 By Pepper Parr
November 1, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
No one was sure exactly when it started – 1984 was the date that was floating around.
 The occasion is not just for the kids – wonder Mom got in the act as well. And who started it – word we got was that there was a resident who lived on the street closer to Lakeshore than New Street and that he had once owned an entertainment park and had a huge plastic gorilla that you could fill with air – which he did and stuck it out on his lawn and that started the tradition that has people on Seneca decking out their lawns which imaginative Halloween decorations.
 There is a dog somewhere that is now in therapy. The little mutt walked by this “cat” as it darted out of the leaves – th dog jumped a clear two feet into the air and fled – dragging his owner with him Some of them are very impressive – and there are a couple that I guarantee scared the daylights out of your child. There is one resident whose dog is never going to be the same after its encounter with a mechanical cat that sit in a pile of leaves and jumps out with green eyes just glaring.
Seneca has become a mecca for the trick or treat crowd.
Last night was another success. Many of the parents got themselves gussied up and made a night of it.
Set out below are what some of the home owners chose to do on Hallowe’en.
 Skull city – in the dark of the evening this must have been quite a site.  We didn’t hear any sound coming from this pumpkin – but we can imagine how it might have laughed.  It wasn’t all just for the kids – this household used the occasion to make the evening a small food drive as well.  The family collection of sombreros got put to good use. The small bags were empty – just some sand to hold them on place – we checked.  The wonder of it all for for the little people. These two were just fascinated with what they saw up and down their street.  What a good idea eh! And,except for getting permission to block cars from coming on the street for a couple of hours, city hall had nothing to do with the event. Power to the people!
 By Pepper Parr
November 1, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Teachers do a lot more than teach.
They are one of the sets of eyes that watch our children as they grow from that shy little girl who steps cautiously into a classroom with her Mom on that first day of school to seeing the change taking [;ace in a boy because the family he is part of is falling apart.
That teacher is the one who realizes when a student is ready for a bigger idea and knows just which book should be given to the child.
They see the student who comes to school in the winter weather with just a heavy sweater – there is no winter coat.
 She notes that the snow is deep and that boy is wearing just running shoes – there are no winter boots.
And she notes as well that on pizza days there are a couple of kids who don’t show up because they don’t have the money to pay for their pizza.
There is a group – the Halton Learning Foundation that is in place to provide some of the money needed to fill these gaps.
There are other organizations, Food4kids is one, that provides food for those that are going to go home to a house where there may not be a real square meal on the table.
Later this month the Learning Foundation will be holding their Benefit Bash. The event isn’t one of the fancier, splashy events where people get to wear that dress.
It isn’t a major event on the social calendar – but it is an important event. It raises some of the money that gets used to pay for some of the needs that students have that their parents can’t handle.
The business of taking care of these situations is always slim resources chasing growing needs.
On the 16th school day of this school year the request for funds was double what it had been the previous year at the same time. The social helpers in this city can see serious problems coming their way.
The Benefit Bash takes place November 10th at the Burlington Convention Centre.
This might be one of those places you could send a donation along to.
They will be announcing their No Student Left Behind campaign at the Benefit Bash – this is something we are looking forward to telling you a lot more about.
 By Pepper Parr
November 1, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The winter snow isn’t even on the ground yet – but there are people at city hall planning for community garden usage next year.
 Former General Manager Scott Stewart listen to Amy Schnurr at the opening of the community garden at Central Park. Rob Peachy who played a major role in making it happen is on the far right. This is one of those programs that came out of a community initiative that took just a little arm twisting to get the city onside – but they made it work and now it is a program with four community gardens located in the city
“Next year will be our sixth growing season with the community gardens program,” said Rob Peachey, the city’s manager of parks and open spaces. “We are once again accepting the applications in November to give our gardeners more time over the winter months to plan and prepare their gardens for the spring.”
There are four community gardens residents can apply to:
• Amherst Park,
• Central Park,
• Francis Road Bikeway, or
• Maple Park
Next year’s planting season will run from May 1 to Oct. 22, 2017. There are a total of 125 plots available, which includes 10 raised, accessible plots suitable for persons with limited mobility. Applicants may indicate a preferred garden location and plot style on the application.
 Michelle Bennett paces off the distance for the Community Garden Burlington Green hopes to be able to convince the city to go along with. The BG’s got 85% of the money through a provincial government grant, and now want 15% from the city. The cost to rent a plot for the season is $50. Water, soil and compost are supplied and all plots have full sun. Plots will be allocated by lottery at the close of the application period, and all applicants will be notified of their lottery result by early December 2016.
Community garden applications will be available online beginning Nov. 14 (online address is shown below) at the Seniors’ Centre, or City Hall, 426 Brant St., at the Service Burlington counter.
Completed applications must be received by the city no later than Nov. 30, 2016 for the 2017 planting season. Applications received after Nov. 30 will be entered into the draw for 2018 garden plots.
It was about six years ago when Michelle Bennett and Amy Schnurr of Burlington Green appeared before Council asking them to support their initiative to get a provincial government grant. The two woman were going over some literature about a provincial government program that was part solid idea and part pilot project. It fit the BurlingtonGreen mandate like a glove but there was a hitch. They had to have some real, cold hard cash participation from the city or from an organization that was on a par with the city.
 Michelle Bennett inspected a number of community gardens as she researched what might be possible back in 2012. Here she looks over a garden in the east end of the city. The two woman put together their application and got it off to Queen’s Park who got back to them saying they liked the idea but there was nothing about the city’s participation. Burlington Green people have no problem delegating to city hall. It didn’t go all that well during the first round. Both woman brought more enthusiasm than solid business case to the city council committee but they were on to something and that was enough for Council to ask staff to take a look at it and see if they could make something of it.
Three of the four people who made the Community Garden project happen: former General Manager Scott Stewart, BurlingtonGreen Executive Director Amy Schnurr and Rob Peachey, Manager Parks and Open Space for the city.
That put the BurlingtonGreen ladies into the hands of Rob Peachey, Manager Parks and Open Spaces, who found a way to come up with things the city could do that would amount to the 15% in cash or in kind the BurlingtonGreen people needed to get the provincial funding secured. A location was chosen that worked for everyone. It had a water line, it was steps away from the library where classes could be held, it was moments from the Seniors’ Centre where BurlingtonGreen hoped to entice some of the members.
