News « Burlington Gazette - Local News, Politics, Community

Public school board to purchase the city owned sports field next to Central High School - that is part of a bigger story

By Staff

May 18th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

The Halton District School Board put out the following media release.

The Halton District School Board is advancing a land transaction with the City of Burlington that would see the exchange of the City-owned sports field at Burlington Central High School (1433 Baldwin St, Burlington), with the sale of the former Robert Bateman High School (5151 New St, Burlington).

The school will own the sports field once the negotiations are complete

The parcel of land adjacent to Burlington Central High School is approximately five acres and includes the sports field and track to the west of the school. The Board’s purchase of this land ensures the continued operation of Burlington Central High School by the HDSB for the foreseeable future.

In June 2021, HDSB trustees approved a plan to declare the former Robert Bateman High School facility surplus to its needs and retain an interest in a portion of the facility to relocate the Burlington Gary Allan Learning Centre. In September 2021, the City of Burlington expressed interest and submitted their formal offer on Feb. 3, 2022, which was accepted by the Board.

This opportunity to acquire the area at Burlington Central H.S. presented itself to the Board and the City as part of the negotiation process, where the land exchange was incorporated as part of the final offer. This was supported by the Board, as it advances its long-term facility accommodation strategy in Burlington. The Board sought Ministry of Education approval and received a positive response to proceed with the transaction.

The outcome of this transaction addresses key objectives for the HDSB and the City by ensuring important educational and community programs continue to be offered within Burlington.

The Board looks forward to continuing to work with the City of Burlington on this matter.

The acquisition of the sports field is related to the Robert Bateman High School land transaction.

The bigger story is that the city had to find a way to lessen the public pressure on a price tag that was being floated and resulting in a lot of indigestion. Whatever the city gets for the sports field will lower the cost of the Bateman site.

The city is gearing up another engagement effort to get some grease on a very squeaky wheel.

Freeman Station will be open to visitors on Saturday.

By Staff

May 18th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

We are heading into a long weekend – people will be out and about looking for interesting things to do.

Freeman station is one of the best attractions in the city. Check it out. A past article will tell you all about the set up in the lower level of the building.

Marina issues: First it was insurance - now its a crane operator strike. The question some are asking - what do you do with a drunken sailor?

By Pepper Parr

May 17th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

There will be a detailed report on how council and city staff will do their best to get boats into the water at the LaSalle Park Marina. For today – look at what the issues were and how Council worked their way through what is a messy problem.

The major issue was not being able to get insurance coverage.

What made their situation just that more dicey was the strike by crane operators.

One of the things that about this story is that information slips out in bits and pieces.

We did not know that the LaSalle Park Marina Association (LPMA) pays the city a license fee of $159,000 a year for the wave break. What does the city do with that money? Do they put it back into the hydro reserve fund it was taken from?

While Tim Commisso, city manager doesn’t want to operate a marina – one of the stipulations from the insurers the city uses is that the city must have control over the marina if the city insurance policy is to include the marina.

City Solicitor Nancy Shea Nicol

Council looked to City Solicitor Nancy Shea Nicol to determine just what ‘control over the marina’ means.

While the city knows a lot about policy and process the Parks and Recreation people realize that they don’t know all that much about the day to day problems that crop up at a marina.

The solution they appear to be edging towards is having all the marina volunteers become city volunteers who would then be given some training. Those volunteers would run the marina as city volunteers.

Will it fly? That depends on the strength of the relationship between the city and the insurance company. City is big big client – some wiggle room might be found.

Another boat is hoisted out of the yard and lowered into the water as the LaSalle Park Marina opens for another season. Just not this year – mid June at the earliest.

The marina is a profitable operation. They have 210 slips – with 160 of them rented – they are profitable. The longer term hope for the operation was to have 310 slips and a decent restaurant on the site.

As important to anyone is – getting the boats in the water and to do that they need to find an independent crane operator with equipment big enough to hoist those boats off their cradles and into the water.

One boat has been sold – the owner apparently can’t get his boat out of the yard it is in.

Everyone has spoken about how whatever arrangement is worked out that the city will be revenue neutral. Not a dime of public money gets put into the operation of the marina.

The LPMA turns out to have a decent reserve fund of its own. They reported that they run a profit most years – something in the order of $64,000 annually. Last year was an exception.

Given that the marina association has a reserve ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte wondered if the LPMA would have some of that reserve used to secure any expenses the city did run up?

City treasurer Joan Ford told Council that any expenses that did crop up would be recorded in a new, separate account. What kind of expense might be recorded in that account?

Council learned that the city was hiring outside legal council to advise on what the legal issues were. The cost of those lawyers would be one that the city would pay and look to the LPMA for reimbursement.

Stolte put forward an amendment to a motion that was being considered. She wanted some of that LPMA reserve money set aside as a security for those unexpected expenses. It went nowhere – Stolte couldn’t get a seconder. When asked if he would second the motion Councillor Galbraith took a pass. Smart man – no need for him to rustle the feathers of an influential group in his ward.

The Gazette has learned that one of the two slip and fall law suits took place on the docks late at night.

We don’t yet know just who made the claim and what the particulars of the claim are.

We do know that $97,500 has been spent by the LPMA defending the claim with a settlement on either of the claims nowhere in sight.

What is that phrase ”What do you do with a drunken sailor…”

Ward 1 Councillor meets with his constituents - virtually with 12 in the room

By Pepper Parr

May 17^th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

Kelvin Galbraith is now embracing the world of retail politics.

Kelvin Galbraith with Aldershot residents shortly after he was elected

In the retail world – you reach out to your customers, listen to them carefully and adjust your plans and approach to meet the needs the customer are bringing to your attention.

In a phrase – you service them – or as my Newfoundland friends would say – you kill them with kindness.

Galbraith held his first community meeting in a long time. It was a hybrid event with about 12 people in the room and an unknown number taking part virtually.

When things run smoothly – Kelvin Galbraith is a happy man.

Galbraith knows his brief – he has a firm grip on what is taking place in terms of development in the ward and has a vision that is a little hazy but in time it will become clearer.

That vision, and his focus on a second term if he is elected, is Eagle Heights and the Paletta lands on the south side of 403 between King Road and basically the Aldershot GO station.

The property is zoned Employment lands – in the real estate world the money is in residential. If you’re in the downtown core and close to the lake – there is real money to be made.

The Paletta’s are working with the 2030 Commonwealth Games committee with a plan to use the King Road property as one of the venues.

Galbraith loves the idea – he wants to see the South Service Road extended further west and if the Commonwealth games initiative will do that – fine by Galbraith.

He is basically on top of all the developments taking place in the ward.

