By Staff

February 5^th, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

This is a bit of a different approach for the Burlington Historical Society

Keda Edwards Pierre will be the speaker at the  February 12^th meeting of the Society.

Keda Edwards Pierre will be the speaker at the  February 12th meeting of the Burlington Historical Society.

Keda brings 35+ years of diversified experience, as a  27-year police vet, socialpreneur, impact producer and ordained minister.

Keda’s work includes mental wellness and trauma recovery, JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion) activism, strategic partnership, business and program development, and sustainable community development.

Keda has worked as a frontline and community officer with Toronto Police, former Board President of Women’s Health in Women’s Hands and Women’s Multicultural Resource and Counselling Centre, Founding Member of Immigrant Women in Business, CEO of True2Soul Network (committed to the eradication of gender-based violence), Facilitator and Trainer with Toronto Police Service and TELUS Health (formerly Lifeworks/Morneau Shepell) and CEO of Broken Whole Media Group (amplifying underrepresented voices through Film, TV and Web).

See her is as one of the people making history rather than being historical.

Monday, 12th February, 7 pm in Centennial Hall Central Library

By Pepper Parr

February 3^rd, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

The quality of our democracy is facing unprecedented threats.

Low voter turnout, mistrust in institutions, polarization, and hostile partisan politics are of deep concern to many. Making progress on electoral reform requires political leadership, but politicians alone won’t fix the system that elected them.

There is a belief that changes have to be made in how we elect leaders federally but no clear view on just how that can be done.

Teachers have said they have no experience teaching civics and are uncomfortable with the subject that has the potential to become very partisan.

Dave Meslin

Unlock Democracy Canada, an organization founded and run by Dave Meslin who has been at it since November of 2007 is finding support from Citizens Assemblies, an incredible innovation in democracy, and a practise that originated Canada

A citizens’ assembly is a group of people selected by lottery from the general population to deliberate on important public questions so as to exert an influence.

A citizens’ assembly is part of a process used to create public policy.^[ Its members form a representative cross-section of the public, and are provided with time, resources and a broad range of viewpoints to learn deeply about an issue. Through skilled facilitation, the assembly members work to find common ground on a shared set of recommendations. Citizens’ assemblies can be more representative and deliberative than public engagement, polls and legislatures. They seek quality of participation over quantity.

There is a House of Commons motion (M86) on the table. A  “motion” is not a “bill”, the government could choose to simply ignore the outcome. There is however, an enormous value in raising public awareness, building cross-party support in Ottawa, and building further momentum towards future goals.

In February, 2023, MP Mike Morrice (Kitchener Centre) put forward a private members motion for a National Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform. A motion can have a maximum of 20 joint seconders, this motion quickly achieved that, with MPs from four parties seconding it.

The Morrice motion did not come to a vote in the House of Commons; it was too far down the list in the “order of precedence” for private members business.

Members of the House of Commons during a vote.

In June, 2023, building on the momentum and cross-partisan support, MP Lisa Marie Barron (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) put forward a new motion for a National Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform (motion M-86).

This motion was debated for the first time on November 7, 2023, a vote is expected sometime in early 2024.

A National Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform:

Is a non-partisan, independent, trusted process

Is composed of citizens selected at random, like a jury

Includes Canadians from all walks of life, with special care to ensure that participants reflect Canadian society, including by age, gender, ethnicity and region of Canada

Engages citizens to learn from experts, thoughtfully consider an issue, and make a recommendation

Without pre-judging various kinds of electoral systems, a citizens’ assembly will review options to improve the  current electoral system. They would be free to recommend keeping the status quo (first-past-the-post), ranked ballots, or a proportional system.

Burlington MP Karina Gould speaking in the House of Commons in 2017

A CBC report in February of 2017 said: ”

Seven months after her predecessor described the current electoral system as “antiquated,” and one week after the Liberal government abandoned its pursuit of reform, the new minister of democratic institutions defended first-past-the-post during an appearance before a House of Commons committee.

“The first-past-the-post system may not be perfect — no electoral system is,” Karina Gould said Tuesday during an appearance before the procedure and House affairs committee.

“But it has served this country for 150 years and advances a number of democratic values that Canadians hold dear, such as strong local representation, stability and accountability.”

The decision to abandon the Liberal Party’s commitment to implement a new electoral system was “difficult” but “responsible,” Gould said, citing a lack of consensus around the options.

