 By Pepper Parr
April 7, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Are the decks being cleared; are new opportunities popping up in other municipalities – what’s going on? People are leaving the employ of the city at a surprising rate.
 Burlington Planner, Bruce Kruselniki – announced his retirement – will leave at the end of May. A few weeks ago city planner Bruce Krushelnicki announced his retirement at the end of May – now Director of Transpiration Bruce Zvaniga announced that it is “With deeply mixed emotions, I am announcing my retirement from the City of Burlington effective April 30th.
“Five years ago, I eagerly joined the newly-formed Transportation Services Department and was given the exciting opportunity to lead the staff charged with planning and managing the way people walk, cycle, drive and park cars within our city.
 Bruce Zvaniga announces retirement. “I have had the great pleasure of working with you on the challenges of defending our rural area from the intrusion of a new highway corridor, protecting endangered wildlife from vehicular traffic, improving the safety and efficiency of our city streets, expanding the city’s cycling facilities, identifying the growth needs of the transportation network and updating our technology for parking management and signal control. I am sad that I won’t be here to share in the celebration of the many initiatives currently underway to be completed later this year, but I look forward to the adventures ahead for me.
“I feel very fortunate and very proud to have served the City of Burlington.
“CoB is a great place to work – because of how much staff care about each other, and their focus on delivering excellent service every day to the community.
“I will very much miss the people here and miss being part of making this great City work.”
Zvaniga makes no mention of where he is going nor does he mention any personal issues – he is just leaving.
 City manager James Ridge now has another important hole to fill as he builds the management team. Newly appointed city manager James Ridge has been interviewing every member of Council and the Directors of various departments. In the near future Ridge is going to have to tell Council how he plans to organize the city administration.
The city is short one general city manager – frequently senior management reaches down into middle management and moves someone up the food chain.
Has Zvaniga had his interview with Ridge and realized he wasn’t going to be considered for a promotion and decided he would find a better place to grow his career.
 Zvaniga was one of those Directors who was attentive, open to new ideas but had to work with a file that was awkward and a staff that seemed to be married to the rule book.
He did create an interesting approach to traffic court in this city but the department never managed to come up with a provider of new high tech parking meters.
Are there more shoes that will get dropped to the floor? At least three that we can count.
Interesting times with a man who brings discipline and accountability to the operation.
 By Pepper Parr
April 7, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Art Gallery of Burlington announced today that they have appointed Robert Steven as its new President & CEO. Mr. Steven will assume his new post on 4 May 2015.
In a media release the AGB said: “The Board of Directors was looking for a very special leader who is capable of taking the Art Gallery of Burlington to the profile appropriate for the home of Canada’s largest collection of contemporary Canadian ceramics and to the level of community engagement that will best contribute to the quality of life of this city and region.
 Robert Steven appointed as President and CEO of the Art Gallery of Burlington. We have found that leader in Robert Steven,” said Sandra Edrupt, Chair of the AGB Board. “We value Steven’s strategic business mind and believe that he can build synergy from our unique identity as both an art gallery and the home to the guilds of Arts Burlington.”
One of only 50 Canadian alumni of the prestigious Getty Museum Leadership Institute in Los Angeles, Steven’s educational background includes a Master of Museum Studies at the University of Toronto and a Fine Arts degree from the University of Waterloo.
Steven currently manages the Culture and Heritage Department of the City of Grande Prairie, where he oversees the City’s various cultural and heritage infrastructure and investments, including the three branches of the municipal museum. He caught the attention of the City of Grande Prairie, and now the Board of the Art Gallery of Burlington, through his impressive leadership of the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie, an organization that he transformed, expanded, professionalized, and modernized over his seven and one-half years of service as both its Executive Director and Curator.
His successes in Grande Prairie led to his recognition with a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal from the Premier of Alberta in 2012 and the Alberta Venture Magazine’s selection of him as one of Alberta’s 50 Most Influential People for 2013.
Originally from Ontario, Steven’s earlier professional arts experience included rapidly increasing authority and responsibility at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery during a period of significant growth and change from 2001 to 2006. This encompassed roles as Preparator, Collections Management Project Manager, and Registrar.
 Dennis Longchamps joined the AGB as Chief Curator. Dr. Longchamps also heads collections and educational programming “Combining Robert’s strong arts executive and municipal leadership experience, with the strength of our Chief Curator, Dr. Denis Longchamps, who also heads collections and educational programming, we will have the leadership team that we need to take the Art Gallery of Burlington to the next level,” said Edrupt.
Many thought Longchamps would succeed Ian Ross who left the President and CEO role at the gallery on rather short notice after a 20+ year stint.
Kim Varian who led development for the AGB also left the gallery to work with her husband on the family business. Varian will continue with the AGB in a consulting and support capacity.
Grande Prairie has a population of 55,000+;median age is 30; average income is in the $126,000 range; a two bedroom apartment comes in at $1,115 a month – and here is the shocker for Steven – average house price is in the $316,000
 Anne Swarbrick will now try retirement for the third or fourth time. It is not something she is very good at. All this means that Anne Swarbrick, who was serving as the interim President and CEO can now return to what must be her third attempt at retirement
 By Pepper Parr
April 7, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Tom Muir has been a consistent critique of many city council decisions and an advocate for his community – Aldershot.
Greg Woodruff, a generation or two behind Muir, has also been a critic and an advocate for Aldershot.
 Both had comments on some of the ideas that were floated by the Planning department at a recent community meeting in the community.
The proposed revision” revision said Muir in a note to one of the city planners, “has long been, historically, one of the biggest fears of Aldershot people – policy and wording revisions that can lead to wholesale block-busting and creeping destruction of a prime section of Aldershot character, heritage and history.
While this is technical, Muir sites a section of the Official Plan policy:
Part III. 2.2.3. h) Notwithstanding the policies of Part III, Subsection 2.2.2 d) of this Plan, the lands designated “Residential Medium Density” on the south side of Plains Road, between Cooke Boulevard and Filmandale Road, shall be subject to site-specific zoning regulations designed to protect the existing character of this portion of Plains Road and provide compatibility with the abutting neighbourhood to the south. Any exterior alteration or addition to the property shall maintain the residential appearance and character of the property.
 Recently completed retirement home improves the look of the intersection but brings nothing to the community in terms of a place to go – no public amenities “Changing this wording, and supporting zoning bylaws, so as to remove the requirements for site-specific zoning requirements – “shall” – to protect the existing character, provide compatibility with the abutting neighborhood to the south, and maintain the residential appearance and character of the property, is a sure recipe for just such a future. This is what a majority Aldershot residents have consistently expressed objections to. I live on Townsend Ave., immediately south of these lands.
“If these protections were desirable, warranted, and defensible in the present OP” asks Muir, “then what has changed that makes such protections not so in the present. These lands are certainly not realistically needed to meet any other superseding goals that I can think of. All I can see is that such revisions reward speculation and profiteering.”
“Such wholesale changes I cannot support. Notwithstanding that not all of the properties are equal, how does one choose which to protect and will that be defensible, among many judgemental factors? This is a very slippery slope.
“I think that in short order, given other redevelopments that are already underway on Plains Rd in general, this is exactly what appears will happen following such revisions. I already see signs of this, such as development/real estate companies speculating in properties in the subject section. I don’t want to see a replication of that recent redevelopment form in the subject area.
