 By Staff
May 19th,. 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Sarah Phillips, Manager of Housing Strategy, City of Burlington is asking, via LinkedIn –
Do you build ️or sell ARU/ADU, secondary or garden suites?
Her department is hosting virtual industry training sessions from 4:00 -5:0 pm:
June 4 – modular/prefab manufacturers
June 9 – general contractor/builders/architect or designers
We want to set you up for success to participate in our BIG affordable rental housing (ARU) Community Improvement Program (CIP) program launching soon!
We will discuss available incentives, eligible costs, the application and approval process.
Message me for further details.
Phillips did not provide a link that would reach her. Call City Hall – they should be able to put you through. 905-335-7777
Link to more on the Community Improvement Program:
 By Pepper Parr
May 19th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Are photo ops the bread and butter of political life in Burlington?
 Sometimes, there is a genuine public benefit.
Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns has made the photo op both an art and a science. She frequently outdoes the Mayor and THAT is saying something
One that caught our attention recently was Kearns and a bingo card – a huge bingo card.
What was all that we wondered – so we asked.
The Bingo games that take place at the Polish Hall donate a portion of their revenue to local charities.
Excited? Lisa Kearns was – did any of her cards win?
She didn’t say
 These are the organizations that benefit from the Bingo Games played regularly at the Polish Hall.
 By Staff
May 19th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a great idea – and it looks as if it is actually going to get off the ground.
 St. Luke’s Anglican church, built on land that the British gave to Joseph Brant for his service. If you stand on Elgin Avenue and look to the north you will see St. Luke’s Anglican church.
Turn around and look south to the lake – and there is a clear path (well almost clear) pathway to the lake.
The church and the land were part of the Brant land grant that was deeded by the Brant family.
Over time, developments took place and the strip of land to the lake got crowded by residential development.
The people at St. Likes decided that it was time to make that pathway more accessible to the public and they took their thought to ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns.
She loved the idea, took it to the planning department – they quickly pointed out that there was a problem with clear public access – there was a roadway cutting across the possible path that led to a city-owned parking lot.
 Done properly it will be a really nice addition to a strip of land that has never been used. Kudos to St. Luke’s for the initiative. They came up with a solution that City Council agreed with – approved it – and it goes to Council later this week
Authorize the Executive Director of Environment, Infrastructure and Community
Services to collaborate with St. Luke’s Church on the feasibility of a new publicly accessible walkway from Elgin Street to Lakeshore.
St. Luke’s Anglican Church is located on the north side of Elgin Street between Nelson Avenue and Burlington Street in downtown Burlington. Directly across from the church, is a long narrow stretch of land that is owned in part by the City and the Church.
Since the original construction of the church in 1834, this long stretch of land that extends from the south side of Elgin Street to Lakeshore Road has provided an uninterrupted view to Lake Ontario
The Church has approached the ward Councillor and City staff to see if there is an interest in working together to build an accessible public walkway from Elgin to Lakeshore, which would span across lands owned by both the City and the Church. The lands owned by the Church are referred to as “Church Avenue”.
The concept was sound; however, one of the biggest challenges with this idea is that the city-owned lands to the north currently support the parking lot driveway entrance into Lot #10. The driveway is a physical barrier to safe pedestrian movement through Church Avenue.
 Joseph Brant will be very pleased. Since the City owns the lands in the former Hydro/Rail Corridor between Church Avenue and Nelson Avenue, it is possible to relocate the parking lot #10 driveway entrance to Nelson Avenue and eliminate all vehicular traffic on Church Avenue. This would free up the landscape for pedestrian-only movement and use of the space.
After some initial meetings, staff feel that this is a great opportunity to explore and would like Council’s support and direction to proceed further with the proposal.
Council did just that last week. Later this week, we can expect Council to approve it – and in the fullness of time, there will be a pleasant pathway from Elgin to the lake.
Joseph Brant will be pleased.
 By Staff
May 19th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
The City of Burlington, the Region of Halton Public Health Department and the University of Waterloo – Faculty of Recreation and Leisure Studies have been selected as one of four Canadian municipalities to join the conversation about healthy cities in Helsinki, Finland.
This opportunity is part of the Healthy Cities Research Initiative and has been made possible thanks to support from 8-80 Cities and funding from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR).
 Helsinki Workshop
The grant to the participants includes all costs for a small group to travel to and stay in Helsinki, Finland from May 16-24, 2025. The group will participate in a workshop to learn about Helsinki’s smart growth strategies, including mixed-use developments and efficient public transportation, healthy urban policy, protecting green spaces, and sustainable growth.
The group includes Mayor Meed Ward, two staff members from the City of Burlington, one staff from Region of Halton Public Health and one faculty member from the University of Waterloo.
Helsinki is considered a global leader in complete communities. The workshop provides an opportunity for staff to see new perspectives and potentially broaden their approach to better serve our community through new ideas, strategies and proven concepts.
Burlington Workshops
The city will benefit from the Helsinki learning through two future workshops to inspire new ideas and foster collaboration to implement healthy urban policy in Burlington by adapting Helsinki’s strategies for improving/managing infrastructure, promoting health, and improving Burlington residents’ quality of life.
One workshop will be held with community partners and elected officials and the other will be held with residents. Dates and times of the workshops will be shared once details are finalized.
The end goal is to move towards the creation of more complete communities that meet people’s needs for daily living throughout an entire lifetime by providing convenient access to an appropriate mix of jobs, local services, a full range of housing, transportation options, inclusive spaces and public service facilities including affordable housing, schools, recreation and open space for their residents.
The CIHR stresses citizen engagement with this comment:
Citizen engagement is the meaningful involvement of individual citizens in policy or program development. To put it simply, citizens are “engaged” when they play an active role in defining issues, considering solutions, and identifying resources or priorities for action. This “meaningful involvement” can take place at a variety of stages in the research, planning, or implementation phases of a project.
