Supermarket held up; cash taken, robber escapes, car driven by lone female.

 

 

By Staff

BURLINGTON, ON. August 8, 2013.  A lone male suspect entered the FreshCo grocery store on Upper Middle Road in the early afternoon where he demanded money from the cashier. 

Reasonable quality video will make it easier to catch this person, believed to have held up the FreshCo on Upper Middle Road.

He was given a quantity of cash and then fled the store.  Staff followed the male into the parking lot where he produced a knife, warned them and then made good his escape. 

The suspect was last seen getting into grey 4 door motor vehicle being driven by a female and driving southbound on Walkers Line towards the QEW.

The male is described as follows:

Male, white, 5’10” – 6′ tall, medium build, 25-30 years old, several days facial hair growth, wearing a white “hoodie” with stripes, white shoes and blue jeans.  Police were able to recover a reasonable quality image of the male fleeing the store.

 

Is this anyone you recognize?

The male is presumed to be armed and members of the public should not approach this individual.  Immediately call the Police and report his location.

 Any person with information related to this investigation, the identity of the suspect, the female driving the vehicle or the suspect vehicle is encouraged to contact the Three District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 ext 2316, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS(8477), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting ‘Tip201’ with your message to 274637(crimes).

 

 

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Impact of intensification now evident; is this the “new” Burlington?

 

 

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON.  August 8, 2013.  Growth for a city like Burlington isn’t always a positive thing in the minds of many people.  There are loads of residents who like the place just the way it is – the last thing they want is more traffic.

The local community didn’t want the development and took their argument to the Ontario Municipal Board which approved the project.

These higher, multi-storey houses face Queensway, with a balcony and a patch of grass behind them, re-place the older housing shown below.

However cities don’t get to decide on what kind and how much growth there will be – those decisions get made by the province.

This World War II era housing met the needs of  families for more than 60 years.  They were purchased, assembled and after zoning and Official Plan changes were approved demolished.  These houses front on Queensway.

It was one of the first infill project that came to this council.  It wasn’t popular with the neighbours and looking back – it’s kind of clear that it isn’t the best planning work this city has done.

It met all the rules, but it really amounts to a lot of houses being put on six, albeit large lots, that had six houses.  There is basically no open space for people to play around in the new community.  Oddly enough,  to the immediate west of the project there is a co-op that has all kinds of space between the buildings.

The stretch of land once housed two buildings, one at each end, with large back yards.  Developers saw this an opportunity and bought up the land for this development.

Like much of Burlington, the community was orchards that over time gave way to housing.  At one point there was a small school that was closed and razed.

The public school board, with two years notice that this development was to be approved, don’t have space for the influx of new students

The original application was for 74 houses – that got whittled down to 56 – and was seen as a win for the city.

The community is bound by the QEW on the north and the railway line to the south.  It is a pleasant walk from the development to the GO station.

 

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Police don’t identify an accident victim and don’t want to say which hospital he is in either. Odd isn’t it?

By Staff.

BURLINGTON, ON.  August 8, 2013. Halton’s police service are investigating a hit and run collision that left a motorcyclist seriously injured by a vehicle that fled the scene.   This vehicle was being followed by the Ontario Provincial Police prior to the collision.

 The incident occurred on Thursday, August 1, 2013 at approximately 10:30 p.m. at the intersection of Plains Road and Hillsdale Avenue in Burlington.  After the driver of the suspect vehicle struck the motorcyclist, he fled the scene; last seen driving east on Plains Road.

 A 56-year-old Dundas, Ont. man was seriously injured in this collision and is still in an undisclosed area hospital.

 Vehicle Information: A vehicle of interest has been identified as a 2001-2003 Nissan Sentra, grey in colour. The suspect vehicle will be missing the rear bumper and will have damage to the driver’s side tail light assembly.

 Suspect Information:  The driver is described as male, white, believed to be in his 30s – 40s with shoulder-length brown hair.

The Special Investigations Unit has been brought in because the OPP were following the suspect, and someone sustained an injury.

The interesting note here is the mention of the driver of the motorcycle being at an “undisclosed area hospital” – why not say where the victim is?  More to this story than meets the eye.

Anyone with information pertaining to this collision or the vehicle of interest is asked to contact the Halton Regional Police Service Collision Reconstruction Unit at 905-825-4747 ext. 5065.

 Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or by texting ‘Tip201’ with a message to 274637 (CRIMES).

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City View Park overcomes some initial opposition – reviews are good.

 

 

By Pepper Parr and Walter Byj.

BURLINGTON, ON.  August 8, 2013.  It’s a great park, closer to Hamilton than it is to most Burlington residents, and it has a chance of being a small part of the PanAm Games when they come to town in 2015.

There was a time when Burlington looked as if it might get quite a bit of the PanAm action but some slipping and sliding on the part of city hall and a real dose of NIMBY from the west end of the city and all Burlington gets now are some practice games to watch. They will take place at City View Park.

The city’s newest park is being developed in stages. Couple of soccer fields now open, playground operational and getting a lot of traffic. The advent of the Pan Am games in 2015 will see some top level soccer practices taking place in the park.

Located at the intersection of Dundas and Kerns Road the park will have five soccer fields along with two baseball diamonds for the sporting enthusiasts with seating for approximately 1,500 spectators.  In addition there would be playground areas,  walking trails though the wooded area along with large open areas.  Parking could accommodate 650 vehicles and a pavilion would be built for washrooms and change room facilities.

The site takes up 165 acres and will be the largest park in the city.  Ireland Park is 19 acres; Central Park is 22 acres; Lowville Park is 26 acres and Sherwood Forest Park is 29 acres.

Those are not bags of topsoil – they are rolls of plastic grass.

Carpeting for a soccer field – some are not convinced that plastic grass was the best idea for the soccer fields. We will know in ten years when it has to be taken up.

Opposition has been a part of this park’s development almost from the beginning. There was some debate over the decision to use what got called plastic grass – Astro Turf was the product name.  Margaret Lindsay Holton, now a Hamilton resident, was consistently vocal on the way the park was being developed and called the decision to use artificial turf an eco-disgrace.  An appeal to the Niagara Escarpment Commission reduced development to a crawl but that got settled and in went the construction equipment.

This stand of trees on the south side of Dundas has to come out to make space for an equipment – storage shed and parking for staff.

There was nothing about this stand of trees that made them a “must save” but that didn’t matter to BurlingtonGreen. They take the position that every tree is worth saving – it takes 20 years to grow new ones – and we aren’t doing anywhere near the re-placing that could be done on the City View Park grounds.

