Asking rents in Canada hitting a record high of $2,042 in June

By Staff

July 13th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The latest National Rent Report has average surpassing the November record of $2,024 by 0.9 per cent, according to the Rentals.ca and Urbanation latest National Rent Report.*

Average rents for all property types in Canada on the Rentals.ca Network have increased 20 per cent, or by an average of $341 per month over the last two years.

Average rents were up 1.4 per cent from May to June, representing the largest month-over-month rise this year, while annually average rents increased 7.5 per cent.

There are all kinds of apartments to rent – they just aren’t affordable.

Oakville was the only suburb in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) with average rent ($3,230) more expensive than Toronto ($2,813) in June for purpose-built and condominium apartments and continued to be the country’s most expensive midsize market for renters.

Nine other GTA cities and areas were among 25 mid-sized markets in Canada; Burlington, up 14.7 per cent to $2,561 and Etobicoke, up 14.2 per cent to $2,630.

Ontario continues to have the second highest average rents for purpose-built and condominium apartments. In June, average annual rents were up 9.3 per cent in Ontario to $2,415.

The traditional explanation for this kind of economic behaviour is that of supply and demand.  The real driving force is sheer greed; the greedy would call that making hay when the sun shines.

 

 

 

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Take in a Blue Jays Game, sit in great seat - support a great cause

By Staff

July 13th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Move quickly for this one. And be generous – the funds are going to a really good cause.

Thanks to the generous support from Route 56 General Contracting, Community Living Burlington went live with another online Blue Jays auction earlier this week.

They are excited to offer the opportunity to watch the San Diego Padres at the Toronto Blue Jays, Wednesday, July 19 at 7:07 pm. Tickets are located in the TD Clubhouse – Section 226, Row 8.

The experience comes with in seat service, a private entrance and a beautiful lounge to enjoy drinks and food before and during the game. The gate opens 90 minutes prior to the game. (Food and beverages are not included but can be purchased in the lounge).

Arrive early on July 19th to get a “We’re Here” Welcome Mat (limited mats are available upon entry).
Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity! Place your bid HERE

Bidding closes at 5:00 pm, Saturday, July 15th. The winner will be contacted then.

If you have any questions, please email fundraising@clburlington.ca

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Ground floor at city hall now open - looks Ok

By Pepper Parr

July 13th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The renovations to the inside of city hall are complete and you can now walk in and interact with people.

The ground floor appears more spacious and is certainly more than a step away from the faded somewhat dowdy look most people were familiar with.

Looking towards the Brant Street entrance

Passageway leading to the service areas – Locust street entrance to the left

The city held something in the way of an Official opening; there were blue and yellow balloons strewn around and some picture on easels that displayed that the city hall area used to look like.

There is much more space for people to meet, a large television screen – it seems to be stuck on the city web site page. Wonder what running a soccer match would do to any sense of vibrancy.

The upgrade wasn’t intended to make the place a comfortable spot to meet up with a friend. It’s a place of business and on that level it works jut fine.

Give it six months to get a full sense of what we have.

The City Administration decision to have staff working as both full time at the office and full time at home – with variations on that theme has reduced the demand for space.

A consensus on just how well this approach will work out long term and the impact it will have on the efficiency and productivity isn’t in yet.

 

Building permit applications and the more technical matters get dealt with at these counters. S significant improvement over the dingy space they had in the lower level.

 

Pay your parking tickets, counters you can work at standing.

A seating area where staff can come to the lobby and meet with residents.

Stairway leading to the City Council Chamber on the second floor. Significant changes made to that area as well.

As the city grows, the administration and technical people needed to keep the wheels going round will increase. Is City Hall is as it exists now going to be able to accommodate the growth? There isn’t a consensus on that either.

Next step: Redesigning Civic Square which hopefully will include a change to this 50’s look that serves as the entrance to city hall. A former Director of Planning for the City once called the structure “iconic”.

Meanwhile, the ground floor of City Hall looks just fine. No word yet and just how much it cost to get what we now have.

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There is no reward and it is not a marketing survey - its an attempt to access your bank account

By Staff

July 12th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The scam scum never quite.

Basically because thousands of people don’t think before the CLICK.

This one is a blatant attempt to get information from you.

Don’t fail for it.

 

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A Look at Burlington Area's Top Sports Venues and Facilities

By Dannielle Cousland

July 12th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The Burlington Ontario area is an excellent place for sports fans. It has many professional sports teams and lots of people who love sports. Burlington, Ontario, is one of these places. It has some top sports spots where people can watch or play different sports. From cycling and soccer to golf and football, these places have seen many sports events and helped local athletes improve their skills.

These sports places in Burlington are not just for athletes, though. They’re also for everyone in the community who wants to get moving, stay fit, and have fun.

For those fans who desire to take their love for games up a notch, exploring the betting options here at Cloudbet can add an exciting dimension to the experience.

Thousands of people use the Velodrome as their base when they bike through the hundreds of miles of country roads. The facility has bicycle storage space as well.

The Mattamy National Cycling Centre

The Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton, Ontario, distinguishes itself as a paramount track cycling facility. Established for the 2015 Pan American Games, the Centre stands as Canada’s first-ever indoor velodrome following the UCI regulations and the second such facility in North America, joining the prestigious ranks of the VELO Sports Center in Los Angeles.

The indoor cycling arena sports a 250-meter timber track incorporating two high banks angled at 42 degrees.

Originally, the Velodrome hosted 2,500 spectators during the games. Post-event, it transformed into a home base for Cycling Canada’s national track cycling program, reducing its seating capacity to 1,500.

Supplementing the cycling track, the facility integrates a diverse recreational space, including a fully-equipped cardio and strength training fitness centre, a group fitness studio, a 300-meter walking/jogging track, and three courts dedicated to volleyball, basketball, and badminton.

