Could you add a name to that Christmas gift list ?

News 100 greenBy Staff

December 9, 2014

BURLINGTON, ON.

 

This is the time of year when there are all those people to buy gifts for. If there are really young ones in the family it can be fun to imagine how the child will react to the gift.

For those that are older the gifts tend to be practical or something expensive that the son or daughter really, really wants – probably something you don’t fully understand but they certainly do.

There are some young people out there who aren’t going to get much in the way of gifts which makes most of us feel sad for them and when we can find ways to help out we do.

The Halton Learning Foundation is committed to ensuring that students get the best education possible – and that includes what they learn outside the classroom.

With approximately 10% of school-aged children in Halton living at or below the poverty line (approximately 6,000 with the Halton District School Board), the Learning Foundation receives goes 10% of school-aged children in Halton living at or below the poverty line towards providing some of the basic necessities they need to stay in school – from hot lunches for the year, to coats and boots, from needed clothing/hygiene items to school supplies.

We read about those troubled young people who do not adjust as well as most and need support from social welfare or become part of the youth justice services or we read about them in a drug bust.
One doesn’t have to dig all that deeply into the lives of those that get arrested for selling drugs to learn that they came from poor families where there was seldom enough to go around.

Help at the early stages of their lives is both a kind thing to do and a solid investment; its cheaper to spend $50 rather than find the police asking for more of your money as taxes to pay for the services they provide protecting you.

The Halton Learning Foundation goal is to help 1,000 students during our 2014 Light the Way Gift campaign. The last day of school is December 19 however the need to support these students through Light the Way carries on throughout the year.

This season the HAlton Learning Foundation is asking individuals and organizations alike across Halton to consider including a student-in-need on their holiday gift list this year. Just add one more to the gift list.

The Halton Learning Foundation hopes that many of their neighbours will join us in reaching this goal by visiting  and clicking on the Light the Way image.

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Check the address of the email sender - you may find they are not who they say they are.

Crime 100By Pepper Parr

December 8, 2014

BURLINGTON, ON.
Your password has been entered incorrectly three times.

The message was concerning. Was the bank telling me that someone tried to get into my account electronically? It looked that way.

A message regarding “Password Disabled” has been sent to your account inbox

Secure. Click here To Enter Scotia on Line to avoid Access lock.

The moment you click on that link – you may as well have given them your wallet.

How would you know that? Look at the address the email came from. The word scotia is before the @. The words after the @ tell you that the domain name is not that of the bank.

The moment you click on that link – you may as well have given them your wallet.If the bank wants to communicate with you they will telephone or when there is a problem with your card the banking machine will keep the card and instruct you to go to a branch where they will issue another card.

On occasion you may get an email advising you that your withdrawal limit has been set at $1 – yes one dollar. They instruct you to go to a branch and get the problem resolved. It is very awkward when that $1 message shows up late Saturday evening – but it is better than having someone suck all your money out of the account.

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How do we make sense of the pipeline issue and understand why gas prices are now lower?

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

December 9, 2014

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Hundreds of lines of news stories get written about pipe lines and the movement of oil across the country.

The National Energy Board sets the rules, the pipeline companies look for ways to make those rules less expensive to meet, the municipalities the pipelines run through worry about what an oil spill will mean to them and the average Joe wonders what it is all going to mean to them and look at the price of gas as they fill the tank.

Emily Ferguson, like most Ontarians, had no idea the pipeline was where it is.  Knowing what she had learned and with a geogrphy background she was motivasted.  Something had to be done.

Route of the 40 year old pipeline that is going to have its flow reversed and used to carry toxic oil instead of natural gas.

Why are oil prices so low now – what’s different? Something to do with supply and demand – so why do we need pipe lines to move oil when we already have enough?

It’s complex, confusing – but we know that if something goes wrong – we are going to have to pick up the tab.

Enbridge, the people who have a 40 year old pipeline that runs across the top of Burlington assures us that shutoff valves are not necessary to protect the creeks. The continuing conflict over more costly conditions being imposed on Line 9 by the National Energy Board is just one example of the push for greater municipal and provincial say about pipeline proposals including a massive cross-country project that would carry nearly four times more bitumen to export markets (video).

TransCanada’s Energy East proposal would convert a natural gas pipeline and extend it to carry 1.1 million barrels a day from the Alberta tar sands across northern and eastern Ontario to new tanker ports on the St Lawrence River and in New Brunswick. Like the two stalled pipeline routes across British Columbia, Energy East is facing a wall of opposition that now includes conditions imposed by Canada’s two largest provinces, and an environmental report that has now forced at least the temporary abandonment of the St Lawrence tanker terminal.

Where can we go to get an explanation we can understand.

Toxic oil was running through the streets of MAyflower Arkansas in a pipeline most people ddn't even know was in place.  Burlington groups want to make sure something like this doesn't happen here.

Toxic oil was running through the streets of Mayflower Arkansas in a pipeline most people didn’t even know was in place. Burlington groups want to make sure something like this doesn’t happen here.

The Council of Canadians has created a video – Energy East 101 – kind of neat and loaded with information that can be verified. Click on this link – give it a listen. It is worth the time.

We know that climate change is already here; understanding how we can best adapt to it is where we need the help.

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What do you want to pay for with your taxes? City hall wants to know.

News 100 redBy Pepper Parr

December 9, 2014

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The City of Burlington is asking Burlington’s property owners, business owners and renters to complete an anonymous online survey to tell the city what services matter most.

“We have identified all of the services the city provides and have refocused our budgeting to show citizens the investments we are making into each service,” said Joan Ford, the city’s director of finance.

“We are looking to the community for input on the importance and value of services.”

OK - so you did not vote - you can still tell city hall what matters to you.Starting in 2015, the city is using a new system to budget and has 24 public services and 13 internal services to help provide efficient, effective services to the community. Those services include road and sidewalk maintenance, fire protection and transit.

“The City of Burlington must make thoughtful choices among competing priorities to deliver good service for good value,” said Mayor Rick Goldring. “Using our Insight Burlington online community panel, and an anonymous survey connected to that panel, we hope to hear more about the services people in Burlington value.”

The Insight Burlington survey will take from 10 to 15 minutes to complete.

It is available from now until December 19 at www.burlington.ca/whatmatters.

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Trillium funds BurlingtonGreen for the next five years to the tune of $375,000

News 100 greenBy Pepper Parr

December 8, 2014

BURLINGTON, ON.

 

Ontario’s Trillium Foundation (OTF) has bailed out Burlington Green to the tune of $375,000 over a five year term.

Burlington Green Youth Network BEST

Burlington has led the effort to involve youth in environmental responsibility. The group is about to plant a couple of hundred trees.

BurlingtonGreen, a volunteer driven organization striving to make Burlington a healthier more environmentally responsible city, has achieved numerous goals. The OTF grant will support current programming and provide funding to introduce two innovative community-based environmental initiatives.

The grant will fund approximately 50 per cent of the costs to provide a wide range of important environmental programs, services and events.

“Investing in effective, solution focused organizations like BurlingtonGreen is an investment in our collective future. Since their inception in 2007, the agency has engaged thousands of youth, citizens and groups in environmental learning while providing an array of rewarding and impactful volunteer opportunities that have benefited the health of the local environment,” said Eleanor McMahon, MPP for Burlington.

BurlingtonGreen’s Board President Paul Haskins commented on how vital the funding support is in strengthening the agency’s capacity to plan more effectively and strategically for a more sustainable future.

“It has become an increasing challenge for our agency to keep up with the wide range of demands that come our way as pressures on the environment continue to escalate and the implications of climate change become more evident at the local level,” said Haskins.

BurlingtonGreen Executive Director Amy Schnur with the bike that was donated by the Mountain Equipment Co-op as art of the drive to increase votes for the Call of the Wild $100,000 contest.

BurlingtonGreen Executive Director Amy Schnur with the bike that was donated by the Mountain Equipment Co-op as art of the drive to increase votes for the Call of the Wild $100,000 contest.

Grant funds will be used to support the delivery of children and youth programming, to co-ordinate the biennial Youth Eco-Summit and Eco-Awards Celebration, continue their innovative Grow to Give food donation service, to continue to conduct the popular city-wide Clean Up event and habitat restoration project work.

New initiatives include collaborations to create a Burlington focused eco-footprint calculator to help citizens, schools, community groups, and businesses understand their current impacts on the environment, highlighting opportunities to realize positive measurable change as well as efforts to establish a Green Building Demonstration Project.

Burlington took a huge environmental hit in August when rain storms flooded parts of the city and significantly damaged hundreds of homes. Everyone involved in policy in this city now uses the phrase “not if but when” the next environmental disaster strikes but we don’t seem to get much beyond that phrase.

