 By Ray River
May 12, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Not since the ’80’s, not since before the cold war ended, has the world seemed so very much on edge, particularly in the birthplace of the last two world wars. As we know, European nations are having to rearm themselves, thanks to the new threat posed by Russia’s near dictator, Mr. Putin. He has an ambition – to restore the Soviet Union and reinstate Russia’s place as a major world power.
Take Ukraine, which Vlad the conquerer tried to do a couple of years ago, though it appears he may be content to settle for those bits and pieces of the former Soviet republic where his army is now firmly entrenched. That is the lesson of self-defence – why even in peacetime good fences make for better neighbours.
 They are not talking to each other: Russian president Vladimir Putin and the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko. Putin has said that Ukraine shares the blame for allowing this rape to take place – as if rape could ever be justified. The rise of the oligarchs concurrent with the deterioration of the old communist social system; the corruption that infiltrated almost all walks of life; the systematic dismantling of one of the most powerful military forces in Europe; and a former president colluding with Putin, the former KGB agent, to facilitate the country’s takeover – all contributed.
My wife and I are volunteering to spend three weeks this year teaching young Ukrainians to speak English and to understand and develop an appreciation of western customs and traditions. to “the president of Ukraine” GoCamps is a non-governmental organization, supported by the Ukrainian government, with the goal of creating awareness of western society and thus offering Ukrainians a better future beyond the old eastern bloc. This year they are hoping for 1000 volunteers to expose 300,000 children to our way of life.
Most Ukrainians look at neighbouring Poland which has amplified its economy nearly twelve-fold since joining the EU, while Ukraine has barely grown by a factor of two or three. But Ukraine took too long deciding to apply for EU membership, and although it has been the recipient of numerous European development programs, its eventual application to join ticked off Vlad and brought insurrection and war to the 20 something year-old nation.
 The Ukrainian economy has not grown the way the Polish economy has. But the EU is not the only entity assisting this country in removing the shackles of Russian domination. The British, Americans and we Canadians are providing both economic as well as military assistance – most significantly by training Ukrainian soldiers in a program called Operation UNIFIER. After all, Ukraine is no stranger to NATO, having been an active partner, though not a member, including supplying troops for NATO initiatives in Afghanistan and the former Yugoslav states.
 A Canadian soldier explains the conduct of a patrolling raid to a Ukrainian platoon during small team training at the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre in Starychi, Ukraine. I have been invited to visit a former Soviet army base where some 200 Canadian military trainers will be in action with Ukrainian recruits, over 3000 of whom have already graduated. Of course Canada is not fighting Putin’s forces so the training is taking place well away from the conflict zone in south-eastern Ukraine, and out of harm’s way. But just to be safe, I’m told, I’ll have to don a helmet and body armour for my tour.
It is just not feasible for Ukrainian forces to take on the well-trained and supplied Russian military – at least not yet. So since the beginning of the Russian invasions the primary response by western nations supporting Ukraine has been to apply limited economic sanctions on Putin’s Russia. Those sanctions, coupled with the drop in oil revenues, (which next to weapons make up the bulk of Russia’s export earnings) have hurt Putin’s economy and restrained his plans to expand his military even more.
So America’s new president, the enigmatic and unpredictable Donald Trump is a concern. Nobody seems to understand what the US president’s aspirations are, if he has any at all, besides exercising power, further enriching himself and going for the glory of it all. But he had spoken warmly of Putin during his election campaign last year, and questioned the lifting of US sanctions. And he and those around him are known to have had significant financial dealing with the Putin crowd.
His recent firing of the FBI Director, who more than any other individual contributed to his becoming president, ironically, has unnerved virtually the entire political class in America. Despite his official rationale for booting James Comey out of his job, everyone understands it has to do with the FBI investigation into Trump and friends, and Russia.
Although the US is not at war with Russia, the two nations are at odds over the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine – and possibly Russian arms supplies to the Taliban. And then there is the hacking of democratic institutions in the USA during last year’s federal election which has been traced back to Moscow. So as Trump welcomed Russia’s foreign minister to Washington this week with open arms, one can’t help but wonder where this is going to go.
 Malaysian airlines MH17 believed to have been shot down by Russian operatives in rebel held eastern Ukraine. Travelling to Ukraine will take me on a touch-down to Holland . Dutch citizens were the largest contingent of passengers killed when Russian operatives in rebel held eastern Ukraine shot down Malaysian airlines MH17 a couple of years ago. Perversely, this tiny but important European nation voted against accepting Ukraine into the EU in a referendum last year – as if they were taking out their anger over losing their loved ones on the victims of the broader conflict, rather than the actual culprits. Sometimes that is how it goes in rape cases – we blame the victims.
I visited Ukraine last year for the first time, while doing research for a book I’m writing. And this year its future is only marginally more promising. Except that the economy is stronger and so are the nation’s defences, thanks in part to Canada. And for the Ukrainians, despite support from western nations, they understand that in the end it is they alone who must secure their future and their own security. So I look forward to observing our trainers at work as they help the local soldiers get into shape for even more conflict. And maybe they’ll even let me drive a tank.
 Rivers will be taking his guitar with him and teaching some of the students how to play it – and then leaving the guitar behind as a gift 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:
Ukraine vs Poland – Canada Trains Ukrainians – Trump and Russia –
MH17 – GoCamps
 By Staff
May 10th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The following are the people selected as delegates to address the Halton District school Board trustees on the matter of closing high schools in Burlington.
Earlier in the week the trustees listened to 24 delegations and managed to ask a paltry five questions with three of them coming from one trustee.
Chair Kelly Amos didn’t say a word other than to open the meeting, thank the speakers and close the meeting. Engaging the people who elected them seems to be beyond this crop of elected officials.
 Cheryl Delugt, standing, a member of the PARC Tracey and Joelle Howard will speak on the closing of Robert Bateman
Cheryl Delugt, a member of the PARC will speak on the closing of Lester B. Pearson
Elyse Matthews is a community member.
Tammie Beattie will represent the interests of the Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC)
Jane Cooper Kelly is a Community Member
Dr. Lisa Van Zoost will speak for Nelson high school
Diane Miller will speak for Lester B, Pearson.
Adam Peaker is a community member
Tom Muir is a community member who has written at length on why the Board of Education is in the situation they are in. He speaks as a Community Member
Debbie Wakem will speak for Robert Bateman high school
 Steve Cussons, on the right, was a member of the PARC committee. Steve Cussons will speak for parents at Aldershot high chool
Jeffrey Huang Ma will speak for Robert Bateman HS
Maeve Fitzgerald will also speak for Robert Bateman HS
Cassie White will speak for Robert Bateman high school as well.
Camryn McKay will speak for Robert Bateman
Denise Davy, who has worked tirelessly for the interests of the parents with children at Robert Bateman, will delegate Thursday evening.
