A video has been posted that shows waste garbage near a storm water grate at the Brant Street Beach, near the Brant Street Pier.
Burlington singer Sarah Harmer and producer Brett Rogers met with Mayor Rick Goldring, Regional officials and Marianne Meed Ward, the city Councillor for the downtown core of the city.
In a media release the city said:
Sarah Harmer, Rogers, Mayor Rick Goldring, Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward and city staff responsible for storm water management and communication were joined at City Hall by Halton Regional staff responsible for drinking water and public health, including testing beaches for swimming safety.
The meeting follows the posting of a video by Rogers that shows garbage near a storm water grate at the Brant Street Beach, near the Brant Street Pier.
“We had a good discussion today with Brett, Sarah and staff,” said Mayor Goldring. “As a result of today’s meeting, city and regional staff are working to further quantify elements that impact storm water management and beach water quality in Burlington in order to determine next steps. We know Lake Ontario is a tremendous asset to our community.”
A natural beach created when land jutting out into the lake was formed – some think the “mini-beach should have a boat dock dropped into place. You can see where the water discharge pipe is located on the right hand side.
“The small beach at Spencer Smith Park is well-loved and well-used,” said Councillor Meed Ward. “I’m grateful to Brett and Sarah for raising awareness about water quality and how we handle storm water, especially as more development occurs, and we lose green space.
There are lots of options for us, including low-impact development, green infrastructure and storm water utilities. I’m committed to exploring those.”
That water run off pipe is what results in part of the problem with the small beach at the foot of Brant Street. That plus the geese that foul the water. There is always a sign on this beach that tells you if the water is safe.
From the left: City Councillor Marianne Meed Ward, Sarah Harmer, Brett Rogers and Allan Magi, Executive Director of Capital works for the city. Harmer is casting a wary eye on what Magi is explaining – and well she should.
The five next steps before the group meets in September are:
• Halton Region health staff will connect with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to determine if it is possible to do any testing of the outfall and, if possible, would testing be meaningful.
• The City of Burlington will research end-of-pipe technologies that could be possible for the storm water outlet at Brant Street Beach. Staff will also check in with the city’s roads and parks maintenance department to learn about current geese management practices.
• The City of Burlington will connect with other agencies, including Conservation Halton and Halton Region, and compile a list of current education programs related to storm water and beaches, also researching best practices for communicating.
• The City of Burlington will look at the signs created in the past year featuring halton.ca/beaches, which are posted at both Burlington Beach and Brant Street Beach. The city will look at possible additional signage related to animals on Burlington’s beaches.
• Mayor Goldring is hosting a follow-up meeting with Rogers and Harmer, Councillor Meed Ward and staff in mid-September to report back on the findings and determine possible next steps.
The Beach Brett Rogers was using was one of the bonuses that came with the $14 million pier. Sand began to form on the west side of the pier and that spot where the Naval Promenade begins yards away from the Waterfront Hotel.
When the city realized the formation of sand was going to continue they built a small walkway to the edge of the water. The location is now used by children who want to be near the water. Some small craft beach their boars there from time to time.
The testing of water quality is a Regional government responsibility. At one time the Region would issue regular water quality reports but they stopped doing that at the end of the 2015 summer season.
Brett Rogers is a producer and adventurer and co-creator of the History Channel’s 7 Days in Hell.
Sarah Harmer is the founder of PERL – Protecting Escarpment Rural Lands and a well-known singer who has won numerous awards. She was a significant witness during the Tribunal that eventually decided not to issue a permit to the Nelson Aggregate company that wanted to expand the quarry in north Burlington.
The discharge pipe has been in place for years; it was the keen eye of Brett Rogers that saw the scope of the problem.
On a web site of his own Brett Rogers gives what he calls “his rant”. It follows:
Brett Rogers – a guy who loves what he is doing.
On Saturday I went paddle boarding at my local launch point at Spencer Smith Park, in Burlington. You could make a good argument that between Spencer Smith Park and the Skyway bridge is some of the best recreational shoreline on Lake Ontario. Spencer Smith hosts some pretty awesome festivals like the Sound of Music and Rib Fest, while Burlington Beach is honestly one of the best places to swim, anywhere. Over the last four years I have spent a lot of my leisure time paddling my standup paddle board here. I love this place so much.
I’ve always had a close relationship with fresh water and I like to think that I’ve done a good job at respecting and celebrating water too. One of my News Years resolutions this year was to be a better fresh water advocate. The truth is, yeah I’ve done a good job at being a fresh water advocate over the past decade but I have not done a great job, and in this world, there are only great efforts and shitty efforts. Trust me in that I do not want to be a shitty fresh water advocate, which means I either up my game, or I shut up. And if you know me, I rarely shut up so I decided to up my game.
A big part of upping my game has been about reconnecting with an old mentor of mine, Mark Mattson. Mark is my Lake Ontario Waterkeeper. I worked for him for 9 months, 9 years ago. Looking back now, man was that an awesome job. Over the past handful of months I have really taken every opportunity of free time to help promote the work Mark is doing. A big part of that has been collecting Watermarks and exploring Burlington Bay in Annie, my York Boat. Since I’ve spent so much time with Mark lately, I’ve also learned a ton about Lake Ontario – some things that are truly out of this world cool and something, well, they just pissed me off.
Take Saturday for example. On that day I went paddle boarding with one of my best buddies. It was a wicked 3 hours on the lake. We launched and pulled out at this tiny little beach (maybe the smallest sandy beach on all of the Great Lakes) at Spencer Smith Park. As we paddled back in I noticed this huge culvert pipe between the beach and the pier. Now last year, I would had not even paid attention to such a feature, but this year I am like an eagle on the water, constantly on the lookout for a target – pollution. I notice this pipe and I think to myself, ‘I bet this dam thing is dumping storm water into my lake!’.
I guess the Lake Ontario gods had the same thought because last night, which was Sunday night, I wake up at 3 am to a huge thunder and lightning storm. I shut the windows and I can feel the mist of the rain blowing through the screen. It’s raining hard. The first thing that comes to my mind is that dam pipe! So I get out of bed, grab my video camera and drive 20 minutes down to the Lake. I have to investigate.
