 By Pepper Parr
March 10th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
So what did the rascals do while we were away?
The Burlington’s Best web site nomination process experienced a bit of a screw up – a staffer said it was “experiencing some issues”. The city manager had to jump in and attempt to resolve one of the problems.
 Why hard working citizen groups should have to be put through so many hoops by the planning department is difficult to understand. The group of people who are behind the creation of a really smart looking monument that will commemorate the stop Terry Fox made in Burlington 35 years ago found themselves stumbling over hurdles the people in the permit section of the planning department kept putting in front of them.
The Mayor has come out from the bushes and is putting forward a motion for a private tree bylaw.
 Trevor Copp, the Burlington actor who mobilized the arts into a Collective makes a point on leadership while Executive Director of the Burlington Museum’s operation listens. The Arts and Culture Collective of Burlington (ACCOB) has written the people who are beavering away at getting the Strategic Plan into print and in the hands of the public, asking that the word “arts” be included in the Strategic Plan. Culture is already in the document. Trevor Copp, a sometime spokesperson for ACCOB says they “noticed the lack of the specific term ‘Arts’ and advocated for its specific inclusion (good use of ‘Culture’; we want both terms). Hopefully it gets in there and we can reference it in the future.”
The arts community has high hopes for some city money that will be doled out to the arts community.
As for the Strategic Plan – the document is now more than a year late, has ballooned at two levels, the scope and scale of the document and the cost.
 The early version was a four year plan – somewhere along the way city council decided to make it a 25 year plan – nothing on the public record as to why they did that. Traditionally, Strategic Plans are documents prepared by a city council for its term of office. The document that is coming our way covers a 25 year period – a time frame when not one member (hopefully) of this council will be in office.
The cost of the consultants who created the document ballooned as well – but the public may never know exactly how much they paid – the service based budget we now have doesn’t allow anyone to drill down and learn much about the specifics.
There was an agency that has taken on the delivery of a provincially funded initiative that was being funnelled through municipalities. The dollars went from the province to the cities – and in Burlington there was a plug somewhere that resulted in some close to frantic calls for the dollars to move in the right direction so the payroll could be met.
A resident took issue with the way minutes of public meetings are kept. He was unable to delegate in person and mailed in his concerns – and was surprised and upset at the way the public record was kept. Let the correspondence with the city Clerk tell the rest of the story …
 Marianne Meed Ward delegated many many times – she saw it as a vital part of the democratic process. The comments that follow were not made by Meed Ward. “In 25 years of coming to Council as a delegation, with a submission, I have never, ever, to my recollection, had my name, and my main message, not included in the Agenda and Minutes of the meeting. For a recent example, the message I sent not supporting the downsizing of the Nelson pool had my name and main message included.
“If I send something to Council, to speak to an Agenda item, I automatically want to be identified by name, and by my main message.
“After receiving this reply, I looked at the Agenda and Minutes again for the C&CS meeting and see that you have put my original correspondence, with my name back, into the Agenda packet.
“However, in the Minutes, while you put my name back, you did not include my main message, which was I support the staff report recommendation to refuse the ADI Martha St. proposal as outlined.
“Please change these proceedings record to indicate that I supported the staff recommendation.
“That’s the bottom line here – including my name and main message in Agendas and Minutes – and what I want corrected and never done to my correspondence to Council again, if you please.”
The public record matters – everything the Gazette has published is in the archives – except of course for those items we get bullied into removing with threats of expensive lawsuits.
 By Staff
March 9th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
These guys
 Heavy construction equipment in place to dig trenches and prepare the necessary parts of the infrastructure. There are 12 pieces of heavy equipment ready to dig.
Are the reason this part of Lakeshore Road between Elizabeth and Pearl have to be closed. Concrete pipes have to be put underground. Announcement from city says road will be closed from the 7th to the 11th.
We are chasing down city hall to get confirmation on those dates.
When it is all done – this is what it is going to look like.
 The Bridgewater project – made up of two condominiums and a Marriott hotel is scheduled to be completed in 2018 – between now and then there will be all kinds o squawking about road closures and inconvenience – the price of progress.
 By Staff
March 9, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Do you know of another city that closes down a road so a slimy little creature that tends to breed at night can cross that road?
It happens in Burlington every year in March.
King Road from the base of the Niagara Escarpment to Mountain Brow Road will be closed from March 15 to April 6 to allow the endangered Jefferson Salamander safe passage during its annual breeding migration.
 The Jefferson salamander – He isn’t exactly pretty but nevertheless plays an important role in the local environment. Comes in different colours as well. The Jefferson Salamander is a nationally and provincially protected endangered species. Each year, since 2012, the City of Burlington has closed the same section of road for an approximate three-week period.
The city works closely with Conservation Halton to assist in the protection and recovery of this endangered species.
 “Conservation Halton commends the City of Burlington for closing King Road once again to protect the Jefferson Salamander, this is a great example of the relationship we have with our community partners,” said Hassaan Basit, General Manager, Conservation Halton. “It can be challenging to determine when is the best time to close King Road as spring weather can be unpredictable, particularly this year, however we feel confident based on the advice of our ecology staff who make the call on the best science and information available.”
 One of these was enough for the people in rural Burlington. One of the reasons for not permitting an expansion of the quarry was the impact that would have on an engendered species.