He likes what King Paving is doing with the property on the west side of Waterdown – opposite Station West. They are looking at moving their operation to what was once the municipal dump on the North Service Road. That location is right beside the Mercedes Benz dealership – dust issues might become a major hurdle King Paving has to get over.

Despite a lot of effort Galbraith has not been able to get all that much for the community from the Vrancorp people who own Solid Gold. The best he might be able to get is a Starbucks franchise and a tiny park space.

There is nothing new – or positive on the development planned for the Solid Gold site.

The mess at the marina has Galbraith stepping very carefully – he needs to keep that membership happy.

The city manager is reported to have told a resident that he does not want to find the city running a marina operation – outsourcing the operation was the word that seemed to convey what the city manager would like to see.

Convincing Galbraith to take part in the Red Carpet Red Tape Task Force may not prove to be all that beneficial to him.

The Mayor finds herself trying to play with a very sticky wicket. That raid on the hydro reserves to pay for the wave break that was essential if the marina was to remain viable has come back to haunt her politically.

Galbraith was asked by the Mayor during the early months of the current term of office to partner with her on the Red Carpet Red Tape Task Force. The result was someone with good business credentials working with the Mayor and shoring up one of her weaker skill sets.

Galbraith is now paying a price for that early exposure. He needs to put some space between himself and the Mayor.

The way in which Galbraith took part in the process that resulted in ward 4 Councillor being sanctioned by the Integrity Commissioner didn’t do anything for the Galbraith reputation. That sorry situation is not over yet – there is a report due in June that will determine if Stolte decides to run for re-election

As part of a city council that voted to declare a climate emergency in the city, Galbraith still chooses to drive a gas guzzling pick up truck. The optics on that one are terrible.

Galbraith is one of the few members of council facing a challenge to the seat he holds. During an interview Galbraith said – anyone who decides to run against me doesn’t have a chance.

It is hubris like that that loses elections

First major holiday since the beginning of getting to a new normal - Queen Victoria would approve

By Staff

May 17th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India

Victoria Day: What’s open and closed at the City of Burlington

Burlington administrative services will be closed for Victoria Day on Monday, May 23.

For a list of which City services and facilities are available on the Victoria Day holiday, please see the summary below or visit burlington.ca

*Important information regarding COVID-19: The information provided below is accurate as of May 17, 2022. In the event of any changes made by the Province of Ontario to current COVID-19 public health measures, please visit burlington.ca/coronavirus for potential impacts to City services and programs.

City Service	Holiday Closure Information
Animal Services	The Animal Shelter at 2424 Industrial St. remains closed to the public due to COVID-19. To report an animal control-related emergency, call 905-335-3030 or visit www.burlington.ca/animal.
Burlington Transit	Burlington Transit will operate a Sunday schedule on Victoria Day. For real-time bus information and schedules visit myride.burlingtontransit.ca. The downtown terminal at 430 John St. and Specialized Dispatch will be closed on Monday, May 23.
City Hall	The Service Burlington counter, temporarily located on the third floor at 390 Brant St., beside City Hall, will be closed to all appointments and walk-in service on Monday, May 23. Many service payments are available online at burlington.ca/onlineservices.
Halton Court Services – Provincial Offences Office	Court administration counter services at 4085 Palladium Way will be closed on Monday, May 23. With the exception of the Victoria Day closure, telephone payments are available at 905-637-1274, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. All in-person services are available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. Many services are also available by email at burlingtoncourt@burlington.ca or online at Halton Court Services.
Parking	Free parking is available downtown, on the street, in municipal lots and in the parking garage (414 Locust St.) on weekends and holidays, including Victoria Day. NOTE: The Waterfront parking lots (east and west at 1286 Lakeshore Rd) do not provide free parking on statutory holidays. Paid parking, on weekends only, at Beachway Park (1100 Lakeshore Rd) begins Saturday, May 21 using HONK Mobile. Please make an online reservation using Park Pass to visit Lowville Park. Reservations are free and available in three-hour time slots. Parking exemptions are required to park overnight on city streets and for longer than five hours. Visit burlington.ca/parkingexemptions
Recreation Programs and Facilities	Drop-In Recreation Activities Indoor drop-in activities such as swimming, skating, and gym times are offered on a reduced schedule over the Victoria Day long weekend.Drop-in recreational and lap swimming is available on Victoria Day Monday at Angela Coughlan Pool, at 2425 Upper Middle Rd. Registering online to reserve your spot is recommended. In-person, walk-up admissions are accepted where program capacity allows.Drop-in programs go on sale online seven days in advance for residents, and three days in advance for non-residents. Please visit burlington.ca/dropinandplay for a complete listing of programs times and online registration.Splash Pads Opening The City’s nine splash pads will be opening Saturday, May 21. For a list of locations, visit burlington.ca/splashpads.Outdoor Activities Burlington has a wide variety of outdoor activities to enjoy with your family during the long weekend including: trails and multi-use paths parks and playgrounds. picnic site reservations for La Salle or Hidden Valley Park Find out more at burlington.ca/outdoorplay. Golf Tyandaga Golf Course is open for the season and tee times can be booked online at tyandagagolf.com or by calling 905-336-0005, ext. 2. Play Lending Library Our Lending Library has a variety of outdoor and indoor play equipment available to borrow at no charge. From archery to wiffle ball, and Kanjam to pickleball – check out burlington.ca/playlending for details.
Roads, Parks and Forestry	The administrative office will be closed on Monday, May 23. Essential services will be provided as required.

Burlington is a city where people, nature and businesses thrive. Sign up to learn more about Burlington at Burlington.ca/Enews and follow @CityBurlington on social media.

Links and Resources

Residents can stay informed about City news at www.burlington.ca/coronavirus and our social media channels: @cityburlington on Twitter and facebook.com/cityburlington

How fast do you get your winnings at the online casino

By J. W Pitt

May 18th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

Casino players consider many factors when choosing a casino. They look at the variety of games, software providers, security, bonuses, and more. But many of these factors will not make a difference if you cannot process your winnings in the fastest time.

Time is of the essence when you visit an online casino. Players want a casino that can process deposits and more importantly, withdrawals quickly. Thus, it is no secret that they will swamp fast payout casino.

Thus, what factors affect casino withdrawal speed? What should a player look out for?

This article will share what factors you should watch out for.

Amount Cashed Out
The amount of money you want to withdraw is a determinant of how fast it will be processed. Several payment methods have daily, weekly and monthly limits. This means if you won big at a jackpot, you may need to wait a couple of days for your winnings. The withdrawals are divided up into portions to meet the withdrawal limits of the particular casino and payment method.

