 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON September 25, 2012 while sitting on a bench late in the evening with a female friend a 20 year old Burlington male was assaulted while trying to recover a backpack a thief had snatched.
Shortly after midnight on September 23rd, a man and woman were seated at a bench in the area of Brant Street and Ghent Avenue, Burlington. A backpack belonging to the female was placed on the ground next to the bench.
A man, unknown to the man and the woman, approached the two, stole the backpack and began to run. The male gave chase, and caught up with the thief and tried to recover the backpack.
Moments later, three accomplices jumped out of a car parked nearby and began beating up on the male who was trying to recover the backpack.
Four to one is tough to handle – the thieves beat up on the male and then took off and fled in the car.
The victim suffered minor injuries.
The ‘Element’ backpack contained a quantity of cash, identification and some small personal items.
The vehicle the thieves fled in was an older model, black, four door sedan.
The suspects were described as male, black in their 20’s, wearing dark clothing. The first suspect was described as having short hair.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905 825-4747 x2315, Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-TIPS(8477), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637(crimes).
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON September 25, 2012 Frank McKeown, Mayor Goldring’s right hand man and chief strategist will be leaving the Office of the Mayor and being replaced by Jackie Isada effective the end of the year. These are two radically different people and will result in much more humour on the eighth floor.
 Frank McKeown, on the left, was always one of the smartest people in the room, was a strong right hand for Mayor Goldring during his first year in office, is now leaving after serving the Mayor for two years. He is shown here with Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman. McKeown is a thinker, he is very strong at identifying a problem and putting together different scenarios that work their way into becoming solutions. But Frank McKeown will never get a job as a stand-up comedian at Yuk Yuks.
Whereas Isada has a great sense of humour and is strong at the execution level – she gets things done and is a strong idea person. A Newfoundlander, who followed her heart to Ontario and a person that loves people and works exceptionally well with just about anyone – she will be a significant addition to the Office of the Mayor.
City Manager Jeff Fielding can provide the Mayor with all the deep thinking he needs – the concern is that the political aspects of the job of being Mayor not be run over by the administrative side that Fielding handles.
McKeown and the Mayor go back a bit. Frank worked with Goldring on his election campaign and has been invaluable for Goldring during his first year in office. There were some exceptionally malicious and cruel remarks made by some staff at city hall who should have known better about how much the Mayor relied on McKeown.
McKeown did provide a level of understanding on issues that Goldring needed and became a second set of eyes and ears for the Mayor. Goldring’s choice of McKeown was a wise one at the time. We predicted that McKeown would move on about six months ago – we were a little ahead of the news flow on that one.
Goldring announced the staffing change earlier and announced that McKeown will leave his position as chief of staff at the end of the year. He will be replaced by Jackie Isada of the Burlington Economic Development Corp. (BEDC) taking over the role in January.
“I have had two positive and successful years working for Mayor Rick Goldring,” McKeown said. “I am now making more time for family and focusing on new opportunities.”
McKeown, an entrepreneur, technology buff and sports enthusiast, was an active fundraiser before he began his work with Mayor Goldring. In addition to being past president of the Burlington Old-timers Hockey Club, McKeown helped raise money for such groups as the Appleby Ice Centre ice users to offset the cost of adding ice pads to the city’s arena. He is on the board of the ROCK (Reach Out Centre for Kids) Foundation.
“I have enjoyed working with Frank and appreciate his insights and community-mindedness,” said Mayor Goldring. “I look forward to our ongoing friendship, and I know Frank will continue to add to the vibrancy of this city.”
During the development of the city’s Strategic Plan McKeown sat in on the vast majority of the meetings and began to be referred to as the “seventh” councillor. His presence and the degree of involvement on his part was not always appreciated by some staff.
 Jackie Isada will bring her wonderful Newfoundland chuckle and her ability to work with people to the Office of the Mayor. Rick Goldring may never be the same. Isada, Manager of Marketing and Strategic Partnerships with the BEDC, will join the mayor’s team in January 2013.
“I am pleased to announce that Jackie will be joining my team,” said Mayor Goldring. “Jackie brings with her a new perspective and diverse skill set that includes economic development, marketing and event management. She is a strong communicator who has worked at the provincial and municipal levels of government and has a talent for forging relationships.”
Isada has a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Memorial University, is a member of the Economic Developers Association of Canada and is on the marketing awards committee for the Economic Developers Council of Ontario.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON September 24, 2012 Sutton Drive in north Burlington will be closed at the Dundas Street intersection from Friday, September 28, 2012 at 7 p.m. until Saturday, September 29, 2012 at 8 p.m. as a new water main is installed by Halton Region.
 Alternate routes for getting out of the community while construction work is being done. Construction is being done overnight on a weekend to limit the disruption to local residents and John William Boich Public School. If the work is not completed, due to unforeseen circumstances, the same overnight closure will occur the following weekend on Friday, October 5 to Saturday October 6, 2012.
The work is part of a larger watermain installation project on Dundas Street (Regional Road 5), stretching from Appleby Line (Regional Road 20) to Bronte Road (Regional Road 25).
Alternate access to Sutton Drive will be available from Upper Middle Road and Dryden Avenue via Appleby Line. A map showing the road closure and alternate vehicle routes
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON September 22, 2012. The provincial government is getting close to the point where they will make some kind of decision on the recommendations that are expected very soon from the Ministry of Transportation (MOT) on what kind of a road might get built north of Dundas Road – these are the people burrowing away over their tables drawing lines on maps to show where a new road through the Escarpment might go.
The Region and the city of Burlington are not at all keen on any kind of road going through the northern part of the city and they want to keep the pressure on the provincial government to just forget about the idea of a new highway – we don’t need it and we don’t want it, is the refrain from our part of the province.
 The green arrow on the map was a shock to everyone opposed to any kind of road cutting through the Escarpment. That arrow motivated the community to realizing it might have a battle on its hands and resulted in the creation of SEHC – Stop the Escarpment Highway Coalition – a collection of 14 different community organizations. During the municipal election in 2010 the Ministry of Municipal Affairs (MMA) sent a thick envelope to the Regional government saying they wanted some changes to the Region’s official plan that would add in some green arrows showing where a new highway might go. That green arrow was a sharp punch to the solar plexus of the city as well as the Region.
THAT put the fat in the fire and resulted in a large public meeting at the Mainway arena where hundreds of people showed up to protest.
The province sort of blinked and backed off a bit – then there was the provincial election in May where everyone, except the truckers, said publicly that a highway should not be rammed through Mt. Nemo.
 Those grey shaded areas represent the six option the Ministry of Transportation are putting forward. These will go to the Minister in the very near future. There will then be Public Information Centers set up for public input. The hope is that these aren’t snuck in on Friday afternoons a few weeks before Christmas. SEHC wants a full public discourse on this issue. But those bureaucrats with the MOT, who work out of offices in St. Catharines, met with Region two months ago and offered up new plans – which didn’t have the green arrow that scared the daylights out of everyone. This time they gave a range of options – six of them – that ranged from widening highway 6 and connecting it more solidly to the 401, to a road that would still cut across a significant swath of lower Burlington. This is land that Burlington sees as close to sacred ground. Run a highway through any part of the Escarpment and Burlington doesn’t have much of a reason for being – we might as well amalgamate with Oakville, or worse, with Mississauga.
This is an ongoing battle that Burlington has to continually wage. If the citizens of the city ease up, if the Region slacks off or if Burlington’s city council decides ‘you know, it wouldn’t be that bad’, there will be bulldozers out there in close to a flash, property values north of Dundas Road will skyrocket and the streams and creeks that run into Lake Ontario and provide our water supply will be contaminated.
 Councillor John Taylor, the longest serving member on Council and a tireless fighter to keep any kind of road from going through the Escarpment. Taylor knows this battle is going to last long after he is gone. It is a battle that will last for as much as twenty years. “We will be having this fight long after I’m gone” said Burlington Councillor John Taylor who is perhaps the most tireless fighter on city council when it comes to the Escarpment.
The last round in this three way fight was between the Region and the province when the MOT types appeared at a meeting with yet another map. This one – shown below, suggests a number of places a highway could be built. There were six options put before the Regional Council – the one Burlington wants to keep away from is the road that runs through a section of the city and just too close to Escarpment land for comfort.
 The sign, that you see throughout the Escarpment represents the thinking of the 14 organizations that came together to form the Stop Escarpment Highway Coalition While the regional government and the city of Burlington make the official protests – there is a coalition of 13 organizations (they recently approved a 14th) that formed as the Stop Escarpment Highway Coalition – have been tireless in their battle to ensure that the governments don’t sell everyone out.
