 By Staff
April 30, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Bureau have completed an investigation into allegations of historical sexual assault against a now retired school teacher.
It is alleged that the accused was teaching at Fairview Public School in the City of Burlington over the years 1969-1975 and sexually assaulted a male student during that time.
Charged:
David COTTERELL, 67 years, of West Grey, Ontario has been charged with Indecent Assault on a Male, scheduled to appear in court on May 20, 2015.
Police encourage anyone with information related to this investigation to contact Detective Constable Wendy Clayton at the Halton Regional Police, CASA Bureau – 905 825 4747 Ext 8970 or wendy.clayton@haltonpolice.ca
 By Pepper Parr
April 30, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
For an event that is critical to how Burlington decides to grow and of concern to a lot of people who aren’t all that excited about the idea of intensification – Mayor Goldring had some hurdles to get over.
Fortunately he had some good news – Burlington is going to handle the intensification that has to take place very well.
 Mayor Rick Goldring speaking to a full house at the Performing |Arts Centre about intensification. The speech was the first Mayor Goldring has given to a large public audience since his re-election and he took the podium at the Performing Arts Centre as the first speaker in his Inspire events. The Inspire events were begun during the Mayor’s first term and have proven to be one of the brightest things he has done. Taking the podium himself put him in the same league as some of the best thinkers in the province.
The public didn’t hear anything astonishingly new during the presentation – basically it was told that intensification is going to take place because it is something we have to do and that Burlington’s traditional neighbourhoods are not going to see significant change.
 The bulk of that magnificent tree canopy in the center of this project on |Ghent east of Brant met with chain saws – it didn’t have to happen. That statement doesn’t square all that well with the development nearing the final stage of construction on Ghent Avenue where 8 houses were taken down and 58 homes built. But let us not quibble over details. The properties did have a hold designation and they were going to be assembled – there was the chance to do something magnificent but the developer chose to cut down more than 100 trees and build back to back townhouses. That was what they determined the market wanted.
The Mayor explained that the federal government handles immigration and determines how many people are going to be taken in. While the federal government can’t tell the 250,000 people who arrive on our doorsteps where they have to go but it does know that they head for the major urban centres. Burlington is within in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area – we call it the Golden Horseshoe and they come here by the thousands.
The province told the Region how much its population had to grow; the Region took that number and began to allocate it amongst Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills.
Burlington’s population now is at about 178,000 – we have to grow to 193,000 by 2031 – the information available at this time suggests Burlington is on track to reach its targets – the suggestion is that we are a little bit ahead.
Mayor Goldring talked about the opportunity along Plains Road and Fairview. He acknowledged that Aldershot residents are concerned about how growth in their community is likely to change their life styles; he pointed to the very significant potential for better use of land along Fairview.
He added to that the eventual residential development at Eagle Heights at the western end of Aldershot and the interesting way development is taking place in mid-town.
The city has come to realize as well that there is a lot of room for intensification within both the Burlington and Mapleview Malls where some medium rise buildings could be placed with commercial at grade and three to six floors of residential above.
 Intensification that complies with the existing Official Plan and the zoning on the property will begun construction early next Spring on Brant Street just south of Ghent The addition of well over 100 residential units to the Brant Square Plaza is a fine example of intensification that will add value to a community. In this instance it will anchor the new northern boundary of the Burlington Downtown Business Association.
At some point someone is going to do something with the Lakeside Plaza in eastern Burlington.
There was potential along Tremaine Road north of Dundas and some room left in the Alton community.
Mayor Goldring did say that we would not be expanding the urban boundary – that is developing north of the Dundas – 407 border – the statement didn’t come across as a ringing statement – it sounded just a little on the limp side. We will watch the Cogeco broadcast and pay closer attention to the strength of his comment.
The reality is that Burlington cannot on its own change the urban boundary – we would have to convince the Region to let us do that and then we would have to work within a provincial policy and the Niagara Escarpment rules and regulations.
However, during a drive around the Burlington properties that could be developed with then Executive Director of the Economic Development Corporation Kyle Benham, he made the statement that the land on the north side of the 407 was just too good from a commercial exposure point of view to be used for just growing hay. This city knows what developers have been able to pull off in the past.
 The height of the Bridgewater condominium at the edge of the Lake is going to stun the public as the watch it rise storey after storey. It may well prove to be the justification for an even higher building yards away. That point will get driven home when the Bridgewater condominium begins to rise twenty stories on the edge of Lake Ontario yards from the downtown core.
The Mayor told the audience that the average sale price for a single dwelling was $565,000 – which is great for all those seniors who are approaching the point in their lives when they will want to sell and move into a dwelling that doesn’t require the effort to cut the grass or blow the snow away; a place they can lock up and head to Florida for a couple of months in the winter.
The flip side of that of course is finding younger families who can afford to pay $565,000 for a home.
 The Brock condominium was opposed by the community – it was approved and is now selling – it fits into the community – but that wasn’t the way the public saw it two years ago. The Mayor pointed out that there have been developments the public didn’t like but were approved nevertheless. He mentioned the Strata project on Maple. He could have mentioned he Brock Project as well when he explained that these projects were opposed by the pubkic but they were built and and it didn’t take long for people to move in and like the buildings.
Burlingtonians tend to not like anything that is new or different – they want the city to remain the way it was when they were raising thi r families; those people are growing older and the houses they were raised in are growing older as well.
 The proposed Maranatha retirement home on New Street, approved by the city and now before the OMB is an example of the kind of growth Mayor Goldring believes the city should be looking at. Goldring took the position that the Maranantha project proposed for New Street, now before the OMB, is something people in the immediate community will want to live in – he said at the time that he thought some of the people opposed to the project now will eventually be residents in that building.
The phrase the Mayor said he heard again and again during the election was that everyone loved the city just as it is – one of the things they didn’t want more of was congestion.
 Rick Goldring – Mayor of Burlington explaining the why of justification to an audience of close to 200. Mayor Goldring was the 17th Inspire speaker – did he Inspire? Well he didn’t get a standing ovation – it was more than just polite applause. Goldring speaks better in front of an audience than he does at Council. There he tends to be stilted, a little awkward, reads from a script and is certainly not relaxed.
There is a quote: “You can take the boy out of the country but you can’t take the country out of the boy.” It will be interesting to listen to Rick Goldring if there is every a day when he leans on a podium and talks from his heart about his vision and lets us see if the boy has outgrown at least some of the country that is in him.
The future concern for Burlington is how many people are we going to have to grow by between 2031 and 2041 – and what kind of people are we going to grow by. The Regions has been told that it has to grow by 220,000 people between 2031 and 2041 – how much of that growth is Burlington going to have to absorb?
Milton has been growing at an exceptionally rapid pace – can it be expected to take more.
GO train service is going to upgrade to every 15 minutes in the not too distant future and our infrastructure appears to be capable of handling a significant amount of growth.
The Region just might be asking Burlington to swallow a large chunk of that 220,000 projected population growth – Rick Goldring didn’t mention that earlier this week.
He will not be Mayor when that shovel full of if hits the fan.
 By Staff
April 30, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
On April 22, 2015, the Province committed to compensating Halton Region $2.8 million for response and recovery efforts related to the December 2013 severe ice storm. The storm left thousands of Halton residents without power for days, including Christmas day, resulting in significant impacts to the Halton community and the local environment. For several months following the storm, Halton Region provided special bulk brush and yard waste collection services to ensure resident safety, and to help clear streets and yards throughout the region.
 It was more than the trees that got bent during the ice storm in December of 2013. Senior staff were working Christmas Day with work crews doing double shift to get power lines back up and electricity flowing. At one point hydro had to run a new line though some pretty rough terrain – but the lights did go back on. “The December 2013 ice storm had a serious impact on our community, causing substantial damage to residences and businesses,” said Regional Chair Gary Carr. “We are very pleased that the Province is providing the funding we claimed which will help recover the significant cost from the storm response efforts.”
