 By Staff
November 6, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Between October 19 and October 26, 2015, the Halton Regional Police Drug, Gun and Gang Unit ran a week long amnesty for residents to get rid of unwanted weapons. Officers responded to pick up requests from citizens around the region, looking to surrender and dispose of firearms, weapons and ammunition.
 Police display the weapons turned in by the public during a weapons amnesty. A list of items turned into police is as follows:
55 rifles
14 shotguns
27 pellet handguns
22 pellet rifles
17 handguns
2 starter pistols
1 one-handed crossbow
10 knives
250 pounds of ammunition.
It is evident our communities in Halton are that much safer due to the partnership between the community and police. 135 total weapons capable of firing some form of projectile are no longer available for opportunistic thieves.
A Remembrance Day Ceremony will be taking place in downtown Burlington on Wednesday Nov. 11, 2015.
Buses will be detoured from approximately 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. as follows:
Routes 3 South and 5 East to Burlington GO
• Leaving the Downtown Terminal
• Right on James Street
• Left on Drury Lane
• Left on Prospect Street
• Right on Brant Street
• Resume regular routing
Route 300 to LaSalle
• Regular routing to Downtown Terminal
• Right at James Street
• Right at Elizabeth Street
• Right at Lakeshore Road
• Right at Burlington Street
• Left at Ontario Street
• Resume regular routing
Routes 3 North and 5 West to Downtown Terminal
• Leaving Burlington GO Station
• Regular routing until Brant and Prospect Streets
• Left on Prospect Street
• Right on Drury Lane
• Right on New Street
• Left on John Street to Downtown Terminal
Route 300 to Seniors’ Centre
• Regular routing to Ontario Street
• Right at Burlington Avenue
• Left at Lakeshore Road
• Left at Elizabeth Street
• Left at James Street
• Left at John Street
 By Pepper Parr
November 6th, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Tom Muir is not happy.
He asked what he thought was a pretty simple question about a development in ward 2 – the downtown part of the city. It seemed logical to Muir to ask Marianne Meed Ward the questions she had; the project was in her ward and she had a reputation for getting back to her constituents.
 Tom Muir just wanted to know why the city failed to vote on a development application and found itself defending the failure to do so at an OMB hearing. While Muir didn’t live in the ward the Council member had a reputation for helping everyone – no matter where they lived.
For reasons that aren’t clear, Meed Ward didn’t get back to Muir – she apologized later for the oversight.
When Muir didn’t get a reply he sent a second email and this time copied the city manager and the Mayor.
Meed Ward then responded and proceeded to give Muir reams of information – none of which Muir later said actually answered his questions.
There was a lot of back and forth of long answers from Meed Ward and even longer follow up questions from Muir – these two clearly deserved each other.
Things got to the point where other people jumped into the discussion and Meed Ward decided a conversation was the best thing to do. She invited Muir to call and ask for a meeting.
Muir wanted to know who else would be at the meeting: the Mayor and city manager perhaps?
 Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward gets tripped up by a resident who writes longer messages than she does. Meed Ward didn’t see it that way – she was prepared to meet with Muir and address his questions. Muir came back with: “Addressing questions is not answering them. So what exactly do you mean?”
While all the back and forth was going on the Mayor finally got back to Muir and apologized for the delay asking him to be patient and that he would in the fullness of time give Muir a “meaningful response” – words I am sure the Mayor now regrets.
 Tom Muir wanted to know why the city failed to hold a vote on the application to build a very high building on a very small lot. Muir thought about a meeting with Meed Ward – decided it couldn’t hurt – but what he really wanted was an explanation from someone as to why the city failed to vote on the ADI Development application for what is now believed to be a 26 storey (not 28 anymore) structure at the intersection of Martha Street and Lakeshore Road.
Then out of the blue Muir gets a response from the Mayor – sort of. What he got was a copy of an email from the Mayor to Meed Ward thanking her for answering all Muir’s questions.
Muir then gets back to the Mayor with “Your message – “Thanks Marianne for addressing all of Tom’s questions” – is ambiguous.
Muir adds: “And the meeting invitation that you replied to with this message has not yet taken place. So nothing at all, including questions, could have been “addressed” yet, never mind answered, or provide anything to be thanked for.”
Muir continues: “Marianne has not answered any of my questions, and there is no evidence of answers for you to thank her for. So your use of ambiguity obscures and evades, and is to me a case of political double-talk.”
Muir points out that on October 8 the Mayor wrote me the following;
HI Tom, – You will receive a meaningful answer.
I was away recently for 10 days and am obviously behind in responding to some emails as well.
Please be patient. – Thanks – Rick
 Mayor doesn’t appear to be evading questions here. Muir then be begins to lace into the Mayor:
“You have been a recipient of all the correspondence on this matter, so you are familiar with all the questions I have asked.
“You promised to provide a “meaningful answer”.
“You have not lived up to your word.
“You have provided nothing yet, except what appears to me to be a double meaning spin.
“You appear to be evading the questions.
“You asked me to be patient, and I think that waiting a month and more is patient.
