 By Staff
December 19th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Not just a bunch of Old Timers strapping on the shin pads the Burlington Old Timers Hockey Club looks for situations where some help is needed and find a way to have a good time and help out others.
They did that late in November with a Christmas Dance at the Legion and raised $3,575 for Burlington Food Bank
On hand were some of the best dancers in the league and their wives! The fabulous live band for the night was SpeakEasy, featuring Lloyd Millar, from our White division and as a Special Guest Singer/Performer, 16 year- old Alyssa MacKenzie joined the band for a few songs.
Through player donations, prize table raffle tickets and a delicious Christmas Home Baked goods table the league was able to raise $3,575 for the Burlington Food Bank to help them with their ongoing contribution to our community!
 Shown here are the BOWSER Babes, BOD members, League Convenors, and Colin Ashdown (event organizer) presenting Robin Bailey (Burlington Food Bank) with a cheque for $3,575 The Food Bank is committed to ensure that no one in Burlington struggles with hunger. They provide food to those in need. In order to do that they need funding – the Oldtimers came through.
 By Staff
December 19th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Service is currently investigating a series of unauthorized entries into commercial establishments occurring at First Choice Hair Cutters and restaurants throughout Burlington and Hamilton.
The entries began in September of 2017 and have continued into December of 2017. Halton Regional Police along with Hamilton Police service are currently trying to identify the above suspect.
 Recognize him? Call Crime Stoppers  This is a better picture – the police would appreciate your help on identifying this fellow. Suspect Description: Male, white, 6’0″ +, thin build, 30-40 years, with short brown hair wearing a black jacket with thin white stripes running up the arms and white decals on the front chest area, dark blue jeans and dark coloured shoes/boots and black belt.
Anyone with information regarding these break and enters or can identify the male suspect responsible for them, is asked to contact Detective Constable Colin MACLEOD of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau, at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2357. Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
 By Gary Scobie
December 19th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
I am a citizen who has taken an interest in issues at or near our waterfront and in the downtown core over the past seven years. I am concerned when I see attempts at over-intensification being made in Burlington, especially in our downtown core.
If we go back in time, it all started with the Provincial Places to Grow Act of 2005. This was the first attempt by the Province to control urban sprawl, preserve our Greenbelt for nature and agriculture and plan for better transit options in the Greater Toronto to Niagara area. The Growth Plan of 2006 followed, designating increased densities of population and jobs in most municipalities of Southern Ontario and calling these Urban Growth Centres.
Cities did have some say in these designations. For instance, Oakville decided not to intensify its downtown to Provincial targets, but rather to expand population and jobs dramatically around its GO Transit Station at Trafalgar Road. This would be its Urban Growth Centre. It would intensify its downtown using its own zoning rules in its Official Plan. It would intensify its downtown more gently than an Urban Growth Centre.
Burlington Council at the time appears to have bought into the idea of the Downtown Urban Growth Centre, as suggested by the Province. I can find no counter debate or decision to intensify around our GO Transit Stations instead of our downtown. This decision to go with the Provincial flow would lead nearly ten years later to where we are today – the rush to over-intensify the Brant Street corridor and nearby streets to the east and west under a new Official Plan.
Getting back to the past, Metrolinx was conceived in 2007, shortly after the Growth Plan was enacted. It was all about transportation across the regions to support intensified population and job centres.
 Less than three years ago the transit terminal was going to be torn down – now it appears to be the “anchor” for a mobility hub. It focused on the GO Transit network of stations for the most part, but also added in subway, light rail transit and bus rapid transit routes, established and suggested for the future, as connecting links to GO Stations to move people in the this large region, mostly to and from jobs. Hence the Big Move nomenclature that was attached.
Soon the term Mobility Hub would be added to the vernacular in 2008. These were supposed to support Urban Growth Centres by linking them through the transit networks of municipalities and GO services. They were originally supposed to be locations where a number of modes of transportation came together as a network to facilitate the movement of people easily between these modes.
 The Burlington GO station – an obvious location for a mobility hub. GO Stations would all naturally qualify as Mobility Hubs because they link car, train, City and GO bus, bicycle and pedestrian modes of travel together in one place, with parking provided at no extra cost. Only recently have I seen the designation of Anchor Mobility Hub used to describe those Urban Growth Centre hubs that fail to qualify as true Mobility Hubs. The Burlington Downtown Mobility Hub is one of those Anchors. It has no trains, no light rail transit or rapid bus transit. And it has no free parking for cars.
It seems that Urban Growth Centres and Mobility Hubs have been linked together for quite a long time, dating back to 2008. This linkage is not accidental. It seems that to be an Urban Growth Centre, you had to have or plan for a Mobility Hub and vice versa.
These linkages were known to municipalities since 2008 and some decided, like Oakville, to chart their own course and preserve their downtowns from over-development by accepting the Urban Growth Centre/Mobility premise, but set in places best suited to dramatic infill of high rise condos and some retail and office space. GO Station locales were the obvious choice in this case.
In Burlington’s case, as stated before, it appears that no disagreement with the Province’s suggested choices for a downtown Urban Growth Centre/Mobility Hub ever arose in City Council meetings. The Province chose our downtown as both and our Council at the time (somewhere in 2008 – 2010) accepted, possibly without public debate. Council may have thought that the downtown needed improvement and this pathway, as mandated by the Province, was as good a way to get it done as any “made in Burlington” solution. And the Province could always be blamed if it didn’t work out quite right. I should note that one of our GO Stations, Burlington GO Station, was designated a Mobility Hub by Metrolinx (ie. the Province) and also accepted by Council.
There is a private, non-partisan charitable foundation known as the Neptis Foundation (www.neptis.org) that researches and reports on regional growth plans and initiatives. It has done some excellent reports on the Growth Plan and Urban Growth Centres that describe in layman’s language the Province’s plans and the repercussions to Ontario municipalities starting with 2006 people/job densities and projecting the changes required for 2031 densities. I would invite you to check out their reports.
 Many want the Mobility Hubs kept out of the Official Plan. Some municipalities have integrated the Province’s growth plans into their Official Plans in major ways. Burlington is one of these municipalities. Other municipalities have done less or even no integration. There is no prize from the Province that I can detect for doing so, nor any penalty thus far for ignoring the Province.
The Ontario Government reviewed the 2006 Growth Plan in 2016 and reported in July 2017 a revised Growth Plan going all the way to 2041. It can be found at www.placestogrow.ca.