Then there was opposition to cutting down a decent stand of trees to put in maintenance sheds.  BurlingtonGreen wasn’t able to convince the city to put the equipment housing somewhere else.

Great view of Burlington Bay and the Skyway bridge from the south end of City View Park.

The idea of an additional park came to the surface in 2002 and by 2010 the city decided upon what it believed it needed and what it would take to fully complete the park – $22 million.  Parts of the Bruce Trail run through the property;  there are several ponds and lots of walking space at the south end of the park.  There is a great view of Burlington Bay and the Skyway Bridge from the edge of the old Kerns quarry which is the southern limit.

With seating for 1500 people going in at some point – could the park become “home” for the Bandits?  We could pull in some of the Hamilton traffic from that location?

 

 

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Beachway Park water is just fine – should be a great weekend.

By Staff

BURLINGTON, ON. August 8, 2013.  The little beach at the bottom of Brant Street is iffy but everything along the Beachway Park is great for swimming.

The Regional health people have posted their reports.

Bottom of Brant – iffy – rest of Burlington beaches are good to go – grab your towels.

Brant beach is considered unsafe to swim if water tests show high amounts of E. coli bacteria.

That water run off pipe is what results in part of the problem with the small beach at the foot of Brant Street. That plus the geese that foul the water. There is always a sign on this beach that tells you if the water is safe.

Conditions posted are based on samples taken from the previous day.

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That $5 million in the South African Reserve Bank is never going to get to you – but if you’re not careful you could lose some of your money.

 

 

By Pepper Parr.

BURLINGTON, ON.  August 9, 2013.  The first time you read the email you wonder –  what is this?  How did they get my name and – this isn’t real is it?

A lot of people take a second look and click on a link or respond to a message.  When they do that they have begun to engage the person who sent the email.  The people who send this stuff are patient; they have nothing else to do but build confidence with you, make you believe that they are for real.

Dear Sir/Madam

I am sorry to bug your privacy. My name is Siti Rohani Salleh, I am the wife to late Abu Talib Yadin who happens to be a government contractor, trader and a politician. My husband was divisional treasurer of trade and contractors of the Malaysian Indian Congress in Perak state. He was brutally murdered by opposing members of his party for his straightforwardness and accountability though the government claimed that it was a robbery attack but everybody know it was assassination by some people in government. I was lucky to stand this gruesome murder on the night of Saturday, 15th September 2012 but they still stabbed me on my abdomen but I was lucky to escape. I was rush to the hospital by some neighbors and eventually the same assassin still came to the hospital in Malaysia just to take my life but eventually they miss their access to my ward.

So I had to instruct our account manager to transfer our money to South Africa where I had to run and seek asylum/refugee. Presently I   am in the government hospital.

Please copy link below and read more about the incident where my husband was murdered on 12th September 2012.

https://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?sec=nation&file=/2012/9/15/nation/12034249

I write you to seek your assistance in the security of US$5.5million Deposited by me with a  SOUTH AFRICAN RESERVE BANK before I seek refugee/asylum here. The South African reserve bank will allow you go on their online banking to transfer the funds. I am the only one with direct access and information of this deposit.

I decided to seek help knowing that My days are numbered having received a call from the Reserve bank that they will turn the deposit to its government treasury if I fail to present a representative for the claim. I seek your assistance to be made the Administrator to this inheritance since I have no relative or children. I intend to introduce you to the director of the bank whom I deem very competent to guide you through this claim process. Please get back to me for more information on this inheritance.

I was lead (note the spelling error) by the Almighty to send this mail to you after serious thought of all emails I saw on the internet. Please treat this seriously. I have all documents of deposit of this fund to proove I hope to hear from you soonest before I go.

Thank you. send your reply to me so that we can finalize this transfer within 3 days, I have all documentation to back up this claim, this is my email address: mrsitis@aol.com  Mrs.Siti Rohani Salleh.  Reply me to: mrsitis@aol.com

The people who sent you this are hoping you will be enticed to click on the email and if you do that – you have taken the first step to someone beginning the process of stealing more of your identity and as much of your money as they can.

The stealing of your identity will have already begun if you get an email like the one below.  They have your email address – what else do they have?

There are people who earn their living this way – they look for naive people, gullible people, curious people or greedy people and they work their scam.

Spend $10 on a good read and the best introduction you will ever get to how identities are stolen and why you get some of the email  that appears in your inbox.

Just how this is done was explained all too well in a book written by Will Ferguson “419”, a title that became a best seller and won the Scotiabank Giller prize in 2012, is the story about a man who got pulled into one of these scams and chose to end his life.

The book is a great read – and an interesting look at what the police in this country can and can’t do about identity theft.

We quote from the book, which is fiction, and very well researched. Detectives from the  Economic Crime Unit of a police service are explaining to a woman whose father got taken that “The only defence we have with these types of fraud is education”.

In the novel the police show the woman some of the documents they have collected.  “One is both very specific and oddly vague: A Fund Management Agreement issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria; an International Remittance voucher; a Certificate of Registration; Letters of Intent, affidavits, court orders, banking forms, all duly signed and duly sealed.”

And all phony, all created to fool people into parting with their money.

The people who do this type of thing are pretty good at it – but they succeed only because they gain your confidence.

In Will Ferguson’s “419” he takes you through just how the thieves, all from Nigeria in this book, work to gain a person’s confidence.

“These are some of the actual documents your father received; our tech unit recovered them from the cached files on his hard drive.  You father had tried to delete them in the days before his accident.  He thought he had cleared the memory – here – your father would have scanned and signed these forms and then emailed them back to Nigeria as attachments.”

When you get emails like this – scroll through it – some of the claims these people make are amazing – just don’t click on any of the links – you don’t  really know where they are going to take you.

This is one of an ongoing series the Gazette will be doing on Identity Theft as part of an effort to make our readers more aware of what might show up in your email inbox one day.

 

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Bandits start their league playoff round – everyone gets into the playoffs.

By Staff.

BURLINGTON, ON. August 9, 2013 – The season wasn’t the greatest but there is a chance to redeem themselves in the Intercounty Baseball League playoffs which begin on Friday for the Burlington Bandits when they play the London Majors in London on Friday evening for round one of the playoffs.  The first home game of the playoffs for the Bandits will be on Saturday August 10th at Nelson Park.

Game starts at 1:00 pm n Saturday – wear anything red and you get a coupon for $1 to use at the concession stand.

If the BAndits do this often enouh Friday night – it could be an interesting playoff series.

The Bandits will travel to London for game one on Friday nigh, the 9th,  for a 7:35pm showdown with the Majors. The Bandits will then return home on Saturday, August 10th for a 1:00pm start at Nelson Park.

