 By Pepper Parr
December 16th, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
It was a short terse announcement.
There will be a meeting of City Council at 11 am on Tuesday December 16th:
Single item on the agenda:
Discussion concerning the City Manager recruitment.
There will be two to three minutes of public session then they will move into Closed session and get an update from the interim city manager Pat Moyle on where he is in his search for a city manager to replace him.
Moyle has a commitment to be in his car with his wife and on their way to Florida February 1 – and there is no way this side of the 49th parallel that he is going to get out of that.
Will Moyle be ready to make a recommendation?
Or will he pass along a list of his top three choices and leave it to Council to decide what they want to do?
If past experience is any guide – Council will have met off site somewhere and gone through interviews with the candidates Moyle put forward.
 General Manager working his way through the 2011 Strategic Plan with council and staff. One of the candidates will most certainly by Scott Stewart, current General Manager for Development and Infrastructure and the guy who has carried the city ever since Jeff Fielding caught a flight to Calgary and took up residence in that city.
Stewart can certainly do the job and if the past three years mean anything – he has earned a crack at it.
What isn’t known is – who is Stewart up against?
 Scott Stewart on the left worked tightly with former city manager Jeff Fielding. Stewart had the job of making all the Fielding ideas work. Is this Council likely about to make another Jeff Fielding type decision? There had to be all kinds of telltale, red flag signs during the Fielding interviews. Stewart was a candidate in last city manager search. Many thought he should have gotten the nod then.
We might get some interesting news Tuesday evening.
And if the choice is for someone from somewhere else – a local moving company might get a call.
 By Pepper Parr
December 15, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
There will be some heavy reading for the newly elected Council. Director of Finance Joan Ford is going to deliver a copy of the Budget book to Council members December 23rd. It is usually a thick publication.
 Citizens meeting at the Art Gallery and going over a budget that has basically been decided. Burlington’s version of citizen engagement. The Budget book will come in two versions; one based on the format used previously and another in the new Service Based Budget format that will focus on Results Based Accountability.
The city has done two surveys – asking people what they want in the way of services and what they are prepared to pay. There was a survey done with the members of the Insight Panel and another that could be answered by anyone who was prepared to take the time to go through the document.
Getting a grip on what the public wants and what the city can afford to spend is the challenge this year. In the past we heard Mayor Goldring put out a number on what he wanted to keep the tax rate increase at – he’s not said anything about what he wants to see for 2015.
At a previous meeting of the Corporate and Community Services Committee the Mayor did mention that “we are in the ditch to the tune of $2 million”.
 Joan Ford, the city’s Director of Finance knows where every dollar comes from and where every dollar gets spent. When the money she needs is not forthcoming – she refers to that as an “unfavourable variance”. Director of Finance Joan Ford came back with a reply that only an accountant working for a bureaucracy would utter: Ford explained that the amount was not $2 million but $1.8 million and that it was an “unfavourable variance”.
Try that one in the private sector.
The shortfall is the result of delays in getting funds from the province to cover the cost of cleaning up after the ice storm LAST Christmas. The public sector does move at a different pace.
The early version of the claim the city was making on the province was for $2.9 million which included money spent by the Regional government. There was apparently a conversation between the city and the Region – suggesting perhaps that the Region do their own paper work?
It has been the city’s practice to hold a public meeting after the budget was basically set. A slick booklet was prepared for those taking part in the public meeting, usually held at the Art Gallery of Burlington.
City hall staff now realizes that the Burlington boundary doesn’t stop at the QEW and is looking into the possibility of holding public meetings at Tansley Woods and or at the Haber Recreation Centre.
By Pepper Parr
December 15, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Is there a developer in town with a small, small zoning problem? Wants to use some retail space on Brant Street as a sales office for a forthcoming, high end 28 storey structure that has yet to get past the Planning Department.
 The corner of Brant and Pine could be a sterling location for a property sales office for planned high end units looking over the lake. The city has apparently taken the view that the purpose is for use of the space as an office which the current zoning doesn’t permit.
If there was ever an argument the developer should win – this is one of them. Sure there will be some clerical administrative work done but the purpose is to sell those units in the building they want to put up at Lakeshore Road.
Hard to find anyone on Council that loves this development idea very much but is it not a bit of a stretch to say the space will be an “office” when it is clearly a sales office.
Forcing the developer to go to the Committee of Adjustment for the variance is pushing it a bit.
Looking at who is sitting on the Committee of Adjustment this session is interesting.
We will update this story when the good folks at the Committee of Adjustment at city hall are at their desks.
By Pepper Parr
December 14, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON.
The Burlington Community Foundation office on the South Service Road will be open until 5:00 pm on Monday which is the last day that applications for financial support under the province’s ODRAP – Ontario Disaster Relief and Assistance Program.
The application is not short; Governments don’t give money away easily, although they have been known to spend it wastefully.
 There were streets in Burlington that had a bin in front of almost every house. The financial assistance is for those who either had no insurance or were under insured. Many people in Burlington live in a part of the city where they cannot buy insurance at any price. Those in the Regal Road area who are close to Tuck and Roseland Creeks were hard hit – and not for the first time.
There are still people who qualify for support who apparently don’t know about the program. There is a family that chose to pay cash for much of the labour they used to repair their home. How they paid for the repairs is not that big a concern; was the work done and is there evidence to show that the work was done?
The Burlington Community Foundation hired an insurance adjustor to guide them through the process. The adjuster works for the Foundation – not some insurance company. They are there to help people work their way through the forms and complete the application.
 Mark Preston on the left and Rick Burgess on the right; both are members of the Claims Committee that will oversee the distribution of funds to flood victims The adjuster passes the applications along to a Claims Committee made up of Mark Preston, Preston Insurance Services; Bruce Russell, Wardell Insurance; Nancy Swietek, Dan Lawrie Insurance and Rick Burgess, Burgess Law Office. It is their job to approve a claim.