 Planters along Plains Road have given what used to be a provincial highway a much more suburban look. Hasn’t slowed traffic down enough for most people – except for those who drive through the community. “It will destroy what is left of the low density residential, with some employment or commercial uses mixed in, and with green spaces and mostly attractive streetscapes. It will be replaced by concrete, brick and asphalt right to the street.
This is not an Aldershot Village Vision, but rather a Nightmare looming. This seems to me a critical juncture in the process.
Greg Woodruff, who ran against Gary Carr for the office of Regional Chair – more to have a platform that to win the office asks the politicians to “Stop saving the greenbelt and start saving us.”
Woodruff says he is “in favour of development and smart growth – that is not what is under way in Burlington. We are embarked in the stupidest type of growth seen yet. Let’s review the last several years in Aldershot.
Does the street look slightly nicer with newer buildings – yes.
Trees – less.
Businesses that are open at 7:00 pm – less.
Places for people to work and shop – less.
Dependency on cars – more.
Congestion – more.
 Councillor Craven described the sign that was set up at the western end of his ward as “beautiful”. The result is a kind of “bimbo” street that looks slightly nicer, but is devoid of actual value to residents. This trend is growing and accelerating across Burlington.
In the past developers chewed up cheap farmland and converted it into housing. Now that farm land is off limits they are just doing the same with commercial space. The city has just identified areas that can be redeveloped at the most profit – not areas where intensification makes any sense.
Previously the suburbs spread everything out and made the car king. Now we are moving to large swaths of apartment blocks completely devoid of any local services and placed around roads that were never designed to service so many. This is a far worse situation.
 Greg Woodruff describes much of the development as giving a “kind of “bimbo” look – slightly nicer, but devoid of actual value to residents. This trend is growing and accelerating across Burlington. City planners seem to have settled on religious devotion to a single formula imposed by their provincial masters; more density is better. Seemingly now freed from servicing the wishes of actual residents and backed up with “saving the green belt”; the agenda is to slow boil residents like frogs in water.
Chipping away local greenery tree by tree. Blocking out the sun building by building. Increasing congestion day by day. This is the only future offered to existing residents – endless and perpetual construction, greying and densification. Welcome to the intensification zone.
A better end game is to end up with a much greener and localized city than we started with; that is the point of density. We want larger parks, more restaurants and things to walk to – you can’t make things greener by chopping down trees or get more businesses by putting houses where stores were. Yet that seems what city planners are pitching.
Population density doesn’t solve problems in your community if your community is merrily downgraded into endless apartment blocks. Sorry “Saving the green belt” cannot justify ever worsening living conditions for the rest of us.
Here is how we start turning the current direction around. “Smart growth” is when the increased density brings amenities into the community for the benefit of all – including existing residents.
1) Modify the zoning rules so that when redevelopment occurs the zoning stipulates that amenities come in with the development. In most areas this means high quality commercial space. 45% maximum lot coverage, 45% high quality parking, 10% green. Must have commercial venting and transport truck accesses.
2) A percentage of development fees must go into a fund for new park land – local to the area of development. This will enforce localized services and new localized greenery as redevelopment occurs.
 The only way to secure the “green belt” is to make sure that most people would prefer to live inside the “intensification zone”. This requires a focus on improving the liveability of the areas under intensification. Every development which brings in people without an obvious improvement to the community is negative.
“Dispense will the endless rationalizations presented by the city” suggests Woodruff. “If a development results in less trees, less shops, more people and more congestion – then the city is developing your area into a grey high density mess.”
The Planning department is in the process of testing ideas and listening to the residents in different communities. The Mayor is gearing up for a talk on intensification – his stab at helping people understand what is taking place.
If what Muir and Woodruff have to say is any indication on how the intensification debate is going to go – we are in for some feisty debate.
Neither of these man could be referred to as uninformed slouches.
 By Pepper Parr
April 6, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Ronnie is having quite a run.
Things began to heat up for Ron Foxcroft when he got a call from the Mayor asking him to head up the fund raising that had to be done for the August 2014 flood victims
 Then there was the tragic murder of Cpl Nathan Cirillo in front of the national war memorial in Ottawa in October.
 Seldom at a loss for words – Foxcroft can be more pensive and thoughtful than expected. While supporting the troops in the regiment Foxcroft was also stick handling the problem the city was having with the reluctance the province was showing on coming through with an ODRAP (Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program) for the city to aid the flood victims.
Burlington had done everything it was required to do – but the province was reluctant to announce a program for the city – they had actually decided not to offer a program: – that’s when Foxcroft and others began to work the phones.
 We’re #1 – don’t forget that. The province eventually found a way to create an ODRAP program for Burlington – funds from that program have already begun to work their way into the hands of people whose homes were flooded.
Foxcroft headed up a campaign that raised just under $1 million in 100 days. There isn’t a bank in the country that didn’t experience the squeeze – well there was one – but let’s not embarrass them.
Then the media began to take a new interest in Foxcroft and his now world famous whistle. He made the New York Times as well as a decent feature on CBC.
 On top of every possible market niche – the Foxcroft whistle is fashion conscious as well – pink whistles. Foxcroft got to tell how many country he exports his famous whistle to – 140. He got to tell that his product is made in Canada and that he has expanded from being the Official whistle for several sports and has expanded his product line to include the outdoor market and personal safety.
What does a high school dropout do after that?
How about having tea with the Queen?
Foxcroft and his wife will be presented to Queen Elizabeth next May at a Buckingham Palace event.
 The Foxcroft look – there are thousands of basketball players who will tell you just what it means. Foxcroft is the Honorary Colonel of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, the Regiment Nathan Cirello belonged to when he was standing guard duty at the War Memorial in Ottawa.
Turns out the Queen is the Honorary Commanding Officer of the Regiment. Foxcroft will meet with the Queen to accept her official condolences on the death of a member of the Regiment.
The communication between the Foxcroft household and the officials at Buckingham Palace is, in Foxcroft’s words, – “different”.
Foxcroft deals with the Queen’s equiry – Foxcroft didn’t know what that meant – he will understand fully when he meets the man.
Before he can fly to London Foxcroft has to complete the work he does with the NCAA – National Collegiate Athletic Association. A former basketball referee, Foxcroft now serves as an advisor and prepares post game reports on how well the referees do their job. Foxcroft has been following the NCAA March Madness Final 4 – he gets to watch every game and prepares a report on how well the referees did. He calls this a job – which does on occasion keep him away from home. He missed spending Easter with his family.
 Somewhere in that building Ron Foxcroft is settling in to take notes on referee performance during the game Monday night he was preparing to oversee the Wisconsin Badgers play the Duke Blue Devils in Indianapolis – then the long drive home, probably memorizing what he will say to the Queen.
The man who is seldom at a loss for words might just pause as he is introduced to the Queen.
By Staff
April 7, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It isn’t the kind of graphic you can miss.
We wanted it big and bright to draw your attention to the Gazette’s newest reader feature.
 While the words What’s On! aren’t unique – the concept was to create a place where whatever is going on in this city is posted.
In a recent survey we asked readers what else they wanted to see – more than 87% of the respondents said they wanted more information on what is happening in the city.
Our editorial staff will be putting in some of the information – anyone else can also add an event.
The feature is moderated – which means we see whatever is suggested and moderate it to ensure that it is “appropriate” and that the information is correct.
