By Staff
November 24th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington TAXI has announced it will be closing.
Exactly when and why will be detailed in a follow up story.
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By Staff November 24th, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
Join the folks at Ireland House for the Victorian Christmas Tour & Treats event. The Ireland House Museum does a superb Victorian Christmas Tour every year. The pandemic changed the scheduling – this year they have chosen December 3rd or 4th as occasions when you can step back in time with a tour of the historic home and sample traditional treats (baked in-house) along the way. Limited tickets available, $28/person ($25 for Museum members). This is worth the time. Pick a day and book your tour. Click HERE By Pepper Parr November 24th, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON OPINION Creating the organizational structure needed to run an election – and win – requires a network. Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and her husband Pete were out for dinner with Dianne and Nick Leblovitch at Jakes earlier in the month. Meed Ward had a solid team during 2018. Pete Ward is a fine strategic thinker and knew what his wife needed in the way of emotional support as well as some sound strategic thinking. Pete delivered on both levels. The Leblovics were part of the 2018 team and, based on the information we have, they are the only two who are hold overs from the 2018 election. That is unusual and has resulted in several noses being out of joint. Nick Leblovic is a long time political junkie and loves being around people who are close to the seat of government. Wife Dianne has a well honed political sense that goes all the way back to when Cam Jackson was Mayor. There was a time when, as publisher of the Gazette, there would be long Saturday morning calls from Nick who was looking for updates, reaction, and as much political gossip as you could feed him. At the time, Leblovic was the Chair of the Waterfront Advisory committee that ran into a sunset decision which brought a fast close to his career as an Advisory Committee Chair. When he was told that the committee would cease to exist at the end of the year Nick; said he was blind-sided. The chummy relationship with Nick came to an end soon after when he sued me and the Gazette for a million – which I didn’t realize I had. The Libel action didn’t go anywhere. Leblovic chose to be his own lawyer and either lost interest or forgot how to practice law. Can the Diane Leblovic political savvy, Pete Ward’s strategic ability, and the support Meed Ward has from her tribe result in another win? Time will tell but get ready for a rough and tumble election. Recall what was done to Meed Ward when she ran in 2018. Related news stories: Life of the Waterfront Advisory Committee comes to an end. 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.
November 24th, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON Some time ago a new online newspaper was created. Former ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven was a contributor. When we dug a little we learned that Rick Goldring was the person behind the creation of what is known as the Burlington News. The following lengthy article on the Waterfront Hotel, is certainly detailed and both interesting and relevant to those who follow local politics. There is no byline on the article. Expect Rick Goldring to run for the office of Mayor in 2022. At this point, it certainly looks like he is positioning himself for a run against Mayor Meed Ward. It has been confirmed: an application has been received by the City of Burlington proposing the redevelopment of the Waterfront Hotel, a 30- and 35-storey development to replace the existing hotel. This application will now be considered following the usual planning process and is just one of the seven developments that remain to be considered using the city’s in-force Official Plan and policies in place prior to the approval of Regional Official Plan Amendment 48 (ROPA 48). The Waterfront Hotel Study began in earnest several years ago, spanned two different mayors and has yet to be completed. A little background to provide some context: in 2005 and 2006, the city approached the landowner to consider redevelopment of the Waterfront Hotel site (municipally known as 2020 Lakeshore Road). This was in response to a series of reports in 2005 and 2006 that considered the redevelopment of these lands and the important role they play in the downtown and the waterfront. City staff and the landowner at that time explored the advancement of a joint planning study process. A beginning of a planning review framework for the redevelopment of the site was developed and approved by council in fall 2006. On February 23, 2015, council approved the terms of reference for the Waterfront Hotel Lands Planning Study, which is a comprehensive land-use and urban design study focused on the subject site and surrounding lands, including Spencer Smith Park. The Waterfront Hotel Planning Study was publicly launched, beginning with a pair of visioning workshops, in May 2017. The subject site’s significance was affirmed at the Planning and Development Committee meeting of November 28, 2017, evidenced by several delegations that presented a varied set of interests and development concepts. Since that time, staff, with support from the project consultants from the Planning Partnership that were hired by the City of Burlington, has undertaken additional consultation with stakeholders. This additional consultation was done in response to council’s direction to continue a dialogue with the developer/landowner Vrancor Group and local citizens group Plan B. Additionally, input has been collected from the public at large through a second online survey regarding the emerging redevelopment concepts. Two committees were set up to administer the Waterfront Hotel Planning Study. A steering committee was formed to oversee the consulting team to ensure steady progress and to discuss any questions that might arise. A stakeholder advisory committee consisting of other key city departments was established, including the mayor, Ward 2 councillor, the landowner, representatives from Halton Region, the Burlington Downtown Business Association, and two citizen representatives. City staff built upon the consultation work done through the three community workshops that included (a total of six sessions) the Planning and Development Committee meeting held on November 28, 2017, to consider all of the work that had been completed and the significant contributions from the Vrancor and the Plan B citizen group. Despite extensive engagement opportunities, a clear consensus on direction had not yet been achieved. The work completed to date through the Waterfront Hotel Planning Study has been funded 100% by the landowner, controlled and administered by the City of Burlington. All of this occurred prior to the last municipal election and understandably the staff report in June 2018 resulted in staff being directed to continue some background work over the upcoming months and in early 2019, re-start the process during the new term of council. Following the election and with a new mayor and council in place, the Waterfront Hotel Study ground to a halt. Since the election in October 2018, the redevelopment study faced delay