By Pepper Parr

February 3^rd, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

Ward 3 Councillor Rory Nisan was the last of the Burlington speakers presenting to the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy

Mr. Rory Nisan: Where is my son going to live? How is my son going to afford a place? How far away will he have to move? Will we have to move to be close to him and his family someday? He’s only three years old, but eventually he will need his own place, and he deserves his own future.

We’re all here today because we’ve all made building more homes faster our top priority. I’m grateful to every one of you for coming out on a snowy January day, so thank you.

Honestly, Halton region just works.

I come with good news and bad news, and I like to start with good news usually. Despite the shortage of homes and despite the high cost of living, the residents of ward 3 in Burlington, and indeed all of Burlington—all of Halton—are living some really great lives.

More good news: Halton has a mature two-tier system of local government. We’re not afraid to do the hard work, to look inward, prove the processes and find efficiencies. We’ve done it before, and we can do it again. In fact, it’s already happening.

Our CAOs are working together now to see what can be downloaded or uploaded. Let’s be clear, though, that there is not yet any evidentiary basis for substantive duplication no matter what rhetoric you might hear, nor is there any evidentiary basis, at this point, for downloading rather than uploading. Keep in mind that three out of four municipalities in Halton are still towns. There has not been a single motion at a lower-tier municipality calling for single-tier.

Honestly, Halton region just works. I go there. I put my region hat on. I do what’s best for the region. I don’t bring local politics there. Some decisions are just better made at a broader level, and the results speak for themselves. Make no mistake, the region is independent and just as much a part of local democracy as the lower-tier municipalities, even if it’s not subject to strong-mayor powers that may frankly incentivize consolidation of power at a lower level.

Now, you might have on your notepads there two columns—upload, download—and I appreciate that, but respectfully, let us do the hard work. We will work collaboratively to develop an evidentiary basis for our decisions that is rooted in the local reality in Halton to get more homes built faster. Those decisions are not going to be made on a whim. They will have the legitimacy of support of the triple majority. Honestly, 99% of what we do at Halton is already by consensus. We’ll fix what’s broken. If it ain’t broke, we’re going to leave it alone. I promise if we need anything from you, from the Ontario Legislature, we will call you.

Okay, bad news time: We’re not going to build more homes faster if municipalities are chronically underfunded for major infrastructure. There is going to have to be a give-and-take. In Burlington, we’re spending $2.2 million this year alone to improve and streamline our planning and permitting process. We’re even experimenting with artificial intelligence for detailed technical reviews.

If you really want more houses built, and I know that you do, you’re going to have to finance us. Why? Why can’t we just do it ourselves? I’m going to be really brutal here. We can’t drop massive tax increases that would be necessary onto our residents. We’ll get tossed out of office. We’ll be replaced by populist “zero tax increase” campaigners. We will get nowhere. We’ll just keep fighting and the houses are not going to get built.

“We’re pushing the feds for a new municipal growth framework, but that’s not going to happen without Ontario.”

So, what’s the alternative? The province and the federal government step in, collaborate with municipalities: pay for what is supposed to be paid, first of all; and second, fund those major growth-related infrastructure and other costs that meet your objectives. This is what we are asking for in the new deal for Halton region.

I’m also Ontario caucus chair for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, so we’re pushing the feds for a new municipal growth framework, but that’s not going to happen without Ontario. If you’re serious about building homes faster, you have to fund infrastructure.

What’s the alternative? Do we want our kids, our grandkids, our nieces and nephews going to school in portables for their entire school career? Do you want community centres, overrun pools, overfilled parks, overcrowded? Or how about just water and waste water? Without that, nothing is getting built. This is what’s going to happen if the province doesn’t start funding us properly—and this goes back to previous governments as well.

Here, at Halton region, we have some shortfalls: $14.7 million in 2024 for health and social services is owed in funding from the province; $15.5 million per year due to the Development Charges Act, limiting the collection of development charges to fund critical infrastructure; an estimated total shortfall of $940 million by 2031 for additional residential development charges as a result of Bill 23; and we have a need to accelerate $750 million of key water and waste water capacity infrastructure projects.

The $200-million fund is very welcome, but it won’t even cover a third of Halton’s needs. This is why regional council unanimously adopted a motion calling for a new deal for Halton region to address the funding shortfall for cost-shared health and social services programming, a shortfall in development charges revenues, and to ensure critical water and waste water infrastructure is adequately funded to keep pace with the growth that you’re telling us we have to do and that we are happy to do.

If you want to know Halton region’s position, which was approved just this past December by all members of regional council unanimously—I will share this with you momentarily—here are the copies of the call for the new deal. Maybe you’ve heard that municipalities are responsible for 60% of public infrastructure in Canada, and we get 12% of the tax dollars. You can fix this. We can build more homes faster. Let’s all pick up our hammers and get it done.

