 By Pepper Parr
June 30th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
If you looked out over the Lake from Lakeshore Road at Brant you could see them off in the distance – they seemed lined up with a lot of space between them.
They looked like ship under sail.
And indeed they were – a collection of Tall ships had rendezvoused in Burlington Bay and lined up to enter the canal and proceed into Hamilton Harbour.
 They were there in the thousands – on both side of th canal THE place to see the majestic ships was at the canal – each eased into the opening and headed towards the lie bridge which was up for more than an hour.
 They were almost close enough to touch as they slid by – those with big Canadian flags got a round of applause. The crowds were huge – it was as if the fleet had come home and the families of the sailors were on the dock ready to greet them.
It was standing room only on either side of the canal.
 People parked wherever there was a patch of grass It wasn’t all festivities and celebration. A Beachway resident summed up the feeling many had when the saw a parking control officer walking from car to car doing a brisk business
 His job was like spearing fish in a barrel – a shameful cash grab on the part of either the city or the Conservation Authority. This resident known for her very pointed use of the English language wrote in and said:
“What a shit show this city is…parking enforcement officer immediately giving out parking tickets near lift bridge area. People are furious.”
 Ray Rivers
June 30th, 2107
BURLINGTON, ON
As Canadians watch how our friends south of the border grapple with developing a better system of health care coverage, it is hard not to be just a little smug. After all, we figured it out back in the sixties, what is the matter with them? We came to consensus long ago that ensuring adequate health coverage for our citizens was essential for a healthy and growing economy.
 A massive Canadian flag was passed hand over hand amongst a huge crowd in Montreal days before the citizens of Quebec voted in their referendum to remain a part of Canada. Canada may be a ‘developed nation’ but it is still growing. Our most valuable natural resource is our population. And sick people don’t contribute to our economy, they are a drain. Further, people fretting about whether they can afford to pay for basic health services are distracted and not at their fullest potential. So providing affordable health care coverage is an economic benefit that easily justifies the cost.
And our single payer health care system is efficient. The numbers say it all. Per capita health care in the US is twice what it costs Canadians. It consumes over 15% of GDP there, versus only 10% in Canada. And even with their massive health insurance system, governments in the US still spend almost a quarter more than their Canadian counterparts.
One would assume that the more expensive US mixed public-private system, including their Medicare and Medicaid, would produce better results, better health outcomes. But it doesn’t. In fact Canadians have higher life expectancy and lower infant mortality rates.
The World Health Organization (WHO) granted that medical responsive was marginally better in the US, at least for those who could afford care. But even with all the money Americans spend, our health care system still ranked seven positions ahead of our neighbours to the south, in the 2000 WHO overall ratings.
That is just one reason I love this country. Universal health care. It may have been the brain-child of CCF/NDP leader Tommy Douglas and packaged nationally by Lester Pearson and Pierre Trudeau, but it was implemented across the country by politicians of all stripes including Social Credit. And that’s another reason I love this country – our political leaders occasionally do come to general consensus and get it right.
Yes there was debate, and there still is, mostly about ideology and philosophy, about how single payer is the next step to socialism. That is the same kind of discussion our US cousins have been having for decades. And the critics will complain about how our health care is rationed with waiting lists for some services. But it is rationing by medical urgency rather than by the pocket book.
Recently the media reported on a women who showed up at a Mississauga walk-in clinic with her son and demanded to be seen by a ‘white doctor’. If you missed this story, it’s OK.
 We welcomed them – knowing that we will be a stronger country because of them. Because that’s another reason I love this country. Nobody supported her in her racist rant. Canada is a land that was built by immigrants and a nation that welcomes people from elsewhere to join us in developing our great Canadian project. As our Governor General recently said, we are all immigrants.
So as I celebrate Canada’s 150 year birthday, I’ll be thankful for our embrace of diversity, for our good government and because our health care coverage is automatic. That is something our American friends cannot say, even today while they still have Obama Care.
And they know that the day after their big July 4th birthday bash their government will be introducing some kind of Trump Care – a plan which only 12% of the people support and which will leave another 22 million without any health care coverage at all. Happy birthday Canada.
 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:
Comparative Health Systems – Mississauga Rant – Governor General on Immigrants –
Post Obama Plan – Canada on its 150th –
 By Staff
June 30th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The picture that tells the city’s story today?
Those tall ships sailing through the canal on their way into Hamilton Harbour where they will be on display for Canada Day.
Thousands gathered on both sides of the canal to watch these majestic ship slide by. Those with massive Canadian flags drew rounds of applause.