Playoff tickets can be purchase at the front entrance gate upon arrival, by phone at 905-630-9036 or at our official team store.

This is how the InterCounty Baseball League season ended. Now on to the playoffs – the Bandits need to get a little craftier and steal home more often.

This is the end of the first season for the newly named Burlington Bandits.  Scott Richardson took over the team and brought much more promotion and pizzazz to the marketing side of the business – now the team needs to focus on the talent and develop a team that can hit and run.  A pitcher wouldn’t hurt either.

What the team does do is offer good baseball in a setting that is affordable, comfortable and designed to get a family out to a game they can walk to if you live in the east end or drive to easily.

It has been a decent first season under new management.  A bit of a boost out of the basement during the playoffs will be a good launch into the next season.  Same location next year?

Full playoff schedule
Game 1: Friday August 9th @ London; 7:35pm
Game 2: Saturday August 10th @ Burlington; 1:00pm
Game 3: Sunday August 11th @ London; 1:00pm
Game 4: Thursday August 15th @ Burlington; 7:30pm
Game 5: Friday August 16th @ London; 7:35pm
Game 6: Saturday August 17th @ Burlington; 1:00pm
*Game 7: Sunday August 18th @ London; 1:00pm

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Mayor satisfied with his first term so far; doesn’t plan to change much.

 

 

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON.  August 7, 2013.  The anxious look hadn’t changed much since the first interview when Rick Goldring was running for the office of Mayor in 2010.  At that time he had no idea what he was in for and he needed the three years he had with the Chain of Office around his neck to get used to being Mayor of the city and deciding what kind of a Mayor he was going to be.

On the surface, Rick Goldring is as decent as they come.Rick Goldring is, on the surface, as decent as they come. While not the quickest study at Council he is diligent and takes the time he needs to develop his point of view.

During the first two and a half years he had Frank McKeown as his Chief of Staff and the two worked well together.  Sometime last summer a difference of opinion that could not be overcome developed and McKeown told the Mayor in July that he would leave his position at the end of the year.  The Mayor has been running his office with a Chief of Staff that brings a much different talent and temperament to the job of Chief of Staff.

The purpose of our interview with the Mayor was to ask what he would do differently as he looks back over his first two and a half years as Mayor. “What would he not do that he chose to do and what does he wish he had done that he didn’t do.”, was the question we asked.

We were a little taken aback when the Mayor said there wasn’t anything he would do differently.

Were we seeing a level of hubris that is not a part of Goldring’s personality make up or did he not understand the question? That wasn’t clear at the time.  There was some clarification when the Mayor called a day later and said upon thinking about the question there was something he would do differently and that was, –  be part of the Downtown Vision.  He said that he would make a point of being on that committee next year.

During the last provincial election Goldring looked at the candidates carefully and wanted to be sure the government understood the concern over a potential highway being rammed through the Escarpment. Kathleen Wynne, on the right was Minister of Transportation at the time.

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Judge OK’s agreement that has the Air Park ceasing to dump landfill until at least October 4 – region tests well water.

 

 

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON. August 5th, 2013.  Barbara Sheldon, the Appleby Line resident with mountainous piles of landfill on the north, south and east sides of her property that are part of the landfill work being done by the owners of the Air Park wasn’t sure if last Friday was going to be a good day for her or not.

Regional staff prepare to test the water in the well on the Sheldon property on Appleby Line. The background view is to the west – the only one not blocked by huge piles of landfill.

The Regional Health people were going to be on her property to test the well water and attempt to determine if there was any damage being done to the water in her well as a result of the run off from the landfill  which slopes onto her property.  She was told she would see the results in two weeks.

Sheldon believes the data from documents inspected by Terrapex Environmental, a company hired by the city to make some sense out of all the testing reports given to them by the Air Park,  confirms that there are contaminates in the water on her property and that of a neighbour to the north.

The view from the north side of the Sheldon property. At one point Sheldon could see Rattlesnake Point from her house

She felt the city should have moved to have the well water in properties immediately adjacent to the Air Park land tested, but the city did nothing.  Sheldon worked her way through the Regional bureaucracy and the provincial Ministry of the Environment (MOE) to get the testing done last Friday.  Sheldon wonders where her Council member was on all this; not a word of support from Blair Lancaster on what residents could do.

The southern view from the Sheldon property – that 30 foot plus pile of landfill wasn’t there when the property was purchased.  If the owners of the Air Park get their way this part of their land will become a helicopter landing and take off area.  There goes the neighbourhood.

With the well water testing done, Sheldon headed for Milton to sit in a Court room and hear how the city and the Air Park were going to work their way through a couple of procedural issues. 

A few weeks ago the city and the Air Park planned a meeting at the airport to talk through the issues.  At the last-minute the Air Park cancelled that meeting and served the city with a document that was to get them both in front of a Judge.

The Air Park was asking the Courts to declare the Air Park rights under the Constitution Act, the Aeronautics Act, and the regulations within those acts are valid.

The Air Park wanted the Court to declare that the city’s  Topsoil Preservation and Site Alteration By­ law does not apply to the Air Park’s operations  and  construction  of aerodrome facilities on its premises;

The Air Park also wanted a judge to declare that the order to comply with that bylaw, issued by the city,  on or about May 3, 2013,  is null and void and of no legal effect;

The Air Park also wanted an injunction that would prevent anyone acting on the city’s behalf from interfering or attempting to interfere with the Air Park’s operations and construction of aerodrome facilities on its premises.

The city was surprised at those moves and concluding that the friendly talks were over quickly moved to apply for a permanent injunction restraining the Air Park from placing or dumping fill, removing topsoil or otherwise altering the grade of the land by causing, permitting or performing any other form of site alteration on the land.

The city also asked for an interim injunction restraining the Air Park from placing or dumping fill, removing topsoil or otherwise altering the grade of the land by causing, permitting or performing any other form of site alteration on the Property.

The city added to that a request for a mandatory order requiring the Air Park to remove the fill deposited on the land in contravention of Table 1 of Ontario Regulation 153/04.

These two applications to the Court were to be heard on August 28th.  The first thing that had to be done last Friday, was to put these on hold and to have the judge certify an agreement the city and the Air Park had reached on what could be done and what could not be done while all the legal wrangling went on.

The city and the Air Park had come to an agreement on how things should work out on the site while the lawyers did their talking.  City hall was now very wary over the Air Park’s behaviour; they thought they were meeting to talk about the problems a few weeks ago,  while the Air Park was preparing documents to get in front of a Judge – so rather than rely on a verbal agreement the city asked that the agreement be taken before a judge and endorsed which meant the verbal agreement had the clout of a Court order.

