 By Pepper Parr
August 25th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
The following are some very direct questions.
They relate to a report that was produced and provided earlier this year on the coyote problem that both Burlington and Oakville have been experiencing.
1) Why does BOCM have to wait over six months for City of Burlington officials to read BOCM’s Report and provide comments and feedback on our recommendations?
2) Why did Nick Anastasopoulos say that our Report had not been sent to Coyote Watch, but Rosemary Fitzpatrick advised us in mid-May that is what had occurred?
 City Manager Tim Commisso 3) Why did Tim Commisso say in a June 2nd meeting that he would get back to us with a response shortly, but we are still waiting? How long are we expected to wait?
4) Why did Nick Anastasopoulos feel it was all right to forward a Report created by an outside advocacy group to another third party advocacy group without our prior knowledge or approval?
5) Why does City Hall not have a formal, established process for reviewing Reports and recommendations from outside entities and organizations?
To put the questions in context let me share an email I received from Stephen White, a frequent delegator before City Council
A colleague of mine, Julie Martin, lives in Oakville. Back in 2020 she launched an online petition asking the Town of Oakville and the City of Burlington to adopt a more proactive approach in dealing with coyote management. Julie lives in West Oakville, and she and her neighbours had many threatening encounters with coyotes. In some cases pets have been attacked, and coyotes have managed to scale fences and get into residents backyards. Julie lives very close to Wilmot Park in the Samuel Curtis Estates section of West Oakville.
In March of 2021 a teleconference was held with a number of Oakville and Burlington officials including Councillors O’Meara and Sharman. There were dozens of residents in attendance. Suffice to say the response was “status quo”. Following that teleconference Julie and I connected, and we formed an organization called “Burlington and Oakville Coyote Management”. In conjunction with several other residents we developed a series of recommendations and ideas on how Oakville and Burlington could better manage the coyote problem.. This culminated in a Report that was prepared in December 2021.
Julie and I met virtually with Councillors O’Meara and Robertson from Oakville, as well as Councillor Sharman, in late January 2022. Our Report has since been shared with officials at the Town of Oakville and the City of Burlington. The Town of Oakville sent us a reply on August 9th which Julie and I found disappointing.
Julie and I had a meeting with Councillor Sharman in mid-May at which we expressed our dismay with the City of Burlington’s response. We also had a teleconference on June 2nd with Councillor Sharman and several City of Burlington officials. We were told by the City Manager, Tim Commisso, who was on the call, that we could expect a response to our Report the end of June. It was never forthcoming.
On July 15th I met with Mayor Marianne Meed Ward. I provided her with a copy of our Report. She committed to following up on it. On July 21st the Mayor sent me a detailed e-mail expressing support in principle with the idea of better coyote management. She asked the City Manager to follow up. In a July 22nd e-mail Tim Commisso committed to getting back to us by the end of August with a detailed response. Julie and I are still waiting.
Both Julie and I are extremely disillusioned with the response to our Report by City and Town officials. When residents come together and proactively advance a set of recommendations to address a problem the least we should expect is proper due diligence and a detailed examination of our proposals. While we fully acknowledge the support offered by Councillor Sharman and Mayor Meed Ward the fact remains that civic officials have “dropped the ball” on this issue, and have failed to implement any kind of proactive measures to protect residents, children and their pets.
 By Pepper Parr
August 25th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Summer is far from over and the Beachway with is long long stretches of sandy beach are a welcome destination for many families.
During the harder days of our COVID19 experience there were few places people could congregate; the Beachway was one of them
That resulted in close to hundreds of cars and pickup trucks would arrive and park where ever there was an empty space.
 It’s a perfect spot when it looks like this – but it is a resource that has to be shared. Many people don’t realize that there is a gas pipeline running through the roadway – parking on top of it is not a good idea.
The city found that they had to introduce some restrictions and chose to use a PAID parking approach. It seems to have worked reasonably well.
The Beachway Park is actually a Regional Park operated and maintained by the city.
To ensure that Regional resident would be able to park the city introduced a parking pass procedure which ward 1 Councillor Kelvin Galbraith explans:
We would like to take this opportunity to clarify that Halton Region residents are allowed up to 10 free days of parking in the Beachway parking lots from May to September each year. Once you have used your 10 days of parking exemptions, you must pay for parking. For more information, please visit: Paid Parking and Reservations – City of Burlington
Weekends in Burlington means hundreds of people head for the Beachway – one of the best beaches in the province.
Sunny weather increases the traffic – and the traffic looks for parking spaces.
Prior to the pandemic the situation got out of hand and the city had to come up with a way to control the parking.
 Did he get a ticket or was he towed. Was he even caught ? There was a point where with no rules in place vehicles, often pick up trucks parked wherever they could find a spot.
The city came up with a set of rules that resulted in paid parking and they found a way to protect people in the Region from having to pay.
Fees will be charged from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends – until the last weekend in September: Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022.
Parking fees can be paid through the HONK mobile app. Users do not have to download the app – they scan the QR code on parking lot signage to pay for parking.
 The solution the city came up with seems to have worked. The hourly rate of $2.50 or a daily flat rate of $20. Users can scan the QR Code or download the HonkMobile app. There is a transaction fee of $0.35 for each payment. Dashboard tickets are not needed as every payment is linked to a license plate number. Parking ambassadors are onsite to assist visitors with this process.
You get ticketed when you do this – some of them got towed.
Illegally parked vehicles will be issued tickets and/or towed. Drivers are reminded not to park illegally, especially on Lakeshore Road shoulders and the grass boulevard over the pipeline as they will be towed.
Parking is free in Downtown Burlington on weekends and holidays. Beachway visitors are encouraged to extend their walk or use the drop-off zone, park for free in the downtown and meet their household members at the beach. For parking downtown, visit burlington.ca/downtownparking.