SEHC has worked with Cogeco Cable on a two hour program that will air October 4th from 7 – 9 pm. The first hour, unfortunately, will consist of talking heads giving prepared and already known positions. What one shouldn’t expect is anything new or revealing unless something comes out of a meeting that Regional Chair Gary Carr and Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring expect to have with Minister of Transportation Bob Chiarelli sometime this week at Queen’s Park.
Carr and Goldring are sort of on call for a dash into Toronto to meet with the Minister of Transportation who can’t leave Toronto. The provincial Liberals are a minority government and things are kind of tight and tense at Queen’s Park these days – so none of the Liberals are allowed to leave town.
Carr and Goldring are taking their positions to Toronto and will, once again, work the Minister over and ensure that he fully understands the feeling of both the Region and the City.
Then, on October 23rd there will be a large community meeting at the Mainway Arena. The city is going all out again on this one, with mail drops to every dwelling north of Dundas, supported with advertising in the local media. With no hockey on television there should be a really solid turnout.
The politicians, along with SEHC, want to up the volume on the protest and ensure that Queen’s Park gets the message.
There is one sure way to block any highway and that is find a job that the government can offer Burlington’s MPP Jane McKenna. That would open up her seat to a by-election during which the Liberals would promise to ensure that a highway is never, ever going to be built through the Escarpment – which would win them the election and give them a majority government (they are currently one seat short) and all would be well. Oh – they tried that in Kitchener-Waterloo and it didn’t work there. Maybe that’s not such a good idea. Besides what would they offer McKenna and would she be smart enough to take it?
The last time there was a public meeting on the Escarpment, there was a sense of panic due to the province requiring a change in the Regional Official Plan that showed a road through the Escarpment no one had ever seen before. That meeting brought out hundreds of people and resulted in the creation of SEHC – the Stop the Escarpment Highway Coalition. They have become a very effective advocacy group for this issue and have managed to both keep the pressure on the politicians at every level and at the same time serve as a form for the exchange of ideas and information.
Two dates to keep in mind – watching the Cogeco Cable show on the 4th and getting out to the community meeting at Mainway arena on the 23th. This is an issue that matters.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON October 22, 2012 An old-fashioned fall fair right here in the city! Next weekend, Sunday, September 30th! ~11 – 4 p.m. at the Ireland House at Oakridge Farm, 2168 Guelph Line, Burlington
 The Farmall tractor – hundreds of the things, if not a couple of thousand, tilled the fields that are now sub-divisions in Burlington. Manufactured by International Harvester, a company that has been in Burlington for more than fifty years but is now moving to Hamilton You can start the day with a Country-style home-made pancakes & specialty syrup! That runs from 9:00 a.m. — 11:00 a.m.
What else can you expect?
Jump into the sea of hay and join in a great harvest fair tradition – Make Your Own Scarecrow!
How about a try at the Hay Maze?
Live roping demonstrations with the Ontario Rodeo Association!
Take a tour through the historic Ireland House
Experience historic cooking, apple schnitzing and apple cider making!
See antique tractors and historic automobiles on display.
 Ireland House, a part of the Museums Burlington operation, is the only example of a farming property that is publicly viewable in the city south of Dundas, It is an excellent example of its period. Worth as visit Watch as fascinating artisans demonstrate their craft! Make your own neat crafts! Have fun with the Fall Harvest Obstacle Course and Games, Pony Rides (12-3pm), Junior Farmer Competitions and Games, Fair-Style Activities, Historic Cooking and Horticultural society arrangements.
There will be animal exhibits and special farm displays! Check out the Trifles & Treasures Bazaar. Find excellent fall treasures, home decorations and unique handmade items in the vendor area. Enjoy live stage entertainment all day including country dance demonstrations and musical performances! And don’t miss your chance to bid at the Applefest Silent Auction!
Finally, be sure to sign your children up for their chance to be crowned this year’s Applefest Fall Fair Prince and Princess! Contest is open to children 6-10 years old!
Admision to Applefest is FREE thanks to the generous support of The Rocca Sisters Team! Additionally, all children will receive a free goodie bag and a ticket to be entered into a draw to win a special prize basket!
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON October 22, 2012 In the week we are going into more than 4,000 Halton students will spend a part of a day taking part in the seventh annual Halton Children’s Water Festival (HCWF) being held from September 25 to 28, 2012.
Students from grades two to five registered to participate in the festival taking place outdoors at the picturesque Kelso Conservation Area in Milton.
 He really wants you to look at the bullfrog he is holding. Students at the Festival will experience a unique opportunity to learn about water in a fun and interactive way at activity centres which cover Ontario curriculum requirements. New this year, French language activity centres will be piloted with grade five French Immersion students on Thursday, September 27. The HCWF features nearly 60 activity centres that incorporate four main water related themes:
 Kids + water = fun and noise – all part of the Halton Children’s Water Festival. A full day of fun at a cost of $5 per student. “Since the Halton Children’s Water Festival began in 2006, more than 25,000 children have participated which shows the demand and interest for high quality environmental education in our community,” said Conservation Halton Chairman John Vice. ”The Festival’s success is due to the enthusiastic participation by volunteers, teachers and students backed by the commitment of partner organizations as well as tremendous support from individuals and businesses in the community. We thank everyone who has participated and contributed to the Water Festival over the past seven years.”
The Festival is co-hosted by Conservation Halton and Halton Region in partnership with, the Halton District School Board, the Halton Catholic District School Board, the City of Burlington, the Town of Halton Hills, the Town of Milton, and the Town of Oakville. This partnership has created a successful and financially sustainable water festival in Halton. Conservation Halton Chairman John Vice and Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr serve as the Festival’s honorary co-chairs.
 It isn’t all classroom stuff – just look at the way this girl rounds the bale of hay. A winner for sure. The Festival is a community partnership dependent on more than 150 volunteers each day to help with various activities. Halton high school students and community volunteers are once again generously offering their time and gaining experience in community outreach, public speaking, teaching and time management.
The Festival is offered to Halton schools at a cost of just $5 per child, which includes a full day at the Festival as well as transportation to and from the event. Schools seeking Ontario EcoSchools certification can count their attendance at the HCWF as a field trip in the Curriculum category.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON September 21, 2012 The Halton Regional Police have been tracking a person they suspected of being a drug dealer. Late in August, an undercover officer contacted the male and arranged the purchase of 1.75 grams of cocaine. The transaction was completed in the City of Burlington.
On September 20th 2012, an undercover officer contacted the male and again arranged the purchase of 1.75 grams of cocaine. The male attended the pre-arranged location where he was placed under arrest by members of the Drug and Morality Unit and Guns and Gangs Unit. The police then seized a quantity of cocaine, currency and other evidence of drug trafficking.
 Oxycodone is a visicioulsy addictive drug. Intended for pain relief the drug was soon abused and became a favourite for drug addicts Subsequently, police conducted a search warrant at a residence in the City of Hamilton and located a sophisticated indoor cannabis marihuana grow operation. The grow operation contained 678 cannabis marihuana plants in various stages of growth. Also located was a quantity of Ecstasy, cocaine, cannabis resin along with , Oxycodone and Psilocybin. Investigators estimate the street value of the controlled substances to be $695,000.
In addition $16,800 in Canadian currency, $1000 in Euro and $280 in U.S. currency was also seized. A further search revealed a restricted firearm with ammunition, 1400 volt Taser, 3 shurikens (throwing stars) and a set of nunchaku.
Three members of one family have been charged along with a fourth individual.
Radomir ACAMOVIC (22 years) of Hamilton has been charged with:
Possession of Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking (two counts)
Trafficking in Cocaine
Production of Cannabis Marihuana
Possession of Cannabis Marihuana for the Purpose of Trafficking
Possession of Ecstasy
Possession of Oxycodone
Unauthorized Possession of a Prohibited Weapon (three counts)
Also charged was Dragomir ACAMOVIC (24 years) of Hamilton. Those charges were:
Possession of Cannabis Resin for the Purpose of Trafficking
Possession of Cannabis Marihuana over 30 grams
Possession of Psilocybin
Possession of Ecstasy
Production of Cannabis Marihuana
Possession of Cannabis Marihuana for the Purpose of Trafficking
Dalibor ACAMOVIC (48 years) of Hamilton was charged with:
Production of Cannabis Marihuana
Possession of Cannabis Marihuana for the Purpose of Trafficking
Possession of Cocaine
Improper Storage of a Firearm
Possession of a Restricted Firearm without a Licence
Possession of a Restricted Firearm with Ammunition Readily Available
Diogo CARRUCO (30 years) of Scarborough was charged with:
Production of Cannabis Marihuana
Possession of Cannabis Marihuana for the Purpose of Trafficking
CARRUCO was released with a court date in October 2012 with conditions. Radomir ACAMOVIC, Dragomir ACAMOVIC and Dalibor ACAMOVIC were held for a bail hearing on today’s date.
