 By Staff
April 20th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
REVISED
A close to Classic example of the left hand not talking to the right hand.
The city announced earlier today their hosting of six tree-planting events across the city in April and May.
 BurlingtonGreen is the strongest advocacy group in the city. They have put Burlington on the may environmentally. Burlington Green is holding their annual Clean Up Green Up event when tens of thousands of Burlington residents take to the roads and ravines and clean up the city on the same day as the first of the six tree planting events.
Planting trees is a great initiative – but why would the city kick off this event on the same day that Burlington Green is doing its Clean Up Green Up.
The tree planting events will be held on:
Saturday, April 22, 2017
- Sherwood Forest Park, 5270 Fairview St.
Saturday, April 29, 2017
- Kerns Park, 1801 Kerns Rd.
Saturday, May 6, 2017
- Paletta Lakefront Park, 4280 Lakeshore Rd.
Saturday, May 13, 2017
- Ireland Park, 2315 Headon Rd.
Saturday, May 27, 2017
- Thorpe Park, 1140 Stephenson Dr.
Saturday, June 3, 2017 – Brant Hills Park, 2300 Duncaster Dr.
In their media release the city invites residents to be a part of adding to the urban forest through these free events by planting a total of 2,400 saplings.
All events begin at 10:30 a.m. with the exception of the planting event on May 6 at Paletta Lakefront Park, which begins at 9 a.m. No pre-registration is required but attendees are asked to register upon arrival at the event.
This event is great for families.
• Saplings are in one-gallon pots that can be easily carried to planting spots
• No experience is needed. City arborists and planting experts will show attendees what to do.
What to wear/bring:
• Check the weather and dress for the conditions. We will be outside and will plant rain or shine.
• Wear sturdy footwear – no sandals or flip-flops, please.
• Bring your own work/gardening gloves.
• Bring your own snacks and beverages, and plenty of water, especially if it’s hot.
• Bring your own shovel, if possible.
• Consider going green to the planting; walk, bike, carpool or use public transit.
• Bring your volunteer hour form if you’re a high school student looking for volunteer hours.
Burlington Green tells its side of the story:
I just saw your latest posting and wanted to let you know that not only is BurlingtonGreen fully aware of the City’s great community tree planting events taking place this Spring but we have been actively promoting them and will be participating as well, including having a few of our volunteers joining in the fun at Sherwood Park this Saturday. We are very happy they are hosting a tree planting event this Saturday and the City kindly consulted with us before including the April 22nd opportunity in their line up of event dates. It will be wonderful to have people both cleaning up our communities while others plant some trees. Those planting trees will be wrapped up around noon with plenty of time to head over to our Eco-Fair Celebration to have some fun there too.
Hope to see everyone on Saturday. Bring some sunshine please
 By Pepper Parr
April 20th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
A number of months ago we asked the Halton District School Board trustees to rank the values they would bring to the decision they will have to make on June 7thy – do they vote to close any of the high schools in Burlington – Nelson, Bateman, Pearson and Central have been named for possible closure in June of 2018
 The original recommendation to the trustees was Option 19 – to close both Central and Pearson. In the first round of selections by the PARC members many held to that option. When Nelson and Bateman were put on the table the numbers changed.  Not closing any of the schools was not the favoured option (#7) amongst the PARC members. Not closing any of the high schools was also listed as an option and came out as the preferred option for the majority of the members of the Program Accommodation Review.
The Gazette wanted to let its readers know what values the trustees would bring to the table.
Our first request to the trustees didn’t result in very much other than Board Chair Kelly Amos saying the trustees did not want to attempt to influence that PARC in any way. Fair enough – but the PARC has now been dissolved. We again asked: Could the people who elected the trustees know where those trustees stand on the following:
Fiscal prudence
Academic offerings
Community
One isn’t better than another – the intention was to get some understanding as to what the values were of each trustee so that when people delegate they can put forward arguments that would resonate with the trustees.
This time, to date, there was a response from Ward 5 school board trustee Amy Collard. She said:
 School Board trustee Amy Collard You have requested that trustees determine a ranking for our decision-making priorities for the PAR. For me, this is a bit like asking us to determine if the mind, the heart or the soul are the most important parts of a person. All of these parts are necessary, and if one part is lacking the person does not function well. In addition, there are many other parts that may not be considered vital, but that increase a person’s quality of life.
I will be looking for a solution that provides all of the students in Burlington with equitable access to the programming that they need to be successful in their chosen pathway, while honouring their ties to their communities and being mindful that we must be fiscally responsible.
As you know, this is a difficult proposition. I will be listening to the students and their families, as well as reviewing all of the data that has been compiled, and trying to find a way to balance all of the perspectives. I remain hopeful that the Director will present a recommendation that trustees – and the Burlington community – will be able to support.
As a safe political statement it doesn’t get much better than that.
 Ward 5 city council member Paul Sharman. Collard is said to have political aspirations and an interest in taking a run for the ward 5 seat on city council. With comments like this she will be a welcome replacement for the blunt, brusque statements current council member for the ward Paul Sharman makes.
Director of Education Stuart Miller will release his recommendation to the trustees on Friday at 6:00 pm. The Gazette will analyze the report and look for feedback from key people in each school’s parent group and report to our readers.
 By Staff
April 20th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The company that will build the new courthouse where provincial offences will be heard has been announced. The Court House will serve the residents of Burlington, the Town of Oakville, the Town of Milton and the Town of Halton Hills.
The new courthouse will be built at 4085 Palladium Way in Burlington Alton Village, under Design-Build and Leaseback agreement with a 30 year lease. It will serve the people of Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville. Construction will begin this spring with a January 2019 completion.
 New provincial offences Court House to be located on the edge of the Alton Village Community is scheduled to open in January of 2019.  Site plan for the provincial offences Court House to be built in the Alton Village Community. Scheduled to be ready for occupation in January 2019 The structure will be designed and built by Gross Capital Inc., constructed by Buttcon Ltd. and leased to Halton Court Services.
Once complete, the new courthouse will administer provincial offences court services for all of Halton Region. Provincial offences court services deal strictly with non-criminal provincial offences charges issued in Halton. These non-criminal charges include:
• Highway Traffic Act offences, such as speeding, driving without insurance or failing to stop at a red light
• Municipal bylaw offences, such as excessive noise, animal control or garbage disposal
• Offences under provincial legislation such as the Environmental Protection Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Dog Owners’ Liability Act or the Trespass to Property Act.
