It is Time to Wear a Mask. If Governments will not act to protect us, we must protect each other.

opinionred 100x100By Jim Young

July 6, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

As we watch our neighbours to the south descend into self-inflicted chaos over their refusal to grasp the importance of wearing masks in a pandemic, I am reminded that we Canadians sometimes feel superior to Americans. We are not, and viruses treat us equally. We are however different. Our founding principles make us so. While Americans seek the “unalienable rights to the preservation of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”, we in Canada settle more modestly for “peace, order and good government”.

Nothing highlights this more than the issue of face covering to reduce the spread of Covid 19. The evidence is conclusive, health experts estimate that 30 to 60 % of all spread, by proximity, breathed droplets or hand contact, may be asymptomatic. Figures from New York suggest the Covid19 transmission rate in health care workers is reduced by 61.3%. (12.2% compared to 19.9% of the general public.) Those working closest to infected people have lower infection because they wear face coverings and other PPE. Have we learned nothing from the resurgence in the USA, where freedom from masks has become the political war cry of the US re-opening?

Our politicians vacillate. The Feds say the provinces must act, Ontario Premier Ford says it should be decided locally, GTHA municipal leaders beg the province for universal standards. Everyone agrees that mandatory face covering in close public proximity is a good idea. Yet none of them act. They claim it will be difficult to enforce. Sorry, but a good idea is still a good idea! If enforcement is a barrier, eliminate the barrier not the idea. Public smoking, speeding and drunk driving are tough to enforce, and we do that. The job of leaders is to lead. Please don’t squander the months of sacrifice by millions of Ontarians, putting lives, jobs and businesses on hold, to fight this virus and save lives. That fight is not yet over.

What drives this reluctance to enforce face coverings? It should not be fear of offending voters on the “civil liberties” left or the “don’t infringe my freedom” right. This virus may be the only non-partisan thing in North America today. It is neither Liberal, Conservative, Democrat, Republican, left or right. Covid 19 is coming for all of us, straight down the middle.

For retail corporations, keen to resume business as usual, mandating masks seems not to be a priority. Need we remind them, as they seek every minor competitive advantage, failure to enforce face covering puts their own employees at risk as it does their customers? Any perception of reduced risk spells danger for their reopening too. The virus is still out there; and putting customers at risk has never been a good business strategy.

The US re-opening failure should remind us that abandoning caution and masks, in the “pursuit of happiness”, and economic recovery has consequences. Avoiding a similar disaster will mean re-opening smarter. The more Canadian approach of “order and good government” demands that our political leaders get off the fence and mandate wearing face coverings when safe distancing is difficult or is not an option.

Other than a very small number of pulmonary health limitations, there is no argument for not wearing a mask. They are not too warm. The places we should be wearing them are mostly air conditioned, in malls, stores and indoor spaces. The time spent masked up is minimal. No-one is asking you to wear one at home, in your car, or walking in the park.

To those who demand the freedom not to wear a mask, store workers and other customer’s rights must be equally respected. The saying: “Your right to swing your fist freely, ends at my nose!” makes: “No Mask …. No Entry” a reasonable position. Considering all the freedoms we have sacrificed until now to fight this virus, giving up the freedom to make others sick seems hardly worth of defending.

My mother would have said: “For goodness sakes top whining and put your mask on.” Infectious Disease Specialist, Dr. Lilian Abbo said it better: “If you don’t like wearing a mask ….. You sure as hell won’t like wearing a ventilator.”
Face coverings will not end Covid 19, and we must be careful not to let masks lull us into a false sense of safety, but they will help and If you won’t wear a mask to protect your neighbours, please wear one to protect the front line health worker beside you in the check-out line or reaching past you for that last bottle of hand sanitizer. They wear them all the time to protect you!

Jim Young is an Aldershot resident who comments frequently on public issues.

 

 

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Mayor now says she has the support of the MOH for a face mask bylaw. She also has a motion planned for a meeting next week.

News 100 blueBy Staff

July 4th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The Gazette published an opinion piece on the difficulty Mayor Marianne Meed Ward was having on the matter of face masks.

Does she bring in a bylaw or does she equivocate and rely on social media to tell her story.

Our opinion piece is HERE

The Mayors response the day after is set out below.

Meed ward election night 1

Marianne Meed Ward – the night the city elected her Mayor.

Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback regarding a mandatory mask bylaw in Burlington. I am bringing forward a bylaw proposal for discussion at the July 9 Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability Committee. Your continued feedback is welcome to mayor@burlington.ca

In the last few days we have received confirmation from the Region of Halton Medical Officer of Health of her support for a bylaw, and I have received overwhelming support from the community and a number of businesses for such a bylaw.

I’ve been researching Section 22 mask orders directed by a Medical Officer of Health & municipal/regional bylaws (only Toronto has so far passed one). The language is similar except that Section 22 comes with $5000/day fines for businesses. There are no set fines yet for a bylaw.

Only the Medical Officer of Health can order a Section 22. For reference, the Wellington/Dufferin/Guelph Medical Officer of Health Section 22 order is here.  The following to links are in the pdf format – you will need access to Adobe Acrobat Reader.

The City of Toronto bylaw provides for exceptions & no one can be required to show proof of how they meet those exceptions. There are no set fines yet. The bylaw is temporary. Read it here.

It is acknowledged a bylaw would be difficult to enforce but can help with voluntary compliance. As TO put it: “Whereas it is believed that the existence of an enforceable temporary by-law requirement will help to educate the public on the importance of a properly worn mask or face covering and encourage voluntary compliance”

The city of St. Catharines is also looking at a bylaw. Read the proposed motion here.

Please continue to provide me with your feedback on this important discussion.

Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte is believed to be preparing a motion calling for Face masks to be worn.  She is reported to be working with the City Manager, the City Clerk and legal to put bring forward a Motion to Council this week to implement a temporary bylaw requiring masks be made mandatory inside all public indoor spaces.

Stolte appears to be a step or two ahead of the Mayor these days.

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To mask or not to mask - Mayor isn't going to lead on this issue. The downside on this one is something we will all pay for.

SwP thumbnail graphicBy Pepper Parr

July 4th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

On the matter of face masks that many commercial establishments require you to wear when you enter the premises; that you are now required to wear if you are using public transit in Burlington – the Mayor is being disingenuous.

“Many of you have reached out to ask about a mandatory mask order” she explains in her Newsletter.

The Mayor does not do press conferences where she can be asked questions by media. She instead uses social media and Newsletters plus Statements she makes as Mayor – all of which she controls – no accountability – just what she wants to say.

MMW new post - masks

Mayor Meed Ward’s A Better Burlington Newsletter

“I understand the concerns people have raised and the desire for a mandatory order. We are all committed to doing everything we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“In all our decisions, we are guided by the advice of our Medical Officer of Health (MOH).

“The communities around us who have issued a municipal or regional bylaw (Toronto and Peel) did so on the advice of their Medical Officer of Health (MOH) , or by direction of their MOH under Section 22 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act (Wellington/Dufferin/Guelph and Kingston).

