 By Pepper Parr
November 26th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Why do the CAO and Treasurer consistently use a budget number that isn’t defined; isn’t valid and confuses taxpayers?
For reasons I have never been able to understand, both Staff and members of Council have difficulty saying exactly how much tax rates are going up or down. Down is not something that we will see in Burlington this year.
One can understand the reluctance on the part of those elected to office – the last thing they want to do is upset the voters. Photo ops and good news keeps them in office.
But Staff are a different matter – these men and women earn excellent salaries and are described as professionals with standards they are expected to meet day in and day out.
So why then the following from Craig Millar, the new Chief Financial Officer, who came to us from Barrie.
 Crag Millar: Chief Financial Officer for the City of Burlington. At a recent Council meeting, he said: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just to give an update, as we have identified in the staff report that’s on the agenda today. Recall, as some disputants called out, the budget as originally proposed was 7.5% – that figure included assessments that were going to be added in the months ahead.
 A fuzzy number that has yet to be defined. We do know that it is not the rate at which your taxes are going to be set. Up to this point, Millar was doing his job – but then he added: “the impact on the city of Burlington residents’ tax bill was 3.79% and then the blended rate, which includes Halton Region and education, we were at 4.97% so subsequent to the publication of our Budget material, Halton Region informed Halton council that the police budget has come in higher than what was initially projected, and currently, at this point, the region is forecasting their budget is going to increase from the original assessment of 3.6% increase to 6% so the impact of that to the city of Burlington taxpayer is now our budget has gone from impact is going from 4.97% to 5.76% – that translates into an increase of $52.88 per 100,000 of current value assessment. Initially, we had a number of $45; it’s my understanding that the Region is releasing their budget material on November 22 and that council will be deliberating, I believe, in early December. So again, just to reiterate, the currently all in number, the impact to the taxpayer is at 5.76%”
Why wouldn’t someone take their eyes off the monitor secure in the knowledge that the tax increase was going to be 5.76? over last year.
Those numbers are so misleading. An average property owner would have a fuzzy understanding of what the “current value assessment” of their property is and how that assessment is arrived at.
With the numbers 3.79% – which is the blended followed by a statement that says: “The impact of that to the city of Burlington taxpayer is how our budget has gone from 4.97% to 5.76%
It would be easy to arrive at the conclusion that the taxes are going to be somewhere between 5.76% and 4.97%
The word that slips by is “impact” – just what do they mean by impact? They never do define the word.
The truth is that Burlington’s taxes for Burlington residents are going to rise by 7.51%% or more this year over last year. And that taxes rose by 10.21 % in 2024 and by 15.59% in 2023. Those increases are cumulative and add up to a 37.63% increase since the last election.
We know three things:
1 – the budget will increase by 8.3%.
2 – new assessment, tax money from brand new homes and condos, that are now on the list of properties that are taxed by the city, will pay for .79% of the budget increase.
3 – Property taxes will pay for the rest of the increase and will go up 7.51%
That’s all we know.
Bandying about that 4.97% number is deliberately misleading and both disingenuous and dishonest.
Bad enough that Craig Millar is using a number that has no real meaning to a taxpayer, but he has gotten into the habit of saying it just the way the council members d0 – but they have rear ends to cover.
Heck, he just got here – did he have to drink the Kool-Aid before he had 90 days in as the Treasurer?
Taxes were not always as high as they have been in the past few years. The chart to the right sets out what Burlington had become used to.
The CAO Hassan Basit is no better.
 CAO Hassaan Basit – Failing to come clean. When he was the President at Conservation Halton he did a superb job – first of all he changed what was an organization that wasn’t performing into one that actually served the people of the Region.
He realized early that the Authority had a revenue problem – and before hiking prices, he went to the community and asked how much more would they be prepared to pay for things like parking and attending the really well run events at Conservation Halton.
For some reason Hassan left all those well-developed and honed skills on the desk he used while at the Britannia Road office. That open, very direct approach with the public that he used when he served as President of Conservation Halton doesn’t look like it is going to be brought to bear in Burlington – where it is very badly needed.
Hassaan is hiring a lot of people – he has given sound business cases for most of them – I’m challenged to point to one and argue that his business case doesn’t hold water.
Two of the positions – the need for someone qualified to get a grip on the city web site and turn it into service that meets a public need is one, the other, a Director of Strategic Initiatives, someone to oversee those areas where projects overlap and at the same time rely on data that comes from different departments in the city.
It is a challenging job that Hassaan Basit is enjoying.
Failing to come clean with the public on just how much they are going to be taxed isn’t helping and is certainly doing nothing to improve the level of engagement that is going to be needed as the city grows.
This is the first Budget for CAO Basit and CFO Millar – hopefully, they will do a better job of explaining what they are doing and educating a public that is not fully informed and as a result not able to engage.
 By Pepper Parr
November 26th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
At the November 25th Special Council Meeting, Burlington City Council completed review of the 2025 budget.
The Mayor has issued a Mayoral Decision to end the veto period.
Under Bill 3, the Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act, 2022, which amended the Municipal Act, 2001 (the Act) I Marianne Meed Ward, Mayor of the City of Burlington, hereby decide that, with respect to the 2025 Budget:
1. I will not exercise the power to veto under subsection 284.16(4) of the Municipal
Act, 2001.
Dated at Burlington, this 25th day of November 2024.
Original Signed by
Mayor Meed Ward
By ending the veto period, the budget, as amended by Council, is “deemed approved” in accordance with Ontario regulation.
 Mayor Meed Ward skipped the Special Council meeting – got her picture taken with the Premier instead. A couple of things: The Mayor did not attend the Special Council meeting she called. She was instead at the Joseph Brant Hospital where the Premier of the province was making a funding announcement.
The Mayor was not given an opportunity to speak at that event.
The budget that is now “approved” has yet to be adjusted for whatever the Regional taxes is going to be.
The Regional budget includes the financial needs of the Police Services Board; they are asking for an increase of 13% more than they asked for last year.
I am at a loss to explain how they do that.
 By Staff
November 26th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Not to be missed the Mayor’s Annual Luncheon, described by the Chamber of Commerce as a premier event that celebrates our vibrant city and brings together business leaders and community members for an afternoon of inspiration, education, and networking.
This year the Chamber said they are excited to welcome Dolf DeJong, President and CEO of the Toronto Zoo, as the keynote speaker.
