By Pepper Parr

July 22nd, 2025

BURLINGTON, ON

The Ontario government has proposed removing 645 acres of the beaches and an island in Ontario’s most-visited Provincial Park and turning them over to development. This represents almost one third of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park. The proposal also makes it easier and faster for the government to remove lands or entire parks across the province. This will be done by changing the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act which currently requires a study, report, and agreement of the members of the Ontario Legislature before lands totalling more than 1% of a park area can be removed or sold. The proposal aims to remove this portion of the Act.

“Provincial Parks belong to the people of Ontario and are meant to be protected forever. It is appalling that the current government is trying to give away big parts of our most popular park and make it easy to give more park land away in the future” said Tim Gray, Executive Director of Environmental Defence. “These beachfront lands on Georgian Bay are worth millions of dollars and owned by the people of Ontario. They should never be a gift to well-connected developers”.

Hassaan Basit at his last Burlington Council meeting.

Our current Chief Administrative Officer, Hassaan Basit moving along to the provincial government to handle conservation matters.

When we checked to make sure we had the title correctly, we were surprised to learn that Basit is not only the Chief Conservation Executive but he is also a Deputy Minister and that the appointment is for a three-year period,

Pursuant to the prerogative of His Majesty The King in Right of Ontario to appoint persons to serve His Majesty’s Government of Ontario in the discharge of its executive obligations and responsibilities.   Hassaan Basit be appointed Deputy Minister and Chief Conservation Executive, Cabinet Office, effective August 4, 2025, to serve at the pleasure of the Lieutenant Governor in Council for a period not exceeding three years from the effective date of this appointment.

The job comes with some interesting perks.   A performance bonus that can reach as high as 26% for DM1 levels and a car with a driver.  No, not every deputy minister is guaranteed a driver. While some deputy ministers are provided with vehicles and drivers as part of their role, it is not a universal perk for all deputy ministers.

Wasaga Beach Provincial Park

By Pepper Parr

July 22^nd, 2025

BURLINGTON, ON

OPINION

Calderbank: “Council and the City have the power to fix this.”

In an opinion piece yesterday, Kimberly Calderbank, the volunteer president of Burlington Aquatic Devilrays (BAD), said: “Council and the City have the power to fix this.”

BAD also has the power to fix this.

They have engaged legal counsel to represent them should this matter get to a Courtroom.

This is the time to get the matter before a judge.  First, by asking for an injunction which would stop the city from doing anything, not that they have done all that much so far.

And then asking a Superior Court Judge to hold an expedited Judicial Review of just what took place – and just where the unfairness lies.

Calderbank is quite right – the time needed to set up programs for the fall is slipping away.

Swimmers don’t know which club they are going to be members of.

Certainly not a Burlington Swimming Club.

Golden Horseshoe Aquatic Club (GHAC) have said on numerous occasions that they are not a Hamilton Club.  Perhaps not, but they are certainly not a Burlington swimming Club.

While incorporated as a not-for-profit club, the GHAC  business model is to acquire as much pool time wherever they can and to charge fees that exceed anything asked for by BAD.

Council is not scheduled to meet again until mid-August.  They can meet at the call of the Mayor, which Meed Ward has done in the past.  We understand that she needed a nudge from a member of Council to make the decision to call a Special Meeting of Council.

The seven members of the current Council were elected to represent the people of Burlington.  If they won’t get on with resolving this issue, then put it before someone who can resolve it.

Some say that pool time should be available to anyone. On what basis would that decision be made?

On numerous occasions, the city will put out a call to artists to provide their work, which the city will display.  On occasion, and not just a few, the call is limited to Burlington residents only.

Burlington swimming pools were built for the residents of Burlington.

Background:

Related opinion piece

The timeline

By Pepper Parr

July 21^st, 2025

BURLINGTON, ON

At the last City Council meeting until mid-August, by which time current Chief Administrative Officer Hasssaan Basit will have begun his new job with the province he spoke about what he believes he has achieved in the 16 months her served.