Glen Abbey Golf Club

Public golfers and ClubLink members can avail themselves of the world-class facilities at Glen Abbey Golf Club, a renowned golfing destination since the turn of the millennium. This exceptional venue has witnessed unforgettable moments, including Tiger Woods’ shot of the year from a fairway bunker on the 72nd hole of the Canadian Open in 2000, leading to his victory by a single stroke.

A Jack Nicklaus design – a place where Tiger Woods played some of his best ever golf.

Glen Abbey made headlines in 2009 as the 25th RBC Canadian Open host. This landmark event marked the 100th playing of Canada’s national championship, further cementing the Club’s status in the annals of PGA Tour events.

Oakville Soccer Club

Awarded Ontario Soccer’s Gold Standard for Club Excellence

Founded in 1972, the Oakville Soccer Club has become Canada’s largest amateur soccer club. It boasts a thriving community of over 19,000 participants and over 900 volunteer and professional coaches. The Club operates from a sprawling 100,000-square-foot indoor soccer facility on Pine Glen Road in North Oakville.

Recognizing its high standards, the Oakville Soccer Club was awarded Ontario Soccer’s Gold Standard for Club Excellence and the Genworth Community Builder of the Year Award at the 2018 Oakville Awards for Business Excellence.

Nelson Stadium

Nelson Stadium, an outdoor sports facility in Burlington, Ontario, offers a multifaceted venue for sports enthusiasts. The stadium is operated by Nelson High School and owned by the Halton District School Board and accommodates up to 1,500 spectators.

Final Thoughts

Burlington and the surrounding communities truly shines as a sports destination. The top-notch facilities offer an impressive variety of opportunities for sports lovers. Not only do these venues stage exciting events and competitions, but they also contribute to the local community by encouraging everyone to stay active and enjoy sports.

 

 

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City is looking at land they might want to buy

By Staff

July 12th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

 

After an hour and three quarters Council moved into a CLOSED session to hear a Staff verbal update on an HR matter relating to an identifiable individual and a staff behaviour investigation.

There was a second matter regarding a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality

Behaviour problems are always heard in CLOSED sessions. The public seldom hears whatever decision was arrived at.

On land matters, City Manager Tim Commisso is on the prowl for any land he thinks the city can get its hands on. He knows the city needs more housing and he wants to buy land that can be developed. No necessarily by the city.

Earlier in the meeting Council was made aware of a Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) fund that was measured in the billions of dollars that would be available for housing initiatives.

Council was told that the applications are complex but that Helen Wallahura was working on funding applications.

We cover that in a seperate story.

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The Swan was one of two short stories given first place in the Write Hear. Write Now 18+ category

By Staff

July 11th 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The Write Here. Write now contest received an incredible number of entries this year—they doubled last year’s total!  The creators ranged in age from 10 all the way up to 93.

The Gazette is publishing the two winners in the short story 18+ category.  The first is below, the other will follow later in the week.

The winners in each category are:

Poetry

10-12: Kayla Gareau, Dream experts, Dream catchers, Dream chasers

13-17: Griffin Dekker, Beginning of an End

18+: Denny Williams, Reflections on pet ownership

Short Stories

10-12: Avery Parkes, Ali in Winterland

13-17: Mia Greene, Nefelibata

18+: Jennifer Filipowicz, The Swan and Gregory Blount, Cooper Falls

Comics

10-12: Brody Hanks, Muffinhead and Bagel-Brain

13-17: Ali Thompson, The Duck

18+: Dominique Bowler-Brown, Elephant Bones

The Swan by Jennifer Filipowicz

“Don’t touch that.”

Jayda pulled her hand away instantly, as thought her mother’s voice had the power to move her like a marionette. Still the dead swan beckoned, as pristine as it had been in life, and Jayda felt a desperate urge to stroke its pure white feathers. She watched out of the corner of her eye until her mother’s attention was diverted to the windsurfers sailing across Burlington Bay, then Jayda reached out and stroked the twisted neck.

The swan was beautiful, like snow white in her coffin, and like the handsome prince, Jayda kissed the majestic dead bird on its black beak, just below its vacant staring eye.

“Jayda!”

“I was just pretending,” Jayda said, the coolness of the beak still on her lips.

Mom rummaged in her beach bag, pulled out a package of disinfectant wipes and frantically wiped Jayda’s face and hands. “We don’t know how the swan died,” Mom said. “It might have a disease.”

“It doesn’t look sick,” Jayda said. “Just dead.” “We don’t know, so we don’t touch it just in case.”

Jayda nodded solemnly. “Can I keep a feather as a souvenir?” Jayda yanked out a tail feather from the corpse and held it up.

“Jayda,” Mom answered neutrally.

Jayda brushed the soft feather across her face. A man wearing swim trunks walked his golden retriever along the beach. The dog lunged toward the dead swan, causing the man great physical exertion as he held his companion back. Finally the man in the swim trunks successfully turned back the way he came. Jayda watched the dog gallop along the beach, then turned her attention back to the swan.

Suddenly she got a wonderful idea.

“Mom!” she exclaimed. “If we went and got my wagon we could take the swan with us!”

“No, Jayda,” Mom said, her voice tired.

“But it will look so nice in my room,” Jayda said. “And I won’t even touch it, just look.”

“It will rot.”

Jayda imagined the swan as its body shriveled, maggots eating holes in its flesh, until only a skeleton remained. “Neat.” “It will smell really bad.”

Jayda considered this. “Worse than Daddy’s feet?” “Infinitely worse.”

“The birds at the ROM don’t smell or rot.” “The museum birds are stuffed.”

“Can we–”

“No.”

Swan at the LaSalle Park waterfront

“You don’t know what I was asking.” “We can’t have this swan stuffed.” “Why not?”

“Because I don’t know a taxidermist.”