 Michelle Bennett was given the Community Service award – Environment, for her efforts to make the hardens happen. From the left: Michelle Bennett Environment, Sam Kawazoye Community Service, Trevor Copp Arts , Mayor Goldring, Wendy Hager, Citizen of the Year, Dan Taylor Junior Citizen and Jim Frizzle, Senior of the year. The provincial funding was for a “teaching Pilot”; a program that would figure out the nuts and bolts of how to get a community garden up and running; what you had to do, what you shouldn’t do and where you go for help – that kind of thing.
This is one of those projects that came out of a community initiative and caught the imaginations of city council and was put into the hands of a city staffer who knew exactly what had to be done and got it done,
That first community garden led to three more.
Citizens can apply for a community garden plot for the 2017 growing season in one of the city’s four locations between Nov. 14 and 30, 2016.
They can go online at: www.burlington.ca/communitygardens
By Pepper Parr
November 1, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It is going to be a busy month for the bureaucrats at the J. M. Singleton Education Centre.
 The school board will be making presentations to parents at every high school in the city to explain what the Program Accommodation Review (PAR) is all about and what the Program Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) will be doing between December 1st and May of next year – when the school board expects to make a decision on which, if any, high schools are going to be closed.
The dates for the events at each high school are set out below.
Tuesday, November 1, 2016 Robert Bateman HS 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Tuesday, November 1, 2016 Nelson HS 7:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Thursday, November 3, 2016 Aldershot HS 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Thursday, November 3, 2016 Burlington Central HS 7:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Monday, November 14, 2016 Lester B. Pearson HS 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Monday, November 14, 2016 M.M. Robinson HS 7:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Tuesday, November 15, 2016 Dr. Frank J. Hayden SS 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
The meetings are going to be brisk and to the point – and there will not, we are advised be a Q&A session during the meeting.
The Gazette will cover some of these meetings are report back on what takes place.
By Pepper Parr
October 31, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Here is how a government gets out of an election promise>
Just say that you’ve come to the conclusion that what you promised isn’t something the people want – so let’s move on to the next promise.
On Thursday night, Minister of Democratic Institutions Maryam Monsef made some alarming statements to a packed house of Proportional Representation (PR) supporters at one of her final tour stops in Victoria:
 Minister of Democratic Institutions Maryam Monsef at a public meeting on election reform. “So I can’t promise you that I’ll be advocating for PR because I haven’t heard that from an overwhelming majority across the country.” The Minister added that: “People aren’t clamouring for change the way they were under the former government.”
“So I’m looking for that consensus – I haven’t seen it across the country and now I’m waiting on the committee. I can’t make you a promise. I’m very very sorry.”
Fair Vote Canada, an organization that is advocating for xxx said they have received reports from people who attended almost every single one of Minister Monsef’s tour stops from coast to coast. At most of the hundreds of town halls and events across Canada, Canadians calling for PR were the majority.
The vast majority of those who attended the Minister’s consultations this week in Victoria supported PR.
At the last electoral reform committee (ERRE) public mic in Ottawa this week, 84% of those with an opinion on voting systems spoke for PR. Of the minority who spoke in opposition, some were paid Conservative staffers.
Minister Monsef’s own report to ERRE on the 8 town halls she held in Peterborough-Kawartha stated:
“It is clear that there is an appetite for thoughtful change to the electoral system. While opinions on the various electoral systems did vary, most participants indicated their support for a more proportional electoral process that still respected the need for local representation and simplicity of the ballot.”
The Prime Minister and the Minister of Democratic Institutions have personally created a sense of hope in Canadians, building on their 2015 campaign promise of “Real Change”. Canadians believed them and believed that the government really did intend to keep its promises. They thought the political cynicism of the Harper years was behind us. Thousands of us participated in the government’s consultations in good faith.
But this week, the Minister is saying – while the ERRE MPs are in the process of negotiating a new electoral system – that we should not expect the government to keep it’s promise to make every vote count. This is serious. We must make ourselves heard now! This is our last chance to influence the 12 MPs whose report will guide the government.
 The fear is that an election promise might have just taken a walk off the platform stage. The Fair Vote organization is asking people to thank the members of ERRE for their work, ask them to deliver a recommendation for proportional representation and tell Justin Trudeau to keep his campaign promise!
They have set up a web site – more information there. Let’s see where this election promise goes.
 The hope in the minds of many Canadians was that there would be a change in the way members of Parliament were elected – a shift from the First Past the Post approach to something that reflected a little more fairly the wishes of the electorate as shown by the ballots cast. Back in June of 2015 when he was running for election as the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he wanted that “fall’s national vote to be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post electoral system.
And, if the Liberal leader becomes prime minister, it may also be the last election in which Canadians can choose not to vote, as well as the last in which the only way to vote is by marking an X on a paper ballot.
Changing the way Canadians vote is just one element of a sweeping, 32-point plan to “restore democracy in Canada.
There will apparently be a number of changes on how people get to cast their ballot – Elections Canada, the organization that runs federal elections is working on a collection of ideas – but they may not be in place for the next federal election.
At this point who cares – all eyes are on what is happening south of us. What a mess they’ve gotten themselves into – makes us appreciate what we do have.
By Staff
October 21st, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
She once got a shout out from the President of the United States when he was addressing the House of Commons – now she wants to get the make members of that same House out wearing high heels – pink high heels.
A number of weeks ago Burlington MP Karina Gould challenged the Speaker of the House to hold such an event – and somehow the challenge got taken up and on November 3rd Gould MP for Burlington will be hosting Hope in High Heels on Parliament Hill
 Men in Burlington have been doing their annual pink high heel thing to make a point – and they are getting that point across. Next Month Burlington’s MP hopes to get every male member of Parliament into a pair of high heels The Prime Minister will pull it off – watch for some wobbly ankles from some of the others. After participating in the Hope in High Heels walk organized by Halton Women’s Place in Burlington on September 24, MP Gould was inspired to bring the walk to Parliament Hill.
“The message is simple – we will not end violence against women and children, if boys and men are not included in the conversation and part of the solution,” said MP Gould in a statement in the House of Commons. “Having this event in Ottawa, encourages all Members of Parliament, Senators and their staff to show Canadians that we are united in this fight.”
