 By Pepper Parr
June 3, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It was billed as an important event and it was.
The lobby of the Performing Arts Centre was abuzz with people last Thursday evening enjoying a complimentary glass of champagne.
Brian McCurdy, the Executive Director of the Performing Arts Centre sat in a comfortable chair on stage beside Commie Smith and talked about the line-up for 2015- 2016. Connie chatted away in that “golly, gee-whiz” style that is all her own while McCurdy provided what he called the “colour commentary”
It was impressive.
McCurdy brought years of entertainment industry experience to his job – it shows – and announced a program of which he has every reason to be very proud.
The season consists of 68 artists and companies – the biggest the Centre has ever put on in this its 5th year of operation. Some of the city’s favourites – Alex Cuba and Matt Anderson will be on the stage during the season along with some delightful surprises as well – Colm Wilkinson of Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera fame will be doing Broadway, Christmas and Beyond, an intimate and personal side of a performer not seen before.
The offerings are very strong – what makes it all work is the way McCurdy has broken the program into units that appeal to different audiences.
 The Entertainer’s series
Jose Feleciano and Pavlo; October 22 – 8 pm
Jully Black and Jarvis Church – October 30th – 8 pm
Art of Time Ensemble – Beattles Project – November 4th – 8 pm
The Celtic Tenors: December 20th – 2 pm
Bruce Cockburn: February 18th – 8 pm
The Blues and Rock series
Lighthouse: September 26th – 8pm
Pink Floyd: The Wall: February 6th – 8 pm
Darlene Love: November 29th – 7:30 pm
Matt Andersen: March 4th – 8pm
Ruthie Foster & Harrison Kennedy: April 20th – 8 pm
The Traditional Series
Irish Rovers: November 20th – 8 pm
Men of the Deep: April 13th – 8 pm
John McDermott: December 13th – 2:00 pm
The Dance Series
Canada’s Ballet Jorge – Sleeping Beauty: October 2nd – 8 pm
Proartedenza: November 11th – 8 pm
Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet: February 4th – 8 pm
Peggy Baker Dance Projects; Armour & Coalesce – 8 pm
Hong Kong Ballet: March 8th – 8 pm
The Family Series
Goodnight Moon & The Runaway Bunny: November 22nd – 2:30 pm
Alice in Wonderland: January 24th – 2:30 pm
Cat in the Hat: February 21st – 2:30 pm
Alexander Who’s Not. Not, Not, Not, Not. Note Going to move: February 12th – 2:30 pm
The Comedy Series
Howie Mandel: October 3rd – 8 pm
 Ron James: November 7th – 8 pm
Brent Butt: November 30th 8 pm
Steven Wright: February 19th – 8 pm
Just for Laughs: April 7th – 8 pm
The Jazz Main Stage series
The Pat Metheny Trio: September 1st – 8 pm
Abduillahj Ibrahim & Ekaya: October 23rd – 8 pm
Matt Dusk: November 27th – 8 pm
Holly Cole: April 6th – 8 pm
The Classical Series
Emanuel Ax: November 3rd – 8 pm
Kitchener Waterloo Symphony Orchestra: March 5th – 8 pm
Midori: April 19th – 8 pm
Collectif9: May 5th – 8 pm
 The Global Beat series
Compania Flamenca Jose Porcel: October 15th – 8 pm
Soweta Gospel Choir: December 3rd – 8 pm
Jesse Cook: December 12th – 8 pm
Dakhabrakha: January 29th – 8 pm
YAMATO Legend of the heartbeat: February 25th – 8 pm
The Performing Arts centre has a smaller theatre that is perfect for events that need a closer relationship with an audience. Called studio 440 – it will feature
A singer song writer series
Danny Michel Trio: October 2nd – 7:30 pm
Fortunate Ones: NOVEMBER 6TH – 7:30 pm
David Francey: March 2nd – 7:30 pm
David Myles: March 12th – 7:30 pm
 The 440 World Series
Alex Cuba: October 17th – 7:30 pm
The Once: November 21st – 7:30 pm
De Danann; March 10th – 7:30 pm
Sultans of String: April 8th – 7:30 pm
The 440 Jazz series
Tribute to Dave Brubeck: October 16th – 7:30 pm
Shine On – The Universe of John Lennon: December 15th – 7:30 pm
Laila Biali: February 20th – 7:30 pm
440 is the address of the Performing Arts centre on Locust Street
Classically yours – Sunday brunch series
Campbell/Afiara: October 18th – Brunch 11:45 – Show 12:30
Crow Chiu Duo: November 15th – Brunch 11:45 – show 12:30
Gryphon Trio: February 21st – Brunch 11:45 – show 12:30
 The Cushion concert series
Markus: Saturday October 3rd – 11:00 am and 2:00 pm
Camping Royale: Saturday February 13th – 11:00 am and 2:00 pm
Old Man River: Saturday March 5th – 11:00 am and 2:00 pm
Theatre series
Second Life, Tottering Biped Theatre: October 22 to 24th – 7:30 pm
and October 24, 25 and 31st – 2:00 pm
Ralph and Lina: November 25 to 28th – 7:30 pm
and November 28 and 29th – 2:00 pm
Air – Tottering Biped: January 14 to 16 and 21st to 23rd – 7:20 pm.
January 16, 17 and 23RD – 2:00 PM
 Late Company: February 24th and 27th – 7:30 PM
and February 27th, 28th – 2:00 pm
Proof: May 5th to 7th and 12th to 14th – 7:30 pm
and May 7th and 14th – 2:00 pm
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee:
July 14th to 16th and 21st to 23rd: 7:30 pm and July 17th and 24th 2:00 pm
Special events
Special Event – Cirque, October 29th – 7:30 pm
Special Event – The Nutcracker, December 8th and 9th – 7:30 pm and at 2:00 pm on December 9th
Special Event – Country: Gord Bamford, January 20th – 8:00 pm
Live and Local Music series
Melissa Bel and Sharon Musgrave: September 18th – 7:30 pm
Stuart Laughtin: February 12th – 7:30 pm
Loretta Bailey: October 7th – 7:30 pm
Aitch and Chris Chambers: November 20th – 7:30 pm
Mod Opera: April 12th – 7:30 pm
 Community on Stage
When first envisioned the Performing Arts centre was to make space available to community groups at a price they could afford. It took a while for the idea to get a foothold – under the direction of Brian McCurdy there is now wide ranging, active community involvement.
