rotarian, former Regional Chair of the Halton Community Consultation Committees, he is a founding board member of The Carpenter Hospice.
Sakran is currently a member the Board of Governors at Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital since 2006 and member of its executive, chairing its Human Resource Policy and Compensation Committee. He is the board representative on the hospital’s Foundation Campaign Steering Committee whose target is to raise $60 million for much-needed capital re-development.
 When it took a small amount to get the United Way over the top Sakran took out his cheque book while Timothy Brown and Len Lifchus, both of the United Way, looked on approvingly. For Sakran, chairing Burlington’s United Way campaign, which raised a record $2.2 million this year, was an eye-opener. “People don’t typically think of Burlington as having citizens in need, but we do,” he says. “Many youth, families, and seniors benefit from the 44 social programs and services funded by the United Way.”
Seeking the Liberal nomination in Burlington is Sakran’s way of continuing to work for his community. Originally from Nazareth, Israel, of Christian Arab parents, he arrived in Canada at the age of 3 and moved to Burlington when he was 13. Sakran attended Central High School and later Assumption Secondary School, because “I didn’t make the football team at Central and at Assumption, I made the team”.
Sakran later attended the University of Windsor and, after graduating in law, articled for the Criminal Appeals Division of the Attorney General of Ontario in Toronto. He quickly returned to Burlington after being called to the bar.
“I always wanted to live and work in Burlington – that is where my heart is,” he said. “Burlington has been my home and my community for the past 34 years, and my goal is to win the nomination and then represent Burlington in the Ontario Legislature.”
For Sakran, “It’s time Burlington had a Liberal at Queen’s Park.” Conservatives have represented this riding for decades, he notes, adding that they have been less than effective in upholding Burlington’s unique heritage and its integral role as the hub between the GTA, Hamilton and Niagara Corridor.
“Burlington has a leadership role to play in what is happening around and inside its border and we can’t allow another four-year term to pass with us taking a spectator role. The Conservatives want to pave paradise with the mid-peninsula highway and, despite having a Conservative MPP for all this time, no provincial money has been secured for capital re-development of our hospital in the past 40 years.”
His social conscience also stretches beyond Canada’s borders. In 2009, he and two friends travelled to civil war-torn Sierra Leone to help two orphanages and a polio village. Since then, his small group continues to draw on local churches, service clubs and private donors for help, resulting in:
Shipping two large containers to Sierra Leone filled with tools, equipment, food and other essentials – not to mention hope.
Four Rotary clubs formed a steering committee to help develop 11 acres of land outside Freetown for a school, residences and playground for the orphan children, plus partnering with other agencies to establish a sustenance project to raise chickens and produce clean water.
 Get ready to see a lot of this “official” photograph of Karmel Sakran Sakran also holds two annual Burlington fundraisers – one of which is the Wills and Powers of Attorney Event which has raised more than $55,000 for local charities since 2003. The other – a five-K run/one-K walk every Canada Day – raises health and wellness awareness, honours Canada’s Service men and women and raises funds for local charities.
A matrimonial lawyer in Burlington, Sakran recently founded Roseland Law Chambers, a group of seven sole-practitioner lawyers with wide experience across all aspects of the law. He is married and has 2 daughters; his youngest is 5 ½ years old.
The Progressive Conservatives have yet to nominate their candidate but Brian Heagle is said to be in the race and out there in the coffee shops making his case. Rene Papin chose to fall on his sword and withdraw from the race.
By Pepper Parr
 BURLINGTON, ON May 16, 2011 A usually reliable source advises that the Midweek Cycling Club event promoter made a payment by certified cheque to the Halton Regional Police Service before the noon deadline of May 16th, to the surprise of many.
The event promoter has missed so many deadlines that everyone expected him to miss this one – and had it been missed, the city would have withdrawn its support for the event. Burlington had originally agreed to put up $30,000. to help fund the event with another $20,000 coming from the Burlington Hotel Association.
When the five scheduled races were cut back to two races the Hotel Association cut back their amount to $10,000. and the city cut back its contribution to a total of $10,000. with $5000. attached to each race.