after delay as our new mayor and council implemented an Interim Control By- Law, including the Waterfront Hotel study area, and focused their attention on re-examining the Official Plan, in particular, the downtown policies. Despite imposing an Interim Control By-Law (ICBL) that temporarily froze any development in the Waterfront Hotel study area, the lands were not included as part of that study. Council was also clear the Waterfront Hotel Study would not be within the scope of work happening as part of the re-examination of the adopted Official Plan. Why council chose not to consider the Waterfront Hotel as part of either study has never been made clear, nor has council explained why they chose not to restart the Waterfront Hotel Study to further engage residents and build on the work already completed. One possible explanation for excluding the Waterfront Hotel from the re-examination of the adopted Official Plan is found in a staff report from 2019, where they advise the mayor and council, stating: “Given the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in place with the owner of this property in order to complete a study to respond to an existing Official Plan policy, it would not be appropriate to include this site within the scope of work proposed and would impact the ability to deliver the project by March 2020.” A staff report was due back to the Planning and Development Committee in Q2 2020 with an augmented work plan, including details on timelines, a new public engagement plan, and any additional budget required to support the work. However, that report was further delayed to Q4 2020. Council’s delay of almost two years after the pause for the 2018 election resulted in a letter, dated Sept. 28, 2020, from the legal representatives of the Waterfront Hotel. The mayor and council were advised that further delays were no longer acceptable, and they intended to complete the study independently and seek approvals of their redevelopment plans. The following are excerpts from that letter: “However, our client has concerns with the proposed implementation of this intensification potential. In particular, the ongoing delay in planning for the Property is of serious concern and can no longer be accepted by our client. The Property has not been included within the scope of review related to the new official plan, despite our client having invested approximately two hundred and fifty thousand dollars over five years ago to assist the City in determining the appropriate form of redevelopment for the Property. It would appear that this study is now further delayed with a report on a proposed revise action plan suggested for Q4 2020.” ([Lawyer] David Bronskill.) “This is unacceptable to our client. We can no longer wait for the City and our client’s intention is to proceed to finalize the study on its own and submit an application to secure approvals for the Property in an expedited fashion.” (David Bronskill.) 2020 gave way to 2021 and the Waterfront Hotel Study remained in limbo until Sep 8, 2021, when the owners moved the process forward and hosted a pre-application meeting to share their vision of the redevelopment of the existing hotel. The city has not specified an exact date, however, applications have been submitted to the city proposing a development of two towers, 30 and 35 storeys. These applications were submitted prior to Nov. 10, 2021, and prior to the approval of Regional Official Plan Amendment 48. November 10, 2021, is a relevant date as it was the date that the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Steve Clark, officially approved Regional Official Plan Amendment 48 (ROPA 48), establishing the cut-off date for applications to be considered using the existing policies and for new applications moving forward. Not an unusual decision, Burlington council established a cut-off date for development applications when they approved the Interim Control By-Law. The mayor and council have now advised they are expecting a staff report in Q1 of 2022 that should provide the work plan, including details on timelines, a new public engagement plan, and any additional budget required to support the work. Essentially the same report that was expected and delayed since Q2 of 2020, almost two years ago. After the progress and extensive public engagement in 2017–18, the study was paused during the election in 2018 and never restarted and won’t be until sometime in 2022. When restarted, the study is now complicated as the focus within the study area (the Waterfront Hotel) has a proposed development working its way through the planning process. To further complicate the study and consideration of the proposal, 2022 is a municipal election year, when traditionally, decisions of this magnitude or even less contentious decisions are delayed, kicked down the road. This mayor and council are no different, however, they should be careful not to forfeit the city’s right to make planning decisions by not meeting their regulatory obligations on what is arguably the city’s most important and significant waterfront property. That has happened far too often — count the appeals at the Ontario Land Tribunal that are funded by Burlington taxpayers because of council’s failure to make a decision. The conversation regarding the Waterfront Hotel Study has changed and will include the applications for a 30- and 35-storey development. Has council’s three-year delay to restart the Waterfront Hotel Study resulted in a missed opportunity for the city and residents to influence the outcome? Editor’s comment: You can thank me later, Rick, for the boost to your readership By Pepper Parr November 23rd, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
What is it this time you might ask? Same old. Developers doing what they seem to feel they have to do. The one the Gazette has been watching is what we are calling the two Towers that Darko Vranich wants to put in the space now occupied by the Waterfront Hotel. The understanding we had was that the company, Lakeshore 2020, had yet to file a development application. Not true – Lakeshore 2020 apparently filed an application on October 26th and at a meeting of City Council this afternoon the city planners are going to advise the Councillors that they do not want to accept the application because they believe it is not complete. What we would like to know is – why does the public not get to learn the moment that an application had been filed. One source has advised that the city planning department had 30 days to keep the application to themselves until they had assured themselves that it was complete. WE are not sure that is correct. Not that it matters all that much at this point – what is really disturbing is the way members of council go mute and do not make any effort to inform the people. Related news stories: Plan B – worth more than a close look Try a land swap and put city hall and the art gallery on the waterfront By Staff November 23rd, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
It is time to enjoy one of the real delights of living in Burlington. The Festival of Lights launches officially on Friday. As the darkness of a late November afternoon settles on the city, lights come on at Spencer Smith Park illuminating the “sculptures” set up all along the park. The photographs in this article are what the designs look like in the daytime. At night they are a true delight.
