 By Staff
August 1. 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
 The beginning of the end of the playoff season for the Burlington Herd starts on Wednesday when the team takes to the ball diamond and plays against the London Majors, a team they were not able to beat during the regular season.
This could be a very short play-off season for the Herd.
The schedule is as follows:
SERIES “B” – LONDON (3) vs. BURLINGTON (6)
Game 1: Wednesday, Aug. 2, at London, 7:05 p.m.
Game 2: Thursday, Aug. 3, at Burlington, 7:15 p.m.
Game 3: Friday, Aug. 4, at London, 7:35 p.m.
Game 4: Sunday, Aug. 6, at Burlington, 5:30 p.m.
Game 5: Tuesday, Aug. 8, at London, 7:05 p.m.
Game 6: Thursday, Aug. 10 at Burlington, 7:15 p.m.
Game 7: Friday, Aug. 11, at London, 7:35 p.m.
 By Pepper Parr
July 31st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The CNE has been running their Rising Star Talent Competition program since 1987.
Each year young boys and girls from across the province enter the competition that runs for xx days at the Canadian National Exhibition.
The talent competition showcases young artists between the ages of 6 to 21
Contestants are judged on their natural ability, audience appeal, stage presence and the quality of their performance
Erica Pickering, a 12 year old grade 7 student at Sacred Heart where she says her best subjects are English and languages is a Rising Star contestant.
Erica puts in 25 hours a week on training but doesn’t talk in terms of a dance career for herself. She likes the look of interior design and decorating but is typical for a girl hr age – she is “considering her options”
 Erica Pickering, a contestant in the CNE Rising Star competition. Erica sings and dances and does some acting; commercial work is something she thinks she might like to do. She sees herself as a “triple threat”
Erica has this pixie look to her. The photographs of her as a performer are not the girl that you talk to in the back yard of her home.
The Erica on a stage has a very polished professional look to her.
In an interview she is confident; doesn’t look to her Mother for the answers to questions and doesn’t hesitate to tell you what she thinks – and does so very politely.
“Dancing is hard work” she will tell you but she must be doing something right: she was one of the top five in the Atlantic City event.
Now it is on to the CNE competition which is an event you must apply to for consideration.
There are usually more than 100 participants in the numerous categories.
The event is described as a “nice show” one that doesn’t have the meanness that is often seen on the events that have a reality aspect to them.
That is so Canadian: decent, polite, clean and fun – which pretty well sums up Erica Pickering.
The Gazette will follow her performances.
The Rising Star schedule is:
Junior Preliminaries: Friday August 18 – Monday August 21
Junior Semi-Finals: Monday August 28 & Tuesday August 29
Junior Finals: Saturday September 2
Youth Preliminaries: Tuesday August 22 – Sunday August 27
Youth Semi-Finals: Wednesday August 30 – Friday September 1
Youth Finals: Sunday September 3
The Grand Champion of the junior competition will receive $1,000. The Grand Champion of the youth competition will receive $2,500.
Youth division is 13 – 21 years of age ; the Junior division is 6 – 12 years old
By Staff
July 30th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The 2017 regular season for the InterCounty Baseball League (IBL) comes to a close later this week with the playoff series to follow.
At this point the teams to watch are the Barrie Baycats who have gone 33-2 and the Toronto Maple Leafs who are the only team to beat the Baycats – they did that twice.
The Burlington Herd will be playing the London Majors in the quarter finals – the Herd was unable to beat the London Majors during the regular season, which suggests the Majors will move on to play the Toronto Maple Leafs who should take that series and go on to play either Kitchener or Hamilton – Kitchener is favoured to win that series – which gets the league to a final series between the Barrie Baycats and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Leafs will go into that series as the under dogs – expect to see some really good competitive baseball. Worth driving to Toronto to take in a game.
For the die hard Leaf fans they could look upon the baseball games as the whetting of their appetites for the coming hockey season.
The men who swing the bats do not get paid.
Did you know that the men who play for the Inter-County Baseball League (IBL) do not get paid?
IBL compensation rules, 2017 season state that: Payment for playing in the IBL is not allowed. Additionally, compensation is not allowed as an incentive.
The IBL rate for mileage for 2017 season will be a maximum of 0.40 per kilometre. Maximum flat rates for players for the 2017 season is $35.
Non-Canadians, who are unable to legally work, but staying “in town” for the season, may be subsidized for housing and food. The amount for food is not to be greater than $50 per diem and the amount for housing is to be the real cost incurred by the player or the team.
Players cannot accept cash, significant gifts or discounts or any financial compensation from third parties in return for playing in the IBL.