The Judge endorsed an agreement that the arguments that were to be heard August 28th were to be moved to a date sometime after October 4th.

Between now and then the Air Park “will not bring any fill on its land other than gravel and pairings grindings for runway base only and not to be mixed with other fill and asphalt for pairing to allow completion of runway widening and taxiways”.  The judge added that these “terms will continue to apply until the disposition of this application”.

So, the city in effect has its injunction and north Burlington residents can rest assured that there will be no landfill dumped on the site until the October 4th hearing.

The Air Park sits in the middle of the eastern part of north Burlington and has operated as a small dirt runway operation for years. Vince Rossi purchased the operation and began his quest to develop it into almost a regional air park with little if any input from the city of the region. Economic development was in the hands of an independent entrepreneur who believed he had found away to avoid complying with city bylaws.  The city didn’t see it that way.

The Air Park claims they are regulated by federal government rules and are not subject to municipal bylaws.  The city agrees that the running of the airport is regulated by the federal government but what the air park does with land fill and changes to the grading of the land and how water runoff is handled is regulated by the municipality.

During a council chamber foyer conversation city manager Jeff Fielding made it very clear to Glenn Grenier that the city did not share his view that the Air Park did not have to comply with city bylaws. Grenier had positioned himself as a leading expert in aeronautical law and that the city should respect their rights. The city doesn’t believe the Air Park actually has the rights they say they have.

Stopping work at the Air Park until the differences of opinion are heard by a judge had the potential for Air Park to lose what is left of the construction season

Where does all this leave Barbara Sheldon?  She will know in two weeks if the water in her well is damaging her health.

And, on October 4th , after four hours of deliberations she will know if a Judge sides with the city and says they have the right to impose their rules on the Air Park or if the Air Park comes under federal jurisdiction and does not have to comply with municipal bylaws. 

Should the Air Park prevail, this idyllic setting will cease to exist – there will be helicopter pads less than 75 yards away.

If the Air Park argument prevails Sheldon sees a quiet life on her property coming to an end.

And if the Air Park prevails Burlington is going to have to do a big think on just what is going to happen in terms of development in the rural part of the city should they be told that their bylaws have no impact on the Air Park.  That’s a huge issue for the city.

Whatever the decision – expect it to be appealed.  This case has ramifications for every municipality across the country – it’s a fight that has been brewing out there for some time.  Burlington looks as if it is the city that will be taking this one on.

Should a Judge tell the Air Park that their aeronautics operations do indeed come under federal jurisdiction but what they do that relates to the way they grade their land or manage water that runs of land they own is subject to the bylaws of the city, then the Air Park is going to re-think how they are going to get along with city hall and the Region.  No more thumbing their noses at the city.

That kind of a decision could have a very significant impact on the operation Vince Rossi runs and could put his $5 million investment – and then some – at significant risk. 

We got a hint of what the argument is going to be about when one of the lawyers representing the Air Park commented last Friday that for “many years the city has agreed that its regulations and bylaws did not apply to the Air Park”.  If there is documentary evidence to support that argument the city could have a problem.

The city didn’t pay nearly enough attention to what the Air Park was doing for the past five years.  They seemed content to go along with the Air Park’s claim that they were federally regulated and they could do whatever they wanted with their land.  When the city got a look at just how much grading was being done – they began to take action and since then have been very aggressive.

Vince Rossi at his only meeting with north Burlington residents since the issue of what he was doing with his Air Park once the extent of his landfill work was clear.

The city has also been much more forthcoming with information.  They have posted copies of the documents served on them by the Air Park and have posted copies of documents they served.  Burlington has not seen this level of transparency in the past.  Healthy to say the least.

Had the city been on the ball they would have seen the signs and begun to monitor what was going on up there.  The Mayor knew they were doing something; planners were at least apprised of what was happening and the Economic Development Corporation was aware – as to just how much they knew and what they did with what they knew will prove to become an issue in a court room.

The Air Park for its part should have been more forthcoming, less arrogant and been prepared to work with the city and be good neighbours.

The city’s failure to be on top of this file and the arrogant approach the Air Park used in their dealings with the city is what got both of them into a Court room.

 

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Brant Day in Burlington, 2013 – once again old Joe didn’t make an appearance. Weather was great though.

REVISED

By Pepper Parr.

BURLINGTON, ON. August 5th, 2013.  It is always that first Monday in August – we always seem to be favoured with good weather.  The lineups at the food tables isn’t all that bad and the grounds at LaSalle Park are spacious enough for lots of wandering.  Joseph Brant Day in Burlington.

While the day is supposed to belong to Joseph Brant – there isn’t much of the man or what he did in evidence.  Were it not for the presentation made by the Historical Society – you would hardly know that Brant was one of the greatest Canadians ever produced.

Museums of Burlington staff in their new t-shirts kept busy at the food tent.

The Brant Day event is still probably one of the best family events in the city and on this holiday Monday the weather was superb, the hot dog prices were good and the Museums of Burlington team of volunteers were scurrying about in the brand new T-shirts.

The Museum Board that oversees both Ireland House and the Brant Museum are working on a proposal to have an almost complete re-build of the Museum at Maple Avenue and LAkeshore but there was no mention of that project during the day.  One would have thought there would be at least a video presentation of what the thinking was.  Not this year.

An aboriginal youth lays out his hoops as he prepares to do a demonstration dance.

A young aboriginal boy gave a demonstration of a hoop dance.  We saw this young man last year – he is coming along just fine – we should see a well-rounded hoop dancer in the years ahead.  A parent beat out the dance pace on a small drum and explained to the audience that the aboriginal community have passed down their traditions for centuries.  We say part of that tradition Monday afternoon at LaSalle Park – land that Joseph surely walked on during his time in Burlington – the city he died in on November 24th, 1807.

There was the obligatory War of 1812 re-enactor; the face painting people and seniors sitting outside in the sun.

One couple, both reading – he from a Kobo, the books on a screen and she from a paperback novel – the two of them sitting in the shade.

The Friends of Freeman Station has their new model of the structure they saved from the fire wood crews set up and there were a decent number of $5 bills in the collection bowl.

These races used to be done in potato sacks – urbanization has upgraded them to pillow cases. Still the same race which the kids loved.

Joseph Brant Day in Burlington in 2013 – slim on the educational side, close to bare in acknowledgement and celebration of Joseph Brant but a time for everyone to be outside playing Frisbee with a couple of friends and a dog that insists in being part of the game.