What the Toronto Zoo has to do with Toronto – is there a link to the way Council has managed the Mayor’s Budget – which has yet to be passed and might not have cleared Council before the Luncheon?
Why Attend?
Engage with Community Leaders: Gain insights from Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and our keynote speaker Dolf DeJong.
Networking Opportunities: Connect with business leaders.
Educational Experience: Learn about the topics that matter to the business community.
 By Pepper Parr
November 26th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Not for Profit organizations make the communities they operate in better places to Live, Work and Play.
The volunteers are critical to the delivering of whatever service they provide.
Often, far too often, Board members don’t understand their role and what is expected of them.
 Community Development Halton has put together a program that teaches Not for Profit Board members just what their job is – the do’s and don’t of being a Board member.
They are taught how to navigate the complexities of non-profit governance with confidence.
Board members set direction and provide the vision, leadership, and accountability to ensure their organization’s mandate is met. This training session is designed for new Board members and covers the purposes of boards, what they do and don’t do, legal obligations, liability, and fiduciary duty.
This essential training series equips board members and organizational leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively oversee and steer their non-profit, ensuring compliance, accountability, and strategic direction.
Non-Profit Board Primer: January 22, 2025
Holding Productive & Compliant Meetings: February 19, 2025
Board Succession Planning: March 19, 2025
Each session has a fee: $25 for CDH members, $60 for non-members.
The 2nd session (Holding Productive & Compliant Meetings) is free for CDH members.
Sessions are delivered via Zoom.
 By Staff
November 26th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Indigenous Gathering Space, Mountainside Recreation Centre
Deadline: Monday January 27, 2025
Award: $15,000
The City of Burlington invites First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists, groups and artist-led teams living in Halton Region (Burlington, Oakville, Milton, and Halton Hills) to submit an expression of interest to create a mural for the Mountainside Recreation Centre.
 Entrance area of the Mountainside Recreation Centre The City is partnering with the Burlington Indigenous Talking Circle to create a gathering space at Mountainside Recreation Centre (2205 Mt Forest Dr.). This room will provide space for First Nations ceremonies and Indigenous activities, such as beading and skirt-making. The goal is to create dedicated space for local Indigenous arts and culture to flourish in Burlington, honouring the history and importance of the Indigenous community in Burlington.
The mural will help to set the tone and intention of the space, and ignite reflection and conversation. It will help nurture connections between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, serving as a publicly accessible site available for hosting a variety of recreational and educational opportunities.
Mural design proposals are not required at this time. The selected artist(s) will be given time to develop their artwork concept. This will include a site visit and collaboration with the Burlington Indigenous Talking Circle and City staff.
Visit the Calls for Artists page to learn more and apply online.
 By Louis Trotter
November 25th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Gambling has become a popular activity for people in Canada, with millions of Canadians engaging with casino activities in the country both offline and online. The rise of gambling all over the world has prompted conversations around the various rules and regulations around gambling activities in Canada. With this in mind, let’s explore what regulatory framework is in place in Canada relating to gambling.
History of gambling in Canada
 On-line casinos have become hugely popular.  The bricks and mortar casinos are a destination as much as a place to gamble. White it may seem that Canadians are only passionate about casino activities in recent years because of the spike in mobile gaming, the country has a long history of gambling that goes back many years. Before the late 1990s, gambling was mostly illegal as the Criminal Code of Canada banned most forms of gambling in 1892. However, this changed in the 1960s as the monetary potential of legal gambling became apparent, leading the way for the Criminal Code to be changed to permit provinces to run and regulate lotteries. After this move, land-based casinos began to crop up in provinces like Ontario, sparking an interest among locals for casino related activities. This interest has piqued even more with the recent legalization of online gambling in Ontario in 2022, and now Canadians in Ontario can head to Gambling.com to see a full list of online casinos available in Canada.
It’s important to note that there are different rules for gambling in various countries. This is no different in Canada, where there are currently numerous laws for both offline and online gambling. The Canadian Gaming Commission oversees the industry as a whole in Canada, offering information and responding to any serious issues that arise. This body makes sure that there’s a certain level of transparency with the public, government and media. However, there are different laws relating to casinos, online gambling and sports betting according to each province.
Gambling laws in Canada
 The Canadian Gaming Commission oversees the industry as a whole in Canada, offering information and responding to any serious issues that arise. In Canada, gambling comes under provincial jurisdiction as mentioned in the Constitution Act of 1867. Because of this, each province has the power to decide whether gambling is legal or not, what types of gambling are permitted, and how revenue is handled. Each Province has a catalogue of gambling products it offers that meet its requirements for player safety and ethics, and a list of prohibited games in addition to those generally prohibited by the Code. This approach lets each province create rules that suit their own needs and local population. For instance, Ontario has permitted online gambling while other provinces such as Alberta and Quebec place an emphasis on land-based casinos over online gambling. While online gambling is permitted in Quebec and Alberta, it is through its government regulated platform instead of instead of allowing private companies to run the gambling websites. There is a similar situation in the United States as gambling laws are also set at the state level. This means that Canadian’s don’t have one set experience throughout the country as the gambling options available to them can change according to where they are.
In many provinces in Canada, it’s possible to play casino games such as roulette, poker, baccarat and slots at a traditional brick-and-mortar casino. For example, Casino Niagara in Ontario has over 1,300 slot machines as well as table games and poker options while in Quebec Casino de Montréal is one of the largest casinos in the world with plenty of exciting gaming options. Like online gambling, each province is in charge of the regulations relating to their land-based casinos. This means they decide how to protect their players and how to ensure the casinos are operating in a fair manner.
Changes towards gambling in Canada
Online gambling in Canada has also undergone significant changes in recent years. Many years ago, Canadians resorted to offshore gambling sites that weren’t regulated by Canadian laws which could be a risky activity. However, Ontario launched its own online gambling market in April 2022. This meant that private companies were able to legally offer online casinos and sports betting within the province. As a result, players experience less anxiety around engaging in gambling activities as they can be sure that they are gambling in a safe way.
 The gambling environment for both on-line and land-based is tightly regulated and noted for transparency and safety for the gambler. However, this doesn’t mean that Canadians aren’t benefiting from gambling options outside of the country as many operators outside of Canada with offshore servers and foreign gaming licenses have offered their products in Canada. This means Canadians can choose between local regulated sites and international options, further solidifying Canada as a powerful gambling hub.
