 By Staff
May 26, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
 The police are on the prowl for a Dodge Caravan – beige. Last week an estate home in the City of Burlington was broken into; Wednesday May 14th at 11:50 am to be exact.
Two suspects entered the home and targeted jewellery. These two suspects are associated to a 2005 Dodge Caravan, beige in colour.
Are you getting the connection? The police would like to find that van.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Ellie Bale, 3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905 825-4747 ext 2312 or ellie.bale@haltonpolice.ca or,
Anyone with information on this or any other crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at Crime Stoppers or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
 By Pepper Parr
May 26, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Well it’s government, municipal government at that –so what did you expect? They need more time. This time – the need is real – the discussions and negotiations are tricky and the city has to deal with a provincial ministry.
 It is a view to die for – and one that citizens of the city might not get to enjoy if the planned sale of this piece of waterfront property gets sold to the three property owner’s whose land abuts land owned by the city and the provincial government. Council didn’t see it that way and they agreed to the sale with a number of provisos.
To dispose of Water Street land parcels and develop Windows-to-the- Lake at the foot of St. Paul and Market Streets in a minimalistic manner (benches and signage); and
Direct the Director of Parks and Recreation to report back with a concept for the Windows-to-the-Lake; and
Direct the Director of Roads and Parks Maintenance to enhance Port Nelson Park with available funds.
 There are three parcels of land currently owned by the city and the province. Council decided to sell the land in the centre and to create small parkettes on the east and the west. The small red line in the centre lot show the delineation between city and provincial lands. The property belongs to the city – which means the public – but many members of this council don’t see the waterfront quite that way.
Council also directed the City Solicitor and Manager of Realty Services to work with the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and enter into an agreement for the sale of MNR and city lots between St. Paul Street and Market Street to the adjacent land owners within the next six months. They added to that to have the the City Solicitor and Manager of Realty Services to report back to Community Services Committee if a sale agreement for city lots between St. Paul Street and Market Street has not been reached within the six month period.
The six months is up and the people who unalterably opposed to the idea of selling the land in the first place plan to delegate and ask some hard questions.
The man managing the flow of paper, Ron Steiginga, Manager of Realty Services, is one of the best there is. He was the staffer that handled the transfer, a lease actually, of that patch of land off Fairview that the Freeman Station is now sitting on. On that project he had to deal with the Canadian subsidiary of an American multi-national corporation, the city and a private citizens group – and while it took a while – he got it done. The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) should be a piece of cake for Steiginga.
The staff report lays out the process:
“Given the independent process that the MNR requires, it will take longer than the 6 months to process the agreements and complete all of the negotiations.
“Realty staff has been in regular contact with MNR staff to advise them of Council’s resolution to sell the land to the adjacent owners and to determine what the MNR requirements are to proceed with this matter. In order for MNR staff to consider the sale of the land to the three landowners, the landowners were required to submit individual Applications for Crown Land which were processed by MNR staff.
“MNR staff has recently indicated to the owners that they are prepared to dispose of the filled Crown lands subject to the Ministry policies and procedures which includes the following key provisions:
1. The land must be sold at market value.
2. The City owned Water Street land must be transferred to the three landowners first before the MNR lands can be transferred.
 The property with the fence along the edge has riparian rights – which could be used to extend the public pathway even further. They are working with the three landowners to resolve this issue. “It is clear” said the staff report “that both the MNR and City are in agreement that our respective policies require a fully documented appraisal process to determine the market value, and that both the City and the MNR are using the same valuation method and terms of reference.
 A resident opposed to the sale of the land put forward a proposal that would protect the privacy of the land owners and give the public access to the edge of the lake. The property on the right has riparian rights attached to it – and was rumoured to be going on the market in he near future. The city could have purchased the property, stripped the riparian rights and extended the waterfront trail just that much further. Port Nelson Park is one lot to the east of the riparian rights. Given the time it takes for the owners and/or MNR to obtain and review appraisals, and conduct negotiations, staff expect that this matter will not reach a conclusion for at least an additional 6 months.
The citizen based Waterfront Advisory group apparently don’t like either the look or the smell of this and will be at the Standing Committee delegating. This issue isn’t over yet.
Background links:
Selling the family jewels: Part 1
Selling the family jewels: Part 2
It wasn’t a popular decision.
 By Pepper Parr
May 25, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
All the election signs are either for Eleanor McMahon, the Liberal candidate or Jane McKenna, the Progressive Conservative incumbent seeking re-election. Have yet to see a sign for the New Democratic candidate. All those signs make it hard to appreciate that there is a municipal election working its way towards the day everyone will cast a ballot in October.
An exceptionally well connected business person, sometimes described as a pundit, was approached by a member of one of the city’s advisory committees and asked how the pundit would rank things in each of the wards. The member of the city advisory committee had decided that it was time in his career to get involved in local politics and make a contribution at the city council level.
Our potential candidate at first thought he would take a shot at the job of Mayor but decided that he needed to learn to walk first before starting to run.
 There are at least five people who want to eat her lunch: Councillor Blair Lancaster has a fight on her hands – if she runs again. The pundit ranked things this way: Ward 6 is going to have a different council member come October he is reported to have said. Given that there are now five people seeking that seat – the incumbent has yet to file nomination papers – that would seem to be a safe assumption. A lot of people seem to feel Blair Lancaster can be beaten. With a possible six candidates on the ballot it would be a mistake to count the former beauty queen out just yet – name recognition will take a candidate a long way.
Ward 5 is the next easiest to win in opined the pundit. The sense of the pundit was that the incumbent Paul Sharman doesn’t own his ward yet.
Ward 4 is still a tossup, the Roseland Community Organization doesn’t like any of the people who have their hat in the ring and they dearly want to see a strong candidate defeat the incumbent Jack Dennison who will be at his Ontario Municipal Board hearing Thursday and Friday of this week. Dennison has yet to file nomination papers but then he always waits until June to do so.
 Councillor Jack Dennison: is he running again? Councillor Dennison asked the Committee of Adjustment to allow him to sever his Lakeshore property into two pieces so he could sell off a part for a reported $900,000. Many in Roseland thought that was an atrocious thing to do and took exception to their Councillor doing something that would lessen the value of properties along Lakeshore Road.
Ward 3 is going to be a fight for anyone who decides to take on 22 year veteran John Taylor. He can be beaten but it will take a candidate with a lot of energy and a strong start to topple Taylor.
Ward 2 is thought to be suicide territory for anyone who decides to run against Marianne Meed Ward. She is certainly popular – but she has yet to be tested. If she is re-elected by a significant majority – and she should win – she will be a leading candidate for the office of Mayor in 2018
Ward 1 – Rick Craven has a tight grip on that ward – nothing happens in Aldershot without Craven knowing about it and giving it his blessing. He goes bananas when Meed Ward buts in on his territory.
Of the two newbies running in ward 1 Katherine Henshell is the only one that can give Craven any kind of a run for his money. The woman is focused, does her homework and is also very pregnant. Will that make any difference? Shouldn’t – might even get her the Mommy vote – and in Aldershot that counts for quite a bit.
 Councillor Rick Craven, centre, managed to hide behind a council chamber partition while a vote on an Aldershot matter was being debated. Here he sits with Councillors Dennison and Taylor during a budget meeting. The three are the most experienced members of Council. Henshell did tweak Craven’s nose when she told a city council meeting she was the only person speaking for Aldershot and the Bridgeview development brought to a Standing Committee meeting at which Craven didn’t say a word – he wasn’t even in the council chamber – he remained outside the room for all of the more than an hour long debate – walking in seconds after the vote was cast.
One political observer we hear from regularly asked how much the developer had donated to the various election campaigns – we weren’t able to find that information on the city web site. While city hall has the data they don’t put it up on the web site where people can look at the file and learn who gave and how much did they give. This kind of information should be available for every member of council for every election then ran in.
Wonder what the Ministry of Municipal Affairs has to say about that kind of information net being available. A good city Clerk would have ensured the information was readily available.
For anyone to actually beat Craven would be an upset – but then that is what politics is all about.
His worship appears to be heading for an acclamation which is unfortunate. Rick Goldring needs a strong contender to stiffen him up. He’s not a bad mayor, many see him as a weak leader but a closer look, particularly at the way he handled the bringing in of an interim city manager when Burlington got dumped by then city manager Jeff Fielding showed some really good leadership on the part of the Mayor. Maybe he is growing into the office. Nevertheless, a good stiff competition would keep him on his toes.
You won’t be seeing city council candidates at your door until the provincial election is over – could that be a blessing?
There will be plenty for you to ask questions about as we wind our way through the summer.
 Mayor Rick Goldring. He is in the race – just doesn’t have anyone to race against right now. Early in this term of office Goldring said he wasn’t going to go the getting his picture in the paper route. Here he collects funds in a parade for the Old Timers hockey league.
 By Pepper Parr
May 25, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
It was an interesting week for the arts. The Arts and Cultural Collective got closer to what its mission will be while the Performing Arts Centre released its program for the 2014/15 season to more than acceptable comment.
