By Staff

January 16th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

The Ontario government is making it easier and faster for people to access the publicly-funded surgeries and procedures they need by further leveraging community surgical and diagnostic centres to eliminate surgical backlogs and reduce wait times. As the government significantly expands the number of surgeries being done through community surgical and diagnostic centres, it will do so with measures in place to protect the stability of health human resources at public hospitals, including requiring new facilities to provide detailed staffing plans as part of their application and requiring a number of physicians at these centres to have active privileges at their local hospital.

“When it comes to your health, the status quo is no longer acceptable,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Our government is taking bold action to reduce wait times for surgeries, all while ensuring Ontarians use their OHIP card to get the care they need, never their credit card.”

Community surgical and diagnostic centres have been valuable partners in responding to the pandemic and addressing the pandemic-related backlog in surgeries. Increasing community delivery of surgeries has proven to increase patient and provider satisfaction and reduces the risk of a rescheduled appointment. Surgeries performed at these centres will be publicly-funded.
Ontario has a three-step plan that better integrates and uses these state-of-the-art facilities to speed up how quickly people are able to get surgeries and procedures using their health card.

Step One: Ontario is urgently tackling the existing backlog for cataract surgeries, which has one of the longest waits for procedures.

New partnerships with community surgical and diagnostic centres in Windsor, Kitchener-Waterloo and Ottawa will add 14,000 additional cataract surgeries that will be performed each year. This number represents up to 25% of the province’s current cataract waitlist, and accounts for the estimated COVID-related backlog of cataract surgeries. These centres will perform the 14,000 additional surgeries with existing health human resources.

Ontario is also investing more than $18 million in existing centres to cover care for thousands of patients, including more than 49,000 hours of MRI and CT scans, 4,800 cataract surgeries, 900 other ophthalmic surgeries, 1,000 minimally invasive gynecological surgeries and 2,845 plastic surgeries such as hand soft tissue repair. Surgical wait lists are anticipated to return to pre-pandemic levels by March 2023, barring operational issues.

Step Two: To further reduce wait times, Ontario is expanding the scope of community surgical and diagnostic centres to address regional needs with a continued focus on cataracts, as well as MRI and CT imaging and colonoscopy and endoscopy procedures. To start as early as 2023, these procedures will be non-urgent, low-risk and minimally invasive and, in addition to shortening wait times, will allow hospitals to focus their efforts and resources on more complex and high-risk surgeries.

Step Three: Early detection and diagnosis of a health issue has an immense benefit on a patient’s quality of life, prognosis and treatment path. As a next step, the government will introduce legislation in February that will, if passed, allow existing community diagnostic centres to conduct more MRI and CT scanning so that people can access publicly funded diagnostic services faster and closer to home.

Starting in 2024, this next step will also expand surgeries for hip and knee replacements. Legislative changes will also, if passed, strengthen oversight of community surgical settings so that patients can continue to expect to receive the world class care they know and deserve and provide the province with more flexibility to continue to expand access to more surgeries and further reduce wait times. As the province expands the role of community surgical and diagnostic centres, Ontario Health and the Ministry of Health will continue to work with system partners and clinical experts to put in place the highest standards for quality and safety.

“Timely and convenient access to surgery and diagnostic imaging is critical to keeping people healthy,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “This plan will boost the availability of publicly funded health services in Ontario, ensuring that Ontarians currently waiting for specialized surgeries will have greater access to the world class care they need, where and when they need it.”

As the government shortens wait times using community surgical and diagnostic centres, Ontario Health will ensure that these centres are included in regional health system planning. Funding agreements with new community surgical and diagnostic centres will require these facilities to work with local public hospitals to ensure health system integration and linkages, including connection and reporting into the province’s wait times information system and participation in regional central intakes, where available. Community surgical and diagnostic centres will also coordinate with local public hospitals to accept patients that are being referred, ensuring people get the surgery they need as quickly as possible.

Related news story:

Premier’s media conference:

By Pepper Parr

January 16th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

The Parks, Recreation and Culture department is in the process of bringing in a new Director. Chris Glen who served in that role for close to a decade before choosing retirement: He is still working for the city on other assignments.

At a recent Council meeting a letter from the Burlington Eagles hockey team (the letter was not made public) expressed concern over how the city facilities were allocated.

Beard: “Parks, Recreation and Culture is a complex business.”

Denise Beard,  Manager of Community Development Services responded to questions from ward 6 Councillor Angelo Bentivegna on the delivery of services by the Parks, Recreation and Culture department which Beard said “ is a complex business.”