Visitors are also encouraged to consider taking Burlington Transit, cycling, walking or rolling to the beach and leaving their cars at home.
On May 21, Halton residents were able to take advantage of 10 free days of parking per year at Beachway Park. It is recommended that residents wait to fill out the parking exemption form once they’ve arrived at the beach and parked in a legal parking spot. The exemption doesn’t guarantee a spot, but it does give residents free parking for the day.
 The Beachway is a very popular destination – people from the area love the place.
 By Pepper Parr
August 25th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
During a lunch with a number of people on Wednesday I was sitting beside former ward 3 Councillor John Taylor.
The lunch was a gathering of people who meet regularly and talk politics. With the city in the midst of an election the current candidates took up much of the conversation.
Ward 3 incumbent Rory Nisan was the focus of quite a bit of the conversation.
I thought I heard John say that he was not supporting Rory this election and that he was supporting Jennifer Hounslow. Taylor was sitting on my immediate left.
 John Taylor endorsing Gareth Williams during the 2018 election campaign Several of the people at that lunch supported Rory Nisan in 2018, including the Gazette; there were high hopes that he would serve the ward as well as John Taylor had in the four + terms that he served.
By the end of the first year of the current term of office it began to become clear that Nisan was going to disappoint.
He continued doing just that.
I have been advised that Taylor did not support Nisan and have been sent a short video clip showing Taylor standing with Gareth Williams– we apologize for the error.
The video clip of Taylor endorsing Williams is HERE‘ it is certainly a very fulsome endorsement
We have removed the article that includes the error.
By Staff
August 24th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte sent the following to her constituents:
The City of Burlington, with the expertise of a Certified Wildlife Control Professional, have eliminated the coyote identified by its victims in recent unprovoked attacks on humans in south central Burlington.
A third recent unprovoked coyote attack on a human was reported to the City yesterday evening. Animal Services staff played a key role in tracking the coyote identified as being responsible for all three attacks.
 The Councillor misnamed the location – it isn’t a lookout – it is one of the many windows on the lake that adjacent property owners used to discourage the public from using. Great place to just while away some time During the evening, an 18-year-old girl was lying in the grass at the municipal lookout at the end of Market Street, south of Lakeshore Road, when she felt a tug on her hair. She turned to see a coyote which then bit and scratched her leg as she stood up. The girl was taken for medical attention and was released.
The two other recent attacks were also unprovoked but during the day.
The first unprovoked attack was on a female adult on the Centennial Multiuse Trail at Seneca Avenue in the morning. The coyote jumped and bit her from behind.
The second unprovoked attack was on a 2 ½ year-old toddler seated on a deck in his fenced backyard less than two kilometres east of the first attack.
There was no food, small animals or any other activity to attract the coyote. The toddler was also bitten on the back of the neck. Both victims were treated at Joseph Brant Hospital and released.
The attacks are uncharacteristic of coyotes and are the first reported attacks on humans in Burlington.
 Centennial Trail at Seneca Avenue Municipalities are responsible for taking appropriate actions to manage resident encounters with coyotes and take appropriate action on municipal property. On the rare occasion that a coyote attacks a person, the City has a Council approved protocol in place that is currently being followed to prioritize and deal with the one coyote in question.
Anyone who sees a coyote is encouraged to let the City know by submitting an online report or calling 905-335-3030. Reporting coyote sightings, or potential problems related to overgrown building sites, garbage or someone intentionally or accidentally feeding a coyote, helps the City monitor the location and activity of coyotes in the community.
The coyote problem has taken on a new dimension; while the behaviour of this particular coyote is uncharacteristic – it is at the same time very serious.
There is some serious work to be done – hopefully City Manager Tim Commisso will pull together all the people who are involved in public safety and animal control and push the edge of that envelope to determine if there is something we are not doing that we should be doing and if there is new information that has not yet reached our people.
The incident involving a 2 ½ year-old toddler seated on a deck in his fenced backyard is more than a red flag.
 By Pepper Parr
August 24th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
More on that Circus.
The Gazette called their always reliable General Manager Heidi McGaw to get more back ground on the event.
 Circus workers are putting up the tents She wasn’t available – word is that Heidi has run away and joined the circus.
Circuses have that effect on people
The schedule is as follow:
First show Thursday night 7 pm. You can get in half an hour before hand.
Friday: a show at 4 pm and a show at 7 30 pm
Saturday three shows
Noon
4 pm
7:30 pm
Sunday two shows: 1:0 pm and 5 pm.
 You can get into the big tent half an hour before the show starts but you have to have your tickets first
They have a number of different ticketing programs.
General admission is $40 got two people. Candy floss is not included.
 By Pepper Parr
August 24th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
The Big Top is in town
It runs from Thursday through to Sunday.
The BIG tent can hold 3000 people.
 Two big tents – circus is in town – runs from Thursday to Sunday. No animals but there will be clowns, trapeze artists, acrobats and people running all over the place; don’t know if it is a three ring circus – they are the most exciting.
 The event is to take place in the Burlington Central parking lot – you can’t miss it.
Nothing yet on ticket process.
There will be line ups at the ticket station.
 By Pepper Parr
August 23rd, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
The Roseland Community Organization (RCO) is hosting a debate that will involve the ward 4 candidates and the people running for the office f Mayor.
And good on them for taking this on.
In 2010 the Gazette sponsored a debate for the ward six candidates – there were eight or nine of them. It went well but it required a lot of work and ate up time we just didn’t have.
In 2018 ECOB – Engaged Citizens of Burlington sponsored debates in all six wards during which the city saw some of the biggest turnouts for a political event in several decades.
 ECOB filled the Baptist Church on New Street during the 2018 election debates. ECOB’s Penny Hersh did the bulk of the work to make those happen.
Other than the Roseland Group – who else is going to step up and arrange for debates in their wards ?
