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October 17th, 2023 BURLINGTON, ON
Approve the proposed amendment to the Council Member Expense Manual as referenced in finance department report. No surprise here. Easier to ignore the subject and hope that the public isn’t aware. Related news story How much does a Deputy Mayor get to spend? 
October 17th, 2023 BURLINGTON, ON
Did you know what they are doing at the hospital? There are now more than 2000 employees. Check out the rest of the data presented by the hospital at a meeting of City Council earlier today.
October 17th, 2023 BURLINGTON, ON
Gregory Popovich advised the Performing Arts Centre yesterday that visa issues prevented the POPOVICH COMEDY PET THEATER from entering the country until 31-day background checks were completed.
In a message sent to the Performing Arts Centre Gregory Popovich said: “I would like to thank you for helping us organize the performance on October 20th. I am sad to announce that my cast and crew are faced with new border regulations that were never presented to us in the past 10 years. In respect to the new Canadian safety protocols, and new border regulations which require additional 31-day background checks regardless if persons have already been granted Canadian visa are now mandatory. Regretfully, I am forced to postpone my Canadian tour.”
October 17th, 2023 BURLINGTON, ON
We sent the following to the City’s Communications people. In the media release you sent out on the Mayor’s Budget there was the following statement: Residents and business owners were asked to share their feedback through the 2024 Budget Survey.
The response: A report will go to Council, including 2024 Budget Survey info.  A better experience. The Communications department is consistent. They appear to take the position that their job is to manage the flow of news. When it is decent, even a little on the positive side – they can’t get it out the door fast enough. We will wait and see what gets made public when it gets to Council. Earlier today the Communications people had time to put out a piece on celebrating of the changes made to the ground floor of city hall – it was going to allow residents to have a “better Experience” when they had to do business with the City.
October 17th, 2023 BURLINGTON, ON November 25th and 26th. An update on how the next leader of the Ontario Liberal Party is going to be chosen. The voting by the members will take place on November 25th and 26th.  Bonnie Crombie speaking to a meeting of the Burlington Provincial Liberal Party Association. It is being split over two days because there are a possible 80,000 ballots that will be cast. The Burlington constituency people vote on the 25th. The selection is being done by a ranked ballot approach instead of the first past the post – that being the first person to get more votes than anyone else. Ranked balloting requires each person casting to determine Who their first choice is – and if that person doesn’t get 50% + 1 then the ballots are counted again – this time using the second choice – and if none of the candidate doesn’t get the 50% +1 then they do it all over. Given that there are now just the four candidates the results will be known after the third ballot count. The ranked ballot counting will take place at the Metropolitan Convention Centre on December 2nd and will be streamed live. There are still a few decisions to be made by the Steering Committee that is handling the election. The votes were cast on either the 26th or the 27th of November – so there is nothing that can be changed.. Ranked balloting requires each person casting a ballot to determine Who their first choice is – and if that person doesn’t get 50% + 1 then the ballots are counted again – this time using the second choice – and if none of the candidate doesn’t get the 50% +1 then they do it all over. Given that there are now just the four candidates the results will be known after the third ballot count. The ranked ballot counting will take place at the Metropolitan Convention Centre on December 2nd. Ballot counting won’t be streamed live, but the on-stage programming and announcement of round-by-round results will be. Streamed on our YouTube Page (@OntarioLiberalTV) The campaign Steering Committee has said that the ballot counting method is unconfirmed at the moment, but hand-counting may become the chosen method. That would be a disaster.  Burlington Provincial Liberal Party Association Lisa Mayeski with leadership candidate Nate Erskine Smith. Given the mounting pressure on the Doug Ford government over the Greenbelt land swaps and the announcement that the RCMP decided they would do an investigation – we have a public that isn’t pleased with a government that may be facing charges of a criminal nature. All four candidates met with the members of the Burlington Provincial Liberal Association. Nate Erskine Smith did fine when he met with the constituency members but didn’t do all that well during the first of the debates. Bonnie Crombie arrived a little late at the Constituency and left hurriedly – she was booked for another meeting. Her Q&A with the Burlington people did not go all that well and has had a bumpy ride at at least one of the debates. However, she is on the road determined to cover every riding and is posting several times a day on social media.