Canada is the best place to live in the world for a reason.

Mr. Rory Nisan: Everything you said, MPP Shaw, is accurate. FCM is making a really strong push to the federal government, but we need the same sort of push which is also launching provincially to fund these soft costs. So if we build a house, that’s great; if we can connect it to the taps, that’s absolutely necessary.

Canada is the best place to live in the world for a reason. It’s because we have the community centres. It’s because we have the firefighters, the police officers. It’s because we have green space that we can go and play in. So I think that we can aspire to more than just connecting homes to the waste water if we want and expect our children to have the same quality of life that we’ve had.

Mr. Rory Nisan: Thank you—not for long. I do want to say to the question of us getting money from the federal government and asking them for that waste water money, absolutely, we would be more than happy to get direct funding from the federal government down to municipalities, like they have in other areas like the Housing Accelerator Fund.

Burlington approved four units, as of right, which is unlocking the key to the Housing Accelerator Fund. Unfortunately, it’s not unlocking anything with the province. Those policy changes are not unlocking funding with the province, and honestly, we feel that they should. We are grateful for the increases from the provincial government, don’t get me wrong, but you still owe us. We’re still in the hole. So we would really appreciate it if you get to even and then create that new fund

Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon: Now I’m going to whip over to Rory—my favourite name, an Irish name.

Thank you. I just got this handed to me, hot off the press. Amazing. This was unanimously passed in beautiful Burlington. The resolution is for a new deal for Halton region. Give me more details, exactly, specifically. What would you want? Dream list.

Mr. Rory Nisan: This was unanimously approved at Halton regional council, so it comes with the authority of the 24 members of Halton region, spanning the four local municipalities acting in Halton region’s interest.

The new deal for Halton region is us asking that we partner with the provincial government on the incredible growth that we are being asked and we are willing to deliver. So it’s asking that the provincial government, the Legislature, be a partner with us, and that you fund what needs to be funded to achieve the objectives that you have laid out for Halton region.

We’re magnanimous; we think that everyone in Ontario is deserving of a new deal. But seeing Toronto being able to make trade-offs for highways for funding—we don’t have any highways we can trade you, but we can promise you we will build 100% of the homes you are asking for. We’ll probably beat it, frankly. But we won’t beat it, we won’t meet it, we won’t even scrape it without provincial support. I really believe that this government understands that. That’s why you did the $200-million fund over three years. But we’re just getting started, as MPP Rae said.

And if I may just add: We can’t forget, in this new deal or in any deal, those who are most in need. Chair Carr mentioned how the paramedics work and how Halton region has stepped up. One thing that makes Halton region nearly one of a kind is that we have a place for every homeless person in need. We can approach every person who is unhoused, I should say, and offer them a place to be.

You won’t find that everywhere. We’ll even take them to visit their pets at the animal shelter. That’s how much we care for these people.

Mr. Matthew Rae

My question is to Rory, to start. I’m always going back to examples, because it really helps me when I go back to Minister Calandra. Are there one or two examples—we heard the infrastructure funding—of other processes that can be changed to help get those—Marianne mentioned that there are almost 3,000 in the pipeline. Are there things the region can do to help ensure that site plan approval occurs quickly? Paul mentioned three different groups: conservation authorities, city, region. Is the region looking at ways they could potentially just have one sort of one-stop window?

Mr. Rory Nisan: I have to be honest, with Bill 23 devolving planning down to the local municipalities, that has got to be where you need to cast your eyes at this point. Conservation Halton meets its planning time frames well over 90% of the time. Region of Halton is also very quick in responding, but they’re not going to be a factor going forward in those planning timelines. If you want to get the homes built, you’ve got to look at the lower-tiers.

The city of Burlington is now working with the accelerated timelines that we were given to start approving developments. Committee just brought to council a new long-term residence that’s seven storeys. I’ll tell you it was not unanimously supported by local residents, but we knew it was the right thing for Burlington and that’s why we brought it forward.

I appreciate your interest in how we can make Halton region faster. Maybe if we got that royal assent on Bill 23, that would definitely help us a lot, just to have that clarity. You know, it’s very tough, MPP Rae, to be working under a cloud of “I’m not sure which direction we’re going and which way.” That makes it hard for developers too. That’s why we have 41,000 in the pipeline and not 41,000 that are being built right now.

