 By Pepper Parr
March 8th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
This article has been updated and corrected. Kingston Transit is not free.
At some point in the very near future, the Gazette would love to hear the Mayor explain why she has been such a fervent supporter of the transit service.
 Burlington Transit gets new buses. It is important that the public understand that transit is a service, not a business, but a service City Council has decided to provide.
It is free to seniors, it is free to students during specific hours.
It is not heavily used. Those who maintain the buses are running empty most of the time need to take a closer look. It is true that the buses are not always full, it is also true that the buses are not always empty
At this point, the public has chosen to put up with gridlock – that is a choice they make.
It is true that the Transit people have not come up with much in the way of innovative options.
Council can direct Burlington Transit to spend some time and money on piloting possible options.
Transit has a new Director – hopefully, she will give the transit service the energy it needs to provide a service that people will use. The City did in the past have a superb Director of Transit who knew the business. Decisions made by the City Manager at the time resulted in her resigning.
Council members are already in re-election mode, but that doesn’t mean they can step back from their responsibilities.
 Mayor Meed Ward needs to remind the public why she championed the transit service we have. Mayor Meed Ward has championed the idea of free public transit and frequently points to Kingston, where she has said transit is free. A reader pointed out to us that transit in Kingston is not free.
Here is the Kingston transit fee schedule:
It is time for Meed Ward to let the public know that she is still the champion the transit service needs.
It may not be particularly popular, but on this one, Mayor Meed Ward is right.
Related news story
Sharman wants transit audited on a value for money basis.
Bfast reminds the city what public transit is all about.
 By Pepper Parr
March 9th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
During a Special Meeting of Council last week, Mayor Meed Ward set out her schedule for the weeks ahead saying:
“I have a couple of items for folks, lots of opportunities for public engagement with me on a variety of issues.
“First number of Town Halls that are coming up.
“March 10, town hall at the Alton Community Center with Councillor Bentivegna.
“March, 25 the Town Hall will be at the new Appleby branch library with Councillor Sharman
“April. 28 the Mayor’s Town Hall with Councillor Galbraith at La Salle Pavilion.
“We will be talking about the state of the city, as well as any questions that you have. I know traffic will be top of mind, public Safety always is an issue. Development Charges may come up. I’m happy to chat with you about that too, whatever is on your mind. We’ll share a little bit about what’s happening across the city, as well as some Ward and Regional-specific matters.
 Councillor Galbraith  Councillor Sharman  Councillor Bentivegna What the Mayor is doing is showing the city the four people who control city Council. The four council member votes can push through whatever they want. And with a municipal election taking place in late October, control of council is nice to have.
Mayor Meed Ward added: “I also have my drop ins. These are no appointment necessary. I come to you in the community.
March 26 Robert Bateman Community Center, 11:30 till 1:30 just come by and tell me what’s on your mind.
April 30, drop in at the Burlington Center Mall, 11:30 till 1:30 these are always really well attended, and I appreciate the opportunity to chat with folks.
The spring Telephone Town Hall is scheduled for April 14, 7:00 to 8:30 where you can get your questions answered from the comfort of your own living room.
 On April 15 the Key to the City ceremony will take place at La Salle pavilion.
You can register a nomination on the city website. If you know a resident who is deserving of extra honour in the city, please recommend them and fill out that form.
And finally, the last Mayor’s Speaker series of the year is on April 21st at the Burlington Performing Arts Center from 6:00 to 8:30 with a focus on community wellbeing and safety.
By Pepper Parr
March 8th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Having lost an hour of sleep, the day hasn’t gotten off to a very good start.
The cost of gas isn’t going to make you feel any better, either.
That war that we have nothing to do with is hurting us nevertheless.
 The price of gas in the GTA has risen nearly 20 cents a litre since the U.S.-led attack on Iran
And unless that war ends soon, it is going to get worse.
Seventy percent of what we buy gets transported by trucks and those trucks are buying gas that will, in all probability get even more expensive.
The weather is said to be nicer.
  The Burlington Special Olympics group are hosting a Polar Plunge in the Beachway between 9 and 11 today.
When the local Special Olympics appeared before Council seeking a permit to hold there event on the Beachway the Mayor said she was surprised to learn that you needed a permit to do that. Lou Frapporti, who happened to be delegating at City Hall on a different issue, announced that Alinea Land would donate $5000.
That might be it for today.
However, hope springs eternal and the sunrise over the pier might be a nice one.
Special to the Burlington Gazette
 By Doug Brown
March 7th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
 Bfast – informs the debate on transit to insure the issue of transit service doesn’t get lost in the Official Plan Reviews. Doug Brown speaking for Burlington Friends and Supporters of Transit (Bfast) responded to our request for a comment on the remarks made by Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman during a meeting of the city’s Audit Committee. where he commented on the number of people who actually use public transit and how much the city spends on transit. A link to that article published earlier this week is at the bottom.
 Doug Brown, Bfast Brown said: “There’s an old saying that some people know the price of everything and the value of nothing. We hope this is not the case in Councillor Paul Sharman’s call for a “value-for-money audit” of Burlington Transit at the recent meeting of the city’s Audit Committee. The value in transit is this: think of 4.3 million more car trips on Burlington roads every year.
“Many economic analyses have found that each dollar spent on transit creates as much as eight dollars of value. Among them are a number of studies by Atif Kubersi, a world-renowned economist, professor emeritus at McMaster and a resident of Burlington. Prof. Kubersi has studied the economic impact of transit spending in eight or more Ontario municipalities, including Hamilton.
“If the study advocated by Mr. Sharman measured the economic benefits of transit to the community against the city’s expenditure, we would support that; in fact, we have argued for it for years. But spending hundreds of thousands of tax dollars to determine whether Burlington Transit uses too many pencils is not a good use of our tax money.