Barbara Heller will speak about the Gifted Programs
Natalie Hiltz will also speak on the Gifted Program
Julie Hill will speak for Robert Bateman HS
Heather deHaan will speak for Robert Bateman
Stephen Beleck will speak for Robert Bateman
Brent Hall is a Community Member
Tracey Bruton will speak for Robert Bateman HS
Lauren Olsen will speak for Burlington Central HS
 Jason Bartlett, parent of a student at Bateman high school Jason and Kelley Bartlett will speak for Robert Bateman HS. Jason has in the past been a member of the Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC)
Steve Armstrong, who was a member of the PARC will speak for Lester B. Pearson and for Hayden high school
Douglas Emerson will speak for Lester B. Pearson high school
Renée Sirbu will speak on the International Baccalaureate program
Kathy Berglund will speak for the Aldershot HS
Heather McElrea will also speak for the Aldershot HS
Ron Raj Reddy will speak on the International Baccalaureate program.
The delegation meeting of the Board of Trustees on Monday met at the Board of Education offices – if you were not a delegation you had to watch the proceedings at M. M. Robinson high school, a couple of hundred yards away.
The turn out at MMR was 21 people which narrowed down to 17 as the evening wore on. The Board made every effort to keep a crowd that had the potential to get noisy out side the building.
The policy is not to allow any emotional response from the public. That doesn’t square all that well with a policy that lets the trustees applaud when they are handing out awards to members of the public.
Closing any school is an emotional process – the Director of Education said having to tell the staff at Bateman high school that he had recommended the closing of that school “broke his heart”. It’s doing a lot more than that to the parents of the students at Bateman.
There is nothing wrong with people allowing their emotions to overflow. This Board and these trustees seem to be afraid of hearing how people really feel.
When things get noisy or even a little rowdy – a strong chair has a gavel and can call a meeting to order very effectively; that of course is the problem – the chair isn’t very strong.
A man named Jim Young, an Aldershot resident with a passion for getting better public transit service for seniors in Burlington once told that city council that council was not theirs – it was something they held as a sacred trust on behalf of the public – and we thought he was right.
The 11 trustees were elected to represent the public and ensure that the teachers and board staff deliver the service the province directs them to deliver and that the public wants.
So far – not one person has stood up publicly and said that closing a high school is a good thing for Burlington.
 Eleven of the people sitting at the conference table will vote to decide which, if any, of the high schools in Burlington should be closed. Trustees – fill board +
Eleven of the people at the meeting will decide which, if any of the high schools in Burlington are to be closed. There doesn’t seem to be any public support for closing the schools.
At a recent Board of Trustee meeting the 11 members poured over the plans for a new high school on Milton; they talked about where hallways should be, where recreational facilities should be – they sounded like a family designing their new hone. They had all kinds of questions.
They need to be as deliberate and as responsible and as involved and as engaged with the matter of closing a school. This isn’t a game.
 By Staff
May 10th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It wasn’t the tour of duty they were expecting when they set out for work September 20th, 2016
In a media release the Halton Regional Police Service report that several of its members were following a suspect; while in the city of Toronto, one of the officers shot the suspect. When police use their guns the Ontario Special Investigations Units initiates an investigation. At the time of the incident, HRPS officers were following a suspect, a Mr. Grayson Delong, as part of an ongoing property crimes investigation.
The Ontario special Investigations Unit tell the story much better than the Halton police,
They report that:
 The SIU investigated behaviour of an HRPS officer. He was cleared The assignment began at a courthouse in Brampton where Mr. Delong was scheduled to make a 9 a.m. court appearance. Over the next several hours, HRPS officers followed Mr. Delong who eventually made his way to the downtown Toronto area.
After parking on Admiral Road, Mr. Delong exited the vehicle wearing a reflective construction vest and a blonde wig. He then walked to a nearby park where he stayed for approximately one hour. Suspecting that Mr. Delong was preparing to commit a robbery, the team contacted other area police services about their suspicions.
Shortly after 3 p.m., Mr. Delong drove to Bedford Road and parked his vehicle across the street from 23 Bedford Road.
Minutes later, Mr. Delong exited his vehicle, looked southbound and then re-entered the car. The subject officer, directed to approach on foot in order to ascertain if Mr. Delong was still inside the vehicle, saw Mr. Delong slouched down in the rear passenger seat. He was still wearing the disguise. The subject officer walked into the stairwell of a nearby building which afforded him a view of Mr. Delong sitting in the vehicle.
Suddenly, Mr. Delong exited the vehicle and ran up behind a male individual, who was standing at the rear of a vehicle in the driveway of the property at 23 Bedford Road. As the male slowly turned around, Mr. Delong discharged a semi-automatic pistol. The male suffered gunshot wounds and fell to the ground. Mr. Delong made his way back to his vehicle.
Hearing gunshots, followed by shouting and screaming, the subject officer ran onto Bedford Road and saw Mr. Delong re-enter his vehicle while carrying a dark object in his right hand which he believed was a gun.
The subject officer, now standing on the east sidewalk took out his gun and walked behind the vehicle Mr. Delong was in and pointed his pistol at it. The subject officer yelled, “Police, police, police!” Mr. Delong drove his vehicle out of the parking space in a jerky motion. The vehicle abruptly stopped, and the driver’s window shattered outward as Mr. Delong again discharged his firearm. Mr. Delong then began to slowly drive away along southbound Bedford Road.
The subject officer aimed his gun at the rear of Mr. Delong’s vehicle and fired three times. After firing the third shot, he noticed Mr. Delong slump to the right, and his vehicle suddenly jerked and started rolling forward. One of the other members of the team drove his vehicle in front of Mr. Delong’s car, and the two vehicles slowly made contact and came to a stop.
The members of the team approached Mr. Delong’s vehicle with their guns drawn. They found Mr. Delong lying across the right front passenger seat. He had been struck twice.
First Aid was administered to Mr. Delong until paramedics arrived.
When Mr. Delong’s left arm was pulled out from underneath him, a semi-automatic pistol was observed on the passenger seat of the vehicle.
Director Loparco said, “There is no question that the subject officer was acting in the course of his duties when he fired his gun at the fleeing Mr. Delong. The subject officer was in a proximate location to the male’s office at the time of the shooting. Mr. Delong acted suddenly, and the subject officer’s response was prompt. The time frame from when Mr. Delong approached the male to when he pulled his vehicle away was a mere 20 seconds.
“The question that I have to consider is whether or not the subject officer exceeded the ambits of justifiable force in the circumstances, the applicable section of the Criminal Code being section 25(4).
“Based on all of the forensic evidence and statements from numerous witnesses and the subject officer, all five requirements of section 25(4) are satisfied. First, the subject officer had reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Delong had just shot somebody and as such was arrestable. Second, a person who commits either aggravated assault or discharge firearm with intent can be arrested without a warrant. Third, Mr. Delong was clearly attempting to flee the scene as he drove away from 23 Bedford Road. Fourth, the subject officer indicated that he believed that Mr. Delong posed a threat to him, the other nearby officers and the public.