“Please provide me your meaningful answer.
“Thank you.” – Tom Muir
You can see where this is going.
Tom Muir delegates at council meetings frequently. He is a dog when he gets a bone in his mouth – something the Mayor should have known.
Informed citizens are not to be trifled with – tread carefully and provide considerate answers – never blow them off.
Political pundits often describe politicians who don’t quite get it when they are ‘doing politics’ – as people who have a “tin ear”.
They might well be describing the Mayor of Burlington.
By Staff
November 6, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Offender Management Unit of the Halton Regional Police Service is searching for Scott Michael MACDONALD 36 years old of, St Catherines ON.
 In September 2015 the accused stole a quantity of electronics from a store in Burlington and made good his escape.
During the investigation it came to light that the accused was on a separate release for similar offences in York Region as well as probation for a similar offence in Halton Region
Officers made numerous attempts to locate the accused with negative results and a warrant was issued for his arrest
To date the accused has managed to amass 25 convictions for various offences including; Thefts, Frauds, Break and Enters, Over 80 mgs and Fail to Attend Court
He is wanted by Halton Regional Police for:
Theft under $5000
Fail to Comply Undertaking x 2
Fail to Comply Probation
MACDONALD is described as 5’9”, 150 lbs with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. He has numerous tattoos – Right forearm – “SATYANEARY”, Left arm – full sleeve, Left forearm – “MIKAYLA” in Cambodian. MACDONALD is known to frequent the areas of Burlington, Brantford, York, Niagara and the surrounding areas.
The Regional police began a Fugitive Friday program intended to seek the support of the community to apprehend people who continue to evade the police and the court system and continue to live out in our communities while having a warrant for their arrest in place.
Every Friday, the Burlington Offender Management Unit will share information on a wanted person in hopes that the public can assist in locating the individual. The information will be on the Police Service web site and made public via social media through Twitter @HRPSBurl and @HaltonPolice.
The HRPS shares “Fugitive Friday” information on our website and via social media through Twitter @HRPSBurl and @HaltonPolice.
Anyone who may have witnessed this person or has information that would assist investigators in locating him are encouraged to contact D/Cst. Bulbrook – Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau – Offender Management Team at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2346 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com, or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
 By Ray Rivers
November 6, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
No matter who one voted for in the October federal election, we should all be proud of how Mr. Trudeau is conducting himself. Gracious, positive and confident, he appointed a Cabinet which everyone agrees more closely reflects the face of Canada than at any other time in our history.
 Do we see ourselves as different now? Can a political leader bring about “real change”? Beyond diversity, the men and women who will be leading this nation come with qualifications that should help make them the decision makers the new PM wants them to be. Trudeau’s plan is to decentralize decision-making from the center, to reverse a process which had started with his father. Of course, there are dangers inherent in this democratizing of policy making – this ‘government by cabinet’ approach – since it will increase the potential for jurisdictional conflicts among ministers and could lead to somewhat inconsistent national policy.
Trudeau’s Cabinet also involves a real generational change, and as a result some ministers in key positions are relatively new to political office. Take the thirty year old Afghan refugee now responsible for democratic reform; the aboriginal former provincial prosecutor heading up the justice department; a pension expert taking over the finance ministry and a former soldier leading our national defence. But then who could argue with these men and women bringing this quality of real life experience to their offices.
 Justin Trudeau and Stephane Dion – they go back some time – Dion a former leader of the Liberal party is now a Minister in anew cabinet. And there are some political veterans, including Ralph Goodale, charged with undoing the Conservative’s oppressive security legislation, and former Liberal leader Stephane Dion, who will bring his experience to the foreign affairs ministry. Mr. Dion will have a special role this month joining the PM, the environment minister, opposition leaders and provincial premiers at the UN climate change conference in Paris.
For our relatively small population, Canada is the tenth largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), topping the UK, Brazil and Mexico. And we are among the highest polluters on a per capita basis. There was a time when we Canadians were once recognized as the strongest supporters of the environment and climate action.
 How different will Justin be from his father? Early signs are that Justin will run a different PMO – Prime Minister’s Office Maurice Strong, a Pierre Trudeau diplomat, chaired the 1972 Stockholm conference on human environment, and Mulroney’s environment minister, Jean Charest, made a big splash at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Only a few years later Mr. Chretien signed the country onto the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, a legally-binding experiment for global cooperation on climate change, which he helped craft.
I was an observer at two of the earlier UN conferences and observed the measure of respect accorded delegates from this nation. Even after GW Bush ended US participation in Kyoto, the Liberal government insisted on ratifying the agreement helping to bring it into force internationally. Some said we were destined to fail since the US, our biggest trading partner, was sitting on the sidelines.
And the election of the Harper government in 2006 made that a self-fulfilling prophesy. Emission reduction initiatives, begun by the Liberals, were either killed or curtailed as Mr. Harper demonstrated his disdain for Kyoto and anything to do with climate change.