Just the place to take the kids to the park and wander from one design to another and then be off for a hot chocolate to ward off the evening chill.
By Ryan O’Dowd: Local Journalism Initiative Reporter November 23rd, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
Interviews with downtown Burlington business owners as the holiday market approaches suggests there are distinctly different views and some concern over any impact the event will have on downtown core merchants. Many business owners seemed in the dark about the specifics of the 4-day holiday market running from December 9th to December 12th, either because they didn’t have time to keep up with things (they were too busy struggling to keep the doors open) or resulting from an absence of communication by the Burlington Downtown Business Association(BDBA). The common response from business owners whether they were enthusiastic or skeptical about the event was that they hoped the event would prove prosperous as the hard times they’d fallen on in the pandemic remained. Many were optimistic the market would increase traffic in the downtown core, others concerned about facing direct competition. Joelle Goddard-Cooling, owner of Joelle’s, said busy-ness kept her from participating in BDBA matters. Joelle said she had spoken to Brian Dean of the BDBA, early in the process but elected to focus on her store. “It would be difficult to participate, to go and haul something over there would be a little tricky,” Joelle said “but hopefully it brings more people downtown.” Several business owners spoke of the onus being placed on the retailer to set up booths at the market. Joelle wishes she was more involved with the discussions but the holiday season traffic made it difficult to do so. She suggested if she wanted to know more about the market she could have and there wasn’t an issue with transparency from the BDBA, but acknowledged she would have had to devote time she didn’t have to participate if she wanted input. “We always want the downtown to flourish, I certainly talked to Brian in the beginning and I felt…” Joelle paused, “I maybe would have commented if I didn’t agree, but I’m not sure if I agree with the market or not. So I have no comment.” Jason Pepetone, the owner of Centro Garden, found that he too had difficulty keeping up with existing demands as a reason for declining participation in the holiday market. Pepetone was asked to be a vendor but is dealing with enough staff for day-to-day operations. “I guess it’s a good problem to have,” he said of the demand being placed on his business. In addition to staffing issues, Centro Garden is dealing with supply delays. “We’re not participating in the market. I’ve heard bits and pieces. But we’re dealing with shipments coming in late. I’m in Toronto picking up stuff that’s supposed to be delivered here. We’re dealing with the same supply chain issues as everyone else,” he said. Pepetone wasn’t concerned about the potential competition and thought the holiday market directing foot traffic could pay dividends for his operation. “They did something similar years ago in the Village Square, it’s a nice atmosphere. I could see it as competition but that’s never hurt me.” Shirley, the owner of the Knitter’s Boutique, felt like setting up at the holiday market would have been redundant, her storefront at 431 Pearl Street ( it opened this week) will be right in the thick of the market. The Knitter’s Boutique borders the 402-420 Martha St Parking Lot which is entirely fenced off and under construction, a project Shirley said the city is assuring her will be completed ahead of the December 9th market. Shirley is looking forward to the project’s completion to assist with traffic outside her location. One day she showed up to find a fence around her store, to her relief the city quickly removed it “I noticed before they started the construction that the pathway, (the Elgin Promenade) was packed with people. I couldn’t believe the number of people walking! And there was like a gazillion dogs so, in true entrepreneurial fashion Shirley immediately got into knitting dog sweaters and got them in the window. Because it’s just amazing how many dogs there are. “I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s gonna be huge for businesses and I love the vibe of downtown Burlington. I think there’s a lot of action here and this spot is kind of perfect for it. I’ve told people about the market and they’re spreading the word, it’s going to be so nice because it’s outdoors people can come together and shop without worrying about capacity limits.” Caitlin McGillivray, owner of Waves in the Village, didn’t receive any more than a flyer informing her about the market. Caitlin would have participated in some capacity and is concerned the Village Square will be forgotten about by the marketplace. Caitlin said if someone came around to inquire from BDBA they could have at least contributed something for a gift bag so if people left without checking in to Waves in the Village they would know they were there. “I’m concerned that we’re gonna have a lot of people down here and they’re not going to be redirected into the Village because a lot of people don’t know the Village exists. So I’m afraid they’re going to go through the parking lot and then they’re just going to go to their car and leave. People should be redirected into this area to help some of the businesses that are in here as well,” said McGillivray. Ali Ucar, owner of the Agora Marketplace, is participating in the holiday