 By James Burchill
November 24th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Interruptions cost more than the time taken … they impact your efficiency and your productivity. Some studies suggest that a single interruption (email ding, phone call, social media status ping, co-worker walking into your office) costs you between 15 and 30 minutes of productivity.
Here’s why: the actual interruption takes you “out of the work flow” you were in and once the interruption has ended, you require time to get back to that level of performance before the interruption. As indicated, this can be as much as 30 minutes. Imagine if you were interrupted every half and hour … you’d barely get any work done.
Oh wait, that’s why most open plan offices are (IMHO) such poor productivity hubs. When I worked for a company I always stipulated an office with an opaque or solid door (so you can’t see people waving at you to see if you’re “free”) that I could close. I trained my staff that certain times I was open to interruptions but when my door was closed … you’d better be running to tell me the building was on fire or that you cut off a limb and needed 911! Protect your time … you can’t manufacture any more and those people that are most productive in a day, are usually the ones that do.
Checking Your Email
Remember email is NOT a TO DO list. Also, email is someone else’s agenda – NOT YOURS. Finally, batch your email checking and responding to scheduled times each day. Sometimes I quickly check the SUBJECT LINE and FROM field for “client fires” and “expected deliverables” first thing in the morning but my proper review/reply is at noon and finally once more at 4pm. It’s been the single biggest productivity booster I’ve ever implemented (second only to finding my most productive hours) and now I’m dogmatic about it.
Unsolicited Phone-Calls
I never take an unsolicited call from a number I don’t recognize, ever. People can leave messages and I will choose to call back if I am interested. Also, I prefer email over phone because I read 5X faster than I can talk! Also, it encourages people say what they mean … I got tired of voicemails like this: “Hi James, it’s [name or often “Me”] … call me when you have a moment.” Seriously? How the heck am I supposed to prioritize that message?
Guess what … I don’t call back when I get messages like that.
If you want to leave me a message then do us both a favour and state WHO it is that calling, say WHAT you want and say WHEN you need it. Also for extra points, tell me the URGENCY/IMPORTANCE factor as you perceive it. For example, “Hey James, it’s John Smith calling about the web project. The client needs an update by Friday at 5pm. Can you please advise status by end of day tomorrow?
If you can do that – you begin to get more productive.
 James Burchill is the founder of Social Fusion Network – an organization that meets regularly in Burlington to allow networking and relationship building. He also writes and trains people about how to make technology work for them.
 By Staff
November 23, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Michelle Taylor is a parent with children in Burlington schools. She was deeply involved in the problems at Pineview school and no she is angry with what she feels her provincial government is letting happen to the closing of schools in the province.
Burlington is currently about to embark on a Program Accommodation Review – a process that gets put in place when the number of seats being used in a school drops below 65%.
 They were all smiles – glad to be doing what they were doing. While one of the Burlington schools is not below that 65% number the cold hard fact I that the city has one and a half too many high schools.
There are more than 1800 empty seats in the city’s seven high schools.
The PAR process is controversial and it does put the parents who don’t want a community school closed at a disadvantage in that they don’t have the time frame to work within that a school board has had.
The Halton Board has seen this coming for some time. They delivered a report to the trustees and suggested that a Program Accommodation Review Committee be created. The trustees dutifully voted for that and the process now begins.
On Monday a group of people took the GO train into Toronto to demonstrate outside Queen’s Park. Michelle Taylor wasn’t able to make the trip – she wrote the Premier instead.
Despite being unable to attend yesterday’s Queen’s Park rally against your Pupil Accommodation Review process in person, I was closely watching for any useful reaction from the decision makers. I am very disappointed at the complete lack of respect you showed for those attempting to express their genuine and critical concerns to you on behalf of their communities. That combined with your arrogant and dismissive attitude when responding to the same from your fellow MPPs in Question Period is a huge disservice to every concerned parent and tax-payer across Ontario.
 There was never any doubt who they were or why they were there. As Premier of this great province, you and your ministers are short-changing your electors at every turn. You show no visible consideration for what matters most to those who pay your salaries, not even having the decency to reply with thoughtful answers instead of text-book form responses, if at all. For someone who pretends to be such a believer in “government for good”, you are shaming the democratic process time and time again.
STOP passing the buck back to school boards for a process that YOU CREATED.
STOP pretending that communities across Ontario are positively engaged in the very process that threatens to DESTROY them and their schools. Any participation has been at gun-point, out of fear for their future.
STOP dispensing platitudes for this rigged PAR process, pretending that it will provide the best results for Ontario students- “Every student deserves the best education possible. School consolidation is a tough decision for boards, but gives access to better programs”(Direct quote from your Twitter account, Nov. 21). NOBODY is buying it.
STOP assuming that you are the fountain of knowledge when it comes to education in this province. LISTEN to those representing and living in the communities you are threatening.
