 By Staff
June 23, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Tweets and online votes have been tallied, and the community’s response was overwhelming. The Halton Regional Police Service has announced Police Service Dog Arrow as the name of the Canine unit’s newest recruit.
This announcement is the culmination of the Service’s first #NameHaltonK9 contest, which invited elementary schools throughout the Region to put their best name forward.
 Mrs. O’Neill and her grade 4 class at Brookville Public School in Milton gather for their photo op – they will meet Arrow in the fall. The names Arrow, Marshall and Ranger were shortlisted by members of the Canine Unit, and the community were called upon to vote online or on Twitter for their favorite.
A total, 9,105 social media and online votes were cast between June 10 and 18, 2015, with PSD Arrow emerging as the decisive favourite with 7,844 votes. Marshall came in second with 676 votes, followed by Ranger with 585 votes.
The winning name was entered by Brookville Public School in the Town of Milton. At the time of their submission, the school said the selected the name Arrow as it represented a dog that would be fast, sharp, lean and on the mark!
Brookville Public School received a visit from Cst McLorn and PSD Parker to deliver the good news.
Mrs. O’Neill and her grade 4 class are elated and looking forward to meeting Arrow in the Fall.
“I would like to thank all the children who participated in naming our new recruit. Our Canine Teams are an integral part of frontline policing and the names we received all reflect the work and service our Police Service Dogs do for our community. Congratulations to Brookville Public School, the name Arrow will serve our new canine well over his/her career.” Chief Stephen Tanner
We are looking forward to meeting PSD Arrow when the new dog arrives in late July.
PSD Arrow will become the sixth member of the Canine Unit, joining a team that includes PSD Tracker, PSD Storm, PSD Parker, PSD Bishop and PSD Nero.
In recognition of their achievement, a ceremony for students at Brookville Public School will be held in the fall at the conclusion of PSD Arrow’s training. It will include a visit from Chief Tanner, the new Canine handler and, of course, newly sworn PSD Arrow.
Related story:
Handling a police dog.
 By Staff
June 23, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The City is inviting residents to enjoy free movies under the stars, presented by Tim Hortons, every Thursday night until August 20.
“Our neighbourhood parks are one of many things that makes Burlington great,” said Chris Glenn, the city’s director of parks and recreation. “Movies Under the Stars” offers families and neighbours the chance to connect close to home while enjoying a free movie in their local park.”
The movies, which were selected by residents this spring via online polls, are shown on 25 by 14 foot (7.62 by 4.27 metre) outdoor viewing screen and begin at 9 p.m. on each on the following dates:
Date Location Movie
Thursday, July 9 – Nelson Park How to Train Your Dragon 2
Thursday, July 16 – Aldershot Park Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
Thursday, July 23 – Civic Square Paddington Bear
Thursday, July 30 – Emerson Park Big Hero 6
Thursday, August 6 – Kilbride Park Finding Nemo
Thursday, August 13 – Mohawk Park Maleficent
Thursday, August 20 – Spencer Smith Park Home
Thursday, August 27 – Burloak Park Rain Date –
The City of Burlington is encouraging residents bring their own lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy a night of family-friendly fun. Washrooms and limited parking are available at each park.
For site maps, movie previews and weather delay or cancellation information, visit www.burlington.ca/movies, follow @BurlEvents on twitter or call the festivals and events hotline at 905-335-7766.
 By Pepper Parr
June 22, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
When they point out to you where the life boats are located – you kinda wonder what shape the ship is in.
The city of Burlington released a list of services that might be impacted if there is a work stoppage – polite word for a strike – the workers have withdrawn their services and decided they will go without a paycheque for a period of time unless their demands are met.
In the media release the city said it is “alerting residents that some city services may be affected by strike action that could take effect at 12:01 a.m. on July 2.”
The city continues to negotiate collective agreements with unions representing outside workers and arena/pool operators and Burlington Transit workers. Both CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees) Local 44 and CUPE Local 2723 representatives have stated that if there is no agreement by the end of June, they will begin strike action as of midnight (12:01 a.m.) on July 2.
“The city continues to seek a settlement that is fair to the unions and to the taxpayers of Burlington,” said Roy Male, executive director of Human Resources who is on the city’s bargaining team. “While we will continue to be willing to meet with the unions to discuss a settlement, regretfully, we must prepare for a strike to ensure the best possible continuity of service.”
The city has posted a list of services at www.burlington.ca/labourdisruptions that would be cancelled, reduced or continued in the event of a strike. The city has also set up a dedicated phone line for questions related to labour disruptions at 905-335-7600, ext. 7803.
“We are sharing this labour disruption information as early as we can, and in as many ways as possible, to ensure Burlington residents have the information they need to plan ahead,” said Scott Stewart, general manager of Development and Infrastructure with the city. “If the service you or your family members use is among those that would be cancelled in the event of a strike, we encourage you to try to make other arrangements, if at all possible.”
