 By John MacDairmid
February 19th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
We are still here – find out why
On Tuesday, February 14th, Burlington City Council took more steps towards improving the accessibility and attractiveness of our transportation systems in three areas: cycling & walking, transit, and improved use of public space.
 John MacDairmid delegating at city council Thanks to our advocacy, council approved a $500,000 dedicated fund for active transportation. We noted in our deputation that the council-approved cycling master plan was underfunded by tens of millions of dollars. We pointed out the existence of funds that would provide a higher impact per dollar via improved cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, which council had previously identified as a priority. We would like to thank Councillor Rory Nisan for making the motion to create this fund. This investment is a good first step towards properly funding cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, and creating a healthy and safe city.
In the near future, those aged 13-19 will be able to ride on Burlington Transit for free on evenings and weekends. This improvement, brought forward by Councillor Rory Nisan, will make transit a more attractive option for youth, increase ridership, and help to create transportation habits that the younger generation can carry into the future. We as an organization will continue to push for improvements in our transit system. One of the improvements we will continue to push for is a partnership that we have proposed between council and our local school boards. This proposed partnership would educate students on how to use transit, proper transit etiquette, and the social/environmental/economic positives of using the system.
Lastly, council has approved $100k in funding for open streets initiatives. This program will help local community groups to open their streets for programs and events, making them more accessible to people. Examples include the Appleby Line
Street Festival and the pedestrianization of Brant Street during events such as The Sound of Music. This reimagining of our public spaces will encourage passive physical activity, and increase social cohesion in our communities. We would like to thank Councillors Rory Nisan and Lisa Kearns for bringing this program forward.
We thank council for its commitment to active transportation and transit, and for showing everyone that this is a council that “puts their money where their mouth is”.
John MacDairmid is a resident of ward 4
 By Staff
February 18th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Community groups looking to provide free activities, programs or events to Burlington residents can book a free Community Hub.
The activities or events can be on-going or a one-time opportunity that enhance community connections. To qualify for free use, programs and activities must be at no cost to participants.
This could include training, community meetings, support groups, clubs, gatherings, cultural activities or other neighbourhood programs.
The cost of insurance will also be covered.
Businesses, for-profits, socials or any program that generates money or future businesses can rent the space at regular rates plus the cost of insurance.
Orchard Hub – NEW
2400 Sutton Dr., Burlington, in St. Christopher’s Catholic Elementary School
• Capacity: 40 people
• Casual seating, kitchenette, fridge, microwave, washroom, projector and screen
• There will be no staff on site, and renters are required to set up and clean up the room
A community open house drop-in at the Orchard Hub is scheduled for Feb. 23 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Orchard residents and program providers are welcome to attend.
 Haber Hub
3040 Tim Dobbie Dr., Burlington in the Haber Community Centre.
Size of space, features and amenities include:
• Capacity: 15-20 people
• Two sinks and ample cabinet space
• Tables and chairs
Groups looking to learn more about the space can arrange a tour via email communityconnects@burlington.ca. Groups booking a Community Hub must complete the application form with a short summary of the details for intended use.
Emilie Cote, Director of Recreation, Community and Culture explained the program:
“There are many great, local community groups who would like to provide programming or hold events but need a bigger space or don’t always have the money to pay for a rental. The City is proud to offer two free Community Hubs to make these neighbourhood connections possible. A Community Hub can provide a chance for groups to connect people for fun, engagement or learning opportunities.”
Links and Resources
www.burlington.ca/communityhub
Burlington is now offering Community Hubs at two locations for free community-led activities.
 Official ribbon cutting with (Left to right): Adrian Bates, Adam Shaw, Jennifer Spence, Effie Triantafilopoulos, MPP Oakville North – Burlington, Councillor Paul Sharman, Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, Lew Phillips, Emilie Cote, Wayne Ireland, White Eagle, San Kassiedass, Denise Beard, Lisa Crapsi
 By Pepper Parr
February 18th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
The report of the Commission of Inquiry into last year’s imposition of Canada’s Emergencies Act was tabled this past Thursday. As most people expected Justin Trudeau was vindicated for invoking the legislation. His government had met the high bar required to trigger the Act.
 Demonstrators faced off with police every chance they had – and they had weeks of going toe to toe with police. Moreover as the Commissioner noted…”I determined that the measures taken by the federal government were, for the most part, appropriate and effective, and contributed to bringing a return to order without loss of life or serious injury to people or property.”
Most Canadians supported the government action so they will be relieved that this chapter is now all over and relegated to history. That is except for the 122 people who had a total of 393 charges laid against them for assault and other criminal offences. And then there are those stuck with the clean-up bill. Still, most of the occupiers escaped without so much as a parking ticket. Most of them who had been blocking traffic and jeopardizing public safety with their illegal gas cans and barbecues, just went home.
The Conservative ‘PM in-waiting’, Pierre Poilievre blamed the occupation in Ottawa on Justin Trudeau. He claimed that Trudeau had inflamed the occupiers by referring to them as a ‘fringe’ group. Trudeau sort of apologized for his undiplomatic use of language, though this was indeed a fringe group. If anything it was Poilievre himself who kept the flames of occupation burning by encouraging the occupiers, taking selfies and defending the occupation.
This was never a peaceful protest, unless blocking streets, terrorizing neighbourhoods, polluting the air with diesel exhaust, blaring their horns, and urinating on people’s lawns and war monuments could be considered peaceful. It was an unruly mob hoping to overthrow a sitting government. It was an insurrection in the making, which failed from lack of leadership and purpose, despite the assistance of some skilled ex-military and police sympathizers.
This was never about vaccine mandates for truckers at border crossings. Even if Canada had dropped its mandate the truckers would have faced the same requirement by the Americans. This was an angry mob taking out their personal frustration with two years of COVID, and for some their unfulfilled dreams of more oil pipelines, on the federal government.
It was the kind of vendetta one might expect of spoilt children being denied their regular playtime. Though they lacked a unified leadership, several occupiers presented themselves as spokespeople. And while the leadership may have included some hard core right-wingers, there were, no doubt, others just along for the ride and the excitement of it all.
 Trucks came from across the country – cheered at highway over passes as the headed to the Capitol. It is unlikely that any of these folks supported the Liberals, judging from the number of elegant ‘Fuck Trudeau’ signs stuck on the side of so many trucks. Clearly these occupiers supported the other team, the other tribe. And their love was reciprocated when Tory House leader Candice Bergen advocated against asking them to leave. Make no mistake, this was a partisan mob with a partisan mission.