It should be noted that right from the beginning, expectations for each municipality were “directing growth to major transit station areas”, “identifies priority transit corridors”, “complete detailed planning for major transit station areas on these corridors to support planned service levels”, “plan for a range and mix of housing, including second units and affordable housing” and “accommodate a range of household sizes”.
 Having Mobility hubs at the GO stations is something everyone agrees on – it is the idea of a Mobility Hub in the downtown core that has many opposed. How is Burlington doing in these initiatives? Well, all three GO Stations in the City have been named Mobility Hubs and each are planned to house many thousands of people/jobs by 2031. So growth is being directed to our major transit stations. Will there be any affordable housing and accommodation of a range of household sizes? That’s an unanswered question thus far.
I thought that Burlington was mandated to grow to a population of 215,000 by 2031. I have since been informed the target is 185,000 minimum. We are at 183,000 now. Recently at a Planning and Development Committee meeting, the Ward 1 Councillor stated publicly that Aldershot was set to grow by another 27,000 people by 2031. This would likely be near the Aldershot GO Station or along the Plains Road Corridor. Adding another 11,000 jobs there would bring the additional people/jobs total to 38,000 by 2031 and a 300 people/jobs per hectare goal, as per a Planning Department report dated Nov. 9, 2017.
Similarly, Planning Department reports also dated Nov. 9, 2017 for the other GO Stations show the Burlington GO Station Mobility Hub adding 22,000 new residents and 9,500 jobs by 2031 and the Appleby GO Station Mobility Hub adding 20,000 new residents and 43,000 new jobs by 2031. Both would also reach the 300 people/jobs per hectare goal.
All together, the three GO Station Mobility Hubs are planned to add 69,000 new residents to Burlington’s population by 2031, far exceeding any goal of 185,000 or even 215,000. We’re headed to a quarter million people by 2031, without touching the downtown.
So it is clear to me that we can reach all Provincial goals easily using intensification of people and jobs at the GO Station Mobility Hubs. There is no need to further intensify the downtown at all. It could be left to gently intensify, like Oakville has planned, using current Official Plan zoning rather than dramatically intensify as the Planning Department has advocated in its new Downtown Mobility Hub Plan and the new City Official Plan.
Anchor Mobility Hubs were originally expected to support an area with a minimum of 160 people/jobs per hectare within a 500 metre radius that would be serviced by a light rail transit or a bus rapid transit system.
The City is using a 200 people/jobs per hectare goal, which may be the revised mandate. I understand that City Planners and most of City Council are backing the people/jobs density downtown, but I see no evidence that there is an LRT or BRT system in place to deal with this influx of people/jobs, other than an LRT label being affixed to Brant Street on maps. A label isn’t a plan unfortunately.
I also see no evidence that jobs will flow into the downtown, even to just replace the ones lost when current buildings are demolished awaiting construction of new buildings. The podium style high rises with 3 to 4 storey glass and steel walls along Brant Street will replace individual and unique store frontages we have today. Is this better or worse at enticing jobs and vibrancy to Brant Street?
I am a person who believes that a deal is never a done deal if there is still an opportunity to question and possibly change people’s minds for the better of the community. And I think that we do have that opportunity.
 John Taylor, the Dean of city council would have been part of any debate there might have been about accepting the provincial approach to mobility hubs.  Ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven – a member of council in between 2008 and 2010 when Scobie believes city council made the decision to follow the provincial lead. Four members of the current Council were members of Council when all these Provincial demands were rubber-stamped. I would ask them to search their memory banks and their notes and inform the public how they decided to acquiesce to the Province’s demands for intensifying our downtown, why they didn’t make the logical suggestion for intensification around GO Stations instead and if they did go ahead with the plans without public consultation.
 Jack Dennison, a member of city council for more than 20 years would remember how the decision to accept the provincial direction – somewhere between 2008 and 2010 was made.  Mayor Rick Goldring was a council member when the decision was made to accept the province’s approach to transportation hubs, possibly without public debate. The current Council certainly did not acquiesce to the 374 Martha Street proposed high rise a few years ago. Yet this same Council voted 5 – 2 in favour of a 23 storey condo on November 30, 2017 across the road from our 8 storey signature City Hall – going past the 12 storey current storey zoning and even going past the recommended 17 storey zoning in a Downtown Mobility Hub Plan not yet approved.
This decision has ignited public opinion against the over-intensification of the downtown. They see high rises coming on many corners of Brant Street, and with many mid-rise condos in between. And they see many high buildings destined to come on nearby north-south streets east and west of Brant Street.
During the Vietnam War an infamous sentence was uttered by a field commander which showed the absurdity of war – “We had to destroy the village in order to save it”. Brant Street and our downtown does not need to be destroyed in order to save it.
Gently intensifying the downtown will continue as it has in the past, using appropriate zoning already in place. City planners and City Council need only enforce our current Official Plan and use the concepts already in place in our Tall Building Guidelines and soon to be in place in our Mid Rise Building Guidelines that the Planning Department has committed to.
Our downtown Bus Station is not a Mobility Hub and there is no plan to make it one. Our downtown does not need to be over-intensified through a designation as an Urban Growth Centre. I am asking City Council to inform the Province that Burlington can and will meet its 2031 growth target through dramatic intensification around our three GO Stations, the appropriate place for high rise condos with retail and office space.
That’s where the thousands of new residents will be housed, hopefully with a good number of affordable, family-sized units.
The downtown will intensify too, but not in the dramatic fashion envisioned by the Planning Department.
I am asking City Council to request that the terms Mobility Hub and Urban Growth Centre be removed from the Provincial Growth Plan for the Downtown Precincts and instead be placed on all three GO Stations.
Let our downtown, which admittedly does need to change, do so in a measured and controlled fashion that adheres to reasonable and defendable zoning restrictions already in place. Do not follow through on an Official Plan that would create the “Metropolis” of Halton in our downtown.
 Gary Scobie, a long time resident of Burlington is a frequent opinion contributor to the Gazette. He was a member of the Waterfront Advisory Committee and has been a strong advocate for maintaining public access to the waterfront.
 By Staff
December 19th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
On January 1st, 2018 the new OHIP + program kicks in –
Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon twill be hosting a Coffee Drop In on OHIP+ at : Shoppers Drugmart Roseland Plaza
 McMahon, MPP for Burlington, will join David Pinkus, Pharmacist Owner, to provide residents with information about OHIP+: Children and Youth Pharmacare and to demonstrate the online platform for searching through the list of more than 4,400 publicly funded medications. OHIP+ will provide medication s to everyone age 24 years or younger, beginning January 1, 2018.