The Jefferson Salamander is quite a bit more than an endangered species. A provincial tribunal made a decision a number of years ago to not allow the expansion of the Nelson quarry due in large part to the impact any expansion would have on the existence of the salamander.
In Canada, the Jefferson Salamander is found in Southern Ontario in select areas of deciduous forest, mostly along the Niagara Escarpment. Several forested areas in Burlington provide the necessary breeding, summer and overwintering habitats required by this species.
Jefferson Salamanders spend the majority of their lives underground. As the weather warms up and the spring rains begin, the salamanders emerge and migrate to breed in temporary ponds formed by run-off, laying their eggs in clumps attached to underwater vegetation. Adults leave the ponds after breeding. By late summer, the larvae lose their gills and become air-breathing (like the metamorphosis of tadpoles into frogs) and leave the pond to head into the surrounding forests.
Adult salamanders migrate to their breeding ponds in mid-March or early April during wet rainy nights. They show strong affinity for the pond in which they hatched and can be very determined to reach it, sometimes requiring them to cross busy roads.
 By Staff
March 9th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Halton Police responded to a report of a robbery yesterday at a Shoppers Drug Mart store located at 1011 Upper Middle Road in Oakville. A male entered the store and demanded prescription drugs from staff who handed over a large quantity of narcotics. The suspect then left the store without further incident.
Subsequent investigation resulted in the arrest of an Oakville resident who investigators believe is responsible for similar robberies in Oakville and Burlington.
February 21st 2016 – Brant Medical Arts Centre located at 672 Brant Street in Burlington.
February 12th 2016 – Pharma Save store located at 2501 Guelph Line Burlington.
January 28th 2016 – Shoppers Drug Mart located at 1011 Upper Middle Road Oakville.
Investigators also executed a search warrant at a North Oakville address and seized a large quantity of prescription pain killers, notably OxyNEO or Oxycodone. Other items related to the robberies were also seized.
Charged with 4 counts of Robbery and Wear Disguise is:
Richard MATHERS, 36 years of Oakville.
MATHERS has been held in custody for a pending bail hearing.
 By Pepper Parr
March 8th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
He bought the place in 1980 – when it was a 5000 square foot operation.
 It was an emotional day for Jack Dennison – he announced cedar Springs had been sold. This afternoon Jack Dennison announced the sale of the Cedar Springs Health and Racquet Club to Ivan Bradiaric, a Burlington businessman and property owner who has been a member of the club for more than ten years.
Dennison, in what was an emotional occasion for him, was reluctantly passing on the torch to someone who will immediately begin refurbishing the look of the lobby and making better use of the space.
The sale of the property closed on March 1st – why? The place was limping – it needed a freshening up and the corporation needed to make better use of the land.
 A wistful Jack Dennison look on as the new Cedar Springs owner rolls up hi sleeve the grow the business. Bradiaric has property holdings in the immediate area and he thinks he can do some cross marketing to boost the club’s membership – and – most importantly – see if he can get a zoning change to build a condominium at the south end of the property and tie it into the club.
Bradioaric said he expect to spend between $1 million and $1.5 million on upgrades that will be part of a new concept. He wasn’t prepared to say just what he had in mind other than to add that membership had become stagnant and he believed there was significant growth potential.
What happens to Jack? Well he is an avid sports person; he talks about more time for tennis and doing some cycling when the weather is better.
The club grew sort of “topsy turvey” in Jack’s hands. While Dennison earned an MBA at McMaster he brought his own unique management style to his business operations – much the way he brings his unique style to the seat he holds on city council.
 More cycling time – that’s it? Dennison was in the habit of holding his community meetings at the club where he consistently served popcorn and water to those who attended.
The sale of the club may surprise many – it’s something Dennison has been working at lining up for some time.
It was a tough emotional day for him.
March 8, 2016
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON
We knew it as the location of the Riviera.
The Riviera Motor Court began operations in 1963. The two level, 32-room motel offered guests a beautiful view of Lake Ontario along the back portion of the motel.
The earliest information for a manager was a Mr. William Dikeman. In 1984 the motel was bought by Mr. John Lee who incorporated it as 558644 Ontario Limited.
 The Riviera on the Lake – lots of stories. The last managers to operate the business were Peter and Yolanda Piekarski. Annual profits were in the area of $242,000.
 The balconies at the rear of the motel made the room rate worth every dime. There was nothing exceptional about the motel – it was the view of the lake from the units at the back of the building.
The 0.7-hectare, block-long property between Elizabeth and Pearl streets just east of Brant was assembled over time. The Lakeshore Road portion was part of a land swap that had the city giving some land in exchange for a shoreline walkway at the edge of the lake which has been in place for a number of years.
 When you reach the 70% plus level in sales you don’t need a fancy demonstration site – it had to make room for the construction equipment. In 2006, Burlington city council approved plans for a new construction project on the property. The project, now known as Bridgewater, has been delayed over the years due to economic factors as well as difficulty in obtaining a developer and hotel partner.
