By Pepper Parr

August 27^th, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

Kearns: Anxiety and a tight grip.

Lisa Kearns – City Councillor for ward 2 held a Town Hall meeting at the Lions Club on Monday.  The house was packed – ward residents wanted to know what the plans for a 29 storey tower on Caroline Street between John and Elizabeth was about – most people understood that the development was going to be a six to eight storey structure.

When Kearns puts on a community meeting two things usually happen: she does most of the talking and let’s go with some pretty chirpy comments.

I’d not crossed paths with Kearns for some time.  One has to appreciate that she is consistent in keeping in touch with her constituents.  She has done that from the day she was elected.

The first thing Kearns told me was that the Mayor and her husband were attending; something pays close attention to. What the Mayor does is of significant interest to Lisa Kearns. ““She is here as a resident”, said Kearns.

Kearns is probably going to run for the Office of Mayor; if not probably (she could change her minds – she has done that before) – it is something that occupies her mind. .  Mayor Meed Ward’s decision to keep some of the Strong Mayor powers to herself did not go down all that well with Kearns along with Councillors Stolte, Nisan and Galbraith.

Nisan and Galbraith drifted away – they got over it.  Stolte hung in – Kearns took on a certain state of resolve.  There is now a level of ‘electricy’ in the air at Council meetings when the two of them tangle – which happens at almost every meeting of Council.

The Mayor didn’t ask any questions during the meeting – but I left at the 90 minute point – Kearns had said she would stay and answer questions for as long as necessary.

Kearns didn’t fail to find a different way to explain something she couldn’t completely remember. Referring to the amount of time the city has to respond to a development application she said: “It used to be a lot of days then it became a little bit less of days.”

Kearns: a sense of humour with a quick repartee.

When she relaxes Kearns can be very funny and still stay on topic. She has the best mind on this council.  She wraps her mind around the technical stuff and often out ‘Sharmans’ Councillor Sharman.

She is a diehard policy wonk.  If she could drop the anxiety and summon up the kahonies she demonstrated when she strut into the Reverse Town Hall then Mayor Goldring was holding and basically took over his meeting, she would be a shoe in for a higher level of office. Rick didn’t see it coming and wasn’t able to regain control.

Kearns: She can be tough – it just isn’t consistent.

The back and forth between the Mayor and Kearns at times leaves the impression that we are watching two cats with their claws out..  Meeow!

Kearns works hard – she sits on the Police Services Board representing the Region – a level at which Kearns is not as efficient as she is at Council.

The arc of her political experience up to this point has her standing as a nominee for the provincial Liberal seat – which she dropped out of within three days when it appeared someone else would be running.  The reason given was a little limp.

There are times when Kearns presses the panic button.  There was an occasion when she blurted out some confidential information during virtual meeting of the Burlington Downtown Business Association related to the amount of money the city was prepared to spend on defending a position at a   Land Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT), now known as the Ontario Land Tribunal.

Kearns went to speed dial to the city’s Integrity Commissioner and pleading with the Gazette to pull the story we had published.

One wonders how she would handle real pressure – a crisis somewhere.  Seeing her as rock solid on an issue isn’t easy to do.

Were Kearns to run against Meed Ward – what would the outcome be?  Meed Ward lost at her first two attempts for a public office; she ran against PC Joyce Savoline for the Burlington seat in the provincial and then lost to Rick Craven in ward 1 for a seat on Council.  She then moved from that ward into ward 2 where Peter Thoem was easier to beat.

Kearns has the better mind, she thinks faster than Meed Ward, would have a deeper understanding of the technical stuff.  But Meed Ward has been at the game for far longer.

They both have this addiction to photo ops.  On the confidence side – Meed Ward is the stronger of the two.

Meed Ward will have served the city for four terms: two as the ward 2 Councillor and two as Mayor.  The bloom does go off the rose over time – and that is certainly the case with Meed Ward. In 2018 those who voted for her, and the vast majority of them did, believing she would solve what most saw as over development in the downtown core.

Meed Ward will take the position that she managed to get the Urban Growth Centre boundaries moved north, she certainly deserves at least some of the credit for that, but she didn’t come through with anything in the way of an initiative to save the “football’ that space between Old Lakeshore Road and Lakeshore Road. When completed it will be as dense as Manhatten.