Not to be outdone, the former Burlington Art Centre decided to go for a whole new look and re-branded themselves and will forever after be known as the Art Gallery of Burlington – AGB; the place where Creativity Lives.
 The arch in the A is supposed to signify the Skyway bridge – sure – with art the view is always in the eye of the beholder. The BAC, old acronym for the Burlington Arts Centre, made it a bit difficult for many people to figure out which was which. While the BAC – oops, that’s the AGB now, had a much stronger pedigree and “involved” more people, there was still the sense that the building on Lakeshore road needed a stronger look and an identity that made it stand out.
The BAC board put together a very strong presentation during the budget cycle and got the funding they needed to do the re-brand. They brought in John Duff to do the work.
The new name reflects their identity as a centre for art and supporting artists in the community and the evolution of the place as a multi-faceted gallery. For the past several years, the gallery administrators have been working to increase the profile and quality of their exhibitions and promote their acclaimed collection of Canadian contemporary ceramics. Today, they are positioned to host national and international exhibitions, tour their ceramics collection and further develop their award winning educational programs.
The Art Gallery of Burlington also brought in a new curator, Denis Longchamps, who uses the title Director of Programs, has some very clear ideas on the direction he feels the gallery should be going in.
The Art Gallery of Burlington has gone so far as to attach a promise to their brand – to embrace and celebrate creativity and integrate the gallery into the community at large. Delivery on this promise includes the promotion of three key messages:
- Art Gallery – providing the highest quality, stimulating exhibitions and contemporary ceramics collection
- Programs – that embrace the qualities of creativity, inspiration and supporting artistic development
- Outreach – that takes the AGB beyond its brick and mortar and into the community with partner events, school programs, city initiatives and connecting through Art Etc Gallery Shop
The tag line, CREATIVITY Lives Here! is the first example of how the Art Gallery of Burlington is going to define itself an operate.
In a letter to the membership President Ian Ross said: “We are increasing our investment in exhibitions, responding to emerging artists, celebrating our national-significant ceramics collection, enhancing creativity in our educational programs, and reaching throughout our community and forming new partnerships.”
Putting meat on the bones of that statement means that the AGB is committed to celebrating and promoting the innovative and imaginative elements in all that they do and in all that they are. Creativity will be the foundation seen in – Programming – Education – Partnerships – Membership – Strategy.
Founded by a number of guilds, the Art Gallery of Burlington has come up with a way to end the confusion as to who they are – Performing Arts Centre and Burlington Art Centre – PAC or BAC was confusing, but it will take more than a new name to get the message across.
What the public has not seen is the strength, energy and vision of two new staff members who are adding to the strength of the team that was already in place.
Leslie Page who runs the educational side, Johnathan Smith who has built the ceramics collection into what it is today are now joined by Kim Varian, Director of Enterprise and Dennis Longchamps, Director of Programs. This team is what will make the difference.
 The ceramics collection needs a home; a place where it can be properly and effectively displayed. Right now it gets scattered about the gallery with hundreds of pieces stacked on shelves in a storeroom.
Many at city hall have wondered if the land the gallery sits on is the most effective use of that piece of property. Heard aloud were the words: “great place for a high end condo” and indeed it would be. Selling the site would free up some money to build the kind of location an art gallery needs to display its ceramics collection.
More on the new team members, the ceramics collection and where the Art Gallery of Burlington might take the city in a future article.
By Pepper Parr
May 22, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
She was blonde, chatty, good with words and an infectious laugh. He was staid, sounded a bit shy but certainly knew what he was talking about.
The two of them sat in stiff chairs facing each other on the stage of the Performing Arts Centre (PAC) with all the instruments a good band would need to really rock the building off to the side. You knew instantly that these two were not going to be playing any of those instruments.
Connie Smith, an interviewer of some renown, and Brian McCurdy, PAC Executive Director sat before an audience that filled three quarters of the Main Stage to talk about the fourth year program that would go on sale to the public June 2.
The evening was a “sneak preview” of the 2014/2015 program before an audience of multiple ticket buyers and capital donours who soaked up every word. They do need to learn to clap more often though.
The Centre has had its trials and tribulations with the public. It has its core following – they are true believers and will support the organization almost forever. But there is a large part of the city that still doesn’t buy into culture all that much and doesn’t want to see tax money used to support it.
Past deficits certainly didn’t help nor did a subsidy request that people expect to be at around half a million a year balloon to over $1.2 million. That situation saw the first Executive Director exit stage left and some key people leave the board.
 That empty month on the calendar is empty anymore – Brian McCurdy gave the public its first look at the 2014/15 program – BOFFO! McCurdy describes himself as a “reformed trombone player” who once shared a stage with Bob Hope at the Community Auditorium in Thunder Bay. “Not only did I get to play in the backup band, I also played a round of golf with Mr Hope in the afternoon” said McCurdy.
You see him in a blue blazer and grey flannel trousers – effectively going about his business. The program released last night is pure McCurdy – his finger prints are all over it.
He has managed, at least on paper, to press all the right buttons and satisfy almost everyone. The proof will come when the program goes on sale to the public early in June.
The arts and culture business is dynamic and it is difficult to project revenue with a high degree of certainty but McCurdy thinks he can get the subsidy to less than $500,00 – which will please a lot of people in this town.
The Plastique performance is a total delight. Check it out for yourself.
Culturally McCurdy covers all the bases: jazz, opera, classical music, dance and a solid set of programs for the young, young set. There is quite a bit of Cuban material, more jazz than I expected along with a couple of purely Canadian nuggets. The only thing missing was a one night stand by Jimmy Tapp.
There are 16 different program series; there will be 65 productions and 93 performances including the National Ballet doing the Nut Cracker Suite at Christmas.
 The Nutcracker Suite will delight what will undoubtedly be SOLD OUT audiences. The Cushion Concert Series will return and there will be a Community on Stage program that will involve a number of the Burlington favourites. In the past some people complained, rather loudly, that the city had a brand new facility but the local performance groups didn’t get a chance to actually use the stage. The prices they were asked to pay seemed very steep to them. McCurdy and his team are bringing in the Student Theatre for two productions; the Burlington Concert Band has three productions scheduled. The Burlington Footnotes will run for two days with three performances and the Brott Music Festival will run from June 19th to August 14th in the Main Theatre.
McCurdy has created what he calls Series and has one with Jazz, another focused on Comedy, then one with a family angle – the Gruffalo is back. Dance, Blues & Rock have a Series as well. The Entertainer Series will include Jann Arden and John McDermott.
There is a “Marvel” Series and a Global Beat Series. Each series is made up of three to four performances.
The Opera Series will present Pucicini’s Tosca, Verdi’s Nabucco and Mozart’s Don Giovanni all done as cinemas coming from the Royal Opera House.
This reporter had to leave early so I didn’t see the standing ovation Brian McCurdy should have gotten at the close of the evening. The challenge now is to see how it goes at the Box Office. If Burlington doesn’t come through with SOLD OUT signs on most of these programs – the city doesn’t deserve a Performing Arts Centre.
By Staff
May 21, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
It may have moved from top of mind ‘for a lot of people but a local chapter of the Council of Canadians activists, local residents, allies and First Nations blockaded the access road to an exposed section of Enbridge’s Line 9 pipeline Tuesday morning.
The blockade was to be twelve hours in length as a symbolic gesture; one hour for every thousand anomalies Enbridge has reported to exist on the line.
 Enbridge inspection workers were prevented from getting to their work site on Tuesday by protesters demonstrating against the National Energy Board decision to approve the direction of the flow through the line.  Integrity digs are when crews dig up the soil covering the pipe and inspecting it for cracks and possible leaks. They are checking on the “integrity” of the line and its ability to transport a product. Thepress release from the blockade states that “Line 9 has at least 12961 structural weaknesses along its length. And yet, Enbridge is only doing a few hundred integrity digs. Enbridge has been denying the problems with the pipe for years, and they still refuse to do the hydrostatic testing requested by the province. Are we really supposed to simply trust Enbridge when they tell us that this time they’ll do it right?”
Many of the blockaders point to the disastrous spill from Enbridge’s line 6b into the Kalamazoo River in Michigan in 2010, where millions of litres of oil spilled and have so far proven impossible to clean up. They also point out testimony at the NEB that Line 9 has a 90% chance of catastrophic failure in the initial years after its operation is changed.
 For the Line 9 protesters the issue is transporting oil from the tar sands in Alberta through a pipe line that runs through Burlington. This public demonstration in Burlington is the first seen since the National Energy Board approved the reversing of the flow in Line 9. There were a significant number of conditions attached to the approval, one of which was a number of digs to determine the condition of the line that is almost 40 years old.
By Staff
May 20, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Some 300 people gathered at the Convention centre last Thursday, to witness the awarding of Burlington’s BEST awards to seven people who were chosen by their peers as leaders in the community.
