 By Pepper Parr
September 4th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Later this month Mark Zelinski will launch his book on the Escarpment. It is a large format publication with loads of pictures – Zelinski is a photographer with an eye for the outdoors.
 Mark Zelinski, graduate of both Sheridan College and OCAD and the recipient of several awards for his work. However, it would be a mistake to see the book as a collection of really nice pictures in between hard covers – the kind of thing that sits on a coffee table or in an office reception room where people flip through the pages.
It is one of the first books of this type that I have read that recognizes the place of the Indigenous community in the geography of our community.
Zelinski let the Indigenous people tell their story – his use of the a wonderful piece by Richard Hill about the: The Great Escarpment In Haudenosaunee Oral History is so powerful that we have included it in this review.
“The Haudenosaunee Confederacy consists of the Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca, Onondaga and Tuscarora First Nations. Our Creation Story is a road map to our underlying values, beliefs and customary practices. It sets in motion our way of life, and the annual cycles of nature that impact on our lives. It also tells of the re-shaping of Mother Earth that was created on the back of a giant turtle.
![Turtle_LOGO_ON_MAP-©markzelinski.com[1]](https://burlingtongazette.ca/wp-content/uploads/Turtle_LOGO_ON_MAP-©markzelinski.com1_-862x1024.png) “Oral history tells of giant serpents that lived underground and emerged into the deep Great Lakes, only to surface from time to time to seek out human flesh. One huge cavern behind Niagara Falls soon became the home of the Thunder Beings. These powerful spirits rode the skies behind the dark storm clouds. When they saw one of those giant serpents trying to make its way to this world, the Thunder Beings would fly into action, shooting flint-tipped arrows that turned into lightning bolts, hoping to strike down the serpents and keep the land safe for humans.
“Our oral history also tells of a time when the Sun, Our Elder Brother, also known as the Great Warrior, while making his daily round of overseeing the Great Turtle Island, would notice that humans are fighting and hurting one another. As the story continues, our Elder Brother will pause, directly overhead when he sees such chaos. He will turn up his heat, hoping that the humans will pause and look skyward.
“In doing so, the people can recall the sacred origins of this land, and of humans of the clay from the back of the Great Turtle. His hope is that if we recall our Original Instructions to look after one another, humans just might stop fighting and return to the way of life that was intended for them – peace on Mother Earth. If humans refused to reconsider their actions, the Elder Brother said he would transform himself, becoming the Spirit of the Earthquake and shake the Earth so much that all that was made by humans would be destroyed, including the humans.
“This universal struggle between the serpents below and the Thunder Beings above is a metaphor for our own existence. We live in the middle of these two zones. While walking on the earth, we experience one aspect of life. When we die and are placed in the loving arms of our mother, we may experience another aspect of life. We can be like warriors who sneak up on others to do harm, or we can live in peace so that when our Great Elder Brother looks upon us, he will smile, knowing that we remember our Original Instructions. Life can flourish in this beautiful world we call home. Or, we can lose it all if we do not heed to wisdom of our ancestors and be thankful for all that has been provided.
“To me, The Niagara Escarpment represents the jagged edge of our existence. a place that has had a profound impact on the Indigenous people who live on or near it. It remains a place of power, a reminder of the original battle over this land, and an ongoing threshold between the goodness of our Mother the Earth, and the mysterious forces that are above and that lie below.”
Like many people I took the short boat ride when I last toured the falls at Niagara aboard the Maid Of The Mist. I never asked where the name of the boat came from – I recall more vividly how close we got to the falls and how wet we were when we returned.
Chezney Martin tells the story of the creation of the Niagara Escarpment and Maid of the Mist. It begins with a battle that involved the Seneca Nation of the Haudenosaunee.
“The Thunder Beings are considered the supernatural grandfathers and protectors of the earth. They make appearances in many Haudenosaunee stories and tales. The duties of the Thunder Beings flow from the creation story to the belief that they keep dinosaurs underground with strikes of lightening.
“In this particular story we meet a monstrous snake-like beast conjured by witchcraft that decided to live within the Niagara waterways to kill and eat the Haudenosaunee people.
“Enraged by this, the Thunder Beings sought to dispel the snake with force. This battle raged on for days as thunder rumbled in the sky and lightening struck the serpent until it dissipated into a huge crevice in the earth, the same crevice we call the Niagara Gorge today.
“The Thunder Beings were suspicious as to whether or not the snake had truly been defeated. Rather than leaving the earth they sought shelter behind the waterfall that had been created by the serpent. The Thunder Beings natural rumbles were covered by the sound of falling water, as they awaited any sign that the snake had survived.
![niagara-escarpment-turtle-island-©markzelinski.com-2[1]](https://burlingtongazette.ca/wp-content/uploads/niagara-escarpment-turtle-island-©markzelinski.com-21-686x1024.png) “Shortly after this battle, the clouds in the sky cleared to a beautiful day. The sunshine attracted a young woman to lie near the water. She was soon to be wed and wouldn’t have much time to enjoy her alone time once she had children.
“As she closed her eyes, the snake that was shrunken by the strikes of the Thunder Beings slithered out of the water. It is said that the snake entered her body during her rest.
“The young woman was later married and after the first night spent with her new husband, he died. She mourned and decided to try marriage again with the same result. She tried once more to marry, desperately craving a family. Her third husband died.
“Distraught with grief and guilt the young woman decided to end her life. She entered a canoe up stream and allowed the current to carry her to the waterfall.
“Just as her canoe was going to tip over the edge and to the sharp rocks below, the Thunder Beings heard her weeping. They caught her mid-fall, and brought her into their cave behind the water.
“Once inside, the Thunder Beings taught the young woman how to dispel witchcraft as they alleviated her of the snake and destroyed it.
“It is said that the Thunder Beings returned to the clouds. The knowledge passed on to the young woman was brought back to the Haudenosaunee and has been used ever since.
“This is the story of The Maid of the Mist from the Original People.”
The care and preservation of the Escarpment is now in the hands of the public that is represented by the Niagara Escarpment Commission and Conservation Halton.
Robert Edmondson was with Conservation Halton for 38 years, starting his career as a biologist in 1974 and retiring as the director, watershed management services at the end of 2012. He describes and explains the huge stretch of land that he oversaw that extended through the world’s largest freshwater island, Manitoulin, and emerging from the crystal clear waters of Georgian Bay surrounding Flower Pot Island, follows a 740 kilometre journey from the tip of the Bruce Peninsula to Queenston Heights.
“Visual highlights along the Niagara Escarpment include dramatic views at vistas such as Lion’s Head, Colpoy’s Lookout, Nottawasaga Lookout, Rattlesnake Point, Mount Nemo, Spencer Gorge, and featuring creeks and streams flowing over such outstanding features as Inglis Falls, Eugenia Falls, Hilton Falls, Webster Falls and Balls Falls.