But if your winning amounts are small and within the daily limits, you can receive the same-day payout.

Country of Residence
Different countries have specific restrictions on casino withdrawals. In the US, for example, the UIGEA of 2006 has placed restrictions between banks and casinos.

Additionally, if you want to use instant payment options such as PayPal, Skrill or Neteller are not accepted for online casino deposits and withdrawals.

This is not the case in every country outside the US. You will need to pay attention to whether there are any casino transaction restrictions where you reside. For example, Canadian online casinos have very similar rules to those in the USA.

Account Authentication
If you are new to a casino and make some winnings, the casino will have to verify your account before processing any payment. While this may be a once-off process, it may take considerable time.

After submitting all the requirements, the verification team takes some time to process your authentication. It could take a couple of days to weeks depending on the casino.

Since it can be quite a long process, make sure you do not make any mistakes. Mistakes in your documentation will make it even longer and increase your withdrawal wait.

Payment Method
Not all payment methods are created the same. They may have similar characteristics but when it comes to withdrawal processing speed, they can be different. There are several payment methods to choose from in the casino world including debit/credit cards, e-wallets, wire transfers, bank checks, and cryptocurrencies.

For the fastest payout casinos, e-wallets are your best bet.

If you are looking for the fastest payout casinos, e-wallets are your best bet. You will wait for anything from a couple of minutes to 24hours.

What makes them even better is you have a couple of options to choose from such as PayPal, Neteller, Skrill, and EcoPayz.

Cryptocurrencies are another fast method although they are not widely available at many casinos. But they are slowly making headway. If you want an instant payout casino, cryptocurrencies deliver with several options. The options include Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and Ripple.

Debit/credit cards are relatively fast but not as fast as e-wallets. You can expect withdrawals within 24-48 hours. Plus, you can choose from many options such as Visa, Mastercard, and Maestro.

Wire transfer is the old school method of transfer. It has remained relevant because of its higher withdrawal limits and direct to bank account transfers. One of its drawbacks is it is costly and will take a while to make your transfer. Withdrawals can take up to 7 working days.

Checks are still an option and one of the slowest for withdrawals. You will wait up to two weeks or more.

The payment method you choose will be a large determinant of how fast you can process your withdrawal.

Bonus vs Pure Deposit Withdrawal
Playing with bonuses at some casinos comes with terms and conditions. At casinos where they have to manually crosscheck whether you meet the wagering requirements will take more time to process your withdrawal.

It is better to play with pure deposits since they have fewer terms that will check out easily.

Conclusion
While playing at a casino, it is important to consider withdrawal speeds. If you win and want to withdraw, it may determine whether you review a casino well or poorly.

To determine withdrawal speed, you need to pay attention to a couple of factors. These include bonus vs pure deposit withdrawals, payment method used, country of residence, account verification, and the amount being cashed out.

Additionally, you can use customer reviews as an indicator of which casinos do a great job at processing withdrawals. They will give you a great idea of withdrawal speeds at most casinos.

Do not forget to enjoy your casino experience responsibly.

What do the voters in Burlington think - still a lot of undecided.

By Staff

May 15th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

The Gazette has assigned a reporter to learning how people in Burlington are handling the election for the next provincial government.

The assignment is to approach people and ask four questions:

Q1 Do you know there is going to be an election in June?

Q2 Do you know anything about the issues?

Q3 Are you going to vote? (If not – why note)

Q4 Would you like to say who you will vote for?

We captured the following additional data:

Male or female

Under 40 – over 40

Do they live in Burlington?

The interviews took place at GO stations, outside supermarkets, outside LCBO retail outlets and in Spencer Smith Park.

There is nothing statistically valid about the data other than that the interviews took place. We are just collecting data that reflects what people in Burlington are thinking.

The Gazette will be doing these interviews throughout the election.

The material from this point forward is the raw data we are working with.

We expect to do a new survey of about 50 people every second day up to the day before the election.

Raw data

We did a test run in Mississauga, the community the reporter lives in.

Then we did a survey at the Appleby GO station on May 6^th; another at the Aldershot GO station on May 13th and another at Spencer Smith Park on a sunny May 14^th Saturday afternoon.

The detail for each is set out below in chronological order with the most recent first.

The results of the May 14th interviews at Spencer Smith Park

32 people were interviewed

All were under 40

Male: 17

Female: 15

Question 1: Do you know there’s going to be an election in June?

Yes: 27

No: 5

Question 2: Do you know anything about the issues?

Yes: 20

Not aware of any issues: 11

Doesn’t care: 1

Question 3: Are you going to vote?

Yes: 24

No: 3 (not from Burlington )

Undecided: 5

Question 4: Would you like to say who you will vote for (For those who decided they are going to vote)?

PC: 5

Liberal: 2

NDP: 2

Green: 1

Undecided: 11

Would like to keep it private: 1

Cannot tell: 2

The results of the May 13th interviews at the Aldershot GO Station

30 people were interviewed

17 of them were under the age of 40

Male: 14

Female: 16

Question 1: How do you feel about the elections?

Most common answers: They’re important, I’m optimistic, gives the chance for people to express their voice,

Question 2: What do you think about the elections?

Most common answers: Everyone in Ontario should vote, we need a new leader, Doug Ford should no longer be the Premier

Question 3: Should Doug Ford be re-elected as Premier?

Yes: 4 (He’s done a good job as Premier, has good qualities as a leader)

No: 19 (Poor way he handled the pandemic, cut off OSAP loans, etc.)

Didn’t answer: 7 (Not sure, I don’t know about Doug Ford, depends on what he plans to do he if remains as Premier, etc.)

Question 4: Will you be voting?

Yes: 24

No: 4

Hasn’t made up his/her mind: 2

Question 5: Who will you be voting (For those who have decided to vote)?

PC: 5

Liberal: 9

NDP: 3

Undecided: 7

The results of the May 6 interviews at the Appleby GO station

20 people were interviewed

Seven of them were under the age of 40

Male: 9

Female: 11

Question 1: Did you know that the provincial election started on Wednesday?

Yes: 9

No: 7

Didn’t answer: 4 (because of their job)

Question 2: Does this election matter to you?

Yes: 11

No: 4

Didn’t answer: 5 (because of their job, doesn’t care about the elections)

Question 3: Which offer do you find more appealing?

Liberal: 7

NDP: 6

Didn’t answer: 7 (because of their job, doesn’t care about the elections, this election doesn’t matter to her)

Question 4: Will you vote on June 2^nd?

Yes: 10

No: 5 (because he/she is not a Canadian citizen)

Didn’t answer: 5 (because of their job, doesn’t care about the elections

Question 5: May I ask who you will vote for (For those who have decided they are going to vote)?