 By Staff
June 29th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
What did the city look like at around 10 am this morning?
A Beachway resident captured a band of fog lingering over the Pier – and we decided to share it with you.
 A band of fog hovers over the Pier.
By Staff
June 29th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
While the Board of Education staff get on with the process of closing Lester B. Pearson in 2018 and Bateman high school in 2020 parents from both schools have taken a “not so fast” approach and are seeking an Administrative review of the process that was used to make the decision.
 Steve Armstrong, the lead from Pearson high school on the request for the Administrative reviews reports that they are “well along the path on getting our documentation together for submission.”
“On the signature front we have greatly exceeded our minimum required. We have two piles going one for the official qualifying signatures, and a second for those such as students who wanted to show support, but don’t count against the required number. We’re going to send both as a show of support.
 Bateman students and parents protesting. Armstrong reports that “Its been everyone’s interpretation of the procedure that each school slated for closure needs to request an Admin Review so team Bateman is also well along. We are conversing with them to make sure that were appropriate there is overlap, and in some areas there will be individual school issues
 Pearson high school parents asking for a review of the decision the Board of Education made to close the school. “Yesterday’s announcement putting future PARs on hold was interesting, but it remains to be seen if it has any impact on us….assuming for now it doesn’t so we’ll keep pushing.”
And push they will.
Expect more on this in the months ahead.
 By Staff
June 29th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The House of Commons rose for the summer last week. It is out to the BBQ circuit for most of them.
 Oakville Burlington North MP Pam Damoff lets it rip in the House of Commons. When Pam Damoff the Member of Parliament for Oakville Burlington North, meets with her constituents during the summer, they might want to know a bit more about what she has done on their behalf.
One of the things she did was give a very short but rip snorting speech about decorum in the House of Commons.
Click to her what she had to say – You go girl!
Damoff will be reading from Motorcycles and Sweetgrass, a novel by Drew Hayden Taylor that weaves a story of magic, the bonds of family and a mysterious stranger that appears one day in a sleepy Anishnawbe community. July 12 from 7:00 – 8:30pm at Tansley Woods Library in Burlington.
By Pepper Parr
June 29th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Information comes to us in many different forms.
Print has been with us forever – radio has that instant aspect top it.
The internet has allowed a lot of information to get put out where everyone can see it and in many instances respond to it as well.
One of the problems is that we don’t always know who is writing the information and how accurate it is. We now talk of the “spin” that gets put on information. Frequently when a government has bad news they will have some of their senior people get before the media and give the information the interpretation they want a public to have.
Without accurate reliable information a society can’t function.
The Gazette was asked recently if we were interested in an infographic, which is information set out in a graphic form. We looked at the information and decided to publish it and let our readers decide if the information was useful. In this instance it is certainly interesting. There is a lot of information that is readable and understandable when it is provided in a graphic format.
City hall recently used an infographic to show where its revenue comes from and how that revenue is spent.
The company that supplied us the infographic is in the business of transferring funds. They are a reputable organization with an interesting service.
The infographic is set out below.
https://blog.curexe.com/2017/06/27/canadian-importing-exporting-infographic/
Related article:
City hall infographic
By Staff
June 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It will be exciting!
Eleven magnificent Tall Ships will gather on Lake Ontario near the entrance to the Burlington Bay Canal on Friday, June 30 beginning at 2:00 p.m. with all ships docking at Pier 8 at 4:00 p.m.
In order to get to that canal – you gotta sail past the Burlington Pier, the most expensive chunk of concrete in the province – but we digress.
 Where you park and where the ships are. Burlingtonians can watch the ship sail towards the canal
Prominent vantage points to watch the parade of ships on the Burlington side of the Skyway are|:
Burlington Canal
LaSalle and Bayshore Parks in Burlington.
And of course from the Pier and from a number of vantage points in the Beachway.
 The Empire Sandy Access to vantage points will be affected by the closure of Eastport Drive at the Burlington Canal Lift Bridge from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. to enable the ships to enter Hamilton Harbour.
With the ships in Hamilton, tied up at Pier 8 the Parade of Sail launches the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta at Pier 8, Discovery Drive, on July 1.
This will be a rare opportunity – and the only place in the GTHA – to witness the spectacle of 11 Tall Ships touring Hamilton’s beautiful Waterfront.
• Free deck tours are offered from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (first come, first served – no guarantee of access past 5 p.m.)
• Ticketed Harbour Cruises available for purchase online at www.hamilton.ca/tallships. See website for cruise times and pricing, including the evening fireworks cruise that boards at 9:00 p.m.
