 By Staff
April 24th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Get the roller-blades and skateboards ready, declared a City media release.
 Burlington’s annual spring street sweeping blitz will begin in the first week of May. The cleaning of winter sand and debris from roads is expected to take six weeks with a crew of seven vehicles working seven days a week.
Street sweepers are exempt from the noise bylaw; however, to reduce noise disruption, residential streets will only be cleaned between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. The rest of the time will be spent cleaning primary and secondary roads.
Residents are asked to avoid parking cars on the roads and to remove encroaching basketball and road hockey nets from the street so the sweepers can move quickly and efficiently.
“This winter we used a lot of sand” said Mark Adam, Manager of Roads, “so it’ll take some effort to get it all cleaned up. The fewer parked cars and nets on the roads, the faster and better the crews can work. Moving around obstacles takes more time and means we can’t clear the curbs and gutters.”
 By Pepper Parr
April 24th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
City Council unanimously passed a motion to declare a climate emergency. The notion was brought forward by ward 3 Councillor Rory Nisan.
Numerous cities around the world have recently declared climate emergencies in response to findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that we have only 12 years to keep global warming to a maximum of 1.5 degrees, beyond which any further increase would significantly worsen the risk to hundreds of millions of people of extreme heat, drought, floods and poverty. London (UK), Los Angeles, Vancouver, Halifax, Kingston and Hamilton have each declared climate emergencies recently.
 A residential basement after the August 2014 flood. Burlington has already felt the effects of climate change over the past several years; climate matters are currently ranked as the third highest risk on the City’s Enterprise Risk Register, which measures overall risk to the City.
The City is currently updating many of its plans in relation to climate change including the Community Energy Plan (transitioning to the Climate Action Plan), Corporate Energy Management Plan, Storm Water Design Standards and Urban Forest Management Plan. The City has set a goal to be net carbon neutral by 2040 and work towards being a net carbon neutral community.
The climate emergency declaration would increase the city’s ambition on climate change initiatives, including in the community, and provide staff and residents with clarity of purpose regarding Council’s view of the importance of climate change.
Action items from the declaration include:
• That a climate emergency be declared for the purposes of deepening our commitment to protecting our economy, environment and community from climate change; and
• That Council and staff immediately increase the priority of the fight against climate change and apply a climate lens to the plans and actions of the City of Burlington including the Council strategic work plan and future budgets; and
• Staff are directed to bring a report to the June 3, 2019 Committee of the Whole meeting that outlines actions taken to date and includes a critical path for the development of the first City of Burlington Climate Action Plan that will:
 The tree was on private property. Should the owners have been required to get permission to cut it down? The city does have a pilot private tree by law for the Roseland community. 1. address the operations of the corporation of the municipality as well as the functioning of the entire community; and
2. include a plan for a thorough and complete consultation with stakeholders and the community; and
3. increase action and ambition for the City’s climate change-related activities; and
4. include performance metrics to track progress and timelines for achieving key deliverables/major milestones, and a strategy to report back publicly on progress.
• Direct the City Manager to bring back the Burlington Climate Action Plan to Council no later than December 2019 for approval.
 “Our health, livelihoods and futures are directly linked to the environment”, said Mayor Marianne Meed Ward. “ Flooding, storms, water quality and air quality affect everything and everyone in our community. Real change requires all of us to work together.
“If our goals are to build a prosperous, healthy and green city for the long-term, we need to take serious, tangible action. Passing this declaration is another step in ensuring that we are doing everything we can to stop climate change — this companion motion includes timelines for action, as well as reporting back on initiatives that are already underway at the City of Burlington.”
 Councillor Rory Nisan – not doing media interviews these days. Councillor Rory Nisan, who chose not to be available for an interview, did say in a written statement that: “By declaring a climate emergency, Burlington City Council is recognizing the magnitude of the challenge we face in combatting climate change. But it is only one step. Through the declaration we have requested a comprehensive climate action plan by the end of the year and that plan is where we will begin to make real, practical change for Burlington.”
The Mayor and some members of her council held a media event this morning to explain what the city planned to do with the $5.6 million they got from the federal government recently.
One of the council members drove away from the meeting in a high end pickup truck. I was struck with a dose of envy (it’s a guy thing) and wondering what kind of a statement was being made.
To the best of our knowledge there isn’t a member of council driving an electric vehicle. Full disclosure – I don’t drive one either but then I don’t pull in 100 big ones annually either.
By Pepper Parr
April 24th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton District School Board issued 154 redundancy letters yesterday to secondary school teachers. This is in addition to the 150 redundancy notices that were issued last week to elementary school teachers.
 Stuart Miller said last week that the issuing of the notices is a requirement under the Collective Agreement the school board has with its unions.
Miller was unable to say which high schools will lose teachers come September.