 Construction workers stripping away what is left of the sales office for the Btidgewater project on Lakeshore Road. Bridgewater was to have a 7-storey hotel at street level, that got increased to eight storeys; a 7-storey condo behind the hotel and to the west of both buildings, a 22-storey condo. The condo would obscure the view of Lake Ontario for those living in the condos on the opposite side of Lakeshore. The new buildings would feature a central courtyard open to the public that would lead to the walkway along the water.
The property is owned by Mayrose Tycon who, since 1994, were focused on finding a developer to undertake the construction and to take over the property.
Mady Development Corporation was named but they were taken off the site due to a tricky clause in their agreement with Mayrose Tycon.
 The motel is long gone but the walkway that will eventually run from this point all the way to the canal was built a number of years ago as part of a land swap with the city. The project was “in the works” for the longest time; Conservation Halton had informed Mayrose that if development did not occur on the property by the end of 2012 they would lose between 15 to 20 feet of shoreline property under a new Ontario Regulation.
That got things moving – Mayrose had to get an extension from the Conservation people but that didn’t immediately result in shovels in the ground. It wasn’t until New Horizons was invited to develop the site that one got the sense that this was really going to happen.
Jeff Paikin, known for quality work with a number of solid projects under his belt.
Paikin had bought a unit in the project and was later invited to do the development.
It has been nothing but solid progress since then. Sales of the project are reported to have passed the 70% point. There will a planned 150 units in the two condominium towers.
A collection of 12 pieces of heavy duty construction equipment are on the site – they give a whole new meaning to “shovels in the ground” Paikin’s partner Joe Giacomodonato handles the actual construction work.
At one point the hotel was going to be open for the Pan Am Games in 2015.
As for the Riviera the writing was on the wall in 2010. They began offering rooms on a monthly basis only. The Region of Burlington paid Riviera to house the city’s homeless people and immigrants.
In April of 2012 the municipal building code department and fire department served a notice on the owners that they needed to bring the building up to code or close it down.
The owners decided to close the building which was boarded up.
On August 18, 2012, the building came one step closer to demolition when a fire broke out in the hotel, caused by arson.
The 2015 Pan Am date came and went; the designated developer of the site changed but the project had just too much value built into it to not go forward.
 Three structure project has been the “in the works” since the early 1990’s when developers were given the right to build a 22 storey plus building on the property where the Riviera Waterfront Motel used to exist. Last week the sleek sales office met its turn with the wrecking ball. The south side of Lakeshore Road lost its parking meters and traffic is being restricted for a couple of weeks while large concrete pipes get buried. What was the Riviera is now the construction site for an upscale condominium that will consist of a seven story and a twenty two story structure attached to each other by a four level underground garage.
The site will include a four star Mariott hotel – the opening date is still pencilled in as 2018 – those things tend to be pretty loose until construction is well under way.
The four floors down garage work will get started soon; the grade of Elizabeth will change and slowly but surely the Bridgewater will rise out of the ground and reach 22 storeys into the sky.
 An architectural rendering of an aerial view of the Bridgewater project from the lake side. The view from the top floor be something to experience.
Paikin, who is a marketer at heart will tell anyone who is within earshot that : “The design is so fantastic and the location is probably the No. 1 location in all of Ontario, if not Canada, as a place to live.”
He might be right.
By Staff
March 8, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The City of Burlington Animal Shelter invites all cat and dog owners to attend its low-cost microchip clinic on Saturday, April 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Burlington Animal Shelter, 2424 Industrial St.
 City by law says cats have to have a microchip – did you know that? “The last thing any pet owner wants to experience is the stress that comes with trying to find a missing animal,” said Dave Lake, the city’s supervisor of animal services. “In addition to a dog licence, a microchip is an easy, inexpensive way to ensure owners can be quickly reunited with their pet if they are ever separated.”
The cost for a microchip is $30 per pet and only cash will be accepted. Visitors to the clinic can expect a quick and minor procedure. Dogs attending the clinic should be brought on a leash and cats placed in a carrier. The City of Burlington’s bylaws require cats to be microchipped.
Appointments for the clinic can be reserved by calling 905-335-3030. Walk-ins are also welcomed. Pet owners are asked to bring proof of up-to-date vaccinations.
All proceeds from the event will go to the Paw Fund in support of stray animals.
How do they work?
Microchips can be implanted by a veterinarian or at a shelter. After checking that the animal does not already have a chip, the vet or technician injects the chip with a syringe and records the chip’s unique ID. No anesthetic is required. A test scan ensures correct operation.
 Microchip implanted in a cat – visible near the top of the photograph. An enrollment form is completed with chip ID, owner contact information, pet name and description, shelter and/or veterinarian contact information, and an alternate emergency contact designated by the pet owner. Some shelters and vets designate themselves as the primary contact to remain informed about possible problems with the animals they place. The form is sent to a registry, who may be the chip manufacturer, distributor or an independent entity; some countries have a single official national database. For a fee, the registry typically provides 24-hour, toll-free telephone service for the life of the pet. Some veterinarians leave registration to the owner, usually done online, but a chip without current contact information is essentially useless.
The owner receives a registration certificate with the chip ID and recovery service contact information. The information can also be imprinted on a collar tag worn by the animal. Like an automobile title, the certificate serves as proof of ownership and is transferred with the animal when it is sold or traded; an animal without a certificate could be stolen.
Did you know?