“Our Halton MOH has not, to date, used her authority under Sect. 22 to issue a mandatory mask order. However, there are ongoing discussions with her, including in the last few days, about using the bylaw tool. With her support we could consider that as an added measure.

This is all just poppycock – the Mayor does not need a blessing from the MOH to issue an order that masks are required when the science is very clear.  Burlington is indeed fortunate in that we don’t have that many infections.  That isn’t because we are behaving so well – we are a bit of a social backwater in that the people who do go into Toronto aren’t taking public transit – they are driving.

We don’t have that many long term care homes which is where most of the infections are taking place

It is clear that the COVID19 disease is spread from person to person by a virus that enters the body through the nose and the mouth. And the virus that is entering your body comes from another person – not the grass we walk on.

Meed ward looking askance

Marianne Meed Ward – listening.

But the Mayor knows all this.

She just doesn’t want to issue the necessary order. Is she waiting for the MOH to do so – so that she, the Mayor, doesn’t have to do something that is going to annoy people?

Great leadership!

The Mayor adds

“The good news is the voluntary actions of our citizens have, to date, led to the lowest infection rates in our Region and beyond. This has remained true, even as there has been travel to and from other communities for work or other reasons since the beginning of the pandemic, and even after we moved into Stage 2 reopening two weeks ago. Our infection rates have remained among the lowest in the province — that is something to be proud of.

“We have been able to achieve through voluntary compliance what others around us are trying to achieve with a mandatory mask order.

Speaking of that voluntary compliance – does that explain the scores of people wading and swimming in Lake Ontario on Canada Day?

Beach with canal bride

Not much evidence of six feet of social distancing. These people either do not know we are in the midst of a pandemic or they don’t believe what they are being told.

“Of course, we must remain vigilant, especially as we contemplate moving into Stage 3 reopening. I remain open to further dialogue with our community, elected leaders and our MOH about the potential for a bylaw mandating masks as an added tool to keep our community safe.”

Sophistry Your Worship – pure sophistry and you know better.

Leadership is hard sometimes. The job of Mayor is not to strive to be continually liked – it is to be continually responsible and to do the right thing.

Note that we have never seen the Mayor wear a faced mask. Because she doesn’t believe in the science? President Trump doesn’t believe in the science either.  “Please continue to share your thoughts with me, as we consider this potential tool.adds the MAyor

Now here is the funny part in the Newsletter:

“In the meantime, we will lead by example. We have required masks on public transit as of today (July 2), and are discussing whether masks will be required in our city facilities once they reopen. We will continue to encourage people to wear masks in indoor spaces where physical distancing is a challenge. Halton Region is embarking on a public education campaign to encourage mask wearing.”

Shawna and daughter

Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte, on the right with one of her daughters,  wears a mask and carries several in her purse to hand out to others.

This isn’t the woman we saw stand before Council as a citizen demanding transparency and accountability.

This isn’t the woman who forced her colleagues to stand six times at one Council meeting forcing them to put their votes on the record.

Something happens to people when they have power and are in a position to make decision that may not be popular.  Do you make the tough decision and lose some of the admiration or do you make the tough decisions and stand by what you know is best for the community.

Masks are best for the community Your Worship: get one, wear one and ask your citizens to do what is best for all of us.

Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.

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An amazing graphic looks at a disease that has brought the world to a halt - and we don't yet know how to beat it.

News 100 blueBy Staff

July 4th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

There is some absolutely fascinating graphic material on the novel coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease it causes on the Scientific American web site.

SA Fig First then numbered.

Those orange spikes are what penetrate our skin and replicate what you see on the screen. Science at its best

If this is what e-learning is about – the high school students have an impressive educational opportunity ahead of them.

Very few science teachers could add much to this material. Most of them would be learning it for the first time.

While what we are experiencing is lock downs and rules that make life awkward and limited the world is seeing some of the most dramatic, fascinating and world changing advances in science.

This stuff makes the landing on the moon almost peanuts.

It is part of a race against a disease that we don’t yet fully understand that could mean the end of western civilization as we know it.

Economies are being destroyed as we watch a once great democracy stumble with no assurance that it is going to be able to get back up on its feet.

Scientists have generated an incredible amount of fine-grained knowledge in a surprisingly short time.

SA Fig 1 part of 3

Parts of the graphic are in 3D

In the graphics that follow, Scientific American presents detailed explanations, current as of mid-June, into how SARS-CoV-2 sneaks inside human cells, makes copies of itself and bursts out to infiltrate many more cells, widening infection.

We show how the immune system would normally attempt to neutralize virus particles and how CoV-2 can block that effort. We explain some of the virus’s surprising abilities, such as its capacity to proofread new virus copies as they are being made to prevent mutations that could destroy them.

SA Fig 2 (part 0f 3 expanded)

You can interact with the graphic – turning the image on its side or zooming in. There are numbers that you can click on for additional information.

And we show how drugs and vaccines might still be able to overcome the intruders. As virologists learn more, we will update these graphics on our Web site (www.scientificamerican.com).

A SARS-CoV-2 virus particle wafting into a person’s nose or mouth is about 100 nanometers in diameter–visible only with an electron microscope. It is a near sphere of protein (cross section shown) inside a fatty membrane that protects a twisting strand of RNA–a molecule that holds the virus’s genetic code.

SA Fig 4

The graphics are brilliant – parts are shown in 3D giving you an amazing understanding of a disease that is hammering people around the world. More than 10 million infected. Millions have died.

Proteins called “S” form spikes that extend from the surface and grab onto a human cell, hundreds of times larger, so the particle, or virion, can slip inside; the crown, or corona, appearance gives the virus its name. Structural proteins–N, M and E–move inside the cell, where they help new virions form.

A SARS-CoV-2 particle enters a person’s nose or mouth and floats in the airway until it brushes against a lung cell that has an ACE2 receptor on the surface. The virus binds to that cell, slips inside and uses the cell’s machinery to help make copies of itself. They break out, leaving the cell for dead, and penetrate other cells.

You can play with the interactive graphic – zoom in and see what the different parts of the virus are about.
Bookmark this link – and if there are science students in the house – make sure they are at least aware of this.
Distribute it widely.

SA figure 5

Graphic shows how the virus get into a lung. The material has a time line that sets out how long it takes the virus to penetrate (minutes) and how long it takes to replicates 10 hours.

A link to the graphics is HERE

 

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The pools will be open - you will need to wade through a lot of bureaucracy to register. Open ONLY to Burlington residents

News 100 yellowBy Staff

July 3rd, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Summer is in full force.

The pools are open – well at least most of them.

LaSalle Pool Opening July 4; Mountainside and Nelson Outdoor Pools Opening July 11

The opening dates are a little earlier than Parks and Recreation expected; they will be open for lap and leisure swims.

No snow? There are always swimming pools. Check out the available programs and register for a spot.

Swimming pools are open. Check out the available programs and register for a spot.

This isn’t however going to be a normal summer. While things look good on the surface there is amongst us a virus that can’t wait to jump from someone who has COVID19 to someone who doesn’t.

This virus is passed from person to person.

The Provincial Guidelines on the safe reopening of pools means pool access will now be done through online registration and pre-payment for Burlington residents only.