Jayda’s mother stared out over the water again, one of the windsurfers lost his balance and fell into the waves. His head popped up again and he held onto his board.

“Mom, what’s a taxidermist?”

“A person who stuffs dead animals.” “I want to be a taxidermist!”

“You can be anything you want to, Sweetie.”

“I have an idea!” Jayda said. “We can take the swan home and I can practice stuffing it!”

“No.”

“I’ll wear my paint smock, so I won’t get any blood on me.” “I’ll let you keep the feather,” Mom said.

“I can’t stuff a feather, Mom.”

“You can stuff things when you’re older.”

Jayda kicked at the sand so that beige and grey dust sprinkled over the swan corpse. Then she crouched down and brushed the sand away until the swan was pristine again. Her mother was ready with the wipes. “It’s time to go home,” Mom said.

They walked together along Burlington Beach to the playground near where their car was parked. Jayda glanced back at the swan, now a splotch of white in the distance.

“Mommy?”

“Yes, Jayda?”

“Can we come back every day to watch the swan rot?”

We tell our readers a little more about Jennifer Filipowicz later today

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Anne Marsden reads a blistering delegation into the record - against the Public Conduct Policy

By Pepper Parr

July 11th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

 

From time to time citizens appear before Council and do delegations that need to be remembered.

Jim Young once told Council where the power they have comes from – it should been cast in stone. Memorable

Today Anne Marsden, with her husband standing beside her addressed Council, Here is what she had to say.

If City officials expended as much time and effort on promoting engagement with community groups as they do on silencing honest opposition we might actually have a more politically active populace rather than one where civic involvement is moribund, and the citizens are essentially kept in the dark. Stephen White, Burlington Gazette Comments re. Trespass By-law.

Stephen, a regular viewer of Council meetings comments frequently said he does not agree with what Mayor Meed Ward sees emanating from those who have appeared at this lectern with cameras rolling, that for some people, led to the issuing of a two year trespass letter.

Anne Marsden giving one of the most passionate delegations heard for some time – she was strongly opposed to the Public Conduct Policy which Council passed.

Meed Ward had said: “We wanted to put in place some formal policies if there ever is another time where we have to ban somebody from City Hall.

“It has happened in the past; people who have engaged in offensive, abusive, sexist behaviour, harassing behaviour. You know, I like to tell folks we’re elected officials. We’re not punching bags. Our staff are not punching bags, we’re not there for you to beat up on.”

These comments from our Mayor are improper without statistical back up and should not be acceptable to any member of our council voting to adopt this by-law without such statistical back up.

Why the rush for this by-law. A rush that sees no staff presentation from the “lawyer” who took on the responsibility of producing such without any public engagement to explain why it is needed. We do not see any listing of incidents where the issuing of a trespass letter was necessary, and we all know the city like any other property owner has the ability to issue trespass letters with or without this by-law, whether they are deserved or not.

How many incidents have there been since the Recreation Department Corporate Policy this by-law replaces and has been waiting for review since December 2020 for such to protect Recreation Staff, public and volunteers from those who are deemed to display offensive behaviour in our community recreation programmes.?

Further, were there any incidents relative to our Mayor or indeed any member of council or staff being used as a “punching bag”.

The Mayor’s comments regarding the necessity for this by-law at this time do not carry any weight without statistics to back them up. The Mayor’s strong powers allows her to set this bylaw down, in fact we are informed she must sign a paper to say she won’t do so to have this by-law come into effect. Members of Council, PLEASE, carefully consider what you are doing in voting to adopt this by-law. Councillor Stolte in particular suffered what many of us considered an unprecedented attack that saw her leave this chamber, but that attack did not come from this lectern.

Members of council please do not equate “truth that comes to you from this lectern” as offensive behaviour, that requires a trespass letter. It is simply citizens taking up their hard earned democratic right to tell you, they do not agree with you or the price is too high no matter how much they would like what you are considering. The 3 million dollars of hydro reserve going on the LaSalle “wave break” for example when we could have hydro issues down the road, that could well need that money to keep the lights on in Burlington.

Anne Marsden, reading her delegation into the record at a Council meeting.

Madam Mayor please do the right thing and allow concerned citizens of Burlington the opportunity to have conversations with the “lawyer” in-house or otherwise who seemingly lacks an interest in protecting those who pay the bills from being able to stand at this lectern and have respectable conversations with those who we have elected to make decisions on our behalf. An appeal process is not an appeal process unless it is adjudicated by a party who holds no allegiance to either party which is not the case in this by-law.

Give us the stats, let us have conversations with the by-law’s author “Ryan” whoever that is and then bring the by-law back. If and only if, our new head of legal, Blake Hurley is then willing to stand at this lectern and tell us it is necessary to protect our council or staff, not from democratically based criticism but from those things the Mayor listed off should this council go down this very slippery slope from which there is no return.

Waiting from December, 2020 when the corporate policy review was supposed to take place, until our head of legal retired prior to bringing this by-law to the Council table for a vote, speaks volumes with regard to our past Head of Legal’s position on such a by-law. We are quite sure it would never have got past her review.

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Council was mute when it came to passing the Public Conduct Policy bylaw but was surprisingly open when it came to a plan to make transit free

By Pepper Parr

July 11th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

 

It was a different City Council meeting.

Deputy Mayor Shawna Stolte chaired the City Council meeting this day.

The Mayor didn’t take part except for the several times she dropped in virtually.  Deputy Mayor Shawna Stolte had the gavel (no chain of office) and ran a different kind of meeting.

It was softer in a nice way – she was more gracious than Meed Ward usually is.  More empathetic and got through the event without a glitch.

She handled the delegations smoothly.

Council covered a very broad range of issues – we will cover is as much is as we can in the next few days.