I love my home. I am proud of it. Both in terms of my roots in the country where I live and as a citizen of the City of Burlington. I’ve traveled a bunch and I do believe that this city is one of the best cities in all the world to live in. It’s not to big, not to small and with two totally awesome natural features that I am so proud of – the Niagara Escarpment and Lake Ontario. Plus Burlington really does has a nice downtown which we should all be proud about. But man… was I pissed off this morning. I mean, I was mad. How the hell can a great medium size City like Burlington be cutting corners like this and pull off this type of cronyism?
To deal with my anger (and utter disappointment) I felt I needed to pull some of those images and make this short video – if only for my mental well being but hopefully, to bring about change. Here’s the thing. As a Canadian, and as a member of the Burlington community, I really have no business worrying about the destruction of the Amazon rainforest when there is bull shit going on right here in my home town. Yes there are horrible things going on all over the world, but who am I to become engaged in ‘those’ issues when my own city and municipality are dumping pollution into the one of the greatest lakes on Earth, and the drinking water source for 9 million people! I don’t even drink from Lake Ontario, I am on a well, but I am still angry!
The woman who badgered a Cabinet Minister to ensure that Burlington residents had access to ODRAP – Ontario Disaster Relief funds – announced Friday that Ontario is investing $237,000 in a pilot project that will help Burlington homeowners reduce the risk of basement flooding from severe weather events associated with climate change.
Eleanor McMahon was a backbencher MPP when the flood hit the city in 2014; today she is a member of the provincial Cabinet responsible for Tourism, Culture and Sport
Burlington’s MPP, Cabinet Minister Eleanor McMahon announcing the Home Adaptation Assessment Program program.
In her announcement McMahon said: “Ontario’s people and businesses are already feeling the effects of climate change. It has damaged the environment and has caused extreme weather events such as flooding, which can damage basements and homes and increase insurance rates.
“After experiencing substantial residential flooding in August 2014, Burlington was selected as the ideal location to run the first large-scale basement-flood risk reduction program. Developed by the University of Waterloo’s Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, the Home Adaptation Assessment Program will:
Assess the vulnerability of 4,000 Burlington-area homes to flood damage Make recommendations to help homeowners avoid costly damage from extreme weather Collect the data needed to inform potential expansion of the program to communities across the province.
This kind of flooding hit both the residential and the commercial community.
Lessons learned from the pilot program in Burlington will inform a broader roll-out of the program across Ontario. The joint pilot is between the provincial government, Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, City of Burlington and participating homeowners who will be asked to pay a small fee for the inspection work done on their homes.
City Council has approved contributing an additional $50,000 the first year with opportunities to reassess in 2017.
The program, Home Adaptation Assessment Program (HAAP) will announce the names of the designated neighbourhoods and registration details this fall.
Basements throughout the city were cleared of wet soggy warped property and sent to the dump.
The media release added that: “Over the past decade, an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme rainfall events, aging municipal infrastructure and inadequate flood protection measures at the household level have all contributed to significant increases is basement flood damage costs across Canada. More specifically, property and casualty insurance claims have more than doubled in the past decade, with basement flooding being a central cause.”
That statement makes it sound as if the home owners were the ones to blame for problems with down spouts and letting the natural swales between houses build up.
A large part of the problem was with storm sewers that could not handle the huge and sudden flow of water. Home owners just did not know what they were supposed to do. The fire department puts out a regular flow of fire safety information – the same needed to be done about climate change.
The city knows now of a number of homes that cannot remain where they are in a specific flood plain; the information is in a city report but those specific home owners have not been informed.
The Home Adaptation Assessment Program (HAAP) is a basement-flood risk-reduction program. The program integrates international best practices for household flood prevention with input from homeowners and municipal engineers.
One-on-one support is available to individual households through a Home Adaptation Assessment. For a small fee, a trained HAAP assessor will take homeowners through a 50-point examination of potential water entry into the home and help develop a prioritized action plan to reduce risk. A customer help-line, follow-up surveys and seasonal maintenance reminders provide additional support to homeowners. HAAP’s approach is developed in consultation with local government, conservation authorities and community groups, ensuring that HAAP enhances and is complementary to existing flood-risk-mitigation programs.
Dumpster bins were in the driveways of hundreds of home in the city in August of 2014
The first large-scale phase of the development of HAAP will be carried out in Burlington where 4,000 home assessments in designated neighbourhoods will be completed by the end of 2017, with the first 500 to be completed in this year. These will be carefully selected to be representative of neighbourhoods across Ontario (based on home size and age, age and type of municipal infrastructure and past experience with flood risk). Lessons learned from HAAP delivery in Burlington will inform a broader roll-out of the program across Ontario.
The 2014 flood played no favourites. Both the Mayor and the federal member of parliament at the time had their basements flooded.
If the heat doesn’t get the best of us – something else will.
We are told that a batch of mosquitoes trapped this week in Burlington have tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV).
This is the first WNV positive batch of mosquitoes collected from the city. An additional five batches of WNV positive mosquitoes were collected in Oakville. This year in Halton, there have been seven WNV positive mosquito batches to date.
“Halton is committed to being safe and healthy and reducing West Nile virus in our communities through both education and preventative programs like larviciding,” said Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Halton Region Medical Officer of Health. “Until the hard frosts of fall set in, Halton residents should continue to protect themselves against mosquito bites and remove mosquito breeding sites.”
Urban areas are more likely to have mosquitoes that carry WNV. The types of mosquitoes that transmit WNV to humans most commonly breed in urban areas in places that hold water such as bird baths, plant pots, old toys, and tires.
The following are steps that residents can take to protect themselves and their families from mosquitoes:
• Cover up. Wear light-coloured, long-sleeved shirts and pants with tightly-woven fabric. • Avoid being outdoors from early evening to morning when mosquitoes are most active and likely to bite, as well as at any time in shady, wooded areas. • Reduce mosquito breeding sites around your home by getting rid of all water-filled containers and objects, where possible. Change the water in bird baths at least once per week. • Use an approved insect repellent, such as one containing DEET or Icaridin. • Make sure your window and door screens are tight and without holes, cuts or other openings.