As a division of the City of Burlington’s Legal Department, Halton Court Services administers Provincial Offences Act court services on behalf of the municipal partnership within the Halton area through two locations: one in Burlington and one in Milton. These two existing courts for provincial offences will relocate to 4085 Palladium Way once the new courthouse is built.
The Milton and Burlington court service locations are 16,000 square feet (1,486 square metres) combined. The new facility, at 34,000 square feet (3,159 square metres), will meet today’s needs more effectively and will help Halton Court Services plan 30 years into the future.
Justice is a very profitable business for the municipal sector. Financial results for the end of the third quarter of 2016 were:
• Gross revenues of $6,909,402 (81.0% of budget)
• Overall expenditures of $3,283,653 (72.9% of budget)
• Year-to-date net revenue of $3,625,749 (90.0% of budget)
That $3 million gets shared by the municipalities in the Region
Given the continuing growth in population, a moderate increase of 1,000 charges (71,000) is projected for 2017. Gross revenue for Halton Court Services in 2017 is budgeted at $8.82 million as compared to $8.53 million during 2016.
Included in the report was mention of “red light” cameras – they produce offence notices that pull in an excess of $300 for those who chose to run that red light at two in the morning.
The new courthouse is designed by the Ventin Group Ltd. to capture the changing and evolving landscape of Halton Region in the design. The natural environment is echoed in the design through the selection of landscape materials.
• The north half of the building is a stone wall, reflecting the strong and secure Niagara Escarpment.
• The south half is a glass wall, symbolic of transparency—a virtue and goal for the justice system. The glass wall is lined with a series of wooden pillars representing the natural woodlands of Halton Region.
• The glass walls facing east and west are treated with wavy, coloured glazing to represent the character and motion of the local creeks.
• The thin, white roof canopy captures a thin blanket of snow overhanging to the south to provide sun shading for the glass—appropriate for a Canadian institution.
The new courthouse will be a dignified building, timeless in design, welcoming to the public and comfortable for all staff using the facility.
Building the new, consolidated Ontario Court of Justice – Halton Provincial Offences Office courthouse is a long-term commitment to meet the demand of provincial offences and help improve access to justice.”
 By Staff
April 19th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Halton Regional Police will continue to run two traffic initiatives across the City of Burlington throughout 2017.
The most common contributing factors to traffic accidents are inattentiveness, distracted driving (cell phone use), failing to yield, driving too fast for road conditions, following too closely and disobeying traffic light signals.
 Halton Regional Police Chief Stephen Tanner talks with Sgt Davies, the man who heads up the accident reconstruction unit. The Police continue to encourage residents to report traffic complaints by going to the Halton Regional Police Website and submitting the required information on-line.
Operation RISC (Reducing Intersection Safety Concerns) has been in effect since 2015 by officers from 30 Division, in order to maximize police visibility and increase the public’s perception of safety while driving.
Collisions at intersections have a high risk potential of serious injuries or even death, making intersection safety a priority for the Halton Regional Police.
The Police have also continued the Residential Traffic/Stop Sign/Speeding (RTSS) Initiative in order to deliver a clear message to drivers that our residential roads are not raceways. This traffic safety initiative was designed to increase compliance of stop signs. Police have utilized education and enforcement strategies throughout 2017 in order to reduce the speeds of vehicles travelling on residential roadways and to promote safer driving habits.
One tactic is to park a police cruiser close to the side of a road – there seems to be this automatic interaction between the foot on the gas pedal and they eye seeing a police cruiser – the eye apparently forces the foot to apply less pressure to the gas pedal.
During the first 3 months of 2017, officers in Burlington conducted 6,495 traffic stops, issued 4,576 Provincial Offences Notices and handed out more than 1,000 warnings to drivers. Halton Police spent a total of 3,628 hours dedicated to these two initiatives throughout Burlington.
As a result of this initiative; during the first three months of 2017, property damage motor vehicle collisions were down 9% and personal injury motor vehicle collisions were down 2% from 2016.
Police will continue to focus their efforts at locations that pose a higher risk to the public based on past collision analytic data. “Our officers will continue to educate drivers about their behaviour behind the wheel. Road Safety is everyone’s responsibility. We all need to do our part behind the wheel to ensure our roadways are safe for everyone” said Sgt. Jared McLeod, District Response Unit.
Police will continue to focus on drivers who are driving impaired, distracted and aggressive behind the wheel in order to protect and ensure the safety of all residents.
These measures and others are part of the Service’s broader Community First policing philosophy that focuses on incorporating the four pillars of (community) safety and well-being into service priorities: Emergency Response, Risk Intervention, Prevention, and Social Development.
If any citizen would like to report a traffic concern they can do so by visiting our website and submitting an online traffic complaint.
By Staff
April 19th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It is another one of those opportunities where ward 2 council member Marianne Meed Ward invited people to a meeting where they could roll up their sleeves and put some of their ideas on paper.
 Mayor, on the left talks to citizens about plans for downtown development during a Downtown Destinations event put on by ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward. The meeting – this Thursday at the Lions Club – at 6:30 is a continuation of the Destination Downtown series of meetings that began in 2015
At that time the city was working on a re-write and update of the Official Plan. Since that time the decision was made to scrap the Official Plan we had and start all over again.
The DRAFT of the new plan has been released and will be going through a series of public meetings.
There is an opportunity for the Planning department to explain what an Official Plan does and does not do.
Burlington has this huge fear of a development application coming in – finding that it isn’t all that keen on what was put in front of them but worried silly that the developer will appeal a city decision to the Ontario Municipal Board.
 Robert Molinaro explaining the plans for a development in ward 2 during a Downtown Destination event. The good news at that level is the province is currently reviewing the OMB and its role.
Early signs are that the public might see a vastly different OMB role – one that would limit what developers can do.
The problem with that is one ends up with a municipality that gets the NIMBY (Not in my back yard) infection and nothing gets built.
Finding a balance is the challenge.
Members of Council are beginning to voice their views and concerns – so far they have been talking about the issues within their wards – the Plan is a city wide document. Are we seeing early signs if NIMBY?
 By Pepper Parr
April 19th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Will the evening be remembered as one of the historical moment in the cultural life of the city of Burlington – or will it be just another non-profit organization that seemed like a good idea at the time?
Only time will tell but the Arts and Cultural Council of Burlington (ACCOB) was launched in the lobby of the Performing Arts Centre on April 18th, 2017.
