 By Pepper Parr
March 23, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
James Ridge may have arrived at city hall at least an hour before most staff people show up for work. A large part of his background was in the armed forces – military police – and those guys show up early.
Ridge will work on the sixth floor where the one General Manger we have on staff works. In the past City managers have worked on the eighth floor just across the hall from the Mayor’s office. Jeff Fielding, the most recent full time city manager we had, started out on the eight floor but moved to the sixth floor to be, as he put, “in the trenches with the troops”.
Ridge is starting on the six floor – he will want to be close to the team he is going to have to build.
 Newly minted city manager James Ridge takes the helm on a nice sunny day. Maybe he brought the weather with him from Vancouver. James Ridge comes to Burlington from Vancouver where the hockey team was not an ongoing embarrassment that has announced it will need the next five years to build a team that at least has prospects.
Ridge doesn’t have five years to build his team – and right now he really doesn’t have the bench strength he is going to need to get a team together that can take Burlington to where it can go – all we need is a vision, leadership and above average administration – people who can execute on the plan they are given.
The corporate structure might undergo a change in the hands of James Ridge – but at this point in time we have a single General manager and eight Directors and two Executive Directors
Of the directors:
Mike Spicer – Director of Transit
Cathy Robertson – Director Roads and Parks Maintenance
Nancy Shea Nicol – Director of Legal Services and city solicitor.
Joan Ford – Director of Finance
Bruce Zvaniga – Director of Transportation
Chris Glenn – Director Parks and Recreation
Sheila Jones – City Auditor
Christine Swenor – Director of Information |Technology Services
Bruce Krushelnicki – Director Planning and Building – his retirement has been announced.
Alan Magi – Capital Works and Roy Male Human Resources, serve as Executive Directors.
The consensus seems to be that none of the Director level staff are ready for promotion to general manager – which means Ridge will have to look outside the corporation for the talent he needs.
His first task is going to be to interview all the senior staff as well as the members of council and get a sense of what he has to work with and what they key issues are.
Fortunately – there is enough money in the bank to pay the bills and Ridge will have a Director or Finance who will keep him up to date on how the spending and tax collection is doing.
Expect Ridge to be slightly stunned when he realizes just how many Master Plans there are floating around out there and how far behind the city is with the upkeep of its infrastructure.
Will he become part of the conspiracy to hoodwink the tax payers when the special tax levy put in place to raise the $60 million the province said we had to come up with to pay for the hospital re-build continues to be collected after the $60 million has been raised?
 The special tax levy to pay for the re-development of the hospital will end once we have raised the $60 million. Will the new city manager insist that the public have some say as to whether or not the levy stays in place and gets used for infrastructure repairs? The financed people have already earmarked those dollars for infrastructure work that we are millions of dollars behind on.
Or will James Ridge prove to be the kind of civic administrator who demands that the public be informed and involved in critical decisions. Only time will tell.
One of the more pressing issues is going to be the Air Park and the problem with getting them to submit a site plan for work that has already been done – or face some serious consequences.
Ian Blue, the lawyer the city hired to fight the two court cases over whether the city had the right to require the Air ark to submit a site plan – Blue won in both instances – is back on the payroll which means something is in the works.
 The Air Park and its failure to deliver a site plan to the city is a major issue – it will be interesting to see if city manager James Ridge gets along with Ian Blue, the lawyer who won two court cases for the city, as well as former city manager Jeff Fielding did. The Air Park is reported to have hired a new lawyer. Having a good lawyer is always useful – having a good case would be better.
A city manager sets the tone for the administration of a city. His corporate values are the driving force.
Jeff Fielding goosed the enthusiasm at city hall to levels it had not seen in some time. Staff were excited; great things were going to get done – and some good things were done.
Some staff were not all that keen on the Fielding approach and his sudden departure hurt a number of staff. It also brought to the surface a number of problems that could come back to take a bite out of the city.
 Joe Lamb, on the left, did the negotiating for the Seniors’ Centre and basically took then city manager Jeff Fielding to the cleaners with the deal he talked the city into. Will James Ridge get pulled into the same trap? The Seniors at the Seniors’ Centre are hoping that Ridge will be as generous as Fielding was – he gave them more than the proverbial kitchen sink.
James Ridge has walked into a city where people at city hall are not that keen on getting excited again. He has some sales work to do. Let’s see what he gets done in the next month.
Fielding wanted his senior people out on the street once a month for part of a day meeting people, telling the city’s story and listening. That idea apparently didn’t go down all that well with senior staff.
What will Ridge do to show the direction he will take and what kind of an administrator he is?
 Certainly not the best photo op he’s done – Mayor Goldring’s selfie – the one he sent the day he took the bus to work. Perhaps he will take the bus to work – if he happens to live in the same part of town as the Mayor they can sit beside each other and take selfies of themselves.
By Pepper Parr
March 23, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It wasn’t the nicest day to be out on the streets knocking on doors but Burlington’s federal Liberals and their candidate Karina Gould roamed the streets in the Cavendish – Melissa part of town.
They had 50 volunteers doing what MPP Eleanor McMahon did to win the provincial seat as a Liberal for the first time in 70 years – knock on doors and get to know people.
Gould sees the work as part of her listening to people.
 Karina Gould flashing one of her smiles to a volunteer. The next federal election is scheduled for October but there are some who think it could be called much sooner than that. There is certainly the sense that a battle is brewing and that there is a Prime Minister who has a fight on his hands.
The Trudeau name has always been a draw – but a Trudeau has never had to go up against anyone as crafty and as strategic as Stephen Harper.
Gould left her job as Trade and Investment Specialist for the Mexican Trade Commission in Toronto to become a full time candidate .
 Mike Wallace waiting to do his part in a federal funding announcement for a local corporation. Earlier in the week the sitting MP for Burlington Mike Wallace took part in two events that had cheques being handed out to local corporations. Good photo op for the MP – Gould just wishes Wallace was doing more of this. “The federal government has more than $137 million in economic development funds that it has not handed out. She would like to see more of that funding coming into the Region.
In her campaign work Gould hears of the difficulty single parents have with day care costs and they wonder why Quebec has a program that doesn’t cripple households financially. Many want to see the federal government deliver on the old promise to create a national day care program.
She hears stories about students who can’t handle the crushing cost of a university education and then the difficulty they have finding a job when they do graduate.
Gould is working at getting a sense as to what the issues are for the city she was raised in and where she has spent most of her life.
A university graduate with several degrees: a joint Honours degree in Political Science and Latin American Studies from McGill and a Master’s degree in International Relations at the University of Oxford in England.
Her work now are to gain the widest possible understanding of the constituency and its needs. When the election is called she expects to have covered every street in the city and have a solid grounding that she can work with as she campaigns to become the member of the House of Commons for Burlington.