There were 29 nominees in the 49th annual awards event that recognized Citizen of the Year; Senior Person of the Year; Junior Person of the Year; Heritage Person of the Year; Arts Person of the Year; Community Service Award and the Environmental Award.
Mayor Goldring put it perfectly when he said: “Volunteers” are the backbone of our community, and add tremendous value to Burlington.” The men and women who are received the awards were recognized by their friends and colleagues as putting forth an extraordinary effort to make Burlington a better place.”
The Burlington’s Best Awards are managed by a citizen’s committee established in 1965 with the mandate of recognizing Burlington residents who bring honour to the city and make a difference in their community.
The Heritage Person of the Year Award is sponsored by Heritage Burlington, a City of Burlington citizen advisory committee. The award goes to an individual who has demonstrated a long-term commitment to the preservation of Burlington’s heritage, and has volunteered his or her time to support the preservation of Burlington’s heritage.
 If it had to do with either heritage or history Les Armstrong was at the meeting – usually with the late Jane Irwin. To have lost both of them in such a short period of time.
The award, quite rightfully, went to Les Armstrong whose service to Burlington covers many decades. He was a longstanding executive member of the Burlington Historical Society. His most recent accomplishment was organizing the Friends of Freeman Station. Burlington truly is a better place because of Les Armstrong and his efforts to preserve Burlington’s history for today and tomorrow; his death late in January lessened all of us.
Community Service Award is sponsored by COGECO, the local cable company and
is given to a Burlington resident who volunteered in the areas of public relations, marketing, communications or special events during the previous calendar year. Nominees will have promoted Burlington’s sense of community by sharing good news or encouraging others to contribute their time, talent and enthusiasm.
The nominees for this award in 2013 included: John Ives, Tomy Bewick, Friday Night Community Team at Wellington Square United Church, Les Armstrong, Gordon Cameron, Trent Schwartz and Beth Hudson
Trent Schwartz and his family sparked the imagination of the city when they decided they would embark on 100 local adventures in 2013. Schwartz tirelessly promoted Burlington by helping to get the word out to everyone about all the fantastic events and activities in our city. Schwartz has been a Burlington ambassador who continues to encourage and inspire local people and tourists to experience the great things the city has to offer while promoting Burlington’s sense of community.
Environmental Award Sponsored by Newalta – a leader in rediscovering resources and changing how industry perceives waste by partnering with its customers, helping them to meet their environmental objectives. The nominees were: Ken Woodruff and Paul Toffoletti
The Environmental Award went to Paul Toffoletti, a dedicated environmental protection advocate who has volunteered with the Bruce Trail Conservancy since 1996 and has been a member of the Burlington Sustainable Development Committee (SDC) since 2008.
As a board member of the Iroquoia Bruce Trail Club, Toffoletti spent a significant amount of time monitoring this ecologically significant parcel of land to ensure that Burlington’s natural heritage features continue to be protected. As vice-chair of the SDC, Toffoletti helped raise the committee’s profile by organizing speakers’ series in Burlington on issues that include climate change, local food and environmentally friendly gardening. He was instrumental in leading the review of development applications and routinely delegated to City Council on environmental matters. Toffoletti has played an active role on the Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan Stakeholders Review Committee and continues to serve on the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark Management Committee. Other environmental initiatives Toffoletti has supported include the Earth Day Hamilton-Burlington Eco Festival and various nature walk events. His dedication and enthusiasm for the environment has raised awareness and inspired others in Burlington to reduce their carbon footprint.
The K.W. Irmisch Arts person award went to a woman who took a big chance and brought one of the most imaginative cultural events to the city when she held the “No Vacancy” installation at the Waterfront Hotel. The nominees were: Selina Jane Eckersall, Christopher Giroux, Tomy Bewick and Jonathon Filipovic
 Selina Jane Eckersall looking over a model of Village Square – the location for her next “installation art” event. She is an entrepreneurial collaborator whose goal is to support and encourage a thriving contemporary art scene that extends beyond the gallery walls and into the hearts and minds of the city’s residents, artists and businesses.
Junior Citizen of the Year
Since 1875, B’Nai Brith has been respected for its groundbreaking work on matters relating to anti-Semitism, racism and human rights, as well as for its strong advocacy and the important social services it provides. Each year, local B’Nai Brith groups across the country reach out to those around them, helping to fund and organize activities that meet the special needs of communities.
The Junior Citizen of the Year Award is given to a secondary school student 18 years of age or younger, who, through devoted and energetic service to worthy causes, has been an example to the community. The nominees for 2013 were: Chad Buisman, Connor Withers, Curtis Kelly and Connor Fraser, Gabriella Paniccia, Justin McNerne
Chad Buisman has been volunteering with the Friday Night Community Dinner at Wellington Square United Church since its inception. He helps to feed more than 200 men, women and children each and every week with varying social, physical, social and emotional needs by supporting the dinners with set-up, food preparation and clean-up. He also organizes crafts for young children and shares his gift of music by playing musical instruments for the enjoyment of guests. Buisman is a volunteer with the church’s weekly children’s ministry program, Ryerson Camp and the City Kidz Foundation in Hamilton. He is a young role model who has spent more than 1,000 hours serving the Burlington community with a genuine humility that is beyond his years.
Senior Person of the Year
Canadian owned and operated, Schlegel Villages’ mission is to provide holistic health care in a home environment, located within an internal neighbourhood design that promotes a caring community, with an emphasis on optimal health and life purpose for each resident. The Village of Tansley Woods Long Term Care Home, the sponsor of this award, offers a rich selection of programs and activities year-round. The home is designed to build community while serving personal needs.
The Senior Person of the Year Award is given to a Burlington resident aged 60 years and over, who, through voluntary actions, has made a significant contribution to the city and its residents. The nominees for 2013 were: Michael Hourigan, Maggie Wheeler, Arnold Koopman, Thelma McGillivra
Maggie Wheeler
Wheeler is a cancer survivor who tirelessly serves the Burlington community. She collects non-perishable items for food banks and crochets hats, blankets and prayer shawls for cancer patients, women in crisis and disabled persons. When she travels to Mexico in winter months, she donates suitcases of school supplies and volunteers with her husband to support local food banks, schools and seniors’ homes. Within Burlington, Wheeler is also a volunteer with the Red Cross, Meals on Wheels, and Sew on Fire Ministries in Burlington. She is truly a selfless, charitable person whose heart touches each person she meets, with never a thought for herself.
Citizen of the Year Award
This award is brought to us by the service clubs of Burlington.
The world’s first service club, the Rotary Club of Chicago, was formed on Feb. 23, 1905. Since then, the club has grown to include 1.2 million Rotarians belonging to more than 32,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries. Service above self is Rotary’s guiding principle. The 2013 nominees were: x Bev Jacobs, Judy Gerdes, Denise Davy, Jean Longfield and Beth Hudson. Of interest and of note is that all the nominees were women.
The Citizen of the Year Award is given to an individual who, through devoted and energetic service to worthy causes, has been an example to the community.
Jean Longfield has positively impacted the lives of thousands of people through her “Gift of Giving Back” program. Beginning in 2007, the annual food drive program has now collected more than 770,000 pounds of food with a collective value of $1.89 million to help less-fortunate people in Burlington and the surrounding communities.
 The Burlington Eagles at a city hall event.
 By Pepper Parr
May 19, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
We wrote a piece based on what we were told by our readers; ordinary people with strong convictions and a desire to get all the facts on the table.
Different readers had different search experiences (isn’t technology great?) for news about the Air Park which is a hot topic for people in Burlington.
The first hint we got was that everything about the air park had disappeared from the insidehalton web site was this: “I have been tracking for any coverage on the Burlington Airpark / Airport on Metro Media site (Spec and insideHalton) for some time. This weekend, all past articles on the Airpark have disappeared (there used to be a number of articles), and the return message shows that no search result found. What gives?”
That user got back to us with: , “I will continue to perform the search every day…“burlington airpark” airport on the whole Spec / Metro Media site. My searches today give me the following message…
We were unable to find results for “burlington airpark” in Burlington
That was followed by a comment from a reader who said everything after 2013 was no longer on the site.
That was followed by a comment from a reader who seemed to get a little panicky: “The article that Tina Depko-Denver won her recent award for (best rural story in Ontario community paper) no longer comes up on searches. This is freaking me right out.
“Here’s the link to the artcile (that I had to re-find via twitter) – see if you can find it by searching on insideHalton. https://m.insidehalton.com/news-story/3844524-airpark-neighbours-call-on-government-for-help/
That was followed by: “It came up for me.”
That was followed by this:
“The articles are all there…they come up in different order – by date or relevance – based on how you search for them.
“I get a different list based on how I search: searching by “rossi” as in Vince pulls up some, searching by “warren” as in Vanessa pulls them up in a different order of “relevance.”
“The best search is by “Burlington Executive Airport” it pulled up the most comprehensive list. It has them mostly sorted by date – since the article “neighbours call on government for help” as almost a year ago, it will appear lower down on the list, on page two.