BurlingtonGreen has done a brilliant job of attracting environmental stars to the city and developing a sense of environmental responsibility in the hearts and minds of high school students. Is there a place, an opportunity for BurlingtonGreen to begin the conversation within the community as to how we might protect ourselves and prepare ourselves for that next disaster?

A tireless advocate for the environment - Amy Schnurr puts out the word every chance she gets - this time she wants your vote - and she isn't running for public office.  Why doesn't she run for city council.  Ward 6 would love her.

Amy Schnur, current executive director of BurlingtonGreen now has an opportunity to go further with the development of policy proposal and provide some much needed intellectual leadership.

Picking up the waste and planting new trees are a major part of being more environmentally responsible and BurlingtonGreen does this well. Now that they have funding in place for the next five years, something very few non-profit organizations are fortunate enough to get; the community can rightfully ask them to step up their game and provide some policy leadership – because it isn`t going to come from city hall, the region or the Conservation Authority.

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Burlington MPP gives her inaugural speech in the legislature; supports bill on Invasive Species

News 100 redBy Staff

December 9, 2014

BURLINGTON, ON.

 

It is a tradition in the provincial legislature for one member to congratulate another when they make their “maiden speech” at Queen`s Park.  Monday morning Norm Miller, member for Parry Sound said “These are always special speeches, because you learn so much about the member’s family and what brought them to the Legislature.

“I’ve learned a few things today. The member’s mother was born in Glasgow, as my mother was born in Glasgow, and that she comes from a large family—the youngest of a large family. She certainly has a very close relationship with her mother.

“She also thanked the past member for Burlington for her work. I know that Jane McKenna has been out to some community events, and she says how nice you have been to her at those events.

“Congratulations on your maiden speech” said Miller

And with that Burlington`s first Liberal member of the legislature in more than 70 years stood up to give her first full speech

McMahon - looking direct into camera

Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon delivering her inaugural speech in the legislature.

Ms. Eleanor McMahon: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe you will find that we have unanimous consent to allow me to deliver my inaugural address during debate on this bill today.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): The member for Burlington is seeking unanimous consent to deliver her maiden, or inaugural, speech in this House. Agreed? Agreed.

The member for Burlington.
Ms. Eleanor McMahon: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to rise and join the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry in speaking in support of Bill 37, the proposed Invasive Species Act. This proposed legislation would address a serious threat to our province. Indeed, close to my home in the riding of Burlington, the Cootes to Escarpment is the perfect example, a precious tract of land that contains more indigenous species than any other area of Canada, a number of them species at risk. Bill 37 will protect areas like the Cootes to Escarpment.

Invasive species cause significant damage to the natural environment, which results in significant ecological, economic and social costs, as the minister outlined. This is the case within Ontario, across Canada and internationally. Invasive species move into ecosystems and take over, killing or crowding out some native species. Invasive species disrupt food webs, degrade habitat, introduce parasites and disease, and lead to species becoming at risk. Globally, only habitat loss is a bigger threat to biodiversity.

Cootes Paradise

McMahon wants to ensure that invasive species do not get into Cootes paradise.

Mr. Speaker, on a global basis, invasive species costs are estimated to be $1.4 trillion. That’s the equivalent of 5% of the global GDP and seven times the cost of natural disasters. Industries like fishing, hunting, forestry, tourism and agriculture can all be negatively affected by invasive species. In the Great Lakes basin, invasive species foul water intakes, reduce the value of commercial and recreational fisheries and reduce property values. Every year, invasive plants cost the agriculture and forest industries in Canada about $7.3 billion.

All invasive species pose some risk; however, some species pose a bigger threat than others. The members of this Legislature will be familiar with the Asian carp, which have damaged the ecosystems of many American lakes and rivers. There are actually four species of Asian carp: bighead, silver, grass and black carp. Our greatest concerns are bighead and silver carp, which have spread the most aggressively in the United States. They are considered one of the greatest threats to our Great Lakes.

Asian carp are voracious consumers. They eat up to 20% of their body weight each day. Everywhere they go, they eat the food supply that native fish depend on, and they crowd native species out of their habitat. The decline of native fish species could damage sport and commercial fishing right here in Ontario. Currently, there are no established populations—thank goodness—of Asian carp in Ontario waters. Preventing Asian carp from spreading in the Great Lakes is the best way to prevent harm to Ontario’s native fish species.

Another species that has not yet entered Ontario is the mountain pine beetle. In British Columbia, it has destroyed millions of hectares of pine trees. Reports have predicted that climate change, a major underlying cause of the proliferation of invasive species, may allow the beetles to spread north and east. The cost of fighting the mountain pine beetle is staggering. Since 2001, the BC government has spent close to a billion dollars fighting this one insect.

Invasive plants may not be as well known, but they are also a serious threat. One of them, hydrilla, is considered one of the world’s worst aquatic invaders. It can grow up to 2.5 centimetres a day, resulting in extremely dense growth that impacts boaters and swimmers. Hydrilla has not yet been detected in Canada, but it has spread rapidly throughout the United States. It is highly adaptable and thrives in many different kinds of aquatic environments.

McMahon reading her innaugural

The Inaugural speech was detailed focused and on an issue that is important to Burlington.

Asian carp, the mountain pine beetle and hydrilla aren’t yet established in Ontario, as I mentioned, but we are managing many invasive species that have become established here.

Some invasive species can be a threat to human health. One example is the giant hogweed, a plant introduced from Asia. Its toxic sap can cause painful burning blisters on the skin when exposed to sunlight. In addition to that threat, this plant can spread readily and shade out native plants, which can have an impact on our biodiversity.

Another invasive species that is already established in Ontario is the round goby. It is a small, bottom-dwelling fish that feeds aggressively on fish eggs, larvae and other small organisms found on lake and river bottoms. In less than a decade, the round goby has spread through all five of our Great Lakes and begun to invade inland waters. The round goby’s aggressive eating habits and ability to spawn several times each season have helped them multiply and spread quickly. In fact, in some areas, the fish has reached densities of more than 100 fish per square metre. Round goby have reduced populations of sport fish and threaten several species at risk in our Great Lakes basin.

There is no question that the threat of invasive species is real and significant.

Managing the threat of invasive species is challenging and complex. It requires a coordinated approach. Indeed, managing invasive species has always been a collaborative effort across all levels of government as well as with industry, environmental groups and the public.

Ontario plans to continue to collaborate with all of those involved in invasive species management, including the federal government, which has an important national role to play in invasive species management. Indeed, I want to be clear: Our proposed Invasive Species Act is intended to complement the role of the federal government, not duplicate or take over their responsibility. The proposed Invasive Species Act will enable Ontario to use its own framework to determine an appropriate course of action.

Preventing invasive species from arriving and becoming established in Ontario is critical in our fight against this growing threat. Evidence has shown that the costs of preventing invasive species from Preventing invasive species from arriving and becoming established in Ontario is critical in our fight against this growing threat.becoming established through taking immediate action are generally much lower than the costs of controlling an established invasive species. Like so many things, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

We know that there may be many circumstances that arise where immediate and urgent action is required to eliminate or reduce the spread of an invasive species. This could happen if a new invasive species is found in Ontario or an existing invasive species is found in a new area of the province. The proposed legislation will help by allowing the government to intervene earlier and enable rapid response actions. This could include working with partners to stop an invasive species from spreading: for example, by preventing or restricting the movement of contaminated firewood.

Mr. Speaker, as I noted earlier, addressing the threat of invasive species is a collaborative effort. I would like to take a few minutes to highlight a few of the many enduring partnerships our government has built in the area of invasive species management and education. We place tremendous value on these relationships, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our ministry stakeholders for their valuable advice and for giving of their time and talents to enrich our public policy work as a government. Ontario works with the Great Lakes states and the US and Canadian governments to prevent aquatic invasive species, such as Asian carp, from entering the Great Lakes. Indeed, there is a federal office in my riding of Burlington which is doing extensive work in this area.

Ontario works with the Great Lakes states and the US and Canadian governments to prevent aquatic invasive species, such as Asian carp, from entering the Great Lakes.We have been working with the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters for more than two decades to deliver the Invading Species Awareness Program. The program raises awareness of the threat of invasive species to Ontario’s biodiversity. It engages the public in preventing and controlling the spread, and monitoring the distribution, of invasive species. This program also operates the Invading Species Hotline to give the public an avenue to report sightings, seek information and request educational material on invasive species.

More recently, we established the Invasive Species Centre in Sault Ste. Marie to work with the federal government and other partners to address invasive forest and aquatic species and invasive plants. Ontario has provided approximately $9.7 million towards the establishment and operation of this centre.