The campaign team is made up of quite a few young people, several who are already in close to full election mode
The campaign manager is a college colleague who said she “knew Karina was going to run for public office when we were students together at McGill University”.
While those doing the door to door work are out on the street, there is another team working the telephone – two teams are on the telephones getting a clearer sense of where the population is in terms of what they think and what they want their federal government to do.
 Karina Gould, on the right with her campaign team going over the numbers for the day. Last weekend was a Day of Action for Liberals across the country. Other weekends – it’s Karina Gould and her team going door to door.
They meet at a local pub for coffee then head out in their cars to different parts of the city and return four hours later for updates, pizza and political chit chat.
The fifty people who were out last Saturday were a combination of older people who have been Liberals most of their lives and a healthy number of young people who have energy and ideals that still shine.
Eleanor McMahon used the door to door approach to win the provincial seat. She was fortunate enough to have Premier Kathleen Wynne join her on a few occasions.
Does that mean Burlington might see Justin Trudeau walking door to door sometime in September?
 By Staff
March 23, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
There is one sure way to attract the attention of police – drive faster than the limit on a heavily used road.
On Saturday March 21st 2015, uniformed officers pulled over a vehicle on the North Service Road, Burlington that was travelling at a high rate of speed.
During the traffic stop officers observed drugs within the vehicle.
As a result, four occupants of the vehicle were placed under arrest.
A further search of the vehicle revealed the following items:
8 cellular telephones
$1215 in cash
Cannabis marihuana
Oxycodone tablets
Cocaine
Other prescription drugs
The following parties were charged:
Michael BACON (21 year of Oakville)
Possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine and Oxycodone. BACON will appear in Milton Court on April 21st 2015.
Stefan KOBLI (22 years of Oakville)
Possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine, Oxycodone and marihuana. KOBLI will appear in Milton Court on April 21st 2015.
Kristofer BURNSIDE (21 year of Burlington)
Possession of a controlled substance (marihuana). BURNSIDE will appear in Milton Court on April 21st 2015.
Paola PASQUALINI (21 year of Oakville)
Possession of a controlled substance (Oxycodone). PASQUALINI will appear in Milton Court on April 21st 2015.
These four were either making a delivery to a needy customer or they were using what the police arrested them for having in their possession.
By Pepper Parr
March 23, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It is going to be a tough meeting.
The city will give the public a peek at what they have in mind for the Beachway Park at a meeting on April 7th at the Art Gallery of Burlington – start time is 6:30 pm
 This is the location of the 30 homes the Regional government would like to at some point buy and demolish and turn into a park. The challenge the city faces in designing a park for the Beachway part of the city is – how long are the houses going to be in place?
How does a landscape designer put together a plan without knowing if a piece of land is going to be available or not?
The landscape planner on the Beachway file did most of the work for the City View Park on Dundas at Kerns Road. It is a very well designed park – Burlingtonians don’t get to use it all that much because of its location and will get to see almost none of it during the Pan Am Games this summer – it is being used for soccer practice by teams and there is no public admittance.
The challenge for the planner is – how does she put together a design that covers the park when 26 homes are still on the property?
 These Beachway home owners got to see drawings with houses on the maps – some of the design maps apparently don’t have houses shown. They assume a clean slate. The thinking that is reported to dominate the people doing the design is that the homes are not going to be there for all that long. There is a view that the Region should just get on with it and buy all the homes now and complete the destruction of that community.
The fight to keep the homes as part of a vibrant community was lost when Burlington wasn’t able to convince their municipal colleagues on Regional council that there was real merit to maintaining the homes the way the city of Toronto did with the Islands.
It was a long hard battle to keep a community on the Toronto Islands but the residents eventually won and today it is a quaint, safe livable community.
Burlington appears to have missed out on the opportunity to preserve something that is a part of both its history and its heritage.
 At previous public meetings the discussion was about what the community could look like – the discussion this time around does not include a community – just a park. At least one of the maps that will be shown will not have any of the houses on it – that will be used to show what the park could look like if all the houses were gone.
There are, we understand, plans to make the canal a bigger feature in the design.
The Regional government has consistently taken the position that there is a willing buyer – willing seller situation – any buyers that might have been out there are going to give up on the idea of living in that community once they see the plans.
That leaves those people who own homes sitting there like apples in a barrel waiting for someone to spear them and eat them.
The Region had “guestimated” that they would have to spend something between $300,000 and $400,000 to acquire each property.
 Sold for $600,000 + with the seller staying in the house under a two year lease. The most recent sale went through at more than $600,000. With the region prepared to pay what some say are more realistic prices and the plan for the park available to the public – it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume that current owners will take what money there is on the table and call it quits.
There will be a couple of hold outs – that’s when expropriation will be used.
Expropriation has already been thoroughly discussed at the Staff level – it’s a tool that in this instance has political ramifications.
That isn’t going to make any difference to Ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven. He no longer talks to the Gazette so we can’t tell you what he has to say.
 Laura Gillespie points out the part of the Beachway that affects her the most – the spot where her house is located. He is on record as not being a fan of keeping the homes in the park. Expect him to speak about the plan in glowing terms and as being the best thing for the city and the Region. That it is seen as a disaster for the people who live there and are his constituents does not seem to matter to the Councillor.
The Beachway has always had a bit of a down market cast to it. Many of the homes that were in place when the rail line went through were summer cottages that had been upgraded – usually not to the building code.
It had a sense of community to it but it also had a reputation. Ward 6 Councillor Blair Lancaster once told her colleagues that in her day “nice girls did not go to the Beachway’. We are not sure if that was before or after Ms Lancaster was made Miss Canada.
 Demolished in 1994  Demolished in 1990. The Region bought up the leases and tore down every last one of the houses that were on the lake side of the railway tracks. There are some ideas floating about that could make the Beachway more of a destination but Burlington requires more in the way of leadership vision for anything different or unique. Ideas need champions, people prepared to educate and lead a public.
Burlington doesn’t have enough of that around the council table. These things take time.
 By Pepper Parr
March 23, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
There are a couple of cardinal rules in the way people in positions of some authority must conduct themselves.
One of those rules is that you cannot have a personal relationship with a person that you have or can be thought to have some authority over. Another is that one cannot be abusive in their behaviour to people that report to them
 There is a situation on city council where the first cardinal rule has not been observed. At the least it calls for a discussion between the member of council and the city solicitor on what the rules are and how they are to be observed. Some have asked: Is there not a code of conduct? Apparently not – quite why one needs a code to regulate decency is beyond me.
A staff member’s integrity has been compromised and perhaps the trajectory of their career shortened.
The public looks for integrity and character from their elected leaders. We expect them to reflect the values of the community.