Halton Women’s Place has organized Hope in High Heels in Halton for the past seven years to help raise funds for their women’s shelter in the Halton region and to raise awareness of this ongoing issue. Halton Women’s Place will travel to Ottawa with their hot pink heels in tow, for all male parliamentarians looking to participate.
 There is a strong message behind those pink high heels – “real men don’t hit woman” The Halton woman’s Place houses a number of women who have been hit by men. “Halton Women’s Place is thrilled to bring Hope in High Heels to Ottawa,” said Diane Beaulieu, Executive Director, Halton Women’s Place. “We are proud of our relationship with MP Karina Gould who continues to advocate for women’s issues, especially women’s shelters. This initiative shows our clients that our community supports them in their decisions to start a new life free of violence. We look forward to working together with our local, provincial and federal government on making change for abused women and their children.”
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said, “Together, we can create a Canada and a world where all citizens are respected, valued equally, and safe from violence.”
 By Pepper Parr
October 31st, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The 2016 Hamilton Burlington Junior League Annual Holiday House Tour has three location; two in Burlington and a third in Ancaster.
Every year, generous homeowners loan their homes to the Junior League of Hamilton-Burlington (JLHB) and talented design professionals transform them to showcase stunning holiday décor and entertainment ideas.
“Often it’s the little things. Everyone can find ideas for their own home, while on the tour.” says Dianne Brown, co-chair of the 2016 House Tour Committee.
The event is the JLHB’s signature fundraiser that generates the financial resources to help the charitable organisation, now in its 80th year, continue to make a lasting impact in the Hamilton-Burlington community.
 The Ancaster home house rep team, from the left: Kathy, Karyn, Sarai and Roseanne. The committee making this happen is made up of Diane Brown and Iris Hughes who are supported by teams of House reps who oversee the coordination of the designers who are going to make the home look and feel festive.
The Ancaster home is a 3,200 sq. ft. – four bedroom, four bathrooms house that has undergone a significant renovation.
The biggest challenge in decorating the 10-year old Ancaster home was finding the right decorators. The house had just undergone an extensive renovation, and been completely redesigned.
It now has a very fresh and youthful, yet classic appearance.
This house has a stunning conservatory which hosts a beautiful grand piano. The room is majestic, elegant, and serene. Perfect for reading and relaxing while listening to lovely music.
The open concept plan across the back of the main floor boasts a beautiful kitchen and dining room with large two story high ceiling family room to the left.
Expansive windows across the back take full advantage of the spacious backyard views. The oversized dining table is a focal, point for large family gatherings.
House Reps, serve in an advisory role with the decorators, helping them to coordinate with each other.
 The House Tour is a great way to pick up some ideas for holiday decorating – and those holiday aren’t that far off are they? The event hours for this the 34th Annual House Tour are: 10:00 am to 9:00 pm on Friday, 10:00 to 4:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Tickets are available on-line – cost $25 for the three house tour
The Junior League is looking for people who would like to serve as volunteers for some of the three hours shifts at the different house tour locations. This is an opportunity to learn more about the Junior League – sort of a toe in the water approach.
If you think you can help please email Annette at housetours@juniorleague.ca
By Staff
October 29th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
There is time during each day that Member of Parliament get to say something about their community.
Last week Karina Gould rose in the House to tell her 338 colleagues about a remarkable young man named Griffin Gervais. Gould said:
Madam Speaker, on October 15, I had the opportunity to celebrate one young boy’s determination in revitalizing an important space in his community.
 Griffin Gervais with his parents Eleven-year-old Griffin Gervais was disappointed that his baseball diamond at Lakeshore Public School was in rough shape and not scheduled for an update. Rather than just accept the fact, Griffin decided he would lead the effort to repair the diamond.
Starting last January, Griffin with the help of his family, classmates, his community, and the city of Burlington’s neighbourhood community matching fund, raised a total of $12,000. Today, with two updated benches, new chain-link fencing, and a freshly mowed field, the Lakeshore Public School baseball diamond now looks better than ever.
 A smartly laid out baseball diamond behind Lakeshore Public school. Griffin’s story is one that is truly inspiring and shows that individuals can make a impact on their community if they set their mind to it. I thank Griffin for all of his hard work. I was proud to attend the grand opening and to see him throw the first pitch on the field.
 Burlington MP Karina Gould throwing the opening pitch at a Burlington Bandits baseball game. Gould by the way is no slouch on the baseball diamond either. She got it right across the plate – which is more than can be said when the Mayor was asked to throw that opening pitch.
 By Ray Rivers
October 29th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
“… we live in a world where we make our own future and the role of government is to facilitate each of us in being the best we can be.”
 Former Prime Minister Kim Campbell – she chose to tell the public what the real issues were – and they booted her out of office. Kim Campbell, shortly after becoming Canada’s first female PM in 1993, announced that it was unlikely the deficit or unemployment would be much reduced before the end of the century. That statement was the first shovel of dirt from the grave she was digging for herself and her party – taking it from its highest poll numbers in decades to a miserable two seats in Parliament. Eventually that election marked the sunset of the Progressive Conservative party.
Canada’s finance minister Bill Morneau, recently told an assembly of Liberal party faithful that high labour turnover and short-term employment contracts are here to stay, and the government should prepare for it. Of course the opposition parties have jumped on that statement as being out of touch with today’s youth, much as Campbell’s comment was out of touch with everyday Canadians hoping to make their lives better.
 You chop here and you chop there – and before you know it that square peg will fit into that round hole. It’s true that the big corporations and the broader public service (including health and education) are the historical providers of that proverbial job for life. Yet today big business makes up only 0.1 percent of all Canadian businesses and they employ only 10 percent of Canada’s non-government sector workforce. We are a nation of small and medium companies, counting some 10 million employees, by contrast. And indeed these enterprises are fraught with volatility, some closing down as quickly as others start up – literally in the thousands every year. So there should be nothing too shocking in what the Finance Minister had to say – it is reality.
Except that judging from the public reaction, we don’t think it is acceptable that today’s high school, college or university graduate should go on to live their lives under the shadow of job insecurity. That is unless they join the broader public service or are one of the lucky one million to land a career in banking, insurance, oil, and auto manufacturing. Otherwise one will have to find employment or create a business opportunity in a small to medium sized business. And that means minimal benefits, and even rarer, a company pension.