market and hopes it will provide a much-needed boost for his business. The John Street gift shop owner opened during the pandemic and was hamstrung introducing his shop to the public by the frequent lockdowns. Ucar is paying a $50 fee to participate and is responsible for bringing his own tent and table. Ucar has tried marketing and social media and isn’t sure where to go from here, he is hopeful the holiday market spreads awareness. There is a responsibility burden on the BDBA for the marketplace to infuse the downtown core with an influx of shoppers this holiday season. The event must benefit not only partnering businesses but all local retailers in the downtown core who lacked the time, resources or information to participate. The Burlington Downtown website says the marketplace aims to revitalize the downtown core just in time for the holiday season. Here’s hoping that goal comes to fruition lest the BDBA receive a few lumps of coal from their clients this holiday season. The Burlington Holiday Market is being run with support from the Sound of Music and will feature choirs, interactive community art features, and advent-style community displays. The event kicks off Thursday, December 9th from 4 pm to 10 pm, runs from 11 am to 11 pm on Friday and Saturday, and 11 am to 7 pm on Sunday.
By Staff November 23rd, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Performing Arts Centre’s 5th Annual Festival of Trees will be sparking yuletide joy in patrons who visit BPAC until December 18th. Pre-lit artificial Christmas trees, generously donated by Canadian Tire Burlington Stores and sponsored by local businesses, will light up BPAC’s Lobby for 4 weeks – until their silent auction ‘winners’ take them home for the holidays. Toy Drive During the Festival of Trees, new toys will be accepted to be distributed to those in need. Please drop off unused toys to the Canadian Tire classic pick-up truck in the BPAC lobby. BPAC’s Festival of Trees Silent Auction You have the chance to take home one or more of the beautifully decorated trees by entering the Silent Auction. Simply view the trees in-person and place your bid. All proceeds support the Burlington Performing Arts Centre – no bid is too generous! Tree bidding ends on Saturday, December 18 at 4pm. Winners will be contacted by email and/or phone and can pick up trees on Monday Dec 20 and Tuesday Dec 21. Entrants must consent to signing up for the BPAC mailing list to be eligible. Viewing Times Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat & Sun: 12pm to 4pm
By Staff November 22nd, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
From the Rocca Sisters – another record breaking average sale price of $1,377,436. for residential homes. Although we all continue to see the rise in values, it has become less shocking and more expected due to the continued market conditions. We still continue to see hundreds of less properties active compared to last Fall. During the month of October properties sold for 111.46% of the listed price, a just over 3% increase over last month and in an average of 8 days (compared to 9 in September). Inventory continues to be historically low and a chronic challenge in our marketplace for buyers. The lack of supply and strong demand has continued to drive prices and piqued many potential sellers’ interest. Condominium market: Condos continue to be the big talk around town! The average price paid for a condo apartment unit in October was $784,715, up again this month from $704,000 in September. Condo apartments sold for 103.87% of the listed price up from last month of 101.46% Average days on market have remained more or less consistent at 14 days versus 15 days last month. Inventory levels continue to drive the prices, as well as demand and the fact that people are having to adjust their options based on affordability and for some people that means a condo. Taking the opportunity to downsize now would be reaping the benefits of both worlds! By Pepper Parr November 22nd, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
Getting the plans for a Holiday Market off the ground and into the minds of the public was a little awkward and far less than transparent – but they are closer to liftoff – which is December 9th to 12th – all to take place in a parking lot. The event is free – the opportunity is to see what merchants in the area have to offer. The idea was patterned after the immensely successful German Christmas markets: Burlington wanted one of its own and after more than a year of thinking about it and sifting through various ideas, Brian Dean, Executive Director of the Burlington Downtown Business Association (BDBA) and Peter Van Dyk thought they had an idea that could fly. It was to be an event supported in a big way with sponsorships. The initial effort to land a major bank didn’t work out. Sponsors as of November 18: The list of vendors is growing. Some of those set out below will not be present for all four days – a schedule will be posted on the website stating which vendors will be present on which days. Joseph Tassoni Musical acts will be confirmed closer to December 9. At this point there are several choirs lined up. The Holiday market people are working with Sound of Music to determine if some of the talent they work with can be available. Noise was a concern – no assurances at that level. There was mention of alcohol being available. Talks with the people at The Poacher didn’t go very far – they apparently had some liability issues. This is an evolving initiative with a lot of unknowns and great aspirations. The web site for the event Hours of operation: Thursday December 9: 4 pm-10 pm Friday, December 10 and Saturday, December 11: 11 am-11 pm Sunday, December 12: 11 am – 7 pm By Ryan O’Dowd: Local Initiative Journalism Reporter November 22, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