 Councillor Sharman chose to deflect and muse about “value for money” when he knows that Burlington Transit is well run and serving his constituents. “Mr. Sharman’s implication that spending on transit is “about probably” the biggest item in the City budget is at best misleading. Much of the transit budget comes from the provincial gas tax and the funding that will replace it, and the federal government contributes to capital expenses like bus purchases. In fact, each Burlington household spends an average of less than $40 a month in municipal taxes to support our growing transit system. That’s less than a tenth of a typical monthly city tax payment.
“Mr Sharman’s longstanding obsession with the transit budget diverted discussion from an important issue identified by the auditor, that “many staff report being at or overcapacity because there are too many tasks with priorities competing for resourcing and time. This leads to heavy workloads, unclear roles and responsibilities, capacity limitations and resistance to changes.”
“Rather than concentrate on the priority risk factors, as outlined in the auditor’s report, Councillor Sharman chose to deflect and muse about “value for money” when he knows that Burlington Transit is well run and serving his constituents while helping to reduce the very traffic congestion he complains about.”
Related new story.
City Auditor didn’t see any merit in the Sharman argument.
By Pepper Parr
March 6th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
Completing a Council meeting was a bit of a stretch this week.
Convened on Tuesday, they ran out of time and had to adjourn to Thursday.
 The delegation on the parking problems was important: did the three business people have to repeat what was said previously? Brian Dean, on the right, did a good delegation. The Tuesday parking spaces delegation went on and on with members of the four person delegation speaking several times, basically repeating what had been said previously. Better management of that delegation would have helped.
Delegations are important; the amount of time taken up by Council member questions is getting out of hand. For some reason, every Council member feels they have to say something. All too frequently, they don’t add anything to the debate.
 Indwell has a great story to tell. It didn’t get told at the Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday. There was an incredibly moving delegation on what Indwell does as an organization. The problem was the Indwell didn’t do all that well in explaining just what they do and who will live in the units they want to create on Waterdown Road on land they want to rent from the city on a 30-year lease. More on the Indwell project once it clears Council next week
The Thursday meeting started at 1 and went into a CLOSED session shortly after 2:00 and remained there until just before 4:30
There were a number of small items that did not get dealt with. They were referred to the Council meeting that will take place on the 10th.
There was at least one group attending the Thursday Council meeting waiting to delegate and answer questions that were left sitting.
 City Clerk Michael de Rond The Clerk’s office is going to have to do some serious thinking about how the CLOSED sessions are dealt with.
The Chair of a Committee meeting is required to report publicly on what took place within the CLOSED session.
Thought could be given to setting aside one full day for nothing but closed session, and get away from breaking up the flow of regular Standing Committee meetings.
This week was just a very chaotic one for council and those delegating.
 By Gazette Staff
March 6th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
In celebration of World Plumbing Day Wolseley Canada is donating $10,000 to Water First, an organization dedicated to working collaboratively with Indigenous Communities in Canada to address water challenges through education and training.
 An Indigenous community member adjusting water quality equipment. With this donation, Wolseley Canada aims to bring awareness to their associates, customers, vendors, and partners about the water challenges faced by Indigenous communities.
“At Wolseley, we understand the value of advancing water solutions to protect public health, says Alex Nahvi, Vice President, Plumbing and Marketing, Wolseley Canada. “In partnering with Water First, we are able to support clean water initiatives and work towards resolving local water challenges across Canada.
With this $10,000 donation, Wolseley is investing in technical skills training for Indigenous communities across Canada. Technology alone doesn’t mean clean drinking water – there needs to be trained individuals with the knowledge and skillset to ensure sustained access to safe water.
“Thank you to Wolseley Canada for this generous donation,” said John Millar, Executive Director and Founder of Water First. “Together, with Indigenous community partners, we are providing hands-on programming that helps certify water operators. Safe water needs skilled people to ensure safe, clean, water for generations to come.”
Nice to see that someone in the private sector is doing something for the Indigenous community. There are still several hundred Indigenous communities that do not have potable water.
About Wolseley Canada:
 Wolseley Canada is a market leader in the wholesale distribution of plumbing, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, waterworks, fire protection, pipes, valves and fittings and industrial products. With its head office in Burlington, Ontario, the company has approximately 2,500 employees and more than 220 locations coast to coast. Wolseley’s team of sales and service specialists, an industry-leading e-business platform, Wolseley Express, and relationships with the best vendors and brands in the business, make Wolseley the professional’s choice across the country.
Wolseley Canada’s parent company, Ferguson (NYSE: FERG; LSE: FERG), is the largest value-added distributor serving the specialized professional in our $340B residential and non-residential North American construction market. The company helps make our customers’ complex projects simple, successful and sustainable by providing expertise and a wide range of products and services from plumbing, HVAC, appliances, and lighting to PVF, water and wastewater solutions, and more. Headquartered in Newport News, Va., Ferguson has sales of $29.6 billion (FY’24) and approximately 35,000 associates in nearly 1,800 locations.
 By Gazette Staff
March 6th, 2026
BURLINGTON, Gazette
More than 500 artists and book lovers of all ages answered the call to submit an original hand-drawn design for Burlington Public Library’s annual Burlington Bookmarks Contest in February. This year’s theme invited participants to create a design inspired by a book they love.
Vote for Your Favourites
With so many creative submissions, selecting just five finalists in each of the five age categories was no easy task. Now it’s your turn, Burlington!
From March 4 to 11, community members can cast a ballot for their favourite designs. One winner will be selected in each age category. To keep things fair, voting is limited to one ballot per device.
The five winning bookmarks will be professionally printed and available at all BPL branches for customers to enjoy in their next great read.
If you want to make sure you get your hands on one of this year’s winning bookmarks, keep a close eye out! The free bookmarks will be available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.
Click on the bookmarks you want to vote for, one per age group. To keep things fair, voting is limited to one ballot per device.