Mr. Harper was never happy with the 6% (below 1990) Kyoto target and eventually chose his own – 17% below 2005 emission levels. The irreverence and arrogance of unilaterally changing one’s target and baseline, while being a party to the legally-binding Kyoto Protocol, was lost on no one. And nobody was surprised when Canada became the first and only nation to drop out of the Kyoto Protocol (2012).
There is inherent conflict between seeking emission reductions and expanding the world’s most polluting oil production process. So by 2015, with the Paris conference and a federal election on the horizon, and with no hope of meeting even his more modest emission goal, the former PM changed the target again. By choosing 30% by 2030, he effectively insulated himself from accountability – unless he were re-elected PM another five times.
Fortunately over the last decade a number of GHG reduction initiatives were undertaken by several provinces. Ontario was the most successful, with its phase out of coal-fired electricity. But Quebec and B.C. also moved forward with a number of measures including a carbon tax. In fact, were it not for the oil-sands projects, Canada might have come close to meeting the original 6% Kyoto target, even in the absence of federal involvement and support.
Neither Harper, nor Chretien for that matter, consulted the provinces before grabbing a number out of the air to use as a target. Alberta, was so annoyed at the Chretien government, the province threatened a constitutional challenge over Kyoto. And four provinces, tired of waiting for the federal government to act, joined a California based emissions trading experiment – including an even different target.
 Changing pictures like this – can we do it in time to save the planet? It is that critical. During the election campaign, Mr. Trudeau had been criticized by his opponents for not choosing his own GHG emissions target. What he has done is invite the premiers to join him in Paris, to participate in the deliberations and to carve a new place for Canada at the table of serious nations.
After all Canada is a federation. And leadership in a federation means bringing all the jurisdictions to the table, something his father couldn’t always do and which Mr. Harper rarely, if ever, tried.
The new PM’s biggest challenge will come in Paris – a test case for co-operative federalism. Fortunately for him most of our provincial leaders, including Alberta, are more than willing to move forward on this file.
And, if they are successful, eventually the PM and his provincial partners will have developed realistic GHG emission reduction targets which we can actually achieve in our lifetimes. Then, hopefully, they can build on that momentum and move onto other issues of import to our federation.
 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 as a Liberal against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province. Rivers is no longer active with any political party.
Background links:
Trudeau Cabinet Government by Cabinet
Paris Cutting Programs that Cut Emissions Kyoto More Kyoto
Even More Kyoto 2020 Targets 1972 Copenhagen
1992 Rio EU 2015 Targets Current Emissions Dion
Western Climate Initiative
 By Staff
November 6, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Additional background information has been added to this piece after it was first published.
Cogeco Cable Community TV does a regular program live from their studio on Syscon Road where Mark Carr hosts The Issue and brings in guests to talk about specific issues.
 Pepper Parr, publisher of the Burlington Gazette The Issue invited the publisher of the Gazette, Pepper Parr to take part in a panel discussion about the problems the city of Burlington is having getting a Code of Conduct for its Council members in place.
 Che Marville, NDP candidate in Oakville during the last federal election. Che Marville, the New Democratic candidate for Oakville during the last election and CEO of Marville Media plus the founder of multiple social enterprises including the Children’s Media Museum. Rachel Halliwell, a Cogeco volunteer last year and now a student studying sports broadcasting completed the panel.
Mark Carr, moderator, was once a city of Burlington council member – at a time when a motion from then Council member Mike Wallace to reduce the size of Council from the then 17 members to the current seven.
Then Mayor Walter Mulkewich preferred a nine member Council and put forward a motion to that effect – it was defeated and the motion for a seven member council passed by a vote of 9 for and 8 against. Which is why we currently have a seven member city council.
Mulkewich points out in his response to the first version of this story that the Region of Halton had at the time reduced its size by four Councillors from 25 to 21 by taking away two from Burlington and two from Halton Hills which meant Burlington had to reduce its Regional Councillors by two and this became the trigger for the Council size issue in Burlington.
There is a longer story to this, to the saga of the debate at both the Region and City, and the reasons I voted as I did at that time. Now that Milton has dramatically grown as has Oakville, and therefore the Regional representation issue needs to be revisited – how will the Region deal with representation in this term or will it – and will there be ramifications for Burlington?
Is Burlington’s seven member Council more effective? Debatable and Carr made his views known.
Carr, who is well versed on public issues, gets into the debate and discussion as much as he can – few softball questions from him.
Che Marville can also get quite scrappy
One of the best comments was made by 18 year-old Halliwell who suggested city council take part in events that called for them to work as a team “seems to me” she said “that they need some team building opportunities.”
Halliwell voted in her first election this year
 The Issue moderator Mark Carr – Live on Cogeco Cable television The program was broadcast live Tuesday, and will be re-broadcast on the following dates on Channel 23 and HD 700
Fri, Nov 6, 2015 @ 2:00pm
Sat, Nov 7, 2015 @ 10:00am
Sun, Nov 8, 2015 @ 1:00pm
Sun, Nov 8, 2015 @ 9:30pm
Tue, Nov 10, 2015 @ 2:00pm
It got lively.