The sustainable culture that has worked so well for the Scandinavian countries has yet to work itself into the way we do things in North America.
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward is on the road again. This time it is to Finland for a series of workshops that Burlington doesn’t have to pay for. Mayor Meed Ward did say: “Helsinki is a leading example of a healthy, walkable, green city that provides inclusive housing and social services to all community members. With similar challenges and goals in Burlington, we can learn from their example. Along with other city participants in this conference, generously paid for by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research through the Healthy Cities Research Initiative, I look forward to learning and bringing home invaluable insights and ideas to support our community’s growth and well-being.”
The intentions are there.
 By James Portside
May 18th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
The provincial government released its budget last Thursday. Burlington’s City Council has begun the process of setting out the budget for 2026
Let’s take a step back from the trees and look at the forest. What makes Ontario and Canada one of the best places to live? Some obvious answers are freedom from oppression, freedom of expression, and the rule of law.
Our standard of living is also in the mix. A vibrant private sector economy, competitively producing goods and services on a global scale, funds social services such as affordable housing, medical care, long-term care, etc.
Ontario’s economy is a complex organism. Roads and highways are the veins and arteries, family units and businesses are the cells, and governments regulate much like a thyroid gland. Our cells, our family units and businesses, are incredibly intelligent on their own. Governments need to administer medications carefully and watch for unexpected side effects.
Two policy changes at the federal level have led to a housing crisis seriously affecting the standard of living for Ontarians of all ages. We now have two classes in our society: established homeowners and everyone else.
1: Historically, the federal government built and maintained social housing. This practice ended in the 1990s. The beginning of the end was during Prime Minister Mulroney’s term, and the end of the end was during Prime Minister Chretien’s term. The National Housing Strategy Act (2019) changed this leaving society with the policies of the 1990s that created a 30-year deficit in social housing.
2: There are huge benefits to immigration; the federal government has been conducting an experiment to determine the most sustainable level of immigration. Mounting pressures on housing, transit, roads, hospitals, and schools are showing us we may have surpassed the sustainable level.
The Federal government’s prescription of higher immigration levels has had many side effects.
How does Ontario’s budget help with the housing crisis?
Housing is more than a solid roof over your head, people need water, sewers, roads, transit, health care, jobs, and child-care/schools. Ontario’s budget addresses these needs.
 The province has failed to meet the housing targets it set Housing:
| Spur new construction by simplifying and standardizing development charges. |
| Help Canadian manufacturers introduce innovative materials, systems to reduce construction costs. |
| Implement consistent building construction standards across Ontario. |
Transit:
| Deliver transit-oriented communities creating more jobs and housing near transit. |
| Speed up the development of transit by extending the Building Transit Faster Act to all provincial transit projects. |
| Invest $61 billion in public transit over the next 10 years. |
| Advance GO 2.0, a long-range plan for the GO Transit system. |
 Sewage treatment plant – Burlington Water and Sewer:
| Investing an additional $400 million into the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program to help build local infrastructure to make way for new homes. This additional $400 million brings the value of this program to $2.3 billion, to be spent over 4 years.
The shortfall in Halton Region alone, for water and wastewater, is approximately $940 million. |
Health Care:
| $56 billion over the next 10 years in health infrastructure. |
| $280 million over two years for the expansion of Integrated Community Health Service Centres. |
| $235 million in 2025–26 to establish and expand up to 80 additional primary care teams across the province. |
Child Care:
| $30 billion over the next 10 years to support new and redeveloped school and child care projects |
Roads:
| $30 billion over 10 years for highway expansion and rehabilitation projects. |
| Permanently, at least for now, removing tolls from Highway 407 East. |
| Reducing the gas and fuel tax is expected to save households, on average, $115 a year. |
 What the new Credit River crossing is expected to look like. Jobs:
| A new tax credit for businesses that manufacture or process in Ontario. |
| Establish a new $5 billion strategic fund named the “Protecting Ontario Account” to help with tariff-related business disruptions. |
| A six-month deferral on provincial business taxes and WSIB rebates and premium reductions to help businesses weather tariff-related turmoil. |
| A tax credit to support Ontario’s shortline railway industry. |
| $500 million to create the new Critical Minerals Processing Fund |
| Up to $3 billion in loans through the Indigenous Opportunities Financing Program. |
| An additional $600 million to the Invest Ontario Fund. The fund’s mandate is job creation and investment attraction. |
| An additional $90 million to Venture Ontario. |
| $200 Million to the Ontario Shipbuilding Grant Program to provide grants to provincial shipbuilders. |
One Additional Item:
 The Airbus H135 Helicopter. Assembled in China and Germany. In response to Donald Trump Ontario is spending $57 million on two new H-135 helicopters for security and enforcement along the Canada / U.S. border.
Debts and Deficits
Ontario is forecast to pay $15.2 billion in interest costs in 2024–25, and $16.2 billion in 2025–26.
In total, the budget calls for $232.5 billion in spending, with almost 7% of our budget, 7 cents on every dollar, going to interest payments on the accumulated debt. This budget includes $14.6 billion in additional debt. Collectively, we need to outlast Donald Trump, sadly, additional debt may be the only way to do this.
No government can be all things to all people. This budget addresses a wide variety of issues facing the people of Ontario while considering the potential of a weakening economy and the need to continue to pay interest for the money borrowed in the past.
 By Staff
May 16th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Gotta SING, Gotta DANCE! is an exciting tribute to the art of staying young, showcasing music, comedy and dance.
It’s a lavish production featuring a brand new lineup of upbeat and fast-paced entertainment presented by the inspiring talents of the Burlington Footnotes.
Tue Jun 17, 2025 at 2pm & 7pm
Tickets HERE
 By Pepper Parr
May 16th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
 It is time to take a hard look at how Elections Canada ran the last federal election.
Elections Canada is an agency of the Parliament of Canada, and reports directly to Parliament rather than to the Government of Canada.
