 By Ray Rivers
November 8, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
 The Roman Senate – not what we have in Burlington. The political party is an essential component of representative democracy. The Athenian (Greek) model of direct democracy allowed everyone to get into the act, but that is an impossibility in todays busy, modern, and heavily populated world. So we are stuck with political parties, warts and all.
Parties make it easier for the voter to choose, particularly in a bi-cameral system such as the US has, with Republicans or Democrats the only choice on election day. Americans, tired of Obama’s leadership, swept his party’s representatives out of office and replaced them with Republicans in this week’s congressional elections. And in almost all cases voters were electing the party, not the person.
 Councillors Rick Craven and Marianne Meed Ward are both known Liberals but there is precious little they agree on. Parties also make it easier for the candidate to present him/her self and to identify issues. The party system simplifies choice, since formal party platforms offer voters a clear choice among competing philosophies of governance. This may be one of the reasons why voter turnout is consistently higher in provincial and federal elections than for municipal elections where parties are banned (in Ontario).
Of course, municipal issues are pretty mundane stuff. Dealing with zoning, stop signs, speed limits and development proposals isn’t as sexy as sending CF-18’s into action over Iraq, or ramming an oil pipeline through environmentally sensitive land. Still these local issues matter to residents concerned with transit, development charges, local taxes and urban sprawl.
But I’ve never understood voting for school trustees? Isn’t education policy delivered and delivered by the Province? Wouldn’t the administration of schools and children’s transportation be best left to the local authorities (cities) where they are situated? And isn’t it already confusing enough for voters to have to deal with choosing a mayor and ward councillor, in addition to potential referenda questions. Perhaps internet voting will help facilitate this process.
Parties do a lot of the legwork for the voting public by screening candidates, training them in fulfilling their duties and disciplining them when they screw-up. For example, Trudeau has just removed two MP’s from his Liberal caucus over accusations of sexual harassment. Unlike individual candidates, the party candidate not only represents him/herself but everyone else connected to the party – their ideals, principles and policies. Rob Ford would never have lasted as long as he did were he representing a respectable political party.
 New candidates in every ward, many that were very credible – but Burlington voters decided they were happy with what they had – well at least just over 30% were happy and actually voted. To look at last week’s municipal election results one couldn’t be blamed for thinking they’d been voting in Russia or Syria, if only because the results are mostly a foregone conclusion. Well, except for Toronto where the Ford brothers did make for a colourful election. Incumbents normally have a huge advantage running as individuals because their names have been made familiar in the media and they have no official daily opposition to challenge them.
In addition, new candidates face an uphill battle, particularly if the electoral field is huge as it was for Toronto’s mayor, with over 50 contestants. Then there are all those local issues which can leave newbies vulnerable in candidates’ debates, depending on their exposure. Funding and organizing a campaign can also serve as huge barriers for a potential new candidate.
Jack Layton attempted to bring party politics into Toronto many years ago with his Metro NDP. Lacking political infrastructure, like an Elections Toronto, his venture ended up working out a lot like Ford Nation – it didn’t. Montreal and Vancouver have had successful, working political parties, which for the most part are independent of those at the senior levels. One wonders how Ontario’s best known perpetual incumbents, Mississauga’s Hazel McCallion and Milton’s Gordon Krantz, the queen and king of urban sprawl, would have fared in a partisan environment. At least the development issue might have received more public airing.
 Angelo Bentivegna and Jivan Sanghera in discussion after the ward debate An important consideration is how to keep good people wanting to compete for municipal offices, though the odds seem stacked against them. Not that long ago municipal elections were held every two years, then it got bumped to three, and now it is four. The longer the period between elections, the less the chance for new people to get involved. And then Ontario experienced a spate of municipal consolidations through forced amalgamations in the 1990’s which ended up reducing council positions and, thus, opportunities.
In Burlington all those who spent their time and money to challenge the existing council ended up going home disappointed this year. That might still have been the case were there political parties for voters to choose from, rather than just somebody’s name. We’ll just hope that these people who committed themselves to public service don’t all give up even though it’ll be four years before they can try again.
 Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province.
