Kids are kept in the loop; aware of what is taking place - we try to focus on the happy times and not the stress

The Gazette has put together a team of parents who are at home taking care of their children while the province goes through school closures and the shut down of everything other than essential services.

Ashley Worobec  and Nicki St. George will write regularly on how they are coping.  We invite parents to take part in this initiative by adding comments to each Coping with COVID19 & the kids article.

graphic coping greenBy Ashley Worobec

May 6th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

We have been managing pretty well over the past few weeks. The initial shock and disbelief has eased, and we’re settling in to a new normal. However, with the Covid numbers trending as they are lately, I’ve been closely watching the Premier’s announcements and I’m anticipating that I’ll be back to work by the end of May. Of course that’s just speculation, but four other Provinces have now returned their chiropractors to work so I’m hopeful that Ontario won’t be far behind.

My focus has been at the clinic lately, as we’ve been gathering the necessary PPE, and we’re installing a plexiglass barrier at the front desk to minimize contact for our reception staff. When we are given the go-ahead to return, we will be ready to do so safely.

Ashley family yard table

Backyard update

As far as what this confinement is doing to the family unit, I’d say it’s been really good for us. As soon as this situation unfolded, my main goal became to create a good environment for my kids. I read an opinion piece online that talked about how children will remember this time in history, and it became my goal to ensure that they remember it positively. They won’t remember the stress, the financial implications, the worry; they will remember the time we spent together, the games we played, the bike rides we went on.

I check in with them regularly, to see what some of their highlights are, and we try to add more of those things into our days- we’ve biked to my in-laws for a driveway visit a handful of times (a 9km round-trip), something we had never done in the past. We’ve played board games in the sunshine in our backyard, we’ve put up a “silly walking sign” on our front sidewalk and laughed at passers-by, and I’ve thrown more football passes than I can count.

daughter on guitar BEST

Learning the guitar

My daughter has been saving her money for many months to purchase a guitar, and it arrived the other day, so she’s been learning to play via online apps and YouTube videos. We’ve painted both kid’s bedroom walls, in colours of their choosing. THESE are the memories we are making. And while my stress is still there, I’m using the lens of my children to guide our days. They understand what’s happening- we’ve been very honest with them and we watch the news together, but we’ve kept the focus on the positive and away from fear.

As far as schoolwork goes, it’s been a manageable amount for us. With me not working, I’m the main teacher, and we spend 1-2 hours in the morning completing their school tasks. Most often, we start our days with a 5km run (myself and the dog running, my husband and kids on bikes or rollerblades), and then we get into schoolwork when we return, which is usually around 9:30 or 10am- that means we’re wrapped up before lunchtime.

Kids you have now entered BEST

Keeping the intruders away

They are missing their friends and their teachers though, and most days they FaceTime their friends as well as my extended family in Alberta. On Monday evenings, we have a group Zoom call with all of my husband’s side of the family, and that’s become a real highlight of the week. We are hopeful that school will resume by September, but we’ve talked to the kids about the possibility that the Fall may look different than usual, so that they’re prepared with that in the back of their minds. As we’ve done all along, it’s one day at a time. Because my husband is a teacher, we’re in a great situation logistically, as he’ll be home with them if schools are still closed, so we don’t have the childcare piece to worry about that many parents do.

In regards to my running, I’m getting in that 5km loop every morning, and while it’s doing nothing to improve my fitness (there are lots of stops/breaks involved!), it’s really helping me to cope mentally. I truly enjoy that time, and when I look back on Covid, those morning family runs will be at the forefront of my memories.

On Sunday mornings, I’ve been getting out for a longer run on my own (usually around 12-15km); in the “normal” world, I would typically run with my training group on Sunday mornings, but these days it’s a solo run, starting around 9:00am rather than 7:00am.

Ashley Worobec - footwear

Worobec starts her day with a run. Rain doesn’t change the schedule; snow didn’t either.

I am currently registered for the Chicago marathon in October (I qualified for this race with my marathon time in New York City last November), but I’m anticipating that it will be cancelled, as has been the case with most other races this year. The Chicago organizers have not yet made that decision, but I’m mentally prepared for the email to arrive any day. I always love having a challenge though, so on Saturday, May 9th, I am participating in the virtual Brooklyn Half marathon- essentially it’s just an online way for the running community to come together. It’s a free registration, and the idea is that you complete 21.1km in your neighbourhood, and then upload your results to their website. It’s being organized by the New York Road Runners, the same running club that puts on the NYC marathon, so I was happy to see this come across their e-newsletter.

If anyone else is interested in getting involved, I encourage them to visit the website at https://www.nyrr.org/races/nyrrvirtualbrooklynhalf.

 

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Face masks being distributed to community groups

News 100 blueBy Staff

May 6th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Some State Governors in the United States are thinking of making the wearing of face masks mandatory. Ontario hasn’t taken to that idea yet.

A major Burlington supermarket announced that it requires patrons to wear a face mask when they are in the store.

Galbraith couple

Ward 1 Councillor Kelven Galbraith and his wife Angie Blignaut

Shawna and daughter

Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte and her daughter Danielle

One of the problems is that face masks are in short supply.

The Gazette undertook to provide the material and the ties for face masks that are being sewn together by volunteers from across the city – there are ten sewers in place now and they have one person cutting cloth from bolts and running the cloth ties through a surging machine.

A couple of members of council are wearing masks and distributing them to people in their wards.  Those masks are fashion statements.

The Food Bank plans to include a mask with every food hamper they deliver.  Arrangements are being worked on to collaborate with other community organizations.

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Do we know what is happening to us?

background graphic redBy Pepper Parr

May 5th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

What’s happening to us?

We read that thousands have died – from something we don’t understand and nor do the scientists who are struggling to find a vaccine that will prevent the spread of the disease.

isolation - woman - window

Self-isolating

We are asked to stay inside as much as possible and when we do go out we are asked not to congregate with people. Don’t stop to talk to people – if you do keep at least six feet of space between people.

Grandfather at window

No hug – not even a Hi – just a wave

Children don’t get to see their grand parents; some parents don’t get to see their parents because they are in a retirement home.

We are told to wash our hands often – at least every hour.

We can’t go to work and when we are able to get back to work we are warned it is going to be a much much different environment.

How did we get to this point ?

There is a delightful children’s bedtime story – short – that has a lot for adults – it may have been meant for us and not the children.

There is something to think about for all of us in that short clip. Part of the answer as to what is happening to us is in that story.

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Number of infections are down; social distancing is working - keep it working.

News 100 redBy Staff

May 5th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The Halton Regional Public Health Unit report on the number of cases of the COVID virus show some decline. Curve is not as flat as it needs to be, but there has been some progress.