Thursday, December 21, 2017; 1:30 p.m. (Please arrive no later than 2:00 p.m., unless previously arranged with MPPs Office)
Shoppers Drugmart Roseland Plaza, 3023 New Street, Burlington
Related news story:
OHIP + begins January 1st, 2018
By Staff
December 18th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Regional police had to deal with multiple complaints of theft of purses and wallets at supermarkets in both Burlington and Oakville. The police were looking for two individuals for several thefts that have occurred in Oakville and Burlington. The thieves’ worke3d in pairs stealing from unattended shopping carts.
 They watch the person they are going to steal from carefully and then move in quickly – snatch the purse or wallet and they are gone in a flash. There was a theft early in November at the Whole Foods store in Oakville ; another on November, 26, 2017, where the same two suspects were videoed at the Metro grocery store, Oakville. During this incident, the suspects stole the victim’s purse while she left her shopping cart unattended. The suspects quickly fled the store after committing the theft.
On November 27, 2017, the suspects attended the Food Basics grocery store, located at 3365 Fairview Street, Burlington. During this incident, the suspects stole the victim’s purse as she attended a cooler to select a carton of milk. Once again, the suspects fled the store immediately after the theft.
Police have received 16 reports of such thefts since the beginning of November 2017 where persons targeted were senior citizens whose purses and/or wallets were stolen from their shopping carts while the owner was not looking.
Investigators have been working with area Loss Prevention Officers to identify the persons responsible and were able to positively identify several suspects.
 Captured on video – three are arrested.
On December 16th 2017, two persons were arrested in Mississauga and another arrested the following day when police executed a search warrant at an apartment on Hurontario Street in Mississauga. The following persons have been arrested and held for bail:
Barbara GRABOWKSA (45 yrs) of Mississauga
• Theft under $5000 (Nine Counts)
Mariusz ZELINSKI (44 yrs) of Mississauga
• Theft under $5000 (five counts)
• Obstruct peace officer
Beata PARCZEWSKA (37 yrs) of Mississauga
• Theft under $5000 (three counts)
The Regional police officers have very solid relationships with supermarket loss prevention officers xxx Hanson said “We are committed to continuing to work with LPO’s to identify and apprehend offenders – thieves should take note before deciding to steal in Halton Region”
 Residents should be aware of their surroundings and be alert for distraction type thefts when shopping in the grocery stores, malls and other retail business.
If you become a victim of a purse or wallet theft please contact your financial services providers, cancel you cards and then call the Halton Regional Police to file a report.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Detective Constable Derek Gray of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Vulnerable Persons and Seniors Liaison Team at 905-825-4747 ext. 2344. Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
 By Pepper Parr
December 18th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
I want you to look at this time line.
Sometime in October 2017 – First email about the idea of creating a city wide citizens movement.
November 26th, 2017 First group meeting
November 30th, 2017 First delegation to city hall
December 13th, 2017 First Public meeting
December 17th, 2017 Home page for their web site – up and operational.
Bookmark this one: engagedburlington.ca
To follow is the setting up of a crowd funding account to raise the funds that will be needed.
 Engageburlington.ca – a web site you will want to book mark A former Mayor of Burlington once told me that “city hall can be beaten” – the more cynical citizens would say they knew that – the developers do it all the time.
When the elected fail to hear what the electors have to say – change takes place. We once heard a council member say that the citizens of the city get to choose their leaders every four years and given that he had been re-elected for more than 20 years the electors must be happy.
 This crowd of 150+ people did not come out on a cold winter night because they had nothing better to do. They are upset with the direction they see their city going in and they wanted a bigger voice to amplify their concerns – now thay have one. Voters trust those they put in office – the expect them to do what is right and best for the community. They expect those they elected to look after the minor matters that impact them directly and at the same time to bring wisdom and experience to the bigger picture.
The only reason protest movements get any traction is because those elected to office don’t listen or who wear out their welcome. The smarter politicians leave at the top of their game.
 To the developer who brought this project to the city – the protests might seem unfair, they did eveything they were required to do and put significant assets at risk. It was the Planning department that failed to paint a more detailed picture for the members of council. Council also appears to have had cotton in their ears and not heard the voices that saw the development of their city quite a bit differently. ECoB was formed to do a number of things. The task on the front burner of their stove is the filing an appeal to the OMB on the city council decision to approve the building of a 23 storey condominium on the corner of Brant and James Streets, across from city hall.
That task has a critical time element to it.
Another task was to get the city to slow down with the adoption of a new Official Plan. On that matter ECoB has already scored a win – the original end of January 2018 date for the approval of a new Official Plan has been moved to a sometime in April date.
ECoB appears to want to argue for the Official Plan becoming an election issue. Ballots for the next city council get cast in October of 2018
There is a critical city council meeting on January 23rd that ECoB will be delegating at.
The longer term objective is to continuing to engage and educate the residents of Burlington through word of mouth and social media. Their tag line for 2018 will be “grow engaged”.
The ECoB core committee is very small – four people. That needs to grow. While there was representation at the December 13th meeting from every ward in the city ECoB is not as in touch as they need to be on the numerous community issues that matter.
To their huge credit they are off to a great start. If all they manage to do in their first year is change the attitude of those elected when delegations appear – they will have done the city a huge service.
Jim Young, one of the ECoB founders, once told city council that the seats they sit in are not theirs – they are held in trust by the elected on behalf of the electors. That message has not gotten though to this city council yet – it might or they won’t sit in those seats for much longer.
 By Ray Rivers
December 18, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
This is the second of a two part series on affordable housing and the changes made by the federal government.
After he retires, which is not anytime soon, Justin Trudeau will be eternally remembered for giving us legit whacky-tobacky. But he will also have performed one of the largest re-distributions of income this country has seen. And that is not just about the modest changes his government made to the income tax structure, favouring the middle class, his first year in office.
 No it’s the $40 billion dollar ten year affordable housing strategy which is to kick in sometime after the next election, providing the provinces kick in their shares as well. The details are scarce but putting that much money in the hands of people who are finding it hard to get affordable accommodation will be a huge economic stimulus for the country.