Burlington’s MPP and MP were on hand for part of the day. Jane McKenna, Mike Wallace and Friends of Freeman president James Smith posed with Bob Chambers and his model of the Freeman Station.

We were advised that Burlington’s political leaders were on hand to do the meet and greet stuff. Mayor Goldring was on holidays in Ireland and sent his Congratulations.  Regional Chair Gary Carr we were advised was also on hand.

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Residential, night time break-ins in the Brant – Upper Middle Rd. part of town.

By Staff

BURLINGTON, ON. August 5, 2013.  Halton Regional Police are investigating a series of night time residential break and enters that have occurred in the Brant Street and Upper Middle Road area of Burlington over the past two weeks.

In these instances, a door or window has been left open or unlocked allowing thieves to enter the residences or garages. Investigators believe that the suspects are targeting small electronics and in none of the instances have any home owners been confronted by the intruders.

 Residents are reminded to remain vigilant and keep doors and windows locked when away from home or asleep as a screened door or window can easily be cut or removed by thieves.

Police offer the following tips to homeowners as a means of reducing the risk of their homes to being broken into:

 • Securely lock all windows/doors to home

• Have an alarm/video surveillance system installed

• Utilize exterior lighting

• Use locks on gates to backyard

• If you suspect your home has been entered and/or an intruder is still present within or nearby, contact 9-1-1 immediately for police assistance.

 

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If it doesn’t seem right – it is probably wrong. The identity thieves depend on your gullibility.

 

 

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON.  August 4, 2013.  One of the biggest problems we face as a society is the theft that takes place of money that is not in our wallets or purses.  Some call it identity theft; others call them scams – the result is usually the same – someone we don’t know, will never see, manages to convince us to give them information that allows them to take money out of our bank or from our credit cards.

They often get our money because we are greedy and think that there really is something for nothing waiting for us out there.  Do we really believe someone in Nigeria has millions of dollars they want to get out of that country and that they will give us a large portion of that money if we help them?  Some people do.

Does anyone not know someone who got sucked in by one of these schemes?  The thieves play upon our greed or our naivety to get us to part with information they need to get our money.

The Gazette is doing an ongoing series of articles on identity theft and how these thieves work to take advantage of us.

Read the notice I got carefully – what tells you this is a phony message designed to get me to give the sender information that would allow them to take money from my bank account.

I happen to bank with the Bank of Montreal.  Earlier today I got an email, sent to an address I seldom use.  It was an email from my bank – well let the following tell the story.

Why is my bank telling me about a payment?  And just what is a “pending status”.  It sounds kind of official.

The email tells me that I am required to verify something – online.  They use the words “secure verification link” but that’s just to make you feel confident.

There isn’t a bank in this country that is ever going to send you an email like this.

A bigger reason to be suspicious is in the Subject line.  “Receive your payment now”; that’s the kind of language advertisers use.

The people who send emails like this buy lists of names from other thieves online and then they send out tens of thousands of emails.  It doesn’t cost them a dime to send the email.

If one ploy doesn’t work – they will try another.

This was a really direct attempt to get information.  Banks do customer satisfaction surveys but they don’t use email and they don’t offer money if you do the survey.  $378. is far more than any survey company will ever pay for participating.  The best you’re going to get is a gift card for maybe $20.

This one was pretty blunt and played on that little bit of greed we all have in us.  I didn’t download this one – it would have taken me to a web site that could do very serious damage to the information on my computer.

It would have given them access to all my contacts and might have permitted the sender to install software on my computer that could capture every keystroke I entered.

This type of data theft is particularly vicious – but that $368 looks tempting to some people.

What can you do to protect yourself?  Common sense and remember – if it looks to good to be true – that’s because it isn’t true.

This is one of an ongoing series the Gazette will be doing on Identity Theft as part of an effort to make our readers more aware of what might show up in your email inbox one day.

 

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A complex organization but between all the levels there is a group of people meeting a real community need.

 

 

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON. August 3, 2013  When you ask Wayne Brown why a committee was formed to put on yet another gala event in Burlington he will tell you that the moment three people in this city get together the outcome is a gala – and if two people are in a pub having a beer, he adds, the result is a golf tournament.  That’s just what people in Burlington do.  It could be worse.

Wayne Brown is the chair of an event being called This Magic Moment and while not exactly a gala,  it is a fund raising event for a good cause with a committee made up of anyone who is anybody on the letterhead.

Don’t expect to see Connie Smith with this Vavavavoom dress at the Magic Moment event; she plans to wear a pony tail and her saddle shoes – if she can find them.

Try this for influence: Wayne Brown as Chair; Scott Robinson of the Burlington Bandits baseball team as  Co-Chair; Reg Titian, Artistic Director; Lucie Rivest, Treasurer; Connie Smith at CHCH is handling Publicity; Don Foster/Jackie Penner have taken on marketing.  These are the working stiffs

The Board of Directors consists of Carol Leppan, Steve DeHaseth, Carla Leyer, Jason Stoner, Bill McKeon, Jenifer Rayworth, Sarah Allen, Salma Burney, Shannon Smith, Wendy Gzechowski, Barry Leppan, Mario Carr and Rob Wheeler.

You need to be careful with this man: Once he has decided to do something – it is going to get done. Expect to see Jim Frizzle working with him

Serving as liaison with the Halton Heros committee is Cheryl Goldring and Keith Strong.  Strong is the guy you want to keep an eye on.  This Magic Moment event would not be taking place if Strong had not learned that there are times when police or civilian working for the police service need help.

What are all these people doing when they get together in the same room?  Organizing an event that will sell 2000 tickets for an outdoor dance event to be held at Nelson Park September 14th.  This isn’t going to be any ordinary dance under the stars.  The stars will be on the stage and the music will take the audience back to their youth – those time when they danced the jitterbug and the guys whirled the girl they were with through the air.  The music of the 50’s and 60’s headlined by The Drifters, not some knock off group – but the original four who will be on the stage singing their signature piece: This Magic Moment.

No need to go looking for a scalper outside Nelson High – slip over to get tickets – don’t wait – this one will probably sell out.

The Magic Moment event is one part of a much larger organization called Community Cares Committee of Halton.  It was incorporated late in 2012 by volunteers that care and want to help make a difference.  Its first initiatives was the organizing of a gala for the Halton Heroes which held its inaugural event last year and raised $140,000 which will be used to support police officers and civilians employed by the Halton Regional Police Service who are injured in the line of duty.

The funds raised by the Gala were left with the Burlington Community Development Foundation on an in trust basis.  When anyone working with the Police Service is injured the Foundation delivers a cheque to them within 48 hours.