Cases over time

541 – COVID-19 cases among Halton residents to date (478 confirmed + 63 probable)

May 3 Fig 1

Figure 1: COVID-19 cases, by episode date, Halton Region, Mar. 1-May 3, 2020

May 3 Fig 2

Figure 2: Cumulative COVID-19 cases, by episode date, Halton Region, Mar. 1-May 3, 2020

Figures 1 and 2 show the 541 COVID-19 cases among Halton residents reported by end of the day on May 3. 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, 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 epi-linked cases, which means they are presumed to have COVID-19 because they are symptomatic close contacts of cases or returning travelers who have COVID-19 symptoms.

Case demographics

73  cases were residents or patients of an institution experiencing an outbreak (13% of all cases)

86  cases work in health care (16% of all cases)

May 3 fig 3

Figure 3: COVID-19 cases, by age and sex, Halton Region, 2020

Figure 3 shows that by end of the day on May 3, the most COVID-19 cases were among Halton residents aged 40-59 (with 200 cases, or 37%). 317 cases (59%) were female.

May 3 fig 4

Figure 4: COVID-19 cases, by municipality of residence, Halton Region, 2020

Figure 4 shows that by end of the day on May 4, the greatest number of COVID-19 cases were among residents of Oakville (with 184 cases, or 34%). 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. The figure excludes one case with municipality information pending.

Case exposure source

May 3 fig 5

Figure 5: Percentage of COVID-19 cases, by exposure source, Halton Region, 2020

Figure 5 shows that by end of the day on May 3, 225 of Halton’s COVID-19 cases (42%) had no known travel or contact history, and therefore were believed to have acquired the virus within Ontario, making them community cases. 206 cases (38%) had contact with a confirmed case that was believed to be the source of their infection. 98 cases (18%) had a history of travel that was believed to have been the source of their infection. Information on exposure source was pending for the remaining 12 cases (2%).

Case outcomes

75  cases who have ever been hospitalized to date (24 listed as currently in hospital)

395  cases who have recovered to date

22  cases who have died to date (11 of the deceased were residents or patients of an institution experiencing an outbreak)

Institutional outbreaks

12  confirmed institutional outbreaks of COVID-19 reported to Halton Region Public Health to date (4 are ongoing)

 

May 3 fig 6

Figure 6: COVID-19 institutional outbreaks, by date outbreak was declared, Halton Region, Mar. 1-May 3, 2020

Figure 6 shows the 12 confirmed outbreaks of COVID-19 in Halton institutions reported by end of the day on May 3. Institutions are defined as long-term care homes, retirement homes, and hospitals. Eight of the outbreaks have resolved, while four remain ongoing. Among the 12 confirmed institutional outbreaks reported to date, seven (58%) have been in retirement homes, four (33%) have been in long-term care homes, and one has been in a hospital (8%).

Lab testing

>7,500  Halton residents are known to have been tested for COVID-19 to date

Comparison to Ontario

17,923  total confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Ontario to date

 

May 3 fig 7

Figure 7: Age-specific rates of COVID-19 (per 10,000 population), Halton Region and Ontario, 2020

Figure 7 shows age-specific rates of COVID-19 for Halton and Ontario. Rates take into account the population size of each age group to make it possible to compare between different areas. Halton’s age-specific rates are currently significantly different from the provincial rates for all age groups except youth aged 0-19. For example, Halton has 32.5 cases per 10,000 residents aged 80+, which is statistically significantly lower than the 58.7 cases per 10,000 residents aged 80+ in Ontario overall. It is important to note that these rates will fluctuate as numbers increase throughout the pandemic, and that differences between age groups may reflect differences in the likelihood of developing symptoms and being tested.

Data limitations and data sources
Halton case data: integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), extracted at 7:00 AM on May 4, 2020, to reflect data entered by the end of the day on May 3, 2020

Halton lab data: COVID Data Information System, extracted on May 4, 2020.

Ontario case data: Public Health Ontario, Epidemiologic Summary, COVID-19 in Ontario: January 15, 2020 to May 3, 2020, posted on May 4, 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.

Figure 1 distinguishes between lab-confirmed and probable cases. Since April 7, probable cases are defined as epi-linked cases, meaning they are symptomatic close contacts of cases or returning travelers who have COVID-19 symptoms and therefore are presumed to have COVID-19. All other figures and numbers include both confirmed and probable cases combined.

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 and 2 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 contact of a case or neither. A hierarchy has been applied as follows: Travel-related > Close contact of a confirmed case > Neither (indicating community acquisition) > Information pending.

Case outcomes (hospitalizations, recovery, deaths) reflect the latest available information reported to Halton Region Public Health and recorded in iPHIS by the extraction time.

Institutional outbreaks include outbreaks of COVID-19 in settings such as long-term care homes, retirement homes, hospitals, and prisons.

Lab testing data reflects only lab tests that have been reported to Halton Region Public Health and entered into CDIS. There may be more residents who have been tested but not reported to Public Health.

For daily Halton case tables and up-to-date information about how to protect yourself and others, please visit halton.ca/covid19

For daily provincial epidemiologic summaries and more information on COVID-19 in Ontario, please visit Ontario.ca/coronavirus

For national information on COVID-19 in Canada, please visit Canada.ca/coronavirus

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Building Resiliency: City launches Emergency Preparedness Week and National Youth Week

News 100 blueBy Staff

May 5th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Timely – very timely.

With the province locked down while we deal with a pandemic that has infected tens of thousands and been the cause of death for tens of hundreds the city is offering advice and direction on how to better prepare for what we are going through.

depressed girlThe focus is on the young people, partly because this is National Youth Week.

The theme  for the Emergency Preparedness initiative is  “Putting on your resiliency backpack” and being prepared.

The best thing residents can do to protect themselves and the community is stay home, practice physical distancing and use online tools for social connectedness.

In an emergency, protecting yourself from mental stress and harm is just as important as protecting yourself from physical harm.

Within the web site page burilngton.ca/covid19resources, there are several organizations offering mental health supports and resources across the City. Many workplaces also offer similar resources and supports through workplace employee assistance programs.

One of the largest law firms in the country is sponsoring a Mental health in the age of dramatic change and uncertainty event.