The Claims Committee has a delicate task. They have to determine first just how much money is available for distribution. They take the amount that was raised by the community and get an additional $2 for every $1 raised by the community.
That will determine the amount that is available for distribution. Collen Mulholland reports t there were 115 applications in the office on Thursday and that applications were coming in at the rate of 10 a day. She expects something close to 200 applications to be received.
Some applications may not be complete – there are people at the Burlington Community Foundation who understand the forms and are in place to help. But they cannot help if they don’t have an application – and Monday December 15th is the close off date.
Mayor Rick Goldring commented that: “While it is invisible to most of us, there are still people rebuilding their homes and their lives all these months later.” He encourages everyone who is eligible to work through the Burlington Community Foundation to make a claim.”
To apply for funding, visit and click on Make a Claim. If you need help with the application process, call 905-639-0744.
 By Pepper Parr
December 13, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Vince Rossi had no idea that it was going to come to this.
For years he had been telling the Regional government and the city of Burlington that he was a federally regulated air park and that they had no jurisdiction on what he was doing – so take a hike.
No one at city hall or the region for that matter took the time to look into the matter. There wasn’t much going on at the air park – but then Rossi started trucking in tonnes of land fill.
 Trucks taking untested landfill onto the Air Park site. The trucks were creating all kinds of problems for the people along Appleby Line and they complained to city hall and then they began to ask questions. Where did that landfill come from? What was known about the quality of the landfill. Who signed off on all this?
The city did some digging, realized they were in way over their heads from a legal perspective ad went looking for outside help. They hired lawyer Ian Blue – who took on the case. The city sued the Air Park; the Air Park sued the city – the two cases were made into one. Justice John Murray found for Burlington and the Appeal Court backed him up.
Before the ink was dry on that decision the Air Park filed an appeal. There wasn’t much ink to on that document. The hearing was very short and the decision very clear. The Air Park did indeed have to adhere to municipal bylaws for that part of their operation that was not strictly aeronautic – runways and the like.
The Air Park eventually filed a site plan application that is now being reviewed by the city.
Then the federal government made a move and added a section to their second omnibus budget implementation bill that changed significant parts of the Aeronautics Act to allow municipalities to have much more impact and influence – let’s call it what it is – CLOUT on what gets done at the Air Park.
The City of Burlington was drawn into legal proceedings as a result of issues arising from increased truck traffic volumes onto the Airpark site; environmental concerns respecting the quality of fill being trucked onto the site, possible impacts on groundwater quality, and drainage impacts on surrounding lands; and the negative impact on the surrounding resident’s quality of life.
Back in June, 2014, the Mayor was directed to work with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to lobby the federal Minister of Transportation and other relevant Ministries to develop a process to allow municipalities to have input on airpark land filling operations and expansion plans.
The proposed amendments would provide the Minister with the legal authority to prohibit the development of an aerodrome, expansion or change to the nature of the aerodrome’s operations. The Minister’s authority to prohibit development would be used in circumstances where there is either a risk to aviation safety or if it is not in the public interest, in contrast to the current authority that requires both conditions to be met.
The proposed amendments would also permit the development of regulations requiring aerodrome proponents to consult local land use authorities, affected stakeholders.
This would introduce an obligation for proponents to engage stakeholders and provide an opportunity for those possibly affected by development to voice concerns and work with proponents to mitigate identified concerns.
 Vince Rossi – president of the Air Park. These proposals would bring to an end the consistent thumbing of the Rossi nose to city council. Rossi who has difficulty allowing for the views of others to enter into his plans will, if the legislation is passed have to meet with people, listen to people and make changes.
Vince Rossi’s life just got a little more difficult – and the people of rural Burlington can now have a seat at the table and put their views forward.
The amendments as proposed by the Government to the Aeronautics Act will give the Minister of Transport greater discretion to intervene and make orders prohibiting the development or expansion of aerodromes or any change to their operation, where such development or expansion or change in operations is likely to affect either aviation safety or is not in the public interest.
Current Minister of Transport Lisa Raitt appeared to be very close to Vince Rossi and appeared reluctant to take up the complaints of the Region and Burlington. Raitt is the federal member for Halton.
Burlington heard precious little from its MP Mike Wallace. As a back bencher he does what the Minister tells him to do –and Wallace isn’t one to get too far away from the party line.
The proposed changes give the Governor in Council the authority to make regulations requiring aerodrome proponents to consult land use authorities and affected stakeholders.
 This is the kind of development that will not be possible once the Aeronautics Act amendments are given Royal Assent. There was a time when Barbara Sheldon could see Rattle Snake Point from her kitchen window – today – she looks at a pile of landfill – that has never been tested,she can barely see the Escarpment.. The people of rural Burlington aren’t home free yet – but the lay of the land has changed significantly. The changes were in a government bill – they are not likely to be challenged all that much. It will be interesting to see if Burlington’s MP chooses to make a presentation at the committee hearing the bill will have to go to.
It is going to be even more interesting to see how the city of Burlington and the Rural Burlington Greenbelt Coalition react to this change.
Vince Rossi could not have seen this coming. Here is what he is now faced with:
Amendment to the Aeronautics Act
Section 4.9 of the Act is amended by adding the following after paragraph (k):
(k.1) the prohibition of the development or expansion of aerodromes or any change to the operation of aerodromes;
(k.2) the consultations that must be carried out by the proponent of an aerodrome before its development or by the operator of an aerodrome before its expansion or any change to its operation;
Ouch!
 By Staff
December 14, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Time to figure out if you and that horn are ready for the big stage.