In conclusion, Canada is being increasingly associated with gambling activities thanks to recent legalization changes that have attracted more people in the country. As more provinces begin to cater to consumer demand and embrace online gambling, it’s likely that the country will become an even better regulated gambling environment. Whether you are new to gambling or are passionate about particular casino games, now is the perfect time to discover Canada’s evolving gambling scene.
By Pepper Parr
November 26th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
 It will be a while before the citizens fully understand what BRAG managed to pull off this year when they took City Council and some senior staff members to task on how engagement was limp at best.
Every really engaged community is made of small, dedicated people who work very hard – and get less than a heartfelt thank you from Council or for that matter the Chief Administrative Officer.
Maybe – just maybe the Mayor and the CAO will say publicly that the budget that finally gets approved was better due to the effotrs made by community groups.
 Back in 2018 ECoB was formed and was part of what put the current Council in office. Under the direction of Penny Hersh, who did a lot of the work herself – there were people who helped out and Penny was gracious in thanking them.
Few realized at the time that Lisa Kearns, who was part of ECoB from the beginning, – not something she would admit to in the early days. The motivation for Kearns was the chance to win the ward 2 Council seat.
Marianne Meed Ward was running for Mayor – so her seat was available.
What was truly marvellous was the way ECoB captured the imagination of the public – all that was needed was some kind of structure to get things moving.
 The New Street Baptist Church was packed. Rick Goldring who was running for re-election chose to stay outside the building.  The United Church on Plains Road was standing room only for the ward 1 candidates debate. This time around BRAG and its members were the ones to rise to the challenge.
At a budget meeting in 2023, Dan Chapman was delegating and he was mad as hell and didn’t want to put up with any more tax increases. At the end of his delegation, he strode the few steps to his ward Councillor and shoved a copy of his tax bill into the hands if Kelvin Galbraith – who was stunned and didn’t know what to do.
It was the unconscionable tax increase of more than 15% over the previous year that pushed the small group into organizing.
One of the elements of a politically healthy community is the existence of concerned and committed parents.
 Parents filled the available seats at a Trustee meeting when the HDSB announced that two of seven schools had to be closed. We saw something very similar when the Halton District School Board decided to close two of the seven high schools. Parents packed the room Trustees met in.
It is clear now that BRAG has moved the needle. For the first time in my experience with Burlington City Council (all 12 years of it) this is the first time I’ve seen a citizen group produce a well researched document that challenged the city on 25 different budget items and presented them as part of a delegation.
 Councillor Sharman made a point of asking CFO Craig Millar to commit to responding to the BRAG delegation. Councillor Sharman made a point of asking the Chief Financial Officer Craig Millar to commit to answering the questions that were asked.
Millar said that he would do so.
Expect BRAG to be nipping at his heals if the response isn’t in their hands by the end of the first week in the New Year.
Expect as well to see a Draft budget made available to the public sometime early in September of 2025 for the 2026 budget.
Given that 2026 is an election year – Council will look for and find ways to reduce the tax bite.
The City issued a media release yesterday afternoon that was first class public relations spin. In the words of Eric Stern: “From the Mayor’s perspective, the communications team deserves every penny they earn. From my perspective, they should all be fired.”
That Eric, isn’t going to happen – but they will be on their toes going forward.
BRAG managed to move the needle.
By Pepper Parr
November 26th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The only thing media has going for it – is that the readers trust what you are saying.
 We are the guy on the left. Now that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used – how does a reader know that a real live person wrote the article?
The Gazette does not use Artificial Intelligence when creating content. Two reasons why: We think our readers expect us to do the work that is needed to create the news and comments we deliver. The other reason is – we don’t know how to use the stuff and don’t have the time to figure it out
With the position that artificial intelligence (AI) cannot generate authentically Canadian content, the Writers Guild of Canada put AI to the test to see what ‘improvements’ AI could make to some of Canada’s most iconic film and television lines.
Given the simple instructions to ‘improve this line,’ or ‘word this line differently to have the same meaning but be more entertaining,’ ChatGPT was given a host of iconic Canadian lines from film and tv, with the following (bad) results:
 AI doesn’t speak Canadian – wonder how it would handle Eh!
ByAlina Jovia
November 26th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Many consumers have considered gambling online because the activity is convenient, inexpensive, and fun.
 The online experience is different than at a casino. Gambling online provides consumers with quick and easy access to their favorite gambling titles, including slots, roulette, blackjack, and more. Furthermore, gambling online means the consumer can access these titles without leaving home. Nevertheless, consumers must understand that gambling online is far different than gambling in person.
It is vital to adjust to the switch. Otherwise, the gambler may run into a variety of issues, including lost money and a stolen identity. Just make sure that you consider the information at GamblingInformation before moving forward.
Why Online?
Online gambling is not suitable for all consumers. For instance, some consumers may prefer mingling with other gamblers. Online casinos offer some degree of social features, but it’ll never be enough for some. Furthermore, some gamers may prefer playing in person with friends and relatives. For these individuals, it is best to visit a local casino. However, online gambling provides numerous perks that aren’t available elsewhere.
Consumers can play from home so they’ll save money and they’ll be much safer. They also won’t have to adhere to the casino’s schedule. After all, online casinos are open around the clock. Online gambling in Canada has grown in popularity because online sites offer so many benefits.
New Risks
 Do your homework – know what you are getting into – there are shady operators out there. When gambling online, the risks are going to be significantly different. With in-person gambling, you have to worry about someone mugging you when you leave. You’ll also need to worry about theft and other issues. However, online gambling tends to be much safer since you don’t have to leave home. Still, there are risks involved. In particular, consumers must avoid signing up for shady sites.
Each player should carefully research the site in question to ensure that they’re making the right decision. Otherwise, they could lose everything. More about this will be explored below.
Research Each Site
Consumers have to be concerned about signing up for a bad website. Doing so could lead to issues, including a stolen identity. When choosing an online gambling site, the consumer must perform extensive research. Some sites pose as legitimate gambling sites even though they’re scams. You don’t want to fall for one of these traps. Instead, you should do your best to avoid such problems. Make sure that the site you choose is reliable and safe. The gambling site should use the latest safety protocols to protect your information.
Promotions
 Bonuses are a big part of the fun when you gamble online. Experts in the industry providing trustable information recommend taking advantage of bonuses, including free spins. However, some casinos may provide more generous bonuses. For instance, some will deliver a deposit bonus to new and existing customers. If you deposit a specific amount, you should receive a specific amount. Each casino establishment will have unique rules. Still, it is important to consider these things because bonuses are very beneficial.