October 16th, 2023 BURLINGTON, ON
Take the Jim Diers visit to Burlington later this month and the Food for Feedback Digital Government award the City was given – tie them together then add in the departure of the Communications Director who is no longer with the City and you get a look at how Burlington works at engagement.  Jim Diers The Food for Feedback event – there have been three of them so far -proved to be useful – at least in terms of getting people out to an event and enjoying a snack (city keep calling it a meal) for talking to city hall staff who were at stations spread around the space in front of the bandstand next to the New Street library. There were representatives from 30 different city projects. What we don’t yet know is: what did the city learn – no data to date. The former Director of Communications and Engagement, was the person who had to take council through how the event that took place in September would work. Council wasn’t convinced that Central Park was the best place to hold the event – most of them were quite keen on holding the event in their wards. Granicus Digital Government Award was given to Burlington the Food for Feedback event it holds. The City won first place in the ‘Changemaker – Community Engagement Award’ category for demonstrating a commitment to finding innovative ways to engage and support the local community. Staying with the efforts to improve upon the level of engagement with the community leads to an introduction to Jim Diers who will be in Burlington to do a presentation on October 24th at the Seniors Centre between 6 and 8 pm Diers is the man who did some incredible work in Seattle and is known is as the guy who threw a live chicken into the office of the Mayor – my kind of guy.  Denise Beard Burlington first got to know Diers when he was invited to talk to what was then the Parks and Recreation department. I am pretty sure that Denise Beard, Senior Manager, Community Development was behind that initiative. Beard really wants to nurture “community champions” who can turn a neighbourhood into a truly connected community; she adds that Burlington has many passionate people who care. We’re always looking for those who are ready and prepared to take action to make their neighbourhood into something special for everyone.”  These four lads knew that the ball park beside their school needed an upgrade – the put together a plan and earned a Matching Grant from the city. Diers was perhaps a little too strong and over the top for Burlington but he does get credit for nudging Recreation and Culture – we now have the Love My Neighbourhood Program, Community Rink Program and Community Matching Fund Program. The City of Burlington is inviting residents to attend a presentation on Oct. 24, 2023, from Jim Diers and become inspired to develop a grassroots neighbourhood strategy to build stronger communities. The event will be held at the Burlington Seniors’ Centre (2285 New St.) from 6 to 8 p.m. The event is free. Registration is not needed. This event launched in 2019 and attendance was just over 1000 people. In 2019, the event was opened up to the Mayor and Council for their participation as well. In 2022 there was a total of 634 people who participated. In 2023, that total increased to 2000. Jim Diers is a renowned and internationally acclaimed expert on building engaged, connected and caring communities. This is Jim’s third visit to the City. The Diers’ presentation will be about Neighbour Power; something that not only gives hope that participatory democracy (where individuals participate directly in political decisions and policies rather than through an elected official) is possible. He will offer real-life examples and invaluable lessons for neighbours who want to make a difference. The idea that “individuals will participate directly in political decisions and policies rather than through an elected official” would stun the many people who have delegated at City Council and got nothing in the way of response or follow up. That just isn’t the way your city hall works
I would love to be a fly on the wall to listen in on the conversation Diers could have with City Manager Tim Commisso, who might tell Diers about his suggestion that there be a “zip line” in every community. Currently, Jim teaches courses in community organizing and development at the University of Washington and serves on the faculty of the Asset-Based Community Development Institute. Jim received a BA and an honorary doctorate from Grinnell College. His work in the Department of Neighborhoods was recognized with an Innovations Award from the Kennedy School of Government. .
October 16th, 2023 BURLINGTON, ON
The following was sent out by the City Communications department. The indented portions are early observations on where the media release isn’t completely accurate with mention of projects that don’t fall into the three spending categories that Mayor has set out. Preparation for the 2024 budget is underway, with Mayor Marianne Meed Ward to present a budget focused on essentials, front line services and preparing for growth. New legislation from the Province of Ontario now requires mayors of a municipality to present a budget. That is not quite true: The Act states: There are a couple of mayors who aren’t taking the powers and one council which voted to not let their mayor take them. The Mayor of Sudbury said: “nope I won’t use it, my style is collaboration with my council. On Oct. 30, Mayor Meed Ward will be publicly releasing her proposed budget that will be presented on Thursday, Nov. 2 at the Burlington City Council meeting. This proposed budget will be broken down into three categories: 1. Essentials – This area will cover projects and items the City of Burlington must address and/or have already committed to, such as cost of inflation, necessary capital projects and infrastructure renewal. 2. Frontline Service – This area will cover enhanced services that directly improves the quality of life of Burlington residents. 3. Planning for Growth – This area will plan for and prepare for the expected increase in population, our Community Investment Plan, and allow us to catch up and prepare for the future. The purchase of the former Bateman High School would come under this category. The plans for the revitalization of Civic Square would come under Nice to Have which is not one of the three categories in the proposed budget. The same would apply to the spending plan for the Tyandaga Golf Course. In service to that, staff will be preparing its 2024 Financial Needs and Multi-Year Forecast Reference Document as part of the 2024 budget process. The Mayor will use this document to create the 2024 Proposed Budget – this is now a new provincially-legislated responsibility that cannot be delegated. Budget process and key dates Nov. 2 – Burlington City Council meeting City Council and the public will be given time to review the proposed budget and give the Mayor feedback. Nov. 6 and 7, 2023 – Council workshops Nov. 7, 2023 –Budget Telephone Town Hall Nov. 21 and 23, 2023 – Review of proposed Mayor’s 2024 budget at meeting of Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability (CSSRA) committee, with Special Council meeting to follow Participation opportunities Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward adds the following to the announcement that came out of City hall earlier today:
Quick Facts Residents and business owners were also invited to share their input at the in-person Food for Feedback engagement event in September 2023.
