 By Staff
May 20, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
This is nice news – the arrival of some warmer weather means the opening of the city’s splash pads on Saturday, May 21 followed by pools beginning June 18.
 The Nelson pool – which won’t be open this year. “Splash pads and pools provide a fun way to spend a summer day,” said Chris Glenn, the city’s director of parks and recreation. “As the warmer temperatures return, the city’s nine splash pads and six pools will provide families with a quick and easy way to cool off all summer long and to stay active together.”
A complete list of splash pads can be found at www.burlington.ca/swimming.
Pool Openings
The summer swimming season opening dates include:
June 18
• Mountainside Recreation Centre – Outdoor Pool and Splash Park
• LaSalle Outdoor Wading Pool and Splash Pad
June 30
• Angela Coughlan Pool
• Burlington Centennial Pool
• Tansley Woods Community Centre
July 4
• Aldershot Pool
 Michelle Benoit – getting in some pool time last year.  The outdoor pool and splash pad at Nelson Park will be closed this summer for construction. All swimming programs have been accommodated at other city facilities. For updates about the replacement of the outdoor pool at Nelson Park, please visit www.burlington.ca/nelson.
If you have questions contact staff at swimming@burlington.ca.
 By Ray Rivers
May 20th, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
It’s not quite Ukraine or South Africa, but certainly more exciting that the US Congress.
Canada’s parliament turned a page as it broke into uncharacteristic chaos this past week. Unbelievably, we got to see our new prime minister body-check one member with his elbow in the course of undertaking an involuntary rescue of another from what appears to have been a deliberate defensive wall of MPs. The CBC may be considering running the parliamentary channel on Saturday nights, just so we don’t miss the best fights on TV.
 Members of the Ukraine parliament are a little more obvious wen it comes to manhandling each other. It was fitting that Canada’s near-invisible former PM, Mr. Harper, had chosen to grace the lower chamber with his presence, perhaps tipped-off to the likelihood of a skirmish among MPs ensuing. After all Harper is an avid hockey fan, having written a book on the topic. And we all know the best part of the good old hockey game is when a fight break out.
Walking into a crowded floor of opposition MP’s is nothing short of an invitation for trouble, something Mr. Trudeau should have realized, despite an apparent over-confidence in his own ability to get things done. Though there is no doubt that our PM can handle himself in a scuffle.
 Prior to becoming Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dukes it out with then Senator Patrick – that left jab worked for him. Recall that boxing charity match, a few years ago, with Senator Patrick Brazeau. Martial arts pro Brazeau was the 3:1 favourite but ended up being beaten into oblivion by the son of, arguably, Canada’s most famous PM – a martial artist in his own right. This Trudeau guy is not the kind to hide in the closet were there another gun fight on Parliament Hill.
However, it appears Canada’s most positive and sensitive PM in a long time can talk softly and carry a big elbow. And Trudeau’s well-earned reputation as a fighter did him no favour, as the NDP member, who suffered the blow to her chest, used the opportunity to drag the PM down.
And honestly it was as if I’d seen a ghost. For a moment it seemed that Rob Ford was back, this time bullying his way through the corridors of the House of Commons instead of City Hall. He had been Canada’s most colourful mayor, though mostly for his notorious antics. And it’s no secret that he and his brother both had long aspired to get to that top job which Mr. Trudeau now holds.
Watching the sad episode I couldn’t help thinking about how Sunny Ways had descended into some kind of Ford-like Trudeau Nation. At least on that day, as an obviously exasperated PM appeared to be trying to assist the Tory parliamentary whip to his seat in order to complete the vote on assisted suicide. If Mr. Trudeau’s intentions had been good he had just stepped on that proverbial paved road to hell – at least until he apologized.
And Canada owns the apology, unlike the Americans and Brits who would rather die first than say they had ever made a mistake and were sorry for it. Apology is our national expression.
 The late Rob Ford, a former Mayor of Toronto, rushing around city council chamber knocks over a fellow member of council. And its not a partisan thing, Mr. Harper had done his share of apologizing, and Trudeau himself had just finished apologizing to, presumably, the descendants of a group of refugees from India which we turned back over a century ago.
