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November 17, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
They are going to do it again – they do it every year.
Burlington apparently puts more of the Ho Ho Ho’s on the street than any other Santa 5K run This year the event is on Saturday November 26. The route being run and details are set out below. Ho Ho Ho!
November 17th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
The city recently asked those who are part of the Insight Burlington opinion panel which of three illustrations they would like to see on a series of smart phone apps they are thinking of developing. The choices were: The Escarpment; a picture of a family and The Pier.  The Pier on the day it was officially opened. That was the structure you the taxpayer shelled out $14 million for when it was originally going to cost something just over $6.5 million. Most organizations keep their skeletons in the closet. Let’s see what they choose to do.
November 17th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON The Spectator is not read by enough people in Burlington. Their columnist, Joan Little, wrote some particularly cogent comments about the size of Burlington’s city council that deserve repeating. Every few years council sizes and ward boundaries change, usually because of population shifts. Councillors invariably are lukewarm, keen to retain areas of strength in past elections. “No one’s asking for change,” they say, but it’s not about them — it’s about service for residents. Toronto is adding three wards. Hamilton, too, is considering change.  First elected in 2010 this significant seven don’t appear to be the least bit interested in letting any new members into the club that gives them $100,000 + each year. Halton Region’s population has shifted greatly. When created in 1973, its council had 24 members — nine from Burlington, seven from Oakville, four from Halton Hills, three from Milton, and a chair. In 1997 it was re balanced to 21 — seven each from Burlington and Oakville, and three each from Milton and Halton Hills, plus a chair. With populations again skewed, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs has decided that Halton council will revert to 24 for the 2018 election. Milton gains two and Oakville one. The 1997 shift necessitated local council changes. Burlington went from eight wards, two per ward, to six wards, one per ward. Mike Wallace was the architect of that move from 17 to seven members. Some, like former Mayor Walter Mulkewich, favoured 13, like Oakville’s. Burlington has the smallest council in Halton — seven — who sit on the two councils and several boards. Oakville also has six wards, but 13 members — one local and one local/regional councillor, plus the mayor. It is adding a ward, and will go to 15 locally. Milton and Halton Hills have 11 each. Milton will shift from eight wards to four — one local and one local/regional per ward plus a mayor — nine total. Burlington councillors love their small club, but does it serve the public well? It’s a very small group for developers and special interests to lobby. There have been several 4-3 votes on controversial items. It’s troubling that the fate of such a large city can be decided by only four people — and that’s if all are present. At one committee session last week, Mayor Rick Goldring and Blair Lancaster were absent — not a criticism, because scheduling conflicts do arise. BUT! Both Marianne Meed Ward and Jack Dennison have heritage homes, so each had to declare a conflict of interest on two different heritage items. That left four to vote on these two reports. Fortunately, they weren’t divisive items. Goldring and others have spoken of having a larger council. In my opinion, 13 is ideal — not too large, not too small. (The council table will seat 17). More would likely mean broader debate. Additional councillors would be local only, like Oakville’s and Milton’s. Council has said for a decade that there was no sense reviewing its size, because Burlington could gain or lose regional seats. Well, Halton’s council size is decided, and unlikely to change for another two decades, so what’s today’s holdup? Cost? Democracy isn’t free, but let’s examine that. Burlington’s 2016 budget is $146 million. The city pays councillors $54,312, the Region an additional $48,060 — total $103,372. Let’s use $60,000 for six more local members — $360,000 — less if fewer were added. Minimal in a $146 million budget (.0025 per cent).  Ward 4 city Councillor Jack Dennison is reported to be opposed to a larger council. This council is unlikely to add six. Dennison, for one, is stridently opposed to adding any, and for city staff, the small number is convenient. Further, a council that can’t even agree on a Councillors’ Code of Conduct, promised six years ago, is unlikely to make such a major change. But if they do, kudos! Two weeks ago there was a council workshop about a governance charter, but the underlying issue for many members was that outstanding Code of Conduct. They agreed that both items would be considered in parallel later. I was astonished that council size wasn’t even discussed, because that underlies governance. In response to my question, Goldring said it isn’t an issue — no one’s asking for change but me. Maybe, but four people (if all attend) deciding my city’s future is worrisome. Adding councillors to a too-small council for 2018’s election would be a step for democracy. Seven is way too small for a city Burlington’s size, considering the ongoing citizen angst about overintensification.