Given that Mr. Delong appeared to have just shot somebody, and had fired additional shots from inside his vehicle, the subject officer’s conclusion was more than reasonable. Finally, there was no less violent mechanism that could have been used to affect the arrest. It is also noteworthy that the subject officer only fired three times, and held his fire after noticing that Mr. Delong’s vehicle abruptly jerked on the roadway. The subject officer’s actions in the circumstances were reasonable, responsive, measured and thoughtful.”
 Special Investigations Unit Director Tony Loparco. Director Loparco added, “Beyond the shooting, there was another potential avenue of criminal liability that I considered when reviewing this case. The facts of this case gave me pause when they were presented to me at an early stage. I was concerned with the fact that the HRPS team had been observing Mr. Delong for an extended period of time prior to the shooting. The concern was that their inactions, or omissions, could conceivably satisfy the requirements of criminal negligence causing bodily harm with respect to the male’s injuries. If the officers did not place Mr. Delong under arrest when they should have, then their actions could very well have been a marked and substantial departure from what a reasonable officer would have done in the same circumstances.
“However, a review of the HRPS team’s assignment and efforts leads me to the conclusion that there is no basis for reasonable grounds to believe that the offence of criminal negligence causing bodily harm was committed. While his activities certainly warranted suspicion, Mr. Delong was not arrestable for any offences prior to his approaching the male and discharging a firearm. After Mr. Delong donned his disguise, the team consulted with nearby police services to determine if Mr. Delong matched the descriptions of any wanted persons. He did not.”
Director Loparco concluded, “In the circumstances, the subject officer was legally justified in employing force intended to cause death or grievous bodily harm against a fleeing suspect. Consequently, there is no reason to believe that a criminal offence has been committed and no charges will issue.”
HRPS Chief Stephen Tanner today releases his statement regarding the incident and SIU findings:
 Halton Regional Police Services Chief Tanner. “At this time I wish to publicly commend each of our officers for the roles they played that day. They were able to effectively intervene in a rapidly unfolding, life-threatening incident. While we may never know for sure, these officers quite possibly saved the life of the victim who had been shot. Following the initial incident, the officers rendered medical assistance at the scene until Toronto EMS arrived.
“I am extremely proud of our team. All of the involved officers, including the subject officer, cooperated fully with the SIU. This included (the subject officer) submitting to an interview, which he was not required to do.
“No police officer wants to be placed in a situation of having to consider, never mind actually using deadly force. However, we know from this and many other similar, serious cases across the country, it can be a requirement of our highly-trained and professional officers.
“With the SIU investigation concluded, I want to once again thank our officers for their actions and commend them for their professional conduct throughout the incident and resulting investigation.”
By Staff
May 10th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The weather damage was worse than the Rob Peachey, manager of parks and open space realized.
Significant erosion has resulted in the pedestrian bridge closest to Lake Ontario in Paletta Lakefront Park has been closed to ensure public safety.
 Paletta Mansion, the property was once owned by Laura Secord has a number of small bridges on the property. Spring rains took out one of those bridges. There has been damage to the bridge supports and creek banks as a result of last week’s storms and wave action from Lake Ontario.
An engineering consultant has deemed the bridge unsafe for public use and has recommended the bridge be removed.
Plans for the removal of the bridge are underway and the area is being fenced-off with signage posted.
The bridge is expected to be out of service for an extended period of time.
 By Staff
May 10th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Liberal government is delivering on their budget promises and sending Cabinet Ministers out into the field to spread the good news.
 Burlington MP Eleanor McMahon announced that the Joseph Brant hospital was to get $2.5. McMahon’s flu shot – she got that at a local pharmacy. That got Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon over to the hospital this morning to make the announcement and chat things up with — Eric Vandewall, President and CEO of Joseph Brant Hospital who said: “Joseph Brant Hospital welcomes the news of receiving an additional $2.5 million in funding, a 2.10% increase to invest in frontline care and enhance patient experience. This funding will ensure that important health care services and programs are maintained for the residents of Burlington and the surrounding area.”
Bit of a mix up with the numbers: Vandewall said the money was a 2.5% increase while the Minister, in her release puts it at 3.1% – not exactly chump change when we are talking in millions.
 Eric Vandewall, President and CEO of Joseph Brant Hospital Vandewall, the highest paid civil servant in Burlington earns more than twice what we pay McMahon. He however has to pay for his parking; she gets to use a limo to dive her around from time to time.
Public service does have its perks.
The media release tells us that: “The Joseph Brant Hospital is getting an additional $2.5 million that will provide faster access to health care, expand crucial services and procedures, and improve the experience of patients.
“This investment in Burlington is part of a 3.1 per cent increase in hospital funding in the 2017 Budget to directly benefit patients at every public hospital across Ontario, and will:
Provide more access to cardiac services, critical care, organ/tissue donations and transplants, rare disease care, and bariatric services, as well as support for new and redeveloped hospitals
Improve access and reduce wait times for chemotherapy, stroke treatments, hip and knee replacements, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRIs)
Support service delivery by hospitals in high-growth communities, as well as small, medium, northern and rural hospitals, and mental health and stand-alone paediatric hospitals.
Ontario is increasing access to care, reducing wait times and improving the patient experience through its Patients First Action Plan for Health Care and OHIP+: Children and Youth Pharmacare – protecting health care today and into the future.
The new patient tower at Burlington’s Joseph Brant Hospital is nearing completion and will be officially opened on August 21st. This is a long awaited modernization of a hospital that has had its problems in the past.
 An architects rendering of the new entrance to the Joseph Brant Hospital which will now face the lake. The entrance will be off Lakeshore Road with the new parking lot just to the west of the hospital. The patient tower is part of the hospital’s more-than-$350-million redevelopment and expansion.
 On a rain soaked day 2334 people gathered in Spencer Smith Park to try and break a Guinness world record for creating the largest human letter. It was a valiant effort – and the weather was the pits. The city of Burlington had to come up with $60 million of that money with the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation raising an additional $60 million.
The redevelopment will house the new emergency department, cancer clinic, and intensive care unit, as well as operating rooms, and recovery and inpatient units.
It is a very smart looking building.
 By Staff
May 10, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The attempts to get at your personal financial information are relentless. There are thousands of thieves out there from around the world hat send out millions of email each day trying to lure people into sending them information that will allow them to get at your sensitive financial information.
The rule is always – if in doubt – don’t
One of the more recent scams is the parking ticket notice.
Here is what it looks like.
  
The bottom part is perhaps the most dangerous – they might have a photograph that will have computer code within it that could corrupt your computer and leave software on your machine that lets them track everything you do.
Very dangerous. That rule again: If in doubt – don’t.
 By Staff
May 10th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The season opens on Saturday.
The crack of the bat will be heard.
That assumes there will be no rain.