The city will resume negotiating with CUPE 44 and 2723 on June 29 and will provide updates as they become available.
Service Impacts in the Event of a Strike
Services that would be cancelled
• Conventional Burlington Transit service
• Handi-Van Transit Service
• Non-emergency tree service requests
• Street sweeping
• Programs and services offered at:
o Appleby Ice Centre
o LaSalle Wading Pool and Splash Park
o Mainway Arena
o Mountainside Outdoor Pool and Splash Park
o Nelson Arena
o Nelson Outdoor Pool and Splash Park
Services that would be reduced
• Grass-cutting and horticulture along roadside locations and in parks
• Litter and recycling in parks
Services that would continue
• Normal garbage collection, recycling (Halton Region)
• Burlington Public Library services
• Sports field rentals
• Turf maintenance
• Festivals and events
• Tyandaga Golf Course
• Forestry emergency storm response
• Arena floor rentals
o Aldershot
o Central
o Mountainside
o Skyway
• Spray pads in parks (non-fenced)
o Dofasco WaterJet Plaza at Spencer Smith Park
o Norton Community Park
o Pinemeadow Park
o Millcroft Park
o Orchard Community Park
o Hidden Valley Park
• Recreation centres
o Brant Hills
o Burlington Seniors’ Centre
o Haber
o Music Centre
o Rotary Youth Centre
o Sherwood Forest Gym
o Burlington Student Theatre
o Tansley Woods
• Indoor pools
o Aldershot
o Angela Coughlan
o Centennial
o Tansley Woods
• Banquet facilities
o LaSalle Pavilion
o Paletta Mansion
o Discovery Landing/Waterfront Centre
• Preschool, child and youth programs
• City of Burlington camps: SNAP, O2, Camp Can-Do, youth centres, LIT, youth specialty
• Adult and seniors’ programs
• All services at City Hall (includes Planning and Building, Capital Works, Finance, Transportation, Engineering)
• Playground inspections
• Cemetery service
• Road and sidewalk maintenance
• Traffic signal and street light maintenance
 By Staff
June 22, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Two suspects are being sought after walking out of ECS Coffee with a large coffee maker.
On Saturday June 6, 2015, at approximately 4:30pm, a male and female attended ECS Coffee at 1515 North Service Road in the City of Burlington. The male and female went to the front corner of the store where the commercial grade coffee makers were on display.
 He was the decoy – they got away with a coffee maker worth $600 retail  She was the duck – they got away with a coffee maker worth $600 retail As the female suspect selected a coffee machine, the male suspect faced the cashier and shielded the female with his body. The female was able to exit the store with the stolen merchandise and both suspects fled.
They got away with a Real Cup Brewer RC400 valued at $600.00.
Male suspect – heavy build, approximately 6 feet tall, light complexion, green baseball hat, dark sunglasses, blue shirt and jean shorts
Female suspect – heavy build, approximately 5 feet tall, light complexion, light blue shirt, black pants, black hair
Anyone with information is asked to contact Det Vince Couce of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905 825-4747 ext 2307 or anyone with information on this or any other crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
 By Walter Byj
June 22, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
In a previous article, it was reported that the Halton District School Board created the Program Viability Committee to study the implications of the French Immersion (FI) program on the English program within Halton.
 The demand for French Immersion might outstrip the supply of qualified teachers. Capping student enrollment is an option the board is considering. For Halton, 36% of those graduating from senior kindergarten entered into the FI program while the number varied by municipality, Oakville (43%), Milton (37%), Burlington (32%) and Halton Hills at 23%. The 22 person committee met seven times and after numerous scenarios, arrived at four viable options which they presented to the board of trustees. Following is a recap of the options along with implications of each.
1. Option 1: Grade 1 (early) French immersion remains a 50% French 50% English delivery model, but entry to FI will be capped. The method of capping would be determined at a later date.
In choosing this option, the board could control both programs and will be able to supply sufficient teachers for both. However, one of the board’s mandates, “challenge and choice” for all students would be compromised as capping would prohibit some students from FI. Any form of capping would raise the ire of the community.
2. Option 2: Grade 1 (early) French Immersion remains at 50% French and 50% English, however all FI programs will be delivered in single track FI schools. French Immersion will be phased out of dual track schools and no new dual track schools will be considered. The location of the single track schools will be determined at a later date.
This too could result in some form of capping as a single track FI school could reach capacity and not all would be admitted. Equally, some areas would not have enough students for FI and this would require bussing to other areas. The same would hold true for English tracked schools as some students would require bussing from their community if the nearest school was FI. This option would upset parents if capping occurred and also those where students would have to leave their community schools. The recent controversy at Pineland is a prime example.
3. Option 3: French Immersion will commence at a later entry point (mid entry); Grade 4. This will result in the delivery model of FI moving from a 50% model to at least a 80% French Immersion model. In addition the delivery of FI will occur in dual track schools only.