November 17th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
The closing of a high school is significant and disruptive. The Director of Education wants to give the public every opportunity to be informed and ask questions. To add to the situation – Burlington has a high school that is at 115% of capacity and has had to add portables – for a school that was opened three years ago.  Director of Education Stuart Miller preparing to talk to Central high school parents. The high school capacity in Burlington is south of the QEW – the population is north of that line. While not required to get out into the community and explain the full story – some school boards pass the task along to the trustees and let them deal with the mess – Miller decided to hold at meeting at every high school and pass along to them the information he has.  One of the five people in the picture is the high school principal. Parent participation was dismal. Some of those meetings were very well attended – others, sparse would be being polite. The parents just didn’t show up at Bateman high school which is a school that is very much at risk. That it wasn’t the staff recommendation doesn’t save Bateman. It is the trustees that will make the decision and there were 19 recommendations – and Bateman has a low and falling registration.  Amy Collard, school board trustee for the ward Bateman high school is in attended the sparsely attended meeting. With Nelson high school just a couple of km away – Bateman parents want to listen up – carefully. Miller has decided to go one step further and hold an on line Q&A on Monday, November 21st between 7:00 and 8:30 pm
November 17th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
Halton District School Board Director of Education Stuart Miller made two comments at the regular board meeting last night that deserve a closer look. He commented on a report that school bus drivers were having problems with cars that did not obey the rule that they must stop behind or in front of the bus while students are embarking and disembarking.  Hard to miss the intent of this sign – some car drivers are not getting the message. Each bus has a small barrier that is lowered when a bus has stopped – close to impossible to miss that signal. Why would a car driver choose to take a chance and drive around the bus? The Gazette will be following up on that problem. The other item in the Director’s report was equally disturbing. The Board is about to launch the PARC (Program Accommodation Review Committee) that will review the staff report that recommended closing both the Lester B Pearson and Central high schools. Miller has pointed out every time he discusses this process that the recommendation is just that “a recommendation. There are other high schools that could be closed instead of Pearson or Central. The decision as to which school should be closed is one that will be made by the trustees once the PARC has delivered its report. Every high school in the city gets to have a person on the PARC – there is apparently one high school that has not yet provided its nominee to the committee. This is serious stuff for a community whose high school is at risk. The PARC will hold its first meeting December 1st – that meeting, and only that meeting will be closed to the public. The justification is that the committee will need some time to work out the rules and norms that will apply and have an opportunity for the 20+ people on the committee to get to know each other. Every high school in Burlington has two representatives on the PARC. The full committee will consist of: Trustee from outside Burlington The Board is waiting for all the applications from people who have expressed an interest in serving on the committee. Friday November 18th is the closing day for those expression of interest applications. It is going to prove to be a big job – not for the faint of heart.  Not exactly a large crowd is it? Bateman high school parents apparently missed the message.  The Central high school parents understand the issue – they are very well organized. Miller advised the Board that he and staff have attended information meetings at every high school and “given them the information we have”. Some of those meetings were very poorly attended. There is going to be one additional meeting that will be done via the internet – Stuart and staff members will take questions electronically and answer on a live streaming board web cast November 21st at 7:00 pm.  Scott Podrebarac Superintendent of Education Scott Podrebarac will chair the PARC.
November 17th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
Does Social Media work? Donald Trump certainly believes it does – look where it got him. The good folks at Lettuce Love Café are using social media to announce their Pure Love Smoothie Bar and the 50% off all day on November 25th when they hold their Grand Opening.
Others are just great examples of how interesting graphics and an innovative idea get attention. Here is what the Lettuce Love Café people put together in the way of graphics. It caught our attention.
November 16th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON Now here is a volunteer opportunity for a retired bean counter. The Halton District School Board is seeking a community member with financial expertise and business knowledge to serve on its audit committee for a three year term ending December 2019.  A retired bean counter at work – wants to know where the money went. The audit committee is comprised of three trustees and two independent members drawn from the community at large. The Committee meets at least three times a year, plus ad hoc meetings as required, including day time meetings. The primary role of the audit committee is to assist the Board of Trustees in fulfilling its duties related to governance and oversight. The duties of the audit committee fall under the following key areas: the financial reporting process, internal control framework, risk management practices, performance and function of the board’s internal and external auditors and the Board’s compliance with its obligations under legislation. Candidate eligibility includes: Applicants must have sufficient accounting, senior financial management or other relevant business experience to understand public sector accounting and auditing standards. The applicant must not be a current employee or Officer of the Board or of any other district school board or school authority. The applicant must not have a parent, child or spouse currently employed by the Board. Candidates must submit a letter of interest and resume by 4 p.m. on Friday, December 23, 2016 to: Candidates who are short-listed will be requested to attend an interview conducted by the Audit Committee’s selection committee.
November 16th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
Queen’s Park – that where your provincial government lives announced today that they were putting forward legislation that will “Help municipal rules work better for communities”. Let the public decide how much better things get. The legislation is designed to help local governments be more open, flexible and accountable to the people they serve.  At some point this city council will get a Code of Conduct for Council in place. They haven’t managed to agree on one yet which does not mean their conduct is beyond reproach. The Municipal Act, and the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act set out the roles, responsibilities and conflict of interest rules for Ontario’s municipalities. If passed, these changes would benefit local governments and residents by: • Increasing fairness and reducing barriers for women and parents elected to municipal governments by allowing time off for pregnancy or parental leave More specifically, the province will: Requiring municipalities to establish codes of conduct for members of municipal council and local boards.  City manager James Ridge – given the task of coming up with a Code of Conduct for city council – more than six months ago. Burlington has been struggling with this one for more than a year. At this point th creation of a code of Conduct for council members is in the hands of city manager James Ridge – he hasn’t said a word publicly since the task was put on his plate. Providing the public and municipal Councillors with access to integrity commissioners with broadened powers to investigate complaints, provide advice and initiate investigations related to conflicts of interest and the municipality’s code of conduct. Burlington has a contract with a group who serve as “ombudsmen” for the city. Updating the definition of “meeting” in certain cases within the legislation to help ensure that rules would be clearer for municipal officials, local board members and the public This should be interesting. When there is a contentious decision to be made – they do like to hurry up the meeting and slip something through or go into closed session. Enhancing justice by providing a broader range of penalties for contraventions to the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act. Burlington is going to love this one – this city council can’t seem to recognize a conflict of interest on the part of one of its members when it is close to blatant. One wonders why a member of council didn’t challenge the member of Council who took the city to the Ontario Municipal Board over a Committee of Adjustment matter, These changes come as a result of public consultations as well as feedback from municipalities and stakeholders. The government isn’t doing this out of the goodness in their hearts – current rules call for the province to review the Municipal Act every five years. The purpose is to address and incorporate broader themes of accountability and transparency into the review.