That may be prudent given where Canada may be in its business cycle, particularly if NAFTA hits the dust bin, as I expect it will. It may also stimulate home building and urban restoration as rental units and high rise condo’s come to fill the gap between demand and supply of housing for Ontario’s growing population. But if the economy keeps moving the way it has under the Liberals, it could also lead to inflation.
 Perhaps that is why Trudeau is delaying the start up until 2020. Cynics will note that this is also an early 2019 election promise. But after the run-up in house prices recently nobody should argue that there is a problem with affordability, certainly for single homes. And as house prices go, so too must go rental costs eventually.
There was a time when owning a home was everybody’s dream, but those days appear to have come to an end. Two thirds of Canadians still own their own home but that is changing as the cost of home ownership continues to rise. The average price of a home in Canada has topped half a million, despite a cooling-off in the Toronto and Vancouver markets.
Given that average household income are around $70,000 (2015), it would take at least seven or eight years for a new home buyer to pay off their mortgage – providing they used all of their gross income to that end – and lived on water and hope. Practically, those who own their own homes spend less than 20% of their income on housing. Of course that statistic would be higher except that many have already paid off their mortgages and only face costs for maintenance and property taxes.
 Offered at $789,900 – estimated monthly mortgage $2891.00 Still given those numbers it would take the average homeowner up to 40 years to pay off their mortgage unless they inherited a bundle, won the lottery or got a federal handout along the lines of what Mr. Trudeau may be talking about. Otherwise a thirty year-young couple might be 70 by the time they paid off the banks – just in time for one of those reverse mortgages to free up some cash so they could spend the winter in a rented trailer in Florida.
Renters, who typically are lower income earners, shell out 30% of their pay packet for a roof over their heads by contrast. That represents a bigger bite out of a smaller pay packet and they will undoubtedly be the primary target for the new affordability strategy. Chances are dim that they’ll ever get into the ownership market. Spending 40 or even 20 years before one can burn that mortgage paper is a long time.
There are financial advisors who argue that it would be better for one’s financial health to rent and let them invest that cash that would otherwise be plowed into a house. They say this with a straight face, even knowing that a primary residence is capital gains tax-exempt. They ague that history shows a house’s value will just keep up with inflation while they can do much better with somebody else’s money in stocks and bonds. And perhaps they can though there was a lot of money made buying and selling Toronto and Vancouver houses, just recently.
But this federal-provincial affordability program is not going to do much for those who already can afford their homes – it presumably will only target those in need. Early indications are that priority will be to encourage new developments which also meet other development goals at all levels. Narrowing the income gap between rich and poor, stimulating the economy, facilitating urban renewal and mitigating climate change is a pretty tall order for any program. Mr. Trudeau called this initiative a once-in-a-generation event. And if he can pull it off he will leave a lasting legacy for his generation.
 Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington in 1995. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links:
Canadian House Prices – Average Household Income – Home Ownership –
Changing Home Ownership – Recent Renting Changes – Housing Stock –
Affordable Housing – Housing Bubble – Bad Policy –
Federal Plans – Public Housing – Home Ownership –
House as Investment – More Investment –
Related editorial content:
Part 1 of the Affordable housing feature
 By Staff
December 17th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
At the end of the week thousands of students will be out of school and home for the holidays – returning to their classes on January 8th.
Another calendar year behind them and time to think about, talk about and plan for the balance of the school year.
 The Gazette visit to Tom Thomson took place when there was a Region wide event that was piped into every school. All the students gathered in the gym for the event.
It may well be a year during which the Board of Education closes a school – that decision will become crystal clear in 2018. Lester B. Pearson high school parents are still going door to door drumming up support for a community initiative to somehow keep that school open.
Households with children in school have an attachment to the school there children go to that starts early in the morning and runs through to well into the late afternoon.
 The food is fresh and there is plenty of it. At Tom Thomson elementary school the program for students begin at breakfast where there are two programs for students; one run by the YMCA that involves caring for the students and the other a walk in for any student that wants to meet with friends and didn’t catch breakfast at home.
The program is put on by a volunteer group of parents. Some of the students come from households where the family income doesn’t quite cover all the costs – others are students who want to meet with their chums and do what elementary students do these day.
A Regional Police liaison officer spends time at both Tom Thomson and Brant Hills – alternating between the two; parents from the community work as volunteers getting the food ready and serving the students.
 Dania Thurman serving fresh fruit to a student at Tom Thomson elementary school. Dania Thurman, a parent very active in the campaign to keep Central high school open, is one of the parents that shows up a couple of days a week and spends some time with the 60+ students who show up before she has to scoot off to her full time job.
 They gather in corners and sit wherever they can – having breakfast and getting caught up with friends. The students troop into the gym, dropping their knapsacks on the floor and heading for the group of friends they meet up with – cell phones in hand.
The program takes place every day of the week – they have been doing this at Tom Thomson for the past six years.
They feed between 60 to 70 students with the grub coming from Food for Thought a Region wide program that works with elementary and high schools to ensure that every student has access to a proper breakfast.
The Food for Thought history isn’t uncommon; a grassroots group of people who identify a problem and come together to form a solution. In this case, one of the strongest groups you can have behind your cause are the parents that get the job done.
These Parents noticed that not every child at school had food in their lunch box or that many kids had food that didn’t contain enough nutrients to fuel their minds and bodies for learning.
In 1997, the parents came together and formed an advisory committee to oversee the first 6 official Student Nutrition Programs in Halton. Fast forward to 2007, just ten years later, and HFFT became an incorporated, registered, charity with its own Board of Directors and 63 programs.
As of September 2017, HFFT has partner programs in 130 schools across Halton and feeds more than 27,000 students a week. We have over 2,100 volunteers (including 930 students) and dozens of community partners who all work together to feed students in their communities.
 The students that show up get more than half an hour to play in the school gymnasium. These two are waiting for a game to get started.  Some skip, others play a team sport.
 By Staff
December 17th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
They live life a little differently in Lowville.
They celebrate the Winter and Summer Solstice.
The purpose of ThinkSpot Solstice events have been solely around coming together as strangers or friends and finding that commonality to realize we are not alone as we walk this journey of life.
That’s the “why” – and to witness that happen twice a year is an unbelievable gift.
 Lowville residents parading around their community during the Winter Solstice. In the past a community has gathered paraded around the community and then gather to set paper lanterns into the night sky.