It will take a bit of time for people to get used to the feature and to follow the steps needed to complete an entry.
The feature will be useful for people who want to plan an event in the future but don’t want to conflict with some other event. All they have to do is scroll forward and see if there is a conflict.
There are some 400 events in the list – not all have been posted yet.
While this is a free service it is not meant for commercial operations too abuse.
In the very near future you will see information that is sponsored – which gives advertisers an opportunity to support an organization that is commercial in nature.
Services like this work if people comment on what is and what isn’t working. Please – comment and don’t be shy. We dish it out – we can take it.
Just don’t sue us – OK!
 By Pepper Parr
April 7, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Our interview with Dave McPhail took a little longer than we expected – McPhail was hunched over his keyboard “developing his relationship” with Cisco in a conference call.
 Dave McPhail walking past some of his commercial peers as he prepares to show off the technology his firm markets. Throughout the conversation phrases like “tribal knowledge” and “the “embedded data dictionary” were tossed around. McPhail talked about “product aggregation” and how he was taking data and information from the shop floor and putting it in front of senior management in real time – when there was a problem, management knew about the problem when it was happening.
Instead of the engineering department in a large manufacturing operation having to wait until reports that got to them the following day or at the end of the shift – they were now able to head out to the shop floor and fix the problem immediately.
Memex, a company that McPhail bought out of receivership and brought in John Rattray as an operating partner along with two silent partners who have since been bought out. They set out to first create a product that didn’t exist before and then market it by establishing partnerships with corporations that had clout and brand recognition which would give Memex a lead that would be hard to catch up to.
Memex isn’t disrupting an existing market – they are creating something that didn’t exist before
McPhail isn’t giving his clients all that much in the way product – what he is doing is giving them tools that allow them to capture data in real time and put it to use immediately.
This says McPhail is a significant cultural shift in manufacturing. McPhail claims to be able to give his clients a return on capital in three to four months – a time frame that astounds many and they don’t take the time to listen to us. The hope for McPhail and the rest of the Memex team is that there are enough early adopters to keep them alive. At some point we will become the standard.
McPhail doesn’t have an MBA, isn’t a university graduate. He earned a diploma from Humber College and set out to do what every entrepreneur does – create wealth.
 Memmex president Dave McPhail explains what Merlin, an electronic device can do for manufacturing operations. The Gazette first met McPhail when he was playing host to MP Mike Wallace who was announcing an $800,000 loan to the company as part of the federal government program.
Memex is a public company traded on the Venture side of the Toronto stock Exchange. Senior management recently issued 1.25 million options to its five member senior management team.
The company refers to the M2M (machine to machine) productivity software they provide as Merlin; it is used by a number of leading manufacturers. The market we are creating is worldwide said McPhail
One of the pleasures for McPhail is the McMaster University DeGroote campus on the south Service Road – a five minute drive from McPhail’s operation on Harvester Road. The plans to create a technological hub on campus where products can be shown to clients is a real plus for McPhail.
We have all kinds of case studies but when someone can see in real time what we do – that’s a big plus and if McMaster can make this idea of theirs work – we are with them.
Memmex announced half a million in sales during the first quarter of 2015 – they have a stock price that ranges between five to twenty cents a share – always well above a dime a share.
 Dave McPhail with a version of Merlin in his hands – the device that captures data real time and delivers it to senior management who can make instant decisions. Memex was founded in 1992 with a vision to improve the way automated machine tools work and connect on the factory floor. McPhail bought it out of receivership and has brought it to the point where they are at least contenders in the market they are working.
The company started manufacturing electronic circuit boards for memory and connectivity and evolved into Memex Automation. The vision has expanded to include the networking of all machine tools so that they can communicate with the computers in the administration office. At some point the network may be extended to the Internet, allowing productivity and other statistics to be emailed to a device, or computer anywhere in the world.
 Getting to the point where they can issues stock options to the senior management team was not easy. McPhail gives the Niagara One Angel Investors group a huge thanks for their early support and tells you what every entrepreneur says: Canadians don’t take out their cheque books as easily as Americans – we are a risk adverse country and McPhail thinks we are paying a price for our complacency.
Meanwhile McPhail plugs away at what he loves doing – improving the way manufacturing operations can access and use the data that is sitting out there on the shop floor and put in the hands of people who know what to do with that information.
Machine learning: taking the data that is collected from a machine and running it through an algorithm is the next step in the manufacturing learning curve that McPhail sees as part of the Memex product service offering.
The federal loan is going to allow Memex to hire an additional 16 people. We have very good working relationships with Mohawk College and the University of Waterloo – we bring in students from their co-op program said McPhail – most of them work out very well.
85% of the market Memex is outside Canadian borders – and not just south of the border – this is a worldwide manufacturing opportunity. We intend to own the market before others realize just what we are doing” said McPhail. The words of a committed serial entrepreneur.
By Pepper Parr
April 6, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It will not be a quiet meeting.
City planners will be showing the public what they think a Beachway Park should look like on Tuesday evening at the Art Gallery of Burlington – 6:30 pm
The showing of the plans that will make the Beachway much more of a park than it is now is the result of a decision to create a park and buy up the 25+ homes in the community on a willing seller – willing buyer basis.
 A Regional Comprehensive Report identified two clusters of homes in the Beachway Park – some want everyone of them bull-dozed into the ground and make available for parking spaces. The problem with that approach is that there is just the one buyer and many sellers that are not in the least willing. Most of those who own property in the Beachway don’t want to sell – they see the location as a great place to live and would like to see additional housing built on the lots that are currently vacant.
There are several owners that hold property and have been described as speculators by the ward council member.
Burlington has some remarkably talented landscape planners who are sensitive to geography and the needs of a public. They are well trained and good at what they do. The City View Park on Dundas at Kerns Road is the most recent example of very good work.
What landscape planners can’t deal with is the politics of the development of a park – but the planners have been dumped right into one of the hottest political issues in the city.
 Sold to the Region for well in excess of $600,000 – with the right to rent for two years. One of the owners was a Regional employee – no pressure though. While the Region and its agents quietly work away on the existing owners – dangling tempting offers in front of them: the most recent sale was for a handsome price and the opportunity to rent for two years, the city planners have to figure out how to create a park with those 25 homes.
The Region recently sent a “package” to each of the homeowners and followed up with phone calls to make appointments to talk about a homeowners “options”.
One of the couple that owned a house recently sold was a Regional employee – you can imagine how those conversations went.
Will the homes be there forever? Probably not.
 How does a landscape planner create a park without knowing how many of the 30 homes are going to be in place. Many of the homeowners do not want to sell to anyone. Regional government has planned individual meetings with all the property owners. How then does a landscape planner design around the homes and respect the privacy of the homeowners? And what does the plan that has no homes on it look like – because there has to be such a plan in a file somewhere?
The land that is not privately owned is owned by the Region and managed by the city. When the Region met in 2013 they decided they would not expropriate but would buy up homes when they became available.
That has now changed and the Region has an active campaign of calling on people to have a discussion.
There are those at city hall who want the Region to offer much higher prices if necessary to get possession of the homes or expropriate them.
The people in the Beachway also want to protect and maintain the value of their property. Their justified fear is that they will get out manouvered by the Region who will buy up the homes one at a time and then expropriate the last few.
