 By Pepper Parr
January 11th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
The pace at which things get done has become a concern for the development sector, both for the small operators and the big guys.
“We have between now and May to get some work done – after that, things move into an election mode and nothing happens until early 2027. And who knows what kind of leadership the city is going to have?” is the view of a person who declined to be named.
 Property owners are going to test public reaction before submitting an application to the city. There are some really important developments in various stages of getting a building permit. And there is a housing market that is sluggish. The pre-application meeting, scheduled for later this month, is a sign that there are people who think they can get to the point where they can have a motion before Council asking for both Official Plan changes and zoning changes as well.
The problems surrounding a possible change in the status of the Burlington Economic Development and Tourism (BEDT)are also critical to a number of the development at various stages of approval. That issue is complex and may not attract much in the way of public interest. It could well be one of the most critical changes in how Burlington attracts new organizations to see Burlington as home.
There are those in Burlington who see an opportunity for the city in attracting organizations currently in Toronto that have a considerable portion of their staff living in Oakville, Burlington and Hamilton. With people now having to return to their offices full-time, being able to work closer to home is attractive.
There is a rising demand for office space in Toronto. Put all those factors together, and Economic Development moves to the top of the priority list.
The City Manager (CAO), Curt Benson has committed to having a report to Council on this issue by April. That’s awfully close to when the city moves into election mode.
Some developers are eager to see which direction the city takes: Keeping BEDT as it is, or moving the not-for-profit into City Hall.
Should the latter happen the changes that will have to take place will take time – something the development community see as their investment plans being put on hold.
The two biggest properties that developers want to get to the point where a building permit can be issued are the Alinea development at 12200 King Road and the Bronte Meadows property.
 The property runs from King Road west to the Aldershot GO station.  Plans for this property are for two separate communities.
 By Eric Stern
January 11th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
This latest tower on the lake will contain 154 hotel rooms and 50 rental units. The area is zoned for hotel rooms, and there is a shortage of rental units. With lake views, monthly rents will be sky high, but new high-end homes increase the housing supply. As people move into these new homes, their current homes become available. After many iterations, some affordable housing may emerge.
Parking in the downtown core is already a challenge. By approving this building with just 82 parking spots, council is adding to that challenge. The building will have two full-time valet parking attendants whisking cars to and from private parking spots in other areas of the downtown core.
 A car-centric suburban city. Burlington is a car-centric suburban city. As city staffers and our councillors work to change our habits, it remains true that people who live in single-family homes in spread-out communities depend on their cars. The city’s Integrated Mobility Plan states: “There are to be no new road widenings for the sole purpose of adding car capacity.” The mobility plan envisions the increased use of transit, bicycles, and other modes. Mother Nature is not cooperating; perhaps our council can write her a letter. This winter is cold and snowy enough to deter the most ardent cyclist. Adding a cluster of tall buildings, with insufficient parking, in the downtown core will only exacerbate existing traffic and parking problems.
Planning the perfect 15-minute city requires a blank slate. Transitioning a suburban city to a 15-minute city has been done, but not the way Burlington is approaching the problem. Pontevedra, Spain, started its journey in 1999. The downtown core was pedestrianized, and surface parking was replaced with underground parking or peripheral lots. This approach allows people outside the downtown core to easily drive into the downtown, park, and enjoy the restaurants and shopping.
Burlington’s approach appears to involve making the downtown core so congested that no one who lives outside the core will go anywhere near it.
What are some possible outcomes for Burlington as more and more high-rise buildings are constructed?
1 – The city will win, and drive times will increase to the point where it will be faster to ride a bike. Without subways or dedicated transit lanes, transit times will also increase. The end result may well be an unlivable city; some people will be lucky enough to have employment within walking distance, but it’s hard to imagine the majority of us will. Extrapolating from this scenario, housing prices decline as Burlington becomes less desirable.