 It as the first cold day of the month – but that didn’t dampen their spirits. STOP the slow death you are inflicting on rural Ontario. THINK about the permanent and far-reaching implications of shutting down the agricultural back-bone of this province.
As a concerned parent, I started the SOS Pineview movement against the illogical closure of my village school. I also joined the Ontario Alliance Against School Closures, a hard-working group whose members took time out of their lives to protest at your doorstep yesterday. Along with a rapidly-growing list of others, I will continue to encourage all Ontarians to raise their voices against your government. You will hear our strong objection a thousand times over. We are not going away. We will only get louder. We will not stop until you give us back what is rightfully ours- a deciding say in the future of our communities. Don’t forget- we are all vocal campaigners and unrelenting voters in EVERY election.
 Almost like a flag – centralstrong. You have a small window of opportunity before rising for the holidays on December 8th to show clear consideration and respect for the value of rural Ontario communities. I’m calling on you and your government to put a halt to the Pupil Accommodation Review process immediately, in favour of a new process that honours true public engagement and community value.
 By Pepper Parr
November 23, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
That Indian summer that stretched into November was nice – but it’s snow tires and winter coats for the next while.
What if you don’t have a winter coat? And there are people who don’t have winter coats.
This is seen at the public school level – classroom teachers notice that a student is wearing running shoes when solid winter boots are needed.
These needs are spotted at the school level – thank goodness for that. The Halton Learning Foundation (HLF) is in place to provide the funds needed to pay for some of the essentials so that a student can concentrate on their studies or enjoy a full academic life and not always be on the margins.
 Head office for the Halton Learning Foundation – nothing fancy here – pretty bare bones; a portable in the Board of Education parking lot. . But as an organization – it works The HLF distributes an average of $715 a day to students in need. So far this year they have distributed $35,000 in cash reimbursement and gift cards.
The requests for funding comes to the HLF from teachers throughout the Region – they report that the distribution is pretty even throughout Halton.
A donation of 400 winter coats from Mountain Merchandise will arrive soon – the HLF expects to have them on hand early in December.
The need at the student level is seen by the classroom teacher who sees the student every day. They notice when running shoes are being worn when the snow is deep. They see the student who doesn’t have a coat when they open the locker in the hallway.
Some teachers see more of a student than their parents do – which is no reflection on the parents. Teachers are the front line – and while they aren’t social workers they know that a students who hasn’t been properly fed is a student that is very hard to teach.
The HLF is putting together the final pieces of an innovative program that lets people get a seasonal gift for that person who has almost everything and it tough to buy for – we are going to tell you more about that in the days ahead.
The HLF will tell you that 10% of Halton District School Board students live at or below the poverty line. These are the students who can access emergency funding or student subsidies to help them stay in school and focused on learning.
By Staff
November 22, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Is this a wickedly smart promotional tactic or are seat sales down so badly that something had to be done to boost sales.
Whichever, – it sounds like a good deal – you might want to take them up on it.
This Friday use promo code 25on25 to
receive 25% OFF regular tickets
for the following performances:
Quinn Sullivan – November 30
The Nutcracker – December 7 & 8
Maceo Parker – December 10
A Christmas Carol – December 22 & 23
Form Contemporary Dance – January 14
Lee Ann Womack – January 14
Brotherhood: The Hip Hopera – January 19-21
Fernando Varela – January 28
Rant Maggie Rant – February 2
Stewart Goodyear – February 3
Western Swing Authority- February 4
Receiver of Wreck – February 9-11
Robert Dubac’s The Male Intellect: An Oxymoron? – February 11
African Guitar Summit – February 16
Sarah MacDougall – February 17
Diana Panton – February 18
Whitehorse – February 21
Infinity – February 23-25
Balé Folclórico Da Bahia – March 2
Eliana Cuevas – March 4
Larry Carlton – March 9
Rémi Bolduc Jazz Ensemble – March 10
Stephen Fearing – March 22
Kaha:wi Dance Theatre – March 27
Shaolin Warriors – April 10
Morgan James – April 13
Johannes Linstead – April 26
Confessions of a Red Headed Coffeeshop Girl – May 4-6
Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal – May 4
Offer valid on regular price tickets only on November 25, 2016. This offer does not apply to Youth or Child pricing. Cannot be combined with any other promotion or be applied to previous purchases. Offer only applies to performances listed above. No refunds or exchanges.
 By Staff
November 23, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Thursday evening, November 24th, BurlingtonGreen, in partnership with Burlington Central Library and Halton Green Screens, will present the fifth acclaimed film of their 2016 Eco-Film Festival series, The True Cost.
This documentary tells the story of the clothes we wear, the people who make them, and the impact the clothing industry has on our world. The links between declining clothing prices and increasing human and environmental impact are forged as the audience gets a behind-the-scenes look at the industry. The True Cost is a revealing film that compels us to ask, “who really pays the price for our clothing?”