 The Pathfinder • Family-friendly and nautical-themed activities
• Music on the Waterfront Stage featuring great musicians from Hamilton’s thriving music scene
• Numerous food vendors
• The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum’s Avro Lancaster will conduct multiple fly-overs of the Waterfront between 11:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on July 1st.
This event is organized by the City of Hamilton in association with Le Rendez-Vous Naval de Quebec, Sail Training International, the Hamilton Port Authority and the Hamilton Waterfront Trust.
 The Niagara More than 40 Tall Ships will be sailing Canadian waters to honour the 150th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation in 2017, with stops in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes
It is a Hamilton event – but they do have to sail past Burlington to get to Hamilton Harbour.
 By Staff
June 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
We didn’t see this one coming.
A date in Hamilton is said to be the most expensive you will encounter – even higher than Toronto.
The research for this dubious WORD was done by EliteSingles, a national organization in the relationship business.
 They totaled up the cost of a typical date night in Canada – and found that Hamilton is Canada’s most expensive big city for a romantic night out, with Toronto coming in second place! Those in Ottawa get off lightly – a date night in the city is below the average cost.
The full study is on their web site – including a rundown of date night costs in 10 of Canada’s biggest cities, and a global dating comparison that shows the cost of dating in 25 cities around the world.
They have highlighted the price differences in two interactive, shareable maps that you can find on our site.
If the love of your life is in Hamilton – be ready to spend more than your Canadian Tire money.
Given that just about everything in Burlington costs more than in Hamilton – especially when it come to gasoline prices – Oakville might be an option.
The full scoop is HERE
By Staff
June 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton District School Board announces that the graduation rate of Halton students continues to exceed that of the provincial average.
In 2016, 90.7 per cent of Halton District School Board students graduated within five years of starting Grade 9, exceeding the Ontario average of 86.5 per cent.
The Board’s four-year graduation rate for students in 2016 (Grade 9 students enrolled in the 2012-13 school year) is 83.3 per cent compared to the Ontario average of 79.6 per cent.
 The Robert Bateman High school graduation class of 2017 “The progress represented in the graduation rate indicator, both provincially and locally, is reflective of the efforts and leadership of many people including our students, staff, and families,” said Julie Hunt Gibbons, Superintendent of Education (Secondary Programs) for the Halton District School Board. “We will continue to support all students through our various Student Success initiatives so our graduation rate continues to trend upward.”
“The Halton District School Board provides innovative Specialist High Skills Majors, dual credit options, apprenticeships and cooperative education opportunities that help students customize their high school experience,” said Julie Hunt Gibbons, Superintendent of Education (Secondary Programs) for the Board.
No mention that there will be fewer high schools for these students to graduate from starting next year when Lester B. Pearson sees its last student accept a diploma.
 By Staff
June 27, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Joanna Roselli from Assumption Catholic High School has been awarded the 2017 Burlington Art in Action Group scholarship.
 Joanna Roselli accepting the award with Rocco Di Ianni – Principal of Assumption Catholic Secondary School. Darlene Throop – Chair of the Art in Action Scholarship Committee and Gina Giannotti –Guidance Counsellor, Assumption Catholic Secondary School on the far right. For the last seven years the Burlington Art in Action Group, with the assistance of their sponsors, have been able to offer an Arts Scholarship to a graduating Burlington high school student continuing post-secondary education in an arts focused program.
There were four talented applicants representing four high schools from both Boards of Education. The four member jury reviewed the applications and were very impressed with the variety and quality of art presented. The winner this year of the $1000.00 scholarship is also given free admission to participate in the Burlington Studio Tour which takes place on the first weekend of November and be a part of a show at the Art Gallery of Burlington
Joanna will attend Ryerson University in the fall to study and be part of a four year program studying the business side of the arts.
The Art in Action show preview will take place in October
The Studio Tour takes place November 4th and 5th – 10:00 am to 5:00 PM. Put it in your calendar – it is one of those annual not to be missed events.
By Staff
June 26. 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The following media release was received from the Save Bateman Committee four days after it was released on June 17th.
Members of the ‘Save Bateman’ Committee have filed a complaint against Burlington Ward One and Two school trustee Leah Reynolds regarding her unprofessional conduct during a school board meeting and are demanding her immediate suspension until the issue is resolved.
Trustee Reynolds’ conduct at the June 7th meeting was not in accordance with the Halton District School Board trustee’s code of conduct, specifically point #5 relating to Integrity and Dignity of Office and Civil Behaviour.