2 – Technology will save the day. Brampton’s ARGO transit experiment (link to Joe’s article), car-sharing, robotaxis, or flying cars will save Burlington. Burlington’s consideration of starting or encouraging a car-sharing program was discussed at the January 6th council meeting.
 Flying cars will still need parking spots. Flying cars will still need parking spots.
3 – Environmental concerns are a major driver of the war on cars. Electric cars remove this concern. Roads are widened, and people stop buying condos without parking spots.
4 – Your guess is as good as mine.
If Burlington had rejected this proposal, the developer may have appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT). In the case of 409 Brant St., the OLT approved the project with .74 spaces per unit. The developer included “mitigations” such as car-share stalls and additional bicycle parking.
At 2076 Old Lakeshore Rd., only 0.41 spaces per unit are being planned. Downtown is no longer designated as an MTSA. Should Burlington have risked spending $400,000 or more taking this project to the OLT? The unelected civil servants in the planning department unanimously approved the project, greatly reducing the city’s chances at the OLT. Before voting councillor Kearns remarked that the risk of approval at the OLT was too high to vote against the project. The planning department’s action raises the question: Does the city belong to the people who live here or to the people who work at City Hall?
Planning to meet some old friends for conversation? If you choose a downtown location, group members may have difficulty finding parking. Fortunately, we have many options, many with free parking, outside the downtown core.
Burlington has approximately $12 million set aside in a reserve fund to build a multi-level parking garage in the downtown core. The cost of a new parking garage is estimated at $50 million. As more and more buildings are constructed in the downtown core without adequate parking, downtown residents and businesses will suffer. Look out, taxpayers, the writing is on the wall; we’ll be ponying up millions to solve this problem.
Related news story:
A transit experiment Burlington should look at
 Eric Stern is a Burlington resident and a co-founder of Focus Burlington. He knows the contents of the City Budget book better than many of the people at Finance
 By Gazette Staff ‘
January 10th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
A pre-application community meeting for 1376-1382 Plains Rd E. will be held Wednesday, Jan. 14, 6:30-8 p.m.
 Development would replace a number of used car dealerships along Plains Road W. PRE-APPLICATION CONSULTATION MEETING
2731115 Ontario Inc., F. K Deals on Wheels Inc., 2731119 Ontario Inc., and Manor Care Homes Inc. (collectively, the “owner”) is considering the redevelopment of 1376-1382 Plains Road East.
This proposed development would consist of a 25-storey mixed use building with approximately 284 residential units, including a mix of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units.
The current Official Plan designation of the site is Mixed Use Corridor – Commercial Corridor, and the current zoning is Mixed Use Corridor Commercial Corridor Zone “MXC”. The site also falls within the City’s Burlington GO Major Transit Station Area, an area where the Official Plan directs the greatest heights and densities in the city.
If the owner chooses to pursue this redevelopment, it will require an amendment to the City of Burlington Official Plan and Zoning By-law.
No development applications have been submitted to the City of Burlington at this time, and the City has not made any decisions on this proposal.
A pre-application community meeting has been scheduled by the owner to discuss this potential redevelopment so that public can provide feedback at this early stage. The meeting will be held in a
virtual format.
 Room for even more development in this part of the City. The Pre-Application Community Meeting will take place:
Date: January 14th, 2026
Start Time: 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Participate On-Line via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84456323197 (internet connection required – Zoom user guide available at www.burlington.ca/1382plains)
Webinar ID: 844 5632 3197
Participate by Telephone (audio
only):
+1 647 374 4685
+1 647 558 0588
During the meeting, City Planning staff will provide an overview of the development application review process. The owner will provide an overview of planning polices in effect on the site and their
development concept. There will be a question and answer session to share your thoughts on the proposal with the owner.
Councillor Kearns and Mayor Meed Ward have been invited and may also be in attendance to hear your input. Residents can subscribe to this proposed development’s webpage at
Burlington.ca/developmentprojects to receive any updates about this proposal.