Touching on the delegation, Beard said the concern was about the engagement section: they felt that they weren’t engaged in the conversation and wanted to know what the process is that gets reports from staff about engagement from these participants?

“These are partners that we have throughout the city. There are different levels of programs for the children; with respect to engagement in this report, we were really not bringing forward any recommendations at this point. It’s really an overview just letting you know and letting the public know about the project that we’re about to embark on in this review” explained Beard.

“They’ll definitely be consultation as we go throughout. Our approach is engagement. I feel like we are usually pretty good at this – we typically go to our partners and let them know of items coming up that are of interest to them.

“In this case. I did not engage because the document was more of an overview report. Hopefully that answers your question.”

Bentivegna: “It does, I just want to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to participate in terms of the discussion and whatever that form may take. How it comes back to us is important. So that the information that we’re receiving is brought in from the users of whatever that sport may be. ” Adding – “the question for me- do we take into account the age group, when we are determining who gets what ice time? Is that taken into account presently?”

Denise Beard: “We do and we don’t.”

“We do and we don’t said Beard who added that “we did a lot of consultation on the framework when it was implemented. All the user groups were engaged, and they were all part of the conversation. It’s been about a five year process to get to that point and then council approved it in the spring of 2019, just before the pandemic.

“Council was also engaged in that because we talked about some of these situations. We talked about this, some of these situations where we were focused on fundamental skill level development.

“The vast majority of people learn the basic physical literacy skills and or arts and culture skills, to have general recreation and we felt when we approved the framework that general tax supported entity should support the greater context a greater number of people through fundamental skill development, and that was the opportunity there.

Beard: “Whether you are an older adult or youth, a baby, it doesn’t matter”

“So whether you are an older adult or youth, a baby, it doesn’t matter – if you’re just learning a new skill, you should be able to do that in a tax supported facility. As we go up the skill level, we then say we’ll offer whatever space we have available – for whoever – youth or adult, it’s all about the skill level it wasn’t necessarily about the age.

“There was a big flip that was made during that framework discussion where we talked about fundamental skills versus your physical age.”

Bentivegna: “I can speak for hockey.”

Bentivegna responds: “I appreciate what you have said about the skill level process. Each of these organizations whether it be swimming, baseball, soccer, or hockey, the skill level starts at a very early age.

“I can speak for hockey – at three or four or five years old, they have programs where they just sort of have learned to skate, learn to play hockey.

“There are no leagues; the private sector organizes that. Once they know what to do, in terms of skating skills they then become part of a program, governed by another body that gives them guidelines as to what time they should be playing ;that’s where some of the unknowns are.

“How will we see some of that in the report that we’re going to see later on ?”

Bentivegna: “Again when are we going to get that report ?”

Beard – “In the report on space allocation, you’ll see that information but it is not on the table right now, not on this agenda.”

Bentivegna: “Again when are we going to get that report ?  Before June?”

Beard, “Definitely before June.”

By Ray Rivers

January 15^th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

Stephen Harper first announced he was pursuing a non- competitive bid to procure 65 F-35s to replace Canada’s aging 80 McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornets back in 2010.  The plane was brand spanking new and its projected cost then was estimated at C$15 billion all-in.  Deliveries would have started in 2016 but he ran into trouble selling the public advanced fighter jets at a time when nobody really thought we needed them.

The decision to begin replacing these CF18 Hornets was made in 2005 with delivery to start in 2016

Some critics claimed the real cost could have been as high as $25 billion.  There were concerns that the plane, unlike the CF-18 it would have replaced, came with only a single engine.   Some test pilots reported that the plane was sluggish, slower and less manoeuvrable in an aerial dogfight compared to other jet fighters.  Dogfights are not just the legends of Snoopy and the Red Baron or the movie Top Gun.  Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was marked by some spectacular aerial acrobatics until Russia lost too many of its own planes.

Harper never got to buy his planes because Mr. Trudeau won the 2015 election and cancelled the purchase on an election promise.  But seven years later he’s now changed his mind and we’re buying 88 of them for $19 billion, with deliveries starting in 2026.  Confidence in the aircraft no longer appears to be an issue as Canada will be joining a number of western nations moving to this plane including Germany, Japan and Australia.

And it sounds like a good deal since, even after 13 years, the cost of each plane has only risen by about 7%.  That is if you can believe any of these numbers.  Canada was a partner in the original design of the aircraft and some Canadian content should sweeten the deal.  And this time the military had run some kind of competition among potential suppliers.  And the F-35 beat out the underdog Swedish SAAB jet fighter.