This event has perplexed council, maddened staff and driven the police to near distraction with the number of hours that have been put in and extensive community consultation.
Ward 2 Councillor Meed Ward commented at the last Council Committee meeting that the two events really weren’t in Burlington but others on Council felt that the promoter should be given a chance – and he seems to have made it under the wire.
There is a contract in place and Council at its next meeting will have to decide if it wants to follow through. It may have to honour the contract even though the promoter has twisted it so badly the original intent is hard to see.
The marquee event was to be a fast flashy races through the streets of downtown Burlington on Canada Day– but that event is off the table. It is being held at the CNE grounds instead.
My friend Margaret Lindsay Holton gives a take that many in Burlington seems to share. She says: ah, ‘Sport tourism’ , the big ‘sexy’ ever-elusive money-maker … Seems like the reality of our aging demographic is forgotten by those who want to pump up the region. I’m not opposed to sport of any kind, but I have doubts when it’s focused around ‘downtown’ ambitions that conflict with many of the reasons that people choose to live here in the first place, like a safe, tranquil, and somewhat sedate ‘quality of life’ … Wouldn’t it make more sense to pump up those ‘values’ then spend hard-earned tax-dollars on soliciting ‘out of town’ ‘invitational’ youth-orientated tournies?”
Stay tuned – this isn’t over yet.
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By Pepper Parr
Burlington, ON May 12, 2011 – There was more than a million dollars worth of talent in the room. They were there to learn how to crate a Strategic Plan for the City of Burlington. Council members and the key people from senior city administration sitting side by side, unlike the way they are positioned in Council Chambers, on opposite sides of the horseshow table. And they weren’t being web cast.
The city was embarking on its eighth Strategic Plan and wanted to do much better than the 2006-2010 Council had done. That Strategic Plan was basically abandoned about halfway through the term and consisted of a collection of Motherhood statements and a lot of pictures.
This Council wanted a Strategic Plan that would be used to move forward with budgets that kept taxes at a level the rate payers were comfortable with and have a plan that reflected the new emphasis on citizen engagement.
The process started with a Work Book that was made available to citizens and then the pretty standard meetings with stakeholders, which consisted of various groups giving the administration and the Council members their take on where the city should be going. They got what they expected from the Burlington Downtown Business Association and the Museum Board – special interests for the most part.
What this Council was looking for was some imagination – blue sky thinking and so far there hasn’t been much that wasn’t expected, but this is a new experience for Burlington which is why the consultants were brought in. KPMG, an international consulting firm has been doing this kind of thing for years and has very deep experience with the public sector.
 Georgina Black leads Council and city staff through a training session on skills needed to develop an effective strategic plan Georgina Black from KPMG will be leading the five sessions they will have with Staff and Council. They started by interviewing each of the Council members and many senior staff and now have a sense of what each knows about Strategic Planning and what their early thoughts are.
There were a number of objectives the group would work towards. The focus was both on teaching the elected and the hired hands what they had to do to create a strategic plan and also, and equally as important, what they had to do to teach the public what was expected of them. Ms Black started by explaining that she wanted to arrive at a “common understanding of the framework they were going to work within as they moved through the various steps. She wanted to ensure everyone had an increased understanding of “the environment you are working in”. All to often Burlington Council and senior staff have been at odds with each other – not always pulling together as a team. There have been a number of occasions when a Council member would flare up in anger at the response being given by a staff member. This Council was some ticked when they learned that through a “gapping” approach to staffing the city had a surplus on the salary side of more than $3 million and investment revenue that came in at more than $2 million – and they wanted to know why they were learning about this near the end of the year.
Ms Black wanted Council and Staff to work out an agreement “on how you can do your best work.” By having the group break into sub working groups that had a mix of senior staff and Council members around the same table working through an assignment, the two groups began to understand a little more just how each worked and thought. “doing this kind of work”, explained Ms Black would “produce superior returns over the long term”.
The first session was a kind of level setting – figuring out just where they were and then opening the box to see what was inside and what they could, as a team, develop as a process and the outline of a plan they would then flesh out with the citizens.