There will be no walk-in pool access accepted at this time. To create an account CLICK HERE  t

To help ensure physical distancing, the number of swimmers allowed in each pool will be restricted. Time-limits will also be in place to allow more people to enjoy the pools and for staff to disinfect the area for the next group of swimmers.

To view the programs and times: Click Here ,

Residents will have an opportunity to register no more than 25-hours before the start of the program. Residents are asked to book only one swim per day to help accommodate as many swimmers as possible and to complete a health screening questionnaire.

Nelson swimming pool

Nelson pool

New Procedures at the Pools
The health and safety of Burlington residents is of the upmost importance. In compliance with the Provincial Guidelines for opening aquatic facilities and for the health and safety of all guests, the following standards will be in effect:

Bring proof of registration to the pool
• Enter the pool using only the entry point; exit the pool using only the exit point at the opposite end of the pool
• Outdoor showers will be available for use before entering and re-entering the pool
• Use of changerooms is limited to washroom use only; guests should arrive wearing swimming attire and to change and shower at home afterward

• On-deck viewing is not available
• Physical distance of 2m (6ft) must always be maintained; within the pool and on the pool deck
• Guests will be asked to exit the deck area without delay after each swim to allow for cleaning and disinfection before the next swim
• Guests are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs as use of deck furniture will be restricted
• Guests are encouraged to bring their own filled plastic water bottles – water fountains will not be available;
• All play equipment will not be in use, including splash features, diving boards, climbing wall, and waterslide
• Regular supervision requirements apply. Visit burlington.ca/playstandards

Lap Swimming
The pools will be divided into double lanes. Registered swimmers are to swim clockwise on the black line of one lane and come back on the black line of the next lane, forming a loop.

Leisure Swims
To help support physical distancing,

Mountainside and Nelson Pools will be divided into shallow, middle and deep areas.

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Provincial Court offences scheduled until Sept. 14, 2020 will be rescheduled. Do not attend court.

News 100 blueBy Staff

July 3rd, 2020

Burlington, on

 

NOTICE TO PUBLIC REGARDING PROVINCIAL OFFENCES ACT MATTERS
Revised July 3, 2020

All Provincial Offences Act matters (e.g., traffic tickets and offences under provincial legislation) scheduled until Sept. 14, 2020 will be rescheduled. Do not attend court.

Court House - newAll Provincial Offences Act matters scheduled from Monday, March 16, 2020 through to and including Monday, Sept. 14, 2020 will be adjourned and rescheduled to a later date. If you have a matter scheduled during this time, do not attend court. This applies to all POA courts in Ontario.

A notice of your new court date will be sent to you by mail to the address on file with the court. For more information, please contact your local Provincial Offences court.

Contact information for all municipal courts is available here: https://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/courts/Court_Addresses/poa/

Updated information about court proceedings at the Ontario Court of Justice can be found on the Court’s website at https://www.ontariocourts.ca/ocj/.

Please also be advised that the Government of Ontario made an order pursuant to s. 7.1 of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMPCA), suspending any limitation periods in statutes and regulations for the duration of the State of Emergency. This will impact timelines under the Provincial Offences Act and related proceedings.

A copy of the order is available online at: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/200073.

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Third Telephone Town Hall on the 16th - good place to get answers to your questions and concerns

News 100 redBy Staff

July 2, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The Mayor is going to hold another one of her COVID19 Town Hall meetings.

Meed WArd at PARC

Mayor Marianne Meed Ward

She runs a tight ship and gets the questions to the right people. The event is another virtual thing where the people taking part are scattered about the city – all connected via Zoom.

It works. Many of the questions are for information that should be known by everyone but there are many that are very sensible – and at time the experts the Mayor has with don’t have an immediate answer

The next COVID19 Town Hall is on Thursday, July 16, between 6 and 7:30 p.m.

The Mayor will be joined by a panel of local leaders to help answer residents’ questions, including:

Hammil + Miller

Halton District School Board Director of Education Stuart Miller

• Denise Beard, Manager of Community Development at the City of Burlington
• Tim Commisso, City Manager at the City of Burlington
• Pat Daly, Director of Education at Halton Catholic District School Board
• Pam Damoff, Member of Parliament for Oakville North-Burlington
• The Honourable Karina Gould, Member of Parliament for Burlington
• Dr. Dale Kalina, Medical Director, Infection Prevention and Control at Joseph Brant Hospital
• Stuart Miller, Director of Education at Halton District School Board
• MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos, Member of Provincial Parliament for Oakville North-Burlington
• Eric Vandewall, President and Chief Executive Officer at Joseph Brant Hospital.

With the Director of Education on the call – there will be an opportunity to see some clarity on what parents might expect come September.

How to Participate
Residents who would like to participate in the town hall can do so in the following ways:

1. Register in advance: Burlington residential phone numbers will be randomly selected to be part of the telephone town hall. Residents who would like to be added to the telephone call list can email getinvolved@burlington.ca by the end of the day on July 14.
Please note: if you registered for any of the previous town halls (held on March 26, April 14 or June 4), you are not required to register your phone number a second time. To remove a name from the call list, email getinvolved@burlington.ca by the end of the day on July 14.

2. Join by telephone: Anyone who does not receive a telephone invitation can call 1-800-410-5909 just before 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 16 to join the town hall. For those individuals calling in, please be advised more than one attempt may be required due to the high volume of traffic on the phone lines. If the first call does not connect, please hang up and dial the 1-800 number again.

Once the call begins, a moderator will provide participants with instructions for how to submit their questions to the leadership panel.

Questions not answered during the call will be posted, with answers, to the City’s website at burlington.ca/townhall, along with an audio file and full transcript of the call after July 16.

“While we continue to navigate a world with COVID-19,, said Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, ” we have taken many steps to get people back to working and playing as much as possible so that we can maintain our physical and mental health.

Our next town hall will focus on what summer looks like in Burlington now that our splash pads, pools, parks and camps are reopening, and what we can expect as we head into the fall when our kids are hopefully back to school, and our businesses continue to reopen more fully. There is always a wealth of helpful and timely information on these calls and I look forward to connecting with our community and our experts once again on July 16.”

Quick Facts
• Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the City of Burlington has hosted three telephone town hall events, on March 25, April 14 and June 4, to provide updates about what the City is doing to protect the health and safety of our community and to address concerns from the public related to COVID-19.
• Audio recordings and full transcripts from the previous telephone town hall events are available online at burlington.ca/townhall. Answers to the questions asked by the public during these town hall events are also available at the same location on the City’s website.

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Food Bank experineced some startling growth in the number of people needing help with basic food items.

News 100 blueBy Robin Bailey

July 2nd, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The Burlington Food Bank is running at 70% over same time last year in terms of families served!

Domenique W Food Bank

Dominique joins those packing food hampers and does some of the longer term logistics thinking.

Sometimes as we go about serving families in Burlington we forget how well our volunteers are doing keeping up with the pace! We run our numbers monthly and having just now completed the 2nd quarter, we took some time to reflect. There has been an increase of 70% in the number of households served from March through June in comparison to the same period last year.