Are there service clubs that could take this on ? Sponsoring a debate is not a political activity – it is a civic decision to put in motion an event that gives people a chance to inform themselves.
Ward 2 and 3 both badly need a debate as does ward 5 now that Paul Sharman has to run for office instead of being acclaimed.
There were some interesting comments made by Gazette readers on the story we ran of the RCO announcement
One reader wrote: Roseland Community Group is a group of homeowners, who show interest and take pride in their community. There is no reason why other communities cannot form the same type of organizations.
Another wrote: The problem I have is, who is the Roseland Community Organization? Who are the members? Are any candidates” a member or affiliate with them? Did any of the members of the ROC help or donate to any of the candidates’ campaigns? If so, isn’t that a conflict of interest? and how do we know it will be fair and impartial. Even the venue is suspect, do any of the candidates belong to the church? Who is going to moderate the debate and come up with the questions? Hopefully it’s not Mr. Parr because we know he mentions Shawna in every article he writes. What experience does the ROC have in running a political debate?
All this reader had to do was spend five minutes on the RCO web site and his concerns would disappear. Suggesting that using a church would be a conflict – Really?
 By Pepper Parr
August 23rd, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
School boards used to be the first step that people who were concerned about the political health of their community took.
Now, there are times when trustees are acclaimed. This time around there are no acclamations for the Burlington trustee seats which is healthy.
What confuses many people are the number of school boards we have. There are the public and the Catholic Boards which everyone with children understand.
The Conseil scolaire Viamonde and the Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir are probably new to most people. They are both French language based.
The Conseil scolaire Viamonde is a public-secular French first language school board, and manages elementary and secondary schools in the Ontario Peninsula and the Greater Golden Horseshoe. The school board operates 41 elementary schools and 15 secondary schools within that area.
Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir is a Roman Catholic French first language public-separate school board that manages elementary and secondary schools in the Greater Golden Horseshoe. The school board operates 46 elementary schools, 11 secondary schools, and two combined institutions within that area.
Both Board trustees for Burlington were acclaimed
Here are the candidates standing for seats as trustees in Burlington
Halton District School Board Trustee – Wards 1 and 2
Matthew Diodati
Sebastian Dumitrescu-Georgescu
Omar Kayed
Halton District School Board Trustee – Wards 3 and 6
Nathaniel Arfin
Chris Goff
Stephen Green
Alison Hodd
Anna Sophia Jodhi
Dan Smith
Xin Yi Zhang
Halton District School Board Trustee – Ward 4
Roxanne Anderson
Michael Beauchemin
Varun Bhardwaj
Michael Duhacek
Margo Shuttleworth
Halton District School Board Trustee – Ward 5
David Biagioni
Amy Collard
Halton Catholic District School Board Trustee –
Wards 1 and 2
Vincent Enzo Iantomasi
Kirsten Kelly
Halton Catholic District School Board Trustee –
Wards 3 and 6
David Cherry
Trish Nicholls-Powell
Halton Catholic District School Board Trustee – Wards 4 and 5
Brenda Agnew
Rick Giuliani
Conseil scolaire Viamonde
Pierre Gregory (acclaimed)
Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir
Dominique Janssens (acclaimed)
By Staff
August 23rd, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
 Applefest Fall Fair at Ireland House Museum
When: Saturday, October 1, 2022, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Where: Ireland House Museum
Cost: $10/adult, $8/child (3 – 12 years), under 2 are free
Celebrate the changing of the seasons at Ireland House Museum’s Applefest Fall Fair. The day will feature main stage entertainment, vendors, Museum tours, farm animals, historic demonstrations and a mini local food market. Treat yourself to a serving of our signature house-baked apple crisp!
Capacity is limited, please pre-register for the event and note your selected arrival time. Reservations are available on the hour. Walk-in guests will be accommodated space permitting.
New this year! Treat yourself to a serving of our signature house-baked apple crisp.
Registration link:
By Pepper Parr
August 23rd, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
With nominations closed and the official list of candidates running for positions certified by the City Clerk, Burlington moves into a 62 days to go campaign that will elect seven people who will guide the city through a complex period of time during which critical long term decisions are going to have to be made.
The Gazette will do its best to interview each of the 23 candidates, several of whom feel they can ignore media, put out their own story and assume the public will buy it without any questions.
Democracy doesn’t work that way.
There are 23 candidates to interview. Some candidates ask if this can be done by telephone. An in depth interview is a one on one event that takes at least an hour.
The Gazette has brought in Denis Gibbons, a former editor of another Burlington based newspaper, to do some of the interviewing.
 Tim O’Brien: His move to municipal politics, not unusual, was brought about by his dissatisfaction with the way the HDCSB operated and his interest in city wide issues. Yesterday we interviewed Tim O’Brien, a current Halton District Catholic School Board (HCSB) trustee who is not running for trustee re-election.
O’Brien spoke reluctantly about his HDCSB experience explaining that the protocols in place were such that he was not permitted to speak.
He does however talk about some of the changes that trustees were able to make, the most important one from Tim O’Brien’s point of view was input on the hiring of Superintendents.
Burlington city council does not have any formal input on the decisions City Manager Tim Commisso makes on his hiring decisions. The decision Council makes is who they want as City Manager. That manager does the staff hiring or delegates it to Executive Directors.
Tim O’Brien was born in Sarnia, moved to Burlington in 1990. He was a music teacher with the HDCSB; retired in 2018 when he was elected a trustee.
His move to municipal politics, not unusual, was brought about by his dissatisfaction with the way the HDCSB operated and his interest in city wide issues.
These days he is knocking on doors and hearing what the issues are.
O’Brien does not live I ward 2 – he does live across the street on the other side of the ward 2 boundary.
During his door knocking O’Brien found that intensification is the number one issue for the people he is talking to on their doorsteps.