It is worth noting that two of Burlington’s seven high schools were closed: Lester B. Pearson was closed last June – its students were transferred to MM Robinson.
 Robert Bateman High School is scheduled to close – the actual date was moved back and is now planned for this June. The bulk of the Bateman students will be going to Nelson High School where new facilities are being built for students with special needs.
Those who keep a close eye on public school matters wondered if the decision made three years ago to close two of the seven high schools was not a smart move – even though it wasn’t seen as a smart move at the time.
Miller said in an earlier interview that the province might come through with additional funding or school principals might find a way to shift course offerings and make it possible for a school to keep its staff.
And there is also the matter of retirements – those might open up some spaces that had to be declared redundant.
It is a pretty fluid situation for school administrators – a very uncomfortable situation for teachers who have been told they might not have a job in September.
Related news story:
Elementary school teachers get redundancy notices.
 By Staff
April 24th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Sound of Music Festival has released the free concert lineup for Father’s Day Weekend, June 13-16, in Spencer Smith Park and throughout the downtown core.
 Cowboy junkies are part of the free Sound of Music Festival that begins June 13th to 16th The shows offer up a huge variety of music for all ages including: Terri Clark, Lonestar, Grandson, Hollerado, Hawksley Workman, David Wilcox, Bedouin Soundclash, Dear Rouge, Cowboy Junkies, Skydiggers, Madeline Merlo, Classic Albums Live, Freedom Train, and so many more.
Visit soundofmusic.ca for the full lineup and show times.
Events and activities include
Club Series – June 9-12,
Silver Series presented by Schlegel Villages – June 14,
Downtown Streetfest presented by Burlington Downtown Business Association – June 14-16 and
Family Zone – June 15-16
plus the Grande Festival Parade on June 15!
Amp up your experience with a VIP upgrade to Sweet Seats and FrontRow for TD Stage.
 Black Mountain is part of the ticketed event offering that begins June 8th. Tickets are moving fast for Sound of Music’s Kick Off event featuring performances on Saturday, June 8th by Bush, Live, Monster Truck, Headstones, Crown Lands, Black Mountain Whiskey Rebellion and The Castor Troys.
“With so much competition for the entertainment dollar in our market, it was critical that we offer an amazing value to our ticket buyers. The kick-off provides needed funds to keep Father’s Day Weekend free, and I have to say, at current prices, there isn’t a better value ticket in Ontario!”, says Rusak.
The Festival is currently recruiting for volunteers.
June 8 – 16, 2019 will mark Sound of Music Festival’s 40th edition.
 It doesn’t get much better than this. Every year in June, Burlington comes alive with the largest music event of the year. Well over 200,000 people come to enjoy concerts spanning all genres. Through the generosity and support of sponsors and the dedication of volunteers, the event continues to be free on Father’s Day Weekend for music lovers of all ages.
 By Pepper Parr
April 23rd, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Two people who were heavily involved in the campaign to elect Marianne Meed Ward, the Mayor of Burlington, have come out with strong statements on the new Customer Relations Management system the city is in the process of adopting.
A third citizen has commented on just how unfriendly the city hall atrium is.
There is something amiss here.
 The crest would at least add some colour to a dull boring looking council chamber. The woman who is now Mayor has been a citizen’s champion from the day she first stood at the podium in city hall to delegate. That “new – re-modeled” council chamber is even less friendly than the atrium. If there was ever a bland space made up of dull grays the council chamber would be it. Having a copy of the city crest made up and put up on the space beside the name Burlington, would do something for the chamber.
The podium that can be raised for people of different heights was a good idea – but when the seating area for the members of council was lowered it meant that people in the audience could not see all that well.
 This is what bland looks like. The design of the new chamber is a botched job – reportedly carried out by the Clerk’s office with no public input.
Blair Smith, a person with considerable experience in the running of government services, having served as an Assistant Deputy Minister with the Ontario government said in a Gazette comment that:
“There is nothing inherently wrong in a Customer Relations Management System” wrote Smith, “but it needs to be coupled with a customer service philosophy that permeates through the organization and gives staff energy and focus.
“CRM can make operations more efficient if used properly but it can never replace personal contact and commitment; it was never intended to be a replacement. The City of Burlington needs to ‘open up’. It needs clear and understandable program descriptions with accountable staff identified and contact information clearly displayed. Accountability and visibility go hand in hand. It needs performance dashboards with metrics that are measurable to report on commitments and progress against plan.
 Blair Smith in conversation with Director of Planning Heather MacDonald “It needs transparent citizen engagement instruments so that the public actually contributes to decision-making and can see how operational and strategic directions evolved. And to ensure that the process is not merely cosmetic, it needs a comprehensive customer service program with an executive lead and performance metrics that are in every staff contract and commitment.
“There are established and successful models for true Customer Service Management in operation in other municipalities and levels of government. Seek them out, adapt and adopt them.”