Council basically agreed to work towards a transit service that will be free for everyone any time.  To the surprise of many, Councillor Sharman put out a Staff Direction that called for the collection of data that will be used to determine just what the cost is likely to be should all day free transit come to pass.

Councillor Sharman moved a Staff Direction that will pull together the data needed to determine just what free transit is going to cost.

Council was told of a CMHC funds that has billions to spend on housing initiatives.  We will report on that is as well.

On the negative side this Council went along with the passing of a bylaw that gives the city the power prevent a person from using city facilities.  They did this without is as much is as a single word from any Staff person explaining how they would do this – and worse still – without a single word from any member of Council – other than when they voted.

We will need to review the web cast to ensure that we are correct in saying that Mayor Meed Ward was did not vote – for the brief moments it took to tally the vote we don’t believe the Mayor was online. But we do need to confirm that.

Anne Marsden gave a blistering delegation on why Council should not do what it chose to do.

This is a matter that should be taken to the City Ombudsman.

 

 

 

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Totally free transit service for everyone?

By Pepper Parr

July 11th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Doug Brown – a transit advocate has something to smile about.

Totally free transit service for everyone?

That is the Staff Direction put forward by Councillor Sharman put on the table; he wants a report early in 2024.

Sharman is the last person many  thought would put forward a Staff Direction like this.

It has been the wish of Mayor Meed Ward for some time and it would be a huge win for the Bfast people who have been sterling advocates for better transit service.

Sharman has always been a data hawk – he wants to see a lot of data before doing anything.

 

 

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Mayor unable to Chair City Council meeting

By Pepper Parr

June 11th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Mayor Marianne Meed Ward in her city hall office

Councillor Stolte is Chairing the meeting of Council.

Mayor sent her regrets and advised that she would take part virtually “when she is able”

Unusual procedure.

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The public might hear a little bit more today about the Public Conduct Policy

By Pepper Parr

June 10th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

 

City Council is meeting today to work through a 22 page agenda.

One of the items is Public Conduct Policy and Trespass Bylaw. .

The public first learned of the plans the city has to invoke the Trespass Act when it was on the agenda of the June 26th Standing Committee meeting agenda.

The standard practice is for an item on the agenda to be presented by a Staff member who explains what the report is about after which Council members can ask questions.

This particular report was not presented – no one spoke to it. It came from the Clerk’s Office – we learned later during the meeting that the report was written by a Staff member in the Legal department.

The public had no idea what the city administration was up to and how severe the restrictions were and how the city planned to clamp down on the matter of people harassing staff or speaking to them in an unacceptable mater.

The Mayor Tweeted a comment saying they were elected to serve – not to become punching bags.

In a draft of the Policy they begin to define what misbehaviour is.

The purpose of this policy is to guide City staff in identifying and responding to behaviour that qualifies as misconduct. The decision to classify someone’s behaviour or actions as misconduct could have serious consequences for the individual.

Steps that may be taken to address offending behaviour may range from the issuance of a verbal or written warning to the issuance of a Trespass Notice in accordance with the City’s Trespass By-law.

Any restrictions imposed under this policy are dependent on the relevant factual circumstances, and there is an opportunity for the affected individual to have any restrictions, including Trespass Notices, reviewed in accordance with the applicable procedures.

This policy applies to:

(a) all persons in attendance on or at any and all City of Burlington properties, facilities, or programs, including any City of Burlington transit vehicles; and
(b) all persons interacting with City of Burlington staff, volunteers, Members of Council, or members of the public in any manner, including, but not limited to, one or more of the following:

(i) public meetings;
(ii) written communications;
(iii) telephone communications;
(iv) in-person communications;
(v) electronic communications, including e-mail, text message, and social media;
(vi) at City owned property, parks, and facilities; and/or
(vii) at non-City owned property, when interacting with City staff.

Implementation
This policy will be followed in determining whether behaviour constitutes misconduct. Once it has been determined that misconduct has occurred, this policy will be followed in the implementation of any restrictions.

Definition and Examples of Misconduct
The term “misconduct” as utilized in this policy applies to a range of inappropriate behaviour from disruptive conduct, such as frequent unreasonable demands or requests by a customer, to conduct such as vandalism, threats of violence, or actual violence. For further clarity, misconduct includes:

Does the Policy make the point ?

• Conduct that is designed to embarrass or annoy the recipient, or is part of a pattern of conduct by an individual that amounts to an abuse of a City process or service;

Repeated complaints by an individual that have no serious purpose or value, or about a matter so trivial or meritless on its face that investigation would be disproportionate in terms of time and cost.
the decision to identify an individual’s behaviour as misconduct and to impose Examples of possible misconduct include:

• refusing to specify the grounds of a complaint or changing the basis of a complaint/request as the matter proceeds, despite offers of assistance;
• submitting falsified documents from themselves or others;
• making excessive demands on the time and resources of staff with lengthy phone calls, emails to numerous staff, or detailed letters every few days, and expecting immediate responses;
• refusing to accept a decision or information provided by staff/repeatedly arguing points with no new evidence;
• persistently approaching the City through different routes about the same issue;
• covertly recording meetings and conversations;
• causing distress to staff, volunteers, Members of Council, or members of the public which could include use of hostile, abusive, or offensive language, or an unreasonable fixation on an individual member of staff, volunteer, Member of Council, or member of the public;
• making unjustified complaints about staff, a volunteer, or Member of Council who are trying to deal with the issues;
• engaging in or inciting violence or making threats of violence;
• engaging in aggressive, harassing, hostile, intimidating or disrespectful behaviour;
• vandalizing or causing damage to City property or vandalizing or causing damage to the personal property of persons while attending City premises;
• using coarse language, or making racial or ethnic slurs, while accessing a City program, service, program, event or facility;
restrictions based upon that determination can have serious consequences for the individual.

An appropriate public response perhaps ?