We don’t seem too stressed out about it because the volunteers are doing a great job meeting the needs and doing so calmly and efficiently.

If they were a private business developing a market – that would be a great number. It is a reflection on the number of people who need help.

Jane F Food Bank

Jane is a regular volunteer at the Food Bank

The community however is coming through Big Time.

And how about those Burlington Dads!

They came together online in a Canada Day challenge to raise $250 for us and ended up with a commitment of $2,825 so far – way over their expectations and much needed so thank you Burlington Dads!

If you are in need or know of someone who could use our help PLEASE have them email us at info@burlingtonfoodbank.ca or call 905-637-2273 to make arrangements to have food dropped at their door or they can now PICK IT UP. If you live in Burlington, we are here to help.

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Three trails in the city need names - Council wants to hear what you think.

News 100 greenBy Staff

July 2nd, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Part two of the Trail Naming project is starting and residents can now vote for the names of three trails. Earlier this year residents were asked to submit names for the trails. More than 300 names were received.

A committee made up of City staff and members of the Burlington Cycling Advisory Committee and the Integrated Transportation Advisory Committee created a short-list of names. The entries with the most votes will be brought to City Council for approval to become the official names of the trails.

Voting on name-this-trail will be open from July 2 to July 24.  Link to voting booth is shown below.

Trail locations and name options

Trail 1

Trail # 1

Location 1: Hydro corridor trail, north of the QEW, between the North Service Road at Roly Bird Park and Berwick Drive.

• Unity Trail: A trail that connects many communities and symbolizes inclusion
• Crosstown Trail: A trail spans across most of north Burlington
• Powerline Trail: In reference to the use of the land as a hydro transmission corridor

Trail # 2

Trail # 2

Location 2: New downtown hydro corridor trail, east of Maple Avenue, between Ontario Street and Graham’s Lane

• Core Trail: Combines the double meaning of core as it relates to fitness and the location of the trail
• Old Rail Trail: Recognizes the former railway that ran through the corridor years ago
• Maple Trail: The trail is in the neighborhood commonly referred to as Maple and is close to Maple Avenue

Trail # 3

Trail # 3

Location 3: New trail east of Centennial Drive, between Upper Middle Road and Heathfield Drive (extending in the future to Mainway.)

• Palmer Trail: The trail is in the neighborhood commonly referred to as Palmer
• Washburn Trail: In reference to Halton Region’s Pump Station and Reservoir facility
• Upper Mainway Trail: References the north and south boundary of the trail between two major roads

You vote for the name you want for each trail RIGHT HERE

 

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Canada Day: People enjoyed the day in their own way - despite a pandemic that has shut down a lot of locations.

News 100 blueBy Staff

July 2, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Beach with canal bride

Western end of the Beachway – It was one of the places to be.

What did people do on Canada Day?

A lot of them took to the lake.

Those with big boats made part of the bay area a destination.

Boats

With the heat – the water seemed like the place to be.

May more took to the bars and restaurants that got creative and opened up patios.

It was a beautiful day – despite a virus out there that wants to hop from person to person like some kind of tick.

A quick look at what some people were doing.

Family blonde boy

For some it was a quiet summer day.

Sea Do

For others it was high speed all out energy.

Walking the rainbow

Was this a significant place for people to cross the street – or just another crosswalk?

What will it be folks

What’s it going to be folks?

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The Canada Day Ribfest worked - it worked very well. Kudos to the Rotarians.

News 100 yellowBy Pepper Parr

July 2nd, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

They came from the north of the Burlington Centre

They came from the south of the Burlington Centre

From the north

Coming from the north – they lined up on Guelph Line patiently waiting to get into the parking lot.

From the south

They came from the south and lined up on Guelph line waiting to get into the parking lot.

It was Canada Day and hundreds of cars and trucks lined up to get into the Centre parking lot to follow what looked like an obstacle course to get to a point where they had to make a choice – which of the four Rib choices did they want.

First traffic point

The first traffic direction point. Note the line of cars on the left coming into the parking lot.

It looked like an obstacle course and it was confusing – However there were Rotarians at every point guiding traffic.

Working their way through the traffiic cones

Traffic wound its way around traffic cones – as they were guided to the point where they had to make a decision.

Cars then got to a point where the driver had to make a decision – which of the four rib choices did they want.

Four choices

There was the day’s offering. The traditional bill boards that Burlingtonians had looked at for years stood in front of them with flags flying in the wind.

The Rotarian who was on that security point was getting frazzled at times as people asked: “Which one is the best?”

“They’re all great” he replied as he worked to keep the traffic moving.

And it moved quite well.

Billy Bones or Uncle Sams

Traffic pauses to pay for their order and then into the spot where they pick up their ribs and enjoy the sweet aroma of the piping hot food that is now in their car.

Then they were in a line that got them to a point where there order was taken and paid for – they then proceeded to a pick up point on either side of the place where the ribs were being prepared.

It sounds a little convoluted, and it may have looked that way as drivers came in – but it went very smoothly.

NY city traffic

Is the the Burlington Centre parking lot. Or is it New York city?

The photographs show dozens of cars all crowded together but everyone knew where they were going.

Singer

The live entertainment was pleasant – the man knew how to work the strings of that guitar. His voice was just fine.

There was live entertainment being broadcast over the parking lot – the singer was working his guitar to the fullest and producing a sound that fit the day.

Sign of the event

It worked – it worked very well.

The Lakeshore Rotary who put on the event haven’t released any numbers yet – but it was clear to this reporter that the event made not have pulled in as much as the fill scale Ribfest has done in the past but it did very well under the circumstances.

The Rotarians are to be congratulated for being able to pivot and use Canada Day to put on their event. The Burlington Centre people deserve a “thank you” for making the space available.

The event could become an annual thing. It certainly worked on July 1st, 2020

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Congratulations - you are now Canadian citizens

News 100 redBy Pepper Parr

July 1st, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Canada Day is a good time to think about Citizenship.

Those of us born in Canada take it for granted and for the most part we are grateful that we live in this country.

For many – they choose to become Canadian citizens.

When that choice is made these people take part in a Citizenship Ceremony that is presided over by a Citizenship Court Judge.

The federal government often calls upon members of the Order of Canada to take on the task for what is a rather short ceremony that has one sentence that matters: Congratulations, you are now Canadian citizens.

Ron Foxcroft was made a member of the Order of Canada two years ago.

He presided over his first Citizenship Court in Hamilton recently.

Judge Ronnie cropped

Fifty nine people became citizens of Canad in a ceremony earlier this year when Citizenship Judge Ron Foxcroft presided.

It is an emotional moment for all the participants.  Foxcroft said he was a “little nervous” but once he got into the procedure he said he was “fine”.

Working from a document provided by the federal government Foxcroft said:

“In a few minutes you will be sworn in as Canadian Citizens.  You will swear or affirm your Oath to the Queen, which means you are swearing allegiance to Canada in her name and in her person.

“This is a proud moment for all of you.  It is a memory you and your family will always cherish.”

Foxcroft then turns to the land acknowledgement that is now a part of almost every political event that takes place.

“I would like to acknowledge that this citizenship ceremony is taking place on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the New Credit and the the Haudenosaunee Nations.