Violation of these rules may result in suspension of the player(s) involved as well as team officials. The team may also face forfeiture of games in which the identified player(s) appeared.
A lot of name changes for the Burlington baseball team – playoff wins have been scarce.
Back in 2010 InterCounty baseball was revived in Burlington when a team named the Twin,who started out in St. Thomas moved to Stratford in 2004 and then moved to Mississauga for the 2008 season and operated there for two years before moving to Burlington in 2011. They were renamed as the Burlington Bandits in 2013 and were taken over by new owners. Two season later the team was once again sold to new owners and renamed the Burlington Herd.
 By Pepper Parr
July 30th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
If you do what many of us do – plan your week on Sunday you might want to give some thought to slipping up to Lowville to take in a performance of Othello at Thinkspot where you can sit outside on a large large lawn and watch gifted actors perform one of Shakespeare’s plays.
Getting out in the middle of the week to watch a play isn’t the way most people spend their time – unless of course they are on vacation.
 Driftwood Theatre performing at Thinkspot in Lowville Whether you are on vacation or putting in time at the office – Wednesday evening – 7:00 pm the Driftwood Theatre Company will take to the outdoor stage and give you an interpretation of Othello that you will not have seen before.
Lowville has been the locale for a number of artistic endeavours. The annual Lowville Festival is now an established event that has shown admirable resilience getting off the ground. With three years behind them and respectable sponsorships in place – they can be expected to do nothing but grow.
Thinkspot has been welcoming the Driftwood Theatre to their location for a number of years. Lowville has become one of the more than 20 locations that Driftwood performs at each year.
At the end of the production, always to boisterous rounds of applause, some of the deeply committed audience for the works of William Shakespeare gather around a fire place and talk about the merits of the performance and the how’s and why’s of what the director chose to do.
 Using Canada’s United Nations role in Cyprus as the backdrop for a production of Othello is both a brave and audacious decision.
The experience is well worth the time and the locale is one to be treasured.
This is a Pay what you can event with a suggested $20.
By Staff
July 29th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a dismal way to end the season for the Burlington Herd who struggled to get above the bottom half of the league standings throughout the season.
New name, new logo, new ownership weren’t enough to put th Herd in top half of the league standings. A new name and new ownership wasn’t enough, the team ended with a 13 – 23 win loss record.
They will play the London Majors during the playoff season.
 London Major player. Photo by Matt Hiscox. The London Majors defeated the Burlington Herd twice on Friday – A game that started on July 20 in Burlington was tied 7-7 when it was called due to darkness. When the game resumed yesterday each team scored once in the 11th, and London added two more in the 13th. That gave London a 10-8 win for the delayed game.
In Friday’s scheduled game, London won 11-1.
The Herd will now play London for the quarter final of the playoff series
Standings
Barrie Baycats 32-1
Kitchener Panthers 27-8
London Majors 24-9
Toronto Maple Leafs 17-17
Brantford Red Sox 15-19
Burlington Herd 13-23
Hamilton Cardinals 8-25
Guelph withdrew.
 By Ray Rivers
July 28, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
In a first-past-the-post parliamentary system only two political parties will ever predominate. That potentially limits the development of ideas and policies since the tendency is for the parties to become entrenched. We see this in spades south of the border where their famous time-honoured arcane system of checks and balances has devolved into little more than a battleground for partisan bickering over established positions.
That is where third parties come in – to generate new ideas and expand the discussion. Of course a proportional representative electoral system is natural habitat for third parties. But we’ve also seen the successful co-operation and contribution of third parties during times of minority government. In fact these were periods where some of our best legislation has been created.
Third parties, especially those with little hope of ever having to actually govern, can push the envelope of what is possible and make the unimaginable imaginable. That is how we got universal national health care. But once a mainstream party adopts a good out-of-the-box idea it gets the credit and power, and the third party continues to linger in the shadows. That is the story of Canada’s NDP. Always a bridesmaid and never a bride.
 Jack Layton took Quebec with his Orange Wave but died before he got a chance to really wide that wave. Jack Layton tried to change that scenario. Coming up to the 2011 election, Layton sold his soul to the Quebec separatists, all but promising them political sovereignty. And it worked. Disillusioned with the Bloc Quebecois and not inclined to support Harper or Ignatieff, voters in that province went Orange (NDP) in droves, and almost as a protest vote. For the first time in their 50 year history – and beyond their wildest dreams – the New Democrats got into the game as Canada’s official opposition.