This policy applies to members of the public whose behaviours and actions amount to misconduct; it is not intended to apply to generally difficult clients and individuals. Determining whether particular behaviours or actions qualify as misconduct requires a consideration of all of the circumstances of a particular case; the key question is whether the behaviour is likely to cause, or has caused, an unjustified disruption or distress to staff, volunteers, Members of Council, or members of the public.

If a Staff member, any staff member felt they were not being treated with the respect they were entitled to they could take a complaint to their Director.

If a citizen called people in a department seeking some information and felt they weren’t getting the full story and decided to call around and talk to other staff members. Here is how that gets covered:

• refusing to accept a decision or information provided by staff/repeatedly arguing points with no new evidence;
• persistently approaching the City through different routes about the same issue;

If someone uses a picture of a member of staff. Here is how that one is worded:
• photographing, filming or recording patrons, volunteers or staff without their express written consent or knowledge or without the permission of City staff;

Any Staff member can make a complaint to the Director of the department they work for. The Director listens and makes a determination that could ban them from attending events at city hall. If the person who has been WORD does not accept the Director’s decision it can be appealed to the Executive Director the Director reports to – but first you will have to pay a fee of $200 to be heard.

The document that sets out what this Public Conduct Policy and Trespass Bylaw 13 pages long. You can count on two hands the number of people who will have read that document on the city web site.

The city seems to have figured out how they will manage misbehaviour. Ban people from attending Council meetings or talking to staff.

What is more important is that the public has not been given a chance to hear how this Policy is going to be implemented and managed.

Expect the Gazette to report as often as possible on what the city is setting out to do.

Stephen White, an accredited Human Resources specialist and frequent commenter on public issues.

Stephen White a frequent commenter in the Gazette put it very well when he said:

“Gone are the days I suppose when, if someone was presumed to have uttered an offensive and defamatory comment that the offended and offending party would meet to resolve the issue in private. With the advent of social media anything goes, and defamation, slander, libel and threats run amok.

“That said, there is a quantum difference between defamation and offensive behaviour vs. constructive criticism, honest disagreement, and public opposition. The City seems overtly concerned with controlling the narrative and limiting free speech and free expression. This is probably part of the ESG/EDI agenda in which everyone is expected to quote WOKE missives, indulge in equity “happy talk”, and not express disapproval.

“City officials don’t comprehend that cognitive dissonance and honest disagreement are the trademarks of a thriving democracy. If City officials expended as much time and effort on promoting engagement with community groups as they do on silencing honest opposition we might actually have a more politically active populace rather than one where civic involvement is moribund, and the citizens are essentially kept in the dark.”

To get a sense as to just how silly this is: Realize that Spencer Smith Park is city property.

This is your city council. It is there to represent you and to ensure that you are getting the services you want at a tax rate that is reasonable and fair.

The budget that will be debated in the fall appears to be looking at an increase of 8% – some observers are predicting an increase of 10%.

The new policy replaces a policy that was due for a review in 2020. When the city finally got around to revising the bylaw “they try to ram it through without public input and Engagement. This is scandalous, was the way one reader described what is taking place..

Councillor Rory Nisan – the Councillor for ward 3 who lives in ward 2

Another citizen who is very familiar with how city administrations work said: “this one makes me nervous! And which people will be targeted? “

There is more – we will be watching the Council meeting very carefully – perhaps someone might even say something about the policy – so far no staff member has said is as much is as a word. Mayor Meed Ward and Councillor Rory Nisan liked the policy and commented favourably.

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Does the Mayor not see herself when she says 'we’re not there for you to beat up on.'

By Pepper Parr

July 10th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

OPINION

Marianne Med Ward said in a tweet she sent out that had a graphic that included her picture saying:

Mayor Meed Word tweeting.

“We wanted to put in place some formal policies if there ever is another time where we have to ban somebody from City Hall.

“It has happened in the past; people who have engaged in offensive, abusive, sexist behaviour, harassing behaviour. You know, I like to tell folks we’re elected officials. We’re not punching bags. Our staff are not punching bags, we’re not there for you to beat up on.

“So we really do require and insist on a respectful workplace; doesn’t mean you have to agree with us, but it means you have to treat everyone with respect. In the past there have been limited but still some occasions where it’s been required to limit contact from some members of the public who would not behave.

“But we didn’t have a policy around you know, how do I get back? How long is this? You know, and that provides transparency accountability, not only for Individual in terms of our expectations but for the public so that’s what we did.”

I was stunned when I heard what the Mayor had to say.

The cheek, the gall; this was despicable behaviour.

We have published what the Mayor said and did to Stolte and we are re-publishing it again.

“We are not punching bags” she said, forgetting what she did to Councillor Shawna Stolte that was so offensive.

What is wrong with this woman?

How much longer is she going to embarrass herself and the citizens of the city. Meed Ward represents every citizen; when she steps forward to speak she is doing so on our behalf.

This is so embarrassing and so hypocritical.

The only way behaviour is changed is people letting her know that what she did to Stolte is not acceptable.

Was the Mayor having a bad day when she re-ordered the agenda of a Council meeting (which she had every right to do) ?

At the time she was attending the graduation of one of her daughters at Western University and chairing the Council meeting virtually.  One would have liked to think she would be bursting with pride as she watched her daughter step onto the stage and accept her degree.  Not our Mayor – she was focused on skewering a member of Council.  To what end?

Stolte had the strength to not be bullied by the Mayor and refused to bend to her will and instead left her seat in the Councillor Chamber.

She had the grace as well to return to her seat later in the meeting and apologized to the woman who felt she had been identified by a comment made by Stolte when she was interviewed by the Gazette.

Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.

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The Region of Halton 2023 Employment Survey is underway - the data is important - take part

By Staff

July 10th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Nothing in the Region will be able to open up – maybe next week.