This option could delay the problem to a later date. It would also affect any students in grades one to three that are currently in a FI stream it could result in some students changing schools. Grandfathering these students could be an option that could be reviewed. Much would also depend on the success of the core French program that was introduced this year and no one knows if this would cut into FI for grade four and on or would increase enrolment in FI starting in grade four. This option would occur in dual track schools.
4. Option 4: French Immersion will commence at a later entry point (mid entry); Grade 4. This will result in the delivery model of FI moving from a 50% model to at least a 80% French Immersion model. In addition the delivery of FI will occur in single track FI schools only.
Unlike option three, FI would occur in FI single track schools. This could in fact create a capping situation if a particular school has a higher enrollment than their capacity. It would also lead to perhaps more busing of both FI and English program students. Also, would students below grade four be part of FI schools and then move to a English track school or would FI schools only be grades four to eight?
It should be noted that although these are the current options, the end package, after consultation with the public, could be much different.
RECOMMENDATION 2:
Be it resolved that the Halton District School Board initiate a community consultation/feedback process with the process and the method of consulting and communicating to the public coming to the Board of Trustees before the end of September 2015 for information.
 If the current demand continues – some students may have to be bussed to their schools. All trustees thanked the committee for their excellent detailed report and now look forward to the public’s input. They wanted assurance that staff would use all possible options to ensure that the public is notified through via various sources. They wanted to ensure that the public did not feel that they did not have enough time or information to contribute to the process. Associate Director Miller assured that notice in publications, letters from the principal and social media would be used in advising the community.
In addition, staff would recommend focus groups, public meetings and surveys as part of public input. Implications of boundary changes along with methods of capping would be spelled out for the public. When asked by trustee Grebenc (Burlington) if parents with children not yet in the Halton system would be advised, Miller was somewhat hesitant as he was cautious in making the consultation process too broad.
He stressed that the earliest that any changes could be made would be September 2016 and that the process could take up to three years.
The report stating process of advising the community will be made available to the trustees in September.
Previous article:
Background on French Immersion enrollment.
By Pepper
June 22, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Sometime later today Halton Regional Police are expected to announce the name of the new dog that will join the K9 unit of the police service. A Burlington public school is one of the finalists.
Last week the Gazette visited with an officer at the K9 unit to learn about how the dogs are chosen, how they are trained, what they eat and where they live.
We met with Constable Matt Lawless who came to police work a little later in life than most police recruits.
 Halton Regional Police dog handler Matt Lawless points to pictures of dogs in the K9 unit – storm is the dog he handles. He served in Oakville as a uniformed patrol office and after six years of driving around in a police car he leaned of an opportunity to work with dogs and applied.
“It’s a tough competition but they chose me and I’ve been working with storm ever since.”
“A lot of people think we work with the dogs and tell them what to do – that’s not the way it works out” explained Cst. Lawless. “We are actually chauffeurs for the dog. We take them to work with us in the morning and take them home at night. The dog is like one of the kids that you have to drove everywhere – instead of taking kids to hockey, I take the Storm wherever he is needed.”
 Storm – a part of the Police |Service K9 unit. When he has to move – he can move very very quickly. Where do the dogs come from we asked. “The best dogs are bred in Germany but we don’t often get dogs direct from Germany. We tend to work with kennels in both Canada and the United States. We have people who work with us selecting the dogs we need.
There are now six dogs in the K9 unit – Cst. Lawless would like to see more. “They are very effective in police work – each dog tends to have its own strengths – some are good with explosives; others are good with drugs and others are very good tracking down or finding a person.
Cst. Lawless is assigned a car that has been modified for the dog. The day we met it was hot, very hot and when it came time to do some work with Storm I thought we were heading out to a kennel on the police property but we walked towards the police cruiser. “Am I going to ride to the kennel with you I asked.“
“No” responded Cst. Lawless. “Storm is in the cruiser.”
In the cruiser I thought – its roasting outside – I thought it was illegal to leave a pet in a vehicle. And it is – but Storm doesn’t live in any run of the mill police cruiser. The vehicle is outfitted with its own air conditioning and the engine of the car is never shut off when the dog is in the cruiser.
There is a complex set of measuring devices that know when to turn on the air conditioning on and when to turn on the fans that circulate the air so that the dog has a combination of fresh air that is conditioned.
Cst. Lawless reaches into the front of the vehicle and picks up the lead, opens the back door and snaps the lead on the dog’s collar and off they go. While Storm can certainly run, he tends to walk in a zig zag path with his nose pressed into the ground. This dog can sniff.
He paid no attention to me other than to sniff my hand when I held it out – after that it was as if I didn’t exist. The dog kept his eyes on Cst. Lawless watching for his hand movements and listening to his words.
The selection of a dog is an arduous process. Once selected a dog goes through a four month, 40 hours a week training program.