About 50 people gathered in downtown Burlington to join Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns, on a walkabout through new development sites on a chilly Saturday afternoon. The story she had to tell was dismal. Early in the event Kearns outlined what the tour was and wasn’t. It certainly wasn’t: an optimistic growth story but rather that of a city trying to keep its vision of a downtown intact. “I want to be clear” said Kearns, “about what this is and what this isn’t. I want you to be able to visualize and have a contextual sense of what these developments mean for you, the way that you will live here, and what you would rather see or like to see. What I cannot do is completely stop them.” Much of Saturday’s walking tour consisted of Kearns contextualizing city decisions. She discussed the Urban Growth Center (UGC) designation in the downtown core, saying it did its job to direct investments and infrastructure to downtown, but is no longer needed. The city worked for some time to move the UGC north to the Burlington GO station area and have the Major Transit Station Area (MTSA) designation removed from the bus terminal on John Street. The Hon. Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing agreed and on November 10th issued a statement saying the UGC boundary would be moved . Kearns stated the city couldn’t request the change in UGC boundaries until they had an approved Official Plan. The altered boundary came disastrously late for many of city council’s ambitions to limit high rise development. Kearns suggested council would have only been able to get the altered UGC designation moved at their first opportunity by approving the official plan tabled in 2018, one the newly elected council could not align themselves with. (Editor: we’re not at all sure that statement is correct.) The authority to approve a boundary change rested with the Minister; when he agreed to the change he also grandfathered seven developments; five of which were in the downtown core. The walk around was a tour of what many saw as the damage to a dream and a close to total evisceration of an Official Plan. Kearns stressed she was there to explain the framework in which the city has to operate with the Ontario Land Tribunal(OLT), which continuously make decisions the city doesn’t want, making it difficult for the municipal administration to usher in their planning vision. “The MTSA designation given to the bus terminal on John Street was the same as that given at Union Station and Pearson Airport. I don’t know about you guys but the John Street terminal is not Union Station. It’s warm and it has a toilet but it is not Union Station. “What that did was allow a 26-storey tower using the argument that with the John Street bus terminal being an MTSA a 26 storey tower was appropriate. So of course 26-storeys made sense. Well, what happens is when you have 26-storeys there, every single application that follows will say, ‘well look this is absolutely applicable’,” said Kearns. Kearns made it clear the city is not averse to growth, they know it needs to happen, but they are looking for something more compact and sensible than what the OLT has been permitting. Stopping at 2069-2079 Lakeshore Rd. and 383-385 Pearl St., Kearns said a recent OLT decision is emblematic of the direction development is taking. “We lost big time at the tribunal,” said Kearns. The city wanted to develop a 17-storey building on the land but begrudgingly settled for a cutoff of 22-storeys only for the OLT to decide on a 29-storey building. The OLT refused to recognize the city’s plans and threw out years of work and background information. “That’s it. So everything people said, if anybody from here remembers a very cold blustery December day at the art gallery where everyone put up their hands to say they were against the development, all of that is forgotten. And the only thing that’s heard is the lawyers and the technical experts on the day with the rules in place on the day.” It was the kind of sobering refrain heard during the chilly walkaround of a changing city. At one point some in the crowd asked: how someone got appointed to the OLT, Kearns joked “I’m sure they won’t be asking me anytime soon.” The citizen mumbled, “there’s a lot of us here.” And there were lots of them, some fifty all told. But Kearns’ walkabout felt less like a rallying call than an autopsy of Burlington’s existing downtown core. There were few calls to action, no signs of optimism, just an exacerbated, if passionate, Kearns telling Burlington she and the rest of City Council did everything they could. The city is continuing to spend tax dollars looking through its options with external lawyers for reconsideration or a judicial review “It matters to the community that we’re getting at least close to what the council can stomach, and closer to the Official Plan which is the vision for downtown, then what the Tribunal is handing us. We think it is very disheartening. I will say I will put it more than anybody else. I think it is very very disheartening that the adjudicators did not recognize the work that we have done on the Official Plan. So while the bus station was a major deciding factor to the 26-storey building next to it, they suddenly didn’t look at that anymore. But then they were like, ‘oh, let’s just use no plan.’ So it’s really difficult to try to play cat and mouse and keep catching up to whatever reasons are being used to undermine our local planning,“ said Kearns. Congestion concerns and Lakeshore Road access were raised by some in attendance, there were scarce murmurs of the developments potentially buoying downtown retailers but overall the crowd shared Kearns concern. Kearns didn’t field many questions, she said she couldn’t due to time constraints. However, one wonders if after the described dealings with the tribunal if the councilor and the city writ large aren’t left with more questions than answers themselves. Kearns walkabout stopped at ten development locations in the downtown core, they are as follows: 2020 Lakeshore Rd. Which is in the pre-application phase. It will use a proposed two tall buildings(35-storeys and 30-storeys, as well as a 5-storey podium). It will be used for retail, commercial, and residential space. Core Development-2093, 2097, 2102 Old Lakeshore td., 2096, 2100 Lakeshore Rd. The application is under appeal. The application is for a 27-storey building consisting of commercial and residential space. 2107 Old Lakeshore Rd. & 2119 Lakeshore Rd. Old Lakeshore Rd. and 2119 Lakeshore Rd. The application is under appeal. The space will be used for a 27-storey building including retail, commercial, and residential space. 2069-2079 Lakeshore Rd. and 383-385 Pearl St. reached an OLT decision. The 29-storey building will host commercial, retail, and residential space. 374 Martha St. The building is under construction. It will be a 26-storey condominium with residential and commercial space. 2085 Pine St. The application is under appeal. It will be an 11-storey building consisting of commercial space, office units, and residential space. 407 Martha St. The application is under appeal. It will be used for an 11-storey residential building. 2082, 2086 and 2090 James St. The location is subject to Site Plan Approval. It will host a 13-storey residential apartment. 409 Brant St. A formal Site Plan Application is being awaited. It will be an 18-storey residential building. 421 Brant St. The unit is under construction. It will be a 23-storey residential, office, and retail building.
By Staff November 22, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
The Art Gallery of Burlington will feature Heidi von der Gathen of Air and Earth Design on Saturday, November 27 from 12 to 3 PM. Heidi will share more about her practice and demonstrate the Keum Boo technique she uses to fuse gold embellishments to the silver in her jewellery. Air & Earth Design is the contemporary jewellery brand designed by artist, Heidi von der Gathen. Hand-crafted, organic inspired elements combined with clean lines and unique finishes gives Heidi’s jewellery a chic and contemporary edge. These timeless pieces that describe style rather than fashion, can be worn for years. Powerful beauty. Here is jewellery designed for women that are comfortable with themselves and enjoy creating their own, unique and personal statement. By Staff November 21st, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
Emmet caught the Giving Back bug early in life. He had decided that he could make cookies, sell them and donate the proceeds to people who needed the money. His first venture into the cookie business got him a chance to sit behind the wheel of a fire truck after giving Fire Chief Karen Roach a box of his treats. He set out on a bigger venture the second time – he wanted to raise $1000 for the Halton Women’s Shelter. Today, November 22nd, is the last day to place cookie orders. If you have already ordered, Emmett is delighted. He has already reached his target – but would like to do more. That’s Giving Back. You can follow Emmett’s cooking journey. On youtube: http://youtube.com/emmettmakes On instagram: http://instagram/emmettmakes Previous news story: By Pepper Parr November 20th, 2021 BURLINGTON. ON
If you haven’t made your plans for the afternoon – you might want to join Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns on the walkabout she plans in the southern part of her ward. She has invited anyone to join her while she comments on the development proposals that have been grandfathered by the Minister of Municipal Affairs; which means that they will probably clear the Ontario Land Tribunal. The Mayor has said little and is reported to have done as much as she can to get the members of Council not talk about what the Ministry has done to the city. Starts at 1:00 pm – gather at the foot of Brant Street at Lakeshore. By Staff November 19th, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
ALDERSHOT IS CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS……. By Staff November 19th, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON Breaking News The Gazette has learned from a usually reliable source that Santa has arranged to visit Burlington on Saturday and Sunday – the 4th and 5th of December. Our sources sent us a map of the route Santa is expected to take. The reindeer aren’t available this year – the Santa workshop team didn’t think it was safe for them to be out without wearing masks – they couldn’t find anything that would fit the reindeer. Santa was able to get some help from the Burlington Fire department who will drive Santa around the city. We expect to get more detailed information from the elves as we get closer to the arrival dates. Stay tuned.