PC: 1

Liberal: 5

NDP: 4

Middle-aged woman

Didn’t know the election started on Wednesday.

This election does matter to her because of her residency.

Thinks the NDP’s dental plan is more appealing.

She is not going to vote because she’s not from Canada.

Senior, woman,

She did know the election started on Wednesday.

This election does matter to her.

Prefers the buck-a-day transit offer.

She is going to put her vote on the Liberal.

She did seem very concerned when I was talking to her.

40s, woman,

She did know the election started on Wednesday.

This election does matter to her.

Thinks the liberal offer is more appealing.

She is going to put her vote on the Liberal.

Early 30s, woman,

She did know the election started on Wednesday.

This election does matter to her because it’s her right to vote for a good leader.

Prefers the buck-a-day transit offer.

She is going to put her vote on the liberal.

Late 30s, woman,

She didn’t know the election started on Wednesday.

The election doesn’t matter to her because she’s new in the country and doesn’t have voting rights.

Late 40s, Women, white, security guard

She didn’t answer because she can’t make her opinions public due to her job.

50s, Man, Asian, security guard

He can’t make his opinions public due to his job.

50s, Man, White, security guard

He can’t make his opinion public due to his work.

Senior (about 65 years old), Man,

Didn’t know the election started on Wednesday.

Not interested in the provincial elections.

Woman, Early 20s

Didn’t know the election started on Wednesday.

This election doesn’t matter to her because she is non-Canadian and doesn’t have voting rights.

Finds the NDP’s dental plan more appealing.

If she could vote, she would vote for NDP.

Woman, early 30s

Didn’t know the election started on Wednesday.

This election doesn’t matter to her because she’s not from here.

Man, early 30s

Didn’t know the election started on Wednesday.

This election doesn’t matter to his because he is not a Canadian citizen.

Finds the Liberal’s offer more appealing because he thinks the buck-a-day transit fares can be more beneficial to him.

If he could vote, he would vote for Conservative.

Was a good person to talk to, went really in-depth in what he was saying, despite being non-Canadian.

Man, 40s, works at McDonalds

Can’t make his opinion public because he is an employee.

Senior, man,

He did know the election started on Wednesday.

This election does matter to him.

Says it’s up to us residents to vote who we want as our leader.

Likes the NDP’s dental plan more appealing because of their promise to provide low-cost dental care for low income families.

He is going to put his vote on NDP, doesn’t want Doug Ford.

Has been invested into politics for more than 40 years.

Was a great person to talk to. Seems like he has a lot of political knowledge.

Woman, early 20s,

He did know the election started on Wednesday.

This election does matter to him because she says that our vote matters.

She likes the buck-a-day offer because she takes the bus every day to go to work.

She is going to put her vote on the Liberal.

Man, 50s,

He did know the election started on Wednesday.

This election does matter to him because he lost his job as a mechanical engineer due to the pandemic.

For the last couple of years, he’s been struggling to pay for the house monthly.

Was really sad to hear about his story.

He likes the NDP’s dental plan more than the Liberal’s offer.

He is going to vote for the NDP.

Woman, Late 30’s,

She did know the election started on Wednesday.

This election does matter to her because she says she has a right to vote.

Prefers the NDP’s offer because her husband doesn’t have insurance for dental. She also says that dental is so expensive in Canada. She has to pay $750 a year alone just for her husband’s dental care.

She is going to put her vote on the NDP.

Man, 40s,

He wasn’t aware that the election started on Wednesday.

But, he says this election does matter to him because it matters who we vote for.

He likes the liberal’s offer more because he uses the GO train to go to a lot of Blue jays games. He’s been a big Blue Jays fan for more than 20 years.

He is going to put his vote on the Liberal.

Senior, man,

He did know the election started on Wednesday.

He says this election does matter to him because he lives in the province of Ontario.

He prefers the NDP’s dental plan because his company doesn’t have enough insurance for him.

He is going to put his vote on the NDP.

Woman, 40s,

She did know the election started on Wednesday.

She says this election does matter to her because we want the right people.

Transit plan is more appealing to her.

She is going to put her vote on Doug Ford.

Seems that she likes to talk a lot about the upcoming elections.

Get the bio in here

Sports Field Closures for May 16

By Staff

May 16th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

The following sports fields are closed today (May 16) due to wet and unplayable conditions:

Nelson D1 – Casey Cosgrove
Millcroft – D1, D2 and D3
Ireland – D1, D2, D3 and D4
Maple D1 and D2
Central D1 and D2

All other fields are open.

Tory candidate Natalie Pierre will be a No Show at the Chamber of Commerce event; a usually safe place for the PC's

By Pepper Parr

May 16th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

The Gazette had issues with the decision on the part of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce deciding that the New Blue Party did not qualify to participate in what is more of a question and answer session than a debate event that they sponsor for elections.

The New Blues may not be there – we expected that the candidates for the four main line parties would show up.

No so.

The party was putting up a strong presence after sort of hiding their candidate for the early days of the campaign.

Natalie Pierre will not be taking 0part in the Q&A. The Progressive Conservative party also chose not to set out their position on the issues the Chamber of Commerce thought were important to their membership.

Our source said Pierre had a previous engagement – what with a dentist?

It is clear that the PC’s have decided that Doug Ford is so far ahead in the pulls that his coat tails will be long enough for everyone to hang on to as they get carried towards being elected.

Natalie Pierre, on the right,, was the kind of candidate many Progressive Conservatives in Burlington have wanted for a long time.

What is disappointing and surprising is that Natalie Pierre is going along with the decision.

The very short interview we had with the woman was quite positive. She is smart, empathetic and we believed she would turn out to be a quick study and learn the ropes quickly – and we were convinced that she would be a strong voice in caucus and have the ear of the Premier.

At this point it looks as if the concern is about getting elected and personal integrity will have to come second.

Someone on the PC side hasn’t run the numbers.

The PC base has been waiting for a respectable candidate to represent them in the Legislature.

Natalie Pierre certainly looked like a good choice.

However, that PC base now has a place where the hard right members can cast their ballots. The New Blue will eat into that PC base – how much – not one can say with much in the way of certainty.

Miriam Manaa, Liberal candidate

Miriam Manaa, the Liberal candidate, a part of Burlington’s Muslim community will certainly pull the Muslim vote. If that vote turns out to be substantial it could make the difference for Manaa.

Andrew Drummond advertises who is friends are with election signs and messages from those friends

Andrew Drummond did exceptionally well last time out making him a definite contender running an even stronger campaign this time out..

Those Doug Ford coat tails may not be enough to get Natalie Pierre to Queen’s Park.