“Every third household I talked to said their concern was with the level of intensification” he said.
Quality of life was the next big issue for people followed by dissatisfaction and concerns with the services provided by Parks and Recreation. O’Brien wants to see more park space and points out that if you drive along Guelph Line from Dundas to Lakeshore Road – note how little open green space exists.
He wants to see more and soon before the developers build on the land that could be available.
He said that people don’t understand why all these high rises have to be built.
 O’Brien has deep concerns over life in a condo. It might be Ok for empty nesters but he doesn’t think it is the kind of place where your raise children. Site plan of a development that is planned for FAirview just west of Guelph Line. O’Brien met with people in Oakville where they appear to have managed to keep the high rise development out of their downtown core.
Some think that is because Oakville hires better legal talent to represent the city at Ontario Land Tribunal hearings and ask aloud if Burlington has the right person leading the legal department.
Some clarification: The appeal level for anyone who differs with a municipality on the decisions it makes on planning matters used to be the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) that got renamed to the Local Planning Authority Tribunal (LPAT) and was recently changed to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT)
 Post war bungalows on large lots were the norm in the Queensway community. Developers bought up half a dozen properties, consolidated and put up rows of town houses. While door knocking in the Queensway (west of Guelph Line, south of the QEW) O’Brien learned about what residents in the area called “needle park” – the vacant lot on the south west corner of Harvester and Guelph Line. “The bushes in the park give the drug users a place to do what they do without being seen” said O’Brien adding that the community doesn’t have a park.
It is in a quiet part of the city that has undergone significant development. Where there were once quarter acre lots with small bungalows that were created for veterans just after WWII; developers did some consolidation and the area now has some significant intensification – but no high rise – yet.
O’Brien found that taxes were not the number one issue – it was third on his list based on what he heard at the door. “People were telling me that if higher taxes were needed to maintain the quality of life they want then they are Ok with that.
 Townhouse developments have replaced bungalows on large spacious lots. What people don’t want to lose said O’Brien was the almost small town feel of the city. They don’t like the sense that the city is becoming a place for “rich strangers that we don’t know.”
O’Brien has deep concerns over life in a condo. It might be Ok for empty nesters but he doesn’t think it is the kind of place where your raise children.
 Tim O’Brien has figured it out: Knocking on doors beats the photo op every time. He would want to see a lot in the way of amenities where kids could play and learn – he wants libraries, swimming pools, gymnasiums and playing fields. Outdoor ice rinks that are maintained by the community is what he wants to work for.
Dogs and off leash parks – a big problem now that is only going to get bigger. The one planned for Drury and New Street is too small said O’Brien.
He likes the idea of creating time for people to use the dog park as unleashed space for two hours or so in the morning and another two hours late in the day – maybe early evening.
It will have to be monitored but O’Brien thinks it is worth a pilot effort to see if people can learn to share space.
Can he beat the incumbent and win the council seat we asked. “I can if I work hard enough.
And with that Tim O’Brien was on the phone setting up a meeting and getting ready to knock on more doors in the evening
 By Staff
August 22, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) – 3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau arrested two suspects in relation to a series of gym locker thefts which began in June 2022.
 The suspects would break into the lockers, steal the contents within, attend the parking lot where they would steal motor vehicles and attend nearby stores to fraudulently use the (stolen) credit cards.
The suspects have also been identified as being responsible for additional offences across the region and neighboring jurisdictions.
On August 16, 2022, the suspects were located and arrested by HRPS officers at a hotel in Cambridge. During the arrest the suspects were jointly in possession of a stolen Kia motor vehicle. Each suspect also possessed a quantity of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Taylor Gillard (23) of No Fixed Address has been charged with:
• Theft of Motor Vehicle (6 counts)
• Unauthorized Possession of a Weapon (3 counts)
• Theft Under $5000 (6 counts)
• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5000
• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Under $5000 (3 counts)
• Fraudulent Use of Credit Card (3 counts)
• Possession of Break and Enter Tools (2 counts)
• Possession of Automobile Master Key
• Possession of a Controlled Substance (2 counts)
• Fail to Comply being on Release Order (2 counts)
Michael Salverda (36) of No Fixed Address has been charged with:
• Unauthorized Possession of a Weapon (3 counts)
• Theft Under $5000
• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5000
• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Under $5000 (3 counts)
• Fraudulent Use of Credit Card
• Possession of Break and Enter Tools (2 counts)
• Possession of Automobile Master Key
• Possession of a Controlled Substance (3 counts)
• Fail to Comply with Probation
• Fail to Comply with Undertaking
Both accused have been held in custody pending a bail hearing.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the 3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4777 ext. 2316.
 Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers. “See something? Hear something? Know something? Contact Crime Stoppers” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.
By Pepper Parr
August 21st, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
The list of candidates for wards 1,2 and 3 has been published – there is a link at the bottom. The list of candidates has also been published
Mayor
 Marianne Meed Ward wearing the Chain of Office – real clout with that piece of regalia While a Mayor is just one of seven Council votes, the person wearing the Chain of Office has clout which, used wisely, can guide and shepherd a council to creating and delivering on a vision that is commonly accepted.
There are five people in the race.
Some have not been heard from before, others don’t appear to fully understand what the job is – noe of the four have any municipal council level experience.
Marianne Meed Ward, the incumbent has served as a Councillor for eight years and one four year term as Mayor
James Kerr
Phone: 905-466-1438
Email: james@jameskerr.ca
We have yet to hear from James Kerr
Anne Marsden
Phone: 905-467-2860
Email: anneandave@gmail.com
Website: marsdens.ca
 Anne Marsden, Mayoralty candidate, with her husband delegating at a Council meeting Anne Marsden has been running for public office since 1984. She has never been elected but in 2018 she received a stunning 40,000 + votes when she ran against Gary Carr for the Office of Regional Chair.