“It is essential that all Canadians move forward together on the road to reconciliation, so that we can leave a proper legacy for future generations.

“Candidates for citizenship, I am happy that you have chosen to become citizens of this wonderful country, and it is a privilege for me to be here with you today.  You are following in the footsteps of generations of great Canadians before you.

“Our first Prime, Sir John  A. MacDonald, came here as an immigrant from Scotland with his family when he was five years old. They settled in Loyalist country beside Lake Ontario.  He worked hard all his life and earned the everlasting gratitude of the Canadian people.

“My personal story is one of great gratitude to Canada for all that my country has given me.  My family enjoyed all that this country has to offer.  I was educated in Ontario, became a National Basketball Association referee, bought a trucking company and formed a business that exports to more than 100 countries around the world.

“I was honoured to be made the Honorary Colonel of the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders, a renowned Armed Forces unit that fought in Europe in both world wars.  That Regiment is based here in Hamilton.

Citizen group - Foxcroft

Four of Canada’s newest citizens

“Many of you have travelled far and some have struggled to make a new home in Canada. Your decision meant adapting to a new culture, a new climate, and for most of you a new language.

“You are joining the Canadian story, one that you are now quite familiar with after studying Discover Canada and passing your citizenship test.

“You have learned about Canadian symbols like the Crown, the flag, the coat of arms and our motto, From “Sea to Sea”.

getting a citizenship certificate

The presentation of a Citizenship certificate

“Being a Canadian citizen means a lot more than simply having a piece of paper. It means sharing a common set of Canadian values; having rights and responsibilities, such as being a full member of the Canadian family and the responsibility to obey Canadian laws.

“As a Canadian citizen, you live in a democratic country where individual rights and freedoms are respected.

“Thousands of brave Canadians have fought and died foe these rights and freedoms. The commitment to Canada of our men and women in uniform should never be forgotten or go unrecognized.  We thank them.

“As a Canadian you have the right to vote and to run as a candidate in municipal, provincial and federal elections.  It is your responsibility to find out about the issues in each election, to make your choice and to cast your vote.

“You are free to live and work in any province or territory.  Take responsibility for yourself and your family.  Get involved in our community by becoming a volunteer.  These are responsibilities and privileges we all share and must act upon.

“The future of Canada, our freedom, our democracy, our peaceful society, equality under the law and our prosperity, depends on all of us together.

“You area about to take the Oath of Citizenship.  As you pronounce the words of the oath, take then to heart; they are your commitment to do your best for Canada.

“Please repeat after me:

I swear

That I will be faithful

And bear true allegiance

To Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second

Queen of Canada

Her Heirs and Successors

And that I will faithfully observe

The laws of Canada

And fulfill my duties

As a Canadian citizen

At this point Ron Foxcroft would have stood tall, beamed a great big smile upon the 59 people in the room and said:

“Congratulations, you are now Canadian citizens.”

And then lead them in the singing O Canada

 

 

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Canada Day: Make it a trip to the Farmer's Market in the early morning and stick around for the Drive Thru Ribfest

News 100 redBy Staff

July 1st, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

There is more to do than expected.

Rotary - LAkeshoreThe Lakeshore Rotary got creative and pivoted from the fall Ribfest and are holding the event on Canada Day in the Burlington Centre (Mall)

It will be a drive a drive through situation with all kinds of signage – Rotary is very good at signage. Traffic will be directed – you pick out and pick up your Ribs – pay for them and drive on through to wherever you are going to chow down those Ribs.

No mention of a beer tent

Expect the Mayor to be there.

The Ribfest opens at 11 am and runs through to 8 pm with music, entertainment and a performance by the Teen Tour Band

Many people see the Terry Fox run as a unique thing that happened in Canada and was the result of one Canadian's supreme effort. The Canadian flag just seems to be a part of the event - and there were plenty of them handed out.

Will this woman be at the Burlington Centre (Mall) on Wednesday?

Earlier in the you can drop in at the Farmer’s Market – that opens at 8:00 am and runs to 2:00 pm.

Attendance by the produce people has been good. Lots of social distance rules in place with clear traffic lane markings.

Make a point of taking your mask. And perhaps wear something with a Canadian flag on it.

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The Catalpa tree said Good Morning to me as I walked back to the house with my newspaper in my hand.

News 100 yellowBy Pepper Parr

June 30th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

There are more people into gardening this year than most years.

The nurseries sold out early.

The pandemic has kept us all closer to home and deciding to plant some vegetable seeds seemed like a great idea to many.

The seed suppliers ran out as well.

The Burlington Food Bank has seven gardening plots around the city – they are looking for people to help out.

Tree flowering - full

Just imagine walking into the sunshine early in the morning and seeing this tree waiting for you to gaze.

If you drive the country back roads with the window down you get to smell what I call the “sweet smell of new mown hay”

Tree flowering close up

The buds were bursting all over the place.

The trees that are in full bloom all seem to have different shades of green.

The Catalpa tree that greeted me as I walked down the lane after picking up the newspaper was bursting with new flower.

The beauty just had to be shared.

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If you like to be outdoors and gardening appeals to you - the Food Bank has an opportunity for you

News 100 yellowBy Pepper Parr

June 30, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The Burlington Food Bank will be closed on Canada Day.

They deserve a bit if a break.

The Food Bank has seven plots in different community gardens – which means weed pullers and produce pickers are going to be needed.

Bailey Food Bank March 31-20

Robin Bailey, Executive Director, Burlington Food Bank

They are looking for early risers that can help with the garden work before the heat of the day hits. If you are interested and able to help please contact Lisa at garden@burlingtonfoodbank.ca

The volunteers are what make the Food Bank work. The food donations wouldn’t get out the door without them. A local Hair Salon stepped up and donated three haircut & styles to be won by our volunteers this week – just to spread some joy and make them feel good. Thank you to Willow Salon for that generous gift.

If you are in need or know of someone who could use our help PLEASE have them email us at info@burlingtonfoodbank.ca or call 905-637-2273 to make arrangements to have food dropped at their door or they can now PICK IT UP. If you live in Burlington, we are here to help.

Donate

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How about a Speakeasy on Old Lakeshore Road ? Space is for rent

News 100 yellowBy Pepper Par

June 30th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Emma aerial site

Site includes a parking lot.

Interested in opening and operating a Speakeasy?

There is a space on Old Lakeshore Road with tonnes of Burlington history that is for rent.

Once known as Emmas’s Back Porch the space has been partitioned with what was The Water Street Cooker being offered for rent as a separate space.

The basement where all the booze was stored is for rent.  The owners appear to be prepared to rent some of it out for “event” purposes.

All the details are set out at this link.

Emma lease notice

An iconic site – looking for a new hospitality operator.

 

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Canada Day will be different - this year we will have to decide just how we individually want to celebrate. Start with a rack of ribs in a parking lot

News 100 yellowBy Staff

June 30th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Canada Day this year isn’t going to be the same.

This year’s Celebrations will be unique.

For starters, we will be having our Ribs in the Burlington Centre parking lot.  And the Farmer’s Market will be open.