The Sound of Music Festival has announced that they will be accepting submissions until February 15, 2015 through Sonicbids.
 Small Town Pistols played in 2013
The Festival celebrates Canadian and local musical talent, with a preference to performances with a repertoire of original music.
Local submissions are defined as “at least one member must reside in Burlington full-time”. Please indicate if you are local in your submission.
Submissions will only be accepted from Canadian performers with a preference for performers who have not played at the Festival in the past 2-3 years. Artists’ EPKs must be complete and up-to-date, and the required questions must be fully answered. Compensation is provided and will be negotiated at the time of booking.
Due to the high volume of submissions, only those selected will be contacted.
For more detailed information CLICK here.
 By Staff
December 13, 2014
BURLINGTON 13, 2014
Here’s one for you.
 Developer plans to ask city council for permission to build 28 storey structure on land zoned for 8 storeys. In a tweet a developer said:
“This year we have supported so many deserving charities. It is imperative that we give back to the community that has given us so much.”
There are some people in the downtown core who would take issue with that tweet and suggest replacing the word “given” to “taken”.
Any guesses as to who the developer is?
Think Lakeshore and Martha.
By Pepper Parr
December 13, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
It is a grind. Each step the city takes with the people who run the Air Park has a high level of frustration and often the sense that nothing is getting done.
At the last meeting of the Development and Infrastructure Standing committee, staff provided an update. Gruesome is the best way to describe the progress.
 The dumping of landfill on the Air Park site without site plan approval has been on the city’s agenda for more than five years. Two court cases – both won by the city – and there still isn’t an approved site plan. What the city does have in its back pocket is a decision from Superior Court of Ontario saying they have the right to require the Air Park to adhere to the city’s site plan bylaw and a decision from the Ontario Court of Appeal confirming that right.
Along with those two court decisions the city has about $60,000 in costs recovered. That $60,000 by the way is going to look like chump change when the public learns about just how much the city has spent fighting these court cases. Ian Blue, QC, the lawyer who represented the city is good, but he is also expensive.
The staff report summarizes issues that have been addressed or are in the process of being addressed since the last Airpark Update on September 22, 2014. Molasses moves faster in the winter.
City staff continue to have discussions with the Airpark’s consultants regarding the submission of a Site Alteration Permit application. They met with representatives from S. Llewellyn & Associates, consultants for the Air Park and Pinchin Environmental Ltd., the city’s consultants to review the requirements of a Risk Assessment.
 Vince Rossi at a community meting held in a barn a couple of hundred yards from the end of one of the airport runways Middle of October 17, the city wrote Vince Rossi a letter expressing concern regarding the failure to submit an application for a Site Alteration Permit. The city advised Rossi that if a submission was not received by November 14, 2014, the city would proceed with enforcement its new site plan bylaw that was approved at City Council on September 22, 2014 and is now in effect.
Guess what? The application for a permit arrived the day of the deadline along with the cheque to cover the filing fee – thought to be in the $10,000 range.
Now the city and the consultants get to wrangle over how much of the application is going to be approved. We do know now that the city is not going to call for the hauling away of all the landfill. It is believed that some of the landfill on the Appleby Line side of the Air Park will have to be taken away so that the Sheldon property gets back some of the site lines it once had. It is likely to have enough of the landfill removed to allow the owner to see Rattle Snake point – something the owner hasn’t actually been able to see for more than five years.
 More than thirty feet of landfill rises from the edge of the Couzens property on Appleby Line. They want every cubic foot of it removed. The Couzen’s property owners, just up the road from the Sheldon property, are hanging tough – they are apparently not interested in half measures and they don’t want the city to pussy foot around. If the landfill was put there without a permit – then take it out.
That is not going to happen. Some of the landfill will get taken out but that site will never be what it was before the trucks started rolling in.
What isn’t at all clear is just what will the Air Park be in the future? It isn’t economically sustainable as a piddly little aerodrome.
The city now has the authority to enforce its bylaw. How effective and firm they will choose to be is unknown – the wider community is going to have to rely on community organizations to keep the feet of senior people at city hall as close to the flames as they can – without crippling them. The Rural Burlington green Coalition has its work cut out for them. Their challenge is to widen their circle of adherents and get people south of the QEW involved. Most people in Burlington don’t understand what the issue really is.
Getting information from different provincial government agencies has been like pulling teeth from a hen. In October 2014 the City received correspondence from the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) in response to the City’s appeal to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request that the City made to the Ministry of the Environment (now the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC)) in 2013
 The city wants to know more about the measuring of the groundwater on the Air Park site. The Air Park doesn’t appear to want to share that information. The city wanted a copy of a groundwater monitoring program developed for the Burlington Executive Airport lands. Someone with an interest in what happens with the Air Park took the position that the information was “private” and could not be released to the public. It is believed that the “someone” was the Air Park.
The Information Privacy Commissioner indicated that the appeal is in the inquiry stage, and that representations had been received (as requested) from the MOECC and two affected parties.
The IPC correspondence provided the non-confidential portions of the MOECC submissions as well as a summary of the submissions made by the two affected parties. It was also outlined in the letter that the City had a deadline of November 13, 2014 in order to make submissions the City deemed relevant.
City staff got there submissions in by the deadline. Once the submission process is complete, the IPC will issue a decision with respect to the appeal, which may include an order to resolve the outstanding issues.
And if you understood much of the above the city might want to hire you. There are people in the Planning department who now know more about Privacy Information than they ever wanted to know. Several have hair that is much greyer than it used to and several have less hair.
The issue is getting a copy of the groundwater monitoring program developed for the Burlington Executive Airport. The city has a vital interest in how the groundwater that works its way through tonnes of landfill that they really don’t know where it came from. They want to ensure that the groundwater is effectively measured and analyzed. There is a lot of jerking around going on with this one; one wonders just whose side the provincial government is on with this one.