 Meed Ward working on her IPad during a school board meeting. The incident occurred at the board’s head office on 2050 Guelph Line in Burlington during a critical meeting that was to decide the fate of two high schools. Several members in the audience watched as Ward Two City Councillor Marianne Meed Ward used her iPad to text instructions to Trustee Reynolds on how to block a motion that was introduced to save the closure of Bateman High School.
The motion was put forward by Ward Five trustee Amy Collard who represents the area where Bateman is located. The texting began between Reynolds and Meed Ward soon after the meeting began and continued for almost one hour. It was noticed by those in attendance and (later) by members of the public watching the online live stream.
The Gazette adds that: Meed Ward has since said she did send Trustee Reynolds text messages but that the messages related to procedural matters only and that when the procedural matter was resolved she no longer sent messages to Reynolds. The procedural issue took up about an hour of the meeting that ran to well past midnight.
 City Councillor Marianne Meed Ward and Leah Reynolds at a nomination meeting. Trustee Reynolds, who had campaigned on a platform of ‘no school closures’ fumbled to read words on her laptop while putting forward reasons why Collard’s motion should be struck down. It is critical to note that Meed Ward helped Reynolds in her election campaign and that Meed Ward served as a committee member on the school closure (PAR) committee, an involvement which received much criticism.
A parent took a photo of Meed Ward’s iPad screen that clearly showed she was instructing Reynolds. In one line, Meed Ward wrote; “DON’T VOTE IN FAVOR” and in another, “Do not uphold the Chair’s ruling.”
The same parent emailed chair trustee Kelly Amos to alert her to the incident and also talked to the parliamentarian who was present. Trustee Amos’ response was that trustees get lots of emails from their constituents so it was not deemed to be a concern.
Members of Save Bateman are demanding a full investigation into the incident because they believe that Meed Ward’s actions in which she appears to be directing Reynolds, unduly influenced the outcome of the vote.
‘Save Bateman’ members are also demanding an investigation into whether Meed Ward attempted to direct and/or influence the vote of other HDSB school trustees.
 Lisa Bull said she was shocked when she read the message she is believed to have read and photographed on Marianne Meed Ward’s iPad.  Denise Davy, a former journalist has delegated at city council to urge the city to involve itself in the school closing debate. Davy has been instrumental in getting the Bateman high school story news coverage at CHCH television. Bateman parents have filed complaints with the HDSB as well as through the Ontario Ombudsman, the City of Burlington, The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, he Canadian School Boards Association and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
This group of concerned parents believes this to be an issue of integrity and honesty and argue that both Reynolds and Meed Ward failed to behave in accordance with what is expected from elected officials – particularly during such a significant process focused on closing schools.
Throughout the process, Meed Ward also used her Ward Two e-newsletter to communicate about the PAR process and reported unvalidated information/data that many believe influenced the decision to close Bateman.
 Leah Reynolds talking to Central high school students at a public meeting. This formed the backdrop of the June 7th incident and further escalated the public’s concerns around Meed Ward’s involvement in the closure process.
Reynolds had campaigned on a platform of ‘no school closures’ yet voted for the closure of two schools.
 By Pepper Parr
June 26th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Everyone is blaming the eleven trustees for the decision they made to close two of Burlington’s seven high schools.
 The trustees needed a clear signal from the parents – they didn’t get one. All they did was their job. The signals they got from parents were pure self-interest. Central fought like crazy to get their name off the close list. They did that by organizing and putting facts on the table.
Lester B. Pearson put very solid facts on the table – they had the best of the arguments to not lose their school.
 The Board staff did everything they could to tell parents that changes were in the wind. The Bateman parents at first paid no attention whatsoever about the school closing issue – they saw themselves as safe and did nothing.
When they realized they weren’t safe at all – that they were at serious risk they had to scramble to get their story out. It was a very solid story – few people outside Bateman knew how successful a school Bateman really is. The closing of that school is going to be very disruptive for families that have had more than their share of disruption.
The trustees were faced with a situation where the Board made a recommendation, then changed that recommendation and then proceeded to hold several meetings that left few parents happy with the way things were going.
 It was too little too late – Bateman parents who deserved better treatment got caught up in a turf war they didn’t see coming. Many of the students at the school will suffer because of their individual circumstances. It didn’t need to happen this way. What was clear during the Program Accommodation Review (PAR) process was that no one really wanted to see a school closed. It took a bit of time for the PAR committee to coalesce as a group and when they did it was evident that they had within them the capacity to come up with some innovative ideas. They needed more time.