November 16th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
Our Member of Parliament, Karina Gould, is hosting a town hall discussion on Budget 2017, to provide residents of Burlington the opportunity to share their insights and suggestions for the 2017 federal budget.  Right this way with your comments suggests MP Karina Gould who was masquerading as a Burlington Bandit. The event is to take place at the Burlington Public Library, Centennial Hall, 2331 New St, Burlington, ON L7R 1J4 – Saturday, November 19, from 2:00pm – 4:00pm Gould is asking for input from members of the community to identifying the opportunities that will help more families make ends meet, as well as ensure more prosperous communities, and foster long-term, sustainable economic growth. Following the consultation, Gould will take these insights and suggestions back to Ottawa and present them to Finance Minister Bill Morneau.
November 16th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON.
They have been designing places to work and live in Burlington since 1978; now they are going to build a place for themselves. Chamberlain Architect Services Limited provides professional architectural, construction management, and project management services for a wide variety of project types. This Friday they are going to break ground for a 4-unit, 20,000 sq. ft. condominium office building in the rapidly growing Ward 6 area in Burlington.  A four unit commercial condominium designed by Chamberlain – one of the units will be their new home. One of the units will be the new home of the Chamberlain organization. A flexible mix of open and private spaces, the company recognizes that employees have different working styles. The layout facilitates collaboration while also providing spaces for people to do highly focused work creating an atmosphere where creativity and innovation can thrive. Their full-time staff of 35 have found Burlington a great place to live and work, and they will tell you it keeps getting better all the time. They expect to be moving to new offices May of 2017. The company has made its mark on the city in the past 38 years. With access to many talented, well-educated people, Chamberlain has built a staff complement that any firm would be proud to claim. Most of the staff live in Burlington; many have been with the organization for over 15 years. Completion is scheduled for May 2017. While Chamberlain has worked across Canada, in the United States, and internationally, they have a feel and a deep attachment and pride in their homegrown projects. Local projects include: Halton Family Health Centre, Walkers Line and Hwy. 5  The Berkeley, now under construction, is a Chamberlain design On the go at the moment, along with their own new digs is the Berkeley; located on a Burlington downtown city block bounded by Elizabeth, Caroline, Maria and John Streets, this development will have 3 storeys from ground level that will accommodate retail establishments and above, a 17-storey glass tower that will be made up of one and two- bedroom suites, many with dens, and all with open-air balconies offering dramatic vistas of the city. The Joseph Brant Museum expansion and renovation will, when completed, be a must-see tourist attraction that speaks both of Burlington’s history and its progressive nature.  The re-build of the Joseph Brant Museum is another Chamberlain project. Chamberlain’s vision for this project sees the replica house restored and moved on the site but kept intact as there was no way to get the additional program space required without detracting from and over- powering the heritage property. Instead, the additional space will come from an energy-efficient, partially under- ground addition with a green roof. By so doing, Chamberlain has created a modern museum facility that incorporates and restores the original building and supports the Museum’s vision of being an inspiring and engaging cultural and heritage destination.  New wing to be added to the Carpenter Hospice The Carpenter Hospice is currently a 10-bed home in Burlington that offers both residential-based care to people in the last stages of their lives, and community-based programs for people dealing with grief or a life-limiting illness. The 14-year old care facility is getting a new residential wing, as well as, a renovation to the existing structure. The Marriott hotel organization is making a bold statement in Burlington with two new hotel operations. Chamberlain designed the new Courtyard that will be adjacent to the Burlington Convention Centre. This 6-storey hotel will consist of 135 suites, a smart, yet casual, lobby and an outdoor patio among its many amenities. The addition of this hotel will cement the Convention Centre’s position as Burlington’s Premier Business Event Venue. Other projects of note by Chamberlain include: Nothing shabby about their accomplishments.
November 16th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
It worked very well for them last time – so why not do it again? The Regional police found a winner when they were able to issue 117 tickets by running a Targeted Traffic Enforcement program driven by complaints from the public.