 An attractive.ell maintained home in the Beachway – what will raising the road as much as a metre do to this property? While hanging in and resisting the offers the residents stand to hang together and lose much of the value of their homes. There are few individuals who will buy a home in that community now – there isn’t a bank or a private mortgage lender who will give a mortgage.
Every other part of Burlington is experiencing property value increases of 5% to 6% annually. Anyone in the Beachway who might have to renew a mortgage is in a very tight spot.
There is a level of unfairness taking place – people are being exploited by their government. The residents aren’t getting much in the way of sympathy from city council and next to nothing from there council member.
This experience is stressing relationships within homes; much anguish and many tears in a number of kitchens in Beachway households.
Much the same happened when the railway line was abandoned and the leased land that homes were built on were ended and all of the houses on the lakeside of the railway tracks were torn down.
 There was a time when there were several hundreds homes on the lakeside of a railway line that ran along the edge of the lake. That community was bulldozed – the cottage shown was torn down in 1994. Change does take place – communities evolve – sometimes peacefully and to the benefit of everyone. That does not appear to be happening this time.
During a recent transit meeting at the Library ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven was approached by a resident who wanted to give him a piece of his mind on the Beachway situation. You are not properly informed said the Council member. Were one to sift through the Councillors Newsletters it is difficult to find a detailed explanation as to just what is happening and how he is supporting his residents who are having their lives turned upside – down.
While the residents of the Beachway wait to see what the city has planned the city engineering department released its plans for a rebuild of Lakeshore Road from the intersection of Maple Avenue and the North Service Road to Lakeshore Road Court.
The road, which is in terrible shape, due in no small measure to the construction of a vastly upgraded water sewage treatment plant, also suffers from serious flooding from time to time.
 The first step to re-developing the Beachway community has been released to the public – Lakeshore Road will be rebuilt from the Maple Avenue, North Service Road intersection to its termination at Lakeshore Court in the west next to the canal. The road will be raised as much as a metre in many places; especially around the part that passes in front of the Joseph Brant Museum and what will be the front of the new hospital that is expected to be ready for the public sometime in 2018.
The reconstruction will be partial – in that it will not go beyond the sewage treatment plant until there is clarification as to just what is going to happen to the houses that are at the western end of Lakeshore Road.
The Tuesday meeting will be the first step in getting that clarification – unless of course the decision has already been made.
 By Pepper Parr
April 4, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The report before the Development and Infrastructure Standing Committee was a summary of the issues that have been addressed or are in the process of being addressed since the last Airpark Update Report to Council on November 20, 2014.
There hadn’t been much progress – but lawyer Ian Blue was in the Council Chamber and there was a notation on the agenda that Council would be going into a CLOSED session – so you knew something was up.
 Properly and collaboratively developed the \Air Park could become an economic jewel – it is currently mired in disputes that are taking up time and chewing up tax dollars for legal fees. With Blue now back in harness a number of things were going to happen. The legal departments spending was going to increase – we don’t know yet how much the city has spent on this file – but we do know how much the city has recovered from the Burlington Air Park Inc., in legal costs. The cit was awarded $40,000 in costs after the Superior court case and an additional $22,000 after the Air Park lost its appeal.
And we know that the city is working through what its next step is going to be. About time too, according to the Rural Burlington Greenbelt Coalition (RBGC) which in a note it sent to Council set out what they felt was not being done.
It would seem, said the RBGC that based on the report released on Friday very little has changed since our last delegation on February 23rd; except that it has now been nine months since your legal victory with still no remediation on site or to neighbouring properties.
The Coalition went on to point out that:
 These people are not drilling for oil – they have sunk a drill to test the make up of the landfill dumped on the property. 1) A highly controversial, and in our opinion woefully inadequate testing program has been approved and carried out. Terrapex has stated that the small number of samples is adequate because the fill is ‘contaminated’. However, all public indications from the Airpark, including a message from the owner on the Airpark website, continue to state that the fill is ‘clean’.
2) Three Burlington citizens continue to spend countless hours and dollars on a defamation suit based on the fact that we’ve quoted the Terrapex reports and called the fill contaminated.
 The Air Park corporation 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. 3) There is still no adequate storm water management in place to control spring runoff onto already damaged neighbouring properties.
4) There is still no resolution regarding the Conservation Halton regulated lands.
5) There has been no staff or Council response to our email regarding the new Aeronautics Regulations surrounding a public consultation process for expansion plans (comments due April 8th), nor was this important development mentioned in the current update.
6) The current Airpark report still lists Ward 6 as the only Affected Ward. The Burlington Airpark and its proposed expansion on contaminated fill is a City-wide concern.
When a council committee comes out of a CLOSED session they seldom say anything other than they are no longer CLOSED but now in a public session.
In the Staff report to city council they did advise that:
On November 14, 2014. A submission package was received that included:
A completed Site Alteration Permit Application form; a Proposed Development Concept Plan and grading plans.
A Risk Assessment was also requested by the city and this was not included. As a result, the submission was deemed incomplete. It was understood that the Airpark’s environmental consultant was reviewing the existing site data and preparing a Scope of Work for the additional site investigation work required for the preparation of a Risk Assessment.
 Vince Rossi, president of Burlington Air park Inc., at a meeting with members of the Rural Burlington Greenbelt Coalition that took place in a barn a couple of hundred yards from the end of his largest runway. A letter was sent to Mr. Rossi on December 17, 2014 requesting the submission of the Scope of Work required for a Risk Assessment by January 9, 2015. The submission was not made by this date.
Subsequently, the Airpark submitted a report entitled “Proposal for Limited Phase II Environmental Site Assessment”, dated January 22, 2015. This report provided Pinchin Environmental’s proposed recommendations for additional site investigation work.
In summary, the recommendations include the proposal for 20 additional boreholes to be spread evenly across the area where fill has been placed on the Airpark property. Two soil samples are to be taken at each borehole location. Of these 20 boreholes, 2 will be utilized as additional ground water monitoring (GWM) wells. These 2 GWM wells are proposed to be located on the west perimeter of the property.
Terrapex Environmental has completed their review of the proposal. The following comments were provided:
Pinchin has proposed 20 additional borehole locations with two samples from each location (various depths) submitted for analysis of a wide range of Contaminants of Concern (COC). This equates to essentially 40 sampling locations which should provide a good data-set for this purpose. It is important to understand that the focus of the “Environmental Site Assessment” (ESA) is NOT to fully characterize the vast amount of material in order to prove that the site is impacted or not. We already know that it is. It is important for stakeholders to understand that the focus of the ESA is to provide a statistically valid data-set on which the modelling for the Risk Assessment can be based.
With respect to the proposed placement of two new monitoring wells for groundwater sampling, Pinchin has proposed two well locations that appear to supplement the western perimeter well network that already exists. While we have no objection to this, we suggest that additional monitoring wells be installed and groundwater analyses be conducted in the interior of the fill areas in order to assess risks of impacts in groundwater which may migrate from the interior of the site to the perimeter (and off-site) in the future.
The city forwarded these comments to the Airpark and requested a response by February 6, 2015. Updated status will be provided at committee on February 9.
The city expects the work schedule to proceed as follows:
Finalized scope of work for additional site investigation work – Feb 2015; Additional site investigation work – March 2015; Phase II ESA and submission of Risk Assessment – April/May 2015.
Given that few if any of the target dates have ever been met – it isn’t difficult to arrive at the conclusion that someone is giving someone a royal run around here.