At some point the location will re-open.

The only saving grace is that Emma’s Back Porch will reopen when the high rise construction comes to an end.  Late in the Goldring term of office there were some 18 different property owners within the football – the developers saw the opportunity and began assembling the land.

Former Toronto Mayor David Crombie once told the Waterfront Advisory committee that there was an opportunity – but Goldring didn’t pick up on it.  Meed Ward basically owned the volunteer Save the Waterfront Committee and made saving the waterfront her single election platform in 2010

Were Kearns to throw her hat into the Mayoralty race, she hasn’t said publicly that she is even interested, – who would step up to the plate for the ward 2 seat.

Related news story:

Town Hall meeting about 2030 Caroline

Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.

By Staff

August 27th, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

They are not going to give up or walk away from the fight to xxx – despite an Ontario Land Tribunal decision that went against the community.

In a media release Millcroft Greenspace Alliance reported: “Last week, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario met in Ottawa. As part of the program, Minister of Housing Paul Calandra announced that municipalities know best where to build homes. This statement echoes a statement by Premier Ford in the past. Yet despite these comments and the comment that Ford would not allow homes to be built on floodplains, the Minister of Housing continues to allow the Millcroft Greens development on the golf course stormwater green infrastructure. Again our community is asking: Why do Ford’s statements not apply to Millcroft?”

To recap the key events and timelines of this proposed development:

·    December 2020: Argo Development submitted its application to the City of Burlington.

·    November 7, 2022: First Case Management Conference held by the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) following Argo’s formal appeal of the City’s non-decision.

·    December 2022: The Burlington City Council unanimously opposed the development application and committed to a resolution requesting that the Province intervene to stop the development.

·    January 2023: Local MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos facilitated a meeting between the City and the Ministry of Housing (MAH) to begin negotiations in this regard, however these talks were unsuccessful.

·    September 2023: The City passed a resolution which was submitted to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing formally requesting the intervention to stop development.

Daintry Klein represented the community at the Ontario Land Tribunal

·   February 16, 2024: Millcroft Greenspace Alliance (MGA) and MAD participated in a meeting with Ministry of Housing Officials to present our case, but no action was taken by the Province to intervene.

·    March 5, 2024: The Millcroft Greens OLT hearing commenced and continued for 16 days. During the OLT hearing, MGA made stormwater representations regarding climate change, stormwater guidelines, and management.

·    June 12, 2024: The OLT rendered its decision in favour of the developer acknowledging that the developer only had to meet the Provincial regulations for stormwater despite climate change and outdated guidelines.

·    August 2024: The City of Burlington made a second Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) request through a new procedure.

Signing a petition is simply not enough. We encourage everyone, including your friends and family to write to the Premier. This method worked in Whtiby.

By Staff

August 26^th, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

It is getting very dangerous when a private residence is broken into while the residents are in the building.

Regional Police are investigating

A home on Waterdown Road is reported to have been broken into in the early hours of August 21, with a lone suspect stealing a Mercedes from the property.

The suspect is described as brown skinned with black hair and masked.  Entry is reported to have been through forcing the front door. No weapon was seen and no injuries have been reported, but the resident was threatened verbally.

Halton Regional Police say the investigation is ongoing.

A strong statement from the Chief of Police and quick action on the part of the detectives assigned to this case are vital as this point.  People are afraid.

By Staff

August 26th, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

The annual Terry Fox Run for cancer research takes place on September 15th this year.

The people who do  the research work to find cures for cancer have made some significant progress.

That’s what Dr. John Goffin, an oncologist at the Juravinski Cancer Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, had to say about his job. “While treating cancer patients might seem hard, John is inspired by each and every one of them. While he mentions the laughs, he of course acknowledges the tears. You see the full range of human emotions at the Cancer Centre.

“You might be surprised how much we laugh together in the clinic.”

“Many system-related aspects of health care are dreadful at the moment. But the human aspect does not change, and I am repeatedly encouraged by the acts of love and the generous patience shown by patients and their loved ones.”

If you’re a returning Terry Foxer, you might remember Dr. Goffin from the 2022 event. He spoke to us when we Here is what Dr. Goffin kicked off our run in the morning. If you were fortunate enough to catch that, you will remember his drive and his passion for this cause.