 The Herd, Burlington’s team in the InterCounty Baseball League will have their home opener at Nelson Park scheduled for 1:05 pm on Saturday, May 13 against the Kitchener Panthers.
The team is going to go all out to get this off the ground in a big way.
As part of the opening day festivities there will be:
– OPENING DAY BAND: Pineapple Girls, a “Surf/Psych/Indie/Pop” band from Hamilton, ON will play pre-game on the concourse. The band will begin playing at 12:00 pm when the gates open.
– INFLATABLES: Bring the kids and enjoy inflatable castle fun presented by Party Castles.
– CEREMONIAL FIRST PITCH: Former Burlington IBL General Manager, Allan Ross, will be on hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch of the 2017 season.
– HONOUR GUARD: The Herd Welcome the Halton Regional Police Honour Guard on field during the National Anthem.
– NATIONAL ANTHEM: The National Anthem will be performed by The Brass Theory, who are members of the Burlington Concert Band.
– 50 DEGREE GUARANTEE: Of course, if the thermometer doesn’t top 50 degrees, all fans with a ticket to the game can redeem their ticket for a FREE game in April or May.
– PULLER PORK SANDWICH SPECIAL: Enjoy a home made Hickory Smoked Southern Style Pulled Pork Sandwich at our concession stand for only $6!
– HERC’S NUTRITION FOAM FINGER GIVEAWAY: The first 100 fans through the gates will receive a Burlington Herd Foam Finger presented by Herc’s Nutrition. Gates will open at 12:00 pm.
Tickets at the gate or on line
Adults – $5.00
Seniors $4.00
Children under ten – free
 By Pepper Parr
May 9th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
He was never sure he was going to actually celebrate a 50th birthday – but there he was at a Halton District School Board delegation night explaining to the trustees what leadership was all about.
He set out what few would disagree with, that the PAR process was deeply flawed and resulted in schools battling things out with others schools to ensure they were not on the close list. Cosgrove wanted his community to overcome the fears and work together as a community to find the best solution for everyone.
 Casey and his daughter Kate. The parents got part of the way – they weren’t given a lot of time. Denise Davy put it very well when she said the city of Burlington took more time to decide what to do with the Freeman station than the Board of Education spent deciding which high schools to close. Freeman was was marked for demolition. Today that station sits beside the Fire hall where it will become a must get to place for those touring the city. It will get more traffic that the Paletta Mansion when it formally opens.
It was this kind of coming together that Cosgrove looks for and what he teaches at the University of Guelph where he lectures on leadership.
Cosgrove and his wife and their three children carry the burden of their father’s illness as well as it can be managed. Casey will tell you it is what it is and then pull you into his confidence and tell you that he was injected with something from a Brazilian Sand Fly that is an experimental process he is under at the Juravinski clinic in Hamilton.
Cosgrove is grateful the small blessings that come his way. Sometime ago, when he was being treated at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto he wrote about a typical day; “ It was a LONG 8-hour day in PMH yesterday. There at 7am, left at 3 to the usual lousy traffic…blood work, then an x-ray, then a meeting with my oncologist and study nurse, then a CT, then chemo. Long day, then raced back for a hockey game with Evans team, the team I coach.
“No results yet. They have told me to expect some ‘inflammation’ in the affected areas that it is almost standard with this anti PD1 drug I am taking now. They will call me if anything out of the ordinary appears in my test results. I still feel fine, but one never knows – there is not always a direct correlation between how you feel and look vs. what’s going on inside one’s body – I think I’m living proof of that.
“Bryna is going to be mad that I forgot to tell her this – I got the call the other day and forgot frankly. You may recall another study I did where they took a part of my tumour to see if its ‘markers’ may give them information about a drug or such that may be a good match for me. No such luck – my tumour didn’t show yield any particular unique information that gave them much more to go on. I was told that there was a ‘marker’ that was very unique, but what that means they don’t know. They simply scientifically don’t know what it may mean. So, no harm no foul on that one. It didn’t tell me anything really but they had to call and let me know.
 Doug the dog. “All else is good here. Hockey has begun. School is in. Bryna back to work. Kate or Katherine (now she doesn’t care which again) was signed to do some modelling/acting, which is exciting for her to have her ‘own’ thing. She started last weekend.
A day in the life of the Cosgrove family – this evening they will celebrate – fifty years eh! You’ve still got work to do pal.
Get Doug the dog off the couch and snuggle up with your wife.
 By Pepper Parr
May 9th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Revised: This article has been revised based on information sent to us by trustee Papin
The first wave of delegations to the Halton District School Board were heard last night; twenty four people made their case for keeping different schools open.
The eleven trustees listened – three – just three asked questions. Amy Collard, perhaps the trustee with the experience needed to ask pointed questions of Board staff didn’t have much in the way of questions for any of the delegations,
 Those delegating before the trustees were in one building, those there to just listen were in another location watching the events by an internet feed. Ward 1 and 2 trustee Leah Reynolds had a question that was more technical in nature, Trustee Oliver out of Oakville had the best question – she wanted to know more about what would be involved if Bateman were to be moved to Nelson.
Other than that, the trustees didn’t really engage with the audience. They didn’t ask any of the delegations how they might resolve the question the trustee they were faced with.
As the evening wound down one could easily get the impression that the trustee’s may have felt that they had gotten through the evening with most of the skin on their backs.
 School Board trustee chair Kelly Amos Chair Kelly Amos seemed a bit flustered when she opened the meeting and maintained a polite veneer throughout the evening, hesitant at times that the whole thing might blow up in her face.
Stuart Miller, Director of Education who is going to have to work with whatever decision the trustees make maintained a calm observant demeanor throughout the evening.
There were some excellent delegations. The trustees were given new information, some of it very relevant, but one never got the impression that anything that was said was sinking in.
It was as if there was a line drawn in the sand and each group maintained their distance on their side of the line.
The parents, especially those from Bateman, certainly made their case about the value of the programs that school runs. The Board staff have taken the position that anything Bateman has today they will have when the transition to Nelson is made. The evidence heard last night suggests that is not going to be the case.
The senior staff at Nelson are going to have to work hard at changing the attitudes of a small number of Nelson students and ensure that the welcome they give the Bateman students, if that is where they are going to end up, is genuine. There has been a tremendous amount of exceptionally negative comment made on twitter by Nelson students.
The Nelson pride that Casey Cosgrove, a Bateman student in his high school days, spoke about is going to need an attitude adjustment if the decision is made to close Bateman and march all the Bateman students along New Street to their new digs.
What Cosgrove did do was remind the trustees that they had some amazing people in the community who could and would pull together to find a solution that keeps the schools open. “These are amazing people” said Cosgrove “use them”
Cosgrove wanted the trustees to vote for option 7 – don’t close any of the schools until the real work that has yet to be done can get done to figure out what the possibilities are for making a better decision than the one staff gave the trustees,
 Gary Scobie – don;t close any of the schools until you have better data. Gary Scobie, a Burlington resident who delegates often at city hall, pointed out that “Past estimates of student location into the future have not always proven correct, so it is still questionable whether it is worth the risk of losing high school properties and facilities when it will likely be impossible to place new facilities back into the existing neighbourhoods if the estimates are wrong and if demographic projections are incorrect.