Bonuses can keep you playing for longer without depositing more money.
Games Available
It is also pertinent to consider the selection of games. Some casinos are better about this than others. For instance, some online casinos only offer three or four games. Others provide access to conventional gambling titles as well as innovative ones. It is wise to consider your options. Make sure that you’ll have access to the hottest titles.
When it comes to online gambling in Canada, it is always best to pick a diverse platform.
Social Features
GamblingInformation.com provides consumers with access to gambling resources, reviews, and more. One thing to remember when digesting such information is that online gambling can also be social. It’s not as social as in-person gambling, but you can still interact with others. Usually, online gambling platforms provide players with chat features. You can use these features to interact with other players. Doing so will undoubtedly make the experience more exciting.
Player Protection
Online casinos offer player protection, such as secure checkouts. It is up to players to maintain a responsible gambling protocol. Temptations are the worst in the gambling industry. People addicted to gambling struggle to stop, even after they have depleted their bankroll.
Experts insist all consumers read the casino’s policies fully before an initial wager. Be sure to focus on the fine print because it is vital information about the casino operations.
 By Staff
November 25th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Determining who will be the federal Conservative Party candidate in the election that has to take place before June of 2025 will be known by the end of the day on November 27th,
The members of the Burlington Federal Conservative Party will convene at the Burlington Convention Centre, 1120 Burloak Drive.
Ballots to select the nominee are given to people who attend – In Person Voting only.
Speeches from the two candidates will take place at 6:30 – voting takes place between 6:30 and 9:30 pm
 Connor Fraser talking to citizen during the Appleby Line Festival.  Emily Brown chairing a Burlington Federal Conservative Party association meeting. Members in Good Standing require ID to vote! Details for approved ID were provided by the Party in the Nomination Meeting Notice was sent all current members.
If your membership expired within 90 days of October 18th – you can RENEW ahead of the Nomination Meeting & VOTE!
 By Pepper Parr
November 25th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Eric Stern, the spokesperson for BRAG (Burlington Residents Action Group, delegated to City Council this morning.
In most cases, not all, Council has very little to say in response to a delegation – this morning – it was different.
After saying: Good morning and thank you for your time today, Stern levelled a couple of concerns:
I have to say I was surprised to see Burlington get out early again this year with the fictional “4.97%” overall tax increase.
It was interesting to watch Mr. Basit present a 4.97% on November 4th when the Halton Police budget had been made public on October 30th. Did Mr. Basit knowingly misrepresent the truth?
On November 18th I listened to Leah Bortolotti talk about 6.7 million people visiting the website annually. I did another double-take. For a dose of reality, only 200,000 people live in Burlington. Are we expected to believe that every person in Burlington visits the website an average of 33 times a year? How many of these visits are to book the kids into a swim class? More confusing is that the budget document states on page 48 “our website—with its 1.5 million annual users”.
When he had completed his delegation there were questions and some animated responses:
 Councillor Nisan: We have a transit master plan that is currently inactive. Do you not want that transit plan? Or what’s the story? Councilor Nissan: Your last item in your, we’ll call it a report, or your submission, said that the transit master plan should be released before taxes are increased in relation to transit. We have a transit master plan that is currently inactive. Do you not want that transit plan? Or what’s the story?
Stern: Well, if you’re going to change it, which we would expect with a new master plan, then shouldn’t the budget, wait for the Master Plan, or shouldn’t the master plan be released before the budget? It’s not a necessity to have a budget in place until February 1. We have the flood plan coming out, what later today, and the transit master plan coming out in a few weeks. So you put the car before the horse?
Nisan: I’ll just clarify my question. So our transit master plan goes until 2025 this is the last year of that master plan. Are you suggesting that we finish a new master plan before we approve the budget for what we already approved in the last master plan?
Stern: That is the suggestion that you get the master plan out first and then do the budgeting around it. Y
Councilor Sherman: I want to thank you for your delegation, but also particularly for the correspondence with all the analysis that you and you have done, or I guess a few of you have done, yes, it was very thorough. It had a lot of good analysis in there.
Would you be interested in having some response from the city with respect to the analysis you did?
That offer is close to a first for this Council – a citizen asks for something and gets a positive response.
Stern: Yes, we’re interested. This is an ongoing process, so we’ll just raise the same issues again next year. If the city wants to provide clarity or an explanation, then maybe we won’t have to raise them, or maybe we’ll see it differently than you do.
Sharman: I will ask staff about that later, and I’m sure we’ll get you the answers.
Later in the meeting when questions are put to staff Sharman asked the Chief Financial Officer:
With respect to getting back to the to residents and their feedback – there are a lot of questions in there. Could you just confirm that you will respond to each question in line so that they have an answer to this community group for each of those questions.
So will you be able to do that for this, for the for this input, in particular through
Craig Millar: Through you to the Chair: Yes, that’s that’s our intent, to go through each one of the questions and provide answers.
Chair Bentivegna: We have a question from Councilor Kerns. So looking at this item that’s been provided in your correspondence, which is the list of the of the items that you’d like additional investigation on, and recognizing that this is, in fact, the mayor’s budget. What engagement have you had with the mayor’s office related to these items as they relate to the budget?
 There wasn’t really any time in this whole process to do a really deep dive into the data. Stern: Well, there wasn’t really any time in this whole process, because the budget action reviews were submitted two weeks after the budget was released. It takes a group of us to split it up to roughly 80 pages each. We went and identified things we could xxx
Kearns: You reviewed the budget action items you endorsed, I believe is the correct word, the budget.
Stern: No we haven’t. There’s just no time in this process for residents to meaningfully engage. And I’m really emphasizing the word meaningfully.
Kearns: A follow-up question. What you would like to see then? A draft budget released first, so we don’t have to challenge the clock of the statutory time to turn this around, which is more detailed, in order for people to have more meaningful engagement.
Stern: That’s right, that’s identical I’d like to see what Oakville does happen in Burlington?
Kearns: My second question is this, in the correspondence that you’ve provided, it doesn’t necessarily equate to $1 value in the final column on every single item, is the concern more with accountability, transparency and return on investment and alignment with business plans? Or is it pure hard savings or both?