After the training the dog is tested. “Halton has worked with different groups on the certifying of our dogs. The RCMP used to do a lot of that work – but now we are working with trainers in the Niagara Region.”
 The biggest thing Storm has going for him is his nose. He runs in a zig zag pattern with his nose almost glued to the ground. The training isn’t limited to just the policed dogs – the dog handlers take part in ongoing training and trade notes with other police services across the country.
In Halton the police dog handlers meet once a week to work together and learn from each other. At the same time there is always a cruiser on the road with a member of the K9 unit in the back of the car. “Storm can tell there is something up just from the sound of the voices coming over the police radio. When I rev up the engine and turn on the police siren Storm begins to pace around in his space in the back of the cruiser – he knows he is going to be put to work very, very soon.
“Not all dogs make it” explained Lawless. Some turn out not to be cut out for this kind of work and new homes are found for them.
And where is home for a police dog I asked. The dog lives with the family. The police provide a unit that is kept outdoors for the dog to live in. When the dog retires he stays with the family.us. Storm is a member of the family.
Dogs like Storm will work for a number of years – the length of time they serve can range from four years to ten years.
The thinking in the K9 unit is that Storm has about another year before he gets retired from the K9 unit and Cst. Lawless returns to normal police work.
 Everything Storm does is the result of a command – given either by hand or by voice from his handler Cst. Matt Lawless What will Cst. Lawless do next – he’s not sure. “I might write the examinations to qualify as a sergeant.”
Storm will live the good life of a retired police dog – Cst. Lawless didn’t say if he would get more than the one meal a day he gets now.
 By Staff
June 20, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Kick Off took place, the parade was held and the Pan Am flame was lit on the Sound of Music stage – that means the festival has begun – right?
 The restaurants set out their chairs believing it isn’t going to rain – and it didn’t. Brant Street becomes a place with no cars – where people take things easy. The length of the Sound of Music Festival is no longer as clear as it used to be – something to think about when they begin planning for next year.
For 2015 – it’s going to be a great show. During the day it is very much everyone in the family event. The evenings get set aside for the younger crowd.
The pictures tell the story.
 She was giving it her best shot – and she made it.  It was a tough climb – tougher than this young man expected – he didn’t make it to the top  Does the man with the butcher shop know about the guy parked right outside his door?  Vendors line all the walkways offering every imaginable taste bud treat and toys you didn’t think existed. The bubble gun attracted our attention.  The Ferris wheel is in place, the crowds are gathering and the Sound of Music is about to begin – weather is holding wonderfully.
By Pepper Parr
June 20, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a little chaotic – many people weren’t sure what was going on but when Mark Oldershaw finally got to the stage to light the cauldron with the flame of the Pan Am torch he was carrying, people knew that the Pan Am Games were not far off and that for Burlington the flame was bright and alive.
 Mark Oldershaw, an Olympic paddler gets ready to be lit up by Ashley Worobec as he prepares to take the Pan Am flame to the Sound of Music stage. Burlington’s Ashley Worobec handed over the flame to Oldershaw at a point on the Naval Promenade – it was tough to see the two – there were almost more police than spectators. Those police officers must have thought they were protecting some world leader.
Worobec looked a little lost in the crowd of people – and the uniform they gave her to run in certainly lacked for any style.
 The Burlington Teen Tour Band Den Mother helps a band member get the uniform put together. But the Torch did arrive – ushered in by the Burlington Teen Tour Band who did themselves and the city proud.
I don’t how much money the city spends on the Band but whatever it is – we are getting our money’s worth.
For those who knew what was going on – there was a level of expectation. I suspect many thought that Ashley Worobec was going to take the flame up onto the stage.
 Mark Oldershaw uses the Pan Am flame to light the cauldron on the Sound of Music stage. The games begin next week. Mark Oldershaw certainly has a bigger public profile and he is an Olympian but the people of Burlington chose Ashley Worobec – didn’t they?
The Olympian got to take the torch to the Sound of Music stage. The Gazette may have been the only media to capture that moment on video – click to see the event.
A path was created for Oldershaw to run through while the crowd cheered him on.
When he got to the stage the emcee wanted to create some drama and excitement and asked Oldershaw to give him one word that described his feelings for the games that were going to soon begin.
Oldershaw paused, looked reflective and said – he really had two words that would be separated with a hyphen and then in a decent yell – shouted.
Kick Ass!
The audience went for that one
 There is never any doubt where this band comes from – our very own. The politicians of course spoke, the sponsors found a way to deliver their message and then the Teen Tour Band took everyone through the singing of O’Canada.
 Police security was so heavy it was difficult to see the torch bearers. In this picture there are at least five police officers – was this necessary? It was a fitting way to close an event that was fun, if a little chaotic – but why all those police officers.
Did someone at police headquarters really think we were at risk.
Get a grip people!