Trudeau has now apologized, not once or twice, but three times for his almost inexplicable behaviour. Nobody should think his intentions were malicious, but they were clearly inappropriate. Parliament was constructed to be a theatre of confrontation. It is the role of opposition parties to damage the governing party and their agenda however they choose. In this case the PM set himself up for an ambush and he got what was coming.
Mr. Trudeau has distinguished himself with his innovative and refreshing approach to all things, from the Syrian refugees to Canada’s own aboriginal people. For that he has earned the respect of people at home and everywhere. But this Commons scuffle has taught him an important lesson about limits. There is a time and place for everything and Parliament is the place to persevere with protocol.
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.
Background links:
Rob Ford – House Scuffle – South Africa – Ukraine – Brazeau Fight –
Trudeau on Daily Show – Apology – Apology more –
 By Pepper Parr
May 20th, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
There are those people who are good at what they do who just never quit.
Tim Dobbie, probably the most effective city manager Burlington every had took retirement when the incoming Mayor wasn’t quite his cup of tea and went on to create a consulting business that has served more than 100 clients.
 Dobbie with another former Burlington city manager Jeff Fielding Some administrators give it up when they have a street named after them; Dobbie went on to write the strategic plan for Milton and was offered an opportunity by Jeff Fielding to do some work in Calgary. Fielding was a city manager that came after Dobbie. Those guys all hang tight together.
It would be a journalistic coup to hear what Dobbie thinks about the current Burlington 25 year Strategic Plan but Dobbie is too much of a professional to say anything publicly.
While parts of his approach to public service may be old school – Dobbie is still recognized and appreciated by the municipal community to be awarded the Robert Baldwin Award from the Ontario Municipal Administrators’ Association (OMAA).
“Tim exemplifies the professionalism, integrity and innovative spirit that are required by those in administrative leadership roles in municipal government,” said Gary Dyke, president of the OMAA and city manager for the City of Cambridge. “Our association is proud to present this award to Tim as an inspiration to our members.”
Dobbie is well-known throughout the municipal sector, having served the City of Burlington for more than 30 years, including 11 years as city manager. Tim Dobbie Drive in the Alton area of Burlington is named after Dobbie.
 Tim Dobbie, recipient of the Robert Baldwin award. “Tim Dobbie is a deserving recipient of the Robert Baldwin Award. Everywhere you look in our great city, you can find a project he helped bring to fruition,” said Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring. “He is a respected leader and community-builder in the city of Burlington.”
Robert Baldwin, who wrote the first Municipal Act, supported women’s rights and religious tolerance, and was one of the first proponents of a bicultural nation. He added the phrase “Responsible Government” to the lexicon of municipal administrators.
The Robert Baldwin Award is Ontario’s highest award for municipal public service granted by the association. It recognizes a career of achievement and service in the field of municipal administration, significant and lasting contributions to municipal and local government in Ontario and service to the community, the province and Canada by those who work in municipal government.
After retiring from the City of Burlington in 2007, Dobbie launched Tim L. Dobbie Consulting Ltd. His practice includes strategic planning, executive search, organizational reviews, service delivery reviews and mentoring for both private and public organizations.
 Burlington Community Foundation chair Tim Dobbie confers with Executive Director Coleen Mulholland before deliver a research report with some stunning data. Dobbie served as a board member for the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC), is a past president of the Ontario Municipal Administrators’ Association and a former Board member of Burlington Hydro. He is a former chair of the board of directors of the Burlington Community Foundation, a member of the Board of Directors of the Goodwill Amity Group and a member of the board of directors and former president of the Burlington-Hamilton United Way, and a member of the board of the Hamilton-Burlington YMCA.
In October 2006, Dobbie received the Engineer of the Year award from the Hamilton-Halton Professional Engineers Chapter of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers and the Hamilton Engineering Institute.
I am honoured to receive the award from the award from the Ontario Municipal Administrators Association, and would like to share it with the many people who have made my successes possible,” Dobbie said. “I include in this list my family, the great leaders, staff and City Council at the City of Burlington, many people from many municipalities, and my supportive, dedicated team at Tim L. Dobbie Consulting Ltd.” Sharing the credit – typical of Tim Dobbie
 By Staff
May 20th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
There was a lot of noise from the public when the construction of a new Court House was announced a few years ago.