Tips for protecting your mental health

  • Mental health graphicBe aware of your thoughts and feelings. It is normal to feel anxious
  • Limit the news you are watching or reading and ensure it is from a reliable news source
  • Reach out to friends and family through phone calls, video chats, texts
  • See resources and supports offered through burlington.ca/covid19resources
  • Keep healthy habits: eat healthy foods, stay active, get a good night’s sleep, drink water
  • Limit, reduce or avoid alcohol, drugs and caffeine
  • Take advantage of your employer’s employee assistance programs for mental health

Stress and anxiety can be high for youth during emergency situations, too. Many youths are working the front lines at grocery stores, restaurants and delivery.  They are at risk and they feel at risk – and many of them wonder – does anyone care?

There are organizations, resources and supports to support youth mental health in Burlington such as the Reach Out Centre for Kids (ROCK).

ROCK has put together resources and suggestions to help support children, youth, and families at this time of uncertainty. They are committed to live answering phone calls from the hours of 9 – 5 p.m. each business day. Families will have the ability to speak directly to a ROCK staff person. They have also created the opportunity to connect families to a pathway coordinator staff who will assess and support connection to brief virtual consultation services.

REach them in a number of ways:

rockonline.ca

Main Line: 289-266-0036

Crisis Line: 905-878-9785 – 24/7

Youth falling apartYouth are also invited to participate in the No Socks for Ivan daily challenges, which can be found on No Socks for Ivan’s Instagram page at burl_youthvoice. Daily challenges include posting about binge-worthy shows, books, shout-outs to essential and front-line workers, dance moves, athletic feats and more.

The Mayoris certainly onside pointing out that “There’s no better time than now to explore the issues around emergency preparedness and mental well-being. The City’s new webpage provides a wealth of information on supports and resources, and I am so impressed at how dozens of organizations from across our community collaborated to put this information together in such a short time. We are all facing resiliency challenges right now and we need these amazing local supports more than ever. I am thankful for the great work they continue to do to help our residents in these trying times.”

Amber Rushton, now the Community Emergency Management Coordinator, a who happens to have a lot of experience organizing communities and projects that take place in those communities saiid: “As we reflect this week on the importance of emergency preparedness and mental health and wellness, I ask that individuals, family members and friends of all ages across our community reflect on one vision: Putting on your resiliency backpack. What could you put in yours? How could you fill your neighbours? How could you fill your family members or your friends?

“These are unprecedented times and it’s still important to be prepared and take care of ourselves, which includes physical distancing, healthy habits and reaching out for health and mental health resources. Remember: in community we persevere, taking the right steps each day toward a more resilient tomorrow.  Stay healthy and be kind to one another. You are not alone.”

Links

  • Youth Week: burlington.ca/youthweek
  • Mental Health Week: mentalhealthweek.ca/
  • Emergency Preparedness Week: burlington.ca/epw

COVID-19 Links and Resources

  • For further COVID-19 information, including where to get tested, please visit Halton Region Public Health halton.ca/coronavirus
  • COVID-19 Resources: burlington.ca/covid19resources
  • Residents can stay informed at burlington.ca/coronavirus as well as on our social media channels: @cityburlington on twitter and facebook.com/cityburlington
  • Questions about the cancellation of Recreation programs can be directed to rentals@burlington.ca or liveandplay@burlington.ca or 905-335-7738
  • Government of Ontario: ontario.ca/coronavirus
  • Government of Canada: canada.ca/coronavirus
  • World Health Organization: who.int
  • Joseph Brant Hospital: josephbranthospital.ca/covid-19

 

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Economic Recovery Network set up to guide how to get back on our feet.

News 100 blueBy Staff

May 4th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Burlington’s business support organizations, known as Team Burlington, have announced the launch of the Burlington Economic Recovery Network.

Comprised of Burlington Economic Development, the Burlington Chamber of Commerce, Burlington Downtown Business Association, Aldershot Village BIA, and Tourism Burlington, Team Burlington has been working closely over the last several weeks to support the business community in dealing with the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis.

Would a downtown mobility hub result in greater density on the east side of Brant Street?  Would traffic from the core work itself to the Burlington GO station?

How much of the downtown core will survive the pandemic? what about the Aldershot and Alton communities?

The Network will bring together key stakeholders and business leaders from across Burlington to develop a recovery strategy that will prepare our economy for recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. The impacts of the global pandemic are already being felt locally and there is a strong need to align economic stakeholders and business support groups to position Burlington for short and long-term economic recovery.

In a joint statement made by the leadership of the Team Burlington organizations they said:  “We’re being proactive. The Burlington Economic Recovery Network is a natural extension of the work Team Burlington is currently doing to support businesses in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. The creation of the network is about preparing businesses to come out strong on the other side and help our local economy recover. Meaningful advocacy, as well as business support and programming will be key outcomes.”

The impacts of COVID-19 are already being felt in our community and will continue to be felt long after the state of emergency has ended. It is anticipated that in Burlington alone, just under 2,000 businesses and 29,000 jobs may be directly affected. The network will work together to advocate for business support at all levels of government, including targeted relief measures and stimulus funding for the hardest hit sectors, which include agriculture, retail, tourism, healthcare  and hospitality.

The network will also focus on cutting “red tape” to help all sectors rebound and get back to business.

Meed Ward with chain Sept 23-19

Mayor Meed Ward is happy with the work Team Burlington has done.

Mayor Marianne Meed Ward is looking forward to how the Network will help businesses through recovery. “Our local businesses have not been immune to the negative economic effects of the COVID-19 emergency. I’m very happy with the work Team Burlington has done so far and the support and guidance they have been offering to owners and staff. I support the launch of the Network as it will work to address, wherever possible, any gaps in existing supports, such as directing guidance to help manufacturers retool; clarity on direct contacts for supports at federally- and provincially-announced programs; and any constraints on our municipality to support.

The Economic Recovery Network will be focused on seeing our businesses through COVID-19 and ensuring they can get back on their feet after this crisis and that’s the light at the end of this tunnel that we need.”

Every bit counts and the business community is going to need all the help it can get.  There will likely be considerable damage.

There are views that the commercial sector hasn’t managed to come together as a group.  The creation of the Network is a good start – but isn’t the information they refer to available from the offices of the MP and the MPP?

And what are we hearing from the Economic Development people at the Region?

Stephen White, an at times acerbic critic had this to say several weeks ago.

Steven White

Stephen White

“Moral support and a business seminar. Is that it? Is that all Team Burlington has to offer? In the words of a song from the immortal American Blues singer, the great Peggy Lee,”Is that all there is”?

Here are some free ideas Team Burlington can “run up the flagpole”:

1) hire a website designer, create a central website, and have them work with all the small, at risk businesses in Burlington that do not currently have a website or internet presence. The website designer can help them create an ad or posting promoting their services, hours of operation, contact information, etc.