Founded: July 1, 1920
Agency executive: Stéphane Perrault, Chief Electoral Officer of Canada
Annual budget: $628,864,260 (2021–22)
Employees: 500 (Permanent) up to 235,000 (election period.
The number of people who went to polling stations on Good Friday set a new record. Line-ups in many locations had people waiting more than an hour to vote
Vote counting took a long time – more than a day in many situations.
The number of recounts that were done was exceptionally high.
And – the voting was done with paper ballots.
Is it perhaps time for the federal government to direct Elections Canada to give people the opportunity to cast their ballot electronically?
There has been significant concern over possible foreign intrusion into the election process we have. The GET NAME xxx – Surely this country has people with the expertise to create a system that cannot be violated.
The vote count is Terrebonne ( a constituency just north of Montreal) gave that riding, eventually to the Liberals, by a single vote that raised more than one eyebrow.
Elections Canada admitted this week that a misprint on an envelope used to mail a special ballot from Terrebonne led to one Bloc voter’s mail-in ballot being returned to her. The misprint contained an error in the last three digits of the postal code for where the ballot should have been sent.
 BLOC party leader Yves Francois Blanchett.  Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation. Despite the error, Elections Canada said Wednesday the result of the judicial recount in the riding was final. BLOC party leader Yves Francois Blanchett said the party will contest the result in Quebec’s Superior Court. And well they should.
The recounts, there are still several underway, could well determine which political party governs the country. That is what democracy is all about.
That Elections Canada was overwhelmed is unfortunate. Get the job done and then have a hard look at the way we run our federal elections and come up with solutions.
The Prime Minister did appoint Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation – one of the first things he might want to consider is to direct Elections Canada to research and produce an electronic system for the casting of ballots and provide them with the funds to do the job.
 By Staff
May 16th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
ATTENTION Parents! Guardians! Grandparents! Caregivers! Aunts! Uncles! Elders! Teachers! Principals! Students! Mentors! Youth Workers! Educational Support Staff! School Trustees! Lifelong Learners and Allies in Education!
The Burlington Performing Arts Centre has announced its BPAC ONSTAGE offering, their new season of exceptional performances for students from Kindergarten to Grade 12.
Their team has selected 16 performances and workshops designed to inspire a lifelong appreciation for the performing arts while bringing the Ontario Arts Curriculum to life.
You are invited to share news of our 25/26 BPAC ONSTAGE Season with the educators and learners in your life!
For only $10 per student ticket, the 25/26 BPAC ONSTAGE Education Series is exclusive to schools and offers students a window into the dynamic world of dance, theatre and music.
 An in-depth backstage tour and hands-on demonstration led by BPAC’s talented technical team New for the 25/26 Season, BPAC Backstage is an in-depth backstage tour and hands-on demonstration led by BPAC’s talented technical team, designed for high school-aged students considering a career in the technical performing arts!
 Golden Ticket Program provides FREE tickets to performances from our Education Series BPAC’s Golden Ticket Program provides FREE tickets to performances from the Education Series to students who would otherwise not be able to access these events. This program would not be possible without the generous support and donations from our community members like you!
Help us continue to enrich the lives of Burlington youth by donating to our Golden Ticket Program. You will receive a full tax receipt for donations of $25 or more.
For more information and how to donate, please visit: burlingtonpac.ca/golden-ticket
 By Staff
May 16th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton District School Board (HDSB) and Halton Region Public Health will host information sessions to raise awareness about the impact of vaping on youth and how parents/guardians can support their children.
 An unfortunate pathway to nicotine addiction and other negative health effects. Vaping is a fast-evolving trend that has attracted youth and created an unfortunate pathway to nicotine addiction and other negative health effects. These information sessions will discuss what vaping is, the health risks to youth, youth experience and how parents/guardians can support their children.
The sessions, hosted by Public Health Nurses from Halton Region Public Health and school principals/vice-principals, will be held at four secondary schools across Halton. Public Health Nurses work to enhance the health of school communities by working collaboratively on policies, programs and building environments that prevent substance use/misuse and promote mental health.
At the information sessions, parents/guardians will gain a better understanding of vaping, including how to spot the risks, recognize the signs, talk to children about vaping and discover tools, strategies and resources to support their child.
Milton: Craig Kielburger Secondary School – Tuesday, May 27
Halton Hills: Georgetown District High School – Thursday, May 29
Oakville: Garth Webb Secondary School – Monday, June 2
Burlington: Nelson High School – Tuesday, June 3
 Those interested in attending are asked to register online by Thursday, May 22. Doors will open at 6:15 p.m. and the sessions will be held from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. For those unable to attend in-person, there will be a virtual session held on Thursday, May 22 from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Learn more on the Vaping webpage on the HDSB website.
HDSB 2024-2028 Multi-Year Strategic Plan
The 2024-2028 Multi-Year Strategic Plan sets direction and prioritizes the collective actions of all students, staff, families and community members. This plan ensures our efforts as an organization are aligned and coordinated to support more than 67,000 students, 11,000 staff and the broader HDSB community. The six commitments identified in this four-year plan intersect and overlap to ensure that we take a cohesive approach to fulfilling its objectives.
 By Julia Borg
May 16th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
The OLG (Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation) revealed in April that it made a whopping CA$27 million in the fourth and final quarter of the 24/25 financial year. This came from gaming revenue and will be paid out in installments to 29 different Ontario communities that host gaming facilities. The most came from Casino Woodbines municipality in Q4 as they returned just over CA$4 million back to the community.
These payments are paid back into community programmes and support local programs and infrastructure as part of the Canadian government’s scheme for returning money into the communities that it earns from land-based casinos. Winnings from online and offshore betting companies are not part of this scheme yet, but it could be worth checking out the best crypto casinos Canada list to see where’s best for your next online wager, regardless. These sites accept cryptocurrency as a payment method, which holds such benefits as anonymity, fast transaction speeds, and security.