“Here’s the list with that search function enabled:
https://www.insidehalton.com/search/news/?q=burlington%20executive%20airport&location=halton&sort=rel
Here are just some of the articles I found on the website dealing with the airpark.
https://www.insidehalton.com/news-story/4417902-appeal-date-set-for-burlington-airpark-case/
https://www.insidehalton.com/news-story/4220726-burlington-airpark-launches-appeal-of-landfill-ruling/
https://www.insidehalton.com/news-story/4219079-burlington-wins-airpark-landfill-dispute/
https://www.insidehalton.com/news-story/4252426-airpark-paying-city-40k-for-legal-fees/
https://www.insidehalton.com/news-story/3839981-neighbours-of-burlington-airport-complain-of-ongoing-fill-activity/
https://www.insidehalton.com/news-story/3907517-burlington-airport-city-hall-seeking-court-injunctions/
https://www.insidehalton.com/news-story/3870812-leaders-speak-out-against-burlington-airport-expansion/
https://www.insidehalton.com/news-story/3844524-airpark-neighbours-call-on-government-for-help/
“I think this is a question of digital technology: what search words are being used, and the search tool pulling up information based on chronology and relevance.”
The Gazette has been very deliberate in not using the names of people who send in comments. The libel chill is still in the air.
It would appear that the information on the insidehalton web site is still in place. Finding it requires one to use the most effective search terms. Should it be easier? We suppose so but one cannot blame the people who run the insidehalton web site for the search terms their readers use.
It is all their and we expect it will continue to remain on the site. We had planned on trying to reach the operators of the insidehalton site – but the holiday schedule meant no one was picking up their telephones.
We were perhaps a little too quick to call shame on the Metromedia papers and for that we apologize. There are a lot of frightened people in Burlington – and they have every reason to be frightened.
Background links:
The first we heard of editorial material disappearing.
Air Park legal counsel sending out libel notices
By Pepper Parr
May 19, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Thursday evening Burlington celebrated its BEST – 29 people were nominated for the seven categories the city has within which it recognizes and awards citizens who have contributed to the community.
The day before, in a reception at the Performing Arts Centre, city hall staff met to bid former city manager Jeff Fielding adieu. It was an event tinged with sadness, disappointment and some of that gallows humour that makes its way into events where there is not a lot of joy in the room.
The city was watching a truly dynamic city manager leave after a hectic, topsy turvey 26 month run when literally everything was looked at differently.
City solicitor Nancy Shea Nicol summed it up rather well when she said much of her work with Jeff was first asking if what he had done was legal and then changing documents to make sure it was legal. Jeff Fielding was the kind of guy who immediately went to the edge of an issue and THEN pushed.
 City administration leadership team: city manager Jeff Fielding on the left with general manager community and corporate services, centre and general manager, development and infrastructure Scott Stewart on the right. The two general managers didn’t always pull with the same level of effort. General manager Kim Phillips, who had a choppy working relationship with Fielding, said staff wanted to have a caricature made up to present to Jeff but there wasn’t time to get it done. “Had we managed to put it together it would have been of Jeff on a bicycle heading towards a golf course with his golf clubs over his shoulders peddling by city owned buildings with for sale signs on them.
Jeff Fielding was close to radical in his approach to many of the tasks he took on. He understood fully the need for the municipal sector to change its business model; he knew that what we are currently doing is not sustainable.
Taking the job opportunity as city manager in Calgary gives Jeff Fielding the opportunity to work with a mayor who also knows the current municipal business model will not work – it isn’t working now. Fielding was very comfortable in Burlington; taking the job of city manager for Burlington was to be his last move before retirement. The fertile soil for change that he thought he saw turned out to be thin with nowhere near the nutrients to bring about real growth.
As one watched his behaviour at Standing Committee meetings and became aware of just how big his changes were – it was breath taking. On an occasion when a discussion was taking place in Fielding’s office – almost every square inch was covered with pieces of papers with ideas, comments and questions. There was this itch to write down as much as I could read and to whip out the camera and start clicking away. There wasn’t an issue that Fielding would not at least look at.
 Former city manager Jeff Fielding, on the left, was always on hand with Mayor Rick Goldring. Here Goldring explains to Kilbride area residents what was being done and the time frames the repair crews were working to in their community. He didn’t see any reason for the city to be in the golf club business – we think he was right on that one. He had a team of smart people begin a study of the city’s space needs – asked first what do we have and then asked staff to set out what was needed now and into the future – and then began looking for ways to leverage the city hall property.
Fielding was convinced that city owned parking lots had much more value in them than was being realized and he was constantly looking for ways to get at that value and make it work for the city.
He understood fully, more than most of the city’s population, the importance of culture to the city and the need to hype the Performing Arts Centre and work with the Art Centre to get more value – and traffic – to those locations.
City council wasn’t able to find the money to hire a full time Cultural Development manager in the 2014 budget. During the final delegation from the Arts Collective, Fielding turned and told the speaker that he would look for a way to find the money to hire that person. “I can’t promise I will find the dollars – but I will try” which is more than any of the current council members said.
 Jeff Fielding, on the left, didn’t take prisoners. He let lawyer Glenn Grenier,second from the left, who described himself as an expert on the legislation that governs air parks in Canada, know that Burlington wasn’t buying his story. City solicitor Nancy Shea Nicol and Blake Hurley look on. After the meeting Fielding had some stiff words for Grenier while city solicitor Nancy Shea Nicol and staff lawyer Blake Hurley looked on.
Fielding was direct, blunt and didn’t have much time for the “slackers”. On the other hand he recognized real talent which he nurtured and developed. There are a couple of dozen people on the city payroll who are bigger and better people today than they were the day Fielding arrived. For them his decision to leave now was extremely disappointing.
He turned the way the city does its budget upside down and took staff into a Results Based Accountability (RBA) approach where the departmental silos would be merged in a way that would be exceptionally difficult for some staff.
When asked what would happen to the RBA work that had been done Fielding told this reporter that all the basic budget work is completed and he felt staff could complete the shift. That is a stretch by any definition.
Fielding has made arrangements for people in London where he introduced the RBA approach to work with Burlington’s financial team and that help will certainly be useful. What Fielding has done is take a team of people in probably the best run department in the city and convince them to go way out on a limb with him and do something significantly different. This kind of thing does not happen in the municipal world.
The financial people were excited, motivated; pumped if you will, and at a critical time their coach and mentor walks off the field. As much as we admire Fielding –that decision is difficult to fathom and disappointing as well . The city needed another year to get RBA in place and functioning – it was within Fielding’s power to do that. He chose not to.
Fielding did say that he would have liked to have had one more year in Burlington – the city would certainly have liked to have had him for that additional twelve months. One wonders if the Mayor told Fielding that he was not prepared to accept the resignation at this time and sent him back to his desk. Too much to ask for I guess
Rick Goldring told staff at the reception that the day he advised his fellow council members that Fielding was leaving he saw an event on YouTube where the Mayor of Calgary was introducing Jeff as their new city manager. “I felt”, said the Mayor, “like the guy who breaks up with a girl one night and the next day sees her in the arms of some other guy”.
It was both a shock and a profound disappointment to everyone. One wonders why we did not see this coming.
Fielding raised the bar said the Mayor in his remarks and Fielding certainly did that. The problem was that he didn’t stick around long enough to get his team to the point where they could get over that bar day in and day out. Budget time in 2015 is going to have more than the usual bumps in the road.
 Former city manager Jeff Fielding was strong enough to wear his emotions on his sleeve. Made a difference while he was here. Fielding who is an exceptionally emotional man – came close to losing it when he spoke to the team that he led and explained that there are occasions when opportunities come along and you take them. He added that his decision to move from London to Burlington was a family decision. His wife works with the regional government and the two boys are attending Burlington schools. Fielding took out a golf club membership – this was home.
The decision to move to Calgary was not, Fielding explained, a family decision. He was going to Calgary on his own and would commute to be with his family.
 Pat Moyle, interim city manager, probably until NEXT June, brings years of experience in municipal government having served as Regional CAO and with the Association of Municipalities in Ontario. A steady hand during a period of change. Scott Stewart was the “ying” to Fielding’s “yang”. Fielding looked at things from the 30,000 foot level and could see beyond the horizon and relied on Stewart to execute on the decisions that were made. The two were a remarkable team – the only good luck in all this for Burlington is that Fielding didn’t take Scott Stewart with him.
There are always complex reasons for changes made in one’s life. Fielding was pretty sure that the move to Burlington would be the capstone of his career – but then the phone call from Calgary came and Fielding was unable to say no to an opportunity to return to the city where he once worked in the planning department. There appears to be some unfinished business in Calgary that has cost Burlington the most dynamic and effective administrative leader we have seen for a long time.
By Staff
May 18, 2014
Burlington, ON.