 Opposition Leader Thomas Mulcair one of the best Opposition speakers the House has seen in some time. He reminded one of the great John George Diefenbaker with a beard instead of jowls. Thomas Mulcair, replacing Layton, chose his own version of the ‘Third Way’, the political philosophy that led to Tony Blair’s string of victories in the UK. There is no right or left only the correct, the Third Way. So while he may have planned to govern from the left, he campaigned from the middle – campaigning as if he were Stephen Harper light. And he lost in a political arena filled with voters wanting a change from the previous decade of ho-hum, nasty and back-from-the-past.
So at the first gathering of the faithful, the NDP rank and file showed Mulcair the door as the party once again sought to discover its old activist self. Fresh from the pen, the elite radical left tossed the Leap Manifesto and its visions for a carbon-free Canada onto the table, as a starting point. The NDP had come home to the fringe after its brief sojourn in the big leagues.
So there are four candidates in a race even more subdued than the Tories just ran. There is less oxygen in the room now when they meet. Already a couple of potential candidates have dropped out, some have been disqualified by the onerous rules, and a whole raft of potential candidates are sitting it out. The truth is Justin Trudeau has stolen their traditional place as Canada’s left-of centre party, at least for now, and the NDP needs to go back to the drawing board… and maybe change their name.
The NDP was an experiment from the beginning, a 60’s merger between a populist agrarian-based socialist party, the CCF, and a large labour movement, the Canadian Labour Congress. After all, this kind of marriage had worked in other Commonwealth nations, Britain in particular, propelling a workers’ party into power. But Canada is a different political animal.
 Charlie Angus – As solid a Socialist as you will find in this country. Can he win the NDP leadership and then do something with the party? Popular northern Ontario MP Charlie Angus is the person to beat as they move towards the October vote. But as we saw with the recent Conservative leadership contest nothing is a given, especially when the NDP, like the other two main parties in their own leadership races, are using a preferential ballot. But whoever wins this contest will have an uphill climb to re-invent the NDP if it is to remain relevant as a political force.
Among other matters the party needs to consider its relationship with labour. The long-standing linkage with labour unions has likely hurt the party as much as it has ever helped, particularly as Canada continues to de-unionize. And in recent times so much of its traditional labour support has drifted to the Liberals, as unions seek to increase their influence with a sympathetic governing party.
Of course the NDP have formed sub-national governments across the country, and are currently in charge in BC and Alberta. There is a strong political following in BC, though the Greens are biting at their feet. And Alberta is a work in progress, with enough promise to force the parties on the right into a marriage of convenience. These governing experiences serve to perpetually push the national third party to become more centrist and broaden its appeal.
Yet these broadening efforts have also cost the NDP support. Others, like the Greens have sprung up with single issue campaigns which typically erode NDP support as they more effectively focus on an issue. And perhaps there is a better future jointly for both of those parties on the left.
 Rachel Notley – strong enough as the Premier of Alberta to force the Conservative interests in the province to join forces to beat her. Alberta’s loss if they do. Or the NDP might consider jumping into bed with the Liberals who had, after all, stolen much of their traditional thunder in the last election. But there must also be resentment and disappointment with Mr. Trudeau’s betrayal of those dippers who voted Red as the best hope ever of achieving electoral reform, and converting their popular vote into its equivalence in seats in the national assembly.
Still, even if the New Democrats never make government, they need to take heart that they have and do make a difference. As indeed have all the other third parties who have been elected to Parliament, be they Reform, Social Credit/Creditists, Greens, or even the problematic Bloc Québécois. And for that reason alone this leadership contest should be important to all of us.
 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:
NDP – Leadership – BC NDP – NDP Historical Support
By Staff
July 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Youth Soccer Club (BYSC) is hosting its “Burli Blast Festival” this Saturday, July 29th to celebrate the end of the soccer season for the U3 – U6 age groups in their Outdoor House League program.
 The Burli Blast Festival is an event dedicated to celebrating the successes and achievements of the players and volunteer coaches over the course of the summer season. There are over 800 players in these age divisions, and with parents and coaches, the expected attendance is upwards of 2,500 people.
Burli Blast will take place from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm at Sherwood Forest Park (at the end of Fairview Street past the Appleby GO station) in Burlington. The festival will feature 60 mini soccer matches and medal presentations spread throughout the morning and afternoon.
 The BYSC has also invited many of its community partners that are providing bouncy castles, carnival games, food, and prizes. The BYSC invites the Burlington community to come out and enjoy the day, regardless of whether your child plays in their programs. An information tent with staff will be in attendance if you have questions about any BYSC programs or if you are interested in registration.
For more information about Burli Blast Festival or other BYSC programs, visit www.burlingtonsoccer.com or call 905-333-0777.