There may be more to the story – in time it usually all comes out.

Stay tuned!

Rivers still sees this election as Doug Ford's to lose.

By Ray Rivers

May 16th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

OPINION

Mike Schreiner – Green Party

There were a couple of political debates this past week. The four main party leaders met in North Bay to stake out their promises for northern Ontario. And there were no surprises, nobody fell on their face, and despite the odd jab there were no knock-out punches. If I had to pick a debate winner it would have been Green Party leader Mike Schreiner – methodical, pointed, passionate and considered – it is a shame he wasn’t leading a party with a better chance of winning seats.

On the topic of debates, I also tuned into the federal Conservative leadership debate. It was fun, a kind of cross between a political blood-fest and a gong show. The game show host, also known as moderator, had a lot of fun tossing out hoops for the contestants to step through.

But the contest is really Poilievre vs the Charest/Brown tag team.

And if ever there was a need for fact checking, it is the stuﬀ that the eloquent Mr. Poilievre is spouting. For example, he seems to have discovered a ‘new economics’ which no reputable economist can agree with. To be sure he speaks with conviction and sounds credible – but it mostly is rubbish. Still, if you say a lie often enough, some people will believe it.

And if you were looking for how these wannabe leaders were going to handle climate change that was the wrong channel to watch. Even Jean Charest, my former boss when he was Canada’s minister of the environment in the Mulroney government, didn’t spend anytime on the topic.

And I know he understands the science – I had written a few of his speeches and briefing notes.

The Ontario leaders’ debate was set in the north, a geographical construct which has been aﬄicted with climate change induced forest-fires and floods. Yet, I had to listen hard to hear mention of… let alone any promises to mitigate climate change. True enough, the opposition parties talked about Increased public transportation and support for electric vehicles (EV). But there was little from the governing Tory leader, other than boasting about some new investment for manufacturing EVs.

Doug Ford – Premier of the province pointing to what he saw as positive Covid19 numbers,

Mr. Ford renewed his promise for a road to the ring of fire and its precious metals. But even as he was bragging about landing a $5 billion lithium car battery plant to Windsor, the company was contemplating cancelling for lack of an assurance of electric power. Following the debate Ford promised a billion dollar new electricity line to Windsor from somewhere. Perhaps he shouldn’t have cancelled all those renewable energy projects.

The Green Party delivered their detailed party platform this week, promising a whacking $65 billion in new spending to transition the province to a “new climate economy”. It’s easy to make promises if you’ll never have to deliver. The party also has plans to make the province’s top doctor independent, to provide more affordable housing and a spattering of other social policies. The party would reinstate the environmental commissioner, a position which Mr. Ford axed early in his administration. And to that end Dianne Saxe, the last commissioner, is running for the Greens in the Toronto riding of University–Rosedale.

Steven Del Duca hoping to revive the Liberal Party fortunes

The Liberals released their platform earlier in the week with some interesting sound bites primarily intended for the ear of those struggling McDonalds-frequenting working class folks. After all, if buck-a-beer got Ford elected…. Del Duca plans to raise the HST exemption, or at least the provincial portion, on fast foods up to $20. He will also oﬀer $1 a ride transit across the province for a limited time and will take the $10 billion the Tories have allocated for Hwy 413 and spend it on renovating schools. He would cap all class sizes to a maximum of 20 students and hire a bunch of teachers to make that happen. Like the other opposition parties the Liberals would end for-profit private long term care and guarantee all workers 10 sick days a year as well some kind of employee benefit package.

The NDP were the first party to actually lay out a complete policy platform and their plans dive deep into what they consider has been broken in the province since they last were in government. So rent control is back with a vengeance. Horwath is promising equity in auto insurance rates and to speed up implementation of the new child care agreement. Her party would be adding more renewable energy, fixing long term and other health care, and even speeding up development of the ‘ring of fire’. The NDP detailed election platform is only a little easier to read than War and Peace, which means that most voters will not bother. Still in the small print on page 85 there is a promise to “create a Mixed Member Proportional Voting system”.

Andrea Horwath _leader of the New Democrats

The Tories consider their last budget, implementation of which was deferred until after the election, as their policy platform – that and odd sporadic announcements they’ll make throughout the campaign to keep/bring voters in their camp. And given that their poll numbers haven’t moved much since they called the vote, they’re probably safe in doing that. Ford’s main promises include more privately operated long term beds, more highways and more auto manufacturing in the province.

The Ford nation is headed for another strong majority if the polls are right. So, Mr. Ford couldn’t be blamed for spending these nice warm days till election day at his cottage, confident he’s got it in the bag. Not that I am saying he’s doing, that mind you. And, of course, that could all change with the final leaders’ debate this Monday night. But I wouldn’t bet the farm on that.

With a candidate in every riding this new party is doing surprisingly well – they could eat away at some of the PC core vote

Then there are the other two even more right wing parties, Jim and Belinda Karahalios’ ‘New Blue’ and Derek Sloan’s ‘Ontario Party’. Together their polling is close to that of the Green Party, so they could be a insignificant factor if the radical/reactionary conservatives shift their support away from the Tories to the ‘real’ right wing. Still these are fledgling political outfits and it’ll be amazing if they end with more than the one seat each they have today. But nobody should forget the success of the Reform Party.

One of these four will be Premier – could it be a government with just a minority of seats in the legislature?

On the other side of the ideological aisle the Liberals, NDP and Greens all compete for pretty much the same political base but each with their own fine tuned refinements. And with three parties on the left and three on the right, perhaps it is time to consider proportional representation after all. But you’d have to vote for the NDP or Greens to see that happen this election. In any case it is unfortunate that these new ‘bluer than Ford’ parties have not been invited to all the electoral debates during this election. They are putting a lot of eﬀort and money into winning hearts and souls of the voters and we should be able to hear what they are proposing even if they are new to the political game.

Ray Rivers is a retired federal civil servant who has been politically active in the Burlington community. He has a degree in economics and has been writing a column for the Gazette for the past seven years. when the election is over he will return to writing his second book

Burlington Chamber of Commerce seems to have forgotten the reason for having democratically elected legislators

By Pepper Parr

May 15^th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

In an earlier news report we asked: Why did the Burlington Chamber of Commerce decide the Burlington candidate for the New Blue Party would not be permitted to take part in the Chamber’s Question and Answer session on May 19^th?

We now know why.

They were told that they did not poll at least 5% of the vote in the last election. True – they didn’t exist in the last election.

They do not have a member sitting in the Legislature – not completely true. The New Party is represented in the Legislature by Belinda Karahalios who was at one point a member of the Progressive Conservative Party.