2) on behalf of small business owners at severe risk, collectively approach their landlords and ask them to accept a reduced rental payment through the end of the year. Half a loaf is better than no loaf. If the “at risk” businesses go under the landlords are left trying to rent property in a depressed market.

3) 2 hours free parking downtown from the time things open up to the end of the year.

4) Approach the Burlington Post and the Burlington Gazette, and purchase advertising space in both printed and electronic format on behalf of the most severely “at risk” businesses to promote their products and services. Default to those with no internet presence or website.

5) identify those business owners who want/have to sell, and facilitate discussions/meetings with recent immigrants or those wishing to buy a business.

If Team Burlington doesn’t like the preceding, then fine: come up with some ideas of your own.

However, for God’s sake, don’t just sit there and mouth platitudes like “We’re all in this together”. Moral support is wonderful, but it doesn’t put food on the table, pay the bills or keep a roof over one’s head. This is an existential crisis, and it’s high time the captains of industry in this community started demonstrating some real leadership.”

More information on the Burlington Economic Recovery Network will be posted on the Team Burlington COVID-19 one-stop-shop resource site, hosted on burlingtonchamber.com.

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If you're isolated and need some help in getting food into your kitchen - that help is a phone call away.

News 100 blueBy Staff

May 4th, 2020

Burlington, ON

 

Robin Bailey, Executive Director of the Burlington Food Bank explained in his short broadcast this morning that there are people who never thought they would have to rely on a Food Bank. He said: “We recognize that these are stressful times and you may not have ever thought that you’d be in this situation.

Bailey Apr 8

Robin Bailey – he is there to help.

“We are here to help you make things a little bit better for you and your family, confidentially, people don’t need to know where it’s coming from. It’s the start of the month and that’s budget time, so now we all have the stress of being alone and the financial stress. Allow us as part of your community to help you out right now. Give us a call.

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

More about the Food Bank and how you can help.

 

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Local local local gets you re-elected - international moves you up the Cabinet level ladder

News 100 redBy Pepper Parr

May 4th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Gould in the Legion kitchen

She gets right into the trenches with her constituents – this time it was a Legion kitchen.

Karina Gould is a Mother, a Burlingtonian, a graduate of McGill University and Oxford University. She is a Member of Parliament and a member of the Justin Trudeau Cabinet.

When she writes to her constituents she talks to her people. In her most recent missive she had this to say:  “Let’s get through the local stuff.” Karina has been doing BIG stuff at the world level as well.

“This is mental health week, I encourage you to check in on someone new every day. Whether it is a family member who you have talked to this week, or a colleague who you have not seen since social isolation began, I am sure they would really appreciate to hear from you.

“I know many members of our community might be struggling in other ways as well. COVID-19 has caused many to become food insecure and they may not be sure how to access the supports that are available here in Burlington. To assist those in need, the City of Burlington has compiled an extensive list of resources that residents can access to get the help they need or offer supports to the community. To access this page, please consult the link found here.

WHO director general

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization had a conversation with Minister of International Development  Karina Gould that he isn’t likely to forget. He won’t be looking forward to the follow up call he will be getting either.

“I know that accessing supports for the first time can be nerve racking but I can assure you the teams at the Burlington Food Bank, Food for Life, and the United Way are some of the most compassionate people out there. They understand the situation that you’re in and they don’t care about your income, they just care that you have access to food. Should you have any questions about accessing supports in Burlington, please do not hesitate to contact my office.

“I have some good news. In many parts of the country, the curve has flattened. This means that we are seeing some progress because of the commitment and determination shown by Canadians to stay home and practice physical distancing is paying off.
“To continue to improve on our results and ensure that we beat COVID-19 we must continue to stay home, wash our hands, and when we go out, stay two meters away from one another.”

Karina Gould - fingers apart

Karina Gould – punches well above her weight.

Local matters, especially when you want to get re-elected. During the month of April Gould had conversations with the people at the World Health Organization (WHO). Right now the world is struggling to control COVID-19 disease but there are a lot of people who wonder and are concerned that the WHO did not do the job that could and should have been done to warn the world what was likely to be coming our way.

The perky, always smiling mother of one child, can also be very firm and persistent at making her point. She advised WHO that they have been put on notice by the government of Canada.

This is a woman who punches well above her weight.

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On balance the public behaved reasonably well - there were exceptions but the message has certainly gotten through.

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

May 3rd, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

It was the first really nice sunny warm day since the decision was made to lock down the province with the Mayor telling anyone with ears to stay home – and when they do go out for some exercise to walk and not stop to talk.

The only way, the public has been told, to put an end to the pandemic is to ensure that the virus is not spread from person to person.

The Regional Public Health unit produces daily reports showing that infections in the Region are rising every day – not by a huge number – but they are rising.

That curve we have been told about is not flattening.

But – sunshine, good weather – what do people do?

Playground beachway

Playground was vacant – surrounded by yellow tape.

I drove around the city in the northern part and then down into the waterfront and along the Beachway.

A couple of things were immediately evident. There were more police vehicles on the street; there were a lot of bikers roaring along and hundreds of young people on their bikes.

The vehicular traffic was not really heavy. On the residential streets most driveways had several cars parked.
I didn’t see very much in the way of sidewalk crowding.

Wore mask

Some people wore masks – which they slipped away from their faces once they were outside the supermarket.

Some people wore masks, some didn’t. Did see one couple – she wore nothing – he wore a mask and a shield.

There were children out and about but there weren’t hundreds of them.

People were respecting that six foot rule – for the most part.

Fortino

Each of the major supermarket chains has taken their own approach to staking out how they choose to respond to the public concern. Business for this sector is great.

Brant and Lakeshore is definitely the pinch point the Mayor has mentioned several times.
Supermarket parking lots, as well as Costco weren’t packed solid but there was a steady flow of traffic in and out.

Lowvillw Park

Lowville Park – CLOSED

Mt Nemo

Mt Nemo -CLOSED

Parks were all closed. Saw a couple of coffee shops that were opened but you couldn’t sit down.

Queen's Head patio

A hard sight for those who enjoy a cold one while sitting out on a patio.

The Queen’s Head patio was barren – a terrible sight for a drinking man.

Promenade well spaced

People were reasonable spaced, most people respected the pedestrians only rule.

Pedestrian traffic on the Promenade was steady and for the most part well-spaced out.

The message has certainly been heard and there didn’t appear to be a lot of worry from the people we spoke to – tough to have much in the way of a conversation six feet away from someone.

Two weeks from now we will see new numbers from the Public Health Unit and get some idea if our individual behavior is working.

I stood and watch small groups, 10 to 15 people, gather at intersections; some wearing masks other less than a foot away from people who were not wearing a mask.