Getting the Site Alteration Plan from the Air Park (Justice Murphy in his Superior Court decision said the city had the right to demand a site Plan – that decision was upheld on appeal) is not the only Air Park related issues the city is stick handling.
There is the matter of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) and the Freedom of Information Request (FOI) Request; there is the Groundwater Monitoring Program and City’s Peer Review; there is the Runway Construction, then there is the Drainage and Siltation Control Measures. Add to that the Region of Halton and the Conservation Halton issues and one is looking at a very full and complex agenda.
The municipal world runs at a pace only it understands but reading that at this point there are “no options being presented for consideration” is both disappointing and frustrating.
The issue for most people is the damage that can be done to the water table if the fill that has been dumped on the Air Park property is “toxic”, as one north Burlington resident has stated: for which she, along with the Gazette are being sued for making public.
The weather is getting warmer, those heavy winter snows are melting; that melting is working its way down through the tonnes of fill and into the water table – if it is toxic – we may get to drink that water at some point. And that is a concern for every citizen in the city.
 Were it not for the strong delegations Vanessa Warren made to both city and Regional Council there would probably be trucks running along Appleby Line with loads of landfill from who knows where with who knows what in the fill. That libel case is working its way through the judicial system. It is at that point where lawyers are haggling over what is going to be permitted at the Discovery stage. The defendants; Vanessa Warren, Monte Dennis and Pepper Parr along with the Burlington Gazette want to know the following
1. Financial statements for plaintiff from 2008 to time of trial,
2. All records relating to any testing, or other evidence of quality, of material used for landfill on Burlington Airpark site (the “Landfill”),
3. All records relating to quantities, sources and/or quality of material used for the Landfill,
4. All records relating to charges and revenue for the Landfill,
5. Any records relating to the management and record-keeping of the Landfill operations,
6. All records relating to the Landfill operations from or to Conservation Halton, Region of Halton or other governmental authorities,
7. All records relating to any inspections, studies or tests conducted on Burlington Airpark site relating to the Landfill operations or their related effects,
8. All test reports and results regarding the effects, if any, of the Landfill on the groundwater, streams, fish, amphibians, reptiles and soil in or near the Burlington Airpark site,
 Monte Dennis – delegating at city council on an Air Park matter. 9. All correspondence from and to members of the community, including political representatives, concerning the Landfill operations, and
10. All communications to the public made by Vince Rossi or anyone else on behalf of Burlington Airpark concerning the Landfill operations.
There are some interesting times ahead – the questions the defendants in the libel case are asking are questions the city is interested in having answered as well.
 Former city manager Jeff Fielding, on the left, giving a lawyer who tried to convince city council that they had no jurisdiction on air park matters gets a bit of a lecture from Fielding while city legal staff on the left look on.
Just under two months ago the Air Park file was on a committee agenda – staff asked that it be moved back to the next cycle of Standing Committee reports so the incoming city manager James Ridge could be fully briefed and take part in the next step planning. Ridge didn’t say very much during the delivery of the report – we hope he is now fully briefed and turns out to be as aggressive as former city manager Jeff Fielding was when he suggested to the Mayor that a delegation explaining the law to Council be dismissed and sent on his way. Council is going to have to be tough on this file – the water table and the citizens of the city are depending on them.
 By Staff
April 4, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police have made an arrest in the April 3rd robbery at “Conspiracy Comics” on Fairview St. in Burlington.
Last Friday a suspect entered the “Conspiracy Comics” store at 2388 Fairview Street, and after completing a small purchase, took out a hammer and made a demand for money from the store employee before fleeing the store on foot. She was subsequently found and arrested.
Charged with one count of Robbery is:
Mary Margaret ROSS (30 years)
The accused is being held for bail and will be appearing in WASH court on April 5th. WASH stands for Weekends and Statutory Holidays – which means that Ms Moore just might get sprung from the slammer Easter Sunday.
 By Pepper Parr
April 4, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a little complicated but for Russ Weegar it was pretty simple. We paid the taxes, we are entitled to a rebate and we would like that rebate if you don’t mind
 Russ Weegar and Pastor Rosalie Schwarm delegating before a Standing Committee. Weegar and Pastor Rosalie Schwarm were delegating on behalf of Lighthouse Church International requesting a grant.
Lighthouse is a non-profit, non-denominationalchurch with charitable status that has in the past provided funding to various Burlington community programs (West Plains Food Bank and Habitat for Humanity) as well as pastoral advocacy services to indigenous groups, locally and internationally.
They used to lease space on Fairview Street. Property taxes were included in their rent. They have been leasing their current location since October 1, 2012.
Where a charity leases space in a taxable building, the charity is eligible for a rebate equal to 40% of the taxes paid by the charity. A charity rebate application was submitted in November 2014 for the years 2012 (part year), 2013 and 2014.
And this is where the problems for the Lighthouse Church began. Only the 2014 tax year rebate was processed because they did not get their application for the rebate in on time.
Weegar pointed out that they didn’t even know they were entitled to a charitable rebate.
When the city collects taxes – they don’t get to keep all the money. City hall collects taxes for the Region and for the school boards.
Of each dollar collected in taxes 28.2% goes to the city; they send 24.6 % to the Region and 47.2% to the province on behalf of the school boards.
The city denied the applications for 2012 (part year) and 2013 because they had missed the deadlines – which Weegar continually pointed out they weren’t aware of – had the 2012 and 2013 applications been submitted before the respective deadlines, the rebates would have been shared as follows:
2012 2013 Total
City 605.70 2,476.64 3,082.34
Region 571.09 2,237.16 2,808.25
School Boards 1,095.02 4,312.98 5,408.00
Total $2,271.81 $9,026.78 $11,298.59
Filing deadlines are legislated under the Municipal Act and must be made after January 1 of the year and no later than the last day of February of the following year.
The municipality may accept applications after that deadline if, in the opinion of the municipality, extenuating circumstances justify the applicant being unable to make the application by the deadline.
“Extenuating circumstances” generally means an event that is unusual or beyond the control of the parties. In this case, Lighthouse Church explained that they did not know about the rebate until 2014. Not knowing about a rebate or deadline is not considered an extenuating circumstance.
The Municipal Act does give a municipality with the general power to make grants if Council considers to be in the interests of the municipality.
If council chooses to provide a grant to Lighthouse Church, there is the risk that other charitable and non-profit organizations, which have missed application deadlines, may seek similar funding in the future.
 Rosalie Schwarm – Pastor at the Lighthouse church City Council has made grants to other charitable organizations in the past – The Humane Society had taxes written of – the circumstances were deemed to be extenuating.
There hasn’t been a single grant application since the Humane Society was given a helping hand.
The Lighthouse Church at this point does not have a home. Their congregation of about 85 people has dwindled as a result but they continue to do what they believe they were sent here to do – help people. In the meantime they meet in people’s homes and hold their services.
In the past the church has sent people to Cuba. Yemen, Bulgaria and the Congo.
At one point they had a home in Waterdown where they rented from another church that decided they wanted to sell the property. Lighthouse could not afford to buy it at the time.
When it came to making a decision it took several votes to arrive at a decision that would get sent to the Council meeting on April 20th.