When they don’t there does not appear to be any redress.
There is a situation at the Seniors’ Centre where the behavior of a volunteer has and is making life close to intolerable for city staff.
The public has a right to expect nothing but professional service from the people employed by the city. There are very few instances of unprofessional behavior – those that do crop up are dealt with quickly and expeditiously.
 The city administration doesn’t have the same authority with volunteers. Investigations can take place and copies of reports made available to the offending party. But it is up to the members of the Seniors’ community to police themselves and set out the standard they want to see met.
If you don’t like what you see – stand up and say something.
 By Staff
March 20, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Hamed Naseri’s, a geologist from Tehran, in Canada less than a year will be both exhibiting and working on his bold, heavily detailed ink paintings. The detail is quite extraordinary.
 Hamed Naseri’s art is bold, almost daring in its use of colour and at the same time as detailed as the innards of a Swiss watch. Naseri will be exhibiting and doing his work at the Art |Gallery of Burlington. Naseri draws his inspiration from his life and the world around him. Nature, figures, architecture and the concept of ‘home’ are explored in imaginative realms in his works.
Persian poems are often incorporated into his paintings, occasionally appearing as part of the design. These fine details add to the painting’s narrative, combining traditional stories with vibrant images.
Naseri seeks to immerse viewers in his imagination – to feel the fire, wind and waves. This exhibition marks the one year anniversary of his artistic career.
 Hamed Naseri will be doing his art at the Art Gallery of Burlington. Photo Credit of Artist: Chuck Burdick, 2015 A graduate of Geology from Tehran University, Hamed Naseri travelled throughout Iran studying the flora and fauna of the country’s many landscapes. He also observed the kind hospitality of local residents, which lead to his artistic exploration of the question ‘what is a home’?
The artist brought his passion of ink painting to Canada in December of 2014. For Naseri, creating his paintings in public spaces allows him to observe the nature of the city and spaces around him.
As part of the exhibition, he will be working on new pieces in the gallery.
Winds & Waves is at the Art Gallery of Burlington from March 20, 2015 – April 19, 2015 in the RBC Community Gallery
By Staff
March 20, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
At 6:35 this evening – spring will have arrived – and while there might be one last bit of a winter blast – the season has changed and we can begin to prepare for summer. Two-four time will be here soon enough; that’s the weekend the gardeners come out in force – not the weekend the hockey fans head for the Beer Store – no reason for Maple Leaf fans to make a weekend of it.
 These snow plows are parked for the summer – they certainly got a work out this winter – as did all of us. One of the first things we get to do in the new season is celebrate Earth Hour on Saturday, March 28, 2015. The City of Burlington is encouraging residents and local businesses to participate in Earth Hour by turning off all non-essential lights and appliances for one hour at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 28.
Now in its eighth year, the annual lights-out event, organized by the World Wildlife Fund, brings together more than 7,000 communities from around the world to symbolize their commitment to the planet by switching out the lights for one hour.
 Ward Councillor Blair Lancaster and Mayor Rick Goldring put their political reputations on the line and stand on skate boards. Will the two of them try that again now that it’s Spring. “I encourage residents and businesses to take the challenge and power down during Earth Hour,” said Mayor Rick Goldring. “Earth Hour is a great reminder about how our actions impact the environment. Through its Corporate Energy Management Plan and Community Energy Plan, the city is committed to looking at how energy is used and generated in the community and where conservation and efficiency measures can be put in place.”
“In 2014, Burlington City Council endorsed the city’s first Community Energy Plan, developed with community groups, agencies and businesses. The plan is a holistic view of how energy is used, conserved, generated and distributed with a focus on how community partners can work together to improve and integrate community energy systems.”
Nice corporate statement – but not much about what the city has actually done in the past year
“The city has been working to put in place an energy management program aimed at saving energy and reducing costs for city facilities. In 2013, the city was awarded the Community Conservation Award by the Ontario Power Authority for its commitment to conservation.”
Commitment is about all we have on the Corporate Energy Management Plan
The people over at the fire department pass along some safety tips to keep in mind if you are one of the people that get into the Earth Hour idea.
When turning off lights in support of Earth Hour, consider these important safety tips:
• Test all smoke alarms to ensure they are working
• Consider using LED candles
• Keep candles away from curtains and decorations, and place in a sturdy container that contains the flame
• Always keep lighters and matches out of reach from children
• Never leave the room when a candle is burning.
The Gazette will drive some of the streets in the city on Saturday to see if the message is getting through.
 By Ray Rivers
March20, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It’s not new – this debate about that piece of face-cloth some women have to wear when they leave their domiciles. Canada’s immigration minister had ordered up veil-free citizenship services a couple of years ago, but a court had overruled him. So while the federal government is appealing the ruling, our PM has jumped in with both feet, calling the ‘niqab’ anti-woman, baiting the opposition, and driving up the volume as we move forward to this year’s election.
 Is this an acceptable form of identification? And why was this ever such a big deal? Isn’t becoming a citizen a prelude to being able to hold a Canadian passport? As with a drivers’ licence or a health-care card, don’t passport requirements include a full-face photo. That means that if the new citizen wants only to be able to travel, she’d need to drop her veil at least twice – once to get the photo and again to board the plane, so what is the big deal at the citizenship office.
On the other hand there is no longer a debate in France. Wearing the ‘niqab’ (or the even more extreme ‘burka’) in public places was banned outright a few years ago. And Quebec’s PQ government was ready to follow that European country’s lead before they were toppled by the provincial Liberals last year. Banning the public display of a cultural icon might be seen as racist under most definitions of the term, but the French law has withstood scrutiny by the European Commission.
While I’m pretty cool with how anyone decides to dress, I’d be a little uncomfortable boarding a plane knowing that another passenger boarded without a confirmation of her facial identity. So perhaps the PM came to the right conclusion but for the wrong reason.
 Election Canada official raiding the Conservative Part offices in Ottawa – just politics? Or maybe he’s just playing politics. And who could blame him for looking for diversions. First of all he wants to extend the ISIS mission, even into Syria, and that smells like an invasion. But even worse, this decision is being made just as we’re putting to rest one of our own – a military trainer – supposedly not involved in direct conflict, but who was killed while serving on the front line.
And then, having jumped the gun and announced an income-splitting tax break for the wealthy, the PM now finds himself unable to afford it. His promised election year balanced budget is evaporating faster than the price of oil and the Canadian dollar are falling. So the PM is stalling, hoping and waiting for a miracle.
But Harper doesn’t need a miracle, he is a shrewd tactician and knows that there is no defence like an offence. And what could be more offensive than attacking new Canadians for their little cultural niceties which most of us don’t really even want to understand. If the ‘niqab’ is anti-woman, what does that say about the person wearing the garb?