Partnerships such as these are helping us to protect our natural environment and industries that contribute thousands of jobs to our economy. One example is recreational fishing, an industry that contributes about $2.2 billion to Ontario’s economy and is also a notable contributor to our tourism industry. Ontario will continue to collaborate and work with these partners and, if passed, the proposed Invasive Species Act could help us expand the use of strategic partnerships.

The proposed act would provide the minister with authority to enter into agreements to help us prevent, detect, control and eradicate invasive species. As such, the legislation will provide us with the tools we need to protect our environment and our economy. Under the proposed act, regulations could be made to prohibit certain activities to help prevent the spread of an invasive species. Agreements could identify exemptions that would be necessary to achieve desired outcomes. For example, an agreement with a local conservation partner could allow the partner to undertake a program to control species such as garlic mustard. The partner would be able to possess the plant during the control activities and then dispose of it properly.

As I said earlier, managing invasive species is a responsibility shared with other governments, industry, environmental groups and the public. In fact, Ontarians can report sightings of invasive species to help us detect new ones and monitor the spread of those that are more established.

We can all play a role in protecting Ontario’s biodiversity. How can we do this? By planting non-invasive species in gardens, by never releasing bait or any wildlife into nature, by washing our boats before moving them to another body of water, and by buying firewood locally and leaving what we don’t use.

We need to engage all Ontarians in doing their part to protect species and habitats, and as policy-makers, we need to do our part as well, by taking a leadership role with this proposed legislation. The proposed Invasive Species Act would help limit the social and economic impacts of invasive species by preventing them from becoming established, controlling their spread once they are here, and eradicating them if possible. As such, I would encourage all members of this House to support this critical legislation. I look forward to today’s discussion and the debate to come.

In the meantime, it is my honour and pleasure to stand in this House and spend some time talking about my journey to public life, to talk about what I hope to accomplish and bring to public service during my time here and thank the people who have helped me along the way.

It is worth noting that in strict terms this is my inaugural speech, Mr. Speaker, and that I have already had the honour and privilege of speaking on a number of occasions, to items that are not just of local interest and concern to the people of my riding of Burlington, but to Ontarians as well.

I must say that I am rather glad to have had these two months to begin to become accustomed to this historic and storied place and the work that we do here. As such, I can now look back on the past few months with a bit of perspective and experience.

McMahon innaug Dec 8-14 mouth open

Inaugural speech was lengthy; McMahon was certain her Mother Marie was watching.

If this speech were to have a theme, I would say that it is gratitude. There are many people to thank and many things to be grateful for. Let me begin by thanking the people of Burlington for the confidence they expressed in me on June 12. I am humbled by that confidence, and I look forward to serving them in this place, and to working with them towards improving the quality of life of all of the people in our beautiful city.

It is an honour and a privilege to have this opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives, to be entrusted with their hopes and dreams, as well as their challenges. I’m grateful to have the chance to work on behalf of such an extraordinary community, and with such kind and generous people.

I would like to take a moment to offer a sincere thank-you to my predecessor, Jane McKenna, for her sacrifices and service in representing the riding of Burlington since 2011.

Applause.

Ms. Eleanor McMahon: Yes. Since my election, I have come to know what Jane knew during her three years of able service here: The hours are long, the time away from family significant. Thank you, Jane, for representing Burlington in this place so ably.

On our first day of orientation, we were reminded that, of the 13 million people who call Ontario home, we are but 107. “How fortunate am I?” I thought, and I know that many of my colleagues feel the same. We came here with a sense of purpose and excitement, and with a desire to serve.

My colleague the Honourable Ted McMeekin is fond of quoting Bobby Kennedy. Ted volunteered for Bobby on one of his campaigns, and he heard him say about his passion for making change: “Don’t get mad, don’t get even—get elected.” I think that call to action embodies the desire that most of us have here to make a difference in the lives of the people we serve, to work as diligently as we can on their behalf and to do so with a listening ear and an open heart.

Burlington ariel

McMahon and her late husband decided that Burlington would be home for them. She told the members of the legislature that Burlington was the most beautiful city in the province. Her speech almost turned into a debate.

Let me talk for just a minute, if I may, about another reason I’m grateful to the people of Burlington. I am not from Burlington. I was born in Windsor, Ontario. I came to Burlington in 2005. My late husband and I chose Burlington. He was an OPP officer, and to a certain degree we had a choice of where we wanted to live in the GTHA. We chose Burlington for its beauty and for its people, and for our families. My brother and his wife have called Burlington home for over 20 years. During that time, as a result of numerous visits, we fell in love with Burlington and decided to settle there, which we did in the summer of 2005.

Since that time, my affection and my ties to the community have deepened. Burlington has been very good to me, and I’d like to thank my friends and my community for their warm embrace. Since becoming your MPP, your kindness and your graciousness have been nothing short of overwhelming. I’m grateful to you for making this native of Windsor feel right at home in Burlington.

I can honestly say that there is no more beautiful place to live in our province than Burlington. I’m delighted to have this opportunity—

Interjections.

Ms. Eleanor McMahon: That may be a moment of debate.

I’m grateful to have this opportunity to thank everyone who helped me during the election campaign this past June. To our extraordinary volunteers, our wonderful staff—most especially, our dedicated campaign manager—our generous donors, and to the members of the Burlington Riding Association, the words “thank you” don’t seem quite enough. Your support and your encouragement, your confidence expressed in me as your candidate, your kind words of comfort when I needed it most—for all of this and so much more, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Burlington Escartment 006

Parts of Burlington that McMahon loves to cycle through.

Your support for me helped me during the election campaign, and it will serve to guide me in my work as the first Liberal in Burlington in 71 years. Our celebration on election night was one I shall never forget, and nothing short of extraordinary. Thank you for being there for me.

Perhaps most memorable was the presence of my family on election night. It has been said, and it’s true, that to do this job truly requires a support network unlike any other. I am truly blessed with an extraordinary group of siblings, their spouses, and my nieces and nephews.

Most of all, I was proud of the fact that my mother, Marie McMahon, was there with me. When we learned that I had won, we were standing in the foyer of my brother’s home. In an exchange I will never forget, my mother turned to me and said, “Your dad would be so proud.” It was a touching moment, to be sure, but it brought home to me, as indeed did my decision to run, that I was truly fortunate to have been raised by two extraordinary people, who taught my brothers and sisters and I about the true meaning of working hard, giving back and community service.

My dad, Hugh McMahon, died in 1994 of cancer. Dad worked hard all his life. His family was his greatest joy. His own childhood was marked by challenging moments, from growing up during the Depression, to the start of the Second World War. Dad enlisted in the Canadian army at the age of 16; he lied about his age. He went overseas and served his country as part of the Canadian First Regiment. He landed in Sicily, saw action during the Italian campaign and later took part in the liberation of Holland.

A proud moment for me came in 2007 while attending, with an official delegation from Burlington city hall, the city of Apeldoorn, one of Burlington’s twin cities. We visited the Canadian War Cemetery in Nijmegen. A number of soldiers from my father’s unit are buried there, and his regimental crest is in the Apeldoorn city hall.

Dad returned to Canada after the war and married my mother, Marie, in 1948. He attended university briefly in Toronto and returned to Windsor, where he worked at Chrysler until 1981. Seven children followed, as did a life of community service in the militia and with many local organizations.

My mother, who I think is watching today, is a shining light for me. Mum will be 89 on Thursday. She was born in Glasgow and grew up in Windsor. A pioneer in so many ways and a strong believer in education, Mum attended Assumption University, then part of the University of Windsor. She got a science degree and served as a laboratory technologist at Windsor’s Grace Hospital for most of her career.

She and Dad both felt very strongly that education provided a gateway of opportunity, and they encouraged us in every way possible. Mum was adamant, too, that as women—there were five of us girls—we must have our independence, our own income and the ability to make our own decisions.
Mum is tiny in stature but mighty in every other sense of the word. Her love for her children, her care and concern for others and her utter selflessness have shaped my life in amazing ways. I would not be standing here today without her.

To you, Mum, I offer my undying love and thanks. Thank you for making me feel like I could do anything. Thank you for always being there for me, and for your wisdom and your friendship.
To my siblings: I’m truly grateful to you for your encouragement and support. I am so lucky to have such a tremendous group of ardent supporters and cheerleaders. As the youngest of all of you, I have benefited from your wisdom—and your mistakes—your advice, your terrific humour and your wit. You offer me a hand up when I need it, and no request is too much. When I told you I wanted to run, you were worried about the rigours of the debate and the demands of the job. After dutifully expressing your concerns to your younger sister, you were there from day one. Thank you all.