Police investigators remind the public to utilize Crime Stoppers to report on any illegal drug, gang, or gun activity at 1 800 222 8477(TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637(crimes).
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON September 21, 2012 It would have been great – as it was it was very good. The rain spoiled the public participation but it didn’t stop two chef’s from Spencer’s on the Waterfront from showing a small crowd that huddled under umbrellas as Chris Hayworth and Andy McLean put together two really fine meals at an outdoor location in what the Farmer’s Market called Street Fight # 1 with Hayworth vs McLeod. The knives were out.
 You don’t see hand drawn type like this very often It was promoted as a Street Fight # 1, indicating that this would become an ongoing event. The first pitted two experienced chef’s from one of the better, if not the best, restaurant in the downtown area.
While the rain certainly dampened the public attendance the event was clearly something that could be done fairly frequently next season. If promoted effectively it could become an event to which day tourists travel to Burlington to take in.
The crowd that was on hand last Friday certainly enjoyed themselves even if they had to huddle in the rain under umbrellas tasting the results. Hayworth’s cauliflower soup was especially nice.
While the competition was to have two chef’s competing the event turned out to be a battle with the elements. With just drizzle, one umbrella was enough; but when it turned into real rain – Barry Imber went looking for as many umbrellas as he could find. His finds and what others had on hand kept most of the rain off the audience.
 Chef Hayworth on the left and Chef McLean next to him take their recipes through the final stages of preparation before letting the crowd taste the meal – and it most certainly was a meal.  Chef Chris Hayworth on the left with chef Andy McLean to his left prepare food for individual tastings. There wasn’t nearly enough to go around. The original plan was to have people sitting on benches observing; but the rain had people huddling around the cooking tables, while the chefs worked in very cramped quarters constantly hoping the electrical cables wouldn’t short out. The Farmer’s Market will shut down sometime in October and has to be seen as a success – not a raging success but a very positive addition to life in the downtown core.
Our Burlington supported the event from its very beginning and we will be reminding you about its return in the Spring.
Barry Imber is the driving force behind the concept and the guy who did much of the hands on work to make it happen. He was the guy who made the phone calls to get people to take part; he was the guy who chased down umbrellas and put them up as the rain moved from a drizzle to a real rainfall. He was the guy who went looking for additional electrical extension so the chef’s could continue cooking.
 One of the vendors teaches children at the Farmer’s Market some hand clapping dances There were different vendors throughout the year with Featherstone and Plan B on hand consistently. Some vendors were on the site when they had product – Gibson’s Honey who sold out every time he was there.
There were people from the Tourism office watching the event which many thought could be something done several times during the season and promoted as a destination event. There people who would love to make a day trip to Burlington to attend an event likes this, stay for the day and drive up into the Escarpment. As an event – it has potential.
The market is intended for those people who are purely organic. If you want pure food with nothing added, no preservatives or colouring to make the food look nicer.
What many wondered as the two chef’s worked away was – who was doing the cooking at Spencer’s while Hayworth and Mclean were at the market.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON September 19, 2012 Community Development Halton held their annual general meeting last night and it was much more pleasant than the meeting they held last year when their funding from the Region was seriously challenged. The community got behind the CDH people, the funding was kept in place, albeit with a little jiggling and shuffling on the part of the reason.
Nina Truscott, president of the non-profit corporation, whisked the audience through the AGM part of the evening in very short order. The organization bid farewell to Angus Coll-Smith and Penny Smith who have completed their term of office.
 Joey Edwardh talking to the Gooding’s after the Community Development Halton annual general meeting. Surprisingly, the Executive Director, Joey Edwardh, did not make any “state of the nation” comments.
Truscott informed the audience that the CDH was alive financially and at the same time recognized a very generous anonymous donation during the past two years.
Community Development Halton is funded by the Region to the tune of $244,500 from the Region for the 2012 fiscal year. Funds are received from the Burlington/Hamilton United Way as well as the Oakville United Way. Total revenue for CDH is $802,745 with expenses coming in at $802,021 – slim but that’s the financial reality of the not for profit community. No fat in this operation.
Where CDH excels is in project administration and the data they collect on changes in the socio-economic makeup of the Region.
 Angus Coll-Smith retires from the Community development Halton board after completing his term of office. There are two research associates that collect, analyze and put data in formats that make the information useful to the user. Burlington uses their data as does the Region. Our Burlington has been fortunate enough to be able to use some of the CDH data to explain a point we try to make.
 Penny Smith, after completing her term of office, retires from the Community Development Board CDH sources funds from different government agencies to carry out a project and the research needed. Volunteer Halton is part of their operation – it’s the place to go if you want to volunteer as well as the place to go if you are looking for volunteers.
Retired people tend to want to remain active and look for ways to volunteer in the community – with the aging population in the Region growing the Volunteers arm of CDH should be kept busy.
The evening ended with a presentation by the Burlington Theatre Centre and the Tottering Biped Theatre.
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON September 19, 2012 We knew the Zellers store was going to close – we told you that in May of this year.
Now the closing is very real – the signs came down today and the stores have had almost everything taken out of them.
 The Zellers sign comes off the store in the Burlington Mall. Store will get a total makeover and re-open as a Target store in April 2013 During the months ahead there will be a total gutting and then Target, the new store brand, will begin to put their equipment, sales counters, check out aisles and racks to display merchandize in place. Burlingtonians will flood into the new Target store sometime in April of 2013 – which will be a month or so before the pier opens to the public.
Two Zellers stores are closed; the one in Millcroft Centre and the one in the Burlington Mall.
 Not a sales clerk in sight. In April, 2013 the space will be filled with new merchandise in the kind of store Burlington hasn’t seen for some time. All the Zellers staff lost their jobs. Target didn’t buy the Zellers store – they assumed the lease, which means they now pay the rent and can do whatever they want to do with the space. That space is now empty and in the next five or six months the store – two in Burlington, will get new equipment and new staff will be hired and trained.
Target is a very different kind of retailer. They bring a different product line and they operate differently. Tough on the people who no longer have jobs. Some of them may get hired by Target but the betting in the retail community is that Target will not want people with Zellers training.
Zellers is no more – Target is now king. The Bay and Sears along with a number of other retailers in Burlington will see a bit of an uptick in their sales which they should enjoy while it lasts because the moment Target opens its doors – the customers they had will flee in droves to Target who will do everything they can to make them loyal customers.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON September 19, 2012 The country is on a bit of a culture kick and for the last week of this month – September – there will be about as much culture as an average family can absorb. The focus is from September 28 to 30; the objective to raise awareness of art and culture.
Mayor Rick Goldring described the events as a “citywide celebration, and is one of the many celebrations happening across Canada. I encourage everyone to come out and see the amazing works of Burlington’s artists, musicians, writers, actors and craftspeople.”
All of the cultural institutions will be in on the events: Performing Arts Centre, Burlington Arts Centre, the Public Library, Royal Botanical Gardens, Ireland House. The only place not on the list is the Joseph Brant Museum.
 The Teen Tour Band won’t be in the Family room at the Performing Arts Centre but there will be kids running all over the place. Some will get to tickle the keys on the Grand Piano in the Main Theatre. Families can enjoy free entertainment—including clowns, street performers, slam poetry recitals, stories and more—at The Burlington Performing Arts Centre on Sunday, Sept. 30 from 1 to 4 p.m.
Events will take place inside and outside The Centre, which is located on Locust Street, just north of Lakeshore Road. Parking at the Locust Street lot is free on Sundays.
Free community arts events are also taking place in other parts of Burlington, including:
Friday, Sept. 28, 2012
ZimSculpt: Royal Botanical Gardens – 9 a.m. to dusk
Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012
Human Library: Burlington Public Library, Central Branch- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
 Loads of things to so at the Burlington Art Centre during the Cultural weekend. Tottering Biped: Burlington Art Centre – Afternoon
Sunday, Sept. 30, 2012
Applefest Fall Fair: Ireland House – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Burlington Performing Arts Centre – Music of Elton John, Frankie Valli and Whitney Houston. Buskers, clowns and more: 1-4 p.m.