Brown explains that while insurance and other benefits are available to police officers and police service staff there is a process to be followed and that takes time.  For families in crisis with perhaps no immediate financial support, funds in hand immediately make a huge difference – thus the Halton Heroes funding.

The second gala, specifically dedicated to the Halton Heroes fund is to be held on Friday, September 20, 2013 at the Burlington Convention Centre.  The sole purpose of this fund is to make sure the community is there for Halton Regional Police Service families.

“In Halton Region”, explains Brown, “ the public depend on the Police Service to protect us in times of crisis and need. We can’t prevent every act of violence or injury. But together we can offer our officers and civilian staff peace-of-mind.”

“Right now”, adds Brown, “there is a gap in funding when one of our Police Service members is seriously injured or killed. By establishing an endowment fund to be administered by an independent board, our Halton Regional Police Service members and their families will have short-term financial assistance that is not currently available.”

The funds raised during that Magic Moment evening will be added to the Halton Community Cares Committee.

It sounds like almost too many layers of organization – but it gives them a reason to get out of the house at night.  And the end result next September 14th will be an evening under the stars dancing to music some of us remember very well – Dancing to the sound of

They’re collecting pension cheques now – but this is the way they did it when they were younger.

 He rocks in the tree tops all day long

Hoppin’ and a-boppin’ and a-singing his song

All the little birds on Jaybird Street

Love to hear the robin go tweet tweet tweet.

Remember?

Connie Smith is going to MC the event, along with Robbie Lane;  the Drifters will be on stage. Do you remember Pauly and the Goodfellas? When was the last time you heard Good Vibrations and California Girls?

It gets better.  The Drifters don’t like running around at the pace most entertainers do; they prefer to relax; take the train and avoid the crowds – so they’re coming in Burlington a day ahead of their Saturday night appearance at Nelson Park.

It’s a sound that will bring back wonderful memories from some of those wonderful moments – the Drifters – live at Nelson Park

Well guys, thought the committee that put this together, if you’re in town, why not hold a nice, small, intimate evening with a small bunch of people who can sip wine, nibble on the noshes and chat up the Drifters and hear some of the wild tales they have to tell.

That resulted in the Soiree that will take place on Friday evening at the Waterfront Hotel.   Tickets to that event right here.

It’s going to be a great weekend – with a number of people calling their chiropractors the next day – that “hoppin” and a “bobbin” stuff calls for a physical dexterity many of those people just don’t have anymore.

 

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Where the measles came from and how the Region MOH tracked it down.

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON. August 3, 2013.  Burlington has reported an abnormal number of measles cases this year – six so far when the number has not been higher than two for the past eight years and often there were no cases reported.

Measles just isn’t a communicable disease we see very much of in Canada and that is because most of the population is immunized.

There was a time when many communities saw notices like this posted.

Dr. Monir Taha, the deputy Medical Officer of Health for the Region, talked earlier in the week about how the six cases of measles broke out in Burlington.  The first was traced to a family with three children who were in British Columbia passing through the Vancouver airport.   Someone with measles passed closed to these children, who had not been immunized and they picked up the communicable disease.  How does Dr. Taha know that?  Turns out there was a case of measles reported in British Columbia and that person was also in the Vancouver airport at the same time.  Good medical detective work arrived at the conclusion that the Burlington residents picked up their measles at the same airport.

When those children got back to Burlington they passed what they had picked on along to other people who had not been immunized.  The Regional Health people tracked where these children had been and published that information which advised the public that if they had rashes and had been in any of the location mentioned on the dates indicated – get to a doctor.

Getting this kind of information out to the public is what electronic media are in place for.  News can get published instantly and read whenever people decide they want to know what’s going on.

We live in a world where people travel.  There are tens of thousands of people in other countries who travel and are not immunized and can be communicable disease carriers.

Halton has a very good student immunization rate – 93% of students are immunized.

The trick is to ensure that your immunizations are up to date.

Halton has an exceptionally high immunization rate.  93% of the student population is immunized.  The Region only has records of the student population.

Of the remaining 7% the Region has no data on 1%;  4% are not immunized for various reasons, religious or otherwise; 2% are opposed to immunization.

There are some fears out there about immunization explains Dr. Taha who said “it is the safest way to prevent communicable diseases and it works.”  There are some that believe there is a link between immunization and autism – Dr. Taha thinks the medical community has shown all too clearly that there is no link.  The one doctor who put forward that theory has lost his license to practice and the journal that published the paper has withdrawn it.

Immunization for measles is best done at the age of 1 for the first dose and then at about the age of four for the second dose.

Taha explains that the demographic that are at some risk are those born in the ‘70’s – when immunization was not as thorough as it is today.  Some of that demographic explains Taha may not have gotten that second needle.  If you get both doses – you’re covered for life.

Measles spreads easily – and there have been recent occasions when it got close to pandemic proportions.  In Europe in 2011 there were 26,000 cases with 14,000 of those in France.  Within the same time frame there were 700 cases of measles in Quebec.

The six cases found in Halton are described as a cluster which suggests there is no underlying problem but each Region has a Medical Officer of Health (MOH), each province has a Medical Officer of Health who supervises the Regions who are in place to oversee public health and to communicate with each other when there is as much as a suspicion of a problem.

Nationally there are several organizations that coordinate what goes on with each province.  The MOH has a lot of authority.  They have the power to quarantine an individual home, a whole street or a community if necessary.

Hers of cattle have had to be slaughtered because they had foot and mouth disease.

When we were experiencing SARS in 2003 some hospitals were closed to the general public.  In the 50’s some ranches in western Canada had to destroy thousands of head of cattle due to an outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

Public health is serious business – in Halton we had people who were able to quite quickly trace the development of measles and assure the public that we did not have an epidemic happening.  Government at its best.

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Dennison OMB hearing moved back to 2014 – why the delay?

 

 

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON. August 3, 2013.  That was a bit of a surprise to the Roseland Community.  They had been expecting the Ontario Municipal Board hearing that was to determine just what Councillor Dennison could do with his property to take place late in August.

A designated home, bought under a power of sale which the owner,  Councillor Jack Dennison wants to have severed into two lots.

Dennison had decided to appeal the Committee of Adjustment decision that did not approve his request to sever his 3083 Lakeshore property.  That put many noses on the Roseland community out of joint and meant that the Roseland Community Association now had to prepare for yet another OMB hearing.  They had done this in the past with other owners who wanted to sever property and had won at those hearings and were apparently confident they will win at the OMB on the Dennison application.