Dr. Goffin said at the time:

Dr. John Goffin

“When we returned to Canada from Boston in 2006, I wanted to do something useful for the cause,” he said. “It just felt natural to run for Terry Fox. It is not cliché to say that he is a hero. He is easily and immediately associated with fighting cancer. As for why I do this every year, there are three reasons. First, there’s a lot of work to do on cancer control, and that work is expensive. Second, the Terry Fox Foundation is efficient, with minimal overhead per dollar raised. Third, I commend the Foundation for its ability to communicate with and encourage fundraisers. Not every charity is as adept at maintaining momentum.”

Can We Find a Cure?
While we all love to run and walk along Burlington’s gorgeous waterfront on a beautiful day, the Terry Fox run is more than a fun run. There’s a goal and a purpose: to fund cancer research. Unlike many of us, Dr. Goffin is uniquely positioned to see our

“Will we ever cure cancer? On an individual basis, we are doing this more frequently” said John. “At a population level, we may one day get to the point where cancer is just another chronic, controlled disease for pretty much everybody who gets it. The advancements in the genetic and molecular understanding of cancer are progressing in leaps and bounds, but the tools to take advantage of that understanding will take time to develop. I’ll be frank. I know that raising tens, hundreds, or a few thousand dollars can feel like a drop in the bucket. But that’s the amazing thing about the Terry Fox Run. We are not one person. Not one drop. We are all of us an ocean, and together, we will erode and destroy the rock that is cancer.”

This goes back to the core of what Terry Fox himself imagined. He knew that just as one man he could do very little, which is why he had to create a movement that would get others involved. A dollar for every Canadian. Together, as we raise our fundraising dollars, we are contributing to an even greater goal of putting an end to cancer as we know it.

And while Dr. Goffin is optimistic about what he is seeing in terms of advancements, he still experiences the reality of cancer.

“I completed my residency 22 years ago. I now stand amazed at what the current crop of resident doctors must learn. To a modest assortment of straight up, old-school chemotherapy, we have added an ever increasing arsenal of targeted therapies and immunotherapy.  A good portion of those advancements have been funded by Terry Fox and other charitable institutions. But I have to be clear that while a minority of patients do exceptionally well, for many others these represent only incremental gains. We have much work to do.”

We have much work to do.
Every September, Burlingtonians come out to support this cause. You donate, you walk, you run, you celebrate those who have survived and honour those you have lost and you inspire others. For John, Terry himself is a source of inspiration.

“Terry Fox saw the suffering of others, including the children he saw with cancer, and he wanted to stop it. And the journey he undertook almost seems like a legend. But it was real. There is no greater inspiration I can think of.”

It’s not too late to register and join Dr. John Goffin and countless others on September 15, 2024, at Spencer Smith Park.

By Staff

August 25th, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

Metrolinks issued the following:

We can confirm that services on the Milton GO line and at Hamilton GO station will resume tomorrow morning. Please note that there may be some adjustments to schedules throughout the day as we work to restore normal service.

We will have additional resources available as needed in the event of any disruptions. Customers are encouraged to check gottansit.com before travelling.

By Pepper Parr

August 25th, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

Progressive Conservative Party president Michael Diamond sent to MPPs and riding association presidents on Wednesday looking to line up their slate for the next election — whenever it happens to be.

Natalie Pierre – is she in or out.

Sitting MPPs are feeling the pressure and being asked if they’re in or out. That tracks with what insiders previously said: that PC nominations will ramp up in the fall —  don’t be surprised if we start seeing more incumbents jump ship to make way for fresh-blooded candidates.

There are a few veterans  who may want to retire — same goes for the other parties, which are also kicking nominations into high gear.

Will this nominating activity turn into an early election call?  Has Doug Ford decided that it is better to go now and get ahead of whatever the RCMP investigations reveal?

Natalie Pierre will have to respond to the notice from the PC party president.  The Liberals will have to dig deeper than they have in the past to come up with a credible candidate.

The New Democrats have a leader who is doing a great job – can they find a local candidate who can win in Burlington?

By Tom Muir

August 25th, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

OPINION

It’s disturbing when I see some people who keep repeating that climate change does not matter in our latest storm events. They really don’t know what they are talking about. The science matters, so bring it to the table. 