Thank you. I wasn’t going to make my traditional statement, and I was asking the person who sits to my right, my lawyer, the city’s lawyer, and he said, “there’s no protocol. You do what you want.”  So I appreciate the kind note and the kind words, Mayor. And I think I will keep it very brief. I spoke to all of you last week.

Hassaan Basit at his last council meeting.

It’s been an absolute pleasure to be here,  to work with those of you I’ve known for many years, such as yourself Mayor, and get to work closely with others that I’ve known.  You know, I’ve worked in Burlington for the past 21 years and and the last 16  months, however long it’s been, it’s been an honour to work right here at City Hall. We have made a lot of progress. We have made a lot of changes. We’ve collaborated on achieving almost all of them. It has not just been down to me.

I’m very proud of leaving you with a very talented group of public servants who work at the City of Burlington, not just at the executive leadership team. I have the unique opportunity, you know, to hire many of them, most of them actually.   I looked for people who had leadership capabilities, who could make decisions, who could unlock problems, we could identify circular processes and put a stop to them, inspire people to serve our community. And that’s the team I have around me, and that’s the team that the city has. It’s been only a few months since the last pieces of that team came together, and so you know, they’re going to continue to serve you well.

The staff who work at the City of Burlington are second to none. They really are.   They know what business they’re in, and that’s to serve the community, they require the space and the resources and the leadership and the tools to be able to do that, as long as council and the leadership team continues to support them, the sky’s the limit in terms of what we can do for the residents of this city.

And lastly, to everybody on council, I appreciated all our interactions, one on one, some private, some public, always really good, great ideas. And lastly, to you, Mayor, as you said, I’ve worked with you for many, many years in many capacities, for both of us, actually.

It’s been a real pleasure to work shoulder and shoulder over the past little while.  I’m not going far. It’s a great opportunity to go do something at a larger scale in an area that is near and dear to my heart, The  Burlington perspective will be front of mind, you know, as as I go and take that responsibility on.

To my senior team, thank you so much for putting up with everything over the past year and a bit.

To the staff at the City of Burlington, I will miss them the most. So with that, thank you so much.

By Kimberly Calderbank

July 21st, 2025

BURLINGTON, ON

We hear the phrase “in good faith” often these days.

It’s used by lawyers, officials, and press releases—meant to assure us that decisions are being made with honesty, fairness, and transparency.

But standing here on July 21st, watching our club, our families, and our 40-year grassroots legacy hang in limbo, I can’t help but ask: what does “good faith” really mean, if it’s not backed by action?

The Burlington Aquatic Devilrays (BAD) is a Tier 1 competitive swim club and a community-built legacy. We’ve developed Olympians, taught thousands of children to swim, and made a significant contribution to Burlington’s reputation as a city that supports youth sports.

We entered the City of Burlington’s pool allocation RFP process in good faith. We submitted all required documents. In fact, we went above and beyond, providing a Certificate of Status and confirmation of our non-profit standing—standard and acceptable proof in the Province of Ontario.

And yet, our proposal was rejected.

Why?

Because we didn’t submit a “Current and Valid Certificate of Incorporation”—a document that does not exist in Ontario, and certainly wouldn’t still be current after 40+ years.

Here’s the hardest part: the City knew this.

In the Adult RFP, also issued this year, the City explicitly acknowledged in the addendum question section that a “Current and Valid Certificate of Incorporation” does not exist in Ontario and instructed applicants to provide alternative documentation instead.

That same clarity was not provided in the Youth RFP.

Here’s what’s important to note:

• GHAC applied to both the Adult and Youth RFPs, meaning they received the correct information about the document requirements through the Adult process.
• Burlington Masters applied only to the Adult RFP, and therefore also received the corrected criteria.
• There were only three applicants total across both RFPs.
• Of those, two had access to the updated guidance on documentation—yet it was not shared with all applicants.

Why wasn’t that critical information communicated to everyone?

Especially when it affected a legacy club’s eligibility?

In contrast, GHAC was given until September 1st to meet residency requirements. The City even changed the contract language to accommodate them.

Meanwhile, the City issued press statements calling our advocacy efforts “misinformation.” But everything we’ve shared—every fact, every timeline—has been truthful. We’ve been transparent from the start. We’ve followed the process. We’ve trusted in the system.

