 By Staff
July 9th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
The Write Here. Write Now contest received an incredible number of entries this year—they doubled last year’s total! The creators ranged in age from 10 all the way up to 93.
The Gazette is publishing the two winners in the short story 18+ category. The first is below, the other will follow later in the week.
The winners in each category are:
Poetry
10-12: Kayla Gareau, Dream experts, Dream catchers, Dream chasers
13-17: Griffin Dekker, Beginning of an End
18+: Denny Williams, Reflections on pet ownership
Short Stories
10-12: Avery Parkes, Ali in Winterland
13-17: Mia Greene, Nefelibata
18+: Jennifer Filipowicz, The Swan and Gregory Blount, Cooper Falls
Comics
10-12: Brody Hanks, Muffinhead and Bagel-Brain
13-17: Ali Thompson, The Duck
18+: Dominique Bowler-Brown, Elephant Bones
Gregory Blount proves to be imaginative and quite a story teller.
Well worth a read.
Chief Librarian Lita Barrie explained that two of the short stories were so good they decided to make both winners.
The were certainly right. The story reminds me of Stephen Leacock’s Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town
Enjoy
It was a sunny June day. Russell Stewart and I were cutting through Memorial Park on our way home from the falls. As usual, I wasn’t feeling very sunny myself. There were two spots up at the river where a kid could test their courage, Chicken Run and Dead Man’s Bluff. Chicken Run was about ten feet over the water, and Dead Man’s Bluff, at the top of the falls, was about twenty-five feet high. Russell, a freckle faced redhead, wasn’t the only boy in town brave enough to run right off Dead Man’s Bluff, but he was the only one who could do it blindfolded. I, on the other hand, had never progressed past Chicken Run with my eyes wide open. I would sometimes crawl out along the slippery rocks of Dead Man’s Bluff, but one look into that dark green water far, far below with the roar of the falls drowning out all other sounds and I would start shaking so bad I’d have to crawl right back away from the edge. Russell was always pushing me to try things. Life was easy for him and he saw no good reason why it shouldn’t be easy for me too. We were opposites, but we were also best friends.
On our way home we passed the old cannon near the gazebo in the centre of Memorial park.
Russell stopped and made an announcement, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, for our final performance this afternoon we proudly present Sam Cooper, the Human Cannonball! He will astound you with his amazing 500-foot flight into this glass of water.’ He held out a pretend glass of water. ‘Sam, do you have any last words?’
‘Russell, this is silly, come on?’
‘Come on yourself! Need I remind you this is not Dead Man’s Bluff, Sam. Do you have any last words?’
I knew when I was beat and announced, ‘I would like to dedicate this feat to Mary-Anne McCovey the prettiest girl in the universe!’
Russell and I both had a major crush on Mary-Anne McCovey.
‘Dream on,’ said Russell, ‘and now observe ladies and gentlemen as the fearless Human Cannonball enters the cannon. Get in the cannon Sam.’
‘Come on Russell.’
‘Come on yourself Sam! Need I remind you that … ‘
‘ … this is not Dead Man’s Bluff,’ I finished. Okay.’
And I lowered myself into the cannon feet first.
And Russell pulled the lever.
Now one fact that neither of us was aware of at the time was that the park caretaker, Elroy Stubbs, had made no mistakes in his job these 25 years. Two days earlier, he was loading that very cannon for a 21-gun salute for Flag Day. Elroy carefully placed the charges in the cannon, ‘1, 2, 3,’ he counted; I want you to remember that last number, 3.
At that very moment, the Mayor of Cooper Falls, a round and soft young man by the name of Junior Follows (who incidentally was up for re-election that year) ceremoniously marched out to the cannon where Elroy was working to present him with his Error-Free Certificate.
“Elroy Stubbs,” the Mayor interrupted, “For 25 years of error-free service I hereby present you with this lovely certificate. I hope I can count on your vote, Elroy.” Whereupon, he handed the certificate over to the astonished Elroy, shook his hand and marched back to City Hall.
Elroy folded up the certificate, shoved it into his pocket, spit, and with a puzzled look on his face, resumed loading the cannon, ‘3, 4, 5, 6,’ etcetera.
The upshot of this was that after the ceremony was over, there was still one charge left in the cannon. And as I climbed in, and Russell pulled the lever to “pretend” fire the cannon there was an ear-shattering … BOOM!
Several things happened very quickly at this point. The dinner plate sized circle of blue sky that I was looking at out the end of the cannon was instantly replaced by a scenic view of Cooper Falls from about 300 feet up. My body was going quite a bit faster than my brain at this point. In fact my brain was still trying to work out how I could be seeing all this from inside a cannon.
As my body exited the muzzle of the cannon there was a loud THWACK as my clothing exploded. Singed articles of clothing drifted to the ground not more than ten feet from the end of the cannon, shirt, socks, sneakers, bathing suit.