 If the price is right – what is the true cost? All areas of the industry are explored and exposed, from production of raw materials, to manufact-uring, to international shipping and retail networks, to the ultimate disposal of massive quantities of clothes. In particular, the film examines the damaging effects of “fast fashion”.
Similar to many other environmental realities facing our planet, the clothing industry follows the pattern of exploitation of people and the environment in the developing world, in order to feed the insatiable appetites of those in the developed world. This film project was initiated by people within the clothing and fashion industry itself, who have witnessed the grim reality of the situation firsthand.
In attendance during this film screening will be Kale Black of BurlingtonGreen, who will briefly share with the audience how he makes a positive difference through the informed purchasing choices he makes.
For those who make the time to see the film – it will be an eye opener. Unfortunately, the people who need to see the film are probably not going to be there.
The film trailer.
When: Thursday, November 24, 2016. Doors open at 6:30 pm with film beginning at 7 pm.
Where: Centennial Hall, Burlington Central Library, 2331 New Street.
Cost: $5 per person (free for BurlingtonGreen members).
 By Staff
November 23, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
 The Santa 5k Race will be taking place in downtown Burlington on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016 requiring some street closures from 7 to 11 a.m.
Routes 3 and 5 will be temporarily detoured in the area.
For real-time transit information and to plan your trip please use Trip Planner or call 905-639-0550.
 By Pepper Parr
November 22, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
How did our neighbour to the south get from the assassination of John Kennedy, the then President of the United States, 53 years ago to where that country is today?
And what do we as Canadians do? What questions do we ask?
Being Thankful for what we have and striving to ensure that we don’t slide into the morass the United States has taken on would be a good place to start.
 Moment before rifle shots rang out ending the life of John F. Kennedy
 By Pepper Parr
November 22th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It’s a quirky little project that will look really nice when completed and serve to let people get across the three block downtown core but it has some entanglements; there is a major pipeline running beneath the path.
 A view of what is in place now and what the landscape architects want to space to look like. The project is included in the Core Commitment Implementation Strategy to improve active transportation in the downtown and enhance pedestrian and cycling connections.
 Phase 1 will cover the space between Elizabeth and Pearl Street. It would fit in very nicely with the now under construction Bridgewater development that will soar 22 storeys into the sky. To be known as the Elgin Street Promenade it will be a pathway/walkway/bike path that will start sort of nowhere and go nowhere but when completed will link two sides of the city.
The drawings the city has provided are attractive enough; when completed it might do something to upgrade the sort of dowdy look the downtown core has.
There are some issues – there is a pipeline beneath the planned route that carries fuel. That pipe line is tightly tucked beside the Mayrose Tyco building at the top of the Elizabeth Street parking lot – something the city is trying to find something to do with. It is a piece of prime land that is used to park cars – not really great use of land.
At one point it was tagged as the location for what McMaster was going to bring to the city. They chose the South Service Road instead.
Village Square, at one point a partnership between the Friedman family and German interests, it is now believed to be controlled by the German partner. There was a time when the ADI Development Group attempted to negotiate with the Friedman but that didn’t go anywhere.
The first phase of the project will take what is currently a one way street that runs alongside the Martini House and the Poacher will be upgraded to a rather nice part of town that was once the bus depot.
 On the east the Promenade gets people to the Centennial Trail. On the west is complete the link that will get people to the planned Beachway Park that is the biggest dream in the eyes of planners at both the city and the Region. The long term plan should allow people to walk or cycle from the very east end of the city all the way west to the canal.
Bugeted at something in the order of $450,000 your members of Council will decide if this project should be part of the 2017 Capital budget.
 By Staff
November 22, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
She has made it to the big screen!
Well – in a manner of speaking.
 Margaret Lindsay Holton Margaret Lindsay Holton took her latest film to the public last September and got a more than polite response.
It was a short film with all the production problems that every film bumps into – they are just tougher to manage when the budget is shorter than the film.
But it was produced and then what? The best that happens to most of thy get sown at small film festivals where everyone says something polite and he artist goes looking for money for the next production.
Holton however is persistent if nothing else. She convinced the people at CineStarz to show her film in a commercial setting. People are going to have to pay to see the film just the way they would pay to see any other film.
This is a limited engagement – the CineStarz people may have required Holton to guarantee a limited number of ticket sales.
 It’s an interesting film, poignant, funny in a Canadian way at times. Hopefully Holton will get the word out to every high school student studying film to attend – it is worth seeing as a nice piece of works that touches on a significant issue.
Holton refer to the event as a “Very Special ‘ONE-TIME’ Canadian THEATRICAL RELEASE at :
Cinestarz, 460 Brant Street, (Downtown Burlington) on December 18th, at 3 o’clock.