Burlington Student Theatre
Peter Pan: July 6 to 17th; the July 16th show is at 2:30 pm
Mary Poppins: July 20 to 31; the July 30th show will be at 2:30 pm
Symphony on the Bay
Northern Lights with Ben Smith on piano: October 25th
Christmas Pops: David Holler and the Mohawk College Community Chorus: December 6th
Romance: February 14th
Last Night at the Proms: Sunday May 15th
Brott Musical Festival: June 18th – 7:30 pm and June 25th – 7:30 pm
Top Hat Marching Orchestra: May 7th – 7:00 pm
Burlington Footnotes: June 21st at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm and June 22nd at 2:00 pm
Burlington Teen Tour Band: Fall concert: September 25th; 13th annual Christmas Concert, December 4th and Spring Concert May 13th
Matapa World Music series
Zal Sissokho, Senegal: October 1st – 7:30 pm
Ivan Mazure, Mozambique/Norway: November 18th – 7:30 pm
Kasse Mady Diabate, Mali: March 26th – 7:30 pm
Marrabenta, Sounds of Mozambique; April 27th – 7:30 pm
Tickets can be purchased on-line at www.burlingtonpac.ca or by telephone at 905-681-6000 and in person at the Box office at 440 Locust Street. Box office hours are noon to 6:00 pm – summer hours noon to 4:00 pm
 By Pepper Parr
June 3, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
When Reid Flock was a student in Burlington he used to hang around what was then known as the Burlington Art Centre and found himself drifting to the pottery section where he learned to throw clay.
 Pottery: yes, of a different sort. The colours are resplendent and the shapes whimsical. A flock piece is up for bidding at the Art Gallery auction. He found himself being heavily influenced by Kayo O’Young, a ceramist who worked out of Kleinburg. Reid may not have known it at the time but his future was being determined and he decided he needed to spend some time in Japan.
What was to be a one year trip turned into a nine year journey that brought him back to Canada where he now works out of a studio in Hamilton turning out some of the most astounding pottery this country has seen.
The Art Gallery of Burlington is holding its annual Art Auction – there will be a small piece of Flock’s work up for the bidders.
 Jonathan Smith, curator of the ceramics collection at the Art Gallery of Burlington, looks over a Reid Flock piece that is being readied for shipping. Smith played a strong role in guiding Flock as he developed his skills with clay while at student. Flock tells of the times Jonathan Smith would lock him in the ceramics vault at the art gallery where he would spend hours looking at different pieces and developing the sense of ceramics that allowed him to grow into the artist he is today.
Flock is perhaps the most accomplished artist to come out of the Burlington Gallery.
If you were to be invited to a display of pottery you would probably attend with an idea at least of what you were going to see – when you see the work that Flock does your understanding of pottery is shattered.
Flock calls his art whimsical – something that reflects a society and will smile when you tell him his work looks like baskets that happen to be made of “burnt dirt”.
I suggested to him that the Flocking Red Basket reminded me of the Queen of Hearts at the croket game in Alice in Wonderland. “Exactly”, flock responded “you’re beginning to understand the whimsy of it all.”
 Reid Flock talking to his Dad about an idea he is working on. Flock has no idea who buys his work when it is first sold. He learns later who has a piece and at times it is borrowed for a showing.
While his reds and his blues are, to this viewer, his most stunning, Flock has done pieces in black and in pick and has done a piece with polka dots – which I thought was taking whimsy a bit further than it might have been intended to go.
Flock is awaiting funding for a new tangent he wants to go off on – “squeeze toys” which was about all he wanted to say about the next venture other than to add that the pieces would be larger than his Flocking Red Basket which is the largest piece he has done.
During a meeting with Karen Brouwers at her Framesite location in Aldershot, Flock, his Dad along with Jonathan Smith and his brother were talking about how the red piece would be shipped – he has had at least one piece of his work broken in transit – he mentioned that his cat had climbed into the piece. Seeing Reid Flock’s work as something with utility is a real stretch
There will be a small Flock piece at the Art Gallery of Burlington Art auction which is doing exceptionally well with their 200 for $200. event. Painting by some well-known local artists were snapped up very quickly. There are still some good pieces available.
 Art Gallery curator Denis Longchamps looks over some of the 200 for $200 pieces that are still available at the annual Art auction The Art Auction is being held at a time when weather, hopefully, will not have the negative impact it has had in the past. This year the event has a theme: La Belle Époque that will see the gallery transposed into something resembling Paris at the turn of the century.
It was a period of time seen as a “beautiful era: that began in the late 1800’s and ended with the start of the First World War.
The hope that those attending the event would take to costume and really represent the era is expecting too much – Burlington isn’t there yet.
However, young people from the Student Theatre under the guidance of Rainer Noack will be on hand and in costume. Our young have always led the way haven’t they?
The art auction committee is headed up by Cheryl Goldring, an artist in her own right, is looking for ways to take a new direction and trying to create a theme for each year and make the event not just a fund raiser but something that raises the cultural bar of the city.
The event is a major fund raiser for the Gallery which has gone through a very rough patch financially. The city had to basically bail them out to the tune of $100,000 a year for two years.
 Local art on sale at the Art Gallery of Burlington Auction. The importing of a new President and CEO, Robert Steven, from Grande Prairie is the beginning of a stronger focus on the ceramics collection and hopefully boosting the reputation of the collection, which is really very good, to the point where it will draw people to the gallery and the city.
Some of the buzz going about the city suggests a new location for the Art Gallery might also be in the works – the property they are on has very significant value that a developer is believed to be talking to the city about exploiting.
Interesting times ahead.
 By Staff
June 3rd, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
When you have Sarah Harmer addressing your audience – you get an attentive crowd.
 From back, left: Don Ford, Burlington Post, Bert Hoytema, Earthworks Landscaping, Dan Thompson, Salvation Army Community Church, Greg Alderson, Endless Possibilities Photographic Exhibition, Patrick Lee, Project Autism, Captain Ron Wickens, Salvation Army Community Church, Captain Judi Wickens, Salvation Army Community Church, Judith Lee, Project Autism, Gustav Baliko, Tetra Society of North America, Laurie Ann Correia, Longo’s Walkers Line, David Boag, Halton District School Board, Rachael Armit, Marilu’s Market, Lisa Blanchet, Multiple Scleroses Society, Halton Chapter, Kelly Scott, Burlington Challenger Baseball, Sarah Harmer, Tami Young, Burlington Super Kids Support Group, Kelly MacDonald, AMI-tv, Tricia Porkorny, Burlington Accessibility Advisory Committee Vice Chairperson with Barney, David Fisher, Burlington Accessibility Advisory Committee Chairperson The City of Burlington recognized 12 champions of accessibility this afternoon during the 4th Annual Burlington Accessibility Awards. Organized by the Burlington Accessibility Advisory Committee, nominations are requested each spring and the awards are given to individuals, business owners, service providers and community groups that have made significant steps toward improving accessibility for people with disabilities in Burlington. Burlington recognized 12 champions of accessibility during the 4th Annual Burlington Accessibility Awards.
Sarah Harmer, singer songwriter and activist, grew up on her family farm in Burlington on the Niagara Escarpment. She co-founded PERL – Protecting Escarpment Rural Land – dedicated to the protection of land and wilderness in danger of over-development.
In her remarks Harmer said: “When residents have access to decision-making and the tools to become active citizens, it contributes greatly to our sense of personal empowerment and mental wellness,” said Harmer. “It’s wonderful to see that the City of Burlington encourages citizen involvement and recognizes individuals and businesses for their efforts.”