Direct Democracy More Parties Duties of Trusties Even More Parties Montreal Parties
Toronto Parties Trustees More Toronto Parties Councillor Duties
Hurricane Hazel E-Voting Metro NDP Vancouver Parties
 By Pepper Parr
November 6, 2014
BURLINGTON. ON.
Local government works best when the people in the community play a meaningful role in the determination of what the tax rates should be and what the money raised is to be spent on.
Bureaucrats can`t do it all. In Burlington, many of the senior people don`t live in the city 0- their relationship with citizens is for the most part paper based and interactions at committee or Council meetings.
Burlington has a number of Advisory Committees – some work exceptionally well while others are a mess. This reporter has sat in on two Advisory Committee meetings where members were throwing copies of reports at each other.
 Nicholas Leblovic. chair of the now sunset Waterfront Advisory committee. Some Advisory Committees work well – others don’t. The city has created Advisory Committees and shut them down before they completed a full term; that was the fate of WAPA – the Waterfront Access and Protection Advisory committee that was the starting point for that startling decision of the Council that will end its tem at the end of the month.
There are Advisory Committees that do superb work – better than staff people at city hall. And there are Advisory Committees that are poorly chaired.
Who sits on the Advisory Committees?
The city runs advertisements asking for people to submit an application; they are reviewed, people are interviewed and the selections announced. The decisions of city hall staff who make the recommendations then go to Council where they are approved. There have been occasions when Council decide not to approve a particular person – that kind of a decision gets made in a closed session.
Thus the final word on who sits on those Advisory Committees is made by Council – they want to keep the trouble makers out – or do they want to ensure they will get people who will support what Council wants to see done?
Do Council members put names forward?
There are people in this city that do not agree with some of the policies city Council puts forward and they would like to see some form or organized opposition in place.
While municipal governments do not follow provincial or federal party lines – there are people who would like to see something in the way of an organization that is not specific subject based.
 The Official waterfront advisory committee was shut down by the city – citizens thought it important enough to have a committee and formed something independent of city hall. The Burlington Library is working with the city this year to put on an event that will let people learn more about the different advisory committees. The event will include committees that are not part of the civic administration.
The event: An Introduction to Boards and Committees, takes place on November 19th at the Central Library – starts at 7:00 pm. Oddly enough it doesn’t appear on the Library calendar and the city hasn’t said a word about it publicly. Disapointing.
The city has since advised that the event is n the city web site and that paid advertising is to appear soon.
While a large part of the city population lives south of the QEW – there are a lot of people north of that stretch of pavement. Why isn’t an event like this held in Alton in the recreational complex up there? This would give the people north of Dundas and those to the immediate south a chance to really participate.
Among the Boards and committees that will have representatives at the event are:
Burlington Accessibility Advisory Committee
Burlington Cycling Advisory Committee
Sustainable Development Advisory Committee
Heritage Burlington Advisory Committee
Senior’s Advisory Committee
Inclusivity Advisory Committee
Mundialization Committee
Committee of Adjustment
Downtown Parking Advisory Committee
Burlington Public Library Board
Burlington Museums Board
Doors Open Volunteer Organizing Committee
Canada Day Committee Organizing Committee
Christmas Parade Committee
 Bfast is an independent group that is well informed on transit matter. They delegate frequently. We understand that BFast (Burlington For Accessible Sustainable Transit) will also have a table for people who want to be involved in transit issues.
By Pepper Parr
November 6, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
In his day he was one of the heavy hitters at Queen’s Park. He ran the elections that got Dalton McGuinty elected and re-elected. He had his own problems with an inquiry and was totally cleared. He experienced a little too much zealousness on the part of the police.
A new session of Engaging Ideas, proudly hosted by A Different Drummer Books and Burlington Public Library, features a guest renowned for his achievement and experience and for his insight into our political process:
 Greg Sorbara in the Legislature – always on his feet with the facts at his finger tips. A senior figure in Ontario’s governance, as long-serving MPP, as Liberal Party president and as Minister of Finance, Greg Sorbara will take his audience through the many colourful challenges of his long and extraordinary career, and share the startling facts and opinions newly revealed in his candid and provocative memoir.
