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August 6th, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
There has been a sudden jump in the number of new Covid19 infections.  The impact the variances have had is very evident. They are what will create a 4th wave. Not a severe jump – but a jump nevertheless.  People who are very vulnerable have been hardest hit – that happens when the virus gets out into the public realm. This is our fight to lose. A look at the chart shows the impacts the variants are having – and new variants are being found. Being sensibly reasonable and asking those you come into contact with if they have been vaccinated – and if they haven’t, remove them from your circle. They might object but the health of everyone depends on everyone doing what we know works.
August 6th, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
Chad MacDonald has a big pair of shoes to fill. He was appointed today as the City’s new Chief Information Officer (CIO) starting on Tuesday, September 7, replacing Christine Swenor, who retired in June. Swenor grew the information technology side of city operations that change massively the way staff have access to huge amounts of data that can be brought to their desk tops. MacDonald has over 25 years of private and public-sector experience in information technology, telecommunications, and innovation. He was the acting Chief Information Officer with the City of Halifax and was responsible for enterprise-wide IT strategy, operations, and investments. During this period, he oversaw the implementation of many organizational improvements and enhancements including Enterprise Resource Planning and Identity Management systems and the implementation of customer centric design and user experience practices, data governance and an organizational maturity model. Chad also spent 15 years working for the Province of Nova Scotia. During this time, as a director, he was responsible for the delivery of projects in the areas of Business Registry, Registry of Motor Vehicles, Vital Statistics and Permits and Licensing. Other responsibilities included leading the Portfolio and Project Management Office which was accountable for all IT delivery and management of cloud services. For the past 3 years, he has served as Director of Strategic Planning and Delivery and Chad is a graduate of the Master of Business Administration from Athabasca University and is a certified Project Management Professional. Chad MacDonald is the second recruit Burlington has poached from Halifax. Kevin Arjoon, the City Clerk also came out of Halifax. Amongst the people MacDonald communicates with at the social media level are the Mayor of Burlington – this appointment was critical for the Mayor.
January 24th, 2015  Lee J Smith, former Burlington Chief of Police BURLINGTON, ON
Lee J Smith was a “Man’s Man”, because of his father  Lee Smith’s father was Erdmann Karl Schmidt who was born in Prussia in 1852. In 1858 the family emigrated from Prussia for a new life in Canada. Lein was the son of Erdmann Karl Schmidt who was born in Prussia in 1852, and in 1858 Erdmann Schmidt and his family emigrated Prussia destined for a new life in Canada. The Schmidt family started life farming in the London, Ontario area. Lein’s mother was Elizabeth Talbot. Elizabeth was born in Upper Canada in 1846. Erdmann and Elizabeth married in London, Ontario on July 20, 1880. The marriage produced 4 daughters, Helen, Annie, Katharine, Florence and 2 sons, Adolphus and Lein. All were born between 1881 and 1892.  Erdmann Schmidt, his second wife Elizabeth Smither and children pose all dressed up in their Sunday best outfits. Elizabeth was a very special mother. For an unknown reason she had no arms from just above her elbows. Their sons Adolphus is on the left, and Lee is on the right, both standing in the back, while the twins Annie and Katharine sit on either side of Florence. Baby Stephen was born in 1895. This was the couple’s first child. In 1894 their mother Elizabeth died on January 7th from pneumonia. Erdmann who quickly needed a step mother for his young children remarried a few months later on July 11th 1894 to Elizabeth Smither, a young lady at 26, already a widow, who was born in England. The new couple then started another family, with 3 daughters, Jessie, Nellie, Ethel, and 4 sons, Stephen, William, George & Edmund all born between 1895 and 1909.  Erdmann Schmidt, Lee’s father, married a second time, and 6 of their children are in this 1903 photograph: (L-R), William & Stephen are in the back, baby George is on the lap of Florence, the youngest daughter from Erdmann’s first marriage, Mary is in the striped dress, and (L-R), are Nellie and Jessie in front. The other children had not yet been born. What’s really amazing about this new wife for Erdmann, was she had no arms from just above her elbows and all the way down to where her hands would have been. Yet, this remarkable woman functioned well enough to mother all those children. Just incredible. Erdmann Schmidt was a devoted family man, religious, and a hard working farmer, who was responsibly raising his 13 children. Erdmann was strict, ruled with an iron fist, but was fair and just, which helped shape the straight forward, no nonsense, tough as nails, authoritative characteristics exuded by Lee J Smith his entire life. To better assimilate into the community, Erdmann eventually changed the family surname Schmidt to Smith, and he also changed his own given name to Edmund. The children with the exception of the two boys Adolphus and Lein were given more English sounding names at birth. Two records that are not likely to ever be broken. The Mayors Maxwell Smith 1915-1916, Fred Ghent 1917, Charles Coleman 1918, Dr. Thomas Peart 1919, Maxwell Smith 1919, Hughes Cleaver 1920, John J. Hobson 1921-1922, Elgin Harris 1923-1924, James Allen 1925 – 1928, E. Holtby 1929 – 1930, Lloyd Dingle 1931 – 1932, J. W. Ryckman 1933, F. W. Watson 1934-1935, George Harris 1936-1939, J.G. Blair 1940-1943, E. R. Leather 1946-1947, N.R. Craig 1948-1950, & E.W. Smith 1951-1956 all had the pleasure to work with Lee Joseph Smith, their outstanding Burlington Police Chief. An unfortunate reality  The Lee J. smith headstone in Burlington’s historic Greenwood Cemetery where he rests beside his wife Alma Edith McKenzie. Farewell Chief My opinion  The proposed new Halton Regional Police Services headquarters on Bronte Road, should be named The Lee J Smith Building, Canada’s greatest Police Chief of the 20th century. My recommendation to recognize The Chief
August 5th, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON  Robin Bailey of the Burlington Food Bank and Jean Longfield with Rick Dale explain the importance of the Saturday event.