 By Staff
June 20, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
All sport fields are currently open
 Please note that:
Ireland D3 bullpen remains closed
Maintenance has been completed on Ireland D3 in the outfield near third base. If inclement weather occurs over the weekend please avoid use in the effected areas.
 Ray Rivers
June 19. 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
“If I didn’t think he was ready I wouldn’t have stepped aside,” former interim Liberal leader Bob Rae noted. He was speaking at a gathering of Flamborough-Glanbrook Liberals Thursday night in the intimate Cafe Troy in West Flamborough. Of course, Rae was referring to the recent Conservative attack ads aimed at Justin Trudeau, as he addressed the crowd who had come to support local federal candidate Jennifer Stebbing.
 Flamborough-Glanbrook Liberal candidate Jennifer Stebbing with Bob Rae Thursday night in the Cafe Troy in West Flamborough. As I introduced the former Liberal interim leader and provincial Premier, rhyming off his numerous accomplishments, I couldn’t help thinking how perfectly qualified he would be to help navigate Canada’s political waters should there be an impasse after the election this October. A three party split could well see the Conservatives run up through the middle of the two centre-left parties, but I’m betting on another parliamentary minority.
In 1985 Bob Rae’s third place NDP crawled into bed with David Peterson’s second place Liberals, to give birth to the first non-Tory Ontario government in over four decades. Their two-year fling ended in grief for the NDP, though that party gained considerable credibility and was well positioned for its first ever Ontario majority in 1990.
At the end of 2007 when Stephen Harper’s minority Conservatives were facing parliamentary revolt over the economy, the two national opposition leaders, Jack Layton and Stephan Dion, formed a coalition aimed at removing him. Harper survived by shutting down Parliament until he could persuade Canadians he had changed his economic policy, and the once-eager coalition partners had cooled their jets.
Once again it was Bob Rae who was given the job of picking up the pieces of the stillborn coalition idea. However, enthusiasm for any kind of coalition with a third party had soon dissipated as Liberals reaffirmed their determination to regain a majority on their own.
There is no certainty over where this year’s October election will land us, and for that reason alone, it may be the most interesting election in modern Canadian times. Bob Rae speculated that, like what we saw in Alberta last month, many voters are fatigued, tired, disillusioned and bored with the status quo, and looking for a change. And that means either or both of the opposition parties could benefit.
The Conservatives have been ramping up their advertising, burning up our taxpayer dollars, as sitting governments running on their record are wont to do. They can be expected to re-announce existing programs in an attempt to project an air of progress into their campaign. This was evident when they recently announced some previously allocated infrastructure money for Toronto. And of course the attack ads will continue, though they may shift onto the NDP, providing Mulcair keeps polling this well.
In the context of this electoral uncertainty, Mr. Trudeau has announced his latest tranche of policy, this time improving our imperfect democracy by changing how we elect our members. The Greens and NDP have long advocated changing to a more representative system of electing parliamentarians, though Canadians have so-far rejected proportional representation.
 It hasn’t reached a fever pitch yet – it might not but he does know how to pull all the heart strings and both his hair and his children get many mentions. The bold new ideas? – haven’t heard those yet. what he did assure his audience was that he had very solid values – but didn’t make much mention of what they were. Picture taken when Trudeau was last in Burlington – the hair is shorter now So ranked or preferential balloting may be in the cards if Trudeau’s party wins the election. That would ensure that all MPs have been elected with at least 50% of the vote as a first or second choice. And that would mean that the party in power would have been elected with the support of at least half of all Canadians, compared to the thirty-something percent the Conservatives got in the last election.
With the Conservatives opposed to anything but first-past-the-post, there would need to be a Liberal, NDP or Liberal-NDP government to change the system. And that may be where Mr. Rae comes in, if he is invited to help put a centre-left coalition together to bring about electoral change. After all, he’s been there before. Who knows the two parties better?
 Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran as a Liberal against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province.
Background links:
Bob Rae Mulcair Government-In-Waiting Trudeau Open Democracy
Tories Advertising Tories Infrastructure /
By Walter Byj
June 19, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
For some it is a grand success story while others view it as an experiment that has created a mess. Either way, it has created a logistics nightmare for boards across the province as educators try to run both a successful English program along with a strong French Immersion program.
Busing students to schools with a French immersion program adds to the problem – and the cost. School busing, disruption of community schools, huge uptake in French Immersion and a shortage on competent French teachers in Ontario is forcing many boards to review their current implementation of French Immersion.
In Halton, the board recently created the Program Viability Committee (PVC) whose goal was to do a thorough review of the challenges that French Immersion has placed on the English program and to then propose a number of solutions that could alleviate any current problems.
The committee, which consists of 22 members, includes the Director of Education, board superintendents, schools principals and three trustees. The trustees are J. Oliver (Oakville, K. Graves (Milton) and R. Papin (Burlington).At the recent board meeting committee chair S. Miller (Associate Director of Education) presented to the board the initial written report.