And now? We’re still waiting. We’re still asking for the most basic information:

How many hours are we getting so we can plan and move forward?

Summer is slipping away. Swimmers, parents, and coaches remain in limbo. We want to communicate a plan to our community—but we need the information to do so.

This is about more than BAD.

This is about every youth organization that partners with the City in good faith, and trusts that their long-term investment in Burlington will be respected.

It’s about ensuring that municipal policies are followed, not bent or selectively applied.

The City of Burlington’s own Recreation Facility Space Allocation Procedure outlines exactly how decisions like this should be made. It states that:

• Historical use is a core criterion in space allocation decisions.
• Qualified Program Providers are to be allocated core hours each season based on prior usage and community need.
• New and emerging organizations should only be approved if they fill a gap—not if they duplicate services already provided.
• Groups must demonstrate 80% residency and be in-good-standing status.

BAD checks every one of these boxes.

We have a 40-year history. We meet residency requirements. We are in good standing.  We are the very definition of a Qualified Program Provider.

By the City’s own policy, we should not be losing our core hours to a non-local club duplicating existing services.

This was not a one-off documentation issue. It was a fundamental breakdown of the City’s own allocation process.

We’ve asked for one thing:

A fair, just, and transparent path forward.

We are still waiting.

Council and the City have the power to fix this.

They have the power to choose fairness over bureaucracy.

To honour legacy over loopholes.

To live up to the very principles they put in writing.

If “good faith” means anything at all—now is the time to prove it.

Kimberly Calderbank is the Volunteer President, Burlington Aquatic Devilrays

By Gazette Staff

July 21st, 2025

BURLINGTON, ON

During the last Council meeting the city will have until the middle of August, Mayor Marianne Meed Ward used the occasion to recognize a number of people who were involved in an incident at one of the city’s swimming pools.

Mayor Meed Ward said:

I am super honored to recognize, on behalf of Council, remarkable individuals whose quick thinking and heroic actions resulted in the successful rescue of two people in distress at our local pools in times of emergency.

It is the courage and compassion of everyday heroes that stand out most, and I am deeply grateful and incredibly proud of the outstanding dedication shown by our staff and community members who acted with such determination and heart to our dedicated pool staff, your professionalism and quick response unquestionably saved lives. Your commitment to ensuring the safety and well being of all patrons is commendable and deeply appreciated, and your decisive activation and administration of life saving protocols are a testament to your unwavering commitment to safety and to the team members who extended their support to the pool staff following the rescues, your assistance in ensuring the well being of our staff is deeply appreciated.

Furthermore, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the citizens, including a synchronized swimming coach and a local doctor who demonstrated remarkable courage and compassion in assisting with these rescues. Your willingness to lend a helping hand in a moment of crisis embodies the spirit of our community

Certificates were given to the following people:

Avery Abbott, Cameron Bradshaw, Melissa Brown, Mya Cardy,Connor Crowley, Sarah Cruickshank, Carter Davis, Lila Davis, Katelynn Dienesch, Lauren Hodkinson, Stephanie Jarvis, Trinity Jarvis, Annelisa Jeffery, Hannah Jorritsma, Marina Malty, Lauren Marranca, Hilary McGregor, Ryan Moffat, Wasi Rizvi, Jake Yashar, Dr. Nicole Jedrzejko and Sherry Riley, Ignite Coach.

There were as many Councillors in the photograph as there were people attending the ceremonial event. Congrats to those who were on to help at the swimming pool.

By Pepper Parr

July 20^th, 2025

BURLINGTON, ON

This is what the eight-year-old organization is all about.

Rescued & Restored – it’s located on the west side of Hwy 6 in Freelton – close to the Antique market.

It is part of the Eagles Nest operation that works out of a church on Dundas close to the border of  Burlington and Hamilton.

Eagles Nest provides counselling services to both communities.  Rescued and Restored provides a significant part of the Eagle’s Nest annual revenue. Rescued & Restored supports other community organizations by donating furniture, clothing or household items to their beneficiaries as needs arise.