Clouds of war made buying the F35 the best choice. It has become the NATO choice – but delivery doesn’t start until 2026.

Besides, the pressure is on for Canada to get up to its 2% of GDP defence spending NATO commitment – and this will help.  The F-35 is pretty much becoming NATO’s go-to fighter anyway.  Technology sharing, and common architecture are important factors, especially with our primary ally, the USA.  But most importantly, while in 2010 we were still dining-out on the so-called peace dividend, today the clouds of war are all around us.

The world order has changed.  Russia has broken every international rule nations had all agreed on post WWII and is committing exactly the kind of imperialist aggression the creation of the UN was intended to prevent.  Tomorrow it’s expected to be China, with a much more dangerous agenda as it invades Taiwan and takes on the USA in the process.  Then there is North Korea.

Canada is an expansive nation with a long coast line in need of defending, but these stealth birds are way beyond overkill when it comes to border patrol, at least compared to less expensive drones and good old fashion radar.   In fact the F-35 is best suited to the battlefield.  It’s what we have been doing as part of NATO’s efforts in Serbia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Libya.

Aside from the billions of dollars needed to buy these birds, there is the huge environmental impact of these and all war planes.   The F-35 burns 22 gallons of jet fuel per minute, 1,340 gallons of fuel and over two tonnes of CO2 emissions per flying hour.  Training flights from one US airbase alone emitted between 50 and 100 tonnes of CO2 per year, the equivalent of 10,000 to 20,000 passenger cars.  So much for the carbon tax and meeting our climate change commitments.

President Joe Biden seems pleased – Canada is signing on to the F35 – Prime Minister Trudeau doesn’t seem as assured.

To be clear the F-35 is considered the best stealth fighter jet out there today.  And Canada is a wealthy nation, one of the G7, so affordability should not an issue.  I’m a pacifist, a ‘let’s melt our swords into plow shares’ kind of guy so I’d rather see the money spent on a basic income program, a cross country high speed rail system, EV charging stations everywhere, investment in major renewable energy infrastructure, and of, course, a badly needed overhaul of our health care system.

But I’m also a big fan of being prepared and collective security.  I’m reminded of the naivety of the Ukrainian leaders shortly after the Soviet empire collapsed.  They were convinced to scrap their nuclear arsenal, the third largest at the time on paper promises that their territorial integrity would be respected.  We all know how that story ended.

There is a lesson to all that.  We are not as civilized as we’d like to think.   You may love your neighbour but you’re never sure how far you can trust him/her when push comes to shove.

And, with the acquisition of these advanced aircraft, well, good fences make better neighbours.

By Pepper Parr

January 12th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

In her book, The Growing Years, Dorothy Turcotte wrote: Have you ever wondered what M.M. Robinson did to have a secondary school named in his honour?

Melville Marks Robinson was a native of Peterborough. Almost everyone knew him as M.M. or Bobby. He left school at 13 and took a job at the Toronto News as an office boy in the circulation department. Later he became assistant sports editor at $8.50 a week.

In 1910 he was hired as sports editor at the Hamilton Spectator at $15 a week, and later became city editor of the paper.

This was the dress code for Commonwealth Games. Note the seal in the lower right corner – making the photograph official

One day in 1927, he was chatting with a colleague who had been director of athletics at the University of Western Ontario. They were deploring the fact that Canadian runners lacked the competition they needed to develop into top athletes in their fields.

The colleague mentioned the Empire Festival, which had been held in England in 1911.

As a builder, Bobby was known in athletics circles for getting things done. He was a Sports Editor at the Hamilton Spectator from 1908 to 1931.

Bobby came up with the idea of having a track and field competition that involved athletes from nations within the British Empire. This led to Bobby founding the British Empire Games (now known as the Commonwealth Games) that was first held in Hamilton in 1930. He managed the 1934 team.

Bobby Robinson took up the idea immediately. He began lobbying for the establishment of the British Empire Games, which he wanted to be held in Hamilton.

In 1928, he went to Amsterdam as manager of the Canadian Olympic track and field team, and took the opportunity of selling the idea of the Empire Games abroad.

In order to develop the necessary facilities for such games, Hamilton had to have a stadium and indoor swimming pool.
T.B. McQueston, then chairman of the Hamilton Parks Board who was subsequently instrumental in the founding of th Royal Botannical Gardens in 1932, convinced the city council that it would be worthwhile to spend the money needed.

As a result, Civic Stadium and the Municipal Pool were built at a cost of $160,000.