The awards are held in conjunction with National Access Awareness Week, which was established in 1988 following Rick Hanson’s 40,000-kilometre Man in Motion World Tour. The 2015 winners:
Education
Halton District School Board
Recreation
Kelly Scott
Employment
Marilu’s Market
Longo’s Market
Built Environment
Salvation Army Community Church
Volunteer
Gustuv Baliko
Lisa Blanchet
Tami Young
Greg Alderson
Other
Project Autism
Earthworks Landscaping
Burlington Post
By Pepper Parr
June 3, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington is going to have three different people representing different parts of the city in the House of Commons on October 20th when the federal election results are known.
 The creation of the Oakville North Burlington riding was due to population shifts. The Conservatives held a very public dog fight over their nominations – it was so bad that the Conservative party sent both the candidates packing and put a new executive in place. The Conservative nomination is expected to be held June 7th There is the riding of Burlington, currently held by Mike Wallace that had bits and pieces chopped off; there is still the riding of Halton where Lisa Raitt is the sitting member and there is now a new riding called Oakville North Burlington.
Pam Damoff was acclaimed the Liberal candidate last week after the untimely death of Max Khan. Both Damoff and Khan were members of Oakville’s city council.
The Conservatives are believed to be holding their nomination meeting June 7th where there are at least two known candidates for that nomination; Burlington’s Blair Lancaster and Effie Triantafilopoulos, a former Chief of Staff for Conservative Cabinet Ministers in the three key economic portfolios: Industry, Trade, and Treasury Board.
 Damoff has been a Liberal since her university days when she was influenced by Pierre Trudeau and went to Ottawa to work with a Member of the House of Commons. Damoff graduated from the University of Western Ontario and went to Ottawa to work for an MPP and then moved into the financial world where she was a numbers cruncher for a small financial consulting group that got absorbed by a larger firm which in turn got absorbed by an even larger firm.
Her first run at municipal politics saw her lose by 150 votes – then won a number of years later by more than 50% against six candidates – Damoff had clearly learned how to win an election
She is a passionate woman who will cry when she wants to – for her it is all about people – what she can do and how she can help.
There is the capacity to manage detail and an openness that can be disarming.
While being a Member of the House of Commons is a lot different that handling pot holes and snow clearance Damoff looks as if she will continue to serve the people of Oakville and now some in Burlington as well as she has in the past.
 Pam Damoff tends to wear her emotions on her face – a smile that will light up a room and the ability to tear up when she is moved. So – who is she? A parent, a person committed to her community and silly enough to wade into freezing water on New Year’s Day in Oakville’s popular Polar Bear Dip.
She has been a big, big supporter of the Terry Fox run because she believes it is important for young people to have role models that show what is possible.
Damoff explains that at 19 Terry Fox was a student, at 20 he struggled with cancer and at 21, after a heroic battle against that cancer, he was suddenly no longer with us.
That level of commitment and dedication are what Damoff wants young people to see – and it is to a considerable degree what she is personally. She built the Terry Fox run from 43,000 participants to 132,000
Damoff is a team player; this is no roaming ego looking for all the possible places to land. The environment is an issue for her and she claims to ride her bike often – expects to campaign on her bike whenever she can.
Her nomination was a part love in and part sad evening as the torch was passed from the Khan family to Pam Damoff who had no idea she would be running as a candidate in a federal election. She fully expected to be part of the Khan team – now she is part of the Justin Trudeau team and holding memories of the role Justin’s Father, Pierre Trudeau, played in shaping the country.
Damoff was heavily influenced by Pierre Trudeau and the changes he brought to the country; now she is part of a campaign that is being led by his son.
As a student at Western Damoff worked on John O. (Jack) Burghardt’s campaign which got her to Ottawa where she leaned how the place works.
She is a close friend of Paddy Torsney who represented Burlington in the House of Commons for a number of years. Damoff will be on the phone with Torsney frequently should she win the election
 Good healthy crowd for the acclamation of Pam Damoff as the |Liberal candidate In her moments of reflection – and Damoff is a reflector, she might wonder at the way things turn out. In the next four to five months she will work her tail off and if she can convey to the voters who she is and what she stands for – she will find herself back in Ottawa – this time as a Member of the House of Commons – expect her to tear up when she is sworn in.
Damoff has a small short lead on the yet to be nominated Conservative candidate, however five days after her acclamation there isn’t a Damoff web site in place and there was no mention of using social media in her campaign.
Pam Damoff might choose to do it the hard way – door to door – face to face; it’s the way politics was meant to work.
 By Staff
June 2, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
A Broadway production on the stage of the Burlington Performing Arts Centre? Yup – Saturday Night Fever will be in town for a one night performance January 28th
 Just a one day production – this one will sell out – a Broadway production on the Performing Arts stage. Brian McCurdy made the announcement during the introduction to the 2015 – 2016 program for a theatre that appears to have found its footing and now has a robust, diverse program offering that does what the people behind the idea of a performing arts centre in the city wanted it to do.
It has been a struggle – a lot of financial ups and downs; a change in the management with another change coming in the not too distant future.
Bringing a popular Broadway production to the city – even if only for a single production – is a step forward.
 By Staff
June 1, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It was brazen and except for the video that was taken they got away with it – so far
Two people stole two high quality Gibson guitars from the Long and McQuade Musical Instruments location on Mainway
The Halton Regional Police are seeking the public’s assistance in catching the thieves.
 Female suspect – caught on camera stealing a guitar ![Intel(R) JPEG Library, version [1.51.12.44]](https://www.burlingtongazette.ca/wp-content/uploads/Male-susepect-Long-McQuade.jpg) Male suspect caught on video stealing a guitar. Early in an afternoon, two suspects, one female and one male entered Long and McQuade Musical Instruments located on Manway. Both entered the store carrying empty guitar cases. The suspects were observed on video surveillance to select two high end guitars and place them in the cases. The suspects then exited the store making no attempt to pay for the concealed items. The two stolen guitars are a GIBSON ES 345TDC and a GIBSON USA LP Traditional.
Both were captured on video.
Brazen indeed.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Constable Erin Cooper of 3 District Criminal Investigation Bureau at (905) 825-4747 ext 2313 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com; or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
 By Pepper Parr
June 2, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Last week Regional Council made it a go – the implementation plan that leads up to the development of a bigger, fancier public park is on.
More design work is probably part of the going forward. Which brings up the matter of public involvement in that design.
Other than one public meeting at which the public got to see a bunch of large drawings and some of the detail – the public hasn’t had a chance to say a word about what they think the park should look like.
 The Waterfront Trail Burlingtonians use today will look a lot differently in 25 years – 50 years ago there were railway tracks on the walking path, The park will be a Regional Park and I guess they feel the people in Burlington will just have to put up with whatever the Region’s designer thinks is best.