 Prime Minister Stephen Harper expounding on a policy. And then there is this recent gun narrative in which the PM seemed to be telling folks to go ahead and use your guns instead of waiting for the police. If this was a message to his base, or a call for funding from the gun organizations and companies, you can bet it worked. And then just to placate those nervous 905’ers, he now claims he was mis-interpreted. It’s an old trick, and he is performing it brilliantly.
Had his new anti-terrorist act, Bill C-51, been the law of the land, the recent terrorist scenarios we experienced would still have taken place The bill is a Trojan-horse, an excuse for the government’s security failures. It is disguised as an anti-terrorism weapon, but is really just another roadblock to freedom of expression and the curtailment of other civil liberties. The right-wing generally sees itself as a strong advocate of free speech… but then it really depends on what is being said, doesn’t it?
So what is next on the PM’s offensive agenda. So far he has stayed away from capital punishment and a woman’s right to choose. Indeed he has been consistent in dodging these topics, despite the pressure he must be getting from some of the really regressive members of his party and caucus.
 The French banned skinny models appearing at fashion shows – they also banned certain types of head dress. Is Canada going to restrict what people can wear at public events? Should a full face be revealed for the purposes of identification when boarding an aircraft or appearing in a court room? So perhaps he might want to try something completely different. The French seem to have settled on going after super-skinny models for their next social mission. Banning them from fashion shows and off the runways until they ‘fatten-up’. Of course this might just be a ploy to reduce the huge quantity of surplus French agricultural produce. I wonder if that would also work here to help out oil-depressed Alberta and Saskatchewan.
 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:
Passport Requirements French Ban Harper’s Rant
More Harper’s Rant Harper and Guns Super-Skinny
By Pepper Parr
March 19, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Revised: video included
If you were driving north on Guelph Line Wednesday night just a little after sunset you would have passed 30 or more people walking along the side of the road with flaming torches in their hands.
Given that this is Lowville – and Bronte Creek runs through the village and one never knows exactly what’s in the water – there was every reason to wonder what these people were doing out on the road.
 Lowville sculptor Walt Rickli leads the citizens of Lowville on a celebration of the Spring equinox with torches blazing The event was to celebrate the arrival of the Spring equinox – that time of the year when daylight hours are equal to dark hours.
The idea came out of the ripe, supple mind of Lowville sculptor Walt Rickli, who clearly had nothing better to do.
The idea took on a life of its own when neighbor Cathy Cole bumped in Rickli’s friend Janet – they decided a song was necessary and went looking for someone with a guitar.
Rickli sent invitations out to everyone in Lowville and some of his Burlington friends. The publisher of the Gazette got included in that list.
 Torches lit the way as the world moved to the point where the darkness was equal to the light and spring could poke its nose out. He thought it was a news release and quickly put together a story on the event. Literally minutes after the story was published Rickli and Cathy Cole began getting emails from friends – saying great idea – I’ll join you.
This wasn’t what Rickli had in mind – so he dashed an email along to the Gazette – asking us to take the story down – the event was for the people of Lowville only.
The story came down but not before a decent number of people read about it – proves the power of what the Gazette sets out to do.
 Janet and Cathy relax after their performance of – an event that will not make it into the summer program at the Performing Arts Centre. Lowville’s Favourite Spring Things
With the sun set and the Spring Equinox underway – the kerosene soaked torched were brought out – lit – and the walk began. Out on to Lowville Road, across a bridge over the Bronte Creek, across “Mary’s front lawn” – everyone knew who Mary was and along a drive way until they got to Guelph Line, south on the Line to Lowville Road and into the room with the rum soaked punch.
Were there bylaws broken? Probably. Were permits obtained?
 The Lowville Singers – with an interloper from Burlington to give the sound some depth. Then the entertainment – Cathy Cole, Janet and a few others did the first public performance of a song that will be sung just once a year – unless Walt Rickli decides to hold a winter solstice event. Sung to the tune of Sound of Music – the rendition heard in Lowville will not make it to the stage of the Performing Arts Centre.
Lowville’s Favourite Spring Things
Fiddleheads in forests we all love to pick
Peepers are peeping and the leaves they get thick Signs that there’s life in Lowville in spring
These are a few of our favourite things.
 If you lived between the two Lowville “gates” – you were probably on Lowville Park Road with a torch in your hand as the Spring equinox arrived. The river starts running, the trout start to jump The doggies of Lowville they all start to hump Park staff returns and they all start mowing These are a few of our favourite spring things.
When the ice jams, when the creek floods And Cathy’s feeling sad
We simply remember our favourite spring things And then we don’t feel so bad.
Sonny’s on his tractor and Kim’s back in town There’s Simon with Cindy, she’s in her nightgown Walt’s garden’s alive and the sculptures running These are a few of our favourite spring things.
People start running the steps up to Highville Barbeque smoke wafting up from the park grills The Bistro’s now open six days so we sing These are a few of our favourite spring things.
Birds are back singing and Ben’s outside tagging Judy’s with Penny her tail is a wagging
The Powell wagon gets covered, a sure sign of spring These are a few of our favourite things.
 Lowville torch bearers preparing the march through the community to celebrate the arrival of the spring equinox When the bugs bite, when the weeds grow And we’re feeling mad
We simply remember our favourite spring things And then we don’t feel so bad.
A fun evening in a community that certainly has its act together.
The song can be heard on YouTube – Click here – not to be missed.
 By Pepper Parr
March 20, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
Careers come to an end; the time to take off the harness and have it placed on the shoulders of someone who can build on the work you’ve done is one every professional faces.
That day for city planner Bruce Krushelnicki has been reported to the Gazette by a usually reliable source. Bruce will leave city hall sometime in May.
 A good listener, city planner Bruce Krushelnicki also explained difficult concepts better than most people. Krushelnicki made significant contributions to the design of the city – there are, one can be sure decisions Krushelnicki made that he would not make again – but on balance Burlingtonians have been well served.
For young people wanting to develop careers as planners the opportunity to listen to Krushelnicki speak was like being in a classroom – they would slip away from their desks to hear someone who knew the field inside out.
He was the most erudite member of the city staff – he also knew the best tailor in town: Krushelnicki looked well outfitted in the pair of jeans he wore on casual Friday’s
When asked what form he thought the Strategic Plan released in 2011 should take he said, without cracking as much as a smile “A single page and in Latin.”
Krushelnicki has written a text on the workings of the Ontario Municipal Board and he may well return to that organization.
He would be very welcome as a lecturer in almost any school of architecture in the country.
The unfortunate part of his departure is that a number of important files come off the front burner. The Roseland Character Study gets put on hold; the development of the Official Plan slows down.
The Indian Point Character study was dead – there was to be a report on the lessons learned from that exercise – it may never see the light of day now.