To muddy the waters even more the MOECC has told the city in an Oct 7, 2014 email, that a public meeting on this issue was not necessary.
One hopes that the MPP Eleanor McMahon will be all over this one. McMahon is a strong environmentalist and has a firm hand inside the velvet gloves she wears.
 The Air Park continued with the widening of the main north-south runway during the summer. King Paving, which does a lot of work for the city, sent a letter explaining in some detail that there was nothing done that wasn’t permitted in terms of hauling soil onto the site. King Paving did bring in hundreds of truckloads of landfill onto the site in the early stages. There was, at that time, some discussion about requiring King Paving to remove everything they brought in.
Something as small as a wheel barrow draws the attention of those who live next to the air park. When they saw windrows of soil along the west side of the runway alarms were raised . These piles were excavated soil from the runway widening base excavation. They were used to complete the grading of the lands adjacent to the runway and taxiway.
The material hauled into the site was recycled asphalt grindings and granular material for construction of the runway widening base. There was no “soil/fill” material hauled into the site and no “soil/fill” material was hauled off of the site.
Currently, the permanent installations of the runway lighting is being completed. The construction of the runway widening and its appurtenances (that is the city’s word – not ours) is not within the City’s jurisdiction and did not require any City-issued permits or approvals.
The Region seems to have left the room Air Park discussions take place in; there has been no correspondence at all from the Region on this file.
Conservation Halton staff have had discussions with the Air Park’s engineering consultant regarding permit submission requirements. City staff continue to communicate and coordinate with CH staff.
 Barbara Sheldon looks at 32 feet of landfill less than 50 feet from her kitchen window. How much of that landfill is the city going to require be moved before issuing a site plan permit? The installation of drainage and siltation control works will be required on the Airpark site. The Site Alteration Permit application is required to include these details. The delay in getting the site plan application into the planning department resulted in the city advising the Air Park’s consultant that these works are required immediately and must be installed to the satisfaction of the city.
The city is now coordinating its response to the problems with the Air Park owners with the other agencies and levels of government involved.
It took too long for the city to actually do something about the land fill that was being dumped without a permit – but to their credit – once they were made fully aware of the significance of the problem they moved quickly and effectively.
During the early stages of figuring out what was going on at the Air Park the city looked through the documentation they had – not much – but one report on file had been signed off on by a staff member who was involved in the first round of the construction of the pier.
By Pepper Parr
December 12, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Donna Zaffino has been a Gazette reader for some time. She is a frequent commenter and can be, how shall I put this, direct at times. We love her for that.
When we did the piece a few days ago on the contest the Burlington Downtown Business Association was holding for the best dressed window Zaffino agreed with the position we took and said she would make a point of looking at the windows to see how the retailers did this year.
 Zaffino thought the use of Christmas tree branches was attractive and innovative – very much in the season.  Zaffino thought this was one of the best windows this year.  Son of a Peach, a pizza locale took over their part of Pine Street with traditional lights and Christmas wreaths  Dickens really upped their game this year. At night the decorating they did along with their neighbour makes that part of Elizabeth Street look quite festive.  This pathetic store front is that of the city’s Tourism office. Have you ever seen two more limp Christmas wreaths in your life. Sure make you want to visit this city.
The look and feel of a street are probably more important than the products that are on sale in the stores. People are impacted by what they see and that impact determines what they do. If a street is bright and cheerful people feel bright and cheerful.
If a street is decorated during a festive season people pick up the spirit if that season.
Here is Zaffino`s report: “I walked around downtown taking photos of the business that are participating in the contest.
I was not terribly impressed with any of the displays, especially any of the clothiers.
There were a few around that aren’t in the contest that may have been better.
I am not sure if Different Drummer is participating or not. Both nights I didn’t see anything. Maybe I show up after Ian turns off the display. I tried on Tuesday around 6:30 and again tonight.
There are only three windows that stood out for me and have stayed in my imagination. They are Mirella’s, The Olive Oil Dispensary and Anise Apothecary.
1) Mirella’s for the creativity of using cedar boughs as flared skirts on their mannequins.
2) The Olive Dispensary for the vibrant colours and of course the classic little train set.
3) Anise Apothecary for simplicity and the soft blues and white. Nature helped it along today by covering their little evergreens under the window in snow.
I think Wardel’s Insurance was nice but I can’t remember what it looked like nor what the theme was. I recall that it was bright and stood out from a street view.
 The Works decided to focus on just their window this year. Last year the wrapped the store like a Christmas gift box. Given their position on Brant – a stronger message was better  Rayhoon used a nicely decorated Christmas tree they brought in and electric lights to give both their restaurant and Village Square a solid holiday feeling.  Given the position this retailer commands on Brant Street a little more imagination would have made a big difference.  Both the city and the Hospital Foundation did such poor job of creating a sense of season with their store fronts. I wasn’t able to photograph three businesses. Black Pearl, Omega and Deeth and Co. I won’t be able to get them until Saturday.
I’d like to take pictures of places that weren’t on the contest list who did some really nice work. Look for more from me later in the week.
Thanks for the assignment it was fun.
Related articles:
2013: Retailers forget that it is Christmas
BDBA works to make store fronts more festive.
 By Pepper Parr
December 13, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
This police report was a little fuzzy right from the beginning.
A police officer is doing traffic checks on King Road. The driver of a car that was expected to pull over flees.
Here is how the police describe the event:
On Friday December 12, 2014 at approximately 10:00am, a Halton patrol officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a suspected suspended driver in the area of Plains Rd and King Rd in the City of Burlington. The suspect drove away from the officer, northbound on King Rd and subsequently struck an oncoming southbound vehicle. The driver fled on foot from the scene pursued by the officer. The suspect was arrested a short distance from the scene. The accused and officer suffered minor injuries and treated at hospital. No other injuries sustained by other parties in the southbound vehicle.