“I believe that you the Trustees understand the politics of what you are being asked to vote on. You are aware of how funding works and how it doesn’t work, and how the PAR process is deeply flawed. You are in a difficult but also pivotal position to put students first.”
Scobie asked the trustees to vote for option 7b – don’t close any of the schools – not at this time.
Lisa Bull, a Bateman parent, was very pointed in her remarks when she said: “The Director’s report in front of us now dismissively suggests that the new locations for the SHSM’s and OYAPs currently located at Bateman are “to be determined” as though they are just another course you could take on-line or pick up along the way. As though moving these programs and putting them in the hands of new teachers would be without consequence.
 Lisa Bull sits in the middle of a group of parents and students protesting a possible closure of their school. “The Director couldn’t be more wrong. These programs change the course of students’ lives. And it is the availability of these programs alongside of the Essentials and Applied programming which create opportunities for success- personal and academic, efficacy, and happiness for students who might not otherwise experience such success. They should not be treated like afterthoughts.”
At this point the trustees are hearing parents advocate that the school their children attend not be closed – and they give some compelling evidence.
What the trustees are not hearing is comment on the larger picture – where is high school education going in Burlington?
Does anyone have a clear idea what may happen in the years ahead? If the senior Board staff have a vision and a deep understanding of what is really taking place – they have not communicated that to the wider community and they certainly haven’t given the trustees the data and information they need to make wise decisions.
 Central made their case – and they were heard. There are other cases that are just as strong. The Central parents made their case – take a high school out of the downtown core and you are hollowing out a significant part of the community. Board staff seem to have understood and they changed the recommendation to the trustees.
Lester B. Pearson has a strong case – which was put forward rather well by Rory Nisan and Fiona Wielhouwer.
 The nursery at Lester B. Pearson has a long historical relationship with the city that funds part of that operation. A delegation argued that some of the assets don’t belong to the board. Were they heard? Wielhouwer’s delegation raised some critical questions related to the city’s involvement at Pearson – none of the trustees followed up. Richelle Papin, the trustee for Pearson said she didn’t get the copy of the delegation that Wielhouwer said was sent.
Addition: Papin said in a comment that she “I did get a copy of Fiona Wielhouwer’s delegation report by email on Sunday night. What wasn’t clear was who was to share the report with the other trustees. Normally, any delegation report goes through the director’s office. I assumed a copy would be sent to the director’s office. At any rate, a copy was shared with all trustees last night.”
If the parents of this city feel that the trustees they elected are going to do the really hard work that has to be done to resolve the problems – they may want to get ready for a bruising disappointment.
The public didn’t see much in the way of trustee engagement with the audience at the Board of education meeting last night.
The Gazette will publish more detail on what the delegations had to say.
The majority of the 24 people who spoke last night have every reason to be very proud of the job they did.
 By Pepper Parr
May 8th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
As a photo-op and the announcement of a federal government grant for some innovative work it wasn’t that big a deal – the cheque was for less than half a million, given to a company that has been around for 106 years and has 113 employees doing business in 100 countries.
 Burlington MP and Minister of democratic Institutions Karina Gould announcing federal grant for Thordon Bearings. What was important, and big news, was the story of the way the federal government puts small amounts of money into initiatives and then works closely with the company that got the cheque to then sell the product.
Thordon Bearing sells more than 95% of what they make into the export market. In order to sell a product they have to be able to show it to people.
 From the left: Thordon chair Anna Galoni, Minister of Democratic Institutions Karina Gould and Terry McGowan, President and Chief Executive Officer, Thordon Bearings Inc. with one of the bearings. In this instance what the federal government did was purchase one of the bearings for the Canadian Coast Guard ship Hudson and then work with them to line up sales elsewhere in the world. A lot of the selling is government to government – especially when navies are involved.
The Thordon Bearing area of expertise is working with polymers that are used as bearings in propeller shafts for large ships. The polymer bearings are basically maintenance free and keep oil out of the ocean waters.
What is big about the deal is what it is going to make possible.
Terry McGowan, president at Thordon explained that when products are being sold to large foreign corporations or navy’s one of the first questions we get asked is – are you selling your products to your own government and is the navy in your country using your products.
A seal inserted around the propeller of a ship isn’t the kind of thing you can show a client. The things are huge and in order to see the seal the ship has to be berthed in a dry dock.
The federal government has a program they call Build Canada Innovation Program (BCIP) that does help fund some innovations but the big help they give is their ability to make introductions.
The Government of Canada has signed a procurement agreement with Thordon Bearings for the supply, installation and commissioning of two SeaThigor shaft seals for the Canadian Coast Guard vessel CCGS Hudson.
 CCGS Hudson This newest seal is going to be installed on CCGS Hudson, at the Heddie dry-dock in Hamilton.
What this seal does is two part – it keep water from getting into a ship through the propeller shaft and lubricates the shaft with sea water instead of oil – thereby keeping thousands of litres of oil out of the ocean water.
The seal needs no maintenance – which means ships don’t have to be taken into a dry dock for maintenance work. That is critical for the profitable operation of both passneger and commercial shipping.
All great products features but someone has to buy the first one and show that the things works and that the savings are real.
And that was the real news coming out of the photo op that showed two very large metal seals that use processes that are Thordon Bearings intellectual property. The company pioneered the use of polymers some time ago.
 Sandy Thomson, thinking through his answer to a question at a Chamber of Commerce event. Sandy Thomson, the founder of the company didn’t attend the cheque announcement event – he was in Europe meeting with a client. “But he was certainly there in spirit: said his daughter Anna Galoni.
 Sandy Thomson at the helm of a tug boat he bought to install the first propeller shat seal on. Thordon Bearings define themselves as a place where “innovation rules”. It is in their DNA and comes from the active and inventive mind of Sandy Thomson who is still flying his personal airplane and talking innovation to the 15 full time R&D people on staff.
The federal government has 90 BCIP contract that are active WOR worth more than $40 million.
It is big business – and it is being done right here in Burlington.
Thordon Bearind is a private company.
By Staff
May 8th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
On May 2nd 2017 shortly before midnight, a uniformed officer observed a red Cadillac driving in an erratic manner as it travelled southbound on Guelph Line from Dundas Street in Burlington.
Upon seeing police, the vehicle made several turns and pulled into a private driveway on Greenbough Crescent after which four male occupants ran from the vehicle. Police determined that the vehicle had been stolen earlier in the evening from a driveway in Brampton.
Further police descended upon the area and the four males were quickly located and arrested.
