Brenda Hunter named citizen of the year for 2015

News 100 blueBy Staff

May 11, 2016

BURLINGTON. ON

Twenty of the city’s best were nominated and seven of those were named as the best we have at the annual Burlington’s Best Awards ceremony on May 11, 2016.
Six of the 20 came from ward 6.

“All nominees have shown passion, dedication and caring for their fellow residents and their city,” said Mayor Rick Goldring. “They have a ripple effect of kindness and compassion that is inspiring. I applaud the Burlington’s Best Awards Committee for managing the difficult task of picking only one winner in each category.”

The Burlington’s Best categories include:

• Heritage Award
• Community Service Award
• Environmental Award
• Arts Person of the Year
• Junior Citizen of the Year
• Senior Person of the Year
• Citizen of the Year

Heritage Award
This award is sponsored by Heritage Burlington, a City of Burlington citizen advisory committee comprised of 14 volunteers with a mandate to provide advice to City Council on issues related to the conservation of Burlington’s cultural heritage.

The award goes to an individual who has demonstrated a long-term commitment to the preservation of Burlington’s heritage, and has volunteered his or her time to support the preservation of Burlington’s heritage.

Winner: Winifred Stewart

Stewart has been a leader and supporter of heritage and culture in Burlington for more than 40 years. At Joseph Brant Museum, she has documented collection pieces, provided tours to young and old and has worked tirelessly to ensure future generations will continue to learn about the early settlement and development of Burlington and the important relationship with First Nations through Joseph Brant, Thayendanegea.

Stewart was a member of the Friends of Ireland House and spent hundreds of hours raising awareness and funds to ensure it became a museum for the citizens of Burlington. Her dedication and commitment to preserving, documenting and presenting Burlington’s heritage is a strong testament to her sense of community.

Community Service Award
This award is sponsored by COGECO, a diversified communications company that strives to meet the communication needs of consumers and advertisers through cable distribution and radio broadcasting. Cogeco Cable is the second largest cable telecommunications company in Ontario and Québec in terms of basic cable service customers.

The Community Service Award is given to an individual or group whose volunteer activity has contributed to the betterment of the Burlington community.

Winner: Janice Martin

Martin is a compassionate person, with a natural ability to make people feel safe and appreciated, who makes things happen in her community. She spearheaded a single moms’ group at Tansley United Church, which has empowered many single moms, allowing them to form positive and nurturing connections.

Martin helped to set up an after-school program called Chill Zone; a seniors program. She volunteers twice a month at the North Burlington Community Dinners and oversees the Food for Life program at the Tansley distribution location. Martin finds a way to meet needs either directly, by partnering with other community organizations or by sourcing funds and volunteers and then applying her impressive organization skills to make things come together.

Environmental Award
This award is sponsored by Walker Environmental Group, a leading waste management company that develops solutions for environmental challenges—solutions that are socially, economically and environmentally sustainable—including aerobic composting, alternative energy production and environmental project management. The company’s diverse range of services provides sustainable solutions that reduce waste, improve energy efficiency and enhance the environment.

The Environmental Award is given to an individual or group that improved and/or protects Burlington’s environment.

Winner: Ken Woodruff

BurlingtonGreen president Ken Woodruff will chair the BurlingtonGreen AGM and participate in the "Think Tank" session they plan to hold. He is reported to be also participating in the Mayor's Dream Team that is meeting earlier in the same day. Busy man..

Ken Woodruff

Woodruff has tirelessly volunteered his time, energy and expertise for the past decade. He believes in the importance of giving of oneself to create a better, healthier Burlington for others to enjoy.

His hard work and dedication to environmental initiatives in Burlington, including protecting the rural environment and valuable green space, has touched many lives. Woodruff has pushed for environmentally sustainable policy and decision-making and has led the BurlingtonGreen team to grow as an effective, impactful organization through various programs, services and advocacy campaigns.
Woodruff’s passion and determined efforts to protect the health of the environment have made Burlington a better city for all of us to enjoy, now and in the future.

Arts Person of the Year
THE K.W. IRMISCH AWARD
The Arts Person of the Year Award was donated to the City of Burlington by the Irmisch family to recognize the importance of the arts in the community and to recognize all of the volunteers who work so hard to showcase the amazing talent and culture of Burlington.

The award is given to an individual who has contributed to the arts in Burlington as an artist, patron or advocate, including, but not limited to, visual arts, media arts, musical arts, performing arts and literary arts.

Winner: Dan Murray

Dan Murray BESR

Dan Murrray

Murray is a co-organizer of the Burlington Slam Project and has grown from a participating local poet into an international competitor and local artistic mentor.

In his co-organizer capacity, he has hosted nearly half of 2015’s monthly poetry shows, co-facilitated several free writing workshops with HYWire (Halton Youth Writers) at Burlington Public Library and has served in the official coaching role for Burlington’s 2015 International Slam Team.

Murray has become a top ranked Canadian spoken word artist who has successfully branched out into a musical career and continues to lend his time to help other writers. His contributions to this community as an organizer, artist and emerging mentor have had a tremendous impact on all who know him.

Junior Citizen of the Year
Youthfest was founded in 2002, and avidly promotes the importance of youth in our community, develops youth responsibility and action in the community and connects youth to meaningful volunteer opportunities and available supportive service. The winner will receive a $500 bursary, courtesy of the Bank of Montreal, which has been a leading and supportive partner since the inception of Youthfest.

The Junior Citizen of the Year Award is given to a high school student, 18 years of age or younger, who has made a significant contribution to the Burlington community.

Winner: Chris Choi

Chris is a natural leader, bringing dedication and passion to his various community volunteer roles. He has made a significant contribution at Burlington Public Library by assisting with the Teen/Senior Tech Meet-Up program where teens help seniors with computer skills.

Choi is recognized as a leader on the library’s Central Branch Teen Advisory Board and is a Youth Representative on the Library’s Advocacy Committee promoting lifelong literacy. Chris helped shape the development of 3 Things for Burlington, supported by Community Development Halton and Burlington Public Library, which promotes random acts of kindness by teens to create a positive impact on the citizens of Burlington.

Senior Person of the Year
This award is sponsored by the Williamsburg, an award-winning residence for seniors located in Burlington’s uptown core. Visionary in its design and progressive in the lifestyle offered, the Williamsburg is a community of vibrant, engaging and friendly residents.

The Senior Person of the Year Award is given to a Burlington resident aged 55 years or older who has advocated on behalf of seniors and/or made a significant contribution to the Burlington community.

Winner: Bob Pring

Bob_Pring BEST

Bob Pring

Pring’s volunteer community contributions are many and include the Art Gallery of Burlington, working with youth in hockey, developing skills across the generations in lawn bowling and helping those less fortunate through local social service agencies.