 At that time the police report: The Special Investigations Unit has been contacted and has not confirmed whether or not they will invoke their mandate and take carriage of the investigation.
King Rd between North Service Rd and Enfield Rd will be closed indefinitely for investigation.
It isn’t clear as to why the SIU would be involved. There is no mention of a weapon being discharged. A police officer chased a fleeing suspect; appears to have wrestled him to the ground in the process of arresting the man,
There appear to be some injuries; the suspect is taken to the hospital. Where is the need for the SIU?
On Saturday the driver of the car is cleared by the hospital with minor non-significant injuries. The scene of the incident is released by the police and the public can now use the road.
There is no elaboration on what the “non-significant injuries amounted to; that’s something the defense lawyer will bring up during any trial.
The police identify the driver of the car as Burlington Resident Brian Alan NAPPER – 34 years of age. He is charged with:
Drive while Disqualified
Flight while pursued by Peace Officer
Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle
Fail to Stop at Scene of Accident
Assault with Intent to Resist Arrest
Fail to Comply with Probation Order
NAPPER will be held for a bail hearing later today.
In a later report the police say: The Special Investigations Unit “has NOT been contacted yet”.
The police issued three different reports on this arrest. They seemed to be having a problem over whether or not they were going to involve the SIU.
Was there more to this story? Was the suspect badly hurt by the pursuing police officer? Was undue force used?
If the police pull you over – you roll down the window and give them your driver’s license. If you don’t have one – they’ve got you. If you attempt to outrun the police officer he is going to go after you – and if he has to tackle you and get handcuffs on you – then that’s what you get for attempting to flee.
The back and forth on bringing in the Special Investigations Unit is what is confusing.
 By Pepper Parr
December 11, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
One of the things the internet does is give those with something they want to say a much bigger megaphone.
Hydro costs have been a bugbear for Ontarians for some time – one of the Harris government’s gifts to us.
The natives are still biting back – another petition. The organizers of this one ask:
 Hydro in Ontario has been broken for some time. It is essential that it be fixed – the solution is not yet clear, “If you have a billing complaint with hydro one, please make sure you file a complaint with the Ombudsman as he begins his investigation into Hydro One. Click here to file your complaint.
“And if you haven’t yet, please make sure you share your concerns about Ontario’s broken hydro system directly with the Premier, the Minister of Energy, the Ontario Energy Board and Hydro One.
The problem with the petition is its source. Randy Hillier was part of the government that created the problem we have today. Is the petition part of his drive to at some point lead the Progressive Conservative party in Ontario? His views and solutions to some of the provinces problems would take Ontario back to where Mike Harris put us and to where Tim Hudak wanted to keep us.
The province is going through a profound change; the core of its economic engine is threatened and in some cases fractured. General Motors is moving its assembly lines to Mexico.
The province faces a huge demographic shift; we are now a much more demographically diversified people and we have a growing seniors’ population that we have to care for at considerable cost.
Adjusting to these changes is going to take political leadership that looks forward and not backwards. Randy Hillier is as backward looking as you can get.
The petition has merit – the guy behind it; questionable.
A Petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:
Whereas, the cost of electricity in Ontario continues to escalate;
And Whereas, other charges associated with electricity, such as delivery, regulatory, global adjustment and debt retirement charges make electricity increasingly unaffordable;
And Whereas, these costs have imposed a significant hardship on ratepayers and driven industry and jobs out of Ontario;
We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:
That the Premier and the Minister of Energy reduce the waste and duplication in Ontario’s electricity sector and other necessary steps to lower the cost of electricity so that Ontario’s electricity prices are competitive with other jurisdictions.
Sign here:
 Ray Rivers
December 11, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
The provincial Auditor General (AG) is an essential part of a system of good government. Being independent and reporting directly to the Legislative Assembly, the auditor “conducts value-for-money and financial audits of the provincial government”. The 2014 report targeted a number of areas including infrastructure, child care and energy (smart meters).
 The office of the AG is not inexpensive, chewing up over $15 million dollars annually and employing about a dozen people each year. This year’s report weighed in at 600 pages, more than twice the size of the New Testament. And though the language is simpler than what we find in the Bible, there is so much redundancy and superfluous description interspersed among all the pretty graphics, that it is might also be as good a remedy for insomnia as some find in the pews of their church.
I have been involved in audit processes at both federal and provincial levels over the years. For the most part the auditors work closely with government officials, and in many cases simply regurgitate what they were told by officials – making for few surprises for the officials. That seems to be the case when this year’s report examined the processes for building infrastructure; 74 building projects were considered.
The AG noted that the “tangible costs (such as construction, financing, legal services, engineering services and project management services) were estimated to be nearly $8 billion higher than… if the projects were contracted out and managed by the public sector.” That waste of money seems logical given the complications and extra rewards required for private sector involvement.
But Infrastructure Ontario officials justified this additional expense arguing that “the risks of having the projects not being delivered on time and on budget were about five times higher if the public sector directly managed these projects.” They estimated this risk at $18.6 billion making the, so-called, alternate financing partnership a no-brainer for them. But are they really serious – five times?
Me thinks that something is rotten in the state of the Ontario public service. Not much wonder the recent billion-dollar gas plant relocation fiasco was handled so casually. Why isn’t the management at Infrastructure Ontario saying WTF, or better still doing something to change that statistic (five times the risk)?