The Region of Halton 2023 Employment Survey is underway!

The 2023 Employment Survey is underway until September 29. A team of Planning Employment Surveyors from the Region’s Planning Services Division will reach out to businesses across Halton to gather information about:

the number of employees working at the place of employment;
the type of employment that’s taking place there; and
the type of business activity at the place of employment.

To participate in the 2023 Employment Survey, you can:

Take our survey online: Complete the survey from your smartphone, tablet or computer.
Speak to one of our Employment Surveyors: Our Planning Employment Surveyors will be contacting businesses in Halton until September 29, 2023. Businesses will be visited in-person, or contacted by phone or email using the contact information that was provided by the previous survey respondent at the business.

If you are unsure whether you are being contacted by a Planning Employment Surveyor from Halton Region, you can call 311 or 905-825-6000 to confirm their status as a Regional employee.

Alternatively, you may request to be contacted by email and our Planning Employment Surveyor will reach out to you using a verified Halton email address.

 

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Mayor now has to state why she didn’t use Strong Powers she now has but has said she would never use. Huh!

By Pepper Parr

July 10th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

 

From the Mayor’s web site page:

In a public Council Information Package published on July 7, 2023, there is an item from our City Clerk breaking down the Strong Mayor Powers recently announced by the Province of Ontario.

Now we know just how much clout that Chain of Office has.

As part of these new tools, the City also has a new bylaw approval process. The Mayor has the ability to veto any new bylaws and as a result, if the Mayor does not exercise this veto, they must make a note stating so that would need to be signed.

The City Clerk’s memo notes: “This practice will allow staff to waive the two-day cooling off period, and action by-laws immediately. The written approval constitutes a decision of the Mayor and will be posted to the City’s Mayoral Decision webpage.”

Provincial legislation states the decisions made by the Mayor are captured in writing, and are to made publicly available. As part of this, staff have created a Mayoral Decisions webpage to support transparency in this process, and make the information accessible to the public. Staff will be updating this webpage as they receive Mayoral decisions. Link to Mayoral Decision Webpage: www.burlington.ca/mayoraldecisions

Since the rules dictate I must make a note in the event I do not exercise a veto to any new bylaw, you will begin seeing this reflected on the new City webpage created, starting after Council approves any new bylaws at our meeting next Tuesday (July 11).

Staff are also working on a report to present at the Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk & Accountability (CSSRA) Committee meeting on Sept. 11, 2023. The report will provide a fulsome review of the provincial legislation, how it will affect the City of Burlington, and further information on implementation.

This is all getting very very bureaucratic – never a good sign

 

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SIU to handle the investigation related to two who fell from a balcony on Ghent

By Staff

July 9th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Ontario’s police watchdog is investigating after two people fell from a Burlington apartment.

In the early morning hours on Saturday, Halton Regional Police said officers responded to a call for reports of a man with a firearm at an apartment building on Ghent Avenue.

The Special Investigations Unit invokes its mandate usual when there has been local police involvement when. More to this story than anyone is saying at this point.

Police provided limited details in their release, but said as a result of their investigation, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) was contacted and will invoke its mandate.

A spokesperson for the SIU confirmed it is investigating after a man, 29, and a woman, 24, fell from an apartment balcony. The SIU said based on preliminary information, Halton police were called at about 10 p.m. on Friday.

When officers arrived at the apartment in relation to the 9-1-1 call about a man with a gun, the SIU said when they knocked on the door of the unit, nobody responded.

 

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Gregory Blount shares first place in the 18+ Library writing contest for Cooper Falls

By Staff

July 9th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The Write Here. Write Now contest received an incredible number of entries this year—they doubled last year’s total!  The creators ranged in age from 10 all the way up to 93.

The Gazette is publishing the two winners in the short story 18+ category.  The first is below, the other will follow later in the week.

The winners in each category are:

Poetry

10-12: Kayla Gareau, Dream experts, Dream catchers, Dream chasers

13-17: Griffin Dekker, Beginning of an End

18+: Denny Williams, Reflections on pet ownership

Short Stories

10-12: Avery Parkes, Ali in Winterland

13-17: Mia Greene, Nefelibata

18+: Jennifer Filipowicz, The Swan and Gregory Blount, Cooper Falls

Comics

10-12: Brody Hanks, Muffinhead and Bagel-Brain

13-17: Ali Thompson, The Duck

18+: Dominique Bowler-Brown, Elephant Bones

Gregory Blount proves to be imaginative and quite a story teller.

Well worth a read.

Chief Librarian Lita Barrie explained that two of the short stories were so good they decided to make both winners.

The were certainly right.  The story reminds me of Stephen Leacock’s Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town

Enjoy

It was a sunny June day. Russell Stewart and I were cutting through Memorial Park on our way home from the falls. As usual, I wasn’t feeling very sunny myself. There were two spots up at the river where a kid could test their courage, Chicken Run and Dead Man’s Bluff. Chicken Run was about ten feet over the water, and Dead Man’s Bluff, at the top of the falls, was about twenty-five feet high. Russell, a freckle faced redhead, wasn’t the only boy in town brave enough to run right off Dead Man’s Bluff, but he was the only one who could do it blindfolded. I, on the other hand, had never progressed past Chicken Run with my eyes wide open. I would sometimes crawl out along the slippery rocks of Dead Man’s Bluff, but one look into that dark green water far, far below with the roar of the falls drowning out all other sounds and I would start shaking so bad I’d have to crawl right back away from the edge. Russell was always pushing me to try things. Life was easy for him and he saw no good reason why it shouldn’t be easy for me too. We were opposites, but we were also best friends.

On our way home we passed the old cannon near the gazebo in the centre of Memorial park.

Russell stopped and made an announcement, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, for our final performance this afternoon we proudly present Sam Cooper, the Human Cannonball! He will astound you with his amazing 500-foot flight into this glass of water.’ He held out a pretend glass of water. ‘Sam, do you have any last words?’