One Gazette commentator pointed out that the city spent more time on deciding what to do with the Freeman Station than the school board allowed for the parents to have a meaningful input on the school closing decision.
When city hall made the wrong decision citizens moved in and got it right – on our sesquicentennial next Saturday you will be able to tour a really well preserved Freeman train station that served this city well. Citizens inevitably make the right decision – they just need some leadership.
The PAR committee learned, much to their surprise, that what they understood innovation to mean was not what the parents meant. What we saw was the size of the divide between a protected part of the economy (school board staff) and the private sector that has to earn its bread every day.
 Option # 7 don’t close any of the high schools.  Option 19 – the Staff recommendation,  What turned out not to be possible for the PAR committee to do was to settle on just the one recommendation and that was to not close any schools and to change some of the school boundaries.
It was there for them to choose – #7.
But instead the different communities chose to protect their own turf and do whatever they could to save their school.
Imagine – just imagine if the PAR had settled on the one option – # 7 and then said to the trustees – don’t you dare close any schools until this issue has been thoroughly reviewed and the community agrees on what is best for the whole community.
 Delegations argued their individual school case and in doing so lost an opportunity to put a collective case in front of the trustees and direct them to listen to the parents. And imagine if every one of the 50+ delegations had said the same thing – don’t you dare close any of these schools. Direct the staff to do a better job of coming up with a better solution.
Had the PAR committee and the delegations done what they could have done – do you think the trustees would have voted the way they did?
And had the community pulled together the way they could have we would not have the rancour and really bad feelings between the parents at one school feeling as aggrieved as they have a right to feel.
The matter of those 1800 empty seats is a concern – the world is not going to come to an end if many of those seats remain empty for a while. The 1800 number isn’t apparently the real number – it is somewhat less but it is an issue that needs serious attention.
The trustees had little choice – they didn’t fail – the parents failed. What the trustees got was a set of very mixed messages – close theirs but don’t close mine. Some argue that the Board of Education set things up so just this would happen. I don’t believe they did – but if they did – did we have to follow that direction?
All you had to do was say No! Every one of you – just say No! That didn’t happen and the trustees went to the safest corner they could find – the wishes of the staff. One Burlington trustee who campaigned on no school closures went along with her colleagues and voted to let Bateman high school close.
The upside, and it is small, is that trustees get chosen again in just over a year and maybe someone will find a way to get something on the agenda that takes a second look at the decision made June 7th, 2017.
The properties are not going to be sold to developers for years – if they are sold at all. Right now the plan is to close them and that is a decision we have to live with because we let it happen.
Those who buy into the belief that Burlington is the best mid-sized city in the country are probably the same people who claim downtown Burlington is vibrant.
We are really better people than this.
Work together, work for each other and make the place the city that has more than a wonderful waterfront and a magnificent escarpment going for it.
 By Staff
June 26, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Had the Burlington Herd been able to board the bus after their first baseball game on Sunday in Kitchener it would have been a good day.
But it was to be a double header between the Herd and the Panthers and ended up in a draw with each team taking a game apiece.
Burlington won the first game, 4-0. Adam Prashad (3-2) threw a complete-game two-hitter with three strikeouts. Matt Schmidt drilled a three-run home run in the third inning, and Kevin Hussey hit a solo blast in the fifth.
Yulexis La Rose and Colin Gordner had Kitchener’s hits.
Matt McGovern (1-1) went the distance for the Panthers and allowed four runs on eight hits, walking one and striking out four.
In game two, Ryan Douse scored on an error in the 10th inning as the Panthers won 9-8. Kitchener led 8-3 before Burlington scored five in the seventh inning.
Jeff Pietraszko homered and drove in four with two runs scored in the win. Douse doubled twice and scored once and drove in a run. Justin Interisano had a pair of RBI and a run. Zarley Cina had the other RBI. Yorbis Borroto scored twice.
Noelvis Entenza (3-0) picked up the win after going 3.2 scoreless innings of relief, scattering two hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Ian Rendon started and allowed an earned run on four hits over 3.2 innings with three walks and three strikeouts.
For Burlington, Kevin Hussey homered and drove in three. Quinton Bent went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. Cooper Lamb had a hit, RBI and two runs, and Justin Gideon drove in a run.
Ben Braun (0-2) took the loss, allowing a run on a hit in one-third of an inning. Rich Corrente started and went four innings, giving up five runs (one earned) on three hits with a walk and three strikeouts.
The game between the Barrie Baycats and the Hamilton Cardinals was rained out as was the game scheduled between the London Majors and the Brantford Red Sox. No make-up date has been announced for either game.