Pring recently initiated a project to make handcrafted canes for Burlington’s veterans and recruited members of the Sculptors and Woodcarvers Guild to help carve them. He knows the power of the arts can improve the lives of children in both school and life and has actively engaged and instructed children in woodcarving demonstrations for many years.

Citizen of the Year Award
This award is courtesy of the Rotary Club of Burlington-Lakeshore and the Rotary Club of Burlington North.

The world’s first service club, the Rotary Club of Chicago, was formed on Feb. 23, 1905. Since then, the club has grown to include 1.2 million Rotarians belonging to more than 32,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries. Service above self is Rotary’s guiding principle.

The Citizen of the Year Award is given to a person whose volunteer activity has made a significant and sustained contribution to the vibrancy and wellbeing of the Burlington community.

Winner: Brenda Hunter

Brenda_Hunter BEST

Brenda Hunter

Hunter’s leadership and dedication to the healthcare needs of Burlington through her work with the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation is inspiring.

She is a true champion of the hospital’s “Our New Era Campaign” which has raised more than $48 million and she successfully led the “One room at a Time Campaign” which raised $400,000 in support of the refurbishment of the Palliative Care Unit. Hunter is an example of leadership and volunteerism and her many contributions have transformed our community.
Burlington’s Best Awards are managed by a citizen’s committee established in 1965 with the mandate of recognizing Burlington residents who bring honour to the city and make a difference in their community.

Links:

Nominees for the 2016 Burlington Best Awards

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Scouts plant 250 trees on regional property - 150 participate

News 100 greenBy Staff

May 11, 2012

BURLINGTON, ON

Save the news feedOn Saturday, April 30, Halton Region hosted its 16th Annual Scout Tree Planting event at the Halton Waste Management Site (HWMS) in Milton.
Hosted in partnership with Conservation Halton and local scouts from across Halton, over 150 scouts and volunteers participated in the event and planted 250 trees in celebration of Earth Day and Arbour Day.

“Protecting and enhancing the natural environment is a priority for Halton Region,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. “We are committed to working with our community partners to reduce our carbon footprint. Events like the Annual Scout Tree Planting contribute to the long-term sustainability of our community and give young Halton residents a chance to make a difference in Halton’s future.”

Carr + Vice + scout

From left to right: Halton Regional Chair, Gary Carr, Scout Deputy Area Commissioner, Bob Collison and Conservation Halton Board Chair, John Vice.

Chair Carr was joined by Conservation Halton Board Chair, John Vice and General Manager Hassaan Basit. Town of Milton and Regional Councillor and Conservation Halton Chair, Colin Best, along with Scout Deputy Area Commissioner, Bob Collison, were also on hand to show their support. The short opening ceremony recognized Conservation Halton’s dedication to protecting and restoring the local environment and the hard work and community spirit demonstrated by Halton’s local Scouts. After planting the trees, participants enjoyed a celebratory barbeque lunch.

Scouts - tree planting

From left to right: Halton Beavers – Cameron Reid, age 8 and Jacob Reid, age 6.

“The Annual Scout Tree Planting is a great example of what Conservation Halton values, three organizations coming together in partnership to do good work which will benefit the community now and for years to come,” said Conservation Halton Chair John Vice. “We get particularly excited when young people get a hands-on outdoor experience like planting a tree. Thank you to the scouts and their parents for planting trees at the Halton Waste Management Site.”

 

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Police offering some pretty detailed data on drugs used in the Region - described as an information source for parents.

Crime 100By Staff

May 11th, 2016

BURLINGTON, ON

The Halton Regional Police Service has created a web dedicated to information on drugs appearing on the streets of the Region.

AddictionaryHalton.com is a new online resource, provided by the Halton Police Drug, Gun & Gang Unit, aimed at helping to educate parents, guardians and Halton’s youth about the dangers of drug, substance abuse and criminal activity connected to illicit drugs.

In this resource you will find a listing of street drugs that have been found in Halton, current drug trends, community resources to help with addiction and video stories about drugs and the recovery process.

Visit AddictionaryHalton.com’s blog to learn about recent drug seizures made by Drug, Gun & Gang Unit. The blog will also post warnings to the public regarding dangerous drugs circulating in the community along with merging drug trends.

Anyone wanting more information about street drugs, addiction and recovery options, please visit: www.addictionaryhalton.com or follow us on Twitter at: @HRPSRID.

If you live in and around the Halton Region then this site is for you.

Drug stats - police

When marijuana is made legal – what will that do to the police statistics?

Marihuana continues to be the main controlled substance seized by the Halton Regional Police.  Cocaine is once again the second most common drug seized in Halton.  There has been an increased in prescription drugs, including opioids and benzodiazapines.  Crystal methamphetamine seizures are a concern as the Halton Police Drug Unit continues to see an increase throughout the region.

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Burlington fire chief fully prepared for any forest fire - can come close to doubling his equipment capacity in less than an hour.

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

May 11th, 2016

BURLINGTON, ON

We hear the news

We see the pictures of the devastation with street after street not much more than a pile of ashes.
We wonder what it must have been like as those people drove down that highway with flames licking the side of the road and flaming embers landing on the road in front of their vehicles.

More than 2000 homes – gone.

Alberta forest fire - street

Fire approaches a street that has been evacuated.

Burlington has a large swath of rural land were the bush is thick. How would this city handle a serious forest fire?

We asked Fire Chief Tony Bavota what the protocol was and where did he turn to should his crews be unable to handle a blaze.

“I have ten trucks that are on standby day and night and if I need to I can ramp up to 18 in a very short period of time.

“How short Chief” we asked – “I’m talking hours” he replied.

There are also reciprocal agreements between all the municipalities in the Region. We can be in touch with one another in minutes.

When it became evident how bad the situation was in Calgary the Ontario Fire Marshal was in touch with the Fire Marshall in Alberta to offer assistance.

alberta forest fire - truck

Devastation left once fire has passed through a community.

It is much the same in the Region of Halton – when we have a serious situation the Regional Fire Coordinator makes the call. Burlington’s Bavoda is the co-ordinator at this point in time.

He drives around with what amounts to a small communications station in the trunk of hi vehicle and can set up a command station almost anywhere.

There is back up all the way up the bureaucratic food chain explained Bavota with the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) there to help.

If we needed aircraft to drop water – we work with the MNR people who know where the flight people are.

In Burlington there are bylaws that determine where fires can be lit. The Chief can cancel any permit given to someone to do a local fire burn.

The Chief has direct contacts with all the people that matter – he is either aware personally of a situation or has people who keep him informed as to how dry it is in the forested part of the city. What the water situation is in the creeks.

Fire chief Tony Bavota handing out cards with direct line telephone numbers and ensuring that people got the help they needed. Bavota said he wasn't going to worry about lines of authority - if they need help - Bavota did everything he could to get it to them.