 Transparency was her trademark – which looks a little faded these days. The Gazette thinks Smith is dead on. We all thought that what Smith had to say is what Meed Ward thinks; it is certainly what we have heard in all her public remarks, right back to the days when she would walk backwards as she spoke into a camera explaining what was wrong with the thinking about the pier and that piece of property between Lakeshore Road and Old Lakeshore Road.
 Lynn Crosby; one of the front line workers in the drive to keep Central High School open and a trooper in the Meed Ward campaign. Lynn Crosby, who worked tirelessly on the Meed Ward campaign, running the office they had on Brant Street is “betting this is a system created by staff and was not something the new council or Mayor created. This would beg the question of why staff members might want to vet emails that come in and also begs the question of whether all emails that come in are actually forwarded to the appropriate person, and if so, are they forwarded in a timely manner – i.e., same day – or not.”
Crosby is also no fan of the “big Security desk that greets visitors to city hall” and adds that “it is not exactly welcoming”
“I think it’s early days with the new council and there’s lots of work to be done on making changes to how the city communicates with the citizens and what the tone is. It can be done.
“Looking at this system should be a priority because transparency and ease of communicating with the mayor, council and staff members should be easy to implement.”
Crosby also asks: “Where is the staff directory naming all individuals in key positions with clear contact information?”
When Kim Phillips was a General Manager with the city she was against such a directory. She didn’t want the public “pestering staff”.
Smith and Crosby are pushing in the right direction – we think they had hoped the Mayor would be leading in that direction.
 By Pepper Parr
April 23, 2109
BURLINGTON, ON
This evening council will meet to put the rubber stamp and the required signatures on the documents that rule the way we live in this city.
The Interim Control bylaw that halts all development in the Urban Growth centre of the city will be made law. It is a brutal piece of legislation that will cause significant financial stress for at least one developer and dash the hopes of another for the immediate term.
The Paradigm development on Fairview between Brant and Guelph next to the GO station which has three of the five towers in place needed a site plan approval before they could begin construction on the final two towers. The ICBL prevents that site plan from being approved.
 Phases 1,2 and 3 of the five tower development. Phases 4 and 5 are being delayed due to the ICBL council will approve this evening. The Paradigm was the type of development that created the kind of housing the city needed to reach the residential targets set for the city by the province.
Due to a complicated set of agreements that were part of the purchase of the land the Paradigm is being built on the registration of the condominiums is impacted.
The Amica proposal for a large retirement home development on North Shore Blvd never did have much traction with this council. Their representative will be at council this evening pleading for an exemption to the ICBL – short of a total reversal of their position that plea is likely to fall on deaf ears.
However politics being what it is – one never knows what will get decided.
There is a Special meeting of city council the day after – it will be closed to the public so that council members can discuss freely what they have in mind in the way of a new city manager.
 The job is critical – if they get this right – there is a better than even chance that the mandate this council was given is one they can deliver on.
There are many who knew the city manager had to be replaced; others who think that a wholesale clean out is needed – from the City Solicitor; the Clerk, the Deputy city manager and at least one of the Directors – perhaps two of them.
Finding a City Manager that understands what council wants and what they believe they need is going to be the challenge.
 The second step of the Meed Ward political ladder: Mayor of Burlington Hiring talent that can lead and understand is not easy – expecting a team made up of people who have no experience doing this is asking for more than they can deliver.
Will this council choose and be able to find someone who can advise and direct them?
Franks Towes made a comment during his recent delegation on the Lakeshore Village Plaza development. “You are the gatekeepers” he said. Indeed they are – what they bring through those gates is what will determine what kind of a Burlington we have going forward.
It will determine as well just what kind of a politician Marianne Meed Ward will be – serving as Mayor is just part of the ladder she will climb.
Salt with Pepper is the opinions, reflections,musings and observations of the Gazette Publisher
 By Pepper Parr
April 22, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
When you walk into city hall there are two sort of reception areas – one with the word “Security” in large large letters in the front. To the west side of the atrium there is another counter with a copy of people toiling away.
The word “Service” is blazoned along the front.
The people at the service desk are decent; they do their best to answer your questions.
We were delivering an envelope addressed to the Interim City Manager – the clerks didn’t know what to do with it. We didn’t hear back from the Interim City Manager – maybe he didn’t get the envelope?
As for the Security Guard – someone wants to explain just what a smile can do.
The city is shifting to a new approach to communicating with its citizens. They are using what is known as CRM – Customer Relations Management.
They want to apparently change the way you the citizen communicate with the elected officials – we don’t know if this system is going to go any further than that.