The Gazette once asked Krushelnicki what he wanted to do when he retired and he said he would like to drive one of those large pieces of construction equipment.
We expect Bruce to aspire to more than that.
 The ramp at the Drewlo development on Plains Road: there were supposed to be five of them, there are just four. City planner Krushelnicki pulled their building permit. With some luck we will manage to do a final interview with Krushelnicki – expect to read some of the pearls of wisdom the man has to offer – he might even explain what is meant by a “top of bank” and why it is important – or how he brought the Drewlo development on Plains Road to a grinding halt when he pulled their building permit.
Polite, considerate, patient to a fault – but a tough nut when he had to be.
 By Staff
March 19, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Things got very nasty Wednesday in the 2300 area of Walkers Line when the Regional police arrived in response to a threatening incident.
The suspect in this matter was known to the victim. Based upon information received from the victim both uniform officers and tactical officers responded in an effort to locate the suspect.
The suspect was located and arrested without incident. The investigation is ongoing at this time. There was no threat to public safety and no injuries were received at any time during the incident.
As a result of the investigation into this incident a 26 year old Burlington resident has been charged with several Criminal Code offences.
Anthony BEAUDRY has been charged with:
1) Uttering a Threat to Cause Injury to an Animal
2) Uttering a Threat to Cause Death or Bodily Harm
3) Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose
4) Fail to Comply with a Probation Order (2 counts)
The male party has been held for a bail hearing on March 19, 2015 in Milton Court.
By Pepper Parr
March 19, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The federal election is expected to take place in the fall – the campaigning has already started.
 Burlington MP Mike Wallace prepares for the federal funding announcement at the offices of Memex on Harvester Road. MP Mike Wallace was in town with FedDev Ontario Minister Gary Goodyear talking about the funds they had made available to two Burlington corporations – Memex Automation, a publicly traded company and Adflow, a very smart technology company that many Gazette readers see and use regularly.
 Dave McPhail on the right explains that the piece of equipment others are holding is the device that captures information executives can use to fully understand what is happening on the shop floor of their plants. Mike Wallace, Burlington’s MP admitted that he didn’t fully understand the stuff but was fascinated. Federal Minister Gary Goodyear explained the intricacies to Mike Wallace. The funds distributed were part of a federal Business Innovation initiative. The funds are repayable and are aimed at strengthening the innovative eco-system of south-western Ontario; a part of the province that took a huge economic hit in 2008 when world financial systems looked like they were going to melt down completely.
 Mike Abbott, on the left explaining the intricacies of Adflow to MP Mike Wallace while Catherine Brady takes the Minster through e screen that Adflow created and monitors for a client. Memex was loaned $800,000 and Adflow was loaned $99,093. Why that wasn’t rounded up to the next logical number only a bureaucrat somewhere can explain.
Both companies are rather small but clearly leaders in their fields – Memex has 22 employees – they expect to hire an additional sixteen people with the funds received. while Adflow has 28 employees and will use their funds to expand into larger space.
The Gazette will do full length features on both companies in the near future.
The take away message from the $899,093 the federal government spread around today was that the federal election is beginning to heat up.
Is there more federal money to come?
By Staff
March 18, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Close to half of the August 2014 flood claims have been reviewed by the Burlington Community Foundation Flood Disaster Relief Claims Committee (DRC) Of the 156 claims reviewed 129 have been approved for a partial payment.
 The August 4th, 2014 flood hit both residential and commercial properties. When the rains came down Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring was on the phone within 48 hours setting up committees to manage the relief effort he knew was going to be needed.
He called on the Burlington Community Foundation to oversee the relief effort and leaned on Burlington business man Ron Foxcroft to head up a fund raising effort.
Foxcroft brought in just short of $1 million in 100 days.
While it took a lot of arm twisting to get the province to come through with an Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program (ODRAP) program that gave the city $2 for each dollar raised – it did happen.
Those funds are now being distributed.
“The Committee is on track with its work and has reviewed half of the 310 claims submitted,” said Colleen Mulholland, President and CEO, Burlington Community Foundation. “We continue to receive very positive feedback from victims who are receiving financial assistance.”
The paying out of funds is a little awkward, necessary because of the rules surrounding the provincial government ODRAM rules.
The Disaster Relief Claims Committee (DRC) will not know how much the claims are going to amount to until all the claims are reviewed. They decided they could pay out half of the approved claim just as soon as the claim was approved.
 Trying to save as much as possible from rising flood waters. Some homes had completely flooded basements with water running through the main floor. Once all the claims are processed the DRC will know how much they have left and distribute that amount proportionately when all the claims have been reviewed.
 More than 191 mm of rain fell in one day During the first three months of 2015, interim claim payments of $696,000 was distributed. The goal is to have all 310 claims assessed to determine final payment amounts. The BCF wants to have this process wrapped up by April 30.
“I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am to receive your letter,” one claimant said. “The abatement company has been very patient in waiting to be paid so that will be a tremendous weight off my mind. We will now be able to get started on the refinishing of the basement.”
At mid-February the Foundation had paid out a total of $696,000 which would work out to a little over $9000 per claimant. A breakdown wasn’t provided on the more recent payments..
The Claims Committee continues to meet every two weeks to process each claim.
By Pepper Parr
March xx, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Part 2 of a 2 part feature
When David Donnelly gets wound up he is close to a force of nature. His explanations and solutions for saving the environment are those of a driven man.
His mission is to offset the influence, clout and financial muscle of the development community – his current focus is the threat to Ontario’s greenbelt
He is one of those lawyers in the province who does his environmental homework home work and asks the hard but to him very obvious questions.
He formed his law practice in 2008, the year the bottom fell out of the financial world.
 David Donnelly: a force to be reckoned with once he gets wound up. He keeps a close eye on the development community and brings 25 years of experience and expertise to his work. During the early March Town Hall meeting held recently in Burlington to rally the troops for the forthcoming public meetings on the Land Use Planning Consultations the province is holding starting late in March.
There will be a meeting in Hamilton on April 22 and another in Milton on April 16th.
There are people with wheelbarrows full of money and the patience of Job who have cast their covetous eye on all that lands in Burlington north of Dundas. They are whispering in the ears of the politicians and the bureaucrats on the e need to open up some of that land to residential development so that municipalities in Halton Region can meet their growth targets.
Donnelly points out that:
The population of Greater Toronto and Hamilton (GTAH) area Golden Horseshoe is expected to be 3.7 million by 2031.