A map showing the locations of standing water sites that have had larvicide applied this year is available at halton.ca/wnv.
To report standing water at public facilities or for more information about West Nile virus, please visit halton.ca/wnv, dial 311or e-mail wnv@halton.ca.
Halton Regional Police have arrested and charged a Halton Paramedic in relation to an incident which occurred inside an ambulance in October 2015.
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Tad Nelson, 57yrs of Dundas is charged with Sexual Assault and Voyeurism contrary to the Criminal Code in relation to an incident involving an adult female patient. Nelson will appear in Milton bail court on July 22nd, 2016.
If anyone has any additional information they are asked to contact Detective Constable Matt Cunnington at 905-465-8978 or Detective Constable Alanda Prescod at 905-465-8977 of the Halton Regional Police Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Unit or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
These things do have to be reported – there are a lot of men and women who do the very hard, gut wrenching work inside an ambulance as it races to a hospital. This incident should not reflect on the really good people who work as paramedics
Construction of the patient tower is moving along nicely. The last window on Level 7 of the new patient tower was installed at the end of June! Soon, two elevators will be up and running on the inside of the building and the man and material hoist will be removed.
The pedestrian bridge structure connects Level 2 of the parking facility to Level 1 of the new tower. Now the construction team is building the metal deck on the floor and on the roof of the bridge and pouring the concrete floor. By the end of July, glass windows will be installed on the bridge and roofing and finishes will follow.
Power will be turned on in late September.
In their latest video, Alean Jackman, Operational Readiness Coordinator and Melanie Burnet, Program Champion for the Surgical Program share the 5 Things You Need to Know about Our New Surgical Suite. Enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at the progress being made inside our future surgical suite and learn more about the new space from our experts!
In the past the hospital has had problems with infectious diseases. The new hospital will have three new washer disinfectors that have greater capacity for cleaning and processing clinical equipment. The machines also have fast and efficient cleaning cycles, larger touch screens, and built-in “cool touch” handles on the racks.
Inside, installation of drywall continues to progress from the Main Level to Level 7 and soon, ceilings will go up. Painting has started and the main lobby staircase will be installed by late summer.
The people who will make the hospital actually work on a day to day basis are involved in critical training programs; much of the equipment is very complex and requires training and practice before nurses roll you into one of the ten new operating rooms – nine of which are reported to be ready for business on opening day.
A new Lakeshore Road is being constructed that will lead to the new front entrance to the hospital.
The construction and re-development of the hospital takes place while the city re-builds the part of Lakeshore Road that will become the new front entrance to the hospital. Parts of Lakeshore Road are being raised by as much as a metre from their current level. The re-built road will slowly slope towards the parking garage where the rebuild will pause until the hospital is completed in 2018.
Storm water around the hospital has always been an issue – one that hospital media management people don’t like to talk about very much.
Big 20 inch pipes being shoved under North Shore Road to connect properties north of Lakeshore to pipes running along Lakeshore right past the hospital to the Waste Water treatment plant.
Traffic in the area has been re-routed in several directions while the construction work takes place. Waste water treatment and storm water facilities are also being upgraded as well.
A 20 inch pipe is being shoved under the Lakeshore Road, North Shore Road intersection from the Brant Museum property to connect waste water pipes to the main trunk line.
These are the detours that are going to be in place until road re-construction is complete – sometime in September.
It is not a pretty place for traffic these days – and it is going to remain that way until late in September.
Now that people have gotten over the shock – the British deciding they no longer want to be part of the European Union – what happens next?
The consequences of such a momentous decision are only beginning to be calculated – it will be some time before the complete cost is worked out and perhaps five years before the change to that society is fully felt.
The Bistro, the heart of the Seniors’ Centre.
The political pundits have explained to us that the older population decided they didn’t want to give up what they thought they had and voted to leave the European Union – and given that there were older people voting in England – they won the day by an acceptable 4% of the votes cast.
Burlington has an aging population – and that part of our demographic is only going to increase. What are those seniors likely to want and how will they make their wishes known to people running for office?
At some point someone who wants to sit on city council badly enough or someone who truly believes he or she represents the interests of the seniors community will get themselves elected. On a city council the size of Burlington’s it wouldn’t take all that much to create a majority.
More political clout at this table than at city council.
Keep an eye on those who are interested in ward 2 and keep a keen eye on the seniors in Aldershot – they have a lifestyle they don’t want to see changed all that much.
Community Development Halton tells us that, based on Statistics Canada’s Taxfiler data, there were about 32,000 seniors living in Burlington in 2013 representing an increase of 28% from 2006. This increase was almost three times higher than the overall population increase.
2016 census data will be available soon and we will have a clearer picture of how many seniors there are in Burlington.
We are at a time when the baby boomers are now at the point where they will have much more influence. How is that influence likely to be expressed?
Former city manager Jeff Fielding, on the right with Joe Lamb, who negotiated on behalf of the Seniors’ Centre basically took Fielding to the cleaners with the deal he talked the city into.
We know this much – those seniors take the time to vote.
A number of years ago the Seniors’ Centre ran into some problems with the federal tax collectors and the then GST tax. They weren’t collecting what they should have been collecting.
The member of the centre started calling their council members – it didn’t take long for council members to cave in and send the then city manager over and work out a deal. The city gave them everything they asked for and then some.
It was a total rout on the part of the city. The city has this tag line: “Burlington is one of Canada’s best and most livable cities …” and the seniors want to ensure that it stays that way for them.
What are they going to tell us they want in the next five years?
Saying we share the air and we have to work together to keep it clean is one thing – actually doing something about the air we share is something else.
Burlington city Council is planning on passing a motion at its meeting on Thursday to Support a Governance Structure to implement Climate Change Initiatives between the Cities of Burlington and Hamilton.
This is an issue that is dear to the heart of Mayor Goldring – he would, we are sure, like it to become his legacy issue. He doesn’t have one so far and this is as good a legacy as anyone can hope for – let’s see how it goes at Council on Thursday.
Here is what they want to do – the language is a little stilted – but the intent is clear enough.
GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE FOR COMMUNITY CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION PLAN
Whereas, the Government of Canada’s intent is to protect communities and grow our economy by making significant new investments in green infrastructure and clean technologies as well as to endow a $2 billion Low Carbon Economy Trust to fund projects that reduce carbon that will “support projects in clean energy that can be commercialized, scaled up, and exported”;
Whereas, the Province of Ontario has a Five-Year Climate Change Strategy and has introduced legislation, which aims to formalize a cap-and- trade system and invest those funds into green projects to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas pollution;
Whereas, the Province of Ontario has already announced in 2015, the Green Investment Fund that commits $325 million to projects that will fight climate change;
Whereas, the City of Hamilton has developed a Community Climate Change Action Plan, which directs priority actions that will mitigate greenhouse gases, adapt to the risks associated with climate change and will help make Hamilton a resilient and prosperous community in the face of climate change;
In an attempt to prove that the water in Hamilton harbour was safe then provincial cabinet minister George went for a swim.
Whereas, taking action on climate change will be beneficial to the Hamilton Harbour / Burlington Bay area and will complement the work on greenhouse gas reduction by the City of Burlington;
Whereas, in order to successfully implement the Community Climate Change Action Plan, a formalized governance structure is necessary; and,
Whereas The City of Hamilton already has an internationally recognized participatory governance structure known as the Bay Area Restoration Council (BARC) and the Bay Area Implementation Team (BAIT);
Therefore be it resolved:
The really dirty stuff is on the right in Hamilton.
(a) That staff be directed to develop a governance model similar to the Bay Area Restoration Council and the Bay Area Implementation Team, in collaboration with staff from the Federal and Provincial offices of the Ministries of Environment and Climate Change, and report back to the Board of Health;
(b) That the Mayor correspond with The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and The Honourable Glen Murray, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, to request that the Federal and Provincial Ministries assist the City of Hamilton with the establishment of City of Hamilton’s Community Climate Change Action Plan Implementation Team in identifying the appropriate Federal and Provincial government staff, private sector and community representatives to provide expert advice and financial resources toward the action on climate change, within the funding guidelines for the Low Carbon Economy Trust; and, the Five-Year Climate Change Strategy;
(c) That upon the formation of the governance structure for the Community Climate Change Action Plan Implementation Team, the City of Hamilton seek a partnership with the City of Burlington to coordinate efforts, with respect to the implementation of the Plan; and,
(d) That staff be directed to report to the Board of Health annually, respecting the progress of the Community Climate Change Action Plan.
Is this one of those Motherhood issues that everyone will get their voting hand up to see who can be first? Will it be like the Shape Burlington report passed unanimously in 2011 and forever forgotten?
The not yet existent Code of Conduct is buried within the 25 year Strategic Plan that city manager James Ridge has put together.
Or will it be like the Code of Conduct that city council has yet to adopt. They shuffled that one off to the city manager who buried it in his 20 year Strategic Plan – suggesting that we will perhaps see some within the next 25 years.
Which was probably a smart move – this council doesn’t want a code of conduct.
We will know Thursday night how serious they are about climate change.
Trish Hamilton, the Operational Readiness Coordinator, sets out five things you need to know about the new ED
1. Patients will receive care faster in the new ED with the help of a new Paired Triage Registration Model. Currently, a patient moves from triage to registration when arriving at the ED. In the new ED, triage and registration will be combined at one station so that a patient is medically assessed and registered at one time.
The patient examination rooms look a little rough right now – there will be 35 of these rooms.
2. There will be 35 private exam rooms. Each room has a bright, modern space with essential services within easy reach including technology in the head wall above the bed for medical gases; electronic charting stations inside the rooms; and supply alcoves directly outside the rooms that will store linens and cleaning supplies.
3. There will be three private trauma resuscitation rooms and an isolation trauma room featuring glass doors that have the ability to switch from transparent for patient monitoring, to opaque for instant privacy.
4. There will be a dedicated Psychiatry Emergency Services zone with security, three observation rooms, an exam room and a quiet room for families. This area will enhance privacy and dignity for patients who are experiencing a crisis.
5. The Emergency Department will be easily accessible and easy to find, located on the main level beside our new main entrance on Lakeshore Road.
In a couple of weeks the structure is expected to be weather tight – bridge from parking garage to the hospital is under construction.
Staff at the hospital currently work in an environment where an old tired building begins to make room for a shiny new structure that will have all the improvements technology has to offer.
Hopefully you won’t have to make a trip to the emergency department – but if you do – it will be a lot different than anything you have experienced in the past.
Despite a 5.5 per cent increase in call volumes and a 4.4 per cent increase in patients transported compared to 2014, Halton paramedics continue to meet response time targets.
Over the past 10 years, overall emergency and non-emergency call volumes have increased 47.6 per cent in Halton, from 29,054 in 2006 to 42,881 in 2015. The number of patients transported over the same 10-year period has increased 45.5 per cent, from 19,222 to 27,959. In 2015, the Region handled 2,217 more calls and transported 1,175 more patients than in 2014.
9-1-1 calls from Halton residents have increased every year for the past seven years, clearly showing an increased demand for emergency care in the region. The primary drivers for increased call volumes are population and employment growth, along with the impact of an aging population.
To ensure that the Region is prepared to address the various pressures related to providing paramedic services, Halton Regional Council approved the Paramedic Services 10-Year Master Plan in 2015.
As part of the Paramedic Services 10-Year Master Plan, Halton Region has taken several measures to enhance the level of emergency care available to residents, including:
• maintaining the existing population to paramedic staffing ratio;
• enhancing technology to ensure the Paramedic Services division has the tools to remain responsive and efficient;
• the approval to begin construction on two new paramedic stations: Southwest Oakville Station on Rebecca Street and East Milton Station on Fifth Line, south of Derry Road; and
• continually working with local hospitals, neighbouring paramedic services, the Central Ambulance Communications Centre (CACC), the MOHLTC and community partners.