Click HERE to vote
By Pepper Parr
March 6th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
The Pipeline to Permit Committee is going to take a look at its membership when they meet next.
 Currently, the Committee membership is made up of both elected officials and people who represent stakeholder interests, one of which is the WestEnd Home Builders Association.
 Mike Collins-Williams The CAO of that organization is Mike Collins-Williams, who pleaded with City Council to defer Development Charges on developments for a two year period. Collins Williams argued that the industry was close to dead in the water; that nothing was being built and no one was buying.
Ward 2 Councillor asked Collins Williams if he was a lobbyist, he did not respond but the sense is that he does lobby for the industry.
Some feel that he should not serve on a City Committee
The matter will come up at the Pipeline to Permit Committee, which has done some good work.
Mayor Meed Ward proudly proclaims that Burlington is the only municipality in the province with this unique membership makeup
By Gazette Staff
March 6th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Art Gallery is looking for a number of new Directors.
Who We’re Looking For
Legal & Regulatory Oversight. Strong understanding of governance, statutory compliance, and enterprise risk management within the not-for-profit sector. Capacity to provide disciplined oversight during organizational change and public scrutiny, including fiduciary duties, regulatory obligations, policy development, and risk mitigation.
Ability to ensure transparency, accountability, and reputational integrity as the organization navigates critical transitions.
Financial Stewardship
Expertise in accounting, audit, financial strategy, capital planning, or fundraising oversight. Technical fluency to actively contribute on the Finance & Audit Committee with oversight of budgeting, financial reporting, internal controls, and risk management.
Confidence to guide sound fiscal decision-making during periods of strategic growth and resource development.
Governance & Board Leadership
Demonstrated board experience with sound, independent judgment and commitment to best-practice governance standards. Readiness and capacity to serve in senior-level roles (Committee Chair, Board Officer) as part of succession planning.
Ability to strengthen board effectiveness and provide strategic leadership during organizational evolution and renewal.
At this time, we are seeking candidates with proven expertise in one or more of the following specific areas:
Community Catalysis & Ambassadorship
Established community networks and demonstrated fundraising capacity to serve as visible advocate for arts and culture across civic, philanthropic, and business sectors. Ability to open doors, build strategic partnerships, strengthen stakeholder confidence, and amplify organizational value during growth and transformation.
Capacity to act as connector and catalyst—enhancing reputation and supporting sustainable resource development
What You’ll Do
Shape a lasting legacy.
Attend monthly Board meetings. Participate actively in at least one Board Committee
Support signature AGB events and initiatives
Uphold the highest standards of integrity and stewardship
Make a Meaningful Impact
Serving on the AGB Board is more than a volunteer role—it’s an opportunity to shape the cultural future of Burlington at a defining moment in the gallery’s evolution.
Guide decisions that safeguard long-term sustainability, strengthen governance, build financial resilience, and protect public trust for generations to come.
Connect community to culture. Act as an ambassador and catalyst, opening doors, building partnerships, and deepening civic pride through cultural stewardship.
Expand your influence. Collaborate alongside experienced community and sector leaders, enhancing your professional network while applying your expertise at the governance level.
Drive real impact. See your strategic contributions directly benefit artists, audiences, and the cultural vitality of our region.
Directors serve three-year terms (renewable up to three consecutive terms) and:
Comprehensive orientation and ongoing governance training are provided to set you up for success.
Your Commitment: If you’re ready to apply your leadership at the governance level and play a defining role in Burlington’s cultural future, we want to hear from you.
Join Us: Submit your cover letter and CV to board@agb.life by March 31, 2026.
Application Deadline: March 31, 2026
Information Session (in-person at the AGB): April 7, 2026
Interviews: Late April – Early May
Board Approval: Late May
Annual General Meeting: June 18, 2026
For inquiries: board@agb.life
e
The Art Gallery of Burlington is a vibrant cultural hub dedicated to fostering meaningful connections through the exploration of contemporary art and craft. Located in the heart of Burlington, we are a dynamic space where creativity, community, and culture converge.
At the Art Gallery of Burlington, we pride ourselves on delivering thought-provoking exhibitions and engaging public programs. Our gallery is home to an impressive collection of contemporary Canadian ceramics, which serves as a cornerstone for our exhibitions and educational initiatives. By exploring the intersection of contemporary art and craft, we offer a unique perspective that challenges traditional boundaries and encourages new ways of thinking and creating.
We are guided by core beliefs, each ensuring our relevance:
Innovation: We believe in innovation and the role that experimentation, curiosity, creativity and enjoyment play in pushing boundaries and exploring new ground.
Partnership
We foster community building, collaboration and outreach through open dialogue and active listening, and encourage active participation and view all who engage with us as part of our story and experience. Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility
Excellence
We pride ourselves on professionalism, artistic excellence, and meaningful social impact.
We respect individuals from all backgrounds and identities, with diverse life experiences, and acknowledge our connectedness, commonalities and shared humanity.
 The AGB is currently undergoing a transformative period aimed at enhancing the experience for a diverse audience, creating a welcoming space for inspiration and engagement with art. Our strategic plan, which underpins our Mission, includes a multi-year initiative to modernize our facilities, allowing us to better serve our visitors and maintain our status as a significant cultural destination with-in the broader community.
For detailed information about the AGB please visit our website: agb.life.
Integrity
We recognize that transparency and careful stewardship of resources are essential to our operations and that fostering a culture of connection and belonging in our workforce and board drives our business success and shared fiscal responsibility, creating
resilience and demonstrating accountability.
The Art Gallery of Burlington is a vibrant cultural hub dedicated to fostering meaningful connections through the exploration of contemporary art and craft. Located in the heart of Burlington, we are a dynamic space where creativity, community, and culture converge.