Earlier, I spoke of my parents as people who inspired me to public service. I grew up in a house where the mantra was, “To whom much is given, much is expected.” Speaking of my mother, I should add that her personal commitment to her family and her community was recently recognized. Mum recently got a volunteer award from Hospice Windsor in recognition of her 30 years of service as a volunteer.

Applause.

Ms. Eleanor McMahon: Yes. Thank you.

Every Thursday Mum cooks lunch with her friend for the past 70-plus years, Mabel Gagnier, for hospice patients and their families. I know that Mum is loved by her hospice family, but I know too, because she’s told me this, that she gets as much out of this experience as she gives. Her stories of people who are in the most difficult and challenging of circumstances serve to bring a necessary perspective to her life and to mine as we reflect on what is important. As you can see, from my mother I learned empathy and compassion.

Speaking earlier this year to the CEO of the Carpenter Hospice in Burlington, I was reflecting on the same theme: the events that shape our lives and the people who inspire us. As we all know, one of the best parts of this job is the opportunity to attend events and meet the wonderful people in your riding. Well, it was very early in my job as an MPP that I truly understood what Burlington is made of, and it is strong stuff indeed.

Flood Fairview plaza

McMahon told her fellow parliamentarians how badly Burlington was flooded last August. She was instrumental in getting funds for the flood victims.

On the evening of August 4, a once-in-100-years storm brought 200 millimetres of rain to Burlington in just six hours. This rain is the equivalent of the amount of precipitation that Burlington would see in July and August together. This devastating storm flooded our streets and people’s homes. A rush of water filled people’s basements and over 3,100 homes were damaged. As the unrelenting rain fell that night, reports began to pour in of flooding on the 407, the QEW, Fairview and New Streets, Brant, Guelph, Walkers Line and Appleby Line; all flooded, our major north-south arterial roads. The water overwhelmed Burlington’s sewage system, which at capacity is built for three million litres an hour. At the height of the storm, this reached 10 million litres.

People’s basements filled in mere moments as creeks overflowed their banks. Visiting devastated homes the next day on Regal Road, among the hardest hit, I met people who fled with their children, their animals and a few precious memories as water filled their basements within minutes. Seeing their anguish, not to mention the contents of their homes on their front lawns, was heart-wrenching.

FLOOD basement blur couch

Homes were devastated by the flood. McMahon was out into the community within hours going door to door with the Mayor.

On the 5th, I got on the phone, but many people were calling, too, wondering how they could help. My colleagues were there, and I’d like to thank them. The member from Halton; the Minister of Labour, the member from Oakville, and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, all in neighbouring ridings, were there, offering a friendly word of advice. Thank you.

Applause.

Ms. Eleanor McMahon: Yes.

But it was the response of our community that was so remarkable. I reached out to the mayor that evening. He was travelling back from his cottage in response to the disaster. His own home was flooded. He hit the ground running the next day, and as we travelled door to door together, it became apparent that greater assistance was needed.

On the night of the flood and in the days that followed, our EMS personnel were extraordinary. Our front-line police officers, firefighters, paramedics—all were there, doing an amazing job rescuing people from their flooded vehicles and responding to those in need.

Later on, with the assistance of the region of Halton, the Red Cross came to our aid and did an extraordinary job quantifying the amount of flooding and the impact on people’s lives. Together we mobilized community support. I called the CEO of United Way, and 72 hours later they had a website portal up and running to collect donations.

The mayor, working with our regional chair, mobilized staff. City and regional staff began the process of responding to those in need and going door to door. As the scope of the disaster became clear, city council met and declared a state of emergency, triggering an Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program request.

Flood BMO at the vault

Ron Foxcroft made the phone calls, Collen Mulholland displayed the cheque while McMahon pressed the province to deliver matching funds. The bankers were asked to give up some of the money in their vaults.

On the community side, donations poured in and the community foundation stepped up, offering much-needed volunteer and fundraising support. The CEO of the community foundation, Colleen Mulholland, and her team have done an extraordinary job. Under the chairmanship of Ron Foxcroft, the disaster relief committee has worked hand in hand with the community foundation to raise funds, and to date, I am proud to say that our generous community has contributed close to $1 million to help their neighbours in need.

Indeed, one of the truly wonderful things about Burlington is how generous our community really is. In 2010, 30% of Burlingtonians contributed to a charitable cause, higher than the provincial average of 24.5%.

During the summer, I attended many events which contributed to the flood relief, raising funds and rallying the community, from neighbourhood fundraisers like the Up the Creek event started by some neighbours whose street and homes were flooded—they raised $20,000—to our Rotary Club’s Ribfest event, which raised thousands of dollars as well. There I was, side by side at the door, raising money with buckets, mayor and city Councillors right beside me.

While the scope of the disaster made for a challenging summer for our community, and while much of the hard work remains to be done by the committee as they adjudicate requests for funding, I am proud to say that on November 10, my colleague, the member from Halton, and I announced that our government would be contributing up to $3 million to support Burlington and its flood relief. For a new MPP, this was an extraordinarily proud moment.

Speaker, the election provided me with an excellent opportunity to speak to some of the opportunities and challenges facing our community. During that time and since, I’ve had many conversations about the kind of Burlington we all want now and into the future. Burlington has one of the highest median incomes in Canada and we enjoy an excellent quality of life overall. Still, there are challenges. As the recent Vital Signs report by the Burlington Community Foundation shows, Burlington has one of the oldest populations in the GTHA. While most of our seniors are aging successfully, over 5% of them are living in poverty. More broadly, close to 8% or over 13,000 of our residents in Burlington are living in low-income households. When it comes to housing, access to affordable housing remains a barrier to many.

When it comes to employment, Burlington is doing well, with stronger employment levels than Ontario as a whole. The number of jobs is up 7% and the number of businesses is up 4% since the 2012 employment survey.

werf bfgt

Infill housing on what were once half acre single story post war bungalows are now the norm for Burlington.

To maintain this excellent quality of life, I’ve had conversations about how, as a community, we can work together to tackle some of our challenges. Burlington is built out; therein lies another challenge. Our growth will come from infill and density. With growth comes the need for stronger transportation networks. I look forward to working with city hall, our region, local businesses, citizens’ groups and my colleagues in the House on creating transit hubs in Burlington and encouraging the kinds of alternative transportation—cycling and walking—that will make our community more connected and more liveable, and attract investment.

Issues such as food security, investing in our agri-food sector, which is a strong sector locally, and continued investments in health and education will continue to dominate my conversations in the months and years to come and remain areas of strong local focus. In particular, youth and adolescent mental health is another area which is in significant need of focus, as demonstrated again by our community foundation and their work. I’ve also had terrific conversations about how, working together, we can find solutions to these important issues.

On a final note, Mr. Speaker, I started this speech talking about what brought me here and what I hope to accomplish. I want to close my remarks by mentioning someone who’s no longer here but who had and continues to have a very positive impact on my life. On June 6, 2006, my late husband, Greg Stobbart, a veteran OPP officer with 24 years of experience in policing, was killed by a careless driver. Greg died, not in the line of duty, but doing something he loved. We were training for a triathlon. He had recently purchased a new bike, and with a beautiful day beckoning, set out on a training ride from which he never returned. Greg’s tragic death at the age of 44 in a senseless collision was a life-changing event for me, for my family and for his as well. His legacy lives on in me and my desire to continue in this place the work that I started to create a more bicycle-friendly Ontario.

McMahon in blue jacket

McMahon became a force to be reckoned with in the cycling community and created the Share the Road organization and pushed the province to pass Gregg’s Law

Our response to Greg’s death came on many fronts. First, working with then-Minister of Transportation the Honourable Jim Bradley, we changed the Highway Traffic Act. In 2009, after sustained advocacy, we got Greg’s Law passed, increasing the penalties on suspended drivers based on similar legislation in six other provinces. The man who killed Greg had five convictions for driving under suspension, four convictions for driving with no licence, $15,000 in unpaid fines, and two months after he killed my husband, he hit someone else.

As you can imagine, Mr. Speaker, this instilled in us the importance of focusing on that advocacy and securing those changes to the Highway Traffic Act. Our goal was to prevent others from going through what we did, and we wanted to get those repeat offenders out from behind the wheel and off the road. Greg’s Law became the law of Ontario in October 2009.

Second, we launched the Share the Road Cycling Coalition in Ontario in 2008. Share the Road has become the provincial cycling policy and advocacy organization, representing thousands of local organizations, cyclists, stakeholders and municipal leaders from across Ontario, united in a vision of safer communities for all road users.

In 2012, I had the privilege of sitting on the coroner’s review into cycling deaths in Ontario and secured a recommendation for an Ontario cycling strategy. Together with the Honourable Glen Murray, who was then Minister of Transportation, I launched that strategy, the first of its kind in Ontario in over 20 years, in September 2013, a proud moment.