The GTAH, which includes the Region of Halton is expected to accommodate 2.3 million people by 2031
The city of Toronto is to add 470,000 people by 2031
Donnelly math works like this:
With 2.3 million more people projected for the GTAH (which includes Hamilton) everything outside Toronto is going to have to absorb 1.83 million people. That figure is the e 2.3 million provincial projection less the 470,000 Toronto will absorb = 1.83 million
 Burlington allowed six original Veterans Land Act properties to be assembled into a project that has 54 units. City council spent more time squabbling about keeping a tree than they did about how cramped this community is now. Where will this growth go: Donnelly projects 60% of it will be greenfield and 40% intensification.
 This 58 unit project replaced six small bungalows – seen to the left. Intensification – just not good community. Burlington politicians continually talk about being built out but there are two large sites that are primed for development: Eagle Heights in the west end of Aldershot and the Bronte Meadows property along Upper Middle Road and Burloak. The Meadows is currently designated Employment Lands but there are a number of reasons to believe that it will be changed to residential.
Burlington also has a number of mobility hubs that are more of an idea than a reality at this point but offer significant intensification opportunities for the city.
 David Donnelly: leading environmental lawyer spoke recently in Burlington Donnelly explains that from 2006-2011, the overall intensification rate (excluding Toronto)
was 39%. Greenfields accommodated 61% of that growth.
Donnelley’s Greenfield math produces the following:
1.83 million X 0.60 = 1.1 million people on Greenfield sites
He projects 2.99 residents/unit
More Donnelly math:
1.1 million people ÷ 3 residents/unit = 367,000 Greenfield units required (single/semi/townhouse)
That’s how many people the area will have to accommodate – 367,000
Where will the houses they live in be built? Some Greenfield, some by intensification claims Donnelly.
What Donnelly is pointing out is that the land in the rural part of Halton – and large part of the greenbelt, which the developers want to move into is not necessary
Donnelly argues that the land supply is not an issue
He explains:
Greenfield supply in GTAH is already designated at 47,000 hectares
Take that 47,000 ha X 17 units/ha = 800,000 units
800,000 units X 3 people/unit = 2.4 million people
No need to encroach on the greenbelt argues Donnelly – the existing land will accommodate all we are expected to have to accommodate into 2031 – Donnelly didn’t project beyond 2031.
He adds an additional twist to his argument that there is no reason to touch the greenbelt.
The 2006 Census reports 370,000 units occupied by 65+ year old residents
In 2031 there will be 370,000 units (singles/semis/towns) occupied by 90+ year old residents
Back to that Donnelly math:
370,000 units X 3 residents/unit = 1.1 million people
We need Greenfield land for 1.83M people by 2031, or 600,000 units
We have land designated to accommodate 2.4M people, or 800,000 units
Coming back into the market, are 370,000 already-built singles/semis/towns to accommodate 1.1M people
We have ground-related units to accommodate 3.5M people or roughly double the 1.83M to be accommodated.
Ipso facto – we don’t need to touch as much as a square foot of greenbelt land for housing.
 Paert of the Ontario Greenbelt that makes up North Burlington – which some argue is under threat and has to be protected from unnecessary development. Province has scheduled a series of Land Use development meetings across the province. This isn’t an argument that is going to sit all that well with the development community which has very deep pockets and great lobbying bench strength – plus significant clout as a result of the election campaign contributions.
But it is the argument David Donnelly and the Rural Burlington Greenbelt Coalition will be taking forward during the public hearings.
One those occasions when Donnelly gets to orate on the defense of the environment – he can get really wound up. Facts, especially figures, literally gush out of him. When he is done his body slumps a little and a “there – do you get it?” look spreads across his face.
David Donnelly has done his thing – and if you believe his numbers – he has done it well. He will be doing this frequently in the months ahead.
Part 1 of a 2 part feature
 By Pepper Parr
March 18, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Part 1 of a 2 part feature.
It was a gathering of the true believers – they met at McMaster University’s DeGroote campus in Burlington to listen to environmental advocate lawyer David Donnelly, Oakville Mayor Rob Burton, Suzuki guy and female planner who focused on what they see as a threat to Ontario’s Greenbelt.
It was defined as an occasion to celebrate and a time to hunker down and make sure that the gains made are not taken away as the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) holds a series of Town Hall meetings across the province.
It is a delight to listen to Oakville Mayor Rob Burton talk about how that town managed to “green” its Council and to listen to David Donnelly proselytize about the environment.
 Vanessa Warren, founder of the Rural Burlington Greenbelt Coalition, ran as a candidate in the last Burlington municipal election. Vanessa Warren, founder of the Burlington based Rural Burlington Greenbelt Coalition (RBGC) bounced about the room introducing people and keeping things going.
Warren first crossed Burton’s path when she was delegating to Halton Regional Council on the Burlington Air Park problems. At that time Burton explained to Warren that she had more clout with the Air Park issue than Regional Council.
Several months later, Warren was sued for libelling the Air Park ownership and hired David Donnelly to defend her. Full disclosure: The Gazette is a party to the libel law suit – but we are not being defended by Donnelly. The evening was almost a family get together.
The purpose of the meeting was to get the community ready for the provincial Town Hall meetings that are looking at the way the province and its municipalities do land use planning.
The Smart Growth for Communities Act – Bill 73 is the focus point – does the bill give the environmentalists what they are looking for and can the developers live with it.
Rob Burton, in a style that is all his own explained how to make a city council green.
 Oakville Mayor Rob Burton “Back in 2006” said Burton, “we thought if we could elect one green councillor we were on our way to saving the planet. They elected Allan Elgar.
About 18 months into his term of office Allan said to his green cohorts – one man isn’t enough. Come the 2010 election they got three greens on the Oakville city council.
Eighteen months into that mandate the group came to the realization that three wouldn’t do it – so in the 2014 term they elected seven greens.
Rob Burton feels he is on his way and is ready to plunge into the MMAH Town Hall meetings.
Burton explained what Oakville and to some degree the Region has done to protect its environment. What he didn’t tell the audience was how Oakville pressured the provincial government to keep a gas plant out of the municipality – the fallout from the way that was done cost former Premier Dalton McGuinty the government he had then and continues to plague current Premier Kathleen Wynne.
Burton, talking to an attentive crowd – 125 people with more than half from outside the Region, said that while there is a provincial policy and a Regional policy” we in Oakville have carved out Natural Heritage sites (NHS) that fit in with and compliment the Regional and provincial policies.
Councillors Taylor and Meed Ward were on hand from Burlington.
Halton Region Natural Heritage System (NHS) covers 48,000 hectares in the greenbelt, farmlands and urban areas
The Halton NHS goes beyond provincial designations by adding new key features for permanent protection of significant woodlands; they have created buffers and linkage corridors to connect the key natural heritage features.