 If you don’t get a response to the email – look for her in a park. A resident explained to us that city hall wants people to use ward2@burlington.ca if you want to communicate with ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns. They want to persuade you to stop using lisa.kearns@burlington.ca
Don’t write marianne.meedward@burlington.ca – write to Mayor@burlington.ca
 Email her – just be careful which email address you use. According to a resident who has experienced this new approach when you send something to Mayor or Ward 2 you get an email from the City giving you a case number and the gist of the email and then told where this email is being directed – for example to the Mayor’s Office.
What that means is that someone is reading your email and deciding where it should go.
The woman who stood on your door step and told you she would be transparent and available now has a gate keeper who decides how your issue will be handled. This will be tough news for some of those people in Aldershot who write out long repetitive emails to their Councillor and copy every name they can come up with.
The system has been in the works for a number of years – it was an agenda item when Kim Phillips was a General Manager.
Council members do get swamped with email – this is what the current council said it wanted – “we need to hear from you” was the refrain.
Our citizen reported that days can go by before there is a response. Or the email reaches the appropriate person.
The citizen would like to know who reads these emails, who decides where they go, do they keep these on file and more importantly can they target certain residents or organizations that they want to keep an eye on????
Good questions.
 It doesn’t have to be this way.
Gord Krantz, Mayor of Milton sits in an office at the street level looking out over the public park.
When you walk into the Milton Town Hall you walk by the Mayor’s office – where the door is usually open if he is at his desk.
You walk past the Mayor’s office to get to a staff member.
Krantz wants people to see him and be able to reach him. That might be why he has been the Mayor of Milton since 1980 – has been an elected official since 1965
 By Staff
April 22, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Everyone is now on board the climate change train – except for those south of us who are still arguing that climate change is part of the fake news business.
 On Tuesday, April 23rd at 6:30pm city council will debate and pass a motion to declare that the city is declaring a Climate Emergency in Burlington. This in a city that is part way through a pilot private tree bylaw in one part of the city.
In a recent article in the New York Times magazine I read a paragraph that put climate change in hard to grasp black and white – we have 11 years to reverse the rate at which we are warming the earth. To make it even worse – Canada has been warning its territory at a rate twice as fast as most other countries.
Burlington Green said in a statement that: “Declaring a climate emergency sends the signal that Burlington will take a stand on climate action, and acts as a beacon for our Council’s decision-making through a climate action lens.”
Hamilton declared a climate emergency last week.
The council debate will be interesting – how many members of this council are driving electric cars?
How much money is this city going to spend during its term of office to cut down drastically on the Co2 emissions?
How many police cars are electric?
How many school buses are electric?
Will every vehicle in the city fleet, include Burlington Hydro in that, be electric within 18 months?
What hope is there when we read that Alberta and Ontario are fighting the federal carbon tax plans.
Voice your Support and urge council to get beyond the talk talk stage.
By Pepper Parr
April 22th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
If there is an election and there is a Green candidate in the race, Burlington environmentalist Vince Fiorito is likely to be involved. He is currently in Prince Edward Island working with a Green Party candidate that he thinks might be able to knock off the Premier of the province.
 Sara Donald running against the Premier of PEI Wade MacLaughlin – she is said to be leading in the polls. According to McLeans magazine, Sarah Donald’s district is “leaning” Green. Sarah was a last minute Green party nomination.
She decided to run when the writ came down three weeks ago. No one else contested the candidacy and she was acclaimed.
 Vince Fiorito, probably Burlington’s best environmentalist, is working in PEI to get a Green candidate elected. His candidate just might knock off the Province’s Premier. Fiorito showed up a few days later to help her. “She couldn’t quit her contract job at the university to campaign full time which put a bit of a crimp in her campaign.”
One of her campaign posters was defaced by a drunk woman, who was gracious enough to drop her wallet at the scene and aid the police investigation.
Fiorito thinks this “may be a “Mouse That Roared”; a Green taking down a sitting Premier, Liberal Wade MacLauchlan. When was the last time that happened in Canada? McKenzie King – we think – please correct us if we are wrong.
 PEI Liberal Premier, Wade MacLauchlan, announcing the dropping of the election writ – Green candidate is leading the Premier in the polls. PEI has a 27 member legislature with the Greens running candidates in every district. A Green candidate died, along with his son, in a canoeing accident days before the Tuesday election – that seat will have a by-election sometime in the future.
Three of the four most recent polls had the Greens forming a government.
Fiorito wanted Burlington to know that history is being made in PEI.
 By Lawson Hunter
April 20th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Lawson Hunter is an observer; people watching is a hobby. He chose to watch people who ride buses – this is part 2 of his experience.
 This is not a distracted driving offence. Yes there are a lot of interesting people that ride the bus, each with their own story about how and why they take transit. I don’t usually plunk myself beside people and strike up a conversation. I tend to sit and read or look out the window, but I wanted to learn more about my fellow passengers so I spent a few days riding on a number of buses throughout the city. I gathered up my courage and introduced myself as a writer doing a story about people like – us.