By Staff November 18th, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
Tim Hortons is picking up the tab for free swimming and skating on the PA Day, Nov. 26 Tim Hortons has also made a contribution to the Skate Lending Program which will be coming to the Burlington Rotary Centennial Pond when it is opened later this year. During the PA Day there will be four hours of free swimming and four and a half hours of skating on Nov. 26 During the winter break, there will be more than 20 hours of free swimming and 74 hours of skating for residents. For all days and activities, pre-registration is required and registration opens 25-hours in advance for residents and 2 hours for non-residents and all persons 12 years and older will require proof of vaccination and must complete the screening at burlington.ca/screening. For more information on dates and times and to register, visit burlington.ca/dropinandplay. By Ray Rivers November 19th, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
After 26 annual conferences of the parties the world community is no closer to halting or even decreasing global warming. The COP spectacle is one of delegates gathering with false hopes and promises of reducing our global carbon footprint, even as that footprint continues to expand without a foreseeable end. After a quarter of a century of trying to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) it may be time to admit that it’s not going to happen without a miracle, and that our’s is indeed a dystopian future. COP has become another one of those events where everyone wants to be – youth, indigenous peoples, disappearing Pacific islanders, government bureaucrats and mandarins, environmental organizations, and even the oil companies. It’s another venue to claim everything and get nothing and a chance to get a grant from the rich countries. These extravaganzas have become little more than an annual reunion for the attendees – see you all same time again next year. I’ve attended a few of these COP meetings, once representing Pollution Probe back in 1998 and caucusing among the environmental groups. There had been a lot of enthusiasm back then. The Kyoto protocol had just been negotiated and the USA, the world largest historical greenhouse gas emitter, was leading the effort. Bill Clinton and Al Gore had helped craft a Kyoto protocol calling for enforceable emission targets with significant financial penalties for those signatory nations who found themselves out of compliance. It was a significant first step. But by 2003, when I represented Clean Air Canada as part of the business community, that enthusiasm had been replaced by pessimism. GW Bush added to his legacy as America’s worst president ever, and his violations of human rights, by pulling the US out of Kyoto. American delegates were seen disrupting the proceedings and the halls of the conference were cluttered with oil company representatives making their pitches that climate change was just another hoax. Once the Americans scuttled the Kyoto deal there was little appetite for the rest of the world to continue, though Europe and even Canada did for a time. Stephen Harper, whose earlier views on global warming had placed him firmly in the denial camp, pulled Canada out of the treaty once he had gained a majority. And he did this, ironically, just as Canada came close to meeting its Kyoto commitment thanks to Ontario’s phase-out of coal. COP 26 in Glasgow last week was an almost abject failure on so many counts. Despite pleas for climate action by host Boris Johnson, the world’s leaders have settled for business as usual. And that means greenhouse gas emissions are increasing globally instead of declining and will reach their second highest level this year, despite the pandemic. Fossil fuels are the main culprit and emissions from burning coal the most egregious insult to our climate. India and China came to the rescue of the nasty coal – refusing to allow the term ‘phase out’ to be used in the final communique. China plans to peak its coal use somewhere around 2030 and India sometime later. Coal still provides almost 40% of the world’s electricity. Yet 40 nations, including Canada, have committed to entirely phase out coal for electricity by 2030. But China, Japan, India, and the United States, which together account of over 75 percent of global coal use have refused to commit to that goal. Some 20 countries and institutions are promising to end direct international public finance for unabated coal, oil, and gas and to prioritize financing for clean energy by the end of 2022. In addition to international financing, Canada provides the highest subsidies for fossil fuel development among all G7 nations. A group calling itself the ‘Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance’ (BOGA) including Costa Rica, Denmark, France, Greenland, Ireland, Sweden, Wales, and the Canadian province (nation) of Quebec committed to taking “concrete steps” to reduce oil and gas extraction. Perhaps the biggest sign of failure was when the US and China (whose leader hadn’t even bothered attending), announced that they would take the conversation on emission reduction off-line. Gas lighting, double speak, or just an excuse to get out of the room, that bilateral approach is unlikely to amount to anything. China and the USA have to get over unfair trade practices, industrial espionage and Taiwan before they could have a civil discussion on climate change. And China, with the second largest global economy still maintains the façade of calling itself an undeveloped nation. COP 26 wasn’t a complete waste of time, there were locally sourced ‘sustainable’ sandwiches for the delegates, despite the three hour hybrid/gas guzzler delivery drive from Aberdeen. But this COP will not help the planet keep its temperature rising beyond what scientists have identified as the critical 1.5 degree C temperature increase over the pre-industrial period. Canada’s new climate plan comes close to that goal, but after all, it’s just another plan. This year’s heat dome and the river of rain climate-bomb, which knocked British Columbians into climate reality, occurred when