Since first publishing this piece there have been a significant number of responses that have come directly to the publisher in which readers set out their individual experiences in finding information about the air park on web sites; particularly the insidehalton web site. It is evident now that with precise, targeted searches on the insidehalton web site a lot of editorial material can be found. Readers of this article should read the following article as well
A committed reader and one of the more plugged in people in rural Burlington sent us the following:
“I have been tracking for any coverage on the Burlington Airpark / Airport on Metro Media site (Spec and insideHalton) for some time. This weekend, all past articles on the Airpark have disappeared (there used to be a number of articles), and the return message shows that no search result found. What gives?
What gives indeed.
The Air Park Inc., has been popping out libel notices faster than a very active female rabbit. The Gazette has been served libel notices on three occasions; Vanesa Warren, a candidate for city council in ward 6, has been served with a libel notice as has one of the Directors of the Rural Burlington Greenbelt Coaltion.
The notice the Gazette got demanded that we – well let’s let the Air Park Inc., lawyers tell you what they wanted.
mcm1llan
Reply to the Attention of Peter E.J. Wells Direct Line 416-307-4007
Fax 416-865-7048
Email Address peter.wells@mcmillan.ca
Our File No. 228177
Date April 16, 2014
SERVED BY PROCESS SERVER
Burlington Gazette 3142 Palmer Drive Burlington, Ontario L7M 1L4
Our Burlington Inc. 3142 Palmer Drive Burlington, Ontario L7M 1L4
Pepper Parr 3142 Palmer Drive, Burlington, Ontario
L7M 1L4
Dear Sirs:
Certified Specialist
[Civil Litigation and Intellectual Property Law
(Patent•Traae–mark•Copyright)]
Re: Burlington Airpark Inc. -Libel Notice to Burlington Gazette
We are the solicitors for Burlington Airpark Inc., the operator of the Burlington Executive Airport (collectively “Airport”). This letter is to serve as notice pursuant to s. 5(1) of the Libel and S!ander Act R.S .O. 1990 Chap. L.12.
Under the date of April 11, 2014 the following appeared on the website h ttp://www.bur 1ingtongazette .ca/:
“Was it the cold winter that resulted in hundreds of dead fish floating on the pond of the Appleby Line property that is surrounded on three sides by the Air Park land fill or is the death of the fish the result of toxic and silt filled water now in the pond?
The argument as to whether the land fill was going to do any real damage has been simmering in the background. Some (sic) testing was done but the
A spring fed pond with hundreds of fish – normally. Today wasn’t a normal day on the Appleby Line property.
Hundreds of dead fish were floating on the water this morning.
Ministry of the Environment got involved in a struggle over who was entitled to the information from their testing results -privacy issues came into play and the privacy officers at every level of government seem to be taking the time they feel they needed to determine just who can see what.
The spring fed pond is yards away from a mountain of landfill that was never properly tested when it was dumped on the property.
Runoff from the landfill is now getting to the water table -dead fish are showing up in the pond.
Some of the evidence may have come to the surface – literally, for one resident. Hundreds of dead fish were found floating on her pond this morning . That pond is yards away from a 30 foot high pile of landfill that is in place in violation of the city’s site alteration bylaw.
The property owner advises that the Ministry of the Environment will be on her property later today to test for contamination in the pond.”
These publications are false and misleading in at least the following respects:
The soil was tested. Results to date in 2009 were reviewed by Region of Halton which reported to the City of Burlington: “The results for all criteria meet the Regional and Provincial standards (potable) as required in Table 2 of the Soil, Ground Water and Sediment Standards for Use Under Part XV.1 of the Environmental Protection Act.”
The Airport is not contaminating the groundwater. Multiple tests by Environment Canada, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (“MOE”) and Halton Region have shown no impact on groundwater.
When the City of Burlington reported the results of the Halton Region testing of wells on properties bordering the Airport in its Burlington Executive Airport Update #6- September 9, 2013: “On August 23, city staff were sent an email by the Region of Halton regarding testing of wells on several properties adjacent to the airport. The email indicated that the MOE and the Halton Region Health Department were working together to sample and analyze the drinking water wells of homes located immediately adjacent to where the fill was placed on the airport site. Well water samples were collected by MOE staff from two properties. The samples were being analyzed for inorganics, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and petroleum hydrocarbons.
Results of this testing were provided to the Health Department. The results were then compared to the health-based Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standards and the Ministry of Environment Table 2 Brownfields standards. The Region has indicated that no exceedances were reported. These results have been shared with the property owners. Permission was given by these property owners for the Health Department to share the results with city staff.”
These results were also discussed at the Burlington Development and Infrastructure Committee meeting on September 9, 2013 where it was reported: “On to Environmental matters on page 3 -the well testing. You can see the correspondence that’s come in from your CEO over at the Region of Halton. That work is being done in co operation with the health unit. That’s flowing through the good Doctor Nosal, so the results will continue; they have been shared with the property owners and the Health Department and we’ll get that information as it comes forward. Nothing negative at this stage and that is not unusual to see that there isn’t anything negative that would migrate from the site and be into any wells anyway, at this stage.”
The publication was actuated by malice justifying an award of punitive or exemplary damages, in that you caused these words to be published knowing them to be untrue, or being reckless as to their truth. In particular the Airport will rely on:
The publication of an article dated April 9 2014 reporting on the filing of nomination papers by Vanessa Warren. The article, when fairly read, is an endorsement of her candidacy. The article repeats earlier defamatory claims that the Airport was importing “toxic landfill” and was running an “unlicensed landfill operation”. Both these allegations are untrue. The July 16, 2013 article in which these claims were made is still available on the Burlington Gazette website, and the Airport claims with respect to these statements as well having been made less than one year prior to April 11, 2014.
The Burlington Gazette reported on the testing of neighbouring wells on August 5, 2013. This report is also inaccurate in claiming that the Terrapex study established that any contaminants were migrating from the Airport property. Terrapex did not comment on off-site impacts as that was not part of the scope of work assigned to it by the City of Burlington. In addition, it bad not done any testing that would have been required to comment on off-site impacts. The August 5, 2013 article in which the false claim that the Terrapex report was evidence of off-site impacts by the Airport is still available on the Burlington Gazette website, and the Airport claims with respect to that statement as well, having been made less than one year prior to April 11, 2014.Nevertheless , as a result of the reports by the City as set out in paragraphs 3 and 4 above, you knew or ought to have known that the tests of neighbouring wells showed no adverse impact due to the Airport and that the City of Burlington had advised the community that there wasn’t anything negative that would migrate from the site and be in any wells anyway. The failure to report these results was selective reporting intended to maintain the fiction that the Airport land was adversely impacting the neighbours, when the tests specifically performed to determine whether that was so were to the contrary.
Our instructions are to pursue legal proceedings unless the defamatory statements in the articles of April 11, 2014, July 16, 2013 and August 5, 20I3 are retracted and a full and fair apology satisfactory to our clients is published in the same fashion and in an equally prominent way as the statements specified in this notice.
PEJW/ml
LEGAL 22224578.1
Full disclosure: Some of the document formatting may have been lost in the transfer of the document from its original format and we corrected a few of the typographical errors.
 Vanessa Warren filing her nomination papers. She is one of five candidates running for the Council seat. Blair Lancaster, the incumbent has yet to file her papers. Since when is it libelous to endorse a candidate for political office? The Gazette wrote articles on most of the candidates who have filed nomination papers. We sincerely hope they don’t take what we write as an endorsement.
The libel notice served on Vanessa Warren called for her to retract and apologize and all that stuff – which will be difficult because it appears that the Letter to the Editor in the Spectator that Vince Rossie wrote apparently no longer appears in the on-line version of the paper.
The Gazette reprinted that Spectator Letter to the Editor and commented on the differences between what appeared in the Spectator and what now appears on the Air Park Inc. web site. We got served with a third libel notice. We may not know everyone who got served with a libel notice: our count at this point is a total of five notices to three people. Legal counsel took exception to a photograph of Mr. Rossi that we added to the re-print of the letter. Some graphic content is frequently added to editorial content to dress up the page.
 You might not find all you would expect to find in this media. And less harassment would serve everyone. Libel chill has been used by people who don’t want to be “in the news”. That chill appears to have wafted its way over to Metrolandmedia, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Toronto Star. They know better and should be ashamed of their behaviour.
Background links:
That letter in the Spectator.
Judge puts his thumb print on air park agreement.
Where was the ward Councillor when all this was happening?
By Staff
May 18, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Reminders of the severity of that December ice storm are laid out along many of the rural roads in Burlington. The last chance to get rid of most of that brush brought about by the December ice storm will be between May 20th and May 30th.
The Region is currently providing bulk brush collection in the designated urban yard waste service areas and using all the resources they have to collect over sized bulk brush material.
Halton Region is providing a one-time extension of the special bulk brush collection program. Bulk brush will be collected one time for each household during the following date:
Burlington Area 8 – May 20 to May 30
Halton residents and contractors can continue to drop off yard waste and bulk brush until June 30, 2014, free of charge at the Halton Waste Management Site.
Bulk brush must be placed in one pile no larger than 6 m long by 1.8 m wide x 1.2 m high (20 ft. long by 6 ft. wide by 4 ft. high), with branches a maximum of 1.8 m (6 ft.) in length and 7.5 cm (3 inches) in diameter for the safety of the collection crews and to prevent damage to the collection trucks.