And when it comes to pensions, no one knows more than Mr. Morneau, who used to be part of the largest administrator of defined benefit plans (fixed pension) in Canada. And he is also, de facto, the author of the newly augmented Canada Pension Plan (CPP). Eligible benefits under the new plan will bring the CPP up to a third of one’s former salary. And Morneau understands that the day of company defined benefit pensions are numbered and that the CPP will be expected to play even a greater role in our lives.
 And this is what might be left when all is said and done. Morneau talked about the need for government to support training and retraining programs. But didn’t mention the need to reform the current EI program. If steady employment for most Canadians is a thing of the past, isn’t it time to send the old complicated EI into the dustbin of history, and to replace it with a national guaranteed annual income? An economy where people make their career choices based on maximizing their potential rather than economic desperation can only lead to greater productivity.
Kim Campbell was just trying to be honest and frank with Canadians when she told them to suck it up. But she underestimated Canadians ability to do better, looking into the distance using her reading glasses. Indeed the Chretien government slew both the deficit and high unemployment beyond her expectations. And she paid a big price and learned a big lesson for speaking her mind.
Kim Campbell has, in fact, lived the kind of career that Morneau could have been talking about. University lecturer, politician, diplomat, lawyer and writer, lawyer, diplomat and more. In addition to being Canada’s first female PM, she was the first from B.C., and the first baby boomer to take that office. And if we remember her for nothing else it should be how she effectively brought an end to the endless debate on abortion in this country, something our American neighbours must envy.
She has appeared on talk shows (Bill Maher), sounding more like a Liberal than from the party on the right which rose from the ashes of her failed election campaign. And indeed, the Trudeau government made her the chairperson for the new Supreme Court Advisory Board, leading the transparent process which has just seen our latest appointment to the highest bench in the land.
Not everybody will be fortunate enough to have that kind of resume when they hit 70, which Campbell will be doing next year. But we live in a world where we make our own future and the role of government is to facilitate each of us in being the best we can be.
So yes, Mr. Morneau, it’s federal support for training and education. But it’s also additional tax reform to favour the middle class. And if we are really serious, about this issue, it’s time to implement Canada’s first guaranteed annual income. Then those young people protesting their lot in life will have only themselves to blame.
Ray Rivers is an economist and author who writes weekly on federal and provincial issues, applying his 25 years of involvement with federal and provincial ministries. Rivers’ involvement in city matters led to his appointment as founding chair of Burlington’s Sustainable Development Committee. He was also a candidate in a past provincial election
Background links:
Kim Campbell – Canadian Business –
Chinese Investments –
Morneau –
More Morneau –
Morneau on Pensions –
Millenials –
Trudeau Heckled –
Trudeau Protests –
Guaranteed Annual Income –
 By Pepper Parr
October 28, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington parents with students in Central high and Lester B. Pearson high school are scrambling. The Halton District School Board (HDSB) put a series of recommendations before the trustees earlier this month that could result in the closing of the two high schools.
The Board of education is driven by provincial funding rules that require them to do a Program Accommodation Review (PAR) if the percentage of the seats available in a school that are being used falls below 65%
Central high and Pearson are at that level.
 Hayden High school, Burlington’s newest built as part of a complex that includes a Recreational Centre and a public library with a skate park across the street is at 115% capacity and already has portables in the parking lot. The Board situation is complicated in that the three year old Hayden high school is at 115% capacity.
Director of Education Stuart Miller explained to the trustees that the city has one and a half too many high schools – and that they are south of the QEW where the student population is falling.
The process of closing a school requires that a Program Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) be formed and that the trustees listen to what that committee recommends before making a decision.
The PARC process is to be completed by May of 2017. That is a tight timeline.
There are people in the academic world who think the province is forcing the school boards to do this the wrong way – and that opting for larger school rather than smaller school is bad pedagogy.
Schools play a central role in their communities. They are essential to economic development and they make communities more attractive to new- comers. Businesses are more likely to move to communities with schools, and families will not move to communities without schools. When a community loses its school, it loses its viability.
Extensive research over the last decade shows that small schools make excellent learning environments for students, and that, despite economies of scale, they are often cost effective because of their higher graduation rates.
Creative and proactive strategies must be developed now to recognise the value of small schools and to ensure their viability and that of their communities.
Bill Irwin of Huron University College and Mark Seasons at the University of Waterloo school of Planning argue that the push to close school doors seems to be an economic exercise, overlooking educational and community needs. Irwin is a professor of Economics and Management and Organizational Studies at Huron.
Together they have launched a website: env-blogs.uwaterloo.ca/schoolclosures/ offering a research-based platform to guide discussion about school closures.
“We believe,” the website states, “that the theory and best practices of both urban planning and public participation are good foundations from which to ameliorate the school closure process, and ultimately lead to a more effective and equitable outcome for those involved.”
The website is one of the outcomes of a 2013-14 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Development Grant.
“We’re looking at the whole issue surrounding school closures, in terms of several touchstones – as a public policy issue, and how policy is developed and delivered; as a public participation issue and the relationship between institutions and communities; and the implications of closures in terms of impacts on financial, social and human capital,” Irwin explained.
There are a number of factors driving this school closing trend.
• The last of the baby-boom generation’s children (who have created an enrollment swell since the 1970s) are now completing their secondary education.
• Ontario’s secondary school curriculum was reduced from five years to four years resulting in the loss of a whole grade of students.
• With the growing industrialization of agriculture, the loss of Ontario’s family farms has added to the exodus from rural areas.
 Terry Ruff, a former Central his school principal explained to parents how a possible closure was avoided when he was principal in 2000. “The research into the subject of school closures is grounded in developing and implementing a better decision making process with regards to accommodation review. To complement this, the researchers are concentrating on three areas of focus; public participation, urban planning, and the accommodation review process itself. We believe that the theory and best practices of both urban planning and public participation are good foundations from which to ameliorate the school closure process, and ultimately lead to a more effective and equitable outcome for those involved.
 The Simms building, directly across the street from city hall is a number of city departments – Legal and Human Resources. Might they take up some of the spare space at Central ? “One of the key components to realizing this objective is the ability to achieve an increased awareness of this issue, and to encourage an informed discussion between government officials, policy makers, school board administrators, and civic leaders alike. To support this, the researchers have provided material that they believe will enable a wide range of stakeholders to become better informed about the various guiding aspects of accommodation review and school closures.”