‘Russell, this is silly, come on?’

‘Come on yourself! Need I remind you this is not Dead Man’s Bluff, Sam. Do you have any last words?’
I knew when I was beat and announced, ‘I would like to dedicate this feat to Mary-Anne McCovey the prettiest girl in the universe!’
Russell and I both had a major crush on Mary-Anne McCovey.

‘Dream on,’ said Russell, ‘and now observe ladies and gentlemen as the fearless Human Cannonball enters the cannon. Get in the cannon Sam.’

‘Come on Russell.’

‘Come on yourself Sam! Need I remind you that … ‘
‘ … this is not Dead Man’s Bluff,’ I finished. Okay.’

And I lowered myself into the cannon feet first.

And Russell pulled the lever.

Now one fact that neither of us was aware of at the time was that the park caretaker, Elroy Stubbs, had made no mistakes in his job these 25 years. Two days earlier, he was loading that very cannon for a 21-gun salute for Flag Day. Elroy carefully placed the charges in the cannon, ‘1, 2, 3,’ he counted; I want you to remember that last number, 3.
At that very moment, the Mayor of Cooper Falls, a round and soft young man by the name of Junior Follows (who incidentally was up for re-election that year) ceremoniously marched out to the cannon where Elroy was working to present him with his Error-Free Certificate.

“Elroy Stubbs,” the Mayor interrupted, “For 25 years of error-free service I hereby present you with this lovely certificate. I hope I can count on your vote, Elroy.” Whereupon, he handed the certificate over to the astonished Elroy, shook his hand and marched back to City Hall.

Elroy folded up the certificate, shoved it into his pocket, spit, and with a puzzled look on his face, resumed loading the cannon, ‘3, 4, 5, 6,’ etcetera.
The upshot of this was that after the ceremony was over, there was still one charge left in the cannon. And as I climbed in, and Russell pulled the lever to “pretend” fire the cannon there was an ear-shattering … BOOM!

Several things happened very quickly at this point. The dinner plate sized circle of blue sky that I was looking at out the end of the cannon was instantly replaced by a scenic view of Cooper Falls from about 300 feet up. My body was going quite a bit faster than my brain at this point. In fact my brain was still trying to work out how I could be seeing all this from inside a cannon.

As my body exited the muzzle of the cannon there was a loud THWACK as my clothing exploded. Singed articles of clothing drifted to the ground not more than ten feet from the end of the cannon, shirt, socks, sneakers, bathing suit.

Deafened, Russell froze on the spot with his hand on the lever, his mouth hanging open, and his red hair standing straight up. Then he looked into the barrel and saw nothing but a bit of smoke. He must have thought the clothes were all that was left of me. Then he high-tailed it, screaming, across the park to the police station where he commenced to blubbering something about shooting his friend. When it was obvious no one there understood a word he was saying, he grabbed one of the deputies, and with superhuman strength carried him kicking and screaming into the park.

By an extraordinary coincidence, three blocks away, the beautiful Mary-Anne McCovey was having a pool party. There were a dozen girls from our class sitting along the edge of her pool with their hands carefully placed on their thighs and stomachs, and so on, marking the furthest splash up to that point in the cannonball contest. Mary-Anne McCovey was standing on the diving board about to take her turn.

At about 500 feet, I felt a queasy sense of weightlessness. Time itself seemed to slow down. I began to fall.

That was when I learned something about myself that I hold dear to this very day. I did not scream hysterically, and my life did not pass before my eyes. The screamers and those whose lives pass before their eyes do not often survive the predicaments they are in. It is the people who spend this short time planning who, on occasion, survive. I found out that I was a planner.

I looked down and saw a tiny rectangle of blue in front of me. Could it possibly be a swimming pool? And could it possibly be directly in line with the cannon in Memorial Park? Was there any chance that I might land in a swimming pool? I began to move my body as I had seen stunt men in the movie serials do, head down, feet up, slow tumble to land flat on my back.

But as I picked up speed, I realized that even if I was lucky enough to land in water, I had better not land flat on my back so at the last moment brought my knees up and held them in my arms … SPLOOSH!”

The resulting splash blew all twelve girls flat against the fence, and Mary-Anne who you will recall was on the diving board at the time found herself looking down from her neighbour’s roof. I couldn’t climb out of the pool on account of the new water level, and had to be rescued by Mary-Anne McCovey and her friends, which they did shortly after they rescued Mary-Anne from her neighbour’s roof. I would have been out quite a bit quicker if the girls had been able to control their laughter.

Around this time, the town’s three deputies were dragging Russell to jail for his own protection. And old Abraham Johansen, a farmer on the outskirts of town, who had been scanning the horizon and wishing for rain for more than five weeks, was burning his copy of the Farmer’s Almanac. He thought he heard thunder, and ventured out onto his porch. Several drops of water splashed his face. He looked up at the clear blue sky, and grumbled, ‘Very funny.’

I won the cannonball contest, although the girl who was ahead at that point challenged it briefly on a technicality, and for several weeks my rear end swelled up to four times its usual size.

You see, in the end, that trip to the falls changed Russell and me forever. About a month later I went up to the falls and easily leaped off of Dead Man’s Bluff.
Russell was never the same again. Although we remained friends, he never again went near the cannon in Memorial Park. He never even went near the park if he could avoid it. However every now and then down at the gas station where he works, a car backfires, and he loses about a week of his lifespan.

I was fortunate enough to marry Mary-Anne McCovey, and periodically, whenever I get too serious about things, she’s kind enough to lean up close and whisper into my ear …BOOM!