In April 2014, the Province announced the creation of the Ontario Ice Storm Assistance Program through the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. The program is intended to provide financial support to municipalities and conservation authorities for ice storm related expenses. In early April of this year, Halton Region received an initial payment of nearly $1 million from the Province. The remaining $1.8 million is expected to be received by May 8, 2015.
“This is great news for Halton!” said Halton MPP Indira Naidoo-Harris. “With this support, the Ontario government is delivering on its commitment to assist those municipalities severely impacted by the 2013 ice storm. This funding is vital to helping cover damage-related costs and will go a long way to keeping our local communities strong.”
 It was close to around the clock for hydro crews who had to cut down large branches that had fallen on hydro wire. Crews worked well into the evening several days. “In 2013, a devastating ice storm swept much of our province causing significant damage to Burlington and surrounding communities. Municipal governments responded swiftly to help keep our residents safe by cleaning up debris and establishing warming shelters for those without power to light or heat their homes. While the need to better prepare for increasingly-common extreme weather events is apparent, this one-time disaster relief program will alleviate the financial impact of this storm on our region,” said Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon. “I am pleased that our government is making this investment to assist with the cost of the storm, and I would like to thank and recognize the municipal and regional staff whose immediate and ongoing assistance helped residents in need.”
City of Burlington submitted a claim for approximately $3.3 million and received an interim payment of $1.16 – the balance of what is a very complex claim is being reviewed – so that cheque isn’t in the mail.
 By Staff
April 28, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Community Foundation (BCF) distributed more than $897,000 in grants to charities and not-for-profit organizations, the largest amount since the Foundation was founded in 1999. Since its inception BCF has provided more than $3.18 million in grants.
 Angelo Paletta, the Honorary Chair of the BCF Gala last year with President and CEO Colleen Mulholland. The Gala is one of the major fund raising event for the Community Foundation “We are grateful to our current 74 fund holders who continue to partner with us and increase their gifts every year so we can grant to so many outstanding organizations,” says Colleen Mulholland, CEO and President of BCF. “We can attribute our increase in granting to an overall increase to BCF’s endowment fund, stewarding a wide variety of fund models to meet the various needs of our community, and to a healthy economic climate.”
In 2014 BCF’s community grants focused on needs identified in the Foundation’s Vital Signs Report. This research and subsequent report are designed to provide key data to better understand where success and progress is being had while also highlighting pressing needs. After analyzing the data contained in the Vital Signs Report grants in 2014 largely focused on mental health, poverty, and youth.
“Our role is to be a 360 degree grantor,” says Mulholland. “We take a holistic view of our community through our Vital Signs Report and aim to support to all community needs while honouring the philanthropic wishes of our donors.”
 The number of children in low income families has been at a consistent since 2006 – are we missing something here? A key part of BCF’s holistic view is hearing back from various grant recipients to better understand the impact of our grant making initiatives.
Community Development Halton presented data to the team that will create a Strategic Plan for the next four years – in that report they highlighted two critical choke points in the city – the number of children that are defined as low income and the number of people who live in poverty.
The Community Foundation addresses each of these through the funds they distribute.
 By Staff
April 29, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
For those of you who are absolutely certain there will be no more snow – this is good news.
For the pessimists – and after the winter we’ve had being a pessimist is not such a bad thing – you might want to wait and see what thing look like the long May weekend.
 Composting – best way to get a garden to really produce – bring your own bags, boxes and gloves. From Monday, May 4 until Saturday, May 9, 2015, Halton Region will once again host its popular spring Compost Giveaway between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the Halton Waste Management Site (HWMS) located at 5400 Regional Road 25 in Milton. This event provides residents with an opportunity to pick up free compost (maximum seven bags or equivalent) created from Halton’s leaf and yard waste composting program.
“Halton is committed to working with residents to make the Region a more sustainable place to live,” said Regional Chair Gary Carr.
“Residents continue to divert 60 per cent of single-family household waste by participating in Blue Box, GreenCart, reuse, household hazardous waste and yard waste programs – an incredible achievement.
The annual Spring Compost Giveaway is just one way that we can thank residents for helping to divert yard waste away from Halton’s landfill.”
During last year’s Compost Giveaway events, 4,000 residents visited the HWMS and picked up approximately 2,000 tonnes of compost created from the leaves, brush, tree and garden trimmings collected curbside and dropped off at the HWMS.
The event is also used to raise money and donate non-perishable food items for local food banks and residents are being encouraged once again to contribute. In 2014, Halton residents generously donated over 5,000 kilograms of food and $9,041 for local food banks.
Residents attending the event are reminded that they are responsible for shoveling and bagging their own compost and bringing their own shovels, bags or reusable containers (maximum seven per household).
For best growing results, compost should be mixed with topsoil or another gardening fill, with a ratio of 60 per cent topsoil and 40 percent compost.
 By Staff
April 29, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
On Tuesday 28th April uniformed officers got a call from a Burlington Home Depot location who wanted to report a female who had just made a fraudulent purchase and was leaving the store.
The officers arrived and located the female in the parking lot of the business and she was subsequently arrested without incident.
Home Depot Fraud investigators advised the officers that this female who was previously unknown to them had been conducting similar fraudulent activity across the GTA over the past several months.
Members of the Halton Police Fraud unit were called in to assist in the investigation and the female has been charged with a total of 24 criminal offences including multiple counts of impersonation and fraud over $5,000 dollars. The offences have all occurred at numerous Home Depot locations across the GTA including London, Richmond Hill and Toronto as well as Oakville, Burlington and Milton.
Charged is Nicole ROUSE of Toronto.
She did not go home that evening.
By Pepper Parr
April 29, 2015
Burlington, ON
It is coming up – Mother’s Day is not that far away. That means another breakfast in bed with toast that is dripping with syrup that will get spilt all over the sheets. The kids will love it and you will, eventually be happy they did what they did.
As they get older though – what about something a little more adventurous, a little more exciting and different.
Moms are Superstars. Maybe the kids could be superstars – for just a couple of hours.
 The Mother’s Day gift that just keeps on giving. What can’t they do?
Robin Pauhl who has one of those sultry voices knows how to get a tune across – the rest of us – well a Karaoke sound track is about as far as we get.
Pauhl came up with a really good idea.
She and her husband run BTown Sound, a studio where some pretty big names in the music world have laid down there sound tracks.
Pauhl is inviting families – everyone except Mom to come in and lay down a sound track of a Mother’s day greeting.
It will be unique, it will be different – the kids will have a great time putting it together and Mom will love and treasure it and want to play it for all the other Mother’s.
 For those that get into it – they really get into it. The young lady on the right got a little distracted. All the songs dedicated to moms will be recorded at $40 per hour instead of our regular fee of $60. This is perfect for all ages and a special present from kids and husbands. You can record to karaoke tracks, guitar, piano, violin, trumpet or even a full band.
Music lessons are an amazing way for kids to learn and grow, and on that note we’d like to introduce the Studio’s newest enterprise: B Town Sound School of Music.
There are only so many hours in a given day and only so many days left until \Mother’s Day – so pull everyone together, make your plans – maybe even write your song and book your time.
Don’t forget to take the IPhone and record it all.
Great idea Robyn –
 A last minute sound check before the tracks leave the studio. Give them a call – we just might manage to convince a family to let us publish one of the recording sessions. BTown sound is located at 919 Fraser Drive, unit 10 Burlington, ON, Canada – 905 616 7500 or email at robyn@btownsound.ca
Wish I’d known about this when my Mom was still with us.
 By Pepper Parr
April 29, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The creation of the strategic Plan for the next three years began Tuesday morning at the LaSalle Pavilion. Council and senior city staff met as a Committee of the Whole and while these occasions are public meetings – there wasn’t a member of the pure public in the room.
The Gazette was the only media in the room as well. There were two representatives from community Development Halton taking part in the presentation of a social profile of Burlington.
 What became clear quite early is that the development of the Strategic Plan and the completion of the Official Plan are being done hand in hand – each is going to inform the other.
Who lives in Burlington; who is going to live in Burlington and where will they want to live? These were the prime questions put before the meeting of about 40 people.
