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November 4, 2014 BURLINGTON, ON.
Police were called to an apartment building on Pearl Street in the City of Burlington on October 28th After arresting a barricaded suspect, the body of Elizabeth Nugent was located inside the apartment. The accused, Malcolm Copeland, has been charged with second degree murder.
November 4, 2014 BURLINGTON, ON.
The Friends of Freeman Station are presenting their first museum exhibit in the community gallery of the Joseph Brant Museum. Titled Railways, Regiments and Restoration: A History of the Freeman Station, the exhibit explores the 108-year history of the train station and the significance of the railways to Burlington using maps, photos and artifacts.  Freeman station – the day cements was poured for the foundation. Visitors will learn about the arrival of railways in Burlington in the mid-1800s, their vital importance to the region’s economy, particularly fruit and vegetable production, the role of the Freeman Station in The First World War, and current efforts to restore the building to its former glory. Highlights include a scale model of the station as it would have looked in 1906, maps showing the station’s location in the village of Freeman, and Grand Trunk Railway, Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway artifacts recently donated to the Friends and never before exhibited to the public. The exhibit opens November 4, 2014. The museum is open Tuesday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and Sunday 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. General admission is $4.50. The Friends of Freeman Station is a registered charity working to restore Burlington’s only surviving GTR station to its original appearance and open it as a museum. The building was moved to its current location in 2013 and this year the group has lowered it onto a new basement and begun work on the interior. They are currently raising funds for a new roof and seeking volunteers. Their AGM will be held Wednesday, November 12th at 7 p.m. at Burlington City Hall.
November 4, 2014 BURLINGTON, ON.
Some of that land recently changed hands at what can only be described as “eye-popping” prices. We got calls from a number of people suggesting we sniff around a little and learned that the whopper of a land sale price is related – tangentially – to the deal that never closed also known as the new IKEA location.  This is where IKEA wanted to relocate their Aldershot operation. They were going to build a bigger store and add quite a few head office jobs as well. The city went along with Official Plan and zoning changes. The Conservation Authority would not go along with the parking plans close to Tuck Creek. The green line is Tuck Creek. Back in March of 2011 IKEA decided they wanted to move from their current Plains Road location to a property on the North Service Road. When the Gazette first learned of those plans we drove out to the site – what was immediately obvious to us was that the North Service Road was never going to be able to carry the traffic that IKEA planned on attracting. And it wasn’t just the North Service Road that was a problem – Walkers Line itself would not be able to handle the volume that was expected to come in off the QEW. Anything done to Walkers Line has to go through Ministry of Transportation filter. As the city worked its way through the IKEA proposal all kinds of interesting tid bits of information bubbled to the surface – the most significant being – a lot of people both at the city and IKEA had not done their homework.  The owner of this property had plans to develop it beyond the single storey structure. His plans did not fit with the developing IKEA Plans. That red line is where Tuck Creek flows. In order for the North Service Road to get wider Walkers Line had to widen and that impacted on the ramps that lead from and to the QEW. Those QEW ramps are Ministry of Transportation (MTO) territory . We walked the North Service Road from Walkers Line to Guelph Line to get a better sense as to what had to happen if the IKEA site was going to have roads that let traffic get to it. It was at about this point in time that the Economic Development people began to feel their oats and were coming up with some slick marketing phrases. Burlington was going to have Prosperity Corridors – several of them. The property either side of Walkers Line was going to be one of those prosperity corridors. The idea was to identify property that was zoned and labelled for economic development and get them to the point where they were “shovel ready”. Members of city council and the Economic Development Corporation really liked that “shovel ready” phrase. It seemed to mean that when someone wanted to locate in Burlington the city had property that was ready for a shovel to dig into it and put up a building that was going to house people doing well paying high tech jobs.  We will buy this said the city…. IKEA wasn’t going to employ all that many high tech people – it’s a retail operation but they were going to expand their head office administration space and bring in a bunch of people. IKEA apparently wanted to put parking spots a little too close to Tuck Creek which runs down the east side of what is called the Hopewell property. The Halton Conservation Authority wasn’t prepared to go along with that idea. It all hinged on what the Conservation people call “top of bank” which is a term used to describe just what it says – the top of the bank – be it a creek or a large body of water.  … and you can keep that part. Top of bank is the starting point for what is called “stable top” which has to do with the geology. Stable bank is determined by a formula that starts from where the top of the bank is. All complex and esoteric but it was those two terms that brought the IKEA project on the North Service to a halt. A lot of time and a lot of money was spent on getting IKEA from Aldershot to the North Service Road. The people that make the wheels move at city hall decided to put a positive spin on the loss of IKEA and are saying that the North Service road has to be improved anyway so let’s get on with making the road wider and ensuring that access is what it needs to be.
No Walkers Line improvement – not much you can do with the North Service Road and if you don’t do something with the North Service Road there goes the Prosperity corridor concept and there won’t be much in the way of land you can put a shovel in. Different level of government has different levels of responsibility for roads. Walkers Line is a city road whereas Brant, Guelph Line, Appleby Line and Burloak are Regional Roads with some portion a city responsibility. While all this is happening the owner of the land that is east of Tuck Creek and to the west of Walkers Line between the GO tracks and the QEW take an application to city hall. The plans that property owner had did not fit in with the long terms plans the city had for improving access to the North Service Road. The city knew they did not want to approve the application and they probably knew they didn’t want to expropriate – so it was time to “do a deal” and what a deal they did.