Belinda Karahalios was elected as the MPP for Cambridge. In July of 2020 she was expelled from the PC caucus after she voted against Bill 195.

The bill was in its third reading, and would allow the government of Premier Doug Ford to extend or amend some emergency orders a month at a time for up to two years without consulting the legislature.

When she was booted out of the PC party, Karahalios crossed the floor of the Legislature and declared herself a member representing the New Blue Party. Crossing the floor is nothing knew – it happens federally and provincially.

The spirit of a democratic society is to accept a party that is representative of the community; the New Blue party has 124 people nominated and running election campaigns across the province. To put it more bluntly – the New Blue have a candidate running in every riding in the province as do the New Democrats and the Progressive Conservatives. The Liberal Party has 122 candidates.

Allison McKenzie: New Blue candidate for Burlington,

The Burlington Chamber of Commerce needs to take another hard look at the decision they have made and welcome Allison McKenzie, candidate as the candidate for the New Blue Party in Burlington.

Personally, I am not a fan of the party and most of the positions they have taken.

I am a fan and a strong believer in fairness and openness. The New Blue belong at the table.

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.

Fund raiser for the Ukrainian refugees held on Saturday

By Pepper Parr

May 15th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

The community is going to have to get used to supporting those Ukrainians who arrive in Canada for some time.

Most arrive with their papers and a single suitcase with children in tow.

Canada may accept as many as 10,000 refugees, some will stay and become Canadian citizens.

For the immediate future we are going to have to give them the essentials, support them while they adapt and adjust.

And that requires federal support, provincial support, municipal support and cold hard cash that can be handed out.

Saturday afternoon a small crowd filled barely half of the pews at St.Christophers xxx Church on Guelph Line to listen to:

Jeff Madden, who starred as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys and Kevin in the ensemble cast of Come From Away, showed was a consummate professional can do. Andrea Battista is a violinist with the Burlington Symphony Orchestra and Chair of the Burlington Arts and Culture Council of Burlington accompanied Jeff Madden on the piano.

Cozens playing the accordion while Maier actually got a pleasant sound out of a saw.

Charles Cozens and Colin Maier are the duo, JoyRide. Cozens, a renown accordionist performed while Maier, who plays 14 different instruments, including a household saw bought at a Home Hardware store. He pulled an interesting version of Ava Maria out of the piece of metal and a bow string.

A young child plucks out a tune with members of a six part ensemble.

GuZheng Group presents young people on the Chinese Zither, a harpsichord-like instrument. Dressed in traditional costumes, this ensemble is amazing to watch.

Several Ukrainian churches have pulled together a choir to perform.

A Bandura duo performed on the traditional Ukrainian lute-like instrument.

The closing act was the the young company of the Tyrsa Ukrainian Dancers. They make your blood run faster.

A young woman playing the Zither.

The event raised $1500 – every little bit counts.

The audience was asked to remain masked during the performances

There will be other events – and in time, when the Ukrainians fighters prevail and the Russians leave the country – the world will have to pull together and help rebuild the country. The devastation is almost beyond imagination.

Right now we have to take care of the people who have arrived in Canada.

The Saturday event was put on by One Burlington in co-operation with the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Holy Protection of the Mother of God.

One Burlington has been presenting events since 2017. It is dedicated to bringing people together to learn more about each other to create understanding and acceptance. Their website is at oneburlington.net

Is it Kate or Kathleen? Both JBH nurses were recognized by their peers and given Celebrating Excellence Awards

By Staff

May 15^th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

We all know just how hard the nurses work, how critical they are to a solid recovery but if asked to name two most people would not have an answer

In honour of #NursesWeek2022, the Joseph Brant Hospital has announced the recipients of the Celebrating Excellence Awards.

The nursing community recognizes that everyone at JBH works together to contribute to the care of their patients and to the patient experience.

Kathleen and Kate were nominated by their peers

Is this Kate or Kathleen ?

Is this Kate or Kathleen?

1️⃣Kathleen went above and beyond to ensure the best possible patient care for a very sick young patient who required a transfer to a hospital in Toronto. We were short-staffed on night shift and received notice shortly before shift change that a hospital in Toronto had a bed available for this patient who had been waiting several days for the transfer for specialized surgery. Kathleen worked a 17-hour shift, staying late to transport the patient to ensure that they received the care they needed. She knew the patient well, and provided continuity of care and reassurance to the family by seeing them through to the next steps in the patient’s care.

2️⃣Kate is a strong leader on the unit in two areas. Her approach with patients with challenging behaviours is calm, compassionate and therefore she is able to connect to them. This positively influences their patient experience here at JBH. She is an amazing role model to others with patients and families see this compassion as well.

Secondly, Kate is a leader with staff by supporting them throughout the shift, offering help and building the team to complete all the patients care needs by the end of the shift. This team work positively influences the patient experience.

The format in which the pictures came to us didn’t say who was 1 and who was two. Maybe the readership can help us out. Kudo’s to both women!

Repair Cafe partners with Burlington Green to make a Saturday a very sustainable day for everyone

By Jason Octavo

May 15th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

With just a little funding from the city the Repair Café has managed to serve people in a really very useful way. They fix broken household items.

Their fourth, or was it their fifth Repair Café event, this one as part of a joint effort with Burlington Green at the Burlington Centre Hub, they GET DATA

Man with girls fixing “the Claw toy” is Gary Kirkwood. – Fixing blinds is Mike Rooks. Blinds are not are usual repair item. Lady was thrilled to have one set repaired at the April 9th session, she brought in another.

The idea for a repair Café came out of the Netherlands about 15 years ago. There are now more than 2000 Repair Cafes operating – Burlington started in 2029.

Once a month, the project operates in a different location within the city to attract new residents.

Lawson Hunter, organizer of the Repair Cafe events explaining what the groups manages to get done.

They are always on the lookout for people who are handy with a screw driver – people can volunteer by going to their Facebook page at

https://www.facebook.com/Burlington.Canada.

Repair Cafe can be reached by email at – burlingtonrepaircafe@cogeco.ca.

15 items were brought in, 10 repaired.

BurlingtonGreen invited the Repair team to take part in what was an their Electronics Recycling Drive Thru.

When the Fire department gave up on collecting electronic waste Burlington Green saw an opportunity to fill a community need.

The next Repair Cafe will be in conjunction with the Aldershot BIA Outdoor Markets Tuesdays June 7, July 5, and August 9 from 3pm to 7pm at Whiteoaks Plaza 195 Plains Rd. E.

The Repair Cafe took place at The Hub, a space within the Burlington Centre is made available to community Groups.