McMahon staff watching innaugural

MPP McMahon’s staff watching her inaugural speech on desktop computers.

In Greg’s memory, and in memory of all the cyclists who have been killed and injured, I look forward to continuing the work we started at Share the Road. Together with all members of this House, given the tremendous benefits of cycling, I look forward to making our communities and our province even more bike-friendly in the years to come.

In the interim, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank you and my colleagues and all the members of this House for their gracious welcome, for your friendship and your support, for this opportunity to share my thoughts with you and for the privilege of being the MPP for Burlington.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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You do get to vote for the People`s Choice in the Santa parade - after you`ve told them more than you might want to tell.

News 100 redBy Staff

December 8, 2014

BURLINGTON, ON.

 

It took a while – but a source sent us the location of the People Choice vote for the best float in the Santa Claus parade.

Ho Ho man himself

He`s making a list – checking it twice. Turns out it was city hall making that list.

It`s lengthy and you had better remember the name of the float because there are few hints.

The site is really a data mining effort on the part of the city.  Sobeys put up a miserable $50 to collect names, addresses and email addresses.  You know what they are going to do with that data.

It was a nice idea, poorly executed and turned out to be more in the interests of the city than the citizens.

Find out for yourself at

 

 

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Coal in the Christmas stockings for the city hall grinches who screwed up the Santa parade voting.

News 100 redBy Pepper Parr

December 8, 2014

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The Santa Claus parade did take place; the streets were well lined and there were no incidents.

Viewers were supposed to be able to vote for the People`s Choice – choosing the float they thought was the best in the 49th annual parade.

All they had to do was go to the city web site and cast their vote.

Christmas Parade
cms.burlington.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=29585
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat
Dec 2, 2013 … Guelph Line to Brant St. and Caroline St. NEW! 2013 People’s Choice Award. Vote for your favourite float at www.burlington.ca/parade.

Santa parade voting notice

Date was wrong and there was no place to actually vote.

Problem was the city web site didn`t have any place for people to vote. There was no place to enter your choice.

At another location on the city web site there was a large graphic showing the parade route – but the date of the parade taking place was wrong. Now the Gazette knows all about typographical errors – but we don`t have the resources city hall has.

There were a couple of parade sponsors – corporations who got behind the idea of a People`s Choice – hope they get their money back.

Good idea with strong community support – but the Grinch`s at city hall wouldn’t let it happen. Coal in their Christmas Stockings.

Breaking news:

Location to vote for the People`s Choice in the Santa Parade:

 

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Area architects recognized for achievements in project design and development

News 100 redBy Staff

December 8, 2014

BURLINGTON, ON.

 

The Hamilton- Burlington Society of Architects (HBSA) has announced the recipients of the 2014 Architectural Awards of Excellence.

The award winners were honoured during the HBSA Celebrate 2014 Gala on November 27 at the Hamilton Art Gallery, where they raised $9,000 for the United Way.

Biannually, the HBSA recognizes the exceptional work of architects from Hamilton, Burlington, and Milton across a range of categories of projects built in Ontario. The jury panel this year consisted of:

Tania Bortolotto (Bortolotto Design Architect, Toronto)
• Alex Lukachko (Building Science Consulting, Waterloo)
• Michael McClelland (ERA Architects, Toronto)
• Michael Leckman (Diamond Schmitt Architects, Toronto)
• Kathy Renwald (Freelance Journalist, Hamilton)

The jurors were extremely impressed with the quality of the submissions from HBSA members.
Awards were given in a number of categories.

Architecture creates the texture of a community. Well-designed buildings make public and private space work – and when space works for people we are all better off.

Smart design, clever design – design that reflects a communities past and its aspirations for the future is what architects strive for when they design a building. Along with making the most efficient use of space an architect needs to give a building a feel, a sense of belonging where it is being built.

With imagination and the intelligent use of space and construction materials the public ends up with a building that just works for them; and in doing so they make the community a better place for all of us.

The recipients of the HBSA this time were

Heritage or Adaptive Re-Use
Award of Excellence
95 King Street East Studios and Lofts, Thier + Curran Architects www.

Heritage adaptive reuse

95 King Street East Studios and Lofts, Thier + Curran Architects

“Even viewed from across the square (Gore Park), this building, with its innovative social program is distinctive and inviting … the historic character of the upper floors is maintained while the contemporary-industrial treatment of the ground floor stands out and anchors it in the urban realm”

Heritage adaptive re-se merit

Carnegie Gallery Revitalization, Perkins + Will

Heritage or Adaptive Re-Use
Award of Merit
Carnegie Gallery Revitalization, Perkins + Will ca.perkinswill.com

“The simple moves are well-done and well-tuned to the existing building … the new entrance, the new gallery, and the accessible areas in the glazed space are a modern addition with a nice bridge between old and new.”

Renovation Mixed Use/Commercial
Award of Excellence
118 James Street North, Thier + Curran Architects www.tcarch.ca

Renovation mixed use commercial“This building is a surprise. The interior space is dramatic, the connection to heritage vocabulary is really strong, and the experience at the street level is very successful … the building echoes the street’s urban signature.”

New Institutional, Award of MeritWaterloo Hydro Architect Waterloo North Hydro Head Office and Fleet Service Centre, McCallum Sather Architects 

“A remarkable amount of sustainable thinking in what could have been just another drive-by building on a service road … the right proportion of windows, solar shading, and great placement.”

 

Renovation Mixed Use/Commercial
Award of Merit
Phoenix Pub and Restaurant, McMaster University, McCallum Sather Architects / MSA

Renovation mixed use commercail -pub

Phoenix Pub and Restaurant, McMaster University, McCallum Sather Architects

“The execution is so clear [that] it seems simple – but it’s very complex.”

Renovation Institutional
Award of Excellence
McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind, McCallum Sather Architects / MSA www.msarch.ca

McMaster music“A creative response to an intriguing program … the addition on top of an existing building [is] aesthetically pleasing and done in a way that successfully rebrands the building.”

 

Renovation Institutional
Award of Merit
Ancaster Senior Achievement Centre, Thier + Curran Architects www.tcarch.ca

Renovation institutional  Merit“Well-crafted, welcoming, with careful attention to detail … handsome interior spaces filled with light.”

New Residential
Award of Merit
Burlington Avenue House, Cynthia Zahoruk Architect

New esidential - merit

Burlington Avenue House, Cynthia Zahoruk Architect

“A joyful play on Arts and Crafts … very appealing and sensitive to context, and to the client’s needs.”

New Institutional
Award of Merit
Waterloo North Hydro Head Office and Fleet Service Centre, McCallum Sather Architects

“A remarkable amount of sustainable thinking in what could have been just another drive-by building on a service road … the right proportion of windows, solar shading, and great placement.”

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The pier is still well; the police and the fire department were there the past few days - taking care of people.

News 100 blackBy Pepper Parr

December 8, 2014

BURLINGTON, ON.

 

An observant citizen told us about fire trucks being at the pier. They were – several times.

The reason for being there had nothing to do with either the pier or the electrical room.

The police and the fire department are there to protect us. That’s what they have been doing. Some people need more protection than others.

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Art Gallery now advertising for a new president and CEO.

theartsBy Staff

December 7, 2014

BURLINGTON, ON

 

There has been no comment whatsoever from the Art Gallery of Burlington on the parting of ways with Ian Ross as the President and Chief Executive Officer of that organization – the Board is now advertising the position.

BAC aerial In a recent release the Board said: “The AGB is a unique organization that combines quality gallery programmes with a range of creative activities. Its 44,000 sq. ft. facility includes three galleries, two exhibition spaces, and seven well-equipped studios that are home to seven guilds, used by many of the region’s emerging and working artists and ‘makers’. It is the venue for courses and workshops organized by Gallery staff and/or guild volunteers and also for community and private events.
“The Creative Hub includes drop-in art-making activities for families and individuals, and a Children’s Clay Studio is a favourite for youth. The AGB occupies a distinctive position having the largest collection of Canadian contemporary ceramic art. The 2,400 piece collection ranges from functional to conceptual sculpture, from fine craft to fine art, and, like Canada, its diversity reflects many international influences. The AGB is in the early stages of working with the City towards the future development of the Gallery within an overall vision for urban development.
“This is an opportunity for a visionary and strategic leader who understands the uniqueness and potential of the AGB which is situated in the midst of Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe, across from beautiful Lake Ontario, in the city that MoneySense magazine has repeatedly ranked as the best mid-sized city in Canada. The next President and CEO will be passionate about engaging the public with visual arts and culture: growing the impact of the Gallery on the various aspects of the City’s quality of life and on its economic development.
“Creative and entrepreneurial, your respected track record of non-profit executive leadership success and results-based accountability includes a gold standard in fundraising and financial management, innovative and collaborative programming, organizational growth, stakeholder relations, and motivating communication skills.
For more information about this permanent position, see website for Careers.
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Fire department checking out pier problems in the electrical room. Is the pier still under warranty?