Stern: The concern largely is with accountability, certainly. Speaking for myself, not for the group. I’ve said this before – the only reason I’m here is because 4.97 is meaningless. 4.99 last year was meaningless. It was 6.58 I think, at the end of the day in 2024 on our tax bills. So you guys come out with this obviously skewed lower number for your own benefit, and then we’re somehow supposed to engage, and then we get a dog and pony show with what a 10-page booklet with no details.
You know, transit is going to cost pulling numbers out of my hat, but it is going to cost $17 million do you agree? How are we supposed to engage with that?
 Eric Stern: It’s all about clarity, honesty, fairness. It’s all about clarity, honesty, fairness. We’re all adults. Nobody’s jumping up and down and screaming that everybody has to be fired at City Hall and things like that. We recognize that Burlington has great services, but we want to understand what’s happening with our money, and it’s becoming a lot of money over the years, right? $500 million.
Kearns: Thank you, Eric. Maybe our themes next year will be clarity, transparency and honesty.
Mayor Meed Ward did not attend the Council meeting – she attended the Premier’s event at Joseph Brant Hospital – where she didn’t get to say a word. Had she been at Council Stern may not have gotten away with some of his comments.
The Complete Stern Delegation
“Stop the 7.5% Burlington Property Tax Increase” petition has been presented to council. Twelve hundred and forty-seven people signed the petition asking for a zero percent tax increase. The multi-year forecast called for 8.9%, by asking for zero we were hoping to meet somewhere in the middle, at 4.4%, oh well.
I have to say I was surprised to see Burlington get out early again this year with the fictional “4.97%” overall tax increase.
It was interesting to watch Mr. Basit present a 4.97% on November 4th when the Halton Police budget had been made public on October 30th. Did Mr. Basit knowingly misrepresent the truth?
On November 18th I listened to Leah Bortolotti talk about 6.7 million people visiting the website annually. I did another double-take. For a dose of reality, only 200,000 people live in Burlington. Are we expected to believe that every person in Burlington visits the website an average of 33 times a year? How many of these visits are to book the kids into a swim class? More confusing is that the budget document states on page 48 “our website—with its 1.5 million annual users”.
You have approved $148,000 for an SEO Marketing position. What is the payback?
Will there be a staff reduction in Service Burlington because people can find information themselves? Will there be KPIs to monitor this or is this just another overhead cost?
What residents need is information, not marketing spin, Google can make that information searchable. Adding a web marketing SEO position will slow down the posting of information making that information less accessible to taxpayers. Do you remember the taxpayers? The people who pay for this.
The mayor talks about training bus drivers and then those drivers take jobs in other cities as a justification for higher pay. This statement is not supported by the 5.3% turnover number presented on November 4th. A rate of 5.3% is lower than any private sector group except for heads of organizations and executives at 3.8%. This indicates the city has the right mix of salary, benefits and working conditions. An average, across-the-board, salary increase of 4.58% when inflation is 2.5% sounds high.
My theme today is clarity. Residents deserve factual information, clearly presented on the city’s website, by staff and the council, without the deft hand of a communications department spinning that information for the benefit of our elected representatives and city staff. I resent being taxed to pay for information to be marketed to me.
 Eric Stern wants a draft budget well ahead of Mayor’s budget so the community has an opportunity to comment. BRAG earned the right to that kind of document next year. Looking ahead to 2026, what considerations are being made for a conservative Federal government and severe cuts to the housing accelerator fund? Much of the expected $21,000,000 may evaporate.
In terms of provincial funding, what happens if the city does not meet its housing targets and no provincial funds are available?
Burlington is building out community centers, transit, etc. for people who may or may not move into the community. What happens if the builders don’t build and the people don’t materialize? Is it time for more prudent cost controls?
The Burlington Residents’ Action Group submitted to this council, in writing, 14 pages of possible cost savings and economies of scale that the city could consider.
I’ve watched many council meetings, people who ask for money often receive money, and people who ask for cuts often receive nothing.
Why are lower tax increases important?
Lower increases leave people with more money for heat pumps and EVs.
Lower increases reduce renovictions by landlords who, through rent control, can only increase rents by 2.5%. This will reduce homelessness and help to “solve the crisis”.
Lower increases leave more money in people’s pockets, reducing food bank visits and crime, and lower the overall cost of policing.
I’ll conclude with, Your Worship, you win, for now, you hold all the cards, residents are not given enough time to review the budget, the budget does not include explanations for the programs, or what the return on the “investment” will be, and requests for details go unanswered.
Congratulations on passing another huge budget increase without the community understanding what the percentage is or what the dollars are for!
By Staff
November 25th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The Ontario government is making it faster and easier for people in the Burlington region to connect to high quality, comprehensive mental health and addiction support services closer to home by building a new mental health unit at the Joseph Brant Hospital.
 Natalie Pierre, in what might be her last major public announcement spoke of the need for the services the new funding will make possible. Pierre has announced that she is retiring from politics. “This new mental health unit will complement the incredible work Joseph Brant’s hardworking doctors, nurses and other staff do every day to provide high-quality care to the people of Burlington and the surrounding area,” said Premier Doug Ford. “I’m pleased that our government’s investment will support this work as part of our $50 billion worth of investments in more than 50 hospital projects province-wide, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on the community.”
The province’s investment will build and create a larger, state-of-the-art space for inpatient and outpatient services at Joseph Brant Hospital to ensure the hospital is better equipped to deliver timely and high-quality mental health and addictions care for more patients and their families, in a safe and comfortable setting.
Once opened, the new mental health unit will include:
A new adult outpatient space better suited to improve clinical flow and patient care
Improved adult psychiatric intensive care space allowing for better patient-centred care and safety
Programs will include interdisciplinary teams of nurses, physicians, social workers, psychiatrists and recreation therapists to support complex patient care needs and provide crisis intervention, psychiatric assessment, treatment and stabilization
Enhanced child and youth programming
Improved infection prevention and control measures
“All Ontarians deserve to have convenient access to the care they need, when they need it, no matter where they live,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By building a new mental health unit at Joseph Brant, our government is ensuring families in the Burlington region have faster access to mental health and addictions support services for years to come.”
 Michael and Laura Paletta spoke about the need for better mental health services in the community. As a next step, the ministry is working with Joseph Brant Hospital to complete early planning and design for this project. A construction schedule will be confirmed once future planning is complete and the project is tendered and awarded.