 The technology was going to let the consumer make choices. Following the Harris/Eves government screw-up of the energy file (de-regulation and privatization), politicians jumped onto the smart meter bandwagon as a panacea for spiraling electricity costs. The AG attacks the decision-making process and much of her criticism centres on a cost-benefit feasibility study performed, after-the-fact. Imaginary numbers (guesstimates) lie at the heart of her criticism.
 They were going to change the way we used electricity. In addition, she fairly critiques the lack of oversight on implementation, accountability and general management, particularly for the Hydro One empire. That smart meters may be an essential piece of infrastructure in a transition towards more efficient energy delivery and providing greater control of one’s hydro bill to the consumer is not really something the AG considers, nor perhaps should.
And sometimes the AG isn’t very insightful or even helpful, as when she concluded that there was a “need to provide ministry and agency staff with training to help them do their work more consistently and effectively” for the Child Care, Parole Board, Nominee, and Residential Services for People with Development Disabilities programs. Isn’t that just good counsel for all employees, regardless of program?
 The provincial government used some very creative accounting to approve a loan to complete a building in downtown Toronto that was far from fully rented. The AG also followed up on whether the government had paid attention to previous recommendations and whether the culprits had cleaned up their acts as a result. Of the 77 recommendations, requiring 170 actions, from the 2012 report, she noted that 81% of had been “either fully implemented or are in the process.”
Impressed with this statistic, one might question whether the AG shouldn’t be brought in earlier – to help program managers’ better design and implement their responsibilities. But that would, of course, shift her role to being both the prosecution and the defence, and immerse her office in a huge conflict of interest.
As the report notes, the mandate for the AG is fairly broad but it is limited to the activities within government ministries and agencies. So it is at some risk to her office that the AG ventures into criticizing general public policy, as she does when slamming provincial deficit and debt levels. “Ultimately, the question of how much debt the province should carry and the strategies the government could use to pay it down is one of government policy,” she notes.
So why does she even mention it? It is not like this provincial government is unaware that we have an emerging debt problem in Ontario. Since her interference is not for informative purposes, what is she doing? The good office of the AG compromises its credibility and authority once it decides to shed its independence and go political, as she has clearly done.
If Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk wants to attack public policies instead of doing what she is being paid for – to evaluate programs – she should join a political party. In fact there is an opening right now for leader of the Progressive Conservatives.
 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 against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province.
Background links:
AG on Debt AG on Private Partnerships
AG on Smart Meters AG Report
 By Pepper Parr
December 11, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
In 2013 the Burlington Age-Friendly Seniors Council created an audit that identified the strengths, gaps and barriers for Burlington being a truly Age-Friendly City. One of the recommendations from the audit was the overwhelming need for seniors to be able to access information in ways that they needed it.
Everything from health services, recreation, nutrition, transportation, volunteer opportunities, tax information and much more. The issues were identified by seniors and caregivers in Burlington and throughout Halton.
What seniors consistently had difficulty with was being put on hold or told to press 1 for more information or 2 for something else. They wanted to be able to talk to someone – have a face to face encounter – and get the information and help they needed.
 Heather Thompson, on the far right with the first class of Senior Ambassador Connectors were celebrated earlier this week. Paul Benson and Glenna Cranston are in wheelchairs in the front row, Heather Thompson, Manager of Corporate and Community Engagement at Community Development Halton thought the Burlington Age-Friendly Council could do something to improve the way information was given to seniors and family members, empowering them to make informed decisions. The need had been clearly identified; Thompson and her team had to find a way to meet it. They discovered a program called Senior Connectors at the Seniors Come Share Society in British Columbia.
They had a program that was delivering a service reaching seniors in a significant way.
 Paul Benson is a Senior Ambassador Connector because he has something to say and he wanted to learn so that he could help others. That was all Volunteer Halton needed to established the Senior Ambassador Program, where senior volunteers promote and talk to other seniors about the benefits of volunteering as people age, keeping them active, engaged and connected to their communities while making a difference. The Senior Ambassador Program consists of an Advisory Committee made up of members from each of four municipalities in Halton; Halton Hills, Milton, Oakville and Burlington.
Thompson and her colleagues met on Tuesday to celebrate the accomplishments of 10 volunteers who have completed the education and training component for the Senior Ambassador Connector Program. Volunteer Halton, a program of Community Development Halton, has been the lead on this initiative, with the Burlington Age-Friendly Seniors Council as a collaborative partner, working together to improve communication, information and resources for seniors and their families.
A grant from the Ontario Seniors Secretariat covered the start-up costs.
 Glenna Cranston hasn’t let her wheelchair get in the way of being a volunteer who helps other seniors dig out the information they need to live full lives. Acclaim Health, formerly known as VON, Victorian Order of Nurses, the Alzheimer’s Society, Burlington Public Library, Chartwell Retirement Residence, Community Care Access Centre – HNBH, ESAC – Region of Halton, Halton Geriatric Mental Health Outreach Program, Halton Regional Police Service – Salt, Seniors Help Line, Links2Care and Service Canada were among the organizations that came together to make this happen.
The training included: Mental health and aging, risk factors and where to go for help; Services available to seniors in Halton – housing, long-term care, supports to be able to live at home, volunteer visiting, support for caregivers, bereavement support, day programs for seniors with Alzheimer’s; Elder Abuse; Dementia and the importance of brain health; Eligibility for CPP, Old Age Security; Personal boundaries and volunteer opportunities
Monthly education sessions, case studies, and a continual update on new information will get done in 2015
Joan Gallagher-Bell, Ross Bell, Tracy Angus, Karen Phelps, Florence Riehl, Ellie Tyndall, Glenna Cranston and Carole Ward were part of the first set of Senior Ambassador Connectors.
By Staff
December 11, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Short notice!
1st Annual Christmas Collage Ice Show.