Fire chief Tony Bavota handing out cards with direct line telephone numbers and ensuring that people got the help they needed. Bavota said he wasn’t going to worry about lines of authority – if they need help – Bavota did everything he could to get it to them during the ice storm.

“All the fire burning permits go through the fire department and one of our inspectors goes out to the location to advise the person who wants to do a controlled burn and tells them what they have to have on hand”, said Bavota

The Fire Chief can override any permit that has been given out “I’ve done that in the past” he said.

getting new - yellowSo far this year there have been a few grass fires – nothing serious but when we get those kinds of calls we need to move quickly – winds shift and you’d be amazed at how fast a flame will race across an open space and suddenly light up a stand of trees.

As we saw from the Alberta situation – fires take on a life of their own – and they become very difficult to stop.  Fire marshals in Alberta are still investigating the source of the blaze

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Minister of Environment and Climate change calls four storey structures absurd - urges people to buy electric cars

News 100 redBy Staff

May 11th, 2016

BURLINGTON, ON

Our colleagues at CATCH (Citizens at City Hall) published a piece on a meeting where the provincial Minister of the Environment and Climate Change spoke of the impact climate change is having on us – Now.  Burlington understands what he is talking about – he drives the point even further than the August 2014 flood did,

Ontario’s minister of the environment and climate change had some blunt advice when he spoke at the climate resilient cities conference in Hamilton recently. Glenn Murray offered detailed evidence that climate change already threatens our food and water security and it’s going to get much worse.

While he declared that “there’s nothing that Hamilton lacks to be the kick-ass city in Canada”, the former mayor of Winnipeg made clear that “fundamental transformation” in our urban form is required including intensification and no more suburban sprawl.

“I want to take you to the context of where I think we as a group of leaders have to understand and what the dynamics are,” he began. “And I will just offer the proposition that the two biggest crises that we face on the adaptation and resilience side are food security and water security.”

glen-murray

Glen Murray – Minister of the Environment and Climate Change

He pointed to a Toronto storm three years ago that dumped a month’s rain in one hour and tore out 80 metres of GO train track “that cost us $600 million which could basically pay for half of [Hamilton’s] LRT.” And he cited “false springs” that wiped out the local apple crop in 2012. He also explained the link of many extreme weather events to the melting arctic ice cap and its effect on the polar vortex.

“The jet stream has slowed down by about 20 percent which means that the periods which are wet last longer, the periods which are dry last longer and that causes us to have so many droughts as we saw in the prairies, fires, invasions of species – the beetles that are destroying our forests,” Minister Murray explained. “And then we have moisture levels on the prairies that we haven’t seen since the last ice age – and if we didn’t have the modern irrigation we have now we probably would be courting if not in the dust bowl, and for the first time Calgary and Regina had air quality warnings because of the level of smoke from fires on the prairies.”

Go trains flooded

The cost of repairing GO train tracks when Toronto experienced flooding would have paid for half of the LRT coming to Hamilton.

He spoke a week before a tinder dry forest and 32C temperatures helped fuel the catastrophic fire in Fort McMurray despite its near sub-arctic location at the same latitude as the northern tip of Ontario and lower Hudson’s Bay.

Murray reminded his audience that last year’s “disruptive spring” experiences included four to five metres of snow “on the streets of Halifax and St John’s” in the last week of April and asked what that would have done in Hamilton. “No one had much of a garden in Atlantic Canada last year. That was also the summer that we had fires on the Prairies the soft fruit crop blossomed in January in BC and died.”

Focusing particularly on food security, the Minister argued that the jet stream destabilization has “had some very bad impacts on our ability to produce food” and warned that “if you want to destabilize a government, all you have to do as a society is just have a food or water shortage for any period of time.”

As an example, he pointed to the extreme drought in the Middle East in 2006-2011 where there was “an 80 percent food crop loss in northern Syria and the fertile crescent about 1.6 million people lost their farms and became the underclass in Damascas, which was according to the Pentagon a swift threat multiplier in the destabilization of the region and the on-going war and then the insertion of terrorism.” Murray noted that “ISIS is hanging onto the three largest irrigation dams … so they’re obviously sophisticated in assessing the power of control of water.”

brocoli - large field

Fields of California broccoli – 95% of ours comes from here.

Bringing this closer to home, the Minister detailed the development of the California drought where “80 percent of water use is for agriculture” and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has found the description of extreme drought no longer adequate and has introduced “exceptional drought” into its terminology.

“You see the blood red stain in the middle of California ,” he said pointing to one of his slides. “That’s a piece of real estate that’s very important to your life and to my life because we import $4 billion worth of food as a northern community.”

California, he explained, provides “95 percent of all US broccoli, 92 percent of strawberries, 91% of grapes, 90 percent of tomatoes, 84 percent of all lettuce” and similar percentages to Ontario. While noting that almost all of this is grown in that blood red stained area, Murray warned he “could keep going with all the other things your mother told you to eat lots of when you were growing up.”

A particular “perversity” in the California situation is that nut and pistachio growers are “have now bought surplus drilling equipment from Alberta” and are “going down 2000 feet into the aquifers of California leading to collapse, whereas the vegetable farmers can only afford equipment that goes down about 200 feet.”

Saxony - five reduced to four

Burlington resident weren’t comfortable with a five storey project in the downtown core – developer cut it back to four. This is an absurdity,” Murray declared.

Murray also explained that the climate change we’re already seeing is certain to get significantly worse because carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere for 40 to 250 years.

“So looking back right now we are experiencing the full force of carbon dioxide levels from 1916, in the middle of the First World War, and we’re just now experiencing the initial impacts of carbon dioxide from 1976 when I graduated from high school.”

He underlined that “sobering” thought by noting that “the rapid explosion of the suburbs in the fifties – the great low density carbon intensive neighbourhoods – all the weight of all of that activity and change in urban form has not yet impacted.”

BMW hydro vehicle

Burlington Hydro loaned electric BMW’s to city council members top record their driving habits – when will the wave of buying electric cars hit us?

Murray connected this to the province’s commitment to rapid transit by inviting the audience to look at the Yonge subway line in Toronto from the vantage point of the top of the CN tower. “You can clearly see where it is because at every subway stop there are spikes of large commercial and residential buildings all the way up to York,” he said.

He compared that to the Bloor line where city councillors and their residents fight intensification. “There’s a fight over a four-storey building in Etobicoke – they’re fighting it because it’s ‘too intense’. This is the absurdity,” Murray declared.

He didn’t suggest this might happen along Hamilton’s LRT line, but the link was obvious, and he underlined it by the results of a mapping study of taxes versus density that confirmed “all the neighbourhoods who use a lot of infrastructure for a very small tax base are well dispersed suburbs, big box formula subdivisions, and Hamilton.”

He ended with advice to individual Hamiltonians: “Drive less, get an electric vehicle, congratulations on getting a rapid transit line in Hamilton and please use it. Or walk, it’s a beautiful city to walk in.”