 Lanterns are illuminated and set afloat into a Winter Solstice night. The lanterns have been an amazing and beautiful way to celebrate our connecting and thank you to everyone who has been part of the past nine solstice events. For the last few months we’ve been wondering about how to create something new;
Kune Hua and Arryn Ter Smitte figured it out last week.
Lowville Burning Man – Family Style is coming to life next Thursday (December 21st) in Lowville. For those of you who are familiar with the festival in Nevada each year you will know what happens at the end when a beautiful creative masterpiece is set on fire.
 The Burning Man is a celebration – that will take place in Lowville. How does it come about – you have to be there to be part of it. At 7:00 pm a light dinner will be available and we will begin to create a Lowville artistic expression that will be an honouring of 2017 – what we are grateful for; what we wish to let go of; and what we may have lost (a relationship, friendship, job, family member, pet – anything that is of value to us).
We will be providing wood and tools (drills, hammers, screwdrivers, nails/screws, glue) so that people can get in there and create whatever comes to life. We will also provide cedar rings and sage for everyone to use as mementos.
What you can bring is any flammable memento (non-combustible is a definite requirement, no metals or concrete) that you wish to add to the sculpture. Perhaps a shirt, a stuffed animal, a pet collar, .a letter to your higher self – anything that you wish to offer as a symbol of 2017.
At 8:00 pm we will go for a candlelight walk through Lowville Park as we celebrate the shortest day/longest night of the year – and then at 8:30 pm come back to light the Lowville Burning Man Sculpture.
At 9:00 pm we will release one sky lantern to celebrate our coming together and welcoming the beginning of longer days and sunlight.
Please RSVP so we can plan for food and materials required. The evening is complimentary although we do request a donation of personal items (toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, tampons, underwear and warm socks (new only please)) to be shared with people experiencing homelessness.
By Staff
December 17, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington Hydro added $25,000 to the Joseph Brant Hospital’s Our New Era Campaign that will go towards ongoing redevelopment and expansion priorities at the hospital.
 Most of the patient rooms look south to the lake or north to the escarpment. The donation is being used as part of continuing renovations to the existing hospital and the construction of the new Michael Lee-Chin & Family Patient Tower which opened officially in August.
Gerry Smallegange, Burlington Hydro President and CEO said “We’re very pleased to give back to our community in this meaningful way, and support cutting edge medical care in the City of Burlington for many years to come.
“Expanding medical, surgical and outpatient services are an important part of the ongoing redevelopment of Joseph Brant Hospital.”
 Site plan for the now completed Phase One of the Joseph Brant Hospital. The entrance to the hospital was re-oriented to Lakeshore Road. The first phase is the construction of the new McMaster Family Medicine facility that will bring 10 new family practitioners to the city. Three levels of parking will be built above the medical offices. The redevelopment and expansion project to build the new hospital was done in two phases. Phase One was the construction of the Halton McMaster Family Health Centre, hospital administration and new parking facility. Phase Two included the Michael Lee-Chin & Family Patient Tower and the ongoing renovations to the existing hospital which are continuing through 2018.
Burlington Hydro Inc. is an energy services company in the power distribution business, serving approximately 67,000 residential and commercial customers. The company is wholly owned by the City of Burlington.
By Keith Moorse
December 16th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
I was shocked to learn of the approval by council of Amendment No.106 allowing the construction of a 23 story condo at 421Brant St. This is almost twice the existing bylaw of 12 stories. Just as disappointing was the lack of any explanation by the five Councillors for approving the application. I have not heard a single voice supporting the project ,save and except the Planning and Building Department’s 112 page report submitted to the Planning and Development Committee.
 City Planner Mary Lou Tanner explains a development to ward 3 Councillor John Taylor The role of the Planning and Building Department also needs clarification. Who do they represent? Their report reads like it was drafted by the developer with the recommendation based on unreasonable assumptions, out right contradictions, false conclusions, and serious omissions.
What can be done to cancel the approval of Amendment 106 and implementation of this project?
FIRSTLY: Restore the democratic process whereby the citizens opinions and input receives consideration. If the five councilors truly represented their constituents they should welcome the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment.
SECONDLY: Establish a referendum process to allow the citizens to determine the outcome of the project and Amendment #106.
THIRDLY: A thorough review of the report (PB- 62-17) by The Planning and Building Department and revisions made where necessary.
If this development takes place it will totally and permanently change the character and charm of lower Brant Street and the City of Burlington. This will affect all residents and is too big a decision for Burlington Council alone. A precedent will be established and more applications will follow, as is already anticipated. There is a reference in the report, PB-62-17, that the proposed 23 story building will look less obtrusive when similar buildings are erected in the immediate area. This is an admission that this building will look out of place until others are erected.
The Burlington Sustainable Development Committee has added it’s comments to the application, starting on page 149. It sets out several conditions to be met, most of which have at best received only lip service. For example: “full public participation in development decisions”. Input was given at public meetings and to council, however, it was ignored. It also called for the new development to be compatible to existing end users, which is clearly not the case. Putting aside, all the disputes regarding whether or not, the analysis is flawed the issue really distills down to three distinct choices:
 Part of the “quaint” small town Burlington feel that many citizens want. 1.Reject the by-law Amendment No.106 to allow a 23 story condo at 421 Brant Street, keeping lower Brant Street with its’ boutique like shops, and eateries. It has a quaint friendly character which has contributed to its rating as the #1 City of its’ size in Canada in which to live.
2.Allow the amendment to pass thus creating the tallest building in Burlington changing the character of Brant Street and Burlington itself. It would become a Mississauga or Toronto with its’ not so charming steel and glass canyons.
3.Authorize a 12 story building as established by the new official plan.
There are other locations where such a building would be more suitable. Just leave our historical Brant Street alone.
Appendix “A”
1. New Official Plan (NOP) states tall buildings in the downtown area should exclude construction of same on Brant Street which is presently approved for 12 stories.
2. Many units will be three(3) bedrooms to attract families yet elsewhere in the report it states the target market as being “ affluent empty nesters”.
3. Parking at 1.2 spaces per unit hardly meets the requirement for the family ( 3+ adults).
4. Two elevators to service 23 floors are inadequate
5. This project in NOT needed to meet the Provincial Growth Plan minimum target (report PB-62-17).
6. This is not an isolated project and sets a dangerous precedent.
7. Why 23 stories, when there are many exciting designs far more appealing which could be achieved in 12 stories? The cold sharp angles of this structure does not compliment City Hall. Burlington can do better.