Earlier in that week the people developing a Cultural Action Plan proposal for the city will be meeting in different parts of the city to hear what the public has to say about the ideas and data that have been gathered so far.
The same organization is overseeing the development of some public art that will be placed outside the Performing Arts centre. Our Burlington’s columnist Margaret Lindsay Holton commented on the process being used to select what will be put up. She took exception to the process that she felt eliminated local artists and felt that at least one local artist should have been included in the final three. Holton will have more to say on this.
Culture Days will be celebrated in hundreds of cities and towns from coast to coast, with thousands of free activities from a wide range of disciplines.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON September 19, 2012 She used the Save our Waterfront (SOW) to win in Ward 2 in 2010. She did her best to get at least one of her people on the Waterfront Access and Protection Advisory (WAPA) Committee and when she realized it was going to come to an inglorious end when the city sunset the thing, she quickly formed another committee on the waterfront.
 All is not going to stay quiet on this waterfront. A city council member, Marianne Meed Ward has created a citizens advisory committee on the waterfront that is going to take a holistic look at what is best for the city. The unfinished pier is in the background. Marianne Meed Ward announced this week that there will be a waterfront committee (it doesn’t appear to have a name yet) that will be run out of her office.
Meed Ward, along with the existing 11 committee members felt the waterfront was too important to come to an end and come January there will be a new one.
Meed Ward voted for the sun setting of the committee because, she says, there was too much duplication with other committees in place. Those other committees are still in place but that isn’t going to stop Meed Ward. Her committee is going to be unique in its makeup and focus.
If Meed Ward focuses too much of her attention on the Beachway Park, which is the biggest issue on the waterfront at this time, she will run into some pretty stiff opposition from Rick Craven – the Beachway is in his ward.
 At some point in the near future the Riviera Motel will get torn down and construction will begin on at least one part of the Bridgewater complex that is permitted to put three structures on the property; two seven storey and one 22 storey. Meed Ward has a very special interest in this part of the waterfront Meed Ward is going to bring a “holistic” view to her committee, which she will chair but not have a vote on. She expects to have two people from each ward in the city with a number of alternates to handle those situations where someone can’t make a meeting.
One of the problem WAPA chair, Nick Leblovic had was ensuring that he actually had a quorum; there were occasions when he had to suspend his meeting while someone went to the washroom.
Meed Ward was the only member of this council that voted against going to a new contractor to complete the pier. She felt at the time that the city should have and could have worked out the construction problems with the original contractor Henry Schilthuis and Sons Ltd.
The city begins spending really serious dollars in November on the pier when all the lawyers gather in rooms to begin the process of discovery – which is when each side gets to question the other sides witnesses on who did what when. That process could take a month – and it is going to be very expensive.
Meed Ward plans monthly evening meetings that will be open to the public. Because this isn’t a city created committee it won’t report to any of the city council committees. It will probably have to rely on Meed Ward piping up at appropriate times and explaining what “her people” have to say. She may have them delegating the way she did as a citizen.
It all gets even a little fuzzier with Mayor Rick Goldring having said that he too was going to have a Waterfront Advisory Committee. Mayors in the past have created committees to advise them, this is probably the first time the city has had a council member create a committee of citizens.
This is certainly a different approach for Burlington. There will be people in the Mayor’s office scratching their heads over this one and asking: ‘Can she do this’?
It appears that Meed Ward is going to invite all the former members of the WAPA committee to join this new venture. What are the odds on Leblovic serving on this new committee?
Meed Ward apparently “sees a long and bright future for the committee” . Her office can be contacted on how to apply for the new waterfront citizens’ committee.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON September 19, 2012 It’s one of those events you need to plan for and to note it on your calender. The annual Burlington Art in Action tour which takes place the weekend of November 3rd and 4th this year.
 One of the better studio tours in the province. If art matters to you – don’t miss this event. The Art in Action people will be announcing the line up early in October and we will tell you all you need to know. Today, we just want to give you a heads up.
Great event. Last year we spent a full day going from studio to studio and met some really neat people, saw some art that interested us. Watched artists sell their work to people who were just beginning to collect art.
Note the dates.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, O N September 18, 2012 Members of the Chamber of Commerce saw a different Jane McKenna last Friday morning when she met with business leaders to talk about what she has been doing at Queen’s Park on their behalf.
McKenna, Burlington’s MPP, is very partisan; it’s in her nature. Nothing wrong with that – she is a politician with an agenda and she has certainly grown since she was first nominated as the Progressive Conservative candidate for Burlington. She knew next to nothing when she was nominated and her campaign committee, wisely, kept her in a bubble during the campaign.
 The Jane McKenna we saw during the election campaign wore the right Tory blue pin stripe suit and was taught to be earnest and direct with people. The Jane MC Kenna we saw at the Chamber of Commerce breakfast had a grip on the numbers that mattered and was capable of being as angry as an opposition MPP is supposed to be. But the Jane McKenna you see today is not the ‘didn’t know very much” that we saw six months ago. McKenna has a very impressive grip on the numbers part of what’s going on at Queen’s Park. It sounded as if she could give you a number on just about anything that was going on in the province. How much had been spent on the cancellation of the hydro plant in Mississauga or how much had been spent on the cancellation of the hydro plant in Oakville as well? McKenna has those numbers at her fingertips. Well not the Oakville numbers – and that has her getting ready to go after the Minister of Energy.
She did err a little on the size of the deficit – she threw out a $15 billion deficit number – when it is close to $13 billion. McKenna argues that “we are broke”. How broke? She maintains we are spending $1.8 million more a day than we are taking in and that 20% of the money we spend is borrowed money”. “It is bad” said McKenna and for a room filled with business people who know what it is to deal with a cash tight situation – McKenna was preaching to the converted.
McKenna wants to see an across the board pay cut to every civil servant. She has no problem with what the province is doing to the teachers – she wants the same thing done to everyone. I would assume that includes her own salary – which I’m pretty sure McKenna would say: Everyone means everyone.
 The Ornge helicopter scandal has McKenna bursting with indignation She railed at the 8.7% increase the MPAC people were given. (MPAC- Municipal Property Assessment Corporation – the people that determine the value of your home for tax purposes). Some 150 people attended the breakfast event at the Burlington Golf and Country Club where McKenna was described as heavily involved in the community. That was a bit of a stretch. What we appear to be seeing is a resume upgrade, which, if repeated often enough, will become truth.
Jane McKenna ran in one municipal election. She did so at the request of a colleague and came in dead last. She did run her own advertising sales agency and consulted for others on minor projects.
She did not intend to be a candidate for the Progressive Conservative nomination. She was, at the time, the campaign manager for a person who was asked by the party to step aside as a candidate for the nomination. Sometime after that candidate stepped aside, the PC association approached Jane McKenna, asked her to consider being the candidate and she took advantage of the opportunity. If you know Keith Strong – you know how that conversation went.
What we appear to be seeing is a Member of the provincial Legislature becoming exceptionally political – we don’t see this kind of political posturing from Mike Wallace the Conservative member of the House of Commons for Burlington.
 Jane McKenna yuks it up with guests at the Joseph Brant hospital annual meeting. A few months earlier she couldn’t get in the place to attend a meeting with the Liberal Health Minister who was delivering cheques. McKenna is creating a political persona of a politician that has a deep understanding of what the government is doing and where they are making their mistakes. It will all be very political. Is this something McKenna has decided to do on her own or is this something her handlers are creating? Whichever, anyone who thought she would be a knock off in the next provincial election is in for a surprise. We won’t see the fumbling that we saw at the Central High School debate. McKenna is now much more confident and while she may not fully understand the issues and their longer term implications – she can and will throw numbers at you until your dizzy.
She nailed Chris Bentley, Minister of Energy for his failure to provide information to a Legislative committee last May. Secret documents on the cost of scrapping the Oakville power plant — located in a Liberal riding, — must be released, the Speaker of Ontario’s legislature ruled Thursday, the day before McKenna talked to the Chamber crowd. Basically the Liberal Energy Minister was on the verge of a rare contempt of parliament censure for refusing to release the documents.
McKenna will pounce all over the Minister on this one – and she’s right. The Liberals pulled a fast one during the provincial election – and got away with it.