“The Region is committed to ensuring Halton residents receive timely emergency responses and high quality care when they need it most,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. “The Paramedic Services Division Annual Update shows that in 2015 our Paramedics continued to meet Council-approved response time targets in every category. The Region remains focused on achieving these important targets to ensure we support the health and well-being of all Halton residents.”
Despite a 5.5 per cent increase in call volumes and a 4.4 per cent increase in patients transported compared to 2014, Halton paramedics continue to meet response time targets.
45 vehicles in the fleet now – 69 at the end of the ten year plan.
Over the past 10 years, overall emergency and non-emergency call volumes have increased 47.6 per cent in Halton, from 29,054 in 2006 to 42,881 in 2015. The number of patients transported over the same 10-year period has increased 45.5 per cent, from 19,222 to 27,959. In 2015, the Region handled 2,217 more calls and transported 1,175 more patients than in 2014.
Response times have been maintained despite significant increases in the need for service.
9-1-1 calls from Halton residents have increased every year for the past seven years, clearly showing an increased demand for emergency care in the region. The primary drivers for increased call volumes are population and employment growth, along with the impact of an aging population.
To ensure that the Region is prepared to address the various pressures related to providing paramedic services, Halton Regional Council approved the Paramedic Services 10-Year Master Plan in 2015.
As the Region’s population ages the demand for service from the seniors’ is going to rise – Burlington will have more seniors than any other municipality in the Region.
As part of the Paramedic Services 10-Year Master Plan, Halton Region has taken several measures to enhance the level of emergency care available to residents, including:
• maintaining the existing population to paramedic staffing ratio;
• enhancing technology to ensure the Paramedic Services division has the tools to remain responsive and efficient;
• the approval to begin construction on two new paramedic stations: Southwest Oakville Station on Rebecca Street and East Milton Station on Fifth Line, south of Derry Road; and
• continually working with local hospitals, neighbouring paramedic services, the Central Ambulance Communications Centre (CACC), the MOHLTC and community partners.
The expansion of the program will require a total of $15.0 million in capital funding, $10.6 million of which is needed within the next five years. This will provide vehicles/defibrillators, IT requirements and will accommodate the centralized reporting station. Station requirements will be assessed as part of the Regional Accommodation Strategy, and the timing and funding requirements will be further refined through this process.
The capital requirements will be funded through a combination of Regional reserves, debt and development charges (DC). With respect to the capital expenditures, approximately 65% of growth-related costs will be funded from DCs, and this funding requirement will be incorporated in the next DC by-law update currently scheduled in 2016.
A 53% increase in the number of vehicles is projected in the ten year plan.
The increase in operating expenditures would total $12.6 million, with $6.0 million expected in the first five years (2016-2020) and $6.6 million in the remaining forecast period (2021-2026), driven mainly by the staff cost. The estimated operating impact includes subsidy at 48% of the cost share ratio based on funding provided in recent years. When combined with capital financing impact, the net increase in operating cost totals $3.8 million in the first five years and $3.6 million in the remaining years. This represents an average annual budget increase of $752,000 in the first five years and $596,000 in the remaining forecast period.
Costs are going to increase by 50% by the end of the ten year plan.
These services are not cheap.
The increased costs are were included in the 2015 budget forecast, at an average annual budget increase of $538,000 (2016-2020) and $404,000 (2021-2026). With these provisions taken into account, the additional incremental impact anticipated in the forecast is an average annual increase of $214,000 for the first five years and $192,000 for the remaining years. The financial impact of the staffing and capital program will be determined annually through the budget process.
“The Region is committed to ensuring Halton residents receive timely emergency responses and high quality care when they need it most,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. “The Paramedic Services Division Annual Update shows that in 2015 our Paramedics continued to meet Council-approved response time targets in every category. The Region remains focused on achieving these important targets to ensure we support the health and well-being of all Halton residents.”
The Halton Region Health Department has received test results confirming that a bat found at Honeyvale Road and Swansea Drive in Oakville, on Friday, June 17, had rabies. Residents who may have had physical contact with a bat in this area are advised to immediately contact the Health Department by dialing 311.
Bat in Oakville found to have rabies
“The Health Department is reminding residents to avoid all contact with bats and other wild animals,” said Matt Ruf, Director, Healthy Environments ＆ Communicable Disease for Halton Region. “Anyone who comes in physical contact with a bat or other wild animal should see a physician immediately and contact the Health Department.”
Rabies is a viral disease that causes severe damage to the brain and spinal cord, leading to death. The virus is spread through the saliva of an infected animal, usually entering through a bite. Rabies illness in humans can be prevented after exposure to rabies by the use of rabies vaccine, which is extremely effective, but only if it is administered before symptoms occur.
It is not always possible to identify if a bat has rabies, however rabid bats may move slowly, lose the ability to fly, remain active during daylight hours or be unresponsive to loud noises.
There are a number of things you can do to protect your family and pets:
• Make sure your pet’s rabies vaccinations are up to date. • Warn your children to stay away from any wild, stray or aggressive animals. • Do not touch dead or sick animals. • Do not feed or keep wild animals as pets. • Keep your pet tied on a leash when off your property. • Seek medical attention immediately if you come in contact with a potentially rabid animal. • Any pet that has come in contact with a bat, raccoon or other wild animal should be seen by a veterinarian. • Report all animal bites or scratches to the Halton Region Health Department.
For more information on rabies, visit halton.ca/rabies or call the Halton Region Health Department by dialing 311.
New Street torn up for the installation of new water and waste removal pipes.
New Street is undergoing a major upgrade with new water and waste pipes being put in and the road re-paved. The stretch of New Street from Guelph Line to Burloak will have bike lanes added.
For those living at the New – Guelph Line intersection east to Drury Lane – it has been a miserable couple of weeks – dust, dust and more dust and roads that are rough to drive over.
The paving equipment was laying down a nice thick bed of asphalt – no more dust for us. The construction crews are moving east to the Drury Lane to Martha section.
It is one seamless operation – from the truck into a piece of equipment that prepares the asphalt and pours it into the machine that lays down a thick coat of brand new road.
After that the construction crews begin the Guelph Line west section of the road.