Bulk brush larger than the specified dimensions will not be collected.
 By Pepper Parr and Mark Gillies
May 18, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON. With winter finally gone – still a bit of a chill in the air at times and pools won’t be all that warm for a bit – the Friends of Freeman Station can now get active and get the foundation for the building in place and then begin the real renovation work.
Mark Gillies, Fundraising and Membership Chairman, Friends of Freeman Station put together a really good collection of photographs that set out the role the railway station played in the economic growth of Burlington.
 Hand drawn map of the Village of Freeman. At our core we were a farming community blessed with some of the most fertile land in the country. We grew fruit and shipped it around the world. Burlington was at times described as the melon capital of the world. I once thought that perhaps Pepper Drive was named because they knew I was moving to the city – nope – it was once the locale of a very large pepper farm.
 Farmers with their wagons wait patiently to load their produce at the Freeman Station. It was known as the “fruit train” with its refrigerated cars. Burlington was a short stop – reported to be just 20 minutes and the farmers loaded their own produce.
 Baskets to hold the fruit grown in Burlington was manufactured in town.  Farmers loaded their produce onto the freight cars. Farmers have to do the loading themselves. They need to work quickly. These market gardeners had been working long before dawn, picking the crops and packing them into their baskets and crates. The train usually left twenty minutes after arriving, heading to Toronto with produce from “The Garden of Canada”.
 Biggs “evaporated” fruit. Post cards were the rage in the early 1900’s. Everyone had a post card made up and sold them for pennies. The Grand Trunk Railway produced their own line of postcards that showed life in Canada in the early 1900’s; a clever marketing technique to help encourage people in Europe to settle in Canada.
This postcard shows the “double track” line that the Grand Trunk Railway had at the time, and railway management took every opportunity to boast about it. The “double track” stretched 824 miles from Montreal to Chicago, and this postcard shows the train travelling through “The Garden of Canada”. Burlington was a huge part of that garden.
These which were sent back to Europe where they are believed to have played a part in enticing new settlers to Canada.
The Village of Freeman had an identity of its own. It had its own post office and was the place the market gardeners arrived at with their produce, loaded it onto the box cars and headed back to their farms. Downtown Brant as we know it was where the cannery was located.
 Robert Gray ran the toll gate that led to the train station platform. Funds collected were used to repair and maintain what is now Plains Road. His home on Plains Road backed on to the tracks. Market garden farmers had to pay Gray a toll to get their wagons with the crops to the Freeman station, and then pay him again when they left the station, so they could return home. This was how money was raised at the time to ensure the road (now Plains Road) was well-maintained. Robert Gray was Mark Gillies’ great uncle.
In 1906 the Dominion Canning Company produced various tomato products and was located at the foot of Brant Street, basically where the Waterfront Hotel is today. The smell of tomatoes cooking, permeated the air of the waterfront.
 Dominion Canning at the foot of Brant Street. $14 million and 100 years later and we have a pier on the same site. Today, Burlington, in fact the whole Region of Halton, doesn’t have very much in the way of a market garden economy. Some soybeans are grown, there are pick them yourself strawberry farms and a lot of hay is grown. The Region has an Agriculture committee and there are a few companies that package produce – but the trains don’t go through town anymore and a horse and wagon hasn’t been since on Mapleview since George Kerr was the Minister of something at Queen’s Park.
 The city had its own brand for produce. Ward 3 Councillor John Taylor want to see a bigger market somewhere south of Caroline; if he had his way he would shut Brant Street completely and make it totally pedestrian friendly.
Have you ever considered what it would be like for 100 per cent of your diet to come from local producers? That’s what J. B. MacKinnon and Alisa Smith decided to do — for an entire year. The couple devoted themselves to 12 months of eating only foods that came from within a 100-mile radius of their Vancouver apartment; an experiment in local eating that became a media phenomenon culminating in their book The 100-Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating.
Is there a lesson here for Burlington? We were once nothing but an agricultural community; we grew some of the best produce in the world and shipped it around the world.
 Now much of what we eat gets trucked in from California or Mexico – all kinds of foods being flown around the world that don’t need to be — for instance, apples coming from New Zealand, or potatoes from somewhere far away in the States, when all those things can grow easily in most places in Canada — particularly potatoes, or some other more humble vegetables.
 A double track was a big deal in the early 1900’s from farm to wagon to train to ships – Burlington produce was moved around the world. The 100 mile diet raised the question of food miles — how far food travels from farm to plate is a starting point for many people. Burlington is currently in the process of studying the creation of a culturally protected part of the rural community – would this allow the growth of a market economy. Unbeknownst to many is the existence of a pear tree far on the north side of Dundas that has been in existence for more than 100 years.
The saving of Freeman station from a wrecking ball may have more than one lesson for us. It could point us to our past and teach us that the food we eat can come from all that land north of Dundas Road
The collection of pictures, which we have poached for the 20,000m people who consistently read the Gazette came from The Burlington Historical Society, The Joseph Brant Museum, the Ivan Cleaver Collection, George Kush, Dorothy Turcotte, and the late Jane Irwin.
By Pepper Parr
May 17, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
It just goes on and on.
During the consistent rain last week there was a lot of run off on portions of Appleby Line. Want to guess which parts of that road were flooded? Just past the south gate of the air park. City engineers visited the site, took photographs but then had to pass the file along to the Regional government – Appleby Line is a Regional Road. Residents along that road want to know who is going to pay for the clean-up.
In the libel notice legal counsel for the Air Park sent to members of the Rural Burlington Greenbelt Coalition (RBGC) they said: “No neighbours have suffered excessive run-off or silted wells as a result of any activity of the Airport.” That letter was sent to the RBGC after the rain.
 The graphic shows the extent of the air park properties. There is a second runway that is not easily seen in this picture. Now the residents learn that King Paving is working on the air park property. One resident commented: “I think its concerning that the Airpark will not submit to the Site Alteration Bylaw as ruled by Justice Miller, but plans to continue work on the runway/taxiway. How can Mr. Rossi ‘cherry pick’ which parts of the ruling can apply? I think the City needs to be pressured to continue to enforce the stop work order unless Rossi is complying with ALL parts of the ruling.”
Another resident asked: “How is it that Rossi is allowed to appeal Miller’s ruling, whilst selectively complying only with the parts he likes of it. How wrong is that?! “
The city has an injunction in place and residents wonder: “what does the City’s injunction enforce? Doesn’t it allow him to work on his main runway/taxiway (and to only bring in asphalt grindings)?
As well they want to know:
1) exactly what type of work?
2) what equipment will be used?
3) what materials will be used and how/when will it be transported to the site?
 Residents want to know if equipment like this is going to be parked a stones throw from their kitchen windows while upgrades to a runway are done. 5) what is the start date?
6) what is the completion date?
7) what will be done to mitigate the dust, dirt and noise for the neighbors?
The city’s engineering department will be inspecting this work to “ensure compliance with good engineering practices and respect to the local residents.”
 Vince Rossi, president of the Burlington Executive Air Park and believed to be the sole shareholder of the private company, met with north Burlington residents, took all the comments made “under advisement” and then found himself in court where he learned he did indeed have to comply with a city bylaw. He has appealed that decision. One Appleby Line residents sets out the situation very clearly: “We agree that work at the airpark should remain at a standstill. Vince Rossi has chosen to use the courts and nothing should happen until the next round of legal procedures is complete. Without a clear picture as to how the bylaws apply, and without a proper site plan and drainage plan, any work related to drainage can only be a short term fix. It is not possible to hold a short meeting at the edge of the dirt cliff and quickly develop a repair plan for the drainage. Drainage problems exist at all boundaries. The drainage plan must be carefully planned and Vince Rossi must accept the fact that the repairs will be costly.”
 The pile of landfill, dumped on the airport property without a site bylaw plan, drains into neighbouring lands flooding fields that cannot be farmed. “The airpark has direct access to the Bronte Creek watershed from its property. It does not have to rely on neighbouring properties to remove its water. I certainly hope that the City of Burlington’s Engineering Department clearly comprehends the scope of this issue.”
It’s an ongoing battle for residents in the immediate area and of significant concern to all the residents of rural Burlington. There is a water table at risk that cannot be fluffed of by the protestations of the air park owner and his legal counsel. Citizens have seen what the protestations from oil line operators amounted to. Once a water table is damaged – it take years to recover. The citizens of Walkerton, Ontario learned that lesson the hard way.
They call this kind of thing libel chill. Quite how the RBGC is going to get the Spectator to publish the apology the Air Park wants should be an interesting exercise.
It just goes on and on.
 By Ray Rivers
May 16, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Canada was one of the first nations to respond to the civil unrest in Kiev and the Russian invasion of Crimea. We recalled our ambassador to Russia, dispatched foreign minister Baird to visit Kiev, booted out a few Russian soldiers visiting us, offered a tiny amount of economic and humanitarian aid and sent over a couple of military observers. This was all announced with the sober deportment which Mr. Harper so capably captures.