Ms Black put some fundamentals in front of the group.
They were to adhere to the agenda that was in place and agreed upon
They would engage in “discussion”
They would focus on the objective
They would work towards consensus
They would be “be present” (no snoozing)
As they worked through the session she passed on some truths that may not have been evident to both Staff and Council members. “If it is important as an objective, then put some money into it and with any plan – just follow the money, that will tell you where you are going”.
The time line for the strategic plan was 20 to 25 years with a tight focus on the next four years and an assignment of money to each of the core objectives – which gives you the link between the Strategic Plan and the city budget. If there is no money in the budget for a strategic plan objective then you had to question why it was in the plan to begin with. The result is you come away with a plan that is focused, robust and funded.
The first breakout was to look at what the guiding principles for the city were. Roy Male, Executive Director Human Resources, made a very good point when he said: “We have to be able to see ourselves in the principles that we set out.” For Male having a compelling Strategic Plan on his desk is an excellent recruiting tool as well. One member suggested that honoring the past was important – and yes someone then mentioned the Freeman Station.
The process Ms Black took them through was focused and rigid with the objective of coming up with a plan that was compelling and something citizens would identify with and want to say: “That’s my Burlington.”
Consultants understand how the executive mind works and Ms Black made solid use of regular breaks. She wanted people to get up and move around and to chat with others rather than have them sitting at a table for hours at a time. This is something both Council and Staff have to learn.
Ms Black got people into small breakout groupings with a task they had to work on together. She gave them homework and asked questions about the material they were supposed to have read. The purpose of the breakouts was to get the groups to agree on what the process for creating a strategic plan was going to be and then drill down and determine what the objectives were to be. Appreciate that this group was not going to create the strategic plan but they had to ensure that there was a process they all agreed upon so that when they went to the community there would be a consistency.
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON May 16, 2011 – More than 1200 young girls took part on the 23rd Annual gymnastic event hosted by the Burlington Gymnastics Club at the Central Recreation Centre and according to Betty Tate, Executive Director of the club the event was a “fabulous success. “No one was hurt and I am thrilled with the results.” The event, known as the Spring Cup, is Canada’s largest invitational gymnastics event three years running.
 Members of the Burlington host club handed out the awards to their peers. There were 125 Burlington families and their sibling participating in the event that had clubs from 32 communities across Canada. Not only was the event an athletic success but it was also a financial success and raised several thousand dollars for the club that needs a new roof on their Maple Avenue location.
“We are now at capacity in terms of the number of people we can accommodate at this location.
One of the really nice touches at this event was the having Burlington Club members hand out the medals. In the past, politicians or public personalities would do this task and they always serve as a draw but watching the Burlington kids drape the medals around the necks of their peers was something to watch. Good move on the part of the club.
While the event is an athletic one, it really isn’t about developing Olympic level athletes. Some of the girls do go on to advanced levels but the Burlington Gymnastics Club focuses on developing character and confidence. Meaghan Rice who won a Gold Medal for her floor performance and a Bronze for her work on the bars was more thrilled with the Bronze medal because it was the best bars work she had ever done.
 Kathy Kline, a parent who was once a gymnast keeps a close eye on a gymnast doing vault work. Kathy Kline, a parent working with the Burlington girls doing vault work and on hand to catch a child that might falter, had a young girl say she was sorry for not doing as well as she wanted to. Kathy was quick to point out that “she had done her very best and next time she will do better. “We focus on developing their confidence” said Kline – “the skills follow.” Kline, in an earlier life was a gymnast and knows what this kind of activity does to build character and confidence. She, like many of the Mother’s on site helping out, did gymnastics and enjoy being part of the sport but, as Kline points out, she “doesn’t fly over a vault any more” Kline is both a parent with a child in the program and a competitive coach with BCG
 Every move made on either the floor work, bars or vaults was photographed and available to the participants. Two gymnasts look at a performance deciding if they want the picture. The event is very much a family thing. Teams are created for the set up and take down of the equipment; there is an awards team and a concessions team. Tate explains that the woman working the concession table will watch for sales and when they see a really good deal they will tell their colleagues who will then go out and buy up as much as and be well stocked with low cost food and drinks. This is about as community as you can get.
