By Pepper Parr

September 18^th, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

Earlier this week we did a short piece on the people who were seeking the nomination to be named Progressive Conservative candidate for the Burlington seat in the House of Commons. .

Shaheryar Mian

We had information on two of the three contenders and published what we had.

We had been told there was a third candidate but did not know the person’s name and were unable to find anything on the internet.

It didn’t take long for readers to inform us – and we pass along what we got to you.

Nick Leblovic called to tell me the name of the candidate – surprisingly Leblovic said he had never met Emily Brown who is a shoe in for the nomination.

But Wax Costanza has – he is an essayist and Burlington resident. Costanza said he “ began hearing rumours going around Burlington that this individual: Shaheryar Mian, was buying nomination votes. Now, this is only a rumour, but, where there is smoke, there is fire, and it cause me to look deeper into the candidate.”

You might want to HEAR what Constanza reports. Do click on the link.

There is more – we will try to get in touch Shaheryar Mian and hear what he has to say.  There are others who we want to talk to as well.

By Pepper Parr

September 18^th, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

David Barker explained to Council on Tuesday that “It is certainly a meaningful amount of money to receive back, and shows appreciation of the additional expense that comes with owning and maintaining a Heritage property.

His concern was with the process used to administer the program that can best be described as cumbersome and antiquated.

The program Barker was describing are the funds paid to property owners that have a home that has been designated as a heritage property and for which the owner has applied for an annual grant offered by the city.

David Barker wants to get his Heritage property rebate faster.

A property owner has to apply for the funds, which once approved, are paid out annually, which in Barker’s case amounts to about $2000 per year.  There does not seem to be an end date – it just keeps being paid out.

Heritage property owners are required to execute the same covenant by which the owner agrees and commits to maintain the property to the city’s requirements, apart from the obvious benefit of reducing the annual tax burden.

“For me at least, and I believe for other beneficiaries, the heritage tax rebate acts as a savings account, which matures in July or thereabouts each year, each year, I get the benefit of an in hand amount of $2,000 roughly. The amount comes in very handy to help manage annual house maintenance costs, such as outside painting, deck staining, which arise in the spring and summer seasons.

“It is a most welcome annual lump sum to receive. The staff report being considered by council and on the agenda, as I believe, a consent item has been produced by staff with the sole goal of improving delivery of the program.

“There is a section entitled engagement. Under that section, staff commits to engage with Heritage property owners to advise them of the changes to be implemented in the method of payment of the rebate. It does not mention any engagement as regards to improving the actual annual process. It is extremely notable that staff have not engaged in any way with Heritage property owners.

“This report is not primarily for the benefit of the Heritage property owner, but for the benefit of city staff. It is my contention receiving the rebate in the form of a credit to the Heritage property owner’s tax account will not be welcomed by the Heritage property owners. I believe, like me, Heritage property owners would prefer a lump sum payment.

“I pay my tax bill each year through the city provided monthly payment plan. The city already has all my banking details. There is absolutely no reason why the city could not pay the rebate through the electronic transfer to the same financial institution from which it takes my monthly tax instalment.

“Why it takes five months to process the rebate each year is incomprehensible. I note staff the staff report does not in any meaningful way enunciate what improvements will be made to reduce substantially the five month time period it takes to get to process the issuance of a physical cheque.”

Barker house on Lakeshore that benefited from a Heritage improvement grant – paid annually.

At this point Mayor Meed Ward advises Barker that his five minutes of speaking time is up. She invites Barker to submit his speaking notes. The Mayor then asks her Council members if they have any questions for Barker.

Councillor Bentivegna starts be telling Barker,” I learn something every day when I’m here. Have you had the opportunity to discuss this with staff, or actually the Heritage Advisory Committee?

Barker tells Bentivegna that he made a delegation to the Heritage Advisory Committee and that they had not been informed or approach by staff in any way, shape or form. They received the by law amendment, and were asked just to be aware of it. There was no discussion. In my delegation, I asked the Heritage committee to send a resolution to council asking that this amendment be put on hold, sent back to staff, and for staff to discuss it with Heritage Committee and to engage Heritage property owners.