 Beachway residents didn’t want to hear much about the park that was planned – they wanted to remain in their homes. There have been problems in getting the public involved. Every time there is a meeting the property owners tend to hi-jack the meeting and ask aloud how the Region can design a park to go on land they don’t own.
The Region responds by saying they are working on that – and indeed they are working at it.
They have put together a very enticing package of financial goodies to get the property owners to sell to the Region.
Incentive Options for Willing Sellers in the Beach includes:
Lease-back Opportunities and Extended Closing Periods:
Life Estates
Relocation Services and Moving Costs:
Environmental Remediation Costs:
Payment Options
Right of First Refusal:
Removal of Fixtures/Chattels
Availability of Halton Surplus Lands
Legal/Professional Costs
Appraisal Costs:
That is an impressive effort on the part of the Region. They have included everything – even the kitchen sink.
We get into the details on each of these “goodies” further on in this article.
 What is pretty close to a shack was one of three properties bought by the Region in the past two years. The incentive package might result in additional sales. The Region has planned on a 15 to 25 year property acquisition time frame Over the past 5 years, the Region has acquired four properties in the Beach area. It is anticipated that additional purchases from willing sellers will be made at a frequency of 1-2 properties each year; they estimate it will take between 15-25 years to acquire the remaining 27 privately held Beach properties on a willing buyer/willing seller basis.
The Beachway residents hate the phrase “willing buyer/willing seller” – they argue that there is just the one buyer and that is the Region. Under those conditions the residents had every right to squawk.
The package the Region has put together is generous and allows for a lot of time for the current owners to live out their lives in the property they own.
Perfect it isn’t but this is not a perfect world.
The recommendation was to implement the strategy immediately. Regional Staff are going to continue to engage property owners in the Beach area to identify additional options that may be made available to willing sellers as the implementation of the Burlington Beach Regional Waterfront park proceeds.
 This property sold for something in the $600,000 range. The owners also got a rental agreement to remain in the home. There was real fear on the part of the residents that they would be expropriated – and when it comes to the bitter end some 25 years from now the Region may have to actually expropriate a hold out. The package that has been put together is as fair as it can get.
Each resident wants to look at the various options and choose the one that suits their situation. It also appears that the Region has decided they will do everything they can to meet reasonable requests – but the park is going to eventually get built.
It would be a better park if there were homes in it – but politically that option is off the table. Given the time frame the Region has to get the park built the political landscape may change – Burlington my get a council that sees the story differently and that Council might manage to find allies in Oakville and change the policy. Some of the homes that are in the way could conceivable be moved.
There are a number of heritage properties in Burlington that would like to find a new location – developers have better us for the land and it would make some sense to move a half a dozen or so heritage properties to the Beachway – include the Freeman Station in that list of properties.
That kind of thinking would certainly create a different park – all it takes is political will to bring about a change.
In order to get some sense of fairness in the talks the Region is talking about creating an index that would be reviewed and revised every three years.
 How does one place a value on a home that is yards away from a noisy expressway on one side and yards away from Lake Ontario on the other side. The Region intends to create an index that will give allow property owners to benefit from the increase in the value of their properties. The index would be a collection of “comparable” homes in south west Burlington that would be used to create a base price for properties. The idea was to come up with something that would allow the homeowners to at least think they would be in on some of the excellent property appreciation that has been taking place in Burlington.
The Burlington Beach Waterfront Park Master Plan implementation will be incremental with the park being fully in place in the next 25 years.
Now that the Plan has been approved, implementation can begin.
 By Pepper Parr
June 2, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Part two of a series
In the municipal world the vision gets some attention – it is the pot holes and the snow clearance that crate all the squawking.
How has Burlington done in the eyes of the 771 people who were polled by Forum Research in February – 771 interviews was seen as statistically valid – on the quality of the services city hall delivers?
In this part two of a series on the polling that was done we set out what Forum Research learned. The results of the research will guide the |Strategic Plan deliberations that are taking place now.
How satisfied were residents with the services provided overall?
 When respondents were asked to rate their satisfaction with services overall, the large majority said they were ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ satisfied (47% and 42%, respectively). Compared historically to 2008 and 2011, there was a small movement of respondents from being somewhat satisfied to being somewhat dissatisfied. Respondents who were ‘somewhat satisfied’ decreased 6% since 2008 and 4% since 2011; at the same time, respondents who were ‘somewhat dissatisfied’ increased by 4% since 2008 and 2011. Despite this small increase, satisfaction with services in Burlington overall remains strong.
Satisfaction with Public Safety Services
Forum Research began to drill down into some of the responses and asked how people felt about specific services.
 Respondents were asked to rate their satisfaction with various Public Safety Services by indicating either excellent, good, fair, poor, or very poor. Looking at top 2 box responses (excellent/good), the highest satisfaction ratings were recorded for fire protection services (95%), and emergency management (83%).
Satisfaction with Maintenance Services
 Respondents were asked to rate their satisfaction with various maintenance services offered by the City of Burlington. Looking at top two box responses (excellent/good), the highest satisfaction ratings were recorded for parks and open space maintenance (90%), cemetery maintenance (88%), and tree management (78%). Lowest satisfaction was recorded for surface water drainage, i.e. flood erosion protection for properties and structures (57%).
Satisfaction with Roads and Transportation Services
 Looking at top 2 box responses (excellent/poor) for roads and transportation services, the highest ratings were recorded for roads and structures, i.e. design and construction (69%), as well as traffic operations management, i.e. traffic signals and crossing guards (63%). Lowest satisfaction ratings were recorded for transportation and network planning (52%), as well as transit services (55%).
Satisfaction with Leisure Facilities, Programs and Events
 When respondents were asked about their satisfaction with leisure facilities, programs and events offered by the City of Burlington, a strong majority of respondents rated all items as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. However, the highest level of satisfaction was recorded for parks, open spaces and sports fields (90%).
Design and Building Services
 When it comes to services related to design and building in the City of Burlington, 84% of respondents said parks and open green space, i.e. design and development was ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ (32% and 52%, respectively). Looking at top two box responses (excellent/good), the majority of respondents were also satisfied with community design and development review (66%) as well as building code permits and inspection (63%).
Satisfaction with Emergency and Disaster Assistance
It was important to measure how much confidence residents have in the ability of City of Burlington to provide effective assistance in the event of a major emergency or disaster. The majority of respondents (60%) said they were ‘somewhat confident’ and 29% said they were ‘very confident’. Worth noting is that 1 in 10 respondents said they were ‘not at all confident’.
Feedback to Improve Resident Confidence in Emergency Preparedness
When respondents were asked what the City could do to make them feel more confident in the event of a major emergency or disaster, the largest proportion of respondents said to communicate the disaster preparedness plan to the public (22%). Other top mentions included: educate the public on what to do in the event of an emergency or disaster (11%), as well as communicate / raise public awareness more generally (9%).
City Communication and Support for Emergency Preparedness
Respondents were asked whether or not the City of Burlington is encouraging and supporting emergency and disaster preparedness within the community. The majority (61%) said it is, while 23% said the City it is not.