![niagara-escarpment-turtle-island-©markzelinski.com-3[1]](https://burlingtongazette.ca/wp-content/uploads/niagara-escarpment-turtle-island-©markzelinski.com-31.png) The Escarpment is our backyard. “All these natural wonders are found on publically owned lands that make up the Niagara Escarpment Parks and Open Space System (NEPOSS). Over 44,300 hectares of land, representing close to 23% of the Niagara Escarpment Planning Area is part of the park system. For the most part, these lands are connected by the Bruce Trail as it winds its way some 855 kilometres from Tobermory on the Bruce Peninsula to Queenston on the Niagara River. Manitoulin Island, which is outside of the Niagara Escarpment Planning Area, cherishes its own incredible parks, such as Misery Bay Provincial Park; a 1000 hectare coastal alvar sanctuary, with the largest wetland in the eco-district. The Cup and Saucer trail on the islands east end, possesses one of the most exhilarating views in the province.
“The NEPOSS is administered by the Ministry of Natural Resources and governed by a council with representatives from the park owners and the Niagara Escarpment Commission. The main objectives of the park system are to protect the unique ecological and historical areas; maintain and enhance the natural environment of the Niagara Escarpment while providing for outdoor education, recreation, and public access to the Bruce Trail; and promote the principles of the Niagara Escarpment’s UNESCO World Biosphere Designation.
“There are over 147 parks within the system that are maintained by a mix of public bodies and conservation organizations including seven conservation authorities: the Ministry of Natural Re-sources, Ontario Parks, Parks Canada, Ontario Heritage Trust, St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, Niagara Parks Commission, Royal Botanical Gardens, Bruce Trail Conservancy as well as a number of municipalities and organizations such as the Hamilton Naturalists Club, Nature Conservancy and Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy. The Conservation Authorities of Grey Sauble, Nottawasaga, Credit Valley, Toronto, Halton, Hamilton and Niagara maintain more than half of the lands and 60% of the parks in the system.
![1-turtle-island-cover-markzelinski.com[1]](https://burlingtongazette.ca/wp-content/uploads/1-turtle-island-cover-markzelinski.com1_-1024x771.png) “All Escarpment parks are classified according to their attributes and ecological significance: such as Nature Reserve, Natural Environment, Recreation, Historical, Escarpment Access and Resource Management Area.
The Parks provide a wide range of experiences: visits to preserved historical sites, walking or cycling to vistas with their breath-taking views; tumbling waterfalls; quiet strolls along hiking trails meandering through mature forests; and observing the active life of the wetlands, or the enjoyment of cross country and down-hill skiing. The fundamental responsibility of the park system is to preserve the legacy of the Escarpment, all the wonders of its ecological diversity and outstanding features.”
These three people set the table on which Zelinski places the several hundred photographs that capture what it is that we see, feel and experience when we spend time in this vast stretch of land. For those of us who have to spend time in sometimes stop and go traffic on six lane highways – an understanding and appreciation of this collection of land that has been preserved becomes close to poignant.
The book – title will be launched at an RBG reception September 20th at the RBG Rock Garden 7:00 to 8:30 pm.
The Heart of Turtle Island retails for $50. It is available for a limited time at a discount at www.MarkZelinski.com
It is also available at: A Different Drummer Books, Royal Botanical Gardens, Amazon.ca, and Indigo Books for the full retail price.
 By Staff
September 3rd, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The late Casey Cosgrove Facebook is alive and has become the place to grieve, commiserate and openly love the man we have lost.
And old friend of Casey’s posted a note – it is not easy reading, especially if you know Casey – but it is worth reading. We still speak of him in the present tense – don’t we?
Hey Cosmo
Well, it’s been a shitty 24 hrs, not going to lie! I’ve cried more than I have since my dad died 40 years ago. I hurt because I won’t get to see you anymore but that’s selfish and I know that’s something you weren’t so I will stop that but it may take a few days ok sorry.
You created quite a stir on FB since you left, and I’m going to tell you that you certainly touched a lot of people and they too are as gutted as I am. You have some friends and family who can articulate very well by the way… without F-Bombs even 🙂
I know you know this but Bryna, Ev, Jack, Kate, Stanley, Rudy and Hefty will all be doted upon for years to come by everyone you touched. Not because you left, but because of the family core values you guys all showed us that caused us all to fall in love with the Cosgrove clan.
 Cory Judson found his way of remembering. Cosgrove was one of the driving forces behind getting the monument in place. It’s been 30 years since you walked up to the dugout of our team and said “Hey guys, I’m Casey, Casey Cosgrove and I’ve been asked to play with you guys”. You had flow (as they call it now) and a smile that just broke down any barriers we may have wanted to implement with the “new guy”. Casey Cosgrove… has there EVER been a better baseball handle in history? Maybe Mickey Mantle but I heard he was an asshole so…
You always had a competitive air about you, sometimes to a fault! Remember that hanging curve you threw that behemoth first baseman in the Nationals in Yarmouth? He hit that friggin meatball so far it should have had a flight crew on it. After the game you said “I can’t believe he got lucky and hit that out” we all laughed and said they had to scramble jet fighters to shoot that bitch down!
Then there’s all the years of ball hockey on Mainway, the moves you had with those silky mitts was ridiculous and you kept reminding me of that with every goal you scored on me. I’d tell you you it was just because you were lucky, you tell me it was just because I was a shitty goalie. We both know who was right, oh, and I still am haha.
My step daughter texted me yesterday morning and said “I am so sorry about Casey Jaker.” I responded with “You know Casey was the first person to call me Jaker 29 years ago” You remember that Cosmo? I got caught stealing second and was walking back past the bench and you said ” nice try Jaker” and I stopped in my tracks and said “did you just call me Joker?” You gave me that sly Cosmo smile and said “no you f***ing idiot I said Jaker”. Whether or not you called me joker or were quick on your feet to back pedal it stuck. Every time someone now calls me Jaker, my thoughts will go to that day and it’ll make me smile… you f***ing idiot 🙂
Well Cos, I gotta fly, Rach needs me to take a load of stuff to Western for her. Thanks for listening. From now on it will just be a silent discussion between you and I but everyone is sad here so I thought I’d share our first chat with them in hopes that some of our stories will bring back a smile or a laugh for them! That is, after all what you did best for all of us! I promise to get back to smiling and laughing, I just need to see Petey in pastels 😉
Love ya bro, so happy your pain free. Say hi to my Dad and Miley for me.
Chat soon…. Jaker
The family held a reception this afternoon and have said they will announce a public celebration for later in the month.
How is this city going to get through the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope on September 17th?
 Casey Cosgrove in the 2015 Terry Fox run. The family held a reception this afternoon and have said they will announce a public celebration for later in the month.
In an obituary that is far more formal than Casey ever was he is named as Vincent Casey Cosgrove. I don’t think very many people knew his full name. We could have been calling him Vinnie!
