 By Pepper Parr
May 30th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
This goal can be reached.
It has taken awhile for the public to become aware of the event and the opportunity.
 This is an achievable goal. Help these people do what the community needs – and treat yourself to something you would like.
Link to the site is HERE; take a moment and see if there is something you like. The impressive thing about the on-line auction is the support that has been given by the commercial sector. A lot of small local businesses came on board – that is community helping community in a big way.
I want to focus in this article on what Eagle’s Nest does. Set out below are some of the programs they offer.
Hope Restored; Lives changed.
Eagle’s Nest helps people understand themselves, care for their mental health and learn new tools for healthy relationships. Just how do they do that? Set out below are several of the programs they offer – at a very low cost.
 Emotions – just act them out – or is there a better way?  Boundaries: know what they are stick to them.  You are worthy – don’t let anyone take that from you.
Boundaries Course:
Healthy boundaries are essential for a balanced life.
Boundaries is our most popular course and teaches you when to say yes, how to say no and how to take control of your life.Emoticon
Emotions can be overwhelming.
Emoticon is a group program for children to help them identify their emotions, discover what the emotions are saying and give strategies to manage them well.
I Am Worthy
How do I balance everything in my life?
Learn how to turn up the volume on what encourages you, turn down negativity and celebrate your story in this group program for teen girls.
If any of these courses are of any interest to you – reach out and learn where the help you are looking for is available.
Don’t for get the online auction; it is what makes the offering of the courses possible.
 By Pepper Parr
May 30th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Like many things in Burlington – they get moved around.
The fountain at Veteran Square was moved around a number of times; the Lady on the Lake was moved, not sure just where it is now.
 A little bit of history that hundreds of people pass by every day on the southwest corner of Lakeshore Road and Elizabeth. There is a cairn at the southwest corner of Lakeshore and Elizabeth Street.
It was erected by the Lions Club in 1927. The ‘Confederation Day’ mentioned seems to be the 60th anniversary of Burlington.
The cairn was originally on the land where the Waterfront hotel is now and had to be moved, which “caused much consternation since it was not known if it might fall apart when picked up. However someone was found who got a support underneath it and it was moved to the current location. Not known who owns the new site, but obviously a deal was reached, and the move was at no expense to the Lions Club.
 “Apparently the monument and the move was no big deal to anyone at the time, and it may have been done without many people even knowing about it. That may not be the case this time, but so far no one has contacted the Lions.”
Is there anyone who can add to this story and are there any ideas as to where the cairn could go should it have to be moved again ?
Does anyone know if there is anything inside the cairn?
By Staff
May 30th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The Minister of Education has announced that in order to graduate students will have to pass a financial literacy assessment – and will need a mark of at least 70% or higher on the assessment, which will be tied to the Grade 10 math course.
 Education Minister Stephen Lecce Education Minister Stephen Lecce also includes the return of home economics to a Back to Basic approach to what is taught in classrooms.
Changes of this nature have been long overdue. In his announcement Lecce added that “By elevating life skills in the classroom, along with better career education and higher math standards on educators, we are setting up every student for lifelong success.”
“The new financial literacy requirement, covering practical skills, will include a lesson module as well as an assessment that Lecce said “ensure students have the skills and knowledge to create and manage a household budget, save for a home, learn to invest wisely, and protect themselves from financial fraud.”
Lecce, who rang the opening bell at the Toronto Stock Exchange before unveiling the province’s plans, said the secondary reforms are the first in 25 years and that parents and educators will be consulted.
 “Too many parents, employers and students themselves tell me that students are graduating without sufficient financial literacy and basic life skills,” said Lecce in a written statement.
Lecce also said that a math competency test for new teachers — which was challenged in court by a group of students but ultimately upheld — will resume in February 2025 and be mandatory before graduates can be certified to work in classrooms.
 By Pepper Parr
May 30th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
This one is a surprise.
We thought things were working out just fine at the Performing Arts Centre.
 Tammy Fox and Steve Cussons at the announcement of the Performing Arts Centre becoming the Presenter for the Sound of Music. What went wrong?
Not much in the way of detail other than staff was advised yesterday that Tammy Fox was resigning at the Executive Director of the Performing Arts Centre.
What this does to the Performing Arts Centre becoming the presenter of the Sound of Music isn’t known at this time.
Still chasing the story
 Tammy Fox with friends at a celebration event.
 By Staff
May 29th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
They don’t quit.
The online scammers get more than enough in the way of responses to keep themselves fat and happy.
Here is one of the latest – they use the Costco brand name to get you attention and dangle a $500 Gift card in front it you.