Just how is Burlington going to create the housing people can afford? There is a process and it is complex

By Pepper Parr

May 13th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

Part 1 of a four part series

Every month the Rocca Sisters Team sends out a report on housing sales – both condominiums and ground based homes.

Their most recent report was published earlier this week. See the link below

Housing is all about dollars for the buyers and the sellers and the real estate community.

The Rocca people are at that ground level where people feel what is taking place.

The bureaucrats and the politicians, the people who create policies, make changes to the Official Plan and the bylaws that set out what can be built where and by whom.

That level is quite a bit more complex.

This development did not require approval by city council – it met the Official Plan requirement and applicable zoning bylaws. The city does have site plan approval and the right to include inclusionary zoning rules which cannot be appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal

Burlington is going through provincially mandated intensification.

The planning department staff has mushroomed to double what it was a year and a half ago.

Development applications at one point overwhelmed staff – so much so that the city had to create an Interim Control Bylaw which halted all development in the Urban Growth Centre – that boundary that has very few straight lines and changed frequently.

The Interim Control Bylaw is no longer with us, the Urban Boundary is now cast in stone and the bureaucracy runs much more smoothly.

Don’t take that to mean there isn’t all that much happening.

Alison Enns, planning lead of a team of planners putting together a Housing Strategy that will be presented to Council in June.

There is a Steering Group made up of Senior Staff who serve as oversight with what gets done at the Housing Strategy Group that is headed up by Alison Enns. This is the group that has been holding virtual on line meetings for close to a year; they also love surveys. They have gotten into the habit of doing very small mini surveys during the virtual events to get a sense as to how their audience is reacting to the work they are doing.

The work is very technical, complex and necessary. Building a community is a lot more than cement trucks, steel girders and cranes arriving at a construction site.

There is also a Working Group on Housing. This group is radically different than the Housing Strategy Group – it is made up of volunteers that were screened before being part of the Group. They do quite a bit of their work offline – they have in the past limited public participation in some of their events..

Those three levels are the basics of how plans for creating the housing that has to be built actually gets done.

At the very bottom of the hierarchy of groups involved in housing is the work being done by the planners who are putting the final pieces together for the MTSA sites. Major Transportation Service Areas are basically the GO stations.

The critical important element in the MTSA’s is the ability to include inclusionary zoning.

These were first call transportation hubs – and there were four of the. The one located in downtown Burlington at the bus terminal was not much more than a place where people could buy bus tickets. It was enough for a developer with a smart lawyer to convince the then OMB that the developer should be permitted to build a 26 story structure that is currently going up floor by floor.

Inclusionary zoning, also known as inclusionary housing, refers to municipal and county planning ordinances that require a given share of new construction to be affordable by people with low to moderate incomes.

Inclusionary zoning typically creates housing for households earning too much to be eligible for social housing but not enough to be able to afford market rents or prices. These “low- to moderate-income households” generally fall between the 30th and 60th percentile of the income distribution.

All three are about 1000 yards from each other.

The developers have focused on high end condominiums on choice close to the lake properties. No affordable housing those buildings.

Public pressure and a lot of concern on the part of anyone who is looking for a place to live has brought Burlington to where it is in terms of creating housing people can afford.

This is part 1 of the series the Gazette is doing on the progress that has been made to resolve the housing problem

There is more to come.

Related news stories:

The Rocca SIsters – price report

How a transit station resulted in a high rise no one wanted.

CORE gets to build in a site that could have been a spectacular location.

NDP candidate Andrew Drummond expects to win this election in Burlington

By Jason Octavo

May 13th 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

The race for the provincial seat in Burlington is being hotly contested.

Andrew Drummond, who has been the NDP candidate for the last three provincial elections, believes that based on the last election results (he got 29% of the vote) he is the man to beat this time out.

Andrew spent his childhood in Kingston where he attended high school and went on to earn a degree in history at University of Waterloo.

Door to door – harvesting votes

He is currently the product manager for Rogers Cable where he markets the business product coast-to-coast. He is responsible for ensuring distribution and sales to small and medium businesses that want a basic cable internet solution.

Realizing that Drummond is now in fill election mode he said that Burlington needs the NDP a strong community voice. “I think local representation really matters,” said Drummond. “We need someone who’s going to both stand up for Burlington at the government table and get the things that Burlington needs.”

Jane McKenna, the current MPP, has decided to run for the Regional Chair. Drummond pulled in a strong 29th against the Progressive Conservative candidate.

Andrew got 29% of the votes four years ago. This time, he has high hopes that he will win this election. “The candidate for a riding should be the best available for the job. “To be perfectly honest, the way things are going here we expect to win this one.”

Drummond loves going door to door and meeting people face to face. “It’s the best way to have a conversation,” said Drummond. “The only way you’re going to understand what people are actually worried about in this community is if you go and talk to them.”

Drummond was born into a political household. His parents managed Flora McDonald’s campaigns in Kingston. He grew up spending days in playpens in campaign offices. Starting from the 1999 provincial election, he grew into thinking about the NDP. And then in 2006, he was certain this was the party that really represented him and the people’s values of Ontario.

Spencer Smith Park is photo op central for the political set.

For the last four years, his message in the articles he has written is to highlight things that often fall under the radar. A good example of this is a piece he wrote about Woman’s Place. He had attended their Gala. However, after he looked at their financial records, he learned that government funding was going down, and they needed to hire private professional fundraisers in order to make up that gap. He wanted to make sure that people, especially women fleeing abusive relationships are properly protected.

Running as NDP, Andrew finds his biggest struggle is the split between federal and provincial branches.

In order to improve his chances in winning this year’s election, he started working the day after the election he lost. “When I lost that election, I realized if I have the time, the effort and the money to do this, I can win this riding and I’ve spent the last four years talking to people setting up events, writing articles, meeting with community groups advocating for different causes, and most importantly, building the team and getting the fund raising in place – very necessary to run a proper campaign,” said Drummond.

We’ll find out if the NDP is going to get those votes on Election Day.

NDP candidate Andrew Drummond expects to win this election in Burlington

Two weekend events taking place that will support Ukrainian refugees

By Staff

May 13th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

The federal government has chartered three aircraft to bring Ukrainian refugees to Canada.

Across the country local groups are holding events to raise funds.

Tyrsa Ukrainian Dancers.

This weekend there will be a One Burlington event, the group that celebrates faith, culture and embraces diversity; they are hosting a fund raising concert for Ukraine

The event will take place at St. Christopher’s Anglican Church on Saturday, May 14, 2022 – 2:00 pm

Several Ukrainian churches have pulled together a choir to perform. .