Related news stories:

Meed Ward speaks to Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy

Paul Sharman speaks to  Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy

By Pepper Parr

February 1^st, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

To start, the current event at the Performing Arts Centre Community Theatre has had sold out in performances in Toronto and New York City and won the top prize in the drama category for the 2023 Governor General’s 2023 Literary Awards.

As You Like It – that Land acknowledgement

It was not a performance – it was an experience that everyone should have but, like cod liver oil – good for you but.

We want the land back.

Cliff  Cardinal spends 90 minutes on a platform literally hammering his audience who at times became part of what he was saying.

The dialogue between Cardinal and about six people ended up with their walking out which was punctuated with f bombs being dropped all over the place.

The message was: Forget your lands acknowledgements, they are phony balony anyway – “we want our land back.”  Roseland was the target.

From time to time an event is put on at the Performing Arts Centre that I want to review.  Most of the time performances are for two days, often just one – which doesn’t give me much time to attend, write the review and get it up so people can decide if it is something they would like to attend.

I personally wondered – why did BPAC Executive Director Tammy Fox book this event?

Turns out she has known Cliff Cardinal for at least 15 years and during her time is as an agent she represented him.

As an aside – I’ll get to the point – when people read out a Land Acknowledgement during which they mispronounce some of the Indigenous words, I cringe and wonder why we do this.  We say we care and then continue to treat the Indigenous like dirt.

Cliff Cardinal starts his 90 minute performance reading a Land Acknowledgement and then tells the audience that he is a mix of Cree and Metis heritage adding “we want our land back”.

That goes over like a bag of rocks with the all-white audience that chuckles mildly.

Less than fifteen minutes into the program Cardinal is dropping f bombs all over the place and inviting people to leave if they aren’t happy.  It doesn’t take long before those who are unhappy become part of the show is as they bicker back and forth with Cardinal.

Titled “As You Like It; a Radical Retelling” it is a one man performance the audience becomes very much a part of what he has set out to do.  The Indigenous people want the land back.

Cardinal’s performance is a mix of words, gesture, expression and movement. Collectively they stun, shock and have you laughing on occasion and leave you thinking about what you heard when you get home.

Clifford Cardinal won the top prize in the drama category for the 2023 Governor General’s 2023 Literary Awards.

The Catholics don’t get what they were expecting; Roseland is an apartheid state and his generation Cardinal explains is one of the first to have parents in some time.

Of the 7,000 unmarked graves – Cardinal wants to know who buried them, how did they die and why don’t the churches want to release the documents they have.

Someone must have kept records – the Germans certainly did.

When Cardinal speaks of a missing and believed to have been murdered Aboriginal woman he adds that missing Aboriginal woman have become biodegradable.

This is a performance that has to be seen.  When I hear mention of Truth and Reconciliation I respond with – yes – but Truth first.

Cliff Cardinal makes the best attempt I’ve seen at the Truth part.

I had an opportunity to speak to him for a couple of minutes after the performance.  We had to be outside the building – Cardinal smokes and vapes – almost at the same time.

It was not a performance – it was an experience.

He was wiped, totally drained of any energy, wanting me to ask him questions.

I didn’t have any for him but I did tell him that he had moved the needle.

Go – take in the performance and get ready for an experience.

Tammy Fox will tell you that theatre is there to entertain – to challenge you and bring new perspectives to the way you usually see things. This is the best event she has booked in the years she has been the BPAC Executive Director

Thu Feb 1, 2024 at 7:30pm
Fri Feb 2, 2024 at 7:30pm
Sat Feb 3, 2024 at 2pm
Sat Feb 3, 2024 at 7:30pm
Sun Feb 4, 2024 at 2pm

Ticket Prices

Order online

By Staff

February 1^st, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

Henniges Automotive Holdings Inc. says it will close its Burlington, Ont., plant which makes vehicle sealing systems by the end of the year.

Located on Fairview, west of Appleby Line, it occupies the building which was the former Sanvik manufacturing plant.

The company employs 220 people who are represented by the Workers United Canada Council.

Henniges Automotive say they will consolidate its operations to existing facilities and expects no disruption in supplying existing or future programs.

By optimizing its footprint it will continue to be competitive and support its customers.

Henniges Automotive makes sealing systems for doors, windows, trunks, lift gates, sunroofs and hoods as well as encapsulated glass systems for automakers.

It has facilities in North America, Europe and Asia and has more than 9,000 employees worldwide.

By Pepper Parr

January 31st, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

It was a comment made during a meeting of the Ontario Big City Mayors (OBCM) – Mayor Marianne Meed Ward serves is as the Chair of that organization.