 Civic engagement – people giving voice to their aspirations. The Ukrainian situation is complicated. Once considered the bread-basket of Europe, the Ukraine has become an economic basket-case, caught between an ever expanding EU and a newly oil-rich Russia intent on re-establishing the old Soviet Union. It is one of the ironies of civilization that the Ukraine is caught in this potentially matricidal tragedy, having been the cradle of birth for the Russian people. For most of its forty-four thousand year history the Ukrainian people were made captive by any and all invaders, including Huns, Mongols and Turks, the Poles and Swedish Deluge, the Austrian-Hungarian empire, Hitler and most recently the USSR, where it acquired its current geographical dimensions.
Crimea will become part of the Russian Federation, every reasonable person sees that inevitability. The question is whether Russia is content with its acquisition of this tiny peninsula, or whether it will find pretext to invade other parts of the Ukraine. The entire western effort focused on Crimea is about keeping Mr. Putin’s attention there. This hopefully will stall him in order for the Ukrainians to assemble enough of a defence to hold onto the rest of their country.
Mr. Putin is upset. His dreams of expansion have been set back by the impending Ukrainian decision to favour the EU over his dream of a new USSR. It is truly unfortunate that the west didn’t have the foresight to envision this situation. It might have been possible to more fully invite Russia into the European community of nations, such that Mr. Putin would not feel threatened by a pro-west Ukraine. Russia faces the reality of having lost all of its former Warsaw Pact satellites to the EU, and more importantly to NATO. From Putin’s perspective securing his military base in Crimea was the very minimum he should do.
There was a time when Canada was viewed as an honest broker. Lester Pearson won the Nobel Peace prize in 1957, for his trusted independent voice of reason. Today Canada’s foreign policy is about marketing our natural resources, and shamelessly pandering to the ethnic vote back home. So nobody listens to us anymore, and certainly not Mr. Putin. For all the PM’s bluster about the invasion of Crimea, Canada’s only substantial contribution will be through NATO action, should that become necessary.
 But we should not deprecate the fact that we were among the first to get involved. We closed our embassy to register our disapproval at the slaughter of protesters. Then, following the flight of besieged president Yanukoyvich, we provided early moral support for the new administration in Kiev, Mr. Harper has a habit of jumping into situations early and this time he got it right and demonstrated leadership.
And there is a lesson from Crimea for Mr. Harper – in fact for all of us. Quebec having just announced elections is busy preparing for its new sovereignty referendum, should the PQ win. In response, it appears the PM has come to life, and begun meeting with parliamentary opposition leaders and provincial premiers about his next steps. After all Crimea’s future in the Ukraine will be determined by a unilateral referendum, not unlike those used in the last two Quebec votes on sovereignty.
 Democracy in the Ukraine; what a difference between this and the election Ontario is currently having. Oh what a tangled web they’ll weave – and all they want is to is secede.
 Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province. He developed the current policy process for the Ontario Liberal Party. Rivers is of Ukrainian extraction – for him this is up close and personal.
Background links:
Canada’s Ukraine Contribution Russia vs Nazis
Legal Issues in Ukraine Russian View Kissinger Ukrainian Feed Mulroney on Putin Losing Putin –
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By Pepper Parr
May 16, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
There were 46 comments in the newspaper on a web site article we published when we said we were ceasing publication. Not one negative comment amongst them.
In hindsight we should have said we were suspending publication.
I met with a number of people after the announcement and was asked by several if there was not some way I could continue. At the city council meeting of April 28th Councillor Meed Ward announced that we have “for a variety of reasons” stopped publishing, she didn’t elaborate. You are entitled to know what those reasons were.
On May 30th, I will have hip replacement done at St. Joseph Hospital in Hamilton. I have a great surgeon at a hospital where the service and attitude is superb.
From the point at which it became evident a hip replacement was necessary to the date the surgery is to be done was less than 90 days – which I felt was satisfactory. That doesn’t mean there is no pain. Hurts likes Hades and I’ve still not gotten the hang of the cane my wife got for me.
Having a disabled card for my car is a god-send. I can park right outside city hall and most buildings that I have to get to – and I don’t have to pay for the parking. Sweet!
I felt I was unable to do the job I had set out to do. Add to that the libel notices that were served on us by the Air Park Inc., and I wondered if I could keep the newspaper on a web site going and fight the Air Park Inc. action.
 Somehow the owner of the Burlington Executive Airpark convinced everyone that his plans to develop his property came under federal jurisdiction and that the city had no say in what they chose to do. This location was to be the site of a helicopter operation. The owner of the adjacent property is standing on her property line. Many wonder why a corporation can do this to a neighbouring property. My wife found the stress of the legal action difficult to handle. She is the reason I came to this city and I reluctantly decided to cease publishing, at least until the hip surgery was complete and I was able to get around. Everyone tells me I will be back on my fee in no time once the surgery is done – and I certainly hope they are right.
With the announcement of the decision to cease publishing was posted something astonishing happened. There were phone calls. A member of council called to ensure that it was not a delayed April fool’s joke.
There were emails – more than 65 to me personally.
There were comments from readers; more than 46. Not one negative amongst them.
The announcement was made on the Sunday and traffic for the Monday was the largest in our three year history.
A number of people wanted to meet with me. All wanted to know how they could help. The clincher was the delegation that called at the house. Three people, all from the same downtown part of the city, rang the doorbell and asked what it would take for me to resume publishing. I said I would re-think my position.
The Gazette has resumed publishing. I am not going to be able to cover as much as I did in the past until the surgery is done and the recovery is complete.
As for the Air Park Inc., we became aware that a reader who had made a comment on the web site had been served with a libel notice and we were served with a second notice. Then third.
We were fortunate enough to be able to get legal opinions from two exceptionally prominent lawyers who said three things. (1) Peter Wells, the lawyer acting for the Air Park Inc., is not a libel lawyer; he doesn’t know that field of law. (2) You did not libel the Air Park Inc., and you should fight this battle. (3) The owner of the Air Park is a bully.
We have not been sued as yet and have not hired the lawyer that will defend us should we be sued. The lawyer we intend to use is one of the best there is in the field. He will not be cheap – the vacation this summer will be very short and inexpensive.
We have a serious problem when a citizen, running for public office, responds to an article with an opinion and is then chased because someone thinks they have been libeled. That is called libel chill – and it can be effective.
The Air Park Inc., situation cuts to the very core of citizen administration. Does the city have the right to enact bylaws and does the Air Park have the right to flaunt those bylaws claiming they do not apply to them? They certainly thought so. But Justice Murray declared they are wrong and that they must adhere to the bylaw – and pay a large portion of the city’s legal costs as well.
The Air Park, as is their right, chose to appeal Justice Murray’s decision. That appeal is going to be heard before a three member panel of the Ontario Court of Appeals at Osgoode Hall June 11th. The city should have an answer a few weeks after the appeal hearing.
Legal counsel for the Air Park has provided us with the working of the apology they required us to publish. We have set that apology out for readers in a separate article.
The Burlington Gazette will not be publishing an apology. The Air Park can sue if they wish and we will defend our actions in a court of law. It is our belief that the Air Park Inc. wants to expunge any record of what they have done and they have served us with a notice that if we do not remove the material we published they will sue.
We will work with Vanessa Warren, a candidate for ward 6, who also does not believe that she libelled anyone. We agree with her. We will work with the members of the Rural Burlington Greenbelt Coalition (RBGC) who were also served with libel notices. We will not be removing any of the material we published unless ordered to do so by a Court and we will continue to cover one of the most significant events that has taken place that impact on the long term development of the city.
We have asked for an opportunity to interview Vince Rossi, president of Air Park Inc. on two occasions. Mr. Rossi has not been available. He appears to prefer to put his story on the Air Park web site where he can control the content.
The air park is not the only issue of concern. The changes taking place with the Economic Development Corporation, the provincial election, the development potential for the Brant Street Plaza (No-frills and Tim Horton`s are currently located there).
The loss of a city manager that brought about significant changes with the way city hall will run the city – what we all thought was going to be a 60 month run came to a halt after 26 months and many are still figuring out what we do now?
 Is there a new city hall in Burlington’s future? Pressing the city to make their community engagement charter real for the citizens of Burlington.
Following the municipal election and reporting to the voters what we have observed of this council during the past three years and interviewing those people who have put their names forward for public office.
It is nice to be back.
 By Staff
May 15, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
 Staff will have deserted the place on Monday – and don’t expect to see all that many on Friday. A number of city administrative services will not be available on Monday.
Activities at parks and recreation facilities including city pools, arenas and community centres vary over the Victoria Day long weekend. Visit www.burlington.ca/servicehours for program times.
Burlington Transit operates a Holiday service schedule on statutory holidays. The administration offices, including the downtown transit terminal will be closed on Monday, May 19. Call BusLINE at 905-639-0550 or visit www.burlington.ca/transit for more information.