The obituary is at: https://www.circleoflifecbc.com/obituaries/Vincent-Cosgrove/#!/Obituary
How is this city going to get through the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope on September 17th?
 By Pepper Parr
September 3, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Construction cranes in the downtown core – a welcome sign of growth to some, and intensification that isn’t welcome to others.
The provincial government has said we are going to grow and that the population of Burlington is going to rise – those are facts that we have to live with.
While construction crews put rebar in place and pour concrete the citizens gather in meetings across the city to give their views on the Grow BOLD initiative the city has undertaken to create four mobility hubs in the city around which the growth is to be contained.
There is a public that is concerned about what is going to happen to their community and a Mayor who does his best to soothe the concerns and explain that intensification will only impact 5% of the city.
 In the meantime the Bridgewater project rises out of the ground – a 22 story condominium; an 8 story hotel and a seven storey condominium tucked in behind the hotel – and the Berkeley on John Street become visible as it rises to the 28 storey height that was permitted.
That John Street construction site is to include a public garage and a medical centre – they will follow the construction of the condominium.
 Medica One or the Carriage Gate project – pick the name you like best – will go up at the top of John Street and consist of a medical offices building, an above ground garage and an apartment/condo complex. It will bring significant change to the intersection and drive redevelopment of the plaza to the immediate north, A transit hub a couple of blocks to the south then makes a lot of sense. This rendering is from the Caroline – Elizabeth Street intersection. The city expected all three projects to rise at the same time – and were worried enough about the construction actually taking place that they had the developer commit to coughing up $300,000 if the project doesn’t proceed by March of 2020.
City hall does appear to fully appreciate the market forces the developer has to contend with.
 The utility poles will disappear – all the cable will be underground. Getting that decision in place was no simple matter.  Maria Street, currently closed to the public, will be the entrance to the Berkley condominium. Carriage Gate, the developer, has had their share of grief with both the city and Burlington Hydro over the existence of utility poles on John Street. A hydro line had to be pulled in from Lakeshore Road to the site – an expensive job. There was much discussion over whether or not all the hydro wires would be underground.
The developer was prepared to pay for the cost of burying the cable in front of their project but wasn’t prepared to pay for the cost of burying the cable for every foot of the distance from Lakeshore Road.
And they didn’t like the price for doing the work that Burlington Hydro had put on the table.
It’s getting resolved – with the developer trying hard to keep the lawyers out of the room.
When completed John Street will take on a much different look. Other developers have already begun to acquire and assemble property on the street.
As construction continues the planners are looking for ways to improve the look of the rest of the street and bring more activity to the area.
There are parts of John Street that are really the back alley of some of the properties on Brant Street – the top end of John Street isn’t even a street – it is designated a lane-way that leads to a supermarket.
 By Pepper Parr
September 3, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Households throughout the city begin to get into the routines that are part of getting the kids back into the classrooms.
How well did they do last year and how can parents help their children improve? Just how did your child do last year is a question some parents don’t really know.
 Are the students in the Halton Region measuring up to the needed standard? EQAO – the acronym for the Education Quality and Accountability Office has published the provincial-level results of the primary- and junior-division 2016–2017 Assessments of Reading, Writing and Mathematics written by students in Grades 3 and 6, and of the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics.
For the second year in a row, 50% of Grade 6 students met the provincial standard in math. Among Grade 3 students, 62% met the provincial standard—a one-percentage-point decrease since last year.
Not quite sure why that 50% seems acceptable – the number has to be a lot closer to 70% if those students are going to get jobs in the world they are going into.
The breakdown of the numbers by Board of Education get released September 20th – we are told by a source that should know that Halton has done very well – which we hope doesn’t get translated into the complacency that tends to prevail in this part of the world.
 Results at a glance – are they good enough? Are the best we can do? Elementary school reading results for Grade 3 students have increased to 74%, an increase of two percentage points since last year, and reading results for Grade 6 students have remained at 81% for the second year in a row.
Those are good numbers; the minimal decline in writing at the elementary level should be noted and then produce different ways to keep the number at the earlier levels.
Achievement results in writing at the elementary school level have declined since last year by one percentage point for both Grades 3 and 6, and stand at 73% and 79% respectively.
Eighty-three percent of Grade 9 students enrolled in the academic course were successful on the assessment, a result that is identical to last year.
Meanwhile, 44% of Grade 9 students enrolled in the applied math course were successful on the math assessment, marking a one-percentage-point decrease since last year, and continuing the trend over the last five years whereby less than half of students enrolled in the applied math course met the provincial standard.
Applied mathematics are critical for many of the jobs that are going to solve the problem we have as a society. The academic course is producing the needed results – someone wants to be looking at what needs to be done at the applied level.
Some facts to worry about and the focus on finding solutions:
In math at the elementary level, 62% (82 928) of Grade 3 students met the provincial standard, compared to the 67% who did on the 2013 assessment. Of Grade 6 students, 50% (64 686) met the provincial math standard, compared to the 57% who did on the 2013 assessment.
Results from EQAO’s student questionnaire show that a large number of students in Grades 3 and 6 (77%) are motivated to do their best when they undertake math activities in class. Despite this high motivation, only 56% of Grade 3 students and 53% of Grade 6 students believe they are good at math. It is encouraging that motivation remains high, now to translate that into better results.
The gap between motivation and results suggests different approaches might be needed by dthe teachers.
The majority of students who had not met the math standard in Grade 3, but who were able to meet it in Grade 6, carried that success forward into Grade 9.
In math at the secondary level, 83% (80 350) of Grade 9 students enrolled in the academic math course met the provincial standard, compared to the 84% who did on the 2013 assessment. Of Grade 9 students enrolled in the applied math course, 44% (15 321) met the standard, the same percentage of students who did in 2013.
In elementary-school reading, 74% (93 130) of Grade 3 students met the provincial standard, compared to the 68% who did in 2013. Of Grade 6 students, 81% (106 135) met the provincial reading standard for the second year in a row, compared to the 77% who did on the 2013 assessment.
In elementary-school writing, 73% (92 372) of Grade 3 students met the provincial writing standard, compared to the 77% who did in 2013. Of Grade 6 students, 79% (103 450) met the provincial writing standard, up from 76% in 2013.
EQAO is an independent agency that creates and administers large-scale assessments to measure Ontario students’ achievement in reading, writing and math at key stages of their education. All EQAO assessments are developed by Ontario educators to align with The Ontario Curriculum.
 Some of the conclusions on the grade 9 literacy testing made by the EQAO researchers The assessments evaluate student achievement objectively and in relation to a common provincial standard. EQAO is undertaking a multi-year project to move the provincial assessments online.
EQAO provides results to each student who writes an assessment. Its personalized reports help support individual student learning. The agency provides schools and school boards with detailed reports about their students’ achievement, as well as contextual, attitudinal and behavioural information from questionnaires, in an interactive online reporting tool. These data are used to improve school programming and classroom instruction.