A major problem the closing of a school stumbles upon is that planning is a municipal function – and in Burlington the Board of Education and city hall tend not to work very closely together; the two don’t have an organizational structure they can meet on as equals.
The last time there was an educational issue that involved the city was when the Charles Beaudoin School wanted to add more portables – but in order to do so they had to get permits from the city.
The parents at the school didn’t want more in the way of portables so they pressured the city not to give the Board of Education what they said they needed.
The school board eventually got permission to install additional portables – just not as many as they needed.
“There is documentation that will enable others to become better informed about some of the more subtle elements and underlying causations that have led school closures to become such a highly contentious and polarizing experience.
 The parents at Central high are well organized – Pearson is trying to catch up. “School closure decision making process have been framed by policy makers in Ontario, through the accommodation review process (ARCs) (2006), as exercised in public participation. Critics of ARCs have decried the process being more of a subterfuge than a genuine attempt of joint institutional-community review. At its core, the research is a quest to better understand the relationship between institutions of education, in Ontario represented by the provincial Ministry of Education and local school boards, and the community.
“Furthering this understanding will require addressing the question: How do people view the concrete and practical application of school closure policy in their community? Critics of the current ARC process in Ontario have stated that the provincial government appears to ne be making use of school boards to regulate the citizenry to their own end, applying the version of the Foucauldain (a form of discourse analysis, focusing on power relationships in society as expressed through language and practices) notion of governmentality.
“The questions are: How does the community view the consequences of school closings, especially as the closing occur in local settings? How does (or do) the end results of school closings reflect what community members’ desire? or the process of review?
“The research starts with the premise that ‘true public participation’ in any policy decision rests not only with the institution listening to the community; the institution needs also to consciously include the community insights into the final outcome. Therefore institutional context and motive plays a pivotal role in determining a group or individual’s capacity to make informed choices, and then transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes. Capturing that institutional context and motivation as it relates to public participation, actual and perceived, is a major focus of the research.”
Bill Irwin explains: “When I started my research – my thesis (in 2012) was on school closures – no one else had looked at this issue since the policy had come forward in 2005,” he continued, adding if the province was closing smaller community schools as a fiscal savings measure, there was no tracking of those savings. More importantly, there was no review of community costs.
“How does a closure impact students as learners? We don’t know if this is impacting students’ ability to learn or their marks. This happens in young people’s lives at the same time they’re going through emotional, physical changes. There are so many unanswered questions in this,” Irwin continued.
“The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing is spending resources on rebuilding houses, while the Ministry of Education is supporting closures of community schools. We want to rebuild our inner cities, yet we want to shut down schools in their communities,” Irwin said.
“We’re taking schools from poor neighbourhoods and putting them in affluent neighbourhoods. It’s a reverse Robin Hood situation.”
“What’s more, current policies surrounding school closures ignore previous research that shows smaller schools have a great impact within their communities.
“In the 1960s, 70s and 80s, robust research literature was done on the benefits of small schools as learning environments, as having long term benefits to students. That literature has been totally ignored in this whole process,” Irwin said.
“All of us realize there will be a provincial election this year. This should be part of the discussion. How we treat our schools has a tremendous impact long-term on the social fabric of our communities,” Irwin said.
• The number of small elementary schools with full-time principals has dropped by 15%, twice the rate of the drop in all elementary schools in the province.
• The number of small elementary schools with a teacher-librarian (full- or part-time) has declined by 53% compared to a 30% decline in all elementary schools.
• Just 20% of small elementary schools have access to a physical educa- tion teacher, compared to 51% of larger elementary schools.*
• Only 25% of small elementary schools have access to specialist music teachers, compared to 61% of larger elementary schools.
• All larger secondary schools have libraries that are open full-time, but 21% of small secondary schools had libraries open only part-time.
 The Alton public school is scheduled to have a second floor added – the school hasn’t been open three years. Three quarters of Ontario’s small elementary schools and 83% of small high schools report that their schools are used by the community after school hours for everything from sporting events to ratepayers’ meetings.
Ontario’s drive to build larger schools is solely a response to an education funding formula geared to larger schools – it is an economic decision rather than a pedagogical one.
The HDSB recently approved taking on commercial enterprises that could use some of the space; meetings were held but nothing has come of this kind of opportunity so far.
The city of Burlington has been renting space in the Sims Building directly across from city hall for years. There is a consultant’s report in a filing cabinet gathering dust that sets out what the city is going to need in terms of office space and what is currently has – that report has not been released to the public yet.
After years of stopgap solutions, it is time to reverse the trend and recognize that closing a school is not simply an educational issue, it has major social and demographic repercussions as well.
The researchers declare that “we must recognize the reality of declining enrollment in Ontario, and come up with new and proactive solutions to maintain the viability of small schools and communities. It is time to develop creative ways to keep the school buildings vital and expand their role as the hub of their communities. We can take cues from other places: English small schools are inviting postal sub-stations to occupy a part of their buildings; Newfoundland has community schools that have on-site social service agencies, community radio stations, and seniors’ programs. It is possible to modify school buildings slightly so that they can function as community centres as well, and, if provided with adequate funding, day care centres enhance schools and act as a draw for young parents.”
 Expect to see a lot more evening with rooms packed with parents as the |Board of Education begins a series of meeting to explain the PAR process. There will not be a Q&A session at any of these meetings. Somewhere in the research there is mention of adjusting transportation guidelines and funding to ensure that no student spends more than 1½ hours per day on the school bus. That amount of time suggests students in Burlington are being prepped for commutes on the QEW,
The battle in front of the parents right now is the very real threat to two of the city’s high schools – there might be a higher level discussion these parents can put in front of the trustees and that is – what size of schools do we want and can we slow things down a bit and take the time needed to get this right the first time.
This article draws heavily on the work of Bill Irwin at Huron University College and Mark Seasons at the University of Waterloo.
 By Staff
October 27, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
The Region of Halton council is going to grow by three members – none of those new members will come from Burlington.
Milton will get two more members and Oakville will get a single additional member.
Burlington and Halton Hills will remain as they are with 7 members from Burlington and xx members from Halton Hills.