Agenda:
Meeting to commence at 6:30 pm with opening remarks
City Planning staff to provide a summary of the planning process, opportunities for public
consultation, and next steps
Overview of the development concept from the project consultant team
Audience consultation – opportunity for questions, answers and comments
Overview of next steps
Meeting adjournment
Comments and questions for the owner can be sent to the following:
After the application has been submitted to the City, notice will be sent to residents within 120 metres of the site, and details of the application will be publicly available at Burlington.ca/developmentprojects.
At this stage residents can provide comments and questions to City Staff.
Its developer, Bousfields Inc., is hosting the meeting.
By Gazette Staff
January 10th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
 Malwarebytes discovered that hackers stole the sensitive information of 17.5 million Instagram accounts. Complete with usernames, physical addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and more, this data can be abused by cybercriminals to impersonate trusted brands, trick users, and steal their passwords.Critically, this data is already being offered on the dark web, with individual users also receiving legitimate password reset notifications from Instagram.
What to do:
- Beware of emails and messages that claim to come from Instagram, as they could be sent by malicious hackers trying to trick you into handing over your password.
- If you’re concerned, sign into your Instagram account and reset your password to a new, strong, unique password.
Check if you were exposed: With a free scan from Malwarebytes’ Digital Footprint Portal, you can see if you were included in the Instagram breach. Simply enter the email address you used to register with Instagram and our Digital Footprint scan will report your level of exposure online.
Click HERE to access the Digital Footprint Portal
The Gazette has been using Malwarebytes to secure our data. It has served us very well.
 By Gazette Staff
January 10th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Opportunities to contribute and have some fun at the same time.
By Gazette Staff
January 9th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Underscored by the beating heart of roaring drums and stunning displays of handcrafted regalia, Pow Wow will bring a vibrant celebration of Indigenous dancing, music, art and food back to Brock University next week.
 This was an event that was once outlawed in Canada. It is both dramatic and emotionally moving. Now in its third year, the free event takes place in the University’s Ian Beddis Gymnasium on Friday, Jan. 16 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Hosted by the Hadiya’dagénhahs First Nations, Métis and Inuit Student Centre with support from across the University, Pow Wow is open to Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, staff, faculty and members of the broader community.
The event, which draws thousands of people together to celebrate Indigenous cultures, will operate under the theme of “Cleansing our Spirits” this year.
“It’s a reflection of the purpose of what pow wows are truly about, which is connecting to culture and creating a space for healing,” said Evelyn Dilworth, Event Co-ordinator at Hadiya’dagénhahs. “Our Pow Wow also connects to the symbolism of the winter season, with the snow coming to cleanse the Earth and bring a fresh start.”
The vendor fair opens at 11 a.m., when more than 75 Indigenous crafters will share a wide selection of handmade crafts, art, jewelry and traditional food. Grand Entry, which signals the official start of the Pow Wow, begins at noon.
 Indigenous people learn PowWow dancing at an early age. The day will feature a range of Indigenous dances by individuals of all ages, such as a Women and Men’s Smoke Dance Special with songs led by Frazer Phillips.
A unique addition to Brock’s Pow Wow, this style of Haudenosaunee dance is fast-paced, social and story-focused. The spinning motion of the dance is often seen as emulating the curling of smoke or the chasing of smoke out of Haudenosaunee longhouses.
The Pow Wow also features several Intertribal dances, where everyone in attendance is encouraged to join in and to dance together.
This year’s Pow Wow also welcomes Host Drum Charging Horse and Co-host Drum Little Creek.
Hadiya’dagénhahs Director Cindy Biancaniello said the Pow Wow is a joyful community event that celebrates pride in Indigenous cultures and offers a positive and meaningful way to put reconciliation into action.
“For so long there was no dancing, drumming or celebrations allowed in public spaces, so this is a way to reclaim Indigenous identity while healing and growing together,” she said. “The Pow Wow is also an exciting experience for non-Indigenous people because as soon as they walk in the door and hear the drums, they will absolutely feel the power of the event deep in their hearts.”