At the Art Gallery of Burlington, we pride ourselves on delivering thought-provoking exhibitions and engaging public programs. Our gallery is home to an impressive collection of contemporary Canadian ceramics, which serves as a cornerstone for our exhibitions and educational initiatives. By exploring the intersection of contemporary art and craft, we offer a unique perspective that challenges traditional boundaries and encourages new ways of thinking and creating. We are guided by core beliefs, each ensuring our relevance:
 By Tom Parkin
March 5th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Carney’s “opening to the right” hits limits as past supporters refuse to go along.
liberal-voters-massively-oppose-carneys?utm_source=email&redirect=app-store&utm_campaign=email-read-in-app”>READ IN APP
So you support or oppose air strikes on Iran by US and Israel?
When on Tuesday he finally did speak to reporters during his latest global swing, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s E.
Only a month before, on January 30, as U.S. president Donald Trump threatened to invade Greenland, Carney told the Davos elite Canada would follow a “principled and pragmatic” foreign policy that upheld rule of law.
Rule of law tossed out like expired milk
His leadership in the world would be “principled in our commitment to… the prohibition of the use of force except when consistent with the UN Charter,” Carney pledged to the assembly of politicians and wealthy.
And within days of the Davos united front of European states, Canada and others, Trump backed down on his Greenland threat. Carney’s approval numbers soared.
But then on Saturday February 28, Trump and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched rocket attacks assassinating the political leadership of Iran. They also killed over 100 schoolgirls. It led to a spiral of escalation.
That same day Carney’s commitment to rule of law was tossed out like expired milk.
Carney, in India, said Canada “supports the United States” in its attack on Iran. But on this move in his opening to the right, his base was not going to follow.
A survey by Angus Reid taken on Monday was released yesterday showing only 17 per cent of 2025 Liberal voters shared Carney’s support for US President Donald Trump’s war. Only 11 per cent of them believed Trump’s rocket attacks would make the world safer.
Is this military action making the world safer?
Carney’s opening to the right had been premised on being able to carry they left as he moved. But his support for Trump only resulted in stiffening the spine of NDP voters, just eight per cent of whom supported Trump’s missile attack, and was massively opposed by past Liberal voters.
Amid shock and resistance to his position, on Sunday Carney cancelled media availability, leaving foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand dealing with reporters to buy time for himself. A minister’s statement was posted then mysteriously deleted.
However Carney used the time he gained, when he did speak to the media on Tuesday, his statements continued to echo Trump talking points even as they sought to reposition away from him.
Carney clarification adds to foreign policy incoherence
When Carney finally spoke to media he didn’t withdraw his support for Trump’s attack, but now said it was made “with regret.” He argued his commitment to rule of law remained, but had been misunderstood: it extended to Canada’s own actions, but not to Canada’s statements about the actions of Trump.
He now called for more diplomacy, but repeated Trump’s talking points that diplomacy had failed, Trump’s justification for war.
This was not the Davos Man who proclaimed that honesty means “acting consistently, applying the same standards to allies and rivals.” And as with so much of what Donald Trump says, it was a lie that no one should believe, let alone repeat.
It was Trump who ended enforcement of law against Iran
Technically, Carney’s claim that diplomacy and rule of law had failed against Iran was correct. What he didn’t mention was Trump and Netanyahu created that failure.
Before Trump’s first term, rule of law had constrained Iran. The 2015 Iran nuclear deal, officially the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA, put UN atomic agency inspectors on the ground in Iran monitoring for compliance with the Nonproliferation Treaty.
In January 2016, inspectors from the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed Iran’s compliance, as they did in each of their quarterly “Verification and Monitoring” reports until 2018.
But the goal of MAGA and Netanyahu was not nonproliferation, it was regime change. The deal had to be killed to reopen that path.
Trump tore up the JCPOA deal in 2018. Enforcement of law against Iran was lifted. And after that there have been strong suspicions Iran has restarted its nuclear weapons development program. Yes, diplomacy failed. Trump and Netanyahu ensured it. Carney should not validate their false history.
Carney’s opening to the right has certainly put Pierre Poilievre off balance, leading to low polling support and MP defections. But this latest attempt to subvert the Conservative Party by adopting conservative policy — if that’s what it was, rather than plain stupidity — has run into resistance from those who elected him
Davos Carney argued, in the past, Canada gained mutual benefit with the United States by “living the lie” that rule of law was enforced evenly. But with Trump’s “rupture,” which completely rejected rule of law, that fiction had to stop.
Carney claimed “you cannot ‘live within the lie’ of mutual benefit through integration when integration becomes the source of your subordination.”
Davos Carney was right. Which is why on Iran he was completely wrong.
By Pepper Parr
March 5th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Council spent more than half an hour talking about the rules that will apply to what can and cannot be done by a candidate once they declare they are going to be a candidate for city council.
A distinction was being made about the difference between declaring and actually filing nomination papers.
 Blake Hurley: A City resource? The concern was around social media and the use of city resources. The City Solicitor is considered a City resource.
What became clear was that every member of the current Council expects to run again, with the exception being Rory Nisan being absent.
Thus, the only difference we will see next council will be a new member for ward 2, because it is clear that Lisa Kearns will run for Mayor and either Kearns or Meed Ward will end up Mayor.
 The time has come for Angelo to retire.  Stolte said she would be a two term councilor. What happened to that statement? Many were hoping for a few more changes to clear out some of the dead wood; wards 4 and six could use a shake-up.
There is a potential candidate for Ward 6 – that person is thinking it through.
There is a candidate for the Ward 2 seat that Kearns will vacate. He is expected to declare in the near future.
 Sharman could get away with putting up signs on developer owned property and take a holiday and still get elected. He may well be acclaimed. A reader sent us a graphic that explains where Sharman stands.
Galbraith in Ward 1 is a shoo-in – there is no one out there with the profile Galbraith has – despite the very real future conflicts of interest concerns.