Then – out of the blue they learn that the hearing has been moved back to May 29, 2014. That gets the hearing into the lead into the next municipal election.  Don’t expect to see Dennison on the ballot that year

Chair Michael Ramsay, on the left, voted  with two of his fellow Committee of Adjustment members in denying Councillor Jack Dennison a request to be allowed to severe his 3083 Lakeshore Road property. Members who took part in this CoA hearing included Robert Bailey, Grant Newberry, Dave Kumar and Sam Sarraf

What brought that about?  People who have appearances can ask for changes in the date and as long as that process is not abused – changes in hearing dates are given.

Roseland residents are  wondering aloud why this might have happened.

Among the possible reasons for a delay going the rounds are:

– his lawyer could not do the early date, and that was the next one that worked for him?

– they knew which Member of the Ontario Municipal Board was being assigned to the hearing and wanted to do some cherry-picking?

– he can’t afford to pay the legal fees in the near term

– he is going to resign as Councillor before then

– there is going to be a favourable change in the Official Plan or some other law (but this should not matter, as current law would apply)

– the deal to sell the lot fell through and he needs another buyer.

Lots of speculation going on in Roseland – and while that is fine for those summer evenings when the chilled Chardonnay flows easily as people sit out on the patio or beside the pool chit chatting away – it isn’t good for the process of conducting civic business.  It puts what goes on at city hall in a poor light.

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Brant Street beach safe for swimming; Beachway Park water not safe – a bummer on a long weekend.

By Staff

BURLINGTON, ON.  August 3, 2013.  This is certainly going to be a “get to the Beach” weekend.  Lake Ontario is beginning to warm up a bit and the water is described as safe in most places.

The Beachway Park water is described as unsafe – caution. There is certainly loads of beach space along that stretch of the lake.  Finding a spot to set up a shade awning and maybe setting up your hibachi won’t be easy and if you manage to find a parking spot along Lakeshore Road – good on you.  Keeping out of the water – or at least not staying in for long periods of time might be a good idea.  Very young children – not a good idea to have them in the water.

The Region is responsible for testing water and advising the public on whether or not it is safe to swim. 

The water at the foot of Brant is safe – the way to keep it that way is to not feed the geese.  If you put food in one end of the critters – you gotta know what is going to come out of the other end.  And that stuff comes out in the water, which is shallow  All that adds up to the high e-coli count that is reported.

The Beachway Park is on a part of the lake where wind directions change frequently – which results in different wave patterns.  It will be really difficult to keep children out of the water.  There are consequences if they do play in the water.

Enjoy the weekend.

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Nelson Pool Closure due to water main break

 By Staff

BURLINGTON, ON. August 1, 2013.  The Nelson pool is closed due to a water main break. City and regional staff are on site to assess, conduct repairs and clean up.

 The splash pad is closed due to the water to the area being cut off.  Camps and rentals are being diverted to other locations.

 We expect the next update from the city at 3:00 pm this afternoon.

 

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All those pictures you will take; all those memories you will create: city and region want you to share them. Region is putting up some cash.

By Staff

BURLINGTON, ON. August 1, 2013.  The city is reaching out to residents and visitors to Burlington, asking them to capture their special moments at the city’s many parks, recreation and cultural spots and then share them online as part of a community project called Burlington Moments.

The concept for Burlington Moments originated from the city’s Community Report, which featured a companion video of an up-close look at how people personally experience and enjoy the city’s parks, recreation and cultural assets. Since its launch in June, the video has garnered more than 1,200 hits on YouTube.

Precious moment – captured forever – will we see pictures like this submitted?

 “We knew people liked the Burlington Moments video and that there were more great moments happening every day at pools, parks and cultural hubs across the city so we put out the call for people to share those ‘feel-good’ experiences with us and the rest of the community,” said Kim Phillips, the city’s general manager of community and corporate services. “Our hope is that when people watch the video they’ll be inspired to create and share their own special moments.”

Do you think maybe Mom is a librarian?

The city is encouraging people to post their favourite moments on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, using the #BurlONMoments hash tag for a chance to win one of three summer fun prize packs.

 The prize pack includes:  4 swimming passes, 2 rounds of Golf at Tyandaga, golf shirt, cooler bag, 2 mugs, 2 water bottles, Tim Horton’s gift cards, 2 beach towels, sunscreen, sunglasses and sand castle toys.  You don’t get all of this stuff – city hall will dole it out to the winners.

There are two deadlines to post your favourite moments online. The first round will close Aug. 13, the final round will close on Aug. 27.

The Region is inviting residents and visitors to share their favourite local summer activities in a new “Summer Wonderful” photo contest.  Submit a photo with your favourite summer outdoor activity or location for a chance to win a $100 gift card from Burlington’s Mapleview Mall.

Halton Region’s contest will use popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest to share submissions.  All photos will be judged by Halton Tourism staff on the basis of originality and seasonality.

Other prizes include admission for two to Harvest Halton – The Farm to Chef Experience  in Milton, a $50 gift card to Williams Mill Art Gallery in Halton Hills and a Family Day Pass to Conservation Halton Parks.

If you insist on being practical and want to use the summer to tidy up the place – then you can get out to On Saturday, August 10 and 17, Halton Region will host four Blue Box Pick-up events for residents. At these events, Halton’s new larger 22-gallon Blue Box will be available to residents for pick up, free of charge, with a limit of one Blue Box per household.

Regional chair Gary Carr announced that in the first few months of the expanded Blue Box program, Halton has distributed over 40,000 Blue Boxes to Halton residents and seen an increase of 13 per cent more Blue Box and GreenCart materials being collected, and a decrease of 6 per cent in the amount of garbage collected. This is a tremendous achievement, one that is helping to extend the life of Halton’s landfill site and provide savings of $15 million to taxpayers.”

During the earlier distributions of the new larger Blue boxes the demand was big.

If you want one of these new larger Blue Boxes get yourself over to one at the locations listed below. Halton residents only, proof of residency required.

Here is what you can put in the Blue box now.

Blue Box Pick-up Events

Saturday, AUGUST 10, 2013 (from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

·        Robert C. Austin Operations Centre, 11620 Trafalgar Road, Georgetown

·        Burlington Closed Landfill, 291 North Service Road, Burlington (west of King Road, east of Waterdown Road)

Saturday, AUGUST 17, 2013 (from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

·        Halton Regional Centre, 1151 Bronte Road, Oakville

·        Halton Waste Management Site, 5400 Regional Road 25, Milton

You can continue to use the older, smaller Blue boxes if that meets your needs.

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Provincial Premiers meet as a “Council of the Federation”; some modest accomplishments.