Tate, who works as a teacher at the Canadian National Ballet School and serves part time as the Burlington Gymnastic Club Executive Director, manages a collection of parent volunteers “without who none of what we do would ever get done”.
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By Pepper Parr
 BURLINGTON, ON May 16, 2011 It has been embarrassing. Many people worked very hard to make the elite cycling event that was to include five different races including a dramatic, exciting race through the downtown streets of Burlington – but it didn’t happen.
City staff put in hundreds of hours and the Halton Regional Police Service put in almost as many. The project may well have been doomed from the start when the promoter, Craig Fagan failed to show up at a Council meeting to talk to the plan in 2010, but the people involved didn’t know at the beginning what they know now – they were working with a most incompetent and unreliable event promoter. His behaviour is a mark against all the semi professional cyclists in Canada and one would hope that the Canadian Cycling Association would take steps to enforce some discipline on Craig Fagan and the Midweek Cycling Club. They put the city and the Regional Police though hoop after hoop.
Every time Fagan failed to appear for a critical meeting there would be an excuse and each time the people working with the promoter would shake their heads and try again. Fagan was taking advantage of everyone’s good will. We were had.
Is there a lesson for us here and an opportunity as well? I think there is. One of the things we have that no one else has is geography and if the cycling groups want to work with a city that puts real effort into making something happen – well maybe they will get in touch with us.
Fagan is now complaining about the cost of policing the event – and indeed the costs did seem very high, but he was aware of those costs right from the beginning. Fagan’s hope was that there would be significant sponsorship to offset the costs – but that sponsorship failed to appear.
We can cavil forever about how incompetent Fagan and his Midweek cycling colleagues were – what we need to do is look for the lessons and learn from them and then figure out how we can take the geography we have and get it in front of the people who want to use it for an elite level cycling event.
And here the city is going to have to lead, for it is Burlington that stands to reap most of the benefit. We will also have to partner with the police and work with them to find ways to get the policing and traffic management costs much lower. While the police may not see economic development as part of their mandate; working with the communities they serve and protect is most definitely a part of their mandate.
So – how would we best do this? The first step would be to learn more. When Fagan and his MidWeek people first approached Burlington we knew next to nothing about the intricacies of elite cycling events and we were constantly waiting for Fagan to give us information. We were far too dependent on a guy who didn’t show up for meetings and didn’t know how to balance a cheque book.
The city can, and should consider putting together a small team, three to five people, and have them research this business of elite sport cycling. Find out who the ‘players’ are. How does it work as a business ? Who makes the rules, who governs the sport and what are the financial basics ? Learn what the sport wants and then put together a report and have the city determine if there is an economic benefit for the city and if there is what will it cost the city to develop that benefit ?
We have an economic development corporation in place that does this kind of thing every day and while I have difficulty seeing Kyle Benham, Executive Director of the Burlington Economic development Corporation (BEDC) peddling a $7500. bicycle through the streets of Burlington, I can see him applying his keen mind to the financial inputs and outputs and advising the city on what might work. Sports tourism is big business and there is no reason why Burlington cannot be a sports tourism destination. We flood Spencer Smith Park with people during the Sound of Music Festival and the Rib Fest. There is an opportunity here – but the city is going to have to show leadership.
The team of three to five people I am proposing would spend less time on the research side than city staff spent in meeting after meeting being jerked around by an incompetent event organizer who was consistently dishonest with the people he was working with.
There is significant potential for the city with the geography we have. Can the city pull all the pieces together and make it work for the city? The first thing Scott Stewart needs to do is pull his people together and do a debriefing and figure out what went wrong and why it went wrong. His staff did a superb job of trying to get the thing off the ground. Not as sure that the policed did as well as the city staff but that can be brought to the surface in a debriefing.
The police could over time develop significant expertise in traffic management and working with communities to handle the different but very legitimate uses of our rural roads. The farmers need to be able to haul hay along those roads and the strawberry growers want those roads passable so that people can get to their fields. Surely there is a way to work with the calendar and figure out a way for everyone to use those same roads.