The Frozen Goose is based on a short story of the same title written by M.L.Holton, published by Seraphim Books.
 By Pepper Parr
November 22, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
After an hour and a half of Question and Answer done on line – does the public, and particularly the parents with children at Pearson and Central high school, know any more than they did when they woke up in Monday morning.
Not really. Everything Director of Education Stuart Miller and his Senior Manager Planning, Dom Renzella said was already public.
 Director of Education Stuart Miller looking just a little tired after telling his story for the umpteenth time. What did come through, even though Miller didn’t say so in so many words was that the Board of Education wants to hear what the community thinks should be done.
Miller has explained that given the information they have the recommendation that went to the trustee was what they felt was best. Of the 19 recommendations that were worked up – # 19 was seen to be the best one to go forward with – and as Miller has said time and again – it is a recommendation that he is fully prepared to have rejected.
It’s a starting point.
Miller agreed that there is a good case to be made for closing Bateman – it’s a couple of km away from Nelson. What wasn’t heard all that clearly is that Bateman is a newer school with better program offerings than Central and that for the educators it’s all about the programs for the students.
Community is not the focus for the Board of Education and it is on this issue that the divide is going to take place.
Central needs a lot of work – it is an old school that has fallen behind.
There was the additional issue that if Central is closed the PARC process will have to be done all over the for elementary classes given in the building – but that wasn’t an issue for Miller or Renzella.
 Dom Renzella, supervisor of planning for the Halton District school board. Miller got taken to task for advocating bigger schools – the 1200 student level – he agreed that there was merit in the argument for small schools but kept coming back to the need to offer as much subject selection as possible to the students.
What hasn’t been seen, so far, are any totally out of the box suggestions from the community. If anything out of the ordinary is going to be done with our high schools it is going to have to come from the public. That kind of thing is not going to come from this Board and its numerous Superintendents.
We did learn that the Board currently has 300 portables in use and that at some schools there are students who have every class in a portable.
Someone (there were no names attached to the questions that were read out) asked why on line and not live for the Q&A. Miller said he didn’t think there was a location that could hold all the people that would want to talk – and when you go live with hundreds of people in the room – it does get messy.
Miller doesn’t like messy and his colleague Renzella shudders at that idea.
Miller kept trying to get across that there was a lot of opportunity for people to get answers to questions they have. And that is true – but it was clear from many of the questions asked that there is a trust issue.
The two were asked why Hayden was built and the answer they gave wasn’t all that convincing. Except for the fact that there wasn’t a high school in that north east part of the city where a lot of growth had taken place.
 Hayden High, Burlington’s newest high school built as part of a complex that includes a Recreational Centre and a public library with a skate park right across the street. Early in the 90’s the planners at the board could see that growth in Alton and the Orchard was going to require a high school.
Boards of education don’t just get to build a high school because they think one is going to be needed. They have to put together a business case and convince the province that the need is real.
One of the unique and really interesting aspects of Hayden high school is that it includes a public library and a recreation centre. In that sense it is probably the high school in the city with the most “community” in it.
If the decision the trustees make ends of requiring more busing – that is something they are going to have to deal with. Miller admitted that there is a shortage of bus drivers – it is a problem that will have to be dealt with – he didn’t have an answer – he was just confident that I would be worked out.
The implementation of whatever decision is made would be in 2018 – effective at the start of the school year in September – which is when the trustees will be running for re-election. Watch for an interesting set of contests at the board of education level.
That might draw a higher turnout that would inevitably impact city council results.
What happens to the property should a school be closed?
 Lester B. Pearson students demonstrating when teachers were on strike. On that Miller covered all the bases. It isn’t going to go to a developer – or if that eventually happened it would be because no one else wanted it.
The property has to be offered to other school boards, colleges and universities that might have an interest, then the municipality. If one of them take up the opportunity it then goes on the market and sold at fair market value.
Miller was emphatic that the board does not have the ability to sell the land to anyone.
Miller seemed to flip flop a bit on involving the students; first the listeners were told that they were not going to be involved until February so they could concentrate on their exams in January but a survey is going to be sent out to the students in December.
What is his whole process going to cost? The Board allocated $100,000 in its budget.
 Stuart Miller and Dom Renzella taking questions from an on-line audience Monday evening. Miller admits that this process is having an impact on both staff and students. “I can see it in their eyes” said Miller and “we get that”.
Miller described the PARC as the process that lets the community gives its input – the Director of Education uses that input to give his final recommendation to the trustees.
The trustees make the final decision – and it is not just the four Burlington trustees – all 11 trustees get to cast a vote on this one.
There was one issue that was not clear to this listener and that was the PARC would not be making a direct recommendation to the Director. Then what will they be doing. I want to get some clarification on that point.
I am sure that holding the Q&A online seemed like a good idea at the time and there was nothing wrong with the way the process went Monday evening.