Deafened, Russell froze on the spot with his hand on the lever, his mouth hanging open, and his red hair standing straight up. Then he looked into the barrel and saw nothing but a bit of smoke. He must have thought the clothes were all that was left of me. Then he high-tailed it, screaming, across the park to the police station where he commenced to blubbering something about shooting his friend. When it was obvious no one there understood a word he was saying, he grabbed one of the deputies, and with superhuman strength carried him kicking and screaming into the park.
By an extraordinary coincidence, three blocks away, the beautiful Mary-Anne McCovey was having a pool party. There were a dozen girls from our class sitting along the edge of her pool with their hands carefully placed on their thighs and stomachs, and so on, marking the furthest splash up to that point in the cannonball contest. Mary-Anne McCovey was standing on the diving board about to take her turn.
At about 500 feet, I felt a queasy sense of weightlessness. Time itself seemed to slow down. I began to fall.
That was when I learned something about myself that I hold dear to this very day. I did not scream hysterically, and my life did not pass before my eyes. The screamers and those whose lives pass before their eyes do not often survive the predicaments they are in. It is the people who spend this short time planning who, on occasion, survive. I found out that I was a planner.
I looked down and saw a tiny rectangle of blue in front of me. Could it possibly be a swimming pool? And could it possibly be directly in line with the cannon in Memorial Park? Was there any chance that I might land in a swimming pool? I began to move my body as I had seen stunt men in the movie serials do, head down, feet up, slow tumble to land flat on my back.
But as I picked up speed, I realized that even if I was lucky enough to land in water, I had better not land flat on my back so at the last moment brought my knees up and held them in my arms … SPLOOSH!”
The resulting splash blew all twelve girls flat against the fence, and Mary-Anne who you will recall was on the diving board at the time found herself looking down from her neighbour’s roof. I couldn’t climb out of the pool on account of the new water level, and had to be rescued by Mary-Anne McCovey and her friends, which they did shortly after they rescued Mary-Anne from her neighbour’s roof. I would have been out quite a bit quicker if the girls had been able to control their laughter.
Around this time, the town’s three deputies were dragging Russell to jail for his own protection. And old Abraham Johansen, a farmer on the outskirts of town, who had been scanning the horizon and wishing for rain for more than five weeks, was burning his copy of the Farmer’s Almanac. He thought he heard thunder, and ventured out onto his porch. Several drops of water splashed his face. He looked up at the clear blue sky, and grumbled, ‘Very funny.’
I won the cannonball contest, although the girl who was ahead at that point challenged it briefly on a technicality, and for several weeks my rear end swelled up to four times its usual size.
You see, in the end, that trip to the falls changed Russell and me forever. About a month later I went up to the falls and easily leaped off of Dead Man’s Bluff.
Russell was never the same again. Although we remained friends, he never again went near the cannon in Memorial Park. He never even went near the park if he could avoid it. However every now and then down at the gas station where he works, a car backfires, and he loses about a week of his lifespan.
I was fortunate enough to marry Mary-Anne McCovey, and periodically, whenever I get too serious about things, she’s kind enough to lean up close and whisper into my ear …BOOM!
“Oh yeah, and Elroy Stubbs had to return his certificate to the Mayor
 By Pepper Parr
July 9th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
The decision on the part of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce to mention the politicians who took part in the Scholarship Breakfast and neglect to name and recognize the students has resonated with a number of organizations that create scholarships for students.
A member of one of those organizations brought to our attention that “many scholarships are handed out at this time of year by service organizations, private foundations, etc. One organization recently awarded eight High Schools (cash scholarships for students taking further education – as we have done for many years) and about thirty elementary schools (a brand new program – modest achievement awards to grade 8 graduates heading into high school) for a total of about $16,000.
 Sitting in the front row: Burlington High School students recognized during a Scholarship Breakfast. “Nothing wrong with an additional recognition event for the youth at the Chamber, but it does look a bit strange with all the big shots in a photo op.
“It should be acknowledged that other organizations and people in Burlington do the same without much fanfare.”
 By Pepper Parr
July 9th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
On Tuesday the city wants to : Rescind the existing Zero Tolerance Policy.
Then
Approve the Public Conduct Policy substantially in the form set out by the City Clerk in a report to Council.
Then they to:
Approve By-law (to be numbered once it has been passed by Council) substantially in the form attached as Appendix C to office of the city clerk report CL-08-23 and in a form satisfactory to the Executive Director of Legal Services and Corporation Counsel; and
Approve amendments to the 2023 Corporate Customer Experiences – Service Burlington fees as outlined in office of the city clerk report CL-08-23, effective July 11, 2023; and
Approve By-Law to be numbered once it has been passed by Council) substantially in the form attached as Appendix D to amend the Rates & Fees By-law 83-2022 to include the appeal fees as detailed in the financial matters section of office of the city clerk report CL-08-23 and in a form satisfactory to the Executive Director of Legal Services and Corporation Counsel; and
Fund any Public Conduct Policy and Trespass By-law investigations through the Contingency Reserve (#111460).