Many, many years ago, when I was a high school student, in another city, I didn’t have much choice when it came to getting around town. It was either the bus or walk. Things have changed a bit since then but judging by the number of students I see riding the bus each day, it’s still a fact of life and no one seems to be too upset about it.
 Running for the bus. Sometimes I took the bus to get to my part-time, after school job. That was a bit more stressful because I had to get to work on time – or else. I never did find out what “or else” was. I was pretty good at figuring out the schedule and the bus usually arrived on time. Finishing work late, however, meant that I would miss the last bus and have to walk home.
I was reminded of those days when I chanced upon Fatima on bus no. 87. She was on her way to work at one of the stores at the Power Centre on Brant street. Number 87 is the bus that runs along North Service Road and into parts of Tyandaga. It’s a weird little run – 6am until 9am and then 3pm until 6pm (approx.). It’s one of the ‘employment’ routes that service a particular area around ‘peak’ work hours.
I asked Fatima, politely, how she got home since the bus would not run around normal closing hours. “My Mom picks me up,” Fatima said. “Good,” I replied.
I continued on no. 87 and watched as a hoard of cars pulled into the parking lots of two private schools along North Service Road. I got off at the Aldershot GO station, took the train to Appleby glad with the fact that my Presto Card handled all the transfers seamlessly.
 City staff applauding the roll out of a new bus. Then I traveled up to the Alton area. Specifically, I jumped off at the 407 carpool parking lot to watch a few buses come and go. Pretty thin ridership, but then it wasn’t quite time for commuters arriving via the handful of GO buses that stop there. I then saw Bill. I didn’t catch him coming off a bus so as I approached him I asked where he was coming from. He mentioned that he was actually dropped off by one of his work colleagues at the Region of Peel in Brampton. “They encourage carpooling at the Region,” Bill stated. “I get dropped off here and the rest of the group carries on along Dundas Street (Hwy 5).”
Bill then explained that he usually catches a city bus (it could have been 6, 11, 25, 3A or 5A) and goes to the gym, to workout, before he continues, via bus, to his home. Sounded pretty good to me.
 Haber, a destination for students using transit. I decided to head back down to Appleby GO and chose the no. 11 bus. That took me past the Haber Recreation Centre and Dr. Frank J. Hayden Secondary School. The bus stopped long enough for a few students to get on board. It was after school hours, I guessed by the carrying cases they had. Musical instruments maybe. But the word ‘Badminton’ on the side of the case gave it away what they were up to.
A few minutes later, Brenda, got on the bus. “Why are you taking the bus?” I asked. “Had a car accident,” Brenda replied. “I have to wait two weeks for it to get repaired and there wasn’t a rental car provided.” As we got closer to Fairview Street, Brenda said goodbye and got off the bus to make her transfer.
As Brenda got off, Graham got on the bus. He’s saving his money so that he can take a driver’s course and get his licence. Even then he noted, “I’ll still have to take the bus until I get my full G2 licence.” As we pulled into the GO station I lost track of where Graham headed next.
Tatyana, who works in Mississauga, got off the GO train at Appleby and was on her way to catch the no. 10 bus. Well dressed, with a professional satchel on her hip – containing a laptop I guessed, Tatyana stopped long enough to tell me that she could have taken 4, 10 or 20 but the no. 4 bus ends at 6:30 so she doesn’t catch that often. “By the time I get off the train all I want to do is sit back and let someone else drive me home,” Tatyana exclaimed. Then she dashed off and onto her bus.
 John Street terminal. On a different day, at the John Street Burlington Transit depot I met an older lady. She didn’t want to give me her name but, like everyone else I met during this adventure, she had no qualms about chatting, briefly, about riding on Burlington Transit. “I prefer to walk,” she said. “But I can only walk so far and then I get tired. That’s when I wait for the next bus.” Good for you I thought.
When asked where she was headed she told me “Walmart”. “I go up there to buy groceries and such, but just one or two bags at a time,” she explained. I asked her which bus went up Brant Street. “Two or Three,” she replied. “They changed it a while ago. I’m not sure.” I told her I would ask at the kiosk on John St.
My final ‘victim’ was Lacey. Lacey works at Tim Horton’s and needs to get to work most days by 6am. “There’s not a lot of people on the bus at that time,” noted Lacy. She relies on the bus even though, in a pinch she could walk the distance.
“Not much fun in the winter,” I suggested.
“No,” she replied. “That’s why I’m grateful there is a bus. But,” she hesitated, “there could be a schedule, maybe electric, at the stop to let us know if and when the bus will arrive.”
I think about that and other things that would make me take the bus more often. I admit, I’m an occasional bus rider these days. I don’t ‘need’ to take the bus but when I do I feel a little more ‘connected’. More so than with others that drive past me. Sure, there could be more buses, more frequent departures, more routes, and softer seats, free wi-fi on the bus, maybe even more room for parcels or groceries.