The Emergencies Act might not have had to be used, the Inquiry concluded, had Ontario’s Premier done his job. While the truckers were building their barricades opposite the nation’s parliament building, Doug Ford was off snowmobiling somewhere hundreds of kilometres away. It was as if he was in denial, refusing to attend the meetings in Ottawa and even later refusing to testify at the Inquiry.
In Ontario, municipalities are children of the province, Ford had no problem arbitrarily overriding his municipalities whenever he wanted to. He trashed and slashed the size of Toronto’s elected council only days before an election. He barred municipalities from using ranked balloting; banned them adding development charges to new development, and so on.
But when it came to the security of the people of Ottawa, his government hardly raised a finger, leaving the dysfunctional Ottawa police service to fail all on their own, and leaving the job of restoring civil order to the federal government. The Emergencies Act should never have had to be invoked but for inaction by the province.
Was Ford just being partisan, under pressure from his federal party cousins to let the occupation run its course? According to interim Tory leader Bergen that would put the issue on the PM’s plate – and possibly embarrass him as an impotent figure head if he did nothing. Ford did, to his credit, eventually come out to support the federal government and the Emergencies Act. But the question is why, after he had declared a provincial emergency, he didn’t use his powers to get the OPP tactical squad to end the blockade and occupation?
 The traffic in the core of downtown Ottawa was frozen – nothing moved and people felt at risk. This occupation in Ottawa had clearly been inspired by the insurrection in Washington only a few months earlier. And it had been partially funded by some of the same folks involved in that mischief. While the Ottawa mob didn’t actually get into the Parliament buildings, they had come with a manifesto to overthrow the government and set up one under their control.
The parallels to what happened south of the border are too obvious to ignore. It’s a sad comment on our democracy when groups of people who can’t win at the ballot box choose instead the path of violence and terrorism. Partisan politics should never get in the way of overriding respect for our democratic values.
This occupation may have eventually concluded on its own and everyone gone home with just their mess left behind them. Or it may have ended up much worse with scenes like we saw at the US Capitol. We should all take a moment to consider how close we really came.
 Ray Rivers, a Gazette Contributing Editor, writes regularly applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was once a candidate for provincial office in Burlington. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Ray has a post graduate degree in economics that he earned at the University of Ottawa. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links:
Emergency Act Inquiry
Gazette Article on Ottawa Occupation
Candice Bergen Against Asking Occupiers to Leave
 By Pepper Parr
February 18th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
We are still here: learn why
We all have personal interests. Things that we spend time on and are always wanting to know more about.
The armed services attract a lot of people.
 These were the ships that fought the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest naval battle in history. Shown here is HMCS Haida, currently tied up in Hamilton. My interest is in ships, I can’t watch enough on YouTube about different battles at sea that turned out to be turning point in a war.
I served on HMCS Haida – my first visit to Hamilton was when I arrived by train and marched from the train station to HMCS Star for a summer of training. Little did I know then that I would eventually live close to Hamilton.
The War Plane Museum at the Hamilton Airport has an offering that many who are air plane fans – the kind of people who drive out to airports to watch aircraft take off and land – will want to know more about.
It is called CASPIR – you might want to check it out.
By Pepper Parr
February 17th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
The pandemic hurt everyone – and the province realized that relief was needed everywhere it was possible to provide some relief.
In 2020, the province-wide property assessment update was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 The assessed value of your property was kept at the 2020 value – bit of a break on your tax bill
As part of the Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review on November 4, 2021, the Province announced its decision to again postpone the assessment update. Property assessments for the 2023 property tax year continue to be based on January 1, 2016 assessed values.
No announcement has been made about when the next property assessment update will take place.
MPAC – Municipal Property Assessment Corporation continues to maintain an inventory of all properties and account for changes that happen each year in every property sector, across the province.
The ongoing postponement does not change the work we do to maintain the extensive property database and annual assessment rolls.
 By Staff
February 17th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Those who spend time paying close attention to local politics are getting more involved.
The Burlington Association has planned a series of Town Hall type events, the first of which will take place on Saturday the 25th.
The association is reported to have 2800 members. A Director of the association added that the significant increase in the membership was the result of the recent leadership contest that made Pierre Poilievre the leader of the party.
The EXECUTIVE: Debbie Sova – President / CEO; – Vice President: Chris Cottingham – Secretary: Robert Whittaker – Financial Agent: Jackson Carter – Executive Director: Laurie Allan – Executive Director: Nathan Zych – Executive Director: Marilyn Hunter – Past President
DIRECTORS: Wayne Brown, Norman Cheng, David Cherry, Connor Clark, Edward Dinca, Dennis Downs, Colette Ertel, Mark Fedak, Ron Finnigan, Camila Gutierrez, Dani Heroux, Kassia McLaren, Tamanna Prashar, Cailin Rodgers, Wayne Shiplo, Lorne Stewart, Christine Wei, Stephen White, Stephen Wishart, Charles Zach
Candidate of Record: Emily Brown
The association is not just a get out the vote operation – they take part in community events and have laid claim to a part of a part of Appleby Line, north of Harvester Road that they Clean up every year – been doing it since 2005.
 They have held Pints and Politics events as well as a Christmas Party.
This past few years they have held fund raising events for the Ukrainian community.
The Town Hall events are part of an initiative to raise issues that impact people directly and personally. Rental rates in Burlington are hurting people and there is no relief in sight. The federal government is bringing in more than 400,000 immigrants each year for a number of years. Those people are needed to fill the jobs that are being created – the down side is the housing they need just isn’t in place yet.
 By Pepper Parr
February 17th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
The tax increase is 7.52
It is made up of:
• City 6.34%
• Region of Halton 1.18%
• Boards of Education 0.0%
Included is an Infrastructure levy. The City’s approved an Asset Management Financing Plan, that continues to include a dedicated infrastructure levy to address the renewal of the city’s $5.2 billion of assets. The 2023 Budget includes $3,065,000 equivalent to 0.79% of the total tax increase.
As for the 2022 surplus – we are going to have to wait for that number. Traditionally the figure is made public during the budget debates and usually included as motion as to where the surplus would be placed. Some time ago there was a surplus in access of $9 million – the result of staff gapping. The city manager who let that happen ‘vacated’ his office.
 Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns did try to run a tight budget meeting – her efforts were lost when the recommendation got to Council. During the budget debate we did learn that the Tax Stabilization Reserve was very low – again no number was made public – other than to hear Budget Chair Lisa Kearns say that that reserve had been raided too often and needed to be replenished.