It happens on Saturday. Between 11 am and 4 pm In the parking lot at the Burlington Centre, formerly the Burlington Mall. The Kids Feeding Kids program that is part of the Gift of Giving Back that has been so successful in the past. The Drive By will be set up in the part of the Centre parking lot at the Fairview and Guelph Line corner – right underneath the sign The pandemic called for a pivot which resulted in the Food Drive By on Saturday. There are a lot of people who rely on food from those organizations that help those who need support. A short video on just how important this event is for the welfare of the city and those who need support. Look for the kids wearing their hockey sweaters in place to pick up whatever you bring.
August 5th,2021 BURLINGTON, ON
Friday night DOWNTOWN.  There are places downtown that are just what we need at this point in our getting back to normal. The Chocolate Jam 7pm – 10pm The Block Co. | 395 John St. The Dicken’s | 423 Elizabeth St.
April 5th, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
Story walks have been set up in several Burlington parks over the last few months with the expectation of giving children an enthusiasm for reading as well as allowing them to enjoy the outdoors.  Different stories in different parks; a program that will be continued into the fall. The Story Walk was created by the Burlington Public library along with friends of the institution and the City Parks Recreation and Culture department, to create a new learning experience that allows learning to become more interactive and hands-on giving kids a more creative way to learn while also encouraging physical activity as well as literacy while children can enjoy being outside. A Story Walk creates this fun by having a children’s story divided into a number of pieces and post each piece of the story down a walk way so that children can enjoy the outdoors while also searching for the next piece of writing in their story. When children have a story in pieces, it encourages them to find the other pieces of the story which promotes literacy in the children while also giving them entertainment in searching out the story as a scavenger hunt while also letting children get out in nature and get exercise. Story Walks are expected to become an effective teaching tool as it helps children in so many areas of their lives. One does not require a reservation – they can be visited any time of day. The Walks are expected to develop children’s interests in reading stories and give them an initiative for the outdoors with it being an activity to be done with a teacher in a class or with parents on a walk.  This is the story of a giraffe and a bird that comes to life  Walks from one story sign to another are like turning pages in a book. Not quite a chapter book yet. The Burlington public library will continue to put up more Story Walks in parks including: • Centennial Bikeway, Longmoor Drive (Nelson Park area) Story walk locations coming soon include Lowville Park and Norton community park near the duck pond. The stories in these parks will include:
The stories are intended for children starting at age 3 – there is something in the story and the pictures for every elementary school student.