But it was a little like having plastic covers on the chesterfield – it just didn’t seem right.
By Staff
November 21, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Pam’s buying!
 Pam Damoff, MP for Oakville Burlington North with her coffee crowd. Damoff is the person on the left offering a small smile.
The Member of Parliament for Oakville North-Burlington has invited residents to drop by for a chat at the Tim Hortons on the Northeast corner of Dundas and Appleby in Burlington on Friday, November 25 from 5:30pm – 6:30pm.
She wants to meet her constituents and hear about what issues or concerns are on their minds. Grab a coffee and join the conversation!
She will also be giving you some tips on how to influence what the Minister of Finance puts into the 2017 Budget.
Damoff wants you “to join the conversation about how we can make the economy work for you and your family. As we build on our momentum to grow the middle class and position Canada for the global economy of tomorrow, it is your insights which will shape our vision for Budget 2017.”
You can provide feedback to the Minister of Finance for the 2017 Budget by the end of November though his online consultations.
Here’s the online link to the budget consultations: https://budget-lebudget.ca/
All ideas are welcome which is comforting to hear.
Personally we think the free coffee is the better idea. You will actually get something.
By Pepper Parr
November 21, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton District School Board will be holding their public Question and Answer session Monday night on-line at 7 pm.
The protocol is set out on the Board’s web site. It isn’t easy to find – the Gazette will endeavour to get the exact url to log in.
 Director of Education Stuart Miller addressing parents at Central high school. HDSB Director of Education Stuart Miller made a presentation at every high school – some were very poorly attended. He is now holding an on-line Question and Answer session to answer questions.
The staff recommendation is to close both Central and Pearson high schools.– that is just a recommendation
The provincial government rules for closing a school require that the Board produce a report which they did.
They were not required to provide a recommendation, however they did.
The decision as to what is eventually done is made by the school board trustees.
Going forward the Board will take questions regarding this Program and Accommodation Review; send them via email to: BurlSSPAR@hdsb.ca.
The process to close a school is long and involved. Here are the steps that will be taken. Remember – it is the school board trustees that will make the final decision.
Formation and orientation of Program and Accommodation Review Committee (PARC)
December 1, 2016 –m This will be a closed meeting
Public Meeting #1
December 8, 2016
PARC Working Meeting #1
January 26, 2017
PARC Working Meeting #2
February 2, 2017
PARC Working Meeting #3
February 9, 2017
Public Meeting #2
March 2, 2017
PARC Working Meeting #4
March 23, 2017
Director’s Report to Committee of the Whole
March 29, 2017
Public Delegation Night
April 18, 2017
J.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph Line
Presentation of Report to Board of Trustees for Decision
May 17, 2017
What many people do not realize is that every high school in Burlington anywhere near that 65 utilization number at risk. Hayden high school is not at risk – the place has only be operational for three years.
The parents at Central High School have been working diligently at doing everything they can to ensure their school is not closed.
The community based team is now leading the effort to Save Central. The group has a leadership and strategy team and a data team as well. They have a web site and a twitter account.
#centralstrong
https://centralstrong.ca
 T-shirts and lawn signs are part of the campaign. Central has been down this road before. Their spokesperson said they have an excellent process and structure in place.
And they have a long list of questions they want to ask the Director of Education. Here are some of those questions:
At the meetings where the Director spoke he assured the public that expenses would not drive the decision it would be equitable opportunity for all students , can the board outline what goes into determination of equitable , is it course offerings, student success, or other things, what exactly is considered ?
What is the point in having a PAR Committee that can’t hear opinions from the relevant schools, doesn’t hear from the Trustees of the relevant schools and won’t allow the Committee to make recommendations at the end?
Why did you not consider alternate options prior to engaging in the PAR? There is nothing in the Report to indicate this was done, as required by the Ministry guidelines.
Why are teachers not allowed to talk about this or have opinions? This does a disservice to both them and their students who naturally want to talk to them about it
Why did the board spend nothing on maintaining older schools for years, and remove students from Pearson only to put them at Hayden which caused the overcrowding? It appears this was all done so that Pearson and Central could be targeted for closure
 Why do you keep saying 1200 is an optimal number of students in a high school? This is only optimal based on dollars and cents. It is widely recognized in multiple studies that optimal numbers are actually in the 600-900 range. Where is your data to support this number?
The report does not state why Option 19 was recommended in comparison to other options and alternatives. Simply saying we think this is the best option at this time means nothing. Why was it the best option at the time?
Why in Option #4 would you say you could move the IB program from Pearson to Nelson which would then have Nelson’s utilization at 113%? Why would you not move it to Central or Pearson?
 It should be an interesting hour and a half of community engagement.
 By Staff
November 20th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Complaints about the leaf collection are understandable. However the people who put th schedule together had no idea that the warm weather we have experienced would last quite this long.