By Gazette Staff
March 5th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Council members took hours to get to the point where they all agreed on what Staff were being asked to bring back to Council in April. Councillor Stolte needed several explanations before she felt comfortable with what the Commissioner of Development and Growth was trying to explain to her.
At a Special Meeting of Council on Monday, March 2, Burlington City Council directed staff to report back with options to support increased housing supply. This includes potential changes to broaden non-DC programs through a new or amended Affordable Rental Housing Community Improvement Plan (ARHCIP) funded from sources other than property taxes, as well as other time-limited options that could provide DC relief. No new incentives or program changes were approved at the Special Meeting of Council. The report back will outline impacts, funding sources, and implementation considerations to support fiscally responsible decision-making.
To advance this work, Council referred Report DGM-03-26 to the Commissioner of Development & Growth Management and the Chief Financial Officer, with direction to return to Committee of the Whole on April 13, 2026, with further analysis and options.
 Your City Council. Time to begin thinking about how many of them you want to return to office in the October Municipal election. Council also unanimously directed that the staff report back include an option based on a “made whole” approach: Burlington would only reduce DCs where replacement provincial or federal funding is secured, reducing DCs dollar-for-dollar up to and including permanent elimination if fully matched. No changes to DCs were made at the March Special Council meeting. The unanimous vote reflects Council’s shared commitment to advancing housing supply solutions while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
Anyone interested in speaking to this item is encouraged to register as a delegate at burlington.ca/delegate or by contacting Legal and Legislative Services at clerks@burlington.ca no later than noon on April 10, 2026. If you are attending the meeting in person, you can register to speak during the meeting by following instructions provided during the meeting.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Options for the Temporary Elimination of Development Charges (DGM-03-26) Staff Direction (SD)
Quick Snapshot
- Development Charges (DCs) are collected to support growth-related capital costs—for example, roads, storm drainage, fire stations/vehicles, recreation centres and libraries—and help service population growth.
- Report DGM-03-26 presents two main pathways for temporary DC relief: (1) amending the City’s DC by-law, or (2) amending the City’s Affordable Rental Housing Community Improvement Plan (ARHCIP).
- By-law approach: amend the City’s Development Charges by-law to apply a temporary DC reduction or exemption more broadly through the by-law itself.
- Program approach (ARHCIP): amend the Affordable Rental Housing Community Improvement Plan to deliver time-limited, criteria-based incentives—potentially including DC-related relief or other non-DC incentives—through a defined program framework.
- The report notes that if DC exemptions or reductions are provided, the Development Charges Act restricts how any resulting shortfall can be addressed, and the City would need to identify an alternate funding source to cover the impact.
- Council has not approved a new DC exemption or elimination program at this time.
- Council is directing staff to return with specific options and funding approaches for consideration at Committee of the Whole on April 13, 2026.
FAQs
1) What are Development Charges (DCs)?
Development Charges (DCs) are one-time charges collected on new development to help pay for the growth-related portion of capital infrastructure and services needed to support new homes and businesses. DCs are authorized and governed by Ontario’s Development Charges Act, 1997.
2) Why do municipalities use DCs?
DCs are a funding tool provided by the Province to fund growth-related infrastructure such as roads, water and wastewater, recreation centres, etc.
3) Who pays DCs to the City?
DCs are paid by the developer/landowner through the development process. Homebuyers do not receive a separate City invoice for DCs at closing, but DCs may be considered as part of a project’s overall costs and reflected in market pricing.
4) Are there only “City of Burlington” DCs?
No. “Total DCs” may include charges set by the City of Burlington, Halton Region, and Halton school boards. Burlington City Council only has authority to make changes to Burlington’s Development Charges.
5) Can the City spend DC money on anything it wants?
No. DCs are governed by provincial legislation and are intended for eligible growth-related capital costs and projects.
6) Where can residents see Burlington’s current DC rates and rules?
The City posts DC rates and key documents online, including current by-laws and the DC background study. Rates are indexed annually on April 1.
7) Can the City reduce or eliminate DCs?
If Council chooses to reduce or exempt DCs, provincial law requires the City to identify how the resulting shortfall will be funded.
8) Does eliminating DCs automatically mean property taxes go up?
Not automatically. It depends on how the reduction is funded. Current direction focuses on options funded from sources other than property taxes, such as provincial and/or federal funding.
9) How can upper levels of government make the City “whole”?
Another government program would need to provide earmarked funding that replaces the DC revenue being reduced, dollar-for-dollar. This could include funding like the Building Faster Fund (BFF) or the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund.
10) What is a Community Improvement Plan (CIP)?
A CIP is a planning tool under the Planning Act that allows the City to set clear eligibility rules and conditions for incentives (e.g., grants, loans, fee waivers). Burlington’s ARHCIP was approved in 2025.
11) What is the ARHCIP and why is it central in this report?
The ARHCIP is a flexible tool that allows a municipality to provide incentives to landowners to advance policy objectives like housing needs.
12) What ARHCIP options are being considered for temporary relief?
- Option 2a: amend the ARHCIP to develop a new, temporary DC exemption program with defined criteria.
- Option 2b: amend the ARHCIP to adjust existing programs to temporarily expand eligibility.
13) What does the ARHCIP currently focus on?
The current ARHCIP is built on units where the tenure is rental and units meet the provincial definition of affordability.
14) What is Council asking the Province and Federal government to commit to?
Council has stated Burlington would only reduce DCs if senior governments step in with new, dedicated funding to replace lost revenue to ensure costs aren’t shifted onto property taxpayers.
15) Would any DC relief apply to all new housing?
No. The focus is on affordable housing and/or other clearly defined housing policy goals.
16) What about public engagement?
A CIP amendment typically requires a statutory public process, including notice and a public meeting. Residents can participate through the City’s standard delegation process.