 The formative Board of the Arts and Cultural Council of Burlington, ACCOB: Left to right: Kim Verrall, Teresa Seaton, Robert Mayor, Rob Missen, Ancilla Ho Young, Donna Grandin, and Tim Park at the microphone. There was a city council meeting that evening and just about every member of Council was in the lobby of the PAC up to watch the momentous occasion. There were enough of them in the lobby to form a quorum – they could have gathered in a corner and conducted the city’s business on the spot.
There weren’t just members of city council in the room. A local youth choir sang and a lovely young girl from an Orchard community school played her violin flawlessly – giving the audience a rendition of a Vivaldi Concerto. Yoanna Jang was a delight to listen to.
 ACCOB vice chair, Ancilla Ho Young Getting an Arts Council set up is an organizational matter. They now have to determine what their mandate is and how they want to execute on that mandate.
This all started back in 2013 when Trevor Copp stood before city council and said he wanted to be able to work in his home town and not have to toodle along the QEW to earn a living.
The irony of the evening was that Copp could not be on hand – he was out of town doing a show.
There were a number of arts community stalwarts – Teresa Seaton, Tim Park, Rob Missen
Mayor Goldring and former Mayor Walter Mulkewich were on hand – Goldring might have been thinking through how much ACCOB was going to want in the way of funding.
The important point is that the organization has moved beyond an idea – now it is up to them to lobby the city; seek funding and advocate for the Arts.
Will they mount programs of their own?
Will they find people within the city that will support the arts in general?
Will they hold the well-funded Performing Arts Centre the Art Gallery of Burlington and the Museums to account?
Burlington doesn’t have an arts or cultural profile even though the city has produced and been home to some very significant talent. The late Gordy Tapp lived here; the Spoons came out of this city, Walk Off the Earth has roots in the city. Robert Bateman worked from Burlington for some time.
 Trevor Copp, the Burlington actor who mobilized the arts into a Collective makes a point on leadership while Executive Director of the Burlington Museum’s operation listens. There are countless others. What Burlington has not been able to do – yet – is pull the history and the story of Burlington into focus and draw people to the city.
Burlington has relied on the Sound of Music and Ribfest to draw the multitudes – both are looking a little warn and have not managed to achieve a refresh and create a new life for themselves.
In the past Burlington has been a place where things happened. There is a spot along the waterfront, in Spencer Smith Park that is referred to as “pebble beach”. It is a collection of large stones – but, as Councillor Jack Dennison will tell you – if you look closely you might see some of the old pilings that once held up the Brant Inn – which in its day was a jumping spot – the place to be.
Many of the black musicians would take the train to Burlington and play in a place where they could eat, sleep and work in the same building and not be treated as second class citizens.
The city has not managed to build on that illustrious and colourful past.
ACCOB has its work cut out for it – the good news is that there are some very good people on that board – they could make it happen.
 By Staff
April 19th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The matter of the city getting involved in the closing of high schools got itself in front of city council again last night – the outcome as the same. The city is going to sit on its hands.
 Denise Davy Denise Davy, a community advocate delegated to city council and made comments that are worth repeating and sharing.
She said:
Last month, Minister of Education Mitzie Hunter reminded School boards and municipal councils that they are required to work with and consult with each other on the impact of school closures and how they will affect the community.
To quote, Minister Hunter said, “our school boards and municipalities must make every effort to work together to ultimately support positive experiences for our students and the communities they live in.”
In an interview with CBC radio on March 29th, Minister Hunter repeated this statement that municipal leaders and school board leaders should be working together when it comes to making the difficult decisions around closures.
To quote from that interview, Minister Hunter said schools are the heart of a community, “That conversation (between school boards and councils) needs to be happening.”
This did not happen in Burlington and I believe it is a solid reason for city council to ask the province that this process be suspended.
 Central high school Schools are a critical component of our city and we need to know the social and economic impact of what these closures will mean. Some municipalities have written to the province requesting a moratorium of the closure process while others have asked for staff reports to study the impact of those closures.
Sarnia’s city council did an extensive Community Impact Assessment Study that helped determine how the school closures fit in with their strategic plan.
Toronto Council voted unanimously to ask the city manager for an inventory of city interests in schools and also sent a request to the TDSB and province asking to change the school funding formula and review its approach on school closures.
The list of municipalities which have called for a suspension of the process is long so I won’t read all the names but I have printed it out.
What I want to make absolutely clear is that the high noise volume around this issue isn’t just an emotional outpouring because parents don’t want to see their child’s school close. Parents get that there are empty seats, they understand the issue of population decline just as they understand there is only so much money in the education pot.
The emails and calls you’ve been receiving are not about that. It’s about the process.
 Parents at a public meting on high school closures As one of the hundreds of parents who have had a front row seat to this process, I can tell you not only from a procedural viewpoint it is deeply flawed, it has not followed ministry guidelines and worst of all, it has moved at such a breakneck speed that many critical questions have been left unanswered.
The closure of some 600 schools across the province is being called the largest and fastest sweep of school closures in the history of this province. And it’s all happening in communities like ours in a matter of months.
Consider that Bateman and Nelson were only officially added to the possible closure list in early February which means there will have been two and a half months to study all of the pitfalls of closing of the schools.
There have been no in-depth reports or studies detailing the short and long-term impact these closures will have on students or on the city nor has there been any detailed reports on dollar costs.
Case in point is the city pool attached to Bateman. Both Gerry Cullen, the board’s Superintendent of Facility Services and Director Stuart Miller told me in face to face separate interviews that they had no idea what would happen to Centennial pool should Bateman close nor did they know the cost of construction to separate it from the school.
 Centennial swimming pool. Even if the province provided funding for this type of work, the pool would see far fewer people use it because it would no longer be used by students during the day, this is after some $2 million were spent on upgrading it. This is an example of how the closures would impact the city.
Central parents have asked for months about the grade 7 and 8 students who are in the high school and from what I know, they haven’t yet received an answer to that.
I came to this experience as a parent but I also brought a journalist’s perspective where I covered council meetings, OMB hearings, human rights tribunals and seen the inner workings of many processes.
I can tell you without any reservation the PAR has been the most disorganized, irresponsible and unaccountable process I have ever witnessed. Bar none.
We’re not talking about closing a strip plaza here. We’re talking about schools filled with hundreds of students and yet it’s being decided in less than three months.
 The Freeman Station Your council took longer to decide the fate of a heritage train station than a decision which will have far more ramifications.