That you must have a microchip put in your cat? In 2005 the city passed a bylaw:
Control and Registration of Cats
30. (1) No person, being the owner of any cat shall fail to have the cat implanted with a functioning subcutaneous microchip.
 By Pepper Parr
March 8th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Long time Burlington businessman and civic politician Jack Dennison announced today that he has sold the Cedar springs Health and Racquet Club to Ivan Bradiaric who ill continue the club’s operations while he works through the concept he wants for an enhanced operation.
 Ivan Bradiaric rolls up his sleeves to take on the mammoth task of refurbishing the Cedar Springs Health Club. A whist-full Jack Dennison looks on. More to follow.
February 11, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
My colleague, Joan Little, a former Burlington alderman and Halton councillor, writes a regular column for the Hamilton Spectator. We share a table in Council chambers reserved for media.
More often than not, it is just me from the Gazette and Joan from the Spectator – the Post gets a reporter to about half of the meetings.
Little and I share views on what we see taking place – we use each other to check on what we thought a council member said – we confirm with each other how a member voted – there are a couple that you would swear did not want the public to know how they had voted.
In her most recent column, Little wrote the following:
Monday saw the end of the online Burlington Gazette. (Not completely correct Joan – but do read on.)
Burlington’s online news and opinion journal has been produced by resident Pepper Parr for over five years, initially as Our Burlington. Although a resident for under six years, he seems to know almost everyone in the city and at City Hall.
Mayor Goldring once described the Gazette as almost better than sliced bread – he has changed his mind about the Gazette and the Gazette changed its mind about him.
 This is what the original Burlington Gazette office on Brant Street used to look like. The demise of the Gazette is sad, because the outspoken Parr always evoked interesting feedback, and left Burlingtonians with something to mull over. He seemed to be everywhere — city hall meetings, community activities, even sports and arts events. And he strongly promoted local endeavours.
But litigation takes its toll. Always outspoken, Parr regularly made on-the-edge observations. Whether actually litigious, only a court could rule, but he upset companies and individuals enough to attract two challenges over the years, neither of which has been heard yet, according to Parr. They cost money for consultations with lawyers.
He had been increasing the Gazette’s advertising revenue recently, but the time needed, and the confluence of the cost of running an online journal and defending against legal threats took its toll.
One company suing is Burlington Executive Air Park, which itself was sued in 2013 by the City over the amount of fill it imported to its Bell School Line site. The City claimed importation of fill is covered by its site alteration bylaw. The Air Park said it was exempt because airports are under federal jurisdiction. Burlington initially won, but the issue is still before the courts as the result of appeals.
Besides the Gazette, North Burlington citizens Monte Dennis and Vanessa Warren were also sued for comments they made. Dennis wrote a Letter to the Editor to the Spectator in response to a submission by Air Park’s Vince Rossi. The Rural Greenbelt Coalition is raising money to help fund their defence.
Another recent corporate threat was from Adi Development Group. Adi is proposing the 26-storey condo at Martha and Lakeshore, which is the subject of a March OMB hearing.
Adi demanded an apology for comments in two November columns which it claimed damaged its reputation. The apology appeared Monday, and the offending columns were retracted.
A question that troubles citizen activists and journalists is whether they might become the targets of libel chill (the threat of being sued for libel to shut them up). Having a second pair of eyes check columns before publication is a plus. On one occasion my Spec editor was concerned about a column’s content, and cautioned me. Grateful for the advice, I amended it, or could have been in that situation.
Ontario passed legislation in October, “The Protection of Public Participation Act”, aimed at protecting against SLAPP suits (Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation). It reduces the risk of suits (which are often dropped before getting to trial anyway) and fast tracks the process.
Unfortunately it won’t help Dennis or Warren, because they were sued before this legislation was passed. Such suits can cost defendants thousands. How many people have that kind of spare change?
Meantime Parr has shut down the Burlington Gazette. Asked what he will do now, he said he wasn’t sure, but is considering a couple of options, and will enjoy expanded participation in his church community.
Burlington owes him a debt of gratitude for demystifying some of the operations of city hall, and for providing a local sounding board.
Clearly disappointed, he noted that one of the main things he tried to do was educate citizens about how City Hall works, and how to effectively present their positions. In that, he succeeded brilliantly.
He definitely knows more about the internal workings of City Hall than most people as the result of investigations he’s done. And he has acted in the past as a consultant for small business.
Who knows? He could show up on a council ballot.
Little got most of it right. The Gazette has not shut down – it has just limited what it publishes for a very short period of time.
The apology we were required to publish, if we wanted to avoid a very expensive libel suit, which we thought we could win but could not afford to fight, was to be the top story on the paper for a period of forty – eight hours.
If we published our usual daily volume that apology would have been shoved off the front page with a day or two. So we published very little – and let the apology – that we didn’t write, got top billing.
That 48 hours is coming to an end and we will get caught up.
However – and this is critical – the Gazette needs to change its financial model if it is to continue and find a way to get more advertising into the paper so we can pay our bills and have a cookie jar with some fall back on cash.
I have put everything I had into the Gazette – it cost me a marriage that I did not want to see end and it requires me to move from the accommodation I have now to something that is closer to the pension money I get. It is going to be bumpy for a while
 By the publisher
February 9th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The comments have been gratifying – than you.