 It is still an empty field on which a lot of money has been spent. Hopewell is still looking for a buyer and there are reported to be a lot of people “sniffing” around. Access to the road will be improved but the road itself is still two lanes. IKEA had planned on a $60 million 428,500 sq ft facility to originally open in 2013 The city bought a chunk of the land – it was 1.1 acres in size and paid $5,676,880 They then apparently gave the property owner an “enhancement” in allowing him to put more on the property than would have been permitted. One exceptionally well informed Gazette reader had these comments: “Was the $5.7 million just for the land and the building or was there monies paid for the property owner to move his tenants out of the existing building into the new building when it is completed?” The Gazette learned that the $5.7 million was for the land shown on the graphics and the building – even though the building sits on land that is now owned by the city and the company – 1100 Walkers Line Inc. “Were there any sweeteners in this deal – because it is a deal” says our informant. “It is unlikely that a private property owner enter into a deal like this unless there was a benefit to him, at a cost to the City. The property transferred from a private commercial property owner to City on February 10, 2014. At a Council meeting on February 19th, they went into a closed session to discuss a property matter” which we later learned was IKEA. The next day the city put out a press release saying IKEA had withdrawn their application. The city is now stuck with land for which there is no justification because there is no reason to enhance access to the North Service Road. “It is very unusual for any level of government to secure property under speculative conditions; in fact, governments typically only acquire property once there is justification to do so; the IKEA relocation was the justification, but, that did not happen, so this deal should also have not happened. It also becomes an issue of fairness and equity; why not buy up other locations from other private landowners? And who made the decision to buy the land that was purchased. Is there anything on the public record? “If the market value of commercial land is in somewhere in the range of $1M – $1.5M/acre in Burlington, why did the city pay $5.7M/acre? Did the purchase price include payment for the demolition of an old commercial building and the cost to build a new 6-storey office building? If so, is the $5.7M paid so far to the private property owner the end of it, or, is there more money to be paid by the City to the proud owner of the new building. “Is this a case of enrichment? The City should have only entered into such a deal if the City had an irrevocable IKEA relocation play in place including all MTO interchange reconstruction commitments in place, together with cost sharing with IKEA to offset the City’s share of the total costs. “Did the city have any indication that IKEA was going to withdraw their application? When did IKEA make the call to the city. “One of the smell tests for this situation is this: If MTO were to reconstruct the interchange, they would only pay market value for the city’s 1.1 acre; basically, the city would not be able to recover the $5.6M because that is well in excess of the market value of the land bought by the City, and the interchange reconstruction would be under the jurisdiction of the MTO. What our informant may not have been aware of is that Walkers Line is a city Road. MTO owns the ramps leading to Walkers Line and they have the right to intervene on anything built within 300 metres of the centre line of any MTO. So – MTO was “in the room” as they say, but they weren’t picking up any of the tabs. “It appears” says our informant” that the City made and concluded a deal they should not have completed, to the benefit and arguably an enrichment of a private sector commercial land owner, and now they are pitching it as a planned acquisition to encourage new economic development at the northwest quadrant of Walkers Line and QEW. “This deal is an expensive outcome from a major failed relocation which appears to benefit a private owner as enrichment” Our informant thinks there may be more money to be paid to this property owner once construction is complete but doesn’t have any proof – yet he adds.
We are still tracking this part of the deal which as one authority who understands these kinds of arrangements said: “it doesn’t pass my smell test”  The structure will rise to six storeys and over look the railway tracks at the back and the QEW at the front. On a nice summer day office workers can wander down to the edge of Tuck Creek, The steel beams for the six storey office building snuggled up close to the GO trains tracks are being put in place. The city is clearing the land they bought to improve access to the North Service Road – not that the road will be able to handle all that much traffic – but the Prosperity concept is now still valid. Hopewell Developments, the people who own the land IKEA was going to build on are still looking for a buyer. That is one of the few remaining properties Hopewell has in Ontario – they want to pull back to their Alberta roots where they probably realize prosperity is much more than a corridor. $5,676,880 for 1.1 acres of land. That is eye-popping. Admittedly the city also bought the building that is now on the land – but they are going to tear that down – and you know who is going to pay for the demolition.
November 4, 2014 BURLINGTON, ON.
With the weather slipping into temperatures that call for a sweater and a scarf and a search for your gloves the idea of a hot bowl of soup sounds just about right. There is soup – and then there is soup and we all know the difference.  Individually hand crafted bowls done by artizans across the province. Enjoy a special gourmet soup and then take the bowl home. The Art Gallery has this traditional celebration of both the culinary and ceramic arts. Starting November 13 and running to the 16th – they serve guests from beautiful handcrafted bowls donated by potters from across Ontario ready to be filled with delectable gourmet soups from some of the area’s finest restaurants. Guests choose their bowls, fill them with a gourmet soup to enjoy with the rest of their meal, and then take the bowls home after they are cleaned and packaged for them. Soup Bowl is an important fundraiser which supports AGB programs and is quickly becoming a sold out event. Tickets are on sale now: $50 ($40 for AGB members) for all lunch and Friday evening sittings. Tables of eight also can be reserved. Order tickets online or by telephone (905-632-7796, ext 326) or in person at AGB 1333 Lakeshore Road, Burlington.