 There are development corporations that would love to put residential housing on the Escarpment – not on say the environmentalists. Burlington is currently working on a vision for Mt Nemo plateau and undertaking a Heritage Conservation District Study. Nemo 7G/PERL formed a seven-generation, (150 years) vision for the plateau. Mt. Nemo has been identified as one of the best examples of high diversity and functioning ecosystems in the GTA-Hamilton area.
From October 2013 to January 2014, the government undertook province-wide consultations on the land use planning and appeal system, and development charges system to ensure both systems are predictable, transparent, cost effective and responsive to the changing needs of our communities. The government is responding to comments received through the consultations and has announced proposed legislative amendments to the Development Charges Act, 1997 and the Planning Act.
If passed, Bill 73 – the proposed Smart Growth for Our Communities Act would give residents more say in how their communities grow, set out clearer rules for land use planning, give municipalities more independence to make local decisions and make it easier to resolve disputes.
For example, residents would be better involved at the beginning of the planning process and have a say in the future of their communities. Municipalities would need to set out in their official plans how and when the public would be consulted, and would also need to explain how public input affected their planning decisions.
The bill would also: give municipalities more opportunities to fund growth-related infrastructure, like transit; make the development charges, section 37 density bonusing and parkland dedication systems more predictable, transparent and accountable; and support higher density development to create jobs and grow the economy.
The province will be setting up working groups of stakeholders to review further more complex development charges issues, and to take a considered look at some land use planning elements, and propose solutions.
Both Burton and Donnelly point to significant successes and believe the tide is turning and the tipping point is at hand.
 This little guy was a significant part of the end of quarrying in rural Burlington. They point to the October 11, 2012: Joint Board decision that dismissed Nelson Aggregate Co.’s applications for a proposed 26 M tonne quarry on 82 ha site. That decision focused on impacts to Jefferson Salamander and its habitat in the context of the Niagara Escarpment Plan (NEP)
In September 17, 2014 the Niagara Escarpment Commission (“NEC”) voted in favour of an outright ban on new quarries in the NEP; that vote went 7 Commissioners in favour, 5 Commissioners against
The 2015 Greenbelt Plan Review is something environmentalists have been waiting for – the Town Hall meetings are just one part of the process. Many people take considerable comfort from the appointment of former Toronto Mayor David Crombie being appointed chair.
This process is something to be watched.
Part 2 of a 2 part feature.
By Staff
March 17, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
More than 30 years after first putting on a police uniform Andrew Fletcher, Deputy Chief with the Halton Regional Police is turning in his badge and moving on into retirement – which for Fletcher will means taking up the job of Deputy Chief of Police of the South Simcoe Police Service (just outside of Barrie Ontario).
Fletcher will leave the Region on or about June 1, 2015.
 Deputy Chief Andrew Fletcher and Detective Donna Whittaker answer media questions during the display of all the cash and other valuable recovered during a bank break-in where the bad guys almost got away. Chief Steve Tanner said: “Deputy Chief Andrew Fletcher has been a proud and dedicated member of the HRPS family for many years, and will in fact be completing his 31st year on June 1, 2015 – at which time he will retire from the Service to take on new challenges and opportunities.
Fletcher started as a cadet with the HRPS 31 years ago and in recent years was instrumental in bringing that very successful program back to the police service. Andrew became a Constable soon after and was promoted through the ranks of Sergeant, Staff Sergeant and Inspector where he has performed in a variety of patrol, investigative, support and supervisory roles prior to becoming a Deputy Chief on January 1, 2007. Andrew worked in uniform patrol, criminal investigations, drugs and intelligence, major crimes, and was a member of the Tactical Rescue Unit among other assignments during his varied and successful career here in Halton.
 Auxiliary police officer Voorberg tucks a notice under a car windshield as Deputy Chief Andrew Fletcher makes sure it gets done right. Both were taking part in the Lock it or Lose it Campaign. He was involved in many major investigations during his time with our Service, and in senior positions has commanded both the operational and support sides of the organization.
Most recently he has distinguished himself in many ways amongst his peers at the OACP (Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police) and across the province as a leading expert in community mobilization, and as the Chair of the OACP Community Safety and Crime Prevention Committee. Andrew will always be credited with truly spearheading our move here in Halton to Community Mobilization throughout the Service, and just this past January to our integrated Community Mobilization teams.
By Staff
March 17, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Local government is said to be all about pot holes and garbage collection.
 Whenever you hit one of these things you wonder how much damage is being done to your shock absorbers. Burlington is getting proactive – almost aggressive about pot holes. City hall wants YOU to report sightings of potholes on city streets. There is a section of the city web site where you can report a pot hole.
Click here and fill in the on line form and report a pot hole.
Scott Stewart, General manager of development and infrastructure, explains that “city crews are on the road everyday looking for potholes, but we appreciate the assistance of residents in helping to identify problem areas.”
“With the extreme cold we experienced this winter, we are asking residents to keep an eye out for potholes in the city and report them.”
The theory is that reported pot holes will get filled promptly and we won’t have to have road maintenance people driving up and down streets looking for a place to spread fresh asphalt.
Sounds like a good idea; what could go wrong?
Let’s see how many pot holes get reported and if this new form of government interaction with the citizens really works – they call it EGov – and in theory it could and should work.
 This is probably not what the city expects its citizens to do when they discover a pot hole. The people in the information technology department were really pleased with the idea when it was brought up – now with the roads becoming a problem because of the pot holes – they get a chance to see how well this work.
This is something we will follow up on.
By Staff
March 16, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Regional Police are making one of those extra efforts to enforce the traffic laws on St. Patrick’s Day.
 For the First Time offender there is a
• 3-day licence suspension
• $150 Administrative Monetary Penalty
For the Second Time offender (within 5 years)
• 7-day licence suspension
• Mandatory alcohol education program
• $150 Administrative Monetary Penalty
For the Third Time offender (within 5 years)
• 30-day licence suspension
• Mandatory alcohol treatment program
• Six-month ignition interlock licence condition
• $150 Administrative Monetary Penalty
Subsequent infractions (within 5 years)
• 30-day licence suspension
• Mandatory alcohol treatment program
• Six-month ignition interlock licence condition
• Mandatory medical evaluation
• $150 Administrative Monetary Penalty
These roadside licence suspensions cannot be appealed. Suspensions will be recorded on the driver’s record. For up to five years, these roadside suspensions will be considered when determining consequences for subsequent infractions.
Now if they can get as tough with drivers who deliberately distract themselves using a cell phone – we will have made some progress.
 By Pepper Parr
March 15, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
School is out. Those that are going south are already on their way out of town. Spring Break has begun – and now what are you going to do?
The melting is well underway which means the creeks will begin to swell – which means keeping a closer eye on the younger ones who are fascinated with the rushing water.
The City is offering many drop-in programs for March Break but you are going to need a degree in rocket science to figure out what they are offering.
