 By Pepper Parr
March 3, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Here we go again.
It is hard to believe how obtuse some of the people at City Hall can be.
A seven paragraph media release with the word pilot project slipped in but not one use of the work bike or the words road diet.
Here is what the city sent out.
“Water main work with Halton Region will begin on New Street between Dynes Road and Cumberland Avenue on March 7, resulting in lane closures and scheduled water service shutdowns. The construction is scheduled to be completed in May.
“The installation of a new water main between Guelph Line and Dynes Road began in October and November 2016. The work to install the rest of the water main between Dynes Road and Cumberland Avenue will start earlier than scheduled due to mild weather.
“Residents and businesses will be given 48 hours’ notice for scheduled water service shutdowns. Water main installation will include the replacement of curbs, gutters and the boulevard to restore any damage from the water main works.
“New Street between Walkers Line and Guelph Line is the site of a pilot project that began in August 2016 for all street users.
“Completing the water main installation in May will reduce the disruption to New Street into two shorter, two-month intervals rather than one six-month construction period originally planned for the spring and summer of 2017. This will allow for longer, uninterrupted traffic data collection.
“The city is collecting data, and will continue to collect data after the water main work is done and until the end of the summer to ensure the city has the data needed to assess the pilot. That information, along with travel times on nearby residential roads that run parallel to New Street, will be included in a recommendation report to Burlington City Council this fall.
“Creating more travel options for the community means thinking differently about how our city road network looks and functions. The one-year pilot on New Street is an example of how some existing roads in Burlington could be redesigned to give people more travel options to get around the city.”
One of the most contentious projects the city has decided to do – lessen the amount of road space for vehicular traffic on New Street and put in bicycle lanes. It was set up as a pilot project and public opinion views were all over the map.
It was so contentious that the Mayor couldn’t get some personal private time at the Y – residents kept approaching him to bend his ear.
In future they should take him by the ear out to the woodshed.
 New water mains being laid down on New Street west of Guelph Line. One of the reasons for doing the pilot project on dedicated bicycle lanes was because New Street was going to have significant water main work done and then a new layer of asphalt laid down – it was thought that would be a convenient time to install bicycle lanes and see how they worked.
To not even use the words “road diet” or bike or bicycle is sneaky and only adds to the cynicism over the way city hall works. Do they think that by not using the words that people will forget?
Transparent – accountable – please!
 Vito Tolone, Director of Transportation They transportation department should be ashamed of themselves for letting this kind of media release get sent out. The close to 3000 people at have signed a petition have every reason to be angry – city hall has been exceedingly disrespectful
Vito Tolone, Director of Transportation is quoted as saying” “A lengthy and uninterrupted time-frame to collect all the data needed for the New Street pilot will be beneficial to staff when incorporating this information into our report to City Council.” He can’t say the words either.
 By Staff
March 2, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
We are not sure how long James Burchill has been running his Social fusion Networks – four to five years for certain.
 It’s 50% business and 50% social – and that’s about all I can tell you, says Burchill of his social fusion networking events. They are an occasion for the independent small business crowd, the men and women who run a small operation and make their skills available to the wider community.
They meet about once a month for an opportunity to connect, communicate and collaborate with other local business professionals.
March 9th is their next free b2b networking event and you are invited to enjoy a frosty beverage of choice at the cash bar and some COMPLIMENTARY APPETIZERS courtesy of myself and the B&B venue which is at the Waterfront Hotel.
Burchill suggests people bring their smile, some “casual conversation openers” (no rude limericks please) and some cash to cover parking.
 Networking – right. Burchill at one of his first trade show events. From 5-7pm with some of the nicest people Burchill knows.
One last thing, PLEASE RSVP so he can plan the food and staffing properly. It’s a pain to under staff or over produce food – no one like wastage or poor service.
RSVP HERE
Burchill also sponsors a trade show for the small business market. It works quite well. Loads of detail on that event right here.
 By Staff
March 2, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
There are a lot of unhappy people who are commenting on how poorly they feel the Halton District School Board is handling the flow of information on the recommendation that was given to the Program Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) to close Central and Pearson high schools.
 Parents scan details and specifics on each of the six school closing options that the PARC is currently considering for the report they will give the Director of Education. The PARC is made up of two parents from each of the seven high schools. Their job is to give the Director of Education a recommendation. The Director of Education does not have to accept or adhere to the recommendation.
The Director then writes his report to the trustees and those trustees make the final decision.
The first public meeting to look at specifics and details was held earlier this week with a very large turnout.