For land-based casinos in Canada, however, the boom continues to be very much present for them. Whilst the return in Q4 is smaller than Q3’s massive CA$33.5 million return, there continues to be strong returns made to the community through the casino’s scheme. Indeed, since 1994, host communities have received more than CA$2.5 billion in non-tax gaming revenue. It seems Canada have found a good model that allows the casinos to work in tandem with the local communities to provide a source of entertainment and prizepots yet still allow for their chance to give back through this scheme and help out locals in the community with the total payouts to municipalities during the 24/25 financial year returning around CA$142 million.
The OLG advised that the host gaming communities are made a lot stronger through these payments and seems to be a good model of symbioticism in the community. Stan Cho, the Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming advised that ‘Gaming sites continue to provide good local jobs and other positive impacts across the province’ and was pleased to see the revenue being invested.
The revenue is based on a set percentile return of revenue made on slot machines, table games and sportsbooks and puts a positive spin on an often stigmatised section of society.
 The news of these returns comes in tandem with the reports made in February that the iGaming industry in Ontario had seen continued year-on-year growth once again. February 2025 saw around CA$7 billion worth of bets made, which marks a 26.9% increase on the previous year. The market performance report seems to show that it is traditional online casino games that are thrusting the majority of this increase, generating around CA$6 billion of the reported increase and marking a 30% increase in this section of the industry from Februrary 2024, whilst sports betting markets were not reflecting quite as large a boom. It is believed that the implementation of Gigadat online transactions has really helped with this boost.
One thing is for sure, and clear to see. Ontario remains one of the most lucrative markets in North America for betting both with land-based casinos and in the iGaming industry. Competitive markets and strict regulations do not seem to have hampered the industry which continues to see huge growth.
By Eric Stern
May 15th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Ottawa’s tulip festival can trace its roots back to World War II. After the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands, Princess Juliana took refuge in Ottawa along with her two young daughters. While in Ottawa, a third daughter, Princess Margriet, was born. For the birth, the Ottawa Civic Hospital was declared Dutch soil.
Along with Princess Margriet, the “Tulip Legacy” was born. After returning to the Netherlands, the Dutch Royal Family began sending tulip bulbs to Ottawa and has been doing so ever since.
This gift has inspired the Canadian Tulip Festival, now the largest of its kind in the world.
Providing a safe haven for the Dutch Royal Family is one small part of the friendship between the two countries. Canada played a crucial role in the liberation of the Netherlands during World War II.
The Parliament Buildings, visible in the background, are undergoing a massive renovation and restoration project.
By Staff
May 15th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
 Burlington’s very first coffee party—Private Coffee Sessions Vol. 1—happening this Sunday, May 18 at Hola Café & Market.
The event drops May 18th, at Hola Café & Market: Latin beats, specialty brews, and the city’s best vibes, turning your Sunday plans into something unforgettable. —one Sunday only.
In collaboration with Montañeros Coffee Corp and DJ collective MXJ, the first-ever coffee party in Burlington taking place Sunday, May 18th from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Hola Café, 2156 Mountain Grove Ave, this RSVP-only event is free to the public (with limited capacity) and promises an afternoon full of soul, sabor, and seriously good coffee.
Here’s the brew:
- Burlington’s first-ever coffee party
- Official Listening Party for MXJ’s latest project
- Live DJ sets by MXJ and 2 special guest DJs
- Specialty coffee by Montañeros Coffee Corp
- Latin snacks like empanadas and tequeños available for purchase
- Giveaways for the fastest guests:
First 15 – unlimited coffee
Next 15 – one free cup
PLUS – we’ll be announcing the winner of our online giveaway live at the party.
To enter, follow us on Instagram and join the celebration: @holacafemarket, @musicbymxj, @montaneroscoffee
 Food and drink will be available throughout the party, and if you’re craving a full meal, head over to the restaurant side patio (open 10 AM – 5 PM) to enjoy full service and our special weekend dish: lechona, a traditional slow-roasted pork feast from Latin America. “At Hola, we believe food and music are the two most powerful ways to bring people together. Private Coffee Sessions is our way of inviting the community into that magic—natural flavors, Latin rhythms, and a space that feels like home,” says the Hola Café team.
This promises to be a new tradition for Burlington—an intimate, music-infused coffee party that blends community, culture, and curated vibes. It’s free, but once we hit capacity, doors close. Be early, be ready, be part of the story.
Location: Hola Café & Market, 2156 Mountain Grove Ave, Burlington, ON Date & Time: Sunday, May 18th, 1:00 PM–5:00 PM
By Pepper Parr
May 15th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
 Provincial budget was read into the record at Queen’s Park this afternoon. The last item in the 232-page budget read into the record earlier today is a new bill that will allow cabinet ministers to continue to use and be referred to as “Honourable,” even after they leave office.
Currently, in Canada, provincial ministers typically use the term while in office, while prime ministers, senators and chief justices can be referred to as “Right Honourable” for life.
This is clearly a government that wants to be seen for being serious and focused on the needs of the people who will find themselves struggling financially when the proposed tariffs begin to bite.
Did a pay increase come with the title enhancement?
Given that housing is a huge driver of the Ontario economy, the following will be of interest.
Link – Ontario budget makes little mention of housing
 By Tom Parkin
May 15th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Ontario needs a significant plan to reverse the trend in housing construction and today’s Ontario budget is unlikely to deliver it.
Only 67.6 new housing units per 100,000 population were built in the first quarter of 2025, the lowest level since the Q1 of 1996, according to Statistics Canada.
Thousands of Ontario residential construction workers are unemployed in a province where the need for housing has never been greater. Ontario unemployment now stands at 7.8 per cent with significant construction sector job losses in April. Construction unions and real builders can only remain complacent about this for so long.
Yet, the province’s most recent legislation, Bill 17, introduced Monday, offers no reason to believe it will succeed where the many earlier iterations of the same approach have so evidently failed.