Lastly, I want to address a concern that was raised about it being too late to step forward and that the motion would likely have no impact. I have to respectfully disagree on both points.
Your vote to support a suspension of this process could be the tipping point and even if it isn’t, it would send a message to tens of thousands of constituents that you understand their concerns.
 By Staff
April 19th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
While you were sleeping the Halton Regional Police Service were attempting to stop a Chev pickup truck at Walkers Line & Mainway.
It was 11:43 pm on April 18th – the driver of the pick-up refused to stop and a pursuit was initiated.
 High speed pursuit reached 140 km per hour – two cruisers collided – officer injured. The chase continued onto the QEW eastbound and was quickly terminated when the suspect driver began to reach speeds in excess of 140 km/h.
Two police cruisers collided during the pursuit and one officer suffered minor injuries and was transported to hospital.
The suspect vehicle was later set on fire in south Burlington and the suspects fled. The Fire Department attended and put the fire out.
The Ontario Provincial Police are investigating the collision on the QEW.
The police believe the three suspects involved stole a 2002 GMC Savannah Van Blue License AVZC492.
When police were pursuing the suspects managed to evade them and later abandoned the truck, set it on fire and fled.
The suspects were last seen headed W/B on the 403 in Hamilton.
Halton Police are continuing the investigation.
By Staff
April 18th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
 Burlington for Accessible, Sustainable Transit (BFAST) welcomes today’s announcement that Sue Connor, general manager of Brampton Transit, has been appointed as Director of Burlington Transit.
She has impressive credentials and has been involved in some interesting initiatives to improve service and increase ridership in Brampton. Congratulations to both her and the city.
Under Connor’s direction, Brampton Transit introduced Züm, a rapid-transit route that features plush seats, heated shelters and laptop plugins. Last year, it became one of eight Ontario communities to participate in a trial of zero-emission, electric buses. And ridership in Brampton has risen the most of any community in the GTA over the past few years.
 Sue Connor, newly appointed Director of Burlington Transit. Her new approaches will be welcome in Burlington. But her biggest challenge will be to get anything done with a city council that has been extremely hostile to transit. Brampton Transit’s $1.00 senior fares, for example, would hit a brick wall at Burlington’c city council, which recently refused to experiment with free off-peak fares for over-65s. And she’ll have a tough row to hoe in trying to restore the provincial money that council took from transit to “shave and pave” residential streets (a move premised on highly suspect long-term savings).
 Doug Brown of Bfast doesn’t smile that often – a Director of Transit with a proven record brings a grin to his face “There are really big challenges ahead for transit in Burlington,” said BFAST Chair Doug Brown. “I hope the City gives her and Burlington Transit the additional resources needed to improve and grow. (Burlington spends less than one half per capita than the average of GTA municipalities on transit).”
While Brampton’s transit ridership has increased some 15% over the past three years, Burlington’s has plummeted by about the same amount. Ms. Connor will have the challenge of her career to restore Burlington’s transit system.
BFAST also wishes to thank Jeff Black, who brought a breath of fresh air as Burlington Transit’s Acting Director over the past few months. Jeff was open to new ideas and to meeting with transit users. We appreciated his attendance at this year’s Transit Users’ Forum and his commitment to Burlington Transit during his short tenure. We wish him well in future.
 By Staff
April 18th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Art Gallery of Burlington is excited to present the third annual All Guilds Show (April 22 – May 21, 2017) in conjunction with the Kaleidoscope Exhibit and Sale on the opening weekend.
Each guild has presented their best work related to the Garden theme. This annual exhibition will celebrate the works of members from the guilds:
 – Fibre Arts Guild
– Burlington Fine Arts Association
– Burlington Handweavers and Spinners Guild
– Latow Photographers Guild
– Burlington Potters’ Guild
– Burlington Rug Hooking and Craft Guild
– Burlington Guild of Sculptors and Woodcarvers,
The Kaleidoscope of the Arts Exhibition and Sale takes place on:
Friday April 21 – Friday: 5pm – 7pm
Saturday: 10am – 5pm
Sunday April 23, 2017 12pm – 5pm
In the Art Gallery of Burlington (FREE PARKING)
There will be no shortage of hands-on activities for kids (of all ages):
Wood Carvers & Sculptors Studio – Wood Carving
Fine Arts Studio – Create a Painting
Fine Arts Studio – Art Card Exchange
Pottery Studio – Raku Firing
Weavers & Spinners Textile Studio – Weaving & Spinning
Community Corridor – Fibre Arts
Darkroom – Create a Photograph
Lakeshore Rotary Room – Rug Hooking
By Staff
April 18th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Wally Pieczonka has been named Burlington’s 2017 Distinguished Philanthropist of the Year.
Thoughtful, humble, caring, giving are just a few of the words that describe Burlington Foundation’s 2017 Distinguished Philanthropist of the Year.
Dr. Pieczonka will be honoured at Burlington Foundation’s Share to Care gala on October 21, 2017, at The Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
 Dr. Wally Pieczonka named the Burlington Foundation Philanthropist of the year. “Wally Pieczonka is the epitome of a distinguished philanthropist,” says Colleen Mulholland, President and CEO, Burlington Foundation. “A long-time friend of the Foundation, Wally has a strong belief in giving what you can to support areas of passion and the needs of the community and its citizens. Wally is generous of spirit and continuously illustrates acts of kindness for the betterment of humanity. We are truly delighted to honour and celebrate his legacy of giving and broad social impact.”
The Distinguished Philanthropist of the Year award, presented by Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life, allows the community to publicly honour and thank a noted philanthropist for their positive impact on Burlington and surrounding communities.
Wally, who has resided in Burlington for over 55 years, is a retired engineer and scientist and founder of Burlington-based Gennum Corporation. Through establishment of the Pieczonka Family Foundation and the Mavis Pieczonka Memorial Fund held at Burlington Foundation in honour of his late wife, Wally continues to have an incredibly positive impact on the arts and education sectors. In addition, Wally’s passionate support of vulnerable youth and mental health provide Burlington and the surrounding community with impactful, sustainable gifts to help those in need.
Numerous organizations have been beneficiaries of Wally and his family’s generous giving including Art Gallery of Burlington, The Burlington Performing Arts Centre, Burlington Foundation, Joseph Brant Hospital, Symphony on the Bay, Hamilton Philharmonic, Royal Botanical Gardens, the University of Saskatchewan and McMaster University, to name a few.