Bobby Robinson went abroad to approach other countries in the Empire. They were all enthusiastic, except for one. When Robinson met with Lord Derby in England, Derby insisted that the games weren’t practical due to the Depression and lack of funds.

Robinson is reported to have said to Derby: ”If Britain won’t play with us, we will turn south — to the United States.”

That convinced Lord Derby that Britain should compete. The British Empire Games (BEG) were held in Hamilton in 1930, and are still being held. In 1958 they were renamed the Commonwealth Games.

Percy Williams – did Track at the 1930 games

The program for the first British Empire Games that took place in Hamilton in 1930. Will the Games return in 2030?

The Amsterdam Olympics provided Robinson with a venue for the contacts he would need to sell the idea of holding British Empire Games in the “spirit of friendly competition”. The first British Empire Games were therefore held in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in 1930.

As founder of the Games Robinson continued to manage the Canadian Olympic and B.E.G. track teams until 1938.
Lt. M. M. Robinson, served as a Lieutenant 86th Machine Gun Battalion

Sports and education were the two fields in which he made a mark.

Robinson was a sports person and an educator. He left school at the age of 13 and came to realize that having an education mattered. In 1920, Robinson was elected to the Hamilton Board of Education where he helped promote the city as a leading centre for track & field in Canada. He also played an active role in the creation of the Canadian Legion, a non-profit Canadian veterans’ organization

Robinson knew the value of learning and was a champion of education. He served for many years on a various school boards.

In 1959 he became the first chairman of the newly-amalgamated City of Burlington’s Board of Education.

Bobby played an active role in the creation of the Hamilton Olympic Club, becoming the first Club President in 1926. He was the manager of the 1928 and 1936 Olympic teams.

He was later appointed to the board of Burlington High School, serving from 1940 to 1963, including as its president from 1950 to 1963. Upon his retirement, a new school, M. M. Robinson High School, was named in his honour.

He died in Burlington on June 6, 1974 at the age of 86 and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Burlington

Robinson clearly knew how to lobby and convince people what a good idea looked like and then get them to act on the idea.
Last week the eight Chambers of Commerce that make up the Hamilton 2030 Commonwealth Games Bid wrote the Premier to express their support for hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games in the Golden Horseshoe Region. The group that signed the letter included eight municipalities and two First Nations.

They were advocating for a one-time, multi-year, pan-community building opportunity that boosts Ontario’s economy, drives private sector investments, delivers economic Impacts and legacies, and helps achieve several Ontario government mandates (accessibility, affordable housing, environment, indigenous affairs, community infrastructure, sport, culture, tourism, and trade.)

A proposed investment of $440M from the Ontario Government that catalyzes federal and private sector funding, will result in a $1.2B+ boost to regional GDP including 16K+ new jobs, and $400M+ in Games contracts for local businesses. In the lead up to and for years following the Games, national and international sport events, festivals, tradeshows, and conventions hosted in Ontario will more than double, benefiting the tourism and hospitality sectors. Owing largely to private sector leadership, a trade program will result in new deals with key Commonwealth countries worth hundreds of millions of dollars, forge new international partnerships, and fuel growth across the Golden Horseshoe Region.

Hosting these Games
• brings reality to the Made in Ontario narrative, with Ontario producing raw materials and manufactured products showcased in all development projects – showing the world what Made in Ontario means and that Ontario is Open for Business.

Melville Marks Robinson – everyone called him Bobby

• provides a platform for showcasing environmental and sustainability best practices, improving people’s and business sustainability habits and behaviors for the long term and is a powerful enabler in achieving Ontario’s commitment to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals

• has support from a broad range of business, community and sport organizations, and 8 municipalities and acts as a connector between all levels of government and the private and public sectors, resulting in an increase the confidence and pride of all Ontarians for generations to come.

It sounded like Melville Marks Robinson lobbying for a sports event he brought to the area close to 100 years ago.

By Staff

January 12, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

This scam is really dangerous.

People trust the Interac service – we use it several times a day.

The give away on it is the address it comes from.  But far too many people see the money and click on the image.

Here is what it looks like

The address the email came from:

Nothing about the Canadian government in that address. The address used tells you it is phony. Too many people see the $432.00 part of the email. It is cleverly done.

Then there is the part of the email that instructs you how to have the funds deposited directly into your bank account using the Interac service

Note the date on the image.

The rule you need to follow: If in doubt – DON’T!

By Staff

January 12th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

A Human Trafficking Investigation initiated in January 2023, the Halton Regional Police Service – Human Trafficking Unit has formed grounds to charge 40-year-old Steve Coelho of Toronto.