And is a stubborn woman – when she believes she is right she is very difficult to move.
Compromise does not come easily to her; however one of her strengths is an ability to dig out information and stick to her guns when confronted.
Marsden reported raising $732. and spending$715
Marsden was one of the people behind digging out the facts behind the c-dificile related death at the Joseph Brant Hospital a decade ago.
The results at the Regional level in the 2018 election deserve detailed attention.
 These numbers from the 2018 election when Marsden ran against Gary Carr for Regional Chair have to be looked at carefully. Marsden took 17,407 votes out of Burlington. We have no idea where the support came from BUT if she were to repeat that number in 2022 the race for Mayor takes on a different hue. Marianne Meed Ward
Phone: 905-802-3114
Email: marianne4mayor@gmail.com
Website: https://votemarianne.ca/
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward – running for re-election. There is a charisma to Marianne that hides a number of traits that do not serve her well.
Disappointment is a sentiment that many who worked hard to elect her Mayor in 2018 hold. Her brutal attempt to force a Councillor to read an apology when the Mayor wanted it read has to be taken for what it was and not shrugged off. It deserves all the attention it can get. Watch it again – this is your Mayor
Steve Rieck
Email: mayorsteve2022@gmail.com
Website: IHadACrazyIdeaToRunForMayorToChangeTheWorld.com
It is difficult to take someone with the web site name Mr. Rieck chose.
Review his web site – and if that is what you want – the name will be on the ballot
Our conversation with him was a downer. The word, much less the concept leadership is not something the man appears to understand.
William Tuck
All we have about William Tuck is his name. No phone number, or an email address.
He may have been a very last minute nomination and didn’t have much more to give the City Clerk.
It appears that all you have to do is give the city $100 and prove that you are a Canadian citizen and that you either live in Burlington or do business in the city and you can get your name on the ballot.
Candidates in wards 1,2 and 3
Candidates in wards 4,5 and 6
By Pepper Parr
August 21st, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
This review of the candidates who filed nomination papers is being done in three parts. Those running in wards 1, 2 and 3 have been published. This article covers wards 4, 5 and 6. The third will cover the candidate running for Mayor.
Ward 4
 Tony Brecknock candidate for the ward 3 council seat. OUNCIL SEAT Tony Brecknock
Phone: 905-334-8118
Email: tony@brecknock.com
Website: brecknock.com
The Gazette has yet to interview Tony Brecknock. Basically due to scheduling issues. He was active in the decision the Halton District School Board made to close two of the city’s seven high schools.
 Olivia Duke candidate for the ward 4 Council seat. Olivia Duke
Phone: 416-320-8843
Email: olivia@oliviaduke.ca
Website: oliviaduke.ca
Our attempts at meeting with Olivia Duke have not gotten us very far. She has been actively campaigning.
 Shawna Stolte, ward 4 incumbent Shawna Stolte
Email: stolte4ward4@gmail.com
Website: https://stolte4ward4.ca
Shawna is the ward 4 incumbent. She has had her issues with the Integrity Commissioner and had her run ins with the Mayor as well. During what can only be called a ‘sparring’ match during a Council meeting Stolte made it very clear she knew how to stick to a principled position while the Mayor made it equally clear that she could use and abuse the power the Mayor has to amend an agenda to suit her personal agenda. That sorry spectacle is HERE for viewing, if you haven’t already seen it.
Stolte has served the interests of her constituents very well and brought about changes in the way council processes and proceeds with its business. Some were small, other quite significant.
Eden Wood
Phone: 905-630-4949
Email: vote.edenwood@gmail.com
Website: https://edenwoodward4.ca/
We have yet to meet Ms Wood. Most of the first time candidates needed additional time to get their web sites operational.
Ward 5
The number of candidates that came out of the blue on the second to last day that nominations were open flooded ward 5 And probably stunned the incumbent who most people thought was going to be acclaimed. Paul Sharman is now in a race.
We have no detail on any of the candidates listed below. We will reach out to each of them and learn what wee can. The first question that pops into our minds is this: Was it pure coincidence that three people with very little in the way of a public profile all filed their papers on the same day? Journalists don’t believe in coincidences
Guy D’Alesio
Phone: 905-483-5093
Email: guydalesio@gmail.com
Andrew Hall
Phone: 289-962-2862
Email: hello@andrewhallburlington.com
Denny Pirzas
Phone: 905-484-0105
Email: pirzasdenny@gmail.com
 Paul Sharman, ward 5 incumbent Paul Sharman
Phone: 905-320-7467
Email: paul@paulsharman.ca
Website: paulsharman.ca
Paul Sharman burst on the political scene in the 2010 election when he filed nomination papers for the Office of Mayor. Shortly after that Rick Goldring, who was the Council member for ward 5 also filed papers to run for the Office of Mayor.
Sharman almost immediately withdrew his nomination for Mayor and filed to run as the ward Councillor.
Both Sharman and Goldring won the race they ran in.
 Sharman was a member of the Group that put together the Shape Burlington report that set out what people were unhappy about with city hall. One might ask Sharman if what he was a part in 2020 has had an impact on the way city hall works with its citizens.
Sharman went on to become a very different member of Council. He brought significant private sector experience to the job and a mind that could never get enough data.
He was described by Goldring as one of the best strategic minds that Gold rind had seen.
Many thought Sharman would run for Mayor this time. It was never really something he wanted to be. He chose not to and while he didn’t assume he was going to be acclaimed we don’t think he expected three people the public knew very little about to run against him.
He has been a useful member of Council forcing his colleagues to look at significant financial issues in a different light.
.Ward 6
 Angelo Bentivegna, ward 6 incumbent Angelo Bentivegna
Phone: 905-973-6923
Email: angelo.bentivegna@gmail.com
Angelo Bentivegna is the incumbent. He defeated Councillor Blair Lancaster by less the 50 votes in 2018 and has worked hard to gain a stronger foothold in the ward. His command and grasp of many of the issues that come before council is at times limited. He has positioned himself as the Councillor who cares about what taxpayers have to deal with.