The remark wasn’t made during the formal part of the meeting – it was a comment made to another Mayor who mentioned what he heard to others and it eventually worked its way back to Tim Commisso.

Tim Commisso has made some very significant and positive changes to the way the city operates. A new city manager might not continue the work he started – which would be unfortunate.

Commisso advised Council that he was not going to look for a renewal of his contract and will leave the City on June 10^th.  At the time he said he wanted to spend more time with his family.

A month or more before, Council did a performance review of Commisso as a City Manager (it was done in a CLOSED session of Council).

Commisso said in an open session of Council that he was humbled by the support from Council.  Shortly after that Commisso was given a salary increase of $63,000 which was part of his contract.

Sometime later Commisso announced that he would not seek a contract renewal.

Marianne Meed Ward is not the person people elected as Mayor in 2018. Power does reveal.

Meed Ward had said to another Mayor at the OBCM meeting that she was looking for a better leader, someone who would be more effective.

Comments like that race through the small community of large cities – it was more than Commisso wanted to live with.

His announcement that he would not seek a new contract followed.

By Pepper Parr

January 31^st, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

We neglected to give credit where credit was due.  The report was written by Community Development Halton. The full report, Community Data Watch, Where is Poverty in Halton, January 2024 can be found at: Community Data Watch: Where is Poverty in Halton? | Community Development Halton (cdhalton.ca)

In 2020, there were over 34,000 people living in poverty in Halton.

There were about 7,300 individuals living in poverty in Burlington’s 47 census tracts. Nearly 80% of the census tracts had less than 215 individuals. The other 20% of census tracts were with poverty population level ranging between 216 and 450 individuals.

Almost half (49.7%) of the people living in poverty re-sided in Oakville, followed by Burlington (21%), Milton (21%), and Halton Hills (8%)

A census tract (CT)  is a small, relatively stable geographic area that usually has a population of between 2,500 and 8,000 persons.4 However, there is one exception, the census tract which includes North Oakville has a population of over 21,000 in the 2021 Census. This census tract has yet to be subdivided.  According to Statistics Canada, a census tract may be split into two or more new census tracts (usually when its population exceeds 8,000).

Halton’s poverty rate as measured by Canada’s official poverty was 5.9% compared with the provincial average of 8.3%. The measure used throughout this article is the Market Basket Measure

The amount of income needed to be above the poverty line.

The graphic provides detail on the poverty threshold, or the minimum level of income deemed necessary for a basic standard of living, using the Market Basket Measure, Canada, and Ontario’s official poverty measure.

The intention of this spatial analysis of data is to provide further insights into the dynamics of poverty and its impact on both individuals and the community. It raises public awareness on income and social inequalities, and serves as a communication tool to facilitate community discussions, gather input from residents, and involve them in the decision-making process regarding the types of services needed.

The map  shows the number of people living below the poverty line by census tract (outlined in purple) in Halton.

In the 2021 Census, there were 131 census tracts in Halton of which three were non-residential areas.

Community organizations can use the geographic data to design or update existing community development programs and services especially where proximity and accessibility are important.

This enables them to focus on areas with the greatest need and engage with residents to develop effective solutions. It can foster partnerships with local organizations, businesses, and government agencies to pool resources and expertise to alleviate poverty.

See the following for more information on poverty in Halton and how it is measured: Community Development Halton, Our Halton, Income

Inequality and Poverty, 2023

Statistics Canada, Census Tract:

Census tract: Detailed definition

By Pepper Parr

January 30^th, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

We can now tell you quite a bit more is as to why City Manager Tim Commisso decided to quit and be able to spend more time with his family.

There were a lot of questions as to why Commisso would get a positive review from Council;  given to him during a CLOSED session of Council; get a significant salary increase ($63,000 a year) and very shortly after advise the Mayor and Council that he was not going to seek a renewal of his contract.

All the parts have to come together if something is going to work. There was a part that didn’t come together.

We have since learned that the salary increase was part of the contract Commisso signed when he was made city manager – after serving as Interim for a number of months.  When the specific milestones in the contract were met – the increase in the contract was granted.

What followed was a comment made at an Ontario Big City Mayors meeting that did it for Tim Commisso.

Tune in tomorrow for who said what to who that caused Tim Commisso to call it a day.

Sources that will go on record don’t exist.  The world of City Managers is very small – they all know each other very well and in most cases work together very well.  They talk to each other but seldom talk about each other.

Commisso is currently heading up a Committee of City Managers that is going through all the services delivered by the Region of Halton and trying to determine which can be down-loaded to the municipalities.

Commisso leaves the City on June 10th.