They tried the same thing in Kitchener-Waterloo where they caused a by-election to be held after offering a nice plum to Elizabeth Witmer, the sitting member, who was not very happy with PC leader Tim Hudak and was quite prepared to leave the Legislature.
Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty and his political advisers thought they could win the seat. A win in Kitchener-Waterloo along with the all but guaranteed win in Vaughan and the Liberals would have the majority they didn’t win during the provincial election. The New Democrats spoiled that plan and they won the seat.
McKenna told the Chamber breakfast that her party didn’t have a platform during the by-election. That’s a pretty bold admission; refreshing.
McKenna does have PC leader Tim Hudak’s ear and she has some clout, partially because of her energy and drive. McKenna told the breakfast meeting that when she got to Queen’s Park she was “shocked. The process didn’t work. The Ornge hospital helicopter disaster and the $300 million loans the Health Minister didn’t know about” “The shutting down of the two power plants. Where does it stop? I knew absolutely nothing about this stuff before I got to Queen’s Park”, she said.
McKenna wants much more transparency and accountability, which is easy to call for when you are in opposition. How will McKenna handle things if she is part of a government and learns that that is the way government does things – you say nothing unless you have to and then you put out a press release late on the Friday afternoon of a long weekend.
Is McKenna going to be the fresh face of provincial politics? Not in the next three years and if she is part of a government it will not be one led by Tim Hudak. Is McKenna leadership material? Not yet and a little too early to tell if she has real leadership within her.
McKenna talks about being big on “transparency”. “Everything we do is on line” she told her office. Sure, if you know the name of the document and you are aware it is actually on a web site. McKenna doesn’t send out press releases from her office. She will answer direct questions if you can get some face time with her.
When the city of Burlington used some “political protocol” nonsense to keep McKenna away from an event that had the Liberal member Ted McMeekin, the closest Cabinet Minister to Burlington, talking about the money the province put up for the Community Garden project – McKenna talked to Our Burlington and at the time didn’t fully understand why she was being “uninvited”. We did a small piece on the stupid position the city had taken.
McKenna, like her or not, is Burlington’s representative at Queen’s Park. She got shut out of meeting when the Minister of Health was at the hospital talking about the funding JBMH eventually got from the province.
McKenna, has real “cahonies” when it comes to being brash and bold. The woman knows no shame (that is meant as a compliment) when it comes to going after what she wants.
Politics is all about power. With a majority in the Legislature a political party can do almost anything it wants. The Tories aren’t in power but then neither are the Liberals. The New Democrats were offering the people in Kitchener-Waterloo what they wanted and they ran a better campaign and won the seat.
Jane McKenna is growing as a politician. A little less stridency, more reflection and over time she could become a Charlotte Whitton – all the Tories that matter in this town will remember her – and nod approvingly.
Can McKenna make that transition. It will be a challenge.
 Part 4 of a 4 part Terry Fox Run photo essay.
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON September 17, 2012 It was for the COZ – there were close to 200 people wearing the small piece of paper that read Team Casey.
There were T-shirts, several handmade creations that said they were there to support Casey Cosgrove as he battles cancer.
 Parts of Team Cosgrove As Deb Tymstra was having the walkers get into the line in front of the starting gate – someone had Team Casey at the other side of the starting gate. There were so many Team Casey people that the walkers couldn’t get started until the Team Casey people were out of the way. So Deb Tymstra put them through a warm up exercise given by the Cedar spring ladies. Eventually, the photo shoot was done and the Team Casey people worked themselves into the walking line and Don Pace did the – Get Ready, Get Set and Go call.
 The Team Casey members were easily recognized. Besides being the biggest group they were probably the noisiest as well. There was never any doubt when a team member crossed the finish line. They were walking for Casey Cosgrove and along the way appreciating who he was and what he has done for his community. They thought about the really funny stuff that pops up on his Facebook page and they wondered as well about how much Terry Fox has done for cancer research.
It is cancer research breakthroughs that offer Casey the hope and the opportunity to beat the cancer he battles. Casey is quite open about his struggle. He has good days and bad days – but he has hundreds of friends to support him.
 Part of bearing the load. Top two members of Team Cosgrove Terry Fox brought the same robust attitude to his situation: he refused to regard himself as disabled, and would not allow anyone to pity him, telling a Toronto radio station that he found life more “rewarding and challenging” since he had lost his leg. His feat helped redefine Canadian views of disability and the inclusion of the disabled in society. Fox’s actions increased the visibility of people with disabilities, and in addition influenced the attitudes of those with disabilities, by showing them disability portrayed in a positive light. Rick Hansen commented that the run challenged society to focus on ability rather than disability. “What was perceived as a limitation became a great opportunity. People with disabilities started looking at things differently. They came away with huge pride”, he wrote.
 Two members of Team Casey giving it that final push. Casey Cosgrove has taught thousands how to deal with health adversity. Some disabled people are made to feel like failures if they haven’t done something extraordinary. Casey is just an ordinary guy doing his best and giving just as much as he is getting.
One of Fox’s earliest supporters was Isadore Sharp, founder of the Four Seasons Hotels. Sharp had lost his own son to cancer and offered Fox and his companions free accommodation at his hotels. He donated $10,000 and challenged 999 other businesses to do the same. Sharp also proposed an annual fundraising run in Fox’s name. Fox agreed, but insisted that the runs be non-competitive. There were to be no winners or losers, and anyone who participated could run, walk or ride. Sharp faced opposition to the project. The Cancer Society feared that a fall run would detract from its traditional April campaigns, while other charities believed that an additional fundraiser would leave less money for their causes. Sharp persisted, and he, the Four Seasons Hotels and the Fox family organized the first Terry Fox Run on September 13, 1981.
 Some members of Team Cosgrove made their own sweaters. One of those has to be used in the Spiral submission for the Performing arts Centre if that submission is chosen. Over 300,000 people took part and raised $3.5 million in the first Terry Fox Run. 4000 of those dollars came from Burlington.
Schools across Canada were urged to join the second run, held on September 19, 1982, and now have their own National School Run Day. The runs, which raised over $20 million in its first six years, grew into an international event as over one million people in 60 countries took part in 1999, raising $15 million that year alone.
Last Sunday, in Burlington, more than 1000 people did the run – and 200 of them were there for Casey Cosgrove and the COZ.
Part 1 of 4
Part 2 of 4
Part 3 of 4
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON September 16, 2012 There are hundreds of people who took part in the Terry Fox run last Sunday who aren’t up to annual run but they nevertheless see this as an important annual event. Many have seen cancer threaten their families, others have lost members of their families or friends to the disease. The occasion for them is an opportunity to reflect and remember and pray for those fighting the disease. They want too, to contribute to the research and help find more of the root causes of cancer.
 She’s either taking her pulse or checking her time. A very solid run.  Nice steady pace gets this runner to the finish line during the Terry Fox Run for cancer research. We’ve learned how damaging smoking was – but we didn’t know back in 1980 what we certainly know now about cigarette smoking – yet many of our youth still light up. We have work to do on the cancer research side as well as changing attitudes amongst some of our younger people.
On November 12, 1976, Terry Fox was driving home to Port Coquitlam, and became distracted by nearby bridge construction, and crashed into the back of a pickup truck. While his car was left a wreck that couldn’t be driven, Fox emerged with only a sore right knee.
He again felt pain in the knee a month later, but chose to ignore it until the end of basketball season. By March 1977, the pain had intensified and he finally went to a hospital, where he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of cancer that often starts near the knees. Fox believed his car accident weakened his knee and left it vulnerable to the disease, though his doctors argued there was no connection. He was told that his leg had to be amputated, he would require chemotherapy treatment, and that recent medical advances meant he had a 50 percent chance of survival. Fox learned that two years before the figure would have been only 15 percent; the improvement in survival rates impressed on him the value of cancer research.
 Big fund raisers doing the run.  That was absolutely awesome. With the help of an artificial leg, Fox was walking three weeks after the amputation. He then progressed to playing golf with his father. Doctors were impressed with Fox’s positive outlook, stating it contributed to his rapid recovery. He endured sixteen months of chemotherapy and found the time he spent in the British Columbia Cancer Control Agency facility difficult as he watched fellow cancer patients suffer and die from the disease. Fox ended his treatment with new purpose: he felt he owed his survival to medical advances and wished to live his life in a way that would help others find courage.