Staff will be reporting to the March 29th CSSRA meeting with the 2022 Operating Budget Performance including the year-end financial position.
There were two consistent features in the way city council decided how they wanted to spend the taxes they expect to collect in the 2023 fiscal year.
(1) During the budget debates they couldn’t find a way to reduce the 7.08% tax increase that Staff said was necessary to continue delivering the services people expected. Council went in the other direction and added – pushing the tax increases to 7.52% – and said publicly that the same level of increase could be expected in the 2024 fiscal year.
(2) The debates part of the budget decision was a sloppy meeting that was rushed. Three days were set aside for the budget debate. This Council pushed and pushed to get it all done in a single day. They got a little “punch drunk” in the final hours and managed to vote on motions that had yet to be put before the public. The information normally appears on a screen after which the Chair asks the Clerk to call a vote.
Council was in the process of voting when the information appeared on the screen. It didn’t stay there very long.
The council vote to accept the committee recommendation said very little about the numbers they were presented with. They all focused on a “patting of the back” exercise. Staff that put the budget together deserved to be congratulated as did the City Manager and the Treasurer who are now going to have to make it all work
Translating the budget number into the tax a resident would have to pay based on the assessed value of the property was not made public during the Council meeting either.
Rough shod is an apt description of the performance.
There are three items for which funds were sought and approved that need a closer look. The Gazette will work at getting that information to its readers.
 By Pepper Parr
February 17th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
No matter how you look at it – it is going to be tight.
While the public hasn’t been told all that much about the work that has to be done to get the asbestos out of the Bateman High School site – the information we have is that this is not an easy job.
In a statement from Brock University they said:
 The name of the University is on the rendering of the building – when students attend classes in the building is about as certain as the picture. “Brock University is excited about its future presence in Burlington. This is a multi-year project that will begin with a relocation to the former Lester B. Pearson High School beginning this fall. The University is working closely with the City of Burlington on requirements for the new campus located at the former Bateman High School as they redevelop the site.”
So students will attend classes at the Lester B. Pearson High School for a year, starting this fall, September of 2023, expecting to be in their new home for September of 2024.
That will be a stretch that will be closely watched by an anxious and disturbed public that thinks the city has been too tight lipped during the process of buying the property and financially irresponsible with the funds tax payers have entrusted them with.
Related news story:
Just what do we know about the asbestos problem at Bateman
 By Pepper Parr
February 17th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
 Spiderman – Erin Sauder’s favourite face painting The city has all kind of establishments spread throughout the city – there is certainly enough to do.
The Port House, tucked inside the Waterfront Hotel, has taken a different approach to attracting people who may not have been around for a while.
Erin Sauder, a graphic artist who uses the human body as her canvas will be at the Port House this evening along with an assistant.
 Feather designs: examples of what might be used at the Body Painting event this evening at the Port House Social Bar Erin’s body painting is several steps beyond what gets done at the traditional childrens’ birthday party.
Have a look!
The Port House event is the first of this type of event for Erin. She got her start when she was helping her Mother at an event where she was responsible for handling the Bouncy Castle at a childrens’ event. The person who was going to do the Face Painting didn’t show up – so there was Erin with a small paint brush.
Things grew from there.
A graduate of Niagara College Erin uses black lights and glow stick to make what is seen by most as a kids party event an adult event. She has earned a living as a body painting artist for the past 12 years.
Some people are going to go home looking a lot different than they did when they arrived at the Port House.
By Ray Rivers
February 16th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
We are still here – find out why
What Canadians need to ask their provincial and territorial governments is why they need more federal dollars for health care. Most provinces ran a budgetary surplus last year while the federal government still had a massive deficit.
For example, Ontario’s system is in crisis mode, yet the government is sitting on a $2 billion surplus from last year. According to the new leader of the NDP, ”…Ford is on track to leave almost $20 billion on the table, deliberately under-spending on health care, education, and justice – services that are vital to Ontarians.”
 Prime Minister with all the Premiers haggling over how much money was going to be put into health care. It a sad and dangerous game. Like a dog in a manger, the provinces claim constitutional responsibility for managing the health sector, yet they starve it into near ruin. And then go cap in hand begging for more federal money. The consequence is that Canadians, once proud of our health care system, are rapidly beginning to see the systems as a failure. And that may have been the strategy all along.
 A photo op – is this anything more than that? It is as if the provincial governments are deliberately running down our health systems so they can turn over much more to private for-profit operators. And since that will just drive up health costs even more, user fees may be just around the corner. In other words… the end of universal health care and the adoption of something akin to the more costly and inequitable US model.
Part of the problem is that health care is just another budget item in another provincial ministry competing with all those other government priorities, such as that sexy highway-to-nowhere that Mr. Ford wants to build. And being the single biggest budget item, it becomes an easy target for the bean counters and those political leaders who are ideologically opposed to the idea of socialized health care anyway.
 Coyne: even as spending has increased over the years to its highest levels ever, wait times and other measures of efficiency have worsened. Andrew Coyne, who writes a column in the Globe and Mail, recently suggested something to the effect that the federal government, rather than giving the provinces more money, should actually cut funding to zero. If I understand his ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’ argument correctly, cutting federal funding would force the provinces to reform health care instead of looking to blame someone else for their incompetence.
Coyne notes that even as spending has increased over the years to its highest levels ever, wait times and other measures of efficiency have worsened. The government’s pet excuse is that the generation of aging baby boomers requires more care. While there is some truth to that, the fact is that the average age of Canadians, which hovers around 40 years has barely changed over the last few years. And even the pandemic has receded.
Canada’s universal health care system was born in the late 1960’s as a 50/50 sharing arrangement between the two orders of government. That changed when Paul Martin in the 90’s became a hero to fiscal conservatives by finally ending the long string of federal deficits. But in order to do that he cut provincial health transfers through some slight-of-hand which reduced the fed’s ante to more like 20%.
Coyne’s proposal is intriguing, but without the funding ‘carrot’ the federal government would have no way to enforce the Canada Health Act. And that means that those provinces like Alberta, Ontario and even Saskatchewan, the very birthplace of socialized health care, would be free to just check out of universal health care and go straight to the extra billing model. Federal funding is the glue that keeps the provinces in line and the Canada Health Act alive.
So, given little choice, Mr. Trudeau has been forced to do what the provinces have been demanding, and offer another $46 billion over the next decade. But Coyne is right that giving more money will just forestall reform, especially if that money doesn’t go into areas the federal government has requested. Meanwhile the provincial governments grumble that it’s not enough but will take it anyway. They know they’ve won the game, but good luck to federal demands for greater accountability.
