News « Burlington Gazette - Local News, Politics, Community

Forty hours a week - walking back and forth - to promote an oil change operation - that is blocks away from a national franchise in the same business.

By Staff

November 16th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

How many people have seen the man trudging along Guelph Line between Palmer Drive and Mainway carrying a sign and wearing a costume?

Who is he – why does he do this?

Captain Crazy Pants – selling an oil change service.

He is Captain Crazy Pants, a performer who walks for 40 hours a week and is paid by Pro Oil Change, a company in the business of changing the oil in your car.

He doesn’t identify himself but they eyes behind the mask are those of a younger man who speaks well and is committed to what he does.

40 hours a week – walking up and down a busy street is commitment.

They are tucked in behind the Husky gas station on Mt Forest and while they have a sign it is hard to see from Guelph Line – so Captain Crazy Pants trudges up and down Guelph Line wearing the sign that promotes the location.

The oil changing bays are tucked in behind all the trees. A couple of blocks south there is a national oil change franchise beside a different gas station. Competition at its best. The little guy gets innovate and holds his share of the market.

He says the work he does keeps his boss in business,

When not “walking the line” Captain Crazy Pants has done impersonations of Captain America, Spiderman and Batman.

Another bank level scam - be vigilant and remember - if in doubt - don't!

By Staff

November 15th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

If you were a TD Bank customer and your company used wire transfers to move funds – the message set out below might be one that you would look into by click on the pdf document that was attached.

You would pay dearly for that mistake.

At TD Commercial Banking, we are committed to helping you move your business forward.

To efficiently process incoming funds via wire transfer to your TD account(s), you must review the document attached so we can process it for you.

All incoming wire transfers will be debited $17.50. Other fees may be applied by the issuing financial institution and intermediary banks.

TD is committed to your business

Trust your business banking with TD

Don’t believe a word of it – if your bank want to communicate with you – they will not do it with an email message.

Is there a way to make what many feel is a minus into a plus for the city?

By Pepper Parr

November 15, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

The decision has been made.

The condominium that is to be built on the corner of Brant and James Street is to rise up to 23 storeys.

How many parking spaces, the number of elevators, how many, if any, affordable units – all that will get worked out in the months and weeks ahead.

We now know that the land assembly of the block to the south is all but complete – just the jewellery store to be acquired.

What we heard however is that the block to the south – the one that was once the Elizabeth Interiors operation – is going to be limited to 17 stories – a limit that is set out in the Downtown Core Mobility Hub that isn’t cast in stone yet.

That could be both a mistake and a missed opportunity.

We have yet to hear much in the way of negative comment on city hall as a structure. It gets referred to as “iconic” and the city planner likes the building.

Given that we are going to have high rise buildings can we not make the best of it. If the city hall is really “iconic” (I’ve yet to be convinced) then feature it.

While Burlingtonians hate Toronto being made a reference point – bear with me.

When you drive up University Avenue from Front Street and approach Adelaide there are two towers (Toronto type towers) on either side of the street. Both are Sun Life Assurance buildings meant to frame University as you go north.

Set aside that the two buildings on either side of University Avenue in Toronto loom over the street – it’s Toronto. Note the way they frame the street.

The photograph we have dropped in isn’t all that good but it makes the point. It is possible to have buildings in place that serve as a frame to what lies beyond.

Now come back to Burlington and place yourself on James Street a block or two along the street and look towards city hall.

James Street looking west to Brant Street.

The current Carriage Gate building, on the right in the photograph, which is going to be turned into a 23 story tower. That is a done deal.

The property on the left, now the vacated Elizabeth Interiors store will fall within the rules that are going to govern the development limits for the Downtown Mobility Hub.

There is an opportunity here.

Someone with initiative and a desire to see something significant come out of the decision that has been made could pick up an idea like this and make a difference.

Why not work with Carriage Gate and Revenue Properties (the people who are assembling the block south of Brant and James) and build a better city.

Look for a design that is as close as possible to identical in design and have them rise to the same height. Same set back from the side walk; same trees, same patio set up, same sidewalk furniture.

The public art set outside each building would complement each other.

That is something that people could be proud of and perhaps change the way downtowners look upon their city. For those who need the quaint and historical the Queen’s Head and the old Russel Hotel will still be there.

Can the 421 project be more than just the first high rise tower in the downtown core?

Look at the Sun life building on University.

All this assumes that those opposed to the Carriage Gate building don’t take their beef to the OMB.

Plan B - a citizens group wants major input into the design of the Waterfront Hotel re-development. They don't want to see the waterfront getting treated the way they think Brant Street has been treated.