Along that section there is a family that has decided they want to go back to the city’s roots when it was the produce capital of the country – to a time when the railway line into the city was doubled to handle the volume that was loaded at the Freeman Junction.
Lush looking gardens to the side of New Street.
This family has a nice little crop doing just fine. There was a time when all of what is now New Street was farm land.
A local green house has announced the Great Tomato Race – where contestants can grow their biggest tomato and enter it into the race to win a grand prize $5,000 TERRA gift card!
This contest is open to gardeners of all skill levels.
Way back in the 1930’s, when times were tough, tough – The Mortgage Lifter Tomato was developed by a gardener who planted the four biggest tomato varieties he knew and crossed one with pollen from the other three. He did this for six seasons and created a variety that produced immense, tasty fruit. He sold the plants for $1 apiece and paid off his $6000 mortgage in 6 years.
Will the winner of the contest bring in a tomato this big?
TERRA ran this kind of a promotion 20 years ago and felt that it was time to let people get used to the idea of growing some of their own fruit and vegetables.
Climate change is going to have an even bigger impact on the way we live our lives. TERRA believes Ontario can expect to see much more of its produce gown locally.
Contestants can sign up for the Great Tomato Race which started May 14th and ends July 15th
Those entering the contest will be invited to weigh their tomatoes over three Saturday’s in August. The prizing is as follows:
– One Grand Prize of a $5,000 TERRA Gift Card – One 2nd place prize of a Margherita Wood Pizza Oven ($2,499.99 Value) – Five third place prizes of a Broil King BBQ one winner per store ($949.99 value)
TERRA decided to run this contest to kick start the excitement around growing your own food this summer with hopes it will lead to increased healthy lifestyles and will generate new interest for contestants and families to get out in the garden and grow your own!
This is one big tomato!
Contestants can visit their local TERRA to sign up for the Great Tomato Race
TERRA has locations in: Burlington, Hamilton, Milton and Waterdown. There is also a location in Vaughan.
That bite is a quite a bit bigger than most people realize.
As part of its commitment to enhancing the health and well-being of residents through public education and preventative programs, Halton Region has begun its annual larviciding program to reduce the risk of West Nile virus (WNV) in the community. This program is implemented in public property locations across Halton Region.
This is how the West Nile virus gets transmitted.
Larviciding is the process of applying pesticides to objects such as catch basins, where mosquito larvae have been found. Larvicide is applied when other attempts at reducing mosquito breeding sites haven’t worked to minimize the risk of West Nile virus and is usually applied either in catch basins or in large bodies of standing water on public property. This preventative program reduces the adult mosquito population, helping to stop mosquitoes that can carry West Nile virus that are often found in standing water.
“West Nile virus continues to be a concern in communities across Canada which is why Halton Region remains committed to monitoring and implementing programs to prevent and protect residents against this disease,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr.
“By working together with the community, we will continue to reduce the risk of West Nile virus and keep our community safe and healthy.”
“Larviciding is just one part of our West Nile virus prevention program which includes public education, monitoring and surveillance, eliminating potential mosquito breeding sites and larviciding,” said Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Halton Region Medical Officer of Health. “By eliminating standing water sites and by covering up outside at dusk and dawn and applying DEET or lcaridin, we can reduce the occurrence of West Nile virus in our communities.”
Halton residents can help reduce breeding grounds for mosquitoes by removing objects that may hold water, such as bird baths, plant pots, old toys and tires. If residents see standing water on public property, they can report it to Halton Region by emailing accesshalton@halton.ca or dialing 311.
Residents are encouraged to take the following steps to protect themselves and their families from mosquitoes:
• Cover up. Wear light-coloured, long-sleeved shirts and pants with tightly-woven fabric. • Avoid being outdoors from early evening to morning when mosquitoes are most active and likely to bite, as well as at any time in shady, wooded areas. • Reduce mosquito breeding sites around your home by getting rid of all water-filled containers and objects. Change the water in bird baths at least once per week. • Use an approved insect repellent, such as one containing DEET or Icaridin. • Make sure your window and door screens are tight and without holes, cuts or other openings.
A map showing the locations of standing water sites on public property where larvicide is applied is available at halton.ca/wnv. For more information about West Nile virus, please visit halton.ca/wnv or dial 311.
More than 30 local schools across the city have signed up to participate in Bike to School Week, a Metrolinx initiative that encourages local teachers and students to use active transportation for their daily commute to school between May 30 and June 3.
We have a question – why is Metrolinx doing this – they run the GO train service.
School board trustee Andrea Grebenc wants to see every students using a bike to get to school.
This should be a local initiative – by either the city or the school board – both would be great. School board trustee Andrea Grebenc wants every student on a bicycle.
“This event is a great way to encourage more kids and adults to leave the car at home for short distance trips,” said Vito Tolone, the city’s director of transportation. “We have seen a 600 per cent increase in the number of schools participating from 2015.”
Schools that registered for Bike to School Week by May 6 were entered into a draw for a chance to win one of 20 bike racks, provided by Healthy Kids Community Challenge Burlington and the city.
The winning schools that will be getting a bike rack are:
Aldershot Elementary School Alton Village Public School CH Norton Public School Charles R. Beaudoin Public School Dr. Charles Best Public School Gary Allan High School (STEP Program) Glenview Public School Lakeshore Public School Maplehurst Public School Mohawk Gardens Public School Pauline Johnson Public School Rolling Meadows Public School Sacred Heart of Jesus Elementary School Sir Ernest MacMillan Public School St. Gabriel Elementary School St. John Elementary School St. Mark Elementary School St. Paul Elementary School St. Raphael Elementary School Tom Thomson Public School
This is a school in need of a bike rack.
Schools that register for Bike to School Week before June 1 still have an opportunity to be entered into a draw to win a Can-Bike rodeo for their school in the 2016-17 school year.
“Being active on their way to and from school not only helps children get to know their community better but also improves their health,” said Chris Glenn, the city’s director of parks and recreation. “Active transportation is fundamental to building a healthy community.”
For contest rules and regulations, please visit www.healthykidsburlon.ca. To register for Bike to School Week, visit www.biketoschoolweek.ca.