 By Staff
July 28, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The southbound lane on Brant Street, just south of Victoria Avenue, will be closed on Saturday, July 29, 2017 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for excavation work.
 Brant Street – looking south – part of the road will be closed for some excavation work.
 By Staff
July 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Some 450 athletes, coaches, managers, support staff, technicians and mission staff from across Ontario are set to represent the province at the 2017 Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The Games begin today in Winnipeg.
 It is at events like the Canada Summer Games that athletes get to test themselves; do they have what it takes to move on to International events? Most, if not all, of the Canadian Olympians took part in the summer games – an event held every four years.
Every sport imaginable is played giving young Canadians to move from beyond their community or province to a national stage.
The list of sports played is exhaustive. It includes: Athletics, Baseball, Basketball, Canoe/Kayak, Cycling, Diving, Golf, Rowing, Sailing, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball and Wrestling
Competing at the Canada Summer Games allows Ontario’s athletes to gain the elite competition experience that they need to excel on the world stage. More than 4,000 athletes from all of Canada’s provinces and territories will compete in 16 sports at this year’s Games, which take place from July 28th to August 13th, 2017.
 Ontario’s year-round support for its high performance amateur athletes is part of Game ON: The Ontario Government’s Sport Plan. A key priority of Game ON is our Quest for Gold support for athletes, which provides direct funding to high performance athletes to help with the costs of living, training, sports equipment, coaching and travel to competitions. 105 athletes competing at this year’s Canada Summer Games are receiving Quest for Gold funding.
2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the Canada Games, this country’s largest multi-sport event for young athletes.
Ontario placed first at the 2013 Canada Summer Games in Sherbrooke, Quebec, with 213 medals – 95 Gold, 69 Silver and 49 Bronze.
 By Staff
July 28, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Toronto Maple Leafs scored in seven different innings of their 20-6 victory over the Burlington Herd Thursday night.
For Burlington, Justin Gideon had three hits, an RBI and a run. Ryan Freemantle drove in two and scored once, John Whaley had two RBI, and Matt Schmidt singled twice and had an RBI. Nolan Pettipiece scored twice.
Casey Bouillere-Howard (0-1) gave up nine runs (seven earned) on 13 hits over seven innings. He walked two and struck out two.
 The Leafs seemed to get production out of every player. Zac Orchard went 4-for-6 with a home run, two doubles, three RBI and three runs. Daniel Szpik had three hits, including a home run, four RBI and two runs. Dan Marra singled, doubled and drove in three while scoring twice, Justin Marra had three hits, two RBI and two runs, Jonathan Solazzo went 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI, Tyler Hardie and Ryan White each had two hits and two RBI and combined to score four times.
Julian Johnson singled twice and had an RBI and three runs, and Grant Tamane added a double and scored twice.
Adam Garner (1-0) went seven innings for the win. He scattered three hits and allowed an unearned run while walking one and striking out one.
The Herd hasn’t been out of the bottom half of the league so far this season. The team has just one more game before the league moves into the playoff part of the season.
Looks as if the playoffs are going to be short on the farm.
The playoff schedule will be:
 Barrie Baycats with their 32-1 position get a bye
# 2 plays #7
#3 plays # 6
#4 plays #5
Future games
Friday, July 28
Burlington at London, 6:35 p.m. (completion of suspended game of July 20, tied 7-7)
Burlington at London, 7:35 p.m.
Standings
Barrie Baycats 32-1
Kitchener Panthers 27-7
London Majors 22-9
Toronto Maple Leafs 16-17
Brantford Red Sox 14-19
Burlington Herd 13-21
Hamilton Cardinals 8-24
* Guelph Royals 1-35
* – Ceased operations
 By Staff
July 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Two batches of mosquitoes trapped this week in the City of Burlington have tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV).
These are the first batches of WNV positive mosquitoes confirmed in Burlington this year.
In 2017, an additional four batches were confirmed in Oakville and one batch in Milton, for a total of seven WNV positive batches in Halton to date.
“The Halton Region Health Department works diligently to reduce the risk of West Nile virus in our community through both education and preventative programs such as larviciding,” said Dr. Julie Emili, Acting Medical Officer of Health, Halton Region. “We can all work together to keep our community safe and protect ourselves from West Nile virus by removing standing water sites that breed mosquitos and covering up or applying DEET or Icaridin when outside during dusk and dawn.”
Urban areas are more likely to have mosquitoes that carry WNV. The types of mosquitoes that transmit WNV to humans most commonly breed in urban areas, typically in places that hold water such as bird baths, plant pots, old toys, and tires.