Councillor Meed Ward wanted the city to give Lighthouse a grant for the full amount they were asking for $11, 298.50 That got just three votes – they needed four
Give Lighthouse a portion of their ask including part that is educational and let them go to the Region and ask for a rebate at that level – that too lost
The final vote was to give the church the city portion – $3,082.30 – that passed.
Now that the Lighthouse church people understand the rules – expect them to mount a stronger argument at Council on the 20th.
In the meantime their Easter Sunday service will be in the home of one of the parishioners.
 By Staff
April 3, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
At about 8:00 pm on Friday evening, a lone female suspect entered the “Conspiracy Comics” store at 2388 Fairview Street in Burlington.
After completing a small purchase, the suspect took out a hammer and made a demand for money from the store employee before fleeing the store on foot.
The employee was not injured.
The police report does not say if the suspect was actually given any money.
Suspect is described as:
Female, white, approximately 20-30 years old, 5’5″-5’6″ with a slender build. She had a stud piercing under her lower lip (labret piercing).
Clothing: grey hooded sweater (hood worn up), light blue jeans, dark touque, black knap sack, dark coloured skater shoes low cut sneakers
Anyone with information that would assist in this investigation is asked to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905 825-4747 x2316, or Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-TIPS(8477), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
In which Josephus describes the condemnation and crucifixion of Jesus at the hands of the Roman authorities
In which Josephus describes the condemnation and crucifixion of Jesus at the hands of the Roman authorities
In which Josephus describes the condemnation and crucifixion of Jesus at the hands of the Roman authorities
In which Josephus describes the condemnation and crucifixion of Jesus at the hands of the Roman authorities
By Pepper Parr
April 2, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Here is the official story:
“Ontario is investing up to $371.3 million to support the construction of a new seven-storey tower at Burlington’s Joseph Brant Hospital and to significantly renovate other areas of the hospital to give patients faster access to the right care.
Through this expansion, patients in Burlington will benefit from:
Space for 172 additional beds in the new tower
Additional beds in the Intensive Care Unit
A modern emergency department and a new main entrance
Expanded diagnostic imaging services, which will provide capacity for an additional 23,745 exams per year
Nine modern operating rooms and a post-anaesthetic care unit with capacity for an additional 1,770 inpatient and day surgery cases
An expanded cancer clinic that can serve an additional 2,876 patient visits
Expanded ambulatory care programs, such as: comprehensive women’s health, children’s health, seniors health/geriatric assessment, nutrition counselling, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart function, ophthalmology, neurology, general medicine, fracture clinic, orthopaedic assessment, stroke assessment, medical day care and sexual assault clinic
An expanded and modernized laboratory to help accurately assess patients faster
A renovated Special Care Nursery for babies who need additional specialized care such as intravenous therapy or respiratory support
 City hall is apparently leaning on the hospital administration to ensure that the Tim Horton coffee shop is on the south side of the building so that the public walking along the Lakeshore and the old railway track can slip in for a double-double and a maple donut. The original plan was to have the coffee shop on the north side. Suspect that discussion isn’t over yet. Construction at Joseph Brant Hospital is now underway and is expected to be complete in the fall of 2018.”
But there is more to this story than what the provincial government’s media release said
The building is going to be much higher than expected.
It will be well built – Ellis-Don, the company heading up the construction project has consistently done very good work. Erik Vandewall, president of the hospital is as good as they get at getting hospitals built.
He will make sure things are on time and on budget.
The budget is going to be a problem.
The $371 million dollar project will get funds from three sources: the provincial government, which is using an innovative approach to getting its share of the cost.
The city of Burlington has had to burden its tax payers with a $60 million special tax levy that threatens to become permanent – but that’s another story.
The Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation has undertaken to raise an additional $60 million.
They recently announced that they had reached the 60% level – which is very good news.
BUT – there is $10 million of that publicly raised money that might be in doubt.
Last weekend the Globe & Mail published a report on a significant shortfall in the fund raising for the Royal Ontario Museum. Burlington’s Michael Lee Chin made a generous donation – it was a pledge actually that he has not been able to honour yet.
His gift to the Joseph Brant Hospital, announced in February by the hospital foundation said:
“Together, as a community, we raised an incredible $2 million from September – December 2014, in response to the Michael Lee-Chin & Family Community Matching Challenge. As a result the Lee-Chin Family added a matching million dollars.
In September of 2014 the Foundation announced: The Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation has announced that Michael Lee-Chin and his family have made a $10 million dollar donation at its 14th annual Crystal Ball Gala.
The donation is the largest ever made in the City of Burlington and the largest made to the Joseph Brant Hospital. This gift brings the total raised for Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation’s Our New Era campaign to $37M – more than 60% of campaign goal.
In light of the Globe & Mail story – we don’t know what Lee Chin has done or has not done in terms of meeting his pledge.
Meanwhile construction plans for a rebuild of Lakeshore Road are released.
The road will have three lanes plus a bike path on the south side and will be between a metre and 3/4 of a metre higher than it is now. It will extend in phase one to just about the water treatment plant. The road is going to be raised between a metre and three quarters of a metre higher when the work is completed in 2018. There will be no work done on the road rebuild while hospital construction is taking place.
The Lakeshore Road re-build will not be complete. Scott Hamilton, Manager of Design Construction for the city said the final design of the Lakeshore extension cannot be completed until we know what is going to happen to the houses in the Beachway.
The new road will be three lanes wide with a bike path as well. Some of the houses are quite close to the existing road.
While the Region has said the situation with the property on the Beachway will be bought on a willing seller/willing buyer basis – the truth is that there is only one buyer and the sellers are being squeezed out.
The real estate agents for the Region are meeting with home owner on a one-to-one basis to – as they say – point out the options the home owners have.
The city will be holding a public meeting on Tuesday to display their thinking of a park design – with and without the homes that are in place now.
It could be a very noisy building.
In the meantime Eric J. Vandewall President & CEO of the hospital has to determine just where the money to pay the bills is going to come from.
The city has been quietly collecting tax money to pay for its $60 million share. City Director of Finance Joan Ford advises that there is a tight agreement between the hospital and the city as to when city funds get handed over.
One can assume that a similar agreement exists between the hospital and the hospital foundation.
Vandewall must wonder – is the $10 million plus that Lee Chin pledged going to be available?
By Pepper Parr
April 2, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
Ontario’s provincial high school graduation rate has increased again, with more students gaining the skills and knowledge they need to thrive and prosper.
The rate of students graduating within five years of starting high school was 84 per cent in 2014, which is 16 percentage points higher than the 2004 rate of 68 per cent. The percentage of students graduating in four years is 76 per cent, an increase of 20 percentage points since 2004, when it was only 56 per cent.
Since 2004, approximately 163,000 more students have graduated than would have if the graduation rate had remained at the 2004 level.
The provincial government is going to publishing school board level graduation rates from across the province. Ensuring parents, students, teachers and boards have access to consistent data will help inform efforts to improve students’ success.
It is difficult to fathom how publishing the graduation rate is going to help a student. It might help parents push their boards to improve the performance on teachers in high schools – seems like an expenditure that doesn’t need to be made.
The idea of sending anyone out in the world with anything less than a high school education is close to criminal. The only way to earn a living without a high school education is to steal or sell drugs – which is of course what far too many of them end up doing.
It would help too if the provincial government could work to create an economy that resulted in jobs for those who do graduate.
 Graduation rate for students who took five years to complete high school. The Halton District School Board does keep graduation statistics. The Gazette education reporter Walter Byj will be reporting on this soon.