By Pepper Parr

November 15, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

Well – we now know that there are going to be high rise – 23 floors plus – in the downtown core. That got decided at a defining city council meeting on Monday evening.

Ten years from now the city will look a lot different.

There is one development issue that could be even more critical to the development of the city, the look and feel of the downtown core.

The Waterfront Hotel as we know it today is on the left – the red patch of excavation on the right is where the Bridgewater is being built.

The city planners are currently working their way through a study of the re-development of the Waterfront Hotel property.

When the owner of the Waterfront hotel, Darko Vranich let the city know that he wanted to increase the density and add some height to the land there was an agreement struck that the city would hire people to come up with some design ideas. Three teams of designer/thinkers were to be assembled; two would work with the city – a third would work with the developer. And the developer would pay for all three studies.

A group of citizens have decided they are going to insert themselves into the process in a significant way. Several of the group live in the Lakeshore condos and they don’t want to see their part of the city go to the dogs.

No petitions from these people. They are hard core and they have done their homework and are putting ideas on the table.

The starting point.

The site that is being re-developed is shown in dark blue – with a rendering of what the Bridgewater development will look like relative to the Waterfront Hotel.

The city has taken the public through an intensive community engagement process – all the meetings took place in the downtown area – what the people in Headon, the Orchard, Palmer and Alton think about what happens to the Waterfront Hotel property isn’t being recorded.

After a number of sessions where ideas were set out as sketched and then produced as rough models and made public.

The process started with three possible designs put forward: Two came from the city planning department and a third from the developer.

The Plan B people were not impressed – they came out with an idea of their own while the city produced what they called an “emerging concept”.

Let’s see what these all look like.

The early design concepts:

This is the first concept that came out of the Planning department. It shifts the focal point of the site from Brant Street to John Street.

This is the second concept that came out of the Planning department. It keeps Brant Street as the main road into the property but moves the towers to the eastern side of the property. Twenty and 30 floors was a surprise.

This is the design that was submitted by the property owner. It uses John Street as the entrance to the eastern end of Spencer Smith Park. The massing is to the east and west of the property. The suggestion that 40 storeys was acceptable has made many people gulp.

What the Planning department made of the three concepts.

The Planning department took the three concepts and what they liked from all the designs that came out of the community workshops and have given the public what is being called Planning Department’s Emerging Preferred Concept. The concept doesn’t suggest any building heights. The concept does make both Brant and John Street entrances. to the Park.

Not so fast say the Plan B people – more public space please and lower your sights on the height while you are at it.

The Plan B people saw it all quite a bit differently. They wanted far more space at the foot of Brant street and have the Pier show cased .

All this goes to a city meeting on November 28th.

There is an opportunity to do something spectacular – but it is going to take a city council that decides not to make the mistake made in 1995 when what is now the Bridgewater development decision was made.

What is interesting is the way many of the Waterfront Hotel re-development designs snuggle up to what is going to be the Marriott Hotel and the seven story condo at the foot of Elizabeth Street.

There are a lot of people who want to keep the quiet quaint feel of the downtown core. There isn’t going to be anything quaint about the waterfront five to six years from now. It could end up being very smart looking, swift, hip and cool. But getting to that point will be a painful process.

Related new stories:

Part 1 of a multi part series.

Councillor Taylor now in save the waterfront views mode - he wasn't there in 2015 when it really counted.

By Pepper Parr

November 14th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

Ward 3 Councillor John Taylor was Ok with a 23 storey tower opposite city hall. His focus was on saving the waterfront view.

He called it the view the jewel of the city.

“The lake is the prize” he said, “we have to protect that view.”

Market-Lakeshore-foot-of-St-Paul-looking-west3-1024x682

What a view. Councillor Taylor, along with the other members of Council except Meed Ward, voted to sell it to private interests.

Taylor needs to be reminded of the position he took in 2015 when he voted to sell lakeside land to property owners whose homes abutted land the city owned.

There were several small parcels of land owned by the city and the provincial government.

A staff report on what was to be done with property that was referred to as “windows to the lake”.
The Staff report set out three choices: Do nothing, lease the land or sell it.

Market-water-street-lots-Ziegler-drawing

The graphic tells the story. The city owned the land inside the red boundary line. Three property owners had land that abutted the city property. The city sold the land they owned for peanuts. Taylor voted for the sale of that “prize”.

Residents whose property abutted the land saw an opportunity and moved quickly to make an offer. The succeeded in convincing the city to sell them the land and today those property owners have a superb view over the lake and no longer have to put up with the public walking past the edge of their property.