 By Pepper Parr
November 6, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The radio forecast 21 degrees – did we reach that level?
Wonderful weather – the hospitality people are just loving it – especially those with patios.
 Mark Cole, part of the Joe Dogs management team takes advantage of the great weather to have lunch on the patio. Its been a great couple of months for Joe Dogs. Mark Cole of Joe Dogs – the people who sell us beer when our work day is done, report that they had a “fabulous baseball season and are really liking the way the weather has held.”
“It doesn’t get better than this” Mark added as he sat in the sun working his cell phone and tapping numbers into a spreadsheet on his tablet.
What has the phenomenal sports season done for the hospitality people? Exceptional – so much so that when Liberal Pam Damoff won the Oakville North Burlington seat they planned on a victory party and booked space at the Tin Cup on Upper Middle Road. There was a baseball game on that night – all they got was a little space in a corner – most people are reported to have watched the ball game.
Many of the hospitality destinations are partnering with the Art Gallery of Burlington for their annual Soup Bowl fund raising event.
 Each Soup Bowl luncheon attendee gets to choose the bowl they want to slurp from and then get to take the bowl home with them. This event has sold out in the past. The Gazette has asked those making the soup if they would share their recipes – several have stepped forward. The event runs from the 19th to the 22nd of November. Tickets here.
Watch for the recipes.
By Pepper Parr
November 5, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
I was supposed to get together with a friend but he cancelled –“Can’t make it – when we learned that Platters were going to be in town we couldn’t order our tickets fast enough.
“They were part of what I was raised on: he added – “you don’t get chances like this to take a trip down memory lane. I can see me and the misses getting out for a drink after the show and reminiscing. You should join us?”
The show, which is in town for the one day – Friday – tomorrow – and there are still some decent seats available. I notice the box seats don’t seem to be sold – wonder why? Will look into that.
 Meanwhile – the show. The audience will hear both the Platter and the Ink Spots – both were category breaking for their time.
For those of you who lived your lives then – you know what I’m talking about. If you’ve never heard of them – Google the guys and listen to a few tunes on You Tube – you are in for a treat.
The Platters was an American vocal group; one of the most successful groups of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the burgeoning new genre. The group had 40 charting singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart between 1955 and 1967, including four no. 1 hits.
The Platters were one of the first African American groups to be accepted as a major chart group and were, for a period of time, the most successful vocal group in the world.
They were part of that ground breaking, ground shaking era when the segregationist views were being taken apart.
 The Ink Spots gained international fame in the 1930s and 1940s. They preceeded the Platters and had a unique musical style that was more rhythm and blues and the subgenre doo-wop. The Ink Spots were widely accepted in both the white and black communities, largely due to the ballad style introduced to the group by lead singer Bill Kenny.
The Ink Spots disbanded in 1954; since then there have been well over 100 vocal groups calling themselves “The Ink Spots” without any right to the name; they have claimed to be “2nd generation” or “3rd generation” Ink Spots.
If there is a good thing going – someone was bound to take up the brand.
In the visuals of the Ink Spot – especially in the album covers the men are portrayed as railway porters because that was the way American then saw what they then called Negros – time have changed and today they are called African Americans in a country led by a black president.
Neither the Platters nor the Ink Spots ever thought such a thing could ever happen.
Seat selection is at: Click here
By Pepper Parr
November 5, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
This is a change – a welcome one – we think.
Now we know how to reach the people at city hall we want to talk to – sort of gives a new wrinkle to that phrase “You can’t beat city hall” but at least we can write them
 No postage necessary. The city is in the process standardizing city email addresses to make them more intuitive by using firstname.lastname. Part of that process includes retiring old format city email addresses.
As of Nov. 9, 2015, all city staff email addresses must follow the format of first name.last name (example: John Doe, John.Doe@Burlington.ca). All emails following the old format of last name, first initial (example: John Doe, DoeJ@burlington.ca) will be discontinued and will not reach their destination after Nov. 9, 2015.
Effect on the public is expected to be minimal as the new email address format has been in use since 2012.
If anyone is looking to email a city staff member and does not know his or her email, please call 905-335-7600 for assistance.
 The street address will remain the same – email addresses are being standardized. When the Shape Burlington report was published in 2010 one of its comments was that city staff was hard to get through to and there was a suggestion made at a public meeting that the staff directory should be put on line – that way it would be easy to find who you wanted and email them.
That idea got the kibosh from one of the General Managers on the payroll at the time.
This new protocol isn’t going to make any difference to Tom Muir who was promised a meaningful response” from Mayor Goldring to the several questions he had as to why the city failed to vote on a development application from ADI Development Group. The best the Mayor, who has several email addresses, was able to do was thank Councillor Marianne Meed Ward for answering Muir’s questions and copy Muir
Which does give a who new dimension to the phrase “meaningful response”
Mayor stiffs a constituent.
By Staff
November 5th, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police have completed their week long firearms and weapons amnesty.
Between October 19 and October 26, 2015, Halton officers responded to pick up requests from citizens around the region, looking to surrender and dispose of firearms and weapons.