 If it looks too good to be true – that’s because it isn’t true.
 This is a phony address – that should tell you – don’t respond.
Look at the email address the offer came from. That is always the clue.
 By Pepper Parr
May 29th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
When the pandemic did serious damage to the hospitality sector in Burlington City Council did everything it could to ease the financial burden. The Burlington Downtown Business Association (BDBA) lobbied fiercely and the ward 2 Councillor did everything she could to help.
One of the solutions was to change the rules that applied to sidewalk patios – allow for more of them and make them as wide as possible.
 What was sidewalk space has become patio space. The result is a narrowing of the traffic lane capacity. The result of those decisions can be seen with the changes made to Lakeshore Road either side of Brant Street.
The interests of people who want to drive on Lakeshore and the interests of the restaurant owners are colliding. Are there solutions? Because there are certainly problems.
This part of the city, between Locust and Brant is very popular, people want to be outdoors and the restaurant operators want as much space as they can get.
During numerous delegations to City Council the restaurant operators explained how the financial dynamics of their sector of the economy have changed – they needed help and the city did as much as they felt they could.
 This was the amount of patio space restaurants between Brant and Locust had before the increase in sidewalk patios. The increase in patio space is well over 50%. The price of that space is gridlock at least until we all ride bicycles. Are there solutions? Is anyone at city hall addressing this issue? Does city hall see it as an issue? Don’t expect the Mayor or the ward 2 Councillor to say a word. Are they hoping the problem will just go away?
It will be interesting to see what traffic looks like during Sound of Music, which is just weeks away.
By Pepper Parr
May 29th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The downtown core intensification is ongoing.
The land at the western end of the football appears to have become a holding site for re-bar that will be used to construct the Beaysejour site right across the street. now being readied for construction.
 Construction of the Beausejour at the intersection of Pearle and Lakeshore on the north east corner is now above grade. It will rise to 29 storeys and have the historically significant building moved back into the tower when it is closer to completion.  The re-bar sits in the Trinity Point site on the south side of Lakeshore Road – to be used in the construction of Beausejour on the north side of the road. How will the move that re-bar to the north side? The Beausejour is now above grade and the ADI Nautique is closer to being complete. The mess that will exist at the bottom of Elizabeth is another story.
Meanwhile Emmas Back Porch sits behind a barrier fence.
These developments will only add to traffic – how will it be managed? Those questions didn’t get asked when the development applications were before city council.
 Just one block to the south Emmas Back Porch stands behind a barrier fence. What was once the hottest spot in town with a great view of the lake sits empty on Old Lakeshore Road.
By Pepper Parr
May 29th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
High rise intensification, traffic congestion, sidewalk patios and Lakeshore Road – put them together – well you know where this is going.
 A hole was punched through just underneath the letter O – the firemen weren’t sure just where the smoke was coming from. What they didn’t want was to see a sudden eruption of flames.  Fire fighters, fully kitted out get on to the roof. Earlier this week there was a small electrical fire in the sign above the RCS restaurant directly across the street from the Waterfront Hotel. Two fire trucks responded to the call.
Those of you who do the downtown thing know that Lakeshore Road has been narrowed with the right hand lane that lets you go North on Brant now taken up with road barriers.
 The narrowing of the road to make room for the sidewalk patios creats close to gridlock. Imagine what traffic will look like if the twin tower development gets approved at the Ontario Land Tribunal.
Pictures tell that story
 By Pepper Parr
May 28th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The sports world lost a basketball icon this week.
Bill Walton died of cancer; he was 71.
William Theodore Walton III (November 5, 1952 – May 27, 2024
 Bill Walton: member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. Bill was an American professional basketball player and television sportscaster. He played college basketball at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Portland Trail Blazers, San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers, and Boston Celtics. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
 The local angle of this story is the experiences Ron Foxcroft, a storied basketball referee who invented the pea-less whistle that is now used worldwide in every sports sector.
“I had the pleasure to referee the Legend Bill Walton once. It was at University of Iowa , when he was a member of the NBA All Stars and played against the United States Olympic Team. I was in awe of Bill Walton.
“When my nephew Grant Mullins from Burlington played point guard in his 5th year for Cal Berkley, after four years at Columbia in the Ivy League, Walton covered all his games for ESPN.
” Walton loved the Pac 12 Conference and always called the Pac 12 the Tournament of Champions. Grant was player of the game, and Bill interviewed him after the game on ESPN. Bill was a jokster and asked Grant if he was Canadian, and do they have running water and electricity in Canada. Grant caught on quickly that Bill was fooling around.