 

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Real-time bus times now available by phone - app expected at some future date.

News 100 blueBy Staff

May 11, 2016

BURLINGTON, ON

Real-time bus departure times are now available by calling 905-639-0550, transit’s new Integrated Voice Response (IVR) system.

Spicer + Ridge

Director of Transit Mike Spicer, on the left, getting a briefing from City Manager James Ridge at a Bfast transit conference.

Customers can either enter in the bus stop I.D. number shown on all stop signs across the city or search by a route number.

getting new - yellowIn June, real-time information will also be made available online which will feature a new mobile friendly website offering trip-planning, next bus arrival, closest stop as well as news and alerts to help keep you informed.

Is the rumour of a possible fare hike needed to cover these new toys?

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Where is our Member of Parliament?

News 100 redBy Pepper Parr

May 11, 2106

BURLINGTON, ON

We know where she sits in the House of Commons and we know she is there – as long as one subscribes to Tweets –

We know she speaks in the House of Commons because we can follow her speeches – but we are pressed to know what she is doing in the community because we seldom hear from her office

For the record – here is Liberal MP’s tweet traffic for the past few days along with comments she made on International trade.

Goldring and Gould

Karina Gould being congratulated by Mayor Goldring on the eve of he election win. Goldring had spent the evening in Conservative Mike Wallace’s campaign office until he had to go to the Gould victory party and congratulate her.

Gould May 11-16Karina Gould Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.
Canada’s economic growth as a trading nation is directly linked to international trade. The government strongly supports free trade as a way to open markets to Canadian goods and services, grow Canadian businesses, and create good-paying middle-class jobs.

The scope of the trans-Pacific partnership (TPP) is significant. To re-state the oft-quoted figures, the TPP encompasses 800 million people in 12 countries with a combined GDP of $28 trillion U.S., covering nearly 40% of the world’s economy. It is also an agreement that was negotiated by the previous government.

Our pledge to Canadians is to ensure they are fully consulted on the outcomes of the TPP. Our job is to carefully review the text and continue to consult with Canadians. The government wants to ensure that Canadians can have a good look at the TPP and that they can ask questions and express their views on whether the agreement is in the best interests of Canadians.”

Can’t wait to learn when Gould is going to meet with Burlington business people on just what the TPP trade agreement will mean to Canada and how it might impact local business people that deal in international trade.

Gould proved to be a very strong campaigner – she was unrelenting during the election and used more than a year to build inroads into the community and took the seat from Mike Wallace. Many said that Gould didn’t win because she was the better candidate – they attributed her win to the close to total collapse of the NDP vote.

It is clear now that the public bought into what Justin Trudeau was saying and that they had has enough of Stephen Harper. Gould had convinced enough people that she was worth more than a chance.

The task now for Gould is to consolidate the win and build strong relationships with the community. We’ve not seen all that much of her since the New Years levee.

She was seen at the photo op when the Art Gallery of Burlington took possession of a van for their Road Show initiatives.

Gould will be the focus for a Chamber of Commerce BBQ event in July  where members can rub shoulders with MP who is also the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development.

 

 

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Last tour before she gets hitched - Hayley Marie is bringing her flute to town

eventspink 100x100By Staff

May 10th, 2016

BURLINGTON, ON

Hayley Marie Remple is on the road – last concert tour before I get hitched” was the way she put the trip that is going to bring her to Burlington for a two concert program and a Master Class for flute players.

Hayley Marie RempleHailey Marie mixes narrative with visual presentation and the smooth sound of her flute as she tells the story of the composers who basically shaped much of the classical music we have today.

A graduate of both McGill and Yale – she has played on the stage of Carnegie Hall on two occasions – no small feat. Speaking of feet – she apparently plays barefoot.

This artist is on a five province tour – returns to Winnipeg for her nuptials.

Hayley Marie is a romantic who sees music as a way to tell a story – the sound if of course critical – but this isn’t a lady who stands up – plays and then sits down.

She talks and will tell you far more than you ever thought you wanted to know about some of the great composers.

May 12th at the Performing Arts Centre. 7:30 pm

This artist will play the work of Debussy, Ravel, Saint Saens,Faure, Wido rand Satie who were composing during the period Hayley Marie focuses on.

She has researched both the time frame she has chosen to focus on and the lives of the composers and tells the people who follow her all kinds of delightful gossip that she calls her Two Minute Talks

A Hayley Marie Remple Two Minute Talk

Previous articles:

An Evening in Paris

Someone is going to go to Paris

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Police Service wants input from the public on the next business plan - four meetings to take place around the Region.

Event 100By Staff

May 10th, 2016

BURLINGTON, ON

It’s your money they are going to spend – and your safety that motivates what the police do each and every day.

The Halton Regional Police Service, in partnership with the Halton Regional Police Services Board, has embarked upon a process to develop a new Business Plan to replace the existing document, which expires at the end of 2016.

The Board and the Chief of Police are seeking input from a range of stakeholders and would like to extend an invitation to the citizens and business owners of Halton to participate in public meetings during the upcoming weeks. The details of the four meetings are as follows:

Milton: Tuesday May 24th (7.00 – 9.00pm)
Milton Town Hall, Milton Room – 150 Mary Street

Oakville: Wednesday May 25th (7.00 – 9.00pm)
Oakville Town Hall, Oakville/Trafalgar Room – 1225 Trafalgar Road

Halton Hills: Wednesday June 8th (7.00 – 9.00pm)
Mold-Masters SportsPlex – Gordon Alcott Heritage Hall – 221 Guelph Street, Georgetown

Burlington: Tuesday June 14th (7.00 – 9.00pm)
Burlington Seniors Centre– Multipurpose Room – 2285 New Street

Members of the public are invited to attend any of the above meetings to hear about the Halton Regional Police Service and the development of a new Business Plan. A facilitated discussion will be conducted with the goal of identifying issues and themes that should be addressed within the new Plan.

Additional information can be found on the Halton Regional Police Service Website at https://www.haltonpolice.ca/2017_CBP/index.php.

People wishing to attend the public meetings are invited to RSVP Mr. Keith Moore, Senior Planner, at keith.moore@haltonpolice.ca

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Handi-van dispatch service telephone to be temporarily out of service Wednesday May 18 until approximately 8:30 a.m.

notices100x100By Staff

May 10th, 2016

BURLINGTON, ON

Handi-van phone disruption Wednesday May 18

Customers please note that the phone line to contact Handi-van dispatch (905) 639-5158 will be temporarily out of service on Wednesday May 18 until approximately 8:30 a.m. for scheduled upgrades.

For any urgent needs during this time please call (905) 335-7869 ext. 6602. This line will only be serviced during the phone disruption period.

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Bridgewater photo feature for the sidewalk superintendents - the project will change the face of the city.