The police could become experts at this type of road management and traffic control and market their expertise to other municipalities and organizations..
Last weekend Toronto all but shut down parts of the city while thousands ran a marathon. The same thing happened in Mississauga. Properly organized Burlington could have an annual sports cycling event that would bring thousands of people to the city that would get national exposure.
At one of the Budget Orientation meetings earlier this year the BEDC talked of sending a delegation to Appledoorn, our sister city in Holland, on a search for a Dutch company that might be interested in locating in Burlington. Council didn’t warm up to that idea but they just might take to the idea of using some of the BEDC budget to look into Burlington becoming a sports cycling centre.
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By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON May 14, 2011 – The Habitat for Humanity Halton ReStore did a “re-launch on Saturday and despite the drizzly weather small groups of people showed up and learned about a resource in the community they did not know about.
 - ReStore – like any other retail building supply store – great prices and no HST. Can’t beat that.
The ReStore is a retail outlets that sells recycled construction material and building supplies that are donated to the store by contractors who salvaged the material or who had surplus material and supplies they donated. The Restore on Appleby Line is on of 62 spread out across Canada and is part of the Habitat for Humanity organization that builds homes for people who would normally never be able to afford a home of their own
The quality used and surplus building materials and other home-ware products at attractively reduced prices 40% to 75% off
the original cost are sold without HST being added. Kind of place you want to drop into before you head for the big box store in the Mall..
The proceeds from ReStore support the programs of Habitat for Humanity Halton in the community. All materials sold by ReStore were donated for that purpose. In addition to raising funds, ReStore helps the environment by diverting thousands of tons of usable materials away from landfills.
Habitat Halton was founded in 1999 by a group of individuals from Port Nelson United Church. The first chairman was Peter Fisher, a long time resident of Burlington. Initially, the group served just Burlington, however in July 2002; they became Habitat for Humanity Halton. They were granted charitable status in March 2000. To date, the group has built and sold eleven homes to hard-working, local families with mortgages structured so they can afford them. Five homes are in Burlington, two are in Acton, and four are in Georgetown. Currently Habitat Halton is building two homes in Oakville.
 - Father and daughter look over a door that was recycled and just might meet their requirement. If it fits, the price will be right. Little Miss Pig Tails however, wasn’t all that keen on the colour.
Everyone wins when either shopping at or donating to ReStore. The vision that drives Habitat is a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live. The Mission behind what they do day to day is using their knowledge, skills, community relationships, volunteers and other resources to create and promote safe and affordable home ownership options with the aim of alleviating the cycle of poverty within our community.
The core values are Housing for All and Human Dignity for everyone. Habitat for Humanity Halton does this by partnerships with others.
Habitat believes that faith is lived through action. Building on their Christian foundation, they serve and work with people of all faiths and beliefs in a spirit of justice and compassion. They believe there is a role for everyone committed to their vision, mission and values and seek only to enrich the organization through diversity.
There are currently two homeownership opportunities. Habitat for Humanity Halton will have a one bedroom condominium in North Burlington that might make homeownership possible for someone.
Habitat in Halton is run by a ten member community Board chaired by Edward McMahon with Anne Swarbrick serving as the Executive Director
Koinonia Farms (a Christian community in the USA founded by Clarence Jordan) used the concept of building affordable houses as the basis for running their housing ministry. Multi-millionaires Millard and Linda Fuller served as volunteers and embraced Jordon’s concept of partnership housing, forming the basic model for Habitat:
- Those in need of adequate shelter would work side-by-side with volunteers from all walks of life to build simple, decent houses;
- These houses would be built with no profit added and no interest charged; and
- The building would be financed by a revolving Fund for Humanity with the Fund’s money coming from the new homeowners’ house payments, donations and no interest loans provided by Supporters. These monies would, in turn, build even more Habitat houses.