October 15th, 2023 BURLINGTON, ON
The presentation of the city budget which determines what you will pay in terms of taxes will be radically different this time around. A time line has been established – we set that out below. On July 1st, the Mayor of Burlington was given new powers that make the budget a document that the Mayor presents. A Mayor doesn’t get to start the ball rolling – members of Council have opportunities to put forward what they would like to see in a budget. It is a new process that hasn’t been used before. It calls for close observation.
October 15th, 2023 BURLINGTON, ON
Community Development Halton is pleased to welcome 10C Shared Space for two presentations on social finance and how nonprofits, charities, and community groups can act on the innovative possibilities that social financing offers to strength our organizations, build community wealth, and resilience.
As a non-profit founded in Guelph, Ontario in 2009, 10C Shared Space has used social financing for several projects, from piloting a learning project, to purchasing a property, to launching a community lending fund. They have activated over $3M in capital for social finance-related projects which has supported not only 10C’s sustainability, but also accelerated wide community impacts. While non-profits and charities have not typically used social financing as a tool for their work, the terminology has begun to show up in granting opportunities and messaging about the future of the non-profit sector. This year the federally supported $755 million Social Finance Fund was launched through Employment and Social Development Canada to support “charities, non-profits, social enterprises, co-operatives and other social purpose organizations to access flexible financing opportunities” for impact. In Session #1 we learned how social finance can support or dramatically change the work of our organization. Join us on ZOOM for session #2, Social Finance 201, happening on October 19, 2023, where we will work together on locally relevant ideas and solutions, surfacing questions, and opportunities specific to your work. Your organization might access social financing to:
Prepare your organization to access these opportunities. Register for Social Finance 201 today! SOCIAL FINANCE 201 CDH Members: $20 per session
October 14th, 2023 BURLINGTON, ON
That friendly rival between Burlington and Oakville at times gets a little too close to the bone. Downtown Oakville topped all global competition to be presented with the “Best Downtown Area Award” at the 29th Annual Communities in Bloom (CiB) National & International Awards held in Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo, Alberta in late September.  Oakville has always had a better downtown than Burlington; the retail choices are much more varied, appear to be a lot busier than Burlington. Oakville’s Downtown Business Improvement Area said receiving the award is not just a testimony to its beauty, but a testament to the hard work, community spirit, and sustainable practices that the community has upheld. Adrienne Gordon, Executive Director of the Downtown Business Improvement Area said: “This award is a reflection of the unwavering dedication and collaborative spirit of our community. We’re incredibly proud of what Downtown Oakville represents – a perfect blend of heritage, vibrant spaces, innovative businesses, and forward-thinking sustainability initiatives. “This recognition motivates us further to enhance our beloved downtown.” To evaluate the competition, Communities in Bloom uses a process aimed at fostering community involvement, strength, and constant enhancement. The organization, which has the motto “Growing Great Places Together”, champions environmental sustainability, green space enrichment, and heritage conservation. These efforts are geared towards augmenting the essence of municipal, residential, commercial, and institutional spaces, making cities and towns more inviting and vibrant. Susan Ellis, National Chairperson of Communities in Bloom, praised the collective strength of the communities, highlighting the resolute spirit shown during the COVID-19 pandemic.  An aerial view of where Oakville locates it Christmas Tree. “The past years have thrown at us unprecedented challenges like the global pandemic and extreme weather events,” said Ellis. “Yet, we’ve shown remarkable tenacity and resilience. 2023 is a testament to our communities’ drive to make their regions healthier, more sustainable, and thriving.” That didn’t jive with the comment a Gazette reader made asking: “Remember when Blair Lancaster claimed that Oakville downtown was dead and we all laughed? Whose downtown wins an actual prestigious award and whose downtown is being ruined day by day?” A large part of the difference between the two municipalities is geographic and where the development has been permitted. Burlington’s downtown core is where there will eventually be close to a dozen high rise pricey condominiums each taking away from the splendour that is Spencer Smith Park. The construction takes away from the comfort of being “downtown”. In the not too distant future the planned residential construction that will eventually break ground around the GO station will take some of the pressure off the downtown core and at the same time change the social demographics of the city. Oakville isn’t going to go through the upheaval Burlington is experiencing.