Pow wows are meaningful cultural and spiritual celebrations and attendees are encouraged to come eager to learn and participate respectfully.
Pow Wow Master of Ceremonies Jordan Williams White-Eye and Arena Director Talon White-Eye will work together to co-ordinate the Pow Wow, including providing important guidance to attendees on when certain cultural elements are occurring and when everyone is invited to participate and take photos.
Syerra Jasmin, Hadiya’dagénhahs Centre Operations Supervisor, said the success of the Pow Wow lies in the strength of the community it has created across the University and beyond.
“Pow Wow is open to everyone, and it has been wonderful to see how the community has embraced the event and been so committed to collaboratively supporting its successful execution,” she said.
Parking will be available in any of the paid lots on campus on the day of the event.
 By Gazette Staff
January 8th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
The single item on the Tuesday Special Council meeting was the consider the Staff recommendation to approve the 23 storey tower at 2076 Old Lakeshore Road.
That event took up 3 1/2 hours.
All kinds of stuff came to the service.
The procurement of software that will track traffic passing through the city on a where from and where to basis. Link to that story is set out below.
 Traffic on the QEW that takes the Walkers Line off-ramp works its way into Burlington in the afternoon traffic rush. There was another item that will please a lot of people: “We’ve had lots of consultation with our partners at the Ministry of Transportation. We are in the final stages presenting a draft proposal to the ministry to look at making some changes to the off-ramps on the QEW.
“This is one major concern to try to restrict or to limit the amount of traffic that is coming off the QE W and filtering into our community. It is being presented to the ministry, hopefully it will be sent out next week for their review.”
A Burlington resident who was on the QEW around 5:00 pm said: “Walkers is just one example. Traffic will be heading down to Lakeshore from Burloak, Appleby, Walkers, maybe even Guelph and Brant, as drivers get frustrated.
“We drove along Lakeshore last night, about this time to visit friends in Grimsby, most of the traffic on Lakeshore got on the QEW at Northshore heading over the Skyway.”
It would be really interesting to read what the Burlington Transportation sends to the Ministry of Transportation.
Related news story:
City has software that can track the flow of traffic in and out of the downtown core.
By Gazette Staff
January 9th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Motion for Council to Consider:
Direct the Commissioner of Development & Growth Management to consider the implementation of a “Three Strikes and You’re In” model for site plan applications, including staffing resources and budgetary implications, as part of the review of the site plan processes and report back to the Pipeline to Permit Committee in Q1 2026.
 A site plan is a graphic representation of all existing and proposed improvements to a site. Sometimes referred to as a plot plan, the site plan functions as a map for a development project, incorporating all aspects of landscaping, construction, paving, utilities, and terrain features in a single depiction. Reason:
The “Three Strikes and You’re In” model provides a predictable, disciplined, and solution-oriented framework for site-plan review. By limiting applications to three rounds of comments before requiring a face-to-face redline meeting between the City and the applicant, the process reduces limitless back-and-forth and shifts the culture from “review and delay” to “resolve and approve.” This model will:
a. Commit the City to providing up to three sets of comments, if required, on Site Plan Applications; and
b. Provide the applicant, following the third set of comments, the option to participate in a face-to-face “redline” meeting with City staff to resolve any outstanding issues so that a Site Plan Approval can be issued.
Outcome Sought:
A streamlined and predictable site-plan approval process that reduces delays and avoids repetitive rounds of review. This approach promotes collaboration between staff and applicants, enabling timely resolution of issues and supporting the delivery of PP-03-26, new housing. A similar process has been undertaken in the Cities of Vaughan and Mississauga.
By Gazette Staff
January 7th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
The library has launched a new local history initiative to build the Burlington Digital Archive—and they are asking for your help.