The proposed building location was going to put the public at risk, children would somehow be harmed by the existence of the building; public transit wouldn’t be adequate.
The plans proceeded nevertheless.
Last evening at the Haber Recreational Centre the public had an opportunity to look at what was going to get built on a design, build, and leaseback plan. All there was to see was floor plan layouts – the actual structure design will come from the contractor chosen to build the structure. The numerous stakeholders will have significant input – will the public be asked what it likes? Probably not.
The city put out a Request for Proposals for a new building – the court house on Fairview Plains had reached capacity and there was no room to grow. The building iexpcted to be ready for operations late in 2018 – 2019 court cases are already being scheduled for the new Court House.
 Site plan – the new Sundial community is being built on the other side of Walkers Line The operation of Court Houses turns out to be a money making proposition for the municipal governments. When the province downloaded the running of Court Houses for provincial offences to the municipalities in 2001 a financial structure was put in place that had the revenues (they call it a surplus) shared between the Region and each of the municipalities. 50% goes to the Region with the balance shared by the four municipalities based on their populations.
 Ground floor layout of the planned Court House  Second floor layout of the planned new Court House. Provincial offences include Highway Traffic Act, Small Claims Courts, and by-law matters plus anything the Conservation Authorities wants the courts to decide upon.
Criminal offences will not be heard in this Court nor will there be any Family Law cases heard here.
Detailed design is now in the hands of the city – Burlington runs the court house on behalf of the Region and the other municipalities.
A number of contractors were pre-qualified and the city is now conducting negotiations to determine the best deal which will be reported to council who will make the final decision.
 From the left, Craig Steens, city Project manager for the new Court House, Dr. Shie of Emshie Development and Franki Evans, administrator of Halton Court Services. No contractor names have been released by Dr. Shie of Emshie Development showed up at the meeting last night to chat. He was the only member of the public who took part. Ward 6 Councillor Blair Lancaster was in the room but she spent most of her time talking to the city arborist about the Emerald Ash Bore she was having problems with on her property
The Walkers Line – Palladium Way site the Court house is to be built on was originally to be the location of the Recreation Centre.
 Young boys doing warm up exercises at the Haber Recreation Centre Someone with the ability to and 1+1+1 and come up with a total of 5 – came up with the From the left, Craig Stevensidea of combining a library, a high school and a Recreation centre on a single site – the result is one of the most exciting places in the city for young people to be young people.
 By Staff
May 20th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
This does not look good for the Burlington Bandits – two games played; two games lost and two games rained out.
 The Brantford Red Sox plastered the Bandits 6-0 Thursday night.
Brantford used five pitchers to scatter five hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts. Matt Martinow pitched the first three innings, giving up one hit while walking a pair and striking out three.
Tanner Guindon (1-0) picked up the win, striking out three without walking a batter over two innings. He allowed one hit.
Brantford improves to 1-0, while Burlington drops to 0-2.
Upcoming games:
Friday, May 20
Hamilton at London, 7:35 p.m.
Saturday, May 21
Kitchener at Burlington, 1 p.m.
Toronto at Guelph, 1 p.m.
Hamilton at Brantford, 2 p.m.
By Pepper Parr
May 19th, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
Introducing new technology into a retail operation with a very strong brand has to be managed very very carefully. There can be no glitches.
McDonalds took a bold step and put in large screens at which people could place their food orders – the device covers all the bases and accommodates just about every need you can imagine.
 Some people prefer the smile that comes with the service from a person behind the counter. But at some locations – the devices don’t get used. “There are people who would rather talk to the person behind the counter” explained Ryan Sgro who has the ability to hold a conversation and at the same time constantly scan the service counters.
“Each McDonalds has its own environment – some get more traffic at the drive through – others have line ups that lead out the door” added Sgro.
The McDonalds on Plains Road and King Road intersection in Aldershot is one of those place people drop into – quite often a group of people getting together to have a cup of coffee. The windows on the western side draw those who want to read a newspaper in the sunshine.
For those who decide to use the screens – they are actually fun.
You sort of talk to the screen by just touching it.