In short Council wants staff to be able to prevent a person from doing and saying things they don’t like to hear and using a complex process that would/could involved being charged under the Trespass Act to allow the city to call police and then charge the person a fee to be able to return to City Hall.
There was no Staff presentation – that meant that no one explained to the public what was being done. The City would/could ask the police to lay charges under the Trespass Act. For most cases of trespass, the trespasser will get a provincial offences ticket. They may be fined, but won’t go to jail. The fine could be as much as $10,000
 Would Jim Thomson be cited for misbehaving as he made physical gestures while Nick Leblovic was trying to defend comments he had made about a Conflict of Interest matter ? Why are they doing this? To
Building more citizen engagement, community health and culture
Deliver customer centric services with a focus on efficiency and technology transformation
The background set out in the Staff report:
Various departments at the City of Burlington are, from time to time, required to manage difficult or inappropriate behaviour exhibited by members of the public. Such behaviour can occur in a variety of settings (in-person, electronically, by phone, etc.) and can be directed towards City staff, other members of the public, or City property (e.g. vandalism and trespassing). When difficult or inappropriate behaviour is observed or reported, staff may be required to impose consequences upon the offending individual.
Consequences can include issuing warnings, restricting access to City property or services, or banning individuals from entering onto City property and notifying the individual that if they do enter onto City property they may be prosecuted under the Trespass to Property Act.
However, at present, the only department at the City with a policy in place that guides its decision-making process and provides members of the public with a right of appeal when consequences are imposed is Recreation, Community and Culture.
The current policy in place within Recreation, Community and Culture is called the Zero Tolerance Policy, which policy was originally implemented in 2003 and was last updated in 2007 (prior to many of the court decisions and ombudsman reports that inform these types of policies across municipalities today). As a department-level policy, the Zero Tolerance Policy applies only to recreational facilities and programs at the City.
Rescinding the Zero Tolerance Policy and implementing a City wide Trespass By-law and Public Conduct Policy would provide the following benefits:
Establish clear expectations for staff and members of the public across all departments, facilities and programs
Clearly delegate authority to make decisions and issue restrictions in response to inappropriate behaviour
Reduce uncertainty and guard against arbitrary action
Allow the City to respond to improper behaviour in an appropriate, proportionate and fair manner
Infuse principles of natural justice into decision-making and appeal processes
Reduce/mitigate risk (risk of infringing a person’s rights, risk of arbitrary action, risk of court challenges)
If a complaint is made against a person it is first reviewed by the department Director. The Director’s decision can be appealed to an Executive Director. There is a fee of $200 to file an appeal.
There were no delegations made when the policy was presented to a Standing Committee.
There was no Staff presentation – the Mayor and Councillor Nisan commented.
The Policy document is 13 pages long – we will publish excerpts from that document in the coming days,
Part 1
 By Staff
July 10th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
In a tweet Mayor Meed Ward sent out yesterday she explained the banning people from City Hall decision that will go before Council on Tuesday for approval.
 She said: “We wanted to put in place some formal policies if there ever is another time where we have to ban somebody from City Hall.
“It has happened in the past; people who have engaged in offensive, abusive, sexist behavior, harassing behavior. You know, I like to tell folks we’re elected officials. We’re not punching bags. Our staff are not punching bags, we’re not there for you to beat up on.
“So we really do require and insist on a respectful workplace; doesn’t mean you have to agree with us, but it means you have to treat everyone with respect. In the past there have been limited but still some occasions where it’s been required to limit contact from some members of the public who would not behave.
“But we didn’t have a policy around you know, how do I get back? How long is this? You know, and that provides transparency accountability, not only for Individual in terms of our expectations but for the public so that’s what we did.”
Part 2 explains the bylaw and the fees people will be required to return to city hall.
Part 2
 By Staff
July 8th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
On Monday, July 10th from 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm the BGYN will be hosting a panel of incredible Guest Speakers from A Greener Future.
We will welcome Nicole, Maddi and Paige to share their journeys with us. Plus, event guests will learn about upcoming volunteer opportunities right here in Burlington.
Check out our IG page for more info about each individual speaker.
Visit the link in our IG bio or check out our Youth Network webpage for the Zoom link.
By Staff
July 8th 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Whenever you attend an event is always a crew of ushers on hand to welcome you; help you and usher you to your seat if you happen to be a couple of minutes late.
The Performing Arts Centre has more than 100 men and women who show up whenever there is an event.
The BPAC administration holds an appreciation event every year. This year Pepperwoods provided the food and treat for those that attended the recognition event.
They look like a pretty happy bunch of people.
 Performing Arts Centre ushers out of uniform taking part in a recognition event.
 By Staff
July 8th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
The scum scammers are still at it.