More than 2,000 visitors are drawn to the annual Christmas Sale of Fine Art and Craft presented by the seven Guilds of the AGB, and also to the seasonal beauty of the Gallery Shop, brimming with gift items carefully selected for quality and design. It is open to everyone on November 13 from 11 am to 3 pm; November 14 from 11 am to 9 pm; and November 15 and 16 from 11 am to 4 pm. The Art Gallery of Burlington is located at 1333 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, and is an accessible facility with lots of free parking over the course of the event. The 2014 Soup Bowl is sponsored by Utter Morris Insurance Brokers Limited, Wendy and Don Smith, Smith’s Funeral Homes, Brechin and Huffman, Barristers and Solicitors and J.M. Edwards Associates.
November 3, 2014 BURLINGTON, ON
There are believed to be between 500 and 250 homes in Burlington that were damaged by that August 4th flood that were either uninsured or under insured. The citizens of Burlington have pulled together and raised $800,000 to date with the expectation that the amount will grow to $1 million by the end of the fund raising campaign. Now – time to begin putting that money to good use and helping the people whose homes were damaged.
The Burlington Community Foundation (BCF) is holding a Town Hall meeting on Tuesday November 4th to explain the process that is being used to take care of those who need financial help. To some the forms and the process might be confusing. The BCF will be explaining the process and will also have people on hand to work directly with those who need help, The BCF believes there are at least more than 100 people who need and are entitled to help. It is vital that these people be in touch with the BCF and if at all possible that they attend the Tuesday meeting. When you read this , please tell at least five other people and ask those five people to tell five other people. If you were flooded and are either uninsured or under insured please attend the November 4th meeting. There are people who can help – but they need to be able to talk to you. The meeting is taking place at the Seniors’ Centre on New Street between 7:00 and 9:00 pm.
November 1, 2014 BURLINGTON, ON. In an early edition of this article we gave the closing date for the fund raising as November 4th – we were mistaken. Fun raising will end on November 14th. There are still have some gifts anticipated and promised by Nov. 14th. Some donours are waiting to hear what the Province does. Mayor Goldring has come out from behind the Municipal Elections Act and is now acting as a Mayor and is keeping people posted through his blog with news and updates on the issues and fundraising efforts on the August 4 Flood Disaster.  From left to right in the photo (and along the back) we have Burlington Lions Club members VP Barry Leppan, VP Blair Greer, VP Alastair Mirrlees (over Mayor Goldring’s shoulder), Director Jim McLaughlin (who is directly behind by Colleen) and President Ken O’Breza (the tallest gentleman). And of course Mayor Rick Goldring and Burlington Community Foundation President & CEO Colleen Mulholland in the front, holding the cheque for $8,000. Goldring reports that: “Almost $800,000 in cash has been raised by the committee to date. One informed participant with the fund raising group says that “you need a search warrant to find the Minister” who will have to eventually sign off on the Burlington request for ODRAP support. Burlington has yet to hear anything official from the provincial government.  Ron Foxcroft Kicking Off the Flood Relief Campaign. When the fund raising Kick Off event was held in August the Burlington Community Foundation understood that there were potentially 500+ homes that were either under insured or uninsured. They did a quick calculation as to what would be needed and came up with the $2 million figure – and that became the fund raising target. The BCF didn’t quibble over that number – they just stepped up to the plate and began making phone calls – they also put $15,000 of their own money on the plate. At the time many people were up to their necks in water and sewage – this wasn’t the time to ask a lot of questions. However, as the amount raised grew the fund raisers began to ask: – just how much money are we going to need? It became increasingly difficult to determine that amount. There was no clear picture on just how many people might need help. Was it 500 homes damaged but covered by insurance or was it 250 homes that were damaged an either didn’t have any insurance or were under insured. There were many homes, especially in the Regent Road area where homeowners were told they could no longer buy insurance. Others learned that their insurance company had scaled back the level of coverage they could buy. Burlington believed the provincial government would come through on the two for one Ontario Disaster Relief and Assistance Program (ODRAP). All anyone has heard so far is that we “should be optimistic” which sounds like a politician playing games. Premier Kathleen Wynne is going to be in Hamilton next Saturday during the Tiger Cats game (who are they going to lose to this time) and will be pinning medals on four members of the Argyll and Sutherland Regiment. Burlington’s MPP Eleanor McMahon appears to have been left out to dry on this file. Her efforts have been close to heroic but the provincial government doesn’t appear to have all that much – at least so far – for Burlington residents.  Glenn Nicholson planned on an event to help a senior whose home was badly damaged by the flood: hundreds showed up including the Burlington Teen Tour band The $800,000 raised to date has been due to the outstanding efforts of the Flood Disaster Relief Committee, local businesses, sports organizations, neighbourhood groups and individuals. There was that great street party on Elwood and the $3000+ raised by an 11 year old student Sheil Patel and the $8000 put on the plate by the Lions Club. The supermarkets came through; the banks came through and local merchants put out the donation boxes. Burlington is close to “donation exhausted” said BCF fund raiser Ron Foxcroft who added “and the flood is no longer front page news. Other organizations – the United Way and the Joseph Brant Hospital need opportunities to raise what they need – the BCF needs to close the books and make the best with what they have raised.” The Burlington Community Foundation is moving from their fund raising efforts to managing the applications for Losses and Damages claims. The Burlington Community Foundation Flood Disaster Relief Committee is hosting a Town Hall meeting with the Claims Committee and Cunningham Lindsay, the insurance adjuster supporting the initiative. The meeting is planned for Tuesday, November 4th from 7:00 – 9:00 pm to answer questions and provide support to those interested in making a claim.  Peter Hodgson led the Red Cross data collection drive to find out just how many homes had been flooded and how much help was needed. Councillor Meed Ward wore one of the first flood T-shirts. At this point there have been just 50 applications for financial support. The ODRAP program is intended for those who were either uninsured or under insured. When the Red Cross did their door-to -door survey work immediately after the flood they reported that there were 500 homes that were severally flooded. However, Peter Hodgson, the Red Cross volunteer who led that data collecting team, found that many people whose homes were flooded said they didn’t want any financial support and that what money there might be should go to people who truly needed financial support. Hodgson also found that there was no one home at many of the doors they knocked on. “We had no idea if they had suffered severe flood damage and moved out or were just away for a few days.” Hodgson spent weeks on the data collection work even though his home was flooded and he still doesn’t have the full use of the house he lives in. “it might be three more weeks before all the work is done”, he said. Colleen Mulholland lives in a house that was badly flooded as does Mayor Goldring and Burlington’s MP Mike Wallace.