Miller began his presentation stating that French has had a presence in Ontario for over 400 years. He then when on to explain that although the Halton Board has a very robust French Immersion program, there are some unintended consequences, particularly in some of the dual track schools, where there is a low uptake in the English program.
He stressed that the mandate of this committee was not just French Immersion, but of both French and English programs to ensure that students in both are receiving the best education possible. He did concede that this will not be easy and that no solution will be perfect.
French immersion – not as easy to deliver as many think – resources not always available. He reiterated that many boards are facing the same issues and reviewing how they face those challenges helps Halton in finding a solution. The report contained a number of appendices that contribute to the current situation. These will be reviewed at a later date.
Following is the initial recommendations that have been presented to the board. A more detailed review of the factors leading to these recommendations along with pros and cons will follow in part two of this report.
RECOMMENDATION 1:
Be it resolved that the Halton District School Board present the following options for the delivery of French Immersion to the public in the Fall of 2015 for the purpose of receiving feedback, considerations and comments. Feedback will be brought to the Board for consideration in the delivery of French Immersion programming:
1. Option 1: Grade 1 (early) French immersion remains a 50% French 50% English delivery model, but entry to FI will be capped. The method of capping would be determined at a later date.
2. Option 2: Grade 1 (early) French Immersion remains at 50% French and 50% English, however all FI programs will be delivered in single track FI schools. French Immersion will be phased out of dual track schools and no new dual track schools will be considered. The location of the single track schools will be determined at a later date.
3. Option 3: French Immersion will commence at a later entry point (mid entry); Grade 4. This will result in the delivery model of FI moving from a 50% model to at least a 80% French Immersion model. In addition the delivery of FI will occur in dual track schools only.
4. Option 4: French Immersion will commence at a later entry point (mid entry); Grade 4. This will result in the delivery model of FI moving from a 50% model to at least a 80% French Immersion model. In addition the delivery of FI will occur in single track FI schools only.
RECOMMENDATION 2:
Be it resolved that the Halton District School Board initiate a community consultation/feedback process with the process and the method of consulting and communicating to the public coming to the Board of Trustees before the end of September 2015 for information.
By Staff
June 19, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Road closures for the Sound of Music Festival will include:
Brant Street from Caroline Street to Lakeshore Road
Friday, June 19 2015 – 3:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Saturday, June 20, 2015 – 6 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Sunday, June 21, 2015 – 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
John Street from Pine Street to Lakeshore Road
Saturday, June 20, 2015 – 6 a.m. to 1 a.m.
By Walter Byj
June 19, 2105
BURLINGTON, ON
Halton elementary students from senior kindergarten to grade seven will be able to pick up their report card sometime between August 31st and September 3rd. at the school the student attended in 2014/15.
 If these students were elementary students and were graduating this year – they will get their report cards before the end of the month. If not – they will get something in the mail before September. For those report cards not picked up, they will be mailed to the families concerned.
Trustees approved an expenditure of $100,000 to cover the cost of inputting the information during the summer of 2015. The report cards will reflect grades/achievement levels and learning skills.
They will not include any comments.
For those graduating from their particular school, report cards will be issued June 24th.
 By Staff
June 19, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It is week 9 for our “Fugitive Friday” initiative whereby the Halton Regional Police, Burlington station is reaching out to the public to help locate wanted persons and hold them accountable for their actions.
There are numerous people who continue to evade the police and the court system and continue to live out in our communities while having a warrant for their arrest in place.
Every Friday, the Burlington Offender Management Unit will share information on a wanted person in hopes that the public can assist in locating the individual.
We will share “Fugitive Friday” information on our website and via social media through Twitter @HRPSBurl and @HaltonPolice.
 Bryon Jason BULLIED 28 years old, of Burlington, ON. In this edition of Fugitive Fridays the 3 District, Burlington Offender Management Unit is searching for Bryon Jason BULLIED 28 years old, of Burlington, ON.
It is alleged:
• In December of 2013 the accused stole a debit card from an elderly male’s residence. He then used the card to make $1,000 worth of fraudulent purchases.
• The accused was identified through video during the incidents and a warrant was issued for his arrest
• The accused has so far managed to evade capture and his whereabouts unknown
He is wanted by Halton Regional Police Service for:
Theft under $5000 x 3
Unauthorized use of a Credit Card x 3
Fail to Comply with Undertaking
Breach of Probation Order
The accused is also wanted by Ottawa Police Service for:
Possession of a Substance x 2
Breach of Probation x 2
Fail to Appear
Bryon BULLIED is described as 5’9”, 200lbs, blue eyes and brown hair. BULLIED’S weight has fluctuated up to 250lbs in the past. BULLIED has tattoos (Left forearm – “Praying Hands”, Right forearm – “Cross”. Bullied has ties to Halton, Toronto and the Ottawa areas.