October 14th, 2023 BURLINGTON, ON
Those AGB cookies might be a reason to avoid this opportunity but take a chance – Frank Myers and Rolly Astrom have consistently produced first class photography – each in their own niches. Astrom did a superb series of photographs of male and female dancers. His ability to catch that poetic moment is to be appreciated and admired. Convincing the dancer to work with him is a superb example of two artists working together. Frank Meyers travels the country looking for those scenes that few were ever going to see – the grain elevator in Herbert that will never again see as much as a bushel basket of grain gets captured showing its strength and dominance over thousands of prairie grain fields. Event takes place between 2 and 4 p.m. in the Fireside Room at the Art Gallery of Burlington on Sunday the 15th of October. A chance to view the work these two men have done is a treat. But take a pass on those cookies.
October 1th, 2023 BURLINGTON, ON
Does anyone know what is going to happen to Emmas Back Porch? The fencing suggest they want to keep people away from the place.  Perhaps the most historic building in the city is behind a protective fence while the owners determine when conditions are right for re-opening. The front of the building has been cleaned up – the signs for Emmas and the Waterstreet Cookery were given a re-fresh. We get notes from people from time to time suggesting that an announcement is coming. The current owners were at one point renting out the space for private events. Within five years the north side of Old Lakeshore Road will be row of high high towers with entrances leading onto Old Lakeshore Road.  A model prepared by a developer with just one of the developments within the football – they will dwarf Emmas.
October 13th, 2023 BURLINGTON, ON
 Lakeshore Road to the north; Old Lakeshore Road to the south with Lake Ontario so close you could smell it. It is the last part of the football to be developed. Set on the western end where Martha meets Old Lakeshore Road – it was always seen is as a prime location. Owned by a Family Trust it now appears that Trinity Point, a Vaughan based developer has purchased the site.  This is the development that is planned for the east end of the football.  The only public information is a sign on a fence. They have signs up on the fencing surrounding the property announcing that something is coming soon but there’s nothing on the city web site about a development on the property. There was a time when the Waterfront Advisory Committee, had former Toronto Mayor David Crombie sitting beside then Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring telling the committee that what the city should do is create a group that would have a “couple of odd balls on it” to generate some ideas and decide what could be done with the site that had immense potential. The Crombie comment never made it out of the room – a great opportunity was lost.  It is the largest piece of land within the football. Expect to see an application for something in the 30 storey level when the application to develop is filed. Trinity Point has two developments underway in Milton. They are a well-immersed real estate developer based in Vaughan, having recently entered the real estate industry as a division of Greenpark Group. Carlo Baldassarra was born in Italy, and immigrated to Canada in 1958 at the age of 19. Less than 10 years later, in 1967, Baldassarra founded a homebuilder company, Greenpark Group along with two partners Jack Wine and Philip Rechtsman. Greenpark Group is now fully owned by Carlo and his family. The area that many people had hoped would become a model for how land could be used has become a coral for a bunch of high rise developments that will limit the view for those living on the north side of Lakeshore Road. Related news stories: David Crombie gave sound advice – city didn’t know how to listen.