They recognize every opportunity possible to separate you from your money.
When the federal government announced they were going to distribute billions to households in Canada as a Grocery rebate, the scum scammers could hardly wait.
 The amount being sent could run as high as:
- $467 if you are single
- $612 if you are married or have a common-law partner
- $161 for each child under the age of 19
A Patron sent this one to us: Within hours of the money being deposited into the bank accounts the scum scammers were at it – using every platform (Twitter, Facebook, direct email) they could find to tell you that you are entitled to the rebate and it will get to you just as soon is as you confirm your bank account number.
Some people might have fallen for that one – the scammers didn’t realize that the funds were already in the bank accounts of those that qualified.
 Losing your savings is one thing – the emotional damage lasts a life time. There isn’t a week that goes by without our reading about someone who lost a lot of money because they were taken in by a scammer or a con artist – aren’t they the same thing?
The really tragic ones are those people who want someone in their life and they part with their money only to learn that the person that was romancing this wasn’t real or sincere. A recent reported case saw a woman lose $50,000
There is one golden rule; Trust your instincts – if in doubt – don’t
By Pepper Parr
July 7th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
I knew the moment they started talking about the clock outside city hall that they were mistaken.
Councillor Galbraith said he thought it was a gift from one of our Sister Cites, the Mayor wasn’t sure, which one.
The clock was donated by several corporations, mostly banks, to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of Burlington.
The photograph below of the plaque at the base of the clock tells the story.
It is yards away from the flag poles the members of Council like to gather around for the photo op.
By Staff
July 7th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
This evening, July 7 from 8 pm to 9:30 am, there will be a full closure of Niagara-bound traffic on the QEW Burlington Skyway for critical repairs. Advance signing and notification will be provided to motorists so they can plan an alternate route.
Travellers can also visit http://511on.ca/ or @511Ontario for updates on work and traffic impacts.
 Closed to Niagara bound traffic Background:
• The work involves the removal and replacement of an expansion joint system. Expansion joints for road bridges are critical to ensure the continuity of the road surface as well as load bearing capacity and the movement of the bridge.
• Travellers can also visit http://511on.ca/ or @511Ontario for updates on work and traffic impacts.
—
By Staff
July7th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Yesterday we published an article on how different communities were handling a situation where the world had reached its hottest day in recorded history July 3rd and then see an even hotter day on the 4th
 The article was an in depth look at what communities are up against when record setting heat condition prevail. Included in the article was mention of a book: The Heat Will Kill You First, in which veteran journalist Jeff Goodell makes a searing case that most of us think about extreme heat is all wrong, and to disastrous effect.
We wondered what Burlington was doing in the way of revising its plans or at least discussing with the Leadership Team what the city and its citizens might be up against. We sent a note to the City Communications department asking:
Can you confirm that meetings have and are taking place to prepare for the opening of additional locations where people can cool off during the intense heat waves. The response we got consisted of a list of the locations people could get away from oppressive heat.
The response is set out below. It was almost as if nothing had or was being done.
 What happens when there isn’t enough room for all the parents who want to find a place for their children to cool off ? Cooling Centre information: Where to go in Burlington
Library locations:
Aldershot Branch
550 Plains Rd. E.
905-333-9995
Alton Branch
3040 Tim Dobbie Dr.
905-634-3686
Brant Hills Branch
2255 Brant St.
905-335-2209
Central Branch
2331 New St.
905-639-3611
New Appleby Branch
676 Appleby Line
905-639-6373
Tansley Woods Branch
1996 Itabashi Way
905-336-5583
The Communications department added:
The adjustments that summer camps make during a heat wave include:
- Provide staff and children opportunities for additional water breaks
- Engage in outdoor activities in the morning hours in shaded areas
- Encourage staff and children to stay indoors in air conditioned rooms during the height of the heat wave; simultaneously, we also incorporate a more regular break schedule and utilize air conditioned, cooler spaces at times when heat is less intense but it’s still hot outside.
- Utilize splash pads, and some of our camps include swimming as a means to cool off
- Play additional water games as another means to cool off
-
 There are too many parts of the city where facilities like this just don’t exist.
 By Staff
July 7th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
 Without anything from the community at large on what should/could take place in the former Robert Bateman high school, now being called the new community centre, the city wants to hear from anyone interested in providing community programming.
“At this time, the City is only looking for interest related to long-term rental agreement or exclusive use of the space” said Denise Beard, Manager of Community Development
She adds: “Exclusive use is different than an open gym or room where multiple service providers can quickly set up and take down equipment for different activities. Exclusive use means the area is dedicated to the service provider on a long-term rental basis instead of an hourly basis.
“There is no formal commitment or expectation at this point in the process. Tell us what services you want to provide at this new community centre by visiting getinvolvedburlington.ca/bateman-highschool. Fill out the form and share your interest by Sept. 30, 2023.