Anyone who may have witnessed this male or has information that would assist nvestigators in identifying him are encouraged to contact D/C Bulbrook – Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Offender Management Team at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2346 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
By Pepper Parr
June 18, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Rob Peachey was one of six people who travelled to Holland for the 70th Anniversary of the ending of the Second World War last month. Canadian troops liberated much of Holland including Apeldoorn, a city Burlington was twinned with n 2005.
 Rob Peachey, part of the Burlington delegation that went to Holland. Peachey handles parks and open spaces development for the city which includes the park the city created on Elgin Street. Apeldoorn did the same thing in Holland where visitors can see the Burlington Park.
What does a Canadians parks and open spaces bureaucrat say to a bureaucrat in another country where land use is significantly different than ours and administrative practices are also considerably different?
The thing that struck Peachey, almost literally, was the number of bicycles on the streets – “the things were everywhere”, he said. “We just don’t see that kind of cycle traffic in Burlington” Peachy added.
Peachy found that civil servants in Apeldoorn have yet to create the kind of administrative tools we have in Burlington.. Peachey spent some of his time explaining our Results Based Accountability and Service Based Budgeting to his peer in Holland and expects to trade information with them as he continues to maintain the relationship he now has.
They are quite a bit ahead of us with their community gardens said Peachey.
 Community gardens in Apeldoorn Peachey added that the sports fields are not in the inner parts of the city but more on the outskirts and that there are fewer parks and none of them have the “jungle gyms” for children to play on that North Americans have.
Peachey did get to ride a bicycle – the hotel rents them” he explained. Bikes are a serious mode of travel in Apeldoorn – there are people in suits peddling to work in the morning.
He noted that there were no picnic tables in the parks that he saw and nothing in the way of public art and added there wasn’t much grass around properties in the city.
 Members of the Burlington Teen Tour Band lined the streets of Apeldoorn during the celebration of the dead event which was part of the 70th Anniversary of the end of World War Two. The “celebration of the dead” event in which the Burlington Teen Tour Band played a significant role was, said Peachey, one of the most moving public events he has ever witnessed. “There was dead silence for the minute that the city went mute”. I found myself tearing up he added.
By Walter Byj
June 18, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
“There was no long term plan or goal to achieve when entering the workforce. I just wanted a teaching job” said Director of Education David Euale.
 David Euale, retiring Director of Education for the Halton District School Board However, as his qualifications grew and opportunities arose, he was always anxious to take the next step. And thus began his progressive career from teacher to vice-principal to principal, superintendent, and one year at the ministry to his current position as Director of Education of the Halton District School Board for the past five years. Euale retires in August
He did not bring a grand plan with him when he arrived in Halton; rather his mandate was to ensure that the board fulfilled its objectives. One key element was to set a multiyear plan, which was accomplished in three months, and became his mandate for the following five years.
 Euale leaves a board of education that ranks amongst the top in Ontario in terms of how well the students do on test scores. He also leaves before a possible strike in September. Students at Hayden High develop their cooking skills.
Student achievement is always any director’s challenge he said and in Halton this was even harder as the scores were already near the top of the province. He feels that this challenge was met as he and the board have raised the bar during his tenure.
One source of pride was his work in e-learning in Halton. He was somewhat surprised that only ten courses were being offered electronically when he arrived. Four years later, 38 courses are now available with over 1,000 teachers having received E-learning training. E-learning could easily be used as a supplement to existing courses.
He has served with three separate boards and he is extremely proud of the quality of the trustees and they compare very favourably with other boards in the province. He feels that the trustees are not only dedicated, but also show an insight to the needs of students. The public in Halton is more aware and involved in their community and this contributes to the quality of the trustee he said.
This reporter sits in a different part of the room than the Director of Education – as I watched the approval of the budget there wasn’t a single question from any of the Burlington trustees on a budget that was to spend $685 million on operations and $62.6 million on capital projects. I thought there would be at least one question from one of the trustees.
With one of the few boards showing student growth, three secondary and nine elementary schools in the past five years this continued growth has been challenging.
 One of the early fully integrated community complexes that includes a Recreation centre, a public library and a high school were built in Alton while Euale was Director of Education. He is a supporter of the new health and physical education curriculum as new technology has opened up a broad base for enquiring minds. We as educators need to respond to the free flowing information that is available through the educational process he said rather than leaving the internet as an educator. Our board has received its fair share of calls and I believe that our staff and trustees have handled them in a professional manner.
He feels that the students of today are better educated today than 15 years ago. We are graduating more students from secondary schools and with the new technologies; they are better researchers, better problem solvers and better collaborators.
Euale did concede that he does not know if the current students know their history facts or times tables as those in previous years, but with the teaching of the new technologies, something may drop by the wayside. Overall, we are seeing a much better educated student.
When the subject of the website was approached, he quickly conceded that there was work was needed. There is a lot if information on the site but finding it can be arduous at times. A total of $100, 000 in the most recent budget has been set aside to improve the site.