Brant - Lkshore crossing

This is probably the location that bothers the public health people the most – Brant and Lakeshore – where people cross to get into Spencer Smith Park.

City manager Tim Commisso said last week that he shudders when he thinks about what could be going on amongst those small groups of 10 to 15 people.

We will know soon enough.

The Provincial government wants to open things up – give people some breathing room and let some business operations open up.

It is going to be tricky; these are perilous times.

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The curve is still not flat - and warmer weather is upon us - time to be even more vigilant.

News 100 redBy Pepper Parr

May 1st, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

For those who are having difficulty with the need to Stay at Home and not mingle with people you don’t live with when they are out – some  graphics from the Regional Health Unit should give you caution.

515 COVID-19 cases among Halton residents to date (456 confirmed + 59 probable)

The curve: It has to stop rising – until then we are going to have to Stay Home – and the province will not be able to even begin to lift the restrictions.

Episode date
71
cases were residents or patients of an institution experiencing an outbreak (14% of all cases)

78
cases work in health care (15% of all cases)

The number of people infected by municipality.

Muni differences

Burlington’s numbers have always been the lowest – that is not a reason to think we can let up.

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Good motion gets trashed by Mayor - the need recognized by Councillor Stolte is very real.

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

April 30th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

When the motion you put forward to create more sidewalk space for people to use when they are out for a walk is followed by an amendment from the Mayor with seven points to it – you know your motion is in trouble.

Such was the fate of a motion put forward by ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte.

Direct the Director of Transportation Services to assess, create and implement as soon as possible, and with input from other city departments and members of the Cycling and ITAC Committees, a “Shared Streets Burlington” Pilot Project with the goal of temporarily closing portions of roadways to allow for safer physical distancing for pedestrians and cyclists for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Background Discussion:

The residents of Burlington, along with City Council and City Staff, are all committed to the goal of stopping the spread of COVID-19 in our community. Our role, as City Council and staff, is to amplify the message of medical experts in regard to adhering to physical distancing requirements while also considering a longer-term plan that acknowledges residents need for physical exercise and fresh air in order to effectively manage their mental health and well being.

Stolte had reliable statistical data on how people were handling the isolation. She pointed out that sidewalks are simply not wide enough to ensure the physical distancing requirements recommended by medical experts and the informal use of grass boulevards does not provide a safe nor viable alternative for wheelchairs, strollers or bicycles.

Stolte and Kearns - budget book

These two women work well together; very different personalities but when the strength are combined that are very effective.

Roadways are underutilized due to reduced traffic volumes and represent a clear and simple alternative to “expand the sidewalk”. There are many resources already available, as well as an established work group comprised of dedicated residents from the ITAC and Cycling Committee who have been meeting to research strategies and suggestions for implementation.

Stolte wanted to begin with a Pilot Project to measure, monitor and learn as well as to assess the willingness of the community to participate in a safe manner.  She was strongly supported by ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns.

Her hope was that council would consider a phased approach that can adapt/expand as needed at multiple, local, widespread, “very ordinary” locations to avoid gathering crowds gathering. Her hope was that street networks would be coordinated with park locations

•to ensure strong signage and communication

•to consider a variety of options such as closing off curb lanes on thoroughfares (ex. Maple, Palladium Way, Prospect -east of Guelph) or installing strong “Shared Streets” signage on key neighbourhood streets (ex. Spruce, Townsend, Palmer, Millcroft Park)

This motion is intended to encourage a realistic, longer-term plan that will ensure safe “physical distancing” as well as strive for the balance that is needed to support physical exercise and mental health initiatives, by literally creating more space for people to get outside and breathe.

Burlin Vt road share sign

Public education is key – it doesn’t always take in Burlington.

Stolte encouraged Council to join the 60+ other cities around the world including Brampton, Calgary, Edmonton, Kitchener, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Victoria and Winnipeg who have already implemented or are actively exploring this creative alternative as a means of supporting the well-being of their residents.

Debate on this one was vigorous.

Ward 6 Councillor Angelo Bentivegna came out of the gate asking that it be deferred – “we have bigger fish to fry – and this will be expensive” he said. “If we open up part of a roadway we are going to have to put pylons out and then take them in.”

Angelo B

Councilor Bentivegna was solidly against the motion – too expensive and the city has bigger fish to fry.

Bentivegna, like most of the other Councillors said they just weren’t seeing all that much pedestrian traffic on the streets.

The Mayor who lives in ward 2 didn’t agree with Lisa Kearns, councillor for the ward. The Mayor said you could fire a cannon up the streets she walked along. She said she was out walking every day.

Councillor Nisan said he felt that this was a Staff matter and that they were the people who should be driving it; implying that Councillor Stolte might be offside. Odd that Nisan would take that position; when he wanted some traffic moderating in Kilbride and he could hardly get the time of day out of the department.

Nisan wanted the issue of changing the way roads get used during the State of Emergency referred back to transportation – problem with that is the motion didn’t come from Transportation – it came from Stolte, a member of council.

Ward 6 councillor Bentivegna said: “Transportation experts should make the decision because it is an operational matter – maybe it should be handled at the ECG.”  It was discussed at the ECG.

Nisan moved a motion to refer it to staff – Galbraith seconded it. He too didn’t see the need, at least not in Aldershot. Didn’t think this was on for Burlington – “we are not a big city like Ottawa, Edmonton and Vancouver.

Stolte had taken the idea to Staff and found she wasn’t getting anywhere and withdrew the motion she had planned on putting forward earlier in the month.

Meed Ward style

Mayor Med Ward basically manhandled the Stolte motion.

Meed Ward’s amendment, it had seven parts, did add valuable points to the motion. She was concerned about the purpose of the amendment and what the criteria would be for closing down part of a public road.

In getting into her seven point amendment the Mayor seemed to be defining what the motion was really about – it is usually the mover of a motion who does that and the record shows that Stolte had done her home work.

There wasn’t much in the way of appetite for the idea from the Transportation department when it first came to them. The ECG people were swamped with other more pressing issues. City Manager Tim Commisso was comfortable with where things were – people were thinking about a possible problem. Stolte had discussed the idea with them earlier.

Galbraith, Councillor for ward 1 couldn’t see a need. No heavy pedestrian traffic in his part of the world.

Councillor Sharman was non-plussed – he didn’t see any pedestrian traffic to speak of on Spruce or any other part of his ward.

After lengthy, robust debate, the motion carried 4-3 and will come back to Council during the May meeting.

Earlier in the debate Councillor Nisan had put forward a motion to defer  the motion back to Transportation; it really should have been a referral – a motion that will come to be seen in a much different light when the warm weather arrives and people don’t want to stay cooped up.