The second public meeting is to take place next Tuesday, March 7th at the New Street Educational centre.
 Robert Bateman high school is going to get a group hug on Saturday. This Saturday the parents at Bateman high school are going to gather and collectively give their school a “hug”.
Bateman is a pretty big school – it is going to take a large crowd of people to circle that building on Saturday.
The group hug takes place at 1:00 pm.
One Gazette reader wrote in and said “your story about the Mayor’s response show how heated it’s gotten and also how poorly the board is handling it all.”
The PARC has now whittled down the 30 options that it was given to six. Under these different options Central, Pearson, Bateman and Nelson could be closed.
There is an option that says – don’t close any of the schools – but change the school boundaries so that the existing high school population is spread more evenly between the high schools.
 Halton District School Board trustees – there are 11 of them; four representing Burlington – all the trustees will vote on school closings Whatever the school board trustees decide, and it is those trustees that are going to make the final decision on May 17th, the concerns should be addressed to the final decision makers – these are the people you elected to oversee the operation of the school in the Halton Region.
There are 11 trustees, four from Burlington that will decide what the board should do.
When the process of determining how to manage the problem of 1800+ empty classroom seats in the high school was put before the public there was very little public interest.
 There were less than ten people at the first “information session” given by the school board staff at Bateman high school. One of them was the school principal. At the first information meeting, there was one held at every high school, there were just five people at the event held at Bateman.
The school board had large banners nailed to the front of six of the high schools to alert parents to the situation.
The focus is currently on the work the PARC is doing. That will shift to the report the Director of Education, Stuart Miller has to write and present to the trustees on March 29th.
The critical dates are set out below.
Public Meeting #2 (South Burlington schools)
March 7, 2017 at 7:00 pm
New date New Street Education Centre
3250 New Street
PARC Working Meeting #5
March 23, 2017 at 7:00 pm J.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph Line
Director’s Report (with compiled feedback) to Committee of the Whole March 29, 2017 at 7:00 pm J.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph Line
Public Delegation Night
April 18, 2017 at 6:00 pm J.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph Line
Final Report to Board of Trustees for decision May 17, 2017 at 7:00 pm J.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph Line
 Protesters have stood outside the Board of Education offices on Guelph Line any time there is a PARC meeting.
 By Staff
March 1, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
 Paddy Torsney, former Member of the House of Commons, has been hosting the breakfasts for more than 20 years She has been doing it for 21 years – holding a breakfast to encourage young woman that they can and should play a major role in the society they live in.
There are leaders in Burlington today who got to where they are today because they took part in one of those breakfasts.
This Friday, at the Holiday Inn, Paddy Torsney will introduce Senator Kim Pate as the guest speaker.
Tickets, $17, are available only at A Different Drummer – move quickly this event should sell out.
Before she was appointed a Senator Kim Pate was with the Elizabeth Fry Society, an organization that advocated for women who had gotten caught up in the criminal justice system.
Senator Pate’s curriculum vita sets out all the work she has done and the recognition she has been given. What it doesn’t do is get to the character of the woman. She is fearless and has worked tirelessly to bring about badly needed changes in the lives of women who have experienced marginalization, discrimination and oppression.
Senator Pate is a tough cookie when she has to be. There are a lot of men in senior positions in the justice system who skirt the Senator.
Pate was appointed to the Senate in 2016. First and foremost, she is the mother of Michael and Madison, as well as a nationally renowned advocate who has spent the last 35 years working in and around the legal and penal systems of Canada.
 His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, congratulating Kim Pate after her investiture to the Order of Canada. Photo Credit: MCpl Vincent Carbonneau. Senator Pate graduated from Dalhousie Law School in 1984 with honours in the Clinical Law Programme and has completed post graduate work in the area of forensic mental health. She was the Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (CAEFS) from January 1992 until her appointment to the Senate,
Prior to her work with CAEFS, she worked with youth and men in a number of capacities with the local John Howard Society in Calgary, as well as the national office. She has developed and taught Prison Law, Human Rights and Social Justice and Defending Battered Women on Trial courses at the Faculties of Law at the University of Ottawa, Dalhousie University and the University of Saskatchewan. She also occupied the Sallows Chair in Human Rights at the University of Saskatchewan College of Law in 2014 and 2015.
The Senator is widely credited as the driving force behind the Inquiry into Certain Events at the Prison for Women in Kingston, headed by Justice Louise Arbour. During the Inquiry, she supported women as they aired their experiences and was a critical resource and witness in the Inquiry itself. She also persuaded the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to initiate the Self-Defence Review and appoint the Honourable Madam Justice Lynn Ratushny to review the convictions and sentences of women jailed for using lethal force to defend themselves and/or their children against abusive men.