Future games:
Tuesday, June 27
London at Barrie, 7:45 p.m.
Wednesday, June 28
Kitchener at Toronto, 7:35 p.m.
Hamilton at Brantford, 8 p.m.
Standings
Barrie Baycats 15-0
London Majors 14-0
Kitchener Panthers 12-5
Toronto Maple Leafs 10-9
Burlington Herd 7-12
Brantford Red Sox 4-11
Hamilton Cardinals 3-10
Guelph Royals 1-19
By Pepper Parr
June 26th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
This article was revised. In the original version we said Marianne Meed Ward sent just the one message to trustee Reynolds during the school board meeting. Meed Ward advised us that she sent several messages all of which were related to procedural matters.
Ward 2 city Councillor Marianne Meed Ward admits that she did send ward 1 and 2 school board trustee Leah Reynolds messages electronically advising her not to vote on a motion that was before the board.
 “Don’t vote … Let it go” said parent Marianne Meed Ward to school trustee Leah Reynolds. The message was seen as private and was an acceptable practice? Meed Ward adds that the messages she sent – there were several had to do with a complex procedural situation that the Board of Education debated for an hour.
Meed Ward’s view appears to be that a comment or advice on a procedural matter is acceptable.
The Chair of the Board of Education Kelly Amos said that trustees get messages from people in the public gallery all the time.
Meed Ward maintains the message was private and that it is being misrepresented and that false allegations are being made about her motives.
Meed Ward asks people to look at the facts and not come to a conclusion without all the facts.
The difficulty with this is that the facts are complex, confusing and that there are several sets of facts.
 Chair Kelly Amos and vice chair Kim Graves trying to figure out just what the rules require when there are two different motions on the floor. The issue before the board was which motion was going to be heard first. A Parliamentarian who was brought in by Board staff took the position that two motions could be on the floor at the same time.
The Boards lawyer saw it differently and said the Board could debate just the one motion at a time.
In matters like this – the Chair rules and Kelly Amos went along with the opinion given her by the Parliamentarian.
 People in the public gallery at the June 7th Board of Education meting – this shot is of a mostly Central high school people For the Bateman parents it was all about a trustee who voted for the closure of their school getting advice from a member of city council who was also one of the parent representatives from Central, a high school that was originally recommended for closure.
It is not a pretty picture and it certainly smells. It was a complex issue and feelings were running very high. They were just as high at Central high school when they were recommended for closure.
When the closure recommendation was changed to closing Bateman rather than Central – attitudes changed in minutes and everyone began behaving badly.
One has to take Meed Ward at her word. She says she sent messages that to a procedural matter. If there is evidence to the contrary that should be brought forward.
Meed Ward told the Gazette that what she did was the right thing to do and added that it has been a very tough situation.
 Meed Ward sitting as a parent representative at the PAR meetings. Asked if she regrets accepting the role of being a member of the Program Accommodation Review (PAR) Meed Ward said she had no regrets.
What she does regret is the lack of respect for differing opinions. “I have empathy for the parents at Bateman” said Meed Ward. The decision to close a school has real impact on a community and it is hard for people to accept changes like this, she added.
What bothers Meed Ward most is the disregard and damage being done to civil discourse. The public drops out of public debate when the respect for the views of each other are disregarded, she said. People don’t want to become involved when there is so much misrepresentation and distortion of the facts.
What is bothering people who are not directly involved in the school closings is the acceptance of a practice that has people in the public gallery sending electronic message to trustees with advice and direction – even if it relates to just a procedural matter.
What also bothers some is why the parents who had the evidence showing a person sending a message to a trustee waited more than two weeks before releasing the information they had.
 Is what is on that computer screen public or private? A further concern is the matter of what is private and what is public: When a city Councillor attends a public Board of Education meeting and is seen sending a message electronically to a trustee – is the sending of that message private or is it in the public interest for that message to be made public?
Trustee Leah Reynolds was asked to make herself available for an interview. So far there has not been a response.
The Board of Education has begun the transition process and appointed Superintendent Terry Blackwell to oversee the process.
The Board announced that it will hire architects who will do the design work on Nelson high school for the transfer of the Bateman students to that location in 2020.
By Staff
June 25th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington just loves being on lists where the city is named the best of this or the best of that.
 Canadian Automobile Association recognizes a Burlington street. An observant ready recently came across a mention the city got from the CAA – the Canadian Automobile Association.
 Another public mention for Burlington – joins our being the BEST small Canadian city to live in We are number 3 on the CAA’s 2017 Worst Roads list.
The CAA has New Street as the recipient of that distinguished mention.