A large number of traffic complaints received by police relate to drivers exceeding the posted speed limits. Officers will continue to target areas throughout the City of Burlington that have been identified as high traffic complaint locations. Officers conducted a one day targeted blitz around Prospect Street in the City of Burlington on November 15th due to a number of complaints forwarded by residents of Burlington. As a result of police presence all along Prospect Street in the City of Burlington, 123 traffic stops were initiated for Highway Traffic Act violations and 90 Provincial Offence Notices were issued by police. 30 Division Officers will continue to conduct target enforcement throughout Burlington to ensure the safety of all residents using the roadways. “Drivers need to be mindful of their actions when behind the wheel. Speeding, distracted driving and stop sign violations were all observed by officers along Prospect Street. Our officers will continue to target areas throughout Burlington in order to deter these types of behaviours by drivers.” said Sgt. Jared McLeod of the District Response Unit. The Halton Regional Police Service is committed to reducing dangerous and aggressive driving behaviors that put all road users at risk. If any citizen would like to report a traffic concern they can do so by visiting our website and submitting an online traffic complaint, https://www.haltonpolice.ca/PRC/Pages/TrafficComplaints.aspx Related articles: More than 115 tickets issued by police that originated with citizen complaints. Stories people tell police when they get pulled over – and the language they use.
November 15th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Learning Foundation (HLF) held their Benefit Bash last week and gratefully accepted a donation of $10,000 from Siemens Canada in support of students of the Halton District School Board. The donation kicks off HLF’s “No Student Left Behind” holiday appeal which is raising funds to ensure the estimated 10% of students of the Halton District School Board who live at or below the poverty line can access emergency funding or student subsidies to help them stay in school and focused on learning.  Ann-Marie Koumettou, Sr. Communications Consultant, Siemens Canada; Lesley Mansfield, Executive Director, Halton Learning Foundation; Ann Adair, VP, Communications and Strategy, Siemens Canada; David Grant, Board Chair, Halton Learning Foundation. A key component of the No Student Left Behind appeal is a gift catalogue that enables people to purchase gifts that students need, such as warm winter coats and boots, athletic equipment, healthy snacks and lunches, or fees to participate in field trips. “If you’re searching for a holiday gift for your child’s favourite teacher, or that hard‐to‐buy for relative, consider giving a No Student Left Behind gift,” says Lesley Mansfield, Executive Director of the Halton Learning Foundation. “For a society to grow and be sustainable we need to ensure children have a strong educational base,” said Robert Hardt, President & CEO, Siemens Canada. “I personally believe it is the duty of the private sector to add value to society by, among other things, supporting educational goals.” This is the second year in a row that Siemens worked with HLF to ensure that no student in our community misses out on their education because they don’t have the money to fully participate in school,” Mansfield said.  Olympian Mark Oldershaw An avid supporter of Halton Learning Foundation, in addition to supporting No Student Left Behind, Siemens Canada also provides mentoring for Halton District School Board high school students, field trips to Siemens facilities and donations of funds towards STEM programming at Halton schools. Olympian Mark Oldershaw –sponsored by RBC — spoke about the importance of mental wellness to an athlete.
November 14th, 2106 BURLINGTON, ON The Gazette will be publishing a series of articles leading up to the first of the city council discussions and debates on the 2017 budget. This is the first of that series. Back in July the Finance department gave city council a report setting out the parameters on which staff was preparing the 2017 budget. In a report going to committee later this month staff outlines principles that have been recognized by Council as important policy decisions, as well as highlight budget drivers that will impact the 2017 budget. In November 2012 Council approved the City of Burlington’s Long Term Financial Plan which outlined strategic objectives and policies to ensure financial sustainability and responsible financial management. In March 2015, the BMA report provided recommendations that enhanced the existing financial policies to ensure fiscal sustainability and maintain flexibility to address changing conditions. BMA does a Municipal Study in which over 100 municipalities participate annually. The study allows municipalities to compare their spending and there reserve positions with that of other comparative municipalities. The 2017 budget will keep with the objectives and updated policies. In addition, in January 2016, Council received the 20-Year Simulation of Forecasted Budget Drivers which provided a high level overview of major budget drivers and expected future tax rate impacts. Inherent in the annual operating budget process are the normal pressures of inflation, growth, resources and fluctuating revenues, compounded by infrastructure renewal costs. This forecast as presented continues to recognize the anticipated drivers for the 2017 budget year.