A number of people have asked if there was not some way I could continue with the endeavour.
The Gazette needed funding. We believed we could become financially sustainable by selling advertising space – and we did sell some.
I just wasn’t able to both cover the editorial events, write the copy and sell advertising.
The lack of a personal income that would cover my basic living costs has put me in a situation where I have to move from the space I live in and re-focus my personal life.
Without adequate working capital – it just wasn’t possible to keep it alive – right now my focus is on keeping myself alive. There were a number of opportunities that just didn’t work out – people weren’t able to do what they thought or wanted to do.
 Saud and Tarif Adi. Is there a relationship between the Adi development Group Libel notice? Your damn right there was. They didn’t have a case – and I didn’t have the dollars to fight them.
Another day? Perhaps. I am not the only person who has been bullied by this developer.
While the Gazette is no longer able to attend events and write reports, I do feel a responsibility to expand on what happened.
The following was sent to me earlier today by a colleague. No one wants to put their name on anything any more – we learned that from the Air Park libel case which should see the inside of a court room in the near future.
“I sent an inquiry to a friend who used to practice law – he of course recommends that you hire a lawyer (which he is no longer) – but he said he’d be interested in taking a look at the articles for which you have been served.
I hope you don’t mind – I just told him what I saw on the Gazette site plus inquired about SLAPP. Here is his comment…
” I will have to look into this a bit, please send me the article and any other information you can (statement of claim of the plaintiffs) if available.
“Generally, the law of libel in Canada favours the defendant. There is special protection for fair comment by professional journalists. Unless the plaintiffs are specifying particular damages, these matters can usually be settled by a commitment from the defendant to publish a suitable apology in the publication. The plaintiff is required to prove specific damages in a libel suit. This is unlike slander where no damages have to be proved.
These protections existed before and on top of SLAPP legislation. I will have to look at that law to see if they are altered in anyway and what is involved in invoking SLAPP.
However, bottom line, I do not believe your publisher can avoid hiring a lawyer.
Keep in mind that I am no longer a lawyer (I resigned from the Law Society long ago). Anything I say is not to be taken as legal advice, and your publisher should not act upon it without first consulting a lawyer competent in the field.”
I am just not in a position to hire a lawyer – the one I have hired is gracious when it comes to paying invoices.
There is a considerable amount of documentation related to the Adi Notice of Libel that we will publish in the next few days. The least we can do is let our readers see a fuller picture.
The issue for the Adi’s was what we wrote about their Nautique project – a planned 26 story tower at the intersection of Martha and Lakeshore Road. The city knew it had a problem on its hands the day they first learned of the project. While Council – meeting as a city council, didn’t get chance to vote on the project – council had made its views known – the building was too high – the lot was too small.
There appeared to be a consensus which got put in doubt when a reader sent us the following.
 The Ontario Municipal Board hearing at which Adi will ask that there project be approved takes place in March.
The comments made by our readers are worth your time. They give you a glimpse of how media works and doesn’t work in Burlington.
-30-
Legal Counsel for the Adi Development Group served a Notice of Libel on Pepper Parr and the Burlington Gazette demanding the following apology.
Pepper Parr and the Burlington Gazette regret having published statements imputing dishonest and unethical conduct to the Adi Development Group.
We admit there was no foundation in fact for these statements which we published without first attempting to verify their accuracy with Adi development Group.
We retract these statements unequivocally and we apologize to Adi development Group, its owners and its employees for having published these statements and for any unwarranted damage we may have caused to their reputations .
By Pepper Parr
February 6th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The weather is working for them, the construction time line is a little ahead of schedule and Rodger Park is a happy man.
Trucks are rolling in with concrete and flatbeds haul rebar onto the site of the five tower Paradigm on Fairview right beside the Burlington GO station.
A full crew of workers is distributed amongst three of the towers at the back of the property where they are either digging into the shale, laying out rebar, doing concrete pours or stripping away the forms on concrete that has been poured.
 Rigger Ryan Vandermeer maneuvers a cement bucket for loading. Two cranes swing through their arc lifting a load of rebar rods or hoisting a big bucket of concrete. John Caronello is handling the big crane on tower A on the west side of the construction site while his rigger Ryan Vandermeer keeps in constant communication.
Some of the concrete mixing trucks carry 9 metres of concrete while others are limited to 8 metres – it is all subject to quality control testing. They don’t leave much to chance.
Wael Deiab scoots around the site with pails of concrete that he is testing for consistency, air content and compression. Nothing fancy about the lab he works in – outdoors where he pushes concrete into a cylinder where it will stay for testing – which gets done at the three day, seven day and 28 day time frames.
 Wael Deiab pours concrete samples into canniters and tests it for consistency. Deiab, who works LandTek, the company that does the concrete quality testing, drops in on a site and randomly chooses concrete that is being poured – fills his bucket and takes it away to a place out of the wind and starts his testing. Temperature of the concrete is included in the testing.
 Concrete being loaded for a pour on tower B at the Paradigm site on Fairview Tower A, on the west side of the site, reported to be sold out, has its two parking levels completed – they are now working on the ground floor.
Jason Park, who backs up his Dad, Rodger Park quietly checks on what is being done – he tends not to look you in the eye – he is constantly watching to be sure that things are going the way they are supposed to go.