Colleen Mulholland, president of the Burlington Community Foundation, is spearheading a Town Hall meeting on November 4 at the Seniors Centre on New Street. “We have advertised the event and we hope we get everyone who needs help into the room. “We know there are hundreds of Burlington families who “There is only so much time left – all the forms have to be submitted by December 14th and this program has to be wrapped up eight weeks after that deadline.”
Since the Application for Losses and Damages became available on September 30th approximately 50 claims have been filed. The Claims Committee has set a deadline of December 14, 2014 for all Applications for Losses and Damages to be submitted. Disbursements will begin over the following eight weeks after the deadline.  Bank of Montreal dug into their vault and found $20,000 for flood relief. Mulholland explains that “we will have volunteers on hand to work one-on-one to help complete the forms that are required. We will go to people’s homes to help them but we need to know who they are in order to help. Mulholland would like every person who reads about this situation to tell five people and to ask those five people to tell another five people about the November 4th Town Hall meeting. “We just need to get the word out” she said. Application forms are available on the BCF website, or they can be mailed out to residents by calling the BCF office at 905-639-0744, ext. 223.
November 1, 2014 BURLINGTON, ON.
The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) hold an Annual Crime Prevention Week campaign. This year, the Halton Regional Police Service is focusing on the increasing issue of Distracted Driving. One only has to drive around to see the number of distracted drivers either talking on their cell phones or with their heads down, texting in their laps. In 2013, distracted driving caused more deaths than impaired driving in Ontario. It is also a direct cause of 30-50 percent of collisions, yet people continue to ignore the warnings and choose to drive distracted putting not only their lives at risk but everyone around them.  The markers on the map will show how many people in each community actually signed the pledge on line – were you one of them? Halton Regional Police issued a total of 6,857 distracted driving tickets in 2013. From January through to October 2014, 6,916 tickets have been issued. Drivers are not getting the point. Our “Thumbs Up Against Distracted Driving” campaign is an educational initiative that serves to create awareness and encourage dialogue between drivers of all ages in hopes of getting people to take the pledge to put the phone down. High School Liaison officers will be engaging youths in high schools around the Region to break the habit and put their phones down while driving. A thumb band with the reminder “W82TXT” will be handed out to be worn. The Regional police are going close to all out on this educational initiative and have set up a section of their web site where people can “take the pledge” not to text while driving. They have created a map showing how many people in each community within the Region have taken the pledge.
Let’s all help make Canada’s, more specifically, Halton’s roads the safest in the world! Follow @HaltonPolice on Twitter and join the conversation using the following hashtags: #HRPSPledge and #W82TXT.
November 1, 2014 BURLINGTON, ON. The Halton Region Health Department’s seasonal influenza (flu) immunizations clinics began on October 14, offering vaccine for high-risk individuals only. The clinics will be held at various seniors’ centres throughout the Region. Nurses will be screening residents to ensure they meet the high-risk criteria. High-risk individuals include: • those at high risk for complications of the flu; for example, those over 65 or with certain underlying health conditions and pregnant women
 It doesn`t hurt! The Health Department’s community influenza clinics for all residents aged six months and older are scheduled to begin the week of October 27 in Halton. Flu immunization will also be available at doctor’s offices, walk-in clinics, and, for those aged five years and older, at many pharmacies throughout Halton. Getting the influenza vaccine every year is the most important way to protect against the flu. It also helps to prevent the spread of the virus to those who are vulnerable to complications of the flu. Influenza immunization is recommended for all those six months of age and older. Most healthy people recover from the flu within a few days; however, influenza infection can lead to pneumonia, hospitalization, and even death, especially in the elderly, those under five years of age, and those of all ages with certain chronic health conditions. In addition to getting vaccinated, you can take everyday precautions by washing your hands frequently, using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water is not available, and avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth because the influenza virus enters your body through these routes. If you are sick, stay home from work or school to prevent spreading your illness to others, and see your doctor if your illness continues to worsen or does not begin to improve after a few days. For more information on the flu, including all clinic dates and locations and those considered high-risk, visit the Regional web site – just click here or dial 311.