EQAO also reports the results of the provincial assessments publicly. This helps keep the public education system accountable to taxpayers.
 By Pepper Parr
September 3, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Buddy Gerl, chief ribber at Camp 31, said that Ribfests are driven by weather – that being true Saturday turned out to be an iffy day . When it is too cold – people don’t come out. If it is too hot – they don’t come out.
But when the weather is just right – they come out in droves.
 Chowing down and listening to the music – with the sun shining. The cranes in the background speak of a changing skyline With little luck Gerl and his Camp 31 operation will have a good season and the Rotarians will rack up another solid fund raising event.
The crowds were soft when we toured the site in the middle of Friday afternoon – but they got better. Saturday was a disappointment – the rest of the weekend looks as if the weather Gods are with the Rotarians again.
 VIP tent is open to the public for parts of Sunday and Monday. There are a number of pluses this year. There is a VIP tent that is available to the public on parts of the weekend – Sunday and Monday for the most part.
 Fetching the beer. The beer prices are reasonable and you can use both cash and plastic and there is an ATM on site where you can draw some cash.
The usual set of Ribbers are on site – the lineups seem to dictate where the prize sauces are located.
The Rotarians took a different approach to their fund raising this year when they partnered with the Carpenter Hospice – that organization is getting close to finalizing their plans to a significant addition to the facilities.
 Teen Tour Band – collecting for Carpenter Hospice Members of the Burlington Teen Tour Band were on hand at some of the entry point with collection tins.
We noticed a bit of a tightening in security at the entry points to Spencer Smith Park. A security guard asked to look inside the bag I was carrying – it was a pretty cursory look. It is a changing world.
 South side of Spencer Smith with all the ribbers open for business.  North side of Spencer Smith Park – crowds were sparse – but it was decent for a Friday mid-day. The Ribfest first came to Burlington in 1996 – since that time the Lakeshore Rotarians have raised more than $3 million which they have given back to the community in the form of scholarships and awards.
For the past two years those academic scholarships have amount to $3500 for each person given a scholarship.
By Pepper Parr
September 1st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The material that gets pumped out of the constituency offices of the federal and provincial politician’s is usually about an opportunity to take their picture,
We seldom see a document that has information that is focused and informative.
 Oakville Burlington North Member of Parliament Pam Damoff. Pam Damoff, the federal member for Oakville Burlington North sent out both a comment and a document that many of the professional class who have incorporated their operations for tax purposes and most of the small business who have questions about changes in the tax act will find useful and interesting.
Damoff refers to an announced set of proposals aimed at reforming the tax planning options available for private corporations. Since the changes were released Damoff reports she has heard from a number of incorporated professionals, and small and medium sized business owners in Oakville and Burlington.
The proposed changes will bring reform to rules that have been unaltered since the 1970s and people rightly have a lot of questions about how these changes will affect their businesses. The proposed changes are complex, and Damoff believes there is misinformation that has been circulating.
The document she refers to can be found at;
Damoff believes the document will help to set the record straight.
The first thing Damoff wants people to do is inform themselves and learn how these changes will affect them personally or their business. She claims that once they did this, they discovered that the proposed changes do not have any impact on them at all.
 She was a replacement nominee who had no plans to run for a federal seat – she was content with being a member of Oakville town council. The document compiled by the Department lays out the current tax planning strategies that corporations are currently using, some problematic elements found in these current strategies and the rationale for why new legislative measures are needed.
You can read the document in full by clicking on this link;
Damoff encourages constructive and actionable feedback: The consultation will be open until October 2nd .
Within the newly proposed rules corporations will continue to be able to take advantage of the lower corporate tax rate to expand their offices, hire more staff, and purchase more equipment. Additionally, the government has no intention of going back in time.
The proposals would only be applied going forward. All existing savings will be unaffected. Small and mediums sized business owners can continue to use all available, tax-sheltered savings plans such as pension plans, RRSPs and TFSAs. Less than 3% of wealthy individuals max out their RRSP, TFSAs and pensions.
The proposed adjustments to the tax laws that allow unlimited tax-sheltered accounts within a business over and above the limits that apply to everyone.
 Pam Damoff letting a senior explain to her how a piece of equipment works. Damoff says that: “If you own a business and are saving against a possible downturn or to invest in your business, these changes will not affect you. As I mentioned above, changes will only be applied on a go-forward basis – all existing savings for personal use in a business will be unaffected. Our proposals will only impact a business owner if the savings are used for personal use moving forward.”
Damoff points to a Special Employment Insurance Benefits that since 2010 have been made available to people self-employed on a voluntary basis. Prior to 2010 the self-employed were not eligible for any EI benefits. Now, however, for individuals on maternity leave (including small business owners), EI provides a 55% replacement rate on employment income, up to a maximum salary of $51,300.
Damoff encourages those who have questions to reach out to her office at pam.damoff@parl.gc.ca or at 905-847-4043.
 By Ray Rivers
September 1, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It’s the gift that keeps on giving – for journalists anyway. I’m talking about Mike Duffy who has put himself back into the spot light by suing the Canadian government, RCMP and Senate for close to $8 million in total. One would think that once he had been acquitted on all 31 charges the RCMP had filed against him, the man would count his lucky stars and lay low.
 Mike Duffy, toasting – on the public’s dime? But not the Duff. Never shy of being a spectacle, he actually thinks we tax payers owe him something. First of all, being a senator is hardly a real job in any meaningful sense of the word. Even after Mr. Trudeau has tried to make that body of political hacks appear non-partisan, it is still a political body without a functional rationale. All the PM has done is further emasculate it – which is probably a good thing. And besides, when it comes to being owed salary, it wasn’t like Duffy was ever known for doing anything but attending Conservative party rallies.
Second, Mr. Duffy accepted the senate seat for PEI even though he wasn’t qualified. He apparently had pointed out that he really didn’t live there. But when it was PEI or nothing, he went for the lie and used his vacant cottage there as his pretext.
And then there were the expense claims. That he had to return bags of money is a pretty clear indication that even Duffy knew he was in the wrong. Sure the Senate rules may be fuzzy about entitlements for expenses, but he should have known he had been pulling a fast one.
 Mike Duffy and the Judge who sent him home. He was a lucky man to find a judge who obviously felt sorry for him. Or perhaps, as was suggested in his decision, the judge needed to make the point that the RCMP had missed the real perpetrators – Mr. Harper and his henchmen in the Senate and the Prime Minister’s Office. And though Duffy was mainly just a patsy in the whole messy Senate-gate that is hardly an excuse.
So while Duffy may have been set free, nobody really believed that he was innocent. Except for Duffy, that is. So having been expelled from the Senate, he felt he was still owed his back pay and that riled the man. Whether righteous indignation or greed, or both, Duffy believes, that obtaining lots of taxpayer money will restore a reputation that he never had.