Community Development Halton put together a very detailed profile of who we are and what we are worth. This data was set out as the base upon which both the Official Plan and the Strategic Plan are going to be created.
None of this is going to happen in 90 days – the public may not see a completed Strategic Plan until sometime in October.
There will be more public involvement in the 2015 Strategic Plan than there was in the 2011 Plan. The city created a workbook that was made available to anyone who asked. At one point there were just 35 completed but that number “zoomed up to 90.
Knowing what is probably going to be needed in the way of housing tells the planners what kind of development they want to encourage – and developments do get encouraged.
 Burlington population growth has flat lined, Milton is sky rocketing and Oakville is pulling ahead. These projections have significant political and economic implications – the Region may well decide that more of the population coming into the Region should land in Burlington. A presentation of 24 slides told the story – the first was a look at the historic population of the municipalities in the Region
There was a time said Mayor Goldring when Burlington was bigger than Oakville however since then Burlington’s growth has basically flat lined while Milton has grown very rapidly.
 Our portion of the Region’s population is shrinking while that of Milton has skyrocketed. When the 2016 census data is available the Region is required to look at where people live and re-balance the political representation at the Region. Burlington’s political clout will be based on the number of Regional Councillors. Right now every member of city council is also a regional Councillor. The make up of out city council could undergo a significant change.clout The way population was shared within the Region was interesting.
The change in where people lived is shown in #3. Some communities remained stable while others experienced significant growth. The red dot in the upper half is the creation of the community of Alton.
A large part of the discussion around population was the provincial requirement that population grow in the Region. The province requires Halton to grow and the Region determines where that population was going to go in each municipality.
Each municipality then determines where it is going to put the population growth in its municipality.
One point that got made several times was that Burlington’s growth would be done by intensification and that the older traditional communities would not undergo any intensification.
Mayor Goldring talks about the city being built out – Ward 2 Councillor Meed Ward says the city has hundreds of acres of land. One would expect they would both have access to the same data – apparently not.
Every conversation about population growth refers to the seniors and how that demographic is growing. The Molinaro Paradign project that will have five towers next to the GO station on Fairview is not going to house than many seniors – but the mental focus is still on the seniors.
 Burlington clearly has the largest percentage of seniors and at the same time we have some of the highest rents and the lowest vacancies. The need for some deep understanding of the demographics of the community became obvious. Here is what we know: The senior population increased by 17% to 29,720 between 2006 and 2011. The seniors represent 16.9 % of the population seniors over 80 have increased by 21% More than 62% of older seniors are female and 1 in 4 seniors live alone.
What kind of money do these people have? The median income for seniors is $33,280 and the median income for everyone is $40,180
In 2010, 64% of female seniors had incomes of less than $35,000; of the male population that percentage was 38.
The number of children living at home had some surprises – the definition of children for this exercise included people more than 25 years of age.
 There were more female seniors with incomes of less than $35,000 than there were male seniors. Income was defined as that which is shown on tax returns. With older children living with their parents the number of people in a household by themselves was close to astonishing.
 The number of people over 25 living with their parents is a little on the alarming side. The discussion on this data centered around whether or not this was going to continue or if it is a short term situation.
Some of the growth in Burlington is going to come through immigration. The Community Development Halton Development identified the sources of that immigration – it amounts to less than 2000 people
 Immigration into the Region by country of birth. The total is in the 2000 range which the bulk coming from the United States How is income distributed in Burlington? Everyone has always said Burlington is a wealthy city – the data supports that belief.
On the flip side of the very wealthy is identifying the poor; 9.5% of the population in Burlington is poor.
 It would be useful to understand why the number of low income children has remained close to static even though population has grown. The number of low income children has been pretty consistent the past seven years – why? That question did not come up. We seem to have accepted that we just have them.
The prevalence of low income people is also interesting. It shot up during the recession in 2009 but never really came down to pre-recession levels.
 The numbers beside the dots indicates the level of growth. That big red dot reflects the growth in Alton. Where does that low income population live? In Burlington we can’t say below the tracks – there are tracks all over the place – but there are clearly identified pockets of low income families
 There is a link between the working poor and the amount of affordable housing in the city. That link is not fully understood by the community.  Rents are experiencing excellent growth – great if you are a landlord. Many of the new developments are being marketed as condominiums that are bought by investors and rented.  Apartment vacancy rates are very tight throughout the Region and is Hamilton as well. Burlington’s working poor as a percentage of the population compared with other jurisdictions – Burlington is low on that scale – at 4.2% – which is 3,500 persons.
Owning an apartment building is a solid investment in the Region. Rents have experienced a solid climb – well in excess of inflation. The difference between Burlington and Hamilton explains why people will drive to get to Burlington every work day.
The vacancy rate is very tight throughout the Region and in Hamilton as well. A 3% vacancy rate is seen as a healthy, balanced market.
 The number of people who commute TO Burlington from Hamilton is very high. A deeper understanding of the dynamics behind these commutes is probably needed. The number of trips made by people in Burlington to their jobs outside Burlington and the number of people who drive to Burlington to work is really interesting.
What isn’t clear is the why of those trips. Do people drive to Burlington from Hamilton because rents are cheaper in Hamilton.
Do people drive from Burlington to other places because that is where the jobs are?
 The traffic out of the city is due in some degree to employment opportunities. The city has yet to find the formula that will attract employers and reduce the commutes out of the city.
The belief is that people who work outside the city are less likely to be engaged with activities in the city – which was put out as part of the reason voter turnout is so low – it has been a consistent mid thirty percent range.
And yet the percentage of people who volunteer is very high in Halton – at the 50% level. The population is relatively generous – a smidgen lower than the Ontario average and lower than Oakville
Understanding the shifts that take place in population: immigrants coming into the country; seniors moving out of large homes into smaller townhouses or condos; young people renting their first apartment and the working poor looking for affordable housing is the work of demographers – Burlington doesn’t have one.
Windsor, a city with a population of 600,000 has six demographers on staff which prompted planner Bruce Krushelnicki to extrapolate that and come to the conclusion that Burlington should have two – Krushelnicki would settle for one.
A solid understanding of what Burlington has in the way of population, how that population is likely to shift and what future population might be are the building blocks on which the Official Plan and the Strategic Plan will be built.
That process has now begun – by the end of the year city council and the public will have had the time needed to ensure that everyone at least understands what those plans are – getting them to agree is another matter.
 By Phil Davis
April 28, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
In the discussion of the Hydro-One sale the focus has been on its impact on customer cost. There is another reason why the sale is a bad choice, flexibility for adding future technology. We are currently on the cusp of a revolution in power electronics that has the potential to reduce pollution, increase jobs, increase energy diversity and reduce cost.
 The ability to use new generation like solar and wind and new transmission technology will critically depend on the flexibility of the transmission system as an active part of the total system. The transmission system of the future will be a distributed system and have imbedded energy storage, ‘smart’ energy switching and remote load sensing and similar technology to optimize the total energy system; not the ‘top down’ system we have today.
We don’t know exactly what the future transmission system will look like and that is why it needs to be under public control, so that it will adapt as new energy sources become available.
If the transmission system is privately held there will be no incentive to invest or take the risk needed to modernize the system. It is likely the new owner of a privatized transmission system would also control generating plants and would protect their generation equipment profit by not modernizing to allow new generation equipment.
 This would mean that Ontario would not only lose access to improving technology but would be locked in to higher energy prices for both ‘old’ power generation and distribution. We only need to remember the Enron debacle to see where this could go.
If electric transmission is privatized then Ontario will be stuck with a highway407 like energy infrastructure which will be optimized for the short term benefit of the few against the potential of new technology and the needs of the many. The proper approach is private generation competing to generate electricity at the lowest rate and public transmission to insure that all generation sources have access to customers.