“This is a lovely, insightful book from one of modern Ontario’s most influential figures. It provides deep insight and personal reflections on both the policy process and the real-world of politics from a man who has shaped the evolution of Ontario as much as anyone in the past three decades.”: that’s how Matthew Mendelsohn, a former senior federal and provincial civil servant describes the book.
The Battlefield of Ontario Politics on November 17 at 7pm at Centennial Hall, Burlington Central Library, 2331 New Street. Tickets are $10, available at A Different Drummer Books and at the Third Floor Information Desk at the Library.
Sorbara has been a member of the Ontario Liberal Party, and served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1985 until 1995, and then from 2001 until 2012, most recently representing the riding of Vaughan. Sorbara served as the Minister of Finance in the Liberal government of Premier Dalton McGuinty from 2003 to 2007.
He differed with Premier David Petersen on the calling of the 200xx election – won his seat but the Liberals lost that election. He ran for the leadership of the party; lost to Lynn McLeod.
He was a supporter of Dalton McGuinty and did all the backroom thinking for each of the McGuinty elections.
He resigned on October 11, 2005, following a police investigation involving his family’s real estate development firm and was reinstated on May 23, 2006 after a judge ruled that there was no cause for including Sorbara’s name on a search warrant.
 Greg Sorbara during the public investigation days. He was totally cleared of any wrong doing. Sorbara chaired the party’s successful 2007 election campaign but announced on October 26, 2007 that he was leaving the cabinet to spend more time with his family but would continue as a backbench MPP.
On August 1, 2012, Sorbara announced that he was retiring from the legislature but would stay on as chair of the Liberal’s election campaign.
He will be at the Central Library on November 19th – should be a fine evening. The man has a great story to tell.
 By Staff
November 6, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Will we make the Guinness Book of Records for this – having the first green bike lanes in the province?
They are being installed this week at the intersections of Fairview Street and Guelph Line and Prospect Street and Guelph Line.
 That’s not grass – that is green paint intended to help car drivers understand the road is to be shared and to let cyclists know it is safe for them to use the bike lanes. The green bike lanes are intended to help highlight the bike lane portion of the road, reminding motorists and cyclists to be aware of each other and drive with caution.
This is especially important at intersections where cars must cross over the bike lane to make a right-hand turn.
The new road markings are being installed as part of the resurfacing project on Guelph Line and Fairview Street.
Robert Narejko, a former chair of the city’s Cycling Committee is delighted with the road colouring and said: “Bringing awareness to cycling issues is a positive step forward for the safety of all road users.
 Rob Narejko, a former Cycling Committee chair looks forward to streets with green bike lanes. “In our car centered culture, the green lanes will provide an ever present reminder of extremely vulnerable road users whose only protection is the vigilance of the car driver. Just as a cyclist wants to come home safely, no car driver wants the memory of clipping a cyclist causing injuries that may never heal.”
“The green lanes are a good addition to Burlington’s cycling infrastructure, helping its citizens, cyclists and drivers, feel safer on the road.”
Let’s see how the public takes to the new colour scheme – they are not going to be easy to miss.
 By Pepper Parr
November 5, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
They have a neat name _ Team Gould and they are going to make sure Burlingtonians fully understand what the federal government is – and isn’t doing for them.
 Karina Gould, the Liberal candidate for the October 2015 election in Burlington, , would like to set the record straight about the Conservatives’ income splitting announcement, which has been criticized by renowned economists.
The Conservatives’ “income splitting plan is bad for growth and is bad for the middle class.” Even the late Conservative Minister of Finance, the Honourable Jim Flaherty, spoke about his serious concerns about this tax break which abandons the middle class.
“In contrast to the Conservative party, I believe Canada must do a better job of ensuring that new tax policies help the middle class and families at the lower end of the income spectrum,” said Gould. “It is unfair to ask middle class families to pay for this tax break from which single parents and families with parents in the same income bracket will not benefit. It will cost $2 billion a year at a time when both childcare and senior care are at a crisis in this country.”