 Mike Duffy with Stephen Harper when he was Prime Minister; it was a contentious relationship. It was the same argument that Omar Khadr, the former self-confessed terrorist, used to extract over $10 million from the taxpayers. He needed a big chunk of change to restore his reputation. What reputation? Duffy, was a retired journalist who was put into the Senate on a lie. His biggest contribution was in raising funds for the Conservative party, and he used his position to reward himself.
The RCMP had been suitably chastised for doing the PM’s bidding, instead of upholding the law of the land. And so they dropped the rest of the investigations against the other errant senators who had also padded their expense claims. And that was that bit of justice done.
In our post-Khadr Canada would anyone bet that those senators don’t also start suing for ‘damages’ to their reputations? And that would make the Senate even more a waste of money than it already is.
 Smiles – much to be happy about. As for Duffy, if he gets his Senate back pay reinstated, he’d be lucky. But when going to court can be akin to rolling the dice at a casino, who knows? I recall watching former PM Mulroney following his admission of accepting envelopes of cash from that slimy Karlheinz Schreiiber character.
Going to court on this ridiculous $8 million claim might make good theatre and a nice diversion, but I’m guessing it would do as much good for Duffy’s reputation as the Oliiphant Commission did for Mulroney. And on the upside, were this matter actually allowed to go to court, Mr. Duffy might finally have to face real justice.
 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 in 1995. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links:
Duffy’s Lawsuit – Justice in the Trial – Eight Million Cool Ones –
Mulroney’s Inquiry – Senate-Gate –
 By Pepper Parr
August 31st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
We lost one of the really good ones.
 A really special team – Casey Cosgrove and his supporters. Casey Cosgrove passed away at Carpenter Hospice where he was taken into their care on Monday.
Those of us who communicated with Casey on his Caring Bridge page knew the end was near when Bryna sent out the most recent message.
She said at that time: “For those of you who follow this blog regularly, you may remember that we were told many years ago that the average life span of someone with his diagnosis was 18-24 months…and that was 6 years ago. We are truly thankful for not only all that extra time that we had to laugh with him, but that he was remarkably healthy and active for almost all of it.
 The boys won the bet – the daughter got a kiss and a pink mustache of her own. “We will take these days ahead to spend time together as a family and reflect and enjoy the moments we have with each other with as much positivity as we can.”
Much love…Bryna
This is the time to grieve the loss – tomorrow we can celebrate one of the really good ones.
 By Staff
August 31st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Get used to the idea that the parking lot off Elizabeth Street isn’t going to be available to you on Tuesday of next week and won’t open up again until sometime in the winter.
 Parking lot between John and Elizabeth Street will be closed while a pathway is built at the north end of the lot. The City is building a new multi-use pathway in downtown Burlington core and the phase that will complete the path between John and Elizabeth begins on Tuesday.
Running east/west, the new connection will cut across the heart of downtown Burlington and accommodate both pedestrians and cyclists safely, providing access to shops, restaurants and services.
 Lot 4 will be closed starting Tuesday. Work on putting in the pathway at the north side of lot 5 will follow. The construction project is to build the second phase (between Elizabeth Street and John Street) and the third phase (between John Street and Brant Street) of the new pathway.
Parking lot 5, located on Brant Street will have quite a bit of work done and will not be open at all until the work is completed.
Lot 4 on Elizabeth Street will have work done on the northern portion – the rest of that lot will be open.
Works starts on Tuesday the 5th and is expected to be completed by winter time.
Alternate parking areas available during the closure are located at the waterfront parking garage at 414 Locust St. and parking lot 3 located on John Street.
 Parking options while lot 4 is closed.  Now the Queen’s Head minus the balconies and Elgin Street minus the street car. Construction Details
Construction of phases 2 and 3 will include:
• resurfacing and widening of the multi-use pathway
• resurfacing of the parking areas
• replacement of the bus shelters on both sides of John St.
• new urban trees and plantings
• new benches, lighting, and a bike shelter
• a 300m2 public space beside Brant Street that will provide additional areas for seating, entertainment and the installment of public art.
Few people know that there is a pipeline beneath the pathway to be built that carries jet fuel to Hamilton. The parking lot was once going to be the location for part of McMaster University that was being built in Burlington. The South Service Road was the eventual location choice.
Phase 1 of the new multi-use pathway between Pearl Street and Elizabeth Street was completed earlier this summer.
 By Staff
August 31st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Things to see and do.
If you overdo it a little at the Ribfest and need to walk some of it off – wander along to the Art Gallery and slip into the Dan Lawrie Family Courtyard and have a look at the collection of chimes that have been set up.
 Part of the collection of chimes that decorate the Dan Lawrie Family Courtyard. Visitors are invited to give the chimes a gentle touch.
 Some of the chimes are nestled into the plants and might be mistaken by some to be a plant. Just outside the entrance to the Courtyard is a small but impactful exhibit focusing on the Terry Fox epic 143 day, 5,373 kilometer journey from St. John’s, Newfoundland, to Thunder Bay, Ontario.
 The exhibit includes a replica of the brace and prosthetic Terry wore as he loped across the country with what was part walk and part skip.
The exhibit explores Canadians’ deep and abiding affection for Terry and examines his unique place in our collective memory. Developed in partnership with the AGB and Terry Fox’s family, the exhibition shows part of the impact Terry Fox has had and continues to have on modern Canadian life.
For younger people who ask: “Who was Terry Fox?” The exhibition is the answer. Closes September 10th, 2017
By Staff
August 30th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Mildred was found in the backyard of a residence a short distance away from where she went missing. She was found in the area of Appleby Line and Longmoor Drive in the City of Burlington. She appears to be in good health and will be examined medically.
Mildred Blemmings, known as “Mickey” is an 88 year old Burlington resident who needs a walker for mobility support.
The police are asking for help in locating the woman who is described as a white female with grey hair and a slim build. She was last observed to be wearing a white sweater, black shirt and blue pants.
She is believed to have left a seniors residence at Appleby Line and New Street.
 Mickey with her walker.  Mildred Blemmings – recent photograph Anyone who has information pertaining to this investigation is asked to contact the Halton Regional Police Service communication bureau at 905-825-4747 ext. 5170.
Tips can be forwarded to Crime Stoppers; “See Something, Hear Something, Say Something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.crimestoppers.ca or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
By Pepper Parr
August 31st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The equipment is being set up – the signage is in place.
The Camp 31 people did a test run on Tuesday when they fed the people who took part in the Rotary Ribfest Kick off.
 Rotarians get a free lunch and a bottle of the famous Camp 31 BBQ sauce Bernie Gerl, chief “ribber” was at a table giving Rotarians and media people a sample of his famous BBQ Sauce.
What made the occasion significant is that the Camp 31 people were one of the “ribbers” on site in 1969 – 22 years ago, when the Rotary thought BBQ’s were a good fund raising idea
How the Lakeshore Rotarian’s pulled it off.