Over many decades, Wally has also contributed his time and talents through tremendous community leadership and mentorship. He was a founding member of the Burlington Foundation Board and has served on numerous Boards in philanthropic and governance roles.
“I am honoured and humbled to receive this award from Burlington Foundation,” said Wally Pieczonka. “Our family is committed to supporting numerous sectors and areas of need. Among these are the arts which are a universal language and glue bringing people and communities together. The arts are woefully underfunded by governments and are most in need of philanthropic support.”
“Contributing to community needs is a part of my life and I hope this award helps inspire others to give brilliantly.”
 By Staff
April 18th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The city claims it has found the person who is going to clear up the mess over at Burlington Transit.
In a media release the city announced that “After an extensive search and evaluation of highly qualified candidates, the City of Burlington is appointing Sue Connor as the new Director of Burlington Transit.
Let’s hope the right choice has been made – the staff over at Transit have been thirsting for a solid, experienced innovative transit leader. Transit users would dearly like to see some innovation and consistency to the service and city hall will certainly want to see the ridership numbers climb up rather than continue the current slide.
Sue Connors – newly appointed Director of Transit – she will take her fist bus out for a test run May 23rd. Connor began her career in 1976 working for Canada Post, moving quickly through the ranks of the government agency over her 12 year career in a series of managerial posts. In 1988 she made the move to the transit industry working for Mississauga Transit in a number of positions in their Operations department and finally leading that department.
Currently, Connor is the General Manager, Transit for the City of Brampton the ninth largest city in Canada, a position she has held since 2003. Connor is currently the Chair of the Canadian Urban Transit Association and Chair of Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium.
Connor’s first day with Burlington Transit is May 23, 2017.
James Ridge, City Manager says he is “… delighted to have Sue as part of our team. She brings a wealth of information and experience and is coming to us at a critical time as we are in the beginning stages of our Integrated Transit Master Plan which will shape the direction of our public transit for years to come.
Ridge thanked Jeff Black for his interim leadership of the Department. “He has not just been a caretaker leader, but has initiated a range of important work, including the beginnings of the Integrated Master Transit Plan.”
The city wants to keep an eye on Black – if there is going to be a deputy director – he is your man.
By Pepper Parr
April 17th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Tuesday evening the city will get some idea as to what the newly minted Arts and Cultural Council of Burlington (ACCOB) is going to look like and the direction they hope to take arts and culture in – should be interesting.
Meanwhile the KooGle Theatre isn’t letting any grass grow under their feet with the announcement of the summer 2017 production – Annie Jr.
 The Spelling Bee – it was the best theatre there was in the city last summer. Their 2016 production of the 25th Annual Putnam Fair Spelling Bee was great summer theatre – a performance to be remembered.
Annie Jr should be just as much fun.
The production is going to take advantage of the talent Leslie Grey and her husband Christopher believe exists in the city.
They will be running what they are calling Youth Musical Theatre Summer Intensive programs and are looking for people between the ages of 7 – 18 to take part in a workshop weekend.
Those 7-12 will do the workshop on Saturday May 13th – 1 – 4 pm
Those 13 – 18 will do the workshop on Sunday May 14th – 1 – 4 pm
The students will take part in a single day boot camp that will end with a two day run of the production.
 Auditions May 13th and 14th – boot camp workshops August 8- 19th. Public performances 18th and 19th. Casting will come from those who take part in the workshop-auditions. So if you want a chance to make it to the stage – get to the workshop-auditions.
The KooGle Theatre has brought a solid background to the stage of the Performing Arts Centre in the past – there wouldn’t have been a summer program last year were it not for KooGle
Leslie Gray has done a lot of choreography in her time – the workshop-audition is worth the experience in itself – even if you don’t make it to the production that will take place at the Performing Arts Centre in August running for two performances on August 19th.
 Leslie and Christopher Gray – – co-artistic directors of the KooGle Theatre There is a fee for the weekend workshop – $35. Deadline date for workshop applications is May 1st.
These auditions will take place in the Studio Theatre at the Performing Arts Centre.
The locations for the intensive boot camp workshops isn’t certain yet – if they can’t come to acceptable terms with the Performing Arts Centre we will use the Drury Lane Theatre said Leslie Gray.
Leslie was born and raised in Burlington and has been singing and dancing through life since she was a little girl. She loved to belt out songs from Annie and A Chorus Line to her mom’s records and put on shows for her family and neighbours. She enrolled in dance classes when she was 10 and auditioned for her first musical (The King and I) at age 13 with the encouragement of her Grandpa Walker (George) who played the bass fiddle in the orchestra at Hamilton Theatre Inc.
Christopher Alan Gray grew up in Chatham, Ontario and began singing at a very young age in his church choir. He then began studying voice and competed in the Kiwanis Music Festival for many years before receiving his Grade 8 Level Singing from the Royal Conservatory of Music.
The production they did last summer was as good as it gets – expect no less this August when a younger cast takes to the stage to show what can be achieved at single day in a boot camp workshop environment.
 By Pepper Parr
April 17th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
What are the issues facing the eleven members of the Halton District School Board as they review the information that is going to be fed to them by Board staff and the delegations that are made by parents who do not want to see the school their children attend closed?
There are currently about 550 high school students taking a bus to get to school.
Using the different high school closing options the following is the projections that was given to the PAR committee.
Busing increases:
Nelson closes – add 364 students to the busing number
Bateman only add 262 students to the busing number
No schools close add 131 students to the busing number
Central and Pearson close add 602 students to the busing number
Bateman and Pearson close add 286 students to the busing number
Central and Pearson close add 615 students to the busing number
The projection is that more than 1000 students will be riding a school bus if Central high school is closed where a reported 92% of the students walk to school.
The cost of transporting those students is said to amount to $400,000 per year.
The amount of money aside – the real issue for the Board is going to be finding the people to drive those school buses. The Board doesn’t actually have to find the drivers – the company they contract with has to find the drivers – but it all boils down to the same thing – school bus drivers don’t get paid very much
 Early in this academic year there were desperate pleas from the HSTS – Halton Student Transportation Service for people to apply for a part time job driving a school bus.
School bus drivers get between $55 and $75 a day; there are no benefits and they get paid for just the days they drive a bus. A source told the Gazette that school bus drivers are amongst the highest users of Food Bank services in Halton. This is an operation that is ripe for unionization.
The HSTS is a corporation owned by the Halton District School Board and the Halton Catholic District School Board and is operated on a cost recovery basis.
The French Catholic School Board was at one time part of the consortium but they dropped out.