October 31, 2014 BURLINGTON, ON.
Burlington, through its Public Art Program, has selected artist Simon Frank to install a public art piece at Mountainside Recreation Centre. Frank was chosen by a community jury through the Public Art Program after the call for proposals produced a list of 32 submissions. The list was shortened to four artists: Karl Ciesluk from Ottawa, Ont., Simon Frank from Hamilton, Ont., Andrew Owen from Toronto, Ont. and Teresa Seaton from Burlington, Ont.  werc “Frank has a well-established, contemporary art practice that examines the relationship between people and the natural environment,” said the jury’s statement. “He was able to clearly communicate his understanding of the community that the public art will exist in.” Frank, a poet, artist and rustic furniture-maker, will use community input, the design of Mountainside and the natural area to create his final plan. He will be on site this fall to explore the area and consult with the community as he begins the $25,000 project. Dates, times and locations for public input will be announced. The public art piece will complement the Mountainside Recreation Centre revitalization project.  “Island” at the Dominic Agostino Centre Frank has installed two permanent, public art works in Hamilton: “Island” at the Dominic Agostino Centre (2003) and “Concrete Poetry” on Locke Street (2011). He has also been a finalist in public art competitions in Waterloo and Surrey BC. Frank is a member of the Hamilton-based collective TH&B, which has produced site-specific projects in Hamilton, Kingston, Buffalo and New York. Over the past eighteen years, Frank has participated in solo and group exhibitions across Ontario, as well as exhibiting in special projects in Saskatoon, Italy and South Korea. He has received grants from both the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council. Selected exhibitions and offsite projects include: “Take on Me”, Luminato Festival, Toronto (2014); “Romancing the Anthropocene”, Nuit Blanche, Toronto (2013); “View (from the escarpment)”, Art Gallery of Hamilton (2012); “The Tree Project”, McMichael Gallery, Kleinburg (2012); “Terra Incognito”, Rodman Hall, St Catharines (2009); “Earth Art”, Royal Botanical Gardens, Hamilton (2008); “Sketch for New Forest”, The Koffler Gallery, The mission of the City of Burlington’s Public Art Program is to enhance the quality of life in Burlington through art. The program strives to bring artwork by both established and emerging artists throughout Burlington.
October 31, 2014 BURLINGTON, ON
Last Wednesday a male suspect entered the underground parking lot at 421 Maple Avenue, in the City of Burlington. It was 4:30 am  Early in the morning this man entered two underground garages and smashed the windows of a total of 18 cars to steal the contents. The man targeted parked vehicles and smashed the windows to gain entry. Seven vehicles were damaged and property taken. The suspect proceeded to another underground parking lot located at 1249 Northshore Blvd in the City of Burlington at approximately 5 am. Here the male damaged and entered eleven vehicles and made his escape around 5:30 am. Suspect Description: Male, white Anyone with information on these incidents are asked to contact Detective Ellie Bale or D/Cst. Lorena Mallinson, 3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau (905) 825-4747 Ext. 2312, ellie.bale@haltonpolice.ca or ext 2334, lorena.mallinson@haltonpolice.ca Anyone with information on this or any other crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
October 31, 2014 BURLINGTON, ON.
Janis Ozollapa has been missing since September 30, 2014 at approximately 2 pm.  Janis Ozollapa has been missing since September 30, 2014 Video surveillance of the area revealed an unidentified man running from this area at 5:25 am on Wednesday October 1, 2014. Police have yet to release the video they are working with. Police are still searching for three possible witnesses that may have seen this unidentified male running westbound on Cross Avenue.  Chevrolet Avalanche bearing a personalized licence plate “OZOLLAPA” was located in the area of The Lighting Centre on Cross Avenue in the Town of Oakville. Police are reaching out to speak with the drivers of a motorcycle, a pick-up truck and a taxi cab that were driving eastbound at the time and may assist in identifying this unknown male. Police investigators have no indication of foul play and remain concerned for Mr. Ozollapa as his disappearance is extremely out of character. Mr. Ozollapa is described as male/white, 6’0”, 170 lbs, medium build, grey eyes, bald, goatee and speaks with a heavy Latvian accent. He was wearing a t-shirt, blue jeans, brown Crocs and had a black laptop briefcase. One wonders why the police don’t make the video they are working with available. Anyone with information is asked to contact D/Sergeant Ron Hansen, 3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905 825-4747 ext 2315, or anyone with information on this or any other crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
October 31, 2014 BURLINGTON, ON.
How do you move when the stuff you have weighs a couple of tonnes? You hold a sale and move what you’ve got to the place where the buyer lives.  Part of the Rickli Studio Walt Rickli is moving his studio and this weekend will be selling a large part of his inventory which includes many of the items at the Sculpture Garden tucked in behind the Lowville Bistro; 2 Lowville Park Road Burlington It was close to 20 years that the Nelson Aggregate Quarry let Rickli set up his studio in their quarry. Within the next year the limestone beneath that studio will be transformed into gravel – thus the move. The actual “move out” date is June 1, 2015. “Although it is months away there is a lot of work involved in relocating my world” said Rickli. “It felt like the place to start would be to sell all existing sculptures.  One of the more evocative stone sculptures in the Rickli collection. The sale takes place today – October 31st, and Saturday, November 1st as well as Sunday November 2nd 2014 at the Studio which is located on the # 2 Sideroad. There are signs at the gate with detailed directions. For those of you using your GPS to get there – the address is: 2433 No 2 Side Rd, Burlington, ON L7P 0G8 All sculptures will be available at 20% to 80% off list pricing. For more information on what is being offered and the prices attached to pieces – click.