Bernie takes credit for introducing smoked BBQ ribs to the people of Burlington. No one knew at the time that the idea would take and that Burlington would end up being home to the biggest RibFest in Canada.
 Camp 31 signage going up for the 22nd time. Organization ha a Canadian base in Ancaster and in Brewton, Alabama Ribbers are sort of like gypsies – they move from location to location through a time arc that begins in May and ends sometime late in September. We started in Miramichi in New Brunswick this year said Bernie Gerl.
Their roots go back to 1908 when they were known as the Saw Mill, a general store in Brewton, Alabama. In 1985 Larry Murphy created Camp 31 as a BBQ operation that served authentic southern BBQ
In 1986 Murphy got some help from the Brewton Police department who helped them enter their first BBQ cook off in Pensacola Florida where the won three first place trophies. They have been serving up authentic southern BBQ ever since.
The store, still in place, is now headquarters for the American side of the award-winning cook off team. Look for us at an event near you!
Bernie explains that Ribfests are totally reliant on weather. Cold weather – people don’t show up – rain – even fewer people show up and if it is too hot – people don’t have appetites.
The bulk of the “ribbers” come from the American south where the food is part of the culture.
They have been doing it for years – it has grown to the point where it is a competitive event.
Bernie was in Burlington for that first event in 1969 – it was a single day and it rained – but it worked. The Lakeshore Rotarians saw that it was going to work – they reached their target of an $800 profit in that first year.
Bernie has an operation in Ancaster – Camp 31 is also a restaurant. The equipment is all custom made and the operation is finely tuned. The public is protected – the Health department does checkups every day.
These “ribbers” are professionals – they are quite a bit more than a bunch of “good old boys” who like to get out and on the road.
 Everything gets packed into a fleet of trucks an assembled at each location. Everyone pitches in. The Camp 31 operation is a family affair with wives, grown children, nephews and nieces making the event work smoothly.
The operation in Canada means that we don’t have to truck everything up from the United States. Bernie has issues with the Custom people – doesn’t feel “ribbers” get the respect they deserve.
 Bernie’s wife Lori – can handle a barrel just as well as she handles him. Bernie met his wife Lori at a restaurant the two of them worked at – they’ve been in the food business together ever since.
Each year the Camp 31 organization drops two of the locations it visits and adds two new ones.
“We did the Woodbine raceway this year for the first time – Bernie will not be doing that again. “I have a rule” explained Bernie – if the name Ribfest isn’t in the event – I shouldn’t be there”.
He forgot that rule – and won’t be returning to Woodbine again.
Camp 31 is one of the bigger rib operations – ten people travel “we pick up about five people at each location”, he said.
Most of their American locations are in Florida and adjacent States.
While the business is focused on ribs – Bernie thinks he should be getting credit for introducing “pulled pork” to the city as well. “We had it on our menus in the States for years but we had to give it away to create the market in this country.
Same with brisket he adds. “Been serving that up to the good folks south of the border for years – it has begun to become popular in Canada”, he adds.
While the team gets the equipment set up Bernie looks out over the lake – sees nothing but good weather with a nice breeze coming in off the water and thinks he has a successful event coming his way.
There are a lot of very small, what Berni calls “lone wolf operators” getting into the business. Don’t get Bernie started on those guys. “Bunch of cowboys who don’t know what they are doing” he says dismissively.
By Pepper Parr
August 30th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The A team in the Administrative offices at the Halton District School Board has been meeting to ensure that everything is in place for the Tuesday re-opening of schools for the approximately 64,000 students, more than 4,200 elementary and secondary teachers and the 221 principals and vice principals who keep order and ensure that the educating gets done.
 Director of Education Stuart Miller listening to students. Bateman parent Denise Davy. who pushed hard to keep the school open, watches how Miller handles himself, Director of Education Stuart Miller goes through his check list – will there be enough bus drivers in place? Burlington appears to be Ok – Oakville is where the problem exists.
The high school closing decisions made late in June don’t impact the system this year – that’s a bridge to be crossed next year. The Board administration has however begun the process of putting together the team that will oversee the transition from a five high school organization to a five school set up.
 Board of Education Superintendent Terry Blackwell Miller told the Gazette that Terry Blackwell has been tasked with overseeing the transition from seven to five high schools. That is going to keep her hoping as she deals with what Gerry Cullen comes up with on the building facilities side and what Superintendent Zonnefeld does with the CPP program that Bateman has been running. There are a couple of hundred parents very anxious about what is going to be available to their children and how their integration to a new school is going to get managed.
Zonneveld has said that much of this work is going to be on a case by case basis – there is not that much commonality with these children. Each of those students face challenges that are unique to them.
The people who look after the actual structures have begun their work – figuring out just what is going to be needed at Nelson high school when the bulk of the Bateman students start showing up on September of 2020.
 The trustees are where the buck is supposed to stop – The trustees appear to have decided they didn’t want to take the opportunity for a retreat during the summer break and take a look at how they did their jobs during the past school year. Many in Burlington expect to solve that problem come the municipal election in 2018.
Organizationally the Board administration has a number of key committee: An Administrative Council; an Executive Council
Superintendents are either corporate or academic; both types participate in the weekly Admin Council meetings. Senior managers are also available for specific issues as required. Miller leads these discussions, as he does with Executive Council.
There is a weekly School Operations committee– Associate Director of Education David Boag runs this show.
The corporate side also has their weekly Business Operations meeting. Whatever comes out of these operating level meetings works its way up the Administrative Council meetings and then on up to the Executive Council
The decisions made at the Executive Council are done within parameters the trustees have set. When the tasks aren’t exactly within the guidelines Miller puts it in front of the trustees for clarification or additional authority.
From time to time a requirement crops up that calls for a change in the work load for a Superintendent.
When the decision was made to form a Program Accommodation Review (PAR), Superintendent Podrebaac was tapped to lead that task.
 Superintendent Podrebarac strives to hear a parent with a viewpoint. Scott Podrebaac has a much different view of parent participation than he had before he took on the task.
Miller told the Gazette that Terry Blackwell has been tasked with overseeing the transition from seven to five high schools. That is going to keep her hoping as she deals with what Gerry Cullen comes up with on the building facilities side and what Superintendent Zonnefeld does with the CPP program that Bateman has been running. There are a couple of hundred parents very anxious about what is going to be available to their children and how their integration to a new school is going to get managed.
Zonneveld has said that much of this work is going to be on a case by case basis – there is not that much commonality with these children. Each of those students face challenges that are unique to them.
On top of all this is the request parents from both Bateman and Pearson made to the province for an administrative review of the process that resulted in the decision.
Administrative Reviews seldom result in much in the way of change – however in this situation the province put a halt to all the PAR’s that were taking place 22 days after the HDSB had come out with its decision.