 Eating in or taking it home?  I wanted an Angus burger and the options available to me were right in front of me – all I had to do was touch the screen.  I could tune up the taste as well – give it a little zip.  The result of the Angus Burger I created can be seen by the smile on my face. My friend was just as pleased with her salad The Sgro family operate six franchises in Burlington and one in Waterdown. Ralph, who started out with the McDonalds corporation a long time ago as an employee where he once worked at the Guelph Line location, drops by and remind son Ryan of a task and then nods to a customer who has been coming to the Plains Road location for years.
There are a lot of young people in Burlington who got their first job at McDonalds, said Ralph. “I’m pretty certain that we trained a lot of the people who now work at Canadian Tire because when I go in there to make a purchase I see a lot of my former staff working there” he added.
Ralph talks about the value of community for his locations. “There was once a serious fire at Walkers Line and Upper Middle Road – we made up meals for the firemen (and women) who had to battle that blaze – we ended up feeding some of the people who had to flee their homes.” Ralph explains: “We had a kitchen and food – they were hungry – we fed them.”
Ryan comments on the view some people have that the technology is taking jobs away from people.
“Nothing could be further from the truth” explains Ryan. The technology allows us to handle food orders faster which means more volume which means needing more people in the kitchen.”
Also, people can take their time in front of the screen and they usually aren’t holding anyone up – there are two of the large screens in each location. Once you get the hang of the things they are pretty easy to handle.
 The burger I created was so good – they named it after me. But the Sgro family nixed that idea – they did let me have the picture. McDonalds calls the technology – “Create your taste”.
It worked for me.
By Staff
May 18th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The City of Burlington public art program is inviting professional artists and artist teams to submit expressions of interest for an Artist-in-Residence program.
Working with the city’s Arts and Culture staff, the selected artist(s) will conduct a 6-month residency to research the existence of ‘cultural nodes’ in Burlington.
In addition to attending planning meetings and consulting with key stakeholders, the selected artist will create temporary public art interventions to engage and interact with the community.
This is a non-live-in residency however the selected artist is expected to visit Burlington frequently and must live within easy travel distance.
The city’s public art program, funded for the most part from Planning Act Section 37 funds (these are monies developers give the city for additional height and density among other things). The city puts $50,000 of its own money into the public art plan.
The opportunity is made up of a $10,800 artist fee and up to $10,000 materials
 Early in the creation of the Cultural Action Plan people were asked to indicate where they saw culture taking place in th city. The next step is to build on the knowledge gathered. The city has a Cultural Action Plan as well as a Culture manager and of course there is the robust arts collective that leans on city council every opportunity it gets.
Burlington hired Hamilton resident Jeremy Freiburger to craft the Cultural Action Plan. The work leading up to that document included asking people to map out where they “do” culture and how they define culture. Links below on those new stories as well.
The focus appears to be looking for ways to better define cultural nods. We are not sure that research actually makes that kind of thing happen – when people find a place they want to be they gather at that place and it just becomes a node. The approach this call is using sounds and feels a little like “social engineering” – and we know where that kind of effort gets us.
The project goals include:
The integration of an artist’s perspective into planning cultural nodes
Create opportunities for street-level cultural engagement through unique public engagement activities and temporary public art installations
Make recommendations on ways to link identified cultural nodes
Make recommendations on future permanent public art installation(s) related to cultural nodes
The deadline for this opportunity is Monday, June 20, 4:00 p.m. Artists wishing to learn more about this project are invited to an optional information session on Wednesday, June 1 (7:00 to 8:00 p.m.). The presentation will be followed by an open Q&A session with the public art manager.
 From the left – three people heavily involved in the cultural community: Deb Tymstra, Teresa Seaton and Donna Grandin. Artists interested in learning more about this project are invited to an optional information session at the Halton Hive, 901 Guelph Line, Burlington. Loads of parking. The Hive is just south of Harvester Road . A brief presentation will be followed by an open Q&A with the public art manager.
Those wishing to attend must RSVP by Monday May 30th at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/artist-in-residence-information-session-tickets-25377297179?aff=mcivte
For more information contact:
Kim Selman, the Public Art Manager over at Cobalt Connexts is the lead on this. You can reach her at
kim@cobaltconnects.ca or at 905-548-0111
 By Staff
May 19th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Tansley Woods pool is closed for the remainder of the day due to an unforseen maintenance issue. The pool is expected to reopen at 6:00 a.m. on Friday May 20, 2016
The following programs are cancelled:
• Combo Lap Swim 10:30am-noon
• Lap Swim Noon – 1:30 p.m.