By Ray Rivers

BURLINGTON, ON.  August 1st, 2013.  The Council of the Federation, created in 2003, is a venue for the 13 provincial and territorial jurisdictions in Canada – to discus and resolve on federal-provincial and other inter-jurisdictional matters.  Last week Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynn hosted the regular summer get-together at Niagara-on-the-Lake. 

 There were some modest accomplishments.  The Premiers unanimously called on the federal government to conduct an inquiry into the mysteriously missing and/or dead aboriginal women (over 500), following up on a similar request from the National Aboriginal Organization.  And for some reason, the premiers’ call was immediately rejected by the federal government.  

 Progress was made on energy issues, as all but two leaders signed onto an evolving national energy strategy led by Alberta’s Premier Alison Redford.  Only B.C., concerned about the proposed Northern Gateway project and Quebec, in the process of suing Nfld over the Muskrat Falls power project stayed away from signing. 

 Overwhelming consensus came as the leaders jointly condemned the proposed ‘Canada Jobs Grant.    I have been critical of the federal government in the past, and it is because they keep doing things like this.   Education and training is primarily provincial jurisdiction, so the fed’s role has traditionally been to top-up provincial programs, acknowledging that local needs are best met by provincial programs.  Quebec, in particular, is very sensitive to the feds interfering.  https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/at-summit-canadas-premiers-take-on-a-crowded-agenda/article13412119/#dashboard/follows/.

 Regardless, the feds talked with some private sector organizations and then created, what the provinces call, an unworkable ‘one-size-fits-all’ program.  And talk about wasting our money, the federal government spent $95,000 per ad for all those ads you had to sit through during the playoffs this year, announcing a program that doesn’t exist, is still a concept and may never see the light of day.    And, insult-to-injury, they hadn’t even bothered to consult with the provinces, who are expected to pay for a third of the program.  Oh, and the reason for that is because they plan to slash their training contributions to the provinces.

 The Council of the Federation’s first big success was in negotiating with Paul Martin to get the Canada Health Accord.  Martin had earlier slashed federal payments to provinces, in order to slay the Mulroney-era deficits and the Council needed something more sustainable. And they got  the 2004 Canada Health Accord, with guaranteed increases in federal funding until 2014. 

 That was then and this is now.  In total contrast, last year, the ruling Conservatives tabled their plan for health care funding for the decade post 2014.  There was no negotiation, just an offer, fait accomplis   take it or else…  The Council of Canadians lobby on social issues, particularly health, and had arrived en-mass to rally the Council to press on for a better deal.  But the feds weren’t open to discussion – the door was closed.  

The premiers also discussed the Senate. There are so many inherent problems with the Senate but reform to a triple-E body, as the PM has asked the Supreme Court to consider, would not make it any better.  Would an elected senator best represent the interests of his/her province – better than the provincial government?  What if they were at odds?  Is this a recipe for a constitutional crisis, pitting one level of government (fed senate) against a provincial government from which the senator was elected?   There is already confusion over the sometimes competing roles of the Commons and appointed Senate – imagine if senators were also elected? 

It was a missed opportunity for a provincial/territorial ask.  Abolish the Senate, don’t reform it.  And give due recognition to the Council of the Federation as a consultative body when developing public policy.  What could be more vital to this nation’s future than inter-jurisdictional cooperation and what better body to do that than the Council?  Imagine if they met more often.   I mean even separatist Pauline Marois was happy to participate, discuss and resolve with her fellow Premiers. 

 How much government do we really need anyway, and does more government mean better government?  If I put that question to Steven Harper, I think we’d all know his answer.   So, why not do it – why not make government smaller?  Put the $100 million we would save by abolishing the Senate into provincial health care programs instead. 

 The Council of the Federation exists.  It offers vital political tension for the confederation.  And it could be a useful political ally to a federal government that wants to represent all of Canada and wants to make Canada work better.  Indeed the Council would be a better chamber for that ‘sober second thought’ than the dusty, corrupt, old Senate ever has been.

Ray Rivers was born in Ontario; earned an economics degree at the University of Western Ontario.  He taught in New Zealand and earned a Master’s degree in economics at the University of Ottawa.  His 25 year stint with the federal government included time with Environment, Fisheries and Oceans, Agriculture and the Post office. Rivers left the federal government to consult for private sector and government clients.  He completed his first historical novel The End of September in 2012; a story about what might have happened had Quebecers voted for sovereignty association in the 1980 referendum.  Rivers is active with ratepayers groups, a food bank, environmental organizations, community journalism and policing.  He has run for municipal and provincial government offices and  held executive positions with Liberal Party  riding associations.  He developed the current policy process for the Ontario Liberal Party

 

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Measles seems to be getting a grip in Halton; Regional Health Department reports another case.

By Staff

BURLINGTON, ON. July 30, 2013. Regional Associate Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Monir Taha, reports  another case of measles in a Halton adult. This brings the total number of measles cases in the cluster to six. This new case may have led to exposures in public, retail and health-care settings.

Boy with measles – the signs are very clear. You will want to have mad sure a child looking like this does not go outdoors ad does not mix with other people.

“To avoid spreading illness to others, we cannot stress enough the importance of staying home and not exposing other people when you are ill,” stated Dr. Monir Taha. “Measles is contagious from the beginning of the illness until four days after the rash first appears.”

The Health Department is also recommending that persons born 1970 or later who are unsure of their measles vaccination status discuss this with their doctors.  Vaccination is the best way to prevent measles.

For those susceptible to measles, there was a risk of exposure at the following sites if you were at these locations during the times shown:

July 21: Trafalgar Presbyterian Church, 354 Upper Middle Road, Oakville, 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

July 21: Sunnyside Grill, 450 Appleby Line, Burlington, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

July 22: TD Canada Trust, 3471 Wycroft Road, Oakville, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

July 23: Home Depot, 3300 South Service Road, Oakville, 9 a.m. – 12 noon

July 24: Home Depot, 3300 South Service Road, Oakville, 9 a.m. – 12 noon

July 24: North Burlington Medical Centre Walk-in Clinic, 1960 Appleby Line, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.

July 26: North Burlington Medical Centre Walk-in Clinic building, 1960 Appleby Line, Burlington, 12 noon – 5 p.m.

July 27: Tansley Woods Community Centre, 1996 Itabashi Way, Burlington, 9 a.m. –

July 28: Hopedale Presbyterian Church, 156 Third Line, Oakville, 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

July 28: Walmart, Appleby Line & Dundas Street, Burlington, 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

A severe case of measles.

New measles cases are possible in non-immune people who have been exposed to this case as late as August 18.

Updated information on any new cases or new exposure sites can be found at.

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