Mercedes-Benz is presenting a one hour, choreographed on ice performance showcasing local youth talent. The choreography encompasses 7 ice sports; figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, ringette, hockey, sledge hockey and curling. Free Hot Chocolate! Free Public Skate after the show! Free Giveaway for the first 200 families! Make this event your family’s new Christmas Tradition!
 It will be choreographed on ice performances showcasing local youth talent on the pond tonight. Friday, December 12, 7 – 8 p.m. at the Rotary Centennial Pond (skating rink) in Spencer’s at the Waterfront, 1400 Lakeshore Road
General Admission: FREE – donations to Jumpstart at the event are appreciated!
VIP Balcony: Adults:$30.00, Children (under 12) $15.00, Family Pack (2 adults and up to 4 children) $75.00 (seating, blankets provided, overhead heating)
A portion of the proceeds generated by the event will be donated to Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart Charity.
 By Pepper Parr
December 11, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
School is out – the kids are now yours – all day – every day until we are into the New Year. For those that are still amazed at the wonder of everything and still have imaginations that are intact – the Jack and the Beanstalk performances later this month might interest you.
A colourful cast of characters will sing and dance their way to the top of the beanstalk in a brand new imagining of the classic tale. With performances on December 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, this traditional British pantomime makes for the perfect family activity or holiday gift. Tickets start at $24 for children and $29 for adults.
 The exceptional cast and crew includes local Burlington and Hamilton natives such as the witches played by Lynne Scott, lead singer of ska band Skaface, Pamela Farrauto whose TV appearances include The Ron James Show and Murdoch Mysteries, and Janine Heaven who in addition to being a talented stage actress is also a licensed Officiant.
The audience may remember Marisa Ship and Stephanie Lynn-Russell who played Princess Lotus Flower and Aladdin in 2012’s Aladdin, and who will this year be turning their attentions to the roles of Jack and Georgina Goose respectively.
The show is directed by award winning playwright, director and actress Francesca Brugnano who describes the experience as a “thrill to be directing an unmitigated eruption of talent in this clever and hilarious pantomime.”
This zany brand of family friendly fun is being shared with families most in need of festive cheer by providing tickets through various charities such as BigBrothers BigSisters, United Way and Halton Women’s Place.
“It’s all about giving back to the communities we live and work in,”. “At this time of year” said Rikki Wright, writer of the show, “everyone should have something to look forward to, not just the privileged few.”
You can help by buying a giggle seat, which will be donated on your behalf to a family in need. The producers of the show will also match that seat with one more of their own so you can be responsible for putting smiles on two faces. For more information about the Gift of Giggles program and to purchase Giggle Seats, visit www.pantomime.ca/giggles.
Tickets to Jack and the Beanstalk can be purchased online, by phone (905) 681-6000, or in person at the Box Office located at 440 Locust Street in Burlington.
By Pepper Parr
December 10, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
The province is moving forward with some pretty big infrastructure projects.
That new Union Pearson Express, a dedicated express train that will provide fast, reliable service between Canada’s two busiest transportation hubs, Union Station in downtown Toronto, and the Toronto Pearson International Airport is to be launched in the Spring.
 The terminal at Union Station for the UP express to Pearson airport. Get ready for a major hit to the pocket book – yours – when the prices are made public. This may well come in at about the $35 price range.
The GTAA – that’s the Greater Toronto Airport Authority – will get $2 for every person that uses the service. They want you to pay them to get on their property to take a plane that they rent space to. Talk about a win-win or should that be Wynne-Wynne?
Construction is now almost complete on the Union Pearson Express station at Terminal 1.
Train service is on track to start next spring, in time to serve visitors to the 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games.
Eighteen new trains will run between Union Station and Toronto Pearson in just 25 minutes, every 15 minutes. Making it easier to get from the airport to the heart of Toronto’s downtown will help relieve gridlock, attract more visitors and build up the economy.
Improving transit and transportation is part of the government’s economic plan for Ontario. The four-part plan is building Ontario up by investing in people’s talents and skills, building new public infrastructure like roads and transit, creating a dynamic, supportive environment where business thrives, and building a secure retirement savings plan.
• In its first year alone, the Union Pearson Express (UP Express) is expected to take 1.2 million car trips off the road.
• The construction of the UP Express is creating and supporting more than 1,200 jobs.
• Toronto Pearson and Union Station are expected to serve 190 million travellers a year by 2031 – almost double the current annual traffic.
• Metrolinx has proposed an adult one-way fare between Union Station and Toronto Pearson of $19 with a PRESTO card or $27.50 without a PRESTO card, with discounts for seniors, students, families, children, qualified airport employees and people who board at the Bloor or Weston stations.
• Metrolinx’s Board of Directors will vote on the fares tomorrow.
• PRESTO is an electronic fare payment system available across 10 transit agencies in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, and Ottawa. It uses smart-card technology that stores funds in a secure account, replacing the need for tickets, tokens, passes or cash.
Getting to the airport from Burlington – what will it take in terms of time and what will it cost – and will it be worth it?
We will arrange for a test trip and a tour of the facilities and let you know if it is worth it – might be better to flip the oldest male heir $50 to drive you to the airport and hope he doesn’t trash the vehicle while you are away.
By Pepper Parr
December 10, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
The public funds raised for the August 4th flood victims is just shy of $900,000. With at least one more significant donation coming in the fund will top the $900,000 number.
Using the matching formula – two from the province for every one we raise – the Burlington Community Foundation will have $2.7 million to distribute to flood victims.
There are now 115 claims being evaluated and “they are coming in at the rate of 10+ a day” said Colleen Mulholland, the women driving the program with the help of an extended team of insurance people and fund raisers.
 Mulholland expects there will be something in excess of 200 claims in the office by the close date of December 15th.