Lisa Kearns had it right: “This is a public health and a mental health issue, she said.  Covid-19 is a serious public health issue, “but we also have to let people move around and we need to be proactive now and not react to a serious problem later” said Kearns.

Vito 2 Sept 2019

The matter is in the hands of the Director of Transportation Vito Tolone

Bentivegna, Sharman and Galbraith weren’t seeing that.

Nisan wanted staff to run the show.

The City manager, with help from City Solicitor Nancy Shea Nicol, that the closing of a public road is not something that has been delegated to municipalities – that is going to require some explaining. explained something

The Mayor scooped a good motion right off the plate of a Councillor who understood the need and was taking steps now to handle a situation she is certain will come back to bite us.

Stolte wanted to know why her motion wasn’t acceptable.  The Mayor said that the Nisan motion prevailed.

The Mayor said that Stolte’s motion didn’t do what Nisan’s did.

Hopefully staff will understand and work with the nuance that came out of the meeting.

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Kearns forgot to share the microphone and left her sense of fun and at times cutting humour at home.

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

May 1st, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

She isn’t ready for the big stage – not yet

And she needs to let the microphone slide into other hands.

Lisa Kearns Election Photo

For her first Zoom solo – she did Ok.

On the positive side – Lisa Kearns deserves credit for taking a shot at using Zoom to talk to her people,

She drew 35 people – nice to see Jackie Isada again. I think Paddy Torsney should have been less blatant with the wine glass.

Kearns chose to cover the complete waterfront – her audience was well plugged in – they didn’t need be told to wash their hands.

Kearns likes the new TelePlus program the city Parks and Recreation has rolled out. Few fully understand what the city has gotten itself into. Time will reveal where the problems are.

Two parts of the presentation were disturbing – before questions were permitted Jenn Morrison from CLV development that is going to put up seven structures that range from 29 – 37 floors, got to make comments. There was no opportunity to discuss that development in more detail.

The rules appear to be a bit different for this development.

We did learn that those sites that are permitted to continue construction can work from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm used to be 7 to 7.

If a development site has risen above grade it is deemed essential and can continue building.

Bridgewater April 2020

Section on the right is residential – construction can continue – section on the left is a hotel – not essential – continued construction not permitted.

Bridgewater site that looks as if it is going to be under construction for some time. The residential parts can continue with construction – but the hotel which is on the west side cannot – hotels were not deemed essential.

Cyclists are causing a lot of people considerable grief. They are on pathways that were not meant for bikes and they “just fly by” as one commentator said.

There was a “hint” that a way might have to be found to limit the number of people who access the park – where you are expected to walk with no dilly dallying or sitting on a bench for a break.

It was a good effort – do it again – but listen more and talk less.

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Burlington Caremongers work from the simple premise: It will work out - all you have to do is 'be kind'

News 100 yellowBy Pepper Parr

April 29th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

As the Gazette was putting together the idea of making a couple of thousand 100% cotton face masks with ties rather than elastics someone suggested we reach out to the Burlington Caremongers Facebook page.

Want to get into care mongering – there is just the place to do ...There we found Beth Martin who built an organization that in the first week of being active, raised $2500 for Food4Kids Halton. They have been highlighting Halton charities every week. They connected community members who are in immediate need with food and necessities; their members have picked up and dropped off groceries and pharmacy orders.

Others have been making masks, scrub caps, button headbands and scrub tops for front-line healthcare workers. Several times, we have posted anonymously for community members who did not want to be identified, and have received overwhelming offers of assistance.

There are now 6,177 Caremongers serving whoever needs help.

They moved very quickly on our Face Mask initiative – we had 10 volunteers before the end of the first day.

Beteh Martin Caremonger

Beth Martin with her two children.

So who is this Beth Martin?

She is the mother of two children, works at home with her husband after a number of years in book publishing for a major multi-national firm and then in advertising.

It was this collection of skills, plus a degree from Western University that taught her how to jump into the trenches and make things happen.

She had heard of a Caremongers group working out of Hamilton but they had a political bent that Martin wasn’t comfortable with.

She wanted something that would help people. Martin always uses the phrase “be kind” when she communicates with people.

When the Burlington Caremongers got going it became clear that there many different needs. Some people were looking for something; others had something to give. Martin began creating hash tags that directed conversations. #need meant you needed something; #sew meant you could sew.

It didn’t take long for a sewing group to develop; they got involved in making face masks for people in long-term care and nursing homes.

Martin put the Gazette in touch with that group.

Where will the Burlington Caremongers go from here? Wherever there is a need or someone who can help.

Martin is supported by ten people who serve as administrators of the site.  With 6,000 + members they are kept busy.

It all works out wonderfully well – you just have to “be kind”.

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Craft brewers want federal funding support - claim that if there was ever a time for a local brew it would be right now

News 100 yellowBy Pepper Parr

April 29th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

A ray of sunshine when the Canada’s Craft Breweries said: “If there was ever a time for beer lovers across the country to support their local craft breweries, it would be right now.”

The comment was part of a plea to the federal government for financial support.

A survey of the craft breweries on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the brewing industry in Canada. There was sufficient response from across the country to achieve a 95% confidence level with 5% margin of error.

brewery photo

Let the suds flow.

“Similar to many other industry sectors, craft breweries across Canada have been dramatically impacted by the current health and economic situation.” began Rick Dalmazzi, Executive Director of the CCBA. “For example, 44% of breweries reported a year over year revenue drop of over 50% in March, while another 25% were down over 25%. Over 77% of breweries anticipate that April will be the same or worse.”

There are over 1,100 craft breweries in every province and territory in Canada, with over 90% of them opening in the last decade. Many have helped to rejuvenate local economies and bring new employment to communities that have otherwise lost jobs. In provinces where it is legal, many breweries have added a home delivery service to help replace lost revenue. But it doesn’t come close to making up for their own restaurants and taprooms being closed, and keg sales to bars eliminated. The 317 survey respondents reported having to lay off 4,180 of their 6,409 employees, or 65%.

brewery logo“Cashflow is the biggest problem”, continued Dalmazzi. “Many of our member breweries are still in their investment growth phase, and therefore marginally profitable if at all. Everyone’s doing whatever it takes to weather the storm as best they can. Fortunately, we’ve seen very few permanent closures, but that will change if current conditions extend into the summer.” continued Dalmazzi.

The survey also found that craft breweries are stepping up to support the fight against COVID-19. Over 15% of respondents said that they are either making hand sanitizer or that their beer is being used to make it elsewhere. Most of the hand sanitizer being produced by breweries is for use within their local community.