The graph below shows the rate of change for students who took five years to complete their high school education
By Staff
April 2, 2105
BURLINGTON, ON
The nomination closure date for Burlington’s Best Awards has been extended one week, now closing April 14, 2015. That is not a good sign.
There are a number of people and organizations that did incredible work during the August flood that deserve recognition.
There has been some fine work done by the Seniors’ community.
Have these awards fallen out of favour?
“There has been a lot of interest and talk of the awards but so far there has been very few nominations actually submitted,” said Mary Kay Aird, Chair, Burlington’s Best Committee. “The submission form only takes about 15 minutes to complete and it is quite easy.”
Visit www.burlington.ca/best to nominate someone deserving of civic recognition for their hard work, compassion and dedication. Nomination forms can be completed online at www.burlington.ca/best or by picking up a nomination form at the clerks department at City Hall, 426 Brant St.
There are seven categories of Burlington’s Best:
• Citizen of the year
A person whose volunteer activity has made a significant and sustained contribution to the vibrancy and wellbeing of the Burlington community.
• Junior Citizen of the year
A high school student, 18 years or younger who has made a significant contribution to the Burlington community.
• Senior Citizen of the year
A person, 55 years or older who has advocated on behalf of seniors and/or made a significant contribution to the Burlington community.
• Environmental Award
An individual or group that improved and/or protects Burlington’s environment.
• Arts Person of the Year
An individual who has contributed to the arts in Burlington as an artist, patron or advocate including but not limited to, visual arts, media arts, musical arts, performing arts and literary arts.
• Community Service Award
An individual or group whose volunteer activity has contributed to the betterment of the Burlington community.
• Heritage Award
An individual who has demonstrated a commitment to the preservation of Burlington’s heritage, and has volunteered their time in an effort to support the preservation of Burlington’s heritage.
Related article:
Are the BEST awards transparent enough?
By Staff
April 2, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Starting May 3, 2015, several routes and services are being either adjusted or enhanced based on public feedback and expanding service levels.
Scheduling improvements focus on a number of routes to adjust timing and connectivity as well as expansion of the Community Connection service and Handi-van service which will be expanded later this year.
 Tucked in behind the buses there is a small ticket office – the transit people talked seriously about shutting it down and sending people to city hall top buy ticket. Decisions like that – this one got killed – make one look askance when news comes out of the transit department. “A transit system that is efficient and effective is good for all, regardless of your reasons for taking it,” said Mayor Rick Goldring “Many of these improvements and adjustments are a result of public feedback. “We are constantly looking for ways to enhance services to improve the system for regular riders, as well as attract new ones.”
Improvements
• Based on rider feedback and transit data, Routes 2 and 3 will change slightly so riders will no longer need to transfer buses to continue their travel from Route 2 to Route 3, and alternatively, from Route 3 to Route 2. This will begin May 3, 2015.
• Also beginning May 3, 2015, and based on rider feedback, the schedules for Routes 10 and 20 will be adjusted to improve on-time performance.
• Burlington Transit bought a new Handi-van vehicle to meet increased service requests. The new van will be in service later this year.
• The Community Connection service will be expanded to provide a network of coverage into areas north, east and west of the city with routes meeting at the Burlington Seniors’ Centre. The service will be provided midday Monday to Friday and is served by smaller transit vehicles that will allow Burlington Transit to make stops at the entrance doors of key destination areas, such as malls and community centres.
Temporary Route Detour
• Route 1 will detour as a result of an extended construction project on Waterdown Road. The timing will be adjusted on both Routes 1 and 101 during the project, which is expected to be completed in October 2015.
We will get revised maps up as soon as they are available.
By Staff
April 1, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It is close, you can almost feel it – but it isn’t here yet – is it?
The warm weather doesn’t have to be here to get BurlingtonGreen Environmental Association, in partnership with the City of Burlington, getting the word out on their annual event.
 Citizens, schools, churches, community groups and businesses can participate in this year’s Community Clean Up Green Up events taking place from 9:00 to noon on Saturday April 25th and Saturday May 30th, 2015.
Since 2010, the city-wide clean-up efforts have collectively realized the retrieval and proper disposal of more than 10,000 kg (10 tonnes) of litter, with a record high of 13,500 participants in 2013 who registered to do their part to help make Burlington’s parks, streams, school yards, and neighbourhoods cleaner and greener.
Registration for this year’s events is NOW OPEN on the Burlington Green website
 By Walter Byj
April 1, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton District School Board and staff thought that the matter was over – there would be no full day kindergarten at Pineland this year.
Well, the parents did not get the message. Despite being rebuffed by trustees and by Director of Education Eaule, the residents of the Pineland area continue to fight a grassroots campaign to spread their case for maintaining the program.
Through the posting of a YouTube video that has received 200 hits and a petition with 100 signatures; they are spreading their story within and beyond the community.
 Denise Davey with former Governor General who is presenting an award. Davey tends to get what she goes after. she brought about significant changes to railway crossings students were taking illegally. One of the parents, Denise Davy, was recently interviewed by Bill Kelly on CHML and fully elaborated the situation occurring at Pineland.
The parents are now taking their campaign to a higher level: a meeting has been arranged with the Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon on April 7th.
The parents will explain their interpretation of the Education Act to McMahon who will, hopefully explain the provinces position.
Will the two be the same?
 By Ray Rivers
April 1, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Canada’s former General, Rick Hillier, has struck out at those MP’s who didn’t show up to vote for ‘Harper’s War’ – the resolution extending Canadian bombing of ISIS into Syria. Hillier was the guy who oversaw Canada’s most active role in Afghanistan, so he should know about the costs of war and the value of war’s benefits.
And Harper’s War, like the one his government inherited in Afghanistan, has nothing to do with self-defence, despite our PM’s protestations to the contrary. Although there are potentially all kinds of enemies out there in the shadows, only a fool would believe that ISIS poses an imminent military threat to Canada. We are half a world away. How can they bomb us without an air force or invade us without a navy?
 Canada’s former General, Rick Hillier, has struck out at those MP’s who didn’t show up to vote for ‘Harper’s War’ ISIS is a consequence of GW Bush’s extrajudicial invasion of Iraq in 2003. Yes, that was the war which Mr. Harper believed we needed to also fight. Bush’s people won the war but lost the peace. Or more accurately, they won the battles and lost the war – since peace was never an outcome.
Defeated, demobilized and shut out, Saddam’s political and military organization, the Baathist Sunni party, re-grouped and re-engineered themselves as ISIS, then went to work taking back what Bush had taken away. History shows us how it gets more complicated, in that part of the world, with each new wave of outside intervention. I mean, just ask the Libyans, whom we helped liberate from Gaddafi with our CF-18s, how much they are enjoying their freedom.
Of course ISIS is nasty group of people and I wouldn’t want them as my neighbours – but they’re not. And some of their neighbours are almost as evil as they are. For example, Syria’s dictator Assad has murdered over two hundred thousand of his people, some with chemical weapons. And Iraq’s Shias have done their fair share of slaughtering their Sunni brethren.
ISIS seems to be killing everybody. Iran and the Kurds are fighting ISIS. And once this skirmish is over, Iran and Turkey will be gunning for the Kurds who have long sought their own national state in Iraq, Iran and Turkey. Meanwhile, Turkey, with the largest land army in the area, has refused to fight ISIS unless the US completely obliterates Syria’s Assad.