Arrested & Charged are:
Vaishnavan SUTHAGARAN (21 yrs) of Brampton (Held for bail and remains in custody)
• Possession of property obtained by crime under $5000
• Obstruct peace officer
• Fail to comply with recognizance
Mohammed Abdullah JAMA (18 yrs) of Oakville (Released on bail and will appear next in Milton court on May 31st 2017)
• Possession of property obtained by crime under $5000
• Fail to comply with undertaking
Jared Myles AMURAO (21 yrs) of Brampton (Released on bail and will appear next in Milton court on May 24th 2017)
• Possession of property obtained by crime under $5000
17-year old male who cannot be identified because of his age (held for bail and remains in custody)
• Possession of property obtained by crime under $5000
• Obstruct peace officer
• Fail to comply with recognizance (three counts)
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 ext. 2316. Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See something, Hear something, Say something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
 … but maybe it looked like this. A red Cadillac will certainly get attention which it did.
 It probably looked like this …
 By Pepper Parr
May 8th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It’s an annual event – the 18th and an occasion when the police pull out all the stops and show the public what they do and how they do it.
 Mini robots will be on display. Much of the equipment the police have to serve and protect a community is on display. There will be demonstrations where police officers work with a member of the K9 unit.
 K9 unit on patrol Takes place Saturday May 13th between 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m at HRPS Headquarters 1151 Bronte Road, Oakville.
Rain or Shine: No Pets Please.
There will be HMC Connections volunteer interpreters (Arabic, Urdu, Chinese, Spanish, Polish, Punjabi, Russian, Korean, Portuguese and French) available through the Information booth
 Police officers going through a training exercise. ASL interpreter services available through the Information booth and ASL interpreting for all stage presentations
Live Demonstrations and Interactive Displays, Family-Friendly Entertainment and Rides are part of the day.
The HRPS Pipes & Drums and Chorus will be on hand – all the celebrate what the police do and to celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Children’s Safety Village
 Chief Tanner takes the salute A BBQ provided by Troy’s Diner ($)
FREE Admission & On-Site Parking
 By Staff
May 8th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Due to extreme water saturation, the following sport fields are closed Monday May 8:
• All natural grass sport fields (diamonds and rectangular fields)
Look for sunshine and a light breeze to dry up the water.
 The water is high – close to the top of banks and it is moving very swiftly.
 By Staff
May 8th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
And now it comes down to the people who are going to be impacted directly by the closing of high schools.
The parent’s at Lester B. Pearson feel disillusioned by the decision to close their school. The feeder schools that kept Pearson alive were shifted to Hayden high school leaving Pearson with very little in the way of incoming students from the elementary sector.
 Bateman high school parents decided to give their high school a hug – hoping that the Board of Trustees would give them a hug in return? Some of the parents at Bateman are close to frantic with the decision to close that school in 2019 when an addition to Nelson high school will take in what are described as very emotionally vulnerable students with serious learning disabilities.
The parents at Central have gone very very quiet. They were on the original close list (they shouldn’t have been) but they were not on the recommendation that was sent to the trustees last week.
An unfortunate statement released by the Central parents didn’t help the hard feelings that developed between parents at the different schools that were up for closure.
It took ward 2 city Councillor Marianne Meed Ward an inordinate amount of time to issue a statement and at least try to soothe the very ruffled feathers
 Is a city Councillor restricted to serving on just city council or can she take part in other organizations as well? Ward 2 council member Marianne Meed Ward accepted the request to be a member of the PARC – she has a son at the high school. The Central decision to ask Meed Ward to serve as one of their representatives on the PARC wasn’t popular with many; some saw it as a conflict of interest. She had every right to serve – she has a son at the high school. Quite how her being as city Councillor could be seen as a conflict suggests those who made the remark don’t understand what a conflict of interest is.
If there was a conflict of interest it was with the Mayor who took the gutless approach to representing the city on the PARC and sent the City Manager instead. The conflict was between his personal interests and those of the people he was elected to represent.
The city representative on the PARC did not have a vote – the person was just there as an observer and in a position to make comments. Ridge who filled the city seat said very little other than to suggest that if a school was closed the Board should not sell the land. A school board basically has to dispose of any land or buildings that are surplus to its needs.
 City manager James Ridge, on the right, was appointed by city council to be the observer at the PARC meetings. What the city could have done was looked for ways to rent some of the excess space the school board has and not continue to rent expensive space in the Sims building across the street from city hall where they occupy several floors in that building.
Kim, a parent who moved from the Alton Village into the Lester B. Pearson community so her children could attend Pearson. She and her husband wanted their children to attend a small school. They bought in that community so there children could attend the school
Rory Nisan, a small guy, who played rugby at Pearson said “ I would never have gotten on any team at M. M. Robinson”
Another parent that will be delegating has a boy that is a quiet child, “not the kind of student that will survive in a school with close to 1000 students. He just wouldn’t make it.” This parent, who didn’t want to be named, is working on getting her seven page delegation down to two pages. “All we get is five minutes” she said and she isn’t comfortable being a delegate. “Am I going to be criticized or humiliated when they ask me questions”, she asked.
“When we moved into this community” she said “we called the school and asked about the rumours that the school was going to be closed and we were told that it was just a rumour”.
 Every high school that was at risk had T shirts made up. Even Nelson which was never really at risk. The schools frequently send pieces of paper home with a student – it gets tucked into their back backs – and they are usually on pink paper. They tend not to get read admitted this parent, which drives the administrative people at the school board up the wall who ask – ‘what do we have to do, hang a sign around the neck of every student when we want to get a message to their parents?’
“It was a rainy Friday after school in early October, and we received a letter explained one parent, saying that Pearson was proposed to close in June 2018. I thought to myself, How could they do this just as my child was settling into high school?
“Who does this to students as they just start their high school year? I had so many questions and yet didn’t know where to go for the answers.
“Over the course of the past seven months, our family has endured so much heartache, uncertainty and unnecessary stress. From attending countless public meetings only to witness the conflicts developing between communities…..there were no answers, just more questions. We as a family have participated in all community rallies and committee meetings in hopes to find answers and in a small way feel that we had some sort of control over the situation. As time passed, it was obvious, this process was unproductive and was tearing parents, students, and communities apart.
“As I put on my rose coloured glasses and prepare my delegation, I find myself almost brought to tears. As I sit here in front of my computer and try to put all my thoughts down, I am filled with so many emotions. I found myself frustrated, angry, and emotional torn. I am counting the moments until this is over. When there will be no more meetings….no more agendas…. no more rallies.
 Emotions have been running very high. Not a lot of empathy coming from the Board staff – the trustees get to react to parent concerns during delegations that will start on Monday – the 8th. “The emotions are too much, the memories of the events that have brought me to this final moment makes me wonder…How did I get here? There is an overwhelming fear inside knowing the words I choose have to perfect to have any real impact. What can I say to make the Trustees see the damage a school closure will do to not only my family but so many others? What magic word or key point can I include that will sway their thoughts of a school closure? After all, I am just a parent….. I don’t have a background in education or politics yet here I am expected to stand up and read my delegation in front of a room filled with people who do this every day.