Also – the winter season is approaching – I will be offering free storage of sold pieces until May 1, 2015 and I will arrange delivery and installation as required. Rickli will be accepting a limited number of commissioned works over the winter months.
October 31, 2014 BURLINGTON, ON
The Gazette is a Burlington newspaper published on line and while we are certainly aware of that smokestack called Hamilton to the west of us, we try hard not to be continually angry about all the stuff they spew into the environment. Joan Krygsman and her Striped Aardvark studio has been doing what has been called colourful, quirky and unique art. They are certainly different – we think delightful – but art is often in the eye of the beholder – so you get to decide.
Krygsman also does Income Tax returns for people. We came across Joan when we were looking for someone to put together a complex reader survey.
Colourful, quirky and unique are words used to describe Joan Krygsman – she is all of the above For more on Joan slip over to her website . Most of what she produces is for sale. Krygsman usually takes a small selection of things each weekend to the Wilson Street Farmers Market in Ancaster.
October 31, 2014 BURLINGTON, ON
The term ‘terrorism’ has become almost meaningless today since western leaders apply the label to almost any act of violence, particularly those committed by followers of the Islamic faith. According to dictionary.com, terrorism is “the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes”. The PM has called the killing of our soldiers by Michael Zehaf-Bibeau and Martin Couture-Rouleau terrorism.  Michael Zehaf-Bibeau running into the House of Commons with a rifle. But is it really? Sure, these guys were two socially disaffected young men looking to do something noteworthy with their otherwise wasted lives. But no connection has been made between these criminal acts and ISIS, nor of an orchestrated ISIS terror campaign in Canada. It is unlikely that these two deadbeats believed they alone could change Canada’s foreign policy just by killing some soldiers here at home. There is no question that Canada’s military involvement in Iraq was the spark which ignited the violent actions. But these were desperate acts by ‘lone wolves’ frustrated with the policies of their country and its leadership, and wanting to fight back somehow. Labelling these events as terrorism will not absolve the PM of his responsibility for our safety. When he enacted the Safe Streets and Communities legislation a few years ago the PM assured us of our security. But now he is going back to the well and dredging up something as scary as permanent martial law, restricting our individual freedom and civil rights. Giving new powers to law enforcement agencies makes little sense when we consider that the perpetrators of these crimes had been in the cross-hairs of the RCMP and CSIS for some time. And wasn’t this the PM who abolished the long gun registry, thus enabling the uncontrolled proliferation and use of illegal firearms, like the one that killed Cpl. Nathan Cirillo? Before he draws up new laws the PM should first consider his rush into the undeclared war on ISIS. Going to war is always a serious matter. For starters, there needs to be a defensible rationale for going to war. But Canada was neither attacked nor seriously threatened by ISIS (or ISIL). Offensive military action in the absence of these conditions is in contravention of the UN charter and thus illegal. So under what authority are we putting Canadians into harms’ way? Of course ISIS is a nasty organization and its goal of establishing statehood is a concern. But there are so many other disagreeable people out there. And Canada has no ‘dog’ in this fight, unlike the US which had been an occupying power. We haven’t even suffered reporters beheaded by ISIS. And finally, the US has more than enough military equipment already there to bomb the dwindling number of ISIS targets onto oblivion. They don’t really need us.  Canadian CF 18 aircraft now in the Middle East Still, our Gunslinging PM decided we need to hop into this fight. Without a game plan, without a plausible rationale for involvement, and without even a modest consultation with Canadians, he rushed into war. Ground forces were on their way to Iraq before the PM even made it home from the NATO meeting where this issue was a side-topic. Then, using his majority in Parliament, he rammed through a dispatch of fighter jets, against a united opposition here at home. When a a nation goes to war it needs to secure its home-front as well as the war-front. War requires additional resources be expended, including funding to beef up national security and prevent the very kind of incidents we have just witnessed. It is clear, sadly, that the PM never anticipated any domestic blow back from his actions, nor provisioned for enhanced domestic security. As I noted in an earlier article, he probably just saw this escapade as target practice for our fly boys, in a warmer climate with real people as targets.
November the 11th is Remembrance Day, and this year there will be another two soldiers to remember, and we will. But we should also not forget that this might have been avoided had we been just a little less eager to send our troops off to war – or at least done our homework before undertaking the mission. Isn’t that what Remembrance Day is supposed to be all about?
Background links: Unknown Gun Canada’s Role in the World Middle East Interventions Lone Gunman More Restrictive Laws Video
October 29, 2014 BURLINGTON, ON
A man police believe was responsible for a sexual assault that occurred two months ago in the City of Burlington has been arrested On Friday, August 29, 2014, a 16-year-old female was working alone at the Bronze Beach Tanning Salon on Brant Street. The accused was in the salon and engaged the female in conversation. The accused convinced the female to go into a tanning room where he inappropriately touched her. On Tuesday, October 28, 2014, the accused was arrested by members of the Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Unit. Accused: Colin TYLEMAN, 45 years, from the City of Hamilton has been charged with Sexual Assault, due in court on November 26, 2014 at 9 am. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact D/Cst Wendy Clayton of the Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Bureau at 905 825-4747 ext 8980 or anyone with information on this or any other crime is also encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
October 30, 2014 BURLINGTON, ON
They have been doing it for more than ten years.