17) What has the City already done to support housing and development readiness?
Actions include adopting a DC by-law with reduced rates, advancing a Housing Strategy, establishing a Pipeline to Permit Committee, and implementing a Housing Accelerator Fund action plan.
18) How do provincial changes affect DC timing and amounts?
Recent provincial changes include deferring DC payment to occupancy for residential development and providing exemptions for certain affordable/non-profit housing.
What happens next:
On April 13, 2026, Committee of the Whole is expected to receive a staff report back including:
- Option 2b from report DGM-03-26.
- A potential new or amended ARHCIP funded from a source other than property taxes.
- A “made whole” approach where DCs are reduced dollar-for-dollar only when replacement funding is secured.
By Pepper Parr
March 5th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
During the closing minutes of the Audit Committee yesterday afternoon Ward 6 Councillor Paul Sharman took an interesting poke at a service he isn’t particularly keen on: transit.
Among the many thing the City Auditor does is confirm that the city is getting value for money. Councillor Shrman picked up on this saying: “I’m fascinated by some aspects of this, especially the value for money audit, which I think is terribly fitting for the concerns we have from the public at the moment about the increase in our budget over the last three years, and people feeling very concerned that about property taxes have gone up significantly when perhaps we’re not picking on the biggest budget items in the organization.
“Shouldn’t the value of the spend be influential in the decision on what we’re going to whether we’re going to do a value for money audit on something or not?”
 Maciej Jurczyk, the City Auditor responds. “Could we do a value for money over, you know, Recreation, Community and Culture, and I don’t mean to pick on on my colleagues from that department, but that is a massive endeavor that would be a full year audit with multiple auditors required to do to deliver a value for money audit over an entire department such as that. So this was more of a more targeted scope of work. And that’s, that’s, I guess that’s a short answer for that, for that.”
Sharman follows up with: “ I do have a very specific question. It’s about probably the biggest budget item we have, which is $37 million a year to for the transit department. And what we know about that is we get about $6 million back in fares. There’s some advertising money, but we’re especially essentially subsidizing buses and a few riders.
“We know that perhaps only 3000 community members from Burlington ride the buses every day, which means that 98.5% of taxpayers in Burlington and their families do not use our busses.
“So on that basis, the question for me is, should we not be doing a value for money audit on our transit system, simply because it has the potential to yield significant results?
Maciej Jurczyk: “I don’t want to presuppose what the outcome of any audit would be if it were transit operations or any audit. So I don’t want to suggest that there would be any impact from doing an audit at the end of the day, if it’s the will of audit committee to direct an audit over transit operations, or or any, any business unit within the city, that is your prerogative, and I’d be willing to, not willing, I will accept the staff direction to to perform that audit. I suppose I could leave it at that.
Mayor Meed Ward was sitting beside Councillor Sharman during the short jab from Sharman. She didn’t say a word about transit being a key part of the service the city provides and that it will be essential if the city is to get people out of their cars to give the environment a bit of a break and to help with the gridlock that is all too common during rush hour traffic.
 Mayor Meed Ward watching Councillor Sharman take his first step in killing the current transit service. She chose not to say a word about one of the city services she has promoted fiercely during her time as a member of Council. Looking forward to how the Bfast people respond to this.
By Gazette Staff
March 4th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Province announces the launch of a comprehensive review of EQAO testing and student outcomes
Education Quality and Accountability Office is an independent provincial agency responsible for administering standardized tests in reading, writing, and mathematics to students in grades 3, 6, 9, and 10, with the goal of measuring student achievement and ensuring school accountability.
 Preparing students for what is now a digital world with Artificial Intelligence something they will have to grapple with. The Ontario government has appointed an expert advisory body to lead a comprehensive review of student achievement and assessment across the province, with a focus on improving results in reading, writing and math. This advisory body is part of the government’s ongoing work to ensure that the provincial education system is supporting student success and helping them reach their full potential.
“Student achievement must always come first in Ontario’s education system,” said Paul Calandra, Minister of Education. “While there has been progress in recent years, too many students are still not meeting provincial standards. Our government will continue using every tool available to keep Ontario’s education system focused on accountability and a back-to-basics approach to support student achievement, so that students can reach their full potential and be prepared for good‑paying, rewarding careers.”
William (Bill) Robson has been appointed Chair and David R. Johnson has been appointed Advisor to the Advisory Body on Student Achievement and Assessment. Mr. Robson has been President and CEO of the C.D. Howe Institute for the past 20 years and previously served for eight years on Ontario’s Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board, where he helped oversee certification standards for postsecondary programs and made recommendations to the government. Mr. Johnson is an emeritus professor of economics at Wilfrid Laurier University whose research for nearly two decades has focused on the economics of education, including student achievement, assessment practices and post secondary access and persistence.
This expert body will examine EQAO testing and lead a comprehensive review of how Ontario supports student learning, focusing on math, reading and writing, and closing achievement gaps. The review will examine the root causes behind these results and recommend clear, actionable strategies to better support teachers, parents and students, all while continuing to support Ontario’s public education system.
Once the review is complete, the final report will be presented to the Minister and made publicly available. These recommendations will help ensure teachers have the tools they need to do their best work and that students have every opportunity to succeed.
In November 2025, Ontario passed the Supporting Children and Students Act, 2025, which simplifies, streamlines and broadens the Minister of Education’s powers of oversight, including over school board finances, governance and program performance.
By Gazette Staff
March 4th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
 Conservation Halton advises that local forecasts suggest up to 15 mm of rain is possible Thursday afternoon through Friday morning. Additional rainfall up to 5 mm is possible Friday evening into Saturday. Daytime high temperatures between 3-9°C are expected today through Friday, then will warm further between 10-15°C over the weekend and Monday. Over this period, significant melting of the remaining snowpack is expected. In addition to the forecasted rainfall and melting snow, any remaining frozen ground will increase water runoff and contribute to elevated water levels in creeks and streams within our jurisdiction. Existing ice along watercourses may break up and be transported downstream, increasing the risk of possible ice jams as a result.