Clyde Union Canada Limited, a company specializing in pump technology and hydraulic design, pleaded guilty and has been fined $50,000 after a worker was critically injured by a ruptured water hose.
Clyde Union Canada Limited located on North Service Road
On or about February 5, 2015, a worker was testing a pump at the company’s workplace at 4151 North Service Road in Burlington when one of the 24-inch pipe elbows located outside the building froze, preventing the circulation of water in a rubber hose. The system then backfilled until it exceeded its maximum pressure. A six-inch rubber hose in the system ruptured, expelling water which struck the worker with enough force to push the worker about 30 feet across the shop floor. The worker’s injuries included fractures and lacerations.
A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the company failed to take the reasonable precaution of installing a pressure relief valve in the discharge water lines, contrary to the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
The company was fined $50,000 in Burlington court by Justice of the Peace Denis Lee on May 17, 2016.
In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.
Governments are there to provide the services we need – one of which is to keep us healthy.
One of the ways we keep healthy is to immunize ourselves against diseases.
Some of the diseases we used to protect ourselves against have been eradicated because of the immunization programs. However, there are people who, usually through misinformation choose not to have their children vaccinated
The province is about to make it harder for people to not have themselves and their children vaccinated. If passed, and the government has a majority, it will become more difficult for parents to obtain exemptions for the now mandatory school vaccines and improve how these vaccines are reported.
The amendments to the Immunization of School Pupils Act would require parents and guardians who are considering not immunizing their children for non-medical reasons to participate in an education session delivered by their local public health unit. Parents or guardians would have to complete this session before obtaining a vaccine exemption.
The Immunization of School Pupils Act would also be amended to require health care providers to report any vaccines they administer to children and youth—and that are needed to attend school in Ontario—to their local public health unit directly.
Currently, parents are responsible for reporting their children’s immunization records, or “yellow card,” to their own local public health unit. This change, if passed, would make it easier for parents and reduce unnecessary suspensions due to out-of-date immunization records.
Strengthening the exemption and reporting requirements for school vaccines is part of Immunization 2020—Ontario’s five year strategy to improve its publicly-funded immunization program.
Perhaps strengthening the curriculum in high schools so that students understand the fundamentals of immunization and do not grow to become adults and not fully realize how we take care of ourselves from serious diseases.
There are five things the Joseph Brant Hospital administration want you to know about the re-build/re-development taking place on Lakeshore Road.
1. Construction Highlights – Starting on Friday, May 13, 2016 the EllisDon team will begin to disassemble one of two crane towers on our main construction site. The disassembly of the crane is a significant construction milestone as it means that most of the large mechanical and electrical equipment has been delivered and installed. Moving forward, the building materials and equipment will be transported either using the existing crane or the man and material hoist on the side of the tower.
The building envelope continues to go up on Levels 5, 6 and 7. By early June, the building will be weather-tight and electrical and mechanical work will begin on the inside. Roof work is taking place on multiple levels of the new tower and will be complete by early fall. Inside the tower, brick walls are being constructed and duct work is happening in the penthouse (Levels 8 and 9) which will house generators, electrical equipment and air handling units. On the Main Level, dry wall is going up and on each level, structural steel framing of the rooms continues.
Contractor expect the new building to be “weather tight” by the end of June.
2. Technologically driven – New hospital technology will change the way we deliver care. Some of the technologies will include; a new nurse call bell system that incorporates handheld devices; a real time locating system that easily locates staff and patients; and new telemetry and patient monitoring that connects medical devices to critical alarms. Our electronic documentation project, which has been deferred until after the move into our new tower, will enable staff to document a patient’s chart electronically and make clinical decisions at the point-of-care.
3. Programs Moving into the New Tower – Some of our biggest programs will be moving to our new patient tower in the fall of 2017 including our Emergency Department, Operating Rooms, Medical/Surgical Inpatient Units, Intensive Care Unit and Oncology.
Early architectural renderings slightly different than what is being built. It is going to be a fine looking building.
4. Current Moves and Renovations – In preparation of the renovations happening in our existing hospital there are a series of temporary moves taking place across the hospital which will continue throughout the project. The renovation of our new Maternal Child Unit on 2 East and the construction of a new link corridor on our main level will begin at the end of May 2016. The link will connect the existing hospital to the new hospital. Upon completion of the hospital project there will be links on each level, tying the existing to the new.
5. A New Entrance – The new main entrance will face Lakeshore Road, changing the address of the hospital. Our new entrance connects the hospital to the beauty of Lake Ontario and the Waterfront Trail and will serve as a single point of entry for many of our departments, including the Emergency Department (Main Level), Surgical Services (Level 2), and the Intensive Care Unit (Level 4). The current hospital entrance will be the new entrance to our Ambulatory Care Clinics.
We see the pictures of the devastation with street after street not much more than a pile of ashes.
We wonder what it must have been like as those people drove down that highway with flames licking the side of the road and flaming embers landing on the road in front of their vehicles.
More than 2000 homes – gone.
Fire approaches a street that has been evacuated.
Burlington has a large swath of rural land were the bush is thick. How would this city handle a serious forest fire?
We asked Fire Chief Tony Bavota what the protocol was and where did he turn to should his crews be unable to handle a blaze.
“I have ten trucks that are on standby day and night and if I need to I can ramp up to 18 in a very short period of time.
“How short Chief” we asked – “I’m talking hours” he replied.
There are also reciprocal agreements between all the municipalities in the Region. We can be in touch with one another in minutes.
When it became evident how bad the situation was in Calgary the Ontario Fire Marshal was in touch with the Fire Marshall in Alberta to offer assistance.
Devastation left once fire has passed through a community.
It is much the same in the Region of Halton – when we have a serious situation the Regional Fire Coordinator makes the call. Burlington’s Bavoda is the co-ordinator at this point in time.
He drives around with what amounts to a small communications station in the trunk of hi vehicle and can set up a command station almost anywhere.
There is back up all the way up the bureaucratic food chain explained Bavota with the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) there to help.
If we needed aircraft to drop water – we work with the MNR people who know where the flight people are.