As part of Burlington Public Library’s mission to preserve local heritage, they are inviting Burlington residents, past and present, to share their photographs. Together, we’ll build community-driven collections that celebrate Burlington’s story.
Our First Photo Campaign
 Staff member training a Book Worm. Who doesn’t love a parade—especially a Santa Claus Parade?!
This very first call-out for submissions is for Burlington’s annual Santa Claus Parade. This longstanding tradition brings the community together each year during the holiday season. BPL is looking to capture these memories by creating a special digital collection that will be preserved in the Burlington Digital Archive, where anyone can view and download them.
They are accepting photos for the Burlington Santa Claus Parade collection until March 31, 2026.
What are they Looking For
Do you have photographs of past Santa Claus parades in Burlington? We are interested in collecting photographs taken between 1960 and 2000, but photographs from any year are welcome.
We’re looking for clear, good-quality photos that may include:
- Parade floats and parade participants (marching bands, dance troupes, performers in costume, etc.)
- Crowds and spectators
- Local businesses or organizations represented in the parade
- Volunteers setting up or organizing the event
- Holiday decorations, buildings, and signs that are directly related to the Santa Claus parade
- “Behind the scenes” preparations and setup
- Parade route maps
How It Works
Visit our Community Photo Collection web page for information on submitting your digital or physical photos. Be sure to have information about the photographs ready, such as year, photographer, and location (if known).
Once we have your photographs, we’ll review them to ensure they meet our criteria. Accepted photographs will be added to the Santa Claus Parade collection, available on the Burlington Digital Archive.
You’ll be able to view all community submissions, download your favourite memories, or share online!
 Burlington Public Library in the Santa Claus Parade, circa 1970s, Burlington Public Library in the Santa Claus Parade, circa 1970s, from the Burlington Public Library fonds
Local History Donations
Do you have other photographs or materials that capture Burlington’s history? Please email or call our Local History & Digital Archive Coordinator at 905.639.3611 extension 1155 for further information on donating to BPL’s local history collection.
Main image: BPL Santa Claus Parade entry, an oversized bookworm with its human trainer, circa 1970s, Burlington Public Library fonds.
 By Pepper Parr
June 8th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
There is hope – a glimmer – but the wheels are moving within the Transportation department.
 City can now track where this traffic came from and where it is going We learned that Transportation has procured a software program that can track how vehicles are moving through the community. Craig Coomer, Director of Transportation explained: “the first thing we need to understand is where people are going to and from. We have been gathering that data since June of last year, and will be using the software system to help us make decision as we move forward.”
A revised transportation impact study will be sent to Council with some additional considerations around how the traffic will be managed.
By Gazette Staff
January 8th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
The Fraser Institute has prepared a detailed Report Card on Ontario’s Elementary Schools.
The report, delivered as an interactive graphic, ranks 3,052 public, Catholic, independent and charter schools based on nine academic indicators derived from province wide test results.
 The report card is delivered in an easy-to-use, interactive format. Contrary to common misconceptions, the data suggest every school is capable of improvement regardless of type, location, and student characteristics.
For the complete results on all ranked schools and to compare the performance of different schools, visit www.compareschoolrankings.org.
 By Gazette Staff
January 8th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
The Toronto Star reports that a pop-up roller-skating rink is taking over a vacant anchor tenant space at Burlington’s Mapleview Centre.
 Location of the roller skating rink – scheduled to open mid-February The company expects to open the rink in the former Decathlon store at the Maple Avenue mall by mid-February.
The pop-up at Mapleview comes a little more than a month after SUSO learned it would be losing its longtime pop-up space at the Oshawa Centre at the end of January to make way for redevelopment.
SUSO Skate Co. is co-owned by Henry O’Brien and Janine Bartels.
 It didn’t work as a mammoth sports retail operation. Let’s see how it works as a roller skating rink. The Burlington location is slated to open Feb. 12, said O’Brien, with SUSO winding down its Oshawa location, which will host its final skate on Jan. 25.