In the case of Ontario and Alberta, the new money will just be used to top up payments for the new private for-profit health care operators and more costly contracted nurses. Or it’ll be repackaged and channelled into some other project. And wait times and hospital crowding will only get worse.
Ray Rivers, a Gazette Contributing Editor, writes regularly applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was once a candidate for provincial office in Burlington. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Ray has a post graduate degree in economics that he earned at the University of Ottawa. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links:
Under Funding –
Provinces Richer than Ever –
Tax Points –
Federal Transfer Payments –
Coyne’s Proposal –
By Staff
February 16, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
We are still here – find out why
Conservation Halton welcomes the sweetest time of the year with the return of Maple Season programs at Mountsberg and Crawford Lake.
Starting March 4th, guests can visit the 150-year-old sugarbush at Mountsberg’s Maple Town and see how sap tapped from the maple trees is transformed into maple syrup or explore Crawford Lake to learn more about the Indigenous origins of maple sugaring. Maple Season programs are offered on weekends, holidays, and March Break until April 9th.
Mountsberg will be home to two programs as part of Conservation Halton’s Maple Season: Maple Town and the Sugarmaker’s Breakfast.
 Maple syrup is almost as Canadian as hockey. The Sugarmaker’s Breakfast is a truly unique, and exclusive event, offered only on February 25th and 26th, where you can help kick off the start of Maple Season. The two-hour experience includes a wagon ride, a maple syrup-tasting flight, maple taffy on snow, a guided tour, and, of course, a delicious pancake breakfast by the wood stove. Guests of the Sugarmaker’s breakfast will also have the rare opportunity to tap one of the park’s 150-year-old sugar maples and hang their own pails to begin collecting crystal-clear sap.
 You can almost taste these pancakes The second program offered at Mountsberg, Maple Town, is a family favourite tradition. Through independent exploration and guided exhibits throughout the sugarbush, visitors can witness maple sap transformed into syrup in the evaporator, warm up by a fireside lounge, or let the kids run wild on the natural playground. Satisfy sweet cravings with maple sugar candy samples, maple syrup drizzled pancakes at the Pancake Pavilion, and other maple products available to try throughout the day or take home from the Country Store retail shop.
Visitors can add a horse-drawn wagon ride to their visit for a truly unforgettable experience. Maple Town visitors are welcome to explore Mountsberg’s trails, historical sites, and the animal barn and Raptor Centre. Those who want to get up close and personal with the Mountsberg resident birds of prey can add the Talons and Tailfeathers experience to their visit.
 A perfect family event. Maple Season also includes a third program called Sweetwater Season, hosted at Crawford Lake. This experience focuses on the Indigenous heritage of maple sugaring and features the First Harvest: Celebrating Sweetwater exhibit. Visitors can take a step back in time to the 15th-century site when maple sugaring was the first harvest of the year. Sweetwater demonstrations will run throughout the day where guests can gather by the fire and learn all about the history of maple sugar making. There will also be guided maple syrup-tasting flights offered where you can try different grades of maple syrup, similar to a wine tasting.
“We always get excited about Maple Season at Conservation Halton, and we are even more pleased to offer the programs in their original format this year,” said Brenna Bartley, Education Manager at Conservation Halton “With over 600 maple trees, Mountsberg’s sugarbush has been producing maple syrup for over 150 years and educating the public for over 40 years. We see people come back to this event year after year and we’re proud to have become a part of so many families’ annual traditions. We love offering multiple programs for our visitors to enjoy a fun and educational experience whether they participate in Maple Season at Maple Town or Sweetwater Season.”
For tickets, pricing, and details about Maple Season, visit conservationhalton.ca/MapleSeason
Conservation Halton is the community based environmental agency that protects, restores, and manages the natural resources in its watershed. The organization has staff that includes ecologists, land use planners, engineers, foresters and educators, along with a network of volunteers, who are guided by a Board of Directors comprised of municipally elected and appointed citizens. Conservation Halton is recognized for its stewardship of creeks, forests and Niagara Escarpment lands through science-based programs and services.
By Staff
February 16th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
We are still here – find out why.
Rents are not coming down -and there is yet to be much in the way of a pattern.
Dismal describes what people are up against.
The latest National Rent Report:
The average listed rent for all property types in Canada rose 10.7 per cent year over year in January, the ninth straight month for double-digit increases, according to the Rentals.ca and Urbanation latest National Rent Report.*
 The average listed rent for all property types was $1,996 in January, decreasing 0.5 per cent from December after averaging above $2,000 during the previous two months.
Compared to the pre-pandemic average rent in January 2020 of $1,823, rents in Canada increased 9.5 per cent, equal to an average annual increase of 3.2 per cent during the three-year period.
Toronto finished second on the list of 35 cities for average monthly rent in January for a one-bedroom at $2,458 and second for average monthly rent for a two-bedroom at $3,227.
Year over year, average monthly rent in January for a one-bedroom in Toronto was up 20.8 per cent and up 17.2 per cent for a two-bedroom.
Burlington came in fifth on the list of 35 cities for average monthly rent in January for a one-bedroom at $2,210 and eighth for average monthly rent for a two-bedroom at $2,519.
Year over year, average monthly rent in January for a one-bedroom in Burlington was up 17.9 per cent and up 10.3 per cent for a two-bedroom.
Among Canada’s six largest rental markets, Toronto condo rental and apartment rents increased 20.8 per cent annually in January. Vancouver and Calgary had the highest increases in average rent for condominium rentals and apartments in January, with annual growth of 22.9 per cent and 22.7 per cent, respectively.
Among 20 medium-sized cities and areas in Canada, seven GTA rental markets recorded the highest average annual rent increases for condo rentals and apartments in January: Brampton with the highest increase up 25.1 per cent; Mississauga up 19.3 per cent; Etobicoke up 17.5 per cent; Vaughan up 14.6 per cent; Oakville up 14.4 per cent Burlington up 14.3 per cent and Scarborough up 13.5 per cent.
Shaun Hildebrand, president of Urbanation said: The Canadian rental market started 2023 where it ended in 2022, posting sharp annual rent growth amid low supply and quickly rising demand. Outside of Toronto, rent increases are becoming more acute in markets in BC and Alberta, which are experiencing relatively strong rates of population growth.
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*The National Rent Report charts and analyzes monthly, quarterly and annual rates and trends in the rental market on a national, provincial, and municipal level.