Bentivegna followed up with: “The staff report just deals with the mechanism by which we issue the rebates. Are there other concerns?

Barker: “It would be helpful if staff discussed it with the Heritage Advisory Committee. I don’t think the heritage advisory committee knows. I believe there’s only one Heritage property owner on the committee, so the rest of the committee will be totally unaware of the process. I think it’d be helpful for them to understand it.

“I don’t understand why it takes five months I get a notice from staff in January to file my application by end of February, and then I don’t get a rebate until July or August.

“I don’t know the entire process, staff does it. What about electronic transfer?”

Mayor Meed Ward asks if anyone had questions for staff.  “I’m interested in hearing from staff around the engagement that was done on this item and to give staff a chance to respond to some of the comments  and whether there is any interest in doing a review of the whole program and how we might streamline it further. Curt Benson, Commissioner of Development and Growth Management which oversees Heritage site matters.

Curt Benson: Commissioner of Development and Growth Management for Burlington. Benson was part of the Regional Planning Team.

Benson explains that “As a part of the overall change to provide efficiencies, we’re moving quite quickly and quite broadly to digital platforms, and improving service delivery through digital means and moving away from those, those paper based processes. There was not any significant engagement done with the community. Should Council direct staff to go back and do engagement? We’d be happy to implement that direction. The one caution is, however, the more people we ask the more opinions and specific requests come forward in terms of how we process these things? What I’m told by staff is that the five month lag time from the application to cutting the cheque happened this year because of the implementation of some new software. It’s not expected to happen going forward.  That rebate is going to be provided in real time.

Mayor Meed Ward then tells Council “I proactively reached out to the Integrity Commissioner to determine if I would have a conflict of interest in this topic – the response I received was, No, I don’t, because I have an interest in common with other community members who have property who benefit from this property rebate.

Mayor Meed Ward on the front porch of her home preparing to do a web cast during the pandemic.

The Mayor’s home was designated as a Heritage property and she too receives the annual grant.  The Mayor did not say how much her grant was but that she had no problem with the process.

“I’m just happy for it to be a seamless take it off the final tax bill, and that’s fine for me. I’d love to get electronic transfer that has been suggested by staff. , I think actually is a really good one.  I support the bylaw as is as a Heritage property owner.

“I very much appreciate the rebate, because property heritage properties do cost more to keep up and to renovate, and that’s the incentive we want to provide is share that cost a little bit.”

Councillor Sharman: I have a question with respect to recognizing your comments that we are in the process of updating all of our systems to improve our efficiency and effectiveness. In the course of time, could you send us a memo and put in the council information package as to how you see that unveiling or unraveling, and just give us an update  on the when you see that manifested,

Benson: We’d be happy to do that.

The Mayor then turns to the Clerk and asks for a recorded vote.

That vote carries.

The item that was debated was originally on the Consent Agenda.

By Ray Rivers

September 17^th, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

Mr. Trudeau’s detractors have pointed to US president Biden as a model of what one should do when the sun has set on your future as leader.   Justin may be some thirty years younger than Biden but he has been prime minister for almost ten years now – more than twice as long as the US leader.  And apparently a decade can be a lifetime in this job.

Justin Trudeau: No word yet on what he will do after the loss in Montreal. Don’t count him out.

Mr. Trudeau is only a couple years younger than former PM Brian Mulroney was when he read the tea leaves and decided to fold up his tent.   He waited too long however, and ended up driving his political party into the toilet.   Despite a fresh face replacement, parachuted in at the last moment, the Progressive Conservative Party was decimated forever in the subsequent election.  Yet, while folks almost hated Mr Mulroney at the time, there was little but praise for Mulroney’s achievements after he’d passed.

That is pretty much the situation before Mr. Trudeau today.  His government has transformed our society in so many ways that have benefited Canadians, even before that alliance of convenience with the socialists.  Yet between the vitriol coming his way and the polls, it is pretty clear that enough of the electorate want to change the channel.