Roads and parks maintenance will provide regular service over the Victoria Day holiday; however, the administrative office will be closed on Monday, May 19. For questions about roads and parks maintenance please call 905-333-6166 during regular hours of operation of 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
 Parking in this location is NOT free. Surface parking lots and the streets – parking is free on Monday. Halton Court Services: Provincial Offences Courts (Burlington and Milton) will be closed on Monday, May 19.
Expect loads of traffic at the garden centers.
I came to Burlington to marry Pia Simms.
I did that on December 19, 2011
Before that I formed Our Burlington Inc., and began publishing a newspaper on a web site. The name of that newspaper was changed to the Burlington Gazette.
The publication was being read by more than 20,000 people.
Then my health took a turn and I have decided that I will stay home in the evenings and be with the woman I came here to marry rather than be at city hall.
The Burlington Gazette has ceased publication.
 By Staff; Photography by Oliver Hannak
April 25, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON. It was six days of solid competition during which the courts at the Haber Recreational Centre got a solid work out as more than 250 Masters level badminton players went after the Canadian Masters Badminton Championship.
 Dave Kumar, head of the organizing committee that brought the badminton championships to Burlington keeps his eye on the birdie The Canadian Masters Badminton Championships is an international event for Badminton players aged 35 and older. Badminton players were expected from at least 10 countries to compete in 10 age groups (+35, +40, +45 etc.). Previous Masters Championships have had more than 300 entrants representing more than 16 nations.
  Burlington showcased the event in its brand new state of the art Haber Recreational Centre. The event is part of a planned badminton sport awareness leading into the 2015 Pan Am Games to be held July 10–26, 2015 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
  Badminton Canada’s mission is to be an innovative and highly respected sports organization that is the leader in contributing to badminton becoming the most successful racquet sport in Canada and the world by enabling Canadian athletes, coaches and officials of all ages, cultural background and skill level the opportunity to excel at badminton and in life.
  Dave Kumar, an unsuccessful candidate for municipal office in 2010, is a member of the Burlington Committee of Adjustment.
By Staff
April 25, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
It’s getting noisy out there. Earlier in the week Kelley Arnott announced she was going to contest the ward 2 seat and try to take Councillor Marianne Meed Ward down and then James Smith the declared Ward 5 City Council Candidate urged all who value the Bronte Creek Trail and who might be concerned about a proposed fence to “Take a hike!” – Sunday, April 27, 2014 from 1– 2:30 pm at the Orchard Community Park, Park Building 2255 Sutton Dr., Burlington, where Becky Ellis, Landscape Architect, Burlington Parks and Recreation Department will be conducting a public information session.
Smith says he will be there looking at the samples of fence styles and thanking the people who, through their own efforts, got the city to pause and to take a step back from their arbitrary fencing plans.
 Snake rail fencing made out of cedar that lasts for centuries would be a good fit for a nature trail.
Smith, who sometimes lets his words get a little ahead of his thinking was blunt and very direct when he suggested the “leadership skills of the present City Councillor: were deficient. Smith claims that Sharman was quoted in local media (not us) didn’t want to get involved. “Do I really need to have a community meeting where I clearly have two sides at odds with each other in the room,” he said “I don’t think that will yield anything that we already don’t know.”
 Smith argues that dangerous places can have fencing that meets the need and maintains the view. While it will be a frosty June Friday before Burlington every builds anything this substantial the point is made that it can be done 0 that there is more than six foot chain link fencing out on the market. Smith claims the “the citizens of Burlington really owe a debt of gratitude to Trent Schwartz and other concerned residents who brought attention to the City’s plan to slap-up a chain link fence along the trail. If you planned to put up a fence in your backyard, you’d do more than stick a note in your neighbour’s mailbox telling them “Oh, by the way this is what we’re doing.”
Smith went on to say he “was shocked by these comments back in December “In my experience, when a situation arises where there are two sides at odds with one another, that’s exactly when one needs to have a community meeting! It’s not about a fence, it’s about leadership, it’s about listening to reasonable and differing points of view and working to build consensus and it’s through this process is how we build a community. Thankfully we have some people in the Orchard who care about this issue and kept it alive so that the present Councillor had to act. People tell me he’s only interested in bookkeeping, to me the councilor’s words speak volumes about his disinterest in community building.”
Sharman can give as good as he gets; the race for the ward 5 seat could be the most entertaining in the city. Councillor Sharman has yet to file his nomination papers.
Sharman had hoped to provide pictures of the fencing ideas the city was working with – but he couldn’t seem to get a city hall staffer to send him anything. So much for a city Councillors clout.
Smith isn’t relying on the bureaucrats – he wants the public to make the decisions. “This is a process,” he said “and we can’t just jump to a solution. We need to evaluate the situation, plan our response, listen, modify if required, and then act. In this case it looks like we rushed to a solution. Smith added ” Reinforcing and improving the natural beauty of the trail should be part of the criteria in any solution, where a fence is objectively seen as required.”
” I don’t blame City Staff, they were responding to a perceived safety issue. City Staff did their job. The failure” said Smith “is with leadership. We need to have a City Councillor who’s not only on top of these issues but can deal with them timely and sympathetically when they do arise. Since Mr. Schwartz and others raised the fence issue it has taken almost five months for the City to organize an information session. I know the wheels of bureaucracy move slowly but FIVE MONTHS? We should have had a full discussion about the safety of the trail and how to address it in the autumn of 2012 after the two kids were rescued from the ravine. “
Smith said his experience volunteering in Burlington over more than two decades has taught him how to successfully resolve issues like this one. I look forward to meeting members of the community on Sunday and listening to what they have to say about how to make the Bronte Creek Trail, Ward 5 and Burlington better. That and taking a hike!”
 By Ray Rivers
April 24, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
The Harper government is having one helluva time getting its stuff past the Supreme Court. Last month it was dealt another blow. More like ‘smoked’ than ‘blown’ actually, as another piece of Mr. Harper’s psychedelic puzzle for controlling whacky-tobaccy went up in smoke and got knocked into the ash can of Canadian drug history.
I can understand the PM’s fears. If sick people, whom a doctor has determined require access to the medicinal herb, continue growing their own, as they have been doing legally, it might lead to chaos. Gangland killings will become as commonplace as they are in Mexico; children clipping buds off their parent’s pot plants will get hooked for life; food prices will skyrocket as dopers feed their munchies; and Rob Ford will do another Hollywood in an Etobicoke apartment. Oh wait – that was crack-cocaine!
So our sober-faced PM, who claims to never have experienced the pleasure of a toke of nirvana, decided to axe all the private mom and pop grow-ops in one fell swoop. Only commercial outfits would henceforth be allowed to grow the heavenly herb, under the ever-watchful eye of Health Canada. There is even a rumour that some chemist called Heisenberg will be brought up from New Mexico to monitor weed quality. Marijuana, like lettuce, spinach and tomatoes, is susceptible to moulds and bacteria after all, so you can’t let just any backyard gardeners grow their own.
 There are tens of thousands of people using marijuana under prescriptions from doctors for medical reasons And pesticides are a definite no-no. Dope-heads learned that lesson the hard way back in the 70s’ when the US drug enforcement agency (DEA) was forcing the Federales to aerial spray Mexican crops with a lethal herbicide, never thinking that the farmers were going to harvest and sell the pot anyway. As that velvety smooth Acapulco Gold made it’s way to markets all the way up here, the DEA got a whiff of what it had done and started freaking out.
So the middlers and dealers were asked to send some of the evil weed for government testing. And sure enough, almost a quarter of the samples had been contaminated by that deadly pulmonary toxin, Paraquat. Well that was enough to make you stop smoking your ‘shit’. No wonder Clinton never inhaled.
It is estimated that the Canadian market for medical mary-jane in the next few years could reach almost half a million users. So why not turn this growing enterprise into a big corporate business? That way taxes could be collected to help keep dope smokers in the expensive new private prisons which Mr. Harper’s government is building for them? Increasing the commercial supply of grass makes perfect sense for a government, otherwise committed to stamping out reefer madness.
 Managing pain is one of the reasons people get a prescription to use marijuana for medical reasons. Then one of the new commercial grass-growing ops, with the almost hallucinogenic inducing name of Greenleaf messed up. Whether it was pesticide use, bacterial contamination, or unintentionally over-strength THC (the fun component) hasn’t been confirmed. But if you or your buds ordered your medical buds from Greenleaf – stuff with the cool handle of ‘Purple Kush’ – yeah you read that right – you have to send it smack back and the company will ship you a bag of fresh ganga in return.
Then Health Canada tells us that if you’ve already “bogarted” all your Purple Kush – and not blown your mind yet – don’t sweat it because it’s no big deal. Is it any wonder the Tory attack ads tell us that Justin Trudeau’s stand on marijuana legalization lacks judgement?
 Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province. He developed the current policy process for the Ontario Liberal Party.
Background links:
Court Decision Recall
Purple Kush
Quality Product
Medical Marijuana Colorado Grow Your Own Paraquat More Paraquat Market Potential
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