• Water Running 1:30-2:30 p.m.
• Swimming lessons 5 to 8:30 p.m. Information on make up options will be distributed at next week’s lesson.
• Aqua Boot Camp at 7:35 p.m.
• Leisure Swim 7:30-9:00 p.m.
• Swim Training 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.
The Aldershot pool closing announcement used the same wording – they were close for several days.
They rarely say what they mean by an unforeseen maintenance issue.
 By Staff
May 19th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Clyde Union Canada Limited, a company specializing in pump technology and hydraulic design, pleaded guilty and has been fined $50,000 after a worker was critically injured by a ruptured water hose.
 Clyde Union Canada Limited located on North Service Road On or about February 5, 2015, a worker was testing a pump at the company’s workplace at 4151 North Service Road in Burlington when one of the 24-inch pipe elbows located outside the building froze, preventing the circulation of water in a rubber hose. The system then backfilled until it exceeded its maximum pressure. A six-inch rubber hose in the system ruptured, expelling water which struck the worker with enough force to push the worker about 30 feet across the shop floor. The worker’s injuries included fractures and lacerations.
A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the company failed to take the reasonable precaution of installing a pressure relief valve in the discharge water lines, contrary to the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
The company was fined $50,000 in Burlington court by Justice of the Peace Denis Lee on May 17, 2016.
In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.
By Staff and Pat Shields
May 19th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Bandits (0-1) will have their fingers crossed for clear skies when the Brantford Red Sox (0-0) come to town on Thursday night.
The Bandits have played only one game in the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) regular season thus far, thanks to inclement weather on the weekend. The Red Sox are in a similar position as both of their opening games last weekend were postponed.
Although the Bandits showed signs of rust in their home opener against the London Majors (1-0), simply getting back on the field and seeing live pitching should help their cause significantly.
 Bandits would like to get out of the dugout and onto the field – 0-1 so far this year. Burlington will have their hands full with the perennial powerhouse Red Sox, who have won 15 IBL championships since joining the league in 1934.
Brantford finished 3rd in the IBL last season with a solid 22-13 record. Their playoff run ended early though, as they fell in Game 5 of their first round matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Bandits fared well against the Red Sox last year posting a 2-3 record in five closely matched meetings, including taking the final two contests.
To notch their first win of the 2016 season, the Bandits will need to get to Brantford pitcher Nathan Forer. The 4-year veteran finished 2nd in the IBL last season with a 2.51 ERA, to go alongside a 6-2 record.
Burlington and Brantford will begin play at 7:30pm at Nelson Park on Thursday. The Bandits will be back in action on Saturday, May 21 when they clash with the league-leading Kitchener Panthers (2-0).
Elsewhere in the league:
The Barrie Baycats and the Toronto Maple Leafs game saw the Baycats record an 8-5 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday night.
Barrie and Toronto are both 1-1.
Upcoming games:
Thursday, May 19
Brantford at Burlington, 7: 30 p.m.
Friday, May 20
Hamilton at London, 7:35 p.m.
Saturday, May 21
Kitchener at Burlington, 1 p.m.
Toronto at Guelph, 1 p.m.
Hamilton at Brantford, 2 p.m.
By Staff
May 19th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
A local real estate firm reports that the month of April brought with it a number of firsts in Burlington.
The first property to sell in the Orchard for over $1.475 million, the first property to sell anywhere in Burlington for $210,000+ over the asking price and the first time that just under half of the sales in Burlington sold for the asking price or more.
Six properties sold for more than $80,000 over the asking price – two in the southeast, one in Brant Hills, one in Headon Forest, one in Millcroft and one in the Orchard. At the same time, 24 properties experienced price reductions before they sold and 25 properties were on the market for more than 30 days before they sold.
  What does all of this mean? In short, there are still too many buyers and not enough sellers (there were actually 10% more sales in April, year over year).
Finally, notwithstanding the fact that we are experiencing the hottest market we have seen in history, an incorrectly priced house will very likely result in disappointment. Strategy is very important when pricing your home in an over-heated market.