 By Staff
February 16th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
We are still here – find out why
If you are making travel plans for the Family Day long weekend or March Break – Be sure to take precautions to prevent illness before you take a trip and while you’re away.
“No one wants to spend their vacation in a hospital in another country, so we encourage everyone to follow some easy steps to avoid getting sick,” says Dr. Sunita Goel, Burlington family physician and co- lead of the Burlington Community Physician Council (BCPC) to the Burlington Ontario Health Team (BOHT).
 “Remember to wear a mask, wash your hands often, cough or sneeze into your elbow, don’t touch your face, and disinfect surfaces. It’s helpful to carry with you medications such as Tylenol, Advil, Gravol, Immodium, Pedialyte or Gastrolyte.”
If you’re travelling internationally, be sure to check Health Canada’s Travel Health Notices.
Even when staying close to home, it’s important to take steps to safeguard your health, such as staying up-to-date with routine and seasonal vaccinations, disinfecting your hands often and wearing a mask in crowded, public indoor spaces like sports venues.
 Dr. Joe Cherian, Chief of Emergency Medicine Burlington and surrounding communities continue to experience a high level of respiratory viruses such as COVID-19 and influenza. Stay home if you’re feeling unwell and know your health care options before coming to the hospital, says Dr. Joe Cherian, Chief of Emergency Medicine at Joseph Brant Hospital.
“If you need care for an ongoing illness, need a prescription refill, or have questions about your health care, these are all things that you should be talking to your family doctor about,” he said. You can also call Health811 (TTY: 1-866-797-0007) or go to www.Ontario.ca/Health811.
“If you’re feeling very unwell and experiencing severe symptoms – such as severe chest pain and weakness, difficulty breathing, losing consciousness – you should call 911 or go to the Emergency Department,” he said.
About Joseph Brant Hospital
Joseph Brant Hospital (JBH) is a full-service community teaching hospital located in the growing and thriving community of Burlington, Ontario, serving more than 185,000 residents in Halton, Hamilton, Waterdown, Flamborough, Milton and Stoney Creek. It is honoured to be recognized as one of Hamilton Niagara’s Top Employers for eight consecutive years, with a skilled staff of 194 physicians, 1,911 full- and part-time staff and more than 200 volunteers.
JBH is a Clinical Education site in conjunction with McMaster University, and designated as an Academic Community Teaching Hospital. Its expanded campus includes the state-of-art Michael Lee-Chin & Family Patient Tower, featuring a new Emergency Department, 172 acute inpatient beds, 9 new Operating Rooms and post-anaesthetic care unit to support expanded medical, surgical and outpatient services.
JBH is also a partner member of the Burlington Ontario Health Team.
The Burlington Ontario Health Team (BOHT) is a collaboration of health and social service providers who work together to provide integrated services and supports to meet the healthcare needs of residents in Burlington and surrounding communities. A total of 36 local healthcare organizations support the BOHT as members and collaborators.
As one of the first Ontario Health Teams that the Government of Ontario announced in 2019, the BOHT’s goal is to improve access to care, support prevention of chronic illnesses, and ensure clients have seamless transitions among healthcare and social service providers. At the centre of this new model of care is the patient-primary care provider, the most enduring relationship established within the healthcare system.
By Pepper Parr
February 16th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
We are still here – find out why.
City Council was in session for a solid seven hours not including the breaks on Tuesday.
There were a lot of questions, more than enough posturing but not a word in the way of changing the budget that came as recommended from the Standing Committee.
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward The tax rate that was voted on works out to $60.31 per $100,000 of Current Value Assessment (CVA)
There is a tax levy that will be applied to the repair and replacement of the infrastructure. There was no mention of just how much that is.
There is usually a surplus in spending from the previous year that gets placed in the Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve – the amount of the surplus was not made public.
We will chase those down for you
The motion they were to vote on was split into three separate votes. The first is on the operating budget. The second is on the capital budget and the third is related to assessment growth and how they will deal with it if it is lower than expected.
The Mayor asked if there any outstanding questions; none they moved on to comments from the Councillors before the actual vote.
Councillor Sharman, who is also the Deputy Mayor of Strategy and Budgets. Go ahead and kick us off on comments.
 Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman “Thank you very much. I’ll be brief – I guess. I’ve been reflecting on what occurred in our budget discussions, and I realized that this is a step on the journey we’ve been on and we’ve got a long way to go yet. The sophistication that we’ve added to the budgeting system in the course of the last number of years, has led us to a point where we have a long term strategic plan or a vision as we call it.
“We have an operating plan, which we call vision to focus. And those pieces should fit together well and we need to improve that but then what we have to add to that as a costing of our official operating plan B to F and that means we are doing the budget every day of our lives from now on, because by the time we get to a budget discussion this time next year, that should not be any unknowns, we should not be having any random motions.
“They should already be dealt with. The only place where we just have a motion is where there’s clearly something missed in the budget. And I won’t get into the examples because that leads to a longer debate. But when there’s something that that has come up recently, more recently in the deliberation, then the deliberations of staff that allow that we have a reason good reason to address it. And we did that in this last budget. But we need to get discipline into this process. And we need to be alert to the fact that it is the long term that matters and that we constantly have to be thinking about financing of everything we do and we have to make our priority decisions based on the resources available to us.”
 Ward 6 Councillor Angelo Bentivegna Councillor Benevento
“My thought my thought process reviewing this budget had to do, we’re trying to balance.
“I guess from a personal standpoint, what I believed we needed now and massaging some of the rightful business cases that into the 2020 Ford budget which we know is coming later this year. Our city’s simulated budget over the next few years, we know it’s going to be challenging. That will remain to be seen when we all are aware that there are financial analysts out there who are predicting inflation to drop in 2023 to about 3% and 2% in 2024.
“So I thought that this might have been a great opportunity to balance some of the shortfall without kicking the can down the road.
“Unfortunately, for me, my motions did not pass and that’s okay. I am disappointed, but I respect the process and the discussions that we had. I would like to say that a 730 page budget book is not an easy document to review, which makes our decisions very difficult. It’s very short period of time.
“We’re not the operators, and we’re not accountants. And that’s what makes it very, very difficult for us. “We do live in a great city. We do have great services, and we have great staff. No one, including myself, wants to see any less services than we have. Having said that, I believe we need to look at our process a little bit when it comes to budgets.