January 18, 2015 BURLINGTON, ON Burlington is using the month of August to celebrate local history. Sometime ago the Gazette published a series of articles by Mark Gillies, a lifelong Burlingtonian. It is appropriate to re-publish the stories about the people who built this city. A Burlington History Maker, Like No Other  Chief Lee Joseph Smith, (1885 – 1973). Was this man Canada’s greatest Police Chief ever? Most residents will not know his name, or at best, barely remember who Lee Smith was, but by the time you finish reading this four part feature, you will better understand this man’s contributions to the safety and protection of our local society. This is for you Lee. This is your story. Farm Boy joins The Northwest Mounted Police  Here is a typical Northwest Mounted Police officer in full dress uniform around 1911. Lee would have worn a “Mountie” uniform exactly like this one, and then climb onto his horse and head out on patrol. His decision was to serve the public in law enforcement. Lee joined the Northwest Mounted Police, where they promptly sent him out west, where Lee patrolled on horseback throughout the wild desolate prairie lands of Alberta, only 1 year into becoming a province. Later, Lee transferred to the Brandon, Manitoba detachment as a result of his outstanding service, having been promoted to detective. When Police Commissioner Aylesworth Bowen Perry introduced annual training classes, Lee was selected as one of his first instructors. No doubt about it, Lee Smith was a good as it gets; a rising star who undoubtedly was destined to one day become a future Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Officer Smith while out west had some skirmishes and even took a few bullets, fired upon by local rowdies, but the young man survived, and continued to serve faithfully, and grow as a highly respected police officer. Boy meets Girl Lee, after serving with the Mounties for eight rugged years, felt it best if he resigned, and return to his home area of Hamilton with his bride Alma, after receiving the tragic news his younger sister Annie Katherine, at the age of 26, had died on May 17, 1914, from tuberculosis. Annie had painfully suffered for several years with the dreaded disease. The family was grief stricken. Lee, a compassionate man, felt he had completely let his family down with his long absence from home, and racked with guilt, now wanted to be closer to his family, especially at this very difficult and sad time. Home for good, Lee needed to find work as soon as possible. Then he heard about a possible opening as a constable in Burlington. Lee Smith finds employment in Burlington as a Night Constable Lee Smith’s interview was impressive, and Lee was selected to be their new man of law and order. Lee continued to be exceptional at police work putting his Northwest Mounted Police training to good use. Sometime in 1916 Burlington’s first Chief Constable, Charles Tufgar, 36, who lived on Ontario Street, unexpectedly resigned. Lee Smith, without any hesitation by Town Council was promoted to Burlington’s Chief Constable. Town Council wanted to make sure their “all-star officer” didn’t one day suddenly resign, with ambitions to move up the ladder with another police department. As it was, Lee was not about to leave. The Chief strongly believed in loyalty to the Mayor, the Town Council, and the residents of Burlington he served. The truth was Lee and Alma loved Burlington. The new Chief delivers his first report to Town Council The Chief reported that in 1916 there were 475 cases that went to Court. During that same year, the Chief had found 43 doors were unlocked, and advised those residents to have them secured. The Chief reported that Burlington had 5 fires, and 24 accidents were attended. There were two cases of aggravated assault, 76 overnight lodgers, three house break ins, two charges of abusive language, 14 thefts, four common assaults, 12 disorderly conducts, 11 vagrancy charges, 1 trespassing charge, two stolen horses, 49 warnings issued for small offences, 161 local complaints received and investigated, three charges of residents not having a proper license, five charges of riding a bicycle on the sidewalk, three charges of property damage, 3 cruelty to animal charges, one charge for not having sleigh bells, 286 aliens were registered, seven charges laid for being an alien enemy, 14 charges for drunkenness and breach of the OTA, and seven charges laid for breach of the Motor Vehicle Act. There were 11 arrests outside of points. The Chief also reported that 29 children had not attended school and the parents had been contacted. A total of $1206.20 in fines was collected. Visitations to the two pool rooms and the moving picture theatre were deemed satisfactory and managed properly. The Chief was referring to Burlington’s new Crystal Theatre located on Brant Street, opposite Ontario Street. The following year in June 1918, the Crystal Theatre featured the two classic blockbuster silent films, “Birth of a Nation” and “Intolerance”, complete with an in-house orchestra. The Chief concluded by saying, “I highly appreciate the valuable assistance given me by Mayor and Council, also that of the Special Constables and other Town officials during the year.” No doubt about it, the Chief had a very busy year in 1916. The Chief expands his Police Department & hires more officers One day, the Town Council under the leadership of Mayor Maxwell Smith, himself a man of great vision, innovation and entrepreneurship, decided that Lee could use some help as the town tried to modernize, so later that year in 1916 Town Council presented Lee with a telephone for his office, something long overdue, since telephones had been in use since their invention around 1877, almost 40 years earlier. That wasn’t all that changed for the better. The following year in 1917, affable Bert Dunham was hired as a special constable, and it was decided Bert was to work every other Sunday for $2.00 a day. Bert and his wife Ida who had seven young children were living in a very small house at the corner of Pine and Elizabeth Street; and for the Dunham family, this new source of money was greatly welcomed. Lee knew that Bert needed the extra money and this was his way of helping out when he hired Bert for the job. One thing about Lee J Smith, he really knew people. Bert was grateful for the work, and he wasn’t going to let the compassionate Chief down. Now, Lee was no longer on call seven days a week, but still came pretty close to around the clock duty. Lee not only worked days, but he also worked nights, and it was decided another constable was needed for the still vacant night shift. Allan Mitchell, a Scottish born family man who was about 50 years old, also could use another job, after hitting some tough times, and like Bert, Allan could use the extra money to augment his irregular income. The Chief puzzled over how Allan would labour during the day with his various odd jobs, and then still work all night. Regardless of how Allan was going to make it work, he was hired as a night constable by Chief Smith, and this brought about some more badly needed relief for this completely overworked Police Chief.  