 Regional Council will grow by three additional members. What this means is that Burlington’s influence at the Regional level will fade – not that it has ever been that strong at any point in the recent past.
Burlington’s representation seldom votes as a block – each Council member tends to go their own way with their own views as to what is best for Burlington.
Members of Burlington’s city council earn half of their approximately $125,000 (give or take a bit) from the Regional government and the other half from the city of Burlington.
On June 13, 2016 an Ontario Regulation (196/16) was enacted to permit Halton Region to increase the size and composition of Regional Council by adding two Councillors from the Town of Milton and one Councillor from the Town of Oakville.
In accordance with the Municipal Act, Halton held the required public meeting on September 7, 2016. No submissions or comments regarding the by-law were received. Regional Council passed the required by-law on September 14, 2016.
The by-law is not valid until the following conditions have been met:
• A majority of all votes on Regional Council must be cast in favour (achieved);
• A majority of the lower tier Councils must pass resolutions consenting to the by-law; and
• The total number of electors in the lower tier municipalities that have passed resolutions consenting to the by-law must form a majority of all electors in the Region.
This item didn’t get any discussion at the Burlington City Council meeting October 10th
.
 By Pepper Parr
October 28th, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
The developer of the application for the proposed 26-storey condominium at 374 and 380 Martha St., Adi Development Group, has requested, through its legal counsel, that the City of Burlington participate with Adi in an Ontario Municipal Board-led mediation process in an effort address the city’s issues with the revised development applications in advance of the scheduled hearing on Feb. 21, 2017.
 Most recent architectural rendering of the Nautique development planned for the intersection of Martha Street and Lakeshore Road. The city is prepared to engage with Adi in an OMB-led mediation. The mediation is not binding.
Mediation calls for an open, honest and respectful exchange of views – difficult to see that happening when Adi president Tariq Adi is reported to have said the Mayor’s comments were “laughable”.
Mediation is not normal in Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) hearings. Recall that these hearings were asked for by Adi when the city did not respond to their Official Plan and by law change request that were part of the application they made back in 2015.
When the city and Adi eventually got in front of an OMB officer ADI asked for an adjournment because they had acquired an additional piece of land which they argued at the time would allow them to come back with a revised plan.
Which they did – that revised plan added 48 units to the development proposal – it at the same time lopped two floors off the structure – from 28 down to 26.
Adi is spending a significant amount on advertising and marketing the development – one could venture a guess that they are so far extended on this development that they have to find a way to recover their losses.
Mediation would be interesting – unfortunately those sessions will be behind closed doors – will the city fold on this when the public can’t see what they are negotiating?
The city’s Planning department spend days “negotiating” with Adi – it went nowhere.
Should the OMB officer go along with mediation – what that does is give Adi another tool with which to beat down the city should the mediator find that some of the Adi suggestions had merit but the city found it was more than they wanted to go along with.
Better methinks to have everything done before the OMB hearing which is public.
 Councillor Jack Dennison We know where Councillor Dennis stands on this one. He likes the 19 storeys at Lakeshore and Torrance. The Mayor is prepared to mediate – with a guy that says his position is laughable.
“I support mediation because I believe it gives the city an opportunity to influence a positive outcome for this development. We do not know if mediation will be successful, but it is worth attempting before we proceed to the hearing. I continue to seek a development proposal for this site that is respectful of the surrounding area and streets, and integrates well with the existing and planned context of the area.”
 Adi brothers Saud and Tariq Naïve would have been a more appropriate word.
Adi has been jerking the city around for the past couple of years. They took this to the OMB – let it get resolved at that level.
Salt with Pepper is an opinion column.
Pretty sure this is a first for high school students – a letter from the Director of Education explaining the possibility that their high school might close. Interesting decision.
October 27, 2016
Open letter to all Burlington high school students
Dear Students,
As you have no doubt heard, the Board of Trustees of the Halton District School Board voted last week to begin a process to look at student accommodation issues in our Burlington high schools. The process is called a Program Accommodation Review or PAR. I am writing to explain a bit about this process, but more importantly, to let you know that your input will be important in this process.
 Why do we need a “PAR” process?
The Halton District School Board has initiated the Program Accommodation Review because we have schools with declining enrollment. As the Director of Education, I have a responsibility to provide excellent programs and environments for learning. I need to ensure all secondary school students in our Board have access to the best possible education we can deliver.
According to the Board’s Program Accommodation Review policy, the Director’s Preliminary Report must include a staff recommended option. This recommendation is not a final decision, but a starting point for consultation in this PAR. Staff has recommended Option 19 which proposes various boundary and program changes across Burlington secondary schools, as well as the closure of Lester B. Pearson High School and Burlington Central High School.
The PAR process will begin in November with information sessions held at each Burlington high school. You are welcome to attend these sessions and learn more about this process and help you formulate your own opinions. These evening meetings are on November 1, 3, 14 and 15. Refer to the HDSB website at www.hdsb.ca for more details. If you are unable to attend, the presentation will be posted on the Board’s website.
On November 21 at 7 p.m., Board staff will join me in hosting a live online question and answer session. Log on at www.hdsb.ca . Your questions are most welcome.
The Board of Trustees will make their decision in May 2017; however the earliest date that any changes could take place is September 2018.
As high school students your opinion is valued. The decisions made by the PAR committee will profoundly impact your school experience and those who follow you. In the New Year, the PAR committee will gather feedback from Burlington high school students. We want to hear your voice!
As a parent and educator I understand many of you are deeply loyal to your school, your teachers, and the school traditions that have developed over many years.
 However, as the Director of Education, I need to ensure all Burlington high school students have equitable access to programs that allow them to explore and enhance their true potential. The PAR process will look at this issue and investigate various options to address the challenge that many Burlington high school students are experiencing.
I encourage you to stay informed and engaged in the PAR process. We will keep you informed through ongoing information posted on our website at www.hdsb.ca
We will provide more details about how you can share your input in the New Year.
Sincerely,
Stuart Miller, Director of Education, Halton District School Board
By Staff
October 27th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Thus is one of those event you want to order your ticket for now – they do go quickly.
The Art Gallery has been putting on this event for 20 years – this is the 20th anniversary of an event that has become a favourite fall fundraising event!