“I mentioned, during the budget discussions, that I will be bringing forward a motion at an upcoming committee meeting that will direct the CFO to prepare a 2024 budget to limit the overall tax increase percentage without reducing any existing service levels. That’s how we do it at the region. And we’ll see why we can’t figure out a way to do it here in the city.”
 Ward 3 Councillor Rory Nisan Counsellor at Nissan
“It’s been a tough budget. Very tough; it’s been tough across the province.
“Burlington has added dollars to key elements: bylaw, human resources and other areas. There was a strong justification given for every single item. I tried to find places to cut and in the end, I could only find one spot where I thought maybe we could, and even then a pretty strong justification was made.
“And here’s the hard fact: we are already lean in Burlington. Our taxes are lower than other local jurisdictions. We have been very, very lean. We can’t reduce taxes without reducing service levels We are building the city of the future while trying to reduce tax increases.
“We are being very responsible through a tough budget and yeah, kudos we’ve been doing for several years now. Active Transportation, I really appreciate my colleagues support for that.
“And Safe Streets. These are things that we all agree on. And so there’s been some really smart amendments, very strategic focus, and there’s just there’s nothing there’s no excess here. There’s just nothing left. And so that’s because of the hard work of our staff. A lot of good work here.
Councillor Kearns: “Are we making all of our budget comments under the operation? Are we waiting to the end?
Mayor: “If you have separate comments on capital and the disposition of the assessment you would make those under those two but operating is kind of the big one. Feel free to make it now.
“I’m humbled also to share on the approval of our budget for the coming year. It has been a difficult and challenging process as the pressure to manage our expenses and prioritize services has been immense. I really emphasize that immense part. Incredible work has been done with diligence and scrutiny. At the heart of our community are our residents and it’s with their future in mind that we’ve crafted this budget. We’ve worked tirelessly to ensure that essential services such as public safety customer excellence, quality of life, infrastructure, maintenance and development management will remain in front and center of our fiscal outlook. We understand that this is a time of economic difficulty for many families. That is why we also are empathetic to those who need assistance during these trying times and also have relief programs subject to availability, eligibility available through a finance department.
 “There’s been tension with stakeholders and staff to drill down into further savings and cost avoidance initiatives. I’ve scrubbed this budget to little avail of further relief, and it has been significant underfunding, part of which we all have an accountability to and this budget strikes a commitment to do better and we will together Furthermore, we are focusing on environmental sustainability initiatives and livability. So we can ensure a healthy future not only for the Burlington residents of today, but for generations to come.
“It’s quite incredible to be part of a generational shift and to make these investments for generations to come. We plan on investing in energy projects over the next few years exploring creative opportunities through culture building, expanding public transit options, investing in green infrastructure improvements for the city and implementing new programs aimed at delivering transformational digital solutions. It’s our belief that by pursuing these initiatives, not only will the citizens of Burlington benefit now, but they’ll continue to reap the rewards well into the future.
“As always, it remains our priority to provide safe communities where people can flourish and take part in creating vibrant neighborhoods to reflect our collective values and objectives. With this budget in place, we believe that these goals can be achieved over time with consistent effort from local leaders and stakeholders like I want to thank everyone who has been involved in this process and for taking part in these important decisions along the way.”
 Councillor Galbraith
“This was a very challenging budget. You know, we’ve definitely heard some feedback from the residents about the number and it’s not easy to swallow. But, you know, I think we did a lot of work along the way in the past year towards this budget. Improving bylaw departments approving purchasing our largest community center at budget time, we need to fund those.
“We can’t pull the funding at budget time for things we’ve already approved and all agreed to support. It just doesn’t work. We need to fund our, our, the plans for you know, active transportation we need to fund those plans and I appreciate some of the motions brought forward by my colleagues.
“They were very good and and were supported and they need to be supported. You know, I am excited about some of the staff fixes that are this budget is supporting. We have a lot of processes that were just are backlogged. They’re just not working right now. So there’s really no way around it. We have to fix our internal staffing issues. The culture is not competitive anymore. Compensation is so looking forward to supporting this budget.”
Mayor Meed Ward: “So first of all, I would like to offer some some thanks. Starting with our city manager, our CFO and the entire team of staff. This wasn’t an easy budget for you to present to us.
We recognize that and we also know that we can’t fix what we don’t know. And if there are issues in the corporation we really do rely on having a collaborative and trusting relationship with our staff to bring forward what you believe the city needs and our community needs. And you did that in in a very difficult budget year and we know this is year one of two years of difficulty so next year’s budget is going to be difficult as well. Because we are building the foundation for the future. We are not just planning for all of the services that our community needs for this term of Council.
“We are planning for the next seven generations and this budget and the next one and the future ones that we will deal with on our watch are part of putting that strong foundation into place. It makes key investments in issues and projects and services that our community has told us are important this directly responds to community feedback that we’ve heard around the need for more community amenities. So Robert Bateman High School redevelopment adaptation is funded. The Skyway Community Centre is funded with a new NHL size ice rink.
“We have park improvements that are funded active transportation, including some additional motions brought forward during committee to make sure that people have the choice of cycling walking transit to get around our city. Residents have asked us for enhanced resources around bylaw enforcement and coyote response. This is directly relating to people’s quality of life living in our community. And so we responded to that as well, as well as automated speed cameras. This is year one of a two year implementation program to make sure that we have a better way of dealing with speeding on local streets and protective protecting public safety in that way.
“And we’ve reserved our free beach parking passes for Halton residents for the next year for the next two years, actually. So we this is a very responsive budget. It also addresses ongoing impacts from COVID inflation as well as the need to be competitive to the labour market and make sure that we have the best people here to deliver the best services to our community and catching up to growth. So a lot of we’re behind the eight ball community growth has far surpassed our planned expectations and we expect that to happen again even with the new numbers assigned to us by the province. And gross never fully pays for growth.
“And of course under Bill 23. We are going to continue to lobby that the impacts and the hole in our budget created by that bill be erased and that we’d be made whole so that we can collect what we need to build the community services, infrastructure and other amenities that a growing community needs. So we’re playing catch up with his budget and the next. And a reminder to folks that your overall budget includes three levels of government. It includes Halton Region services, you get paramedics, waste management, public health, social services, housing and so much more. And of course, also public education. We we are the collection agency for local investment in education.
“So you get all of that for about another $1.50 a day in this budget and even after all of that our tax rate will be lower than municipalities of our size. So I’m very excited about what this budget delivers by way of services and amenities to our community and setting a foundation for a very strong future in the short term as well as seven generations out. So with that I’m not seeing any other speakers to this item. So I will we will turn it to the clerk to call the vote. Go ahead.