The realtor asked: Wondering what to do once your home sells? Many people are hesitant about capitalizing on this seller’s market because they will need to purchase a new home. They suggest there are more options available than you might think.
 These homes were advertised and sold in March of 2012. Are these prices sustainable? Are we in the middle of a market bubble with a downside out there somewhere? Is there a market correction in the works?
 By Pepper Parr
May 19th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Have you herd of the Eddies?
The 15th annual Eddies Gala Awards evening – a popular festival celebrating student filmmaking – will be held on Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
The theatre doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the awards celebration begins at 7 p.m., followed by screenings of this year’s winners. This event is open to the public, no tickets are required and admission is free.
 A clip from an Eddie winning entry. The Eddies, the Halton Student Film Festival, celebrates student success in filmmaking by recognizing technical and creative achievements and is open to all elementary and secondary students. Previous Eddies award winners have gone on to achieve success in the film and television industry, with some capturing prestigious awards for their work.
This year the event is highlighted by an impressive list of professionals who will judge the submissions. They include:
• Mandy Holyoke – Production Coordinator for Little Charmers, a popular Nickelodeon animated series.
• Kyla Springall – Assistant Production Manager at Cineflix, has been Production Coordinator on Property Virgins for 84 episodes and is now coordinating a Property Virgins spin-off series.
• Vaishni Majoomdar – experience includes casting on Good Witch, Reign and Schitt’s Creek.
• Omar Salama – Creative Director at Block 94.
• Jeff Bowman – retired Multimedia Administrator and co-founder of The Eddies.
• Ana Yavari – Editor on The Tudors, The Borgias and the Showtime series Penny Dreadful.
“Approximately 500 students participated this year from various subject areas making this a true display of how technology can be integrated in all academic and technical subjects,” says Dale Andrews, teacher at White Oaks Secondary School and co-organizer of The Eddies.
For a look at one of the entries that won last year CLICK here
 By Staff
May 18th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It was to be a family portrait – no one really knew how big the family was. The number was put at more than 500 but how many would show up?
200 starving artists gathered in the Family Room of the Performing Arts Centre so that Ashley Sloggett could snap the shutter of her Brownie Hawkeye and then just to be sure she had the picture she wanted she did a camera upgrade to something with a more powerful lens – and here it is – The Collective.
This, said Sloggett, represents only a FRACTION of the Arts community in Burlington and I hope to do one of these every year and watch it grow.
 The Collective – a Family picture.
By Pepper Parr
May 18th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The question was – what will she have to show us when the Performance Arts Centre reveal takes place? Will it compare favourably with the superb program Brian McCurdy delivered before he took leave of running the Centre?
And would there be room for the local talent – and not just shows that were travelling and could spend an evening in Burlington?
And is the lineup for 2026/2017 a good line up?
 Performing Arts Centre president Suzanne Haines chatting with a patron after the presentation. Suzanne Haines delivered.
It’s a more than decent line up – and if the VIP members who lined up to buy tickets are any indication – the year will keep city council happy, meaning that BPAC won’t be back asking for more money – they already get close to a million dollars as it is.
A VIP member is a patron who has purchased 4 or more shows in the previous season and the capital donors and supporters.
There are a couple of boffo stand outs to comment on. The Shanghai Acrobats from China are astounding – a cultural circus if you will.
 Two Performing Arts Centre patrons flipping through the program book. The Aga Boom – three clowns that will delight both parents and the children they bring with them. The pricing on this one is great $15 if you bought a series.
Series pricing is $5 off the regular price if you buy tickets to four or more events. If this show doesn’t sell out – turn the Performing Arts centre into a day care centre.
A lot more jazz than one might have expected – most of it top rank
A solid family program for the Christmas season.
Some greats – Les Grand Ballet out of Montreal, the Nylons Farewell tour, Piaff! The Show (expect this to be a stunner) The popular Gerry Dee and
There wasn’t as much local talent given an chance to grow on the stage. There are going to be what are commercially called Added Value events – which will be performers in the Family Room entertaining theatre goers before and after different shows. That’s a start.
Last summer the Performing Arts Centre put on free Jazz on the Plaza concerts that were a huge hit. They have expanded the program to include a Tuesday night live, a Friday Jazz on the Plaza and Sunday Family Fun.