8. The only one benefiting from 23 stories is the developer.
9. Years of disrupted traffic due to construction, making a bad parking/traffic situation worse.
 The clock plaza at City Hall provides this focus. 10. Many small businesses on lower Brant may not survive due to prolonged construction activity.
11. Burlington does not need a “signature’ building. The clock plaza at City Hall provides this focus.
12. For what purpose are there height By-Laws when they are continuously waved?
13. Staff response to citizens’ concerns with building height is flawed. They compare other buildings which cannot be considered in the same category the tallest being 5 floors lower(18) then the applicant and 2 to 3 blocks East of Brant. None are in fact on Brant Street.
14. No infrastructure costs are allocated to the City of Burlington for the sewer and water expansion and upgrades.
Keith Moorse is a Ward 3 resident. He is a retired senior executive with a Bay Street merchant bank with national responsibility. He has been a resident of Burlington since 1981
By Staff
December 16th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
On Saturday October 28th, 2017 the TD Canada Trust bank located at 500 Guelph Line in Burlington was robbed.
The person responsible for the robbery was identified as Jeffrey George GORSLINE (38 yrs) of No Fixed Address (Formerly of Nova Scotia)
During the robbery the suspect gave the teller a note demanding cash and indicated he had a weapon. The teller gave the bank robber an undisclosed amount of cash who then fled the bank and was last observed running westbound on Eileen Drive.
Investigators learned that GORSLINE was also wanted in connection with a Niagara Falls Bank of Montreal robbery that occurred several hours earlier on the same morning as the Burlington robbery. He was also wanted for three October bank robberies in Eastern Canada.
On October 30th 2017, GORSLINE was arrested on Federal parole warrant by uniformed officers from the Dryden Detachment of the O.P.P. and incarcerated at the Kenora Jail.
GORSLINE was eventually transferred to Maplehurst Correctional Complex and on December 1st 2017, he appeared in Milton Court charged with one count of robbery. GORSLINE was remanded into custody and will appear next for a bail hearing in Milton Court on December 18th 2017.
Anyone with information regarding this robbery is asked to contact Detective Phil Vandenbeukel of Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Robbery Team at 905-825-4747 ext. 2343. Tips can be forwarded to Crime Stoppers; “See Something, Hear Something, Say Something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.crimestoppers.ca or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
Mr. Gorsline has some difficult days ahead.
By Staff
December 15th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Two Burlington schools will have additional space used as new child care rooms.
 Brant Hills – will have 48 new childcare spaces. Brant Hills Public School, will have two new pre-school rooms, allowing for 48 new childcare spaces.
Frontenac Public School, who will benefit from one new toddler room and one new pre-school room, allowing for 39 new childcare spaces.
The additions to the two schools are part of a program that results in 45,000 new licensed child care spaces in schools, communities and other public spaces across the province.
The province is investing $1,799,888 in Burlington for these new child care projects that will benefit local families.
The media release from the office of Minister McMahon was sent at 5:33 pm – too late in the day for any follow up.
By Pepper Parr
December 15th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
There are almost as many views on what Burlington should be doing in terms of its growth as there are people in the city.
 Citizens listening to the concerns community groups have over how developments in their neighbourhoods are handled by the Planning Department. The meeting was organized by the Engaged Citizens of Burlington – ECoB When Lisa Kearns, one of the ECoB organizers, stood at the lectern in the Burlington Baptist Church she told the 150+ audience that they had to do their homework and then hoisted a three in loose-leaf binder up and told the audience the information they need is out there – but you do have to work to find it and then offered to share what she had with anyone interested. We didn’t see anyone asking to borrow the binder.
Many of the people involved in what is a complex subject are reluctant to identify themselves publicly. One of those wrote in and said: “Seems that this group is questioning the “Urban Growth Centre” designation in Downtown Burlington. The answer is really, really simple – all people have to do is go back to and look at the original Places to Grow document from 2006 – Schedule 2. The designation is right there. No municipal approval is required. The Province says “this is it” now “do it”. All of this talk about evidentiary materials is a complete waste of time.
“People must also consider “The Big Move” which designates the mobility hub in the downtown as an “Anchor Mobility Hub”. Anchor Mobility Hubs are focal points with the potential to transform urban structure and improve transit. In other words … big changes are expected.
“There is an Appendix B which indicates that the downtown mobility hub is expected to accommodate 2,900 boarding per day. The question should be “why is the City not planning for this?” not is it really a hub.
“This same Appendix B includes a population target for the downtown anchor hub of greater than 25,000 people and jobs by 2031. The City is not even close to being able to accommodate this target.
“Most importantly, some people selectively ignore the fact that City Council unanimously approved its Strategic Plan that identifies the downtown as an area where intensification and redevelopment is to be directed.”
Joe Gaetan, a frequent contributor to the Gazette explains that the 2017 Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, was prepared and approved under the Places to Grow Act, 2005 to take effect on July 1, 2017.
Section 2, entitled, Where and How to Grow, contains S, 2.2 Policies for Where and How to Grow, and S 2.2.3 entitled, Urban Growth Centres and contains the following:
“Urban growth centres will be planned to achieve, by 2031 or earlier, a minimum density target of:
b)400 residents and jobs combined per hectare for each of the urban growth centres in the City of Toronto;
200 residents and jobs combined per hectare for each of the Downtown Brampton, Downtown Burlington, Downtown Hamilton, Downtown Milton, Markham Centre, Downtown Mississauga, Newmarket Centre, Midtown Oakville, Downtown Oshawa, Downtown Pickering, Richmond Hill Centre/Langstaff Gateway, Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, Downtown Kitchener, and Uptown Waterloo urban growth centres;”
Oakville took an approach that attached more importance to Employment and Commerce. Their Livable Oakville committee produced a very detailed report – something Burlington might want t56o at least review.
 The Sims building across from city hall is the only office building in the core of the city – the city of Burlington is the largest tenant. Burlington has never succeeded in attracting commercial operations into the downtown core – parking space wasn’t possible – thus the major concentrations of corporate offices are along the north and south corridors.
“The Burlington Official Plan appears to be mostly silent on job creation or preservation of work land or spaces.
“This should be a concern to all and one more reason why our Official Plan process must be stopped in its tracks.”
Background material:
Where to download a copy of the Places to Grow legislation.
The Big Move – what it is and where to get a copy of the document.