The legislation continues to play with development charges and approvals processes. Streamlining approvals is fine, but off-target in a province where very few are seeking project approvals.
 Two-thirds of Canadians choose to buy their housing and many more would like to own. Construction of single-family housing, typically owner occupied, has collapsed due to a lack of demand under current unaffordable prices. The average price of a benchmark home in the Greater Toronto Area rose from $757,000 in Jun 2018 to $1,313,000 in June 2022. Prices are since down, but financing costs are up from the low levels of 2020-2022.
The result has been a market stand-off with investors holding back supply, trying to maintain price levels, and buyers unable to pay the prices being demanded.
The condominium sector is in utter collapse not because there’s a lack of housing demand but because developers built for demand from owner-investors, not owner-residents.
An investor buying a “dog crate” condo of less than 500 or 600 square feet could churn enough tenants through at high rents to pay a low finance cost mortgage. But with higher finance costs and falling asking rents, demand from owner-investors has evaporated.
Now the Toronto condo model premised on investor-ownership no longer makes financial sense. The result is a massive supply of terrible quality housing on the market at distressed prices. They make no sense an as investment and few people want to buy one for occupancy.
The result of market failures has been that perhaps the only housing sector holding up has been apartment buildings construction for corporate ownership. While Ontario needs all the housing it can get, more corporate rental units do not provide the same benefits as housing ownership, either of a house or condo.
Security of tenure, the possibility of one day living both rent- and mortgage-free, the end of dependance on unreliable maintenance — there are many good reasons two-thirds of Canadians choose to buy their housing and many more would like to own. They are not wrong.
Home ownership shouldn’t be a get-rich plan, but it should be a reasonable and attainable goal for far more people. While focusing on the rights of tenants and protecting affordable rents is critical, Ontarians want political leadership that helps them meet their dreams.
The Ford PCs and their federal Liberal allies have crushed those dreams. The NDP in Ontario and federally have mostly ignored them. Perhaps the social democrats should consider that protecting renters while rekindling the home ownership dream is not a sell-out or contradiction.
By Staff
May 14th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
 What you can do and what you can’t do.
What is open and what isn’t open.
Fireworks are permitted to be set off on Victoria Day only (May 19). Please continue to use our valued outdoor spaces responsibly – community cooperation is essential to helping keep everyone safe during Victoria Day. The City’s bylaw regulates where and when residents can set off family (low hazard) fireworks. For more information about who to contact if you have a concern, visit burlington.ca/fireworks.
Will Toronto have won the Stanley Cup by Monday?
| City Service |
Holiday Closure Information |
| Animal Services
|
The Animal Shelter at 2424 Industrial St. will be closed to appointments on Monday, May 19. To report an animal control related emergency on a holiday, please call 1-888-264-3135. |
| Burlington Transit |
Burlington Transit will operate on a Sunday schedule on Monday, May 19. For real-time bus information and schedules visit myride.burlingtontransit.ca.
Customer Service at the Burlington GO Station, 2101 Fairview St., and Specialized Dispatch will be closed on Monday, May 19. |
| City Hall |
Service Burlington and the Building, Renovating and Licensing counter on the main floor of City Hall at 426 Brant St., will be closed on Monday, May 19.
Many service payments are available online at burlington.ca/onlineservices. If your request is urgent, call 905-335-7777 to connect with the City’s live answering service.
For online development services, MyFiles can be used by residents who have applied for Pre-Building Approval. Check the status of Pre Building Approval applications at burlington.ca/MyFiles. |
| Halton Court Services – Provincial Offences Office |
Court administration counter services at 4085 Palladium Way will be closed on Monday, May 19.
With the exception of the Victoria Day closure, telephone payments are available at 905-637-1274, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. All in-person services are available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. Many services are also available by email at burlingtoncourt@burlington.ca or online at Halton Court Services. Payment of Provincial Offences fines is available 24/7 at paytickets.ca. |
| Parking |
On Sunday, May 18 and Monday, May 19: Free parking is available downtown, on the street, in municipal lots and in the parking garage (414 Locust St.).
On Saturday, May 17: Pay parking downtown is required in high-demand parking lots (Lots 1, 4 and 5) and all on-street metered parking spaces. A three-hour maximum is in effect for all on-street spaces. Free parking is available in the remaining municipal lots and the parking garage (414 Locust St.).
 NOTE:
- The Waterfront parking lots (east and west) do not provide free parking on holidays.
- Parking exemptions are required to park overnight on city streets and for longer than five hours. Visit burlington.ca/parkingexemptions to register for a parking exemption.
- Paid parking, on weekends only (including long weekends), at Beachway Park (1100 Lakeshore Rd.) begins Saturday, May 17 using HONK Mobile.
|
| Recreation Programs and Facilities |
Drop-In Recreation Activities
Tansley Woods Pool at 1996 Itabashi Way and Centennial Pool at 5151 New St. are open on Victoria Day, Monday, May 19 for recreational and lap swimming. Drop-in swimming, skating and other program times vary for the long weekend. Drop in or reserve in advance. For schedules visit
burlington.ca/dropinandplay.
Splash Pads Opening
City splash pads will begin opening on Saturday, May 17, with all 10 locations ready by May 24. For a list of locations, visit burlington.ca/splashpads.
Outdoor Activities
Burlington has a wide variety of outdoor activities to enjoy with your family during the long weekend, including:
- trails and multi-use paths
- parks and playgrounds.
- picnic site reservations for LaSalle Park (50 North Shore Blvd. E.) or Hidden Valley Park (1137 Hidden Valley Rd.)
Find out more at burlington.ca/outdoorplay.
Golf
Tee times at Tyandaga Golf Course (1265 Tyandaga Park Dr.) can be booked online at tyandagagolf.com or by calling 905-336-0005, ext. 2.