Residents can take the following steps to protect themselves and their families from mosquitoes:
 • Cover up. Wear light-coloured, long-sleeved shirts and pants with tightly-woven fabric.
• Use an approved insect repellent, such as one containing DEET or Icaridin.
• Avoid being outdoors from early evening to morning when mosquitoes are most active and likely to bite, as well as at any time in shady, wooded areas.
• Make sure your window and door screens are tight and without holes, cuts or other openings.
• Reduce mosquito breeding sites around your home by getting rid of all water-filled containers and objects, where possible. Change the water in bird baths at least once per week.
To report standing water at public facilities or for more information about West Nile virus, please visit halton.ca/wnv, call 311 or e-mail wnv@halton.ca.
 By Staff
July 28, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
In the last week Halton Regional Police Service have seen another variation of the commonly known CRA scam.
Victims are being told that they have outstanding debt with the CRA and in order to avoid arrest they are now being directed to local “BITCOIN” ATM machines to deposit cash funds into anonymous digital wallets, thinking that they are paying off the alleged debt and avoiding arrest.
 Investigation into one such digital wallet revealed that 17 deposits had been made in one 24hr period, with an equivalent amount being $11,900 dollars USA. The source of all these deposits is not known, but police suspect they are all victims to fraud related scams.
Many people will have no idea what a “digital wallet” is. The cardinal rule is that if it doesn’t sound right to you – then it is probably wrong. If in doubt – don’t.
The Halton police would like to again warn the public about the CRA scam and remind them that the CRA would never ask for payment to be made through gift cards or Bitcoin and would never use the phone as a first point of contact when dealing with clients.
If contacted by the CRA in such a manor police recommend hanging up the phone, and if in any doubt to source the true number for the CRA and make your own enquiries about the status of your account. Do not call the caller back on any phone numbers that they themselves have provided you.
 By Staff
July 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It was MP Karina Gould’s job to fill in for her Cabinet colleague The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour and deliver the announcement that The Centre for Skills Development & Training (“The Centre”) in Burlington was going to be given $1,931,884 over a three year period.
 From the left: Burlington MP Karina Gould, Lisa Rizatto, Centre CAO and a Get in Gear student during the funding presentation. The funds are to be used to assist youth in determining a career path, introducing the skilled trades, building confidence and getting a paid work experience are the hallmarks of Get In Gear (GIG) – a program funded by Skills Link, part of the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy, and delivered by The Centre for Skills Development & Training.
Skills Link supports projects that help young people who face more barriers to employment than others develop employability skills and gain valuable job experience. This helps them in making a successful transition into the workforce or to return to school. These youth could include those who have not completed high school, those who are unemployed or underemployed, low-income single parents, Indigenous youth, young persons with disabilities, youth living in rural or remote areas, or newcomers.
In a media the federal government explained that “Developing Canada’s youth is a priority. This project is a concrete example of what we can achieve for youth by working in partnership with organizations across the country. Projects like this one can help put regular paycheques into the reach of those who need it. But more than that, they give young Canadians the chance to change their future.”
 Lisa Rizatto – The Centre’s CAO, The Centre’s CAO, Lisa Rizatto said the “program is a solid stepping stone. The three-year funding represents a strong investment in our youth. It provides them with choices to gain valuable real-world experience and to make informed decisions to positively impact their future, which not only improves their lives but also gives life to the economy.”
The working title for the program is Getting in Gear (GiG); it is free with a limit of 15 seats per session. Participants interested in the 10-week, in-class program which is followed by a 10-week paid work placement, can call 905-333-3499 x182 to find out more about the application procedure, or visit thecentre.on.ca/SkilledTrades/GetInGear/
Eligibility requirements for Get in Gear participants include:
· Between 17-30 years old
· Legally entitled to work in Canada
· Not attending full-time school, work or training
· Not in receipt (or never have been in receipt) of Employment Insurance benefits
· Motivated to succeed
· Looking for help to overcome difficulties finding and keeping a job
Graduates of the GIG program have many options from pursuing full-time employment to undergoing formal training such as The Centre’s pre-apprenticeship skilled trades programs. The next GIG session will run from September 25.
The Centre for Skills Development & Training is a not-for-profit incorporated affiliate of the Halton District School Board with locations in Burlington, Milton, Oakville and Mississauga. The Centre helps people at all stages of life get on a path to career success—from youth just starting out, to older workers who have been laid off; from newcomers to Canada who need to improve their workplace English, to people interested in the trades who need to build their technical skills; and from small business owners looking to hire staff, to large companies who need help developing and transitioning their workforce.
 By Staff
July 27th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
BurlingtonGreen told us all that July was being recognized as Plastic Free month; an initiative to refuse all single-use plastic products for the entire month of July.