Councillor Taylor – protecting those waterfront views.

During that debate Councillor Taylor grumbled about creating new parkland saying that there was a public park less than a block away. And indeed there was a public park – Port Nelson Park – a small patch of land that has a very good view of the lake.

Taylor said at the time that the public didn’t need anymore parkland in that part of the city.

Taylor was quite right – the “lake is the prize” – then why did he go along with selling lakefront property to private interests in 2015?

We will never know – and that magnificent stretch of land will never be in the hands of the public again.

Indeed the lake is the prize.

Mayor tells city council audience that booing and applause are not permitted - then presents a proclamation to a citizen while everyone applauds.

By Pepper Parr

November 14th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

At the start of each city council meeting the Mayor reads out a notice explaining to people what to do in the event of an emergency.

On occasion he explains to the public sitting in the gallery that they are not to engage in any form of demonstration.

At one point in the Monday evening meeting at which a particularly devise issue was being debated he told the audience there was to be no booing, no hissing and no laughing.

At the beginning of the Council meeting the Mayor took a few minutes to present proclamations to people.

The Mayor reading out and then presenting a proclamation to a representative from Diabetes Canada. Applause followed.

As he handed over the proclamation to the representative from Diabetes Canada and then moved beside the woman for the photo ops that he so thoroughly enjoys the audience broke into applause.

Not a word from the Mayor on what is allowed and what is allowed and not allowed to do in the Council chamber.

The hypocrisy, the audacity – the plain cheek of the man. He diminishes the office he holds and comes across as a bit of a fool.

Dennison dismissive towards citizen presenting petition to city council.

By Pepper Parr

November 14th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

Has there ever been a citizen petition that Councillor Jack Dennison thought had some merit?

He certainly didn’t have much time for the petition Joanne Arnold presented to city council last night when the decision to approve the bylaw necessary to allow the developer to proceed with the next step as being debated.

Ward 4 Councillor Jack Dennison always has an eye open for an economic opportunity - sees a great one for the city: sell the golf course.

Ward 4 Councillor Jack Dennison – not a fan of citizen petitions.

We have yet to see Councillor Dennison ever accept a petition at face value. He consistently challenges the contents of a petition – last night he asked Ms Arnold if she could verify the 144 names that were on the petition – she could not.

“Were they all from Burlington” Dennison asked. Ms Arnold said that some of the people who responded may have been out of the country and responded from wherever they were.

Dennison managed to discredit what the delegator believed was a demonstration of commitment.

He was having none of it.

So much for encouraging people to express their views. It will be sometime before Joanne Arnold chooses to appear before city council

Meed Ward leaves the city council meeting with her head held high - bloodied but not bowed.

By Pepper Parr

November 14th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

She did what she always does – hammers away at the point she wants to make.

If there is going to be any grass near the now approved 23 storey condominium the city is going to have to lay sod in the Civic Square.

During the lengthy city council meeting Monday evening Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward asked each of the delegations what they thought was an appropriate height for the condominium tower that has been proposed for the north east corner of Brant and John Streets – across the street from city hall.

Meed Ward knew what the answers were going to be – there wasn’t a single delegation that was for the 23 storeys that were recommended by the Planning department. The developer had asked for 27 storeys.

Councillor Shar,man with his back to the camera debates with Councillor Meed Ward during Strategy Planning sessions. Both are strong contributors to Council and Committee meetings

Councillor Sharman with his back to the camera debates with Councillor Meed Ward during Strategy Planning sessions. She doesn’t back away from a difference of opinion. Neither does he.

Meed Ward has always been opposed to height in the downtown core. She has a following and represents the views and feelings for the city that many want to retain.

The Mayor sort of shares her view – he just isn’t as good as she is at making her point and sticking to it.

Meed Ward is the only member of Council who consistently asks questions of delegations and staff.

She’s not shy about saying she doesn’t understand something. She sees her role as that of getting the answers she needs and doing the same for her constituents.

Monday evening was a disappointing night for Marianne Meed Ward on several levels – she didn’t make as much as a dent in the position four of the members of council had taken.

She is never going to get a change of mind or a change of heart from Councillors Craven or Sharman.

Councillors Meed Ward and Lancaster pose with five members of the Friends of Freeman Station.

She will get a smidgen of acknowledgement from Dennison. She and Councillor Lancaster have never been close – except for the exceptional work the two of them did in saving the Freeman station.

Meed Ward sits beside Councillor Taylor – if anyone was going to side with her philosophically it would have been Taylor – he didn’t budge.