 Director of Education Stuart Miller Stuart Miller, the Director of Education, has said that his Board has no idea how the manpower problem will get resolved in the event that the trustees decide Central high school should be closed. He has not said if there are any contingency plans being developed.
No one, apparently, taken a look at what student life will look like if 1000+ students are riding school buses to get to their classes.
What happens to sports teams?
What about student clubs?
What about their social life – how do they hang around and chill out and learn from each other?
The environmentalists will talk about the tonnes of CO2 the buses will pump into the air and they won’t do much for traffic congestion either.
Will there be two classes of high school students: one social class that uses a school bus and is limited in what they can do extra-curricularly because of the school bus schedule and another class of student that can walk or ride their bikes or have their parents act as chauffeurs?
These are all serious and significant issues – someone should be thinking about what the impact is going to be or will be looking at unintended consequences once we are six or seven months into a new school bus program?
The answers to the questions – or at last some kind of a projection should have been prepared by Board staff so that both the trustees and the parents have some idea of what the consequences are if a lot of high school students have to catch that bus every morning – and every afternoon.
What would a day in the life of a high school student look like if they were attached with close to an umbilical cord to a bright yellow school bus?
 By Pepper Parr
April 18th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton District School Board Program Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) has been wound down and thanked for the superb job they did. The community now waits to see what impact their deliberations will have on the report Director of Education Stuart Miller delivers to the public and the trustees this Friday.
The report is to be published on line by Board Staff at 6:00 pm on Friday. (Hopefully the web site will manage to handle the demand for the report.)
 Halton District School Board PARC committee meeting while public observes the deliberations. It was a committee that required a couple of meetings to find itself – many of the people did not know each other very well or at all.
Many of the people on the PARC had serious concerns with the process that was being used. Central high school parents challenged the Board on the approach it was taking to what was a new process put in place by the provincial government. The high school parents lost that argument.
Add to this the significant concern with the Central high school choice of Marianne Meed Ward as their nominee to the PARC. Being the member of council for ward 2 and agreeing to serve on the PARC did not sit well with many.
 Ward 5 City Councillor |Paul Sharman. Bateman high school is in his ward. He had to be seen going to bat for them. Burlington city council was firm on not getting involved – that was until Bateman high school was listed as a possible school closure – that brought Ward 5 council member Paul Sharman into play. He strode into one of the PARC meetings to observe for he now had political skin in the game.
He then brought a motion to have the city write a letter to the Minister of Education to bring a halt to the PARC that was meeting in Burlington. That vote at city council lost 5-2.
But Sharman had shown that he would go to bat for his people – which was his purpose from the get go.
Meed Ward has always been a feisty member of Council – she was one of the more active delegators to city council before she was elected and she was the member of council who asked more questions than any other member of council once she got herself elected in ward 2.
She would call for recorded votes frequently and on one memorable occasion she had her colleagues on their feet five times for recorded votes. It was at that point that we saw just how much the members of Council could roll their eyeballs.
 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward with the Mayor in Spencer Smith Park. Many hoped the same “in your face” Meed Ward would be seen at the PARC meetings. For the most part that Meed Ward didn’t show up.
She was active, she asked solid questions and was supported by a parents group that did some fine research and supported her with demonstration after demonstration.
But the voice we heard at the PARC meetings wasn’t what many had expected.
Was Meed Ward curtailed at all by the objections to her being one of the Central high school PARC members? Curtail isn’t a word one would normally apply to Meed Ward.
Her colleagues on city council weren’t the least bit pleased – they have never been pleased with the way Meed Ward does politics in this city.
Some felt that if Meed Ward could lead the charge to save Central high school she would be seen as a shoo in for Mayor when the 2018 municipal election takes place.
The woman who has led many charges at city council wasn’t seen that often – if at all – at the PARC meetings. Admittedly she wasn’t in an environment she was familiar with – but then none of the PARC members knew much about the workings of the school board.
During a meeting of Central high school parents Meed Ward reported to them and said that while she was basically an optimistic person – she was concerned about the direction the discussions were going in.
Shortly after that meeting at the Lions Club – an at first subtle shift began to take place within the PARC and the option the Board Staff put forward to close both Central high school and Pearson began to lose to the idea of not closing any of the high schools.
That option was the clear choice of the PARC committee when it was disbanded.
The Director’s report will be released Friday – if the recommendation Director of Education Miller makes to the trustees is to not close any of the high schools the PARC will get much of the credit – Meed Ward will be seen as just another member of that committee.
If Miller, no matter how reluctantly, recommends closing Central, that community will erupt. What role will Meed Ward play in that eruption? It is not going to be pretty. She is no longer a member of the PARC – there is no PARC – it was disbanded.
She will certainly protest as a parent but the clout she had as a PARC member will have evaporated.
There were several members of the PARC that were exceptional in the way they moved the agenda; at times they came close to taking it out of the hands of the PARC Chair, School Board Superintendent Scott Podrebarac.
 What impact would the closing of the downtown high school have on the city? Much bigger than most can even imagine. It will be interesting to see just how Meed Ward handles herself when the report is released on Friday.
Everyone will be reading the report carefully – we do know that it is going to be a lengthy document with every department at the School Board having a significant impact.
Burlington can expect to see two things during the weekend: what kind of a Director of Education is Stuart Miller going to choose to be and how will a candidate for the office of mayor position herself on the most significant decision about the health and long term welfare of the city we have had to face in the last 15 years.
It will be interesting.
 By Staff
April 17th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Herd (you may have known of them as the Burlington Bandits) are looking for two Bat Boys for the 2017 season at Nelson Park.
Eligible candidates must be at least 12 years old, be able to attend 10-18 games and have transportation to and from each game.
Bat Boys will be asked to work the following game times:
1. Thursdays: 6:15 pm – until end of game.
2. Saturdays: 12 pm – until end of game.
 These lads are just rounding the bases – but they could become bat boys if they applied. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, setting up both dugouts and bullpens, filling coolers, mudding baseballs for game play and cleaning up after the game. Bat Boys will receive a Burlington Herd hat, sweatshirt, full uniform, food and drink at each game.
If this interests you – get in touch with Ryan Harrison at (905) 630-9036
 By Staff
April 17th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Herd will play a home exhibition game, beginning on at 7:15 p.m. on May th. They will be up against the Brantford Red Sox at Nelson Park, home of the Burlington Herd on May 4th.