the global temperature was only 1.1 degree C above pre-industrial levels. And the science community tells us that these kinds of climatic effects will only get worse – Ontario may be next. If not COP, then what can we do? Concerned individuals could always help by consuming less red meat; making their next car an EV (electric vehicle) and converting their appliances to electricity, but the heavy lifting has to come from governments with their regulatory powers. For example the federal government has committed to banning the sale of new gasoline powered automobiles by 2035, it has mandated the carbon tax, provides incentives to buy an EV, promised new caps on gas emissions and the phase out of coal for electricity by at least 2030. The previous Ontario government phased-out coal and started a program of renewable energy. The world’s leaders once hoped that the Montreal Protocol, which saw a mostly successful cooperative global effort to eliminate ozone depleting substances, would serve as a model for action on global warming. They created the IPCC (international Panel on Climate Change) which has done a truly amazing job identifying the crisis and what we need to do about it. But none of that matters if the political leaders at those COPs won’t step up and do the right things for the sake of humanity. Some politicians have mused that it may be time to reform global trade rules in favour of protecting the planet’s climate. I recall having a conversation with US officials, back in 1997, who were proposing tariffs on imports from nations with lower environmental standards than the US – sort of levelling the playing field. Conservative leader Erin O’Toole seemed to want to open the door to that kind of thing in his last election platform. A massive boycott of Chinese-manufactured exports, for example, might help bring President Xi to his senses. We simply can’t wait till 2030 to begin phasing out coal. If the diplomacy of COP doesn’t work, then maybe it is time for a more forceful approach. Political journalist Rex Murphy, who is as close to a climate change denier as they come, suggested in a tongue-in-cheek opinion piece that maybe it’s time for net zero COP meetings. In fact, looking at the failure of the COP process to reduce, let alone stabilize our carbon footprint, he may have a point. Ray Rivers, a Gazette Contributing Editor, writes regularly applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was once a candidate for provincial office in Burlington. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Ray has a post graduate degree in economics that he earned at the University of Ottawa. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links: What is COP – Greta Has Spoken – COP 26 Text – Harper’s Climate Denying History – Ford Lower Gas Prices –
By Ryan O’Dowd: Local Journalism Initiative Reporter November 19th, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
Giant Tile hosted a grand opening event for their Burlington location at 1515 North Service Road. Thursday evening. The location specializes in contemporary designer lighting, home automation, kitchen and bath fixtures, porcelain, and quartz slabs, and flooring. The first of two “opening” events was focused on the home renovation industry who got a look at the sleek new location; meet the staff and the owners. Tile Giant opens to the public tomorrow Friday morning, and will feature a weekend barbeque from Friday to Sunday (running from 10 am to 5 pm each day). All are welcome to the barbeque where Tile Giant will be running a 20% off storewide sale during the balance of the weekend. Ashfaq Shaikh, a co-owner of Tile Giant, touted the new location’s showroom concept as unique in Canada. He suggested Tile Giant is one of few professional design centers in North America for business to business and retail customers. “People think of design centers as more for furniture but I think before the furniture that the tiles, the lights, home automation, and plumbing are very important. We tie all of that together in the design center.” Tile Giant has a location in Vaughan: Shaikh said he sees “Burlington as one of the fastest-growing markets. Burlington is the center of Oakville, Milton, Hamilton, and a lot of new developments in the GTA just outside of Toronto. This is a great central location, close to the QEW, close to Costco, and close to IKEA – we are a business hub,” said Shaikh. The founder of Tile Giant, Agostino Gotto, was called out of semi-retirement to help his successors with the launch of the store. Gotto cited the Godfather to joke about his attempted retirement, “just when I thought I was out they pulled me back in.” Gotto was excited to see the fruits of his labour flourish. “Let’s just say I wish I was twenty years younger, that should tell you how it’s going,” said Gotto. Tile Giant is working on developing other locations throughout Canada and plotting expansion into the United States. It is not hard to see why Gotto wished his younger self remained as the hands-on owner of the newest enterprise. Though he didn’t rule out being pulled back into the business again, saying he was game for “no more than five more store openings” with a laugh. Cocktails and hors-d’oeuvres were served by Life is an Event catering. Staff and investors were thanked in speeches by the co-owners and with food and drink. Tile Market had no problems attracting staff to their new location, they are fully staffed, and are excited to kick off their operation just in time for the Christmas season, their busiest time of the year. Tile Giant’s products reflect the upscale contemporary vibe they are after. The company says they have a range of products for every budget. The company’s website allows visitors to book a design consultation online and has a visualization feature that shows off their different products in household room mockups. The ownership board opted out of a group photo at their new location and suggested the beautiful ladies at the party, involved in varying degrees with Tile Giant, pose for the Gazette instead. It’s hard to argue with that business acumen.
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