“The building is being renovated to accommodate community partners and recreational/cultural space. The facility has approximately 21,000 square feet of space for rent, programs and user groups, as well as an additional 9000 square feet of potential temporary space available to the community.
 Denise Beard, Manager of Community Development “Individuals, groups and service providers are all welcome to express their interest in the space. Following this process, a formal bidding process will be launched in 2024 with the chosen renter/service beginning in 2027.
“Later this year, the community will be asked about the types of recreational/cultural services or programs they would like to have within the new community centre.”
All submissions must be received by 4:30 p.m. Sept. 30, 2023. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Denise Beard adds: “We’re looking for any person or group who could provide a recreational or cultural service to the community. Anyone interested is asked to fill out a form to simply let us know what you could do. There is no commitment at this point as we’re simply gathering information and ideas.”
Links
www.getinvolvedburlington.ca/bateman-highschool
By Staff
July 7th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
After a full house at the inaugural seminar for the Empowered Seniors Speaker Series, notice has come in that the next event – July 12th 1:30 am to 3:00 pm at the Burlington Central Library (Centennial Hall)
The July session will be on The Silent Worry and Being Prepared Financially for Aging. Aging expert Neela White, who will guide people through what we should know surrounding the challenges of aging. Neela will demystify some common assumptions, the largest being that the government will take care of us.
 The Silent Worry – Plans for affording care shouldn’t be “I hope I just die in my sleep.” In Canada, more than 600 people a day turn 65, and almost half of these people will require long-term care. Most of us have nothing saved for that care or even a health crisis – this is the big silent worry. Plans for affording care shouldn’t be “I hope I just die in my sleep.”
During this seminar attendees will learn:
• What options are available
• How to start this difficult conversation with our families
• How to maintain control of the decisions
• What longevity planning is and what components should be included
• What matters in planning financially for aging
• Why you need to be prepared
• The benefits of having and sharing your plan
Register for this event at Empowered Seniors Speakers Series (www.empoweredseniors.ca) or by calling 905-330-5201.
 Neela White: Certified Professional Consultant on Aging Neela White is a Certified Professional Consultant on Aging (CPCA), Elder Planning Counselor (EPC), Certified Dementia Care Provider (CDCP) and a Senior Portfolio Manager at Blue Wing Advisory Group, a division of Raymond James.
She began her work in the field of Gerontology in 1993 after graduating from the University of Western Ontario and McMaster University with degrees in Psychology and Gerontology, and having a career in long term care.
Educational Partners: SeniorCareAccess, 360 Downsizing, Burlington Memorial Gardens/Arbor Memorial, Estates of Niagara, Qualicare Burlington and Smith’s Funeral Homes.
 Marion Goard Host Marion Goard is Burlington’s most trusted Lifestyle 55+ Master Agents and Senior Real Estate Specialists® (SRES). Through initiatives such as 100 Women Who Care Burlington, the Junior League of Hamilton-Burlington and others, she has brought her caring and compassionate personality to community service. She is focused on protecting the interests of seniors while developing meaningful relationships with everyone she serves.
 By Pepper Parr
July 6th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
“When heat comes, it’s invisible,” opens Jeff Goodell’s new book, The Heat Will Kill You First. The veteran journalist and Rolling Stone correspondent makes a searing case that most of us think about extreme heat all wrong, and to disastrous effect. Like his previous book, The Water Will Come, this one is essential reading for climate journalists everywhere.
Did you know, for example, that heat already kills nearly twice as many people a year as guns? And that death toll is bound to increase as global temperatures continue their inexorable rise. Monday, July 3, was the hottest day on Earth since humans began measuring temperatures — that is, until Tuesday, July 4, replaced it in the record books.
Reams of climate science reports have warned that if global temperatures rise by 2 degrees Celsius — 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit — then ice sheets will collapse, droughts will kill crops, and famine will follow. “But to nonscientists — which is to say, most humans on the planet — 3.6 degrees [F] of warming does not sound dangerous at all,” Goodell writes. “Who can tell the difference between a 77-degree day and an 81-degree day?” Therein lies the central challenge to journalists: How to not let the smallness of numbers like “3.6 degrees” belie their immense danger.
 Portland Oregon has opened up large cooled spaces where people can sit at table and do some work or relax in comfortable chairs “The kind of heat I’m talking about here is not an incremental bump on the thermometer,” he adds. “It is heat as an active force, one that can bend railroad tracks and kill you before you even understand that your life is at risk.”
News coverage has a track record of under-reporting heatwave deaths. Death certificates tend not to name “extreme heat” as a cause of death; only later do epidemiological studies make an accurate count overflowed; bodies were stacked in the street. Initial reports put the death toll at 15,000, a figure journalists repeated for years.
But statisticians later concluded that, in fact, more than 70,000 people had died. (In one of the first climate attribution studies, researchers found that climate change had doubled the likelihood of such an extreme heatwave.)