Tickets for the Herd exhibition game will be on sale at the door for only $2.
The team takes to the field for their home town season opener on Saturday, May 13, 2017 at the Barn (Nelson Park).
Season tickets and group packages are now on sale by calling (905) 630-9036 or by visiting the team’s new website, burlingtonherd.com.
The Herd can be followed on social media platforms (“iblherd”), including Facebook.com/iblherd.
The Herd has announced the signing of Greg Marco, a Waterdown native.
Marco rejoins the Herd after his rookie season in the IBL hitting .096 with two RBI and two stolen bases. The Waterdown, Ontario native recently completed his college playing career at Northwestern Oklahoma State University and has assumed a student coach position with the team for the 2017 season.
A former Burlington Bulls junior team member, Marco was a leader behind the plate, helping the junior team to many successful seasons.
 Greg Marco – Herd catcher. “Greg had a tough season at the plate last year but, but was very strong for us at multiple positions defensively. He provides speed off the bench, good defense behind the plate and can play infield, outfield and also pitch if required” stated Herd Field Manager Jeff Lounsbury.
Marco is the Herd’s fourteenth signing of the off season.
By Pepper Parr
April 17th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It is now down to the eleven trustees – they will determine if any of the high schools in Burlington are to be closed.
The Program Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) that was created did some superb work – the Board Staff were taken aback a bit at how persistent and diligent they were.
 During the first occasion when PARC members were asked to rank their choices # 7 – Don’t close any high school was not all that high on the list. That changed and it now appears to be the option the PARC would prefer.  Option #19 – to Close both Central and Pearson was the Board Staff recommendation and the one that the the PARC members ranked higher than the option to not close any of the high schools. Option # 19 is no longer on the list of options that the PARC left on the table. The option of not closing any of the schools was barely on the table when the PARC process began and at the early look at where the PARC members stood what was known as Option # 7 didn’t rank all that well – but sentiment for that option grew and by the end of the PARC process it was the clear preference, with the trustee serving as an advisor to the PARC asking how not closing any of the schools could be made to happen.
That question could have and should have been put to the Board staff – they are the people well paid to run the educational system for the Region – which is something that can be looked at in the future.
For now – the voters are going to have to coax their trustees to act in the interests of the community and not be taken too far by the preferences of the Board staff.
A number of months ago the Gazette asked the eleven trustees to rank the following in terms of their importance to the individual trustee.
 Board chair Kelly Amos At that time Board Chair Kelly Amos said the trustees did not want to attempt to influence that PARC in any way. Fair enough – but the PARC has now been dissolved. Could the people who elected the trustees know where those trustees stand on the following:
Fiscal prudence
Academic offerings
Community
One isn’t better than another – the intention was to get some understanding as to what the values were of each trustee so that when people delegate they can put forward arguments that would resonate with the trustees.
At a recent parent council meeting at Lester B. Pearson high school a small audience held trustee Papin’s feet to the flames when they asked her to tell them she was going to support their school.
 Burlington’s Ward 4 school board trustee Richelle Papin Papin was in a difficult spot – two of the schools in her ward are amongst the options for closing. Both Pearson and Nelson are in ward 4. That is what they call a “sticky wicket”.
Papin could have very easily said she was for Option # 7 – keep all the schools open and direct staff to find a way to pay for it. The Director of Education has already said this was not a money issue and that the Board did not have to close any of the schools.
Papin didn’t seem to be able to assure the Pearson parents – her response was that she didn’t yet have all the information yet.
 Four of the eleven Halton District School Board trustees sitting in on one of the public meetings. The trustees need to be decisive and represent the interests of their communities using the values they hold as a guide. Is fiscal prudence more important than community? Is the academic offering more important that fiscal prudence? Tough questions – there is no right or wrong answer – it is a question of individual values. The 11 trustees are going to make a critical decision for the city of Burlington – what are they going to base that decision on?
 By Pepper Parr
April 16th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The weather could have been better but that didn’t matter all that much for Stuart Miller, Halton District School Board, Director of Education – the top position in a school board; he was busy thinking through the report that will be made public Friday April 21st on which, if any, high schools in Burlington should be closed.
Millers report to the Board of Trustees last October was that both Central High school and Lester B. Pearson high school need to be closed because the board has 1800 seats that do not have students in them.
When the report was released to the Trustees they had to make a decision, which they did – that was to create a Program Accommodation Review which called for the creation of a committee.
 The 14 members of the PARC and their advisors. That committee was created and met on seven different occasions to look at the facts and serve as a communication channel between the Board and the community.
The flow and quality of the information from the Board of Education became suspect quite early in the game – and it didn’t get any better. The quality of the members of the Program Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) surprised the Board of Education staff. These 14 people (two from each high school) were not going to go quietly into the night. The Board Staff came up with 19 options. That climbed to close to 40 which the PARC people whittled down to five.
They were:
Do not close any of the high school – re-work the existing boundaries to balance the high school students more evenly.
or
Close Robert Bateman in June 2018.
or
Close Nelson in June 2018
or
Close Central and Pearson in June 2018
or
Close Lester B. Pearson in June 2018
There are a lot of provisions and conditions attached to each of these closure options. The Gazette published a detailed list of the options CLICK HERE
 Donna Danielli asked – pleaded – with the PARC members to come up ways to keep all the Burlington high schools open. Donna Danielli, a Milton based Board of Education trustee, sat on the PARC as an advisor. During the last meeting of the PARC she asked, it was really more of a plea, for the PARC members to come up with a way for the Trustees to keep all the schools open.
The process and procedure schedule is as follows:
Wednesday April 26, 2017 – Director’s Final Report will be presented to the Board of Trustees at the Committee of the Whole meeting.
Monday May 8, 2017 (6 pm) – Public Delegation Night.
Thursday May 11 (6 pm) – Public Delegation Night.
Wednesday May 17, 2017 (7 pm) – Board meeting. Final Report to Board of Trustees for “information”.
Wednesday June 7, 2017 (7 pm) – Board meeting. Final Report to Board of Trustees for “decision”.
 The eleven members of the Halton District school Board will decide how many, if any, of the high schools in Burlington are to be closed in 2018 However, anything that happens from this point forward is in the hands of the trustees – they can do whatever they wish. If they don’t like what they are given they can instruct the staff to take the work they have done so far and rework some of the options.
 Chair of the Halton District School Board Kelly Amos Halton unfortunately does not have much in the way of leadership at the trustee level. Eight of the 11 woman on the Board have just over two years’ experience. Kelly Amos, an Oakville based trustee, has been close to mute while the PARC meeting were taking place. Many argue that this is what she should have done.