Councillor Galbraith’? “support”. Councillor Kearns? “support”. Councillor Nissan ? “support”. Councillor Stolte? “support”. Councillor Sharman? “support” Councillor Bentivegna ? “do not support.” Mayor Mead Ward ? “support”.
The motion carries.
Now they get to do it all over again for the Capital budget.
Mayor: ” We now have the separate vote on the capital budget for the city If anyone wishes just to speak to capital now’s your chance. Okay, I will simply say that this This budget does include an infrastructure levy we are playing catch up on State of Good Repair for for our assets, roads, community centres, buildings and we are increasing that this year because we know that we need to close the gap between the required costs of making sure that our infrastructure is kept in a state of good repair and the actual the amount that is available. So we’re going to continue to close that gap.
“We have a 20 year asset management plan. And and that’s part of what you’re getting in this budget. All right, seeing no additional speakers. To that back to the clerk for the recorded vote on this one.”
They voted: All supported except for Councillor Bentivegna who was opposed to the Capital Budget
Thank you and our final vote is with respect to assessment growth: if it is higher than the estimated 6% any increase generated goes to the tax rate stabilization reserve which we know has been relied upon heavily during COVID.
Councillor Kearns: “Thank you very much. So this is exactly where it should be going. We absolutely do need to build up that tax stabilization reserve fund. And for that reason in the year ahead with the amount of work that we’ve already done on the budget. I will not be supporting anything that comes out of one time tax rate stabilization reserve fund through the balance of the year. So I hope that everything that needs to be done has been captured in this budget and any overages or returns go right back into this reserve fund.”
Councillor Sharman: “Thank you. I think this point underlines my earlier comment, so thank you for that Councillor Kearns. As I’ve said before, we have been on a long journey by prior councils to try to minimize tax increases to the community and they have been very successful. Of course, those kinds of steps have implications because you only have so much money and all of you at home, who are dealing with your own personal budgets and your own situations at home that caused you to have the budget that you have. Those kinds of factors apply also to this community in total. The cumulative impact of all prior years of costs is on our books today. And that would suggest to us that we have to be very conscious of the future of the organization, the future of the community, as much as on the impact on local community members today. There is no magic to this. It requires discipline, hard work and diligence. Part of it is that we have to rebuild our reserves. I’m not going to make any comments about the way we’ve used them in the past. My point is only about the future requires more and more discipline and care. And not that we haven’t cared enough. We just got to think about it differently.”
Mayor Meed Ward: “At the moment, I will simply conclude my statements with some thanks that I left out. I want to give a huge thanks to Councillor Charmin, who is also our Deputy Mayor of strategy and budgets for your deep review. And understanding of these matters and contributing to getting us to today. I’ve learned a lot sitting side by side with you through this process and look forward to next year in coming years.
“And I also want to thank our budget chair Councillor Kearns, who very capably led us through over seven hours of discussion in one day and we were in good hands. Our conversations as has been noted before, we’re very respectful, very thoughtful and and that is, I think, a huge testament to this council working together because it’s difficult any year in a budget year and we’ve had some tough ones. But especially when you’re looking at a significant increase like this. People focused on what we needed to do for the community and that is evident in our discussion. So thanks to all of you. The community is better for it.
 City Manager Tim Commisso made perhaps the truest comment saying “this budget could not have been done without Treasurer Joan For” Joan added that it was a team of five financial analysts, Meri Gjeka; Andrea Hagley; Gurpinder Grewal; and Lori Jivan who was the public face during the debates. She seemed to have every number that was needed at her finger tips.
The same day City Communications put out a statement,
Burlington City Council has approved the city’s 2023 budget, focused on planning ahead and protecting our city’s future.
As Burlington continues to grow, the 2023 budget will make key investments to ensure our City services, amenities and infrastructure keep pace with the changing needs of the community and address the continued impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key investment priorities include:
• Enhancing front line service delivery with additional transit operators, firefighters, and bylaw and animal services staff to respond to your concerns
• Funding for two new community centres – Skyway Community Centre located at 129 Kenwood Ave. and the former Robert Bateman High School at 5151 New St.
• $72.6 million of capital investment in 2023 to keep our infrastructure assets like buildings, roads and parks in a state of good repair.
• New funding dedicated to cycling infrastructure
• New automated speed reduction program to help address local traffic concerns
• Free transit for youth (ages 13-19) on evenings and weekends
Al this is going to come to $60.31 per $100,000 of Current Value Assessment (CVA)
The property tax bill is made up of three portions, the City of Burlington (48.9%), Halton Region (33.4%), and the Boards of Education (17.7%). The overall tax increase is 7.52 per cent.
By Staff
February 15th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
We are still here – find out why
Short notice for an interesting event at the Port House Social Bar – located inside the Waterfront Hotel.
Joshua Pedrosa, the operator of the establishment is hosting Glow, a body painting event Friday night.
Two women who are body painting specialists will be on hand for those who want to give themselves a different look and leave the place with a Glow.
 By Pepper Parr
February 15th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Hamilton is no longer the top choice to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030 due to funding.
 Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath really disappointed about the bid bust. Commonwealth Sport Canada (CSC) says Hamilton will no longer host the events because they were not able to secure support from the Ontario government.
Even after a deadline extension, Hamilton was still unable to meet the Monday deadline. .
Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath told CHCH News she was really disappointed about the bid bust. She is calling this a lost opportunity, and says it’s up to the province to revive any shot at moving forward.
The games come with a price tag of $1.1 billion – that’s funded through upper levels of government, the city and private investments.
The city had previously supported the idea, with some councillors and mayors saying it will boost the tourism and economy in the city.
 Ron Foxcroft applauds the Hamilton 2030 Bid committee and the hard work done by a volunteer committee. Ron Foxcroft said: I” applaud with great respect the local organizing committee, putting 5 years, of heartfelt dedication into the bid process. When the process began who would have predicted that we would encounter a pandemic of such proportion.
“I respect upper levels of government with conflicting priorities including pandemic recovery, an inherited health care system with enormous challenges, and the potential to fund the 2026 FIFA World Cup Tournament in Toronto.
“These are but a few of the challenges we face as a Province. The local organizing committee made us proud as they navigated on the world sport stage.”
Had the games come to Hamilton on the 100th anniversary of the event Burlington would have been a different city when the Games closed. It wasn’t to be.
 By Pepper Parr
February 15th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
We are still here; want to know why?