How much concrete will be used in this five tower project – Jason doesn’t have a clue – he doesn’t care where it comes from either – just as long as it arrives on time.
 Concrete can come from any one of four locations in the Burlington area – 8 to 9 square metres at a time The concrete can come from any number of locations – the driver of the truck is the guy who cares about where he is going to be driving to next.
It’s a Friday, the site will shut down for the weekend – on balance it has been a good week.
The schedule is being met – three buildings all going up at the same time – each in various stages of completion.
It gets a little boring after a while said Jason – we put up forms, pour concrete, strip away the forms and move on to the next level he explains.
The elevator shaft for building A is coming together – one can get a sense as to where the front entrance to the building is going to be.
The three towers at the back of the property are works in progress – the thinking for the smaller towers at the front closer to the street are part of the project – when construction on those towers actually begins is a market research exercise.
Sales of the units in towers A, and B are going very well. What the Molinaro’s are doing is creating a new community of 2000 people. There will be changes in the way that part of town works. Will the Paradigm pull the downtown core right up to Fairview – what impact will all those people have on the commercial sector.
One can expect a least a couple of restaurants for all those people. There will be some commercial space on the second floor of the two towers that will front on Fairview.
The Molinaro’s built the condominiums that line Lakeshore Road – and in the process defined the downtown core we have today.
Will the same thing happen to Fairview?
 Walter Byj
February 5, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It came near the end of the Wednesday Halt on District School Board meeting when Director Miller announced to the trustee that to date there are 2,000 students at the grade 11 and 12 levels who are not yet fully immunized.
The Halton Region Health Department that requires 100% mandatory immunization for grade 11 and 12 students within Halton. If those students do not get their immunization by the end of March they will be subject to a 20 day suspension beginning April 6th.
The Regional Health department has done everything possible to immunize students – going so far as to set up individual appointments for students to get the needle.
Miller stressed that that this is mandatory by Halton Public Health as they will be suspending the students, not the school board.
Related article:
Parents have to report.
By Pepper Parr
February 4th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
“We’ve got to get the time line in place” explained Janine Stodulksi. “The funding for the bleachers is in the city’s capital budget – we don’t want to lose that” she added. “We have momentum going here” and when Stodulski has momentum – step aside.
 Janine Stodulski – she keeps things moving. She was talking through where things are with a community initiative to revitalize the Nelson Stadium, a facility on property that is owned by the city and the board of education – and where there are shared jurisdictions – you know there is going to be some friction.
The residents are hoping they can either jump over the jurisdictional issues or do an end run around them.
Six people gathered around a table in the Nelson High school library to go over what they knew and what they didn’t know and to line up their ducks and make something happen.
 Brad Scott, with Cogeco Cable and Jeff Brock with Nelson high taking part in a discussion on the plans their group have for significant improvements to the Nelson Stadium. Jeff Brock, who has Nelson High school football logos all over his laptop, looks at the numbers and suggests that bleacher seating for 700 will work. He thinks the sound system can be fixed.
Brad Scott, he’s with Cogeco, has been making calls to equipment suppliers and looking at prices – he didn’t like some of the numbers he was given.
Chris Zadow is the track and field guy and is working up a document that will show what the new footprint will look like when everything is done.
 Karen Hartman, principal at Nelson High school – explains what can be done and what can’t be done when working with the board of education. Karen Hartman, principal at Nelson, runs interference with the board of education and advises the group on what they might be able to get away with.
Tibor Olah, a soft spoken man, who is in real estate, has to move quickly to get a few words in edgewise.
Janine Stodulski, who serves as spokesperson for the group, is a driven woman who believes she has momentum and wants to see something happen. She is involved with one of the football leagues.
Their goal is a little on the lofty side but they aren’t going to let that deter them.
The Nelson Stadium facility is run down, tattered looking in places with facilities that need a serious upgrade.
They want to re-orient the racing track, add to lanes to the existing six, push back some bleachers on the south side and add a second set of bleachers on the other side of the field and get a decent press box in place.
 A community group made up of every imaginable Nelson Stadium user organization has plans for a much improved facility. They are currently working the city and the board of education and have their eyes on the Region. They see that world class velodrome in Milton and appear to want something just as good – better if Stodulski has her way – for Burlington.
The Haber Recreational Centre, joined at the hip to the Hayden high school has fabulous indoor courts – this group wants to see something as good behind Nelson high school – they want the location to be the place for Regional outdoor sports events.
The group sees upgrades coming at the Skyway facility in the east end of the city, the big, big upgrade done at Mountain side, the City View sports facility in the north east part of the city on Dundas – and note that much of the sports facility growth has been above the QEW – they want the something much better on New Street.
They have a grasp of the city budget that just might be better than that of some council members. They have figured out where their champions are at both the council level and within Parks and recreation – and they have strong connections within the community.
Their next round with the city is in April – it should be quite a delegation.
Odd though that the plans have yet to make it to a board of education level – and trustees don’t seem to have a clue at this point.
By Staff
February 4thj, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
This isn’t a Burlington story – but it helps understand how the identity thieves work – borders don’t matter to these guys.
An alert UPS driver was approached twice in the same day by a male looking to pick up a package from his truck destined for an address in the west end of Oakville on February 3rd 2016.