 By Pepper Parr
April 28th, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The public is slowly getting some input on what is done in the way of development at air parks. This will be good news to the people of Burlington. The city has taken the Burlington Air Park to court twice – and is in the process of seeking additional legal relief from a company that has done almost everything it can to not comply with the city’s bylaws
 The only indication that there is an Air Park on Appleby Line is this one sign – everything else is hidden behind the large berm – put in place without site plan approval Transport Canada has what is called the Canadian Aviation Regulation Advisory Council (CARAC) which recently asked for submissions on a proposed amendment to regulations and procedures related to Responsible Aerodrome Development.
A submission was made recently by Nancy Shea Nicol, City Solicitor & Director of Legal Services The Corporation of the City of Burlington and Mark Meneray, Commissioner of Legislative & Planning Services and Corporate Counsel for the Regional Municipality of Halton.
They were responding to the Notice of Proposed Amendment regarding Responsible Aerodrome Development and started by noting that comments will only be received until April 17th, 2015, which meant there has been insufficient time to prepare submissions for endorsement by our municipal councils.
It isn’t just the public that gets pushed to respond to changes that different levels of government make.
 The air park property. The diagonal runway has been upgraded since this picture was taken The Proposed Amendment provides that Transport Canada is seeking feedback from stakeholders on will require mandatory that public consultation processes be undertaken in respect of new aerodrome developments and existing certified and non-certified aerodromes when proposed development results in changes to the existing level of service or operations or usage.
Transport Canada is seeking input in setting the parameters of the following:
1. The circumstances under which the requirement to consult are applicable.
2. The mechanics of the consultation process including all steps to be taken.
3. The duration of the consultation process.
4. The defined dispute resolution process.
Before getting into the nitty gritty of their response the first thing Shea-Nicol and Meneray had to say was that the scope of the regulatory proposal itself is too narrow in terms of its applicability for the following reasons:
 Vince Rossi, president of the Burlington Executive Air Park and believed to be the sole shareholder of the private company, met with north Burlington residents. He took all the comments made “under advisement”.. Recent amendments to the Aeronautics Act gave the Governor in Council the authority to make regulations with respect to mandatory consultations that must be carried out before the development of an aerodrome is developed or before an expansion of or change to the operations of an existing aerodrome. The amendments also gave the Governor in Council the authority to make regulations prohibiting the development or expansion of aerodromes or any change to the operation of them. It is our respectful submission that while the regulatory proposal speaks to stakeholder consultation, which we support in principle, it is silent on the circumstances under which the Governor in Council may exercise the power to prohibit the development or expansion of aerodromes or any change to the operation.
We are of the opinion, that in the absence of regulations governing when prohibition of development or expansion may occur, the duty to undertake a public consultation is somewhat “orphaned” in the larger regulatory context.
 The only meeting with north Burlington residents that Vince Rossi attended took pl;ace in a barn at the end of one of the Air Park runways. Circled are Rossi and ward 6 Councillor Blair Lancaster Under the recent amendments to the Aeronautics Act the Minister has the authority to make orders prohibiting the development or expansion of an aerodrome or any changes to its operation where the Minister is of the opinion that the proposed development, expansion or change is likely to adversely affect aviation safety or is not in the public interest. We would expect that the results of the mandatory consultation process should inform the Minister as to when a proposed development or change to an existing aerodrome might not be in the public interest. Again, the regulatory proposal is silent on how this power is to be exercised, and under what conditions.
Further to the above noted points, it is unclear as to what exactly the regulatory framework is, and in particular how it will apply to registered and non-registered aerodromes. It is fine to provide provisions for consultation with the public, but if that consultation is not linked to any power to prohibit or invoke Ministerial orders regulating aerodrome development or operations, it may be that the public consultation is more “window dressing” than substance.
All this before they get into their response to the Notice of proposed amendments.
The intention of all this is to create a process that allows for public input and consultation. The city and the Region want to make sure that the dice are not loaded in favour of an air park operator. You can be the ranch that the Air Park will be submitting their views which will be considerably different than those of the city.
 There were plans to build a heli-port dangerously close to a public road What follows is as dry as toast – and critical to the development of rural Burlington. There was a point at which the air park wanted to build a helicopter pad that was dangerously close to a public road and almost in the front yard of a neighboring property owner. The Burlington Air Park had taken the position that they were a federally regulated operation and did not have to comply with municipal bylaws.
Justice Murphy put an end to that argument and said the Air Park was indeed required to abide by municipal bylaws and an appeal court agreed.
Nevertheless the Air Park has still not submitted the site alteration plan required – the city has once again gone to court and asking a judge to compel them to comply.
That is what makes this change in public participation process so very necessary.
1. CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH THE REQUIREMENT TO CONSULT
We support in principle the requirement for public consultation as is proposed as it addresses what has in the past, been a serious gap in public information and/or consultation with the local community when there is development or expansion or changes to existing aerodrome operations. This has been and continues to be a source of conflict between aerodrome operators and the communities in which they reside.
While applicability to new aerodrome development is relatively straightforward in the regulatory proposal, it is far less clear when dealing with existing aerodrome development. From the perspective of the public at large, it is very unclear as to when proposed modifications result in changes to existing levels of service or operation, or result or could reasonably result in changes to existing usage. For example, the change of the size of an aerodrome should be subject to public consultation, even if it does not change its immediate usage. The vagueness of these proposals raise questions such as:
1. Who and how is the threshold determined?
2. Is it NAV CANADA and/or Transport Canada who makes the threshold determination or the proponent?
3. Is there an opportunity to influence this determination through a preliminary consultation with stakeholders and the public on this point?
The regulatory proposal indicates that the local public, land-use authorities and nearby registered and certified aerodromes must be notified of a proposed aerodrome development where public consultation “is deemed to be a requirement”. Again, it is unclear who makes this determination – either the proponent, Transport Canada, or NAV CANADA?
2. MECHANICS OF THE CONSULTATION PROCESS
We could not determine what the prescribed notification radius is and therefore are unclear as to how broadly a proponent is required to consult. We suggest the notification radius may be too restrictive in respect of non-built up areas. Furthermore, the terms “built up” and “protected area” are undefined and integral to determining the notification area. Calculating the applicable radius, assuming there is one, is even less clear in applying it to existing aerodrome development.
 It was the dumpling of land fill without the proper papers that brought the illegal activity to the attention of city hall. The environmental impacts of any development or proposed expansion of service is of particular concern to local communities.
It is curious that the public notification requires an attestation that the installation will adhere to local building and fire codes. Does Transport Canada concede that aerodromes are required to comply with local building code and fire code requirements? This language is repeated in the Community Comment Section and the concerns expressed here apply equally.
The same comment as above applies to the requirement that the proponent attest that local land-use authorities, “as applicable”, are engaged in the consultation process. This is ambiguous at best and should be clarified in order to ensure that local land use authorities are engaged in any consultation process.
The requirement that the proponent will respond to “all reasonable and relevant concerns” is ambiguous. Are we to assume that it is up to the proponent to determine which public concerns are “reasonable and relevant”? It is unrealistic to expect that the public or other government agencies will be able to assess “valid and substantiated safety” issues, “environmental considerations including the impact on environmentally sensitive or protected lands or aircraft noise within a 30 day response period as addressed below.
Equally of concern, environmental concerns that “are not scientifically sound” will not be considered reasonable or relevant. The process places the onus on the public to raise these concerns and establish their validity, rather than placing the onus on the proponent to have done this work in advance, assessed all of the impacts, and then present the proposal and scientific work to substantiate that the proposed development will not have a negative impact on the surrounding community.
The example list provided indicates that questions respecting whether locally established bylaws or other legislation, procedures or processes are applicable or should be amended in some manner will not be considered as a reasonable or relevant example of concern. This exclusion is too broad and could be used as a catch-all to deny reasonable and relevant concerns that may relate to or refer to bylaws, legislation or procedures. In addition, this seems contrary to the public consultation intent of the regulation and also seems to come to the incorrect conclusion that a bylaw, legislation or procedure or process cannot be applicable.to an aerodrome development.
Public comments including those that are determined to be unreasonable or irrelevant should be made publically available in order to ensure the transparency of the process.