Approximately 130 firearms were turned in, approximately 10 knives and 250 pounds of ammunition.
 By Staff
November 4, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Not quite the number that was hoped for (305,000 LBS) but a fabulous number nevertheless.
 Some of the 295,000 lbs plus food collected in a two day period – ready for the trucks and the fork lifts And there are bits and pieces that will arrive on Thursday that will take that total of 295,671.77 lbs up a notch or two.
The efforts of the various teams went like this:
In 1st Place: Minor Atom AA with 22,132.7 lbs!
2nd Place Team: Minor Atom A with 18,889.04 lbs!
3rd Place Team: Tyke 1 (AAA) with 17,127.88 lbs!
4th Place Team: Tyke 2 (AA) with 16,998.5 lbs!
5th Place Team: Novice A with 14,503 lbs!
295,671.77 lbs. of food to be distributed to organizations across the community.
Final numbers announced tomorrow.
 Citizens in the making – learning how to give back to the community. One final step in what is truly a magnificent effort – and that is to instill in the minds of the thousands of young people who were on the floor of the gymnasium lugging bags and boxes of food from the weighing scale to the sorting tables and then to the bins that will be used to transport the food to warehouses from which it will be distributed – that this is what community is all about.
We are so very fortunate to live in a city that is safe, healthy, prosperous and when called upon exceptionally generous.
This is not something to be taken lightly. Those young people are tomorrow’s leaders – help them understand how big an event they were part of and why it is important for them to carry that tradition forward.
By Staff
November 4, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Kim Kelly, a Special Constable with the Halton Police Service, will be meeting the Governor General of Canada later this month and receiving the Caring Canadian Award (one of Canada’s highest honours for volunteers) for her Kim’s Ride To Cross Out Cancer fundraising.
Created in 1995, the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award recognizes individuals who volunteer their time to help others and to build a smarter and more caring nation. The award also highlights the fine example set by these volunteers, whose compassion and engagement are so much a part of our Canadian character. It allows us to thank them for their contributions and for the positive impact they have had on the lives of others.
 Twenty three days at between 80 to 100 km per day got Kim Kelly to Charlottetown PEI on her bike. In July 2013, as a result of a friend’s battle with cancer, Kim planned to do something to help raise awareness and funds to fight it.
In her own words “ When a lifelong friend of mine told me she had stage 4 cancer, I knew I wanted to do more than just offer her support, cook a few meals and drive her to doctors’ appointments. I decided to ride my bike across the Eastern provinces to create awareness and obtain donations for the Canadian Cancer Society”. Her plan turned into action and became “Kim’s Ride to Cross Out Cancer”.
She spent the next year organizing a variety of fundraising efforts, public speaking engagements and rigorous training for what would be a very grueling cycle ride from Burlington, Ontario to Charlottetown, PEI.
Her journey started on June 1, 2014 and she rode 80-100KM everyday arriving in Charlottetown on June 23, 2014.
 There was never any doubt what she was setting out to do – and she did very well – raised more than $41,000 Kim personally raised over $41,000.00 for the Canadian Cancer Society and has become a remarkable ambassador for the society as well as the Halton Regional Police.
We are proud and commend Kim not just for the sheer magnitude of her efforts, but for the strong impact she and her team had in the Region of Halton, within the police service, and in the towns and villages along her route.
Kim will be receiving this prestigious award on Tuesday November 10, 2015 in the Music Room of the Lieutenant Governor’s Suite, Queen’s Park, Toronto. His Excellency the Right Honourable, David Johnston, Governor General of Canada will be attending from Ottawa to present the award.
Kim Kelley is now one of more than 1,000 volunteers that have been awarded this National Honour,
 By Pepper Parr
November 4, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Second of a multi part series on how the city thinks intensification could be managed.
Last month the Gazette did an article on what intensification could or might look like at a number of locations around the city.
We passed along what planners thought could be done under the current zoning and what could be done with enhanced zoning
We showed what the plaza at New Street and Guelph Line could look like and the number of people + jobs that would be attracted to the area.
 In an earlier article we published several drawings of the kind of development that planners thought could be done along Fairview at Cumberland. We showed what could be done with parts of Fairview – a part of the city that is certainly car friendly but not a place for people or bicycles for that matter.
We showed what would be possible in the way of changes along the widened Waterdown Road, which the Gazette sees as the hot spot in the city when it comes to growth – the challenge out there will be convincing the citizens that the growth is in their best interests. Aldershot is a part of the city where many of the streets do not have sidewalks – and they like it that way.
The purpose of what the planners called a vizualisation exercise was to give city council an idea of what things would – could look like as the city works its way towards a bigger more populous city.
This city council, with the possible exception of ward 5 Councillor Jack Dennison, would prefer not to see any growth. That there will be growth is because the province is telling us we have to grow – and they are telling the Region how much growth there will be – and the Region will decide how much of that growth lands on our streets.
Council has to find a way to make the growth happen and to keep the taxpayers happy by ensuring them that their part of the city isn’t going to have to absorb that growth.