The UPS driver was suspicious of the identification the male produced, refused to confirm he had the package onboard his truck and continued on his deliveries.
 UPS driver didn’t like the look of the ID he was shown – calls the police who arrest a man found to have numerous fake identity cards. Later in day the male approached the driver a second time and the driver again refused to hand over the package, this time alerting police.
The suspect male was located by police in a vehicle parked in a parking lot at the Burlington/Oakville border, where he was arrested.
Multiple stolen credit cards and fraudulent identity were located in the vehicle.
Charged with Theft Under $5000, Possession of Counterfeit Mark, Unauthorized Use of Credit Card Data and Fail to Comply with Undertaking is:
Ikponmwosa OBAZEE 35yrs of Mississauga ON.
OBAZEE was held for a bail hearing on February 4th at Milton Provincial Court.
Police identified the contents of the package the accused wanted so badly – it was a product from an internationally known electronics Company.
The Regional Police have an excellent working relationship with UPS – when there is suspicion – the police get a call.
 By Staff
February 4th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It must be the weather – 16 degrees on an early February day. Yikes!
 The Burlington Bandits held up decently last year – is 2016 their year? It moved the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) to releasing its 2016 schedule which begins on Saturday, May 7 with three games – London at Burlington, Hamilton at Guelph and Kitchener at Barrie. The 2016 season will mark the IBL’s 98th season.
Each team will again play a 36-game schedule. The only scheduled doubleheaders are the two between Barrie and London. Weekends comprise a large majority of the schedule as 72% of the games will be played on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (104 of the 144 games).
The IBL All-Star Game will again be held in Barrie on Saturday, July 2nd at 2:00 p.m.
 By Staff
February 4th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Power Restored at Parking Garage on Locust Street
Power to the parking garage at 414 Locust St. has been restored.
 By Ray Rivers
February 4th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
I’m in Nicaragua this week, taking in a little sun and a lot of car exhaust fumes. Even in the picturesque tourist city of Granada, a walk down its narrow streets yields an unhealthy lung full of petroleum byproducts. The privately owned cars, trucks and motor bikes scoot around or get tied up in vehicular traffic on these mostly pot-holed streets, pumping out nasty black fumes and all those other pollutants we don’t see.
It’s a poor country, as I discovered trying to drive on what passes for roads here, before giving up and championing public transportation and my shanks’ mare. And it is a treat to watch the many horse-drawn vehicles and the oxen carts hauling the nation’s produce and its people.
It makes one wonder how these people manage their extensive cane and corn plantations, when not a tractor is to be seen. Oxen technology? One wonders if the exhaust fumes from grass-fed ‘quadro gastric’ ruminants are worse those than from the petroleum-fed internal combustion engines when it comes to global warming?
 Donald Trump It may be a poor country but they do have universal internet, even if it runs a tad slow, in true Latin tradition. So I could hardly avoid exposure to that other hot air activity, the 2016 US primary in Iowa, which was plastered all over the cyber sphere. Our own Canadian-born Ted Cruz managed to trump ‘The Donald’, thanks in part to the flamboyant Trump’s set-to with Fox News and his insatiable appetite to insult and alienate.
One would have thought the endorsement of the unintelligibly rambling Sarah Palin would have pushed him over the top, but not so. Cruz invoked the higher order of ‘The Ronald’ (Reagan) and that must have sealed the deal. Even if Cruz’s own party finds him an unlikeable sort – and if unlikeable, unlikely to win the big one in November – he’s still a more authentic neo-con than Trump, cut in the cloth of his hero Ronnie.
If I were a betting man, I’d put my money on that other Cuban, the handsome Marco Rubio to get the GOP nod, though. Oh and I’d be surprised it Trump doesn’t fall on his promise to the party, and run as an independent along with former New York mayor Bloomberg.
 Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. The democrats had a see-saw contest in Iowa with Hillary and Bernie almost equally balanced off. Except it wasn’t supposed to go that way. Iowa should have been a shoo-in for the capable and likeable Clinton, and would have been except for all the baggage she is carrying. No one can blame her for her flirtatious husband’s sexual addiction, and she might get a pass on voting for the Iraq invasion, but it’s her unimpressive record as Madam Secretary which is weighing her down.
And Bernie – God bless his 74 years as a socialist – he is creating quite a stir, especially among those spoiled millennials who need a good reason to vote. In fact Sanders’ impact on the younger crowd hasn’t been seen… since America elected its first black president. Well maybe that didn’t work as well as some of us had hoped, but Sanders like our own Trudeau, is a breath of fresh air in a country on a precipice.
 Marco Rubio The precipice – progress or regress. This is not the first time that Americans have faced that kind of choice in their outdated bi-cameral electoral system, with its archaic electoral college and independent state-managed voting systems, And as often as not they have made the poorer choice, as when they and the Supreme Court elected GW Bush and when Cruz’s hero Ronald Reagan won two back-to-back elections – which takes us back to Nicaragua.
The US has had a long history of helping Nicaragua discover democracy even as the Monroe Doctrine, defining the US role in Latin America, was evolving. In the mid 1800’s an American slavery promoter by the name of Walker, from the great state of Tennessee brought in an army on the pretence of supporting one side in a civil conflict. He was there anyway so decided to make himself president and revoke Nicaragua’s anti-slavery law, just to please his southern state-side supporters.