He is very strong when working a room – a lot of bonhomie to the man.
Rick Greenspoon
Phone: 905-466-4449
Email: greenspoonrick@gmail.com
Website: https://www.rickgreenspoon.com
Rick Greenspoon has up until this point in his working life been the man behind the scenes making things work better and getting the job done.
He has a clear idea of what he thinks can be done and is out on the streets doing the door to door work that is essential
Many ward 6 residents in the Millcroft area have a significant issue with the plans Argo Developments have for the the changes it would make with the golf course the community was built around.
Greenspoon appears to have made some deep inroads and been able to capitalize on the disappointment those people have with the incumbent.
Renato Velocci
Phone: 905-802-8808
Email: rvelocci01@gmail.com
We do know that Renato Velocci once ran against Linda Pugley for a council seat many years ago.
List of candidates for wards 1,2 and 3
By Pepper Parr
August 21st, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
The list is long – we have broken it down to three articles: Ward 1, 2 and 3; followed by ward 4, 5 and 6 – then review of those running for the Office of Mayor
This is a very very different collection of people than what came forward in 2018.
There are some surprises; there is one from a jokester and one from someone who thought spending $100. to get his name in the paper was a good investment
 Ward 1 boundaries Ward 1
Robert Radway
Phone: 289-208-6474
Email: robertradway07@gmail.com
Website: robertradway.com
 Robert Radway – high school teacher running for the ward 1 Council seat
When we first learned about Radway we were told that he planned to continue working as a teacher and serve his constituents at city hall. It was clear at that point that Radway had no idea just what the role of city councillor amounts to. To be fair, Kelvin Galbraith didn’t know what he faced in terms of a work load when he was elected. He operates a gym and has people who run the place day to day.
Radway has since changed his position and will now have colleagues cover his classes when he has to be at city hall.
Radway said he was encouraged by several Board of Education Superintendents to run for public office; whoever the Superintendent are – they should think in terms of early retirement.
Teachers can apply for a leave of absence which is almost always granted. Radway missed the deadline to apply for a leave of absence this school year. He has said he will apply for a leave of absence next year.
 Kelvin Galbraith, ward 1 incumbent. Kelvin Galbraith
Phone: 905-928-4513
Email: kelvingalbraith@gmail.com
Website: kelvingalbraith-ward1.com
Galbraith has some explaining to do. There are perceived conflicts of interest that he needs to clean up. The campaign may teach him to pay more attention to the needs of the voters rather than the interests of the developers. That is not to say that Galbraith is a developer toady – it is to say that his inclination is to business rather than people
Ward 2
Keith Demoe
Phone: 289-259-0488
Email: keith@ward2burlington.ca
Website: www.keithdemoe.ca
The Gazette has not had an opportunity to talk to or interview Keith Demoe. We will get to him
 Lisa Kearns is the ward 2 incumbent.. She has been an effective councillor Lisa Kearns
Email: LisaKearnsWard2@gmail.com
Website: lisakearnsward2.com
Lisa Kearns is a very intelligent woman with a strong private sector background that gives her an understanding many Councillors don’t have of budgets and numbers. She is perceptive, quite sharp with her tongue when she relaxes. She has introduced a lot of new words to this council; some we are still trying to figure out what Kearns means – just what does she mean wen she refers to “the Delta”. She has earned every penny she is paid.
Tim O’Brien
Email: tim@timobrienforward2.com
Website: https://timobrienforward2.com
Tim O’Brien brings experience from the Catholic School Board to city hall; if one can survive in that environment – you can survive city hall. We are schedules to interview Mr O’Brien this week.
 Jennifer Hounslow – candidate for the ward 2 city council seat Ward 3
Jennifer Hounslow
Email: jenniferhounslow.ward3@gmail.com
Website: jenniferhounslow.ca
We have not yet managed to set up a meeting with Ms Hounslow. She’s on the list and at some point we will get through to her. A statement on her web site says: “I am running because we need a representative who can listen, lead, act, and execute. You deserve to have the right person on board to manage the city budget and keep us operationally and fiscally strong, impact policy, and advocate for your concerns.”
Luke McEachern
Phone: 289-941-2996
Email: lukemceachern@gmail.com
The Gazette has not been able to reach Mr. McEachern – yet
 Rory Nisan is the ward 3 incumbent. Rory Nisan
Phone: 905-464-7195
Email: info@rorynisan.ca
Website: rorynisan.ca
Rory Nisan became a member of Council in 2018 taking with him the expectations of a number of people that he would fill the shores of former Council member John Taylor who had done a good job during his 20 + years on Council. At this point those expectations have not been met.
Perhaps a stiff challenge will reveal a different Rory Nisan
The list we have set out above has yet to be certified by the City Clerk. That will be done on Monday. We don’t expect any changes in wards 1, 2 or 3.
The Gazette intends to interview each of the candidates at least once
 By Joseph Gaetan
August 20th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
If you know anyone who is thinking about buying a condominium – pass this along to them. They will thank you.
Privately Owned Public Spaces, a.k.a POPS, are spaces dedicated to public use and enjoyment, which are owned and maintained by private property owners (but not all property owners in the City of Burlington, just condo owners), in exchange for bonus floor area or waivers.
POPS agreements when in place are provided by a developer but then maintained by property owners in perpetuity in accordance with the statutes, bylaws, regulations in place and pursuant to any City approvals. POPS in part are also the result of City zoning regulations aimed at ensuring the densest areas of our city also offer a measure of open public space and greenery. Thus, POPS can be important amenities for the enjoyment of Burlington citizens, and visitors.