Rick Campanelli

Rick Campanelli

The City, with funding support from the Government of Canada, is hosting a virtual Canada Day celebration with former TV host for MuchMusic and ET Canada Rick Campanelli, special events online, musical guests (by video) and activities individuals and families can do while practicing physical distancing.

Following Provincial orders and public health directives, large gatherings will not be permitted. There will be no gatherings or planned activities in Spencer Smith Park.

Chris Glenn, Director of Recreation Services, City of Burlington spells out the situation:

“We know this isn’t the big party that everyone has come to know and love that always earns us a Top 100 Festival ranking from Festivals and Events Ontario.

He is no longer "acting"; it's now the real deal as Chris Glenn gets appointed the Director of Parks and Recreation for the city.

Chris Glenn Director of Parks and Recreation for the city.

“Being in a pandemic means we need to be flexible and adapt to what is happening in a safe and responsible way. Large gatherings will not be happening this year but that doesn’t mean we can’t all celebrate and show our Canadian pride in our own special way with our household.

There is a great lineup of activities and performances. If you miss any of the “premiers”, all videos will still be posted on burlington.ca/canadaday.” — Chris Glenn, Director of Recreation Services, City of Burlington

Virtual Schedule and Activities

All virtual activities, a schedule and links to videos will be posted on burlington.ca/canadaday.

Online message from Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and Rick Campanelli, Burlington resident and former TV host for MuchMusic and ET Canada

BTTB - O canada

Burlington Teen Tour Band: They make the city proud

O Canada played by the Burlington Teen Tour Band

Bucket drumming experience with Burlington’s CRASH Rhythm. Watch for the how-to video released the weekend before and get ready to join CRASH Rhythm members on Canada Day for two interactive drumming sessions

White Pine Dancers

One of the White Pine Dancers.

Join First Nations Storyteller and founder of the White Pine Dancers, Aaron Bell for a six-part series of traditional stories that reflect the Indigenous culture and way of life

Special musical guest appearance, by country music star Tim Hicks

Join cities across Canada to celebrate Canada Day, promote diversity, multicultural harmony, and thank all front line essential workers with simultaneous drumming. Pre-registration is required and the link can be found at burlington.ca/canadaday.

Participate in Virtual Fireworks Presented by Bunzl, through the Snap’d Community Hub

Share your Canada Day spirit by decorating your home and posting a photo to Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #BurlONCanadaDayCanadian flag at Quebed referendum

Participate in the Canada Day Play Challenge. With Canadian inspired trivia and activities starting June 27 until July 1, 2020, with new activities added each day. Download the free app at goosechase.com and search for the Canada Day Play Challenge. We have prize packages available for the top three highest scoring teams, with support from Canadian Tire. The grand prize winner will receive a prize package worth $500.

Mayor Meed Ward said: “Canada Day celebrations in Burlington will look a bit different this year and I know our community will safely celebrate this important holiday with the same energy and gratitude we always do.

“We have so much to be thankful for in this country: our democracy, our healthcare, our arts and culture, our gorgeous landscapes and environment, and the diverse and passionate people who contribute to our ongoing evolution as a society. I look forward to enjoying the talented entertainment and creative activities our teams have pulled together for our city.”

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Public Health data good - the people of Burlington are listening.

News 100 redBy Pepper Parr

June 30th,2020

Burlington, ON

 

The notice at the top of the update on Covid19 infections – set out in red was a sign that the pace at Halton Region’s public Health Unit has slowed.

They were probably all close to burn out.

Please note that effective the week of July 6, the Monday edition of this report will be discontinued for the summer of 2020. The report will return to a weekly format, with updates sent every Thursday.

The data as at June 26th is re-assuring.

The public, for the most part is paying attention and following the Stay Safe rules.

The PHN has advised that the public can now get out and not have to stay away from people that are a big part of their day to day lives.

The Mayor managed to get out for a brew on the patio of The Poacher.

Fig 1

Figure 1: COVID-19 cases, by episode date, Halton Region, Mar. 1-Jun. 28, 2020

Figure 1: COVID-19 cases, by episode date, Halton Region, Mar. 1-Jun. 28, 2020

 

Figure 1  shows the 833 COVID-19 cases among Halton residents reported by end of the day on June 28. All cases have been graphed according to their episode date, which is used to estimate the date that symptoms began. Figure 1 shows the number of new cases per day, while

Figure 2 shows how cases have accumulated over time. Counts for the past 14 days should be interpreted with caution (indicated using the grey shaded area on the graph), since there is a delay between when a person becomes infected and when they develop symptoms, get tested and are reported as a case. Please note the large increase on April 11 is due to expanded testing and identification of COVID-19 among asymptomatic individuals at Mountainview Residence.

Individuals who are lab-confirmed cases are shown in green. Individuals who are probable cases are shown in orange. Probable cases are individuals presumed to have COVID-19 because they have symptoms of COVID-19 and are travelers returning from an affected area, have had close contact with a confirmed case and/or lived/worked in a facility experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak, or have indeterminate test results.

Fig 3Figure 3: 7-day moving average of confirmed non-institutional COVID-19 cases, by collection date, Halton Region, Mar. 1-Jun. 28, 2020

For each day, Figure 3 shows the average number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past seven days, including only those cases that are not staff or residents/patients associated with an outbreak in an institutional or congregate care setting. Cases have been graphed according to their collection date, which is the date that a sample was taken from them to be tested for COVID-19. The graph suggests that the average number of new cases per day was highest in late March/early April, with another increase in mid-May. Counts for recent days should be interpreted with caution (indicated using the grey shaded area on the graph), since there is a delay between when a person is tested and when their test results are reported to Public Health and entered into the system.

 

Fig 5

Figure 5 shows that by end of the day on June 28, the greatest number of COVID-19 cases were among residents of Oakville (with 277 cases, or 33%).

Figure 5 shows that by end of the day on June 28, the greatest number of COVID-19 cases were among residents of Oakville (with 277 cases, or 33%). Please note this figure shows counts, and therefore does not take into account the different population sizes or age structures of the four municipalities. Counts in municipalities can also be inflated by outbreaks that have occurred within institutions in their boundaries.

 

 

Fig 9

Figure 9 shows the 22 confirmed outbreaks of COVID-19 in Halton institutions reported by end of the day on June 28. Institutions are defined as long-term care homes, retirement homes and hospitals. 18 of the outbreaks have resolved, and four are ongoing. Among the 22 confirmed institutional outbreaks reported to date, 14 (64%) have been in long-term care homes, seven (32%) have been in retirement homes and one has been in a hospital (5%).

 

Fig 10Figure 10: Number of people tested for COVID-19 and percentage of people tested who had positive results, by week, Mar. 1-Jun. 20, 2020, Halton

The green bars in Figure 10 show the number of Halton residents who were tested for COVID-19 each week, beginning the week of March 1-7. Data for the most recent week (June 14-20) is incomplete due to reporting lags. The number of people tested decreased the week of May 17 compared to past weeks as mass testing of institutional residents was completed. The number of people tested then began to increase again, as the provincial government permitted more widespread testing.