In the summer of 1977 Rick Hansen, working with the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association, invited Fox to try out for his wheelchair basketball team. Although he was undergoing chemotherapy treatments at the time, Fox’s energy impressed Hansen. Less than two months after learning how to play the sport, Fox was named a member of the team for the national championship in Edmonton. He won three national titles with the team, and was named an all-star by the North American Wheelchair Basketball Association in 1980.
 The balance between young and middle aged runners was basically equal.  The balance between male and female was also close to even. No one group dominated the event. The night before his cancer surgery, Fox had been given an article about Dick Traum, the first amputee to complete the New York City Marathon. The article inspired him; he embarked on a 14-month training program, telling his family he planned to compete in a marathon himself. In private, he devised a more extensive plan. His hospital experiences had made Fox angry at how little money was dedicated to cancer research. He intended to run the length of Canada in the hope of increasing cancer awareness, a goal he initially only divulged to his friend Douglas Alward.
Fox ran with an unusual gait, as he was required to hop-step on his good leg due to the extra time the springs in his artificial leg required to reset after each step. He found the training painful as the additional pressure he had to place on both his good leg and his stump led to bone bruises, blisters and intense pain. Fox found that after about 20 minutes of each run, he crossed a pain threshold and the run became easier.
In August 1979, Fox competed in a marathon in Prince George, British Columbia. He finished in last place, ten minutes behind his closest competitor, but his effort was met with tears and applause from the other participants. Following the marathon, he revealed his full plan to his family. His mother discouraged him, angering Fox, though she later came to support the project. She recalled, “He said, ‘I thought you’d be one of the first persons to believe in me.’ And I wasn’t. I was the first person who let him down”. Fox initially hoped to raise $1 million, then $10 million, but later sought to raise $1 for each of Canada’s 24 million people.
 Many made it a family day – several just slept through the event.  This guy was going to do it all on his won. . On October 15, 1979, Fox sent a letter to the Canadian Cancer Society in which he announced his goal and appealed for funding. He stated that he would “conquer” his disability, and promised to complete his run, even if he had to “crawl every last mile”. Explaining why he wanted to raise money for research, Fox described his personal experience of cancer treatment, Fox said: “soon realized that that would only be half my quest, for as I went through the 16 months of the physically and emotionally draining ordeal of chemotherapy, I was rudely awakened by the feelings that surrounded and coursed through the cancer clinic. There were faces with the brave smiles, and the ones who had given up smiling. There were feelings of hopeful denial, and the feelings of despair. My quest would not be a selfish one. I could not leave knowing these faces and feelings would still exist, even though I would be set free from mine. Somewhere the hurting must stop….and I was determined to take myself to the limit for this cause”.
Fox made no promises that his efforts would lead to a cure for cancer, but he closed his letter with the statement: “We need your help. The people in cancer clinics all over the world need people who believe in miracles. I am not a dreamer, and I am not saying that this will initiate any kind of definitive answer or cure to cancer. I believe in miracles. I have to.”
 Smart enough to hydrate with a smile that made this an easy picture to take.  You’ve seen his picture before – on an election poster. He was smiling then The Cancer Society was skeptical of his dedication, but agreed to support Fox once he had acquired sponsors and requested he get a medical certificate from a heart specialist stating that he was fit to attempt the run. Fox was diagnosed with left ventricular hypertrophy — an enlarged heart — a condition commonly associated with athletes. Doctors warned Fox of the potential risks he faced, though they did not consider his condition a significant concern. They endorsed his participation when he promised that he would stop immediately if he began to experience any heart problems.
A second letter was sent to several corporations seeking donations for a vehicle, running shoes and to cover the other costs of the run. Fox sent other letters asking for grants to buy a running leg. He observed that while he was grateful to be alive following his cancer treatment, “I remember promising myself that, should I live, I would rise up to meet this new challenge of fundraising for cancer research face to face and prove myself worthy of life, something too many people take for granted.”
 Red seemed to be the dominant colour of the day. The Ford Motor Company donated a camper van, while Imperial Oil contributed fuel, and Adidas his running shoes. Fox turned away any company that requested he endorse their products and refused any donation that carried conditions as he insisted that nobody was to profit from his run.
The Marathon began on April 12, 1980, when Fox dipped his right leg in the Atlantic Ocean near St. John’s, Newfoundland, and filled two large bottles with ocean water. He intended to keep one as a souvenir and pour the other into the Pacific Ocean upon completing his journey at Victoria, British Columbia. Fox was supported on his run by Doug Alward, who drove the van and cooked meals.
It was at about this time that Don Pace heard the story and knew there had to be a Terry Fox run in Burlington. He organized the 1981 and 1982 events and was the official starter for the races last weekend.
 Classic Care Pharmacy certainly had the largest corporate presence during the runs and the walks. Fox was met with gale force winds, heavy rain and a snowstorm in the first days of his run. He was initially disappointed with the reception he received, but was heartened upon arriving in Port aux Basques, Newfoundland, where the town’s 10,000 residents presented him with a donation of over $10,000. Throughout the trip, Fox frequently expressed his anger and frustration to those he saw as impeding the run, and he fought regularly with Alward. By the time they reached Nova Scotia, they were barely on speaking terms, and it was arranged for Fox’s brother Darrell, then 17, to join them as a buffer.
 Determination and grit got this woman over the finish line. It was the same story for hundreds of both walkers and runners. Deb Tymstra on the right calling the runners in. Fox left the Maritimes on June 10 and faced new challenges entering Quebec due to his group’s inability to speak French and drivers who continually forced him off the road. Fox arrived in Montreal on June 22, one-third of the way through his 8,000-kilometre (5,000 mi) journey, having collected over $200,000 in donations. Around this time, Terry Fox’s run caught the attention of Isadore Sharp who was the founder and CEO of Four Seasons Hotel and Resorts—and who had lost a son to melanoma in 1978 just a year after Terry’s diagnosis. Sharp was intrigued by the story of a one-legged kid “trying to do the impossible” and run across the country; so he offered food and accommodation at his hotels en route. When Terry was discouraged because so few people were making donations, Sharp pledged $2 a mile to the run and persuaded close to 1,000 other corporations to do the same. Sharp’s encouragement persuaded Terry to continue with the Marathon of Hope. Convinced by the Canadian Cancer Society that arriving in Ottawa for Canada Day would aid fundraising efforts, he remained in Montreal for a few extra days.
Fox crossed into Ontario at the town of Hawkesbury on the last Saturday in June. He was met by a brass band and thousands of residents who lined the streets to cheer him on, while the Ontario Provincial Police gave him an escort throughout the province. Despite the sweltering heat of summer, he continued to run 26 miles (42 km) per day. On his arrival in Ottawa, Fox met Governor General Ed Schreyer and Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and was the guest of honour at numerous sporting events in the city. In front of 16,000 fans, he performed a ceremonial kickoff at a Canadian Football League game and was given a standing ovation. Fox’s journal reflected his growing excitement at the reception he had received as he began to understand how deeply moved Canadians were by his efforts.
A crowd of 10,000 people met Fox in Toronto, where he was honoured in Nathan Phillips Square. As he ran to the square, he was joined on the road by many people, including National Hockey League star Darryl Sittler, who presented Fox with his 1980 All-Star Game jersey. The Cancer Society estimated it collected $100,000 in donations that day alone. As he continued through southern Ontario, he was met by Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Orr who presented him with a cheque for $25,000. Fox considered meeting Orr the highlight of his journey.
 This guy was going to make it – without any help from his Mother. Two younger runners come up the rear racing for the finish line. “Everybody seems to have given up hope of trying. I haven’t. It isn’t easy and it isn’t supposed to be, but I’m accomplishing something. How many people give up a lot to do something good. I’m sure we would have found a cure for cancer 20 years ago if we had really tried”
As Fox’s fame grew, the Cancer Society scheduled him to attend more functions and give more speeches. Fox attempted to accommodate any request that he believed would raise money, no matter how far out of his way it took him. He bristled, however, at what he felt were media intrusions into his personal life, for example when the Toronto Star reported that he had gone on a date. Fox was left unsure whom he could trust in the media after negative articles began to emerge, including one by the Globe and Mail that characterized him as a “tyrannical brother” who verbally abused Darrell and claimed he was running because he held a grudge against a doctor who had misdiagnosed his condition, allegations he referred to as “trash”.