The Pier 100By Staff

December 6, 2014

BURLINGTON, ON.

 

An observant citizen wrote to say: “For the second time in the past few weeks Burlington Fire is attending to a problem in the electrical/control (?) room under the pier. They’ve been there for over an hour so far tonight.

Sure hope it’s under warranty!

The public gets some value from their $15 million pier (true cost is going to be $20 million) as they watch Tall Ships prepare to sail into Burlington Bay.

The public gets some value from their $20 million pier as they watch Tall Ships prepare to sail into Burlington Bay.

From the people that worked on version one of the pier: “I believe it’s a tail light policy. You have warranty until you can’t see Grahams tail lights.”

Graham was the company that completed the pier.

Are we looking at a lemon here?

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Ontario Moving Forward With High-Speed Rail linking Windsor and Toronto – what happened to Quebec city?

News 100 yellowBy Staff

December 5, 2014

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Well – we have heard this one before – the plans to build a high-speed rail line that will connect Windsor, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Toronto. It will improve travel options, reduce travel time and – oh yes – create jobs by getting people moving. Everything the government does

The start of an integrated environmental assessment (EA) marks the next phase of the project, which includes identifying the most appropriate route, examining state-of-the-art transportation technology options and an environmental evaluation.

The EA will be guided by consultations in early 2015 with municipal and business groups, as well as with First Nation and Métis communities.

High speed rail line

Shape of things to come?

High-speed rail service connecting Windsor, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Toronto is part of the government’s long-term transit and infrastructure plan, Moving Ontario Forward. This plan will make nearly $29 billion available over the next 10 years for investments in priority infrastructure projects across the province, including public transit, roads, bridges and highways.

The Mayor of London, Matt Brown thinks it’s a great idea. “This is fantastic news for London. High-speed rail will benefit many vital economic sectors in London. We look forward to working with the province on this initiative.”

Let’s make a note on this initiative – see if it gets much beyond the Environmental Assessment stage.

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Santa Claus parade - Sunday - starts 2:00 pm. Note the name of the best float and vote for a winner.

News 100 redBy Staff

December 5, 2014

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Sunday – starts at 2:00 pm and winds its way down Guelph Line – starting at Prospect and ending up at city hall – the Ho, Ho, Ho man himself. Santa will be at the end of the parade waving away.

Santa parade routeNEW! Vote online for your favorite float. The 2014 People’s Choice Award voting will begin on December 7, 2014. (Link to vote on line wasn’t available at time of publication – when it is available we will pass it along,)

Goldring

Mayor Goldring always shows up; this time he was collecting for the Old Timer’s Hockey Team

Last year the People’s Choice Award Winner was Keller Williams Edge Realty.

Hosted by the City of Burlington, the 49th annual Christmas Parade features entries including bands, colourful floats, clowns and mascots; paid for out of the float fees the city charges.

Kids will line streets; many of the same community groups will be in the parade.  Some of the residents on streets that butt into New Street park vehicles at the intersection and have hot chocolate – we saw a hibachi lat year,

Real Xmas message

The hustle and bustle of the malls can never dull the real message – it is always the same. That’s the way it is supposed to be.

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There are options to retirement homes or long term care when you can no longer live by yourself.

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

December 5, 2014

BURLINGTON, ON.

 

Shelley Raymond had a problem – both her parents were at that point in their lives when they needed a level of care she had not had to provide in the past.

Her Mother’s Alzheimer’s was advanced and her Father’s dementia while stable, made life demanding for her.

Where do they live when they can no longer care for themselves? There is nothing comfortable about the choices people like Shelley Raymond have to make.

Co housing Seniors population

Seniors will represent more than 25% of the population of Burlington in the not too distant future.

More than 14% of Canada’s population is over 65 and that number is going to grow – the Baby Boomers are moving into retirement.

Long term care is one option. According the Ms Raymond, a senior today has a 7% chance of getting a long term care bed,

Cohousing Seniors population 2

Will Burlington be properly prepared for the growth in the seniors population?

Staying home, alone is the choice many make – but it doesn’t work. The isolation leads to depression; memory loss creates all kinds of problems – medication isn’t taken; repairs on the house just don’t get done; there are challenges with food preparation and falling down stairs or tripping over objects is very common.

Many, including Shelley Raymond believe the province faces a long term care crisis.

Seniors need some level of support for daily living activities – cooking, cleaning, shopping, transportation and medication reminders. Most seniors want to remain independent as long as possible; many try to remain independent and do themselves considerable harm both emotionally and financially.

Cohousing -  Family finances - have + last

A vital and pressing problem for a lot of families in Burlington.

Finding the level of care parents need is just one part of the problem – being able to pay for that care is the second part. The over-riding question is – how long will the money last?

What’s available in terms of care? Long term care facilities: $78 a day – $2400 a month for a private room; $56 a day for basic care – $1707 a month.

Cohousing -Chances of getting LT care bed

Depressing and scary – is this the best the province is going to be able to do?

Retirement homes come in at $3500 a month and can run up to $8000 a month with advanced services. These are now growth businesses. The Pearl at Pine is preparing to open seen, the six floor residence on Upper Middle Road next to the Tansley Woods community centre has been open for more than a year and Aldershot has a new retirement community.

The other options are staying in your home or moving in with family.

For those who choose to stay in their homes there is an additional issue and that is home care offered by the province’s Community Care Access Centre (CCAC). There are limits to the number of people they can handle – the number of senior’s that will need care is not as limited. There is a crunch coming.

There are literally tens of thousands of seniors facing this problem – and they are beginning to realize that the government is not going to solve their problem for them. People are coming up with good ideas – that’s what Shelly Raymond had to do when her parents needed care.

Remember that television program The Golden Girls – they are on the way back. Sharing accommodation was an entertaining idea – Shelley Raymond took it a couple of steps further and developed the idea of what she calls “co-housing”.

Cohousing Renovate or purpose build

Top house was renovated to become a cohouse. Bottom was purpose built to be a cohouse.

She created an organization called Solterra that works with people who want to be part of a co-housing property.  She looks for properties that can be used, works with architects to build the homes, markets them and then works with owners to get them set up with the services they want and need.  Much more information on their web site.  Tell Shelly you read about her in the Burlington Gazette.

People share the ownership of a building. Each resident has their own private space and share common space – kitchens, living room and perhaps gardens.

Co housing six unit set up

Floor plan for a six unit cohouse.

Typical “co-houses” have four to six owners. Each owner has title to their portion of the house which can be sold on the open market. They share the taxes, the heating and electricity, maintenance.

Cohousing Kitchen - purpose built - Brechin ON

The kitchen area of a cohouse in Brechin Ontario

There is also the potential to share household services as well – which many of the cohousing operations do. Someone comes in and does the cleaning; some have a person who comes in and does the cooking and meal preparation. There are various levels of service that are possible. The owners decide what they want and can afford.

Most of the units have small walk outs to a private yard in some cases or a common area in others. Parking, transportation – and what about pets.
The basic rule is usually no pets but the owners of the units are the “board of directors” and they can make any decision they like.  “One cohousing operation voted to try a pet for a short period of time” explained Raymond. Sally, the dog is now the star of that house and has put in twenty pounds.

The biggest part of co-housing is the “co” part – decisions are made in common and people fashion the kind of community they want.

Cohousing - Sample set up

Owners bring their own furniture and set up their home the way they want.

How does one know that cohousing will work for them? Most of the cohousing organizations have a three month trial period. You move in – you pay “rent” and try it out. If you find that the people are your kind of people and the level of service is what you need – then you can buy your share of the house.

What are the advantages of cohousing? Financially they are incredible. Heating, electricity, taxes, maintenance are all shared by the people living in the home. And those people are not residents – they are the owners. The difference is that they share the ownership of the property. The house is not a nursing home – it belongs to the people who live in it.

They are purchasing a percentage interest in a home, freehold that is individually saleable on the open market, registered on title as Tenants in Common. It is a private residence in which you maintain your privacy and control

The Burlington Community Foundation recently published their third Vital Signs report in which they said “There will be greater emphasis on shifting care to the community and supporting aging in place. Home Care and Community Support Service agencies will support more elderly people with complex and often inter-related health and social care needs to remain in or return to their homes, especially after a hospitalization.