Skaters can book online at susoskateco.com. To celebrate the Burlington roller rink, the first 100 people to book can use the promo code 2FOR1SKATE for a two-for-one discount.
 By Gazette Staff
January 8th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington has been recognized by CDP (formerly named the Carbon Disclosure Project) for its leadership in transparency and action, securing a place on CDP’s annual ‘A’ List.
CDP is a global non-profit organization and operates the world’s only independent environmental disclosure system, with over 1,000 cities, states and regions reporting environmental data through CDP in 2025.
Achieving an ‘A’ puts Burlington among the top leaders demonstrating comprehensive disclosure, mature environmental governance, and progress towards environmental resilience.
 The Skyway Community Hub roof is a cluster of solar panels. To achieve an ‘A’ score, a city must meet a series of robust leadership criteria. This includes publicly disclosing environmental data through the CDP-ICLEI Track platform, maintaining a comprehensive city-wide emissions inventory, and publishing a credible climate action plan. Cities must also complete a full climate risk and vulnerability assessment and set a climate adaptation goal that outlines how they will address current and future climate hazards.
Many cities on the ‘A’ List demonstrate additional leadership through actions such as securing formal political commitment from the mayor to advance climate ambition and deliver resilient, low-carbon development.
The full list of cities on the 2025 CDP A List, and the full methodology and criteria, are available here: Scores and A Lists.
About CDP
CDP is a global non-profit that runs the world’s only independent environmental disclosure system. Partnering with leaders in enterprise, capital, policy and science, they surface information needed to enable Earth-positive decisions. They helped more than 24,800 companies and almost 1,000 cities, states and regions disclose their environmental impacts in 2024. Financial institutions with more than a quarter of the world’s institutional assets use CDP data to help inform investment and lending decisions. CDP also integrates best practice reporting standards and frameworks in one place. Visit CDP.net or @CDP for more information.
Much of the credit for the work that is done belongs to BurlingtonGreen. That organization, now partially funded by the city, gets groups of people planting trees and doing community clean up work.
 Scott Hamilton Scott Hamilton, Commissioner, Public Works: “A lot of work has gone into the success behind achieving this grade. We’re reducing the greenhouse gas emissions in our existing facilities and building new facilities to high efficiency standards. We will continue to work towards being net-carbon neutral and adapting to our changing climate as noted in our climate plans.”
 By Pepper Parr
June 8th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
City of Burlington, the Region of Halton Public Health Department and the University of Waterloo – Faculty of Recreation and Leisure Studies were selected as one of four Canadian municipalities to join the conversation about healthy cities in Helsinki, Finland.
The event took place in June 2025
This opportunity is part of the Healthy Cities Research Initiative and has been made possible thanks to support from 8-80 Cities and funding from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR).
Helsinki Workshop
The grant to the participants includes all costs for a small group to travel to and stay in Helsinki, Finland from May 16-24, 2025. The group will participate in a workshop to learn about Helsinki’s smart growth strategies, including mixed-use developments and efficient public transportation, healthy urban policy, protecting green spaces, and sustainable growth.
The group includes Mayor Meed Ward, two staff members from the City of Burlington, one staff from Region of Halton Public Health and one faculty member from the University of Waterloo.
Helsinki is considered a global leader in complete communities. The workshop provides an opportunity for staff to see new perspectives and potentially broaden their approach to better serve our community through new ideas, strategies and proven concepts.
Part of the follow-up from the conference was two workshops to inspire new ideas and foster collaboration to implement healthy urban policy in Burlington by adapting Helsinki’s strategies for improving/managing infrastructure, promoting health, and improving Burlington residents’ quality of life.
One workshop will be held with community partners and elected officials and the other will be held with residents. Dates and times of the workshops will be shared once details are finalized.