Here is a very dapper Adolphus Smith sporting a fashionable bowler hat, with his wife Susan and daughter Annie around 1918 at their home 2091 Maria Street, near the corner of Martha Street. Doll, as he was known, was the older brother of Chief Smith, and Burlington’s first motorcycle officer. A Police motorcycle, automobile accidents & possible nepotism  This accident occurred on the Lakeshore when the driver was heading towards Bronte. The impact was severe enough to snap the power line pole. When the war ended, Doll who was married, with a young daughter to raise, was soon to face unemployment and began looking for work. As it turned out, Chief Smith, a man with uncanny vision, had been thinking of a way to patrol the Lakeshore Road area. This road was becoming busier all the time, now that automobiles were becoming more prevalent, and wouldn’t you just know it, automobile accidents were starting to happen, a new phenomenon for the department. The population had increased to close to 2700 people. The population was getting close to a 50% increase over wartime numbers in town. Chief Smith, with virtually no real budget to work with managed to locate a free motorcycle for his department. The Chief discovered that British World War 1 surplus motorcycles under the Imperial Gift plan, a program set up for all Members of the British Commonwealth to receive some of Britain’s military surplus, on a ruling established by the British Parliament on June 4, 1919 was put into effect. Chief Smith was elated and quickly sent in his application for one slightly used battle scarred motorcycle. When the machine arrived later that year, Constable Smith was assigned as Burlington’s first motorcycle officer.  Chief Smith secured a war surplus motorcycle similar to this 1918 Matchless, and assigned his brother to patrol the busy Lakeshore Road, the main thoroughfare for automobiles, trucks, carriages, wagons, bicyclists and pedestrians between Toronto and Hamilton from 1919 to 1930. Doll patrolled the Lakeshore Road all the way to Toronto and back. Either Doll was hooked on riding a motorcycle, or he thought Burlington was far bigger than it actually was; whatever the reason, this is what Doll did for a few years. Doll left the department in the late 1920s to ride for the Ontario Highway Patrol, and in 1930 he moved over to the Ontario Provincial Police, when they hired 70 constables to begin their own motorcycle division. Doll was one of the OPP’s first motorcycle officers hired, and remained an OPP motorcycle officer patrolling Highways 8 and 20, right through to the Niagara area, until his retirement in 1950. What about the nepotism? It wasn’t to be a problem. Not many people in that day could even drive an automobile, and far less could operate a motorcycle. Adolphus Smith already new how to ride, or so he claimed. Doll just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Adolphus Smith passed away in 1975 at 92 years of age. The Ontario Temperance Act The story of Burlington’s most famous Chief of Police was told in for parts. The Gazette is re-publishing parts 1 and 4. Links to parts 2 and 3 are linked below. Part 3
August 4th, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
The public art program is continuing its annual Local Artist Program this year and has commissioned local artists who have created a variety of small to medium scale artworks throughout the community.  Hannah Brown, Have a Nice Day – Location: Walkers Line & Country Club Drive. “I decided to make my theme for this “Have a Nice Day” because years ago I would pass a bridge every day on my way to work, with some very amateur spray painted on it that said “Have a nice day”, and honestly, it made me happy to pass that every day. Living in a world with a lot of hate, fear, negativity and stress, it’s nice to find positivity in unexpected places. I want people to feel happy when they pass this, whether it’s just once, or every day during their daily routines.” The City has just installed the designs of 12 local artists on traffic control signal boxes throughout the city. Artists were encouraged to submit artwork that focused on inspiring and uplifting the community during these challenging times. This artwork forms an urban art gallery that can be experienced by residents while still practicing appropriate social distancing. Artwork Locations Intersection of traffic control box Artist Appleby Line & Longmoor/Pinedale Teresa Seaton Brant Street & Baldwin/Victoria Ryan Snook Brant Street & Ghent Avenue Clover / Akuoko-Dabankah Drury Lane at YMCA – IPS / Heather Kuzyk Guelph Line & Prospect Street / Nicole Clouston & Quintin Teszeri Maple Avenue & Mapleview Centre / Holly Allerellie Lakeshore Road & Pearl Street / Jason Diesbourg Lakeshore Road at Lakeshore Public School / Hannah Doherty Pinedale Avenue & Bridle Wood / Janet Horne Cozens Upper Middle Road & Duncaster Drive/Cavendish Drive / Tamara Kwapich Upper Middle Road at M.M.Robinson High School / Cody Boucher Walkers Line & Country Club Drive / Hannah Brown  Cody Boucher – Location: Upper Middle Road at M.M.Robinson High School. ” My design is a collection of small fragments of my recent works, scattered together to form a single new piece. Over time I developed a prominent style I use in my hand drawn art which allows me to piece different drawings together in a “collage” style. Many of these drawings were completed during the COVID-19 pandemic as I have found myself with more downtime than usual. This has been the strange new reality we all share.”  Heather Kuzyk, Urban Life – Location: Drury Lane at YMCA – IPS “The concept of “Urban life” is a whimsical, anthropomorphic view of Burlington through the lens of indigenous fauna. Using bright, saturated pops of colour, and bold black and white subject matter, the concept is to convey four seasons in one day in a playful nod to Burlington’s diverse citizens as represented by the local wildlife population. Urban Life hopes to capture the lighter side of life in our fair city in a way that is relatable to both young and the young at heart with a gentle reminder that we are stewards of this beautiful land we call home.”  Ryan Snook – Location: Brant Street & Baldwin/Victoria. “The concept behind my work is to illustrate a vibrant, cartoon world showcasing some of best things our city has to offer. Great food, sports, The Sound of Music festival, our great libraries, and the RBG. All together on a landscape similar to our wonderful paths. The design responds to the diverse activities and people that enjoy our city and reflects them back using a cartoon world that brings out a playful nature.” CLICK HERE to see all the installations.