 Kim Pate outside the doors to the Senate. Pate is a member of the Order of Canada, a recipient of the Governor General’s Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case, the Canadian Bar Associations’s Bertha Wilson Touchstone Award, and five honourary doctorates (Law Society of Upper Canada, University of Ottawa, Carleton University, St. Thomas University and Wilfred Laurier University) and numerous other awards.
This is not an event to be missed.
 By Staff
March 1, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The new Herd mascot needs a name and the ball club wants the public to help out in deciding what that name should be.
So they are holding a contest to find the best name
 Click on the link to get to the on-line contest entry form.
Contest winners will receive a 5 game Herd flex pack, 2 Burlington Herd T-Shirts and 2 Toronto Blue Jays April home game tickets!
The ball club, now under new ownership, has mounted an aggressive public relations campaign to attract a larger audience. There is a recently announced Home Plate Club and Nickel Brook has been named the Official Beer Partner.
The team has been announcing new signing and renewal signings to the roster for a team that will play their season opener at Nelson Park where the Herd will face the Kitchener Panthers at 1:05 pm.
 By Staff
March 1, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Chilly Half Marathon will alter three transit routes on Sunday.
Routes 3, 10 and 20 will have detours during the marathon that will be taking place in downtown Burlington closing Lakeshore Road from Maple Avenue to Burloak Drive causing detours on Routes 3, 10 and 20 as follows:
Route 3 – between the Downtown Terminal to Guelph Line and New Street, will detour using James and New Streets
Route 10 – between Maple Avenue and the Downtown Terminal, will detour using Ontario Street, Locust Street and Caroline Street
Route 20 – between Appleby Line and Spruce Avenue to Burloak Drive and Winston, will detour using Spruce Avenue, Hampton Heath, Stratton Road, and Winston Road
Delays can be expected on these routes in the affected areas. Please plan ahead and use tripplanner.burlington.ca to access up-to-date schedule information in real-time.
 By Staff
February 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
There was an extensive look at the way the Tim Hortons operation has changed now that there is new foreign ownership in place.
The tag line on the magazine cover said: “Since taking over the iconic chain in 2014, its new Brazilian owner, 3G Capital, has purged head office, slashed costs and squeezed suppliers. Shareholders are happy, but is 3G tearing the heart out of Timmy’s?”
 A lot of people are getting screwed over as a result of the cost cutting at Tim Hortons. will the Sound of Music take a hit at the sponsorship level? Senior management at the head office in Oakville was close to decimated. The corporate mantra is cost cutting – and they took to that like ducks to water.
A lot of good people in Burlington had to find new jobs.
What hasn’t worked its way to the top of the pile is what is the cost cutting is going to do, if anything, to the sponsorship money Tim Hortons has poured into Burlington in the past.
They were major sponsors of Sound of Music – will that continue?
Stay tuned.
 By Pepper Parr
February 27th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Central Strong got a bit of a surprise when they learned that city Council was not going to meet on Monday, evening, which was when they had planned on marching into city hall to voice their complaints about the way the city was handling the meetings over the possible closing of two of the seven high schools in the city.
 Central strong is the group that represents the parents at Central high school who do not want to see their high school closed.
The city has a schedule for regular Standing Committee meetings and then meetings of the city council. The Standing Committee is siting in the afternoon but not in the evening.
 Central Strong might like to think that city council decided not to meet because they were afraid of a demonstration in the Council Chamber- the reality was that there apparently wasn’t enough in the way of matters that needed attention so the meeting was cancelled.
There was an occasion several months ago when citizen delegated before city council to keep the ten minute time allocation they had or delegations.
Council appears to have found a way around the problem of those pesky delegations – just don’t bother to meet at all.
By Pepper Parr
February 23rd, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
REVISED
With the Program Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) having gone through a long and very arduous process that some of them are not suited to they can now rest on their oars for a few weeks and see what the public has to say about the six options they have decided should be looked at seriously.
The vast majority of the members of the PAR committee are doing superb work.
 The 14 members of the Program Accommodation Review Committee are all volunteers who have put in some long hours and exchanged thousands of emails to get to the point where there are six options for the public to review. The disappointing aspect of the PARC process is that we now have parents from different schools battling with other parents to ensure that their school does not get closed. The process that Burlington has had to follow almost guaranteed this outcome – the PARC members find themselves between a rock and an even harder place – they have not had an opportunity to frame the debate and discussion and have not had the benefit of adequate an accurate information.