If you drive that road today there is a nice new layer of asphalt with bright white lane markings. A worst designation can’t be about the quality of the surface – must be about the lane markings or the reconfiguration of the traffic lanes.
 White blotches of paint show where the bike lane lines are to be located. New Street will have one lane in each direction, a turning lane between the two traffic lanes and a bicycle lane on either side of the road.
The bike lanes are the issue. City hall just hasn’t been able to get a grip on a problem that is perhaps not clearly understood.
The city’s transportation department is trying to deliver on a city council objective – do a pilot study and see what happens when the traffic lane configuration is changed and bike lanes are added to each side of the road.
The cycling community wants bike lanes, which they argue, will be heavily used once there is a network of bike lanes that allow a person to actually get somewhere.
The car drivers want their traffic lanes back – something about a God given right Burlingtonians have to roads to drive their cars on.
Those who like driving a bike and would use it as a mode of transportation providing there are barriers that protect the cyclists from the cars or the buses and trucks.
New Street has become a thorn in the side of the Mayor – he seems to be the lightning rod for the issue.
Poor man gets button-holed by voters when he is at the Y exercising – they want him to do something about the road.
In the world of politics skill at managing issues is vital – and having departments that can put together plans to manage the way an initiative is rolled out is critical. Both communications and transportation get a thumbs down on this one. One wonders where the communications people in the Mayor’s office are on this one.
Everyone seems to be adrift.
The pilot study that was supposed to start last fall got derailed. It is set to begin in the very near future. Let’s see what the data looks like when it becomes available.
Can’t wait for those eager citizens to claim that the data was rigged to give the city the results it wants.
There is some doubt that the people at city hall really know what they want – on this project at least.
 By Staff
June 23rd, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Movies under the Stars returns on Thursday, July 6, featuring free outdoor movie screenings at 9 p.m. every Thursday until Aug. 17.
The films in the family movie series were chosen by residents through a weekly online poll earlier this spring.
The selected movies and their locations are:
Date Location Movie
Thursday, July 6 Nelson Park Stuart Little
Thursday, July 13 LaSalle Park Finding Dory
Thursday, July 20 Central Park Bandshell La La Land
Thursday, July 27 Emerson Park The Good Dinosaur
Thursday, Aug. 3 Lowville Park Shrek
Thursday, Aug. 10 Ireland Park Mighty Ducks
Thursday, Aug. 17 Spencer Smith Park Lilo and Stitch
 Good clean family fun. Each movie will begin at 9 p.m. and will be shown on a large, inflatable screen.
Healthy Kids Community Challenge will be at each event with fun activities and information on healthy snack choices for kids.
Viewers are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets.
By Pepper Parr
June 23rd, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The fat is in the fire.
And it is going to severely burn a number of elected officials.
Bateman high school parents have been fighting doggedly to keep their high school. They have presented evidence that a member of the PARC and a city Councillor has been coaching a school board trustee on what to say during the critical June 7th meeting at which the trustees decided to close Bateman and Pearson.
The parent group has had the information since June 7th – and have held it while they strategize and determine how best to have the biggest possible impact.
They went for a TV interview with CHCH – they dropped the bomb in a Thursday evening broadcast that could derail the plans Meed Ward has had for running for the office of Mayor in Burlington.
 Trustee Leah Reynolds working from a well marked copy of Roberts Rules of order during the crucial June 7 vote on high school closings. Leah Reynolds, the school board trustee who was being coached had plans to run or the ward 2 city council seat.
Meed Ward said she was not coaching anyone – but rather making comments on procedural issues.
Kelly Amos, the chair of the Board of trustees said no rules were broken and the Code of Conduct was observed.
When the Director of Education, Stuart Miller, advised the Board trustees last October that there were something in the order of 1800 empty high school seats in Burlington and that as Director he wanted to Board to do a Program Accommodation Review of the Burlington high schools.
The Board agreed and created a PARC (Program Accommodation Review Committee.
Those committees have two representatives from each high school in the city who look at all the information available and if they can make a recommendation to the Director who in turn makes his final recommendation to the trustees.
 Burlington city Councillor Marianne Meed Ward. Marianne Meed Ward, the city Councillor for ward 2 in Burlington has a son at Central high school; she was asked by the Parent Council if she would represent them on the PARC. She said she would which raised both eyebrows and hackles amongst many.
The first recommendation from the Director of Education that the PARC had to deal with was to close both Central high school and Lester B. Pearson high school.
Sometime later the Director revised his recommendation and removed Central high school form the recommendation and added Bateman high school.