 Water is being sprayed into the streets beside the Eiffel Tower in France creating a huge wading for people to cool off in. The Heat Will Kill You First has gotten rave reviews, and it offers many lessons for journalists covering not only this year’s heatwaves but the evergreen news that global temperatures will continue to rise as long as humanity burns fossil fuels.
One key point: Heat is a climate justice story. “If you’re poor,” writes Goodell, “you swelter in an uninsulated apartment or trailer with no air-conditioning or an old, inefficient machine that you can’t afford to run. You can’t move somewhere cooler because you’re afraid of losing your job and you don’t have the savings to start over.”
Responding to the news that July 3 was (at least until the following day) the hottest day ever recorded, climate attribution scientist Dr. Friederike Otto declared: “This is not a milestone we should be celebrating… It’s a death sentence for people and ecosystems everywhere.” It’s up to journalists to make those stakes clear.
By Pepper Parr
July 6th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
What does the announcement yesterday that the federal government is suspending its advertising on Facebook and Instagram mean to you?
The move, which saw the province of Quebec and city of Montreal follow suit within hours, comes on the heels of digital giants Google and Meta banning Canadian news content from their platforms in response to the Online News Act (Bill C-18).
Bill C-18 became law on June 22 and requires companies like Google and Facebook to pay for Canadian news content posted to their sites.
Aaron Mauro, Associate Professor and Chair of Brock’s Department of Digital Humanities, says it is “important for Canadian federal and provincial governments to enforce the principles of this legislation with common sense actions like the advertising suspension announced July 5.”
 The business fundamentals of the newspaper business changed with the introduction of the internet. The print side of media has yet to figure out a new business model – government support isn’t the answer. While it is no secret that these large American corporations are using Canadian content on their platforms, Mauro says the relationship is often presented as mutually beneficial because Facebook or Google can populate their web pages with free content while Canadian news sites benefit from greater traffic, resulting in higher revenue.
But, says MAuro, the system is not serving Canadian news organizations in the long term. With Bill C-18, the Canadian government is enforcing a system where local and national news will share in a larger portion of profit largely received by these U.S. companies.
“Simply put, Alphabet/Google and Meta/Facebook are using their market positions to pressure Canadian regulators to favour their interests at the expense of domestic news organizations,” Mauro adds.
“In my opinion, high quality journalism is critical to the functioning of our democracy, so these actions by Google and Facebook can be regarded as anti-democratic,” Mauro says. “It may be time to have a conversation about building a Canadian-owned social media platform comprised of a consortium of news organizations, citizen groups and government regulators.”
 The advertisement you see beneath the headline is dropped in place by Google. We get pennies for each ad and we have little control over what appears. The European Union (EU), for instance, is launching its own platforms, EU Voice and EU Video, which were announced last year.
The caution here is this: Do smaller, local Canadian online news operations really want the federal government in bed with us. How do we hold them accountable when they are putting money in our pockets?
 Mauro is part of a Brock research team identifying and evaluating the impacts of social media and how algorithmic bias is shaping young people’s engagements with political and social issues.
Aaron Mauro, Associate Professor and Chair of Brock’s Department of Digital Humanities.
 By Pepper Parr
July 6th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
The front of City Hall is expected to look a lot different by the time you are thinking about who you want to represent you on City Council when you go to the polls in 2026.
Putting the stamp of approval – at the municipal level that amounts to a bylaw, is expect to take place at Council on the 11th.
During the staff presentation last week the emphasis was on significant levels of community engagement; it was loud and clear. Realistic – time will tell.
 Indigenous Elder Wendy Phillips leads the Indigenous Learning Circle discussions at the University of Toronto Scarborough. (Photo by Ken Jones) There was reference to a meeting with an Indigenous Talking Circle. Our source within the Indigenous community in Burlington confirms that Talking Circles are part of the Indigenous approach to setting out directions and resolving issues, however – to the best of his knowledge Burlington doesn’t actually have a Talking Circle in place.
The funding from the federal government for this project requires that the city work with the Indigenous community – they city plans to meet with that group before meeting with the larger public.
The budget for the work – which is not final has the Government of Canada investing $1,984,900, the Government of Ontario providing $1,653,917. The City of Burlington has already committed capital funding of $1,323,432, clearly more to come.
The Gazette published three long articles, too long actually, but we wanted to ensure that the public was fully aware of what is planned and how they propose to reach their objective.
The messy approach to informing the public on the Bateman high school transformation, into a location without a new name yet, is not something to be repeated.
Making the redevelopment of Civic Square happen is in the hands of an outside organization that has done some work in the Region and from the looks of what we have been able to see – do pretty decent work.
The direction is coming from the MBTW Group, the company hired by the city; various city departments will play a supporting role.
The group brought in to handle communications does not appear to have any experience in the Halton Region –their web site doesn’t say all that much – but then they never do – do they.