Top Priorities amongst Respondents
Respondents were asked to rate on a scale of 1 to 10 (1=low priority, 10=high priority), how much of a priority various issues are for the City to focus its attention on. Items that were of highest priority (rated 8, 9 or 10), were: community safety (76%), commitment to infrastructure (76%), healthy community (73%), sound financial practices (69%), as well as parks and community open/green spaces (69%). More attention most members wanted to admit was asked for on open, transparent and accountable civic government.
As the city gets into detail and specifics on the Strategic Plan that will guide their efforts for the next three years expect those that are colour coded red to get a lot of attention.
By Staff
June 2, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
When I asked what the prices for ticket at the about to open CineStarz were going to be were Bruce Gurberg said – 3,4,5.
Huh!
 No I mean the price for a ticket to a movie. Bruce Gurberg again said: 3,4,5.
Gurberg was telling me that the price was $3.99 on Tuesday, 4.99 for children and seniors and $5.99 for adults and general admission.
Those are good prices. The line-up is pretty good too:
Far from the madding crowd
Ex Machine
Hot Pursuit
Furious 7
Age of Adeline
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Kingsmen
Cinderella (This title has yet to be confirmed.)
First run at the CineStarz on Brant Street will be Friday evening. On Brant – in the Upper Canada building.
 By Staff
June 1, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Everyone was out on Saturday – we all stayed in on Sunday. Summer isn’’t ready to show its face yet.
 It was warm up time for the several hundred Carpenter Hospice volunteers and supporters before the took a long leisurely walk along the Waterfront Trail to the canal and back.  The weather was as good as it gets – the Carpenter House supporters in the blue T-shirts were out in force. The waterfront was the place to be on Saturday. The hundreds that support Carpenter House were out exercising and then walking the Waterfront Trail.
 While hundreds walked the Waterfront \Trail an additional 100 + planted new saplings in the environmentally fragile sand dunes.  Carefully tamping down a new sapling one of the hundred + people who put in half a day ensures the roots have a chance to growth into the sand. Close by just over 100 people dug away in the environmentally fragile sand dunes that make up a large part of the Beachway Park.
They were out there on their hands and knees making sure new saplings were firmly bedded. The Sunday gave them a solid soaking.
In the past residents in the park would be out with their pamphlets and petitions looking for support. None of that in site this Saturday. It seems as if they are resigned to what is going to eventually happen – or they are saving their energy for another day. For some the fight to keep their homes in the park will never end.
 By Pepper Parr
June 1, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
She has one of those million dollar smiles, is thistle thin and she is pumped.
Ashley Worobec, a practicing chiropractor in Burlington and is this city’s representative in the Pan Am Games torch run.
 When the public sees Ashley Worobec she will be wearing a Pan Am Torch Relay uniform and carrying the Relay torch. Ashley originally thought she was going to be running quite a length – turns out this marathon runner will get to do about 200 metres – from the Discovery pond at the foot of Spencer’s on the Waterfront to the Pier. Even that she isn’t all that sure about.
“I don’t have my uniform yet or my information package so I’m really not that clear on the details.”
Ashley is clear on this though – she wants to represent Burlington well.” I don’t want to drop the torch any anything like that.”
 Three year old daughter Casey looks on while Mom does up her running she laces. Originally a native of Calgary where she studied at the University of Calgary and then completed her chiropractic training, she is now a proud resident of the city where her husband is a high school teacher who coaches football.
“We are a fitness household” said the mother of two children who lives in the Orchard.
Ashley plans to talk to people as she does her portion of the Pan Am torch run. “I won’t be running very fast” she said
“My parents are flying in from Calgary to watch the run that will last minutes. I get goose bumps when I think about it” she added.
Ashley is a competitive marathon runner who realizes that this gig is going to amount to not much more than a jog – doesn’t matter – Ashley is pumped.
Ashley is on staff at the Burlington Sports and Spine Clinic
She was nominated by a neighbour – “I didn’t even know they had put my name forward.”
 Pan Am Torch Relay route. Starting time is late in the afternoon. The Burlington portion of the run starts at Brant and Leighland and works its way through the city to Spencer Smith Park where the Sound of Music will be taking.
Ashley Worobec represents the city – there are other people representing the province; others still representing the federal government, the stakeholders and the sponsors. Matters not to Ashley “I am representing Burlington and I want to do proud by the city.”
By Staff
June 1, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Halton Police Getting Help from Halton Elementary Students to Name our New Canine Recruit
Halton Regional Police is looking forward to the addition of a sixth Canine team; this new four-legged recruit is due to join us in late summer.
 Regional police are asking all the elementary students in Halton to take part in a contest to give this police pup a name. The new Police Service Dog will join PSD Tracker, PSD Storm, PSD Parker, PSD Bishop and PSD Nero in their efforts to protect and serve the communities in Halton.
The retired Police Service Dogs are: Chase, Kingston, Sniper, Justice, Honour, Gage, Kruz, Baron, Titan, Juno and Valour.
The Regional police have invited all the elementary schools in Halton to take part in this name the K9 contest. They have until Friday June 5, 2015 to submit their chosen name.
The police are encouraging the children to be original and imaginative and to come up with one name entry for each school. A single syllable is preferred; however a maximum of two is accepted. A gender neutral name is also suggested.
How the community can get involved:
Beginning June 10, 2015, the community will have two ways in which to vote for their favorite name.
A hashtag campaign will be run on the @HaltonPolice and @HRPSK9 Twitter accounts and non-Twitter users can go to our website at www.haltonpolice.ca.
The name that collects the most hashtags and online votes will be the winning name which will be revealed on Monday June 22, 2015.
The school who nominated the winning name will receive a visit from Chief Tanner, the new K9 handler and new Police Service Dog when its training is completed in the Fall.
By Pepper Parr
June 1, 2105
BURLINGTON, ON
Today is the first day of a summer vacation he never had in the years he was been with the Planning department in Burlington.
 Bruce Krushelnicki was frequently at the table working with citizens, listening to their ideas and explaining the why and how things were done. The reports his department issued were frequently as good as they get in the planning business.  Insisting that there be commercial space at grade level was not an easy conversation with the developers of the Buntin Wharf project on Lakeshore Road between Locust and Brant – imagine that part of the city without this look? Bruce Krushelnicki left city hall on Friday afternoon and summarized for the Gazette what he managed to get done during his time with the city and some of the things that haven’t happened yet.
Planners build on the shoulders of the people who came before them explained Krushelnicki I didn’t plan the Alton Community – my job was to implement the plan and ensure that the original design was adhered to.
Krushelnicki was heavily involved in the creation and implementation of the Plains Road Village Vision (PRVV) which has changed radically the road that used to be the only one that got you to Niagara Falls.
We had to do a lot of talking to the Shoppers Drug Mart people to get them to see things our way – we wanted the entrance to the store open to the street and they did build the door – but it is locked.
We wanted a two story building – and they did that – now there are doctors’ offices on that second floor – what better place to have a doctor’s office.