For good reason.
It is now believed that there are “5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the ocean. Of that mass, 269,000 tons float on the surface, while some four billion plastic microfibers per square kilometer litter the deep sea”
As individuals and a community, we have the power to say NO to plastic, creating positive change with far reaching impact.
They list more than 100 ways to skip using plastic. One that caught our eye was the plastic straw that restaurants place on the table when they give you a glass or carton of some beverage. Skip the Straw suggest the BG people.
 Interesting – funny – but necessary. Straws are one of the worst offenders of single-use waste, but do we honestly need them? How many times have you been given a straw without asking for it? How many times have you immediately picked out the straw and thrown it away? How many times was that straw encased in paper waste? If you really need one, there are alternatives available, including metal straws or your reusable water bottle with a drinkable lid.
Something to think about. Straws just might go the way of carbon paper!
By Staff
July 27th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
She wants you to join her on the Pier for a bike ride and a chat next week.
 Eleanor McMahon before she was elected to the provincial legislature. Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon has used riding a bike to great advantage in her political career – she was one of the driving forces on Share the Road before she was tapped to run for public office in Burlington where the Tories had owned the seat for more than 70 years.
There is a provincial election on its way – June 7th, 2018 and McMahon, like every MPP, is out and about meeting people.
She is a strong campaigner, one of the best in the Region and bonds well with people.
 So – if you want a couple of minutes with your MPP and can get out on your bike – be at the Pier on Wednesday, August 1st at 6:00 pm.
But don’t drive your bike – that’s a no no. Not sure the MPP was fully aware that bikes are not permitted on the Pier
By Staff
July 26, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
This August, sixty young men will participate in the Burlington Cougars 2017/18 Training Camp to pursue their hockey dreams of playing Junior A Hockey. These players, who range in age from 16-20 years old, are mostly local players but there are others from across Ontario and beyond who are looking for a place to call home here in Burlington.
The Cougars are looking for homes for up to 8 players that will be on the 2017/18 roster.
The Burlington Cougars Billet, Host Family Program, is a staple to the organization, which allows players from outside the immediate area the opportunity to play at the highest level of junior hockey and have a home away from home. Billet families provide a caring, supportive, family environment for the players with the reward of lifelong relationships.
 “Our billet families provide a home away from home for some of our players, their support of our organization is important to the success of our team. They become lifelong family and friends. They really open their arms to our players and it’s a really awesome and unique thing. ” says Cougars Head Coach Terry Richardson.
Families who join the Cougars billet program are provided with the following:
– a monthly remuneration to assist in offsetting food and other costs
– an invitation to participate in the Cougars Family Appreciation Night event
– two full season tickets per player they host
“The billeting program has been a critical aspect to our program,” said General Manager Alex Bezerra. “It has been a rewarding experience for many of our players over the years. Connections have been made between both players and their families, which will last a lifetime.”
This year the Cougars are looking for homes for up to 8 players that will be on the 2017/18 roster.
Anyone interested in learning more about the billet family program can contact Cougars General Manager Alex Bezerra, at 647-300-0559 or via email abezerra@burlingtoncougarsjrahockey.ca
By Pepper Parr
July 26th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
They just wanted a retirement home.
In a nice quiet community – not too far from the downtown part of the city.
Their daughter was a real estate agent and was able to help them out with the purchase of the home they bought in the west side of the Tyandaga neighbourhood.
They bought, arranged to have some renovations on their new home done and were beginning to get a sense of the neighbourhood they had chosen to move into.
The road into the neighbourhood cuts through a small section that has nicely treed property on either side of the road. You have no idea if that land is public or private – it’s just there.
You come around a bend in the road and the street stretches out before you with a bit of a gradual slope that lets you see the city, the bay and the bridge almost as if it was a picture framed by the houses.
It was while the renovation work was being done that Heather found a letter in her mail box from a company that was doing some quarrying in the area.
 The homes are shown upper right. The quarries are above Bayview Park with the brick manufacturing operation below the park. “Quarrying” asked Heather. “Where is the quarry – and why didn’t I know this when I bought my house?”
Those questions were the beginning of a process that has brought a community into pretty direct conflict with their Mayor, the city council member, the province and a corporation that is a major manufacturer of a vital construction product – clay bricks.
 This berm is about 25 yards from the back yard of the homes on the west side of West Haven Drive. That quarry was just behind a huge Bern that had been built behind the homes when they were initially built in the late 1990’ss.
Heather wasn’t the stereotype suburban dweller who tends to pay little attention to what the city does as long as the garbage is picked up and the roads are plowed in the winter and the tax rate is reasonable and the streets are safe.