It’s a chicken and egg thing. Would more riders mean better service, or vice versa? If more ‘gas tax’ money was spent on transit improvements rather than potholes, red light cameras, or parking lots would I be happier taking the bus? I’ve observed that everyone has an opinion about the money the City spends on public transit, for sure.
 A public meeting on transit problems. I’d be happy to hear what others would like to see happen to our transit system because public transit is not going away. It’s needed more now than ever – to move more people and get fewer cars on the road – to provide an alternative to the wasteful fact that most cars sit, parked somewhere 20+ hours a day – and to help combat climate change.
What do you think?
Lawson Hunter can be reached at: lawson@cogeco.ca
Part 1 of On the buses,
By Staff
April 19th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.
And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
By Staff
April 18th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The City of Burlington has a Park Play Experience Fund and is now accepting applications
The Parks Play Experience Fund will provide up to $1,500 to bring people together and encourage our community to get outside and play in City of Burlington parks, trails and open spaces.
 His to discover. The deadline for submissions is Monday, May 27, 2019. The Park Play Experience Fund is a one-year funding program that has been expanded from the Healthy Kids Community Challenge initiative.
The Parks Play Experience Fund will provide up to $1,500 to bring people together and encourage our community to get outside and play in City of Burlington parks, trails and open spaces.
Park Play Experience is designed to:
 Not as easy as it looks – great exercise. • Encourage outdoor play experiences in City parks, trails or open spaces
• Encourage neighbourhoods and community groups to get together and play outdoors
• Create new community connections
• Enhance playability, walkability or connectivity within City neighbourhood parks, trails and open spaces
Ideas for types of Outdoor Play Experiences include:
• Create a walking group on our trails
• Organize a neighbourhood park play day
• Organize a neighbourhood recreation program
• Purchase equipment to be shared among the community that will enhance play
• Introduce new outdoor park play experiences to enhance an existing program and encourage more people to get outside
How the fund works
The Park Play Experience must be:
• Open and inclusive to the entire community
• Within the City of Burlington
• Free or under five dollars ($5)
• Outdoors
• A one-time funding request
• Able to satisfy insurance requirements (listed online at burlington.ca/parkplayfund)
• In compliance with municipal, provincial and federal regulatory standards (i.e. standards for playgrounds, building codes)
 There is a soccer player in there somewhere Each application will be evaluated on the following criteria:
1. The request meets all criteria for funding
2. The overall feasibility of the experience
3. Tangible benefits and outcomes from the experience
4. How many people it will impact in the neighbourhood
5. A realistic budget that clearly outlines how the budget will be spent
6. Ability to complete the experience before Dec. 31, 2019
 Chris Glenn, Director of Parks and Recreation for the city. Chris Glenn, Director of Parks and Recreation has this to say about the program: “Play starts when we are young, but it never really stops. Play is for all ages, cultures and abilities. An outdoor play experience can be anything that encourages participation at any age group or demographic. Passive and or active. Sport, recreational, cultural or educational in nature. Connecting with nature and being outdoors.”
Links and Resources
For more on the rules – CLICK
By Pepper Parr
April 18th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
There are 150 elementary school teachers with the Halton District School Board who have been told that come September 1st, they don’t have a job.
The “redundancy” notices they received were required under the collective agreement the school board has with the elementary teachers union.
That’s the bad news – and there is more to come.
Director Miller Stuart Miller, Director of Education for the school board said we will learn next week what we will have to issue in terms of redundancy notices to high school teachers.
In an interview Miller said that some of the elementary teachers might get recalled but at this point we still don’t know what our grant structure from the province is going to be. We usually have that information by now – it might be the end of May before we know what we will have in the way of grant money, what individual schools need in the way of teaching staff and what we will have in the way of retirements.
The provincial decision to increase the number of students in elementary school classes after grade 4 and the need to have bigger high school classes isn’t helping.
Redundancy notices are issued on the basis of seniority which means the newer and usually younger teachers are the first to get let go.
 Teachers reminding the public just what it is they do. Miller did add that the notices have to be issued at this point – “I am hoping that the province sees us as a board with a growing population. We are opening a new school in Oakville.
“I am working with all the secondary school principals to learn what they think their needs are going to be.
“Right now we are dealing with a lot of if’s and maybes.”
While the Halton |Board has a good working relationship with its unions – those unions don’t like what they see coming their way from the province. Think strikes in the educational sector.
Cold comfort for those teachers that got the letters telling them that there is no place for them come September.
By Staff
April 18th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
As most people get ready for a long weekend, hoping that real spring weather will show up, some time might be found to plan for the next set of school holidays.
The Halton District School Board released the calendar for the 2019-2020 school year.
The calendar has to be approved by the Ministry of Education.