 The PAR committee members are fully immersed in the process. For several this is going to be a very dis-satisfying experience. They deserved better treatment. These people volunteered – put in hundreds of hours and their work is not finished yet. There are some very talented people on the PAR committee and for the most part the ideas they have put forward are commendable.
They had hoped to have some input on the on-line survey that is going to be done – no such luck. One PARC member expressed some concern with the survey that is being put together. The one done December 8th was described by Kirk Perris, the man who put it together as “not one of his better efforts”. That wasn’t an understatement.
The public meeting plan explained to the PARC members was for an event that is to be as interactive as these things can be.
There are two parts to the public engagement: an online survey and public meetings where people can look at the details and ask questions. There will be one public meeting in the north end of the city and a second, with identical content in the south of the city.
 Kirk Perris, the IPSOS Reid facilitator hired by the board is designing the public meting content and the on-line surveys. He and PARC chair Scott Podrebarac are guiding the process. Perris intends to set up information stations for each of the six options. Board staff will be on hand to explain the details of each option. PARC members will be on hand as well to give their take on how they got to where they are.
The on-line survey will be opened on the 27th of February. It will be sent out to all parents and there will be an on-line version for anyone else who wants to participate.
The first public meeting in the north end of the city is on the 28th – at Hayden high school, the second is on March 7th at the Gary Allan educational centre on New Street. Both start at 7:00 pm
The survey goes off-line on the 131th of March. There will be print versions of the survey available.
It would be advisable for anyone responding to the survey to wait until they have had a chance to attend one of the public meetings.
Perris talked in terms of questions that would be open ended as well as questions that would be closed ended.
He described the meetings as an exercise in public engagement – there are a lot of smart people who are looking very carefully and closely at the process so far and they do not feel engaged.
One PARC member wanted to know how the data collected is going to be used: “is this a popularity contest or are you going after data that is quantitative or qualitative? Why are we doing this?
 Burlington trustees Andrea Grebenc, on the left and Leah Reynolds have attended all the PARC meeting. Trustees Papin and Collard’s antecedence has been more sporadic. There are some serious concerns in the minds of those people who are following this issue as well as members of the PARC.
The trustees who will make the final decision are sitting on the side lines – observing. One cannot envy them for what is coming their way.
By Staff
February 22, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Get used to the name The Herd – Burlington’s Inter-County Baseball League entrant. They were the Twins when they first came to town; were re-named the Bandits and are now The Herd.
The name has something to do with our agricultural roots. .
They will be playing in the Barn – what most of us know as the Nelson Stadium.
It’s all about creating a brand.
The new owners are setting out to make attending a baseball game a little more upscale than sitting on am aluminum bench.
 Over the course of the next four months, the Herd will unveil each part of their scheduled improvements and showcase the new experiences available to fans next season at the Farm (Nelson Park).
They’re going to roll out a series of enhancements and improvements to going to a ball game.
They have created a Home Plate Club, the first part of a plan to enhance various areas within the ballpark. The Home Plate Club will see the addition of five premium tables behind the backstop. Each table will include three patio chairs, an all-inclusive food and beverage package throughout the game with wait staff and a reserved parking spot.
 Professional baseball teams across the country are creating areas inside their stadiums that bring not only a unique viewing area, but increase the overall fan experience. The Herd are joining this growing trend with the addition of the Home Plate Club.
The Home Plate Club will provide THE best viewing and fan experience in the entire ballpark and will become the ideal destination for entertaining current and prospective clients along with rewarding employees and their families. Fans will be able to reserve an exclusive table for three every game for only $50.
Each table purchase comes with the best seat in the park and wait staff delivering unlimited food and beverages (non-alcoholic) throughout the entire game.
If you would like more information on the Home Plate Club, including booking and availability, please contact the Burlington Herd front office at 905-630-9036 or email us at info@burlingtonherd.com.
The Herd takes to the field for the first time on Saturday, May 13, 2017 at the Barn (Nelson Park). Season tickets and group packages are now on sale by calling (905) 630-9036 or by visiting the team’s new website, burlingtonherd.com.
The Herd can be followed on social media platforms (“iblherd”), including Facebook.com/iblherd.
Herd, Barn, Farm – get used to it!
By Staff
February 22, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
At the Burlington Public Library! Central Branch
Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra Composer-in-Residence, Abigail Richardson-Schulte will be giving an informative and engaging talk hosted from the piano.
This musical journey takes us through Germany, Russia and Spain from the Romantic period through to the early 20th century.