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

May 10th, 2016

BURLINGTON, ON

The changing face of the city.

Brant hospital - under construction

This will become the face of the Joseph Brant hospital when it opens in 2017.

The Joseph Brant Hospital is beginning to look real – the ground has been broken for the Bridgwater development on Lakeshore Road where trucks are in and out in a matter of minutes as the excavation work gets done.

Parad 2nd flr forms Apr-16

The five tower Paradigm on Fairview street is on time – units will be occupied in towers A, B and C 2018.

The Paradigm project on Fairview next to the GO station is quickly rising. It won’t be much longer until the public can see the slabs being poured as they get to the 5th and 6th floor levels.

It will be a different city come 2018

The public can get a better sense of what the Bridgewater is going to look like as the caissons are put in place and the excavation work progresses – the foot print and the structures relationship to the street is becoming clearer.

For the sidewalk superintendent – here is how things are coming along:

Bridgewater - street edge May 2016

One can get s sense as to how the Bridgewater is going to relate to the street. The concrete barrier to the right is where the sidewalk will be – the pylons are where the edge of the building will rise out of the ground.

Bridgewater - eastern edge BEST May 2016

The eastern edge of the Bridgewater project – where the 22 storey condominium will be located – can be seen where the construction worker in the background is standing. Old Lakeshore Road is to the left.

Bridgewater Excavating May 2016 4+ trucks

Excavation involves a fleet of trucks taking earth out of the site.

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New parking meters up and running - how many downtown merchants will use the feature that allows them to pay for a customers parking?

News 100 redBy Pepper Parr

May 10th, 2016

BURLINGTON, ON

Well – it is official – with more people than is usually required to get a car out of a ditch, the $500,000 parking meter system went into use officially on Monday.

Parking - launch photo op

Looks like half of the Transportation department + a good portion of the city’s communications team was needed to launch the new parking meters. It took three different Requests for Proposals to get this project to the finish line.

Luigi Lato , Chief Operating Officer, Precise ParkLink said he was honoured to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony, expressing that he is “overjoyed with the city’s excitement to introduce Precise ParkLink’s Pay-By-Plate parking technology. The residents will enjoy the upgraded parking system which brings Burlington on par with other global cities that use the Parkeon Pay-By-Plate parking meters and TelePark Pay-By-Cell option”.

So much for that!

The system is being paid for with funds that were in a reserve fund that is the levy the city places on commercial establishments in the downtown core. Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward explained that the taxpayers were not the people paying for the system.

The difference for regular parking is – making sure you remember the license number of the car you are parking.

You can use cash or credit card. You will also be able to use your cell phone to pay for your parking. Referred to as TelePark, it is a service that you have to register for – something you do one line. W will explain this in more detail in a follow up article.

During the launch ceremonies IT staff did say there were some hiccup getting the back end of the system to work – it has to interact with the credit card organizations on a network that has the highest possible security.

Parking meters - Official open - T- shirts

Expect to see people with PAYBYPL8 walking the downtown core looking for perplexed citizens wanting to pay for their parking. They are Parking Ambassadors – there to help!

The city will go into a full court press media mode explaining how the system works and will have people on the street – they are being called “Parking Ambassadors” walking around the downtown core to answer questions.

getting new - yellowAn additional feature is the ability of commercial operations to pay for the parking of their customers should they choose to do so. The take up on that opportunity doesn’t look all that promising at this point but as Mary Shepherd explained “these things take time for people to understand and then implement.”

Parking MMW + Brian Dean with head of meter

Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward handling the cash part of the old parking meter with Downtown Business Association president Brian Dean. He is the one who is going to have to herd his members into taking on the feature that will let his members pay for client parking. Good luck Brian.

The public hasn’t been jumping for joy. Michael Jones points out that these machines are in Hamilton and are not very user friendly – also if you have leftover time on your ticket you can’t share that with anyone. He adds: “ say goodbye to the great feeling of pulling up and seeing 20 minutes left on the previous parker’s meter …felt like winning a mini lottery”.

Some of the posts that held the old parking meters are being re-purposed and will become bicycle racks.

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What are your colours? Do they include a rainbow? Public attitudes to the LGBT community to be the focus of a school board conference.

News 100 yellowBy Staff

May 9th, 2016

BURLINGTON, ON

Halton District School Board’s annual Inside and Out Conference will take place on Tuesday, May 17, 2016 at Country Heritage Park, 8560 Tremaine Rd., Milton.
Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m., with the conference concluding at 2 p.m.

HRPS cruieser with rainbow stripes

The Regional police have been very supportive and proactive in the way they work with the LGBT community. It’s the rest of the community that has to get onside.

The conference, titled, Inside and Out – What Are Your Colours? is in partnership with the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity and the Positive Space Network of Halton. These organizations work to eliminate bullying, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of discrimination in schools and youth communities.

The goal of the all-day conference is to provide a forum for students and staff, through various workshops, to discuss how they can make their schools more welcoming and inclusive for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and two spirit individuals.

The conference will also celebrate equity and diversity in the Halton District School Board. It is being organized by the Safe and Inclusive Schools Team and staff and students at Acton High School and McKenzie-Smith Bennett Public School, including their Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) groups.

The conference will open with guest speaker MPP Cheri DiNovo, who is an activist for the LGBTQ community, particularly transgender people. The conference will close with a slam poetry performance by Jenna Tenn-Yuk. There will also be a reading by Nik Kaur-Singh and closing comments by Sam Lambert, both former Halton District School Board students and LGBTQ+ rights advocates.

A number of community agencies will be attending the conference including Halton Public Health, SAVIS, Positive Space Network, Youth Action Committee, EGALE Canada and New Directions Ministries.

The meeting is open to anyone wishing to attend

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Financial advisor finds a way to provide a needed service that builds his client base and passes along a significant sum that benefits the wider community. Win,win,win!

News 100 redBy Pepper Parr

May 9th, 2016

BURLINGTON, ON

How does a guy with a small operation in the financial services field manage to write a cheque for $100,000 to a charity?

The story about how Dan Noonan does tax return work for his clients is an interesting look at how an innovative approach to providing a needed service can benefit a large number of people.

Noonan withthe cheque - Argosy

That is a cheque for $100,000 that Dan Noonan sent to the Burlington Community Foundation -it was the result of his win-win-win formula.

Dan is a financial advisor who works with what he calls the Mom and Pop part of the market. He is a strong believer in the premise that you cannot sell financial products to people unless you fully understand their incomes which means looking at their tax returns. The closest look you get at a tax return is when you prepare the document.

Noonan used preparing tax returns free as a way to draw in new clients – there was on small hitch to that – the client was expected to make a donation to a local charity.

For the first few years the donations were made to the Breast Cancer Support Services but as the amount of money collected began to grow Noonan needed to find a better way to distribute those donations.