Art in Action has been doing this for more than ten years. Each year new artists are added and others who have been showing for a while are dropped off. The studios are scattered about the city with well-marked directions.
STUDIO 2
STUDIO 4 STUDIO 5
STUDIO 7 STUDIO 8
For those who make the tour an annual event – there is the opportunity to watch an artist grow and evolve. And you tend to meet people at a one studio that you met at a different studio earlier in the day and you exchange views on what you saw and what you liked and didn’t like. You find yourself returning to favourite artists and wondering if you can afford what they have knowing that you would like to have that painting or piece of quilt work in your home.
 Don Graves, on the right, showing a canvas to a perspective buyer (she bought) will head up the Art Discussions program for the Art in Action crowd. During one of the previous tours it was a delight to watch Don Graves selling a small piece of work to a young woman who was a first time art buyer. Nice too to see Graves mount a show at the Art Gallery of Burlington that saw a slightly different direction in his work. It was with some delight that we got a request from a Gazette reader asking if we could put them in touch with Don Graves – they had seen one of his paintings and wanted to talk to hm about a possible purchase. We put the two people together but never learned if a sale took place.  Darlene Throop, on the right, presents Bateman High School students Sarah Tom with the 2014 Art in Action $1500. scholarship. Each year the Art in Action group awards a scholarship to a Halton student. The award for this year went to Sarah Tom.
October 29, 201`4 BURLINGTON, ON.
The woman found deceased in that Pearl Street apartment on Monday was Elizabeth Nugent, 32 years of age; she resided in the apartment building.
The victim and the accused were involved in an intimate relationship. The cause of death has not been confirmed at this time. The accused, Malcolm Copeland, 41 years from the City of Markham has been charged with Second Degree Murder and will return to Milton court on October 30th, 2014.
The circumstances surrounding this incident are still under investigation by Homicide investigators, anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Blair Moroso, Homicide Unit or Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
October 28, 2014 BURLINGTON, ON.
I did make a mistake by saying that 80% did not vote for Blair. It should have read 70%. Walter So who is the winner in an election that has 10 candidates? By our current rules, the candidate who gets the most votes wins. No argument. In ward 6, Blair Lancaster got the most votes, 2087 which was 445 more than the next candidate, Angelo Bentivegna. So clearly, she was the candidate that won.
With a turnout of 30.9%, many in the ward appear to be pleased with their current Councillor and decided not to vote. But that does not discount the fact that of those who voted, 70% wanted change. So how can Councillor Lancaster make the electorate winners also? Well how about a town hall meeting where the electorate can voice their opinions. Lancaster is guaranteed the job for the next 4 years so why not reach out to the community and learn how to serve them better. Lancaster doesn’t have to take this route, but it would be the kind of good gesture that would allow those who did not vote for her feel they are still being represented Perhaps specific committees could be formed within the riding that could assist in developing solutions to some of the problems? Ward 6 is a large geographical area with issues unique to select different parts of the ward. Or will Lancaster feel that the election is won and will continue to be the Councillor that she has been for the past four years? Time will tell.
October 28, 2014 BURLINGTON, ON. Thursday evening, at the Edy Roy Glass Gallery on Spring Garden Road, just in behind the Royal Botanical Gardens, True Visage, a specialty show for Devil’s Night will take place. True Visage will be featuring a new body of work from Salt, a glass artist from Austin Texas, which will include his glass pipe work as well as a series of masks – appropriate for the occasion. In these new pieces, Salt examines the masks we wear through the faces we put on for the world. He plays with the concept in both a literal and figurative sense, postulating that while we do not necessarily cover our faces with a latex shield we do tend to smile even when we are not happy.  Latex masks with removable glass eyeballs are part of the True Visage exhibit at the Edy Roy Faller this Thursday Salt has collaborated with special effects artist Kim Zii to create latex masks with removable glass eyeballs. Zii is also an experienced glass and make-up artist from Philadelphia. In addition to the masks Salt will also be displaying a series of glass pipes. As a functional piece he raises the question of whether the pipe is disguised as art or if the art is disguised as a pipe. Salt describes the pipe as a product of its environment – much like the faces we wear for the world. Salt’s work often resembles monsters and strange creatures. True Visage was created specifically for this Halloween geared show. Edy Roy Glass Gallery strives to promote original and unique pieces. Creative director, Kyle Brooke, focuses on pieces from “artists that have something to say and have a voice.” While the gallery does display traditional soft glass work, they also work to showcase the contemporary glass movement that involves borosilicate glass work, which tends to be more functional. Brooke provided some insight into this movement, specifically that of glass pipe art. She describes this art form as a subculture much like graffiti and tattoo art.  Kim Zit’s glass pipes are a subculture much like graffiti and tattoo art Brooke also mentioned how this art form has become its own industry and gathered many followers. Artists do events all over the world and are often regarded as “rockstars” in their field. Brooke discovered this movement in the US and is working to bring more of it to Canadian audiences. The opening night will be this Thursday October 30th. A private showing will take place for the sponsors on the opening night, however the show will be open to the public from 6 – 10pm. The Edy Roy Glass Gallery exhibits are very popular and draw a lot of people for their specialty shows. Line ups are not uncommon – it is expected to be quite the event. In the spirit of Halloween the event will be a masquerade, so bring your mask.