The Bateman parents were stunned and they weren’t ready for the fight of their lives – which they eventually lost.
Parents at the three high schools have lived through a horrendous nine months. There was a lot of bitterness at Bateman and Pearson.
 Meed Ward at her iPad during a school board meeting. What few knew was that the Bateman parents had captured Meed Ward communicating with trustee Reynolds during the June 7th meeting. Those parents had a member of their committee who could get them in front of the CHCH news people – they knew a hot story when they saw one.
The Bateman parents have filed complaints against trustee Reynolds and city Councillor Meed Ward accusing them of acting unethically during a meeting to decide the fate of two Burlington schools.
 Is this a smoking gun? Going to be tough to explain this one. The Save Bateman Committee say the words of school trustee Leah Reynolds weren’t her own; they claim they could see Burlington city Councillor Marianne Meed Ward typing instructions to Reynolds on her iPad and they have visual evidence to back up their claim.
Lisa Bull speaking for the Bateman parents – She is “shocked’! Lisa Bull, a Bateman parent took a picture where one message said: “don’t vote in favour”. She says she was talking about a motion put forward by another trustee, Amy Collard, to explore a partnership between Robert Bateman and Nelson high school, to save the school and some of its unique programs in skilled trades and special needs.
The chair of the Halton District School Board says receiving emails and texts during a meeting isn’t against the rules but parents say Meed Ward was instructing her on how to block the motion and that Reynolds campaigned on a platform of “no school closures”.
The Save Bateman Committee is also accusing Meed Ward of influencing the decision to pull Central school off the closure list.
CHCH asked Meed Ward for an interview; the normally always available for time on television Meed Ward said she wasn’t available. She sent the TV station a statement saying, “the texts related to procedural matters only and had nothing to do with the content of motions regarding school closures and alternatives…”
Leah Reynolds didn’t respond to the CHCH interview request.
City Councillor Marianne Meed Ward with Leah Reynolds; Best friends forever. The Save Bateman Committee wants the Board of Education to put a pause on the final 10-1 vote to close the school and they are asking that trustee Reynolds be suspended.
It will take some time for everyone to figure out just what merit there is in the parent demand to put a hold on the school closing.
What is evident this morning is that this smells.
Asking Meed Ward to produce a copy of every text message or email she sent trustee Reynolds might clear the air a bit.
Some of the copy in this report is from the CHCH newscast.
 By Staff
June 23rd, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It’s tough to eke out a win when you are up against the team that has yet to lose a baseball game this season.
 On Thursday in Burlington, the Barrie Baycats’ won yet another game: 11-4
The win left the Baycats at 14-0 and vying for a fourth straight title.
For the Herd, Canice Ejoh doubled and had two RBI.
Resse O’Farrell singled three times and had an RBI and scored a run.
Nolan Pettipiece had the other RBI.
Ben Braun (0-1) took the loss, giving up seven runs on nine hits in four innings with three walks and four strikeouts.
Future games:
Saturday, June 24
Hamilton at Burlington, 1:05 p.m.
Sunday, June 25
Burlington at Kitchener, 2 p.m. (DH)
Standings
Barrie Baycats 14-0
London Majors 13-0
Kitchener Panthers 11-3
Toronto Maple Leafs 8-9
Burlington Herd 5-11
Hamilton Cardinals 3-9
Brantford Red Sox 3-11
Guelph Royals 1-15
 By Staff
June 22, 2017
BURLINGTON,ON
It was after 3 in the morning – two male suspects, one armed with a handgun the other armed with an expandable baton, entered the Shoppers Drug Mart located at 3023 New Street in Burlington.
The suspects rounded up employees before heading for the pharmacy department where they demanded narcotics.
After an undisclosed quantity of oxycodone was provided, the suspects fled the store, running west along the front of the plaza and then north along Guelph Line.
A search of the area by canine and Tactical Rescue Unit (TRU) members was conducted however the suspect were not located.
The suspect armed with the handgun is described as male, hispanic, 5’8″ to 5’10” tall, heavy build, 200 to 250 lbs, wearing a black hoodie with a black & white bandana, dark pants, black gloves and white shoes.
The suspect armed with the expandable baton is described as male, white, 6′ tall, thin build, 150 lbs wearing a dark toque with a beige bandana covering his face and black golves.
Anyone with information about this robbery are asked to contact Detective Phil Vandenbeukel of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Robbery Team at 905-825 4747 ext. 2343, Crime Stoppers “See Something, Hear Something, Say Something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimesoppers.ca or by texting “Tip 201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
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