A Bandura duo will perform on this traditional Ukrainian lute-like instrument. The closing act will be a presentation by the young company of the Tyrsa Ukrainian Dancers.

The funds raised will go to the Canada Ukraine Foundation.

On Sunday, May 15^th, 2022 resident at a Mapleview condo are exhibiting art work; the proceeds will be donated to Ukrainian refugees.

Lynda Jones, part of that group that painted aluminian cut outs of the maple leaf with different designs. They sold out all of them at $750 each.

The event on Sunday is being put together by the same people. They have about 150 painting that will be sold with every penny going to the Ukrainian Council of Canada.

The group have been putting poster up all over town promoting the event. They were delighted when Starbucks took in a poster. “We spend an hour a day handing out posters said Jones who added that “the painting on sale are priced well below the rate they would normally get.”

There is a security gate at the condo – just press the button – tell security you are going to the art show in the party room. There is outdoor parking for about 50 vehicles.

Repair Cafe to set up at the Burlington Centre on Saturday.

By Staff

May 12^th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

Repair Café

This Saturday, May 14th from 10am to 2pm in conjunction with BurlingtonGreen, at the Burlington Centre (Mall), in the community room they call The Hub.

Burlington has hundreds, maybe even thousands of people who took early retirement or put in their 25 years and stopped punching a clock – and are looking for something to do that appeals to their better selves.

Some serve on committees, others join service clubs and others come up with an idea of their own and look for ways to make it happen.

That s what resulted with the Repair Cafe. With a little bit of seed money the team is able to rent some space and invite people to bring in their broken household appliances which they team does their best to fix free. All the person with that broken hair drier has to do is pay for any parts.

Lots going on in ward 1- Councillor Galbraith opens the kimono a little

By Pepper Parr

May 12th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

Galbraith meeting with constituents shortly after being elected

Ward 1 Councillor Kelvin Galbraith met with his constituents last night – it’s been literally years since he held a meeting.

Corvid prevented anything live so he did nothing.

Other members of Council did ward meetings that were hybrid – ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns led that way with regular meetings for her ward.

Bentivegnia has chosen to hold open door session and talk to whoever shows up.

To the best of our knowledge ward 3 Councillor Nisan has not met with his constituents but he is out knocking on doors.

Ward 3 Councillor Nisan

His personal and family health views keep him at home participating virtually in all city matters.

The Mayor has relied on Cogeco TV and radio to reach out to the public. She has so far not held an event where she can be held directly accountable.

Galbraith did quite well last night – a more detailed follow up on that meeting will be published – we are still waiting for a copy of his presentation.

He did come out with a statement on the status of LaSalle Park which certainly surprised us.

The Marina issues were another matter – the best Galbraith could do was assure those taking part in his meeting was that city hall is doing everything they can to resolve the insurance cover concern.

There is still some critical and vital information on that insurance mess that the public isn’t being made aware of at this point.

The property, the marina and the city of Hamilton are a toxic mix that could explode at any time despite the efforts being made at several levels to keep a lid on it all.

How this property line came about is an interesting story

The city currently has a long term lease with the city of Hamilton for the LaSalle Park property – the rate was $1.

Galbraith said last night that it was his hope that Hamilton will see their way to putting that current lease back in force for another 25 years.
The way things were done 25 years ago is not the way things between municipalities are done these days.

When former Mayor Rick Goldring took a shot at annexing part of Waterdown during the 2018 election Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberg didn’t take all that kindly to the suggestion.

Former Burlington city manager James Ridge listening to former Hamilton city manager Chris Murray who apparently said no to a sweet deal lease renewal for LaSalle Park

When James Ridge was city manager he started talks with then Hamilton city manager Chris Murray – but they didn’t get very far.

Awkward set of circumstances in play – it will be interesting to see how it works out.
Will Mayor Meed Ward slip over to Hamilton and take Eisenberg out for dinner and see if something can be worked out?

Is anyone lobbying the members of Hamilton city council – that’s the level at which the rubber is going to hit the road.

What does it cost to operate LaSalle Park?

Green candidate Kyle Hutton looking for 15% of the popular vote in Burlington

By Jason Octavo

May 12th 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

My task for the day was to interview Kyle Hutton, candidate for the Green Party in the upcoming election.

Kyle went to high school at M.M Robinson. He was there until Grade 10 before he dropped out due to circumstances as a teenager. However, he did complete a GED at Gary Allan High School. Afterwards, he went to Sheridan College at Oakville for the GAS program. He has lived in Brant Hills for about 20 years.

Kyle believes the key to a better economy is to lower taxes and gas prices. “Get down those costs, so that the next time we’re faced with a situation where our gas is going up to $2 a litre,” said Hutton. He also believes the amount of rental and housing laws that we’re facing is absurd. “For somebody just coming out of the pandemic, they can’t afford to live here,” said Hutton.

This is the first time that Kyle is being nominated as a leader of a party. So he may not have the experience as a candidate. However, as a full-time worker, he believes he can use his struggles in affording to live in this city to bring attention to these issues. And to finally have somebody in office who’s going to really talk about them and provide solutions.

Kyle believes the key to a better Ontario is by tackling the climate crisis. “Climate change is the crisis of the century,” said Hutton. “It’s killing our planet and its killing people. Kyle is worried that people are expecting future generations to deal with climate change; the time to deal with climate change is now.

“I love meeting people at their door, even if they’re just saying something like, oh, thank you very much and they just take the election literature.
said Hutton. “I think the interactions are good – people in Burlington are extremely polite”.

The Greens are focused on building a sustainable and renewable economy. “This economy that we’re living in right now, we have polluters continuing on their merry way, and we have a gas economy in the country that’s focused on propping up lots of new roads while everybody’s trying to get off to them,” said Hutton.

The Green Party is the only one right now that’s admitting ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program) is actually in poverty. “The only solution we can do to lift people out of poverty is to double ODSP,” said Hutton. “They have laws around ODSP, if you make more than $200 for a job, ODSP gets clawed back.”

Kyle says that public transit is worked around poorly. “When I was going to college at Sheridan, I would have to get on the bus. Go down to the GO Station probably waited 15 minutes for the train to arrive. And then I’d go to Oakville, wait for the buses there to go to Sheridan College. Overall, that took me 45 minutes to an hour to get from Brant & Upper Middle to Trafalgar,” said Hutton.

Kyle is tired of receiving decades of empty promises from governments. He has been living long enough to be around all three parties in power in this province. He is confident that not much has changed.

Kyle is hoping to aim for between 15 and 20 percent of the votes. If his party begins to really catch fire, he’ll go as far as intending to win.

We’ll see if the Green Party can make deeper inroads as the election moves forward.

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