In Burlington there are bylaws that determine where fires can be lit. The Chief can cancel any permit given to someone to do a local fire burn.
The Chief has direct contacts with all the people that matter – he is either aware personally of a situation or has people who keep him informed as to how dry it is in the forested part of the city. What the water situation is in the creeks.
Fire chief Tony Bavota handing out cards with direct line telephone numbers and ensuring that people got the help they needed. Bavota said he wasn’t going to worry about lines of authority – if they need help – Bavota did everything he could to get it to them during the ice storm.
“All the fire burning permits go through the fire department and one of our inspectors goes out to the location to advise the person who wants to do a controlled burn and tells them what they have to have on hand”, said Bavota
The Fire Chief can override any permit that has been given out “I’ve done that in the past” he said.
So far this year there have been a few grass fires – nothing serious but when we get those kinds of calls we need to move quickly – winds shift and you’d be amazed at how fast a flame will race across an open space and suddenly light up a stand of trees.
As we saw from the Alberta situation – fires take on a life of their own – and they become very difficult to stop. Fire marshals in Alberta are still investigating the source of the blaze
What does it mean to be “sustainable” – why does it matter and if it matters that much – why isn’t every one doing it?
This was a question the Gazette put to Jim Feilders, a committed environmentalist and an engineer with a private practice. Here is what Feilders had to say:
By Jim Feilders
May 1, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
A general definition of sustainability is the ability to continue a defined behavior indefinitely. This can apply to everything from keeping your body alive to the survival of the universe. But most of us think about it in terms of maintaining our lifestyles in the environment in which we live.
The three most common aspects of sustainability are environmental, economic and social. Some like to include culture as a separate item but it generally is included under the social umbrella.
There was a point when the cod fishery in Newfoundland was a massive industry until the Grand Banks were fished out – it took years to get back the balance that was once in place.
For the environment to be sustainable, the planet has to be able to respond to the human use of resources and pollution created. An example of this gone wrong is over-fishing of the Grand Banks off Newfoundland that resulted in depletion of cod. Wildlife species are becoming extinct by direct killing of animals and destruction of habitat. When the balance of nature is upset, significant changes occur.
We want to know that the planet will be around for future generations. If we don’t maintain a balance between what we do to harm the planet and the capacity of the earth to recover from it, we will find ourselves living on a dying planet. Evidence exists that we are on that path and a global initiative is underway to try to do something about it. Sending too much carbon into the air and oceans is causing global climate change with disastrous impacts. Information is available on the major countries of the world in terms of their biocapacity versus their environmental footprint. It’s just a fancy way of describing whether the environment can absorb all the pollution being produced. Not surprisingly, the US and China are in the red while Canada still has room left over after sucking up all we spew out.
Each of us has an ecological footprint – how big might yours be?
Economic sustainability deals with the ability to support a defined level of economic production indefinitely. The most common expression of this is balanced budgets where countries do not spend more than they bring in. As we are all aware, balanced budgets are not common and the devastating effects on the human population are obvious.
Socially, we can be sustainable when the country functions at a defined level of social well being indefinitely. This includes health care, recreational amenities, schools, good transportation, religious buildings and other institutions in a manner that creates a sense of community.
Most of us agree something should be done to keep us sustainable but how we can contribute on an individual basis is perplexing. Governments, particularly local municipal ones, have the greatest role to play through passing legislation to control services, development and pollution. This makes it easier for people to do their part as they are forced into it. Garbage recycling is a good example. Providing a balanced transportation system is another. But government can only push so hard. We live in a free country and have to let our citizens decide on what kind of place in which to live.
Why we don’t do more as individuals has been a topic of discussion for decades. Recently, a Canadian entrepreneur and author, Tom Rand, with degrees in both engineering and philosophy, discusses environmental sustainability in his book “Waking the Frog”. In essence, we are reluctant to change. With our busy lifestyles, we give little thought to what we can do. It is probably not a mass conspiracy of the oil companies. The affluent especially, see no benefit because maintaining their lifestyle is usually just a matter of spending more money when pollution penalties arise.
The earth needs green fields like this – we need them if we are to survive as human beings on this planet. At this point in time we are losing this battle.
To make our planet sustainable, we can start right within our own communities. We can become involved by exercising age old philosophies of democratic voting, donating financially to worthy causes and directly helping others. When we work together and support each other, the job goes faster and easier. Many forums exist that offer something for everyone to use their specific talents. When stories are heard about dramatic changes such as housing of homeless people in Medicine Hat, Alberta, we are spurred on to do our bit. Burlington is at the tipping point of real change in terms of a sustainable community with the completion of its strategic Plan.
With climate change being such a pressing issue, there are two simple things that we can do right now. Many of us think saving the planet means sacrifices such as taking the bus, turning down the heat and wearing sweaters or yelling at the kids to turn off the lights in unoccupied rooms. But modern technologies for electric and hybrid vehicles and electric heat pumps for heating and cooling our homes are available now that do not require sacrifices.
Despite the apparent higher cost of electricity compared to natural gas and gasoline, these more efficient solutions are actually cheaper on a monthly basis to own and operate.
So get involved where your talents are best put to use and encourage others to do the same. To coin the phrase of BurlingtonGreen: “Together we can make a difference.”
By Pepper Parr
“Halton is committed to being safe and healthy and reducing West Nile virus in our communities through both education and preventative programs like larviciding,” said Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Halton Region Medical Officer of Health. “Until the hard frosts of fall set in, Halton residents should continue to protect themselves against mosquito bites and remove mosquito breeding sites.”
This is an issue that is dear to the heart of Mayor Goldring – he would, we are sure, like it to become his legacy issue. He doesn’t have one so far and this is as good a legacy as anyone can hope for – let’s see how it goes at Council on Thursday.
9-1-1 calls from Halton residents have increased every year for the past seven years, clearly showing an increased demand for emergency care in the region. The primary drivers for increased call volumes are population and employment growth, along with the impact of an aging population.
This contest is open to gardeners of all skill levels.
The Immunization of School Pupils Act would also be amended to require health care providers to report any vaccines they administer to children and youth—and that are needed to attend school in Ontario—to their local public health unit directly.