In 1973, the Fullers decided to apply the Fund for Humanity concept in developing countries choosing the former country of Zaire to launch their house building program. In 1976, they returned to North America and chose Americus, Georgia as the headquarters for Habitat for Humanity International. In recent years, Habitat has grown to over 1600 affiliates in the US and Canada and is at work in over 90 countries around the world. To date Habitat for Humanity has built over 300,000 houses worldwide making Habitat the largest homebuilder in the world.
 - Executive Director Anne Swarbrick chats with customer during the re-launch of the ReStore on Appleby Line.
Habitat is a independent, non-profit, Christian housing program dedicated to the elimination of poverty housing by building homes in partnership with families in need. Families contribute hundreds of hours of sweat equity to the construction of their home and repay a long-term no-interest mortgage. Habitat for Humanity is not a giveaway program. We give families a “hand up, not a hand out.
Habitat is a partnership between volunteers, homeowners, churches, businesses and communities. In 1984 Habitat’s most famous volunteer, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, along with his wife, Rosalyn, participated in their first Habitat build project. Their personal involvement in Habitat’s ministry brought the organization national visibility and sparked interest in Habitat’s work.
Habitat for Humanity Canada (HFHC) was born in 1985, with the formation of the first Canadian affiliate in Winkler Manitoba. In early 1988 an HFHC national office was established, which is currently located in Waterloo, Ontario. HFHC now has over 73 approved affiliate organizations from coast to coast. To date, HFHC has built 2000 homes in Canada. As of January 2009, HFHC Foundation, the fundraising branch of the organization, is located in Toronto, Ontario.
The International headquarters is the “hub” of all of the Habitat’s activities and goings on. Do you want to build in Jamaica or another part of the world? For more information visit Habitat for Humanity International www.habitat.org
If this is something that interests you as a volunteer, call them; if this is something you think you can donate surplus material and supplies to, call them, if you think Habitat can help you find a decent home – call them The number is 905-637-4446.
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By Staff
 BURLINGTON, ON May 13, 2011 – Mark it on your calendar. Saturday May 28th at the Burlington Mall South Parking Lot – 9 am to noon – come early – get your bike safety checked FREE – get a Bike Helmet – FREE and lots more – sponsored in part by Burlington Neighbourhood Watch, Halton Regional Police Service, and Burlington Mall.
 The event takes place in the south parking lot of the Burlington Mall
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By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON – May 12, 2011 – Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward perhaps put it best when she said – “same old, same old” as she commented on the latest step in the cycling saga – the event that isn’t going to come to Burlington – that one.
Once again event promoter Craig Fagan of the Midweek Cycling Club failed to attend a Council Committee meeting to update the city on just where things are. We did learn that the Canada Day event that was going to be a feature for downtown Burlington on Canada Day is now going to take place in Toronto at the CHIN Day event at the CNE..
Council however is still having small conniptions with this event and isn’t ready yet to tell the promoter to take a hike. The Burlington Hotel Association has advised the promoter that the $20,000. they were going to contribute has been cut back to $10,000. because the signature event on Canada Day isn’t going to take place.
The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) haven’t heard a word from Fagan since he had a letter hand delivered to Deputy Police Chief Bob Percy saying the five planned elite level cycling event had been reduced to two events in Burlington.
 - Halton Regional Police Inspector Ivan Lortie on the left with Superintendent Joe Taylor. Lortie was to be the lead on the cycling event.
HRPS Inspector Ivan Lortie was on hand, with his pistol on his hip and a microphone strapped to his shoulder – he was the Duty Inspector Commander for the shift, and he had to be able to communicate with the police in the field. I am able to report to you that Burlington was at peace while Lortie was in the Council Chamber – unless of course his microphone was turned off – but that wouldn’t happen with Inspector Lortie. This guy is one tough cookie.
Council struggled with what to do – pull the plug and walk away from it all or hang in for another few days and let the contract fail when Mid Week doesn’t come up with the certified cheque they have to delivery to the Halton Regional Police before noon of the 18th.
Councillor Blair Lancaster wanted to pull the plug and said that Fagan’s not being at the Council meeting “spoke volumes”, while Councillor Sharman said he was not in favour of shutting down the event at this point, he did want to make sure that the city didn’t pay out the $30,000 budgeted for the event. His comment was that “all we have to do is wait till the 16th and this will just evaporate”.