Widespread flooding is not anticipated; however, fast flowing water and flooding of low-lying areas, natural floodplains, and areas with poor drainage may be expected.
 Melting snow will increase the amount of water running through creeks. Make sure you know where your children are playing. Conservation Halton is asking all residents and children to keep a safe distance from all watercourses and structures such as bridges, culverts, and dams. Any ice-covered bodies of water are considered unsafe. Elevated water levels, fast flowing water, and cold water temperatures, combined with slippery conditions along stream banks continue to make these locations extremely dangerous. Please alert children in your care of these imminent dangers.
Conservation Halton will continue to monitor stream and weather conditions and will issue an update to this Watershed Conditions Statement – Flood Outlook message as conditions warrant.
This Watershed Conditions Statement – Flood Outlook will be in effect through Monday March 9, 2026.
By Pepper Parr
March 4th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Horizon 50 is the name given to the Strategic Plan that is currently being fashioned by Deloitte, an accounting and consulting company that was brought in to advise on Burlington’s Strategic Plan when James Ridge was the City Manager.
 Stephanie Venimore, Manager, Corporate Strategy & Business Improvement. Andrew Scott, Chief Transformation Officer oversees the day-to-day tasks, while Stephanie Venimore, Manager, Corporate Strategy & Business Improvement works on the document Council is being asked to endorse.
Critical to the direction the city takes in terms of the next 25 years, there wasn’t all that much involvement from Council members. Venimore took them through the stages and looked for comment.
Horizon 50 covers 2026 to 2050; it’s reviewed revised and updated every five years.
Council is being asked to endorse the Horizon 2050 Strategic Plan as a replacement for Vision 2040
Council is expected to instruct staff to consider Horizon 2050 in future land planning policy, service delivery, advocacy and budget planning; and to share the Horizon 2050 strategic plan and supportive research with community partners for consideration in their future service planning.
Quality of life across all ages and stages is established as the City’s central strategic outcome.
With projected population growth, shifting demographics, economic change, and increasing climate pressures, Horizon 2050 sets out four strategic directions with measurable outcomes to guide City decisions. It treats growth, land use planning, infrastructure investment, and service delivery as the “how”—tools designed to deliver the “why”: complete communities, strong environmental stewardship, economic opportunity, and modern, accountable municipal services.
If endorsed, Horizon 2050 will guide future budgets, business planning and partnerships.
The plan and the approach are set out in a series of graphics set out below:
If Council endorses Horizon 2050, staff will embed it across municipal operations through enterprise-wide business planning, and will share the community vision broadly with residents and key program and service delivery partners through a comprehensive communications plan. Budgets and divisional business plans will be realigned to advance Horizon 2050’s strategic objectives and measurable outcomes.
Each of our Boards and Committees will be undertaking independent strategic planning over the next 18 to 24 months. This creates a timely opportunity to align priorities and investments across the organization in support of Council’s endorsed vision for Burlington.
Following the election, staff will work with the new term of Council to develop a multi-year operating plan that aligns municipal priorities and activities with Horizon 2050. Staff will also launch a set of measurable community indicators through a public-facing dashboard, updated as data becomes available, so community members can track progress toward the shared community vision.
 By Jim Portside
March 4th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
There have to be more important issues facing the city.
During the March 3, 2026, council meeting, Councillor Nisan decided to revisit the issue of what Councillors are paid for what felt like hours but might have only been 20 minutes, while council and senior staff once again struggled to make sense of this issue.
When council salaries were reported in 2024, Councillor Sharman went to great lengths to explain why he was the lowest-paid councillor.
 OMERs does not accept any contributions from people over the age of 71. In 2025, after many discussions in council and countless hours of staff time, this issue was resolved, and a plan was put in place to ensure that Sharman was no longer the lowest-paid Councillor.
The problem arose because city employees contribute to the OMERs pension plan with money deducted from their salary, and the city makes an additional payment on the employee’s behalf.
For the mayor and councillors, 14.6% of their salary is deducted from each paycheque and sent to OMERs. The city matches the contribution with another 14.6% payment to OMERs.
To keep the numbers simple, and ignoring income tax, let’s say Councillor Nisan is paid $1,000 a week. The councillor is then required to pay $146 or 14.6% of his pay into his pension plan. The city matches the $146, and OMERs receive $292 to support Councillor Nisan in his old age. Councillor Nisan’s total compensation (the total cost to the taxpayer) in this theoretical example is $1,146 per week.
In 2024, in Councillor Sharman’s case, OMERs would not accept any contributions from people over the age of 71. Councillor Sharman, as a truly senior councillor, was being paid $1,000 a week, and his total compensation (the total cost to the taxpayer) was $1,000 a week.
Reports from the city showed that Councillor Sharman’s total compensation was lower than that of the other councillors. Obviously, at least from Sharman’s perspective, this was totally unacceptable. Sharman started a campaign to receive the amount the city was paying to OMERs, the match, as part of his salary to bring his total compensation to $1,146. In 2025, after hours of discussion and staff reports, the council agreed and passed a motion to pay Sharman retroactively from the compensation he had missed and to add the city portion of the OMERs benefit to Councillor Sharman’s base pay.
During this epic journey, Councillor Bentivegna turned 71 and joined the senior councillors’ club.
 Councillor Rory Nisan: He pushed his fellow Council member for more information on his total income, which was really none of his business. Why Nisan decided to rehash this issue during the March 3, 2026, Committee of the Whole meeting is difficult to fathom. Many of us without pension plans would jump at the chance to have an inflation-indexed, taxpayer-supported pension in our old age. Shouldn’t Nisan be happy with the status quo, even if his contribution to OMERs makes his take-home pay smaller than Councillor Sherman’s?