“Our government continues to address the critical need for timely, accessible, and comprehensive mental health and addiction services across Ontario,” said Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “By investing in a state-of-the-art mental health unit at Joseph Brant Hospital, we are reinforcing the continuum of care, ensuring patients in Burlington and surrounding areas receive the specialized treatment and supports necessary for long-term recovery and improved quality of life.”
Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government is making it easier and faster for people of all ages to connect to care. In 2020, the province introduced the Roadmap to Wellness, a plan to build a modern, world-class mental health and addictions care system.
It was a half-hour media event with the Premier and several Ministers speaking – all the politicians – except MAyor Meed Ward who skipped a City Council meeting to attend but didn’t get any air time.
 Mayor Meed Ward, far left, didn’t get to say a word during the hospital announcement.
 By Staff
November 25th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
On Monday the Premier was at Joseph Brant Hospital to announce significant funding for new Mental Health services. Millions is to be made available.
 Hospital rendering showing the original hospital with the additions. On Wednesday workers at Joseph Brant Hospital will be holding a rally at noon to protest the elimination of 10 positions they say will negatively impact patient care.
CUPE 1065, the union representing workers at the hospital, says the hospital can’t afford cuts to frontline positions amidst a staffing crisis, which is already impacting quality of patient care and workforce morale.
Michael Hurley, president of CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU-CUPE), which represents about 50,000 staff across the province, said the union is noticing an alarming pattern of staffing cuts at multiple hospitals in Ontario because of government underfunding – an unacceptable development considering the 2,000 patients waiting on stretchers in hospital hallways for beds and the 250,000 people waiting for surgeries in Ontario.
 By Ray Rivers
November 25th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
The annual Climate Change Congress of the Parties (COP 29) held this year in Azerbaijan has concluded in uncertainty, discontent and pessimism. Pessimism is what every single one of those delegates should be feeling about the future of the planet we are leaving for our offspring. The global community has completely failed to halt the advance of global climate warming and with it the ravages of climate change.
 Climate Change Congress of the Parties (COP 29) It’s the fossil fuels and, like an addict on heroin, we are unable to put down the syringe. And the rush from this drug, fossil fuels, will continue for almost a millennium. The worlds largest producer of oil, the USA, emits just over 10% of global annual GHG emissions but accounts historically for the majority of all that stuff still up there. That unfortunate record is due to be broken one day soon by the world’s second largest economy and its most significant polluter.
 China is still using coal China, currently at 30% of global GHG annual emissions, is still building coal burning plants. In fact it had initiated 95% of all global coal plant construction in 2023. Ironically, it is also the leader in renewable technologies and electric vehicles. The country is claiming it’ll be carbon neutral by 2060. But only a blind optimist would buy that given its GHG emissions increased almost 5% last year, 15% faster than the rest of the world.
There is discontent among the smaller nations, including those island states which will eventually disappear into the ever rising oceans. Many of these less developed countries (LDC) are relatively small contributors to global emissions, certainly compared to China the US and Europe. But they are at the table, though it seems more like a trough. If money is for the taking, they want in – the only reason they used all those carbon credits getting there.
The COP process used to be about reducing emission reductions with a little cash on the side to help those LDCs in need. But it has morphed into an income redistribution exercise and a money grab. $100 billion was promised in 2009 and this year the ante was upped to $300 billion. Still the ask was for two or three trillion big ones. Delegates from less developed nations are calling it a paltry sum, but nobody is leaving money on the table. And how does India, with the fifth largest global economy and fourth largest military have the nerve to claim access to that COP money?
 COP has lost its way. The 1990’s Kyoto protocol was the best chance to get global cooperation and action on reductions. COP has lost its way. The 1990’s Kyoto protocol was the best chance to get global cooperation and action on reductions. But then GW Bush, the oil president, pulled the rug out and it was drill baby drill. Obama helped create the voluntary Paris Agreement in a faint hope to limit the earth’s temperature increase to below 1.5 degrees. But then the 2016 Donald took his baseball and went home. Though he is coming back and now threatening to take the ball diamond as well.
In any case it is probably too late for incremental emissions reductions, emission targets and all that bureaucratic stuff. Many have already decided we’re at the 10th stage of grief – acceptance. The oil companies may have lost the battle to discredit climate scientists since their predictions are ringing in close to home. But big oil appears to have won the war anyway. That 1.5 degree tipping point is now within sight – possibly as early as next year. And so the Paris Agreement will also have failed.
 The demographic that is going to have to live with the results of COP29 So the discussion at these annual mega-groupies has turned to something else – welfare for those less developed nations in their struggle to adapt. COP is not really about emissions reductions for LDCs since if they can afford fossil energy they can easily afford the less costly renewable energy option. And these less developed nations typically are not the heavy polluters anyway. Even Canada, which has the tenth largest global economy and is the fourth largest oil producer, still only contributes less than 2% to the problem.
Russia has decided to ignore the world and fall back to it’s nasty environmentally dirty old imperial ways. The holy land has become one big carbon emitting battlefield. And China, already the world’s dirtiest polluter will continue to pollute, as we in North America continue to buy their manufactured goods, thus making ourselves complicit. The USA will once again face a neoconservative ideological agenda promising “drill baby drill” and an end to new renewables. Canada is almost certainly to follow if the opinion polls are right – Ontario already has.
 Humble beggar 40% of India’s installed electrical power capacity came from non-fossil fuel sources in 2021. It already has among the lowest emissions per capita in the world. And perhaps that alone, reducing its carbon footprint when wealthier nations are floundering, is a good enough reason to reward India by letting it dine at the beggar’s banquet. And, no humble beggar, the Indian delegation was one of the loudest voices demanding more money at this COP.
It was symbolic that the last two annual COP meetings were hosted by nations heavily dependant on oil revenues for their GDP. This year the host was the autocratic and highly repressive former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan which obtains 90% of its foreign income from the black gold. That country’s president kicked off the COP by setting the tone. He lectured that oil was a gift from God.
The head of France’s delegation went home after the Azerbaijani president insulted France and Holland over their colonial policies. The Argentine president brought his entire delegation home after only three days, probably as a symbol to please his new pal the American president-elect. It was chaos and there were also reports of others leaving in droves like rats abandoning a sinking ship. And no one should wonder why.
