The things for which we are thankful.
This is a day to pause and think about what we are thankful for during these stressful times.
These trees caught our eye – we found it a good place to start thinking about all there is to be thankful for.
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By Michele Bogle West Plains Bistro is located in Aldershot. It has a warm comfy feel, almost cozy at the west end of Burlington: this little European-styled bistro is conveniently accessed off busy Plains Road. There was plenty of outdoor seating but a little noisy, so we chose to eat inside. Tripadvisor.ca rated it at #9 out of more than 300 Burlington restaurants.  West Plains Bistro – rated #9 in Burlington on Tripadviser What I observed upon entering: at the door was the restaurant’s ‘Food & Safety Inspection Sheet’ prominently placed for patrons to read before entering. When entering, we were greeted by mask-covered staff. There were only booths as a choice for seating. The additional tables were eliminated for appropriate spacing. Before being seated the server informed us that both doors at either end were open for improved air circulation. The tables were not pre-set. The restaurant looked clean. ‘Soup of the Day’ was red pepper with goat cheese and bacon. However this combination sounds, I can assure you that the flavours make you stop and redirect your conversation. This was a taste experience that made this cook want to attempt to recreate this soup at home. I’d return just for the soup.  Smoked Salmon Crepe Next, we chose the ‘Smoked Salmon Crepe’ as our entree. At first glance you might think that you’ve been transported into an expensive New York restaurant featured in a food magazine. The plating was beautiful and the quantity of food sitting on the plate, minimalistic. Inside this tidy package I found a fully-loaded crepe of smoked salmon, red onion and goat cheese. The dill sauce was a perfect complement to the dish.  Pumpkin Pecan Torte Appetite now completely satisfied, it was time for dessert. Dessert was a choice from eight delectable creations. A list of which can be found on their website https://westplainsbistro.square.site/gallery-3. It was very difficult to choose. We went with the Pumpkin Pecan Torte, which in my opinion was more of a tart, than torte, and the Peach and Apple Crumble. The crumble was mushy and there was little evidence of peach present in my dessert. I wouldn’t recommend this particular item on the menu. As a baker, my specific area of strength is in flavour profiles. After tasting the Pumpkin Pecan Torte, I would give the balance of spices within this torte, three thumbs up. The overall dining experience was good. At $20 per person during the Taste of Burlington Pre-Fixe Dining Event, I received more than my money’s worth of delicious food. Make sure to sign up for your Taste of Burlington Passport App found in the link below, if you haven’t already; to make ordering and your check-in process safer and easier. https://tasteofburlington.ca/prix-fixe-program/ As a reminder this event runs only from October 5-25. Reservation required at most locations. Don’t miss out on a great opportunity to try new restaurants and or to visit some of your favourites while supporting hospitality in Burlington, Ontario. West Plains Bistro Remember, every time you participate in this event using the Taste of Burlington Passport, you increase your chances of winning the weekly gift card giveaway, or the $500 gift card to a participating restaurant of choice.
October 10th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
As Council knows, public engagement is near and dear to my heart. I’ve spoken about community education, a wider approach to give citizens the opportunity to comment on policies and plans, and I’ve proposed various methods of having community voices heard – in particular – citizens’ assemblies. I respectfully ask that Councillors search out information on how Citizens’ Assemblies work and how they are successfully being used around the world. Fortunately, I have the time to attend Standing Committee and Council meetings being held during the day. Many in our community cannot afford to take time off to participate. I attended one of the Citizen Action Labs, have spoken to several ex-members of Citizen Advisory Committees, attended a few of those committee meetings as a silent observer, and read the various documents, staff reports, committee minutes and the recommendations from the Citizens Advisory Committee Review Team. As you know, I go in for the deep dive. As public engagement goes, I look at what the City has done with regard to the Adopted Official Plan and the ‘Take a Closer Look Downtown’ initiative as the gold standard. Dozens of opportunities, countless interactions, volumes of documents to pour over, many, many Get Involved messages, even walking tours and town halls. Compare that to the City’s outreach for the Advisory Committee Review. Three Action Labs, an online survey and a questionnaire at an outdoor market. All done over a year ago. Yes, there was a citizens Review Team that, I presume, worked diligently to interpret the responses heard. But there was no opportunity to respond to the document that they produced. Basically, a year has passed and silence. If nothing screams Public Engagement – in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS – it’s the Advisory Committee structure. Something that the public has been complaining about for over 20 years. Then, on Sept. 17th up pops a staff report with a phased in approach and a request from the Corporate Services CSSRAC committee to start recruiting Advisory Committee members. Which to my mind, means that we’ve gone back to the status quo while the Clerk’s office works out the details. So here’s my request. Hit the pause button for a few more months. We’ve all been distracted by COVID. Parents are struggling how to send their kids to school and keep their families safe. Operations at City Hall has morphed into a giant Zoom call. Council is about to be swallowed up with the City’s 2021 Budget. Business owners are fighting to keep their doors open. And more and more people have lost their jobs, and are lining up at Food Banks and COVID testing sites. Is this the time to start recruiting for Advisory Committees? We’ve gone seven months without them. What harm would another few months do? Hit the pause button and give this staff report, and some details, to those people who spent their time attending the Action Labs, who bothered to fill out the surveys, who sit or have sat on previous Advisory committees, the Engagement Charter and Shape Burlington. Give us a chance to review what’s being proposed. One last chance to make a suggestion or comment. A bit more time to decide whether or not we want to sign up for a committee, or decide to let others take over. That would be Public Engagement, the kind that we deserve here in Burlington.
October 10th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON What’s open; what’s not open – Thanksgiving Holiday. To report an animal control-related emergency, call 905-335-3030 or visit www.burlington.ca/animal. Burlington Transit Burlington Transit will operate a holiday schedule on Oct. 12. The downtown Transit Terminal, Specialized Dispatch and the administration office will also be closed on this day. Schedules and specialized booking are available at burlingtontransit.ca. For real-time schedule information visit Google/Apple Maps or triplinx.ca. City Hall Closed on Monday, Oct. 12. – Parking permits and tickets Service Burlington continues to offer marriage licenses and commissioning services by appointment. Please call Service Burlington at 905-335-7777 to schedule. Cash payments are currently not accepted. Many service payments are also available online at burlington.ca/onlineservices. Anyone entering City Hall must wear a mask or face covering unless exempted from by the Mandatory Mask Bylaw. Residents are asked to bring and wear their own masks. Building and Planning For more information about building permits and business licences, visit burlington.ca/building. For information about development applications, visit burlington.ca/developmentinfo Halton Court Services – Provincial Offences Office Closed on Monday, Oct. 12. Administration Counter Services, at 4085 Palladium Way, will re-open on Oct. 13 and are available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday to Friday. Telephone payments are available at 905-637-1274, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. Many online services are also available, please visit Halton Court or email burlingtoncourt@burlington.ca Free parking is available downtown, on the street, in municipal lots and in the parking garage on weekends and holidays. NOTE: The Waterfront parking lots (east and west) do not provide free parking on statutory holidays. Recreation Programs and Facilities Arenas will be closed on Oct. 12 and re-open on Oct. 13. Angela Coughlan Pool will be open on Oct. 12. Pre-registration is required. For scheduled programming, visit burlington.ca/fall Roads, Parks and Forestry Administrative office closed on Monday, Oct. 12. Essential and reduced parks maintenance services will be provided.
October 10th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON The Burlington Dads drove to the Food Bank earlier this week at the end of their Food Drive in Kilbride with 167 pounds of donated food.  Heritage Firetruck used as a back drop for food collected in the Kilbride community by the volunteer fire fighters. The Dads partnered up with the Kilbride Volunteer Firefighters Association to do a non-perishable food collection and stopped by numerous friendly local businesses that offered their offices as drop-off points along the way. One of the Dads (Jordan Bradburn) organized the event and drove an old 1937 Ford fire truck to lead the way, proudly flying the DADs flag. Each year at this time the Burlington Dads host their annual Ride to Provide spin marathon as their own fundraiser. In lieu of the pandemic it was cancelled, however last year’s host’s – Cedar Springs Health Racquet & Sports Club squash members helped out by collecting 40 donated turkeys from their members for us to distribute to families this weekend!  Three unnamed young men dropped off a bin of food they had collected. Being Squash Members, a few of them included squash as well. One last thing –the photo is of three young men who just showed up last night and dropped off a full bin of food as a donation – anonymously! Two hockey players and a soccer player (that’s all we know). Amazing! Are there some proud parents who want to identify these young men?