The orange line in Figure 10 indicates the percentage of tested Halton residents who were positive for COVID-19. The percent positivity was highest the week of April 5-11, when 10.3% of Halton residents who were tested for COVID-19 had positive results. In the most recent week (June 14-20), 0.5% of people tested for COVID-19 tested positive, although this number is subject to reporting delays.

 

Data limitations and data sources
Halton case data: integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), extracted at 7:00 AM on June 29, 2020, to reflect data entered by the end of the day on June 28, 2020

Halton lab data: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Number of individuals who were confirmed positive for COVID-19, COVID-19 Testing Period: 15 Jan 2020 to 20 June 2020. Received on June 22, 2020.

Ontario case counts: Public Health Ontario, Epidemiologic Summary, COVID-19 in Ontario: January 15, 2020 to June 28, 2020, posted on June 29, 2020 to https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus.

Denominators for Halton and Ontario age-specific rates: Population projections [2020], IntelliHEALTH Ontario, extracted on April 8, 2020.

Data notes
All cases of diseases of public health significance diagnosed in Ontario are entered into iPHIS by local public health units. iPHIS is the Integrated Public Health Information System. It is a dynamic disease reporting system which allows ongoing updates to data previously entered. As a result, data extracted from iPHIS represent a snapshot at the time of extraction and may differ from previous or subsequent reports as data are updated.

The data only represent cases reported to public health and recorded in iPHIS. As a result, all counts will be subject to varying degrees of underreporting due to a variety of factors, such as disease awareness and medical care seeking behaviours, which may depend on severity of illness, clinical practice, changes in laboratory testing, and reporting behaviours.

Cases are included if their “diagnosing health unit” in iPHIS is Halton Region, which means counts include only individuals whose primary residence is in Halton Region. The case may not necessarily have been managed by Halton Region, if they were temporarily residing elsewhere during their case management period. Cases managed by Halton Region who normally live elsewhere but who were managed by Halton Region staff because they were temporarily residing in Halton during their case management period have not been included.

Cases for which the Disposition Status in iPHIS was reported as ENTERED IN ERROR, DOES NOT MEET DEFINITION, DUPLICATE-DO NOT USE, or any variation on these values have been excluded.

Cases are considered “currently active” if they are open in iPHIS.

Figures 1 and 2 distinguish between lab-confirmed and probable cases. Probable cases are defined as epi-linked cases, which means they are presumed to have COVID-19 because they have symptoms compatible with COVID-19 and have travelled to an affected area; have had close contact with a confirmed case; and/or lived in or worked in a facility known to be experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19; or have indeterminate test results. All other figures and numbers include both confirmed and probable cases combined, except Figure 3, which uses confirmed cases only.

Figures 1 and 2 use episode date, which is a field that is intended to approximate the symptom onset date for each case. It is calculated hierarchically, using symptom onset date if available; when it is not available, specimen collection date is used; if neither symptom onset nor specimen collection date are available, the lab test date is used; and finally, if none of these other dates are available, the date the case was reported to Public Health is used.

In subsequent reports, counts in Figures 1-3 may increase as cases are added from past dates as individuals become symptomatic, get tested, and their results are reported to Halton Region Public Health, as well as any past results are added due to delayed data entry or new arrival of lab results.

Cases are considered to be patients or residents of an institution experiencing an outbreak if they are linked to a confirmed Halton institutional outbreak in iPHIS, and they are not known to be a staff person at the institution.

Cases are considered to work in health care if they are known to have an occupation that involves caring for patients, e.g. physician, nurse, occupational therapist, recreational therapist, chiropractor, paramedic, midwife, orderly, etc. Individuals who work in health care settings but do not provide direct care to patients (e.g. managers, cleaning staff) have not been included.

Exposure type is determined by examining the exposure and risk factor fields from iPHIS to determine whether a case travelled, was a resident/patient or staff member in an institution or congregate care setting experiencing an outbreak, was a contact of a case or neither. A hierarchy has been applied as follows:
• Cases with episode date before April 1: Travel > Associated with any type of outbreak (institutional, congregate care, or workplace) in or outside of Halton > Close contact of a confirmed case > None of the above (indicating community acquisition) > Information pending.
• Cases with episode date on or after April 1: Associated with any type of outbreak (institutional, congregate care, or workplace) in or outside of Halton > Close contact of a confirmed case > Travel > None of the above (indicating community acquisition) > Information pending.
It is important to note that cases can have multiple exposures, and these data reflect only their primary exposure category. Differences between municipalities have not been assessed for statistical significance. Known cases reflect only individuals who were prioritized for testing prior to the expansion of testing in May, which means that differences between municipalities are currently difficult to ascribe to other factors.

Case outcomes (hospitalizations, recovered/resolved, deaths) reflect the latest available information reported to Halton Region Public Health and recorded in iPHIS by the extraction time. Cases for whom public health follow-up was discontinued and the case was closed while still hospitalized are not considered to be ‘currently hospitalized’.

Cases are considered to have been reached within 24 hours if their investigation start date and case reported dates in iPHIS are no more than one day apart.

Contacts are manually tracked to determine if they were reached within one day. Any contacts referred to Public Health Ontario for follow up have not been included.

Institutional outbreaks include outbreaks of COVID-19 in settings such as long-term care homes, retirement homes, hospitals and prisons. Outbreaks in congregate care settings (e.g. group homes) and workplaces are not included.

Lab testing data reflects only lab tests that have been assigned to Halton Region based on the methodology used by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. There are several known limitations associated with this data which result in the numbers being underestimates:
• The unit of analysis is the tested individual. Once an individual is confirmed positive, subsequent tests for that individual are excluded from the daily totals;
• The COVID-19 test results were captured in the Ontario Laboratories Information System (OLIS). The testing date represents the date of specimen collection: “observation date” in OLIS. Due to the time required for transportation and processing of specimens, it takes six days for approximately 95% of results to be finalize

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Councillor moving to undelegate the Site Review of a massive residential mixed use development on Fairview

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

June 29th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The public is going to get a chance to see what that massive development on Fairview between the Go Station and Drury Lane on the north side is going to look like.

The development met the requirements of the current and in-force Official Plan and also met the zoning for the properties so it didn’t have to go to Council.

Seven buildings - not that much in park space and a layout that reflects what developers put up in the 50's

Seven buildings – not that much in park space and a layout that reflects what developers put up in the 50’s. Building something like this without public input was just plain bad practice. But the Councillor was prepared to do just that.

The Planning department would do a site plan review and that would be it.

There was considerable blow back when the ward Councillor Lisa Kearns let it be known that she had talked to the developers and “convinced” them that the 47 storeys they were looking for on one of the seven buildings that are going to be on the site.

The development is being built in a part of the city that this council, and its predecessor wanted to see the growth take place in.
With a development his size – seven towers – the quality of the development and the amenities become critical – and no one knew what they were going to be.

Councillor Kearns did say that she did a walk-through of the site with people she apparently chose – we don’t know who these people are.

It just didn’t look right.

Kearns said earlier today that she was bringing forward a motion to have the site undelegated – which means the Site Plan Review is done by Council and not the Planning department.