Noonan was completing more than 2000 tax returns a year and at a donation level of around $50 there was a significant amount of money being raised.

He began to work with the Burlington Community Foundation where a special fund was created and dedicated for use in the mental health field where support and awareness have become critical. We live in a society where one out of every five people has a mental health issue.

Noonan is pretty blunt with is comments on saving for retirement. It is almost impossible to replicate the returns of government pension plans or those run for the benefit of civil servants. The pension group that manages the pensions of municipal employees and the one that manages teacher pension plans have both mass and longer terms working in their favour.

Individuals don’t have access to organizations of that size. Close to half his client base, which gets built out of those who take advantage of his tax return offering, are retired.
Managing their finances and their income stream can be stressful he said. “We are in a low interest rate driven economy – and those interest very very low rates are low – not something that works for pension plans. They are driving the housing market with property values gaining more than 15% year over year – which he adds isn’t sustainable.
Noonan looks for investment opportunities that will grow what a client has and/or offer a dividend that is decent.

His office walls are covered with large sheets of paper setting out the different returns available – he scours the market for those opportunities and advises clients what he feels is best for them. His current favourites include Fairfax and National Bank.

There are a number of situations he adds where the fees that are paid to the financial adviser amount to more than the return – “you are looking at dead money” he said.
Noonan has strong views on the new provincial pension plan. “Business should not be expected to shoulder the cost of an employee’s pension. People have to learn to plan for their own futures and put 10% of their income into a pension fund and then invest for the long term.

Noonan and the cheque presentation

3rd from left, Dan Noonan, Investment Advisor, Argosy Securities; joined by Burlington Community Foundation board members Catherine Brady, Phil Reddon; President and CEO Colleen Mulholland; Leighan Basadur, John Rockx. Photo credit: Dave Gruggen Photography.

We don’t have that kind of a culture in this country yet. Instead we lay this cost on employers who want to invest their profit in growing their business.

Noonan believes that the CEO’s job is to allocate the capital they have – that strong belief comes out of more than 15 years as a financial advisor and another 20 years in the financial services business where he worked for some of the largest financial management companies in the country.

There is the belief in this country that “someone is going to look after me” – that someone turns out to be the government.

At heart Dan Noonan is the kind of person who looks for opportunities that benefits everyone. His objective doesn’t seem to be to add to just his wealth – although he does do well.

He is direct and there isn’t a lot of nonsense to him. He sees his job as helping people invest the funds they have as wisely as possible and being able to go home at the end of the day knowing people are better off.

What he calls his win-win-win proposition where people get a very good deal on having their tax returns done, Noonan has a source of new clients and the community gets a significant sum of money to use to help those who need help.

“I place a full page advertisement in the newspaper to inform the community about the service. Noonan has been fortunate – the idea works – so much so that others are beginning to take the same approach.

Noonan at desk

The walls of Noonan’s office are covered in opportunities that he thinks work for his client base.

Given the amount that Noonan is now raising he needed to partner with an organization that had depth and experience in distributing funds to organizations that will put them to good use.

The Burlington Community Foundation manages millions in funds that been placed in their hands. They were the organization the city turned to when they needed someone to step in and manage the collection of donations and then the distribution of those donations to people whose homes had been badly damaged by the August 2014 flood.

getting new - yellowThey worked with Noonan to create a fund that would focus on mental health needs in the community. Burlington is a leader in recognizing this need within its population and creating an endowment that would both grow the funds and handle their distribution by accepting applications from groups and organizations that work in the mental health field.

It turns out to be another of those win win win situations that bring a smile to Dan Noonan’s face.

Notice too that there isn’t any government involvement in this.

 

 

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The days for the Gazebo in Spencer Smith Park appear to be numbered.

News 100 blueBy Staff

May 9, 2016

BURLINGTON, ON

The Gazebo is going to go!

Gazebo Spencer Smith ParkNot certain as to when but the people who do the landscaping at Spencer Smith Park said Sunday afternoon during a Jane’s Walk that the existing Gazebo is not accessible and it doesn’t allow for much variation in terms of the way it is used.

The giant willow tree is at risk as well. The city’s arborist is keeping a close eye on that tree – things didn’t sound all that good.

The Gazebo is situated in what the land use planner called a “bowl” and there are concerns about the amount of water that settles in that part of the park.

There are some longer term plans that would have the existing Waterfront hotel torn down and three high rise structures put in place – this is longer term and few details are available.

That billowing willow tree just might be in the way of some sight lines.

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We got it wrong - and we apologize.

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

May 9th, 2106

BURLINGTON, ON

We goofed – we made a mistake.

Lancaster as deputy mayor with her Mom

Councillor Blair Lancaster took the Mayor’s chair for a meeting of Council – her Mother appears to approve.

And we need to apologize to Ward 6 Councillor Blair Lancaster for the error.

We named her as the council member for a local business – the Boston Fish and Chip shop on Guelph line – that has run into some problems with the sign bylaw enforcement people.

Boston Fish and chips Jennifer with smile

Jennifer Soukup would like someone to resolve her sign problem.

Our apologies Ms Lancaster – and Happy Birthday to you on Monday – as part of our apology we will not say which birthday you are celebrating.

The Council member the fish and chip people want to talk to is John Taylor – ward 3

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Casey Cosgrove to help unveil the Terry Fox marker in Spencer Smith park

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

May 9, 2016

BURLINGTON, ON

“I am still a stage 4 lung cancer patient” explains Casey Cosgrove, “but the trials I was on at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto have come to an end”

He now returns to the Juravinski hospital in Hamilton where his treatments will continue.

A really special team - Casey Cosgrove and his supporters.

A really special team – Casey Cosgrove and his supporters. That tattoo on his right leg has been there s long it has to be refreshed – the colours are fading.

“I am not cured – but the cancer has been stopped and the cancer researchers now know a lot more about my cancer and the way it works in my body.  The cancer was stopped but it is now growing, that’s why I have to start a new trial.”

“The immune drugs they have used sort of trick the cancer and send it in a different direction. It’s a little like a shell game that the drugs and the cancer play inside my body.”

Casey Cosgrove has been involved in a number of cancer treatment trial programs. Some have succeed in extending the life of a patient; in other situations the cancer has outsmarted the drug.

Casey is now sharing his story to raise awareness about lung cancer and new treatment options that offers the potential for a longer and higher quality of life.

Terry Fox - Team Casey 3

Community support at its most precious. That team is more like an army.

Lung cancer is the deadliest form of cancer worldwide, claiming more lives every year than breast, prostate and colorectal cancer combined?

In 2015, it was estimated that 26,600 Canadians would be diagnosed with this disease. Despite these staggering statistics, advances in the treatment of lung cancer have progressed slowly.

Casey was diagnosed in 2010, – he lives his life day by day. He serves as a vice president of  Lung Cancer Canada, is almost a feature in the annual Burlington Terry Fox run where his team – a large number of people who do the run to support Casey Cosgrove.