October 9th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
Annie Wang: a manager in applied systems at L3Harris’ Burlington operation.  Annie Wang She is among 40 women nationwide being honored across 15 categories at the conference this year. Wang is a manager in applied systems at L3Harris’ Burlington operation. In addition to Wang, five other L3Harris employees are being recognized this year at the national Women of Color (WOC) STEM Virtual Conference October 8-10. “I’m truly honored about receiving this award. I’m very appreciative of the recognition, and the initiatives and effort of the organization in promoting and maintaining diversity in the workplace,” said Wang, who will receive the Technology All Star award. The WOC STEM Conference has been promoting the achievements of women across the STEM fields for 25 years. At the conference, award winners and other attendees have an opportunity to discuss key issues in the scientific and technical workforce, share best practices and participate in professional development, networking and recruiting. In addition, conference attendees can participate in virtual panels which will be comprised of leaders from Fortune 500 companies, government agencies and universities. About L3Harris Technologies Their new location in Waterdown is under construction. They have been a leading technology organization in Burlington for some time.
October 9th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
What happens now? An 11 hour meeting to get through the Staff version of the Scoped ReExamination of the Adopted Official Plan and then debate the 9 amendments the Mayor and Ward 2 Councillor came up with – and it was then a done deal. Well, as done as Burlington could do the document. It has to be sent to the Regional government. The document will fill a very very thick binder. How do they get it to the Regional Planner?  Entrance to the offices of the Regional government. By mid-October, staff will submit the Council-endorsed policy modifications for Downtown and Neighbourhood Centres, along with all supporting documentation, to Halton Region. Due to COVID, the logistics of submission are still to be confirmed. How long will the Region need to determine if they can approve the document? Recall that they sent it back in the waning weeks of 2018 because it didn’t comply completely enough with the Regional Official Plan. The Region will issue a draft decision on the City’s adopted Official Plan in November or December 2020. How does it get returned to the city? The Region’s Chief Planning Official will send the draft decision to Heather MacDonald, the City’s Executive Director of Community Planning, Regulation, and Mobility.  City Council meeting – before COVID. Perhaps they could assemble in a live meeting to receive the xx from the Regional government. City Planning staff will then present the Region’s draft decision to City Council for review. City Council will have a chance to review the draft decision and make comments before the Region issues a final decision. Surely this will not take place at one of those wretched virtual meetings? One of the issues for Burlington city council was – is the document appeal proof? It is the Region’s decision that can be appealed, not the City’s. After the Region issues a final decision on the City’s Official Plan, a Notice of Decision will be sent out to all parties who have participated in the Official Plan process by submitting written comments to the City or Region, or speaking at a public meeting. The Notice will provide details about how to appeal the Region’s decision, and the deadline for filing an appeal.  Town Crier David Vollick reading a message to Council. Anyone wanting to receive notice of the Region’s decision, should make a written request to Graham Milne, Regional Clerk, graham.milne@halton.ca, 905-825-6000, ext. 7110, Legislative & Planning Services, Region of Halton, 1151 Bronte Rd., Oakville, ON, L6M 3L1. All very dry and dull. Heather MacDonald might consider renting a small bus and driving to the Region where she and the staff she decides to take with her can don their face masks and troop into the Regional office bearing the flag with the city crest and the document in a leather binder carried on a dark velvet cushion. Somehow the Mayor will get herself on that bus – this is just too good a photo op to be missed.