The report suggested Coordinated Care as an approach that will bring together patients, teams of health professionals including specialists, community partners, to ensure not only a positive health outcome but also a quality of life outcome for patients.

If current trends persist, there will continue to be a shortage of long-term care beds and this will result in more seniors staying in their homes out of necessity rather than personal choice and need. The hope is that substantially more spaces in long-term care homes will be created so that waiting lists and wait durations get smaller rather than larger.

Co housing - Two house on one property

The layout, scope and size of a cohouse is limited only by the imagination of the developers ad the people who want to live in these homes.

Neighbourhood planning and building design will take into account the accessibility needs of seniors both in terms of mobility and to reduce the isolation of seniors. This will continue as part of the movement to develop age-friendly communities; something we have not heard very much from the Planning Department.

Co housing - The sales pitch

This is what cohousing is all about. It is one of the more imaginative and financially viable ideas to come along in some time.

And that is exactly where Shelly Raymond is going with her Solterra concept.

When she spoke recently in Burlington there were a number of women in the room who met with her after and asked – “How can we do this now?”

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Rotary pond skating rink opens NEXT Friday - under six must wear helmets.

News 100 blueBy Staff

December 4, 2014

BURLINGTON, ON

 

This pretty well makes it official – winter is either here or really close.

The Rotary Centennial pond will open on Saturday, Dec. 13, for the 2014/15 skating season, weather permitting.

Ice pond - RotaryThe pond overlooks Lake Ontario and is a great way to get active and enjoy Burlington’s waterfront.

There is no admission – the skating is free on a pond that opened in 2006. Approximately 7,000 skaters use the pond each season. The pond is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. with patrollers working on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on weekdays from 5 to 10 p.m.

The holiday schedule is:

Dec. 24: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Dec. 25: Closed
• Dec. 31: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Jan. 1: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Skates must be worn on the ice and children six years and under must wear a CSA-approved helmet.

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Does the CBC give the public $1 billion in value? Does the free flow of information matter? Ask the Ukranians.

Rivers 100x100By Ray Rivers

December 5, 2014

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The good old Soviet Union used to control its media for the good of the Fatherland, strengthening national spirt and resolve, and helping its people feel good about their otherwise miserable lives. After all, the Soviet empire was the inspiration for George Orwell’s classic epic ‘1984’.

The moderately free Russian press in the post-Soviet years has virtually now disappeared, after a decade or so of Mr. Putin leading the nation. And last year, after Ukraine’s corrupt Russian-puppet president fled to Moscow, Putin’s propaganda machine went into action, especially in Crimea and the Dunbas, areas where significant numbers of Russian speaking Ukrainians live.

Those folks were warned about Ukraine’s Neo-Nazi’s taking over Kiev’s streets, banning the Russian tongue and committing unspeakable crimes. The bigger the lie, the more likely it will be believed. They say ‘communication is the answer’ but in Ukraine’s case, without a trusted national and bilingual (Russian and Ukrainian) broadcaster, there was no way to counter the lies and to communicate the truth.

CBC logo

CBC – the public broadcaster that covers the country in two languages.

Canada, the UK and the USA all have public broadcast networks funded in part by combinations of advertising, donations or license fees, and public funding. In Canada’s case the CBC gets about a billion dollars a year, about two-thirds of its revenue, from the federal government. For that the corporation operates a network covering the entire country in our two official languages, as well as in a number of aboriginal tongues where needed, to make sure we all get the news.

Our Harper government has been slashing the CBC’s funding but that is not enough for the critics of the CBC, who voice that the service should be spun off, privatized or sold. They would like nothing better than to see such drastic budget cuts until a poverty-stricken and handicapped broadcaster fails, opening more air space for others, like the mega-sized and horizontally-integrated Bell media giant. The recent Ghomeshi mess has played into their hands, casting doubts on the capabilities of senior management, and further disillusioning an already skeptical public.

CBC logo - old version

A graphic that will be remembered by many in Burlington.

Objectivity and fairness used to be the two pillars of broadcasting. The US first passed the Fairness Doctrine in 1949, requiring balanced reporting in all national media. This centrepiece of US broadcast policy was upheld by the courts until 1987, when President Reagan killed the doctrine in the name of free speech. So today the majority of Americans listen to the Australian-owned (Rupert Murdock) extremely right-wing FOX news. ‘Fair and balanced’ is the ironic logo of FOX, which is anything but.

It is arguable whether public attitudes in the US have been influenced by FOX or its philosophically opposed competitor, MSNBC. But why would anyone be surprised that we are undergoing an evolution in our thinking? I mean, most Russians believe that current Ukrainian leaders, including their Jewish prime minster, are Neo-Nazi’s – say a lie enough times and anyone will believe it.

The mandate of the CBC, here in Canada, does not specifically require fairness but the assumption of objectivity is inherent, since primary funding comes from Parliament. It is common place for conservative-minded critics to accuse the media of holding a ‘liberal’ bias – an accusation that flies in the face of the abundance of right-wing media (Sun, National Post, CTV) and so many of the various CBC news folk themselves (e.g. Senator Pamela Wallen or Peter Kent). And no objective review of CBC programs or personalities has ever shown significant bias, liberal or otherwise.

Canadian flag at Quebed referendum

Did Canadians get the information they needed during the Quebec referendum debates? If they did – they got it from the CBC.

Compared to the BBC, with federal subsidy (collected through mandatory household licence fees) of over six billion dollars, the billion federal dollars to maintain the CBC doesn’t seem outrageous. Our Prime Minister spent more than that just to host the week-long G-20/G-8 summit back in 2010.

And for that money the CBC is the largest broadcaster in Canada and the only one with a specific mandate to promote Canadian culture. Its reach extends internationally as well as across Canada – making the broadcaster Canada’s best global ambassador. The CBC production “Little Mosque on the Prairie”, for example, has been syndicated world-wide including in Israel, The West Bank and Gaza.

When in the grip of either of our own sovereignty crises, the two Quebec referenda, every Canadian knew, at least, that they were getting the straight and honest goods – consistently and accurately. The decisions they ultimately made at the ballot box were based on all of the information, not just some separatist propaganda. Worth a billion dollars? Well why not just ask the Ukrainians what they think?

Rivers-direct-into-camera1-173x300Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province.

Background links:
CBC Factum       US Fairness Dotrine      US Freedom of Expression     CBC Broadcasting

CBC Comment      CBC Public Opinion      CBC Information      Ghomeshi and CBC       BBC

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Fire chief says risk is everywhere - the challenge is to be as prepared as possible. New deputy hired to over see Emergency Management Coordination

News 100 redBy Pepper Parr

December 1, 2014

BURLINGTON, ON

 

“Risk is everywhere, regardless of the neighbourhood” says Fire Chief Tony Bavota and he adds “we can’t stop the wind or the rain but we can prepare for it. Same holds true for any emergency or hazard.”

Chief Bavota is going to be the GO TO guy when there is an emergency. Up until very recently responsibility for the fire department fell to a city general manager. The latest to fill that role was Kim Phillips who took a retirement package and is now where all good municipal civil servants go.

Tony Bavota - fire chief

Burlington Fire Chief Tony Bavota; personable; believes in managing relationships.

With no general manager to lead the task fell to interim city manager Pat Moyle – which was sort of OK until the rains came down August 4th and Moyle was at his family cottage with a cell phone that was both out of range and out of juice.

Moyle learned how bad things were in the city when he drove into town to pick up some supplies – he headed straight for Burlington.

That was when Pat Moyle decided Emergency Measure problems had to rest in the hands of either the police chief or the fire chief. For a number of reasons and some provincial policy the responsibility was given to the fire chief who then began to re-organize his operation to handle situations like the rain storm. Moyle wasn’t going to see the city caught in that kind of jam again.

There is a report working its way through the cubicles at city hall that will transfer emergency measure authority from a city general manager to the fire chief. It is expected to be tabled in January

Kim Phillips, one of the city's General Managers with a focus on the administrative and financial side of the place - gave it the old high school try when she jumped into the line, grabbed the rope and pulled.  Wasn't quite enough - the firemen took the trophy this year.

Former city manager Kim Phillips was always good at pitching in.

Last August, city general manager Scott Stewart was the only top tier bureaucrat in town when the rain wouldn’t stop falling. He immediately chased down Kim Phillips and either drafted her or made her an offer she couldn’t refuse – whichever, Phillips was back in harness for a few days.

Bavota explains that the fire department always has a senior chief on duty. Burlington has several deputy chiefs and a number of people trained to handle natural disasters as well as those that are man-made.

When the Via Rail train went off the tracks back in 2011 the Mayor and his city manager took the lead in terms of talking to the public but it was the police chief who was point on the accident along with CN Rail staff.