Sandy, who is the general manager, started as a volunteer in 2019 and was later appointed manager, runs a 6,000 sq. ft. site with two levels and a small staff of 15 to 20 volunteers.

They receive on average 10 new items each day that need some help before they can go on the sales floor with a price tag.

“One of the things we don’t appreciate” said Sandy “are the people who dump piles of junk outside our receiving door.  We spend hours moving it into bins that go to waste dumps.”

In the 23-24 audited statement, the organization reports approximately 29% of their total income and are forecasting more than a 10% increase in store income by the end of the fiscal year.

The rescued clothing is extensive with a staff member who knows every item on those hangers.

Dozens of lamps and scores of glassware and more place settings than we could count.

It would be easy to spend an hour walking through the rows of items that have been rescued and restored. Prices that are exceptional.

By Lester Wellington 

July 17th, 2025

BURLINGTON, ON

Chronic lateness can often feel like an inescapable habit because showing up late to meetings, keeping friends waiting, or missing deadlines can lead you to constantly apologize for being late. People all over the world struggle with punctuality, and while being late might seem like a small flaw, it can have dire consequences.

If you are looking to overcome the habit of chronic lateness, then you are in the right place, as we have discussed several strategies and tips that can help you overcome chronic lateness and help you build a habit of being punctual and on time.

Understand the Cause of Chronic Lateness

Before you can fix any problem, you need to understand its root cause. Chronic lateness stems from a multitude of reasons, including :

• 

  First step towards overcoming chronic lateness: identifying the causes and address them.

  Poor Time Management Skills

• Overcommitment
• Perfectionism
• Procrastination
• Lack of Prioritization
• Psychological Factors
• Poor Habits
• Mindset Issues

Understanding what causes you to be late is the first step towards overcoming chronic lateness, and you should start by identifying the causes so that you can address them effectively to overcome chronic lateness.

After you have identified the root cause of chronic lateness, here are some actionable tips and strategies that will help you overcome chronic lateness and be more punctual.

Improve Time Management

The foundation of punctuality is deeply rooted in time management. If you are not good with time management, then you cannot overcome chronic lateness because you won’t be able to take control of your time. Improving your time management skills is very important, and this can be done by using digital tools to procure the Salah Timing Calendar and help plan your day, breaking down large tasks, making a routine and following it, and adding extra time to your schedule for unexpected delays or last-minute changes.

Change your mindset and shift your perspective to overcome the issue of chronic lateness.

Change Your Mindset

Your mindset plays a very important role when it comes to punctuality, and you need to change your mindset and shift your perspective to overcome the issue of chronic lateness. To do so:

• Aim for arriving early rather than being exactly on time. Leaving early for a meeting or event will cushion you against unexpected delays.
• Rethink the importance of punctuality in your mind and think of time as a form of respect for yourself, as well as for others.
• Visualize the benefits of arriving early, such as less stress, more confidence, and a better reputation, which can encourage you to be more punctual.

Address Procrastination and Perfectionism

Procrastination and perfectionism are two completely opposite things, yet both of these often hold people back and lead to them being chronically late. If procrastination or perfectionism is holding you back, then it is time to address these issues by tackling tasks early, setting deadlines, embracing imperfections, and focusing on completing tasks the right way instead of making them flawless.

Develop a Pre-Event Routine

Overcommitment can be overcome by setting boundaries, prioritizing tasks that align with your goals and values.

Developing a pre-event and consistent routine can help you stay on track and organized, and avoid last-minute rushes. You can create a pre-event routine by creating a checklist for the steps that you need to take before leaving for an event, setting alarms and reminders to remind you when it is time to get ready, and prepare the night before by laying out your clothes, packing your bag, and gathering any material that you will need ahead of time, including the Montreal Prayer Calendar, to reduce stress and save time.

Avoid Overcommitment

One of the major contributors to chronic lateness is overcommitment. People who overcommit are the ones who constantly have a habit of being late because committing to multiple things can make you overwhelmed, leading to chronic lateness and impunctuality. This can be overcome by setting boundaries, prioritizing tasks that align with your goals and values, and politely declining requests that don’t fit into your schedule or priority list.