By Michele Bogle  Located in the middle of Village Square; a quiet oasis – not a car to be heard Tucked away in the quaint little Village Square is a Persian Restaurant, ‘Rayhoon Eatery’. Whether you already love Persian fare or have never tried it before, the Pre-Fixe dining opportunity during the Taste of Burlington event is the perfect time to try this restaurant. They offer a 3-course lunch or dinner, $25 or $40 per person respectively. Rayhoon offers a good selection on the Pre-Fixe menu with gluten free, vegan and vegetarian options. All of the dishes are ‘halal’. Every third Friday, they have belly dancing for your dining entertainment. Reservations are required for all dining. Please note that they are not open on Mondays with the exception of holiday Mondays. The eatery was clean, the waitress was attentive, polite, knowledgeable, and the music was at a soothing level, allowing for conversation. What I observed when entering; all employees were wearing masks; spaced an appropriate distance from one another; the tables were spaced 2 metres apart; and there was a sanitation station set up at the entrance. The bathroom was clean. Before ordering, we and patrons around us were asked for names and contact info. All of the utensils were wrapped. When leaving their tables for the restroom or for departing, the staff politely reminded patrons to put their masks back on. The Taste of Burlington’s Passport offers you additional comfort when digitally ordering your lunch or dinner.  Bakhtiari Kabob For dinner, my daughter and I chose the Pistachio Crusted Salmon and Bakhtiari Kabob. To start I enjoyed a walnut, beet and arugula salad with goat cheese and a pomegranate dressing. The combination of flavours made me feel that even if I had nothing more to eat, I’d be happy. The Persian-inspired butternut squash soup was aromatic and delicious.  Baked Atlantic Salmon encrusted with pistachios Next I enjoyed Baked Atlantic Salmon encrusted with pistachios and a serving of saffron flavoured rice and their walnut, berry and goat cheese salad. The salmon was fresh-tasting and very moist. My daughter ordered the Bakhtiari Kabob, complete with instructions from our server as to how to properly prepare this dish before eating. Packets of seasoning and butter were offered to add to the rice, then my daughter was instructed to cut the lemon-spiced chicken and the incredibly tender strips of beef tenderloin into bite-size pieces along with the grilled tomato; add to the saffron-infused  Persian Spiced Sticky Toffee Pudding We finished off our enjoyable dining experience with a Persian Spiced Sticky Toffee Pudding, which lacked enough flavour on its own but was well complimented by the drizzle of caramel sauce.The Cardamom & White Chocolate Affogato, I could eat again and again; a scoop of homemade cardamom and white chocolate ice cream, topped with slivered almonds, then to be doused with a shot of hot espresso. Simply sublime. I would have liked to have seen some signage reminding patrons and staff to wash hands; to wear their masks and signage for the direction of restrooms so that patrons aren’t wandering around others in search of them. There were a lot of verbal cues and a large visible sanitizing station in lieu of the signage. I am satisfied and feel comfortable about returning. If considering Rayhoon Eatery during the Taste of Burlington Fall 2020 Dining Event, make sure to call or write ahead to make a reservation. Rayhoon Eatery https://tasteofburlington.ca/restaurants/rayhoon-eatery/ Remember, every time you participate in this event using the Taste of Burlington Passport, you increase your chances of winning the weekly gift card giveaway, or the $500 gift card to a participating restaurant of choice.
October 9th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON Each year the Mayor adds an intern to her office team. This year Mayor Meed Ward is “thrilled that for the third time since becoming Mayor, my office has welcomed a bright and engaged intern to our team. I must first mention that in the short time Shelby has been here, we have been impressed with the skills and experience she has brought to the table and how much she has exceeded all expectations”. Hello everyone! My name is Shelby Dockendorff and I am the City of Burlington’s Mayor’s Office Intern. I recently completed my Master of Public Administration at Queen’s University and before that I studied Communications at Wilfrid Laurier University.  Shelby Dockendorff: My experience so far as an intern here has been wonderful. While finishing up my degree and applying to co-op jobs and internships, I had time to reflect on my experiences in government so far and what I enjoyed about it. I’ve been fortunate to work at the provincial and regional level and learn about policy analysis, government communications, civic engagement and event planning. During a summer working at the Region of Halton’s communications department, I had my first experience of seeing how government work impacted communities on a local level, and how residents responded to it. That level of engagement and impact was something I found fascinating and extremely helpful. I believe you need to be aware of what the local issues are in order to conduct and create meaningful policy and know how to communicate plans back out to the public. That can only be achieved by being properly engaged in and informed on the community where you live. With that in mind, I set out looking for opportunities that would offer that type of work and I was fortunate enough to come across the Mayor’s Office Internship. It was the perfect combination of constituent engagement, communication, research and analysis that I was looking for. Not only that, it was an opportunity to work for a Mayor who I had admired for her strong election platform and informed decision-making from her time as a Councillor and since taking the Mayoral office. My experience so far as an intern here has been wonderful. As a result of the ever-evolving situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been major changes to municipalities. Residents are constantly searching for answers, so they turn to their local representatives for help. I’ve had the opportunity to speak to many Burlington citizens about the issues facing them in the city, worked alongside other City Hall departments to discuss solutions and draft up presentations for the Mayor’s public consultations and meetings with Ministers at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Virtual 2020 Conference. As someone who was born and raised in Burlington, I thought I knew everything I needed to know about this city, but working in the Mayor’s Office has opened my eyes to all the different departments and teams that work together to make Burlington the beautiful city it is. In the coming months while I continue my internship, I hope to have more opportunities to improve my writing skills and continue working to improve ways to communicate out to the public. I also want to be able to do more research on resident issues and work on how best we can resolve them, as well as continue to find ways to make Burlington a great city to live, work and play in.