 A lively step from this young lady as she leads the dog into the finish line.  Lots of water to handle the dehydration. The physical demands of running a marathon every day took its toll on Fox’s body. Apart from the rest days in Montreal taken at the request of the Cancer Society, he refused to take a day off, even on his 22nd birthday. He frequently suffered shin splints and an inflamed knee. He developed cysts on his stump and experienced dizzy spells. At one point, he suffered a soreness in his ankle that would not go away. Although he feared he had developed a stress fracture, he ran for three more days before seeking medical attention, and was then relieved to learn it was tendonitis and could be treated with painkillers. Fox rejected calls for him to seek regular medical checkups, and dismissed suggestions he was risking his future health.
In spite of his immense recuperative capacity, Fox found that by late August he was exhausted before he began his day’s run. On September 1, outside of Thunder Bay, he was forced to stop briefly after he suffered an intense coughing fit and experienced pains in his chest. Unsure what to do, he resumed running as the crowds along the highway shouted out their encouragement. A few miles later, short of breath and with continued chest pain, he asked Alward to drive him to a hospital. He feared immediately that he had run his last kilometer. The next day, Fox held a tearful press conference during which he announced that his cancer had returned and spread to his lungs. He was forced to end his run after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 mi). Fox refused offers to complete the run in his stead, stating that he wanted to complete his marathon himself.
Fox had raised $1.7 million by the time he was forced to abandon the Marathon. He realized that the nation was about to see the consequences of the disease, and hoped that this might lead to greater generosity. A week after his run ended, the CTV Television Network organized a nationwide telethon in support of Fox and the Canadian Cancer Society. Supported by Canadian and international celebrities, the five-hour event raised $10.5 million. Among the donations were $1 million each by the governments of British Columbia and Ontario, the former to create a new research institute to be founded in Fox’s name, and the latter an endowment given to the Ontario Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation. Donations continued throughout the winter, and by the following April, over $23 million had been raised.
Supporters and well wishers from around the world inundated Fox with letters and tokens of support. At one point, he was receiving more mail than the rest of Port Coquitlam combined. Such was his fame that one letter addressed simply to “Terry Fox, Canada” was successfully delivered.
 Young girl beats her Dad in the home stretch of the Burlington 2012 Terry Fox Run for cancer research In September 1980 he was invested in a special ceremony as a Companion of the Order of Canada; he was the youngest person to be so honoured. The Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia named him to the Order of the Dogwood, the province’s highest award. Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame commissioned a permanent exhibit, and Fox was named the winner of the Lou Marsh Award for 1980 as the nation’s top athlete. He was named Canada’s 1980 Newsmaker of the Year. The Ottawa Citizen described the national response to his marathon as “one of the most powerful outpourings of emotion and generosity in Canada’s history”.
 Each of these woman had their own reasons for running this race and each ran it in their own way. Hundreds did just this during the Terry Fox Run for cancer research In the following months, Fox received multiple chemotherapy treatments; however, the disease continued to spread. As his condition worsened, Canadians hoped for a miracle and Pope John Paul II sent a telegram saying that he was praying for Fox. Doctors turned to experimental interferon treatments, though their effectiveness against osteogenic sarcoma was unknown. He suffered an adverse reaction to his first treatment, but continued the program after a period of rest.
 The T-shirt said it all – the expression on this young woman’s face told us why she is running  “It was a grind” she said after crossing the finish line “But I’m glad I did this run.” Fox was re-admitted to the Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster on June 19, 1981, with chest congestion and developed pneumonia. He fell into a coma and died at 4:35 a.m. PDT on June 28, 1981, with his family by his side. The Government of Canada ordered flags across the country lowered to half-staff, an unprecedented honour that was usually reserved for statesmen. Addressing the House of Commons, Trudeau said, “It occurs very rarely in the life of a nation that the courageous spirit of one person unites all people in the celebration of his life and in the mourning of his death … We do not think of him as one who was defeated by misfortune but as one who inspired us with the example of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity”.
His funeral, was broadcast on national television; hundreds of communities across Canada also held memorial services, a public memorial service was held on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, and Canadians again overwhelmed Cancer Society offices with donations.
 A good healthy stretch after a solid run.  Another good healthy stretch? Fox remains a prominent figure in Canadian folklore. His determination united the nation; people from all walks of life lent their support to his run and his memory inspires pride in all regions of the country. A 1999 national survey named him as Canada’s greatest hero, and he finished second to Tommy Douglas in the 2004 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation program The Greatest Canadian. Fox’s heroic status has been attributed to his image as an ordinary person attempting a remarkable and inspirational feat. Others have argued that Fox’s greatness derives from his audacious vision, his determined pursuit of his goal, his ability to overcome challenges such as his lack of experience and the very loneliness of his venture. As Fox’s advocate on The Greatest Canadian, media personality Sook-Yin Lee compared him to a classic hero, Phidippides, the runner who delivered the news of the Battle of Marathon before dying, and asserted that Fox “embodies the most cherished Canadian values: compassion, commitment, perseverance”. She highlighted the juxtaposition between his celebrity, brought about by the unforgettable image he created, and his rejection of the trappings of that celebrity.
Part 1 of a 4 part photo essay.
Part 2 of a 4 part photo essay.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON September 17, 2012 After months of organizational work. Hours of committee meetings – the day had arrived. The weather was great. Just a little nippy at the start of the day when the Terry Fox Run team began to gather on site. A sign that the weather was going to be perfect.
With everyone in place; security checked out; the starting gate filled with air and the food and snack tables getting set up and the ladies getting into place at the registration tables – the day was getting close to starting.
The crowd was coming together – you could feel the buzz in the air.
Runners were lined up at the starting gate – but not quite yet. The exercise girls from Cedar Springs had to take them through a short warm up.
 Starting gate is readied for the runners. And then they were off. Carrying on a 32 year tradition in Burlington that has seen more than $1.4 million raised. We will let you know what the amount raised was this year.
 The warm up ladies from Cedar Springs took the runners through a series of exercises before getting them through the start up gate. The tradition began back in 1980 when the first Terry Fox run took place and raised $4000 It`s been a steady grow upwards since then.
In 1980, with one leg having been amputated, Terry Fox embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Although the spread of his cancer eventually forced him to end his quest after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 mi), and ultimately cost him his life, his efforts resulted in a lasting, worldwide legacy. The annual Terry Fox Run, has grown to involve millions of participants in over 60 countries and is now the world’s largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research; over $500 million has been raised in his name.
 And they were off. There are parents out there who wonder why these lads don’t move quite as fast in getting ready for school or doing their homework. Look for the Tweeters getting out the word. Fox was a distance runner and basketball player for his Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, high school and Simon Fraser University. His right leg was amputated in 1977 after he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, though he continued to run using an artificial leg. He also played wheelchair basketball in Vancouver, winning three national championships.
 They just kept pouring through the starting gate. In 1980, he began the Marathon of Hope, a cross-country run to raise money for cancer research. Fox hoped to raise one dollar for each of Canada’s 24 million people. He began with little fanfare from St. John’s, Newfoundland, in April and ran the equivalent of a full marathon every day.
 Good start and setting a nice pace.  Pumping away on the backstretch going east from the canal on the way to the Waterfront Hotel. Nice 5k run Fox had become a national star by the time he reached Ontario; he made numerous public appearances with businessmen, athletes, and politicians in his efforts to raise money. He was forced to end his run outside of Thunder Bay when the cancer spread to his lungs. His hopes of overcoming the disease and completing his marathon ended when he died nine months later.
Fox was the youngest person ever named a Companion of the Order of Canada. He won the 1980 Lou Marsh Award as the nation’s top sportsman and was named Canada’s Newsmaker of the Year in both 1980 and 1981. Considered a national hero, he has had many buildings, roads and parks named in his honour across the country.
 Doing the first half of the Burlington Terry Fox 5k run  These ladies are in the homestretch of the Terry Fox 5k run.  Each runner sets their own pace. The backstretch of the run is easy going and well shaded. Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to Rolland “Rolly” Fox and Betty Fox. Rolly was a switchman for the Canadian National Railway. Terry had an elder brother, Fred, a younger brother, Darrell and a younger sister, Judith. His family moved to Surrey, British Columbia, in 1966, then settled in Port Coquitlam in 1968. His parents were dedicated to their family, and his mother was especially protective of her children; it was through her that Fox developed his stubborn dedication to whatever task he committed to do. His father recalled that he was extremely competitive, noting that Terry hated to lose so much that he would continue at any activity until he succeeded.
 One of the younger runners enters the home stretch of the Terry Fox 5k run. Many his age did a second go around to make it a 10k run.
 The runners working the back stretch of the 5k run. You name it and that kind of runner was out doing their part. He was an enthusiastic athlete, playing soccer, rugby and baseball as a child. His passion was for basketball and though he stood only five feet tall and was a poor player at the time, Fox sought to make his school team in grade eight.