Tuesday, February 28 at 2pm
 Monique De Margerie Principal Trumpet Michael Fedyshyn, accompanied by pianist Monique De Margerie will be part of the program.
By Staff
February 22, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It’s going to be the best photo op the Mayor is going to have this year – unless Joseph Brant is resurrected on Canada Day – than all bets are off.
The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the Hon. Elizabeth Dowdeswell, will head up a Round Table discussion on seniors’ housing needs in Burlington on Friday.
 Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the Hon. Elizabeth Dowdeswell The event is to take place at the Art Gallery of Burlington with the Town Crier leading the welcome to the Lakeshore entrance of the AB.
The Burlington Teen Tour Band will perform foe the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.
Burlington has of the largest seniors communities in the province from a percentage of the population aspect.
By Pepper Parr
February 16, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
They don’t call it grass roots organizing for nothing.
It is when you go out into the streets and invite people to a meeting that you hear and learn what the issues really are.
Wednesday evening, Central Strong, the parent group at Central high school, invited people to a meeting to hear what they had to say about how the Program Accommodation Review (PAR) process was going.
 Setting out chairs for a crowd that reached the 100 people level. Not all that good at this point according to Ward 2 city Councillor Marianne Meed Ward who is one of the two Central high school community reps on the Program Accommodation Review Committee (PARC).
The people putting the meeting together had no idea how many people were going to show up – they set out 50 chairs and hoped for the best. They ended up setting up more than 100 chairs.
The meeting was orderly and a lot of useful and significant information came to the surface. There were people in the room who took part in preventing a closure of the school in 1978 and again in 1998. These were tested and proven community activists.
The mood was upbeat – Ian Farwell, the other Central high representative on the PARC told the audience that this is not a done deal.
Meed Ward said she felt that whatever the decision was it should be a better outcome for the students and added that closing Central where 92% of the students walk to school and bussing them to another school is not a better solution.
Some felt that forcing students to leave their community for an education is a Human Rights matter – that may be a bit of a stretch, but it does reflect the depth of feeling the patents have for the strength of their community and how they feel.
What came through very clearly was that the process is flawed and that the board is not being transparent. New information comes in and it doesn’t get the attention it deserves was a common complaint.
During the meeting at which PARC members were asked to set out which option met the PARC Framework criteria and which ones did not – the meeting was told that it was going to cost approximately $10 million to get the schools up to the AODA standard and how much would be saved if Central and Pearson were closed.
 PARC members with the sheets of paper on the meeting room wall where they would indicate the option that they felt should be recommended to the Director of Education. Shortly after being given this information, with no opportunity for debate, the PARC members were then asked to put dots on the option they favoured. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that if closing Central would save $3 million in AODA costs and several more million in operating costs – why the board recommendation – Option 19 – got more dots than any other option,
Several parents made much of the boards transportation policy – they built Hayden so students would not have to be bussed out of that community and now they want to close two schools in southern Burlington and bus those students out of their community.
“A dumb idea” called out one parent. Very few parents were calling out abusive comments – these were people who came to listen, to have their concerns heard and then to talk through options.
In 1998 when the board wanted to close Central the community held a parade up Brant Street. That was the tipping point in public opinion then said one parent. Look for another parade this third attempt to close Central high school.
 Dania Thurman, one of the spokes people for Central Strong  Lynne Crosby, one of the spokes people for Central strong. Lynne Crosby and Dania Thurman, the two spokes people for the Central parents, did a 25 minute interview on CHML during which they were asked where the Mayor of the city stood on all this. “Ask him” the two responded. Burlington is represented in the PARC process by city manager James Ridge who the Mayor said had volunteered to take on the task. Ridge attends as an observer and does not get to vote on anything. So far he has spoken on one occasion when he said all development in Burlington is taking place above the QEW. There is much more current condo development taking place south of the QEW. Few are impressed with Ridge’s comment up to this point.
The Central crowd was even less than impressed with the facilitator working for the board from Ipsos Reid. Some felt the board should have asked for someone else to serve the boards need or cancel the contract.
Kirk Perris handled the December 8th meeting at which a lot of data was captured though a process that most saw as poorly design and badly executed. Perris did say later that it wasn’t one of his better days. No kidding!
Central parents point out that were the board to close Bateman high school and redistribute those students to Nelson and M.M. Robinson 1340 of the 1800 empty seat problem would be resolved.
 Several hundred families could well move into the townhouses being built at the Aldershot Go Station. Were Central to be closed Aldershot high school would suddenly have a massive problem on its hands. The ADI Station West development is going to add a significant number of students to Aldershot.