October 9th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton District Police Service reports on the 2020 two day commercial vehicle traffic blitz that took place earlier in the week.  Highway 401 runs through the Region – all that heavy commercial traffic needs a close watch. The Regional Police have a special unit focused on this work The inspections were done at the Mohawk Racetrack in Milton. The purpose of the blitz is to conduct proactive enforcement to ensure compliance with legislation pertaining to mechanical fitness, weights, load security, safety / inspection, compliance and licencing. With the help of neighbouring police services and agencies, officers were able to inspect 340 commercial motor vehicles with the following results: • Total commercial motor vehicles inspected: 340 2019 Results (for comparison): • Total commercial motor vehicles inspected: 305 Alcohol screening at the blitz also led to licence suspensions for three drivers. One of the alcohol related licence suspensions was identified as a 14-year suspended driver. This resulted in a 7-day vehicle impound. A total of 19 charges were laid against the driver and his employer, including overweight vehicle, no insurance and multiple mechanical issues. “Issues identified at the blitz varied across all categories and are reflective of those commercial motor vehicle type offences seen throughout the year,” said Traffic Services Unit Sergeant, Ryan Snow.  Tractor trailers get very close inspections. “The mechanical issues identified suggest a lack of maintenance and due diligence in daily inspections. Weights also continue to be a safety concern as police continuously note that dump truck drivers claim little control pertaining to overloading of their vehicles. These weight-specific concerns remain an area of ongoing education and enforcement given the obvious handling and braking issues that can occur, along with the additional damage that these weights can render to roadways. “It should also be highlighted that an out of service rate of 28% only means 28% of trucks directed into the blitz failed to meet required standards, and is not necessarily a reflection of all trucks on area roadways.”
October 9th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
There was nothing queasy or slippery about a comment made in the House of Commons by Oakville Burlington North MP Pam Damoff. Speaking in the House of Commons earlier this week Damoff said: “Madam Speaker, this pandemic has disproportionately been felt by women and girls, intensifying societal issues of inequality, including access to critical sexual and reproductive health services.  Oakville North Burlington MP Pam Damoff “I am disheartened by the closure of Clinic 554 in Fredericton, New Brunswick, limiting access for sexual and reproductive health services, including abortion. Even in Halton, women have limited access to abortion. “The Leader of the Opposition has refused to condemn statements made by one of his members comparing abortion to slavery. Abortion is essential health care and the decision should be made by a women and her doctor, not by men legislating control of women’s bodies. “We must always be firm in our support for women to have access to full reproductive and sexual health services. Access to these critical services is an issue of women’s rights.” Crystal clear as to where Damoff stands on this issue.