“We are appreciative of the federal government’s wage subsidy and other programs. Ottawa has been very responsive to the financial needs of small businesses. However, our industry will need further support if it is to survive in its present form.” concluded Dalmazzi. “And if there was ever a time for beer lovers across the country to support their local craft breweries, it would be right now.”

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Providing food for those who are self-isolating has created a complex supply chain

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

April 29th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Burlington is very good at stepping up to the plate and filling a need.

What caring people have managed to do is create a supply chain that gets food to the Food Bank who in turn deliver it to people who, in some cases, are self-isolating and not able to get out to buy food.

Bailey Food Bank March 31-20

Robin Bailey does a short web site broadcast most days – keeping donors and those who need food up to date.

The Food Bank has exceptional sources and were recently given significant sums to buy food.

Fresh vegetables and eggs are now being delivered to homes. The Food Bank has succeeded in teaching people to call in for food rather than drop by the Food Band to pick it up – which cuts down on people getting too close to each other.

One of the gaps in this food chain is personal toiletries and canned goods.

Face Mask Sign

If you need a mask – take a couple of cans of food to St Matthews Anglican church on Plains Road in Aldershot and pick up a mask when you leave.

St Matthews in Aldershot has stepped into the gap and is collecting toiletries and canned goods.

They have set up a space outside their front door that is protected from weather where people can drop of the things that are needed.

Jim Young, one of the Aldershot volunteers said in a note he sent out to his circle of influence; “Just passing along some information on an Aldershot/Ward 1 initiative to help keep local food banks stocked and operating during these difficult times.

“I know I’ve sent this before but it is an ongoing need and it would be wonderful if ongoing donations could be received.

Food notice St Matthews“It is a joint effort by St Mathews Anglican Church, Partnering Aldershot and ECoB Ward 1, and is operated by volunteers from each organization.

“The Drive Thru donation is set up to be a safe, no contact, distanced method of giving.

“Please share this information as widely as you can. Think of it as a great way to get out of the house for twenty minutes while supporting a very worthwhile cause, made all the more essential in tough times.”

Connie Price added that the donations on Monday were a little on the short side; she urged people to step up on Wednesday (today) when the boxes are set out in front of the church between noon and 3:00 pm Monday and Wednesday.

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Light and easy workout - live every Friday, to honour RCMP Constable Heidi Stevenson

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

April 28th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Ashley Worobec is a self-described Type-A personality.

She runs. A typical day is up at 5:00 am and out running 5km with her dog.

Career wise she is a chiropractor working at a sports clinic.

Heidi Stevenson

RCMP Constable Heidi Stevenson, mother of two children killed by a shooter evading police to be honoured by people doing a 10 minute workout every Friday.

The tragedy in Nova Scotia last week moved her to use her workout skills and develop a short program to honour the memory of RCMP Constable Heidi Stevenson.

The initiative she has just begun is hosting “Movement You”, which is a 10-minute workout, LIVE online on her Facebook and Instagram pages (search “Dr. Ashley Worobec”)-“ it’s a way for me to connect with my community and to encourage my patients to stay active and moving, which is something I believe passionately in”, said Worobec.

Ashley movement“Last Friday was the first time doing this, and it was a wild success, with my kids participating in the workout too. I plan on making this a weekly thing, every Friday at 11:45am, with movements that people can do easily in their living rooms.

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Mayor buys into the Premier's Road map. She wants to be crystal clear and transparent about the plans and specific behaviours being asked of the public

News 100 blueBy Staff

April 28th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Yesterday morning Premier Doug Ford set out what he called a Roadmap to get the Ontario economy back to how it traditionally operates.

This morning Mayor Meed Ward had the following comments on the position the Premier took.

Meed Ward H&S profile

Mayor Marianne Meed Ward

Yesterday Premier Ford and his team announced a road map to begin reopening Ontario with a focus on protection, reopening, and recovery. This is welcomed news for all Ontarians and a direct result of the hard work and sacrifices everyone has made to help successfully flatten the curve of COVID-19.

The City of Burlington is looking forward to implementing a similarly phased approach that aligns with the framework and guidelines being followed at the provincial level. This roadmap is about the how more than the when.

Ontario’s Chief Officer of Health has outlined three stages for opening workplaces and public spaces and permitting gatherings as time progresses. The criteria the Province will be using in their decision-making include:

• A consistent two-to-four week sustained decrease in the number of new daily COVID-19 cases;

• Sufficient acute and critical care capacity, including access to ventilators and ongoing availability of personal protective equipment (PPE);

• Approximately 90 per cent of new COVID-19 contacts are being reached by local public health officials within one day, with guidance and direction to contain community spread; and

• Ongoing testing of suspected COVID-19 cases, especially of vulnerable populations, to detect new outbreaks quickly

The federal government also indicated yesterday that reopening guidelines should include the capacity for testing, an adequate supply of PPE in place, and the continued medical capacity in place to handle a surge.

Mayor Meed Ward and Premier - Dec 2018

Mayor Marianne Meed Ward meets with Premier Doug Ford at a Joseph Brant hospital event

While no specific dates have yet been announced by the Province in their detailed framework, we know that with the closure of schools and provincial parks being extended to May 31st we have a slow and steady timeline ahead of us. City Hall and city facilities will remain closed through the end of June as previously announced. Burlington’s local businesses launched a campaign yesterday encouraging our community to continue to “Stay home so Burlington can get back to business”. In alignment with the Province and their future decisions related to lifting restrictions on essential services impacting the City, we will not rush this recovery at the expense of the progress we have made thus far.

Our number one priority in Burlington continues to be the health and well-being of our people, especially those who are most vulnerable.

As we formalize our plan with input from city leadership teams and council in May, we will partner closely with Halton Region Public Health so we can continue to closely monitor the level of risk being posed by COVID-19 throughout every stage of our plan.

Halton Region’s mayors, including Mayor Rick Bonnette, Mayor Gordon Krantz, Mayor Rob Burton and myself, have formed a partnership to work together on our respective plans. All four mayors have come together as the Halton Mayors Recovery Coordination Group and made the commitment to keep each other and Halton Region Chair Gary Carr apprised of decisions being considered in each municipality, share best practices, and coordinate our plans and timing.

In the weeks and months ahead, our commitment as a City is to be crystal clear and transparent about the plans and specific behaviours we are asking of the public, keep the community informed of evolving risks, and work diligently with our healthcare partners to track infection and continue to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

We have all made many sacrifices to flatten the curve here in Burlington and we must ensure they were not made in vain. For now, we must continue to stay home and follow the advice of health experts while we navigate this virus and plan the way forward. We will be cautious and careful in each step we take so that we can safely reopen our economy, manage risk, and keep our community healthy.