“I just want this nightmare to be over. The students want it to be just another day at Pearson.….where everyone knows you, where teachers support you, where smiles are exchanged, where good memories of high school are made….…..our kids deserve that!
Were you to talk to this parent you would hear her bubbling with ideas on how to keep the school open. Bur she is “just a parent” and she isn’t at all certain that her voice is going to make any difference.
One of the delegations the trustees will ear this evening reads like this:
I wish to express my deepest concerns and disappointment regarding the potential closure of Lester B Pearson High School. I strongly believe that the drastic measure to close our school is very short-sighted.
Lester B Pearson is ideally located in an area of population growth and demographic change. The issue with the 1800 empty seats is the fact that these spaces are not spread evenly across grade levels nor across schools. With 1267 of the empty pupil spaces located south of the QEW, it makes a closure of any North school unwarranted and unjustified.
Since the building of Hayden, our enrollment numbers have dropped considerably. The main reason being, is that we currently have only have 1 1/2 feeder schools, while Hayden has 7 and a large portion of our catchment area is mainly industrial and commercial.
Despite the close proximity to Pearson, many students are being redirected to other schools and require driving or busing, which doesn’t make sense from a logical, geographical, nor a financial perspective. This simply reinforces the need for balancing of feeder schools and redefining boundaries, and NOT for the drastic measure of a school closure in Burlington.
The current low enrollment at Pearson was created by the HDSB and NOT the lack of growth in North Burlington. Based on the most recent data from the 2016 Statistics Canada Census, the population in Burlington has increased by 4.3 % since 2011, and is growing faster than the estimates currently being used by the HDSB. Should the time come when a new school is needed to satisfy additional growth, more money and more “land”which are both currently limited, will be required.
There is a growing trend in Burlington, with the older residents remaining in their homes well past retirement……demographic change is “inevitable”. With the completion of the housing developments within North Burlington, there will be a substantial increase in families moving to the immediate area. It is important that we as a city be proactive and plan for the future growth and change that will result from our current aging population downsizing. With 3 & 4 bedroom homes nestled perfectly between both elementary and highschool, it makes the Pearson and Palmer area a highly sought after community for new and growing families.
Built in 1976, Pearson is the “2ND NEWEST” public high school in Burlington and offers expansive grounds, tennis courts, running track, and beautiful trails/forestry that provides a unique learning environment and recreational area for many local residents to enjoy year round. Despite the current low enrollment, and the rumors of a potential closure, there are still a good percentage of students choosing to attend Pearson through optional attendance.
Pearson was built as a small school and has consistently proven to be a successful platform for providing academic excellence and student success. According to Fraser Institute, Pearson ranks the “2nds BEST” public high school within the City of Burlington. Research has shown, that many students tend to perform much better and suffer from less stress and anxiety in a small school environment.
With bullying issues a growing concern, many students and parents are seeking out small schools where fighting and bullying are less likely to occur due to having a much lower population. The small school environment not only enables students to be more visible to teachers,it also helps to make it easier for teachers and staff to respond should a confrontation between students arise.
The smaller school environment, improves the student teacher relationship, making it easier to identify a student’s need for support and provide a more personalized educational experience. Having a smaller staff size also makes it much easier and faster to collaborate in order to provide student support when needed. In comparison to the larger school environment, students in a smaller school also tend to feel more connected to their school and their community as a whole.
In small schools, such as Pearson, the percentage of students involved in extracurricular activities and team sports is likely to be much higher than at a larger school. Although there may not be as many teams, there is a greater chance of making the team as a result of less competition. Being part of a team helps to build student self-esteem, strengthen social skills and builds strong and positive relationships with their peers.
Overall, small schools tend to be safer, offer a more positive learning experience, and results in higher academic performance amongst students especially those with social, emotional, and academic challenges.
With growing concerns relating to our youth’s mental health, childhood obesity, physical and emotional well-being, perhaps the HDSB should be focusing their efforts on exploring creative/alternative programming, advocating for small schools, promoting walkability, lowering the needs and costs associated with busing, strengthening school-based community partnerships, and NOT on closing schools in Burlington.
 Most of the Burlington trustees attended every PARC meetings and then their twice a month Boar meetings as well. One of those meetings went to well after midnight. Trustees Grebenc and Reynolds taking notes How will the trustees follow up with their questions?
What impact will delegations like this have on the process?
At one of the PARC meetings Director of Education Stuart Miller admitted that the Board doesn’t communicate with parents all that well.
By Staff
May 6, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
All that rain – it changed a lot of plans.
The start of the 2017 Intercounty Baseball League season has had to wait.
 What’s wrong with this graphic? The team crest for the Burlington Inter County Baseball League is now known as The Herd. This is the last look at the crest of a team that did come close – but never won the top spot at the end of the season. The new start of the IBL season is scheduled for Friday, May 12 at 7:35 p.m. when the London Majors host the Burlington Herd at Labatt Park.
Both the Barrie Baycats and Toronto Maple Leafs postponed their home openers scheduled for Sunday, May 7 due to poor weather and field conditions.
Barrie was set to host London, and that game has been rescheduled for Tuesday, June 27 at 7:45 p.m.
The Baycats will now open their home schedule against the Leafs on Saturday, May 13 at 2 p.m.
Toronto was supposed to start the season against the Kitchener Panthers. That game has yet to be rescheduled.
 Once they were Bandits – now they are The Herd and they play in a ball park they call the farm. Their opening game got re-scheduled. The people who manage the baseball schedule are working over the dates and the options they have to work with.
With the postponement, the Leafs will play their home opener Sunday, May 14 against the Brantford Red Sox at 2 p.m.
By Staff
May 5th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Parents in Burlington have been waiting for months for their opportunity to address the Halton District School Board trustees on the staff recommendation to close Bateman high school and Lester B. Pearson high school.