October 9th, 2020 BURLINGTON. ON
Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns reports in her newsletter that her office is continuing to work at full capacity. Nice to know that. What we don’t know is the degree to which city employees are able to work at full capacity.  Executive Director Sheila Jones In a report to Council yesterday Executive Director Sheila Jones took Council through a report on the status of Burlington’s financial position, where things are in terms of service deliver and an update on what is being done for the commercial sector. These monthly reports are part of what Jones does very well. Her approach is very crisp, efficient and to the point. She calls on several people to participate, opens it up to questions and ensures that Council is well informed. There is usually a comment from city manager Tim Commisso and often an occasion when they slip into a closed session for matters that relate to property issues or situations where an individual is named – which is a no no in the municipal world.  City manager Tim Commisso Yesterday, Commisso was getting ready to comment on staffing, he paused and said something to the effect that when talking about staffing individuals might get named and so he wanted to keep that level of detail private – as well he should. There appear to be some people who are city employees who have been infected with covid 19. How many – we don’t know. We do know that most of the staff are working from home. What is disturbing is the public doesn’t know how many people have been infected; how seriously the infections are and how diminished staffing levels have become. We certainly understand the need for personal privacy. However, the city manager could have created categories of staff. Top level senior people, Directors, Managers and the balance of the close to 1000 people who work for the city. He could have then said that there are xx people at the senior level and that yy of them have had to quarantine themselves. There are some departments where the leadership is critical: transit and finance, the city managers office and probably information technology are vital to the operation of the city – especially given the seriousness of the covid threat. There is a practice of using provisions of the Municipal Act to slip into a closed session to discuss issues that are becoming habits. Not a healthy habit. Be transparent and be accountable – please.
October 9th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON  Proposed 26 story structure on Brant, east side, north of Caroline.
Add another one to the downtown core. This one is to be located on Brant, north of Caroline on the east side running from the Joe Dogs site north to where the Bank of Nova Scotia is located – at the south end of the No Frills Plaza.
Several blocks north – at Ghent and Brant the Molinaro development on either side of Brant will comprise of three 25 storey buildings that will cover three of the four corners of the intersection.  Three 25 storey structures.
And there is more to come. The public will have an opportunity to comment on the plans for a 26 storey at a Pre-Application Public Meeting that will take place on October 26; it will be a virtual meeting. The Zoom coordinates for the event are: Participate On-Line via Zoom:
The developers proposal at this point is for a
Ground floor commercial space Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns may have a conflict of interest on this development, it is close to across the street from her residence. Renimmob Properties Limited, based in Hamilton is the developer listed on the file.
October 8th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
In the days before Covid, a delegation would be sitting in the Council Chamber, often amongst their peers. You would be called up when it was your turn and you would address the members of council. On many occasions there would be questions from the members of Council which at times got quite frothy.  Gary Scobie delegating. The public doesn’t get this kind of performance anymore – and we are the poorer for it. I recall an occasion when Gary Scobie was delegating – and when it came to questions he was able to give as good as he got. That was during the days of the 2014-2018 council A regular Gazette reader wanted to delegate on an issue that concerned him. The Agenda for the meeting (and accompanying application form to delegate) was not online until Thursday afternoon. Our reader was busy until 7pm. He filled out application form at 7am on Friday (to meet the deadline of noon the next day – weekends don’t count – for Monday’s Council meeting) Friday morning – he was busy on a community matter. Friday 4pm – open emails to find a note from Clerk’s department which read: “I have received your request to delegate at City Council on September 28, 2020. Due to COVID-19, all requests to delegate must contain a copy of the delegate’s intended remarks which will be circulated to all Members of Council/Standing Committee in advance of the meeting as a back-up to any technology issues that may occur. “Once I receive your delegation comments I will confirm your delegation.” This was new to our reader.  The first of four images sent by the city to the delegator. He is a quick writer but commented that there was no way he could prepare anything reasonable in 30 minutes. So I wrote something, anything, over the weekend and sent it in. As a back-up he emailed his Councillor ask him to intervene just in case there was a hiccup – there wasn’t. Sunday 7:20PM Clerks office emails, got your remarks, you’re good to go. Monday 1pm – into the Delegates Room. Was asked in the instructions sent to me to “open my video (thought about it but decided not to).  