As nice as the weather has been – it does play havoc with the plans some departments put in place.
Could we, should we have expected them to have crystal balls that would tell them it is going to be another couple of weeks of unseasonably warm weather?
Just how proactive could they have been?
 Leaves being cleaned up along New Street, The city could have revised the plans and moved everything back a few days – perhaps the contracts they signed didn’t allow for that. Write better contracts.
Global warming is changing everything which means everything has to change.
Set out below is the schedule the city is working to at the moment.
 By Pepper Parr
November 20th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
There is chatter about a larger city council.
It began with a column in the Hamilton Spectator by Joan Little and was followed by a piece written by Brian Heagle. Links to both are below
The significant seven we have now are not that interested in anything bigger. Mayor Goldring has pointed to Portland Oregon which has a seven member council which he thought was great.
 Mayor Goldring’s 2015 Christmas card photograph. Goldring doesn’t manage people all that well; his career path has not included any significant management roles. He prefers small groups of people that are like minded. Much of the thinking the city has seen the Mayor take up has come from a book he read and then invited the author to town for a speech.
There is going to have to be some form of leadership from the current Council and then a citizenship that rallies to that leadership and says it wants a different size Council.
The public is going to have to hear from past members of city council to talk about the deficiencies of a seven member council.
The people on city council now don’t get along all that well but they each have their alliances and know who they can go to for support. There are – it is not fair to call them cliques – but groupings that come together. Councillors Craven and Sharman are frequently joined at the hip and Lancaster will listen to almost everything Sharman whispers in her ear.
 Councillors Sharman and Lancaster: both part of the Shape Burlington committee who seem to have forgotten what the report was all about – civic engagement Taylor is wearying of the game and doesn’t want to be challenged by any upstarts who might have some new ideas. Dennison is comfortable with what exists now.
 Does she still want to put her hat in the ring for job of Mayor in 2018? Meed Ward used to be ‘gung ho’ on change; we haven’t seen that much of the Marianne Meed Ward who delegated ferociously before she was elected to council and was a thorn in the side of most during her first term – something the other council members needed. The fight seems to have gone out of her. To a considerable degree she is still ostracized. Her public comments on the seniors situation were disappointing.
Political organizations need new blood – that is part of why we hold elections.
Municipal politics is complex business. Its financial statements are not like those in the business world. A municipality cannot have a deficit – if they are short they have to dip into the reserve funds – there are more than fifty of those with millions of dollars sitting in bank accounts.
The Finance department to its credit does a good job of getting the city a good return on the investments it makes – given that there are a lot of things the city is now allowed to invest in.
For a newcomer to get elected to council the learning curve is very very steep. It takes a full term to get a feel and understanding for the way the city works and how staff relate to council.
 Councillors Craven and Taylor live on opposite sides of the political spectrum. Each has their strengths – along with a considerable amount of time on city council. For those new to municipal politics having to learn how city hall works and how the Regional Council works is more than most can manage.
It makes a lot of sense to have two levels of Councillors; one who is just a ward Councillor and the other who is both a ward councillor and a Regional councillor.
The comments we are seeing about what these ward only level councillors should be paid is insulting. Those who do the job work hard; the issues they have to deal with are not simple. To pay someone $30,000 to serve as a ward only councillor is going to get you someone stupid enough to accept such a pittance.
If you are not prepared to pay well – you are going to get very little in the way of talent. That $115,000 – give or take a bit – we pay our city council members now is money well spent. They make mistakes and they could tone up their attitude when dealing with the public – especially with delegations to council meetings. But they are fairly paid.
The view that they were elected to run the city and the public gets to decide if they like what they got only at election time is an idea that went out of style in the late fifties. This lot trots out the words accountability and transparency without understanding or believing what they really mean.
 Dennison has the best understanding of the dollars and cents side of civic administration. It is up to you the public to hold them accountable every chance you get. They are no better than you are. When that OPP cruiser slides by you on the 403 your foot comes off that gas pedal – that is you being accountability to that police officer. It’s the way the world works.
If the current council chafes at that it is because you have let them get away with far too much.
Just don’t insult the institution of public service by not paying them adequately and fairly and providing them with the staff support they need.
A trained administrative assistant could serve two Councillors in the same ward – it wouldn’t be a bad idea to recruit those people from outside existing city hall staff.
If there are people out there who want to run for public office they have to have started their campaigns by now. The rules have changed giving the incumbents an even better chance of winning.
How good it is for the incumbents?
Marcus Gee, a Globe and Mail writer who focuses on municiapl politics wrote on the weekend asking:
Imagine a high-school student council whose members never graduate but stay on year after year, growing older and crankier as the student body they govern evolves. It shouldn’t be much of a strain for residents of Toronto to picture. That’s what their own city council is like.
Councillors hang around year after year – sometimes decade after decade – aging in place as the dynamic city they govern changes all around them. The same old characters have the same old quarrels over and over in a repeating loop of futility.