There are those who like Civic Square as it is. There was a plan to fix it up a little, move the flag poles, perhaps put the fountain in a different place and level the Square making it more accessible.
That plan and the renovating of the first floor of city hall got rolled into the re-development of Civic Square – which made some sense from a short term point of view.
To create a Civic Square that is and looks complete some heavy thought has to be given to The Queen’s Head structure and the two units on the east side of Locus immediately north of Elgin.
 Demolish these two building allow Civic Square to be more open and swing the Queen’s Head around with what fronts on Elgin – fronting into Civic Square.  Expropriate the housing and come up with something to do with Queen’s Head and you have a space that could be “awesome”.
Given the full steam ahead mode that Heritage is currently in – nothing is going to get the Queen’s Head off its location.
More to the point however – the current city hall doesn’t have the room to accommodate all the current staff and going forward there will be more additional people added to the FTE.
Several department: Human Resources, Legal and some of the Engineering people are housed in the Sims building that the city bought some time ago for $17 million.
What we are going to end up with is a Civic Square hemmed in by the two towers on the east side of Brant Street – one nearing completion and the other yet to put a shovel in the ground.
The Square itself stunted will be stunted by the Queen’s Head and limited by the two units on the east side of Locust.
Now, if someone were to find a way to turn the Queens head around and have what currently fronts on Elgin and have it face into Civic Square that would certainly change the look and feel of the building and the tone of Civic Square.
 King Road was shut down in 2012 for 72 hours while a tunnel was built beneath the rail line. Engineers from around the world on the site to see it happen. That however would take more imagination than the current city administration has – it would also be a heck of an engineering challenge. Recall however that the GO train line at Kings Road was shut down for a long weekend while an underpass was built.
Everything about the current plans for Civic Square seem limiting – short term, when what is clearly needed is a building that every department can be housed in and at the same time have a Civic Square that is welcoming, a place where people can gather and celebrations held. The Mayor thought that perhaps a fire pit could be included.
Developers did what they do, leaving us with a city hall that seems to have been forgotten. A former Director of Planning, who was told her position had been made redundant, once referred to City Hall is as “iconic” – it never was and never will be.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
Related news stories:
Part 1 of the redesign of Civic Square
Part 2 of the redesign of Civic Square
Part 3 of the redevelopment of Civic Square
 By Staff
July 6th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
From Friday July 7 (tomorrow) at 9 p.m. until end of service on Sunday July 9, GO buses will be replacing train service between Oakville and West Harbour GO stations.
This temporary change is to accommodate infrastructure work on the Lakeshore West corridor.
What customers need to know:
• During this time, GO buses will replace the train service between Oakville and West Harbour GO.
• Niagara Falls train service will continue to operate, but only between Niagara Falls and Burlington GO.
• GO train service will continue as normal between Oakville GO and Union Station.
If you’re able, consider beginning your train trip to Niagara Falls at the Burlington GO or your trip to Toronto at the Oakville GO station.
Bus shuttles will experience longer than normal travel times. Staff will be available at our stations to answer questions.
Note: Lakeshore East customers will have a 15-minute adjustment in their weekend schedule.
Regular service will resume Monday, July 10.
By Staff
July 6th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
An evening listening to local musicians on the historic grounds of Oakridge Farm at Ireland House Museum starts on the 14th and runs through to the end of August.
The outdoor stage will feature local musicians on select Friday evenings throughout July and August.
Performances are from 7:30pm – 8:30pm, gates open at 7pm. There will be lawn games to play and light refreshments available for purchase from local vendors. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and relax while listening to local talent.
Admission is “pay what you can”, the suggested donation is $5/person (cash, debit or credit accepted). Donations will be collected at the front and back gates of Ireland House Museum. Your donation provides support to the exhibitions, collections management, special events and education programs that bring our mission to life.
REVEL Realty Inc., Brokerage is sponsoring the event.
Summer Music Series Schedule:
July 14 – Hayley Verrall
July 21 – Sarah Church
July 28 – Jeremy Guther
August 11 – Warren Jones
Aug 18 – Natalie Reis
Aug 25 – Dan Taylor
By Staff
July 5th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
There is something about the way people gather together to bring about change.
Residents who live in Aldershot close to the rail line have said they are tired of noises and vibrations from the CN shunting yard.
 Location of the CN shunting yards and homes that have had to put up with the noise. They have a meeting with Burlington MP Karina Gould on the site. First – Good on Gould for accepting the invitation. Sure it will be a photo op but a Cabinet Minister has clout and can call meetings with the railway people.
In an article that appeared in the Aldershot Insider, a community run web site where ideas are passed around and notices of events posted the following appeared.
 Diesel engines move box cars from location to location to put together ARE YOU TIRED OF NOISES AND VIBRATIONS FROM THE SHUNTING CN YARD (TRAINS)?
ARE YOU TIRED OF THE BUMPING BETWEEN TRAINS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT??