The presentation of the 2016-17program however was weak – it lacked any pizzazz.
 Patrons lined up to get their tickets booked. Performing Arts Centre president Suzanne Haines stood on one side of the stage and Director of Programming Costin Manu stood on the other side and read from telepromters. One would speak and then the other – as they passed the job back and forth.
There was an opportunity for the two of them to ham it up a bit and become part of the entertainment. At one point Costin was dancing away in small circles on his side of the stage – while Suzanne tapped her toes on the other. They could have danced towards each other and made their presentation much livelier.
Costin Manu can be very funny – he should have been given a writer to provide him with a bit of a script. It is after all show business.
 Ilene Elkaim, chair of the Theatre Board listens to a patron The “reveal” as many people chose to call the event closed with a nice touch. Haines announced that Royal Wood would return to the stage on October 1st – the 5th anniversary of the opening of the venue.
The Gazette was there that evening, which was described as a soft opening. The house wasn’t packed but the attendance was more than acceptable.
As Wood was taking his final bow two of what I describe as the “blue rinse” set strode up the aisle muttering about the lousy performance. They proved to be completely wrong – the place works – now to keep the costs in line and the content current, popular and just a little edgy at times.
 Deb Tymstra who reports on culture for Cogeco took in the evening and chats up a friend. The real test is to see the box office numbers – sales Tuesday night won’t be known until next week – they don’t appear to have adding machine over there.
The Gazette will comment and report on the evening later in the week. It was a fun night, the finger food offering was plentiful – the wine offerings at the bar could do with some expansion. The program book patrons took away with them is a keeper – everything you want to know about the new season is within a well designed book.
By Staff
May 17th, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
The Regional Police have organized a very proactive approach to introducing how the police and emergency services work in the Region
On the 25th of May 2016, Halton Regional Police will be hosting ESINC Day (Emergency Service Introduction for New Canadians). The event will be held at the Halton Regional Police Service Headquarters located at 1151 Bronte Road, in the town of Oakville.
The event will run from 12:00pm to 2:00pm.
Come meet your local police officers, firefighters, paramedics, tour the emergency vehicles and visit the community information booths.
For more additional information please contact Cst. Jody Dugas of the Regional Community Mobilization Bureau. 905-825-4747 ext 5240.
If you know people who are new to Canada – mention this to them. Authority figures are seen differently in Canada than they are in the countries many new Canadians come from
By Staff
May 18, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Handi-van phone service will be unavailable until 8:30 am today – Wednesday May 18
Customers please note that the phone line to contact Handi-van dispatch (905) 639-5158 will be temporarily out of service on Wednesday May 18 until approximately 8:30 a.m. for scheduled upgrades.
For any urgent needs during this time please call (905) 335-7869 ext. 6602. This line will only be serviced during the phone disruption period.
By Staff
May 17th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Walkers Line at Britannia Road – Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Walkers Line will be closed at Britannia Road on Wednesday, May 18, 2016 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. to remove vegetation along the road.
No traffic will be allowed through, with the exception of emergency vehicles responding to a emergency calls.
By Pepper Parr
May 17th, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
He is back – with not just one but two business cards and, we are advised, a seat on the board of one of the city’s cultural institutions.
We are not clear as to whether it is the corporate board of the Foundation board of the organization that our former Member of Parliament sits on.
Mike Wallace took quite a wallop during the last federal election. At the time he said he got beaten by a person whose age was less than the number of years he had served the public.
 Mike Wallace, Burlington MP, takes a closer look at art work at the Art Gallery Burlington. To his credit Mike has bounced back nicely and has jumped into the industry that Burlington treats so well.
Wallace has a business card for his real estate sales business and another for the consulting organization he created. The latter resulted in a meeting with members of council where he is reported to have represented a developer’s interests.
On his web site he says:
You provided me the opportunity to contribute to the quality of life that we enjoy in our community. I strived to meet my commitments to you responsibly, thoroughly and with integrity. I love our City and the people that make it the number one mid-sized city in Canada.
Many have asked “What will be my next career path?” There was no question that I wanted to continue to serve and care for the residents of Burlington.