By Staff
December 15th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
A group of Dads in Burlington joined together Tuesday night at The Anchor Bar to have some fun and to raise some money for the Burlington Food Bank.
Burlington Dad’s is an online group and this was a rare live get together… hopefully becoming an annual event. Organizers Rene Schuster and Peter Winstanley never expected the level of generosity shown by their group and were thankful for all the support received. “This event grew from Rene and Peter saying we would like to see our members in person and give something back… we never imagined that the guys would get on board the way they did. Lots of generous guys in Burlington! Thanks for putting food on the table for Burlington families this Christmas guys!” said Peter.
 Shown here are Jamie & Mark Little, Peter Winstanley and Rene Schuster presenting Robin Bailey (Burlington Food Bank) with a cheque for $3,189 from Burlington Dads. Not shown is the additional 512 lbs of food donated the same night. The cheque presentation was broadcast live to the Dads Group. Burlington Dad’s was formed by Rene Schuster in March of 2014, and now assisted by Peter Winstanley. Burlington Dad’s was formed by Rene Schuster in March of 2014, and now assisted by Peter Winstanley. Basically it was Rene’s brainchild; a Dads helping Dads group. If you need some advice, something fixed, in search of a service, or simply need to vent, the Dads are always obliging.
There is no drama allowed, which means only a select few get in. It has grown to over 1,300 members, and includes Dads in the Oakville/Burlington/Hamilton area.
Check it out
Burlington Food Bank is committed to ensuring that no one in Burlington struggles with hunger. They provide food to those in need. If you or someone you know is hungry and in need of help, call them at 905-637-2273. https://www.burlingtonfoodbank.ca
By Staff
December 15th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington has been identified as one of 40 municipalities set to have a cannabis store by July 2018. The LCBO will make the determination of where a cannabis store is located in Burlington.
The city will be working with the Ministry of Finance and the LCBO to develop guidelines and the process for choosing store locations. The guidelines will achieve the provincial objectives of protecting youth by ensuring stores are not close to schools while providing access in communities and addressing the illegal market.
 Where in this fair city will the cannabis retail outlet be located. If it is on Brant Street will it bring the much discussed vibrancy to the area? The City of Burlington, like other municipal governments across Canada, has been paying close attention to provincial and federal legislation regulating cannabis.
Burlington joins 28 other municipalities for one or more standalone cannabis retail stores to open in July 2018. The other municipalities:
Ajax, Belleville, Barrie, Brampton, Brantford, Cambridge, Chatham-Kent, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, Kitchener, Lindsay (Kawartha Lakes), London, Mississauga, Niagara Falls, Oakville, Oshawa, Ottawa, Peterborough, Sault Ste. Marie, St. Catharines, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Vaughan, Waterloo, Whitby and Windsor.
Odd that Milton, the municipality with the highest population growth in Halton, is not on the list.
The city uses the tag line: “Burlington is one of Canada’s best and most livable cities, a place where people, nature and business thrive.” That just might become true next summer.
By Pepper Parr
December 15th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
We received the following this morning:
The article published in this morning’s Gazette titled “Major organizational moves by the city manager seem to be out of focus” is wholly inaccurate for the following reasons:
Parks & Recreation has NOT been merged into Roads, Parks & Forestry (RPF). Parks & Recreation continues to be a separate department headed by Chris Glenn
There has been no reorganization undertaken by the city manager, except the creation of a deputy city manager position and changes to department names only.
Council was fully briefed and aware of the creation of a deputy city manager position, to say so otherwise in incorrect.
Mary Lou Tanner will continue to lead the Official Plan and the Mobility Hub initiatives as deputy city manager; a competition to hire a new Director of Planning will begin in January.
Ms Tanner’s appointment as the deputy city manager was in no way a demotion and as previously stated was a result of a comprehensive internal competition
On November 9th, the City Manager, James Ridge announced a renaming of departments at city hall and moving responsibilities into the newly named departments under the people who were to head them up.
The renaming of the departments in the city was to more accurately reflect the services that are provided to residents.
 As of Jan. 1, 2018 Roads and Parks Maintenance will become the Roads, Parks and Forestry Department; with Mary Battaglia as lead.
Planning and Building will become the Department of City Building – Planning, Building and Culture with Mary Lou Tanner as lead.
Then on December 9th, Ridge announced that he had appointed Mary Lou Tanner as the deputy city manager after a comprehensive internal competition.
There is something about this picture that is out of focus.
If it was a “comprehensive internal competition”, and we will take the city manager’s word that it was – the competition had to be announced, those wanting to go after the job had to prepare their application, fine tune it, submit it and then let the Director of Human Resources and the City Manager review what they had.
The Director of Human Resources may well have been one of the applicants for the new position; we will let that slide.
 Newly minted Deputy City Manager Mary Lou Tanner Re-org November 9th, Tanner made deputy city manager December 9th – All this got done in less than a month?
What does the appointing of Tanner as Deputy City Manager do to the absolutely critical work being done on the planning side?
As of the 21st of this month the city doesn’t have a Planner. Tanner, the woman who was doing the job is now the “city’s representative for all Agencies, Boards and Commissions; acting in an advisory and liaison capacity for each organization and helping plan and coordinate major capital projects.”
Not much in the way of executive authority there
“Being responsible for the diversity and inclusivity portfolio; ensuring a strategy is developed, and implemented across the organization for all services and programs.”
Important but not the same level of influence as the Director of Planning
“Overseeing the Project Management Office, ensuring the priorities of this office are aligned with the Strategic Plan and corporate work plans and work with the Senior Leadership team to identify and establish priorities across the organization.”
 City Manager James Ridge – now has a Deputy to aid the important work he does, Tanner was a part of the Senior Leadership Team – now she “works with them”. Will Tanner have any clout? Will she be making decisions or does everything she does slide up to the desk of the City Manager?
There is going to be a “transition plan including an acting Director of City Building will be announced in the near future; however in the meantime Tanner will continue to lead the work on the completion of the city’s new Official Plan.”
How much of this were the city Councillors fully aware of? The City Manager is responsible for the administration of all city staff and serves at the pleasure of city council. Is Council pleased?
The time line for the approval of the Official Plan has been stretched out to April of 2018 from the original end of January 2018 date.
None of this looks very encouraging – we are changing horses in the middle of a fast flowing stream.
Troubling.
 Director of Parks and Recreation Chris Glenn There some additional concerns. Parks and Recreation is now merged in intro Roads Parks and Forestry under the direction of Mary Battaglia who is a Director. She now has Chris Glenn, also a Director working under her?