Existing Official Plan and Zoning By- Law permissions can accommodate 200 people and jobs per hectare within the Urban Growth Centre (UGC) by 2031
This amounts to 22,800 people and jobs within the UGC by 2031
There are no wide swaths of land that the developers can put residential housing on – well there are a couple. The growth in residential is going to have to be up – which means higher density.
We are seeing that with the Molinaro project beside the Burlington GO station and with the Nautique structure that ADI development wants to put up at the intersection of Martha Street and Lakeshore Road.
The visualizations are intended to provide a high level understanding of:
What intensification could look like
The level of development that can be generated through intensification
How well the City’s current planning framework supports intensification
Another development hot spot is the downtown core – specifically along Lakeshore where shovels will go in the ground for the Bridgewater development that will see a 22 storey condominium, a seven story condominium and an eight story hotel operational by sometime in 2018. Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward wanted to see more interest in developing the downtown core and getting high quality office space built which would attract new corporate clients.
The final two locations that were given a vizualization treatment were Appleby Line north of Upper Middle and Harvester Road at the Appleby GO station.
 Appleby Line north of Upper Middle Road – described as Burlington’s Uptown – the street as it looks today Appleby Line has seen some very good development south of Upper Middle – the streetscape north is waiting for something to happen. The street width is very good and the depth of many of the properties is exceptional. Are there developers that will see the opportunities or will current property owners see an opportunity to improve the return on the land they own.
 Appleby Line north of Upper Middle – a drawing setting out the kind of development that could be done today under the existing zoning. The direction Burlington wants to go in includes well marked bicycle lanes and public open space at either intersections or beside buildings – they are looking for a livable city look with plenty of trees and foliage. The planners envision three storey retail and high rise up to eleven storeys. significant increases in the number of trees and wide strips of grass between the sidewalks and the clearly marked bicycle lanes with benches almost anywhere one can be fit in.
The planners want to see open space at the intersections with benches and plants.
 In order to achieve the intensification targets the province has imposed on the Region – greater density might be needed. This drawing suggests where additional height might might be permitted  Entrance to the Appleby GO station on Harvester Road as it looks today. An Urban Employment area near the Appleby Line GO station was also reviewed. Burlington has become quite keen on the idea of hubs – places where commercial, residential and transit would all be in very close proximity to each other. The city identified five such possible hub locations and appears to be very close to making a decision on which they would like to focus their energy and efforts on.
The extent of possible development around the south side of the Appleby GO station doesn’t appear anywhere near what was thought to be possible suggesting that the planners don’t see this part of the city as that significant a possible hub.
 A vizualization of what current zoning would permit close to the entrance to the Appleby GO station. What they pointed out could be done under the existing zoning is shown below.
During the discussion and debate that took place as the visuals were shown and at the Strategic Plan creation meetings that have been taking place at the same time were several comments from Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward who wanted to see the Downtown core as a place where office space was being built.
Meed Ward argues that the hope for a future Burlington is not the attraction of the seniors – but the attraction of young people who want to live and work in the city – and ensuring that there is housing they can afford. She argues as well that the core needs more people to make the retail and hospitality sectors more viable.
These vizualizations are ideas – what could be done if all the people involved – the owners of the property – the residents in the community, the different agencies who are part of the approval process and city council working from advice their planning staff give them found themselves in agreement. There were no decisions made, nor were recommendations put forward – the meetings were an occasion for staff, council members and the consultants that were hired to advise to look at some ideas and and discuss some potentials.
Part 1 of the vizualization exercise.
By Pepper Parr
November 4, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
They came trooping through the door – lugging boxes and bags of food that would be weighed, tagged and then distributed to one of the close to 100 bins that were set out on the floor of the gymnasium of Nelson High School where the Giving Back project, celebrating its tenth year was taking place.
 Judie Kavanaugh updates the tally of food as it gets carried into the Nelson gymnasium and weighed At 11:30 last night Judie Kavanagh told us that they had 164,908.93 lbs of food and added the comment that it was “not a bad start” – more than half way to the target – expect them to reach and pass the target.
 The food comes into the high school gymnasium in boxes and bags. All the planning and preparing done at endless committee meetings came to a head as food kept arriving and young people were scooting back and forth with boxes and bags.
Jean Longfield, a recipient of the Burlington’s Best Citizen of the Year award, and John Tate roamed the room answering questions, doing interviews and guiding people who were not quite sure what to do next.
 The scale sits on the floor where it is weighed and recorded. Tate stood in the background greeting people and congratulating those who came through the door with cartons of food.
Parents who normally pack the kids into the vans and take them to hockey games were now sitting at tables tabulating the totals those same children were bringing into the gymnasium.
 Hockey players take packages from the sorting tables to the bins. It is a significant logistical challenge – the Gazette will report on where all that food goes and how the team that makes it happen debriefs and plans for the next year.
 Jean Longfield during a CHCH interview – with John Tate in the background keeping an eye on things. Last year, The Gift of Giving Back collected more than 278,000 lbs of food and this year, hopes to exceed that amount and collect more than 305,000 lbs.