So – what does Meed Ward take away from the decision? She certainly keeps her followers happy – are there enough of them to elect her as Mayor in the October 2018 election?

If Burlington is going to elect Meed Ward as Mayor they want to ensure that they elect people who share some of her views – or this city will face four years of political grid lock.

Board of Education is looking for people to help with the high school closing process while parents hope that the Administrative Review will result in a reversal of the decision.

News 100 blue By Staff

November 14th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

Sounds like rubbing the salt into the wound.

The Board of Education sent out a media release asking Lester B. Pearson high parents if they might be interested in serving on a sub-committee to prepare for the school’s closing in June 2018.

They have until December 1st to send in an Expression of Interest Submission form.

On the same day a group of parents from the school were told by the Board that Patrick Brown, Leader of the Ontario Opposition could not tour the schools.

Rory Nisan and George Ward trading contact information – both have been active in efforts to keep their school open.

In their media release the Board said the Lester B. Pearson High School’s Integration Committee is seeking subcommittee members and volunteers to form two subcommittees in preparation of the school’s closing in June 2018. Members of the subcommittees can be students, staff, parents, alumni or community members.

The first subcommittee is being created to assist in the identification, gathering and cataloguing of Lester B. Pearson High School artifacts and the development of a plan to honour memorabilia. Members of the second subcommittee will assist in the planning of closing ceremonies and community activities.

Where will the school’s memorabilia go?

Tasks of subcommittee members and volunteers include, but are not limited to:

• Creating an inventory of artifacts and memorabilia items (e.g. banners, graduate composites, awards, etc.)
• Designing and dedicating space to display memorabilia in the community
• Liaising with the Burlington Historical Society and Burlington museums
• Development and planning of closing ceremonies and activities
• Developing a communication strategy and timelines

“Honouring artifacts and memorabilia from Lester B. Pearson High School and celebrating the history of the school is a priority for the Integration Committee, as well as current and former students and staff,” says Terri Blackwell, Superintendent of Education for the Halton District School Board.

If you are interested in this opportunity, as a subcommittee member or volunteer, please complete the Expression of Interest form The form will be available until Friday, December 1, 2017. The subcommittees will be formed prior to the first meeting on December 14, 2017.

Bateman and Pearson high school parents are hoping that Margaret Wilson, the Facilitator doing an Administrative Review of the Board decision to close the schools will recommend that the PAR process be done a second time.

Parents at the two high schools scheduled to close are hanging their hopes for a change in the decision on the Administrative Review of the process the Board used to close the school.

It is a stretch – but Administrative Reviews have in the past sent a decision back to a school board and required them to do the Program Accommodation Review a second time.

The problem with this “hope” is that it all goes back to the elected trustees that made the decision to close the schools.

That’s the level at which a change has to be made.

School board says no no to parent request to have the Ontario Leader of the Opposition pay a visit to a school threatened with closure.

By Staff

November 14, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

The Halton District School Board has denied a request to have Progressive Conservative Education Critic and party leader MPP Patrick Brown visit two Burlington High Schools.

Representatives from Robert Bateman and Lester B. Pearson Parent Councils submitted requests to have Brown visit their schools as part of their efforts to highlight the critical roles their schools play in the community.

The denial came from HDSB representative Marnie Denton who told the groups that “there aren’t to be school tours by politicians at this time.” When asked whether this was a Board staff or Trustee decision, Ms Denton provided a three word response “Board staff decision”. No other reasons for the denial of the request were provided despite several requests.

Tony Brecknock

Tony Brecknock, a member of the Pearson Parent Council said “denying a visit to the school – any visit by a very important member of our political system and society – is failing both the students of Pearson and Bateman and the community as a whole.”

Brecknock adds that the Board seems “afraid of the exposure but this is unacceptable in a transparent, democratic society.”
Both Robert Bateman High School and Pearson High School are slated for closure following the HDSB’s Program Accommodation Review (PAR) conducted earlier this year. Committees working to save both schools were successful in their requests to the Ministry of Education for Administrative Reviews – one of the only mechanisms available for communities to fight school closures. Last month, Margaret Wilson was appointed Facilitator for the Reviews currently underway.

Bateman parents and students demonstrating to keep their school open.

Deb Wakem who is a Bateman parent and a member of that Parent Council says that “if the school board is to learn from their mistakes and improve a process which has massive ramifications on the community and our children we need to work together – politicians, the school board, community – to ensure we have the best process in place.

Wakem also suggests that “by not allowing Patrick Brown to visit these amazing schools, the HDSB is merely hiding from responsibility, accountability and transparency.”

Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward with Ontario Leader of the Opposition Patrick Brown at a Queen’s Park rally.

Patrick Brown, the leader of the provincial PC party has been an outspoken critic of the Liberal government’s record of school closures in Ontario and called for a moratorium on such closures in early 2017 well ahead of the government’s current moratorium. As part of the PC’s Recommended Policy Resolutions currently being considered by their members, the party is recommending “an immediate moratorium on school closures and an immediate review of any schools that are slated to close.”

Community group brings Sarah Harmer back to her home town to once again protect the environment.

By Staff

November 14, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

They are bringing in the big guns.

Sarah Harmer, will speak at the Tyandaga Environmental Coalition public meeting.

Juno award winning singer, songwriter and conservation activist, Sarah Harmer, will speak at the Tyandaga Environmental Coalition public meeting on November 16, 2017 in Burlington, Ontario.

Harmer will join a group of environmental experts and advocates to raise public awareness of the scheduled deforestation of northwest Burlington by Meridian Brick.

An estimated 9,000 trees are scheduled to be clear cut for an urban quarry that mines shale for brick production. The threatened area contains about 35 acres prime forest, habitat to a number of at-risk and endangered species, including an endangered Jefferson dependant unisexual salamander that was discovered in the spring.

Meridian Brick is expanding its quarry under an aggregate license that was issued in 1972. The proposed quarry expansion would now come as close as 35m to homes in the Tyandaga neighborhood, threatening the health and well-being of the community.

PERL took years and a lot of local fund raising to get to the point where a Joint Tribunal ruled that the application for a quarry expansion was to be denied because of the endangered species on the property. The upper orange outline is the existing quarry – the lower outline is where the expansion was to take place.

Sarah Harmer co-founder of the conservation organization PERL (Protect Escarpment Rural Land) that helped stop an 82-hectare aggregate quarry on the Niagara Escarpment at Mt. Nemo north of Burlington. She continues to raise awareness of the environmental impact of aggregate mining.

Harmer will join a list of environmental experts that includes Gord Miller, former Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, David Donnelly, environmental lawyer and former Director of the Canadian Environmental Defense, Dr. Lynda Lukasik, environmental advocate for sustainable community development and the Executive Director at Environment Hamilton, and Roger Goulet, Executive Director for PERL.

The Tyandaga Environmental Coalition (TEC) is a group of concerned citizens fighting to save Burlington’s greenspace and protect the health and wellbeing of the city’s residents. Once a small group of like-minded-neighbors that came together when quarry expansion was announced, the environmental coalition now has nearly 3,000 supporters that are helping to petition the Honourable Kathryn McGarry (Ontario Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry) and the Honourable Chris Ballard (Ontario Minister of the Environment and Climate Change).

The west and centre quarries are nearing the end of life and the company wants to now quarry in the eatern section that is metres away from private homes.

TEC is requesting that the proposed urban quarry extension have an immediate independent evaluation of the impact on the community based on the current demography and updated environmental and health standards. Also needed are further studies of how clear cutting an estimated 35 acres of forested habitat will affect endangered species. These studies need to be viewed from the perspective of current environmental law.

The meeting will be held on November16, 2017, 7:00 pm at the Crossroads Centre located at 1295 North Service Road, Burlington

Italian exchange student tries to teach Burlington family how to make pizza. They teach him how to water ski and learn to skate

By Pepper Parr

November 13th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

Marcello Beltrami

Marcello Beltrami is a 17 year old Italian student in Burlington as part of a Rotary International student exchange. He will be staying with four different families during his yearlong visit.

He is with Tom and Margaret Hayes for the first three months. Exchange students are nothing new to the Hayes household – they have had students from France, Thailand, Brazil and Peru.

Tom and Margaret are basically empty nesters – he is a mechanical engineer she is an accountant.

Marcello is a student at Assumption high school where he takes English as a second language classes and is also taking classes in biology. His student bent seems to be in the sciences.

When student exchange interviews take place – everyone is on their best behavior – the situation is always perfect – never any problems.

Tom Hayes, Marcello, Margaret Hayes and the family dog

In the Hayes household – that’s actually the way it was. The dog barked and sniffed where you didn’t want him to sniff. The cat had that insouciance that only cats and very attractive women manage to pull off.

And Marcello giggled while telling me about how he was teaching Tom to make pizza. In Burlington pizza is something we order in – Marcello is Italian and he assumed that everyone makes the pizza from scratch.
Marcello wasn’t a guest – he was a member of the family and you could feel it as the conversation bumped from Tom, to Marcello and then on to Margaret.