The second of four images sent to the delegator When it came to my turn to delegate and I was facing a screen with 15 little people staring back at me (council and staff). Just as well I didn’t open my video, I spent the whole time looking down to read. Seeing the Councillors is also a new feature. Last time (one month ago) my screen displayed what you see at home “Delegate Speaking”. So when I did look up, it was a bit unnerving, and everyone’s face was too small to read reactions. The “rooms” we are placed in are all virtual. There was a virtual Room shared by the people getting ready to delegate and then a separate virtual room for people who were about to actually delegate.  The third image sent to the delegator Everything I did was from the comfort of my home in Aldershot. I was first in what was referred to as the delegate room where I could look at a screen and see who the other people waiting to delegate were. When it was my turn I was moved (again virtually) to were it was me and the members of Council along with whichever Staff members were taking part. All I could see where the 20 or so people taking part – all set out before me on a computer screen. When a particular person was speaking a yellow box was placed around their picture so I didn’t have to look all over the place for the speaker.  The fourth image sent to the delegator. Was it a satisfying experience? It certainly wasn’t the kind of experience that one had when they stood at the podium before council. The request to send in the paper I was going to read from was offensive – the Council members were not going to reads my document; many of them have problems getting through the staff reports. Is this the best the city can do in terms of giving the citizens a way to say their piece? Could the technology not allow for something better. To the person at home watching the event – there is something unreal; almost plastic. The public never gets to see the person delegating – which is possible with the technology being used. The city has chosen not to do that. It is also possible to see the embers of Council when they are speaking. The image is not always that good – but at least it is an image. Regional Council shows everyone taking part in a meeting. It seems to be the best that can be done at this point. The tradition of citizens delegating will be lost if the current Zoom process is all that is going to be available. People don’t like the current process and are not comfortable with it. We consistently get comments from readers saying they do not feel respected by members of Council. This was certainly the case with the 2014-18 council. Does it apply to the current council? Too early to make that call – but we are seeing dis-satisfaction galore with the on-line learning students who went the virtual route are getting and have every reason to believe that the same concern exists with the Council delegations. We will look for some time to see what other municipal council’s are doing and report back. A member of this council is going to have to take a stand and insist that something better be put in place. Right now this council is fixated on telling each other how well everything is going.
October 8th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
Created by Jaime Black (Métis), the multidisciplinary artist who founded The REDress Project and is hosted by Burlington local, Amber Ruthart, First Nations, White Bear Clan, 60s scoop survivor and performance artist. Located along the walkway beside the Waterfront Hotel and around the gazebo, this project focuses around the issue of missing or murdered Aboriginal women across Canada. The dresses resemble red specters, floating from hangers in tree branches. Whether they flutter in the wind or drape eerily still, the dresses are not what haunts you but rather the absence of those who wore them. The dresses represent the hundreds – perhaps thousands – of North American Indigenous women and girls who have been murdered or disappeared during the past four decades.
October 8th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
Why is it that we read the numbers, we know how to prevent the disease from spreading but the numbers keep climbing ? What is it we are not getting or is the problem with the people who are not getting it. Here is a breakdown of the total cases in Ontario by gender and age:
27,096 people are male — an increase of 406 cases. Here is the solution one male came up with on the issue of wearing a mask.
Funny, I suppose – but the issue is not a joke. We are in the process of losing this battle.
October 7th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
The people at the Burlington Food Bank were asked if they were selling chocolate bars door to door to support the Food Bank. They are not doing this – “this has not been approved by the Food Bank so please don’t purchase these chocolates! We would never do something like this – especially during covid! Imagine”. While Marie-Hélène Mongrain from La Crème de La Crème Creamery was volunteering and showing appreciation to our volunteers this morning – her store in Hamilton was broken into!! Steven was there and is looking after clean-up.  Emma does the Picks for Creme de La Creme – her parents are strong supporters of the Food Bank In August, Emma’s Pick ( a fund raising idea for La Crème) was successful in raising $460, that’s 460 cones! They also donated $250 in groceries to the Burlington Food Bank. Today, Marie was volunteering (she and Steven are regular volunteers with us) and donated a box of chocolates for every one of the volunteers in appreciation for their dedication in serving the community. Their Emma’s Pick is specifically designed to support local charities. La Creme always focuses on either feeding those in need, LGBTQ support or underprivileged youth. In just 3 seasons they have raised thousands of dollars in support of these initiatives. Emma’s Pick of the Month sprang from their youngest daughter, when they started the company she was too young to work at the store so they involved her on the charity side, creating the different cones. She chose S’mores for August for the Burlington Food Bank and it was obviously a BIG hit with the community in many ways.