FOR ALL OF YOU LIVING ON THE TRACK SIDE ARE YOU TIRED OF THE MESS?
WE ALL KNOW WE CAN’T STOP CN OR THE TRAINS BUT WE CAN GET THE CITY AND OUR MP TO STAND UP IN FRONT OF CN TO REDUCE THE SHUNTING AND CLEAN THEIR MESSES. WE ALL PAY TAXES LIKE ALL THE OTHER RESIDENTS IN BURLINGTON, WHY DO WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PAIN.
SHUNTING YARD SHOULD NOT BE IN RESIDENTIAL AREA.
 The profits are in the number of box cars that can be included in a train – not the kind of thing you want to come across at a railway crossing. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday July 26th, 2023, 5:00 PM at 333 Enfield Road.
The meeting will take place outdoors allowing everyone to hear the shunting noise
By Pepper Parr
July 5th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Things at the Burlington Chamber of Commerce are not healthy.
It is a leadership matter. Membership has grown. The administrative practices within the Chamber of Commerce – have grown – in the wrong direction.
 Burlington Chamber of Commerce Terry Caddo The President Terry Caddo has alienated a number of people and points out “we know who they are” with no hint that the concerns and complaints are being carefully looked at and the plan is to find an agreed upon resolution.
The Chamber recently held a Scholarship Breakfast for students who were awarded Chamber of Commerce scholarships and invited all the local MPP’s and MP’s to take part. There was no media release that we are aware of that the event was taking place.
The photograph the Chamber released included the students who won the scholarship – but no mention of who they were and which high school they attended. The name of the politicians were included.
The Gazette did get a note from Chair Randy Smallbone saying they would provide name in the future. What prevents the Chamber from providing the names now – the parents of those students would appreciate seeing the children recognized.
Our headline on the original story was incorrect. The politicians took part in the event to do the presentation of the certificates and to talk to the students about their plans for their futures. There was no mention of the role the politicians played in the breakfast event.
We don’t make things up – we do our best to report. Given that we didn’t know the event was taking place we did the best we could with what we came across.
 By Pepper Parr
July 5th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Andrew Coyne, a respected CBC panellist and the writer of a regular column in the National Post asks the question:
Whose Parliament is it anyway?”
In a recent opinion piece in the Globe and Mail Coyne claims “The government’s move to make hybrid Parliament permanent will only hasten its decline.”
That is pretty much what is happening to Burlington’s City Council. We will return to that point.
 Andrew Coyne, CBC At Issue panellist, National Post columnist ad frequent contributor to the Globe and Mail. Coyne adds: “If, as the government argues, letting MP’s phone it in some of the time would lead to improvements in MP’s mental health and other good things, how much more would this be true if they did so all the time?”
“Indeed it’s a wonder we ever insisted they meet in the first place. Remote voting has been possible since the telegraph. What’s the big deal about siting them all together in the same room?
“And yet every legislature in the world does. Somehow it was universally agreed that the people’s representative physically assemble in a large, ornately decorated chamber, and do most of their business there.”
During the pandemic hybrid was a necessity but virtually all have reverted to meeting in person.
“Maybe it has something to do with why trials are held in person – defendant and plaintiff, accuser and accused, forced to confront each other in the same courtroom. Or why the most effective means of protesting some injustice, to this day, is to gather a lot of people in one place, a right so fundamental it is protected in the Constitution.
“The presence of the 338 MP’s sitting in their seats is hugely symbolic, not only for the onlookers but for the participants as well. It signals something important is going on.
Once the hybrid meeting practice is entrenched, depend on it, more and more MP’s will take advantage of it.”
Is that what we see happening in Burlington?
 Burlington City Council in a hybrid mode. Can you tell which members are in their living room and which members are in the Council Chamber? We have members who don’t understand the decorum of a Commons, a Legislature or a City Council Chamber – wearing a shirt – and no jacket. Some eat their lunch at their working space.
There have been a number of occasions when there is barely a quorum; happens easily with a Council of just seven members.
At times there are good reasons for a council member to be away – but far too often there are members who prefer to work from a home office. When there are just five members taking part in the discussion the interaction is limited – the opportunity to pick up on a comment another Council member made or make your disagreement known is not the same when you aren’t in the room.
Hybrid meetings that aren’t necessary but convenient for the member of Council is not what a public democratic process is all about.
Council is currently discussing a redevelopment of Civic Square so that it can be used by the public; a place to gather; a place to celebrate but not apparently a place where you spend time in the Council Chamber debating a budget that is going to result in hard earned money coming out of the pockets of the people who put the Council members in the seats they hold.
Someone, a citizens group ideally, should take the members of this Council to task and demand that they show up for work.
We will come to deeply regret letting this Council take away the symbolic importance of all members of Council meeting to debate the issues.
Things are even worse at the Regional level – why drive to Oakville for a two hour meeting when you can cover it all from home
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