What did Marcello know about Canada before he got here: that we are known for Maple Syrup and that it gets cold – very cold.

Home in Italy is in Cremona – in the southern part of Italy. His Mom is an English teacher and with Skype on his computer he can be in touch with his parents whenever he wants.

The Hayes are doing a superb job of ensuring that Marcello gets out and learns about the country. He had the traditional pea meal bacon sandwich at the St. Lawrence Market, got to Montreal to watch the Canadiens play Detroit; the Hayes household is part of that tribe that still believes the Maple Leafs will win a Stanley Cup – soon. Marcello was oblivious to that tribal trait.

On a trip to Little Italy Marcello met a woman from Calabria, Italy and immediately fell into a conversation about where he was from and what he was doing in Canada.

During the summer the family took Marcello to the lake and gave him a chance to try water skiing – “He got up the first time” said Tom. Skating is next for the Italian.

What is Marcello allowed to do? His behaviour is guided by what Rotarians describe as the five D’s.

Margaret Hayes explains the Rotary 5Ds

No driving
No drinking
No drugs
No dating
No dis figuration – tattoos, nose rings.

The last week of the yearlong experience is spent by all the International students on a two week tour of eastern Canada.

Margaret Hayes is a strong advocate for the International Student idea. She believes that the better we understand each other the more peaceful the world we live in will be. This she was disappointed when just three people in Burlington applied for the International experience and she isn’t quite sure why the number of applicants was so low.

Tom Hayes

Through the interview there was a lot of joshing and kidding back and forth. Marcello will move on to the next family he will spend three months with – Tom is going to miss that young man.

Marcello speaks to the Lakeshore Rotary Club at lunch on Tuesday.

Elgin Street closed, Locust Street to Blathwayte Lane, Nov. 14 - 15, 2017

By Staff

November 13th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

Elgin Street between Locust Street and Blathwayte Lane will be closed on November 14 and 15, 2017 from 7:00 am to 7:00 p.m. for excavation work.

Signs and barricades will be up.

The Saxony development has had excavation problems related to water that wasn’t originally evident.

saxony-digging-shale-3rd-floor-parking-dec-2016

Excavation work at the Saxony development site.

Do public petitions make a difference? Are they worth the paper they are written on?

By Pepper Parr

November 13, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

Petitions!

Do they make a difference?

The 421 Brant development, approved by a city council Standing Committee, goes before city council for approval this evening.

Are they an accurate barometer of what the public in general is thinking or are they an opportunity for people who are opposed to something to show their opposition?

Do the politicians pay attention to petitions?

In many cases a petition is the only voice people have when they want to oppose something their government.
The current petition asking the city to stick to the current zoning for the northeast corner of Brant and James streets was put forward by Joanne and Kevin Arnold who said they created the petition to change something they cared about. 1384 people have added their name so far.

The people who are opposed to the New Street Road Diet have collected 2641 signatures as of January – that is the most recent number – appear to have signatures from the ward the bike lanes are in.

UPDATE: As of Nov 13th there are 3262 signatures, plus 500 signatures on a hard copy of the petition.

A number of years ago Councillor Marianne Meed Ward created a petition to oppose the sale of lake front property the city owned between Market and St. Paul Street – she got more than 2000 names on that petition. The property was still sold.

Those opposed to the now recommended development at Brant and James have the right to delegate before city council.

The city is faced with a serious problem – they are required to add significantly to the population of the city and there isn’t very much land on which to build new homes. They can’t build out – so they are going to build up. And they chose to recommend to council that a project that would have 23 storeys be approved. The 5-2 vote was pretty emphatic.

Are those opposed to the development – they say they are not opposed to height they just don’t want it built on property so close to the waterfront – wanting a Burlington that cannot be sustained?

Gary Scobie delegating before city council – he was one of the few that had anything to say about the development at a city Standing Committee early in November.

There were not very many public delegations speaking against the development when it was at the Standing Committee stage. The city manager spoke more forcefully for the project than any city manager has spoken in this reporter’s memory.

City councils are elected – put in office to serve the people. If the public is really, really, really opposed to this project have several hundred of the 1380 who signed the petition get off their couches and head for city hall and use their five minutes to demand that city council respect their wishes.

Something like THAT would have an impact.

The Gazette has published the delegation Tom Muir, an Aldershot resident will make to city Council this evening. A review of the comments about his delegation is worth a read – it gives a sense as to how the public feels about this issue.

An Open Letter from former Mayor Mary Munro to the current Mayor is also a solid insight on how this development proposal has been managed.

