 By Pepper Parr
August 8th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
When City Council met on Wednesday there was a lengthy discussion on what took place during the July 15-16 flooding. Staff talked about what they were able to do and what they were not able to do.
What the public didn’t hear was as much as a single word from the residents that took to brunt of the damage. Some of the homes that were flooded are reported to be beyond repair and will have to be torn down.
The public knows what they hear from friends and neighbours.
For reasons that I don’t understand – there was no room on the agenda for public participation directly related to the flooding during the Special Council meeting.
There was to be one delegation, who unfortunately was not able to attend. The women had an emotional meltdown and just didn’t show up. That should not be seen as a reflection on the woman.
Ward 6 Councillor Angelo Bentivegna had what appeared to be some very useful data.
 Councillor chooses not to share data. He told members of Council saying: “I don’t have all the answers. I know we’re going to meet with residents and go through it. The who’s going to delegate earlier today is so stressed out they did not delegate.
“I have a 21 page, I’m not gonna say minute by minute, but certainly half hour by half hour.
“Events of the two days that are unbelievable, and the photos are even more unbelievable.
“That’s my concern right now – it all starts out with that communication and that cooperation that fell through the cracks.”
The Gazette asked Councillor Bentivegna if he would share the information he received. There was no response.
It does all start out with communication Councillor – you appear to have a different definition as to just what it is that should be communicated.
By Staff
August 7th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
City Council has approved a new flood relief grant program designed to assist homeowners rebuilding and repairing their homes after the July 15th/16th storm.
Program details
 For a number of reasons water wasn’t able to be absorbed or run off through culverts – is just lay in the streets for several days. The City of Burlington’s latest flood recovery measure will cover the cost of building permit fees for homeowners who experienced flooding damage during the severe weather event on July 15 and 16, 2024. Eligible homeowners will not be charged for zoning certificates and/or building permits needed for interior renovations.
Who is eligible for the new grant?
To qualify for the grant funding, homeowners must meet the following criteria:
Flooding occurred in the residential dwelling in connection with the July 15 or July 16, 2024, weather event.
Flooding was reported to Halton Region at 311.
A Halton Region representative has investigated and determined the water damage occurred within a residential dwelling due to the July 15/July 16, 2024, weather event.
 The home owner will not have to pay for a permit to repair the flood damage to their homes. Homeowners did not have home insurance coverage or had their insurance claim denied, as confirmed by their insurance company.Renovations must be like-for-like replacements.Eligible zoning certificate and building permit applications must be submitted before Dec. 20, 2024.
Why the requirement to have been denied insurance coverage?
What’s covered?
The following fees for qualified work will be covered in the City’s newest grant program.
Zoning Certificate Fees:
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Residential basement finish
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Additional residential unit
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Building Permit Fees:
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- Interior alterations/renovations
- Additional residential unit
Other flood-related financial assistance available
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- Halton Region Ex Gratia Grant of $1000
- Halton Region is offering a $1,000 Ex Gratia Grant for Public Sewer Backup, aimed at helping eligible residents offset insurance deductibles or other flooding-related costs not covered by insurance. Please call 311 to learn more.
- Burlington Flood Relief Grant of $1,000
- The City of Burlington is offering a Flood Relief Grant of $1000, to residents with confirmed residential flooding not eligible for the Halton Region grant. Please call 311 to learn more.
- Burlington Home Flood Protection Program
- Since 2017, the City of Burlington has offered the Home Flood Protection Program to help homeowners reduce their risk of basement flooding and minimize damage if flooding occurs. The program offers homeowners up to 50 per cent of the cost of Home Flood Protection Assessments which aim to find potential ways that water/sewage can enter your home.
- Burlington Plumbing Permit Fee Grant Program
- Since the 2014 flood, the City of Burlington has offered a Plumbing Permit Fee Grant Program covering the cost of a building permit associated with specific improvements done in homes or businesses to reduce the risk of basement flooding.