The city’s budget for each fiscal year is divided into two parts: the capital budget which is more long term and the operational budget which covers what the city expects to spend during a given fiscal year. Added into this is the surplus from the previous year. 2017 Capital Budget: Continued changes to the capital budget bring focus to infrastructure renewal projects. The capital budget continues to remain a 10-year program, broken down by asset categories. Any projects outside the scope of infrastructure renewal or the Development Charge program (growth) will continue to require a business case for Council’s consideration during the budget review process. 2017 Operating Budget: The operating budget will continue to focus on maintaining service delivery. Changes to levels of service will require a business case. The 2017 operating budget will once again be presented in a service-based format with two years history for comparison. As service business plans do not dramatically change year-over-year, for 2017, they will not be included in the Operating Budget book. However, business plans will updated for 2017 and made available for reference purposes. In their place, will be a service summary form, enhanced to include additional commentary by service owners on significant changes to the base budget. In addition, all business cases, both capital and operating will include commentary as to how the requested change aligns to one or more of the following items: City’s Strategic Plan, City Manager’s Work Plan, Departmental Work plan, Service Business Plan and any legislative changes that may take place. This is the first year the operating budget will be developed using a new budget software system. The proposed timeline for the 2017 budget process. • Capital Budget Overview November 21, 2016 The chart set out below highlights the results of Council’s comprehensive budget deliberations at both the City and the Region.  Over the last three years the average city tax rate change is 3.43% (including the hospital) On the same November 21st agenda is a report outlining the Phase 1 Financial Plan for the Strategic Plan.  Burlington has always had a small group of citizens who get out to public meetings to review budgets and policy proposals. Rarely however does a budget get changed as a result of ideas from these meetings. The city uses the occasions to determine if there is at least some acceptance of a proposed budget. Public Engagement Matters: The city will take a two pronged approach to getting input from the public. Phase 1 will include online engagement opportunities through the use of the city’s two main online engagement tools – Mindmixer and Insight Burlington. Phase 2 will include a face-to-face opportunity for the public to learn more about the proposed Capital and Operating Budgets and provide their feedback in advance of Committee’s budget review process. The results of all public engagement will be reported back to Council in advance of the budget review process.  Director of Finance Joan Ford does a great job of providing the data. Her department does a good job of collecting the taxes as well. It’s the spending side that is causing the long term financial stress. Ms Ford doesn’t do the spending. Financial sustainability is said to be the key strategic priority. The budget will continue to face rising pressure from infrastructure renewal costs, limited revenue growth, and completion of strategic plan initiatives representing visions to meet community needs. These factors ultimately impact property taxes and reserve fund balances to maintain existing service levels and quality of life. Hamilton city council set their 2017 budget increase target at 2% with one member of that Council asking that it not be higher than 1.8%
November 14th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
Do you know what a diorama is? We had to check the dictionary on this one – it describes “a model representing a scene with three-dimensional figures, either in miniature or as a large-scale museum exhibit.” That is what the Friends of the Freeman Station want to put on the lower level of the building that is currently going through extensive refurbishing.  There was a time when the city couldn’t give the station away.  The Friends of Freeman Station convinced the city to give them the building – this was the day it got moved to its new home. This is a crew that has yet to finish what is a massive under-taking – and here they are moving on to an even bigger task – that’s chutzpah – and a desire to turn a structure that the city was going to sell for kindling into what will become a premier destination for visitors for years to come. The “diorama” is properly known as the Lower Level Railway Diorama; a unique and special historic model railway diorama on the Lower Level. When finished, it will recapture the nostalgia of the times, depicting early Twentieth-century bucolic life in the hamlet of Freeman, now a part of the City of Burlington, Ontario. The Burlington Junction Station was the hub of Freeman community life for almost 100 years. The personal and commercial comings and goings of the community were centered there — the crisscross of railway lines brought goods and people to the area, and they were the primary mode of shipping goods, especially produce, to world markets.  When 40 trains ran through the city – produce was king. Maple Avenue was a prime road to the Burlington Junction; Burlington Mall was farm land and the Orchard was where the apples grew. And box cars took tonnes of produce around the world. With more than 40 trains a day, the Station was a busy place, punctuated by the roar of the steam locomotives, the wail of their whistles, the clackety clack of the rail cars. Numerous first-hand accounts, first-person interviews, and meticulous record searches have thoroughly documented life in the village. More than 18 months in research and planning will have gone into the Lower Level Railway Diorama project by 1 July 2017. Their target (and the Friends of Freeman team reach their targets) is to have the model railway layout running by then, with the project continuing to expand and grow after that. The model railway in the diorama will be quite unique, unlike anything seen in this part of North America. It will showcase a beautifully crafted 1/24th scale model of the Burlington Junction Station. Matched to the scale of the Station model, the railway rolling stock will feature era-specific Grand Trunk Railway steam locomotives, passenger and freight cars in 1/24th scale (“G” scale).  Just a hint at what the model railroad set up is going to look like. If you would like to participate in the project, you’re invited to email them, detailing your particular interests and skills. We need painters, miniature modelers, computer and sound technicians, model railway enthusiasts, model railway display builders, and craftsperson’s. Send them an email – they would love to hear from you. info@freemanstation.ca
November 14th, 2106 BURLINGTON, ON
If the number of people who toured the houses the day the Gazette covered the event – then the 34th Annual Junior League Holiday House Tour was a success. Three homes were on the tour this year with the Hampton Court House in Burlington drawing the biggest crowds.  Tucked near the end of a cul de sac in Roseland the extensively renovated home was the highlight of the 34th Annual Junior League Holiday Home Tour. It is a very large house that had undergone a significant renovation with more than 1000 sq. ft. of space added to what was a house on a double lot. As we watched the crowds of people waiting to enter the house we noticed that the age range of the visitors was pretty consistent – 25 to 45 – seemed to be the age of the bulk of the visitors.  Dining area was set between a kitchen with two islands and a living room – all the space blended in together very well. There were 12 guides scattered through the house that had been opened up, especially on the main floor where a lot of walls were removed. Keeping the flow of people moving smoothly fell to the crew that met you at the door. You first had to remove your shoes and put them in a bag that was provided. Then the guides pointed in the direct they expected you to go.  Master bedroom. Rooms for the children were at the other end of the house. Not always that easy but one of the guides, we won’t identify her, but her initials are EM, was superb at handing out the instructions. Polite, direct and efficient, so much so that we asked if she was perhaps a serving police officer. No she replied but I do love this job. Traffic moved – efficiently Then you moved from room to room taking it all in On the main floor, in the kitchen that had two islands, small groups of woman would gather and debate the merits of the design and the placement of different pieces of furniture.  Storage space – everything behind the wall is storage space – you just pushed the wall and the doors opened up. Much attention was paid to the colours used – “Thunder white” was used extensively apparently. Each house on the tour – there were three had a team of “reps” the people who made sure everything went smoothly during the months that led up to the event. Dianne Brown and Iris Hughes, co-chairs of the Holiday House Tour spent endless hours over many months getting everything in place. Securing space for people to park their cars and putting the shuttle buses in place was not as simple as many people thought it should be. The bumps got ironed out – eventually.  A champagne cooler was set out on one of the kitchen islands. did the Junior League team get to pop the cork when the event was over? They certainly deserved it. The members of the Junior League operation were enjoying themselves. They will be holding information evenings on January 14th and 28th – you might want to note the date and touch base with these people at info@juniorleague.ca The Annual Holiday House tour raises funds for a number of projects.