 By Staff
November 4, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
A life was lost last night when at approximately 9:35 p.m. Halton Regional Police received a report that a pedestrian had been struck by a train. The location was reported to be in the area of Burloak Dr. and North Service Rd., in the City of Burlington.
Emergency services personnel responded to the scene and located a deceased person on the train tracks.
 The Collision Reconstruction Unit attended and determined that the individual had been struck by an eastbound VIA train.
All eastbound and westbound train traffic had been halted for approximately two hours for the investigation.
The VIA train involved was later released from the scene.
Foul play is not suspected.
By Staff
November 3rd, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police partnered with the Canadian Border Services and intercepted a shipment of heroin they believe was headed for the streets of Halton.
On November 2, 2015, the Halton Regional Police Drug, Gun & Gang Unit concluded an investigation related to the importation of heroin into Canada, more specifically, into Halton.
 Heroin seized by the Regional police at a post box service outlet in the Region – check the weight. In October 2015, the Canada Border Services Agency intercepted a package into the country containing heroin which originated from Uganda. The package was destined for a private mailbox at a retail shipping store in the Town of Oakville. The Canada Border Services Agency notified the Halton Police who began monitoring the package.
On November 2, 2015, two Brampton men, Jordan JONES and Rogan THOMAS, attended the Oakville retail shipping store and retrieved the package. Both men were arrested and a search warrant was executed at Jordan JONES’ residence resulting in the seizure of electronic devices.
Accused:
Rohan THOMAS, 19 years from Brampton has been charged with:
Importing heroin
Trafficking heroin
Uttering a forged document
Use a counterfeit mark
Jordan JONES, 27 years from Brampton has been charged with:
Importing heroin
Possession for the purpose of trafficking heroin
Both men were held in custody pending a bail hearing schedule for November 3, 2015, at the Milton courthouse.
Anyone with information on this crime is asked to contact the Drug, Gun and Gang Unit at 905 825-4747 ext 8732 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
November 3, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
There is apparently some development movement in the east end of the city – Lakeside Plaza is said to be breathing and not dead; it was described as a “blight”by the ward councillor.
 Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman  Lakeside Plaza in east end Burlington – might be getting a major refurbishment. Public being asked what they would like to see. Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman told Council that after years of work the city is now talking to the owner of the property who, according to Sharman, is now interested in working with the city. He said they now “wished to develop” the area and come up with something “empathetic” to the community.
A number of years ago Burlington city council said it was very interested in working with the property owner but were not able to communicate with them.
Sharman is understood to have gone to the company’s office in Toronto but couldn’t get past the receptionist – an unusual experience for Sharman.
The Burlington Economic Development Corporation was heavily involved in getting the owners of the property to the table.
An architect has been working on very early preliminary drawings and the people trying hard to make something happen in the east end are going to meet with the public and perhaps do a show and tell.
There is a small single pad arena behind the plaza, buses turn around at the plaza and there is a large park as well.
The Burloak Park is yards away – which Sharman sees as the opportunity to create a stronger sense of place and community.
The public is going to be asked what it would like to see. Councillor Sharman expects a lot of people to show up which is why he has had to choose a location outside the ward for the public meeting which will take place Tuesday, November 24th at the Bateman High School cafeteria from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.
The question will be, said Sharman, what would the public like to see? The Gazette will follow this development carefully.
 Ciné-Starz Upper Canada Place, Burlington, ON
Burlington, ON L7R 4B6
Week of Friday, November 06, 2015 through Thursday, November 12, 2015
The Last Witch Hunter (14A)
Fri – Sun: 11:00 AM, 3:15, 5:20, 7:20, 9:20
Mon – Thu: 1:00, 3:15, 5:20, 7:20, 9:20
Crimson Peak (14A)
Fri – Sun: 1:00, 5:10, 7:20, 9:30
Mon – Thu: 1:00, 5:20, 7:30, 9:40
Pan (PG)
Fri – Sun: 11:00 AM, 1:00, 3:05, 5:10
Mon – Thu: 1:00, 3:00, 5:10
Sicario (14A)
Fri & Sat: 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:15, 9:30
Sun: 1:00, 3:00, 5:10, 7:30, 9:40
Mon – Thu: 1:00, 3:10, 5:20, 7:30, 9:40
Everest (PG)
Fri & Sat: 1:00, 7:15, 9:40
Sun: 7:25, 9:40
Mon – Thu: 1:00, 3:00, 7:10, 9:40
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (PG)
Fri & Sat: 7:15, 9:30
Sun: 7:15, 9:40
Mon – Thu: 7:15, 9:30
War Room ()
Fri – Sun: 11:00 AM, 3:00, 5:15, 7:30, 9:40
Mon – Thu: 3:10, 5:15, 7:30, 9:40
Minions (G)
Fri & Sat: 11:10 AM, 1:15, 3:15
Sun: 11:10 AM, 1:15, 3:45
Inside Out (G)
Fri – Sun: 11:00 AM, 1:00
A Walk in the Woods (14A)
Fri & Sat: 11:00 AM, 3:10, 5:10
Sun: 11:00 AM, 3:10, 5:30
Mon – Thu: 1:00, 3:10, 5:10
 By Staff
November 2nd, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
On Tuesday, November 3rd and Wednesday, November 4th, more than 2,000 young hockey athletes and students will come together at Nelson High School to turn over all of the food they have collected from the Burlington community for The 10th Annual Gift of Giving Back Food Drive — the largest food drive of its kind in Canada.