- Halton Region’s Enhanced Basement Flooding Prevention Subsidy Program
- Halton Region’s Enhanced Basement Flooding Prevention Subsidy Program offers financial support for residents who make improvements to prevent stormwater from entering the wastewater system and reduce the risk of flooding from sewer backup. Available subsidies include backwater valve installation, downspout disconnection and more.
This item slid through Council very quickly.
Mayor Meed Ward said: “The recent flooding has had a devastating impact on many Burlington residents. Our goal with this additional flood relief program is to ease the financial burden of rebuilding and help our community recover as quickly as possible.”
Links and Resources
 By Pepper Parr
August 7th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The Event is one of the good things about living in Burlington. The line up for the two day event is set out below
 LAVI$H
Sat Aug 10, 2024 at 2pm
LAVI$H was born in Lusaka, Zambia, to parents who emigrated to Winnipeg, where they sought a better life for their seven children.
Informed by everything from African stylings to hip-hop, pop, and even metal, Zambia-born and Winnipeg-raised singer, songwriter, and artist LAVI$H has been quietly grinding towards a monumental introduction.
Feeling Buble:
 A Michael Buble Tribute
Sat Aug 10, 2024 at 4pm
Jay Davis, star of the West End, brings to life the music of the finest Canadian crooner of our time. He’ll be accompanied by his 4-piece combo, including Neil Henry on guitar, Gord Mowat on bass, Matt Newton on Piano, and Tim Shia the percussion expert.
Ammoye
Sun Aug 11, 2024 at 2pm
 Singing songs of love, life and justice, 6-time Juno nominee, Ammoye delivers a wholly unique future forward reggae sound that incorporates old-school rocksteady, dancehall and dubstep with gospel, soul and R&B.
Heather Bambrick
 Sun Aug 11, 2024 at 4pm
As one of Canada’s top Jazz vocalists, Heather has collaborated with some of the best around and has appeared as a guest performer with numerous Jazz ensembles.
 Space is limited – so get there early. There is a bar set up inside and, should it rain – everything gets moved indoors  A past ace performer.
 By Staff
August 6th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
You just might want to write your Member of Parliament on this one.
There’s a behind-the-scenes battle brewing over how to use billions of dollars of surpluses piling up in the federal public service pension plan.
The country’s largest pension plan has been running a surplus for years, but it has now reached a “non-permissible” level under the law, sources indicate. The government will have to reduce the surplus once the Office of the Chief Actuary provides an updated report on the plan and its surplus size this fall.
 As of March 2023, Treasury Board reports the plan was running a $42.4-billion surplus. The plan has two funds. One is unfunded with benefits paid out of government coffers for service prior to 2000. The other is funded and invested by the Public Sector Pension Investment Board to pay benefits for service after 2000.
It is the surplus in the post-2000 fund that’s at the centre of a looming tussle. It’s unclear just how big that “non-permissible” level of surplus is. Sources, who are not authorized to publicly speak about the plan, say it was about $1.5 billion in March 2023, but may have grown tenfold since then.
The government has options to reduce the surplus. First, it’s required by law to stop its contributions. It could also allow members to reduce their contributions or transfer excess funds to the consolidated revenue fund until the unpermitted surplus disappears. Government and members split the cost of contributions, each contributing about $3.1 billion a year.
The unions want to see some of the surplus shared with employees. The government and its unions have clashed over a pension surplus before and the government always maintains that any surplus belongs to taxpayers, not workers.
 Public servants have an enviable defined-benefit pension plan,, which have all but disappeared in the private sector, but not all public servants get the same generous benefits.
A two-tier pension system has been in place since the Harper government introduced it, a move that infuriated unions and sparked a “hands off our pension” campaign in 2012.
Bureaucrats who joined before January 2013 are in tier one and can retire with full benefits at age 55 with 30 years. Those who joined after 2013 are in tier two and have to wait until age 60 with 30 years of service.
That move was supposed to save $2.6 billion by 2018 and an ongoing $900 million a year.
The giant Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) has been quietly lobbying the government to do away with the second tier.
The Harper government also required public servants to contribute more to their pensions, a change that didn’t provoke much resistance.