Syria, supported by Iran, Hezbollah and Russia, is also fighting ISIS and other rebel groups, including al Qaeda and the ones supported by the Americans. The Americans are bombing in Iraq, as we are, but also in Syria, where we are going. But at least the Americans have apparently got some deal, brokered by Russia or Iran, granting them immunity from counter-attack by Assad’s still intact forces, though we haven’t
 ISIS seems to be killing everybody Jordan is also bombing in Iraq and its neighbour and former enemy, Israel, has offered to help should ISIS invade the kingdom. Egypt has gone from dictatorship to Islamic quasi-democracy and back to military quasi-dictatorship, and has been bombing its neighbour, rebel-dominated Libya. Iranian backed rebels have taken over Yemen and are now being bombed by the Saudis, who are in the process of creating a twenty-plus nation pan-Arab army, with America’s blessing.
Israelis may remember, without fondness, the last pan-Arab army, which nearly drove it into the ground during the 1973 Yom Kippur war. We should always be careful what we wish for. And what about Hamas and those west-bank Palestinians, besieged by wave after wave of invading Israeli settlements, and who now know for sure that Israel will never agree to a two-state solution?
 Prime Minister Harper speaking in the |House of Commons during the debate of the the resolution extending Canadian bombing of ISIS into Syria Into this hornets’ nest, Mr. Harper’s government has decided to extend our ISIS bombing mission into Syria, with no military objectives, no timelines and no authority to invade a sovereign state (Syria). Syria used to be a real country in every sense of the word. Even besieged by civil war as it is today, it still has enough powerful high-tech Russian supplied anti-aircraft weapons to take down one, or all, of our CF-18s, if they wanted to.
It’s crazier than a flea circus, and nobody should know that better than former military chief of staff, Hillier. But he is the guy who said “we’re not the public service of Canada. We’re not just another department. We are the Canadian Forces, and our job is to be able to kill people.” Over a hundred of our soldiers died in battle during his watch and our reward is the chaos that still characterizes Afghanistan today.
 Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran as a Liberal against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province.
Background links:
Syria’s Moral Maze Injured Soldiers ISIS Alliance Infighting Shaky Ground
Saddam’s Old Party Pan-Arab Army General Hillier’s Anger Rick Hillier
By Pepper Parr
April 1, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It was the third in a series of transit meetings – this time it was the riders who were going to do the talking – and talk they did. They packed the Centennial room at the library and told each other what worked and what didn’t work for them.
 Six breakout groups took part in animated discussions on what works and what doesn’t work. What was not surprising was the number of positive things the public had to say about the men and women who drive the buses – and the number of drivers who give students a break when the coins in their pockets don’t equal; the demand of the fare box.
However – it wasn’t all good news.
 Joey Edwardth, on the left isn’t sure the Mayor has it figured out. A newly converted transit advocate Mayor Goldring may have an issue he can run with. Routes don’t work the way they need to work and the service is spotty much of the time.
When Bfast (Burlington friends for accessible transit) put out a challenge to the members of city council to use the bus one day a week for a month – Mayor Goldring took up the challenge and made a media event out of it. He has continued to use the bus since that kick off date for him
Councillor Marianne Meed Ward used the bus to get to a Regional Council meeting – she won’t be doing that again – close to three hours and $12+ in costs for what she says can be done in a fifteen minute car ride.
So far none of the other Councillors have taken the challenge – don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen.
James Smith, a consistent transit advocate said he wasn’t able to take transit to get to the meeting: “the bus schedule wouldn’t allow me to do the errands I needed to do and get to the meeting on time”.
 The public meeting for transit users broke out into different groups – these are the seniors talking about what the transit system does for them. Smith was originally concerned that the politicians would take over the meeting – that didn’t prove to be the case.
Councillors Sharman, Craven, Meed Ward and the Mayor were on hand. The Mayor has clearly gotten the message – he has a new understanding of just what the transit problems are.
Meed Ward isn’t that much of a transit user – but then she lives and works in the downtown core and can walk to almost everything she is involved in.
Councillor Sharman didn’t look like he was enjoying himself and Councillor Craven just worked the crowd.
There was no one from Burlington Transit at the event. “They were invited”: said James Smith.
 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward explains a point to one of the breakout groups. The much touted Presto pass can’t apparently be easily loaded – students found this a problem. The city had to spend a considerable amount of money to get the Presto pass service operational – it wasn’t an option and it wasn’t cheap.
The Burlington Transit system has 51 buses covering 31 routes. Coming up with a schedule that meets the needs of the ridership has been a challenge and synchronizing the bus schedule with the GO schedule has been close to impossible. GO trains come and go more frequently than the buses.
 A transit rider making a point. One of the Bfast organizers pointed out that there is apparently no one at the transit office with a long, deep background in transit – and it shows.
Signage was also described as a problem; especially when moving from the bus service to the GO service.
The biggest problem transit has is a lack of resources. The provincial gas tax rebate is devoted to transit in most municipalities – no so in Burlington. This city has a very significant infrastructure deficit and council has decided to repair the roads rather than improve the bus service.
And some of the roads are in close to desperate need of repair. The city’s namesake street – Burlington – is a mess. There are more people living on that street who drive cars and can complain than there are bus riders. And this city council knows how to listen to as few as a dozen complaints to make a change in a policy. They are certainly responsive – they need to work on being more responsible.
There is an announcement coming in May apparently on more changes to the schedule and in the not too distant future Burlington Transit will begin installing some technology that will provide them with real time information on how many people get on a bus and where they get off. It will cost millions – transit believes that with this data they can develop a schedule that will meet the needs of the bus riders.
 Everyone got an opportunity to tell their transit story – they weren’t all bad. Doug Brown, a retired engineer has most of the information the city needs in filing cabinets in his basement. A tireless transit advocate, Brown surprisingly is not used or appreciated by many members of council or the people who run the transit system.
Brown does have a style that is unique to him – but he knows what he is talking about. He is a resource that should be tapped into.
 Doug Brown, chair of Bfast, wants to see a bus schedule with routes that work for people and not the current bus route set up in place. It doesn’t work claims Brown. The city no longer has a Transit Advisory committee. The one they did have consisted of had some people who should not have been at the table; they were uninformed, rude and interested only in advancing their personal agendas. There were a few that served well – just not enough of them.
Bfast is an organization the city might think of outsourcing the advisory role to – they have a wealth of talented, informed and committed people that can help make a difference.
 Councillor Craven on the right explains a point to a transit users meeting participant while James Smith on the right looks on. There should be a group of people who use the bus daily serving as a sounding board for the people who run the transit service.
Transit apparently doesn’t have a Twitter account – it does have a web site that more than does the job; it’s better than the city’s web site.
Burlington is reported to spend 50% less than comparable municipalities – and it shows.
 Bfast will produce a report once they’ve gone through the comments that came from the several breakout groups that were created. Expected to be completed by the end of April, it will be a solid, fact based report.
Getting the response it needs from city council is not a given – however, the Mayor now has a better understanding of the needs and the problem.
Can he swing the minds of his colleagues? Don’t expect to see Councillors Sharman, Lancaster Taylor or Dennison becoming transit advocates – their focus is on repairing the roads.
The public is going to have to howl louder to get what the city needs. The squeaky wheel does get the grease.
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