August 4th, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
Food Bank Executive Director Robin Bailey put the situation in plain black and while.  An incredible record of performance The damage the pandemic has done to the annual Gift of Giving Back food raising event is going to have a negative impact on what the food banks are able to do. In the past, Jean Longfield and her team have done a superb job of rousing the team spirits of young people involved in sports and using that energy to produce tonnes of food that kept the food banks running quite well. When Longfield came up with the idea in 2007 it just grew and grew – to the point where she was able to pass the idea along to other communities.  Jean Longfield talking to a television reporter about the success of the Gift of Giving Back program. John Tate is in the background. This year, there will be a food drive – it won’t use the traditional Gift of Giving Back – instead they will work under the banner of xxx and work with Burlington Centre to create a location people can take food to and have it picked up from the cars parked in the lot. It won’t be the same – the buzz that always existed around the Giving Back event was exciting; seeing student after student come into the high school gymnasium with cartons of food that other people would need was a sterling example of our young people learning to care for others. For Jean Longfield this must be an anxious period of time. She put everything into making the program better year after year. To be stopped in your tracks by a pandemic is understandable – but that doesn’t lessen the disappointment.
August 4th, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
The Ontario Land Tribunal held a Case Management Conference this morning that lasted just a little over an hour. They didn’t get all that much done.
Representatives from the city and the Region were supposed to provide a consolidated list of issues related to the appeals to the new official plan by July 23rd, they failed to provide this.
The list of consolidated issues is now expected to be ready by the 8th of September and will be discussed at the next Case Management Conference in October;, a time-frame the Commissioner hearing the appeals said seemed relatively expeditious- not everyone saw it that way. Denise Baker, representing the former Hamilton Halton Home Builders Association suggested the city was “punting” this matter down the road. The city’s legal counsel said they would work toward lifting the Interim Control Bylaw on areas unaffected by the new zoning by-laws, they expected this to content parties – this also proved unsatisfactory. Representatives challenged the promise to lift the freeze as vague, ambiguous, and without a time frame. More later today on this breaking story.
August 4th, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
When there is construction work being done within hearing distance from where you sleep – you end up being a very unhappy camper. Some time ago the city created a policy – Construction and Mobility Management Policy, to address the issue.  In the past the city has held public meetings and asked the developer of a site to explain to the audience how they will manage the CMMP. Those stand are from the ADI Development Group. The contractors had to submit a plan on how they were going to handle the movement of equipment and construction materials to the site and how they would manage the movement of pedestrian and vehicular traffic around the site. For the people on Martha Street near Lakeshore a Construction and Mobility Management plan hasn’t made much difference – what has lessened the quality of their lives is the provincial policy that lets workers start at 7 am. Nothing the city can do about provincial policies – except to maybe write a tart letter. The city now wants feedback to help refine the policy to address construction impacts on sidewalks, cycling facilities, parking and streets.  This aerial view of the Nautique construction site sets out the problem; the traffic limitations on a very bust road, the sound and construction dust problems. The Construction and Mobility Management Policy, (CMMP) first approved by Council in the fall of 2019 provides guidelines to: • Minimize impacts to sidewalks, cycling lanes, parking and streets during construction of new developments; • Provide consistency in the City’s review and approval of proposed developments;  The Nautique: it was controversial when it was an idea. Some things never change. • Successfully manage multiple developments, potentially in close proximity, while maintaining an active city for residents and businesses; and • Coordinate private development with planned construction by the City, Halton Region and Utility companies on public roads. In June 2020, staff proposed an amendment to the original Construction and Mobility Management Policy to establish additional guidelines for the approval and management of low-density residential construction activities, to minimize impacts to public health and safety, amenities, traffic and the environment in the area. Council approved this amendment on June 22, 2020. Staff is now looking for feedback from residents about how construction has impacted them both before and after the City implemented the CMMP. How to Participate 1. Visit GetInvolvedBurlington.ca/CMMP to learn more about the policy 2. Take the survey An online survey will be available until Aug. 27, 2021 at GetInvolvedBurlington.ca/CMMP for residents to share input about how the policy has affected construction around Burlington to date and what the future of the policy might look like. You might want to use the Gazette search engine to pull up past stories on construction site problems.
August 4th, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
Due to an unplanned maintenance issue, Angela Coughlan Pool is closed until further notice. Lesson Participants will be notified regarding class location changes. For alternate Rec and Lap swimming opportunities, please visit burlington.ca/swimming. Was that unplanned maintenance issue someone leaving something in the water they should not have left there?