November 11th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
This story took place in Milton but it is relevant to Burlington – what do we do in the event of an emergency? Who takes the lead and what does each different part of the civic administration do? And where does the public fit into all this? In 2014 when Burlington experienced an unprecedented flood there were people who were up to their knees in water and people a couple of streets away who were grilling burgers totally unaware that there was a major catastrophe taking place.  The 2014 flood saw 199 mm of water dumped on part of the city over a four hour period – but it was so local that many people were not aware of what had happened until it was over. The different public services were not immediately fully aware as to just how bad the situation was. At the time every senior civic official save one was out of town. The flooding was so local that few people knew what was going on. In an effort to be better prepared the Region took on the task of doing annual exercises to practice what might happen and how the municipality would respond.  Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr and Halton CAO Jane MacCaskill review the tornado’s path. On November 9, 2016, Halton Region and the Town of Milton staged a joint emergency exercise to evaluate their respective emergency response plans. The exercise included response and recovery activities related to a fictional tornado that damaged homes, businesses and community infrastructure in Milton.  Halton Region Paramedic Services Superintendent Tom Stirling oversees EMS support for affected residents. “Testing our emergency preparedness strategies helps ensure that we are ready to respond,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. “We work with local partners to minimize the risks, coordinate response efforts and reduce the impact of emergency situations. By training, rehearsing and preparing together, we improve our ability to keep residents safe and increase the resilience of our entire community.” The exercise engaged Town and Regional staff, as well as representatives from the Halton Regional Police Service, Halton Paramedic Services, Burlington Fire Department and Milton Fire Department. This collaboration provided a realistic image of how community agencies would work together in the event of a real emergency. “We know the potential for weather-related emergencies is very real and it is important that we come together with local partners to practice our response,” said Milton Mayor Gord Krantz. “This emergency exercise serves as a reminder that we all need to be prepared for the unexpected.”  Town of Milton CAO Bill Mann and Fire Chief Brian Ellsworth assess the tornado’s impact. Exercise “Vortex” activated a wide range of resources and procedures established by the Region and Town to address emergency situations. Participants coordinated search and rescue, evacuation, temporary shelter and service restoration, directing simulated response workers to support residents affected by the tornado. Staff from all agencies identified strengths, challenges and areas for improvement immediately following the simulation. Halton’s annual exercises simulate severe weather events and significant crises that could occur based on the community’s environmental features and hazards. Emergencies can happen anytime, and emergency preparedness is a joint responsibility—the Region reminds residents to plan today so they are protected tomorrow. What the really disturbs the Gazette is that, to the best of our knowledge there was no media involved in this exercise.
November 11th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington tends to get defined by its relationship to the lake and the Escarpment. Try tinkering with either in a major way and the citizens descend on city hall. Everyone have their own relationship to Spencer Smith Park and the Pier and most people tend to feel they are aware of what’s going on. Burlington Waterfront, a small volunteer group of citizens dedicating their efforts to promote the protection of and enhance access to our waterfront have planned a meeting on Monday December 5th at 7pm. to share with you what’s happening And just what is happening?  Bridgewater development on Lakeshore – rendering of the project from the lake.  One of many Windows on the Lake. Windows to the Lake The group has members from Wards 2, 4, and 6 currently – so not just downtown or along the waterfront. They are interested in expanding their membership but that is no the purpose of the meeting. The Gazette has reported on all of these developments; what we haven’t done, and what the Waterfront group is doing is holding an event at which all the developments are talked about and reviewed at the same time. Done properly – it would be the first time anyone has done something publicly that looks at the bigger picture. Kudos to Dee Dee Davies and the Burlington Waterfront committee.  The bigger picture is something that has never really been explained to the public – a citizens group has taken up that challenge. This group came about when the city shut down the Waterfront advisory Group established by former Mayor Cam Jackson when the pier was the hot topic. The group wasn’t able to get much done – they do deserve credit for putting the Pump House to some use – many had hoped for something a little more imaginative. When the city created Advisory group was shut down both Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward and the Mayor said they were going to form a group to keep the public aware of what was taking place. Meed Ward actually got an organization going – the Mayor either lost interest or gave up when Meed Ward filled the need. This is a citizen’s event – we don’t know if city hall people are going to be at the meeting; they have been invited. The meeting takes place at the Brant Hills Community Centre, Mountainside Room. 2255 Brant Street, between Upper Middle Rd and Dundas Street. In addition to the group doing the presentation, there will be some community groups who will be present with a poster to advertise their relationship to the waterfront.