Not so says the Board – those are condo’s and family’s don’t choose to live in condo’s. Much of the ADI product is townhouses reply the Aldershot parents who also point to the long delayed Eagles Heights development in the North West corner of the city where 1000 houses are expected to go up.
There is a bigger long term impact on the downtown core that Central parents feel most people aren’t getting.
Meed Ward put it front and center when she said that if Central is closed there will never be another high school in the downtown core – that land will be far too expensive. “If we let this go we will have lost a downtown high school forever.”
The audience was asked how many of them knew people who attended Central lived in condos or apartments – more than 20% of the hands in the room went up in the air. That surprised a lot of people.
One of the parents involved in the 1998 battle pointed out that the parents have a much more compelling argument this time around. The fear Central Strong has is that not enough people are fully aware of just how serious the problem is. “The board is worried” said one parent “they realize this is not going their way and they don’t know what to do about that”.
The two Central PARC members claim that on two occasions when they have raised an issue they were told they were out of order and their issue was dismissed. Ian Farrell is not the kind of person you want to attempt to dismiss lightly.
The process bothers many. Meed Ward complained that the PARC members have not been given a formal opportunity to dialogue – the moderation is terrible; it is a frustrating process; we are in a tough situation, she added.
Many of the PARC members from other schools are breathing a sigh of relief and saying to themselves “at least it is not us” when it is very clear that all, except for Hayden high school, are at risk.
 Sharon Picken is one of the two Bateman high school PARC members. A very strong advocate for keeping that high school open. The Bateman people certainly understand that and are putting up fierce arguments about even the idea of closing tat school.
“Rationality has left the room” was a comment heard.
The Ward 1 and 2 school board trustee arrived late – she was king part in one of the board’s regular meetings and left that event early to speak. Asked where do the trustees get their information as they prepare to vote, Leah Reynolds replied that they are waiting to see what comes out of the PARC process.
Reynolds added that the trustees do not see what he PARC members get sent to them or say to each other.
 Burlington trustees Grebenc and Reynolds attend every PARC meeting. Reynolds and the other three Burlington trustee attend the PARC meetings as observers. Grebenc and Reynolds attend every meeting – the other two Collard and Papin are more sporadic in their attendance. Collard will be facing strong pressure to not back a Bateman closing.
Reynolds attended a meeting of Aldershot parents and learned that many did not know the school closing process was even taking place.
A shock to the people taking part in the Central strong meeting, which took place at the Lions community hall, was that 60% of the people in the room had children in school at the elementary level – these people were very concerned about where there children were going to spend their high school years
The meeting was told that the argument being put forward by the board is that larger high schools are able to offer a much larger choice of programs than small schools – yet the student survey made it clear that there are more course conflicts at Hayden, the largest high school, than at any other high school.
What parents are finding is that the information they are given just does not square with the on the ground reality they are facing.
Many just don’t have any confidence in the process and don’t believe the board staff are telling them the full story.
The PARC members for Central said that there are far too many walk on pieces of information. Meed Ward said some information is put in front of them without their being any opportunity to discuss or dialogue.
When the PARC is told just how much the AODA changes are going to save and then told a few minutes later how much is going to be saved if option 19 – close two high schools – is chosen and then they are asked to choose the options they like best, of course option 19 us chosen. Meed Ward and her colleague Ian Farwell felt the PARC members were being manipulated.
It was a successful grass roots community meeting – what comes out of it will be seen in the days and weeks ahead.
 The end of all this is May 17th, when the 11 trustees cast their votes. Meed Ward put it well when she said “we are in the valley” right now, “in a trough” that we need to get out of that trough.
Would a march up Brant Street make a difference?
By Staff
February 13th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Lots of competition for what people decide to do on Family Day – Monday the 20th.
A number of the city’s administrative services will be closed
Parks and Recreation Programs and Facilities: Activities and customer service hours at city pools, arenas and community centres will vary over the holiday weekend.
 Holiday service on Family Day for the Handi-van service Burlington Transit and Handi-Van: On Monday, Feb. 20, Burlington Transit will operate a holiday service and the downtown Transit Terminal, Handi-van Dispatch and the administration office will be closed. Regular service resumes Tuesday, Feb. 21.
Roads and Parks Maintenance: The administrative office will be closed on Monday, Feb. 20. Only winter control and emergency services will be provided.
Halton Court Services: Provincial Offences Courts in Milton and Burlington will be closed Monday, Feb. 20.