Police believe there are additional victims in regards to this investigation and are asking anyone who has come into contact with Steve Coelho (alias names of “Nikolai” or “Nik”) or who has information to please contact D/Cst. Moss of the Human Trafficking Unit at 905-825-4747 ext. 4961. A photo of Coelho is attached.

Steve Coelho, 40 of Toronto

Steve Coelho has now been charged with the following offences:

• Trafficking in Persons
• Material Benefit from trafficking in persons
• Withhold or destroy documents
• Material Benefit resulting from sexual services
• Advertise Sexual Services
• Procuring

He has been held in custody pending a bail hearing.

The Halton Regional Police Service firmly believes that every person has the right to feel safe in our community.

Victims of violence and/or sexual assault and witnesses are encouraged to contact the Halton Regional Police Service. The following is a list of valuable support services and resources in our region for victims of violence and/or sexual assault:

• Halton Regional Police Service Victim Services Unit 905-825-4777 ext. 5239 or by email at VictimServices@haltonpolice.ca
• Nina’s Place Sexual Assault and Domestic Assault Care Centre 905-336-4116 or 905-681-4880
• Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Services (SAVIS) 905-875-1555 (24-hour crisis line)
• Radius Child & Youth Services 905-825-3242 (Oakville) or 1-855-744-9001
• Kid’s Help Phone 1-800-668-6868 (24-hour crisis line)
• THRIVE Counselling 905-845-3811 or 905-637-5256

Signs / Indicators of Human Trafficking
• Not being allowed to speak for themselves;
• Not having control of their own money or cellphone;
• Suddenly having a new or second cell phone with a secret number;
• Being controlled by others and escorted at all times;
• Not being allowed to contact family or friends;
• Withdrawing from family and friends;
• Providing rehearsed answers to casual questions;
• Being secretive about their activities;
• Showing signs of abuse, such as bruising, cigarette burns, fractures, etc.
• Having a new boyfriend, girlfriend or friend who they won’t introduce to friends/family; and
• Having new items (clothing, jewelry etc.) outside their financial means.

What Should I Do if I Think Someone is a Victim of Trafficking?
If there is immediate danger or if you suspect someone is being trafficked, call 9-1-1.

You may also call the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010.

The Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline is a confidential, multilingual service, operating 24/7 to connect victims and survivors with social services, law enforcement, and emergency services, as well as receive tips from the public. The hotline uses a victim-centered approach when connecting human trafficking victims and survivors with local emergency, transition, and/or long-term supports and services across the country, as well as connecting callers to law enforcement where appropriate.

Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers. “See something? Hear something? Know something? Contact Crime Stoppers” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.

By Staff

January 11, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

Fadul-Gonzalez

As a result of a Human Trafficking Investigation initiated in December 2022, the Halton Regional Police Service – Human Trafficking Unit, has arrested and charged 27-year-old Paolo Fadul-Gonzalez of Toronto.

The allegations stem from historical incidents between 2018 and 2020 where the victim was exploited throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

Police believe there are additional victims and ask anyone with information to contact D/Cst. Serafini of the Human Trafficking Unit at 905-825-4747 ext.4974.

By Staff

January 11th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

Have you noticed how the Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star get their investigative reporters on to an issue and dig, dig, dig.

We are seeing more of this type of news reporting.

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has amended the Greenbelt Area boundary regulation to add 13 new Urban River Valley areas and lands in the Paris Galt Moraine in Wellington County and remove 15 areas of land. Add lands in the Paris Galt Moraine in Wellington County to the Greenbelt Area Remove or redesignate 15 areas of land totaling approximately 7,400 acres from the edge of the Greenbelt Area that are serviced or adjacent to services and will be used to build housing in the near term. The investigative reporters want to learn more about who bought the lands that are being taken out of the Greenbelt and how much did they know before they bought ?

The Star recently said: We covered Doug Ford and his government’s policies and their effects on the province since he was elected premier in 2018. Now, developers are eyeing the Greenbelt — and a Star/Narwhal investigation has revealed that many are connected to Ford’s Progressive Conservative Party.

That investigation has the OPP Anti Rackets Squad meeting with people who filed complaints. No investigation – yet. The police are sniffing around and following up on what the newspapers started.

Narwhal is an online operation (just like the Gazette) that started in British Columbia and recently opened an office in Toronto.

The Globe and Mail tends to focus on national news stories and does superb work on what the federal government is up to.

The Gazette focus’s on Burlington – where we are currently watching the approach City Council is taking on the budget that will determine the 2023-24 tax rate.

Media matters.

How much?