 Euale knows that today’s students are getting much better educations – and that those students are going into a world that is a lot different than the one he grew up in. When he leaves the board in August, Euale feels the challenges for the new director will be to maintain the high performance in Halton, to continue to focus on student achievement and manage expectations of parents with the funds that are available. Over the past five years he has managed to build and guide a very competent staff that if managed correctly should continue the high standard within Halton.
With this being his third retirement, first from the Upper Grand School Board, then from the ministry and now from Halton, don’t place any bet that he won’t show up again somewhere in the educational field.
 By Pepper Parr
June 18, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Sculpture Garden in the Courtyard of the Art Gallery of Burlington is going to get a treatment with the work of Spanish artist Jordi Alfaro, originally from Spain but now a resident of Dundas, Ontario.
 Spanish artist Jordi Alfaro with one of his Arrieros exhibition pieces. Photo Credit Reid Flock Designed specifically for the unique architectural space, Alfaro has transformed the AGB courtyard into a sculpture garden for his Arrieros exhibition.
Alfaro has used the abstract nature of the design of the Courtyard and created a series of monolithic forms that complement the straight horizontal and vertical lines of both the architecture and the plantings of the space.
 Polished pieces appear to be hiding in the lush vegetation of the Courtyard at the AGB. His single large sculptures and his stacked round forms have the evocative sense of prehistoric monuments like Stonehenge in England, or Carnac in France, but their often bright coloured glazes and crisp bands of colour hint at minimal sculpture out of the 1960’s.
Placed in amongst the plantings or out on the concrete surfaces, these works engage the viewer asking them to navigate the space with an increased awareness.
 There is some of the contemplative nature that one finds in some Zen stone gardens in this piece – part of the Arrieros exhibition. These works suggest the contemplative nature that one finds in the Zen stone gardens in Japan but is totally unique to this artist. The quiet strength of these works transforms the space into as oasis of calm on an otherwise busy day.
 Looking like sentries at the top of an entrance these two piece in the Arrieros exhibit wait for a visitor There is a quietness about the Courtyard – the kind of place to take in some of the sunshine, read a newspaper over a cup of espresso.
Curated by Jonathan Smith, the AGB-tailored exhibition will run from June 13, 2015 to September 30, 2015, with the opening reception taking place Sunday, June 28, 2pm – 4pm.
AGB Members will be offered free admission to the exhibition. More information on the benefits of AGB membership can be found here
By Staff
June 18, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It apparently wasn’t comfortable enough for the six foot male who held up the receptionist at the Comfort Inn on the south Service Road.
The Halton Regional Police are gathering information on a hotel robbery that occurred late Wednesday night at the Comfort Inn Hotel, located at 3290 South Service Rd, in the City of Burlington.
The preliminary investigation points to an unarmed suspect entering the hotel lobby at 11:50 pm and demanding money from the clerk. The suspect fled the hotel on foot with an undisclosed amount of money.
Police searched the area for the suspect with negative results. The clerk at the hotel was not injured in the incident.
The suspect is described at Male, white approximately 6 foot, medium build, wearing all black clothing.
During the robbery the suspect concealed his identity.
Anyone who may have witnessed the suspect in the area or has information that would assist in this investigation is asked to call the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 ext 2315 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or through the internet at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com.
SHOWTIMES and feature line up for June 19 to 25, 2015
CineStarz is located in Downtown Burlington at 460 Brant Street in Burlington
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By Pepper Parr
June 17th, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The labour picture in Burlington is getting that cloudy look.
Two CUPE locals have passed the “no board report” point and are now moving on to mediation which will take place June 29th.
If they can’t settle with the city at mediation they can go on strike July 2nd.
The view among many was that the outside workers would find a way to settle with the city but the transit workers are very far apart – strike is quite likely with the bus drivers.
 The sign in the window might not say open for parts of July. The unions have one issue which they both want to see some movement on – workers over 65 do not get health and welfare benefits – even though it is apparently written into the collective agreement.
Burlington has never paid those benefits to people over 65 and is apparently now taking the position that not paying the health and welfare benefits is a past practice and does not have to be paid.
The unions claim they have served a legal notice on the city and want the benefit, as it is written into the collective agreement, paid.
The size of the health and welfare package is lower for the outside workers than it is for other union locals, according to the union.
It sounds as if the outside workers are going to use the howl that will come from the public if the pools and splash pads are shut down for July to make their point.
City Council has standing Committee meetings on the 6th, 7th and 8th of July – so they can’t just leave town. If the Outside workers strike – do the Inside workers respect the picket lines?
 This bus might stay in the garage for part of July – and not because it is out of gas. Wages are the issue for the transit workers. The union claims that Burlington transit drivers earn $7 an hour less than those in Hamilton and $3 an hour less than those in Oakville.
Putting money into transit is a hard sell in this city.
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