Parking:
Free parking is available in the downtown core, on the street, municipal lots and the parking garage on weekends and holidays.
The Conservation Authority wants to get you out of the city and into the hinterland north of Dundas.
To embrace the magic of winter, you have to step outside! Beat those winter blahs, and get out to Crawford Lake and Mountsberg Conservation Areas on Family Day Weekend for a couple of fun, family friendly events.
 Snowshoeing – how to do it right. A Family Day offering at Crawford Lake. Crawford Lake wants you to enjoy a flurry of outdoor activities during its Snowflakes and Snowsnakes festival, while Mountsberg invites you to enjoy winter in the country at Tales by a Winter’s Fire.
Crawford Lake’s Snowflakes and Snowsnakes event includes, winter themed crafts and games, a marshmallow roast, and an introduction to snowshoeing (weather permitting). During the snowshoe demonstrations, visitors will learn more about the history of this popular sport, proper snowshoeing techniques and the health benefits of snowshoeing. The winter games sessions will include a round of snowsnake (conditions permitting), a traditional Iroquoian sport that challenges you to see how far you can send a wooden “snake” down a snowy path.
Children will love experimenting with snow and ice during the craft sessions and the Iroquoian Village will also be open for exploration daily. Finally, when it is time to get warm, visitors can settle in around a crackling fire to roast their own marshmallow.
Mountsberg’s Tales by a Winter’s Fire features an opportunity to enjoy winter in the country. You can roast hot dogs and marshmallows and share stories around the warmth and crackle of an outdoor bonfire.
All of this and more can be done at the ‘Tales by a Winter’s Fire’ program. Come and enjoy winter puppet shows, wagon rides, live animal encounters and Raptor Presentations. Please note there is an additional fee for rides and the hotdogs. We invite you to join us at Mountsberg for a memorable winter experience for the whole family.
Entrance to Tales by a Winter’s Fire and Snowflakes and Snowsnakes is covered under the regular park admission fees of: Adults $7.50, Children $5.25, Seniors $6.50, while children 4 years of age and under are free. The daily park admission is good for entrance that day into any of Conservation Halton’s parks.
Certainly lots to do.
By Staff
February 15th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
For readers of The Book of Negroes, Bound for Canaan, House Girl and The Illegal comes the story of a fifteen-year-old escaped slave named Cecelia Reynolds, who slips away to freedom in Canada while her Kentucky owners holiday at Niagara Falls.
Kaarolyn Smardz Frost will be talking about her book, Steal Away Home, at Central library on Tues., February 21, 7 p.m.
 Kaarolyn Smardz Frost In this compelling work of narrative non-fiction, Governor General’s Award winner Karolyn Smardz Frost brings Cecelia’s story to life. Cecelia was a teenager when she made her dangerous bid for freedom from the United States, across the Niagara River and into Canada. Escape meant that she would never see her mother or brother again. She would be cut off from the young mistress with whom she grew up, but who also owned her as a slave holder owns the body of a slave. This was a time when people could be property, when a beloved father could be separated from his wife while their children were auctioned off to the highest bidder, and the son of a white master and his black housekeeper could become a slave to his own white half-sister and brother-in-law.
Cecelia found a new life in Toronto’s vibrant African American expatriate community. Her rescuer became her husband, a courageous conductor on the Underground Railroad helping other freedom-seekers reach Canada. Widowed, she braved the Fugitive Slave Law to cross back into the United States, where she again found love, and followed her William into the battlefields of the Civil War. Finally, with a wounded husband and young children in tow, she returned to the Kentucky she had known as a child. But her home had changed: hooded Night Riders roamed the countryside with torches and nooses at the ready. When William disappeared, Cecelia relied on the support and affection of her former mistress—the Southern belle who had owned her as a child.
 Only five of the letters between Cecelia and her former mistress, Fanny Thruston Ballard, have survived. They are testament to the great love and the lifelong friendship that existed between these two very different women. Reunited after years apart, the two lived within a few blocks of each other for the rest of Fanny’s life.
Steal Away Home, is the riveting true story of escaped slave Cecilia Reynolds and her lifelong friendship with her former mistress.
By Staff
February 6th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
If skating isn’t your thing – then you might want to try swimming – you get to do both on Family Day – when the Red and White Fun Swim and Public Skate takes place: Monday February 20, 2017
The city has decided to “market” the event and play up the sesquicentennial year we are now in. Show your Canadian pride; wear red and white and pay an admission of just $1.50/person.
 Mayor Rick Goldring with his red and white attire. Will hundreds show up at Appleby to skate and swimming pools with red and white ? Bonus…wear red and white AND show a photo of a Canadian flag posted in your window at home and your admission is FREE!
Don’t have a flag? Download one under “Resources” at burlington.ca/canada150.
They might want to offer an additional bonus for all those who can spell sesquicentennial and also tell you what it means.
They clearly want you to have a Canadian flag in your window. With this kind of hype in February one can only imagine the size of the blow out on Canada Day in July.
Fun Swim:
Angela Coughlan noon to 2 .pm.
Aldershot pool 10 a.m. to noon
Public Skate
Appleby pad 1 noon to 2 p.m.
Appleby pad 2 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
By Pepper Parr
February 6th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It was late in the day, slightly overcast and cold. Nevertheless there were two boys and their Dad on the ice; the boys practicing their shot on the empty net.
 The only thing missing from this picture is a goalie in the net. The rink was put up in the Alton community. The rink was set up by residents in the community; there has been tremendous local business support but not enough “labour” support. The few people who take care of the rink spend a lot of nights out there.
It’s a decent 50 x 64 size rink that has suffered some damage to the liner. Folks have been waiting for it to get repaired.
There are no lights the community decided lights would mean kid on the ice late into the evening that might result in a lot of noise.
 That one went where it was supposed to go. A goalie would have made it a lot harder. The Alton rink is a pure community effort – the city created a local rink program that called for residents to look after a rink that the city would set up.
The following communities qualified for a rink because there was water access.
There are now 14 community rinks throughout the city – which is higher than last year.
It’s a program that works – and with decent weather the water actually gets to freeze. There was a point at which some people thought they were going to end up with splash pads.
Ken White and Mike Collins are spending a lot of their time on that rink -and they aren’t skating.
They rented a pump and draw in water from the creek.
“The task has been frustrating since the children have caused some inadvertent holes in the liner allowing water to leak out before it gets fully filled.”
Among the communities that qualified for a community rink are:
• Brant Hills Park (2 rinks possible)
• LaSalle Park
• Sherwood Park
• Bridgeview Park
• Nelson Park
• Tansley Woods Park
• Central Park
• Orchard Park
• Ireland Park
• Sheldon Park
By Staff
February 3rd, 2107
BURLINGTON, ON
Last night, Eleanor McMahon, MPP for Burlington and Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, presented the Burlington Public Library with the Angus Mowat Award of Excellence at the Ontario Public Library Service Awards in Toronto, Ontario.
The Ontario Public Library Service Awards identify and promote creative public library service ideas. There are two types of awards: The Minister’s Award for Innovation and the Angus Mowat Award of Excellence, which recognizes a commitment to excellence in the delivery of public library services.
 (L-R) Burlington Public Library staff members Amanda Wilk, Shelley Archibald, Minister McMahon, and BPL CEO Maureen Barry at the Ontario Public Library Service Awards. Angus Mowat was a Canadian librarian who initiated and contributed to the continuing improvement of the library systems in Saskatoon and Ontario, from the 1920s through to the 1960s.
He was the Inspector of Public Libraries for the province of Ontario and remained head of the provincial library office – a part of the Ministry of Education – until his retirement in 1960.
Throughout his career he encouraged better quality collections for adults and children, professional staffing and library training, the necessity for improved finances, more efficient management by trustees and librarians, and upgraded or new buildings. He believed strongly that the ‘personal touch’ was essential for library service and that local effort, supplemented by provincial assistance, was the key ingredient in advancing local library development.
One wonders if he ever said hush in his life.
The Burlington Public Library received the Angus Mowat Award in recognition of the library’s community led youth service model, which provides empowering leadership and growth opportunities for teens.
“Libraries, librarians and the staff who run them”, said Minister McMahon, “are at the heart of our communities. I’m proud of the work that these incredible institutions do for everyone across the province, and I’m particularly proud that the Burlington Public Library’s achievements were recognized last night at the Ontario Public Library Service Awards.”
Burlington’s MPP brought one home to a library system that deserved this award
By Staff
February 3rd, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Mainway Arena will be closed for maintenance between Feb. 14 to 17, 2017.
Plans to accommodate ice users at other city arenas are being made.
Residents with questions about ice rentals at Mainway Arena should call 905-331-7465.
For information about public skating at other locations around the city, please visit www.burlington.ca/play.
By Staff
January 30th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
A vigil is being organized for the victims of the terrorist attacks in Quebec City.
A candle-lighting will occur at 6pm, followed by a minute of silence. There will also be a book of condolences.
All are welcome.
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