November 11th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
We gathered in the hundreds fifty yards or so north of Civic Square where more than a hundred wreaths were laid at the cenotaph that recently underwent a clean-up and some refurbishing. Some of the men who were there last year were not with us this year. We do know that William (Bill) Basil McConnell was there. Earlier this year McConnell was made a member of the French Legion of Honour. This is an award given by the President of France.  Retired Chief Petty Officer William (Bill) Basil McConnell being congratulated by Colonel Roger Vandomm during the awarding of the French Legion of Honour medal. This is no small measure – the recognition given by the President of France was presented to McConnell aboard HMCS Haida, a retired Tribal Class destroyer that is tied up at HMCS Star in Hamilton. McConnell is a hero in the largest sense of that word. He was what were called boy seamen – signed up at 16 and served in the Royal Navy until 1953 after 15 years of service. He was aboard the battleship HMS Ramillies on D Day supporting the troops that were being rushed to the shores of France to begin the liberation of Europe. Battleships were in a class of their own. The Ramillies had four 16 inch guns forward. A sixteen inch gun means the bullet that comes roaring out of the barrel is 16 inches in diameter. Ramillies was part of the D Day landing in June of 1944. She was to use her big guns to take out a German battery with six 6” guns at Beneville, France to the east end of Sword Beach. The Ramillies took out four of those gun batteries in 80 minutes. The British shells coming in meant the Germans had to do their best to return fire and were not able to train their guns on the troops landing on the beaches. It was during this battle that Bill had to go aloft to the Aloft Director to repair some electrical equipment. The Aloft Director is the station high up on the ship that was used for observation. With his electrical tool kit in one hand and the other reaching from one rung of the ladder to the next to get to the location where repairs were necessary the guns of the Ramillies roared deafening McConnell instantly. McConnell was not able to put his hands over his ears because, as he put it, “you can’t cover both ears, hold the ladder and your tool kit at the same time”. He was deafened completely in on ear and seriously in the other.  Legion d’Honneur awarded by the President of the Republic of France to William (Bill) Basil McConnell. In a small, dignified ceremony on a lovely sunny summer afternoon at HMCS Star aboard the retired Tribal Class destroyer HMCS Haida, the Legion d’Honneur awarded by the President of the republic of France was awarded to that William (Bill) Basil McConnell Colonel Roger Vandomm, of the French Consulate pinned a medal on the chest of McConnell. He read out a message from the government of France: “By order of the President of the Republic of France, you have been awarded the rank of Knight of the French National Order of the Legion of Honour. “This distinction, the highest national order of France, illustrates the profound gratitude France would like to express to you in recognition of your personal involvement of the liberation of our country during World War II.” Had you been there you would have seen a retired naval hero look into the eyes of a serving French Colonel and exchange an understanding of what war is all about and the terrible price that is paid. Today in Burlington – its citizens lined the street and recognized again those who fought.
November 11th, 2106 BURLINGTON, ON Following the outrage over the New Street “road diet” and the introduction of bike lanes to the disadvantage of drivers, transit users and residents; one might have hoped that Burlington City Council would waken up to the fact that communication and consultation, before a decision, is preferable to acrimony and bitterness in its aftermath. In the New Street aftermath every Councillor I heard from agreed that, no matter how well intentioned, the implementation was a communications disaster. They vowed the road diet will be monitored, measured and the data reviewed and debated by the public to gain their input before permanent adoption.  Jim Young delegating at city council. He had ten minutes on this occasion. In their rush to calm outraged citizens, Councillors assured their constituents that next time around their actions will be more open, transparent and attentive to public input. So far so good; ruffled feathers have been smoothed, angry voices calmed and all the proper civic engagement boxes ticked. A veneer of local democracy survives and maybe they will all get re-elected next year. Sighs of relief all round. So how, mere weeks later, you may ask, can this same group of Councillors who have sworn transparency, openness and engagement now vote to limit public delegations to council on matters of community interest and concern? Until last week any issue before council was open to public input via delegation to council when the issue was discussed and voted on. Interested advocacy groups or individual citizens were allowed ten minutes to present their thoughts, concerns or their support for the matter at hand. Now council’s Community and Corporate Services Committee, which comprises all of city council, have decided that citizens will be limited to five minutes for individual presentations while advocacy and special interest groups will still be allowed ten minutes.  Just how democratic are the city Councillors? I am at a loss to understand how this promotes or advances engagement and community involvement. Indeed it is an affront to the whole notion of local democracy. Perhaps Councilors Craven, Sharman and Taylor who voted in favour of the new limit will grace their constituents with an explanation. Perhaps they were looking ahead to when the New Street issue comes back before council next year and trying to silence critics who will doubtless be lining up for their full ten minutes to vent on that subject.  Councillor Dennison defended the ten minute time limit on delegations.  Mayor Goldring defended the ten minute time limit for delegations. Kudos to Mayor Goldring, Councillors Dennison and Meed Ward who opposed the five minute limit; Defending our right as citizens to speak truth to power. (Councillor Lancaster was absent.) The matter will come before the full council on November 28th for final ratification. Hopefully Councillor Lancaster will be in attendance and vote some sanity back into the issue or, perhaps, our three errant Councillors will regain their professed love of citizen engagement and vote more wisely on that date. Members of the public who wish to make their feelings known about this issue at the Nov. 28 meeting can register to speak at the meeting on. I urge my fellow Burlingtonians to do so. It may be your last chance to get a ten minute hearing with your council members.