Background links:
Climate Not Improving – Greenwash Conference –
UNFCCC – Poilievre and Paris –
Time to Rethink COP –
Stages of Grief –
 Ray Rivers has worked on the climate change challenge since 1992. In addition to private consulting and heading the international emissions trading company Clean Air Canada, Rivers also assisted the federal and provincial governments in developing emissions trading and reduction programs. He attended COP 4 in Buenos Aires and COP 9 in Milan.
By Staff
November 24th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Finding land that is cheap, free if possible, to build needed housing on has everyone looking at what they might have in their inventory.
Burlington has yet to offer any of the land the city owns but the federal government got created and offered a 28 hectares property that once housed a federal prison in Laval, Que. into housing.
The St-Vincent-de-Paul Penitentiary operated from 1873 to 1989 has been largely empty for 35 years and has fallen into a state of decay.
 Stone walls and a guard turret could become features in a housing community on federally owned land. It was the second federal prison built in the country and the only francophone federal prison in Canada.
On Tuesday, Ottawa gave the prison a new lease on life by opening it up to development by adding it to the public lands bank, a list of 83 unused federally-owned properties that can be used to address
“Where appropriate, all of these federal lands will remain public through low cost leases to reduced construction costs and support the building of more affordable homes,” said federal Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos.
Due to the site’s history, its imposing stone walls and proximity to the Rivière-des-Prairies, the prison was designated a national historic site in 1990.
Can we expect some creative ideas from City Hall?
 By Staff
November 24th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Safe Streets Halton, alongside BurlingtonGreen, Halton Hills Climate Action, Oakville Green, and Halton Environmental Network have released an open letter in response to the province’s upcoming restrictions on bike lanes.
“This legislation does not address the traffic safety issues that Halton residents face, with at least 10 deaths and over a thousand injuries occurring in the past year alone,” remarked Nick Morrison, President of Safe Streets Halton.
The letter comes as Bill 212 approaches its third reading in the legislature. Amendments were recently made restricting the public’s ability to sue the province for injury after removal of existing bicycle lanes.
 “It comes with a requirement [that data shows] the removal of a lane will not cause delays in traffic, how does one do that in advance of installing a bike lane?” Councillor Jane Fogal questioned at a recent Halton Hills council meeting where the town approved a motion opposing the legislation. She cited a pilot project in Ottawa, where bike lanes were installed temporarily and vehicle travel times improved, making way for making a permanent change.
The City of Burlington has also passed their own motion opposing Bill 212. “We would have a lot more people cycling if it were safer, and bike lanes are a big part of that.” Councillor Rory Nisan commented. “We can figure this out on our own.”
In the letter, the province is urged to reconsider these restrictions and focus on improving traffic safety for all road users in Halton Region. Safe Streets Halton calls on Halton Region residents and businesses to visit safestreetshalton.ca/SaferStreetsOntario, sign the petition and contact their MPP.
Contact points:
media@safestreetshalton.ca
https://safestreetshalton.ca/
About Safe Streets Halton
Safe Streets Halton is a grass-roots organization on a mission to eliminate all traffic-related deaths and serious injuries in Halton, Ontario.
By Staff
November 24th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Andrea Grebenc, a candidate seeking the nomination for the Ontario Liberal Party in Burlington, is inviting residents to a casual drop-in event on Friday, November 29, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Fortinos café on Plains Road.
This drop-in offers community members an opportunity to meet Andrea, share their concerns, and discuss her vision for Burlington and Ontario’s future. Andrea is eager to engage directly with residents about the issues that matter most to them, from education and healthcare to housing and economic opportunities.
 Andrea Grebenc chairing a School Board Trustee meeting during the pandemic. About Andrea Grebenc
Andrea Grebenc is a long-time Burlington resident and a dedicated community leader with a proven track record of public service. She has been elected twice as a Halton District School Board Trustee, serving as Chair of the Board during a critical period when she successfully advocated for improved student-centered policies.
For more information about Andrea, visit Andrea4Burlington.ca.
Event Details:
What: Community Drop-In with Andrea Grebenc
When: Friday, November 29, 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Where: Fortinos Café, Plains Road, Burlington
By Pepper Parr
November 23rd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The Regional Police Services Board said in the budget presentation that the 2025 budget includes a relatively stable number of hires with just over 30 sworn and 16 civilians per year. We project that we can make do with that.
 Regional Chief of Police Steve Tanner “I believe our cost per capita certainly compared to what we call the big 12 police services in Ontario will always be the lowest” said Jeff Knowles, Chair of the Police Services Board who shared the presentation of the Police Services budget with Chief Steve Tanner who was on his feet for more than three hours.
“There’s a number of projects, essential projects, and some of you may have questions about what projects can we not go ahead with? We’re committed to a multi million dollar radio system, P 25 encrypted radio system that we have, there will be enhancements as well that are built in here.
“We have PSBN commitments so that we can transmit digital messages and information back and forth as we need to in today’s environment, we actually had multiple millions dollars of dollars in the capital project specifically for dark fiber, which we have removed from this budget. You’re not seeing the impact of that. We do need that at some point, but our understanding is between the region and their needs, paramedics and otherwise and some of the municipalities, we will be able to find a way forward.
“This is all for the greater good. These projects are ones that we are committed to, where contracts are signed by the board and the vendors. They’re not reversible contracts, and we could not do without them in today’s policing environment.
“There are risks and offsets; the impact of collective bargaining in 28, 29 and 30, along with the uncertainty of government funding. I’m hopeful that there may come a day in the not too distant future when our federal government may be providing some resources to policing. We have the impact of vacancies over time, part time, wages. I’ve said before, we always purposely under budget for overtime. We probably spend at least three times, maybe more but we know we can absorb that, because in policing, we cannot hire all of our staff on January 1 Those funds that are not used for new hires that are not on board yet gets used to cover the protests, to cover the wonderful fireworks nights that we have in Bronte.
 Jeff Knoll: Town of Oakville Councillor and Chair of the Police Services Board presented the Police Budget to Regional Council last week. “We have a training budget. We have a training unit. We have provincial and national training needs. We do not budget for all of those. We could the budget would be significantly higher, but it would consume dollars where we can pay for those things, year after year. We do that out of what would have been a greater surplus. I’m sure your municipal councils would prefer and expect as much surplus as possible, because then, in our case, as a police service and working with the region, we can put that back into the cost of some of our capital programs and lessen the impact on our operational side.
“The implications of the new Training Act is just one of them. The C8 is probably the best example of capital and software being put to use. The impact of fuel prices is an ongoing concern. There will not be any electric vehicles; we are not at the stage where we can run electric vehicles as front-line police officers and save on fuel. I would be fearful of lithium batteries in some instances.