Like any group or organization that doesn’t renew itself, they have become inward-looking, inbred, ingrown. Voters tune them out. Cynicism about politics grows.
How do we break out of this trap? A small group of reformers has an idea.
The Open Democracy Project announced it was putting together a DemocracyKit, “a crowd-sourced, crowd-funded resource to equip the next generation of city-builders.” The plan is to give newcomers the tools they need to break into the restricted club of city politics.
The democracy kit would include such things as fundraising plans, a guide to door-to-door canvassing, website templates and contact-management systems.
 Democracy at work – people planning on what they want to see done. It’s all aimed at counteracting the power of incumbency. Sitting politicians have overwhelming advantages. They have name recognition, especially critical at the municipal level, where most voters aren’t paying much attention. They have access to the big-name spin doctors and campaign managers who dominate the election game. They have a web of contacts in unions, community groups and local business associations that help them get re-elected. They know the ropes.
No wonder that so many manage to stay on and on. The Open Democracy Project says that incumbents won 92 per cent of the time in elections held in three cities – Toronto, Calgary and Ottawa – since 2001.
Burlington has Councillors who have warmed their chairs in the council chamber for more than twenty years.
Related articles:
Little in the Spectator
Brian Heagle with his view point.
Open Democracy project
 By Staff
November 20, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Not sure an evening enjoying craft beers is the “best way possible” to help kick off the holiday season – there is something else we are celebrating.
Nevertheless, the RBG’s Fest-of-Ales returns for its second craft beer event- Thursday, December 8 from 6 until they are done!
 This year includes DJs, breweries, food stations, a cash bar for those wanting libations other than beer, and a mocktail station for our important DDs!
The vendors include Collective Arts Brewing, The Hamilton Brewery, Big Rock Brewery Inc, Muskoka Brewery, Shawn & Ed Brewing Co, Nickel Brook Brewery, Four Fathers Brewing Co., Clifford Brewing Co, Silversmith Brewing Company & the infamous Beaus Brewery! + more to come
Food Stations will be offering Poppers! Sliders! Dips! Snacks! Enough for the meat and veg lovers alike!
Prices: Advance tickets: $35 – includes Fest-of-Ales mug and 5 craft beer tokens. Tickets are $40 the night-of.
Designated driver ticket: $10 (no alcohol can be consumed with this ticket and you must be age 19+)
Thursday, December 8 from 6 until they are done. Sounds ominous.
Tickets available on line
By Pepper Parr
November 19th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
There is a lawyer in town who loves the city – has run for public office and is “involved” in civic affairs. Nice fellow; dependable, decent, gives a damn. He speaks of the city as being a nice place where the quality of life is good.
And on that one he isn’t wrong but he isn’t as right as he would like it to be.
 Is leaf collecting a service the city should be providing? The trees are on city property.  These chemical containers were discovered in Sheldon creek – is their removal a city responsibility? Another citizen is also active, also involved and has lived in the city since the 50’s. He is the kind of guy who will pick up the phone when he sees something he thinks is wrong. He lives near the Village Square.
The Blyth Academy made a smart move when they set up classes for their students in the Village Square. This gave the “campus” a downtown feel rather than an austere building in the boonies or some commercial waste land where space was cheap.
There is a decent number of students about which suggests the idea is working.
Adults seem to understand that smoking is going to kill you eventually and certainly shorten your life span but that doesn’t seem to have penetrated the fertile minds of the Blyth Academy students. They got into the habit of slipping out for a fag in the Village Square which happens to abut a condominium with which they share common spaces.
The residents don’t appreciate the cigarette butts littering the ground – the students got rousted and the problem was solved.
Students being students, driven more by peer pressure than common sense, found another place to smoke – the city parking lot right across the street.
Our observant citizen picked up the phone, called city hall thinking a bylaw enforcement officer could pay the area a visit and shoo the students back to their classroom
Didn’t quite work out that way.
Our citizen was told it was a Regional responsibility; then was told it was a Parks and Recreation responsibility and that the person who could do something was away. After three to four transfers to someone else – the citizen gave up.
While going through the background papers the city has provided on the capital budget that is going to be debated next week we came across an item which we passed along to the citizen with a real hurt for smokers.
The budget submission includes the funding of the purchase of a Customer Relationship Management / Knowledge Base System (CRM/KB) that will build services for the community, focusing on the needs of our customers. This system will allow our customers to engage with the city and have access to information and services through the channel of their choice; phone, social media, city’s website or email. Creating an integrated service delivery model available through multiple channels is only possible through the acquisition and implementation of such a system. Staff plan to consolidate service inquiries and requests and transform Service Burlington into a centralized customer contact centre.
His comment: “It seems to me that it’s a people problem. No system will fix the experience I had. It’s more to do with the culture, a simple commitment of all staff to excellent customer service.”