August 3rd, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
Five Most Romantic Surprise Proposal Ideas for you When a proposal is perfectly planned, you would hear a definite and loud yes from your ladylove. If you were short of ideas, find below five romantic ideas to propose to your woman.  Choosing a romantic location and asking for her hand in a public place is very very romantic. Take your woman to a romantic destination You have been dating for some time now and are madly in love. When you decide the time is right to pop up the question, consider proposing to her most romantically. Is she a travel person? Consider taking her to a romantic destination and keep it a surprise. Make the day extremely special and buy jewelry in Burlington. Ensure that you devote the moment to her alone. Plan a trip to a romantic destination with her and discuss deeper matters with her. When you feel the moment is right, ask her the question.  The ring in a cake – never fails to surprise. And if you made that cake yourself – watch the delight. Hiding the proposal ring in her cake Proposing in public  You will never go wrong if you choose a quiet romantic location to ask her to marry you. Just be sure to make it a total surprise. The old school proposal never fails Proposing with fireworks Proposing has been an important aspect of a marriage and has been around for a significant length of time. Rest assured it holds immense value to date. It should be the most romantic thing and should be planned perfectly.
August 3rd, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
 The 10th anniversary was a banner year – then the pandemic took over and determined what we could do and what we couldn’t do. There is still a way to make it happen. This Saturday the Gift of Giving Back will host Help Feed Our Kids: Drive-Thru Food Drive at the Burlington Center parking lot (777 Guelph Line, Guelph, and Fairview entrance) from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Contributions will stock the shelves of the Burlington Food Bank and ensure the community’s most vulnerable are fed. Robin Bailey, Executive Director with the Burlington Food Bank, acknowledged the GGB as their largest food drive and cited difficulties posed by missing events during the pandemic, despite tremendous community support. “With no school food drives, no churches, and no Gift of Giving Back (in its traditional form) it’s been a really tough summer for us,” said Bailey. “We’re hopeful that [Saturday’s event] is going to get our stocks back up.”  They brought food in by the carton. It was a superb program that got way-laid a bit by a pandemic. The Burlington Food Bank reports that 48% of their 2020 clients were first-time food bank users in their annual report, and the food bank serviced 39% more people than they had in 2019. Even prior to COVID-19 food bank reliance was trending up, Bailey says these trends will continue as long as the cost of living and minimum wage fail to keep up with inflation, to that end he wants to remove the stigma from food bank use. “We think it’s important for our branding and marketing to let people know that we’re here for them if they do need our assistance. There’s a bit of a stigma and we’re hoping that that stigma is getting sort of worn down that people go, ‘you know what, it’s a community support that the community is behind and wants to help us, not go hungry and be able to help pay other fees, whether it be rent or their electricity or whatever it might be,’” Bailey said. The GGB has raised 4.6 million pounds of food since its inception, which they calculate is a community benefit exceeding $1.8 million. The GGB, founded in 2005 by Jean Longfield, has become such an integral part of the community that the City of Burlington raises its flag at city hall to usher in the period of giving and community work. The annual GGB food drive is touted as the largest of its kind in Canada. From its inaugural 2007 event up until 2019 GGB would pack gymnasiums full of food bins with the help of community sports teams and students. COVID-19 put a halt to their traditional food collection method in 2020, but that didn’t stop the GGB. The GGB operated out of the Burlington Center in 2020 collecting food for those quarantined. Previously their list of contributions included those to the Compassion Society, Food4Life, the Carpenter Hospice, Salvation Army, the Women’s shelter, and the Burlington Food Bank.  The Gift of Giving Back has always been a team effort. These girls are smiling when they see the chart showing the amount of food the brought in posted. Despite their perseverance in 2020, the GGB’s donations (measured in pounds) were down 77.9 percent from the previous year’s haul and 84.3 percent from their all-time high in 2018: (a national record for food donations at the time, a feat acknowledged by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Social distancing and safety protocols will be enforced at the drive-thru. The GGB requests contributors stay in their vehicle while volunteers unload donations for a safe contact-less drop-off. The volunteers will be wearing personal protective equipment. They encourage young donors to wear their sports jerseys and spirit wear, decorate their cars, and make signs. Such community spirit will bring a sense of normalcy to the proceedings that in previous years would yield enough food to fill 3 high school gymnasiums. Young athletes would work with their teams in a good-natured competition to cart in a haul of goods so vast transport trucks were required to shift them to distribution centers. For obvious reasons that isn’t happening this year, however, young people still played a vital role at the Burlington Food Bank, Bailey explained. “It was students that really propelled us through the first parts of COVID. They were the ones that were deemed to be a little bit safer to contribute,” Bailey said, “without them, we wouldn’t have had the ability to stabilize and serve the community as well as we have throughout 18 months of the pandemic.” The 2021 event will be less showy than some of GGB’s memorable offerings but Bailey, Longfield, Tate and their respective teams are still there and still working, and the donations are needed, particularly in uncertain times.