 “Income splitting plan is bad for growth and is bad for the middle class claims federal Liberal candidate Karina Gould “At a time when many individuals and families are still struggling, we need to be investing in our future in a way that addresses the challenges faced by all Canadians,” stated Gould.
“Liberals will oppose this policy”, Gould added “and we will continue to put forward positive solutions that will help our economy grow and give the people of Burlington and all Canadians a real and fair chance at success.”
Gould didn’t say what a Liberal government would do instead of the income splitting plan the Conservatives have come up.
 By Pepper Parr
November 5, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Should the room in which the Burlington Community Foundation Information session on flood damage assistance have been fuller? CBC National news reported that attendance was poor and some people learned they weren’t going to be getting what they thought they would get.
 The room looks pretty full; the mirror at the back gives that impression but there were less than 100 people in the room – many of them providing information, There were less than 100 people in the room. The BCF understands there are about 500 homes that they think qualify for financial assistance but to date there have been just 50 applications submitted.
The assistance is limited to people who were uninsured or under insured. Most of the people who were uninsured were not able to get insurance. There were a number of homes in ward 5 that experienced serious flood several months prior to the August 4th flood. Other people were told that their deductible was being increased.
 Keven Reimer, the insurance adjuster assigned to the Claims Committee speaks to a couple of worried people. The application – all 11 pages of it – is complex and Keven Reimer, the insurance adjuster proving support to the Claims Committee, took the audience through it and explained what information was needed and why it was needed.
The funds raised by the community – $810,000 has been raised to date – is what is required under the provincial government’s ODRAP (Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program). The community raised funds which the government “might” match on a two-for-one basis.
To date the province has not said they will actually do any matching, although Colleen Mulholland, president of the BCF did say she has been told to be “optimistic”.
 Mark Preston, on the left and Rick Burgess holding his chin are members of the BCF Claims Committee. The public got to meet and talk to the members of the Claims Committee – Mark Preston, Preston Insurance Services; Bruce Russell, Wardell Insurance; Nancy Swietek, Dan Lawrie Insurance and Rick Burgess, Burgess Law Office.
Keven Reimer is the insurance adjuster supporting the Claims Committee.
Cunningham Lindsay, an insurance adjusting firm was brought in by the BCF to provide this service: Reimer, Branch Manager in Burlington for Cunningham Lindsay, took part in the information meeting and explained the process.
Their role is to provide claims adjudication services to the BCF Flood Disaster Relief Committee; Receive and triage all files; review claims submissions following the (ODRAP) rules. They will attend residential location where necessary to assess claim and provide the Claims Committee with a recommendation of the amount of eligible claim expenses
Reimer said: ODRAP is not primary insurance – any and all insurance options must be utilized prior to consideration by ODRAP
Key Dates were given to the audience:
December 15 is the application submission deadline: all applications must be received by BCF Flood Disaster Relief Committee.
December 15 – Total available Flood Relief Funds will be known
Eight weeks after the close of applications being received, approved applications will begin to receive some financial assistance.
 A flooded home owner doesn’t appear to pleased with the answer being given by Nancy Swietek, Dan Lawrie Insurance, a member of the BCF Claims Committee. Reimer did say the forms were complex. He urged people to get the forms in before the deadline. “We can’t do anything with forms we don’t have” he said. “If there is some information you don’t have – we can help you determine some of the numbers with computer software we have – just get the forms into us.”
One part of the application form will cause some indigestion for many: “Applicants are required to authorize the collection of personal information. “Pursuant to Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act Legislation this allows the Disaster Relief Committee or any assigned agency (such as Cunningham Lindsey) the right to collect personal information for purpose of investigating claims to the Disaster Relief Funds.”
Sounds like the police investigating a crime or a bank lending you some money. A lot of the money being dispersed came from the community – is this what the community expects?
 The body language says it all – the two home owners don’t appear to be buying into the explanation being given them. The Claims Information section allows the committee to identify which portion of the ODRAP criteria will apply to your claim.