The boys won the bet - the daughter got a kiiss and a pink mustache of her own.

It’s a tight family that live life to the fullest – every day. Dad and daughter

His children understand the story of their Dad’s health but there is nothing morbid about the life the Cosgrove family lives. They have dogs – three of them. Casey teaches leadership at the University of Guelph, his wife  Bryna works as a professor at Seneca College. Both sons plays excellent hockey; his daughter is currently doing some modelling. A normal family with network that is there for him every day of the year.

Casey can remember the day he saw Terry Fox on his run 35 years ago.

Sometime later Casey had a Terry Fox tattoo put on his lower right leg. That tattoo has been there so long explained Casey that I have to go in and get it refreshed – it has begun to fade.

Casey will tell you that there is hardly a kid in this city involved in sports that I haven’ at some time coached. Call him and he says yes to every request for help. But Casey is reluctant to take on any long term commitments – he has a hankering to get into public life – if he ran in his ward he would win by a very large margin. Being able to complete a long term task is an ongoing concern – so he works on smaller projects and enjoys life with his family.

Terry Fox rendering with size

The monument will be unveiled Sunday forenoon.

The day of our conversation at the end of the pier Casey mentioned he had had that end of life conversation with his oncologist; that was a number of years ago.

Some refer to Casey at the lung cancer poster boy. Casey will look you in the eye and tell you that he is a stage four lung cancer patient who has been treated for the past six years –and he leaves it at that.

Next Sunday afternoon he will be part of a group that unveils a monument – a marker of the spot that Terry Fox passed when he was doing his Marathon of Hope run 35 years ago.

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Inter County baseball league opens – Burlington gets sandbagged early in the season.

sportsred 100x100By Staff

May 8, 2016

BURLINGTON, ON

The Burlington Bandits, didn’t stand a chance against the London Majors Saturday, losing 7-1.

Bandits Burlington players celebrate the end of a double-header

Burlington players celebrate the end of a double-header last season – they didn’t have much to celebrate the first game of this season.

Burlington only managed four hits, and scored one run in the eight inning. Oscar Perez pitched five innings, giving up one hit, no runs and two walks.
For Burlington, Ryan Beckett went four innings, giving up eight hits and three earned runs and four strike outs.

Burlington plays Toronto on May 15th at Christie Pits.

Hamilton Drops Season Opener to Guelph

The Hamilton Cardinals opened the 2016 IBL season with a road game in Guelph against the Royals. Guelph would take advantage of some miscues by Hamilton to score eight unanswered runs in the latter half of the game to win the game 8-1. The Cardinals played the game shorthanded while they await players who are still with their American college teams.

Hamilton opened the scoring in the top of the first when Jason de Vos, who was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a passed ball, came in to score when Nate Mastervick reached base on a throwing error charged to the shortstop.

The Cardinals looked to add to their lead in the fourth. Mastervick led off with a single, the first official hit of the season, but was caught stealing before Jon Saporsantos could reach base on a single of his own. Brandon Tamburro would join Saporsantos on the base paths with a walk but a groundout by Tim Black would end the inning.

Guelph got on the board in the sixth inning when they sent ten batters to the plate and got some help from four Cardinals errors. The Royals loaded up the bases thanks to the first error of the inning and then a ground out by Brendan Powers would bring in a run to tie the game at one. Aaron Loder then reached on an error which brought in a pair of runs.

Turner Spears would then double and bring in a fourth run in in the inning. Spears would later score to give the Royals a 5-1 lead. Guelph would go on to score three more runs in the bottom of the eighth to take the game 8-1.

For the Cardinals, Rhys Tapper made his first career start in the IBL and took the loss going five and two-thirds innings, allowing five unearned runs on one hit, walking four and striking out one. Kyle Adoranti went the final two and a third innings allowing three runs, one was unearned, on two hits, walking four and striking out one.

For Guelph, AJ MacKey went seven innings for the win, allowing one run on three hits, walking three and striking out eight. Zack Pearson and Jeff MacLeod would each throw an inning on the mound for the Royals, combining to allow a hit, a walk and striking out three.

Kitchener Panthers Spoil Barrie Baycats Home Opener

The Kitchener Panthers defeated the Barrie Baycats 14-8 on Saturday afternoon to improve to 1-0 on the regular-season. Kitchener reliever Shane Courtney recorded the victory, tossing two innings while giving up one earned run on two hits. Panthers centre fielder Tanner Nivins led the way at the plate, going three-for-four with three runs batted in.

Barrie reliever Brad Bissell took the loss, giving up four earned runs on three hits in one and one-third innings pitched. After the loss, Barrie centre fielder Glenn Jackson said he and the rest of the team are just happy to be back on the field.

“It is always good to be back, even though this was like a spring training game for all of us today. “It is just nice to be back with the boys, even though the result was bad. I think we shot ourselves in the foot, but we know how it goes.

“There is fifty-one more games to go until the journey ends, so we figure it is what it is.” Jackson added that while today was a pretty ugly game, he said Barrie starter Matthew St. Kitts impressed.

“Yeah, Chris Archer man. “He is going to be one of those studs man. You think of him, Bissell, Santos (Arias), (Brett) Lawson and (Adam) Rowe, and we are in a really good spot to compete.”

Jackson concluded by saying while the Baycats did shoot themselves in the foot defensively, it does not take away from how impressive Kitchener’s offense was today.

“To me, when you talk about home field advantage, this is when you will need it. When they are swinging it, you want home field advantage.

“Our head-to-head battles this season will be big games.”

The Baycats next regular-season contest is next Saturday against the Guelph Royals from Coates Stadium in Midhurst.

 

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Cherubini’s Requiem and Mozart’s Solemn Vespers and Regina Coeli at St. Christopher’s Anglican Church.

eventspink 100x100By Staff

May 9th, 2016

BURLINGTON, ON

Cherubini’s Requiem and Mozart’s Solemn Vespers and Regina Coeli

May 14th

The Burlington Civic Chorale is a mixed-voice community choir formed in 1994 through the collaboration of founder Dr. Gary Fisher and Mary Jane Price, former organist and music director at St. Christopher’s Anglican Church.

They rehearse and perform at St. Christophers Anglican church in Burlington, at 622 Guelph Line.

Their repertoire encompasses classical literature from the 16th century to the present; folksongs; opera choruses and vocal jazz.

Civic chorale

The Burlington Civic Chorale

2015-16 is their twenty-second season! They credit grants from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the United Way, the Toronto Foundation, and the former Halton Healthy Foundation; our loyal patrons and members; and local businesses who support them generously.

“We couldn’t have done it without some help along the way”, said Gary Fisher.