There is a strong argument that total compensation should be the same for people doing the same job, regardless of their age or gender.
How many more hours of staff and council time will be spent on this issue of vital unimportance to the taxpayers remains to be seen.
Sharman wanted some of the data on a staff document revised. This will come up again at Council later in the month
Related news story:
City pension plans.
 By Gazette Staff
March 3rd, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Halton District School Board (HDSB) will host the 34th annual Halton Skills Competition, providing elementary and secondary students with hands-on opportunities to showcase their skills in technological and skilled trades challenges. The elementary competition will be held on March 25 and 26 at the New Street Education Centre (3250 New St., Burlington) and the secondary competition will take place on March 31 at Nelson High School (4181 Montrose Rd., Burlington).
 Pathways from classroom learning to future education, careers and success beyond school. More than 1,200 elementary and secondary students from across the HDSB will participate in a wide range of events designed to connect classroom learning with hands-on experiences that build practical, future-oriented skills. The HDSB’s robust science and technology curriculum begins in elementary school with experiential learning where students can apply their knowledge in real-world contexts, and the Halton Skills Competition extends that learning beyond the classroom. As students move into secondary school, they continue to refine skills in areas they are passionate about, creating clear pathways from classroom learning to future education, careers and success beyond school.
Elementary students will take part in 15 unique challenges, including character animation, construction, green energy, LEGO mechanics and robotics, technology problem-solving, TV/video production and VEX IQ robotics.
The lineup expands this year with a 15th elementary category: Horticulture and Landscape. This competition challenges students to prioritize biodiversity and local ecosystem health, ensuring these ecological principles are the central focus of their landscape designs and habitat creations.
Secondary students will compete in events that reflect skilled trades and technology pathways including, but not limited to, 2D character animation, architectural technology and design, auto collision repair and painting, auto service technology, baking and more. Competitors will apply technical knowledge, creativity and teamwork as they work toward excellence in their chosen areas.
Winners from the Halton Skills Competition will earn the opportunity to advance to the Provincial Skills Ontario Competition on May 4-5 at the Ontario Congress Centre, where they will represent the HDSB alongside peers from other school boards across the province. In 2025, both elementary and secondary students earned Gold, Silver and Bronze awards in 13 various technological challenges.
For secondary students, the provincial competition is a qualifier for the Skills Canada National Competition, which will be held at the Toronto Enercare Centre on May 28 and 29, 2026. Looking back at 2025 students from the HDSB earned top honours at the Skills Canada National Competition, showcasing their exceptional abilities across a wide range of skilled trades and technology disciplines.
 Curtis Ennis, Director of Education for the Halton District School Board. “Experiences like the Halton Skills Competition help students build confidence, deepen their problem-solving abilities and explore exciting pathways in technology and skilled trades,” says Curtis Ennis, Director of Education for the Halton District School Board. “By connecting classroom learning to real-world scenarios, students are building essential skills and exploring meaningful career pathways that set them up for success beyond the classroom. These hands-on learning opportunities play an important role in fulfilling our commitment to Learning, Engagement and Achievement, as outlined in the HDSB’s Multi-Year Strategic Plan, connecting students to real-world challenges and future career possibilities.”
Background resources
Halton Skills Competition
By Gazette Staff
March 3, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
At a Special Meeting of Council on Monday, March 2, Burlington City Council directed staff to report back with options to support increased housing supply.
 The City Council you elected in 2022 This includes potential changes to broaden non-DC programs through a new or amended Affordable Rental Housing Community Improvement Plan (ARHCIP) funded from sources other than property taxes, as well as other time-limited options that could provide DC relief. No new incentives or program changes were approved at the Special Meeting of Council. The report back will outline impacts, funding sources, and implementation considerations to support fiscally responsible decision-making.
To advance this work, Council referred Report DGM-03-26 to the Commissioner of Development & Growth Management and the Chief Financial Officer, with direction to return to Committee of the Whole on April 13, 2026, with further analysis and options.
Council also unanimously directed that the staff report back include an option based on a “made whole” approach: Burlington would only reduce DCs where replacement provincial or federal funding is secured, reducing DCs dollar-for-dollar up to and including permanent elimination if fully matched. No changes to DCs were made at the March Special Council meeting. The unanimous vote reflects Council’s shared commitment to advancing housing supply solutions while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
Anyone interested in speaking to this item is encouraged to register as a delegate at burlington.ca/delegate or by contacting Legal and Legislative Services at clerks@burlington.ca no later than noon on April 10, 2026. If you are attending the meeting in person, you can register to speak during the meeting by following instructions provided during the meeting.
Reading Resource:
Options for the temporary elimination of Development Charges (DGM-03-26)
The Gazette will report in detail on just how the decision made – was made.
By Gazette Staff
March 3rd, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
The next municipal election will take place on October 26th, 2026
There are very tight rules that apply.
Staff reviewed the policy for the 2026 municipal election with a goal to address any concerns, gaps or ambiguities that may have come up in the previous election through proposed revisions, and in implementation, staff education and candidate awareness.
We will publish the workings of an election once Council has debated the Staff report – for the moment, here are the important dates.
 The 2026 election will be a very boisterous event. Key Dates & Milestones
May 1, 2026: legislated deadline to establish rules on the use of municipal resources during an election.
May 1, 2026: Nomination period begins.
Aug 21, 2026: Nomination Day – last day for a candidate to file their nomination paper.
Oct 14 – 23, 2026: On-line voting period
Oct 17 & Oct 20, 2026: In-person advance polls
Oct 26, 2026: Election Day. Unofficial results are published on election night.
Oct 27, 2026: Official tabulation begins. Official results are certified and published once official tabulation is completed.
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