 The POPS that is to be part of the Core development located between Lakeshore Road and Old Lakeshore Road is a decision made by the developer that future residents will have to pay for. If you have never owned a condo that has a POPS or never plan on doing do so, you may think what is the big deal anyway? Well, the big deal is, those who do own one, end up paying for something they had little input on and something that will affect their cost of living as long as they live there. The cost of the POPS will be reflected in both the common area fees (CEF’s) that owners pay on a monthly basis as well as the monthly contribution to the Reserve Fund that is put in place for major repairs and/or replacement of the POPS assets at some point in the future.
So, imagine a situation where the parking structure is buried under a POPS. In the beginning owners will be paying for basic and ongoing yard maintenance, snow removal, pruning of trees, replacement of benches and any litigation, insurance etc. Sometime in the future (as identified in the Reserve Fund but often sooner) the underground concrete slab will have to be repaired or sections replaced. But before that, all of the overburden, all the trees, all the sidewalks, everything on top of the slab will be stripped clean and taken off-site so that the remedial work can be performed.
Upon completion of the repair/remediation work, guess what, new soil will be returned to the site, new trees planted, new sidewalks poured and after 6 to 8 months of disruption the POPS will have been restored to its original design parameters. Without exaggeration this could cost the property owners millions of dollars.
When a developer turns a property over to a not-for-profit condominium corporation the common area fees and Reserve Fund allocations are grossly understated. The principal reasons for this being, there is no cost history or Reserve Fund study to base these figures upon. A condominiums first Reserve Fund study occurs during its first year of incorporation with follow-up studies every three years afterward.
Under normal circumstances per the Condominium Act 1998, upon turnover the Condominium Corporation usually has one year to cancel any contracts made by the Declarant.
Case in point, one condo in Burlington chose to cancel the Geo-Thermal, Renewal Energy Agreement put in place by the Declarant. The corporation was able to cancel the agreement and then secured a loan to purchase the system saving residents approximately $6 million dollars over a 30-year period. This option does not apply to POPS as canceling such agreements is beyond the scope of this section of the “Act.”
Below is an excerpt from an Official Plan Amendment Rezoning Application document for a development that was approved in 2008:
Conditions of Zoning Approval
“agree to grant an easement to the City for the purpose of providing public access over the (feature details redacted) containing the (feature details redacted) at the South end of the front yard, from (address details redacted) of, and pay for all costs associated with the easement including the preparation of a reference plan legally describing the location of the landscape courtyard subject to the easement; and,
“include the following warning clause in all Offers of Purchase and Sale and in the
Condominium declaration:
“purchasers/tenants are advised that the landscape courtyard containing the (redacted) at the South end of the front yard, is for public use”
POPS were invented in New York, in 1961 via a Zoning Regulation, the purpose was to find solutions to the city’s budget gaps in providing public spaces. Mobilising private funds seemed like a good way to build public infrastructure and something a city could offer that was seemingly free (i.e., public spaces, in exchange for additional housing units).
POPS have a place in the public realm and should not be discarded in totality. The use of POPS has been successfully used throughout the world (i.e., High Line NYC) but not without issues (i.e., Autumn of 2011, a small anarchist group occupied Zuccotti Park, a public plaza in Downtown New York).
All homeowners in Burlington should expect and deserve to be treated fairly and equitably. While I there is a place for POPS, such developments that create a cost burden to one class of taxpayers and not others are simply wrong. If the City of Burlington approves POPS for additional height on a particular building, or additional housing units in a development, those costs should be spread across all taxpayers within the City of Burlington.
With an election on the horizon the subject of POPS deserves attention. When a candidate asks for your support, it is fair game to ask them if they are in favour of approving developments where the POPS will place an unfair financial burden on some taxpayers (condo owners). Residents of a building that sits on .58 hectare of land, and contributes around $1 million a year in realty taxes, should not be asked to also pay more for a POPS.
Further information regarding the issues and cost effects of POPS on condo owners can be found by reading the CCI Toronto article entitled, “Privately Owned Publicly Accessible Spaces” that may be found by visiting, CCI-T-Condovoice-Spring2019-FB19.pdf (ccitoronto.org)
Related news story:
Just what does a POPS mean
 Joe Gaetan is a Burlington resident who lives in a condominium that has a POPS.
He speaks on occasion before Council on civic issues and participates in Ontario Land Tribunal matter
By Staff
August 19th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
 This is how the races are won. This is how the races are won.Catamarans slip through the water so quickly with the boat often resting on just one of the pontoons – they are a delight to watch.
On Saturday and Sunday they will be holding a regatta to celebrate their 40th anniversary.
The races will take place off the shores of the beautiful Burlington Beach park, just east of the Lift Bridge in Burlington.
SAT. AUG. 20 & SUN. AUG. 21, 2022, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
 Lined up along the beach ready to slip into the water They are expecting 50 catamaran sailboats and about 100 sailors (2 sailors per boat) to race over these two days, mainly drawing from our own club members and other racers from clubs primarily in southern Ontario and as far away as Sarasota, Florida, USA.
There will be a lot of exciting activity on and off the beach this Saturday and Sunday.
By Staff
August 19th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
A VegFest featuring vegan products from local vendors, and welcoming any and all – from the vegan-curious to the experienced vegan.
Takes place on on August 20, 2022 at Burloak Waterfront Park from noon until 7pm
 The free, family-friendly outdoor event will have something for everyone, including kids’ activities, demos, speakers, and a live band.
Visitors can experience delicious plant-based food and drinks, as well as health, beauty, and fashion products from a wide array of vegan businesses based in Burlington and surrounding communities.
The first 200 attendees will also receive a FREE swag bag filled with samples and coupons generously donated from our vendors and sponsors. Donations to buy plant-based food for the Burlington Food Bank will be accepted with a chance to win a prize for every $10 donation. A free shuttle will run throughout the day between Appleby GO station and Burlington VegFest.