 Mayor Meed Ward representing Burlington in Japan. The end goal is to move towards the creation of more complete communities that meet people’s needs for daily living throughout an entire lifetime by providing convenient access to an appropriate mix of jobs, local services, a full range of housing, transportation options, inclusive spaces and public service facilities including affordable housing, schools, recreation and open space for their residents.
We have asked the Burlington communications people to let us know when these workshops took place and if they have not taken place when are they expected to take place. There has been no response to date.
The CIHR stresses citizen engagement with this comment:
Citizen engagement is the meaningful involvement of individual citizens in policy or program development. To put it simply, citizens are “engaged” when they play an active role in defining issues, considering solutions, and identifying resources or priorities for action. This “meaningful involvement” can take place at a variety of stages in the research, planning, or implementation phases of a project.
There are a couple of hundred people who will tell you this is not happening in Burlington and they very much wish it were.
By Gazette Staff
January 7th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
RESCON: Many were happy to see 2025 in the rear-view mirror. But this year could be worse if remaining barriers to new housing are not decisively addressed.
 Housing targets are not being met. In fact, they’re heading in the wrong direction. Hence, it is no surprise that RESCON’s municipal housing report card was rated #2 in the list of Top 10 2025 CBC stories.
The report card and other research done by RESCON on housing and infrastructure-related issues reflected the hard work by volunteers and staff to rectify what became a dysfunctional market.
To be fair, all three levels of government have taken steps to fix specific problems, but the main overarching challenges remain to varying degrees across the country. The hardest hit regions are the greater Toronto and Vancouver areas.
There have been other noteworthy developments.
CMHC released a damning report on development charges.
A separate Missing Middle Initiative report card on the provinces gave Ontario a disappointing rating – at a time when families and talent have started leaving.
There are reasons for all this, but few understand the totality.
In broad strokes, the following must happen in 2026:
1: New housing can no longer be taxed like alcohol and tobacco. The only other jurisdiction that came close to us was Vancouver – not exactly a good example to follow. In February, reforms to sales taxes for first-time buyers should be quickly approved unamended by the Senate. Other adjustments will be required for move-up buyers and empty nesters. Excessive housing taxation is killing supply and government revenues, as is now being revealed with the market correction.
2: Runaway development changes must be reduced to a level reflecting their original intent. New home buyers and renters today, unlike the prior generation, should not be forced to pay for growth that benefits entire communities. It’s just wrong.
3: The approvals process must be subject to province-wide performance standards and digitized on a common open-source platform as five ways to help fix the housing crisis in 2026. Vital government efforts with respect to social housing and homelessness need to be better co-ordinated. In Ontario, construction and housing could be aligned under a new super Ministry of Growth Management. Given the importance of new housing and infrastructure to our future, we should do as other more advanced jurisdictions have done; get organized with targets on time and on budget.
4: Offsite construction and the new Build Canada Homes initiative, while important relative to government’s role and the time and investment needed, will not solve the problem. The industry is responsible for more than 90 per cent of supply.
5: If the market is dysfunctional – fix that and reduce misleading rhetoric.
2026 is the year these changes must be made or the economy and employment will suffer further.
We need to attract investment in both new ventures and housing.
Is anyone listening?
By Gazette Staff
January 7th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
 Lita Barrie has an office: she prefers to be where the books are. The public library has this to say for the year we are now into:
Welcome to 2026! As we reflect on another year gone by, there are so many moments and milestones that made 2025 a fantastic year. We were thrilled to welcome the community to our brand-new New Appleby Branch, offering three times the space as our former branch. We introduced free meeting room bookings, and expanded our do-it-yourself maker services at Alton and New Appleby branches.
We also released our 2026-27 strategic plan, our roadmap for the years ahead. To kick off the new year, I’m excited to share a preview of just a few of the new initiatives we have coming to BPL this year.
What’s Coming to BPL in 2026
There’s a lot to look forward to in the year ahead!