Councillor Taylor said he came into the meeting feeling very pessimistic and had now realized that if Burlington wants to take part in provincial and national level events it is “going to be tougher than we thought”.
Councillor Dennison added that the city needed to be careful that it did not get a reputation as a place that doesn’t hang in when things get tough. “Our record on this event”, he said, “is not untarnished. “If we pull out we will look bad. This was a difficult thing to put on and some of our delays have made it more difficult. Let’s not be totally unsympathetic”, he said.
Mayor Goldring said he was “disappointed” but “It’s over, it’s over, let’s not drag out the pain any longer.”
Council eventually settled on paying up to $10,000. IF the two races left on the schedule for the Burlington area take place. General Manager of Community Services Scott Stewart was given clear instructions to approve payment of $5,000. for each of the two races IF they take place.
Meed Ward added that none of the two events left are actually going to take place in Burlington. Her view was the contract had not been honoured and the city should pull out.
The original agreement was for a two year contract with 2011 a sort of warm up for the 2012 events that were to be 2014 Olympic qualifying events. Where does the 2012 opportunity stand if 2011 proves to be the total disaster we are looking at right now ?
Is there an opportunity to meet with the national cycling people and see if they have an event organizer that is more competent and reliable than Midweek proved to be. ? When the idea was first brought to Burlington in 2010 Council went for it on a recorded vote with then Mayor Cam Jackson voting against the idea. Councillors Thoem and Craven both voted for it then – with Craven saying then that he “kind of liked the idea” Everyone on Council saw the potential – no one saw the headaches or the complexity of the traffic management.
One hopes that Deputy Chief Bob Percy does not miss his lunch on the 16th while waiting for Craig Fagan to show up with a certified cheque – it isn’t going to arrive.
What has Burlington learned from this sad situation? Where did we make mistakes? Did the Halton Regional Police demand too much of the organizer? It was clear from the very beginning that the organizers were not prepare to deal with what the police felt was necessary for public safety. Did the police ask for too much?
Our geography is all but perfect for competitive cycling events but to make this type of thing happen there is a ton of community managing to get a handle on. Farmers needed access to roads to get their hay off the fields during their peak season. The strawberry people weren’t able to shut down their operations for a road race. There were huge traffic concerns on both rural roads, downtown streets and heavily used provincial highways.
 - Tour de France winner. The Burlington event didn’t manage to get started, lots of lessons for the city and the Regional police.
Yet the Tour de France takes place every year and those bicycles come roaring into the Arc de Triomphe in Paris at the end of the week long race. If Paris traffic can be managed – Burlington traffic can be managed. There are lesson here for us.
Councillor Lancaster said the writing was on the wall and the city should walk away from it. The writing was on the wall when the promoter didn’t should up at the first meeting Council considered the idea in 2010.
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By Staff
 BURLINGTON, ON May 12, 2011 – Halton Regional Police Service is investigating several incidents of vandalism in Burlington. Sometime overnight on May 6th, five incidents of vandalism were committed in the area of Spruce Avenue and Strathcona Drive.
In each occurrence a sharp cutting object was used, to cut tree limbs, saw fence posts and puncture/slash car tires. These incidents are believed to be connected. Approximately $ 1000 in damage was caused.
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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By Pepper Parr
 BURLINGTON, ON May 12, 2011 – There was another update on progress with the building of THE Pier at the foot of Brant Street. This time both the City Solicitor, Nancy Shea Nicol and the Director of Engineering, Tom Eichenbaum were on hand to answer questions. That expensive lawyer from the Big Smoke to the east of us was also on hand to advise and direct. This time he was carrying his smaller briefcase – think that was a good sign.