Play Lending Library
Our Lending Library has a variety of outdoor and indoor play equipment available to borrow at no charge. Equipment pickup is on Thursdays, and return drop off is on Tuesdays at Haber Community Centre (3040 Tim Dobbie Dr.). From archery to wiffle ball, and Kanjam to pickleball, reserve at burlington.ca/playlending.
Customer Service
Recreation, Community and Culture customer service is available to assist you over the holiday weekend:
- In person at recreation facility counters during program times (May 17 to 19)
- By email at liveandplay@burlington.ca (May 17 and 18)
- By phone at 905-335-7738, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. (May 17 and 18)
Phone and email service are closed on Victoria Day, Monday, May 19. |
| Roads, Parks and Forestry |
The administrative office will be closed on Monday, May 19. Essential services will be provided as required. |
Link to the story about the Queen being celebrated
 By Lynn Crosby
May 14th. 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
The strong mayor powers legislation in Ontario continues to draw the ire of many who value democracy, and as it becomes clearer with time that in some municipalities, the powers are being used by mayors in ways far beyond anything which purports to be about building more housing (as was the supposed intent of the legislation in the first place, though from the beginning this was disputed by many academics, past and current politicians, and Ontarians).
Recently, as reported in the Bay Observer, Hamilton’s city council voted 13-0 to ask the province to drop strong mayor powers for Hamilton. Read the full article here: https://bayobserver.ca/spadafora-got-more-than-he-asked-for-as-council-nixes-strong-mayor-powers-13-0/
 Advocate for change Lynn Crosby Here in Burlington, a majority of our council members previously introduced a motion asking Mayor Meed Ward to return the powers to council. Several delegations spoke in favour of their motion. The mayor did not return all powers as requested, and I question how any mayor can claim to believe in democratic principles while keeping these powers.
On April 9, the Ontario government announced they would be expanding the powers to more municipalities. This has prompted a new petition which is quickly gaining traction on change.org. The petition states:
“The Government of Ontario has announced on April 9th, 2025, an expansion of strong mayor powers to an additional 169 municipalities, effective May 1, 2025.
These powers allow mayors to unilaterally override council decisions, appoint senior municipal staff, and set budgets without the majority of council approval, undermining the principles of democratic governance; and whereas municipal governance functions best through a collaborative decision-making process where elected councils, representing the collective voice of their communities, work alongside experienced municipal staff.
There is no evidence to suggest that strong mayor powers have increased housing starts, contrary to the provincial government’s stated justification for their implementation. The Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks, and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO) has raised concerns that strong mayor powers blur the lines between political leadership and administrative expertise, threatening the neutrality of municipal public service.
The City of Orillia recently experienced a situation where its mayor unilaterally overturned a council decision regarding the hiring of a Chief Administrative Officer, demonstrating the potential for these powers to be misused; and
 Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward did limit her use of Strong Mayor Powers, but she refused to give them up completely. The Township of Rideau Lakes has also experienced governance challenges resulting from mayoral overreach, further highlighting the risks posed by concentrating authority in a single elected official. Democratic principles require that municipal governance remain a system of “one person, one vote,” rather than granting disproportionate power to a single individual.
We call on the Government of Ontario to reverse this decision and uphold the traditional balance of municipal governance.
Please share: this will affect the vast majority of taxpayers in Ontario and is an affront to democracy. We only have to look south of our border to see how far these overreaches of power can go.
To sign the petition or follow its progress, see link:
Preserve your right to have an elected official with a vote that counts.
By Pepper Parr
May 14th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
The back patting is over – now they get down to work.
Prime Minister Carney pulls his Cabinet together today, hands out the marching orders so they can deliver on the promises.
Here is the team:
Add to the above the ten Secretaries of State who have limited, but nevertheless important roles.
This is very much a Carney government – his fingerprints are on every page. He has made it very clear that he will do everything he can to change the direction the Canadian economy will take and deal with the American president as best he can – as best anyone can.
Here is Mark Carney’s new 28-person cabinet – focused on revamping Canada’s relationship with the U.S., reducing the cost of living and addressing public safety:
Shafqat Ali (Brampton—Chinguacousy Park), President of the Treasury Board
Rebecca Alty (Northwest Territories), Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations
Anita Anand (Oakville East), Minister of Foreign Affairs
Gary Anandasangaree (Scarborough–Guildwood–Rouge Park), Minister of Public Safety
François-Philippe Champagne (Saint-Maurice—Champlain), Minister of Finance and National Revenue
Rebecca Chartrand (Churchill–Keewatinook Aski), Minister of Arctic Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
Julie Dabrusin (Toronto—Danforth), Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Sean Fraser (Central Nova), Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Chrystia Freeland (University–Rosedale), Minister of Transport and Internal Trade
Steven Guilbeault (Laurier—Sainte-Marie), Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages)
Mandy Gull-Masty (Abitibi–Baie-James–Nunavik–Eeyou), Minister of Indigenous Services
Patty Hajdu (Thunder Bay—Superior North), Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
Tim Hodgson (Markham–Thornhill), Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
Mélanie Joly (Ahuntsic-Cartierville), Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
Dominic LeBlanc (Beauséjour), President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy
Joël Lightbound (Louis-Hébert), Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement
Heath MacDonald (Malpeque), Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Steven MacKinnon (Gatineau), Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
David McGuinty (Ottawa South), Minister of National Defence
Jill McKnight (Delta), Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
Lena Metlege Diab (Halifax West), Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Marjorie Michel (Papineau), Minister of Health
Eleanor Olszewski (Edmonton Centre), Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada
Gregor Robertson (Vancouver Fraserview–South Burnaby), Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible Pacific Economic Development Canada
Maninder Sidhu (Brampton East), Minister of International Trade
Evan Solomon (Toronto Centre), Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
Joanne Thompson (St. John’s East), Minister of Fisheries
Rechie Valdez (Mississauga—Streetsville), Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)
By Pepper Parr
May 14th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Part two of a two-part article on the Burlington Library CEO
“Our demographics.” There isn’t a lot of data, said Lita Barrie.