November 11th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
They’re red and blue, plastered across the map of America, the divided states representing the divided state of America. And it hasn’t changed much over the years – the reds and blues are pretty constant from election to election, except for a handful of battleground states.
Trump’s folks called her an elite though she, and not her opponent, had pulled themselves up from a humble beginning. But she acted the part, perhaps overconfident in the knowledge that she was the the only qualified candidate. So she went high when he went low and allowed herself to be branded as corrupt and crooked by someone much closer to that description. For at least a couple of generations now we have been conditioned by the television set. And when we get bored watching a re-run we change the channel to a reality show – its easy to do. Perhaps Clinton didn’t understand that the people wanted change, and not that phoney ‘yes we can’ change they were handed back in 2008. Even if unemployment has fallen to historic lows under Obama, slinging burgers is not the pathway to becoming part of a dwindling middle-class. The American dream just wasn’t working out for all those angry white voters who ended up propelling Trump into the White House.
It should have been Hillary. Not because of some sexist reason, but because she was qualified and had some very progressive policies, which she rarely even got to talk about. Baggage drags you down, and she had too much, the flip side of all that experience. And then there was how she got be the nominee. Yesterday’s candidate won her party’s nomination with a stacked hand. Nobody can say that Bernie Sanders would have performed better, but he was at least liked and respected for his years of experience, his ideals and his ethics. Perhaps the millennial crowd would have come out for him, because they sure didn’t for Hillary. And Bernie and Trump would have at least been fun to watch in debate.
America was a nation divided before this election, those perennial red and blue states. And it won’t get any less divided over the next four years. Because people don’t always vote in their own self-interest, and they keep voting like they always did. And there can only be two parties in that very imperfect democracy south of the border, where check and balance has transitioned to confrontation and obstruction.
There were protests on the first two days following the election. Wouldn’t it have been more effective for those young people to simply have voted? After all, it won’t be long before governing America will be the responsibility of their generation.
Background links: Hillary’s Concession – Trump’s Lies – Bernie and Donald – What Happens Next –
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More Ho Ho Ho guys and gals that you would expect to see anywhere.
Freelance columnist Joan Little is a former Burlington alderperson and Halton councillor. Reach her at specjoan@cogeco.ca
Social media is one of the ways commercial operations avoid having to pay for advertising. The Gazette, and every other on line media gets hundreds of pitches a week from public relations people asking us to give them a mention. Some of them are important enough from a public interest point of view to get coverage.
The Halton Regional Police continue to address the numerous traffic complaints provided from the residents of Burlington each day. The police continue to encourage residents to report traffic complaints by going to the Halton Regional Police Website and submitting the required information on-line.
Yes I called the election result but that wasn’t my preferred outcome. Now it seems that the glass ceiling will have to wait. And if Hillary was doing this for womankind, it didn’t work since nearly half of all female voters chose Trump anyway. But then this contest should never have been about gender… or sex. It should have been about the next four years. There was this entitlement thing. Again, Clinton and her cronies believed it was her turn, that she deserved to be president because she got beaten out by an African-American in 2008.
Trump went rogue. End free trade! Build a wall! Kick out illegals! Tear up the climate change deal! Ban Muslim immigrants! Drop out of NATO! Make love with Putin! Plain speak so nobody could accuse the real estate magnate of mincing words. And when the pollsters and the media prematurely pronounced his imminent defeat, the voters thought what the hell? What have we got to lose? It was a Brexit echo, and it sure looks like Trump played that card from the beginning.
Still, had it not been for the FBI intervention at the eleventh hour, which reinforced doubts about her character, Clinton might have won. And the FBI will likely get off scot-free, since the Republicans are in control now. Isn’t that’s how politics works – the winners get it all?
Hillary Clinton graciously wished Trump a successful presidency, whatever that means. One should expect he will be as divisive in governing as he was in campaigning – and big league. Some politicians focus on what unites us… ‘stronger together’. Others use racism and sexism to drive a wedge between the people, and pit one against another. It’s called divide and conquer. And it worked in the Divided States of America.
Ray Rivers is an economist and author who writes weekly on federal and provincial issues, applying his 25 years of involvement with federal and provincial ministries. Rivers’ involvement in city matters led to his appointment as founding chair of Burlington’s Sustainable Development Committee. He was also a candidate in a past provincial election.