Attempts to resolve concerns informally is positive, however the timelines for having these discussions is too short as discussed below. As well, it would appear that informal resolution will take place with individuals on a concern by concern basis, and not in a public or coordinated fashion. This could result in a “divide and conquer” strategy being used by the proponent to _address concerns raised by the public.
3. . DURATION OF THE CONSULTATION PROCESS
The timelines for public consultation are far too condensed. The regulatory proposal indicates that the proponent must ensure the public notification provides for at least 30 days for written public comment. Proponents will apply the 30 days as the maximum time required for comment. As regulators, Transport Canada has to appreciate that neither the public nor local municipal authorities have the resources (expert staff, funding) to be able to provide written comments on detailed aeronautic proposals within a 30 day window.
 Glenn Grenier, lawyer for the Air Park, a pilot and a resident of the city got a little more than the time of day from a city council that decided they didn’t have all that much time for him. For the consultation to be meaningful, sufficient time must be provided in order for the community to get the resources in place in order to properly understand the scale of the proposed development, and its impacts on the community. These resources are professional/expert in nature and will be costly to the community. Furthermore, most municipal councils only meet once per month and lead times required to get a report onto an agenda can be upwards of 30 days. Accordingly, in order to respond, municipal councils will require at least a 120 day notification period which to provide written comments in respect of a development proposal.
The window for holding the Community Information and Comment Session requires should be longer than the prescribed 14 – 20 days from the mailing of the notice or the publication in the local community newspaper. We would recommend that this window be set at a minimum of 60 days. This could take place within the 120 day period discussed above.
The 111 days for the concluding the public consultation process is too short. After the 120 day window for public comment and 30 days for proponent’s responses, there is only a 21 day opportunity for reply. This should be extended to 30 days. These timelines suggests that the consultation process should be at least 180 days.
 Air park dumped more than 30 feet of landfill without a Site Plan. Owner of the adjacent property stands on her property line and wonders why anyone can build a “small mountain” next to her property without getting approval. She is also terrified about what the hill is doing to the value of her property and what the leaching out of the landfill is going to do to her well water. The Notice recognizes that proponents in more populated or sensitive areas should expect greater engagement in the consultation process that may extend the process beyond 111 days. An extended time frame should be recognized for more populated and sensitive areas in order to ensure the proponent engages the public appropriately in these circumstances.
4. THE DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCESS.
The formal intention by Transport Canada into a dispute between the public and the proponent is a positive process. We are concerned however that the general public will not have the resources to deal on an equal and balanced playing field with the representatives of the proponent and Transport Canada.
The Transport Canada process for dispute resolution is simply mentioned as a ‘process’ in the Notice. The details of how dispute resolution will be managed by Transport Canada could be outlined in greater detail so participating parties have a reasonable expectation of what will be required should they enter into dispute resolution.
 Second from the right is current Minister of Transport – second from the left is Vince Rossi at what is believed to have been an Air Park social event. The Minister has not met with the residents who are impacted by the air park. The resolution window of 30 – 60 days is positive, however Transport Canada should ensure these timelines can be met.
The views of the city and the region are just one part of the comment process. Let’s see how close the regulations come to giving he citizens of the city of Burlington the opportunity to have real input on what gets built in their city.
This has been a five year grind and it isn’t over yet – but the trend line has changed and the arrogance with which legal counsel approached the city is now a thing of the past.
 By Pepper Parr
April 27, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It looked official enough – but there was something phony about it so I zipped a short note to my account manager and asked him – what’s up?
 The impression you get is that your bank is taking care of you – except that the message didn’t come from your bank Just as I suspected – it was phony.
I’m glad that the guys who keep my millions under lock and key were able to confirm my suspicion.
If you got this – delete.
By Staff
April 27, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Joe Gaetan has taken the position that “Regardless of your party politics, selling off Ontario Hydro One Inc., is not a good thing.”
He maintains that the selling of publicly owned assets is a trend that started a while ago and in some cases makes perfect sense. However in this case there are a number of reasons as to why the current proposal should come off the table.
 The revenue produced for the province by Ontario Hydro is outstanding. The provincial government wants to sell the asset and forgo the revenue for a fantastic cash grab. ‘First and foremost the government of the day neither asked for, nor were given a mandate to sell Hydro One. In exchange for a one time inflow of cash from the sale, we the taxpayers will forego the differential future income of Hydro One in perpetuity. If Hydro One is good enough to sell, it’s good enough to keep a controlling ownership of at least 51%.
“If the government keeps a 40% minority share in Hydro One, as currently planned, they will be mostly insulated from complaints about performance shortcomings and rising fees. Once sold it will be almost impossible to buy it back.
“The current model of electing governments has resulted in many people giving up and not voting on Election Day. There are many reasons for that, one of which is many people don’t believe their vote counts. Direct democracy is where enough of us take a stand and tell the government that even though they won the last election they do not have a mandate to do as they wish.
 Joe Gaetan believes hydro is too good an asset to sell – wants the government to at least maintain control.web “In New Zealand 895,322 taxpayers voted against a similar sale of assets, in spite of the vote the government went ahead anyway and sold the assets, but they at least had the foresight to retain a 51% ownership of the assets it had on the auction block.
At 8:20 on April 24, 2015 Gaetan launched this petition asking for a moratorium and a referendum on the sale of Hydro One Inc. as it has been proposed. The petition can be found at: https://www.gopetition.com/petitions/hydro-one-sale.html.
If you feel strongly about this, please click the link to add your signature to the petition and then feel pass it along.
 By Pepper Parr
April 27, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Culture in Burlington took another step forward last week when a Culture Days information session took place at the Art Gallery of Burlington.
 Local artists were able to set up a booth in Civic Square at the 2014 Culture Days – most reported they did very well at raising their profiles.
It was a small crowd but several of the people who play major roles in how culture is marketed and delivered in this city were in the room
There is a non-profit organization that maintains a web site with everything anyone would want to know about cultural events in the province. Culture Days raises the awareness, accessibility, participation and engagement of Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their communities.
To make it really work the Culture Days organization say again and again – ya gotta register – and the earlier the better.
Register an event is what makes an event work. It is not the simplest thing to do. McLeod wasn’t able top get the computer she was using to project the process onto a screen but the Gazette went on line and gave it a whirl – and it does work.
There are four basic criteria to Culture Days activities:
1. Your activity is free to the public
All activities registered as part of Culture Days are free; that is, they cannot be ticketed or occur in a space that charges admission. If you have already planned a mix of free and ticketed programs, register your free activities with Culture Days, and simply let the public know that you have other activities available as well. Fundraisers or sales can happen in proximity to your free event as long as it does not overshadow or restrict/prevent access to free activities. Note: asking for voluntary donations or placing a donation box near the entrance is not the same as requiring donations.
 Teresa Seaton, a stained glass artist has been a prime mover behind the annual Art in Action tour – and is now part of the newly formed Arts and Culture Collective. 2. The activity takes place during the Culture Days weekend: September 25, 26 and/or 27, 2015 Activities registered as part of Culture Days take place during this year’s Culture Days weekend, but you do not need to have three days of activities or activities that last all day. Even a single one-hour participatory event scheduled during the Culture Days weekend qualifies. If your organization already offers arts learning or outreach activities, simply schedule one of your regular events during Culture Days.
3. The activity is participatory
All Culture Days activities are participatory in nature. This means that your activity involves some kind of hands-on aspect or offer the public “backstage”/behind-the-scenes access to see how you do what you do. Invite the public to go beyond a typical audience experience and instead play a part in the creative process. For instance, if you are in a choir, rather than stage a performance, you might offer a workshop on how to sing or harmonize; if you own or operate a dance studio, you might offer a dance class; if you are involved in a community radio station, you could offer a guided tour of your studio. Engagement and participation is key, regardless of the activity. Don’t forget that fun counts too! People love to do what they normally don’t have a chance to experience. Refer to the activity types in the upcoming section for more participation ideas.
4. The activity is registered at culturedays.ca
When you register your activity online, you officially become part of Culture Days and benefit from the national promotional campaign that directs the public to the website to discover activities in their community. Registering online also gives you the chance to be included in the national Public Relations and Marketing campaign. You can also sign up to get regular e-newsletters with valuable advice and news about Culture Days.