Transportation doesn’t seem to have a home at a time when there are several significant studies being done on just how people are going to get around the city given all the intensification that is to take place.
Where does Capital Works fit into the new organization?
On Friday, the 8th of December we had occasion to be at the Fire department following up part on a news story and met with a deputy fire chief who advised us that the Fire Chief was still on the site of the blaze that shut down the Paletta operation in the south-east of the city.
That’s where a Fire Chief is supposed to be – where the problems are. The fire was basically out – with some hot spots that needed a close watch to ensure that they didn’t flare up.
 Is the apparent senior staff reorganization a good one or is it a picture out of focus. The city has a problem – getting the new Official Plan in place and helping the citizens understand the mobility hubs. It is seen as a “hot spot” to hundreds of informed and involved people in Burlington. This is not a time to have senior staff fully immersed in the work they are in place to do.
Being made Deputy City Manager doesn’t look like a promotion – looks like the City Manager just got someone out of the way
And that is very troubling.
Links to related news stories:
Appointment of Deputy city manager.
Renaming of city departments.
By Staff
December 14th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
An infection prevention and control inspection conducted by the Halton Region Health Department on December 4, 2017, identified that clients who have received medical services at the Ontario Institute for Facial Surgery operated by Dr. Joseph Korkis located at 672 Brant St., Unit 405, in Burlington may have been exposed to improperly cleaned, disinfected, sterilized and stored instruments used for procedures.
The inspection was initiated following a patient complaint.
Halton Region is not aware of any cases of infection associated with this clinic at this time.
 Joseph A. Korkis, MB, FRCSC, FRCSl, FRCS, FCAFPS, offers Nasal and Facial Plastic Cosmetic Surgery, Snoring and Sleep Apnea Surgery in Burlington Ontario. “Improperly cleaned, disinfected, sterilized and stored medical instruments carry a low risk of transmitting infectious diseases, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to clients,” said Dr. Joanna Oda, Associate Medical Officer of Health for Halton Region. “As a precaution, the Halton Region Health Department recommend that all clients who have ever received medical services from Dr. Korkis at the Burlington clinic contact their physician (or go to a walk-in clinic if they do not have a physician) to discuss testing for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. Clients can download a letter to bring to their doctor by visiting halton.ca/health.”
On December 4, 2017, upon completion of the inspection, the Halton Region Health Department closed the Ontario Institute for Facial Surgery. As of December 12, 2017, Dr. Korkis has satisfied all the requirements of the Health Department and can resume patient services at this location.
A question that might be asked is why the public wasn’t informed on December 4th that the clinic had been closed?
This is not the first time the Region has closed a medical office in Burlington – earlier this year a dentist was closed for much the same reason – not ensuring that the instruments used were properly sterilized.
For more information about hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV, the inspection or investigation and to obtain a copy of the physician letter, please visit halton.ca/health or call Halton Region at 311, 905-825-6000 or toll free 1-866-442-5866. For inquiries related specifically to the Ontario Institute of Facial Surgery or Dr. Korkis, please contact the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario by visiting cpso.on.ca.
By Pepper Parr
December 14th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Is there a sea change taking place in Burlington politics?
Last week there was a neighborhood meeting in Aldershot about a proposal for a 6 story condo at 92 Plains Rd, right on the edge of a long established Aldershot neighborhood.
 Some at the meeting felt it was “totally out of compliance with the existing Official Plan and bylaws” and was being promoted as “in alignment with city proposals for the Mobility Hub.”
It was a raucous meeting. Nobody was happy, and many expressed this clearly and often angrily.
The discussion was on the negative impact on nearby property values from a development which Councillor Craven supported.
 Ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven faced a hostile audience while explaining the justification of a development. This photograph was not from that meeting. Craven got called out a couple of times for not showing any support to residents, and for trying to undercut their concerns.
The city planner in charge threatened to shut the meeting down if the rancor and heckling that ensued was not stopped.
 When a resident stood up and said “We need to tell the members of council that we are not going to vote for them” there was an immediate robust burst of applause – they were sending a message – loudly and clearly. The recently formed ECoB – Engaged Citizens of Burlington – meeting that took place Wednesday evening had representation from every ward in the city – people were just not happy with the way decisions were being made. They want change in the way city council decides on very complex issues.
The focus at the Wednesday ECoB meeting was a development that didn’t get any negative comment when it was introduced to the public several months ago at the Art Gallery. There was just the one delegation when the development was put on the table at a Standing Committee – but when council voted 5-2 for the development – the dam of feelings burst.
People didn’t want their city changed – they continually refer to a vibrant downtown core when Brant Street is anything but except when the Santa Claus parade and the Sound of Music Festival fills the streets.
 East side of Brant Street several days before Christmas 2013. It isn’t all that different this year. Not what one would call festive. Anyone who strolls along Brant street might be taken aback at how little there is in the way of Christmas decoration on the buildings.
 This graphic was put up on a screen at the Wednesday ECoB meeting. The city keeps saying this kind of thing is not going to happen – the citizens no longer believe them. There appears to be a hankering for a time when things were slower, more certain, safer.
Every politician now faces citizens who are unhappy.
That unhappiness is now being pulled together by a group of citizens who don’t like what they see and tend to exaggerate to make their points.
Interesting times ahead.
 By Staff
December 14th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Those festive lights in Spencer Smith Park didn’t fall of the back of a truck and suddenly glow. Volunteers from the corporate sector and high school students created the lights and installed them late in November and were turned on December 1st. Community spirit at its best.
They will be in place until January 8th and are turned on at 4:30 PM – 12:30 AM
The 2017 lighting marks the 22nd anniversary of this event.
 The festival gets its start early in December when Burlington Electricity Services Inc., a subsidiary of Burlington Hydro partners with the Burlington Downtown Business Association’s (BDBA) for the Candlelit Stroll through the downtown core and the lighting of the Tree of Hope.
Volunteers from Burlington Electricity Services Inc., Burlington Taxi, King Paving, Robert Bateman High School, T.A. Blakelock High School (Oakville), and local residents help with set up the lights in Spencer Smith Park
 There were 15 students from both schools involved with the project. The Students designed and built the newest hockey themed display. Expect to see two new displays from this crew for the for the 2018/19 year.
CHML’s Joey Castillio served as the emcee for the tree lighting and the Candlelit Stroll event.
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