The following 25 people have been selected by the trustees to speak on Monday May 8, 2017 starting at 6 pm
 Sharon Picken will be delegating Seating is limited – the overflow will be able to watch the proceedings via a video link in the theatre studio at M.M. Robinson high school
1. Fiona Wielhouwer – Pearson Cooperative Nursery School
2. Carla Marshall – Autism Ontario, Halton Chapter
3. Sharon Picken, David Picken, Kimberley Picken – Self-Contained Programs at Robert Bateman HS
4. Casey Cosgrove – Nelson High School
5. Gary Scobie – Community Member
6. Paul Brophy – Community Member
7. Denise Nacev, Matthew Nacev – Diversity and inclusion at Robert Bateman HS
8. Jodi Correia, Shelley Wettlaufer, Loretta Chin, Colleen Allan & Tracey Kunzli – Dr. Frank J. Hayden Secondary School
9. Adam Doering – Community Member
10. Michael Hribljan – Burlington Central High School
11. Carolyn Whiskin – Burlington Central and ESL Program
12. Lisa Bull, Brian DePoe – Robert Bateman High School Tech Programs
13. Leah Bisutti – LB Pearson High School
 Casey Cosgrove will be delegating. 14. Dianna Bower, Marie Madenzides – MM Robinson High School
15. Amy D’Souza – LB Pearson High School
16. Kristen Priestner – Nelson High School
17. Carter Creechan – Robert Bateman High School
18. Jim Dunn Robert Bateman High School
19. Erin Hossack Robert – Bateman High School Alumni
20. Shasni Pathirana – Burlington Central High School
21. Marianne Anderson – International Baccalaureate Program
22. Jennifer Bishop – Robert Bateman High School
23. John Norris – Robert Bateman High School
24. Christine Hall – International Baccalaureate Program
25. Rory Nisan – Community Member
This is an important part of the process. Parents have not been given much of an opportunity to speak out. The Gazette has published hundreds of comments and withheld publishing almost as many because they were rude, inappropriate and in some cases just plain foul.
The Board has yet to decide if there will be a third evening of delegations. The number of applications to speak has yet to exceed 100.
The 11 trustees are the people who make the final decision. They do not have to accept the recommendation given to them by Stuart Miller, Director of Education.
One recommendation is to not close any of the high schools at this point in time. Another is to take a hard look at the boundaries.
This is the public’s opportunity to help the trustees make the best decision for all the families that send children to the public school system.
Do everyone proud.
The Gazette will publish the delegations and would appreciate the 25 people named above sending us their delegation which we will embargo until 6 pm on Monday the 8th.
Send whatever you have to newsdesk@bgzt.ca – and may the force go with you.
 By Staff
May 5th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The city has closed all the parks.
City of Burlington closes parks, urges caution during heavy rainfall
All Burlington parks with watercourses and waterfront trails are closed as a precautionary measure. The closures include Lowville Park, Hidden Valley Park and the Beachway. These park closures are in addition to the earlier city-wide closure of sports fields.
Residents are advised to:
• Stay away from watercourses, shorelines and structures such as bridges, culverts and dams. All watercourses and shoreline areas should be considered dangerous during this time. High water levels, fast flowing water and slippery conditions along stream banks and shorelines make these locations extremely dangerous. Please alert children in your care of these imminent dangers
• Keep all debris clear from catch basins in front of your house, as well as rear-lot catch basins. If assistance is needed to clear debris, please call Roads and Park Maintenance at 905-333-6166
• Check to ensure sump pumps and backwater valves are functioning properly
• Follow the city’s Twitter page @cityburlington for up-to-date information.
City staff will be continuously monitoring road and drainage conditions over the weekend.
 By Staff
May 5th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Conservation Halton reports that as of this morning, rainfall gauges across the watershed have recorded rainfall totals ranging between 30 and 50 millimeters with an additional 20-30 millimeters forecast for today.
The majority of the watershed creeks are currently running at or beyond bankfull flow conditions and Conservation Authority staff are undertaking monitoring activities throughout the watershed.
Creek levels are anticipated to crest within the urban creeks later today with flows levelling off within the larger rural creek systems overnight.
With the current high water levels on Lake Ontario, there remains a greater potential for erosion and shoreline flooding particularly during periods of high winds and wave action.
All watercourses and shoreline areas should be considered dangerous during this time. Conservation Halton is asking all residents to stay away from watercourses, shorelines and structures such as bridges, culverts and dams. Elevated water levels, fast flowing water, and slippery conditions along stream banks and shorelines make these locations extremely dangerous. Please alert children in your care of these imminent dangers.
Conservation Halton will continue to monitor weather reports and watershed conditions and will issue further messages as necessary.
This Flood Watch will be in effect through to Monday, May 8th, 2017.
By Staff
May 5th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Route 81 will detour between Mainway and North Service Road and travel along Corporate Drive starting May 10 during road construction. (For approximately 2 weeks.)
Bus stops on Heritage Road will be bagged during this time. For service , please proceed to temporary stops located on Mainway at Corporate Drive and North Service Road at Heritage Road.
Questions? Please contact customer service Mon – Sat at 905-639-0550 or email: contactbt@burlington.ca
 By Staff
May 5th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
There is an event that has taken place in Lowville for the past two years. It was low key – held in church halls with some very good productions. There is a bass player who performed last year that you would pay a premium price to hear anywhere else.
The Festival is the brainchild of a group of people that believed the arts and entertainment could and should flourish in the rural part of the city. Rob Missen, who had his name added to the Performing Arts Centre Hall of Fame, local actress Loretta Bailey and Barbara Andersen Huget do the thinking and the strategics and get the credit for keeping the idea alive and growing it to the point where there is some corporate funding – Burlington Hydro is on board.
This, their third year, they are bringing some intriguing new initiatives for its third annual festival, held this year on May 26-18 in venues along the fabled Guelph Line.
 There is something about tents – they take us back to our childhood days and remind us of the circus and fun. The Lowville Festival needed a space that was bigger and cooler than the church halls they used during the first two years. The BIG new is the Big Top, a tent that will be set up in Lowville Park along Bronte Creek. The Lowville Tent will play host to two exciting attractions, the legendary Second City Touring Company and Motus O Dance Theatre’s Alice in Wonderland, one of Canada’s finest dance touring attractions.
Second City will be bringing its popular satirical show, Canada: The Thinking Man’s America. As the name suggests, the show will be skewering our neighbours south of the border, as well as aiming not a few darts aimed about our own home and native land. The performance is at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $45.
Motus O Dance Theatre will be bringing its acclaimed show, Alice, inspired by Lewis Carroll’s immortal Alice in Wonderland and Alice through the Looking Glass. This colourful blend of physical comedy, dance and special effects is fun for the entire family. Tickets are $20.
Other Festival attractions include:
To Canada with Love, our opening concert featuring Canadian guitarist Liona Boyd, in collaboration with the Lowville Festival Choir, one of the festival’s most popular features, under the joint direction of Wayne Strongman, former conductor of Hamilton’s Bach Elgar Choir, and Janice Ketchen, conductor of Port Dover’s Lynn Valley Singers. This takes place in St. George’s Anglican Church Hall on Friday May 26th at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $35.
The Art Gallery of Burlington’s popular Road Show will be coming to Lowville United Church on Saturday afternoon May 27th from 1-4pm. In addition to demonstrations by some of the City’s finest artists and artisans, and opportunities to create your own works of art, performances featuring some of the region’s finest young performers under the direction of Hamilton’s distinguished music director Michael Mulrooney will be performing in the church’s Sanctuary. Admission is free.
Singers interested in joining this year’s Festival Choir are encouraged to contact Choir Manager Robert Missen at 905-632-6047.The ability to read music is helpful but not essential.
Please call 289-260-1109 to reserve your tickets
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