That fact might cause the pooh-bahs at Queen’s Park to stretch the decision to put all the PAR’s on hold and have it include the Halton Board.
 Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon, centre, is good before a camera. It is a stretch but the province is gearing up for an election that is ten months away and while the Burlington seat should not be at risk many in the community feel MPP Eleanor McMahon could have been a lot more proactive.
McMahon has not given her views on the decisions made – she certainly has views but the public is never going to hear them. There is a Minister of Education who will do that kind of talking – McMahon is a member of Cabinet and Cabinet solidarity is a must for political party government.
 A room full of parents, many with different agendas pack a room during the public information sessions that resulted in a decision to close two of the city’s seven high schools. Will this many show up to vote in 2018? Expect either Bateman or Pearson parents to ask some penetrating questions during the public election debates.
There are a lot of balls in the air on the educational front. The bright spot is the hundreds of children who will walk into a school on Tuesday to start grade 1.
Wish them well – they are the people who are going to ensure that you have a decent federal pension.
By Stacey Young
August 30th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
There are many different features to look for when buying a car, but one of the most important aspects to consider is the safety of the vehicle. This is something that is particularly relevant for new drivers. Whether you are a new driver yourself or a parent looking to ensure your child has a safe and secure vehicle to begin their driving experience, it is vital that you find an affordable and functional vehicle that meets the needs of a young driver.
The cost of buying a car will have an impact on the buying decision, but the cost of owning and running the car should also be considered. A young driver may not have as much disposable income as they would like, and this can make running a car a difficult task at times. This is why having an economical car that offers a good return on fuel consumption is important for many drivers. You also want to find a car that has a good reputation for reliability because repairs and servicing can be very expensive.
 A car opens up the world to young people. Like many areas, Burlington has a good volume of people obtaining their driving license on an annual basis.
There is a sense of freedom and adventure that comes with being able to drive, and getting a car is a major goal for many young people in the local area. While different people have their own preferences and tastes, new drivers will benefit from opting for a reliable, economical and dependable car.
Compact sedans have a lot to offer new drivers.
This means that compact sedans, which are hugely popular in Canada, may be the ideal choice for the young driver in Burlington. These cars have several features that make them popular with young drivers and their parents. There are many safety features in these vehicles, they are fuel-efficient and they have front-wheel drive.
There is also the opportunity to choose from a range of trim levels, which means there is scope for an element of individuality if required.
Some of the most popular cars in this field include the Mazda S3, Hyundai Accent, Ford Fusion and Mitsubishi Mirage. These are affordable options that provide safety and functional features, all of which should help a new driver to develop their confidence while driving.
Given the financial implications of buying a first car and the added level of responsibility, it is no surprise to learn that many parents take a hands-on approach when their youngsters buy their first car. Knowing that a vehicle can offer freedom, improved job or educational prospects, and a good chance to develop as a person means that many parents will be keen to assist their child in buying a car and keeping it running.
Consider all of your finance options when buying a new car
 The buying decision. It is important to consider the best options that are available when looking to buy a car. The cost of a dependable vehicle might be beyond many people’s ability to cover up front, which is why finding the best standard of financing is a big part of the process. People’s credit scores and history can play a big role in finding suitable finance, and this is why many parents decide to be an active participant in the car buying process. With this in mind, many parents are looking to obtain a car loan without a credit check as a means of helping their child get behind the wheel of their own vehicle.
Owning a car is a huge responsibility at any age, and it can be a daunting challenge for many youngsters. A lot of parents are happy to help out financially if their child shows that they are mature enough to own the vehicle. Whether a parent wishes to place stipulations on the use of the vehicle is up to them, but there is no denying that car ownership, even if it’s part-ownership with the parent, can be a very good life lesson for youngsters.
 You own it. There are many things to consider when buying a car for a new driver, but safety features must be given significant consideration. A safe and affordable car will give a new driver assurance, which should hopefully help them to develop confidence in their own driving skills. Most parents are keen to help their children enjoy the freedom and increased opportunities that come with owning a car, and a safe and dependable vehicle is likely to be the best option for all of the family!
 By Staff
August 30th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Most saw it as a slam dunk for the Baycats but the dreamer in every sports fan thought – that maybe – just maybe the Kitchener Panthers would take at least one of the games in the IBL best of seven play of series.
Dreamers do that.
It was four straight for the Baycats to take the 2017 final – which made it the fourth finals win in a row for the team.
The Baycats dominated in the regular season and were unbeatable in the playoffs.
The last time an IBL team did that well was in the 2008-2013 stretch when the Brantford Red Sox won six straight from 2008-13.
The Baycats opened the season with 26 straight wins and finished 33-3 to earn a first-round bye.
The 4-3 win for the Baycats in game one created some hope but it was downhill after that.The four playoff games looked like this:
 Kyle DeGrace with 2017 IBL trophy Game 1: 4-3
Game 2: 13-4
Game 3: 15-0
Game 4: 10-1
The Burlington Herd were taken out of playoff contention in the quarter finals when they were beaten by the London Majors in a best out of seven that went for five games. Burlington took just one of the five games.
By Pepper Parr
August 30th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
 Is it art? Who cares? When it comes to public art – it is all really in the eye of the beholder. People like what they like and without any introduction to art in school – you get some pretty weird stuff.
Tucked in at the south end of the Art Gallery of Burlington is a donut shop with the name – Sunshine.
The Burlington Cream is not to be missed – but you have to be there early. At $4 bucks apiece that may seem a little extreme – d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s!
While doing a photo feature on the current exhibit at the AGB we noticed Sunshine’s contribution to public art.
 Tucked in at the south end of the Art Gallery parking lot. Get there early they do sell out. No such things as a day old donut. You know the product is as good as it gets when you notice fire trucks on the way back to the station stopping in for a bite to eat.
 No signs like this on Brant Street When Sunshine first opened the hours were open until the production for the day had been sold.
They did a brisk business – the lemon cream was to die for.
First story on the Sunshine donut shop.
By Ray Rivers
August 30th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Donald Trump calls out the traditional media, labelling them ‘fake news’- all except Fox News, that is. It’s almost like he is preparing a justification for shutting them down.
 Presidential candidate Donald Trump. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) It is almost unprecedented for the CEO of America to be demeaning the nation’s time-tested news networks and it is worrisome. Isn’t that a tyrant’s prelude to quashing any opposition and to avoiding criticism?
At one point Trump shut down the cameras at the regular White House press briefings and at another he actually banned CNN and some other media, while allowing other media outlets in.
 Fred Bracken being arrested in Fort Erie for trespassing Somewhat related, back here in Canada the municipality of Fort Erie has also been trying to muffle a critic. Local resident, Fred Bracken, was banned from showing up at town hall for a whole year. He had been complaining about the council’s approval of a medical-marijuana facility situated across the street from his house, and let them know how he really felt about it.