August 3rd, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
Speculation, due to the rise in covid cases, that the Chili Half marathon might have some problems with scheduling, Kelly Arnott, the race organizer, announced that they expect to proceed as planned and that as of now the Chili Half Marathon is on for March 6th, 2022. The Chili Marathon’s organizer Kelly Arnott has taken all precautions to ensure the safety of all those competing in the marathon. “We follow the rules and regulations that Athletics Ontario has set out for safe road races,” said Arnott.  Krista Duchene and Kelly Arnott As a part of her safety policies, every runner competing in the race will need to be fully vaccinated in order to assure public safety, other policies include no big line ups at the start of the race (having runners show up at the time they are seated), having one racer start every 10 seconds and participants needing to bring their own water as there will be no water stations. Runners must wear a mask at the start of the race and are allowed to take it off while running, putting it back on as they approach the finish line. Arnott has said if the marathon approaches during a Covid spike, the marathon will be done virtually or even cancelled. Virtual marathons allow anybody to compete in the marathon by having everyone run from where they choose such as in their neighborhood or even on a treadmill and record what their distance was, how long they ran for and what pace they ran at. Arnott also has the experience of knowing how to run a marathon in a pandemic as she organized one of her marathons in the middle of the SARS outbreak. Winners of the marathon usually win cash prizes (up to $500) as well as free future entries and free hotel rooms.  Krista Duchene – ran in Burlington and grew to become an Olympian qualifier. Prominent Canadian Olympians have competed in and won in the Chili Marathon including Krista Duchene and Reid Coolsaet. Duchene competed in the Chili Marathon as her first run after breaking her femur in the Banque Scotia 21k De Montreal Marathon which required rehabilitation after her injury. Duchene winning the Chili Marathon had qualified her to run in the Dusseldorf Marathon which qualified her for the Olympics. Arnott will also be hosting a garage/bake sale as a fundraiser for the Holy Cross church at 3455 Lakeshore Road, west of Walkers Line on Saturday August 7th from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. The Chili Half Marathon has raised $200,000 for Joseph Brant hospital and continues to raise money today, people are encouraged to donate on the Chili Marathon home page Arnott was approached some time ago by the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation to host the first “CIBC run for the cure” marathon in 1992 and continued to host the event for the next five years during which they raised more than $1 million. The Chili Marathon has been happening for over 20 years with the first being hosted in 1999 (back then called the Millennium Marathon). Arnott started her long marathon organizing career when she opened her first store in Village Square called the Village Runner after working in her dad’s shoe business. The Village Runner was a high end fashion shoe store before financial circumstances compelled her into selling running shoes, which then evolved to running programs.  If there is a good reason for a race – Kelly Arnott will do everything she can to organize one. The Canada Day event in 2016 was an example. It was there she decided to put on races and programs to teach people how to run for marathons. Arnott has remained active in her community for over 25 years; she ran for a City Council seat in 2014 coming in second of 4 candidates. That election was “an eye opener … its not really a 60% effort it, it’s either 100% or nothing,” said Arnott
August 3rd, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
The best ways to choose roofing contractors would be to talk to them on the phone or schedule a meeting in person and ask several questions. To locate the best roofing contractor, consider conducting an online search, asking for referrals from your family and friends. Use any sources to get the information you need – google maps, directories, friends reviews. It would be worth your time and effort to check the website of potential roofing contractors near you.  Do your research – ask questions. Start researching about the best roofing contractors near you. It could be time-consuming, but worth every minute spent. If you were skeptical about finding a suitable roofing contractor near you, consider these ten pieces of advice to help you find the one meeting your needs. Roofing directory websites have been made available to help you find a roofing contractor in your region.
Hire a licensed roofing contractor Ensure their business is permanent Find a roofing contractor with insurance coverage  No safety plan – take a pass.  This is a roofer with a safety plan that they ensure is followed.
Contractors should have a safety plan How long does the warranty of the contractor work Contractor to discuss the home improvement project  Ensure that your contractor talks to you and shows you the plans. How long the contractor has been in business Ask for pictures of contractors work How good is he with complaints Choose the best from at least three contractors Be thorough in your search and do not be complacent with your roofing contractor hiring needs.
August 3rd, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
Steps to Follow to Play Canadian Cookie Casino Like you play other casinos out there, the Canadian Cookie casino is not different. However, the platform offers a wide variety in most of its features. Comfort and convenience are also integral to your experience with Cookie.