One is pressed to recall a situation where the Chair actually guided her Board. It is a one vote per trustee operation and Burlington has just four of the 11 votes; six are needed for Burlington to keep all its high schools open.
It all comes down to the content of the report Stuart Miller submits.
Will it be a mish-mash of all the data that has come in; will it be based on his core belief that the academic offering is the most important issue or will he consider the role of community in the placement of high schools?
Miller has already said it is not a money issue and he has also said that the Board does not have to close any of the high schools. It was the level of the utilization rates that triggered the Program Accommodation Review. Miller is on record as having said this process should have been done a number of years ago.
 Stuart Miller on the right at a Robotics information session that attracted more than 400 students. Stuart Miller is a passionate defender of the quality of the academic offering his Board offers the students. He wants every school to allow every students to study want they want to study, which is what drives his preference for large schools with student populations of well over 1000.
Miller has been Director of Education for more than a year; he was appointed in September of 2015.
He is a relatively young man who does not appear to have career aspirations that would take him to the Ministry of Education at some point in his career. He is at heart a high school teacher who can recall the first name of most of his past students. It is not unusual to see him out at a student event on a Saturday morning. He is proud of what his Board offers and while Halton doesn’t get the level of funding other boards get Halton has always ranked well on how its students fare in academic standings.
The challenge before Miller this weekend is the biggest he has faced as a senior Board staff member. He has another challenge that will follow right behind the school closing issue and that is the matter of French Immersion classes.
 Joey Edwardh, president of Community Development Halton and Stuart Miller Miller is a practical man – he also has a sense of humour. At a recent Board of Education meeting he gave his report entirely in Gaelic – to the astonishment of the Chair. He didn’t give an interpretation of the Gaelic either. So he has a sense of history, heritage and community values.
Is he capable of realizing and understanding that even the very best academic offering is not of much use if it is delivered in an environment that is devoid of the community it takes place in?
Miller does not live in the Region; his home is in the High Park part of Toronto but the bulk of his academic career has been with the Halton Board.
He has listened too many in the community, however there are those that argue he does not hear what they are saying. He is one of the most accessible bureaucrats this reporter has encountered.
For the sake of the people of Burlington one hopes that Stuart Miller took several long walks during the weekend and began to get close to deciding what kind of a Director is he going to be.
 From the left, Ward 6 Councillor Blair Lancaster signing the 20 year $1.3 million naming rights deal with Chris Haber in the Centre. Chris Glenn on the right is pleased with that much cash. The Haber Recreational centre id part of the Hayden high school complex. One hopes that he proves to be better than the past Directors of Education who let things slide so badly that we now face the mess we are dealing with.
Both past trustees and past Directors have a lot to be ashamed about. The creation of Hayden high school, the newest in the city, which is now over crowded – at a 150% plus utilization, may be a decision that kills the downtown core of the city.
 By Ray Rivers
April 14th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
 “acknowledging the existence” This is one of those years when Orthodox and regular Easter fall on the same day, and that is plunk in the middle of Passover. Easter is arguably the holiest of Christian holidays, but it, like religion in general, is declining in North America. It used to be that ‘Happy Easter’ was as common a greeting this time of year as Merry Christmas is around that season. But I can’t remember anyone even acknowledging the existence of the holiday this year, let alone recognizing its religious significance.
Almost a quarter of Canadians consider themselves non-religious now, double what it was less than thirty years ago. About two-thirds of religious folk call themselves Christian, down from over 80% in the early 1990s. And despite all the concern over Sharia law and that Islamophobia, followers of Islam made up little more than three percent of all Canadians according to the last poll taken in 2011. Of course that survey wouldn’t account for recent refugee admissions from places like Syria.
Those claiming to observe the Jewish faith are barely registering these days, the third leg of middle eastern theism – has fallen to a mere one percent. The numbers of all those believers can be expected to further decline over time, despite the ongoing influx of immigrants coming from Asia and Africa, and bringing their faith with them. This trend to less religiosity in our lives, which is also occurring with our neighbour south of the border, may have something to do with the advent of multiculturalism, or the relative affluence of our society, or maybe what’s on the TV.
 The Easter Bunny is real. But we still have Easter. It’s a statutory holiday. And Easter does have real meaning for children big and small. It’s the holy Easter Bunny. A couple in Hamilton had their foster children taken away from them because they refused to teach the kids that the Easter Bunny is real. They had miraculously escaped such punishment at Christmas, even though they admit to not teaching the youngsters that Santa was as real as Jesus.
But then Christmas has a more powerful message – it’s that presents are under the tree. Besides, a little baby born in a manger is a far more romantic concept than some guy dying on a cross, getting buried and then rising up from the dead. So you need to teach your kids the real meaning of Easter or you get what you deserve – to lose them to someone who will.
It’s the Bunny stupid! And what better way to celebrate the Bunny than with a Bunny Hop. Hamiltonians will join a number of communities across Canada, though not Burlington yet, in celebrating this adolescent excuse to drink large volumes of a favourite hoppy beverage… and party. Think of the Bunny Hop as replacing the time honoured Easter Parade – screw the bonnet, let’s get drunk.
But this year there is even more reason for those young adults to celebrate, Canada’s Easter bunnies in Ottawa are going to start letting us fill our Easter baskets with more than chocolate and alcohol. The government has just introduced legislation to legalize whacky-tobacky, which means that pretty soon it’ll be legal to grow real pot as your pot plant, share a little tea with Goldie and ‘bogart’ that joint – unless you are under age, of course.
 Arguably is less harmful to our health than the alcohol, salt and sugar we currently consume? Keeping drugs out of the hands and mouths of our children is the official reason for legislating rather than simply decriminalizing marijuana, or continuing the fantasy that keeping it illegal will keep drugs out of kids’ hands – which it hasn’t.
Once the new law is enacted, Canada will be the first developed nation to have a legal framework that allows its residents to grow and use this substance, which arguably is less harmful to our health than the alcohol, salt and sugar we currently consume.
And that means the Eater Bunny has his/her work cut out. Easter eggs and chocolate for children and booze and bud for their parents. Happy Bunny day to all the readers out there. Keep reading and please feel free to add your voice to the discussion.
 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:
Religion in Canada – Christianity in USA – The Bunny Hop – Easter Facts –
Canadian Marijuana Bill – More Weed –
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