Launching Our Outdoor Play Collection
New in 2026, BPL will be launching a new Outdoor Play collection after transitioning the equipment from the City of Burlington. In the coming weeks, we’re looking forward to offering equipment to borrow for winter activities, such as snowshoeing.
Upgrading Our Children’s Areas
This year, we will be enhancing our children’s areas across all branches with new hands-on learning and play activities, as well as digital technology. Thank you to the generous donors who support the library through the Kids Learning Fund, monthly donations, and legacy gifts—we are extremely grateful for your support that makes these enhancements possible.
Expanding Our Reading Challenge
 2025 wasn’t a perfect year. The Fire Department took back the huge bell that used to be displayed outside the north end of the library. The fire department wants to display the bell at their location. We’re challenging Burlington to expand their horizons by reading 12 books this year, each on a theme! This year, we’ve expanded the challenge to include three new author talks related to the monthly themes.
Building New Social Connections
With support from a grant from Burlington Community Foundation, we’re planning to create opportunities for social connection through interactive shared experiences at select library branches. This is part of our work to connect the community together, creating social opportunities for people wouldn’t otherwise cross paths.
I want to extend a sincere thank you to everyone in the community who supported the library in 2025. Whether you borrowed a book, attended a program, or used library services, we are grateful that you’ve made the library part of your everyday life. We look forward to connecting with you this year!
Lita
By Pepper Parr
January 7th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Get ready for delay and confusion with waste management and garbage.
 Municipalities are no longer picking up Blue Box waste.
A new provincial body, Circular Materials Ontario (CMO), is now managing Ontario’s blue box recycling system, shifting responsibility from municipalities to producers of the beverage cups, tooth paste tube – you name it. The result is simplified, expanded recycling rules province-wide, allowing residents to recycle more items.
It is going to take time to get it working smoothly.
Customer service with CMO is terrible – 45 minute waits.
 There will be a lot more mechanization in waste removal – the producers of the waste material are now responsible for removing it. Municipalities will still handle the garbage – but not the blue bins.
By Pepper Parr
January 7th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
 Gould in the House of Commons If you want to see and meet with Burlington MP Karina Gould, you will have to be at the Art Gallery on Sunday January 11th.
In the past, the event was streamed on Facebook – that won’t be happening this year.
No cookies and coffee during a streaming event. The Levee is usually a well-attended occasion.
Great time to meet your friends and get caught up.
Sunday, January 11th 1:00 to 3:00 pm
By Gazette Staff
January 7th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Metrolinx began offering complimentary transit services starting January 1st, to all veterans and Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members year-round on the UP Express.
 Veterans and CAF members do not need to tap their PRESTO card. Simply present a valid form of ID to a fare inspector to access the service:
- A permanent Canadian Forces Identification Card (NDI 20)
- A Canadian Armed Forces Veteran Service Card (NDI 75)
- A Temporary National Defence Identification Card (NDI 10)
In March 2025, Metrolinx introduced free travel year-round to veterans and CAF members on all GO Transit services.
Metrolinx is proud to expand this program in the transit network by extending this initiative to UP Express to further honour veterans and CAF members for their service.
To learn more, visit www.upexpress.com/en/ways-to-pay/veterans-and-canadian-armed-forces-fare-type.
By Pepper Parr
January 7th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Two journalists and a historian who makes a living in the world of numbers and a politically connected resident will be taking questions from Stephen White at a Beyond the Ballot meeting, sponsored by Focus Burlington.
 Alan Harrington  Mark Carr  Brad Harness I will be joined by Brad Harness, publisher of the Burlington Independent; Alan Harrington, who knows much more about Burlington and its history than most people, will be joining us. Mark Carr will also be part of the panel.
On October 26th, we will be electing a City Council – what happens after that election?
The meeting will take place at the Lions Hall, on January 20th, at 471 Pearl Street; plenty of parking. Things start at 7:00 pm
Focus Burlington would like to know how many Timbits they should have on hand. Send them a note at contact@focusburlington.ca
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