Getting a calendar to this point is no small feat. The two major school boards have to get their ducks lined up and then they need to look at what else there is in the way of public holidays.
So far we are not seeing very much in the way of accommodating the Muslim community.
By Staff
April 18th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Community Development Halton has announced the second in a series of short courses for the not for profit sector
There is an opportunity for people in this sector to “strengthen your grant application skills with strong evaluation techniques. In this series, you will learn different styles of evaluation and their impact on your activities. This full-day session will provide insight into the approaches to evaluation, as well as provide a deepened understanding of “how to”. This is the second session of Measuring Impact: Evaluation Approaches workshop series.
*This series is intended for staff and board members concerned about or charged with measuring impact in their organizations and/or programs.
RESULTS-BASED ACCOUNTABILITY AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVALUATION
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Community Development Halton,
3350 South Service Rd, Burlington
Session fee: $100 Members; $125 Non-members.
Lunch will be provided.
Registration: cdhalton.ca/events
This session is focused on Results-Based Accountability and Developmental Evaluation, both of which, move in varying degrees beyond the linearity of more traditional approaches to evaluation.
Key learnings:
• Understanding key concepts that shape Results-Based Accountability as an approach to program planning, community planning, and evaluation.
• Appreciating the distinction between performance accountability and population accountability.
• Understand the planning processes inherent in both performance accountability and population accountability.
• Insight into the challenges of evaluating innovative initiatives in complex systems using more traditional evaluation approaches.
• Understand when developmental evaluation is appropriate to use.
• Develop an appreciation for systems thinking and the role of the evaluator in developmental evaluation.
Facilitator: JODY ORR, of The Chrysalis Group has an extensive background in designing and carrying out evaluation in the human services sector. With a master’s degree in Sociology and founding principal in an organizational and community development consulting firm, Jody has worked for 17 years in the nonprofit sector. Currently the embedded evaluator with the Centre for Innovation in Peer Support, her consulting work involves research and policy analysis.
Upcoming session (session #3.) Research Methods to Support Evaluation and Evaluation Readiness (Wednesday, June 12, 2019 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.)
For more information find the flyer attached or contact 1-855-395-8807 ext. 2 or acoburn@cdhalton.ca
By Pepper Parr
April 18th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
There is nothing more powerful than a motivated citizen with research skills who takes the time to read lengthy, incredibly boring documents.
 Lucy Belvedere in conversation with ward 5 candidate Mary Alice St. James Lucy Belvedere didn’t like the look of the proposed development for the Lakeshore Village Plaza but she wasn’t prepared to sit idly by and let the developer roll over the residents of the community.
After delivering a zinger of a delegation Belvedere went over the documents that were public and realized she had missed something.
“I don’t know how I missed this! I discovered that in the Official Plan now under review, there is already a designation for the smaller sites of mixed-use properties that can apply to the Lakeshore Village Plaza site.
This designation is called Local Centre Designation and describes Policies for sites that are 1 to 4 hectares.
Belvedere argues that “Lakeshore Village Plaza should be given the designation as a Local Centre since it is under 4 hectares. This would resolve many of the major concerns of height and density and in reality it reflects the Neighbourhood Commercial designation of the existing Official Plan beautifully…allowing intensification without being excessive.”
The controversy over this redevelopment proposal could have been avoided had Lakeshore Plaza been given the correct designation: it is under four ha and should be designated a local designation centre.
“I don’t understand why it was given the Neighbourhood Centre designation that applies to properties that are 4 – 12 Hectares, especially considering the narrow roads that serve this property and the character of this east-end neighbourhood surrounding the site.
Local Centre Designation better suits a Secondary Growth Area Designation allowing reasonable intensification, but not to the extent of a Primary Growth Area.
Belvedere’s finding was sent to everyone that mattered.
During the delegation none of the council members raised the designation that was given, Lola xxx didn’t make any mention either. Did they not fully read the report?
A complete application has been in the hands of the city for some time. Are the east end residents looking at yet another development application that is going to squeeze through because of a timing goof?
 This one at Martha and Lakeshore.  This one opposite city hall. That’s how ADI got away with their Nautique development in the downtown core. The OMB approval of the ADI development gave the Carriage Gate development the loop hole they needed to get a 24 story structure approved opposite city hall.
 Is this what the residents of the east end can expect for the Lakeshore Village Plaza? Will Lucy Belvedere have run the alarm bell soon enough?
 By Staff
April 17th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
This criminal act sets a new level for stupidity.
 On April 16, 2019, at approximately 7:45 pm, the Halton Regional Police Service received a call to attend an address on Walkers Line in Burlington. Information from the caller stated a female had been shot at the residence.
A large emergency response (including police and EMS) was coordinated and attended the address. Investigation found the allegation that a female was shot, to be false.