 You always know when Mike Wallace is in the room – you hear him. At times he is the consummate prankster on other occasions he can manipulate a parliamentary committee as well as the best of them. After your family and their health, your home is the most important part of your life. It is where you do most of your living, through shared good and tough times. Therefore, after many hours of personal reflection, I have decided to pursue a career in residential real estate.
As a realtor, I will provide the trusted, transparent and timely service that you would expect and deserve in dealing with your critical real estate assets. If I can be of any assistance, now or in the future, please contact me.
Mike and his wife Caroline (26 years) are part of the RE/MAX Escarpment Realty Inc., Brokerage and work out of offices at 4121 Fairview St, Burlington. You can reach Mike at (905) 632-2199.
The office location is a little too far east for Mike to set up his campaign office when he takes a run for Mayor in 2018.
By Pepper Parr
May 16th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Where is the Mayor?
He wasn’t at the city council standing committee last night.
The chair, Blair Lancaster – who is still having problems managing the agenda – she forgets which page she is on and forgets the procedural steps that have to be taken.
 When the meeting opened Lancaster as chair announced that the Mayor was “at another meeting” – that was it. Nothing about what the meeting was about or where it was taking place.
Last night her cell phone was getting almost as much attention as the job of being chair.
It was a short meeting – and didn’t resolve anything. The biggest report was given a “receive and file” which puts it back into the hands of the bureaucrats. We report on the re-development of the Nelson facilities elsewhere.
The really interesting news was the article in the Globe and Mail about the changes the province is going to make on the environmental front. City manager James Ridge said that the news article was the most talked about subject within the leadership team at city hall.
 Burlington Hydro leased high end BMW electric cars and loaned them to members of council to get some data on driving patterns. Ridge said they were waiting to see the document the province produces – due sometime in June – all they had so far was the Globe and Mail news report. The newspaper headline reported a $7 billion program that would slash the size of our carbon foot print which will impact every aspect of life in the province and disrupt the automotive and energy sectors.
Energy means Burlington Hydro for us – and automotive – well we all know what they are talking about.
More than 76% of the homes in Ontario are heated with natural gas – the province wants to see that number brought down – and promises to start phasing out natural gas for home heating. This will be done partly through incentives for owners of homes and buildings to install geothermal and solar heating, and partly by changes to the building code mandating that, by 2030, all new houses and small buildings be heated by something other than fossil fuels. Natural gas currently provides 76 per cent of the province’s heat.
The plan also promises hefty subsidies for electric vehicles, more charging stations and sets ambitious targets of raising the number of electric vehicles sold to 12 per cent of the total by 2025; at the moment, just 0.16 per cent of the vehicles on the road in Ontario are electric.
Big changes coming – it would have been nice to see a comment from the Mayor. His new key aide – Mike Greenlee, who replaced Brian Kelly, who replaced Frances Grano, who replaced Jackie Isada, who replaced Frank McKeown kept himself busy taking notes.
Greenlee and Grano were seconded from within other departments in city hall to help out in the Mayor’s office.
By Staff
May 17th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The police are driving the message home: Canada Road Safety Week starts today
For the next seven days, until the end of the Victoria Day weekend, motorists who travel anywhere within the Region of Halton – from our urban centres to our rural areas – can expect to see an increased Police presence on our roadways.
How can you avoid being stopped by a Halton Police officer?
1. Drive now, call & text later. Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of motor vehicle collisions.
2. If you drink, don’t drive. Impaired driving remains the leading criminal cause of death on Ontario roadways. Halton Drug Recognition officers are also reminding drivers that drugs & driving don’t mix either.
3. If you’re under 22yrs of age, don’t drink & drive period. You must have a zero blood alcohol level to operate a motor vehicle in Ontario.
4. Buckle up. Over 700 Halton motorists were charged in 2015 with failing to wear a seat belt. What’s holding you back?
5. Slow down! Speed kills. Remember, we’ll see you before you see us. Speed limits will be enforced!
Motorists found in contravention may be subject to arrest and charges, including licence suspensions, vehicle seizures and costly fines. Halton Police encourages all road users to obey the rules of the road.
 Do your part and make our roadways safe for everyone.
If you observe a vehicle being operated in a manner which places you, or anyone else in danger, please call 911 for an immediate police response.
Let us see what the police report after the holiday weekend.
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