The event will run from the official ribbon cutting and opening speech by Mayor Marianne Meed Ward at noon and will end at 7pm.
Plant-based lifestyles are on the rise across the West in response to health, environmental, and ethical concerns. Activists recognize the urgent state of these crises and Burlington VegFest hopes that this event will inspire and enable more people to take action to create a kinder, healthier, equitable planet for humans and animals.
By Pepper Parr
August 19th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
The Roseland Community Organization (RCO) plans to host an all-candidates debate at 7 PM on October 11, in the Roseland Room within the Port Nelson United Church.
In a comment from a member of the Roseland community saying “The current trend whereby candidates think they can duck all-candidate debates is, quite frankly, disappointing: and even worse, bad for our democracy.”
This citizen went on to say “At the federal and provincial levels voters at least have party platforms upon which to base their voting decisions; but at the local level, thankfully there are no party politics. If we are to make this local democracy work, then we need more debate, not less. And certainly, less electronic spin.
 Councillor Shawna Stolte will have an opportunity to state her case in front of a fair crowd in October “It is important that the Ward 4 Council and the Mayoral candidates know they will be invited to this October 11th event. We hope area residents and candidates mark this date in their calendars.
“Prior to this debate date, all candidates will receive the same 5 questions which will be prepared by RCO. Each candidate will be given 10 minutes to answer these questions.
“After these presentations, there will be a Q and A for the audience.
“The questions will require specific answers – for example, will you support or not support a request to have the Burlington Mayor delegated so-called strong Mayor powers.
 For the first time since she was elected Mayor – Marianne Meed Ward will have to appear before citizens and answer their questions. “Or, what is the total percentage of the cost-of living increases you will approve over the next four years?
“We are hoping this format is informative and will provide insights that are helpful in reaching a decision on where to cast a ballot. We hope this will introduce a new level of accountability to our electoral system.”
What the good people of Roseland are doing is good news. They are known for summoning senior city staff to an RCO meeting and asking tough questions – and they don’t put up with wishy washy answers.
As for introducing some accountability to the crop that was elected in 2018 – good luck on that.
We ask – why give the candidates the questions in advance ? Set out categories: Finance, Climate, Bylaw,are examples, and expect the candidates to be able to answer on the spot.
The event is a much needed occasion for voters to be able to learn just who is going to make the decisions for the next four years.
 By Pepper Parr
August 18th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Call for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Artists
Deadline: Friday September 9, 2022
Award: $2,000 per design (9 design commissions available)
 Returning Home by Aaron Paquette. The City public art program invites First Nations, Métis and Inuit artists residing in Canada to propose artwork that will be installed as vinyl wraps on a series of nine large electrical boxes located in Spencer Smith Park (Burlington, Ontario).
This is a design only commission as the City of Burlington will be responsible for the fabrication and installation of the vinyl wraps. Artists may create a new artwork concept for this project or reformat an existing artwork. Artwork may be created digitally or can be a digital scans / photograph of visual art or craft (i.e. painting, photography, textiles, bead-work and pottery.
This is a really interesting approach to how ‘inclusion’ can be handled.
Indigenous art is very different than what is seen at the Art Gallery.
It has a boldness, energy, the use of strong colours.
This should be very interesting.
The Call for design submissions is national – all the artist has to do is live in Canada.
Visit the Calls for Artists page to learn more
 By Pepper Parr
August 18th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
You have to have fought a fire and realized at some point that as a fire fighter you are truly in danger.
You have to have fought a tough blaze and learned when it was over that everyone didn’t make it out of the burning building.
That is what Fire Chief Karen Roche was talking about yesterday when she welcomed 11 new graduates to the Burlington Fire department.
She put it this way at the graduation event: “Our graduation event is always a great source of pride for everyone in the Fire Department. The new recruits have put in a lot of hard work to graduate and become full time firefighters, to serve the Burlington community and keep everyone safe. On behalf of everyone within the Burlington Fire Department, I welcome them to the family and am looking forward to working with them.”
Each recruit class is named for a fallen Burlington firefighter. This year’s class is proudly named the Tim Catterall Recruit Class of 2022.
 Back row from left to right: Victor Paletta, Dan Prinsen, Tom Poliziani, Peter Dionisio, Alex Guptill, Caleb Cooze, Mike Moffat Front row from left to right: Stuart Buchanan, Matthew Manning, Lexis Ross, Zachary Tait Why the ‘fish eye’ lens was used to take the class photo wasn’t clear – that is not what a fire engine looks like
Tim Catterall proudly served the citizens of Burlington for 29 years. He was a caring and capable firefighter that gave his all on every call, and ultimately gave everything he had to the Citizens of Burlington until his passing in 2018 with his recruitment classmates at his bedside. The presence of his fellow firefighters at his bedside exemplifies the tight bond that he developed with all he worked with and the bond that all firefighters share.
Tim’s compassion for his fellow firefighters, and fellow human beings shined through by his creation of the FACE (Firefighters Against Cancer’s Existence) foundation which raised thousands of dollars for the fight against cancer, as well as raising awareness and support for firefighters suffering this disease.
Tim would have been immensely proud to know that a class of Firefighters was named after him.
The new firefighters will be placed at various fire stations across Burlington.
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The same reader went on to say that RCO “hasn’t truly thought this out and don’t have a lot of experience with a political debate. I mean the can’t even figure out how candidates answer questions and alphabetical order is not that fair i mean 1 person always has the first word and 1 person always has the last word.. I would suggest that they have a predetermined order to answer each question determined buy random draw now isn’t that fair.
The level of political naivety and sophistication is so disappointingly low in Burlington.
One can only wish that each community had organizations like the Roseland Community Organization.
Until that happens – would the people in each ward look for a way to hold a debate in their community.