“I just wanted to close off the presentation with just a review of the of the expectations that we expect our current investments, so to speak, for this 2025 budget. Of course, number one, first and foremost, is to continue to be the safest large municipality in all of Canada, which is a statistic that we’ve been proud to boast about for almost two decades now, and that’s as per task Canada.
 Current Police Services Board: “It’s not us generating our own laudatory statistics that actually comes from the federal government, and we want to, of course, achieve best ratings in our key measures, best in terms of crime Severity Index, weighted crime clearance rates, staff to population ratios and costs per capita ratios, and above all, to be the leader in community safety and policing excellence to ensure every resident of Halton is safer tomorrow than they are today.
“Our other overarching goal is to always ensure that we send out our officers every morning, afternoon, or evening, and that they return in the same shape when they come back to their families and districts at the end of their shifts.”
And with that, they moved into Q&A.
We will cover some of that in another article.
By Pepper Parr
November 23rd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Regional Council learned on Wednesday last week that the police funding request was not actually before Regional Council for approval today. Regional Clerk Graham Milne explained: “As you’re aware, the process is to receive the presentation, first ask questions. The decision point will come at the December 11 regular meeting of Council.
 Police Services Board Chair Jeff Knoll and Police Chief Tanner seated present their budget to Regional Council. “If Council chooses to take an action at that time, the process would be by either a notice of motion or an amendment to the regional report on the budget and business plan, which will be included in the forthcoming agenda.
“Under the new community safety and policing act, Council cannot amend specific line items in the funding request from the police upon reviewing the proposed police budget. Council’s role is to set the overall budget that provides the Police Board with sufficient funding to comply with CISPA its regulations and to pay the expenses of the board’s operation.”
The new police budget approval process is as follows.
First, the Police Board submits their operating capital estimates for the year.
Regional Council then reviews the estimates and either accepts the proposed budget or establishes their own budget.
If it is the latter, and the Police Board rejects this budget established by council, both parties must jointly apply to the chair of the Ontario Police Arbitration Adjudication Commission, (OPAC) to appoint a conciliation officer,
or the Police Board can move the matter straight to arbitration.
If the matter cannot be resolved by the conciliation officer, both parties can jointly appoint an arbitrator, or have one appointed by the Commission chair.
Any decision by the arbitrator that results in the budget being amended in accordance with same therefore, Council’s options at the December 11 meeting are approve the budget as presented, or set a new budget that it deems will fulfill the region’s obligations.
There’s no provision for Council, under the legislation, to appoint a third party independent reviewer for an alternate opinion on the funding request.
Further, neither party may make a unilateral request for a conciliation officer, as this must be a joint request.
However, the Police Board may skip this step and refer the matter directly to arbitration.
After receiving the region’s revised budget, Council could request a cost estimate from a third party agency such as the Ontario Provincial Polie or the Hamilton Police or the Peel Police as the justification for the revised budget. These estimates can take a significant amount of time to obtain.
If the Region and the Police Board pursue the conciliation option, a conciliation officer has 14 days to confer with the parties and attempt to resolve the dispute. An extension of time may be granted if both parties agree, or the commission chair extends it on the advice of the conciliation officer.
Should the attempt at conciliation fail, the matter automatically removes arbitration. The arbitration decision on the budget would be based on whether another service provider, such as the OPP or the RCMP or another municipal police service could provide the same services and meet the applicable standards for adequate and effective policing at a lower cost.
If the answer to that is no, the arbitration process would find in favor of the Police Board’s original funding request.
That is a brief outline of Council’s options and how it would work.
Five of the seven members of Burlington City Council were in the room. Councillor Stolte took part virtually. Councillor Galbraith did not participate. These Councillors knew it would be at least 15 days before there was a decision from the Region and yet they are going to meet on Monday as a Special Council meeting called by the Mayor to endorse the budget as it stands.
There is word that the Mayor may not get the endorsement she wants.
If you read the convoluted process involved in getting a Police Services budget approved – this could be stretched out for month – but in the end the police will get what they want.
The way these things play out is: the police push for as much as they can – when they realize they are approaching a limit that the councillors just can’t go beyond, compromises are made and the budget gets passed with an understanding that the items wanted will get included the next time around.
On a slightly different level, the Ontario Police offer policing services on a contract basis to communities that are too small to operate a police service.
The 2025 Police budget is 13% higher than the 2024 budget – which is what has everyone gulping.
It is even tougher for the smaller levels of municipal government where the policing is provided by the OPP on a contract basis.
The OPP has advised their clients that price hikes at the 30% increase level with one tiny community being told that their costs will increase 100%.
 There is a different level of policing taking place across the country; the work is far more dangerous and the costs increase at double-digit levels – annually. There is a change taking place in the level of policing service that is now being provided. Police are facing a different policing challenge.
Many people were stunned when they learned that a police sniper was on duty at the Burlington Remembrance Day ceremony beside city hall.
By Sophie Watson
November 23, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Discover top iGaming conferences near Burlington in 2025, offering career growth, networking, and insights into the latest trends in the industry.
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 These conferences are well attended. Toronto’s iGaming conferences are excellent platforms for networking and bringing together industry leaders, technology innovators, and regulatory experts. These events provide attendees with a chance to expand their networks, learn from peers, and engage with potential collaborators or employers. The dynamic environment fosters valuable connections that can lead to new partnerships, business opportunities, and career advancement. Whether attending the Canadian Gaming Summit or Web Summit Vancouver, Burlington residents will find ample opportunities to engage with influential figures and stay updated on the latest trends in the iGaming world.
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 Representatives from several sectors, including the provinces, take part in these meetings. Attending Toronto’s gaming events is an excellent opportunity for career growth and staying abreast of industry trends. These conferences are essential for anyone wanting to learn about the latest innovations in iGaming, such as the rise of platforms like BetMGM Canada Online Casino. Beyond gaining industry insights, these events provide the opportunity to connect with key figures in the iGaming, technology, and regulatory spaces.
By attending these events in 2025, Burlington residents can broaden their understanding of the sector, develop valuable connections, and gain the knowledge necessary to succeed in the rapidly evolving iGaming industry. Whether attendees are looking to expand business networks or explore new career opportunities, Toronto’s gaming events offer an unmatched platform to advance professionally.
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