She wanted to know more – and she made it her business to learn more and then gather her neighbours together and begin asking questions.
And learn more they did.
The notice Heather got from the mining company was from Meridian Brick advising her that they were going to begin a shale quarrying operation in the eastern cell of their property. There are three cells: western, central and eastern. The western cell is reported to have 3 to 5 years of production left; the central cell has 6 to 8 years of production left. The direction is evident – the eastern cell will need to be opened up in the not too distant future – and that eastern cell is less than 100 yards from the back yards of the people on the western side of West Haven Drive.
To do that excavation mining they would be cutting down most of the some 9000 trees in the area.
Heather sent letters out to the 80 some neighbours asking them to meet. Close to a dozen showed up. Out of that meeting came TEC – Tyendaga Environmental Coalition Inc.
 Part of the quarrying operation couple o hundred yards from West Haven Drive homes. These were not a bunch of people who didn’t fully understand the issues – these, for the most part, were professionals who had succeeded in their careers – they’d have had too – the homes in the community aren’t cheap.
They were smart and had connections – and they knew how to make things happen.
The created an organization – asked each member to pony up $500 – 30 did – so there was now a bit of a war chest.
They then hired David Donnelly to help them through the bureaucracy.
Donnelly was the lawyer that PERL – Protecting Escarpment and Rural Land – used when they fought the expansion of the Nelson Quarry on Colling Road. That case went before a Tribunal hearing that found the Jefferson Salamander, an endangered species, lived in that part of rural Burlington – more aggregate mining could not take place.
 In the middle of the picture some of the shale mining quarry can be seen – Burlington Bay can be seen on the horizon, When the TEC took their concern to the Mayor and the city Councillor they were told that the company had a permit and that there was a notation on their deeds and they should have known that some mining was going to take place.
In a media release the Mayor said:
“After extensive review by staff in several city and regional departments, we have come to understand that Meridian Brick is within its legal rights and that the Province of Ontario, not the City of Burlington, has jurisdiction over this matter.”
There is a reported notation on the property deeds that: All purchasers are informed of the following warning clause registered on title:
“The purchaser acknowledges the presence of a future extractive industrial land use to the west and that extraction may take place during the daytime only.”
No one with property deeds could find any notation on their documents about any rights the mining company had.
That a company had the right to mine a hundred yards or so from their homes and that there was a notation to this effect on their property deeds which they couldn’t see was more than enough to mobilize the neighbourhood.
These people got serious – especially when they learned that the mining company had a permit – given to them in 1972, to mine for Queenston shale, the only type that is used for brick making in Ontario. And there aren’t many places left where that shale can be extracted.
The TEC people say the issue is that they “… need, at a minimum, to have the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) decision (to issue the original quarry license) to be re-evaluated in the light of the ‘HERE and NOW – 2016’. We appreciate that the MNRF does not have a history of reviewing their decisions but in this case we believe that the area under question has undergone such a dramatic change in the last FORTY-FOUR YEARS with the enormous growth in industry, schools, residences, traffic, etc. that it would warrant an exception to their rule.”
Brick making had been taking place in North Aldershot since the early 1900’s and it is now a large industry and a significant tax payer.
 West Haven Drive looking south. The West Haven Drive point out that the assessed value of the 141 homes on the street (these are million dollar homes) is just as big as that assessed value of the mining lands – and that residents pay higher tax rates than a mining operation.
The two politicians, the Mayor and the ward Councillor may come to regret the way they blew off the residents.
This is going to be an ongoing story – there are a number of interests at play – one being the importance of the brick manufacturing operation to the economy of the city and its importance to the residential construction industry in the province. Meridian manufactures an estimated 55% of the clay brick produced in Canada and 45% of that is made in Burlington. Tough to fight an industry with that level of market penetration.
Related story link:
What’s going on at West Haven Drive?
By Staff
July 26, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Halton Region Retains Distinction as Canada’s Safest for Eighth Straight Year
The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) is pleased to announce that Halton has retained its distinction as Canada’s safest regional municipality with a population of 100,000 or more for the eighth straight year, according to Statistics Canada’s annual report on crime in Canada. The report, entitled “Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2016”, provides a detailed overview of crime statistics as reported by police services across the country.
According to the recently-released data, Halton Region:
• Had the lowest Crime Severity Index* (CSI), Violent Crime Severity Index and Non-Violent Crime Severity Index when compared to Ontario’s ‘Big 12’ police services;
• Maintained the lowest values for each of the indices for eight straight reporting years (2009 – 2016);
• Had the lowest overall crime rate, violent crime rate, and property crime rate among Ontario’s ‘Big 12’ police services;
• Had the highest weighted clearance rate (49.8 per cent) of the same ‘Big 12’.