“Oh yeah, and Elroy Stubbs had to return his certificate to the Mayor

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Chamber decision resonates with other organizations that create scholarships

By Pepper Parr

July 9th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The decision on the part of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce to mention the politicians who took part in the Scholarship Breakfast and neglect to name and recognize the students has resonated with a number of organizations that create scholarships for students.

A member of one of those organizations brought to our attention that “many scholarships are handed out at this time of year by service organizations, private foundations, etc.  One organization recently awarded eight High Schools (cash scholarships for students taking further education –  as we have done for many years) and about thirty elementary schools (a brand new program – modest achievement awards to grade 8 graduates heading into high school) for a total of about $16,000.

Sitting in the front row: Burlington High School students recognized during a Scholarship Breakfast.

“Nothing wrong with an additional recognition event for the youth at the Chamber, but it does look a bit strange with all the big shots in a photo op.

“It should be acknowledged that other organizations and people in Burlington do the same without much fanfare.”

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Banning people who 'misbehave'. What the city is setting out to do - Part 2

By Pepper Parr

July 9th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

 

On Tuesday the city wants to : Rescind the existing Zero Tolerance Policy.

Then

Approve the Public Conduct Policy substantially in the form set out by the City Clerk in a report to Council.

Then they to:

Approve By-law (to be numbered once it has been passed by Council) substantially in the form attached as Appendix C to office of the city clerk report CL-08-23 and in a form satisfactory to the Executive Director of Legal Services and Corporation Counsel; and

Approve amendments to the 2023 Corporate Customer Experiences – Service Burlington fees as outlined in office of the city clerk report CL-08-23, effective July 11, 2023; and

Approve By-Law   to be numbered once it has been passed by Council)  substantially in the form attached as Appendix D to amend the Rates & Fees By-law 83-2022 to include the appeal fees as detailed in the financial matters section of office of the city clerk report CL-08-23 and in a form satisfactory to the Executive Director of Legal Services and Corporation Counsel; and

Fund any Public Conduct Policy and Trespass By-law investigations through the Contingency Reserve (#111460).

In short Council wants staff to be able to prevent a person from doing and saying things they don’t like to hear and using a complex process that would/could involved being charged under the Trespass Act to allow the city to call police and then charge the person a fee to be able to return to City Hall.

There was no Staff presentation – that meant that no one explained to the public what was being done.  The City would/could ask the police to lay charges under the Trespass Act.  For most cases of trespass, the trespasser will get a provincial offences ticket. They may be fined, but won’t go to jail.  The fine could be as much as $10,000

Would Jim Thomson be cited for misbehaving as he made physical gestures while Nick Leblovic was trying to defend comments he had made about a Conflict of Interest matter ?

Why are they doing this? To

Building more citizen engagement, community health and culture
Deliver customer centric services with a focus on efficiency and technology transformation

The background set out in the Staff report:

Various departments at the City of Burlington are, from time to time, required to manage difficult or inappropriate behaviour exhibited by members of the public. Such behaviour can occur in a variety of settings (in-person, electronically, by phone, etc.) and can be directed towards City staff, other members of the public, or City property (e.g. vandalism and trespassing). When difficult or inappropriate behaviour is observed or reported, staff may be required to impose consequences upon the offending individual.

Consequences can include issuing warnings, restricting access to City property or services, or banning individuals from entering onto City property and notifying the individual that if they do enter onto City property they may be prosecuted under the Trespass to Property Act.

However, at present, the only department at the City with a policy in place that guides its decision-making process and provides members of the public with a right of appeal when consequences are imposed is Recreation, Community and Culture.

The current policy in place within Recreation, Community and Culture is called the Zero Tolerance Policy, which policy was originally implemented in 2003 and was last updated in 2007 (prior to many of the court decisions and ombudsman reports that inform these types of policies across municipalities today). As a department-level policy, the Zero Tolerance Policy applies only to recreational facilities and programs at the City.

Rescinding the Zero Tolerance Policy and implementing a City wide Trespass By-law and Public Conduct Policy would provide the following benefits:

Establish clear expectations for staff and members of the public across all departments, facilities and programs
Clearly delegate authority to make decisions and issue restrictions in response to inappropriate behaviour
Reduce uncertainty and guard against arbitrary action
Allow the City to respond to improper behaviour in an appropriate, proportionate and fair manner
Infuse principles of natural justice into decision-making and appeal processes
Reduce/mitigate risk (risk of infringing a person’s rights, risk of arbitrary action, risk of court challenges)

If a complaint is made against a person  it is first reviewed by the department Director.  The Director’s decision can be appealed to an Executive Director.  There is a fee of $200 to file an appeal.

There were no delegations made when the policy was presented to a Standing Committee.

There was no Staff presentation – the Mayor and Councillor Nisan commented.

The Policy document is 13 pages long – we will publish excerpts from that document in the coming days,

Part 1

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Mayor on why banning people from city hall bylaw is needed -  to be approved July 11th. Part 1

By Staff

July 10th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

 

In a tweet Mayor Meed Ward sent out yesterday she explained the banning people from City Hall decision that will go before Council on Tuesday for approval.

She said: “We wanted to put in place some formal policies if there ever is another time where we have to ban somebody from City Hall.

“It has happened in the past; people who have engaged in offensive, abusive, sexist behavior, harassing behavior. You know, I like to tell folks we’re elected officials. We’re not punching bags. Our staff are not punching bags, we’re not there for you to beat up on.

“So we really do require and insist on a respectful workplace; doesn’t mean you have to agree with us, but it means you have to treat everyone with respect.  In the past there have been limited but still some occasions where it’s been required to limit contact from some members of the public who would not behave.

“But we didn’t have a policy around you know, how do I get back? How long is this? You know, and that provides transparency accountability, not only for Individual in terms of our expectations but for the public so that’s what we did.”

Part 2 explains the bylaw and the fees people will be required to return to city hall.

Part 2

 

 

 

 

 

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