Salt with Pepper is an opinion column written by the publisher and sole share holder of the Burlington Gazette.

Regional police release Impaired Driving Offences Summary within Halton Region

Crime 100 By Staff

November 13th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

Police cruiser The Halton Regional Police Service remains committed to road safety through prevention, education and enforcement initiatives.

Members of the public are reminded that driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol is a crime in progress and to call 9-1-1 immediately to report a suspected impaired driver.

The Service’s Twitter and Facebook accounts should not be used for this purpose as they are not monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Please be reminded that all persons charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

On Thursday, November 9, 2017, after 2:30am, witnesses reported a suspected impaired driver in Milton and a traffic stop was initiated near Division Street and Spruce Boulevard in the Town of Halton Hills. Brennan Senos (52) of Halton Hills was charged with impaired operation of a motor vehicle and driving over 80mgs.

On Saturday, November 11, 2017, just after 12:30am, Halton Police officers investigated a collision involving a suspected impaired driver in Burlington. Police charged Meredith Read (42) of Oakville with impaired operation of a motor vehicle and impaired driving over 80mgs.

On Saturday, November 11, 2017, after 9:00pm, a traffic stop was initiated at Upper Middle Road and Headon Road in Burlington. As a result of an investigation, Matthew Henry (18) of Burlington was charged with impaired operation of a motor vehicle.

On Sunday, November 12, 2017, after 12:30am, witnesses reported a suspected impaired driver in Halton Hills and a traffic stop was initiated at Trafalgar Road and Princess Anne Boulevard. Anastasija Kondrasova (26) of Mississauga was charged with impaired operation of a motor vehicle and driving over 80mgs.

City developer given an award for service to condominium buyers.

By Staff

November 12th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

Carriage Gate was given an award at the annual Halton Hamilton Housing Builders Association (HHHBA) Gala dinner.

The award was to recognize the developer for working with HHHBA staff and Management on ongoing planning, development and housing construction initiatives in Burlington and their attention to the interests of home purchasers.

Carriage Gate has a development before city council Monday evening.

Whose city is it? Muir asks: Who do you represent? - You're not representing the citizens that elected you.

By Tom Muir

November 12th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

Tom Muir has been delegating to city council as long as the current members have been keeping those council seat warm. John Taylor has served the longest – close to 25 years. Muir is relentless. When he gets his teeth into a bone he just doesn’t let go.

The city is facing a point where it has to decide how it wants to grow and where that growth should take place,

The focus is on Brant Street at this point where a developer has assembled property and taken a proposal for a 27 story condominium to the city’s Planning and Development department where is was recommended but reduced to 23 storey’s. City Council’s Planning and Development committee approved the Staff recommendation on a vote of 5-2. Monday night it goes to city council where it will be approved, revised or nor approved. Here is what Muir thinks of the process so far.

Dear Councilors,
I provided written correspondence on this item to the P&D meeting of Nov. 1, but I was unable to attend that meeting personally.

At this stage in the process, with Committee approval, the conversation here is largely political. With this in mind, a quote credited to Councilor Meed Ward, summarizes accurately and succinctly a question I have been wondering about in terms of how I see this Council operating.

Whose city is it?

“Whose City is it?”

To which I must add from my own experience; Councilors, Who do you represent?

From the evidence that I have been easily able to gather, on this matter, you are, most of you, not representing the citizens that elected you. You appear to have been immunized against the opinions of your constituents.

It is their city, but you do not appear to be hearing them. They are telling you loud and clear that they don’t want these building heights/density, with the associated problems, and they want to know why you are not enforcing the existing laws.

I looked at several recent staff report sections containing public comments. Many of these comments were lengthy and reasoned.

421 Brant St. Neighborhood Meeting: 22 comments – 20 opposed 2 supportive, of which 1 was in the development business.

421 Brant St Statutory Meeting: Of 10 comments, with no exception, the original proposed height of 27 stories was unacceptable – not just a little bit, like 23 is okay, but it was a rejection. For representative examples you can see my P&D correspondence.

421 Brant St. P&D Meeting Nov. 1. There was 1 personal delegation opposed.

There were 3 letters of correspondence, of which 2 were opposed, and 1 offered support for redevelopment but wanted to see compliance with existing OP and bylaws.

So out of 36 public comments received, 33, or 92% are opposed.

And the city says the public is broadly consulted, and uses that claim to defend decisions that are clearly opposed by the public in these consultations.

So who is represented here, and whose city is it really?

Aldershot resident Tom Muir.

Going further in my findings of public comments on current proposals, let’s consider the Molinaro proposal for 22 (or 24?) stories on Brock St.