Activity Types and Categories
There are five basic participatory activity types that can be registered as part of Culture Days, encompassing a wide range of artistic and cultural categories/disciplines.
1. hands-on activity: create, help make or try doing something yourself
2. behind-the-scenes: see inside artistic spaces and get a peek at creativity in action (indoors/outdoors)
3. excursion: tour of more than one location (eg. art gallery crawl)
4. discussion: artist talks, panels, round-tables and other cultural conversations where you can learn and discuss
5. collective creation: contribute to a collaborative act or work or art
The criteria and the regulations have that distinct stamp of a bureaucrat on them – but the process does work.
 The city’s cultural manager guided Burlington’s participation in the 2014 Culture Days – Angela Papariza talks to Trevor Copp who took a plea to city council for a better cultural environment in the city. On the last Friday of September (September 25, 26 and 27, 2015) many municipalities in Ontario celebrate Culture with a three day event. Burlington has done this for a number of years and will be doing so again this September.
Promotion is critical according the Catherine McLeod who runs the Ontario arm of Culture Days
Why Register an Activity? From highlighting your community, raising your profile and meeting new audiences, to networking and connecting with like-minded citizens, the reasons are multiple!
 Some of the most exciting quilting ever done was on display at the Art Gallery of Burlington last year. It will be interesting to see how the Art Gallery chooses to participate in 2105 Highlight the Cultural Vibrancy of Your Community
Every corner of this country is full of creativity, arts and culture. By participating in Culture Days, you help your fellow citizens become aware of the many unique opportunities available to them and encourage participation in arts and cultural activities in your own backyard. You draw attention to the different cultures and heritages that contribute to the development and vitality of your community.
You cast a spotlight on the cultural organizations and individual artists in their midst.
From children’s choirs, “stitch and bitch” groups and performing arts organizations to art colleges, museums and design firms, there are myriad perspectives, experiences, disciplines and techniques to share and discover. Working together, Culture Days participants showcase the vibrancy of local arts and culture, and encourage everyone to discover something new, something different, and to re-connect with their own creativity and community.
Arts and culture initiatives and industries not only make a vital contribution to our dynamic economy but, crucially to the social development of our neighbhourhoods, regions and country, promoting life-long learning, creative thinking, resiliency, appreciation of diversity, compassion and so much more.
 Spread the word. Arts and culture are important.
Make Worthwhile Connections, Meet New Supporters & Audiences
A significant amount of Culture Days activity organizers share space with other organizers during the weekend, often collaborating with someone or organizations with which they had not previously worked. Whether it is to create a hub of diverse activities in one area to attract visitors, or as an excuse to finally contact someone you’ve been meaning to connect with, Culture Days is the perfect opportunity to meet other creative people in your area, share resources, form new alliances that will last year-round, and meet new potential supporters and audience members.
Collaborations can also inspire unique cross-pollination among creative practices, connecting across sectors, cultures and generations.
Moreover, your participation in Culture Days can be the catalyst to create a legacy of strong connections between citizens, artists, cultural workers and their communities.
 During the creation of the Spiral Stella the public provided artifacts that were bronzed and made a part of the sculpture that stands outside the Performing Arts Centre. Here children watch in amazement at how the moulds are made. Develop Your Skills
Culture Days offers a fantastic opportunity to sharpen your promotional and organizational skills.
By taking advantage of the free tips and tools offered on the website, you can make the most of your Culture Days experience and apply everything that you have learned or improved upon year-round.
Whether it is leveraging social media for the first time as a promotional tool, organizing as a community, or connecting with people as passionate as you are, the vast and varied network of collaborators that makes up the Culture Days initiative is the perfect support system.
Learning works best when you have people to share it with, so don’t hesitate to get out there and put it all into practice, and be sure to not be humble about your successes!
Raise Your Profile
Culture Days offers helpful tips and tools to conduct your own promotion and media relations. It is a great opportunity to be featured in your local paper, association newsletters, or arts blogs, to name a few. Don’t hesitate to tell everyone about your unique activity.
In addition to being included in the national marketing and communications campaign, you might also take part in local or regional marketing initiatives. By pointing the general public to culturedays.ca where your activity is registered, people in your community and beyond your usual circles will learn about you and your activity.
Benefit from your participation by collecting contact information, business cards and comments from your visitors. This is a chance to build your email list and collect glowing testimonials for your next brochure or website update. Just by sharing your passion and talents, you can recruit new members, clients or audience members on the spot.
 Making culture the focus of conversation is what the Culture Days committee feels will raise the profile of the arts in a community. Unite To Make Arts and Culture The Topic of Conversation
Culture Days is the largest-ever collective public participation campaign undertaken by the arts and cultural community in this country. Last year, artists, cultural organizations, diverse groups and local organizers in nearly 800 communities registered some 7,500 events. The marketing and media campaign generated impressions in the hundreds of millions.
In the three years since its inception, one in three Canadians reported being aware of Culture Days – that’s more than 11 million people!
By participating, you promote and reveal the creativity of our citizens, creators, organizations, and communities through a vast Canada-wide marketing and public awareness campaign. Whether you create a new program or already have a relevant interactive activity planned, everything included in the Culture Days weekend pushes arts and culture into the limelight.
It all happens September 25, 26 and 27, 2015 – what artists do between now and then will determine just how successful the day is. Wish for sunshine!
By Staff
April 27, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Getting people to tell you what they think before decisions are made seems to be harder than listening to people who are unhappy with decisions that have been made.
City Council is about to begin the process of setting out the Strategic Plan they will use as a guide for the decisions they make for the next three years.
 Ideas and concepts were written up on sheets of paper and put up wherever there was space. It all got debated and boiled down to the Strategic Plan the city is now working with – that plan is to be reviewed and revised now. The Strategic Plan created in 2011 was an excellent document. It did have some limitations but given that prior to 2011 the city tended to publish a booklet with a lot of nice picture and precious little in the way of content. 2011 was great.
The Plan adopted by Council was a long time in coming – staff and council took eleven half days to discuss and debate what the priorities should be – what they wanted to focus on and achieve in the term they were getting into.
They settled on three Strategic Directions:
Vibrant Neighbourhoods
Prosperity
Excellence in Government
 The body language tells it all – there was some,e vigorous debate during the creation of the best Strategic Plan the city has had in some time. Here Frank McKeown, current Executive Director of the Burlington Economic Development Corporation, the Mayor’s Chief of Staff at the time and Paul Sharman city Councillor and a member of the Board of the BEDC Whenever a staff report was prepared for Council the writers of the report were expected to show how the recommendation was related to those three directions
As part of public engagement, which hasn’t been all that good so far, the city is asking the public to download a copy of a Workbook that has been put together for any individual who wants to express an opinion. The Workbook is an opportunity to provide input into planning Burlington’s future.
The deadline for submissions has been extended until end of day May 4, 2015.
In its media release the city said: “To help set priorities, each Burlington City Council creates a strategic plan to match with the four-year term of council. The 2015-18 City of Burlington strategic plan will result in changes to the 2011-14 strategic plan, based on community feedback and changing needs.”
 The Strategic Plan was facilitated by Georgina Black; they couldn’t have done the job they did without her. Prior to extending the deadline for comment the city had received less than 50 responses.
The workbook is available online or in hard copy and can be mailed on request. Strategic plan facilitators are on standby to help groups complete the workbook. Please contact strategicplan@burlington.ca, call 905-335-7600, ext 7378, or visit www.burlington.ca/strategicplan for details.
 By Pepper Parr
April 28, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
UPDATE:
Got the following note from Transport Canada:
“Just wanted to note that this article is inaccurate. The lift bridge is a Public Works asset, not Transport Canada. It is not being divested and is not part of the Port Asset Transfer Program.”
The Gazette will seek some clarification and report back/
Governments have a nasty little habit of releasing news late on a Friday afternoon. It is seldom good news – that stuff gets sent out when newsroom are wide awake and operational.