October 28, 2014 BURLINGTON, ON.
The Halton Regional Police have charged Malcolm Copeland, the suspect in the barricaded incident on Pearl Street in Burlington, with Second Degree Murder. The accused is scheduled for his first appearance in Milton court today, Tuesday October 28th. Investigators are continuing efforts to confirm the victim’s identity. Police responded to a noise complaint Monday at around 10:00 am and found an armed person barricaded in an apartment. After several hours of negotiations police broke into the apartment and arrested a male person and then found the body of a female who was pronounced dead at the scene. The police investigation kept people on Pearl Street out of the homes and places of business until early in the afternoon.
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Elizabeth Nugent died as the result of knife wounds to the neck.
There is a fairly large sign with the word BELL on it and a Subway shop tucked in behind. That patch of land has a level of sensitivity to it that doesn’t apply to most other pieces of property in the city.
During this multi-year exercise the city improved its relationship with the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) and what it plans on doing with the QEW and its access ramps. They learned that Walkers Line will reach capacity around 2031 (some think it is already beyond capacity but those people don’t know what real traffic is) which means the MTO people weren’t wanting to pay a lot of attention to improving things on Walkers Line. 
Shopping at the Arts Burlington Christmas Sale is an added bonus during the Soup Bowl. There is no admission charge to browse and buy at the Arts Burlington Christmas Sale, which features a wide variety of handcrafted items produced by the Guilds of Arts Burlington with Christmas in mind.
One of the unfortunate elements of this situation is that the information the Red Cross collected and turned over to the Region is being treated as something that comes under the privacy rules which means that the Burlington Community Foundation cannot access that data to communicate with the people who may need financial help and are entitled to financial support.
will qualify for financial assistance and are concentrating our efforts to communicate with those folks and help them through the process,” says Mulholland, President and CEO of the Burlington Community Foundation. “We are also communicating with the provincial government to understand its position on providing financial assistance so we can be crystal clear on how much funding we have to disperse.”
The fear is that there will be people who will not apply because they did not know or fully understand and they will lose out. Once the program ends it is over,
“We encourage people to go to our website and take the pledge. A friendly challenge between municipalities can be followed on the map. Take the HRPS Pledge and watch the numbers in your municipality grow” suggest the police. 
Toronto (2007); “Wild Wood” Haliburton Forest Preserve, Haliburton (2007); “The Forest for the Trees” Galleria di Arte Contemporanea, La Spezia, Italy (2007); “Ice Follies 2006”, WKP Kennedy Gallery, North Bay (2006); “Gold Leaf” (performance), Art Gallery of Ontario (2005); “Shorelines”, MacLaren Art Centre, Barrie (2005); “Exchange-Changing the Landscape”, The Tree Museum (2004); “SPASM II”, Saskatoon (2004); “The Geumgang Nature Art Project”, Korea (2002); “CAFKA/Power to the People”, Kitchener (2002); “Zone 6B: Art in the Environment”, Hamilton (2000). Frank is also a member of the Hamilton-based collective TH&B, which has produced site-specific projects in Hamilton, Kingston, Toronto, Banff, Buffalo and New York.
The event will be held indoors at the studio (where it’s nice and warm!) I will also be including all sculptures on display in my Sculpture Garden in Lowville in this event. 
They recently did something that we fully approved of and appreciated. They chose Joan Krygsman as a Hamilton Spectator Reader’s Choice Awards winner and named her the First Place Platinum Award winner as BEST LOCAL ARTIST 2014.
Joan is one of those “she’s everywhere” type of people. She plays a guitar and takes part in any group that will invite her. She works with the Rain Barrel people and delegates at Hamilton City Council on almost every issue that touches on the environment.
We learned that Joan was pretty good at revising and upgrading WORDPress themes, which is the software we use to format the Gazette. It was advice from Joan that convinced us to move to the theme we currently have.
The official opposition party had voted against sending the fighter jets without a more detailed discussion and a game plan. The third party had argued that Canada would have been more useful providing enhanced humanitarian aid. The PM would have done well to have followed their advice.
Artists who put on an arts tour during a weekend that give Burlingtonians a chance to visit nine studios where there are three, sometimes four different artists displaying their work.
STUDIO 1
STUDIO 3
STUDIO 6
STUDIO 9
Nugent was found deceased after a barricaded suspect incident in the City of Burlington on Monday October 27th, 2014.
The police were called to the scene at around 10 am when loud voices were heard. When they arrived they found a suspect barricaded in the apartment. Negotiations took place but proved fruitless and police battered the door and entered the apartment in the afternoon.
But what about the electorate, did they win? The 2,087 votes that Lancaster received represented 29.8% of all votes cast. This meant that 70% of those who voted did not want Blair Lancaster to represent them at council. In fact taking it a step further of the 22,579 voters eligible in ward 6, only 9.2% voted for Blair. Now perhaps it is unfair to include non voters in this review, but wasn’t ward 6 ripe for change? Or did the pundits get it wrong? 