Plains Road is no longer just a major traffic artery – it has been going through a process of change for a number of years – that job is far from finished.
Getting developers to see the longer term potential for their properties can be a time consuming process explained K. We had many conversations with the Molinaro’s about street level store fronts on the Buntin wharf property that stretched between Locust and Brant. Can you imagine Brant Lakeshore Road without that stretch of patio space? They make that part of the city feel like parts of Europe added Krushelnicki.
For some developers talking wasn’t enough and the building permit they had been issued was pulled. Drewlo learned that lesson when they made major changes to the way vehicles were going to enter and leave the underground garage of the multi building apartment complex they were building on Plains Road.
 Early version of the Maranatha design had more massing then the planning department was prepared to accept.
 After a lot of negotiating and discussion the final look of the Maranatha project looked like this. Preparing the land for construction has begun The Maranatha project on New Street that is now having the land prepared for construction was another project that Krushelnicki believes benefited from intervention by the Planning department. The building has significant massing and even though it was set back from the street further than most people realized it was a large building. By tapering the ends and creating a large glass section in the middle the building is much easier to look at.
There are those who still feel it doesn’t fit in with the neighbourhood to which Krushelnicki replies – neighbourhoods change – they are supposed to change – but at a pace that fits with where planners feel the city is going.
Most of the two storey properties on Brant Street have four storey zoning as of right and can get eight storeys once they have worked with the planning department to ensure that what is planned fits in with what the residents of the community – and the city believe is appropriate for the area.
Krushelnicki knows now that the malls created in the 70’s do not meet the needs of the community the way they once did and that they need to be re-developed to include a residential and commercial component.
Making more efficient use of land will mean changing the way some sectors of the local economy use the space they have. Krushelnicki points to Mississauga where they created a part of the city that was for the automotive sector. Burlington doesn’t have that Krushelnicki of space available anywhere in the city but Krushelnicki does see the possibility of automotive dealers going up rather than continually going sideways.
The land at the corner of Fairview and Brant has too much value to serve as a parking lot for used cars – the same would apply to the automotive dealers along Fairview and Guelph Line. The planning department did have conversations with most of the automotive dealers in town to talk about different configurations that could be used. “They weren’t ready for a change yet” explained Krushelnicki at a committee meeting.
In the world of planning and development the Ontario Municipal Board is the 800 pound elephant in the room – it is an organization Krushelnicki understand very well. He served as an OMB Commissioner for a period of time and wrote one of the more definitive texts on just how the OMB works.
 The walkway that was built at the bottom of what was once the infamous Rivieria Motel was the result of a land swap Krushelnicki put together with Mayrose Tyco the developers of the property that will house a 22 storey, a seven story condominium plus an 8 storey hotel. The hotel was originally going to be open for the Pan Am games which isn’t something you can blame on the now retired planner, While many of the decisions on what would be built on the waterfront were made before Krushelnicki joined the city as the planner 11 years ago he does get credit for coming up with a land swap that extended the waterfront the public could use a little further to the east and gave the people who were developing what is today called the Bridgewater hotel.
Burlington currently has a major case before the OMB – the ADI development on Martha and Lakeshore that he won’t say a word about because it is before the board.
Krushelnicki taught for twelve years and has until very recently done some teaching at Ryerson and Waterloo. Is there some teaching for a man who is in excellent shape and still holds his truck driver’s license.
There are those who believe Krushelnicki never stopped teaching. On numerous occasions when there was a planning issue of some significance one could see all the junior members of the Planning department in the council chamber – many of them taking notes. And there were always a number of the senior members watching a master at the craft of explaining how planning is supposed to work.
 The concept of precincts to define neighborhoods was an approach Bruce Krushelnicki brought to Burlington’s Official Plan Burlington is in the process of re-writing its Official Plan. The Plan that was approved in 2006 was a Krushelnicki creation. We created a precinct approach and grouped interest and gave them a precinct name and applied zoning development guidelines to them. While the word “neighbourhoods: didn’t actually appear in the official plan – it was vital from Krushelnicki point of view that the way people had organized themselves in the city be respected.
Krushelnicki didn’t live in Burlington but he had a feel for the city that must have run through his mind as he came over the Skyway Bridge and saw it set out before him.
The people writing the new Official Plan are all Krushelnicki prodigies – his finger prints will be all over the document.
Krushelnicki did have his detractors. Many felt he was too restrictive and that he didn’t manage his staff as well as he might. He certainly had strong views and had little difficulty making them know. What made Bruce Krushelnicki so different was the way he would frame and arrange his comments.
He certainly had the best tailor in town and would not take off his jacket when making a presentation. One could not even imagine Krushelnicki wearing a pair of those plaid trousers golfers tend to wear.
During what was really an oration at a Committee of the Whole recently at the LaSalle Park Pavilion the sun was shining directly onto Krushelnicki’s back and the beads of perspiration on his forehead were showing. One of his senior staff who was within his line of sight patted her hip a number of times.
I wasn’t quite sure what she was doing or why – but realized she was sending her boss a signal. The staff member knew that Bruce Krushelnicki always kept a fresh handkerchief in his jacket pocket; she was trying to remind him that it was there.
The staff within the planning department for the most part adored the man. He treated his people with respect and saw his major role as one of developing them and making them better civil servants.
Krushelnicki was without a doubt the most literate senior staff member the city has. During the crafting of the Strategic Plan in 2011, when asked what form it should take, Krushelnicki said keep it to two pages and write it in Latin.
 Krushelnicki must have explained what “top of bank”meant to citizens groups more than 1000 times while he was Director of Planning for the city. During his time as Burlington’s planner he must have explained what “top of bank” meant more than 1000 times – he also tirelessly explained that approval of some height density on one lot did not serve as a precedent for every lot in the neighbourhood.
Krushelnicki had a style that was very much his own. His ethics were beyond reproach, he had that old school politeness about him and more often than not he knew what he was doing and why he made the decisions he made
Krushelnicki was no where near retirement age – but some took the position that his time had come.
By Pepper Parr
June 1, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Part 1 of a series.
Public opinion polling is an important tool used by politicians at every level to determine what people think and feel about an issue.
A critical issue for Burlingtonians, besides saying how well they feel they are serviced by the various city departments, – is how involved they feel they are in the decisions made by city council.
The data produced by the polling and the way it is being interpreted by city hall and the different members of council was significant enough for the Gazette to cover that story separately
As city council prepares to begin debating what the strategic Plan should be for the next four years they gather together as much data as they can.
One of the major research projects is polling the public for their opinions on how well their government is doing.
The good stuff will get trumpeted and the not so good gets a quick look – maybe a nod and then they move on.
Some of the questions asked of the public are so self-serving as to be painful – others elicit a lot of very useful information
Let’s take a detailed look at what the city learned about itself.
Forum Research interviewed 771 people. The same firm did the public research polling in 2011.