 Hundreds of hand made bowls await the guests who take part in the annual Soup Bowl lunch at the Art Gallery The event brings together hundreds of people to select a handmade ceramic bowl and pair it with a gourmet soup from a local restaurant, all for a great cause. Last year we welcomed 900 guests and raised over $30,000
 The set up is very tastefully done – the room sparkles. They do up the space nicely for a lunch that is a bowl of soup.
The funds raised support children’s programming, including Open Studio (a free drop in art centre for kids), diversified program offerings, and financial assistance for youth.
Thursday Nov 24 Lunch – 12pm
Very limited tickets available – call us at 905-632-7796 to purchase
Friday Nov 25 Lunch – 12pm
Very limited tickets available – call us at 905-632-7796 to purchase
Saturday Nov 26 Lunch – 12pm
Individual Tickets: $40 AGB Member, $50 Non-member
Tables of 8: $300 AGB Member, $375 Non-Member
Sunday Nov 27 Lunch – 12pm
Individual Tickets: $40 AGB Member, $50 Non-Member
Tables of 8: $300 AGB Member, $375 Non-Member
 By Pepper Parr
October 27, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
This is really a Georgetown story – but there is a lesson for all of us in this one. We are expected to take care of each other.
On October 5th, 2016 Halton Region Paramedic Services were summoned to a Georgetown address by Community Care and Access Centre staff to assess a 91 year old female client requiring medical assistance. The female patient was subsequently transported to Georgetown Hospital.
It was determined that the victim was suffering from the ill effects of not receiving proper care. She was malnourished, weak, unkempt and had been residing in soiled linens and clothing. Halton Regional Police Services were contacted and the One District Criminal Investigations Bureau conducted an investigation.
As a result, on October 25th, 2016 a 63 year old man from Georgetown was arrested and charged with failing to provide the necessities of life.
 “The elderly victim was found living in deplorable conditions. This was an excellent example of team work and collaboration between the internal resources of the police service and external partners. The Halton Regional Police Community Mobilization Bureau and Criminal Investigations Bureau, Seniors Liaison Team along with Halton Paramedic Services and the Community Care Access Centre worked together in bringing this investigation to a successful conclusion,” said Detective Sergeant Dave Costantini. “More importantly, because of this collaboration a vulnerable member of our community has been rescued from unthinkable conditions and I am happy to report she is expected to make a full recovery.”
Section 215 of the Criminal Code of Canada says it is an offence if an individual fails to provide necessaries of life to a person under his or her charge. Specifically subsection (C)(i) states, “if that person is unable, by reason of detention, age, illness, mental disorder or other cause, to withdraw himself from that charge.”
Detective Sergeant Costantini summarized; “This means it is a criminal offence if you do not provide the necessary care to someone that is in your care and that cannot leave your care due to their age, illness or other cause. The necessaries of life refer to those things necessary to preserve life, such as food, shelter, medical attention and protection from harm.”
Anyone who may have information that would assist investigators in this case are encouraged to contact D/C Sarah McCullagh – Seniors Liaison Investigator at 905-78-5511 ext: 2419 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
 By Pepper Parr
October 27, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
 A safe, secure, confidential place to call with information that will keep our streets safe. Everyone knows what Crime Stoppers is – we see their logo and sort of understand what they do. But has anyone told you the amazing story about how the organization got started – and the fundamental principle behind what Crime Stoppers is all about?
Greg MacAleese, who had just become a detective with the Albuquerque Police Department’s (APD) violent crimes unit, sat down during one of his shifts and started typing up some of his random thoughts. “I started focusing on why we have so much unsolved crime,” he said. “I realized it’s citizens who control the crime rate in any city. We don’t. We just react to it and most crime is solved with their help.”
Think about that – it is the citizens who control the crime rate – the police use the information they get to react to a crime.
MacAleese said eventually he wrote something along the lines of “Why don’t people come forward with information they have about crimes?”
The next logical question, he said, was how we get people to help us solve more crimes.
“They were afraid of retaliation or becoming a target of that criminal,” he said. “I thought if we allow them to remain anonymous they could tell us what they knew.”
 Fingerprinting, DNA and Crime Stoppers are descried as the three most useful tools police have going for them. And so was the beginning of Crime Stoppers, which now exists in every major city in the United States, Canada and countless countries around the world.
 Greg MacAleese, Jerold McGlothin, Myrle Carner and Cal Millar at 40th Crime Stoppers anniversary banquet in Albuquerque. MacAleese recently published a book, co-written by Cal Millar, a former reporter and founding member of Toronto Crime Stoppers and a well know Burlington resident.
“Crime Stoppers: The Inside Story,” celebrates the 40th anniversary of the program by exploring crimes APD solved with Crime Stopper tips. The book is available on Amazon.
The program has become an irreplaceable tool in solving crimes for law enforcement officers and according to the book, a major crime is solved every 14 minutes because of Crime Stoppers tips. Police have recovered $2 billion in stolen property, seized $10 billion worth of drugs, and made more than a million arrests.
MacAleese realized there was a lot of apathy and said: “I knew money talked out on the street so I wanted to include a reward.”
An independent board of citizens was created to raise money for the rewards. MacAleese said initially he received some resistance from the APD with one of his superiors questioning why people should be paid to do their civic duty.
“I told him ‘You have a point,’” he said. ”But the fact is they aren’t.’”
The third and final component of the program, he said, was partnering with local newspapers and television stations to pass along information about unsolved crimes to the public.
Jim Busse was a Captain with APD when MacAleese started floating around the idea of the program. He said Albuquerque was still a “sleepy little town” in many ways but had its share of big-city crime. He said there was some cynicism about the program but that all disappeared when crimes started getting solved.
The idea took off very quickly,” he said. “Not everybody believed it would work. We had seen many programs come and go only to be reinstated with a new administration.”
A crime in July 1976 would give MacAleese the opportunity to launch his program and test its merit. Michael Carmen was a 20-year-old college student working at a gas station in the Southeast Heights in the early morning hours of July 25.
 Michael Carmen, a 20-year-old college student was murdered – that crime was the first crime to be solved through a Crime Stoppers tip. Armed robbers shot Carmen at close range with a .12-gauge shotgun. MacAleese believed they were worried that Carmen could identify them so he was killed to be eliminated as a witness.