Ronnie my son was at the game and told Bill Walton that he was Grant Mullins cousin.
 The shorter guy once refereed the tall guy. Bill Walton and Ron Foxcroft Year after year, Bill would come to our booth at the Final Four, and tell me he was there to see Ronnie.
We became good friends. Walton came to Fox 40 in Hamilton for a day, and spoke to everybody in the plant. He lived every second of every day; nobody promoted the game of basketball like Bill Walton .
He was in the basketball Hall of Fame. He attended more than 800 Grateful Dead Concerts; he wore their tee shirt while broadcasting games on ESPN. When Bill met you he always said, Hi, I’m Bill with two l’s. He will never be forgotten. The last dinner I dinner I had with Bill was just over a year ago at the Final Four in Houston.
The Pac 12 disbanded this year and we lost the great Bill Walton.
By Pepper Parr
May 28th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Jennifer Keesmaat took to the stage last night and stood for more than an hour as she spoke to a very close to packed house audience there to hear what the former City of Toronto Chief Planner had to say about creating a Livable, Walkable community.
 Livable and walk-able or ride your bike, – with twenty coffee shops in the immediate area. She did not disappoint. Labelling the presentation: Dream the Dream, she told the audience that Canada was on the edge of creating a different way of living as communities.
The full presentation will be available on a Facebook page – the Mayor’s office hasn’t said yet just which Face book page will be used.
Getting the event onto the stage of the Performing Arts Centre was not a slam dunk. Some of the Mayor’s Council colleagues were not prepared to give the Mayor all that much in the way of support; they did in the end endorse what Mayor Meed Ward was setting out to do.
Meed Ward labelled the series of speakers as ‘Innovation to Action’ events; a dynamic series aimed at inspiring positive change and practical solutions within our city through innovative approaches and tangible actions.
 The number of people gathered in the lobby was on the sparse side – but the main theatre was very close to full. A part of what was planned included “sales tables” that were set out in the lobby. That part of the event was not packed; those who participated represented both city departments, not for profit groups and some private sector participants.
Far too much time was spent on introductions, do we really have to give members of Council recognition and having them stand up and wave? Speaking of politicians: there were just three members of Council in the audience: Shawna Stolte, Lisa Kearns and Rory Nisan chose not to attend. Hopefully they will watch the webcast – there was a lot to be learned.
Dream the Dream to Keesmatt meant having the conversation, which for her meant learning to use land differently. Will Rogers got it right when he said: “Buy land. They ain’t making any more of the stuff.”
 How do you change minds – “have the conversation” The governments of the country Keesmaat explained own a lot of land and they have to begin to make it available for housing. The big issues for Keesmaat was – what kind of housing and who is it going to be for – which brought her back to “the conversation”.
Keesmatt spoke of two “realms”: the private realm and the public realm and gave examples of how she defined the two.
The public realm would be the large back yard in which she played catch with her father when she grew up in Hamilton. The public realm is the superb park just around the corner from where she now lives in Toronto.
Intensification is going to mean fewer homes with large back yards however that intensification will mean large, well fitted out public parks where Keesmaat suggested there will be groups of people who may not know each other all that well playing softball.
Keesmatt asked: How do you change minds – “have the conversation” and added that younger people don’t want the suburban environment they may have been raised in – they want to be in communities where there are twenty coffee shops within walking distance and all kinds of public amenities where they can gather.
 There will be more public realm in the society Jennifer Keesmaat describes. Keesmaat said the change that is going to have to take place will require all levels of government to be aligned – and pointed out that “we aren’t there yet”. She continued saying “we are at the beginning of doing things a lot differently – the young people don’t want what their parents have.
“There is uncertainty” said Keesmatt, “that is part of social change.
John Lorinc, a Toronto based writer said “… many people associate Keesmaat with a vaguely daring sort of star power and her relentless public advocacy of the sorts of progressive planning policies that have, in recent years, become the coin of the realm in that profession.
“But the real capstone of Keesmaat’s tenure is a far more technical and sprawling project that aims to do nothing less than give the city the capacity to bring some sanity and proactive planning to the raging speculative fever that has gripped the downtown for over a decade.” This is the Keesmatt people in Burlington heard last night.
 Keesmaat with a vaguely daring sort of star power and her relentless public advocacy. It was very difficult to take notes in a darkened theatre and I’m limited as to how much I can remember. But as I listened I wondered how many people from the city planning department are in the audience and how will they react to what Keesmaat had to say?
It would be interesting to do a group interview and hear what they thought – the city communications department doesn’t go along with that kind of journalism.