The same could probably be said the the falling leaves problem in Roseland. The comments made by readers on that problem are instructive.
Related article:
Leaf collections – problem with the timing.
 By Pepper Parr
November 19th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Update: Asked if he wanted to expand on his comment Jack Dennison, the ward 4 member of council said: “The experts will”
Phillip Waggett, a resident of South Burlington, said his street received its second leaf pickup.
This morning, he advised the Gazette, he took a series of pictures of the serious leaf drop which is ongoing–primarily from city-owned trees.
 South Roseland street after leaf pick up – resident thinks the city has made a mistake with its scheduling. “It is not just my street: wrote Waggett “it is across South Burlington and into Roseland, leaves are everywhere, especially on maple trees which have only dropped a small proportion of their leaves at this time.
“My neighbour is of the opinion that the leaves were picked up one week earlier than last year, resulting in possibly the WORST pickup I have experienced in nearly 40 years of living here.
“Who is responsible for this lack of proper planning/scheduling? I do understand that scheduling must be done in advance but surely City Hall has access to the same long-term weather reports as I do?
 This maple tree has yet to lose its leaves – warm weather has it confused – that weather also has the people scheduling the leaf pick-up confused. These are trees on city property. “And I assume city staff responsible are capable of looking outside to see how much of the leaf fall has occurred? None of this has happened with the consequent poor results. What is the City going to do to rectify this?”
Ward 4 Councillor Jack Dennison did get back to Waggett with the following:
“I have included the director of the Roads and Parks maintenance department”
That was it?
No wonder there is disappointment with the way things get done at city hall.
The map showing where leaves are to be collected was published early in October. Someone appears not to have factored in the milder weather and made some changes.
By Staff
November 18, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Hamilton’s Santa Claus parade will be taking place in the downtown area on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016 and street closures will be in effect from approximately 2:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Route 1 buses will have to detour using Locke Street to King Street. For service, please move to the Locke and King Street corner, or to the shelter/transfer point on King Street at Dundurn.
 By Staff
November 18th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Earlier in the month the Halton Regional Police reported small fires being set off randomly in the Palmer Drive and Newlands Crescent part of the city.
The Burlington Fire Department doused several small fires and several more burned out on their own. Police searched the area and did not locate any suspects.
 Fire department responding to an alarm in the Palmer Drive part of the city. Later in the day, police received numerous complaints from residents in the same area who reported items being lit on fire which fortunately caused only minor damage however could have been much worse. Items such as Halloween & Christmas decorations, garden accessories, realtor signs, newspapers, yard waste bags and a wreath hanging on a front door were ignited.
Yesterday, November 17th 2016, investigators arrested a 16-year-old male in relation to these arsons and executed a search warrant at his Burlington home. During the search, police found supporting evidence along with 11 Zanax pills and 24 grams of marihuana.
The male, who cannot be named due to his age, was held for bail, charged with Arson (10 counts), possession of an incendiary device, and possession of a controlled substance (2 counts).
Police continue to investigate to identify the other involved youths and are encouraging them to turn themselves in.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2316, or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
By Pepper Parr
November 18, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Big name in the music world and a lady with a colourful background is going to be at the Port Nelson United Church December 10th for a single performance.
Liona Boyd, the five-time Juno Award-winning guitarist, will be bringing her Winter Fantasy Tour to Burlington on Saturday December 10th. Lowville Festival and Port Nelson United Church are co-presenting “The First Lady of the Classical Guitar”- events starts at 7:30 pm.
Liona Boyd has enthralled millions with her romantic and unique brand of classical, folk and world music. She has performed solo and orchestral concerts around the world, had her own television specials, and recorded twenty-seven albums, many of which have gone Gold or Platinum. She has had over four million views on YouTube. Over the past several years, Ms. Boyd has also branched out as an accomplished singer-songwriter.
 Former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau with Liona Boyd at Juno Awards, O’Keefe Centre, Toronto Ontario. Boyd was also the one-time lover of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau –an intriguing lady.
A Winter Fantasy is a celebration of the music of the Yuletide season, and features fantasias on many popular carols and seasonal songs. On this tour she will be introducing the talented young Waterloo-based singer-guitarist Andrew Dolson. She will be also be joined by the Port Nelson United Church Choir under the direction of Music Director Stillman Matheson.
 Liona Boyd – classic guitarist. Liona Boyd’s concert is a co-presentation of Port Nelson United Church and the Lowville Festival, “a festival of all the arts for the artist in all of us” which is held annually in the majestic Escarpment country of north Burlington.
PORT NELSON UNITED CHURCH
3132 SOUTH DRIVE, BURLINGTON
7:30 pm
TICKETS $30
AVAILABLE AT 905-637-5631, DIFFERENT DRUMMER BOOKS and at the Door
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