Proof of residence for the damaged Property is required. A copy of a Driver’s License or two other unofficial documents
What is eligible? The Guidelines provide an assessment of the items that are considered under the program: essential furniture, electronic appliances such as fridge, stove, washer, dryer, furnace, freezer
Eligible restoration costs – are allowed to return the property to pre-loss condition – this means that finishes are allowed on a depreciated basis
Type of Loss are broken down into Building, Household goods, Farm Buildings, Essential Farm Equipment.
Each section of the application must have a response
Be specific – provide a list of the damaged items – floors, walls, ceiling, and give square footage of the damaged area
The amount claimed – again be specific
Provide the amount received from your insurer
If you had a sewer backup limit please advise what that limit is.
Common questions that are asked include:
If you do not have receipts provide an idea of what was paid – to whom and where at – provide what you can and we will try and assess the reasonableness of the claim.
Do provide correspondence from your insurer or from your agent providing that you do not have any insurance.
Do provide pictures.
Do provide a description of the allowed item.
Provide an e-mail address, cell/home phone number, to contact you.
There are some situations that are very sad: One man had what he saw as a very valuable collection of memorabilia that he had put together and was planning on that to be his retirement fund. He will not be able to collect as much as a dime.
 The BCF is in a bit of a sticky situation. They have done a marvelous job of raising funds from within the community. Funds came from large corporations; two of the supermarket chains got into the game; an 11 year old boy held a fund raiser at his school and collected more than $3000; and a woman in the audience advised people that there were still home backed cookies for sale at Centro on Brant Street.
The community has come through – to date the province has not and that makes it difficult for the BCF to determine just how much money they are going to have to hand out. People in the audience asked:
“What can we do to get things moving?
Write you MPP was the only answer BCF president Collen Mulholland had for them.
 By Staff
November 4, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
 Elizabeth Nugent died as the result of knife wounds to the neck.
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.
By Staff
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.
By Pepper Parr
November 4, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
As you drive south on Walkers Line and pass under the GO tracks and get ready to drive over the QEW you may not see the construction taking place on the west side just a little north of the North Service Road.
 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.
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.
The IKEA plans didn’t make it through all the hurdles. More than three years at the talking stage but it was all for naught. When IKEA withdrew their application it wasn’t clear why they had decided not to go forward. That gets us back to that piece of property that has a building going up.
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.
 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.
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.
By Staff
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.
AGB event will feature all of the best loved Soup Bowl elements – 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.
 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.
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.
By Pepper Parr
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.
By Pepper Parr
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.
“I have been in contact with both our local MPP Eleanor McMahon and Minister McMeekin’s office for the latest updates from the province on our ODRAP application which we hope will match funds raised. The Burlington Community Foundation has a 100-day campaign for fundraising efforts which will come to completion on November 14, 2014.”
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.
 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.
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  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.”
We believe there are people out there who need the financial support that is available and either don’t have the forms and don’t understand the process.
“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.”
 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,
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.
By Staff
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.
 “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. Click here to take that 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.
 By Staff
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
• those who may spread the flu to high-risk people; for example health care or other care providers
• those who provide essential community services; for example, paramedics or police officers
High-risk individuals can also receive influenza (flu) immunizations at doctors’ offices and walk-in clinics.
 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.
By Pepper Parr
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.
Simon Frank was born in 1968 in Glasgow, Scotland, but grew up in Dundas, Ont. Over the past 18 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.
 “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,  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 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.
By Staff
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
Approximately 40-50 years of age
Thin build with medium length brown hair
Wearing a black hat, blue “puffy” winter jacket and black cargo pants.
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).
 By Staff
October 31, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Janis Ozollapa has been missing since September 30, 2014 at approximately 2 pm.
On Friday October 10, Mr. Ozollapa’s vehicle, a 2002 black
 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).
By Pepper Parr
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.
 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.
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.
 By Staff
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.
 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 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.
 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.
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.
 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.
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.
By Ray Rivers
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.
 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.
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?
Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province.
Background links:
Not Terrorism Terrorism or Mental illness More Spying More Security
Unknown Gun Canada’s Role in the World Middle East Interventions
ISIS in Canada
Lone Gunman More Restrictive Laws Video
More Police Powers
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