 Fred Bracken filming at a public meeting. Perhaps he’d watched too many episodes of Miami Vice or was worried that his neighbourhood might become a druggy hangout. But it sounds like the issue became personal and a bit more entangled since he was apparently also being sued by one of the Councillors.
As we know things can get hot in the shark tank of municipal politics and Mr Bracken apparently got a little loud and boisterous one day. And that was too much for a council short on patience and tolerance. So they banned him under Ontario’s archaic Trespass Act when he refused a command to turn off his video camera. They argued that workplace security was in jeopardy by his very presence and called our Mr. Brachen a threat.
And just as well Fred had that camera running because that tape, in court, let the judge see what was really happening. And the judge agreed with him. While Fred may have been angry and annoying, he was neither violent nor a danger to anyone in the Council Chambers. So the judge rescinded the trespass order claiming the council had violated his Charter rights.
I used to post ‘no trespassing’ signs around my farm in Ottawa to keep the fox hunters and their dogs away from my sheep. But then that was my farm. I always figured that public property belonged to the public and that a public council meeting should be open to the public. I mean who pays for these politicians salaries and the venue where they jawbone about public matters.
Fred Bracken had every right to attend a public meeting dealing with matters of governance concerning his interests. He had been a victim of a town council, full of their own self-entitlement as government, trying to shut him up. It was no different than what Donald Trump had been trying to do, nor what we expect to happen in a banana republic or Russia.
When people who have been denied their constitutional rights seek recompense it can get expensive. Omar Khadr got $10 million out of court settlement because the former Conservative government had left him to defend himself in a foreign country.
The Judge who heard the Fred Bracken case ordered the city of Fort Erie to pay him $4000. It will be interesting to see if the good people of Fort Erie decide they no longer want to pay for the mistakes of their politicians’ big mistake or even if they will decide it is easier to just clean house.
 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 in 1995. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links:
Trump Media Blocking – More Trump Media – Trump Media Attack –
Ontario Trespass Act – Fort Erie – More Fort Erie – Even More Fort Erie –
By Pepper Parr
August 29th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Who decides what a city is going to look like?
Is it the planners? They set the rules the builders will be required to follow.
Is it the developers who look for the best return they can get on the investment they make and the risk they take?
Or is it the architects who put ideas in front of the developers?
 Ward 3 Councillor John Taylor is one of the people who will vote on future project – at least for the balance of this term. He took part in a community forum on waterfront plans. Is it the public and the comments they make a community meetings?
The private homes that will get built on tree lined streets and the condominium towers that now define Lakeshore and are proposed for parts of Brant Street are signs of what we might look like.
The significant number of what can only be called mansions going up now on the eastern side of Lakeshore Road are another part of that definition.
We know what we have – and we know something about what is being proposed.
Are there any striking looking buildings going up? Are there any designs that are taking the city in a different direction?
 What is going to be permitted along Lakeshore Road got taken in a different direction when this lot severance was approved and an additional home squeezed in. Are there any mistakes being made?
Three structures deserve a closer look: The Saxony on Locust and Elgin that is not much more than a hole in the ground, the Paradigm that is going up on Fairview where it is very clear what the city is going to have when that project is completed and the Link2 that is being built on Dundas are worth a closer look.
 The Saxony is a development that could have been five storey’s high – they opted for just four. The project was sold out before the opened the sales office. The Saxony is going to represent home for the moneyed set that want comfort and stature – they will get both in a building that is respectable and solid – once they get a handle on the problems they have had with water they didn’t realize was there when they started digging.
There is nothing bold or exciting about the building. It is the 21st century edition of the solid homes that were built along Burlington Street and that collection of homes on the eastern side of Brant and south of Caroline.
 It is a large project far from the downtown core in one of the fastest going parts of the city – with a view over Bronte Creek on the east side. While the Link2 is not a building that many will see – located as it is on Dundas and Sutton – yards away from the border with Oakville. The project has a couple of things going for it. The location especially for those on the eastern side where the view will be over Bronte Creek, and the design which is daring and certainly different.
It won’t appeal too many but for those who like to live in a building that makes a statement – this is one of the places to be. Too early in the construction stage to fully appreciate what the Link2 is going to look like – all we have to go on are the architectural renderings.
The bright picture is seen in the Paradigm being put up by the Molinaro Group. It has a daring look to it – there is actually a design – not something that is all that evident in the buildings they put up along Lakeshore a couple of decades ago.
 The Molinaro Paradigm project is changing the skyline in mid-city. The first of the fivee towers has topped off The cladding on the building makes a strong statement and has to add to what the city is going to look like twenty years from now when all the Grow Bold plans take hold.
By Staff
August 29th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Interested in doing business with any of the municipalities in the Halton Region?
What about the rest of the country?
Would you like to know who is looking for what in the way of supplies and services?
It is all on the Halton Cooperative Purchasing Group (HCPG). bids&tenders™ has arrived and it is there for you to use.
 The Region and all of North America opportunities are on this service. You can subscribe to the service annually, pay for using the service just the once or Non-subscribers can see all open bids on the system.
Have a look at the service: Click HERE
The HCPG members are pleased to introduce you to bids&tenders™, a digital procurement management platform that makes it easy to review, register, download and submit bids for goods and services online, 24/7. HCPG has joined hundreds of other purchasing agencies using this system.
If you are not a current subscriber to bids&tenders™, you will need to subscribe as a vendor by October 30 to receive notice of opportunities and submit bids to the above noted HCPG members.
Have a look at some of the openbids;
How it works
Subscribe, create a profile, select the categories for notifications and bid.
Subscription
An unlimited Subscription to bids&tenders™ is just $165/year. Pay once and access all agencies using bids&tenders in Canada. For those who choose not to subscribe, there is a one-time fee option of $45.00 per bid opportunity.
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Live, in-person demo
Register to attend a live, in-person demonstration of the new system prior to our launch date.
Date: October 4, 2017; Time: 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Location: Halton Region Administration Building – Auditorium, 1151 Bronte Road, Oakville, ON
Please Register as space is limited
Purchasing staff from the Regional Municipality of Halton, City of Burlington, Town of Oakville and Town of Halton Hills will provide a brief presentation on how to do business with the Halton Cooperative Purchasing Group. Following that, you will learn how to create a vendor account, explore the vendor dashboard, view and find bid opportunities, submit and withdraw a bid, and manage your bid history.
The session will also include an overview of the Digital Bonding process.
If you cannot attend October 4th you may register for a bids&tenders webinar. Register for a webinar.
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By Staff
August 29th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
They have been operating as a cultural organization for more than 20 years.
They hold an
 Annual Spring Brunch
An Annual Awards and Scholarship Gala
Black History Month Celebration (February)
Joint Caribbean Committee Caribbean New Year’s Eve
And the Annual Caribbean Nite
which takes place Saturday September 9th at the Holiday Inn.
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