Molinaro Brock St. Neighborhood meeting: 9 are opposed, and none spoke in support.

Molinaro Statutory Meeting of Nov. 6/17: There were 4 personal delegations and all were opposed.

There were 13 additional written comments, 12 of which are opposed, and 1 was neither clearly opposed nor supportive, but had several issues and concerns.

So on the Molinaro proposal, there are 26 public expressions of comments, of which 0 speak in support, 1 is equivocal, and 25 are opposed. So basically 100% do not support the proposal.

We can go to the Waterfront, and see the same dominant opposition to the city planners and developer proposals. Or elsewhere, and let’s not forget the ADI Martha St. proposal.

Comments are often lengthy, and basically express the same issues and problems. Consistent concerns are always height, density, no respect for bylaw limits and creeping up proposal by proposal, staff traffic, congestion, parking assertions that are completely at odds with public comment and concern and reality even, and many others you can read.

And adding insult to injury, city and Council can’t wait to hear the residents comment on what they think of the new OP, bylaws, and Mobility Hub ideas before voting to go far beyond anything in those documents for this location.

The draft plan ideas are still just that – not vetted, not discussed or debated, and have no approval and are therefore not policy relevant or legal. Given this, the Committee approval here makes a farce out of the formal consultation to come before it even happens.

To me this erases all doubt that the city, planners, and Council don’t respect or really care to hear what the public thinks of these plans, and wants for what is their city.

Muir delegates and is an active participant at community meetings.

Instead of waiting, as is legitimate and appropriate, decisions are made to go over and above even the 17 story limit proposed, but not approved, for this site in the new Mobility Hub Precinct ideas.
The existing limit is 12, the proposed is 17, but the City Manager and his planners, want 23. And Committee voted 5 to 2 in favor

Is that how Council wants to be seen as representing the people? In a way that drives cynicism?

Some of you say “tall buildings are the future” and “citizens need to get over their concerns”. Well, “tall” buildings in Burlington are anything above 11 stories. So the present permissible of 12 is tall. And certainly the 17 proposed in the Mobility Hub Brant St Precinct is tall. So we are there already.

Consider that the draft 17 is about half way between the existing 12 allowed, and the 23 proposed, perhaps that would be a satisfactory compromise, a hair-splitting solution, to meet there, half-way.

There are other buildings nearby that are tall, so perhaps, in that context, the citizens “could get over their concerns” with this height, if they saw something of their wants being heard.

The people have spoken pretty loud and clear – note the almost 1300 (as of Sunday Nov. 12 at 5:00PM) who signed the petition opposing the proposal.

My ask is this. I read that the Mayor and Councillor Meed Ward, in voting against approval at Committee, suggested that 17 stories was something they could live with, since we seem to be going in that direction in the draft, but not approved plans.

Who do they represent?

So I ask one of them to move, and the other to second, a motion to debate modifying the proposal to 17 stories, and for Council to approve that modification, and send it to staff for appropriate action.

A petition that wants to have 1500 signatures has reached 1300 a day before city council meets to vote on the development for a 23 storey tower opposite city hall.

News 100 red By Staff

November 12th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

The seven members of city council, sitting as members of the Planning and Development Standing Committee, voted to send the proposal to city council for approval.

A petition has been created for those who want to oppose the Planning and Development committee approved development.

Five of the seven council members recommended that a revised development proposal go to city council where it has to be approved if it is to go forward.

Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward and the Mayor opposed the development. Those two are expected to run for the office of Mayor in 2018.

The people who started the petition are looking for 1500 signatures – at this point they have more than 1300. Petition

Meed Ward with Mayor Goldring: she is more comfortable with herself as a speaker.

Marianne Meed Ward with the Mayor.

City council meets Monday evening at 6:30 where approval of the Standing Committee will be debated. A number of delegations are registered to speak for five minutes each.

To sign the position CLICK here.

War is hell - art is used to convey just how dark a hole that hell is.

eventsblue 100x100 By Staff

November 11th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

The art of war – that statement can be taken several ways.

It could be the methods used to kill people when we are at war. Goodness knows we have read more than enough about just how inhuman we can be.

Art has also been the form we use to show the horror of war.

Dave Barry used art to talk about what war at a presentation he made at the Teresa Seaton Gallery on NAME Saturday afternoon.

Using a very impressive collection of pictures Barry took his audience through

Using the dictum that a picture is worth a thousand words we are going to let the art tell the story. There were 97 pictures used in the presentation.

This feature shows just a portion of the presentation.