• Visit the home page of Cookie’s official website from your mobile or web browser. • Click on the signup button. • Fill in your credentials as required. Make sure you use the correct information, including your name, phone number, and email. • Wait for a few minutes for account verification. • Once verified, you can log in with your username/email and password. • Make your first deposit using any of the deposit methods. • Choose your preferred game(s) and stake on it. You can cash out your winnings at any time, depending on your deposit transaction method. For an easy and quick cashout, make sure you use the same deposit option.  The Cookie Casino operates under the authority of the Malta Gaming Authority. Why Choose a Canadian Cookie Casino? It boasts a wide range of features that include multiple payment and withdrawal options, a massive game catalogue, attractive bonuses and promotions, interactive web and mobile design, and secure and safe staking. It also comes with a high rating in terms of payout. When it comes to bonus offers, Cookie casino comes atop. The no deposit offer allows players to claim 20 free spins to use in the Gold Canyon. The welcome deposit offer is a massive CAD300 plus 200 free spins. Players can use the Cookie casino bonuses on several games, including table games, video slots, and video poker. The multiple payment options include Visa, Skrill, Paysafe Card, Mastercard. While the casino boasts one of the maximum withdrawal limits ($40,000), the processing period for most cashouts is 48 hours. To claim your winning, the playthrough is 40 times your deposit. In terms of deposit, the minimum you can fund you put into your Canadian Cookie casino account is C$20. All transactions are safe, fast, and secure.  The platform is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and Android mobile devices. You can also play the casino on the web via a Mac or Windows PC. With a user-friendly website, navigation around the Canadian Cookie casino is quite easy and convenient. Whether you log in to the casino via your mobile or web browser, be sure of convenience. The platform is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and Android mobile devices. You can also play the casino on the web via a Mac or Windows PC. What’s more, Canadian Cookie casino features a wide variety of great games powered by the top-rated software providers in the industry. Some of the games include Firestorm, Joker Strike, Jewel Blast, Story of Hercules, Legend of Cleopatra, Ark of Mystery, Big Bad Wolf, and more. Final Thoughts You can be sure of a vast range of casino games and software providers, secure and familiar banking methods, mobile-friendly interfaces, exciting promotions plus free spins. Customer support is also impressive, thanks to its live chat, phone and email options. The game filter allows players to choose what to stake in. Plus, internal searches and easy-to-navigate features come in handy for punters for a seamless experience. Overall, make sure you understand the wagering requirements before you play Canadian cookie casino.
August 3rd, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
Follow up on a tragic story. On July 25th police responded to a call from a household about a child drowning in a backyard pool. The child was rushed to hospital. We learned today that the child died. Halton police say an 18-month-old girl, who last week was pulled from a backyard swimming pool in Burlington, has died in hospital. The youngster was found in critical condition during an emergency call on July 25 tied to a reported drowning at a home on Kevin Crescent and Folkway Drive just before 2 p.m. “Tragically, the young girl was pronounced deceased on Saturday morning at the hospital,” Global News has been on top of this story. Const. Steve Elms told Global News through an e-mail. “The incident is now a coroner’s investigation.” Police did not reveal how long the girl was in the pool but said the child’s mother was home at the time of the incident at her residence.
August 3rd, 2021 BURLINGTON, ON
They are getting craftier. The scammers – those people who use the internet to get information you do not want them to have – then they try to steal your money or data that is sensitive Got this earlier today: Dear Customer,  Our data isn’t really in “a cloud”. The word became popular as a way to describe how many organizations are using locations where thousands of computer servers are used to store data where any number of people, with permissions, can access the data and add to it. Your Apple ID was used to sign in to iCloud via a web browser. If the information above looks familiar, you can disregard this email. If you have not signed in to iCloud recently and believe someone may have accessed your account, go to My Apple ID and change your password as soon as possible. The problem with this notice is that we don’t have a CLOUD account – we have plans to set things up so that people can access some of our data. These guys want to streak it before we are operating in the Cloud as a client. There is a point here – as you make more use of the tools available – be really careful how you set things up.
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By Staff
• The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do – by Ashley Spires,
Max Bowder is a second year journalism student at Sheridan College. He is part of a team with the Gazette on the Local Journalism Initiative funded by the federal government. Before enrolling at Sheridan Max volunteered in a community in Venezuela where he worked with young people. He is a Burlington resident who helps out on the family farm in Milton.
By Staff
By Pepper Parr
By Staff
The City and the Region were required to provide time frames and firm commitments so that the 40+ appeals of the city’s adopted but not in force Official Plan could proceed.
The city’s legal team expressed surprise at the 54 pages of issues received, adding it simply was not possible to meet the deadline.
By Staff
By Ryan O’Dowd: Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Ryan O’Dowd is a Sheridan College journalism student who is part of a federally funded Local Journalism Initiative that will have him reporting for the Gazette well into 2022. He is a Burlington native who plays the guitar.
By Max Bowder
Max Bowder is a second year journalism student at Sheridan College. He is part of a team with the Gazette on the Local Journalism Initiative funded by the federal government. Before enrolling at Sheridan Max volunteered in a community in Venezuela where he worked with young people. He is a Burlington resident who helps out on the family farm in Milton.
By Johnny Pitt
Follow these steps to get started with this Canadian casino:
By Staff
Pepper Parr