But all good things must come to an end and eventually the bordering states of Costa Rica, El Salvador and Honduras ganged up to defeat Walker, and with a little help from the Brits, he ended up before a Honduran firing squad. Then a half-century later the marines landed, and using the Roosevelt corollary hunkered down to ensure the US’s Panama would be the only canal in the continent. (Nicaragua had been an alternative route).
 Former American president Ronald Regan In the late 1970’s the Sandinista socialist hoard overran the corrupt dictator Samosa and Reagan’s CIA and Oliver North broke American and international laws, selling arms to Iran via Israel – as incredible as that sounds today. The money was used to train the ‘Contra’ militants to commit acts of terror and human rights violations against the Sandinistas. That included killing over 3000 people and mining the nation’s harbours.
The Nicaraguan government first took and won its case against the US in the International Court of Justice, where the court ordered the US to desist and pay reparations. Then armed with that judgement they went to the UN Security Council, only to be vetoed five times by the US. Eventually, brought before the UN General Assembly, a resolution was passed condemning this act of state sponsored terrorism.
Of course the US approach to Latin America has changed recently with the Obama administration turning the page on the Monroe Doctrine – or as some have observed, returning to it’s original intent. As for Ronald Reagan, the world would be a better place had he stuck to his career as a mediocre actor.
 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 where he ran as a Liberal against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province. Rivers has taken a break to complete his second book – he does dabble in local politics.
Background links:
William Walker ICC Ruling Contra Affair
Sandinistas Monroe Doctrine Terrorism
By Walter Byj
February 3rd, 2016
BURLINGTON. ON
“Most of the information they need is in the palm of their hand” said Director of Education Stuart Miller “as he held up his blackberry. This was the beginning of his respon as we when asked for a bird’s eye view of the evolution of education.
The teacher is no longer the holder of knowledge he said as the technology explosion has provided information just a few finger inputs away. The teachers role is changing as they transition from imparting information to becoming coaches helping students be critical thinkers of information that is available 24/7.
 Director of Education Stuart Miller chats with Dave Hammel at the Fist Robotics conference recently. He said the nature of the workplace is changing daily with many of the current jobs not existing three years ago. Teachers have to teach today’s students to think through the information they are presented.
Where education was once insular, it is very much in the public domain he said. All facets of society from business, politicians and families need to pool and be involved in educating our kids. Referencing his past as a science teacher, he said biodiversity is key as we approach education.
So how will Director Miller lead the Halton District School Board?
He views the Halton board as a leader of education in Ontario. Although a resident of Toronto, Miller has strong roots in Halton; he has spent the majority of his career in Halton starting as a teacher in 1984 and climbing the ladder through a number of promotions to this current position. This is home away from home.
 Joey Edwardh, executive director of Community development Halton networks with Miller outside city hall. He feels that we have great teachers in Halton and his role is to encourage and stay out of their way. He is not a micro manager.
As a strong communicator, Miller is not only in giving out information, but getting input from the public. He understands that people have busy lives and only when things go negative does the public get involved. That is not good enough he said.
The public needs to know more and be able to easily access what is happening in Halton. We need to reach out not only to parents, but those citizens that no longer have children in the school system. They too have a lot to offer in the educational process. And don’t forget the kids he said, they too can have valuable input.
Though initiated by his predecessor, work continues on the board’s website. He said the site needs to flow more easily so that anyone can easily reference information.
Though not having taught for a number of years, visiting all schools within Halton is an ongoing goal to keep in touch with the classroom. Miller remembers many of his students on a first name basis – those the Gazette talked with love the man.
Many students remember him, a sign of a good teacher.
When asked how much he should keep in touch with the municipalities within Halton, he was a bit cautious as councils tend to be somewhat politicized and that is not his role. However, municipalities and the board should be in close communication on a number of matters and at this time that is missing.
 Stuart Miller makes a point at getting out to the schools as often as he can – he frequently lunches at Robert Bateman. A strong advocate of students speaking more than one language, he reflects fondly on the European model where students speak two to three languages.
And language is one issue on which he and the board will be spending much time.
The French Immersion program within Halton is experiencing extreme growing pains. The large uptake in French Immersion is resulting in small classroom sizes in the English program. In addition, French language teachers are hard to find. This will be the first major test of the director and the board seeking public input into solving this dilemma.
The public hasn’t been nearly as forthcoming as he had hoped. “We need to hear what they think before we make major decisions. Miller wants a community where parents, the commercial community and the students to share insights and the ideas that will keep the Halton board in the number one position he thinks it holds.
They will continue to reach out to the public for their input as they seek an equitable solution. As Miller stated, the solution will require input of all stakeholders, not just the board.
Having a more robust “active transportation “is also key to having a well rounded student he said. We want students to be safe when going to and from school, but studies have shown that some sort of physical activity in the morning leads to a better rounded student.
When asked why the board chose him over other candidates, he replied: “I told them who he was and what I represented. I did not try to guess what they wanted to hear.”
Combined with his most recent experience as Associate Director of Education the trustees obviously liked his message and now it will be his role to prove them right.
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