We don’t do a lot of gender-based analysis when we do our annual customer satisfaction survey. Typically, we weren’t asking people for demographic information, but this past year we did, and it definitely skews to women.
Who uses the library and how many people work there?
Number of staff FTE – 140
Number of books on shelves – BPL’s Collection totals 345,352 items – 305,662 physical items on the shelves
Number of videos on shelves – DVD’s comprise of 11% of BPL annual checkouts.
How many people hold a library card – 93,322 Active Library Card holders (i.e used within the last 2 years)
 Reading as a concept, whether as a social determinant of health, as a source of learning and growth, or even just for mental well-being is part of what libraries are in place to do. “Just be hazarding a guess to say how many, but it’s interesting, because definitely, for our author events, our book clubs, there tends to be a gender disparity between these and those just borrowing from the library.
“I think we’re seeing, even though we’re in sort of an information age where we’re surrounded with information, there’s more research happening now around attention span, because I think one of the things that people really struggle with is the long form of a book and being able to hold your attention to read for a longer period of time, but reading as a as a concept, whether as a social determinant of health, as a source of learning and growth, or even just for mental well being as a dream stressor. I think that’s the part you know.
 Books that were on hold and are now available are placed here for people to pick up. For those of us who are readers, we know all this. We know all of the things that reading brings us. But for people who haven’t had that; they haven’t discovered that, or they face challenges around that, convincing people of the value can be a bit of a hard sell.”
How do libraries work with educators?. Do they influence each other?
“Definitely, within the library sector, and this could be one of the things that we’ve seen in Canada over the last number of years, is a decline in school libraries. So definitely, kids aren’t having as much of a presence of the library in their elementary and secondary school experience, and that’s particularly true in Ontario.
“We work with educators when we look to find partnerships. “Teachers have big jobs, particularly now with all the things happening in society; the types of partnerships that we used to have is less common now, just because the school boards and teachers just don’t have the time or capacity for those types of collaborative relationships, which I think is a detriment to our ability to really make an impact, but we try to recognize that and find ways that we can engage. I used to have working relationships with educators at the start of my career.
 “The biggest factor in whether a child is a reader is their parent. “The biggest factor in whether a child is a reader is their parent. It’s not just being read to, it’s seeing literature at home, observing a parent. Those are some of the biggest determinants of whether someone is a reader.”
Is there anything that your people can do to work on the disinformation side?
“Very timely question. Definitely, that’s an area of focus we’re looking at. I was part of a podcast we worked on with the Privy Council on misinformation, disinformation, and trying to think about how we as librarians can play a more active role in that.
“We have found that the more confident we feel about our position on something, the more susceptible we are to misinformation.”
 Audience during the recording of the CBC Ideas program at the BPL.  CBC’s radio program Ideas recorded one of their program at the Burlington Central Library; the program was broadcast a couple of weeks later. Lita was not part of the CBC program just to introduce people – she was an active participant along with Ira Wells and Nahlah Ayed (Host, CBC IDEAS). Wells was speaking about an experience he had at his child’s school where they were reviewing the collection. The idea was that there would be nothing in the library that was printed for a certain time period.
“I share his belief that this is such a loss, because we librarians are on the front lines of providing the public with not just books – but a wide wide range of tools that educate, inform and entertain people.
 Lita Barrie (CEO, Burlington Public Library), Sabreena Delhon (CEO, The Samara Centre for Democracy), Meg Uttangi Matsos (Director, Service Design & Innovation, BPL), Nahlah Ayed (Host, CBC’s IDEAS), and Ira Wells (Professor, University of Toronto, critic & author). “The books coming in have expanded exponentially.
“The number and volume of reading material that is published on an annual basis, far exceeds our capacity from a budget standpoint, but I think our collection grows more as a partnership, because our team selects based on demand and what people are reading. We also try to balance that with making sure we have breadth and depth and scope, because we don’t want to be so driven by popular demand that you’re not walking into the library discovering something that you never imagined existed. It’s definitely a balance.
“We curate to a certain extent, that’s more of a business driven from our leaders. Our team works with a vendor. People also want the book the moment it’s printed. So we have partnerships with our vendors, we have something called an automatic release plan based on a profile of the type of collection that we have in the library.
“We get our copies of the book on the shelves quickly, that drives the bulk of our collection. Our team refines the selections that adds to the edges of what goes on our shelves; the process helps us build a very complete collection.
Is there anybody on staff able to say to somebody they’re talking to: there’s a book I think you should read?
 Lita Barrie: ‘It can be a bit of a nerve-wracking figuring out what people might want.’ “I have Pepper. I would hope that the majority of the people on our team would be able to do that, because that was one of the things that we’ve really focused because that can be a bit of a nerve-wracking figuring out what people might want. We’ve developed additional training for our team to ask questions: what does that look like, so that people can understand when they’re talking to someone about what they’ve read they can determine – is it the writing style, is it the content, is it the genre, and then being able to have a conversation with someone else.
“What part of that book did you really like, let them be able to point them in directions, and definitely, technology helps hugely for that, in terms of, you know, the way our catalogue is able to pull like the crazy word that you’ve never heard of.
Does Shakespeare matter we asked. “Yes – Shakespeare – on a daily basis, no, but it’s part of that breadth and that history of English literature that is the core of what it written and what is read.
 “One of the things we’re trying to encourage in people is to nurture themselves and nurture the lives of their children. It’s giving ourselves that space and that time to just let ourselves be immersed in something because there’s such a different experience between that immersion and the flip, flip, flip of the you know, video shots of information that people are getting through social media.
“I think I’m okay with where I’m going and what I’m doing with the library; it’s as much about who you are and the institution you’re in and where you’re going to take that institution at this point. When we celebrated our 150th a few years ago we recognized we are part of a profession that has such a legacy to it; there are people you will never know, who led the waves or created the opportunity for you to be here in that moment and then to hold that responsibility and think, okay, 150 years from now when BPL celebrates its 300th anniversary; what will we have we done in this moment to secure that future and make sure that the institution still has value and meaning.