There are many in the city who don’t understand why victims are waiting to get their claims forms in. For a claim to be considered it MUST be at the Burlington Community Foundation office by the close of business December 15th.
 Household basements and major highways were severally flooded during the August 4th storm. That is also the date on which donations that are to be matched by the province close.
On that date, the 15th of December, the Claims Committee will know how much money they have to distribute. They expect to send out cheques to those whose applications that have been completed and approved by the Claims Committee.
By the end of January Mulholland expects all of the funds to have been distributed and the operation can be wound up.
 By Pepper Parr
December 9, 2104
BURLINGTON, ON
Marketing organizations and local governments want to know what you think.
In the case of the marketing types – we know their game – they want to sell us something.
With local government – the game isn`t the same. As far as they are concerned – you are already a customer and you aren`t going to the competition – because there isn`t any.
 Regional government offices at one end of the complex, Regional police at the other end. Halton Region creates a panel of 36 people each year and runs a series of questions by the panel,
The Regional government holds a “civic lottery” Lottery to find 36 local residents to form a Citizens’ Reference Panel. Invitations to form the panel were mailed to residents across the Region last week. Panel members will help determine which issues, services and programs matter most to the people who live and work in Halton.
Their insights, along with input from the broader community, will help the newly elected Regional Council develop a strategic work plan and set out priorities for the next four-year term.
Calling the Regional Council now in place “newly elected” is true but a bit of a stretch – of the 21 members of Regional Council only three are new to that level of government.
Same people – they will probably arrive at the same conclusions.
Regional Carr explains how the panel works. “Every four years Council works in consultation with stakeholders to gather feedback on the areas that matter most to Halton residents and businesses.
“Members of the Citizens’ Reference Panel have a unique opportunity to hear directly from Halton staff and local experts. Armed with a solid understanding of Regional services and processes, Panelists play an invaluable role in helping to shape the future of Halton Region.”
A Civic Lottery uses random selection to bring together groups of residents, balanced for age, gender and geographical location, to represent their community. Last week 10,000 letters were delivered to randomly selected households in the City of Burlington, the Town of Halton Hills, the Town of Milton and the Town of Oakville. Eligible candidates who receive the invitation can put their name forward for the Civic Lottery. The invitation can also be transferred to other members of the household. The 36 Panelists will be randomly drawn from among the respondents on January 8, 2015. The deadline for eligible candidates to enter the Civic Lottery is January 7, 2015.
 The Panel will meet over two full Saturdays on January 17 and January 31. The Panel will also meet on the evening of Wednesday, January 21 for a special Public Roundtable Meeting to which all Halton residents are invited.
Together, the Panelists will learn about the trends and pressures facing Halton Region as well as the services and programs the Regional government provides. As part of this process, the Region has prepared a draft Strategic Action Plan to serve as a starting point. The draft document will guide the discussion and assist in the development of specific, measurable actions that can be implemented over the next four years.
At the end of the process, working with expert facilitators, the Panelists will develop a series of informed recommendations to present to Regional Council.
Burlington uses a different approach – they put a survey on line and ask people to tell them what they like and don’t like in terms of the services the city provides for the tax money they pay.
Related article:
Burlington community survey
 By Staff
December 9, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
This is the time of year when there are all those people to buy gifts for. If there are really young ones in the family it can be fun to imagine how the child will react to the gift.
For those that are older the gifts tend to be practical or something expensive that the son or daughter really, really wants – probably something you don’t fully understand but they certainly do.
There are some young people out there who aren’t going to get much in the way of gifts which makes most of us feel sad for them and when we can find ways to help out we do.
The Halton Learning Foundation is committed to ensuring that students get the best education possible – and that includes what they learn outside the classroom.
With approximately 10% of school-aged children in Halton living at or below the poverty line (approximately 6,000 with the Halton District School Board), the Learning Foundation receives goes  towards providing some of the basic necessities they need to stay in school – from hot lunches for the year, to coats and boots, from needed clothing/hygiene items to school supplies.
We read about those troubled young people who do not adjust as well as most and need support from social welfare or become part of the youth justice services or we read about them in a drug bust.
One doesn’t have to dig all that deeply into the lives of those that get arrested for selling drugs to learn that they came from poor families where there was seldom enough to go around.
Help at the early stages of their lives is both a kind thing to do and a solid investment; its cheaper to spend $50 rather than find the police asking for more of your money as taxes to pay for the services they provide protecting you.
The Halton Learning Foundation goal is to help 1,000 students during our 2014 Light the Way Gift campaign. The last day of school is December 19 however the need to support these students through Light the Way carries on throughout the year.
This season the HAlton Learning Foundation is asking individuals and organizations alike across Halton to consider including a student-in-need on their holiday gift list this year. Just add one more to the gift list.
The Halton Learning Foundation hopes that many of their neighbours will join us in reaching this goal by visiting and clicking on the Light the Way image.
By Pepper Parr
December 8, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Your password has been entered incorrectly three times.
The message was concerning. Was the bank telling me that someone tried to get into my account electronically? It looked that way.
A message regarding “Password Disabled” has been sent to your account inbox
Secure. Click here To Enter Scotia on Line to avoid Access lock.
The moment you click on that link – you may as well have given them your wallet.
How would you know that? Look at the address the email came from. The word scotia is before the @. The words after the @ tell you that the domain name is not that of the bank.
 If the bank wants to communicate with you they will telephone or when there is a problem with your card the banking machine will keep the card and instruct you to go to a branch where they will issue another card.
On occasion you may get an email advising you that your withdrawal limit has been set at $1 – yes one dollar. They instruct you to go to a branch and get the problem resolved. It is very awkward when that $1 message shows up late Saturday evening – but it is better than having someone suck all your money out of the account.
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