Nationally, Halton ranked 298 out of a total of 305 police services in terms of its overall Crime Severity Index. Only seven communities in Canada with populations greater than 10,000 have lower overall CSI values.
 Halton Regional Police Chief Stephen Tanner “This longstanding distinction could not be achieved without the continuous efforts of our uniform officers and the support of, and strong partnerships with, Halton’s citizens – the true ambassadors of our great Region”, said Stephen Tanner, Chief of Police. “Through effective and efficient police operations and citizen engagement, we are well positioned to maintain our reputation as Canada’s safest regional municipality to live, work, raise a family and retire for many years to come.”
The Regional Police force budget is $144,940,030. As of June they have 695 Sworn Members and 279 Civilian Members.
A detailed overview of crime statistics by type and district was published last month as part of the Service’s 2016 Annual Report. The report is available online at www.haltonpolice.ca under Services -> Publications.
Policing fundamentals such as crime prevention and enforcement remained a mainstay of everyday operations in 2016, HRPS has enhanced its capacity to serve members of the public through new, community-based approaches to issues related to traffic, crime, mental health and addiction, crime prevention and vulnerable persons.
This innovative and integrated strategy is the foundation of Halton’s Community Safety and Well-being Plan, which the Service has been developing in collaboration with its valued community partners, and which is slated to officially launch later this year.
HRPS is committed to a Community First policing philosophy that focuses on incorporating the four pillars of (community) safety and well-being into Service priorities: Emergency Response, Risk Intervention, Prevention, and Social Development. More information can be found at www.haltonpolice.ca under Community or by following @HaltonPolice on Twitter or Facebook.
 By Staff
July 26, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Becoming a pilot is more than just learning how to fly. It also takes hard work in learning and understanding how the aircraft works and is put together.
Air Cadet Alexander Lundy from 715 Mohawk Squadron in Burlington, Ontario has been selected for the Advanced Aviation Technology – Aircraft Maintenance Course at Canadore Cadet Training Centre.
The program runs from July 9th to August 18th in North Bay where Lundy will install and remove rivets used in aircraft metal structures, performing a landing gear retraction test on a fixed wing aircraft and assemble an input driveshaft from a turbine powered helicopter.
 Air cadet Alexander Lundy. Photo credit: FSgt Kendra Gardner Cadet Lundy’s favourite part about the training so far has been, “learning about the Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) trade. I want to be able to teach younger cadets at my home squadron.”
There are approximately 60 air cadets who complete the program in a setting that Lundy describes as just fine – “the rooms are air conditioned and the beds are hotel quality; it’s an excellent training centre”
Canadore Cadet Training has provided this elite training since 2007 where hundreds of cadets have completed their training. They bring their new skills back to their local squadrons to share with their peers and to inspire others to follow in their footsteps.
The cadet program is open to all youth between the ages of 12-18 years old with a focus on leadership, citizenship and healthy living. Anyone who feels they are ready for the challenge, visit www.cadets.ca and click on “Find Us” and visit our Facebook page to see their adventures! www.facebook.com/centralregioncadets
By Staff
July 26th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Herd took advantage of 13 walks in a 9-4 win over the Hamilton Cardinals Tuesday night.
Burlington collected eight hits but used the free passes to build a 5-0 lead after three innings and a 9-1 advantage in the seventh.
 Giving that incoming ball a close look. John Whaley drove in a pair of runs, and Justin Gideon scored twice and swiped a pair of bases. He also had an RBI.
Ryan Freemantle, Matt McCue and Nolan Pettipiece each singled, scored and had an RBI, while Andrew Mercier drove in a run. Ethan Cummins singled and scored twice.
Rich Corrente (2-3) went six innings and allowed a run on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
Mike Hart singled twice and had an RBI and run for the Cardinals. TJ Baker had a pair of singles, and Connor Bowie went 2-for-2 with an RBI. Luke Tevlin drove in a run and scored once.
Jackson Jones (0-3) took the loss, giving up five runs (two earned) on three hits with eight walks and two strikeouts in five innings.
Future games
Thursday, July 27
Toronto at Burlington, 7:15 p.m.
Standings
Barrie Baycats 30-1
Kitchener Panthers 27-6
London Majors 22-9
Toronto Maple Leafs 15-17
Brantford Red Sox 14-18
Burlington Herd 13-20
Hamilton Cardinals 8-24
* Guelph Royals 1-35
* – Ceased operations
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