Union leaders’ outrage over the tiered pension didn’t resonate much with workers at the time, largely because the change had no impact on them. It only affected new hires. Now, after a hiring surge over the past five years, Treasury Board reports employees in tier two now form the largest group of working members in the plan.
PSAC isn’t discussing the proposal or how much eliminating the second tier could cost, but it believes it’s affordable because of the surplus.
Unions are represented on the plan’s pension advisory committee, which advises and makes recommendations to Treasury Board President Anita Anand on how to run, design, and fund the plan.
“I think there would be a fight if they reallocated (the surplus) without giving consideration to the people who made it in the first place,” said a labour observer who is not authorized to speak publicly about the plan.
Pensions lead into the incomprehensibly murky world of accounting and different standards that have left experts at loggerheads for years. Some even question whether the fund or a surplus even exist given the money all comes out of the same government pot.
All these factors complicate an understanding of the pension plan’s financial health and the impact on workers and employers.
The government has the added complication that it operates some of the country’s biggest plans. It has one for public servants, one for the military, and one for the RCMP. They account for the government’s second– biggest liability after the federal market debt.
With rising debt and deficits, the performance of these plans becomes increasingly critical. The plans are also in the sights of some Conservatives, who want to reduce the cost of plans if they are elected as the next government.
 The government’s defined-benefit pension plan is public servants’ most prized asset. It is unlike most pension plans: it doesn’t follow normal pension standards and accounting rules. It isn’t jointly managed with employees. Public servants have zero investment risk. Their pensions are guaranteed by statute, regardless of how the pension fund performs or if it runs a deficit. The government is on the hook for any deficit, so it claims it is entitled to the surplus.
“Public servants take no risk, so they deserve no reward,” said pension expert Malcolm Hamilton.
“If that fund performs badly, you’re not going to have any members of the pension plan say ‘maybe we should take part of the pain.’ Yet, when it does well, they predictably turn up and say, ‘well, we should get part of that because it’s our pension fund.”
The pension plan impacts government finances, and the extent of the impact has been much debated over the years.
The C.D. Howe Institute has long argued public servants don’t contribute enough for their pensions, leading to an underestimation of future liabilities for taxpayers that are much larger than recorded on the books.
However, the Liberals may have emboldened the unions to ask for a share of the surplus. Anand recently promised to amend pension legislation so border officers and thousands of other front-line public safety workers can retire with pensions after 25 years of service – known as “25-and out.” The unions would like to extend that to other public safety workers.
Hamilton, the pension expert, argues that sharing a surplus and extending pension benefits to a larger class of public-safety workers are two separate issues.
The government may have signalled its intentions for the surplus with a little-noticed change in the budget bill. It allows the Public Sector Pension Investment Board to move funds to the consolidated revenue fund, the government’s main bank account, where its money is collected and spent.
The public-service plan, like other defined-benefit plans, has run surpluses because of high interest rates and market returns since 2019. In fact, the government amended the Income Tax Act to increase the allowable size of non-permitted surpluses to 25 per cent of liabilities.
The plan has also run deficits like, for example, in 2014, when prolonged low interest rates after the 2008 market crash, along with public servants’ increased life expectancy and lower-than expected market returns, came home to roost. The government made up for the deficit.
Public servants feel hard done by these days. Unions argue that the employer should show some goodwill after the Phoenix and Canada Life debacles, especially with the mandatory order forcing employees back into the office three days a week. Public servants are also key voters in the National Capital Region, and the Liberals face what polls indicate will be a significant challenge in the next election.
By Staff
August 6th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Note the event and the date.
This is something you will want to pay attention to. The King Road site will have a massive impact on the growth and development of the city. A decade from now will probably see a shift westward in the economic center of Burlington.
The event is being put on by the Burlington Chamber of Commerce. Registration has to be done at their web site: https://www.burlingtonchamber.com/
By Staff
August 6th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
 CBC Radio broadcaster Dr. Brian Goldman Dr. Brian Goldman, a regular guest on CBC radio said:
The new #Covid KP3 subvariant is spreading like wildfire.
 We thought this was over – doesn’t appear to be – MASK UP You may want to consider masking for larger gatherings indoors.
Some hospitals have returned to required masking.
My anecdotal sense is that KP3 is much more than “a cold.”
 By Staff
August 5th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
 Turn natural fibres into brilliant colours There is a workshop at the Art Gallery to introduce participants to the basics of dyeing natural fibres with plants and flowers.
The workshop will address the ethics for growing and harvesting plants, the importance and variety of mordants (this is what makes the colour stick!) and how to approach different fibres (cotton, wool and silk).
The workshop will introduce the basics of eco-printing flowers and leaves, as well as creating a dye bath with plants.
Participants will be working with plants and flowers that are in season. Participants are invited to bring flowers and plants they have grown or harvested ethically to use in bundle dyeing. This workshop is appropriate for all ages; participants ages 12 and under should be accompanied by an adult.
When attending any of our public programs please consider bringing non-perishable food and hygiene products to donate to the Burlington Food Bank. Like so many communities, Burlington has seen an alarming 20% increase in the need for assistance with groceries over the last year. We are collecting community contributions to support the food bank’s efforts in meeting the growing demand for food security.
Dyes Workshop with Alize Zorlutuna; Saturday, August 17 · 1 – 4pm EDT
To register click HERE
By Staff
August 5th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
 Mary Alice St. James explaining an election issue to several seniors. The Federal government has announced a funding program that will have seniors helping seniors create programs that meet their needs.
Last week, Labour and Seniors Minister Steven MacKinnon announced a call for funding proposals under a new Community-based Projects stream of the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP).
The NHSP program is a federal grants and contributions program that provides funding for projects that make a difference in the lives of seniors and in their communities.
The new Community-based Projects stream will provide federal funding to support community-based projects designed by seniors for seniors that empowers seniors in their communities and contributes to improving their health and well-being.
The application is now live as of August 1st, and further program information and eligibility criteria and application can be found here.
Organizations can apply for funding until the application deadline on September 12, 2024 (3:00 pm EST).
 By Julieta Belen Correa
August 6th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Timothy Adams—a professional poker player coming from Burlington—has so far made total live earnings of $38,580,851. That puts him in the second place on the Canadian all-time money list, being preceded only by Daniel Negreanu.
The biggest chunk of his earnings comes from playing poker tournaments on the top Canadian poker sites, where he excels with his advanced card-counting strategies.
 It can be a game of chance – for many it is a game of skill. He didn’t always have the enviable bankroll that he has today. Adams’ poker days began when he was 18, as he started participating in online tournaments. His alias was “Tim0thee” and it seems like it brought him a lot of luck—he won more than $500,000 on Full Tilt Poker and $2,000,000 on PokerStars.
Adams had humble beginnings by participating in low-stakes tournaments, with his first recorded win coming in May 2007. By snatching fifth place in a US tournament, he managed to earn $3,765. The buy-in for this tournament was a modest $340, which is how much many players who play poker in the best online casinos spend during an average night of fun.
Nowadays, it’s not uncommon for him to win six- and seven-figure prizes and participate in tournaments with a buy-in of $250,000. His first such win came in 2012, at the World Series of Poker (WSOP), where he finished seventh in a big event.
Speaking of WSOP, it’s nice to mention that, so far, Timothy Adams has managed to win one gold bracelet. This achievement happened back in 2012 when he finished first in a $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em Four-Handed event. Apart from the gold bracelet, he also brought home $392,476 in winnings. For comparison purposes, Daniel Negreanu—which was mentioned earlier—currently has seven gold bracelets.
Fast forward to recent years and we can see Timothy Adams making some big wins and serious cash. In 2019, this Burlington poker player earned $3,536,550. He participated in an event in South Korea—the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series—and won first place. This wasn’t his first high-roller event, but it was one of his first major wins in a game of such magnitude.
As for his most recent big win, it came in 2021, when he finished 4th in a $50,000 Super High Roller Bowl Europe tournament. As a prize, Adams won $1,127,500.
 A facial expression – can you read it? Timothy Adams keeps the secret of his success to himself. Whether it’s his complex card-counting strategies or betting patterns that are keeping him on top of the game, it’s obvious that it’s working for him
For someone to be as successful as Adams is in poker, they have to be great at observing their opponents and reading body language. The subtle changes in one’s behavior can tell a lot about the strength of one’s hand, which is what professional poker players use when estimating risks. Not to mention how great they have to be at bluffing—after all, they can’t let other players read their next move.
By Staff
August 4th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
“All we wanted to do was encourage neighbours to help us collect some food and money that could be sent to the Burlington Food Bank. We asked the Food Bank to send us one bin – we ended up filling four bins: 1000 pounds of food and $3000 in cash.”
Daryl Fowler had drafted a bunch of friends who, like him, were small business entrepreneurs who donated and helped make the event work. “They knew how to put things together. Fowler operates FlasheGas, an independent HVAC operation.
“We found that we needed to ask our neighbours if we could use their drive ways.”
 Wearing an ear to ear smile Daryl Fowler with his wife Hannah stand behind four of the six bins that were filled at their first food drive event.
This year the event looks like it will be bigger. Takes place on Sunday August 4th – running from noon to 4:00 pm at 555 Elwood.
Ice cream, bouncing platforms; the first one we booked didn’t work out and we had to scramble to get another operator in place.
Face painting, a balloon artist and a magician will be part of the event. Tyler Fergus will be dazzling the kids with his magic performances.
There will be a draw for a BBQ donated by Canadian Tire.
What happens if it rains? “Rain or shine” said Fowler, “the event takes place.”
 By Staff
August 3rd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
This article focuses on what Oakville North Burlington MP Pam Damoff, who has announced tha she will not run in the next federal election.
In her constituency newsletter she told of how Oakville and then the federal government decided to make what was once known as Simcoe Day -it was to be called Emancipation Day
 Oakville North Burlington MP Pam Damoff “On Thursday, we commemorated Emancipation Day. On this day in 1834, the Slavery Abolition Act came into effect across the British Empire and laid a pathway to liberation of 800,000 enslaved Africans and their descendants in parts of the Caribbean, Africa, South America, and Canada.
“In 2015, I put forward a motion when I sat on Oakville Town Council, which named the August Civic Holiday as Emancipation Day in Oakville. The motion passed unanimously.
On March 24, 2021, the House of Commons designated August 1st as Emancipation Day to acknowledge the dark chapter in Canada history and the lasting impacts that slavery has had including intergenerational trauma and ongoing racism.
By Pepper Parr
August 3rd, 2024
BURLINGTON. ON
What will people talk about at those back yard BBQs that will take place throughput the city during the long weekend?
Politics will be part of conversations – how heated will those conversations get?
 If you clear the catch basin a couple of times the next few days we can avoid problems like this. The floods – what is being done to help the people who no longer have a home they can live in ? I still can’t get over the city saying they would need four to six weeks to process a $1000 Ex Gratia payment of $1000.
Climate change – we certainly have that – but other than telling the kids that they have to be more careful – the average parent is at the point where they don’t really know what they can do personally and expect some level of government to take care of that problem for them.
Will what city council is doing and not doing come up? For those who pay attention – sure – but that group isn’t all that large.
So what is THE issue that will play itself out?
Do the citizens of Burlington have a positive feeling as they enjoy the mod point of Ontario summers?
 By Pepper Parr
August 3rd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Hope does spring eternal – and the folks that want to see the proposed highway 413 development stopped in its tracks appear to take some comfort from the Recovery Strategy and Action Plan which came into force on Monday, identifies many streams and tributaries within three river watersheds along the proposed Highway 413 route as Critical Habitat that must be protected for the species’ survival.
Although Ontario’s government has been able to gut or circumvent many of the provincial environmental, public safety and wildlife protections that would ordinarily prohibit the 413, the text of Canada’s constitution puts protecting fish species and their habitat squarely within federal jurisdiction.
 The Redside Dace – a small, colourful and endangered minnow. Gazette readers will recall the role the Jefferson salamander played in preventing the renewal of a permit for the Nelson quarry. This new Recovery Strategy and its official recognition of the critical redside dace habitat along the proposed highway’s route will further enable Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault to designate a federal impact assessment of Highway 413.
Fortunately, this year’s federal budget restored the minister’s power to designate impact assessments for projects with potential impacts that fall clearly within federal jurisdiction.
Canada’s constitution explicitly gives the federal government jurisdiction regarding “inland” fish, so the recognition of waterways along the Highway 413’s impact makes the case for a federal assessment designation unassailable.
Separately, recognition of these streams as Critical Habitat means that construction companies – and the provincial government itself – are prohibited from doing anything directly to them that would destroy any of their value as habitat for the species. That would require permission from the federal government. That means that it will be up to the federal government, which has presented itself as a defender of the environment, to decide whether the Highway 413 proposal can proceed.
Related news story:
Jefferson salamander put a halt to the renewal of a quarry permit
By Staff
August 2nd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
There will be a Special Meeting of Council on Tuesday – how many members will participate virtually is going to be interesting to see.
Mayor Meed Ward has a Motion through she is asking her colleagues to consider setting up a Resiliency Fund to support the community during natural disasters or emergencies.
Meed Ward wants the:
Chief Administrative Officer, or designate, in cooperation with the Chief Financial Officer, to report back to Committee of the Whole on October 7 with options and recommendations on establishing a Burlington Resiliency Fund to support the community during natural disasters or emergencies.
Reason:
On July 15, 2024, Burlington received approximately 65mm in rain over three hours, additional rain in the afternoon and more rain on July 16, 2024.
This significant amount of rainfall led to the flooding of 1288 homes in Burlington, some of which experienced significant damage, causing unexpected financial hardship for many.
 Flood waters reached the main floor in many homes.  Water soaked innards of many houses had to be ripped out. Following the flooding, it became clear that Burlington lacked a centralized resource for both the intake of charitable donations and for the distribution of support.
Relief funds are often established to support the long-term recovery and resiliency of a community following a natural or human-made disaster as part of a proactive emergency preparedness community strategy.
The city has the ability to set criteria for eligible costs. The city can also receive donations and administer dispersals from a relief fund, including issuing charitable tax receipts.
 Burlington Foundation President Megan Tregunno spoke to Council in July about the role they could play in flood relief. They did a superb job under Colleen Mulholland who was President at that time The city can also partner with an independent third party, such as a local community foundation. This occurred after the 2014 flood, when the city partnered with the Burlington Foundation to assist homeowners impacted by that flood.
The minimum contribution to establish a fund with the Burlington Community Foundation (The organization is now known as the Burlington Foundation) will vary based on the type of fund established. This could be included as part of the 2025 budget and/or through the current Severe Weather Reserve Fund and/or raised through community donations.
Establishing a relief fund with the Burlington Community Foundation allows the foundation to hold, manage and steward the fund’s assets and nurture and grow fund in perpetuity.
As staff review options and recommendations for a Burlington Resiliency Fund, the analysis should include but not be limited to:
- Who should administer the program
- Source of initial seed funding and source of ongoing contributions
- Criteria for eligibility
- Types of costs that would be covered, and amounts such as insurance deductibles or backflow valve
- Types of natural disasters covered, including impacts from flooding, windstorms, ice storms and other natural or weather-related events
- Eligibility by type of property and tenure, including businesses, residential properties (including rental) or all
Outcome Sought:
To provide council with options and recommendations to make an informed decision about whether to proceed with an ongoing Burlington Resiliency Fund to assist residents impacted by severe weather and other emergencies.
It’s a good idea. Unfortunate that it takes a crises to bring forward ideas like this – ideally Council will rubber stamp this and get into the details when it comes back to Council in October.
There are at least three Statutory meetings that will be at the top of the Agenda.
Some had hoped there would be an opportunity for some of the people who have been very hard hit by the floods of July 15th and 16th.
Council is the place for the public to hear from the people who have much of what they own laid out on the front lawn waiting to be hauled away by garbage trucks.
 The culvert that got blocked. There would have had to have been much more debris jammed in this culvert to stop the flow of water – the 407ETR people will certainly be looking at what happened – none of what they learn will become public – the liability issues could be stiff. Some mention of what the 407ETR people are doing at this point would be welcome. Their role in the flooding, better to use their responsibility in this needs to be determined. This could well end up in a Courtroom.
 The culvert was apparently not cleared regularly – when there was an excessive amount of rain the culvert was blocked preventing the water from running through the eight foot pipe underneath the 407 and on into Lake Ontario.
By Staff
August 1st, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
 This data was made available on the 120th of July. The numbers for ward 2 appear to have increased since then. Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns has an update on the flood damage that people are coping with.
As of the last update, 188 homes reported a flood impact to their home.
Today, August 1st, the Provincial Disaster Recovery Team will be visiting Burlington to assess the situation and plan the next steps.
The city of Burlington will keep you informed through our website and social media channels.
Special Council Meeting – August 7th
Council typically pauses City business during the summer due to limited community engagement; however, due to the recent flooding and time sensitive planning matters we will hold a special meeting on August 7th.
 Changes to this development will be before Council on Tuesday the 7th During this meeting, we will discuss updates related to the flooding and review Planning Recommendation Reports for 1393 Graham’s Lane (Three buildings – 21 storey, 17 storey and a possible 12 storey building) and 2362 Fairview St. (One building 13 storey).
Kearns will be out of the province attending a work-related Police Board conference during the Special Council Meeting. She will join the city council meeting virtually.
 By Staff
August 2nd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Sitting in your car at an intersection waiting for the light to change in your favour is part of being in a city that experiences some grid lock
That is, hopefully, in the process of changing. As part of the Integrated Mobility Plan, Transit Signal Priority (TSP) aims to align our transportation network with our City’s long range mobility objectives.
A team, led by Steve Vrakela (Supervisor – Traffic Signals) in partnership with Burlington Transit, Tacel Ltd, and Applied Information Inc. has commenced the testing of V2X at city intersections.
Tacel provides much of the hardware while Applied Information, an American based company handles the software side in tandem with Tacel. They are using AI level software that figures out a lot of the processing of traffic information. Getting into the details is quite exciting. Well maybe not exciting – but certainly interesting. Give the installation a couple of more months and we will all get to experience the improvements.
By Staff
August 1st, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Tom Parkin writes a regular “Data Shows” column; this week he focuses on the advertising spending being done by three political parties in Ontario and publishes other data relevant to what is taking shape as the province begins to prepare for the next election.
Parkin claims that Bonnie Crombie’s negatives rise as PC ad campaign bites and that the expensive Liberal leader drains resources needed to counter PCs’ campaign against her
 Bonnie Crombie entering a Liberal Party event in Hamilton. At times it looked like a Coronation. “Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie has increasingly become an expensive millstone around her party’s neck as a well-funded PC advertising campaign drives up her disapproval scores, monthly polling data from Abacus shows.
“Crombie’s disapproval score has increased six points from 25 per cent in the first Abacus poll taken after her December 2023 leadership win to 31 per cent in Abacus’ July poll.
“Liberals will also be concerned that Crombie’s pool of supporters is shrinking. Her approval score that has fallen three points from 28 to 25 per cent from January to July.
“Abacus’s July poll pegs Crombie’s positive impression score now one point below her Ontario Liberal Party’s 26 per cent support and two points below the federal Liberals’ 27 per cent support in Ontario.
“Without a seat, the Ontario Liberals are paying Crombie a salary of $185,000: data confirmed by the party. Assuming her salary and other expenses usually paid by the legislature total more than $200,000 a year, having a seat less leader is costing the Liberals $4,000 a week. While $4,000 isn’t enough to close the weekly advertising gap with the PCs, it would triple the Liberals’ current advertising budget.
 Marit Stiles has proven to be feisty but has yet to land a solid punch on the Premier. “Ontario Liberals have justified Crombie’s pay rate, which is higher than Official Opposition leader Marit Stiles, calling it a “considerable” pay cut from the nearly $300,000 Crombie took home while Mississauga mayor.
“The Ontario PCs are vastly outspending the Ontario Liberals on internet advertising, most of it aimed at Crombie and much of it targeting her home territory of Mississauga.
“The Progressive Conservatives clearly want to keep Crombie out of the Legislature by making it very difficult for her to find a seat in the legislature.
“A recent analysis by Data Shows found the PCs spending over $13,000 a week on Facebook ads while the Liberals spent just $1,200 a week. Marit Stiles’ Ontario NDP spent about $2,500 a week.
“In 2023, the Ontario PCs raised $8.0 million, the Ontario NDP $3.2 million and the Ontario Liberals $2.1 million.”
Data tells the story at this point.
However, Doug Ford has his own problems.
Parkin was with the Workers Health and Safety organization for close to 20 years. He is currently a Principal with Impact Strategies, creating media impact for clients who want their story heard.
 By Staff
August 1st, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
It’s becoming a summer staple. Movie night in Spencer Smith Park
This is a FREE event, brought to you by the small businesses of the Burlington Downtown Business Association, so be sure to say thanks by bringing pizza, burgers, ice cream, coffee, and other treats down to the park with you! And take your garbage home with you – please.
 It’s a decent audience. Looking for popcorn to snack on while the film plays? Our friends from CineStarz will be on site with popcorn available for sale (***CASH ONLY***)
Returning this year is our fan favourite: movie trivia! Are you a mastermind of movie villains? Up to scale on the music that makes the movies? Holding onto some Oscar worthy film knowledge? Strut your movie stuff with 10 new questions each time we play.
Designed with all audiences in mind, refer to the schedule below for movie ratings.
UPCOMING MOVIES INCLUDE:
August 6th: Jurassic Park, PG-13, 2h2
August 13th: 50 First Dates, PG, 1h39
August 20th: Top Gun (1986), PG, 1h50
In the event of inclement weather, the movie will be cancelled. All cancellations will be posted to our social media networks. The showtime is at dusk. Please follow us @DTBURLINGTONON via Instagram & Facebook.
Movies by the Lake is brought to you by the small businesses of the Burlington Downtown Business Association
By Staff
August 13th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
We did a short piece last week on the awarding of King’s Medals by Members of Parliament.
 Burlington MP Karina Gould along with Mayor Meed Ward present an announcement notice that was part of the Queens 70th Jubilee medal to Rick Burgess. We got a notice from a Hamilton MP – she was advertising for people who might want to nominate someone.
We did not see any advertising or notices from the office of Gould, Damoff or Adam van Koeverden
We were advised by Minister Gould’s office that she has been advertising since May asking for constituents to nominate someone for this award. It has been heavily advertised on various social media platforms, sent through e-newsletter, mail items, and it is on our website.
The nomination window closed on July 31st, which was information also included in all of the advertisement. We will be publicly announcing the nominees at a later date and celebrating with an event.
Related news story:
MP’s not advising the public.
You can learn more about the King Charles III award. Visit Governor Generals website:
King Charles III Coronation Medal | The Governor General of Canada (gg.ca).
By Scott Stewart
August 1st, 2o24
BURLINGTON, ON
Every now and again you get a chance to work with a special person and Helen Walihura was one of those special people for me at the City of Burlington. She was always so well put together and such a detailed professional.
 Former General Manager Scott Stewart on the left and Councillor Meed Ward on the right. Helen Walihura is in the middle. If you had an assignment or project that needed to get across the finish line, Helen was always willing to take it on with great enthusiasm. Her success came from all the positive relationships she had with politicians, staff, community groups and individual residents. I was fortunate to spend several years working side by side with Helen.
Helen was a great colleague, a wonderful daughter, sister and loved being a spouse and was such a proud mom.
After I left Burlington in 2015, we continued to meet for lunch and catch up on life and family and laugh a lot.
She has been taken too soon and I will miss my friend.
Sent from my iPad
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