The Planning department will certainly be at the table but the driving and the directing force will be with Council

Good move. It took giving Kearns a bit of a nudge for her to figure out which direction the wind was coming from.

She has used the IAP2 template as her justification to include more public participation.

In her motion to have the undelegation Kearns said:

Undelegate the site plan approval for application 535-001/20 (2020, 2243, 2269 Fairview Street and 864 Drury Lane – CLV Group Inc) from the Director of Community Planning to Council.

Background:
On April 6th, City of Burlington Planning confirmed that a Site Plan Application was deemed complete and materials circulated for review 2020 2243, 2269 Fairview Street & 864 Drury Lane (CLV): 535-001/20.

File 535-001/20 proposes a phased mixed-use development consisting of 7 towers with heights ranging from 29-37 storeys. Towers will include a combination of residential and commercial uses. Parking will be accommodated both underground and at the rear of the property in a parking structure utilizing the required 30 metre setback from the rail.

details

details

Undelegation of site plan will provide the public with an opportunity to engage in IAP2’s Spectrum of Public Participation which is designed to assist with the selection of the level of participation that defines the public’s role in any public participation process. For clarity, the public will participate within:

INFORM: To provide the public with balanced and objective information to assist them in understanding the problem, alternatives, and opportunities and/or solutions.

CONSULT: To obtain public feedback on analysis, alternatives and/or decisions.

Constituents have continually requested updates, information, and insight into the large scale development submitted for the lands known as “Holland Park”.

Therefore, recognizing that a variety of resources may be used for communication, it is imperative that Council have a direct opportunity to bring onto public record the decisions made in accordance with Site Plan for 2020 2243, 2269 Fairview Street & 864 Drury Lane (CLV): 535-001/20.

The justification the Councillor uses isn’t an issue – that she took the step to bring about the undelegation is what matters.  It was a nice little end run though.

Related news stories:

Big big development – no public input.

Development of the properties on the north side of Fairview. 

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2021 will have a bright spot for Burlington in it - The Pearle will prove to be the hottest spot in town.

News 100 yellowBy Pepper Parr

June 29th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

It is a construction site right now.

 

Reflecting pool court yard

The reflecting pool in the Centre will be a feature of the Court yard setting. The 22-story condominium is on the right. The ballroom will be on the second level of the hotel on the left.

But a look around the space that is filled at this point with pieces of equipment and parts of the work completed, you can get a sense as to what it will look like when it opens in March of 2021. Leanne Ciancone who, with her brother Aaron, oversee the development of this latest venture, explains “there will be a soft opening” – “we will phase in the different parts of the project – when one is working flaw-free we will then open another part.”

This is a development that has gone through some awkward stages before the Ciancone people got to it.

Few people have heard of The Pearle.

It will become the destination point for the city; a place where people can dine and have a magnificent view of the lake with the Pier sitting just a bit to the west in full view.

Court Yard - restaurant area

The concrete block spaced out on the Court yard grounds will hold the trestles that will cantilever   over the Court yard. Restaurant will be to the left, hotel ballroom on the second floor of the hotel that faces into the open space.

The Court yard of The Pearle is going to be something this city has not seen before.

Pearle _PRIMARY_LOGO (BLACK)The full name is The Pearle Hotel and Spa.

It is part of the Bridgewater development that is close to five years behind its first announced opening date which was to be in 2015 when the Pan Am Games were taking place.

The approval for a 22-storey tower was approved when Walter Mulkewich was Mayor.  At one point it was going to be a 30-storey structure and be known as a Legacy site.

The condominium is not yet complete; the 7 story condominium has some residents in place and a security team is now in the lobby – which isn’t finished.

What was to be a Delta Hotel at first, got upgraded to a Marriott and something went wrong – the Marriott pulled out and The Pearle took its place.  They took a much different approach than the one the Marriott people had in mind. “We wanted something that was more family oriented – and not driven by a corporate approach.”

The people behind the Pearle are no slouches. They operate Spencer’s on the Waterfront, The Old Mill in Ancaster, The Elora Mill in Elora, which has become a premier location for large weddings… these, along with a number of respected and well run hospitality locations in the area.

Leeanne and Aaron at drawings table June 25

Leanne and Aaron Ciancone, a brother and sister team: he does the long range planning – she makes the plans a reality.

Aaron and Leanne Ciancone (brother and sister) are the operators; they took over from their Dad in 2000.

The operation will consist of a Spa, a 150 room hotel and a restaurant that includes a small private venue and the Court yard.

The Gazette has been watching this site from it earliest days when the property was owned by the Mayrose Tyco interests, people who owned the land for decades before deciding it was time to build.

The land was once the site of the Riviera Motel, a location with fond memories for many.

Pearle, the name given to this latest hospitality venture by the Ciancone’s, is taken from their Grandmother. She would be very proud of what her grandchildren have done.

The entrance to the hotel, restaurant and Spa is off Elizabeth Street south of Lakeshore. The Spa has another separate entrance on Lakeshore.

Once inside the doors there will be a hotel registration desk and a grand  curved  staircase going up on either side of the lobby getting you to the second level.  A lot of wedding pictures are going to get taken on those stairs – they will have the majesty of something like Gone with the Wind.

There is nothing steep about the stairs and there is an accessibility ramp as well.

Elizabeth Street, south of Lakeshore, slopes a bit to the lake.  The 4 and a half level underground garage entrance is at the bottom of the street.

On the second level you enter the restaurant and can walk out into the Court yard. Based on what the Gazette has seen so far – it is the Court Yard that will be the jewel.

It will be hidden from the street – tucked in behind the portion of the hotel that stretches along Lakeshore.

Some of the open area is a shared space.

Entrance to publiic from Lakeshore

The view from the top of the stairs leading to the lake looking north to the entrance to the public space on Lakeshore Road. The 22-storey condominium is on the right, the hotel on the left.

The Court yard is on the west side with a public right of way on the east side that leads from Lakeshore right through to a magnificent set of stairs that lead down to the edge of the lake. While a little on the steep side there is a series of gently sloping ramps that people can walk down.

Bridgewater Aerial-rendering-1024x758

An early rendering of what the Bridgewater development was to include. Some of the heights and the location of some features changed

Those stairs will be a great place to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee. It will be public space which rules out holding a glass of wine or bottle of beer in your hand.

The area is spacious – far more than we expected.

Sitting on the east side of the Court yard is a reflecting pool.

It will without a doubt become the place to wine and dine.

Aaron Ciancone explains that it is the kind of place where you will be able to have a cup of coffee or a piece of pizza if that’s what you want.  This is going to be a people place.

What’s on the menu? They hasn’t been revealed yet but given the locales that the Ciancone’s  operate it will be fine fare; a lot more than slices of pizza.

The hotel has a ballroom that will be able to hold 400 – that will get crimped a bit until we have the Covid-19 virus under control.

The business model is to operate a small hotel, restaurants, the Spa and make the venue a wedding destination.

The Gazette will be tracking this story right up to that soft opening in March of 2021.

New Year’s Eve of 2021 it will be the locale for a great party – unless someone books it for a wedding. The only unknown is whether or not we will all have to wear masks.

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