It is an amazing event and one that to a large degree defines the city.
 Celebrating its 10th Anniversary, the annual Fall community food drive supports, educates and empowers thousands of young male and female hockey athletes and high school students to compassionately give back to their community.
 These are young men and women who are being taught to give back to the community they have grown up in and been educated. The community that is one of the safest in the country and offers opportunity for personal growth to our youth at every socio economic level.
These are young people that play hard and enjoy the life they live – some may not appreciate how fortunate enough they are – but the leadership that created The Gift of Giving Back Food Drive deserves credit for making it happen. They of course won’t hear of any credit going to them – they will tell you that it is the kids that make it happen.
  The Burlington Eagles; The Burlington Girls Hockey Club (Barracudas); Burlington Cougars; and Nelson Lords.
The food collected by more than 85 male and female youth hockey teams from: The Burlington Eagles; The Burlington Girls Hockey Club (Barracudas); Burlington Cougars; and Nelson Lords.
 Since its inception, more than 1 million lbs of food has been donated to families in need. That is the accumulative donation of $2.5 million. Last year, The Gift of Giving Back collected more than 278,000 lbs of food and this year, hopes to exceed that amount and collect more than 305,000 lbs.
How does it happen – see for yourself – Click here.
 By Pepper Parr
November 2, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Mayor blows off a constituent – publicly, and the most proactive member of city council disappoints – all over a development project that city council has said they don’t want to see built and which planning staff advised council to reject.
The ability to manage the file got taken out of the city’s hand when it failed to give the developer a decision within the prescribed time line. .
The matter is now before the Ontario Municipal Board where the city case looks shaky to many
Why is this happening?
 Active whenever development issues are being discussed publicly – Tom Muir wants to know how and why the city failed to vote as a Council on a development application for a project at the intersection of Martha Street and Lakeshore Road For reasons that no one has been able to sensibly explain to Tom Muir, the citizen who fist asked the question – why did the city fail to vote on the ADI Development project proposed for the north west corner of the Martha Street Lakeshore Road intersection within the 180 day deadline mandated by the Planning Act?
Muir put together a time line that makes it clear the Planning department report was ready in plenty of time for both the Standing Committee to debate and send a recommendation to Council and for council to vote on.
 Marianne Meed Ward was just a citizen when this picture was taken – now she is on the other side of the podium, sitting as a Council member. As a citien delegating frequently she was vocal and persistent. Some feel she dropped the ball on the ADI Development in her ward. Meed Ward in her responses to Tom Muir wanders all over the place – she even suggests at one point that failing to vote on the application was no big deal and that it would not harm the city’s case now that the matter is at the Ontario Municipal Board.
And she wants to be Mayor? Yikes.
What is difficult to understand is this – why is it so hard for the Mayor to come out with a formal detailed response to the questions Muir asks? They are important questions.
Mayor has yet to hold a formal media conference this term of office – and if memory serves us correctly he did just the one during his first term of office. The last one done in the previous term of office had to do with the pier and at that time the Mayor had then city manager Jeff Fielding answer the questions.
This Mayor doesn’t perform well in public/media sessions.
Does this city know how to deal with controversial development applications and if they don’t what can citizens do about that – other than vote them all out of office in 2018.
Muir wrote Meed Ward because the project was to be built in her ward and, to some degree, because she has a reputation for getting answers to questions and tends to fight for her people.
 Usually always on top of every issue in her ward and frequently on top of issues in other wards – much to the chagrin of other council members. Meed Ward was in a very serious automobile accident in June that left he with a concussion that was not immediately treated. Her recovery has taken longer than even she expected.
 “Meaningful response” seems to have a different meaning for the Mayor of Burlington. But we cannot hang this one on the council member – this is a city issue – which happens to be taking place in her ward – the responsibility belongs to council which is led by the Mayor.
We are in the awkward position of having retired the Planner who managed the file and is therefore not available for questioning. And, we found ourselves with the committee that heard the debate being chaired by the city solicitor acting as Interim city manager at the time.
We keep shooting ourselves in the foot and stumbling around like a bunch of rural rubes who don’t know any better.
When political leaders fail to inform their public – rumour, innuendo and all kinds of conspiracy crap comes to the surface.
Was the decision not to have Council vote deliberate so the issue would go to the OMB and the city could blame them for approving a building that many think is high and adds too much density to the area?
Was not voting a slick way to up our intensification numbers – and blame it on the OMB as well?
The city deserves better.
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By Staff