Fig 2

The curve for the Region of Halton is far from flattening.

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Give Team Burlington credit for doing the right thing, the responsible thing. And remember all this when they are able to open their doors again.

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

April 27th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

It does sound a little ass-backwards – but they are on the right path.

The hospitality and entertainment sectors are hurting – they are bleeding.

With the weather beginning to look nice the idea of being on a patio in the afternoon when the work is done sounds very inviting.

Team Burlington gets it – not yet – but soon IF you stay home so that they can eventually get back into business.

Fig 2

The curve is far from flat. The virus that is infecting people is being passed from person to person – not from someone from China.

They are calling this initiative their STAY HOME to Get Back to Business campaign – they are encouraging people to support local business by staying home and practicing physical distancing which will ultimately help businesses open their doors sooner.

It isn’t just the hardest hit industries that are feeling the impacts of the global pandemic. Businesses of all sizes and across all industries are experiencing unprecedented challenges, including significant and unforeseen revenue loss, the need to lay off staff, supply chain disruptions, and uncertainty about the future of their business and when they will be able to reopen. Simultaneously, businesses are also facing tremendous pressure to digitize and shift existing business models to include online and contactless pick-up and delivery options.

Team Burlington recognizes these challenges and plans to leverage their audience and networks to help get Burlington businesses open as soon as possible. The STAY HOME(to Get Back to Business) campaign reinforces the message that is consistent with public health officials — the sooner people STAY HOME, the sooner the business community can open their doors and get back to business.

Brian Dean 2 long

Brian Dean, Executive Director of Burlington Downtown Business Association

“Businesses of all sizes are being impacted by COVID-19″ said Brian Dean, Executive Director of Burlington Downtown Business Association, one of Burlington’s two Business Improvement Areas (the other being Aldershot Village BIA). “We hope this campaign will help Burlington residents understand that their actions and choices during this time have direct consequences on our business community.

We are getting asked a lot about how people can support their local businesses. One of the things you can do is stay home and practice physical distancing as much as possible.”

Craig Kowalchuk, Owner of Emma’s Back Porch and the Water Street Cooker and President of the Burlington Restaurant Association echoed Brian’s sentiment. “Temporarily laying off staff and closing down the restaurant has been one of the most difficult things I’ve had to do in my twenty-eight years of operations.” He went on, “You can help us get back to business by staying home, reduce your trips to the store and minimize contact with others. We can’t wait to welcome you back, for our twenty-ninth summer, but we can’t do that until everyone stays home.”

The STAY HOME campaign will be launched across social media, as well as through window decals displayed in the windows of downtown businesses. A video campaign featuring local business owners from across Burlington will also help spread the message.

Give Team Burlington credit for doing the right thing, the responsible thing. And remember all this when they are able to open their doors again.

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The future of school - are we learning that there are some advantages to on-line learning? Something to think about

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

April 27th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

graphic coping blue

We asked the two women who are providing Gazette readers with an ongoing commentary on how things are going in their households with the schools being closed. The province’s decision to keep the schools closed until the end of May might create situations that will be difficult for many parents.

Ashley Worobec, the Chiropractor who runs long distances when she can find the time, said she “didn’t have much to say –  It really doesn’t change anything for us- we were expecting the date to be delayed, which it has been, and we’re prepping ourselves mentally for the possibility that the next extension will end the school year entirely.

Worobec BIG sheet RIGHT

The Worobec family created a mammoth Task list to give the new approach to education some structure.

“I do like how they’ve decided to watch and wait instead of just cancelling the school year entirely like some other provinces have, as that’s given us hope instead of looking ahead to months and months without school.  At least this way, there’s still a glimmer of hope.”

Ashley’s two children seem to be coping quite well – the task list picture tells part of the story for their household.

Nicki St George said she “finds it frustrating to be stuck at home while the school closure date keeps getting pushed back further and further. It only serves to foster more uncertainty for myself and the kids. We are fortunate to have the time and technology available to facilitate learning from home but many people do not.

Nicki 1 Apr 21

Getting them outdoors where they can burn off some of that energy.

“Considering the preliminary data which suggests that school closures will have little impact on the spread of the virus, I think that the harms of keeping schools closed (specifically elementary schools) will likely outweigh the benefits.”

Mixed views.

One of the major issues during the months of short term school strikes was the number of On-line courses students were going to be required to take – with the strikes now settled teachers find themselves delivering every hour of instruction on-line.

Something ironic about how that turned out  – teachers will get to learn that some courses can be done very well on-line and some parents might come to the realization that on-line instruction can be very effective in some situations.

The school boards take direction from the province.  However, the school boards are the people that are going to have to deal with the disruption in the delivery of an education.  They also have to look at the impact of the disruption on the quality of the education they deliver.

Moving from the end of elementary school and on into high school is a major right of passage for students.  But what if high school starts with an hour in front of a computer monitor?

That’s an issue that senior school board staff find themselves thinking about.

 

 

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Regional Mayors plan to pow wow over the coming recovery.

News 100 blueBy Staff

April 27th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

While we are not yet out of the woods – not by any stretch of the imagination, all four Mayors in Halton Region, Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville have formed the Halton Mayors Recovery Coordination Group

The four Mayors, Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette, Milton Mayor Gord Krantz and Oakville Mayor Rob Burton will coordinate and work together to prepare for a successful transition to a post COVID-19 emergency, reopening and recovery, and living with the changes it has brought.

Fig 1 cumulative

This curve has not flattened – the focus should be on getting the curve to change direction – creating a Group to Plan for a Recovery looks like a chance for a photo-op.

While this does not mean that emergency measures put in place by the province, the region or individual cities and towns to slow the spread of COVID-19 are expected to be lifted in the near-term, it is prudent to begin to look ahead so that our plans can be ready to execute when the time comes.

The final phases of the pandemic response include the potential reopening of municipal facilities and the implementation of recovery efforts over the balance of the year. The dates of when recovery might begin are contingent on the continued slowing of the spread of the virus and the province lifting its emergency orders and restrictions, including those related to businesses and physical distancing.

“From the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, we have stayed in contact as we collectively responded to the situation at hand, so it makes sense that we remain aligned as we plan for the post-COVID-19 recovery phase in our communities,” said Mayor Marianne Meed Ward.

Halton city logos“All four Mayors have made the commitment to keep each other apprised of decisions being considered in each respective municipality, share best practices, and coordinate when it comes to the recovery planning. They will also ensure a continued close linkage with Halton Region, with the chair Gary Carr as an invited guest to our group when his schedule permits.”

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