There are a lot of events at different locations – we’ve set those out for you below.
Then there is the IGNITE TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am March Break Community Challenge. Someone at city hall said they were “thrilled to be one of 600 IGNITE community partners in Ontario as part of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games-inspired community initiatives.
Getting the form:
Participate in daily challenges and get active. Download the IGNITE Passport to discover and explore Burlington’s trails, sport and culture.
Submit your completed passport to be entered into a contest for great prizes. Passports can be picked up and dropped off at Appleby Arena, City Hall and Tansley Woods Community Centre or printed and submitted online
To participate in the Ignite March Break Community Challenge*
1. Choose an activity – aim to do at least one activity every day.
2. Check off what you did on the Passport. You can share details and photos of your activities with us on Facebook or Twitter and win daily prizes.
3. At the end of March Break, hand in the passport to be entered in the grand prize draw.
For a list of events, check the online calendar, pick up a Community Challenge booklet, and follow the City of Burlington on Twitter and Facebook.
Community Challenge – How to win*
Daily Prizes:
To be eligible for a daily prize, post on the City of Burlington twitter or facebook pages using #IgniteBurlON starting Monday, March 16 and ending Sunday, March 22, 2015. Winners will be chosen daily via a random draw and notified via social media the next business day. If you include a photo, we may ask you fill out a photo release form in case we want to use your photo.
Grand Prizes:
To be eligible for a grand prize, fill out the passport online, submit your completed passport to diversity@burlington.ca or at any participating City of Burlington facility customer service counter before March 31, 2015. Winners will be chosen via a random draw and notified via email or phone number provided on the passportentry form by Tuesday, April 7, 2015.
The city will be offering different sport and culture programs free of charge, hosted by local organizations. Ignite programs include drop-in sport clinics, dance classes and challenges throughout the community.
Passports can be picked up and dropped off at Appleby Arena, City Hall and Tansley Woods Community Centre or printed and submitted online
 Outdoor Opportunity 13-21 In addition to the Ignite March Break Community Challenge, residents can participate in drop-in gym programs, swimming and skating opportunities.
 Junior Blast 5-10
 Junior Mini Blast 3-5
 By Pepper Parr
March 15, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Whenever your city council talks about the economic growth needed – the words “high tech, high paying jobs” get used. Everyone wants those jobs – Burlington wouldn’t chase after an abattoir.
Those technical jobs are what every municipality wants; starts up would be nice too. Having those young people with nothing but ideas and energy are what make new things happen – these are the men and woman who come up with technical/digital solutions to some of the problems we have. This under 20 cohort is in the process of changing the world – partly because the world they are struggling to grow and prosper in has changed from the world there parents grew up in
But who are these kids – and they are kids for the most part; where do they hang out, how do you identify one of them
About 50 of these under 20 techies gathered at the Art Gallery earlier in the week and gave presentations about what they have done in the past and what they were doing now – but more importantly they talked about what they were looking for.
 Vincent Hamel, Manager, Electro-Optical Engineering, L-3 Wescam These were smart young people; several had already made significant contributions. The problem for then is going to be reaching them
For reasons that we can’t understand all I can tell you is the Amanda R has got a really strong grip on what it means to network and how to get her face in front of the people she wants to work with and for – but I can’t tell you how to reach her – privacy issues – which is really bureaucracy run amuck.
Ella E gave her peers some of the best advice they are ever going to get. “People hire people” she said – the resume is part of the job search process but they are not going to hire you from a couple of piece of paper. Ella talked about young people going to meet up events and handing out resumes and not sticking around to talk to people “or worse” she said. “They stand in small groups talking to each other.”
These are smart young people who no longer need the privacy protection that early teens need. Having said that – let me tell you what I can about these people
 Oleg L.; a grade 12 student from Oakville who wants to become a Software developer. He recently completed a semester-long co-op with Promys Inc. that led to a full time summer job offer. He talked about how demonstrating a high level of skill and commitment during a short-term co-op can lead to extended opportunities with an employer.
He is looking for internship/co-op opportunities in a computer security or with a software development firm.
 Amanda R.; a first year University of Waterloo doing the Honors Mechatronics program is a Schulich Leader scholarship winner. After competing in robotics competitions for 6 years and volunteering in LEGO robotics since 2011, she is currently working on her first co-op placement as an Automation Engineer at Camcor Manufacturing. Part of the Linamar Group
Amanda talked about the importance of networking before, during and after internships and co-op programs. Her presentations skills were remarkable for a woman her age. She is looking for opportunities to work with engineering companies involved in national defense.
 Ella R., a grade 12 student from, Oakville is studying to become a competitive robotics software developer, autonomous programmer and on-field strategist. She completed an Internship with Hatch Inc. last summer in the Thermal and Nuclear Sector.
Ella talked about how her internship opened her eyes to the variety of roles available on engineering teams in a large company setting.
Ella is looking for a multitude of engineering experiences that will expand her skillset in multiple different sectors, from electrical engineering to software engineering. Ultimately, her long term goal is to work on projects involving robotics and artificial intelligence.
 Eddie S., grade 12 student, Milton. Is studying competitive robot design, build team leader and on-field strategist
Eddie hasn’t taken part in an internship program yet, but wants to learn more about opportunities related to engineering and design. His has advanced skills in design, engineering and robot fabrication, but he is unsure of where to turn for information on internships that would suit his interests and future career development. He is interested in the biomedical side of engineering, and hopes to be working in that field in the future. He is looking for opportunities that will progress his career toward this goal.
 Sam R., 1st year student at OCAD University where he is majoring in Graphic Design. Sam completed a communications internship with Appleby College two years ago that led to a paid, full time position with their communications team the following summer.
Sam talked to the group about how his technical and creative skills in graphic design and digital photography were expanded while meeting the needs of the internship, and how he benefited from the responsibility and creative freedom provided by both the internship and full-time summer positions.
Sam is interested in working with organizations that will stretch his technical and creative skills further, while providing opportunities to continuing developing his portfolio of graphic design, photography, videography and motion graphics work.
A smart bunch of young people getting ready to enter the work force; taking those first hesitant steps and for the most part doping rather well. The government agencies and volunteer groups who put on the event – and it was a good event – do these young people a dis-service by not identifying them and giving out their coordinates.
The meet up is arranged by volunteers who do their best to dig out students who are into high tech. “We know they are out there” said Kimberly Neale, one of the volunteers, “but finding them and catching their attention is not that easy. We use social Media as much as we can – but its pretty much word of mouth. The 50 that showed up are people we’ve not seen before.
Most of those involved in this second meet up were from Milton and Oakville.
Anyone interested in taking part or if you know someone who might be interested have them get in touch with Kimberly Neale.
Meanwhile we will work on getting those full names for you.
|
|