Zach Gerdes (27) of Burlington, was arrested at the scene and charged with the following:
-Public Mischief
-Convey False Message
It is alleged that the 911 call was made by Gerdes to expedite police response to a separate report in regards to missing property.
Police would like to remind the public that 911 is only to be used in an emergency. It is a criminal offence to make a false 911 call and such hoaxes divert first responders from actual emergencies.
People charged with a criminal offence are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
 By Staff
April 17th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Ray Rivers is on a short sabbatical, taking some time to think about the significantly different political landscape in Ontario and now Alberta and wonder what impact that will have on the federal elections in October.
 Basílica de Santiago Rivers made mention of a walking trip he had done in Spain where that part of the world is full up with churches – “a testimony to how religion helped keep people in poverty while building monuments to the organization in charge of their lives. Truth is that the meek were never going to inherit the earth – ask Rachel Notley.”
Ray may well have a lot to say about the election in Alberta.
 Ray Rivers writes regularly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was once a candidate for provincial office in Burlington. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Ray has a post graduate degree in economics that he earned at the University of Ottawa. Tweet @rayzrivers
By Pepper Parr
April 17th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
If you haven’t submitted your application for the job of Burlington’s next city manager – you’ve missed out on the chance to pull in close to a quarter of a million each year + a great pension + a pretty easy work schedule.
Applications closed yesterday afternoon.
The Gazette did a story on the process the city was using to hire the next city manager; a number of our readers had comments from those who looked askance at the process the city appears to be using to hire the next city manager.
 It’s a lonely job at times. Interim city manager Tim Commisso The current interim city manager, Tim Commisso who uses the city manager’s office and uses the city manager’s seat at council meetings – made it clear when he was hired that this was a short term assignment.
It didn’t look that way for a bit. Commisso took to using the title Acting City Manager and during the budget deliberations talked in terms of revising the way reserve funds were being looked at and deployed.
When Mayor Marianne Meed Ward did what in the municipal world was unthinkable – raided some of the reserve accounts to ensure that she came in with a budget that was under a 3% increase over the previous year, Commisso said that in future the finance department would group the reserve funds into a “portfolio” of reserves.
Not a bad idea but not something that gets done in a couple of months. Why was Commisso talking about a very significant and strategically important approach to finance when he has just a few months in his short term contract?
When the Gazette first published a piece on the city manager job posting and asking when the public was going to be brought into the picture we got a notice from the Mayor’s office that there would be a media release issued “shortly”.
That shortly turned out to be the same day – the city issued a statement and included a link to the job posting with a Human Resources recruiting operation that was some distance from a first tier operation had posted.
The Gazette got the information on the 12th for a job posting that was to close on the 16th.
There were a number of things about the statements made and the information released that raised more than an eyebrow and prompted some questions:
 Why did it take so long to tell the public what was being done? This Mayor prides herself on being open, transparent and accountable.
When was the job first posted by the head hunters who were given the assignment ?
The whole process that appears to have been used just doesn’t feel all that right.
The Gazette did reach out to the Mayor a day before we wrote the article asking where things were with the hiring of the new city manager – we didn’t get a reply.
Hopefully, whoever the city eventually hires will tighten up the way things get done at 426 Brant Street.
Related news stories.
When was a new city manager going to be hired?
The job posting was to close five days after the public learned about the job,
 By Janet Gadeski
April16th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The title of the talk that is to take place at the Library on New Street on Thursday, May 2 from 7 to 8:30 pm certainly catches the eye.
“Death is not a medical event. It is a social process,”
 Kathy-Kortes-Miller – author. Kathy Kortes-Miller. A social worker and palliative care specialist, speaks from systemic and personal experience.
Kathy’s book, Talking About Death Won’t Kill You (ECW Press, 2018), came out of that journey. Its helpful chapters include strategies and tips for becoming better informed; talking openly with family members, especially children; sharing with co-workers, creating compassionate workplaces for yourself and others; working through personal and medical decisions; making your values and wishes clear in an advance care plan; managing and benefitting from digital communications, including social media; and considering medical assistance in dying.
 She has earned a reputation for managing this topic with expertise, empathy, and humour. If you’d like her to tell you more about preparing for death and dying, join her at Burlington’s Central Library, Centennial Room, from 7 to 8:30 pm on Thursday, May 2. There will be plenty of time for your questions. Copies of the book will be available for sale too. The event is co-sponsored by the Burlington Public Library and Carpenter Hospice with the assistance of The Different Drummer in support of The 100% Certainty Project.
To register for this free event, go to https://attend.bpl.on.ca/event/1666855. See you there!
Burlington resident Janet Gadeski is a former board member of The Carpenter Hospice. An avid reader, she represents the Hospice on The 100% Certainty Project’s working group, a project dedicated to helping people talk about and prepare for dying, death, and bereavement.
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