Sharman on public engagement:
 Councillor Paul Sharman: A realization had come to him. During the debate on the flood plane problem the matter of engaging the public came up as Councillor Sharman said: “the Kearns line of questions suddenly registered with me that there are an awful lot of properties involved in this discussion.
“Have we actually had any public engagement around this report and the implication to these properties and should we not do that? Rather than just have it sprung on them by Conservation Halton then suddenly the planning department makes choices that may not actually work very well for our community.
The implications for that entire footprint, which is all of downtown, the GO Station area – lots of properties in there,
 City Staff have yet to release a map setting out just where the boundary is for the flood plane. In a conversation with Councillor Kearns Cary Clarke gave her rough boundary lines. Staff came back with: “We did during the Phase 1 study identify learn that there were in the neighbourhood of eight development applications that were implicated by the study and through our regular meetings with those applicants. So in terms of impacting those major developments there have been in ongoing discussions with those individual property owners.
We have been discussing with Conservation Authority staff about the timing and content of a public meeting once the report is finalized. That is something that should be taking place early this year.
Sharman comes back with: “Presumably we’re not only talking about property for which there are applications, presumably there are dozens of other property owners who we haven’t consulted with. When does this become something of importance to our whole community and when do we get to talk about it? Before Conservation Halton make some choices on our behalf?
Cary Clarke then says: A general timeline of a public consultation meeting date has not been inserted yet. But it will happen shortly after the Conservation Halton has confirmed that mapping is acceptable to them. I can’t give you an exact date on I’m sorry.
So I just need to close the loop on this, we have to wait for a public consultation process and so this is gonna go on and on and on.
Brynn Neal, Executive Director Community Planning: “Now, with respect to this specific development application, when we have that finalized study, we will be sharing that with all the active development proposals in the area. It would not be tied to a broader public engagement exercise. That is what Conservation Halton and our engineering staff are planning.
That is the state of public engagement in Burlington: perhaps the newly appointed Executive Director of Public Engagement will bring about some changes. She might start with a reading of the Shape Burlington report that was given unanimous support (lip service) in 2010
 Over the past half century Rambo Creek has been getting more crowded with urban development. Parking lots and buildings have been built up against it, and in some cases, right over it! A good portion of the creek is buried in box culverts carrying its waters through town mostly unseen. Following it through town from Highway 403 all the way to its outlet to Lake Ontario near Lakeshore Road and Torrance Street can be challenging because it moves sporadically from forested open creek beds to long underground culverts. It winds between apartment buildings and hides behind strip malls. In some locations, it meanders through residential backyards
By Pepper Parr
February 14th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
This request Expressions of Interest in taking on a public art project was released a number of weeks ago.
The re posting of the notice suggests there may not have been that many responses.
The site for the public art is the Skyway Community Centre. Deadline: Friday March 10, 2023. Award: $120,000 CAD
 City has set aside $120,000 for the right artist and the right piece of public art. The City of Burlington invites professional artists to submit Expressions of Interest to create an exterior public art installation for the plaza area of the new Skyway Community Centre (129 Kenwood Ave, Burlington, Ontario). This competition is open to all Canadian and International professional artists and/or artist-led teams.
The proposed artwork should act as a beacon to help guide visitors towards the main entrance of the building. Additionally, an important component of the Skyway Community Centre project is the environmentally responsible design of the facility. The Skyway Community Centre will include a low carbon design to align with the City’s goal of having a carbon neutral operation. Recognizing the severity of a changing climate, City Council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and a year later approved a Climate Action Plan with a target to become a net carbon zero community by 2050. This philosophy and focus on sustainability should be a primary focus for the public art, both in theme and materials / fabrication method chosen.
An artwork proposal is not requested at this time. This is a two-phase process: in Phase One, applicants will be reviewed on the basis of artistic merit of past work, professional qualifications and experience. In Phase Two, short-listed artists will be required to submit a preliminary artwork concept proposal that will be displayed for public comment and jury review. Artists selected for the short-list will be provided with a full Request for Proposals outlining detailed artwork specifications prior to developing their proposals. Short-listed artists will be paid an artist fee of $1500 to develop their proposals.
Talk to Kim Selman, Public Art Manager if you’re confused
Tel: 905-515-9334
Email: kim@cobaltconnects.ca
By Pepper Parr
February 14th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Art Gallery weekly in-person Summer Camps are back for children and youth from July 3 – August 25, 2023.
AGB has designed dynamic kids camps for ages 4 – 6 and 7 – 12, which encourage skilful and meaningful ways of thinking, seeing, and making contemporary art and craft.
 Teens can get their hands dirty too and experience the potter’s wheel firsthand with the Junior Potters Guild from July 10- 28.
Following the success of last year’s creative movement and play partnerships, The Travelling Stage and Little Yogis will be joining us to provide yoga, movement, improv, and theatre sessions every day for a fun break between art making.
We are also partnering with the Royal Botanical Gardens for two weeks of camp so kids create in the studios in the morning and hike outdoors in the afternoon. Get out. Get moving. Get making.
Registration open date: Thursday February 16, 10:00 am. The registration form will be available on line on the 16th – we will send it along to our readers – so stay tuned.
By Pepper Parr
February 14th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
When one door closes, even if firmly locked and barred, another one will open.
When I announced that the Gazette was going to cease publishing on January 31st there was no alternative – all available and foreseeable sources of funding, personal and otherwise, were gone.
 There was some very hard thinking to be done – how do you keep it alive ? I had no means to continue. The twelve years that I published were thrilling and coming to the conclusion that I was just not able to continue meant dealing with some depression.
Hours after the notice was published the comments section begin to fill with words of thanks, encouragement and offers to pay for a subscription to the Gazette.
The intention was always to have paid advertising cover the operating costs. I took the position that I had to grow the readership to the point where there was value for an advertiser. We were close to that point when Covid19 shut everything down.
We were working on an approach to publishing that held significant opportunity to both inform the public, grow the community and become financially sustainable. That fell apart on January 30 bringing me to the point where I had to throw in the towel.
Those who understood just how important this local news source was to them and to the community spoke up and said they would be there for us and how could they help ?
 In the field and on the job – we are not done yet. That has resulted in some short term funding that will get us through the next 90 days, giving us time to begin the advertising sales campaign and to put in place an application people can use to become “patrons” of the Gazette which will provide us with small amounts that will, hopefully, cover the operating costs and allow us to bring on board someone who can do proof reading (there are many that will say Amen to that) as well as copy editing.
I will keep the readership fully informed. Thank you
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