In a preface to the report Forum said:
With a population nearing 180,000, it is cherished for its small town feel, green city heritage, and a high quality of life. As well, its economic strength and sustainable growth has made it one of the most thriving City’s in Southern Ontario. Committed to open and transparent governance that delivers quality services to its residents, the City of Burlington hired Forum Research to conduct a Community Satisfaction survey to gather resident input for various topics and issues.
Specifically, the purpose of the 2015 Community Satisfaction survey was to:
1: Measure resident satisfaction and importance toward various services offered by the City of Burlington;
2: Measure perceptions toward quality of life improvement;
3: Determine key sources that respondents are using when seeking information about programs / events / festivals happening in the City; and
4: Determine awareness and attitude toward citizen engagement opportunities in Burlington.
The report produced was extensive and we will take you through as much as we can.
The crunch point for a number of people is how well the city is doing on community engagement – the numbers were not good but the current Mayor and a number of members of council somehow found a silver lining in the data.
This research was conducted via live agent Computer-Assisted-Telephone-Interviewing (CATI) of randomly selected residents in the City of Burlington. Respondents were called between 5:00pm and 9:00pm from February 5th to February 12th, 2015. A total of 771 interviews were completed, each approximately 18 minutes in length. The margin of error was +/-3.5, at the 95% confidence interval level.
 Overall Impression of Burlington as a Place to Live
When respondents were asked to rate the City of Burlington as a place to live, nearly all respondents (96%) said it was at least ‘good’. However, the majority of respondents (86%) said it was either ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’ (48% and 38%, respectively). Just over 1% of respondents said ‘very poor’. The overall impression of Burlington as a place to live amongst respondents was very positive, and consistent with findings in 2011, as well as in 2008.
Has quality of life in the City of Burlington changed in the past four years? Although the majority of respondents (54%) said quality of life has stayed the same in Burlington, 28% said that it has improved. Less than 10% of respondents said quality of life has worsened.
 What Respondents Like Best about Burl ington
Respondents were asked what they like best about living in the City of Burlington. Top mentions were: access to amenities and services / has everything we need (15%), sense of community / small town feel (13%), it’s safe / low crime rate (11%) and easy access to Toronto / central location (10%).
 Respondents’ Vision of Burlington
This question reads as if it was written to pull a positive response; what was there not to like in the question which asked: whether or not they agreed that the following statement is a good reflection of what the vision for Burlington should be: “A place where people, nature and businesses thrive”. Nearly all respondents (96%) agreed. How could you disagree with it?
The politicians will be pulling the answer to this out of their bag of tricks for the next six months.
Part two of this series will focus on the delivery of specific services and the public satisfaction.
By Pepper Parr
May 29, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
There he was – a politician on a stage – what more could he have wanted?
For reasons he said he never understood Mike Wallace Burlington’s MP said he always gets nervous when he is on the stage at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
Brian McCurdy wasn’t nervous but he choked up a bit when he thanked Wallace for the federal grant of $175,000 to cover the cost of a band shell that will be added to the stage set up.
“It will really make a difference when we have orchestras playing “ said McCurdy – “the sound will be projected so much better.
Wallace also took part in recognizing two people who were inducted into the Performing Arts Hall of Fame.
 Lawrence Bonanno inducted into the Performing Arts Centre Hall of Fame. Lawrence Bonanno, a member of Theatre Burlington since 1960, was part of a group that exposed thousands of Burlington citizens to live theatre. Lawrence first became involved in Burlington Little Theatre (now Theatre Burlington) when asked to help with sound recordings for a play. This morphed into directing and producing, building sets, running sound and special effects.
“As one of the recipients of the 2012 Michael Spence Award for Contribution to Community Theatre, Lawrence serves as an inspiration and role model to all. He also formed a technical committee along with Joe Henning and Ron Hebbard who spent countless hours planning and working with the architects to create the Performing Arts Centre.”
 Stuart Laughton inducted into the Performing Arts Centre Hall of Fame Stuart Laughton blew his first note on the trumpet at age nine and fell in love with the instrument. At the age of 19, Laughton was the principle trumpet player at the Hamilton Philharmonic. Stuart was asked to join a new group, the Canadian Brass. He spent just the one year with Canadian Brass and left to attend the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. He formed Opening Day Recordings, and released 18 discs of Canadian music, four of these releases were Juno-nominated, plus one Juno win. Stuart has performed as concerto soloist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Quebec’s Les Violins du Roy, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and the Winnipeg Symphony and was the principle trumpet for LaScala Opera.
After an absence of 35 year he rejoined Canadian Brass for a short time before founding roots/rock band Porkbelly Futures, that released three CDs of original material.
Leighton and Bonnano join Gordy Tapp and Rainer Noack who were inducted in 2012 ans 2013
By Staff
May 29, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It is week #6 for the Halton Regional Police Service “Fugitive Friday” initiative that has the Halton Regional Police, Burlington station reaching out to the public to help locate wanted persons and hold them accountable for their actions.
There are numerous people who continue to evade the police and the court system and continue to live out in our communities while having a warrant for their arrest in place.
 Michael John RAMSAY In this edition of Fugitive Fridays the 3 District, Burlington Offender Management Unit is searching for Michael John RAMSAY, 40 years old, of Burlington, ON.
In May 2014, the accused was involved in an altercation and subsequently charged with assault.
In December 2014, the accused fail to appear in court and a warrant was issued for his arrest for the charges of:
Assault
Breach of Recognizance
Fail to Appear Court
The accused is also wanted by Hamilton Police Service for:
Impaired Operation of a Motor Vehicle
Refuse – Breath Sample
Fail to Attend court x 2
Michael RAMSAY is described as 5’10”, 230lbs, blue eyes and brown hair. RAMSAY has several tattoos (Left forearm – Warrior Demon, Dragon with a Scottish shield and a Heart with name in the centre of it, Right arm – sleeve with a Dragon, Family Crest, Demon and a Heart.
RAMSAY has ties to Halton, Hamilton, Toronto and the surrounding areas.
Anyone who may have witnessed this male or has information that would assist investigators in identifying him are encouraged to contact Det. St. Denis – Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Offender Management Team at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2305/2342 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
The Regional police share “Fugitive Friday” information on their website and via social media through Twitter @HRPSBurl and @HaltonPolice.
By Pepper Parr
May 29, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
There is no business like show business – the bright lights and the Hollywood Stars and the Red Carpet and the dress that reveals more than the one your wife wears – the glitter and the glamour – some of it is working its way to downtown Burlington.
 The frumpy bumpy theatre that operated out of Upper Canada Place shut down their marquee for the last time a number of months ago and the place remained dark. The previous owners found that the cost of upgrading the equipment to run digital operations was more than they were able to handle.
 Gone are the days when cans of 35mm film were shipped to theaters around the country – today the flick comes loaded onto a hard drive tat is slipped into a server and programmed fr viewing. CineStarz technician is testing the system before a planned June 5th opening. CineStarz, an organization with six movie theatres under its management is doing a major upgrade to the space and the facilities.