There next performance is May 14th – features Cherubini’s Requiem and Mozart’s Solemn Vespers and Regina Coeli
Tickets: Advance $ 20 or at the door $25 – 905-577-2425

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Fish and chip store operator doesn't like the sign rules - is expecting the Mayor to do something about it.

News 100 redBy Pepper Parr

May 6, 2016

BURLINGTON, ON

Revised: May 8th, 2010

Late in April Jennifer Soukup writes the Mayor. She is unhappy with what the bylaw enforcement people are doing to her.

boston fishandchipssign

Jennifer Soukup expects city hall to do something about the sign bylaw – she went to the very top expecting help. His Worship doesn’t have her vote yet.

Jennifer operates Boston Fish and Chips, located on Guelph Line just a bi south of Dundas. She has been there for more than six years and has a consistent walk in trade – regulars that come in because they like the prices and the service. Jennifer is chatty and remembers her customers.

Mr. Rick Goldring-
I have owned a small fish and chip shop in the Guelph line and Dundas street area for the past six and a half years. I use a sign that’s small to attract traffic. Subway has recently moved into our plaza and puts a flag out as well; and also a beauty parlour. While I was away I had the by law officer take my sign and give it to one of my girls saying the city doesn’t want there to be signs out because it looks messy. That we are able to rent signs for 45 days a year. (Three two week periods a year). What about the other 325 days? How is that acceptable?
I depend on that sign. I hire people from the community to work at my restaurant. It’s shocking to me that we have to pay to advertise for only three two week periods. A magnet sign costs three hundred dollars for 2 weeks. Ask Al at Magnet signs. His phone number is 905.332.5291. To advertise in the Burlington post is almost 800 dollars for a half page ad one advertisement. The city allows all of the franchises to advertise. Drive down Guelph line and upper middle and there’s a huge billboard for McDonald’s. All of the traffic in the summer is directed to every weekend down by the lake, billboards up for sound of music, lobster and beer fest all hung around the MM robinson school fences. So tell me how is this fair? I work ten to twelve hours a day, I pay my taxes, my business permit, and I volunteer, I help the Ronald mc Donald charity in Hamilton by doing food drives and give back to other local charities. Why am I not allowed the same as all the other franchises? It’s extremely unfair. You don’t want it to look messy huh? Well I think all the attention put towards the downtown core and “the community” looks messy. It’s a garbage excuse that’s what it is. The by law officer, even said he feels bad because he has to sit in his truck all day and take signs away from people who work really hard.
I don’t know how many more hours you’d like me to work to be able to pay for all the advertising you’d like us to be able to afford, but your suggestions are welcomed. Perhaps 24 hours a day would be good enough, I am not quite sure.
Gator Ted’s just opened a new bar and they’ve had a huge billboard up for about 4 months advertising their new restaurant Barra Fion. No one has said anything to them. Fion McCools on Appleby and upper middle has billboards out and no one says anything to them either. The list is endless and perhaps one day when all the small businesses aren’t around anymore, you can sit and reflect on why. I understand that rules are rules, but sometimes they need to be changed. Small businesses make up a lot of Burlington, and I see fewer and fewer each day. Makes me sad to work in a community where no one stands up for small businesses and signs look messy. What sort of a community are we? -Jennifer Soukup.

On May 2, 2016, at 4:23 PM, His Worship responds:

I appreciate you taking time to write and share your concerns regarding signage to promote your business.  It is my understanding that somebody from our by-law enforcement staff has connected with you and provided reasonable signage suggestions to you.  Could you please advise me where you are with your specific concerns? Are you comfortable with the discussion you have had with city staff?
At 7:31 PM the same day Jennifer Soukup responds – they are now on a first name basis:

Boston Fish and chips Jennifer with smile

A smile comes with those Fish and Chips.

Hi Rick-
Thanks for writing me.
My concerns are as follows:
I’m in a plaza on Guelph line and Dundas, pretty far from the street. People drive past but don’t really see me.
I’ve been putting my sign out for the last 6.5 years that I’ve owned Boston and no one has said boo to me.
Then subway moves in and gets their sign taken away from them, so they call on another company. While that other company is getting their sign taken away mine has to as well. (He can’t just leave mine).
I spoke with the by law officer and he totally understands why I’m upset.
I started my business when I was 24, and I’ve worked really long and hard to have it. Now that my sign isn’t out there it’s not as busy. That sign is a little reminder to people that I’m here. A hello! Eat fish and chips!
My other concerns are: why is the entire downtown core allowed to have sandwich signs but we are not. Why are there banners spread around the city stating lobster fest/Ribfest etc and I can’t have one measly sign out. The bylaw officer explained to me that you make special provisions for the businesses downtown and the festivals to have signs. Why? Why are they allowed but I’m not. Who cares who has signs out. More people coming into my plaza means more possible business for me. 3 people coming to subway, maybe one person would like fries etc, etc.
The bi law officer said its complaint based only, so that means they only come if someone complains. He stated I’m allowed to have a flag and gave me the measurements etc. So I ordered one. However my landlords are not okay with me having one, so total waste of money.
My landlords are totally cool with me having a sign. They are super nice people. It’s the city that takes it. It’s even on our side of the sidewalk. I am just really frustrated with this situation in its entirety, I work so hard to do what I do.

If you drive down Appleby and Dundas street or the longos plaza on walkers, everyone has a sandwich sign. So I asked the by law officer, and he said well there are only 5 of us in the whole city.
The point of the matter is- we should all be able to have them. Or we should all not be allowed to have them. The end. No exceptions.
You can change this as well. Allow everyone to have them, or stop the bylaw officers from driving up Guelph line, as they don’t seem to drive up any other street towards Dundas.

Please please please change your provisions.
I’m trying to keep a good thing going, something that I love. I’m not trying to bother anyone; just do what I do and mind my own business. I want to be successful and that sign really helps me.
I’ll even throw in some fish and chips!
Many thanks,

His Worship gets back to Jennifer at 9:09:13 PM the same day with:

Hi Jennifer,
I will be meeting with staff and I will get back to you.

The Mayor does get back to Jennifer, he visits the shop, pops in but doesn’t take her up on the free lunch. “He stayed three minutes” said Jennifer.
So far – nothing from city hall – maybe they need more time – that’s reasonable. We will watch to see how this turns out.

Question? Where was the ward Councillor in all this?

Getting it - blackOur interest in this situation is this – I am one of those consistent drop in for a good meal customers – she has a really neat collection of root bear soft drinks and the food portions are more than decent. We did a small article on the shop a while back – and we paid for our meal. The Boston Fish and Chip shop is one of those places that is just plain nice to go to.

We were driving north to take some pictures of a barn that is being rehabilitated for a beef operation and wanted to see how it was progressing. Lunch time and we hung a hard left at Driftwood and settled in for a good lunch and a chance to finish the Globe & Mail – when Jennifer pops out of the kitchen to tell of her visit from the Mayor.

Link to related article:

 

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