When the ice storm brought the city to its knees hydro people were in the field but it was the fire chief and the city manager who were at the front line.

The city realized it had to get a clearer chain of command in place.

Rail tank cars - longer view at Aldershot

Eighteen of these freight trains travel through Burlington each day.

Bavota points out that there are 60 staff who are currently trained with IMS 100, which is the introduction level. Level 300 is the highest level with level 400 being worked on. Two deputies are trained at level 300.

In terms of disasters that many see as just waiting to happen (The fire chief is not amongst that crowd) there are two areas of specific concern – Enbridge’s Line 9 that runs across the city in the Escarpment and the tank cars that run through the city.

If there were a break in any one of those 39 year old pipes that run across the Escarpment the city could be facing a serious problem with bitumen seeping into the headwaters of the seven creeks that flow into the lake.

Enbridge is currently bickering with the National Energy Board over the number of shut off valves that should be in place. The NEB wants a valve within a km of every creek and river. Enbridge is saying that they have all the protection needed in place now and that if there were to be a spill there “rapid response teams” wold handle the problem.

Try telling that to the people in Kalmazoo, Michigan.

Eenbridge-9-looking-west-at-Walkers-Line-1024x559

Shut off valves in Burlington’s Escarpment. Are there enough of them?

Bavota wants to see more shut off valves and works with neighbouring municipalities to make sure the message is heard by Enbridge.
The fire department meets with Enbridge reps regularly and are available as needed. Enbridge has done training of our staff and we recently sent two senior staff to attend training with them where they simulated spill at Grindstone Creek

Chief Bavota says he has an excellent working relationship with Enbridge and has already done at least one spill exercise in the Grindstone Creek area of the city and is satisfied that we are safe from pipeline oil spill accidents.

For Bavota – the approach is to “work the relationship”. He heads up a service that is vital and expensive and while his organization has something of a military tinge to it, where the chain of command is vital he doesn’t get mired in that stuff.

He is a people person with a sense of humour who doesn’t take himself too seriously. He is a former police officer.

Rail tank cars close up

No one knows what is in those tank cars as they work their way through the city. We get data several month later setting out what passed through the city. Is that sort of like closing the barn door after the horse has run out?

The second concern for Burlingtonians is the potential for serious damage should there be a train derailment. CN Rail pulls 18 freight trains through the city every day and the fire department never knows just what is in the tank cars that roll through town.

This is a fact of urban life explains the chief who goes on to add that he does get aggregate data every quarter and he can parse that data and figure out where he wants his assets and resources to be located.

A new Deputy showed up for work December 1st. Karen Roche join the city as the newest deputy fire chief, She began her fire career with Burlington’s fire department as a volunteer fire fighter in 1996 and worked with us until 2002, when she left to work with the Hamilton Fire Department. Roche has 18 years of progressive fire service experience and was the Assistant Deputy Chief for the Hamilton Fire Department.

Prior to joining the fire service, Roche was employed as a critical care nurse in the Medical/Intensive Care Unit at Toronto General Hospital.

Roche holds a Nursing Diploma, has completed several emergency management courses, and is a graduate of the Fire Leadership Program at Dalhousie University. She is currently enrolled in the Local Government Program at the University of Western Ontario.
She will take on the role of Community Emergency Management Coordinator (CEMC).

The city’s emergency plan will have to be reviewed by Council said Bavota who will continue to train his team. The risk assessment becomes the cornerstone of emergency management.

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Burlington Fire department does not want to visit your home during the Christmas holidays.

News 100 blueBy Staff

December 4, 2104

BURLINGTON, ON.

 

A house ablaze Christmas Day is terrifying – and it happens all too frequently. People are careless, the electrical system is overloaded or something gets bumped off the stove and there is a sudden fire.

The Burlington Fire Department is offering residents some simple fire and life safety tips that will keep families safe during the winter holiday season.

Fire - blazing

This is not where fire fighters want to be anytime – and certainly not during the holidays.

“This is the time of year when we see an increase in fire-related risks. Many people don’t realize that some decorating materials can be extremely flammable,” said Joe Wintar, chief fire prevention officer. “Consider opting for safer alternatives for lighting like battery operated candles.”

With the arrival of winter weather, residents are reminded to help keep homes and workplaces clear of snow.

“Having unrestricted access to your home in the event of an emergency is very important,” said Wintar. “Clearing snow buildup away from hydrants, house numbers as well as vents on the outside of your home are a just few ways to stay safe during heavy snowfall.”

A fire hydrant in front of one home may protect properties on either side of the street. Wintar says neighbours should consider sharing the responsibility of clearing the hydrant. Residents are also encouraged to ensure house numbers are visible, especially in the rural areas where there can be blowing snow. It’s always advisable to check in on elderly or disabled neighbours to help with snow removal.

Here are few simple tips to follow to keep your home winter-safe:

Ensure the fire hydrant is clearly visible for approaching emergency vehicles and maintain a one metre clearance for firefighter access.
Clear snow away from exterior doors and stairways to allow for a quick and safe emergency exit
Prevent snow and ice from gathering on outside meters to give access for emergency and utility workers.

High and medium-efficiency furnaces and water heaters have vents that exit the building through outside walls rather than through the roof. Keep vents clear, as carbon monoxide can build up inside your home if the vents are blocked.

A house on fire on christmas Day - a true tragedy.

A house on fire on Christmas Day – a true tragedy.

Note quite the Twelve Days of Christmas but certainly 12 Days of Holiday Fire Safety tips:

1. Water fresh trees daily.
2. Check all lights before decorating for wear and compatibility.
3. Make sure you have working smoke alarms.
4. Make sure you have working carbon monoxide (CO) alarms; As of Nov. 1, it’s the law.
5. Have, and practice, a fire escape plan so everyone knows how to get out safely.
6. Use extension cords wisely.
7. Give space heaters space, and keep them away from surfaces and anything that could catch fire.
8. Go flameless and use flameless candles.
9. Keep matches and lighters away from children.
10. Keep an eye on your cooking. Stay in the kitchen and pay attention.
11. Ask smokers to smoke outside.
12. Alcohol and fire don’t mix. If you’ve been drinking, avoid smoking and cooking.

The Burlington Fire department wants you and your family to have a happy, safe holiday. They expect Santa to be visiting your home – they do not want to have to visit your home.

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Government tightens day care over-sight - adds more funding as well.

News 100 redBy Pepper Parr

December 4, 2014

BURLINGTON, ON

 

For those parents that use day care – the decisions that have to be made are both emotional and financial.

For many – the cost of day care is close to prohibitive – and then there is the quality of the day care.

News reports of children in day care actually dying – and it does happen – frighten parents. For those with limited incomes the choices are not all that good.

Day care - girl in pink

The joy of watching a child figuring something out – in a safe environment.

The province of Ontario has introduced legislation that will provide over sight for unlicensed day care.
The legislation will strengthen oversight of the province’s unlicensed child care sector and increase access to licensed child care options for families. In addition, it will allow the province to immediately shut down a child care provider when a child’s safety is at risk.

The Child Care Modernization Act also:

Gives the province the authority to issue administrative penalties of up to $100,000 per infraction by a child care provider.

Increases the maximum penalty for illegal offences under the act from $2,000 to $250,000.

Increases the number of children a licensed home-based child care provider can care for from five to six.

Clarifies what programs and activities are exempt from licensing requirements, including care provided by relatives, babysitters, nannies and camps that provide programs for school-age children.

Requires all private schools that care for more than five children under the age of four to be licensed as a child care centre.

Amends the Education Act to ensure school boards offer before- and after-school programs for 6 to12 year-olds where there is sufficient demand.

Day care - kids at table

Activities that keep them busy and learning at the same time. Is this the first step to getting into poker games?

The legislation builds on steps that Ontario has already taken to improve oversight of child care. This includes the creation of a dedicated enforcement team to investigate complaints against unlicensed providers, as well as an online searchable registry – paired with a toll-free number – to inquire about unlicensed child care violations.

It is another layer of government that will have to be paid for by the government. There was a time when there was pressure to create a Canada wide day care service with subsidies. The province has a service that started out costing $5 per day per child. Ontario has never flirted with that kind of an idea.

Ontario has 5,069 licensed child care centres in the province with a total capacity of 317,868 spaces; 166,429 of those spaces are in publicly funded schools.

Day care - kids out walking with rope

Keeping them safe and ensuring that they can be outside getting fresh air and exercise is the objective. Keeping the costs bearable is the challenge.

Starting in 2014-15, the government is investing an additional $33.6 million, over three years, to support the ongoing operation and modernization of the child care system –protecting the gains made through the previously announced investment of $346 million over four years.

Additional information:

Four steps to finding the right child care

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