September 8, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
It has been a full week for city council and it isn’t over yet. Two solid days of significant work, a full city Council meeting at which they passed the version of the Official Plan that Mayor Meed Ward has been pushing since the day she stood on a cul de sac announcing her plans to run for the office of Mayor. That she was going to run was no surprise – she had her eyes on the Office of Mayor from the day she nominated herself for the Ward 2 seat in 2010. On Thursday, Council will be doing in depth reporting on four significant projects that are costing millions: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Enterprise Asset Management System (EAMS), Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Business Intelligence Program (BI). The level of detail they are going to give is impressive. We will cover each of the four in separate articles. Staff will also be doing a presentation on Managing Change. The final screen is set out below.  Indeed – what is next? A number of months ago the Human Resources Department put out a report that was stunning for its transparency and downright painful honesty. It looks as if the content of that report was taken seriously – the presentation Council will hear tomorrow looks as if it is the beginning of a serious effort to change both the working culture in place at city hall and for a different look at what it means for a person to be a municipal civil servant. The link below to the Human Resources report is one of the most critical reports council was given – it is well worth a read – that data is close to explosive at times.
October 8th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
For a document that is as critical to a municipality as its Official Plan the version approved and endorsed by city council earlier today was at some point a little rushed. After years of work it all came down to an 11 hour meeting on September 30th during which 9 amendments were introduced by the Mayor and seconded by Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns. There was a cohort of Councillors that chose to oppose most of the amendments but gave them their support once they were included in the Official Plan. There were a lot of minor tweak type changes that Heather MacDonald, the Chief Planner for the city undertook to have taken care of before the meeting today. Members of Council didn’t actually see the completed document before the meeting and had to rely on MacDonald’s word that she did no more than was agreed upon at the meeting of September 30th. Another collection of documents was the 12 letters that were submitted. Those letters came from: Correspondence from Perry Bowker regarding recommended modifications to adopted official plan policies for neighbourhood centres and for mixed use nodes and intensification corridors (PL-18-20) Correspondence from Dana Anderson regarding recommended modifications to adopted official plan policies for neighbourhood centres and for mixed use nodes and intensification corridors (PL-18-20) Correspondence from Karen Bennett representing Glen Schnarr & Associates Inc. regarding Taking a Closer Look at the Downtown: recommended modifications to the adopted Official Plan (PL-16-20) Correspondence from Michael von Teichman representing Elizabeth Street Holdings Ltd regarding Taking a Closer Look at the Downtown: recommended modifications to the adopted Official Plan (PL-16-20) Correspondence from Fausto Carnicelli regarding taking a closer look at the Downtown: recommended modifications to the adopted Official Plan (PL-16-20) The letters are first a place holder giving the writer an opportunity to take part in any appeal to Local Planning Act Tribunal (LPAT). They also provide insight to what a citizen or a developer’s issue might be. There is a letter from the Lions Club which sets out their concerns over the park they own and that it be shown to their advantage on the planning map. If we understood the conversation at Council this morning there wasn’t any time for Council members to read the documents. That situation applied to the public as well. Creating a new Official Plan is a document heavy process. While Lisa Kearns said she has read every report we don’t think that applies to every member of Council. When a report has several thousand pages plus appendices that run from A through to R – it becomes overwhelming if not forbidding for the average citizen. Of note is the fact that there was not a single delegation to the meeting, which the Mayor defined as a Hallelujah event. Of particular interest are the letters from Fausto Carnicelli, Dana Andrews and Michael von Teichman which are covered in separate articles.
October 7th, 2020 BURLINGTON, ON
Book a Heritage Workshop at Ireland House Museum with your private group of 4-6 people, $30/person.
• Heritage Fall Baking Workshop This is one way to get out of the house and enjoy something other than Netflix. For the truly creative – you might order in a lunch, with a decent wine (it is a private lunch) and make a day of it. Link to the booking page is HERE
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Michele Bogle is a Burlington resident who writes for the Gazette on community issues. Ms Bogle has taken part in the Food Network for the second year in a row to audition for the ‘Great Chocolate Showdown’ 2020 and 2021. She made it to the second stage of auditions for ‘Wall of Chefs’ 2019 and finished top 1% of auditions last year for ‘The Great Canadian Baking Show’.
The temporary art installation, “The Promenade of Pain,” has been extended through Friday, Oct. 16 in Spencer Smith Park.
All workshops take place in the historic house at the hearth and are available on Saturdays (beginning in November), Sundays (sold out in October) and Mondays. Workshops include all supplies and a guided tour of Ireland House Museum. Masks are mandatory. We offer a choice of one of three experiences: