BurlingtonGreen holds third spot in a national contest with $100,000 available.

 

 

September 10th, 2013

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON.  BurlingtonGreen got themselves selected as one of five organizations that would be part of the Jamieson Vitamins  Call for the Wild contest that had  a fund of $100,000 that would be distributed to the five contestants based on the number of people they could get to vote for them on a Facebook page Jamieson had set up.

BurlingtonGreen Executive Director Amy Schnurr with the bike Mountain Equipment Coop donated to the drive to get votes to win as much of the Jamieson Vitamins Call for the Wild Contest. There was $100,000 to be divided between five organizations.

The objective was to get people – anyone and everyone –  to go to the web site and vote.  The organization that pushed the most people to vote for them – would walk away with most of the prize money.

This is where BurlingtonGreen stood early September 10th.

Despite adding a $1000 bike as an additional draw, courtesy of Mountain Equipment Coop, it looks at this point as if BurlingtonGreen is going to place third and see about $12,000 – which in itself is not bad.

I think the city felt BurlingtonGreen would soar to the top of the list and stay there because of its membership base.  Heck this is the city that shuts down roads so the Jefferson Salamander can cross during its breeding season.

This is the city that spent $2 million in legal fees to prevent the expansion of the Nelson Aggregate quarry on Colling Road.  We were a natural to come out on top of a contest that would put funds into an organization that everyone believes is a great group of people – doing the right thing.

Right?

The numbers shown so far don’t reflect that perception.

BurlingtonGreen is up against some pretty impressive groups.  The Vancouver Aquarium in British Columbia, the Calgary Wild Life Rehab organization, the McGill University Bird Observatory and the Nova Scotia   Hope For Wildlife

BurlingtonGreen, on its website urge their members to get out their vote saying “we are currently in third place in Jamieson’s Call for the Wild! contest.  However, we are barely holding onto this position and we know we need a big surge of votes every day this week if we are going to hang onto this spot .

The number of votes in the early days was pretty low but BG Executive Director Amy Schnurr felt that once the students were back in school there would be a significant uptick – there wasn’t.

Students are a large part of the BurlingtonGreen operation. They do the grunt work during their CleanUp-GreenUp campaign and they are on site for many city festivals cleaning up. Has this students cohort translated into clout for Burlington Green – both at city hall and within the community?

Burlington Green has a strong presence in the schools of this city – and one would have hoped those students would take the message home and get the Moms and Dads and the extended family at the keyboard.

The Burlington Lions Optimists Minor Hockey Association (BLOMHA) got into one of these contests and they pulled in $20,000 for their organization on the Kraft Game Goes on contest.  BLOMHA had kids voting while in vans on the way to hockey games.  They passed out flyers and turned over every stone they could find to get the vote out.

Is hockey a bigger draw than the environment?  For the sake of the planet we hope not.

This was the contest – it looks like BurlingtonGreen can hold third.

Contest begins 12:01 a.m. Monday August 19th,  2013 and closes 11:59 p.m. September 15, 2013.

Voting is a two part process that is clearly explained on the BurlingtonGreen website.

You can vote once every day – more than once if you use different email addresses when you register your vote.

Jamieson Vitamins is a vitamin and natural health product company that has been in business since 1922.

 

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Private tree bylaw is dead in the water. Even with the Mayor’s support it could not get past a council that fails to understand.

 

 

September 10, 2013

By Pepper Parr

It is going to be very tough to get a private tree by law in this city.  The dean of Council, John Taylor, summed it up when he said “the will is just not there”, the public just doesn’t want this” and try as they might BurlingtonGreen and Ward 2 Councillor Meed Ward,  who pushed as hard as one can push, could not get this through the Development and Infrastructure Committee that met Monday evening.

Staff took Council through a review of the Urban Forest Management Plan and said basically, that the way to maintain the urban tree canopy we have is to just plant more trees – but didn’t say that it takes decades for the trees we plant, to get to the point where they are a significant part of the urban cover, that we have now in some parts of the city.

In its report the Roads and Parks Maintenance department took the position that “…many view a private tree bylaw as a means to protect trees and the urban canopy.  It is one potential component of an effective urban forest management strategy.  Recognizing the significant resources required to administer and enforce a private tree bylaw it is recommended that resources are better focused on a continued implementation of the recommendations of the Urban Forest Management Plan.”

In a phrase – a private tree bylaw wasn’t worth the paper and the work it would take to get it up and running.

Staff did support an Annual Symposium that would educate the public and would present a business case for this expense when they get into the budget cycle.  Lip service.

Meed Ward and Mayor Goldring picked up on the loss at the July meetings where Council basically said this is not something we want to do.  At that time Meed Ward and the Mayor determined to press on and get something on the table.

But Taylor had it right: Council, reflecting the public frame of mind, was not going to require people to get permission to cut down a tree in Burlington.

As a last-ditch effort Meed Ward put forward a proposal that would require nothing more of a property owner than filling in a form so that city hall could at last gather data on how many trees are being cut and where the cutting is taking place.

Councillor Paul Sharman, centre in the blue shirt, has been a staunch and consistent advocate for having verifiable data in hand before making any decisions. Given an opportunity to gather that data at very little cost to the city, the Councillor folded and let his ideology get in the way of common sense.

Even Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman, often referred to as Mr. Data (he just will not make a decision without adequate data) would go along with this one.

The best those who wanted to see something proactive done to protect the urban forest in Burlington could get was a Symposium at which some public education could take place.

BurlingtonGreen president Ken Woodruff found himself admitting that he had not read one of the reports that was being discussed by a city council committee. A no, no – gotta do the homework.

There were two delegations: BurlingtonGreen, who found themselves admitting that they had not read one of the reports they were delegating on and Albert Facenda, a local developer,  who has yet to find a situation that cannot be stretched into a pretty wild exaggeration.  Last night he brought up a problem in Oakville that involved a city owned tree and the difficulty he had in getting it removed for his client.  Albert had the cost to his client exceeding $10,000.  He was aided in his efforts by Councillor Sharman who kept asking leading questions helping Facenda make a point about an issue in Oakville when the committee was talking about Burlington’s trees.  Go figure.

Councillor Meed Ward did introduce the idea of creating Tree Protection Areas – the idea had merit but got beaten back when too many Councillors complained about the paper work that would be involved.

There was the suggestion that residents could use the Heritage Protection process we have and take the tack that trees and vegetation are part of a landscape and that landscape is part of Heritage.  City Planning Director Bruce Krushelnicki did say that might be possible but that he’d never seen it done anywhere.  He certainly didn’t champion that idea.

Councillor Taylor did like it and one can expect him to follow-up on that one.

The long and the short if it is that Burlington is not going to see any kind of a bylaw that calls for the public to get permission to cut down a tree on their property.  If a person owns a piece of property that has a tree and the owner doesn’t like it – they can cut it down – even if the reason is that they don’t want to have to rake the leaves.

My Mom had a phrase for doing things like this. “So you’re going to cut off your nose to spite your face are you?” It looks like that’s what Burlington is going to do.  Both the Mayor and Councillor Meed Ward, not natural allies, are pulling together on this one, but the wagon they are pulling isn’t going to budge.  There is more politics and ideology behind the reluctance of the other councillors to doing anything.  Ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven, who chaired the meeting, offered no opinion or comment whatsoever.  He knows where his bread is buttered.

This is what most people in Burlington want; a gorgeous urban tree canopy that shades our streets, improves property values and gets some of the pollutants out of the air. But at the same time people want to be able to cut down a tree on their property if they don’t like them. We can’t have it both ways – can we?

We frequently use a photograph of Belvenia Street with that gorgeous canopy of trees that are both private and public that line the street.  This is what Burlington has and what most people want to keep.  Many think that the direction we take now may get us to the point where we don’t maintain this kind of urban canopy.

A symposium might not be enough.

There may be one last effort on the part of BurlingtonGreen to get more information in front of Council at its September 23rd meeting.  It won’t make a difference.  The city is getting prepared to go down the municipal election road and anything that impedes on the perceived rights of the property owners doesn’t get the vote returning them to office these Council members need.   Rather than argue this issue on the door steps next summer this council is going to tuck it under the rug hoping it will stay there.

Council voted to receive and file the report.

Perhaps in 2015 it can be revived.

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Woman loses balance at Mt. Nemo – plunges to her death.

September 8, 2013

By Staff

BURLINGTON, ON.  A 42-year-old female lost her balance near a lookout in an area on top of the escarpment and was pronounced dead at the scene early this afternoon.

The victim’s family has asked that the identity not be released.  

At approximately 1:00 p.m. on September 8th, 2013, Halton Police received a 9-1-1 call about a hiker that had fallen at the Mount Nemo Conservation Area.  Officers responded, along with members of the Burlington Fire Department and Halton EMS.

The victim was located at the bottom of a cliff in very rugged terrain.  Police officers performed CPR on the woman for a significant amount of time, until relieved by EMS personnel.  The victim was eventually pronounced dead at the scene.

The Burlington Fire Department assisted with the recovery of the victim from the base of the cliff.

The investigation has revealed that the 42-year-old female victim lost her balance near a lookout in an area on top of the escarpment.  

A post-mortem examination will be conducted on September 9th 2013 at the Hamilton General Hospital.

 

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Jealous Nelson grad tours Hayden High – eye-popping is her first response.

 

 

September 8, 2013

By Milla Pickfield

 

BURLINGTON, ON.  I’m so jealous. I fell asleep in the middle of my math exam in June of 2012. Why did I fall asleep? No air conditioning. Well at Dr. Frank J. Hayden High School they won’t have that problem. They have air-conditioning and I’ve heard it’s absolutely gorgeous. The whole school is new; and new is spectacular! This huge high school located in the Alton Village opened last week and now houses grades nine and ten students from the surrounding area. 

Alton is one of the last undeveloped residential lands in Burlington and it could be assumed that they recognized the potential growth of the community would exceed the capacity of existing high schools.

Hayden High, Burlington’s newest high school built as part of a complex that includes a Recreational Centre and a public library with a skate park right across the street.

If I had to sum up the new school in one word I would use impressive. Built as one part of the community center -. Hayden High School is huge. The complex has eight competition-sized gyms and a library, and a skate park just outside the school!

Just imagine – you’re in grade ten and you’ve been moved to a brand new high school. Your first day of school – wake up, get dressed, brush your teeth – normal routine in the morning. But this is anything but a normal morning. Today, you get to sleep in a little later than the year before because your new school opens a little later. This morning you don’t have to rush out the door to catch the bus because your school is just a short walk away. This year… at least half of your school friends will not be waiting in front of the school doors to greet you… they go to a different school across town.

One student commented on how he felt when he first entered the school, “Being at a brand new school is very exciting, and it’s also really interesting to be the first ones to see the school to its full extent.” But when asked about what it felt like to be going to school without some of his friends he said; “Having only half of my friends around simply doesn’t feel right. I made at least three good friends last year who had to stay at Nelson, and it feels very unusual without them around.”

The complex from the rear with the high school cafeteria on the left overlooking the sports field. The Haber Recreational is at the end on the right.

Those students who were at Nelson and going into grade 11 stayed at Nelson because Hayden was offering just grades nine and ten. Transition from old to new can be difficult but at the same time exciting. On one hand you miss those old run-down specialties that made your school feel like home… but then again, look at those perks! Everything is new. New computers, up-to-date software that actually works and aligns with the software on your home computer, air-conditioning (remember I’m jealous), internet that operates all the time, a new sound system throughout the school so it doesn’t sound like people speaking underwater … the list could go on and on.

Okay, I am going to go on and on: it’s the food. Since it’s a high school and a community center, rumour has it that a big name food provider will be opening its doors. Did I tell you I’m jealous? Oh, right, I did. 

 

 

But there is a downside. While the new eye-popping catchy attractions may make you jealous (maybe that’s just me) you lose a sense of tradition. As many know, a lot of the excitement that surrounds school is knowing that you aren’t the first ones there; your parents may have gone to that school when they were younger. Sometimes just knowing that gives you a sense of comfort and familiarity.   Remember in the movie The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock when Michael Oher is being questioned on why he chose the University of Mississippi? Michael simply responds with “Because it’s where my family goes to school. It’s where they’ve always gone to school.”

 

Michael chose the University of Mississippi because the sense of unity and pride,  knowing that he will follow in his parents and their parent’s footsteps. Going to a new high school breaks that tradition. You are not walking the halls your parents walked before you: instead you are walking halls that no one has ever walked before. You are creating new tradition and perhaps walking the halls your children may walk someday.

For the next couple of months I will be exploring what it is like being at a new school – from the perspective of teachers, administration, the architects, parents, but most importantly from the students – the individuals who walk the halls every day trying to navigate education and relationships – no mean feat.

Milla Pickfield is a Nelson High graduate who is taking a year off before going to university to do community work and gain experience with people and places that are well outside her past experience and comfort zone.  She expects to follow the creation of the legend that will become Hayden High School in the Alton Village.

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Chilly weather will keep people out of the water if the health notices don’t do the job.

September 6, 2013

By Staff

BURLINGTON, ON.  If the weather we are having today holds for the weekend there won’t be too many people in the waters of Lake Ontario at the foot of the city – and that’s probably a good thing because the Regional Health people tell us the water is not all that safe to swim in.

Swimming in this city isn’t the smartest idea this weekend.

 

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The Quebec of today and the values it wants to create – differs from the multiculturism of Ontario.

 

 

September 6, 2013

By Ray Rivers

BURLINGTON, ON.   Pierre Trudeau was the father of multiculturalism, and in 1971 Canada became the first nation in the world to adopt that policy.  Coming off the October 1970 FLQ crisis, Trudeau needed something to bridge the two solitudes, which Canada had become, and which made fertile ground for the separatists to argue for independence.  Inclusion of Canadians regardless of their origins, respect for their cultural heritage and the richness that comes with diverse cultural backgrounds helped change the focus of minority rights in Canada and Quebec.

 Multiculturalism is fundamentally a liberal philosophy – the right of individuals to freely express themselves and pursue their conceptions of the good life.  The Liberal Party subscribes to it, so it shouldn’t be any surprise that Justin Trudeau immediately rejected Marois’ proposed charter.  But conservatives also subscribe to this philosophy, particularly the more libertarian wing, though they are conflicted by their desire for control.  For that and other reasons the PM is mostly staying out of the discussion at this time – but he’ll have to find his tongue if, and when, the Charter sees the light of day.

The night Rene Levesque lost the first referendum in Quebec. The province would try a second time to leave the country in 1995.

 The NDP are socialists and have little time for religion or religious symbols, although Mulcair appears to be siding with Trudeau – but then he used to be  a Liberal.  The Parti Québécois (PQ) is also a socialist party and favours secularism.  They still remember the Duplessis years and how the Church helped to oppress Quebecers – je me souviens.  And, of course, the PQ prefer any policy which would enable them to reach their end-goal of independence.

 Quebec has always been opposed to multiculturalism.    Half a century after it became national policy, Quebec’s minority government is proposing a ‘Charter of Quebec Values’, a racist, at least in the broadest sense of the word, attempt at shutting multiculturalism down.   Much like the French Language Charter, Bill 101, introduced in 1977 by René Lévesque, the proposed charter Pauline Marois is proposing discriminates against those who are different – those who threaten the notion of a distinct society in the nation of Quebec.

 It is just another brick in the wall for the separatists – a wall to further divide Quebec from the rest of Canada.  Former premier Jacques Parizeau blamed the ethnic minority in Quebec for the narrow defeat of his 1995 referendum on sovereigntyPremier Marois claims her goal is to unite Quebecers, a euphemism for stripping them of their individuality and re-engineering Quebec to deal with Parizeau’s complaint. 

 Pierre Trudeau discovered multiculturalism in the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism (1963).  And Ms. Marois has a commission of her own, The Bouchard-Taylor Report on Cultural and Religious Accommodation.   If we thought multiculturalism was a complex topic, Taylor and Bouchard promote an even more complicated hybrid called ‘interculturalism‘. 

 A nation with diverse cultures is not one that rallies predictably for a common cause, such as Quebec sovereignty.  So Premier Marois wants to instill Quebecers with a set of common values before the next referendum.  If she needed a model, she might have looked to the Japan of the shogun era.  For over 200 years the Japanese people were isolated from foreign influences; foreigners were expelled and their religions banned; trade and contact with the outside world was restricted; and a common language and social mores were forced on the people.  The results of that unification process were impressive as we saw in the Second World War.

 Europe, like Canada, once embraced multiculturalism, so much that chicken tikka masala has replaced fish and chips Chips as England’s most popular dish.  However, Europeans,  like some folks in Quebec, are concerned about the impending clash they envision with their traditional cultures.  France is in the forefront of the fight against religious symbols, though the French government is perhaps more worried about ethnic ghettos, where streets and even suburbs have become enclaves and no-go zones. 

 Of course that isn’t the case for Quebec which has less ethnic diversity than B.C. or even Ontario.  Toronto is now the most ethnically diverse city in the world.  Quebecers are a minority within Canada and the downward spiral of discrimination is a human characteristic.  So Quebec treats minority groups in the province less kindly than they themselves expect to be treated in Canada.  The many freedoms Quebecers enjoy, being a part of Canada, they withhold from the cultural minorities they govern. 

The referendum in 1995 was a battle to keep Quebec in Canada but also to keep Canada a multicultural country.

 Finally and most importantly, Bill 101 and the emerging Charter of Values are just foundation blocks for the next sovereignty vote.  Only a third of Quebecers have ever wanted to create a separate nation out of the province.   But they recently elected a minority separatist government with that unwavering agenda as an end goal.  Marois may appear to be pandering to a handful of intolerant voters with her charter, preying on their worst emotions.  But she is just setting the stage for the bigger battle to come.  She needs to deal with Parizeau’s complaint – even if that makes her look like a racist.

 

 

Ray Rivers was born in Ontario; earned an economics degree at the University of Western Ontario and earned a Master’s degree in economics at the University of Ottawa.  His 25 year stint with the federal government included time with Environment, Fisheries and Oceans, Agriculture and the Post office.  He completed his first historical novel The End of September in 2012. Rivers is active in his community. He has run for municipal and provincial government offices and  held executive positions with Liberal Party  riding associations.  He developed the current policy process for the Ontario Liberal Party.

 

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In Ontario, naturopathic doctors are considered primary care physicians.

Jeremy Hayman, Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (ND) will be writing a regular column for the Burlington Gazette.  ND is a professional medical designation earned following an undergraduate pre-medical degree and four years of post-graduate medical training at a fully accredited (CNME) naturopathic medical college. All licensed Naturopathic Doctors practicing in Ontario have been fully regulated under the Drugless Practitioners Act.Upon completion of regulatory board examinations, Naturopathic Doctors, as primary health care providers, are required to maintain their competency by meeting continuing education requirements as well upholding naturopathic medical association standings.

In comparison to a Medical Doctor designation (MD), a Naturopathic Medical designation (ND) is comprised of an equivalency in term of basic science education hours.  Where an MD focuses more time on pharmaceutical medicine, NDs also study pharmacology and its drugs, however extensive training in natural medicine (such as botanical, Oriental, nutritional, physical, and homeopathic medicine as well as lifestyle, counseling and herb-drug interactions) is adjunctively studied as well. In Ontario, a naturopathic doctors is considered a primary care physicians. NDs cannot prescribe pharmaceutical medications in Ontario as MDs are able to, and are only covered under extended health plans and not OHIP billing, however they are able to employ conventional laboratory testing and diagnostic imaging as necessary.

September 5, 2013

By Dr. Jeremy Hayman

 BURLINGTON, ON.  September 5, 2013  When it comes to understanding the meaning of the popular phrase “too much of a good thing”, we all too often overdo our ideal balance by taking this idiom to the extreme. It’s common practice to believe that if something is healthy, then more is better. We have all experienced, in one way or another, too much of something we believe is “good” often times turns out not to be as “good” or as pleasant as we first thought.

There are limits – or at least there should be some limits we observe.

How many of you have ever basked under the healthful vitamin D filled sunrays on a warm summer day only to regretfully suffer the agonizing (and burning) result of “too much of a good thing”? Ok, so we agree, in our own unique and sometimes retrospective way, too much of a “good thing” may in fact result in the complete opposite of what we originally thought. This consideration has forced us to accommodate moderation into our daily lives, correct?

  Well, not always in reality, but the true meaning and moral does allow us to consider the wise choice that everything in life should be experienced in balance. Although, when it comes to natural health and contributions to natural health, I sometimes, beg to differ. When it comes to balance and happiness within our children’s mental health, I beg to differ without question.

  The mental health status of children constitutes a need for balance, however the more happiness, balance and support toward a child’s mental health, argument cannot be justified that too much of a good thing is ultimately “too much”. Mental health of children is of utmost value, and the more support that can be provided naturally, the better. So let’s talk mental health within our most impressionable population, and let’s learn what it takes to naturally keep the mental health of our children balanced.

  According to Health Canada, one in  five Canadians will experience some type of mental illness over the course of their lifetime, many of whom will never fully recover. The other four will have a friend, family member, or colleague who will experience a mental health issue. Children, within this statistic, are sadly, not excluded. So what is sound mental health as it pertains to our children and how can the balance toward such a “good thing” be realized? Mental health in children refers to the mental state of how one thinks about, feels, associates, and responds to the world within and around him/her. Depression, anxiety, general stress, attention deficit, autism, panic, and bi polar are mental health states but to name a few. Achieving consistent happiness, positive adaptation, awareness and balanced thought and feeling is what exemplifies mental health to its ultimate degree. When mind and body become occupied and clouded with an ongoing interference of thoughts and feeling, mental health state begins to decline.  Once it acclimatizes to this state of mal-adaptation, psychiatric “disorder” may inevitably ensue. Continued psychiatric distress does nothing more than lend itself to a continued spiraling of ill-health, physically, mentally and otherwise.

  One in  five Canadians will experience some type of mental illness over the course of their lifetime.Interestingly enough, many children affected are being diagnosed simply as an illness due to genetics, “chemical imbalance”, or “predisposition” (which by the way isn’t necessarily an accurate preceding diagnosis at all). It is, however, becoming more and more striking, yet accepted, that mental health issues can also arise from psychosocial stress, unhealthy diets and food production, environmental and toxin influences, as well as from the use (and overuse) of pharmacological medications. Although the contributing source which underlies how a child feels mentally and emotionally may not always be undeniably determined, we do know that focusing on the basics will help make a child feel better.

  When a mental predisposition or illness in a child is typically diagnosed, there is a tendency not to turn to creative solutions for support, but rather to quickly medicate our children. Medication does have its place, however, from a natural and primary care perspective, what should be done is to address a child’s environment, parental stress, nutrition, lifestyle, and an overall comprehensive evaluating view of a child’s life. As stated, medication does have its place (pending individual circumstances, no doubt), however by simply medicating our children as first line treatment, in all circumstances, what’s being done is simply disempowering children, inducing a biochemical imbalance in the brain (not altering or fixing one) and simply guiding children into believing that coping and self-regulating cannot be accomplished without drugs. If all aspects of a child’s life is addressed, medication may still be required, but potentially at a later date, a lower dose, for a shorter time, and may in fact create a better result, given all other supporting aspects have been addressed.

  So how exactly do we treat a mental illness in a child? First and foremost, a professional medical assessment needs to be performed in order to determine where along the “spectrum” a child’s mental state rests. Many diagnostics are determined using a firm array of clinical signs and symptoms, depending of course on the mental state in question. With anxiety for example, a child’s anxiety and worry state would need to be associated with at least three of seven symptoms (sleep disturbance, easy fatigue, and being “on edge” for example). And more importantly to note, just because a child “displays possible symptoms”, doesn’t automatically conclude a mental illness is at hand, however, it also does it mean that there is not.  A whole picture approach would need to be considered, as many symptoms of mental health illness can very well be generalized symptoms in and amongst themselves. Yet, a single symptom can also be a key clue that an initial mental illness may be at play. So rather than diagnosing or treating a mental illness based on a limited clinical picture, a comprehensive and total life picture of the child, as a person, needs to be considered and sought out (as addressing a person and not just an illness, is truly what medicine and its management should be all about).

  Once a mental status has been determined, natural support in the way of botanical medicine, correction of nutritional deficiencies and a therapeutic approach to diet, stress, and environment, in conjunction with primary health care can be successfully accomplished. Vast approaches to mental health can be employed, however utilizing a comprehensive medical approach, encompassing natural sound and evidenced based medicine, combined with primary care practice often works best. Once a mental status has been determined, natural support in the way of botanical medicine, correction of nutritional deficiencies and a therapeutic approach to diet, stress, and environment, in conjunction with primary health care can be successfully accomplished. Realizing and diagnosing a mental illness in a child at any age is not something that sits well with anyone. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be a life sentence of unhappiness, instability or illness either. The evidence is there, that natural medicine works, and by incorporating the essentials in terms of what makes our children better, success with mental illness can be realized.

  Functioning of a child to the degree which satisfies society’s expectations alone is not the element to success. Fundamentally supporting a child’s mental health issue(s) at its root IS the only management tool to propel mental and emotional stability from a life of uncertainty to that of making “too much of a good thing” worth living.

 Dr Jeremy Hayman is an Ontario and Board licensed Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine, practicing at Back On Track Chiropractic and Wellness Centre in Burlington Ontario where he maintains a General Family Practice with special interest in Psychiatric as well as Pediatric health. Dr Hayman can be contacted at drjeremynd@gmail.com

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Where Should I Go On My Next Trip? Travel writer can help – Just Ask!

 

 

September 5, 2013

By Gordana Liddell

BURLINGTON, ON.  Where should I go?  Good Question. Actually, while this is one of the most common travel inquiries I get, it’s a terrible question. It’s far too general and can’t possibly be answered until you answer some questions yourself:

Let’s use the W5 approach, shall we?

The world is your stage – what part of that stage do you want to walk on?

WHO are you? Are you the type of traveller that wants to go to a popular destination; one that is deemed to be the most current and hip – where you are most likely to spot celebrities who go to the most fashionable spots in order to be spotted? Or do you want to travel to a place a little more out of the ordinary? Do you enjoy telling people where you have been in order to get the reaction…”where”? Would you prefer to see a destination in its genuine form or would you prefer to hit the parties and the crowds? You get my drift, I’m sure.

Your budget is also a tremendous factor in determining exactly where you will be able to go. Are you a prince? Or are you a pauper? The amount you wish to spend will not only help to determine your destination, it can also limit how you get there as well as the time of year you can afford to go. But there is usually a solution for everyone, as long as the limits are reasonable and the minds are open. Everyone should be able to get a way – your budget will help to define your parameters.

WHAT do you want to do when you get there? Lie down and not get up for a week, apart from getting yourself a fresh drink? Do you prefer to be active and, oh I don’t know…climb a mountain, or go horseback riding, or climb a mountain on horseback? Are you interested in history and architecture? Or is an endless coastline just about all you need to study?

WHERE do you see this all taking place? Before you choose the country you need to choose the setting. Beach? City? Ranch? Countryside? A combination of the above? There are many destinations that are blessed with more than one attribute. Would you like to focus on your favourite or do you like a little variety?

Nature travel is always interesting and can be quite adventuresome as well. Is it expensive?

WHEN do you plan to go? If you have decided that you wish to go on a beach vacation in the South of India and you have time off work in the beginning of July…I would advise you that it is monsoon season and it may dampen your experience. Time of year is very often a factor with regards to destination. It is also a huge factor in the price of tickets; these go hand in hand. Understandably so, higher fares are often directly related to the more “desirable” time of year.

WHY are you traveling? Because it’s awesome! Still, there are many reasons that people plan to take that plane/train/bus/boat/car out-of-town. Business, family vacation, girls’ getaway, some much-needed r&r, a-soul-searching-just-like-in-the-movies-journey, etc. ( I would never advise that last one to pack her bags and head to Vegas. ) Determine your motives and you are another step closer to nailing down that perfect location.

If you can answer at least some of the above questions I’m sure I can help you figure out some good options as to where you should go on your next trip.

Venice has always been a favourite – do you go direct or as part of a tour?

There are truly endless possibilities for travel in the world; there is always someplace we have not been and a unique way for us to experience it. Ask a million people who have gone to New York City and you will get a million different variations of how they experienced it. This is part of what makes traveling so wonderful and why we can never be “finished”.

There are countless questions related to travel; questions about the planning, booking, the journey and the destination. Have you got one? I would love to help make your next trip a little simpler, a little more enjoyable and perhaps even a little less stressful. Please send your questions to JustAsk@bgzt.ca and I will be happy to help.

Gordana Liddell is our resident travel writer and Art Centre guru. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto, a travel industry veteran of nearly two decades, freelance writer, and most recently book editor. She is fortunate enough to live right here in Burlington with her family.

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Farm Day: It’s a small farm that is no longer operational but a good opportunity to give kids a chance to see what farming was like.

 

 

September 4, 2013

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON.  The whole idea of a farm – that place where the food is grown and the livestock cared for is something many of today’s young people just don’t get.

For today’s kids – food comes from the supermarket or more basically – it’s in the fridge isn’t it?

There was a time when Burlington was the fruit basket for the city.  All of what we know today as Maple Avenue was fruit farms; there is a reason for calling part of Burlington The Orchard and Pepper Drive wasn’t after me – it was a place where peppers, red, green and yellow were grown.

Burlington Mall was farm land where fruit was grown.

All those farms were in time bought up by developers and either commercial operations or housing was constructed.  The “old money” in Burlington is in the pockets of those farmers who suddenly found themselves wealthy beyond their wildest imaginings when the developers came calling.

This is what Burlington was once all about.

All the farmers put their produce on wagons and, before they all had tractors,  the fruit and some vegetables were taken by horse-drawn equipment to what we today call Freeman Station but what was then the Burlington Junction station located right beside the large Freeman property.

How do you teach people what farming was all about?  It was hard work and the crop you took in depended totally on the weather, which didn’t always cooperate.

The Region has saved a couple of locations that were once very prosperous farms. The Regional Museum is built into what was once a barn.

The  Alexander Family Farm takes place each year just after school goes back. Takes place Sunday, September 8, 2013 – 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Halton Region Museum.

There was a time when much of Burlington was orchards or fields of vegetables. The orchard is on the north side of Dundas, west of Guelph Line.

Admission: Children – Free; Adults (18 & older) $5.00

What will they do when they get there? Create – Play – Explore – Dance

There will be a   “Nose-to-Beak” Birds of Prey show. Kids will get a chance to help create the Museum’s piece of the Quilt Trail.  There will be a Geocache Challenge, a Discovery Hunt, a Farm Game challenges.

 

What was once a family farm is now the location of the Regional Museum and where Halton’s  annual farm day takes place.

A chance to do some “Pioneer Chores” – no live stock at the museum so there won’t be any mucking out of stalls and there are no chickens so hen houses don’t have to be cleaned out.

A chance to do some farm crafts and a visit to the Blacksmith Shop – and if they don’t know what that is – explain that it has nothing to do with face painting.

And finally there will be a Pond Study

Food and beverages are being provided by the Rotary Club of Milton.  Food & beverage subject to additional charges/fees.

There will be dancing and singing along to tunes of:   Groovin’ Toons, original & familiar kid’s tunes with a groove and Turkey Rhubarb.

If you’re one of those that gets to events like this early in the day you will see the start of the a mass-participation cycling event that  is expected to bring 3,000 recreational cyclists to Halton Region for its inaugural event.

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Regional back-to-school road safety initiative in place till September 13th – some stupid drivers out there.

September 4, 2013

By Staff

BURLINGTON, ON.  It’s those first few days of the back to school period; when the kids are not thinking about traffic – their minds are on getting to school and meeting their friends.  And the drivers aren’t used to all those kids at the cross-walks and wandering across the street without looking both ways – and those buds in their ears don’t help.

Back in 2006, the Regional Police realized that some educating was necessary and created a multi-faceted campaign that focused on both awareness and enforcement as key components in changing established driver behaviour. 

During those early days of school each September police officers focus their efforts on speeding and aggressive drivers, proper use of seat belts and laws relating to the use of hand-held communication devices.

 Earlier today a Milton District Response Officers stopped a transport truck with a float trailer passing P.L. Robertson Public School on Scott Boulevard.  The driver was not wearing a seat belt and had a large piece of machinery on the trailer that was not secured.  The driver was issued three provincial offences notices for Highway Traffic Act violations.

Another vehicle stop was conducted involving an overloaded dump-style truck pulling a large two-axle trailer, as it passed by Our Lady Victory School Catholic Elementary School on Derry Road and Commercial Street.   The vehicle was found to have improper brakes, overweight and a multitude of administrative offences.  Both the truck and trailer were taken out of service and the driver was issued 12 provincial offences notices.

 This year’s campaign will run until September 13th and serves to enhance overall safety within our communities.

Keep your eyes on the road, pay attention and stay off that cell phone.

 

 

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The 10 Most Controversial Topics on Wikipedia; Jesus was a natural but George W. Bush and circumcision?

September 4, 2012

By James Burchill.

 BURLINGTON, ON. Ever wonder what the most controversial topics on Wikipedia are? The crowd-sourced and edited online encyclopedia is home to a lot of contention. Entries on the site can change in seconds, especially in the more controversial subjects, while others may be horribly written and stay that way for months because it’s not a topic of interest to most editors on the site. 

So what are the subjects most likely to be controversial and see the most changes by the most editors? What are the topics that suffer the most revision as points of view clash?

Controversial? Worth getting more information on?

Well, I wasn’t the only one to wonder that. Some students and faculty at the University of Oxford (yes, that Oxford) wondered too. Lead by Taha Yasseri, the team decided to analyze Wikipedia to find out which topics were most controversial based on the intensity of their “editing wars.”

Not as easy as it sounds, though. Wikipedia is home to about 22 million articles in 285 languages with about 77,000 contributors working on it on any given day. Not happy with just the four million English version articles, though, Yasseri and his team decided to break down the controversies by language as well, looking at all 22 million articles to do it.

First, they had to define “controversial” as it applies to Wikipedia. Going by edits alone wouldn’t indicate contention as it could also mean that it’s a “live” subject that is rapidly changing or evolving, such as a current news event (e.g. a current television series or a current legal trial). So they focused on “reverts” instead, which are edits which are made by one person and then undone or removed by another. These are relatively common, though, but “mutual reverts” where an editor restores an earlier edition and then another editor (often the one who made the new changes that got reverted) changes it back to the new version again. These “edit wars” can go on for days in a back-and-forth struggle as editors duke it out over how things on the site are worded.

That definition works well for what the Oxford team wanted to measure. Using that, they were able to analyze Wikipedia and, after separating articles by language, create a “Top 10” list for them. The ten most controversial topics in English are:

1. George W. Bush

2. Anarchism

3. Muhammad

4. List of World Wrestling Entertainment

5. Global Warming

6. Circumcision

7. United States

8. Jesus

9. Race and intelligence

10. Christianity

At least people are asking questions: still far too many people saying it’s bunk.

Some of those are not surprising, of course, but others come out of nowhere. The top entry is a real surprise, since Bush has been out of office for over five years and is now relatively ignored by the news media. The second is a contentious but not often considered political philosophy that most of us might not even know exists. The third makes sense, as does the fifth, but who would have known that the WWE was so controversial?

Go figure on this one: wrestlers?

Indeed, this is a very interesting list. The team says that in every language, topics of religion are nearly always represented in the top five, as are topics like Israel, Adolf Hitler, and God. For the most part, though, these commonalities are overshadowed by the vast differences in what’s controversial in one language versus another. This often involves controversial war topics or native cultural topics, but can also be celebrity topics specific to the region the language is most commonly associated with.

You can read Yasseri et al’s work on Wikipedia measurements here.

James Burchill creates communities and helps businesses convert conversations into cash.  He’s also an author, speaker, trainer and creator of the Social Fusion Network™ an evolutionary free b2b networking group with chapters across southern Ontario.  He blogs at JamesBurchill.com and can be found at the SocialFusionNetwork.com or behind the wheel of his recently acquired SMART car.

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When in September do close to thousands of Burlingtonians take a walk on a Sunday afternoon? And why?

 

September 4, 2013

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON.  They’re back in school, and the whole tempo of the city changes.  All those people with community wide programs are holding their committee meetings and timetables with task assignments are being handed out.

 One of the signature events for Burlington is the Terry Fox Run for Cancer Research.  The number of people who run is well over 1000 – 1200 last year. They raised over $80,000   Each year the number grows and each year more people find personal meaning in the run – many choose to walk and use the occasion to think about and appreciate someone they lost to cancer.

The event takes place this year on Sunday, September 15th.

Burlington has been doing this for 33 years and in that time has collected more than $1.5 million for cancer research.

Part of the crew that did the door to door distribution of flyers to promote the Terry Fox Run.

Kevin Slovacek, Katherine, Kevin and Jack

The Gazette did some joint promotional work with the Terry Fox Run people and distributed more than 5000 flyers door to door in the city announcing the run and introducing people to the Gazette.

We certainly saw a significant bump in readership and assume there will be a corresponding bump in the number of people who take part in the Run.

Daughter Kate, who now wants to be called XXX, on the lft with wife Bryana centre and Casey on the right figuring out which streets in Alton were covered.

That distribution effort got done by Casey Cosgrove and his family.  They were out on the streets, of Alton Village for the most part, because this is a new community with people from Mississauga and Milton moving in.

The people organizing the run wanted to include this community and tell them about this signature event that comes close to defining Burlington.– we will see how many of them decide to take part.

Cancer is a large part of the Cosgrove household.  Casey has been battling this disease for a number of years and has taken part in a number of trial medication programs. He went as far as he could at the Juravinski Cancer Centre and is now on a program at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto.

Casey doesn’t know what the outcome is going to be.  He lives each day being who he is: expecting the best and prepared for the worst.

Last year there was a Cosgrove contingent in the Terry Fox Run and this year Casey took on the task of getting more people out.

 A former candidate for public office (Ward 5), Cosgrove will tell you that had he won in 2006 Rick Goldring wouldn’t be Mayor today.  The Mayor doesn’t see it quite that way.

 Casey Cosgrove is showing this city what it means to give back – when you barely have enough to get by on yourself.  His being out on the street in blazing sunshine, walking briskly from door to door while his wife and their daughter Kate, who has advised the world that she now wants to be known as Katherine, were doing the same thing a couple of streets, over is what Casey believes he has to do.

He believes fervently that there s a cure for cancer but knows all too well that it costs a fortune to pay the scientists and the researchers to find that cure.

We have made huge progress but the battle is not over.

Be part of that battle – show up on the 15th – at the Pavilion on the Beachway.  Starts at: 11:00.

 

 

 

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Meed Ward goes on an educational offensive – wants to save those trees. Is she scooping the Mayor’s issue?

September 3, 2013

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON.  Trees – do they belong to just the person on whose property they are rooted or do they belong to the community with the owner of the property on which they are rooted serving as a steward?

The moment you suggest city hall can tell you what you can and can’t do with your property all hell breaks loose – and with some justification.  The bureaucrats can at times be particularly insensitive and thick-headed.  The city has hundreds of people who will tell you stories of their woes and complaints.  

This is what a tree canopy should look like and this is what the people on Belvinia enjoy most of the year. But there are large parts of Burlington where mature stands of trees like this don’t exist because too many trees got cut down when development was done.

An attempt to create a bylaw that would govern the cutting down of trees on private property in June was defeated on a 5-2 vote.  A staff report suggesting the city not create a private tree by law didn’t help.

If there is going to be a change in the way Burlington looks at when we cut down trees it will take quite a bit more in the way of public education; a process that is hindered by the interests of the development community.  A private tree bylaw would prevent developers from cutting down trees on properties they have purchased and want to assemble and develop.

Known as the Joseph Brant oak, the tree, now more than 100 years old was a boundary marker for the grant of property given to Brant for his service to the British during the American Revolutionary War.

Resulted in just the Mayor and Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward voting for the idea.  The rest of Council sat on their hands and let their individual ideologies fill in that space where common sense should have prevailed.

At the time the Mayor came to the realization that there was some educational work to be done.   Meed Ward saw the situation the same way and has announced that she will be bringing forward a series of motions to provide the citizens of the city reasonable options.

Meed Ward has advised her fellow Council members that she plans to put forward a number of motions that will cover:

 1.  A No-fee permit requirement for cutting five or more private trees at one time.

2.  Notification and consent of adjacent properties for cutting private trees on the boundary of the property (Adjacent properties would be those on either side, and backing onto the property in question). Similar protections exist under the site plan process; this option would extend those same protections to trees in the absence of a formal development application.

3.  No fee city permission required to cut any tree on private property larger than 20cm in designated Tree Protection Areas. Tree Protection Areas (TPA) are streets and districts where neighbourhoods have opted in to tree protection, via a petition and 2/3 majority survey. A minimum of 10 households required for implementation of a TPA. Items 1 and 2 above would also be part of a TPA.

4.  Requirement to replant on private property or designated city property (to be determined by city staff) any private trees cut, on a one to one basis.

5.  An annual report to council on the number of permits granted and trees cut, as well as TPAs established. A review of the tree protection plan at least once per term.  

The intent of these motions, said Meed Ward is four-fold:

She wants to enhance tree protection for boundary trees and multiple tree cutting in the advance of a development application.  She also wants citizens who support her view the opportunity to enhance private tree protection in their neighbourhoods.

Meed Ward believes the city needs some mechanism, to determine just how many trees on private property are being cut down and would like to see data tracking and enhanced tree protection options for residents.

Mayor Goldring got himself elected as Mayor on a platform that included doing more for the environment – getting the traction he had hoped for took a hit when he voted to take the wind turbine out of the final version of the pier and when he changed his mind on creating separate bike lane for Lakeshore Road.

BurlingtonGreen came close to swallowing their tongue when the wind turbine got lopped off the design; there were so many good reasons for keeping the wind turbine in place – unless of course there were design problems that would come to light if the turbine was installed – but that’s another story – isn’t it?

What we may be seeing at city council is a significant public issue slipping out of the grip the Mayor should have on it and seeing it slide into the hands of a council member who, while not popular with her colleagues, is proving to be quite adroit at capturing the public’s imagination.

Her comments during the unveiling of the Spiral Stella sounded much more “mayoral” than those of Rick Goldring’s.

Meed Ward plans to bring this matter forward at the Development & Infrastructure Committee on September 9th, during the evening session.

There have been well thought through delegations to city council on the number of trees being lost – Council does not appear to be listening.  Colin Brock, speaking for BurlingtonGreen said in a delegation that Some council members commented that tree removal is not an issue in their ward, while another suggested it may be a problem in theirs.  Viewing this as a ward by ward issue is confusing to us. Just like the proposed escarpment highway or the proposed quarry expansion where the implications affect ALL citizens, so too is the preservation of our tree canopy in every ward, throughout the city. This decision needs to be looked at from a city-wide perspective.”

This glade of trees on the east side of City View Park is to be cleared of these trees to create space for the construction of Maintenance space. BurlingtonGreen didn’t think this was necessary.

That city-wide perspective is not in place yet. Burlington is still working its way through whatever relationship it is going to have with trees.  The city recently cut down a small grove of tree at the City View Park where a maintenance facility is to be set up.  There was nothing particularly outstanding about the trees and the city felt that given the very extensive tree planting done on the park property –this small grouping of trees would not be missed.

with the trees taken down and the stumps being pulled out the space at City View Park can be readied for the construction of maintenance space. Did the city lose some vital trees on this project?

There is a small property on New Street west of Guelph Line on the south side that has several magnificent trees on it.  The houses look to be rentals, not particularly well-kept – and seem to be waiting for a developer to move on them. 

Does development mean that trees like this have to be taken down? Probably. The houses are poorly kept, the three properties are ripe for assembly, if they have not already been assembled.

We would not be surprised if the properties are not already in the hands of one owner.

If development is all about location, location, location this property on New Street at Guelph Line is just waiting for the chain saws and the back hoes. Is is possible for a different kind of development on this location? A private tree bylaw would at least prevent the trees from being cut down arbitrarily – and that’s something the development community does not want.

The location of the property and the homes that surround it make this an ideal location for a small development.  But what about those trees?  Do they have to go – and sometimes the answer is yes – perhaps some can be saved but most of those trees will at some point have a close encounter with a chain saw.

There is a development on Ghent where more than 100 trees are slated to be cut down.  The Ghent project is a close to total failure of progressive planning.  The property that has been assembled is one that offers stunning opportunities but the developer has chosen the easy approach to a return on investment and wants to put in more than 50 homes in a set of properties that once had eight homes.

The planners weren’t able to come up with suggestions or solutions and what gets built on Ghent will never become the Roseland or Indian Point of Burlington three generations from now.  What we build today – is what we have to live with for a long time.  The way we are developing suggests there will be far fewer trees for the average family in Burlington.

That is not progressive planning.

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City looking for volunteers to serve on its 10 boards and committees; good place to launch a political career or just make a difference.

September 2, 2013

By Pepper Parr

 BURLINGTON, ON.  Local boards and committees, the place where many political careers have started, is a vital part of the way Burlington works.

The city looks for volunteers to sit on a number of Boards and committees that range from the Accessibility Advisory Committee to the Burlington Museums Board.

Mayor Goldring maintains   “The volunteers who serve on a board or committee help to create a vibrant community,”  and some of those boards are certainly “vibrant”; noisy and disorganized might be a better way of describing the way some have operated.

Others have had a profound and lasting impact on how the city has developed.  The Heritage Advisory Committee did such a good job of resolving the mess the city had on its hands with the historical designation of properties that they got close to a standing ovation from Council when they turned in a report and have gone on to basically create and them implement the policies that determine how recognizing and preserving historical properties is going to be done in Burlington.

Heritage was given a substantial budget to carry out their work and operate, to a considerable degree, as an extension of city hall.

The Waterfront Access and Protection Advisory committee did not fare as well and was sunset by the city before they managed to get very much done.

The city wants to fill positions on the following:

Museum Board has plans for a major upgrade to the Brant Museum – is this a place for you and your skill set?

Burlington Museums Board

These people oversee the operation of the Joseph Brant Museum and Ireland House.  With the Brant Museum moving towards a point where they fund raise to make very significant changes  this will be a busy board.

 Burlington Accessibility Advisory Committee

Accessibility has always been strong in Burlington.

 Burlington Cycling Committee

This committee needs some fresh blood; they did their best but were not able to get the city to go along with bike lanes on lakeshore road.  They did their best – but it wasn’t enough.  Some pretty disappointed people who need new energy and new ideas.

 Burlington Mundialization Committee

This Committee manages our relationship with sister cities in Japan and Holland.  Might be time for some people who do not come from those countries to be on this committee.

 

Is transit important? Do we spend enough on transit? Do people really want to pay for a transit service that is not all that well used? Have you experience with transit and could you contribute to the Transit Advisory Committee.

Burlington Transit Advisory Committee

There is a new regime at transit now and their advisory committee is a lot more civil.  Lots of work to be done here to make transit useful to more people.

 Heritage Burlington Advisory Committee.

Probably the best Advisory Committee the city has.

 Burlington Seniors Advisory Committee

With a growing seniors population this committee can play a very significant role in how best to be aware of the concerns, understand them and provide Council with some direction.

 Sustainable Development Committee

New leadership on this committee will see some changes.  Former chair served a full term and has left a strong team in place.  Good place to be if the environment and matters of sustainability matter to you.

Every year the Civic Recognition Committee goes through nominations for the Best Burlington has in the way of volunteer service. Is this something you could be part of?

 Burlington’s Best (Civic Recognition Committee)

This is the committee that handles recommendations for citizens that have excelled in their community contribution and deserve special recognition.  The recognition evening could do with some improvement and getting the word out on what the city means by Burlington’s Best should bring in more nominations.  These aren’t popularity contests –the city wants to recognize the truly deserving

 2014 Doors Open Burlington Organizing Committee.

This committee needs new energy and a stronger sense of direction.  If you’ve a passion fo helping the city tells its story – and it has a great story to tell – this might be a good place to dig in.

 Terms vary from one to four years, with meetings held monthly. The application deadline is Friday, Sept. 13, 2013. Applications are also available in person from the clerks department at City Hall, 426 Brant St, first floor.

“Volunteering on a board or committee is a great way to share your talents and develop your skills,” said Danielle Pitoscia, the city’s acting manager of committee services. “It’s a great way to really dig deeply into your area of interest.”  Comments like that from one of the best committee clerks this city has, gives you some sense of the energy the city wants to put behind its boards and committee.  There is staff who are there to help; each committee has a Clerk assigned to it.  The good ones are very good.  Count Pitoscia among the good ones.

The comments we’ve made are the result of our experience with several of the committee and our observations of the others.

In the past the city has recognized a number of people who have made major contributions.  John Boich, Jane Irwin, Amy Schnurr, Trevor Copp are just a few of the recipients that come to mind.

Go one line and download the application forms.  Might be something that interests you and that you can make a difference on.

For more information on a specific committee, or to apply online.

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First Alton Village community structure operational: high school opens, Library next, Recreation Centre goes live in October.

September 2, 2013

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON.  The buses will begin pulling up in front of the spanking new Frank J. Hayden High School which will quickly become Hayden High.

Some students don’t know which room will be their home class but most know their locker number.

Hayden High, named after a Burlington leader in the development of sport for the disabled. Grades 9 and 10 show up on Tuesday.

Teachers have been briefed, the principal and his administration staff hope they have covered all their bases – because at 8:40 the bell will ring and the history of Hayden High begins.

Day 1 at Hayden High is going to be a BBQ – nice touch.  The school has quite the pedigree to build on.  It’s sports team name has been determined and they should be out on the field real soon.

Rear of the high school with the cafeteria windows on the left looking over the playing field.

There may well still be the smell of fresh paint in the hall ways.  A lot of stuff won’t be quite finished but the school will open and the Village of Alton will take on a whole new tone.

So – what are they going to walk into?  We’ve not been through a tour of the building yet; the Haber Recreation Centre will see its first official event take place early in October.  Bookings are being accepted now.

The library got its shelves last week and the books followed a day or two later.  Library staff have been working long hours to have the space ready.  Library CEO Maureen Barry said she would like to see the Library open by the middle of September and certainly before the end of the month.

From the outside the three parts of the structure are impressive.  The Haber Recreation Centre, Hayden  High School and the Public Library collectively form this newest addition to the infrastructure that people actually get to use as opposed to just driving on.

Immediately across the street from the complex is the Norton Skate Board Park, a number of tennis courts, a splash pad and soccer fields.

Playing field at the rear of the complex. AstroTurf laying was not complete when picture taken.

Alton Village, a location that still has new homes being built, has its elementary schools in place and is becoming a much more complete community with a history it’s residents now know more about.

There is plenty of parking space at the side and rear and of the building with an impressive playing field at the back of the school with natural stone seating.  The high school cafeteria is at the back of the school overlooking the playing field.

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Regional police officer charged with assault.

September 2, 2013

By Staff

BURLINGTON, ON.  A Halton Regional Police Service officer has been charged with assault while on duty.

 The incident took place in Milton on Monday August 26 2013 at approximately 1:00 am when Constable Dwain Newham, on duty in the Town of Milton, is said to have assaulted a male victim that had been taken into custody by police.

 Cst. Newham, during the course of his duties had responded to a disturbance call in the area of Main Street in Milton. While investigating the original call it is alleged that the Officer assaulted a male victim that had been taken into custody by police. The victim did not suffer significant injuries and did not require medical attention.

 Cst. Newham will appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Milton on September 25 2013.

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Premier pops into town, flips a couple of racks at Ribfest, blows some smoke and head off for Hamilton.

 

 

September 1, 2013

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON.  Premiers don’t just pop into town any time.  Visits are calculated and timed and carefully planned.  Sometimes media are alerted, sometimes not.

Part of Premier Kathleen Wynne’s on -the-job training as she learns to flip a rack of ribs at Ribfest.

For this half day trip through part of south-west Ontario the Premier chose to start in Burlington at the Ribfest, do two events in Hamilton and on to Paris, Ontario to end her day.

These are casual summer walk abouts; no speeches – just shaking hands and posing for pictures.  Premier Kathleen Wynne spent fifteen minutes in the Rotary VIP tent and then strolled the grounds – flipped a couple of racks of ribs, said a few words to the CHCH news camera and assured the Gazette that she liked ribs but was not a frequent eater, and that yes she had worn an apron recently, in fact she baked a pie at home just a week or so ago and that the smoke from the ribs grill was something she was used to – having recently advised the public that she had in fact had an experience with smoke in her distant past.

Mayor Rick Goldring explains to these lads who the lady with the apron on is.

The Ribfest was doing just fine the day we were wandering around.  Decent crowds, good music and line ups at the more popular rib stations.

Interesting why the public lines up before one seller but not another.  All the ribs from Fearman’s –the difference between sellers is in the sauce that each uses.  Rising high above each stand are signs that tell of the awards the seller earned with their “bling” set out on a stand for all to see.

The length of the line-up told which ribs were most popular.

Which ribs you buy is based on the price: – a rack is $22 at every station.

Chow down time – this was finger ‘lickin’ food.

Getting into Spencer Smith Park for Ribfest is a lot different from getting there for the Sound of Music. There is fencing around every foot of the park except for entry points at each end.  People are literally funneled into the park and have to sort of run a gauntlet of commercial enterprises that want you to take the Pepsi test, or look at the Sun Life insurance product or check out something to do with getting better use out of your car tires.

These are the kind of pictures that you look at to see who you know – and are they making a funny face.  There is a videographer in there who knows what a good lunch is all about.

Once you get through that “gauntlet” you are into the open area with those huge signs either side of the park.  You don’t get to see much of the lake from the park.  When you do get out of the park and choose to walk out onto the pier – always nice – there is a cluster of commercial vendors with their food trucks  lined up.  I got the feeling there was a little more hucksterism than I was comfortable with.

Ed Eves, President of the Rotary Club of Burlington Lakeshore squires the Premier of the province around Ribfest Saturday afternoon.

There didn’t seem to be a quiet place to sit in the shade and chat with a friend.  The tables where you sat to eat reminded me of something out of men’s university dining hall where you felt the tables were going to be tipped on their side for a food fight.  They were jammed in so tight that it was difficult to get to a seat.

One thing we did notice was how quickly the tables were cleared.  There were more than a dozen stations to chuck the paper plates and a finger washing stand close by.

If you looked around there was still some sitting room. The weather was close to perfect and the music was good – great way to bring a summer to a close.

Burlington appears to be the biggest Ribfest in the province and it certainly drew the crowds.  Rotary sponsors the event – and at $22 a rack – Rotary must do well financially allowing them to do what they do around the world.  Be nice to learn more about what they actually do with that financial haul?

 

 


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Salary levels for emergency responders are unsustainable and unfair; city still has to pay them. Mayor wants to see a change.

 

 

September 1, 2013

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON.  The Mayor went to Ottawa recently to schmooze with other Mayors and to bend the ear of Ontario Cabinet ministers who attended the Association of Municipalities in Ontario conference; an annual event.

Average salary increases between 2005 and 2010 were 27% for firemen, 19% for police and 41% for EMS - unsustainable and unfair says Mayor.Mayor Goldring is a member of LUMCO – a subset of the AMO organization made up of mayors from larger cities.  LUMCO – Large Urban Mayors of Ontario have a particularly messy and at times nasty issue that is difficult for them to harp on at home but one they need to come to grips with – and that is the rising cost of early responders.

Police, fireman and emergency services people are costing us a fortune but no one wants to come out and say that – one does have to get elected and suggesting we could get by with fewer police officers and fewer fire trucks and the fireman are back faster than a jack rabbit with what that will do to their response times.

All true – but the municipalities want some fairness and a lot of streamlining to the current interest arbitration process.

According to Mayor Goldring, who gets much of his data from AMO, between 2005 and 2010, salary increases for the municipal sector hovered around 5% while increases for firemen (not just men any more is it?) were 27%; police averaged 19% and EMS people saw increases of 41%.

Unsustainable and, according to Goldring “unfair”.  The Mayor is quick to add that the city is well served by its first responders.  That phrase could be turned around to read that the first responders are very well served by the city.  There are many, many members of the fire department on the province’s Sunshine list – that document that sets out who earns more than $100,000 a year.

The fireman in Burlington, and we assume across the province, have figured out how to get their claims in front of the politicians and keep them there – and so far they have been successful. So much so that the current provincial government doesn’t appear to be in any hurry to change the way the salary game is played for these essential people.

For the first year in some time a small delegation of firemen took part in the annual city budget public consultation.

At the 2011 Burlington public consultation meetings on the budget the firemen attended as a group and sat at one table and ensured council members heard their story.  Sometime later there were eight to ten firemen in the back row of city council chambers when the budget was being passed.

These are big guys and there is a threatening sense to ten or more of them being in one place.  Firemen have as much right as anyone else to demonstrate to make their point; something they did very effectively for Dalton McGuinty when he was running for office the last provincial.  Whenever he stepped off a bus there were two lines of firemen creating path for him – all wearing “Fireman for McGuinty T-shirts”, great optics and good on them for knowing how to get attention.

The municipal politicians who have to come up with the money to pay these men and women now have to pay very close attention and look for ways to get what Mayor Goldring calls for some fairness in the salary game.

Mayor is quick to add that the city is well served by its first responders.  That phrase could be turned around to read that the first responders are very well served by the city. Burlington has a union contract with the firemen that has been ‘in the works” since 2011.  “Some of these interest arbitrations can take as long as five years to settle” explains the Mayor.  And all too frequently he adds, “the settlement is retroactive and there is no reason given for the arbitration decision made.”

The province’s economy is better today than it was in 2011 but it is still a little on the wobbly side.  City council has to find the money to meet the arbitration decision and at the same time keep the other union contracts in line.  All this, at a time when the gap between union pay rates and that available in the private sector is widening.  Add to that the very significant pension plans that municipal civil servants have gotten for themselves and you begin to understand why politicians go gray – quickly.

With the province now being run by a minority government politics gets in the way with the Tories looking for whatever advantage they can exploit and the New Democrats doing everything they can to ensure their union members get and keep as much as they can.  And the Premier wakes up every morning hoping she can avoid a confidence vote.  Which may be the way the game is played at Queen’s Park but try and make that point at city council when the budget is being debated and the Mayor talks of his wanting to keep tax increases below 10% during the his first four-year mandate.  If the arbitration decision comes in before the budget is made final, watch for a big gulp on the part of the people in the finance department.

In a letter Progressive Conservative House Leader Jim Wilson sent a letter to his counterparts he said that: “Exceedingly generous contracts being handed out to emergency workers through arbitration system, are forcing municipal leaders to choose between raising taxes and taking fire trucks and police cruisers off the road.”  There was a hint of the possibility of some movement but it didn’t go much further than that.  Adam Radwanski said in the Globe and Mail that: “To talk to the governing Liberals and the Tories since the letter was sent is to sense that they are once again about to demonstrate their complete inability to work together – overlooking past signs of common ground in the process.

Did the Mayor manage to mention our first responder salary problems to the Premier while she was in town last Saturday?

An obvious solution would be for the Liberals to introduce legislation this fall that would implement the arbitration changes from the 2012 budget, and for the Tories to support it.  In an interview, however, Labour Minister Yasir Naqvi sounded disinclined to do that. The government’s focus, he said, is on bringing municipal leaders and emergency workers together to “develop consensus.” Other Liberals have echoed that imminent legislation is unlikely.

That the two parties are further from consensus on this issue than they have been in years can likely be chalked up to strategic calculations reports Radwanski.

 “Both sides are playing with fire. Ms. Wynne is at risk of alienating key allies, such as Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion, who has been among those leading the charge for arbitration reform. And if Mr. Hudak is seen as an obstacle to changes rather than an effective advocate for them, that could cause grief for his largely rural caucus among mayors whose small towns are being stretched especially thin.

Voters will have to decide first who should run the province before any significant decisions get made.

“If that is not enough to encourage co-operation, the simple matter of fairness should be. Even as the province had some recent success in freezing the wages of its employees, municipalities were getting stuck with double-digit salary increases in contracts awarded by arbitrators. As Mr. Wilson said in his letter, that is just not sustainable.”

Radwanski suggests that “By at least returning to the common ground they seemed to find last year, the Liberals and Tories could restore a tiny bit of faith in the minority legislature’s ability to address Ontarians’ needs. Instead, they seem poised to provide another example of its inability to do so.”

From a purely municipal perspective this is as good a reason as any to get on with a province wide election and determine just who is going to run the province – together the three stooges certainly can’t.

 

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Premier plans to drop into the Ribfest on Saturday. Will we see our MP or our MPP as well?

August 30, 2013

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON.  The province’s premier will be taking in Burlington’s Ribfest Saturday.  Kathleen Wynne plans to spend an hour in the city, where no doubt she will be reminded that we are the safest city in the province, have the lowest crime rate and the slowest growing population – and anything else anyone said about us that was at all nice.  The negative stuff – is there any?

Mayor Goldring chats with then Minister of Transportation Kathleen Wynne. He wasn’t buying what she was selling then. Saturday the Mayor will squire the Premier around Ribfest.

The visit is just one of those “popping in to say hello” things.  Mayor Goldring had plans to be in Spencer Smith Park selling beverage tickets – he might just sell a handful to the Premier and perhaps talk about additional funding coming our way.

These casual get togethers can have interesting outcomes.

Wynne has been to Burlington a number of times in the past.  She was in town during the last provincial election when everyone made sure she fully understood our views on any highway the province thought it was going to ram through the Escarpment.  Wynne has been Minister of Transportation in the past and said during one of her visits that the problem with the transportation ministry bureaucrats was that they never got over being the Ministry of Highways when roads was what they were all about.

Now that Wynne is Premier she has to think about the bigger picture which certainly includes roads but also includes an economy that isn’t what it once was.  She has an aging population that needs a different level of care, probably not what the current model of hospital can provide.  She has parents who want the best education for their children that their tax money can buy and a population that is much more diverse than when she got into politics.

Mayor with the Premier: best buddies?

Wynne is certainly a different kind of politician.  Her lifestyle choice and her willingness to say that yes, “she did puff”, gets us out a phony stage where everyone knew but no one ever said anything.  There was a time in this province when you couldn’t get a picture of a politician with a glass of beer in their hands.

Wynne has taken to touring the province on the weekends and Spencer Smith Park is a decent place as any to get out of the car for a walk – a little side trip out along the pier will put some colour in her cheeks and give those escorting her around an opportunity to explain, perhaps, how city council overcame immense resentment on the part of taxpayers over the cost of the thing but that Council bit the bullet, persevered and now everyone loves the thing.

The Premier is expected to be out there taking orders for ribs between 1:00 and 2:00 pm.

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John has his jacket, league has cash and coaches ready to hold early meetings: BLOMHA ready for another hockey season.

August 30, 2013

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON  When the cooler weather sets in you will see Jim McNeil wearing his The Game Goes On jacket, the personal reward he got for heading up the drive to get Burlington Lions Optimists Minor Hockey Association – BLOMHA to vote for their team during the Kraft Foods contest that had $100,000 up for grabs.  Burlington was amongst the finishers and saw a cheque for $20,000 come their way.

The mention of the corporate sponsor doesn’t dominate the banner – why would city hall want to get a fee for letting it hang from the rafters at the Appleby Arena.

There is a banner BLOMHA was given as well, which they hoped to see hanging from the rafter at the Appleby Arena but the sharper pencils at city hall want to know if hanging the banner was part of the deal with Kraft – and if it was then the city would like some coin for promoting a product.  Who cares – if a local group was able to work their buns off over a weekend and get everyone they knew to click on that vote button – why should city hall care if the banner they were given has the name of a corporate sponsor on it?

City hall did the same thing to the Arts in Action people who hold an annual studio tour; the city wanted each location to take out a permit.  The artists managed to talk some sense into the people at the permit counter.

Kirsten Priestner, the woman who nominated John McNeil as a participant in the Kraft Game Goes On contest makes sure the jack he was given fits properly.

The funds BLOMHA earned, and they certainly earned those dollars, will be spent over two seasons to pay for upgraded goalie equipment and to cover some of the costs for families that can’t handle the full BLOMHA fee which range between $375.00 to $575.00 depending on age.  The fee for 4 and 5 year olds remains at $375.00 and never increases.

The coaches will begin gathering on the 14th and meet in groups to get the year started.  There are 100 different teams broken into 12 divisions with anywhere from 4 to 12 teams in a division.

BLOMHA focuses on sport as a way to build character and values.  If a player happens to make it to the NHL – that’s nice but BLOMHA isn’t there to develop talent for big time hockey teams.  There are other commercially oriented organizations that do that – BLOMHA uses hockey to develop the men that will lead when they grow up.  There are a few girls who play in the league.

Rick Dawson, a former police officer and current Executive Director of the league explains that they are there to “develop life skills and teach kids to become accountable for their behaviour”.

This is how you put your volunteers to work. There may have been some pizza slices somewhere in the room as well.

Getting the volunteer help that s needed is always a struggle. “We think we can attract some high school students who are looking for a place to do their 40 hours of community service” adds Dawson.  Give BLOMHA a call if this is a place you think you can serve at

The teams take to the ice September 28th, 29th to start their season.

BLOMHA go all kinds of coverage last year, first because it is a good league and also because of the way they organized to earn that $20,000The 2013-14 season might see some wins over those London rivals.

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