 That finishing line looks good to everyone that sees it. Some used it as an opportunity to make a final dash. His physical education teacher and basketball coach at Mary Hill Junior High School felt he was better suited to be a distance runner and encouraged him to take up the sport. Fox had no desire for cross-country running, but took it up because he respected and wanted to please his coach.[6] He was determined to continue playing basketball, even if he was the last substitute on the team. Fox played only one minute in his grade eight season but dedicated his summers to improving his play. He became a regular player in grade nine and earned a starting position in grade ten. In grade 12, he won his high school’s athlete of the year award jointly with his best friend Doug Alward.
Though he was initially unsure if he wanted to go to university, Fox’s mother convinced him to enrol at Simon Fraser University, where he studied kinesiology as a stepping stone to becoming a physical education teacher. He tried out for the junior varsity basketball team, earning a spot ahead of more talented players due to his determination.
Part 1 of a four part photo essay on the Terry Fox Run
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON September 12, 2012 The first run was in 1980 when the city raised $4000 for the Terry Fox Research Foundation and a cure for cancer.
More than 1000 people were out on the pathways at Beachway Park and running through Spencer Smith Park.More than 100 volunteers helped people with massages, warm up exercises, giving directions and handing out glasses of water.
 These are the ladies that collected the funds raised. One family came in with more than $1600 raised in their community. We will have the final count later in the week. We will know later in the week how much was raised in 2012. The total raised since 1980 in Burlington is now over $1.4 million.
Who would have thought that 32 years after Terry Fox had to abandon his run across the country using an artificial leg, that we would have hundreds of people coming out every year to run for a cause.
 Don Carmichael, chair of the Terry Fox run in 2012, meets with part of his team to go over the final check ins before the event gets serious and the crowds begin to show up. Many, perhaps even most of the people who ran today were not alive when Terry Fox did his run. I heard about a one legged man declaring that he was going to run across the country when he dipped his artificial leg into the Atlantic ocean and headed west. It seemed like a bit of a stunt to me – I knew nothing about the man.
 It was a little nippy in the morning, the kind of weather that helps the leaves turn colour and keeps people shivering just a bit. That changes when they begin their run. I was sitting in an office window watching Terry Fox run with that half limp, half trot of his as he headed south and into Nathan Phillips Square where more than 100,000 people were on hand to greet him. This was no stunt.
The fund raising drive, which hadn’t done all that well when it worked its way through the Maritimes and Quebec, picked up momentum as the national media picked up the story in Ontario and from that point it just took off. There were close to nightly news reports with a summary at the end of each week. The country was mesmerized by what this man was doing.
Eight years earlier Canada came together as a country when a Canadian Team beat the Russians in a closely fought hockey series. We had a sense of who we were after that and when Terry Fox caught our imaginations we had no trouble getting behind to help.
The country almost automatically made the project theirs and we’ve been doing that ever since we lost Terry Fox in 1981
He was born Terrance Stanley “Terry” Fox, on July 28, 1958 and was made a Member of the Order of Canada. There is much more to the Terry Fox story than this. Follow the Burlington event and the young man`s story.
Part 2 of the Terry Fox story and the Terry Fox run; a photo feature.
 Deb Tymstra MC’d the event – her second year doing that job. Here she goes over her notes to prepare for an event that almost got out of hand when the Casey Cosgrove supporters were gathered to have pictures taken. That crowd was so large that it held up the Bikers and the Walkers who Tymstra wanted to get started. She managed the chaos.
 Jane Goodall, renowned environmentalist will be in Burlington this week. Major coup for the BurlingtonGreen people and a day those attending her events will never forget. By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON September 17th, 2012 It is going to be a boffo week for the BurlingtonGreen crowd.
Dr. Jane Goodall is now in Canada; the BG’s are incredibly thrilled to have her first event presentation taking place right here in Burlington on Wednesday, September 19 !
Goodall will be sharing fascinating stories from the field, her reflections on global conservation and hope for the future of the planet to both a daytime audience of 700 Halton youth attending our annual “Imprints” Youth event followed by a sold out evening event also taking place at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
Not only can ticket holders look forward to this rare opportunity to get inspired by this world renowned environmentalist and UN Messenger of Peace, but there will also be a variety of great opportunities to learn more about how individuals can get involved with and support the important work of both the Jane Goodall Institute and BurlingtonGreen.
There will be a raffle for a chance to win a hugely popular paddleboard courtesy of Mountain Equipment Co-op. There will be book signing by Dr. Goodall, eco-displays and a fast paced but awesome Eco (silent)Auction too ! Click here for a sneak peak of the amazing auction packages that have been creatively and thoughtfully compiled that event participants will have an opportunity to bid on and take home!
The evening will be the perfect opportunity to celebrate some of our greenest achievers in Burlington following Dr. Goodall’s message of how individuals can truly make a difference. A worthy recipient from each of our award categories(individual, school, child, group, youth & business) will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join Dr. Goodall on stage to receive a special presentation – wow!
Clearly, the BurlingtonGreen people are excited – and they should be. This is a major achievement on their part. For those of you who didn’t manage to get tickets – stay tuned – we will tell you as much as we can about this really important visit.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON September 13, 2012 We didn’t notice the appointment at first, the city has an awkward process of treating the names of people as confidential and making them public once they’ve been approved by Council. The sheet of paper with the names on it gets handed out at the end of a meeting and at times they don’t have copies for everyone at the media table. Whatever, I missed the list.
Burlington has a Committee that accepts nominations for Civic Recognition in a number of categories: Youth, the Arts, Senior of the year and Citizen of the year. The award has been given since 1965; one of the nicer events the city holds. The Civic Recognition Committee is comprised of 10 voting members, including: 6 citizens from the community, and four representatives from media and information agencies.
The event takes place, usually in May of each year . It is the one event that we do not cover as media; we buy our ticket and sit in the room as citizens recognizing honouring those who have served the city.
 Keith Strong – recruited Jane McKenna as the Progressive Conservative candidate for Burlington then helped manage her winning campaign. Strong appears to have gotten McKenna on to the Citizen’s Recognition Award committee as well. This is a citizens event – it is not a political event. But this time out the people who were placed on the committee that reviews the submissions and chooses the winner in each category has a distinct political flavour to it – and that isn’t good for the process which was to recognize people who have made Burlington a better city no matter what their political stripe.
Most people have a political persuasion – but they are not “politicians”. They believe in an approach to government that is different than what others believe.
In October of 2010 the Clerks Department placed advertisements in the Update section of the Burlington Post seeking volunteers to fill vacancies on various local boards and citizen committees. In response to the advertisement, applications were received from a number of individuals expressing interest in the committees.
Part of the city’s Strategic Plan is to “engage citizens more effectively in City Council’s decision making processes”. Through citizen committees and boards, Burlington residents are provided the opportunity to offer Council advice and recommendations on various matters and/or organize activities that strengthen the community’s connection to the municipality.
The selection process for the Burlington Civic Recognition Committee was undertaken in February, 2011. The interview team for the committee was comprised of Committee Chair and its Past Chair. Staff from the Clerk’s Department also assisted with the process. The number of applicants this year did not exceed the number of available positions.
The interview team’s recommendation was based on the committee’s needs as well as the applicant’s knowledge of the role, relevant skills and experience, expressed dedication / commitment / time availability, and communication skills.
On February 24, 2011, the Council made the names for the Burlington Civic Recognition Committee public. Each person is to serve for a term that expires December 31, 2013 or until their successor is appointed, which suggests the appointee could be there for a very long time.
 Does a sitting politician belong on a Citizen’s recognition committee? Jane McKenna now sits on the Board that chooses those who are to be recognized based on the nominations sent in. Lisa Boyko, Linda Cupido, Bob Hilton, Jane McKenna, Ann Coburn and Keith Strong were appointed.
Strong was the previous chair of the committee so he was re-appointed.
Jane McKenna was recruited as the Ontario Progressive Conservative candidate for Burlington by Keith Strong who was heavily involved in her campaign. McKenna went on to win the seat during the provincial election.
A number of people who are recognized for their contribution to the city go on to serve in a political capacity. That’s fine. But to put a sitting politician on a committee that is there to recognize others adds a political strain to a process that is there to recognize people for what they have done – not for which political party they favour.
Staff at city hall should have seen this one for what it is – political manipulation. We can do better than this.
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