 It looks a little rough today while it undergoes inspections and the drawings to complete the work are brought up to date – but the Pier is coming along just fine. The city has control of this file now. Council, as they usually do on this file, went into closed session to talk behind closed doors about the latest from Zurich Insurance on where things stand with the submission they delivered to the city a number of weeks ago. The city is suing the insurance company for several million – asking them to pay up on the performance bond put up by Harm Schilthuis and Sons Ltd. to ensure that they would finish the job. Harm Schilthuis and Sons Ltd., the original contractor walked off the job last December and the city sued both the contractor, the company that designed the Pier and was overseeing the construction and the insurance company that provided the bond.
The City was handling the file rather poorly under the former Council but when the new team took to the horseshoe table in the Council Chambers a new attitude was evident. As well, a number of engineering types are no longer on the city payroll.
The legal stuff will take time but my sense is that the City will prevail and that there will be a settlement in the City’s favour when all is said and done. There is now a Project Management Team (PMT) in place which consists of a professional project management firm (Mettko) and a procurement consultant (Cassels Brock) – we’re not going to be buying any sub standard steel this time around. Recall that there was failure with some of the steel used for the deck of the Pier that failed when there was a concrete pour.
The city is on schedule to have half of the construction drawings ready by June 1. An inspection of the caissons and other parts that are under water has been done – the preliminary report says no problems at that level. The electrical room has been inspected and it is fine. The city is working with the supplier of the light fixtures to determine how to incorporate what has apparently already been purchased into the design.
The site was basically abandoned by the previous contractor, Harm Schilthuis and Sons Ltd. Last December. Working through various contractors, the city has had to go in and ensure that everything is as it should be.
With the drawings that will be available early in June Mettko will prepare an initial cost estimate and then go out to tender in July. Tenders will close in August and a decision made in September as to who the contractor that will build the Pier is going to be.
The Mayor might want to put the Burlington Teen Tour Band on notice that they will be needed Labour Day to March down Brant Street to celebrate the signing of a contract and as a dry run for the Official opening that is penciled in for sometime in June of 2013.
The submission from Zurich Insurance didn’t help when it arrived a number of weeks ago but if the smile on Tom Eichenbaum’s face when he left the closed session of Council Committee last night is any indication – things are going just fine.
The Pier is going to get built and it will open before the summer of 2013.
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By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON May 13, 2011 – I thought the city knew something the rest of us didn’t know and that they had put that snow plow out in front of City Hall as a hint of what was to come – more snow?. I quickly checked the Farmer’s Almanac to see if there was any wisdom there for us – nothing. Maybe the truck ran out of gas – given the cost it might have made sense to just park the truck there and wait till prices fell.
Who could have known that the plow is there to remind us that we are about to go into National Public Works Week to recognize all those people who repair the roads, fix the bridges and make sure that the city infrastructure functions
 The plow is to remind you that the snow is going to come again and that the plow is there to move it when it does return. Say thank you to the plow. General Manager of Community Services reminded a Council Committee last night that thousands of people toil each week to ensure that we live in a city where things work. So if you’re downtown and have a moment pass by the truck and give it a pat and say “Thank You.
Scott wasn’t at Council Committee just to tell us why a snow plow was parked in front of city Hall. He was on vacation but, looking very tanned and fit, he was doing his duty and overseeing a significant report on how well the re-organization of Parks, Recreation and Maintenance is going and to sit in on an update of The Pier. More on that elsewhere.
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 BURLINGTON, ON May 11, 2011 – Saturday, May 14, at the Burlington Fire Headquarters Station on Fairview St. fireman from Canada and the United States will take part in an exciting auto extrication competition.
Seven auto extrication teams with six members each will participate in the competition.
Fire Department teams currently enrolled are from Halifax and Enfield, Nova Scotia;
Brampton; Mississauga; Chili and Brighton, New York; and Burlington. The goal of the
challenge is to help rescuers stay current with auto extrication practices and share ideas
and techniques to improve life-saving techniques.
 Burlington fire fighters will go up against fireman from Canada and the United States in an auto extraction competition. This event is open to the public. All are welcomed to attend. Food and beverages are available. Children under 12 years of age will receive a free hot dog. Saturday, May 14, 2011, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Headquarters Station, 1255 Fairview St., Burlington
Competition to be held at Training Complex at rear of station.
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