Initially the police had no leads. The department put together a re-enactment of the crime that KOAT television broadcast on Sept. 8, 1976. The clip included a hotline number with a promise that all tipsters would stay anonymous.
“The phone started ringing immediately,” he said. “The second call was about a gang rape that happened a month before that we hadn’t been able to solve.”
The caller turned out to be a relative of one of the offenders and the information he gave led to the arrest of the three assailants, who had offered the young woman a ride after her car broke down in Downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The sixth call, MacAleese said, broke open the Carmen case. A man who happened to live in the area said he recognized the car used in the crime and it belonged to a man in the neighborhood. MacAleese asked him to call back with an address.
A few hours later he did and after some surveillance police arrested Thomas Charles Boone and Lawrence Edward Tate. Boone was acquitted but Tate was found guilty and sentenced to prison for killing Carmen.
MacAleese, 69, now lives in the Cagayan de Oro in the Philippines, where he is an associate pastor. A widower, he traveled there years ago and met the woman who would become his second wife. They have two sons, 5 and 7 years old.
“What happened when my wife told me she was pregnant is that I realized it was a tremendous blessing,” he said. “I made a deal with God, even though that’s not what you are supposed to do, and I said ‘If you provide me with a healthy baby, I’m yours.’”
His first son was healthy and MacAleese dedicated himself to helping others by becoming a pastor.
APD, he said, solved almost 300 crimes the first year with the help of Crime Stoppers tipsters. Word spread and other police departments across the state and the country started establishing similar programs.
“You know we had success instantly,” he said. “They (other officers) would joke about my Crime Stoppers program but after that first broadcast, the guys started coming forward to me with their unsolved cases.”
 Cal Millar wrote a book of his own about Crime Stoppers. He has been very active with the organization in Halton Region. The Halton Chapter of Crime Stoppers gets about 100 tips each month. Of those, 20 are instrumental in solving local crime.
MacAleese was right: it is the citizens who control the crime rate – the police work with what they get from the people they are there to protect.
Cal Millar is part of that group that keeps the Crime Stoppers concept alive – because it works.
By Staff
October 26, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Do you remember the day you first went to school? It was certainly a different time – we live in a different world.
To start with there are no longer rows of desks.
The Halton District School Board wants to make that transition as smooth as possible. In November and December, future students and their parents/guardians are invited to attend one of five Kindergarten Open Houses to learn more about starting school.
 The years in school will probably be longer than the time they spend in any one job. Drop by any one of the following open houses between 6:30 to 7:30 pm.
Georgetown:
Thursday, Nov. 3 – Ethel Gardiner Public School (14365 Danby Road)
Burlington:
Thursday, Nov. 10 – Bruce T. Lindley Public School (2510 Cavendish Dr.)
Milton:
Thursday, Nov. 17 – Tiger Jeet Singh Public School (650 Yates Dr)
Acton:
Tuesday, Nov. 22 – Robert Little Public School (41 School Ln)
Oakville:
Thursday, Dec. 1 – West Oak Public School (2071 Fourth Line)
At the Open House, students and parents will:
• Explore a Kindergarten classroom
• Learn about play-based learning
• Pick up information and resource material in a free backpack
• Access information about community agencies and resources in Halton
• Get information about before and after school care
• Connect with special education staff to discuss any developmental concerns
Children born in 2013 can start Kindergarten in September 2017.
Registration for Kindergarten begins in January 2017 and takes place at the school your child will attend.
View our video to see what you will learn about the Board’s Kindergarten program.
 By Staff
October 25th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
They are known as the Invasive Shrub Removal Volunteers Thy have been gathering every Saturday since mid-October at the Nature Interpretive Centre on the north side of Cootes Paradise, RBG Arboretum 16 Old Guelph Road, Hamilton ON.
There efforts come to an end November 19th, 2016, 9am to 1pm. RBG staff will provide you with a parking pass for the day*
 Royal Botanical Gardens’ Nature Sanctuaries protect over 900 hectares of woodlands and wetlands. They are an important stopover for migratory birds and a biodiversity hotspot. The health and sustainability of our Nature Sanctuaries is being threatened by non-native, invasive species.
YOU can help RBG’s Natural Lands staff preserve biodiversity by participating in our invasive species removal volunteer events. Volunteers will protect our important interior forest ecosystems by extracting and destroying non-native invasive shrubs.
Remember – Dress for the weather and be prepared to get dirty. Please wear closed toed shoes, and bring a portable lunch and water bottle. The RBG will provide water, apple cider, snacks and all of the equipment and training required.
NOTE: Volunteers under the age of 18 must have a parent/guardian sign a volunteer waiver
To RSVP please visit the link to the RBG website below or call 905-527-1158 x257
Cancelations due to inclement weather will be posted on RBG’s Facebook page and tweeted (@RBGCanada).
 By Staff
October 25, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Hurd Avenue will be closed at Birch Avenue on Wednesday, Oct. 26
7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The intersection will be closed to install a new sanitary sewer.
By Staff
October 25, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a quickie – took less than ten minutes that included a recorded vote.
City Council voted for the recommendation that came out of the Development and Infrastructure Standing Committee to not Approve the revised application the ADI Development Group put before the city last June.
This was the final step the city is able to take now that the matter is fully in the hands of the Ontario Municipal Board.
 Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward said the proposed ADI Development group plans for the intersection of Martha Street and Lakeshore Road was over-development of the property and should not be permitted. The only person to speak to the motion was Councillor Marianne Meed Ward who said the proposal was an over-development of the site. She added that something would be built on the property but that “this wasn’t it”.
Councillors Sharman and Dennison did not attend the council meeting.
Whatever gets built on the property at the intersection of Martha Street and Lakeshore Road is now in the hands of the Ontario Municipal Board.
That Board is scheduled to meet on Thursday and Friday of this week for a pre-meeting that will clarify just what is going to be heard at the hearing scheduled for February of 2017
 Mayor Rick Goldring during the Monday Special Council meeting. The motion voted on yesterday was to endorse the staff recommendation to oppose amendments to the Official Plan and Zoning By-law that would be required to permit the revised development proposal as outlined in this report for 374 and 380 Martha Street; and
Direct the City Solicitor and Director of Planning and Building to confirm Council’s opposition to the revised development proposal at the Ontario Municipal Board hearing in this matter.
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