 New Appleby Library at the Bateman Community Centre will have 10,000 square feet of space. Lita needed me to know that the Appleby Library at the Bateman Community Centre is going to give them an additional 10,000 square feet. “I don’t think most people realize just how big an operation it is going to be. We have dates for when the book shelves and those things will be moving in over the summer. Early fall is the date penciled in at this point.
We’ve spent so much time looking at the drawings. We’ve been working with the planning people going on five years for this project; it was a renovation of the school, which complicated things. It’s going to be really bright. The library board decided not to call the branch the Bateman branch. Currently it’s called New Appleby and that name will be used when we open at the Bateman Center.
 Lita Barrie: “I’m still having a lot of fun in Burlington.” What’s next? “
“Well, I’m still having a lot of fun in Burlington, so I have no I have no plans beyond, the work we are currently doing.
“I have the ability to work with the board, to really guide where the library is going; it’s just such a phenomenal time.”
Links:
Part 1 of this 2-part article.
 By Staff
May 13th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington City Council handed out civic recognition honours to nine recipients at a special meeting of Council on Monday, May 12. The residents were recognized for their outstanding volunteer efforts in the community.
Civic recognition is presented twice a year, in the spring and fall. Applications for civic recognition nominations are open year-round at burlington.ca/civicrecognition.
 The nine people being recognized are in there somewhere. Why were members of Council included? Spring 2025 civic recognition recipients
Congratulations to the following recipients:
Andrew Bannerman – As President of the Burlington Runners Club, Andrew has created an inclusive space for runners of all levels, fostering community connection and participation. He plays a key role in organizing group runs, local races, and partnerships with organizations like the Halton Conservatory and the Fit Active Beautiful (FAB) Foundation. His leadership has strengthened the running community and provided others with opportunities to find purpose, support, and a sense of belonging through health and wellness.
Burlington Community Robotics – This volunteer-driven organization is shaping the next generation of Burlington leaders. Open to high school students in Halton, the robotics and STEM facility provides hands-on robotics training, mentorship, and collaboration opportunities. The program encourages students who may have never had exposure to this field to design, build, and program robots, helping them to develop critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership skills that prepare them for future careers.
 Burlington Helping Burlington Burlington Helping Burlington – Formed in 2023 to fight food insecurity, Burlington Helping Burlington began as a food drive and quickly grew into a powerful movement—raising 15,000 lbs of food and over $20,000 in just three months. Now a registered charitable foundation, they connect businesses, residents, and organizations to support local not-for-profits. Through fundraising events, donation drives, and volunteer mobilization, Burlington Helping Burlington continues to make a lasting, positive impact in the community.
Jenna Bye – Jenna is a passionate advocate for animal welfare. As the Executive Director of Save Our Scruff – Rehome & Rescue, Jenna has helped to build a dog rescue organization that has facilitated over 3,000 dog adoptions across Ontario, Canada and beyond. Jenna leads a team of 100 staff and over 300 volunteers, coordinating programs focused on rescue, rehoming, education, training, and advocacy. Her leadership not only saves dogs but also raises awareness about responsible pet ownership and inspires others to support animal welfare initiatives.
 Michelle Douglas Michelle Douglas – Michelle has spent over 30 years advocating for equality in Canada. In 1992, she launched a landmark legal challenge that ended the Canadian Armed Forces’ ban on 2SLGBTQI service members. Since then, she has remained a dedicated human rights advocate, testifying before Parliament and serving as Chair for organizations like the Foundation for Equal Families and Toronto’s 519 Community Centre. In 2023, she was appointed the first Honorary Colonel for Professional Conduct and Culture by the Minister of National Defence.
Food for Life – Celebrating 30 years in 2025, Food for Life is the largest food rescue organization in Halton and Hamilton, having redistributed over 26 million pounds of fresh, perishable food since 1995. By focusing on fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, and prepared meals, they ensure access to healthy food for those in need. Their efforts also benefit the environment, diverting food waste and preventing approximately 37 million kilograms of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere.
Sonia Robinson – Sonia Robinson is a passionate advocate of change to protect women and children. Her efforts were instrumental in the passage of Keira’s Law – both federally through Bill C-233 and provincially through Bill 102. This legislation, named after Keira Kagan, mandates that judges and justices of the peace receive training on intimate partner and gender-based violence. Recently, Sonia was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal in recognition of her work.
WhiteEagle Stonefish – WhiteEagle is a respected urban Indigenous Elder and a powerful advocate for reconciliation. A residential school Survivor, she stepped forward as a voice of truth, healing, and education following the discovery of 215 children’s graves in Kamloops, B.C. Each month, WhiteEagle leads Full Moon Ceremonies at Burlington Beach, creating inclusive spaces for learning and community-building through Indigenous teachings. She also contributes to countless civic events with land acknowledgments, opening prayers, and blessings— offering her guidance to City Council, the Burlington Performing Arts Centre, Joseph Brant Hospital, Burlington Food Bank, and many more.
Grace Anne Wilbur – As a resident of Burlington for 58 years, Grace Anne is a life-long volunteer whose unwavering dedication to community service spans over five decades. She began volunteering as a teenager with programs supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities—an experience that inspired her to become a Developmental Service Worker. Grace Anne supports numerous community initiatives, including more than 16 years with the Sound of Music Festival, where she serves as Parade Team Co-Chair, and the Partnering Aldershot drive-through drop-off collection.
 By Pepper Parr
May 13th, 2025
BURLINGTON. ON
 Adam van K: Secretary of Sport being sworn in.  Adam van Keoverden Adam Van K is now the Secretary for Sport in Canada.
He is certainly qualified for the job – now we watch and see how he grows into being a member of a Cabinet where his responsibility is limited but important.
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By Staff