Flood water streaming from the Cavendish Road community down onto the 407 highway.

Ontario is currently experiencing significant increases in stream and urban flooding thanks to climate change and inadequate provincial action, especially when these and other watershed-level impacts from climate change have been well known for years, and facts show that the Ontario government has known about and virtually ignored these issues for 25 years!  

Most recent projections show Ontario warming is in the range of 3 to 5 C warmer in the mid-2000s than in the 1971 – 1990 period.  Rain events are likely to become more intense, and we should prepare for greater variability of climate and occasional flood years.

 Canadian models suggest that return periods will be halved; i.e a 20 year storm will become a 10 year event. We can expect longer, more drought events, punctuated by La Nina wet weather conditions sometimes leading to flooding. We are right in the later part of that warming period, and the predicted weather is just what we have been experiencing now. 

The province has not updated their storm water design standards for 25 years. Further, they now appear to be backtracking, to support their housing growth plan, by not recognizing the reality that climate change weather is here. The City and residents have been getting financially soaked.

The Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) hearings on the Millcroft golf course development made clear – developer planners do not have to design storm water design systems for the real climate flood risk world, but only for what the province will allow them, which are the old guidelines. 

We have been in a steadily warming state, and you cannot separate climate change, which is the new reality of the Earth, from how we choose to interact with how it affects us.

The recent peak rainfall  rate and duration was far in excess of the design storm average rainfall rate peak and duration.  July 15 reported 50 mm in 1 hour, and 65 to 80 mm in only 3 hours, with much more later on July 15 into July 16. 

In a recent Gazette four  part series, David Barker points to record rainfalls at Pearson and Mississauga – of almost 100 mm on July 16 and 122.9 on July 15.

Toronto Star report on the damage and loss of life from Hurricane Hazel in 1954

 If the 100 year Hurricane Hazel (1954) event, that too many use to wrongly excuse climate change as not bad enough, is 200 mm in 24 hours, this recent three  hour storm intensity is far in excess – 6.6 times – of any practical design capacity. 

The flooding consequences and the locations, raise questions about the adequacy of in place excess volume and discharge controls, to see how the design storm water management actually constructed reduced the peak runoff, and lengthened the time of concentration, to an adequate design to reduce the post development runoff conditions to the pre development levels. 

 As a specific location of flooding consequences, the 407 is a location with a physical construct and urban context particularly at risk of extreme flooding events, such as this one.  

 More generally, the City is intent on rapid development in many places, building high density, with an intensification commitment to a large number of high rise condos and other housing forms. Storm water drivers include: the development catchment imperviousness; development driven increase in impervious surface; natural retention loss; and groundwater level impacts. 

Concerns of Council, and the City as a whole, are the very large cost of getting the risk and flood damage costs in control. The Provincial control standards are not adequate and need updating and changing.

Since the July storm extremes are attributed to climate change, and are a signature event of such, of note that the atmosphere can hold 8% more moisture for every 1 degree C increase in temperature. The City says it is an emergency, but I see nothing in effective policy to seriously face this.

So to get to my point here, was the 407 storm water management designed and constructed adequately to control the July 15/16 storm intensity, duration, and amount featured by the direct rainfall onto the 407 large highly impervious catchment surface of asphalt and concrete with (runoff coefficients (85% – 95%), and steep soil side berm slopes (15-20%). 

It is good engineering practice to modify these hydrology and hydrograph designs to adjust to deviations from typical rainfall excesses, intensities, duration, increase in percent of impervious surface, and other means. The City is entirely capable of doing all of this. 

However, I get the impression that the City thinks it can’t afford to do it, and I see no visible efforts on the part of the City to go after private owners, the 407, and the Province to fully scope the details of the inadequate state of their storm water design standards to get with the reality of climate.

Is this enough?

Further, what is the City doing in general to face the reality of the storm water infrastructure, and existing combined sewers that contributed so much damage with this latest storm. And the need to review the general engineering practice – what is “standard practice”- and is it enough? 

Given the accelerated development intensification plans in a climate change state, that just showed some small sample of what that means, this seems essential. 

Somebody responsible needs to do this engineering and policy work.

 Tom Muir is an Aldershot resident and former federal government researcher..