What was the bad news? The Hamilton-Burlington Lift Bridge is up for sale – Hamilton and Burlington have first dibs on the property but if they don’t buy it – then someone else can buy the structure.
 In a 5:31pm Friday news release, the Harper government announced a new program called the “Ports Asset Transfer Program” which will sell Transport Canada-owned port facilities to the private sector if provinces or municipalities don’t agree to take responsibility for facilities the federal government no longer wishes to maintain.
For this part of the world that means what is officially called the Burlington Canal Lift Bridge is going to get sold. Lisa Raitt’s, Minister of Transport, news release backgrounder states municipalities will have a 60-day period this summer to decide to purchase the Lift Bridge from the federal government.
If Hamilton and Burlington decide to not purchase the bridge (or the province for them), Transport Canada will offer the bridge for sale to the Hamilton Port Authority and the private sector.
Earlier in the month the Burlington and Hamilton Council’s joint Greater Bay Area Committee met. One of the agenda items was the Lift Bridge negotiations.
Hamilton City Manager Chris Murray said communication was ongoing with the Federal government, and that both City Managers were awaiting additional financial information from the federal government before providing recommendations to the respective City Councils.
Murray made no statement about potential privatization or a forthcoming ultimatum. He did state that he expected to have more information from the Federal government shortly and that a report would be forthcoming to Council.
Burlington’s city manager, James Ridge hasn’t said a word publicly.
Mike Wallace, Burlington’s member of Parliament has yet to make a comment.
Expect this issue to quickly be added to the both Burlington and Hamilton City Council meetings. Burlington has the delightful pleasure of working with the federal Transportation department on both an air park and now a canal bridge.
Is anyone thinking about a toll bridge? Governments are looking for new sources of revenue.
Were indebted to Joey Coleman and The Public Record for background on this article.
 By Pepper Parr
April 27th 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
They were celebrating their fifth year as the leaders of the annual CleanUp GreenUp event that brought out 11, 970 people who pulled garbage and litter from creeks, ravines and roadside ditches.
 Amy Schnurr and Paul Haskins go over their notes before announcing how many people took part in the event. Prior to BurlingtonGreen (BG) taking over the event it was run out of the Mayor’s office. In a short comment Mayor Goldring explained that it just got too big.
One parent commented that there is SO MUCH more litter around the bridge entrance at Desmond and folkway. I was astonished at the amount of trash in the creek.
The Clean Up day is just one part of what BurlingtonGreen does each Spring. They plant trees and in the past have done this on the same day as the CleanUp – which is frequently a chilly day – although this year there was some sunshine.
Later in May BG will be doing some work in the Mountainside area planting trees and planting trees in the Beachway where some of the land is environmentally sensitive. BG expects to plant some 150 trees in the Beachway.
 This is how much garbage my kids pulled from the creek in Ireland park this morning, walking along one side only between the two bridges. Amy Schnurr explained the interesting effect tree planting has on people. Many people see the tree they planted as “their” tree and the drop by over the years to see how it is doing. They have a sense of personal ownership of the tree they planted which is really nice to see.
 Mayor Goldring makes last minute changes to his short speech. Each year, some of the people who take part in the CleanUp GreenUp gather in the civic square to chat with friends and neighbours and look over the tables with information.
There didn’t seem to be as many people taking part this year. As a celebration of the work that had been done – it was kind of a limp event. A lot of people, 11,970 of them, had worked hard for half of the day. It would have been nice to see more of a sense of celebration to the event.
A little show business might be added to the event next year.
 People line up for the free burgers grilled up by Turtle Jack’s Turtle Jacks had their trailer on site and cooked up all the hamburgers that could be eaten – veggie burgers as well.
By Pepper Parr
April 27, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Late in March, BFAST (Burlington for Accessible Sustainable Transit) held a meeting to hear what transit users thought of the service.
 Mayor Goldring decided to promote his personal use of transit by releasing a “selfie” he took while riding the bus to work. Earlier in the year BFAST put out a challenge asking members of Council to use transit one day of every week for a month. Mayor Goldring took the challenge, got himself on the front page of a newspaper and was begging to be seen as a transit advocate.
Ward 1 Councilor Marianne Meed Ward took the challenge – she didn’t get her picture in the paper but she had some very useful data – it was not good news.
As community based events go the Saturday morning session went very well. BFAST issued a Summary of their findings – the full report will come out late in May.
 The March meeting broke out into workshop groups – here the seniors discuss what works and doesn’t work for them. The Forum attracted about 90 people with much to say about their experiences using Burlington’s buses. There in the role of listeners were four of the seven members of Burlington City Council, including Mayor Rick Goldring, as well as Burlington’s MPP, Eleanor McMahon. Not present, unfortunately, was anyone responsible for designing and operating the transit system – Burlington Transit.
Positive messages from the participants can be quickly told: everyone praised the friendliness and thoughtfulness of the bus drivers, who often help passengers in unusual circumstances.
Now for the negative messages, the same problems coming up over and over again. Because of cuts to service and frequent route changes during the last three years, Burlington Transit’s system is no longer convenient, resulting in a considerable drop in ridership. And two fare increases, one in May 2013, and another to take effect in May 2015, have made it unaffordable for many potential users.
 Community Development Halton Executive Director Joey Edwardh looks a little puzzled with the information Mayor Goldring has pulled up on his Smart phone To illustrate the lack of convenience, consider the schedule on the North Service Road (Route 81.) The buses operate between 6:00 and 9:30 am and between 3:00 and 6:00 pm, on weekdays only. A person who uses this route asked, “What am I supposed to do at other times of the day? It makes it difficult if I have appointments to go to.” Or, she might have added, if you have to get back from work after 6:00 pm. Further, this route has no service on Saturdays and Sundays. This is just one example among many that show how inconvenient transit service is in Burlington.
The South Service Road is even worse: although there are many hotels and businesses, as well as McMaster’s DeGroote School of Business located along this road, there are no buses to serve them.
The most recent fare increase seems to have been designed to persuade (force?) users into acquiring Presto cards. However, for many people, getting a Presto card is not as simple as saying “Hey, presto!” For some seniors and young people and for people with limited financial resources the application process is not easy, and putting money on the card can only be done online or at the three GO stations and the Downtown Terminal. Also, the initial fee of $6.00 is enough to deter some people from applying. A young person said that Presto ought to be as convenient as cash in order for it to replace cash fares.
Signage at bus stops throughout Burlington presents a problem for many, especially occasional transit users. Ideally, every bus stop should display the route numbers of the buses stopping there and the scheduled times of arrival. The reality is rather different: bus route numbers and arrival times are nonexistent. You need a Ride Guide and the ability to decipher it. It was pointed out that signage for buses serving the GO stations is quite limited.
 Ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven appears to be making a point to transit advocate James Smith about how the service works. Craven did not take the BFAST challenge. Burlington Transit’s Handi-Vans provide an essential service for people with disabilities unable to use the regular bus service. Unfortunately, as BT’s nine Handi-Vans cannot handle the current demand, users must book at least a week in advance. To deal with requests at short notice, such as necessary medical appointments, taxis should be used to supplement the Handi-Van fleet when required, as is the case in Oakville. This provision would be a valuable service, as well as the taxi scrip program which many citizens would like reinstated. (For many seniors who are frail, the ride on Handi-Van is not possible due to a bumpy ride.) It should be added that several people questioned why those who are legally blind and those with low vision are excluded from using the Handi-Van service.
Another issue affecting many transit users concerns buses no longer going into Mapleview Mall and Burlington Mall. The walk from the closest bus stops to a mall entrance is not pedestrian friendly, and it can be dangerous in winter conditions, especially for people with limited mobility and for those who use walkers and wheelchairs.
Many people pointed out that the bus schedules are too tight, making it very difficult for the drivers to stay on schedule. When a driver attempts to catch up after falling behind schedule, there may be a loss of safety.
All the shortcomings of the Burlington transit system mentioned above result from a common cause: serious underfunding of transit by the City Council. It seems that the guiding principle when making decisions about transit is to save money, not to provide a good service.
 Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman making a point during one of the BFAST workshops. Sharman did not take the BFAST challenge Recommendations
Spend more money on transit!
Provide more frequent service and extend the hours of service.
Improve the route schedules to make good connections at GO stations and other transfer points.
Post schedules with route numbers and arrival times at all bus stops.
Make Presto cards easier to obtain and to load.
Supplement Handi-Vans with taxis when required and reinstate the Taxi Scrip program.
Community buses should be labeled as such, and promoted.
The Downtown Terminal should be staffed during all hours when buses are operating.
Provide more bus shelters and make sure they are accessible for motorized wheelchairs.
The community meeting was a success; a majority of the members of Council were in the room, what happens next? The budget for the next fiscal year has been cast in stone. The two members of council with the most fiscal prudence, Taylor and Dennison did not take part in the meeting – don’t expect either of them to move any money from their |”shave and pave” program into transit. Councillor |Sharman is not likely to become a transit advocate any time soon.
Burlington Transit seem to have convinced themselves that the several million they are going to spend on technology to gather data will solve all their problems.
The transit advocates have a long road to travel.
By Pepper Parr
April 25, 2105
BURLINGTON, ON
Tom Muir is an active community participant – he is also a bit of a burr under the saddle of the Councillor for his ward Rick Craven.
Muir is not the kind of guy that backs down easily – and he is the kind of guy who does his homework
When he delegates before city Council – which he does frequently – his questions are pointed and often sharp.
 Plains Road, east of Waterdown – residents believe the properties are being assembled with plans are for a 6 storey structure. He recently wrote a staff member in the planning department about a development that no one was actually sure was going to take place – the only information the public had was a sign on the property saying units were for sale.
Muir asked the planning department for some details on any plans the city might have received about a potential redevelopment on 40-58 Plains Road East.
The staff member said:
I have attended several meetings with the owners of 40, 46 & 50 Plains Road East. Formal preconsultation meetings were held in December 2012 and July 2014 to discuss a 6 storey apartment building on these three sites. An Official Plan amendment (OPA) and rezoning would be required to allow any redevelopment of these properties for an apartment building. I have not attended any discussions or held any preconsultation meetings involving 58 Plains Road East.
The City of Burlington has not received an application for OPA or rezoning of these properties. We have not approved any apartment building on these properties. However the City cannot legally prevent property owners from advertising their intentions or from collecting names of potential purchasers for residential units which are not approved or built.
 Waterdown Road is in the process of being widened, the local convenience store was expropriated and there are plans for some very significant developments – the residents would like to be informed. Muir now knew more than most people in his community. What galled Muir the most was that there had been a community meeting to talk about the thinking being done for the stretch of Plains Road between Cook and Filmandale and there was no mention of the meeting about any development proposals or pre-consultation meetings.
Muir commented in his response to the planner saying:
“It is not right, and highly regrettable, that this information was not disclosed to the public as part of the official process and meeting. That it was largely by accident that I discovered this failure to disclose key information relevant to the purposes of the meeting just makes the situation more intolerable.
The disclosure of such information should be city policy, period. I just don’t understand what the thinking or objective is in non-disclosure. What kind of organization lets this happen?
Awareness of this information would clearly affect the knowledge and thinking of the public regarding the issues and questions being posed to them by the city at the meetings, and in the process. Therefore, the issues, comments, and concerns they provide in response are similarly affected.
Therefore, the turnout numbers of the public are influenced downward, and the comments you have received, and may receive further, are not fully informed, and are therefore biased, because this information is missing.
I think you need to do the meeting again, with the public fully informed as to what has been, and is, going on in regard to the missing information, and how that might relate to the OP and by-law issues that are under review.
“This is not the first time in my experience in Ward 1” said Muir “that the city has failed to disclose this kind of particularly relevant and material information to the public in formal meetings. The resulting bias in response received from the public is always the same.”
“And it always leads people to lose trust in the process, and in the integrity of the city’s ethic and code of conduct. This is so simple to avoid – always do the right, honest thing.”
 A vacant lot across the road from properties that are beleived to be part of an assembly sits next to Solid Gold, an “adult entertainment” business. Many would like to see that establishment turned into something more acceptable to the community. The lead speaker at the meeting on March 24th was the city planner. He had to know about the possible development. He didn’t say a word.
The ward Councillor, Rick Craven also spoke to the crowd of about 80 people – he didn’t say a word either – you can bet the mortgage that Councillor Craven knew about the project and assume that he had had a number of conversations with the developer.
Let us add one more piece of information. The Gazette received the following from a reader whose credibility is as strong as it gets. That person wrote: Regarding Greg Woodruff’s article, I think the Plains Road project has been in the works for a while. Through one of our daughter’s friends, we learned that properties on Fairwood Place E. – up to Birchwood – were being assembled about a year ago. If true, the development proposal will extend well beyond the Plains Road corridor – right into the neighbourhood.
Expect to hear more from the people of Aldershot about this one.
By Staff
April 25, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The planned closure of Waterdown Road, between Plains Road and Masonry Court, is on track – the road will close to through traffic on Monday, May 4, 2015. The closure is expected to last until October 2015.
Detour
A detour will be provided along Cooke Boulevard and Masonry Court.
Local Access
Local access for residents and businesses within the road closure limits will be maintained. At times, access may only be provided from one direction.
Fire Station #3
City of Burlington Fire Station #3 will maintain access through a driveway onto Emery Avenue.
Burlington Transit
Bus stops for Burlington Transit will be routed along the road detour.
By Staff
April 24, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington MP Mike Wallace spoke yesterday in the House of Commons and said:
 Burlington MP Mike Wallace at a Conservative Caucus meeting in Ottawa Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate the member’s honesty. He was clear in his speech that his party is in favour of increased taxes to pay for a number of the programs the New Democrats have indicated they are interested in. I am actually looking forward to debating those issues at election time also.
However, I am a little confused. On one hand, in his speech he talked about corporations needing to pay their own way, and then the previous speaker from his party was taking credit for the small business tax rate going from 11% to 9%. Ninety per cent of the businesses in the country are small businesses.
Are the New Democrats for increasing taxes on business, or are they against taxes going up for business? It is a very confusing message. I do not think they know what they actually stand for. I would be interested to hear what he has to say about that.
Wallace was responding to remarks made by Jack Harris, the NDP Member for St. Johns East in Newfoundland who had said previously:
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to have an opportunity to speak to the Conservative budget. The budget is no pleasure, but to have a chance to talk about what is wrong with it, where it is lacking, the negative direction it is taking the country and some of the things that my party, the NDP, would do instead is something I cherish.
The Conservative budget would spend billions in handouts to the wealthiest at a time when the government should be investing in accessible child care, affordable housing and supporting seniors who are struggling to get by. Places like Newfoundland and Labrador and the people there and the Atlantic who have critical issues that need to be addressed, like regional economic development and supporting communities, issues such as the constitutional obligation of the government to support Marine Atlantic, are absent from this budget.
Absent as well are the $280 million that the government promised the government of Newfoundland and Labrador in a fishing industry development fund in response to the consequences of CETA and the request to remove its powers to expect local processing in fisheries. Where is that? All of these are absent.
Things get a little testy at time in the House of Commons. When Wallace was finished speak Harris stood again and responded with
Mr. Speaker, we have noticed over here that the hon. member is confused on many occasions. He did not actually need to tell us that.
If he had been listening, he would have known that the leader of the NDP gave a major speech several months ago in which he called for a decrease in small business tax rates down to 9%. That was very clear. He also called for an increase in the capital cost allowance for manufacturers. This is desperately needed in the member’s neck of the woods, in Ontario, because of the hollowing out of manufacturing that has happened during the government’s administration. We are trying to fix that.
We do understand what needs to be done, but we do not support the notion that major corporations, highly profitable corporations, can have tax cuts and sit on that cash for years and years and not use it to create jobs.
Both New Democrat Harris from Newfoundland and Conservative Wallace from Burlington were commenting on the federal budget that was handed down the day before. Fine men representing their constituents.
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