“I’m putting more money that I planned on spending into the renovation” said Bruce Gerburg, the man overseeing the opening of the new location.
 Projector is one of seven in the room – one for each theatre at the CineStarz.  Server sits beneath the projector. Films are loaded onto a hard drive and just slide into the server. The renovation and upgrade of the theatre that will have everything its predecessor didn’t have.
Bigger screens, better projection equipment and a much more modern look.
 Bruce Gerburg, who lives on his cell phone, runs a six theatre operation and will open the latest one in Burlington on June 5th. He prowls through the projection room where equipment is being wired and programmed for the big opening. Painters, carpenters, electricians and video technician are crawling all over the place to have things ready for the opening on June 5th
What will projected on the screens? – Gerburg can’t or won’t say until he has firm information from his booking agent.
The intention is to have all the current cinema offerings with at least one of the six screens devoted to “art” films.
Art wasn’t a term that Gerburg defined.
The biggest difference, besides the look of the place, is going to be on the second floor where all the projection equipment is located.
Movies are all digital now – there are very few that have reels of 35mm film trucked in. “These days we get what is basically a hard drive that we slip into the server” said Gerburg. “We program the projectors from a lap top or from something as simple as a smart phone”
 Technician can program any server in the seven theatre set up from a smart phone. “I can have the guy who is selling popcorn in the lobby program a projector in another city” – the technology makes all this possible.
New seats are being installed and “there isn’t a seat with a poor sight line” said Gerburg.
By Walter Byj
May 29, 2105
BURLINGTON, ON
Lucy Veerman (Superintendent of Business Services) presented, for approval on June 3rd, the 2015/16 Capital and Operating Budget.
Revenue was projected to be $686,712,959 and expenses of $674,843,009 which represent an increase of $8 million in revenue and $7 million in expenses over the current fiscal year.
In the upcoming year, the Halton board will have approximately 62,000 student which will represent a 1.2% increase overall which is being driven by increases in Oakville and Milton.
Burlington will experience a decrease of approximately 50 students next year. The 50 page long report will be voted on June 3rd. In the meantime the trustees have some homework to do.
With the budget discussions on the back burner until the trustees have digested all the data the board began to look at French Second Language Teacher Recruitment Primary Core French Update.
The Halton region is facing an uphill battle in hiring proficient French teachers for the French programs being offered in Halton. There continues to be an uptake in French Immersion enrolment and with the success of the Core French program, demand for qualified French teachers, in Halton and Ontario, continues to grow while the supply is limited.
While all the politicians will tell you that Halton area is a great place to live, new teachers face the high cost of living (housing) along with our current traffic that results in a number of them choosing other locations. Jeff Blackwell (Interim EO, Human Resources) did express some concern that despite their recruitment efforts, there might not be sufficient French teachers for the upcoming school year.
By Staff
May 29, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The next municipal election is not until 2018 and for Burlington it might be a lot different than the one you took part in last October.
Ontario is taking steps towards giving municipalities the option of using ranked ballots in future municipal elections. Burlington’s current Mayor is on record as wanting a ranked ballot election. Had we had ranking in 2014 it would not have made any difference except for ward six where there would have been a run off. What will make a difference in 2018 is the 2016 census data.
 Will these seven people all be gainfully employed come 2018? The province is reviewing the 1996 Municipal Elections Act, to explore how ranked ballots could be implemented by municipalities across the province. Ranked ballots allow a voter to rank candidates in order of preference instead of voting for a single candidate. The option to use ranked ballots would give municipalities an alternative to the current municipal voting system.
The review will also assess whether the rules about electing municipal leaders are clear and simple and whether the Act reflects how modern campaigns and elections should be run. To that end, the review will evaluate the current effectiveness of rules about campaign financing, third party advertising, enforcement and accessibility in municipal elections.
A working group made up of municipal clerks, municipal representatives and ranked ballot advocates will provide the government with advice on how to make ranked ballots work best in Ontario.
Dave Meslin, who runs an organization called Unlock Democracy thinks this is “”truly an historic moment for Ontario. Ranked ballots make local elections more fair, diverse, inclusive and friendly. I applaud the Province’s efforts to give municipalities the option of using ranked ballots.” Time will tell.
The province will probably go for some form of ranked balloting – it fits with the way Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne interprets the democratic process.
2016 census data will mean changes in Regional representation
Burlington’s ranks could change.
What is looking the Region of Halton right in the eye is how representation will be determined at that level. Each of the four municipalities, Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills has representation on the Regional Council. Burlington and Oakville each have seven members. In Burlington every city council member is also a member of Regional Council – this dual role is reflected in the pay cheque they get.
 Seven of these faces are from Burlington serving as Regional Councillors. How many seat at the Regional Council table will we have in 2018? In Oakville there are members of Council who do not sit on the Regional Council.
Milton has three members on the Regional Council; that will change once the 2016 census data is in. Growth in Milton has been massive and they will be entitled to greater representation.
If Milton gets more – who gets less? Or is the solution to create a larger Regional Council?
If Burlington gets fewer seats at the Region who doesn’t get to be a member of the Regional Council. Would fewer seats at the Region mean a re-drawing of the ward boundaries and the creation of elected officials who serve at the Region and on Council and some that are just city council members?.
Is the answer to create a large council for Burlington? The current Mayor likes the size of the Council we have.
Big issues that will begin to get some attention as we ease into 2016.
By Walter Byj
May 28, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton District School Board wants to boost the development charge by an additional $500; explains that growth in Oakville and Mississauga will require additional school facilities.
The Board of Education 2014/2015 Long Term Accommodation Plan (LTAP) data that covers new capital initiatives from 2016/2017 to 2019/2020 indicates there are going to be more students than the current schools can handle.
The board administrators seen the need and are disappointed at the public response. Domenico Renzella (Manager of Planning), said there were a total of 1100 hits on the LTAP page on the board’s website which resulted in a 104 survey responses. This seems like a low number for the whole of Halton and begs the question, was the method of advising the community adequate?
 Halton District School Board wants to add $500 to the development charge it levies for new home construction Perhaps it was and the community is satisfied with the board. If not, then the communication needs to improve. The LTAP is a solid document and is the result of hard work by the staff and will proceed to the next stage, but the lingering question is, did the public have adequate input.
In part, due to high residential growth in Oakville and Milton and the need for additional schools, the board will be asked to pass an amendment to the current Education Development Charge; the board is being asked to increase the residential charge from $3380.00 per residential unit to $3969.00. For non-residential units, the proposed increase is from $.87 per square foot to $1.02.
Notice has been sent out that public input is requested at a June 3rd meeting to be held at the Halton District School Board at 7:00pm.
The Halton board, along with other boards in the province are legislated to have strategies that cover at least four years. 2015/2016 represents the final year for the current board strategy and Stuart Miller (Associate Director of Education) presented to the board for approval the 2015/2016 strategy. The strategy which encompasses students, staff and systems provided for a thoughtful discussion between Mr. Miller and the trustees.
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