October 12th, 2023 BURLINGTON, ON
 Ready to get into that classroom Beginning school is a big step for children and parents/guardians, and the Halton District School Board (HDSB) wants to make that transition as smooth as possible. In October and November, the HDSB is hosting Calling All Three-Year Olds Kindergarten Open Houses in Acton, Georgetown, Burlington, Milton and Oakville for families to learn more about making the first school experience a happy one. Future students and their families are invited to attend any of the following Kindergarten Open Houses, to be held between 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Acton: Tuesday, Oct. 17 – Robert Little Public School (41 School Ln.) Georgetown: Tuesday, Oct. 24 – Ethel Gardiner Public School (14365 Danby Rd.) Milton: Tuesday, Nov. 7 – Irma Coulson Public School (625 Sauve St.) Burlington: Tuesday, Nov. 14 – Alexander’s Public School (2223 Sutton Dr.) Oakville: Wednesday, Nov. 29 – Joshua Creek Public School (1450 Arrowhead Rd.) At the Open House, students and parents/guardians will:
Registration for Kindergarten begins in January 2024 and will be conducted in-person or virtually through the school the child will attend. Children born in 2020 can start Kindergarten in September 2024. Parents/guardians with questions about the Calling all Three-year Olds Kindergarten Open Houses can visit the Kindergarten webpage on the HDSB website (hdsb.ca). Background resources
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October 12th, 2023 BURLINGTON, ON OPINION The hiring of a new City Manager is pivotal for any municipality. The current City Manager, Tim Commisso, is due to complete his work on January 10th, 2024, expect the Mayor to keep him on as an advisor for a period of time. The City Manager, traditionally is the only person a City Council hires. He is put in place to run the administrative side of the City. Every city manager has a style, an approach to the way they do things. During a short period of time Burlington went through two city managers: Jeff Fielding followed by James Ridge. The two men were total opposites – for those who worked with both – it was quite a ride. It would be hard to find a policy, a service or a change that Jeff Fielding made that you could point to. James Ridge did his best to introduce newer approaches – the 2018 Council didn’t like much of what he attempted to do and made firing him their first order of business.
In the three or four months ahead of us Commisso will be up to his ears in working through the changes, some subtle, other much different, in the newest version of the Strategic Plan – the document that sets out to guide what gets done in a city. Burlington is at a point where it is becoming a much different city. Population growth between now and 2031 is going to sky rocket. All those new people will live, for the most part, in high rose towers. They will need services and they will put a huge strain on the roads – traffic congestion is something they will complain about for decades. Transit, which was a joke for the longest time, will become a vital service. The city has to get cars off the streets – a feat that will challenge everyone. Burlington today is married to cars – it will be a messy divorce. Tax increases will upset many – the current Mayor is a spender, living with the belief that all those high rise towers will result in the money just rolling in – give the city a decade and there won’t be any financial problems. Maybe, spending money that you don’t have and doing so with the belief that it is on the way is not the definition for fiscal prudence. The fundamentals of finance are not the current Mayor’s strong point. Getting her way is something she has managed to do quite well. When she came into office she had a Council with five people who were newbies. They now know where the washrooms are and each has developed a style and a way of doing things. Not much in the way of collegiality with this lot. Two of the five think the Chain of Office is something they might get to wear. Maybe.  Which Brant Street do you want? You are going to get something close to what the graphic suggests.
The budget that will be presented to the public later this year will have some input from Council – but it will be the Mayor’s Budget. The City Manager that is hired might end up being what Mayor Meed Ward decides is best for the city Burlington is going through massive changes with nowhere near enough engagement with the citizens. Challenging times indeed. Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
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How many feedback comments were there?
Jim Diers is credited for creating a direct-action neighbourhood association, a community development corporation, a community foundation, and the nation’s largest health care cooperative. He was appointed the first director of Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods in 1988 where he served under three mayors over a period of next 14 years.
By Pepper Parr
“As part of new Provincial legislation, I will present a proposed 2024 budget to Council prioritizing the long-term needs of our city based on essentials, frontline services, and growth-planning. I believe these are the priorities of Council, City staff and our community. I will be seeking input from the public and Council on the proposed budget and making modifications as needed. This year’s budget process may look a little different, due to the new legislation, but what will be the same is that we will still have a budget reflective of the City’s and community’s needs, proposed amendments from Council members, and multiple opportunities for the community to engage and provide their feedback. Our budget process has always been subject to revisions and amendments, and public input – and that will not change. I encourage everyone in our community to participate in the budget process and provide their feedback.”
Purchase property or land necessary for your work
Tim Commisso’s legacy will be radically different.
Now that she has Strong Mayor powers Marianne Meed Ward doesn’t have to listen as much to the other members of Council on what can only be described as a fractious group of people serving as a City Council. They do nice nice talk talk during the public sessions – but there are struggles that are for the most part kept out of sight.
Visit the 1Win website in its official capacity;
Inspired by Chanie’s story and Gord’s call to build a better Canada, the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund aims to build cultural understanding and create a path toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Our goal is to improve the lives of Indigenous people by building awareness, education, and connections between all peoples in Canada.
The Our Halton series uses 2021 Census data to highlight the changing socio-demographic characteristics of Halton Region. 
One wanted to set a date now so that people could block out the dates.