Perhaps Canadians don’t care about those progressive policies, many of which Mr. Poilievre has threatened to cancel should he become the next PM?   But is that really the case?  Or is it just that Mr. Trudeau is the problem?  Are we offended and/or bored by his speaking style; his privileged upbringing; his unabashed feminism; his perceived elitism; his passion for climate change solutions and justice for the indigenous and the downtrodden?

One would have expected Trudeau, with his impressive political legacy, to have seen this situation coming, seen the light and moved on with the Mulroney experience in mind.  Trailing almost 20 points consistently behind the Tories in national polls, most Canadians, seem ready to vote anything but Liberal in the next federal election.   But he’s not a quitter, at least not yet.

Justin Trudeau

The by-election loss in Liberal stronghold St. Pauls was arguably a clear harbinger of what is lying in store for his party so long as Mr. Trudeau remains its leader.  Then, the miserable showing in the Manitoba by-election, confirms just how hopeless it is for the PM to make any progress in the west.  And yesterday’s loss of the eternally Liberal Montreal riding of LaSalle—Émard—Verdun was just another testament to that reality.

Perhaps Trudeau has a secret plan to endear Canadians, bring them back to the fold.  But as it stands now the federal Liberals may be headed for a miserable third or even fourth place finish come the 2025 election, barring a miracle.  But miracles don’t always happen no matter how much you hope.  And miracles are not any more likely if one just waits for them.

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

By Staff

September 16th, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

Burlington is inviting residents and visitors to enjoy three weeks of free, interactive in-person or online events and activities during Culture Days.

This year’s annual celebration is Sept. 20 to Oct. 13, 2024.

Burlington’s Culture Days features local arts and cultural professionals, creative organizations and businesses that host free events for the community.

Featured installations and events

Beachway Public Art, Sept. 20 to Oct. 13
The City of Burlington public art program has curated a temporary art project featuring the work of twenty local visual artists and writers. The temporary signs will be installed near Beachway Park.

Art Gallery of Burlington (AGB) Exhibits and Events, Sept 20 to Oct. 8

The AGB is exhibiting David R. Harper’s MIDNIGHT, Magdolene Dykstra’s Exchanging Presence and Jose Luis Torres’ The place as an object and the object as a place. Everyone is invited to take part in Burlington Culture Days Family Open Studios on Sept. 22, 29, Oct. 3 and 6.

Burlington Public Library (BLP), Sept. 21 to Oct. 8
BPL is hosting free music and meditation sessions for adults, art and writing workshops for kids as well as author sessions. Meet Indigenous storyteller Jim Adams on Sept. 28, author Lisa Moore on Oct. 1, and former astronaut Marc Garneau on Oct. 5.

Burlington Seniors Centre, Sept. 27, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

The Arts and Culture Council of Burlington is hosting local artists and performers to celebrate the diverse talents within Burlington’s arts and cultural community.

The Burlington Performing Arts Centre (BPAC), Sept. 28, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

BPAC is removing barriers to performing arts participation with a full day of free and accessible community programming. This year BPAC offers a combination of performances and interactive events that will showcase performing artists and organizations from Burlington and the surrounding region.

Joseph Brant Museum, Sept. 28, 1 to 3 p.m.

Museums of Burlington is partnering with the City and regional municipalities to present a community art project. Harmony in Culture is a collaborative ceramic mural project designed to celebrate cultural diversity and unity through art. Artists Yvette Garcia-Mier, Shahrzad Amin and Lauren Sinett will lead a clay workshop at Joseph Brant Museum and create unique artwork that will be incorporated into a larger community mural.

For a complete listing of Culture Days activities happening in Burlington, please visit burlington.ca/culturedays or the Burlington Hub at culturedays.ca.

Culture Days is a national celebration of arts and culture. For three weeks, beginning each September, millions of people attend thousands of free arts and culture events across the country, both in-person and online. Culture Days programs invite the public to get hands-on and behind-the-scenes to highlight the importance of arts and culture in our communities.