The audience was made up for the most part of older people – evident from the applause Mayor Meed Ward got when she mentioned that Burlington transit was now free for seniors.
My sense was that Keesmatt created a sense of excitement with the changes that are going to take place. Mayor Meed Ward got it right when she invited her to be the first of her ‘Innovation to Action’ series.
Kudos to her on the first one.
By Staff
May 28th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
People helping people has always worked – but it does take work to make it happen.
Eagle’s Nest is one of the groups supported by the United Way. They have been around for 20 years.
What do they do? They embrace others with compassion, without judgment or shame. They pursue each action in love, demonstrating dignity and respect. They create a safe place, accepting and welcoming all people. They maintain integrity in their actions, reflecting honesty and trustworthiness.
 This is a target than can be reached. The counselling service is in place to help people understand themselves, care for their mental health and learn new tools for healthy relationships. They offer counselling, coaching, support groups and programs to adults, youth, children and families. The services are low-cost or subsidized to help make them accessible to everyone without regard to religion, ethnicity, race, gender or sexuality.
Like every group they look to the community to raise funds.
They are currently in the last week of their fund raising campaign; it’s an online auction.
People can go on line and bid: The list of organizations that have donated is impressive.
Link to the site is HERE
 
Link to the site is HERE
By Pepper Parr
May 27th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Do I see the very beginning of an election campaign being put together?
Here is what caught my attention:
Burlington Community Cares Forum – June 5, 2024, for a robust discussion on the supports and services available in our community.
Dear Friends & Neighbours,
I am excited to invite you to the first Burlington Community Cares Forum, a must-attend event for anyone passionate about enhancing our community’s well-being.
Event Details:<
Date: Wednesday, June 5, 2024
Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: Burlington City Hall, 426 Brant Street, Burlington
Admission: Free
At this dynamic forum, local service organizations will present their services, engage directly with community members, and collaborate to collectively improve Burlington’s quality of life. Whether you’re looking for support, wanting to volunteer, or considering donating, this event is the perfect opportunity to connect with the heart of our community.
This kind of event requires more in the way of space and it a city wide interest.
Want to guess who is holding the event?
By Staff
May 27th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
If you live in a condominium that you own – this is for you.
 If you own a condo and have had troubles with the Board – the Ministry would like to hear your concerns. The Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery (the ministry), is conducting consultations and seeking feedback regarding the potential expansion of the scope of the disputes heard by the Condominium Authority Tribunal (CAT) to include disputes related to owners’ meetings.
The ministry is seeking your input related to this proposal to support informed and effective policy decisions.
Please follow the link below to access the proposal and questions to provide written feedback. This link has also been shared on the Ontario Regulatory Registry. We encourage you to provide feedback via the link below by July 11, 2024: https://forms.office.com/r/Cgzh21D66w
If you have any questions or wish to seek any clarification, please contact ONCondo@ontario.ca.
Your input is crucial to ensure a broad range of perspectives are considered in the policy development process and to enhance the quality of the policy proposal. We look forward to your participation in this consultation.
Helpful Links
Condominium Act, 1998
O. Reg. 179/17
Originally reported in the Toronto Star
May 27th, 2024
Christopher Alexander, President of Re/Max Canada talks about this year’s market expectations and why those waiting for a GTA market to crash might not want to hold their breath.
 Homes like this are now fetching close to or over $1 million. Do you think average income families will ever be able to afford detached homes in Toronto? Or are those days behind us?
Without the bank of mom and dad, it’s going to be very difficult.
That’s what’s been so sad to see over the last couple of years, this erosion of the middle class, especially in Canada’s two most expensive provinces, and mainly in Toronto and Vancouver.
What advice do you have for people who are getting priced out of the market?
For most people — especially in southern Ontario, or the lower mainland — you’re probably not buying a detached home as your first property. If you want to own real estate, get into the market within your means and start building some equity.
Do you expect housing affordability challenges to result in more internal migration from places like Toronto to more affordable markets like Calgary in the years ahead?
I think that this is the new normal. People expecting prices to fall dramatically in the GTA are going to be left out, and Canada has some incredible cities that are being rediscovered that will continue to attract more and more people.
In generation’s past the housing market was a gateway to wealth creation. Is that still the case?
I think for too long Canadians were using housing as a commodity, but shelter is a basic human need. For five or six years, people just expected prices to go up by seven to 10 per cent — that’s just not realistic or sustainable, and we’ve seen the effects of that over the last couple of years.
By Pepper Parr
May 27th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
We wrote earlier this month about the revitalization of Civic Square.
The City has a survey they would like you to respond to. More importantly – the city has put up a file that lets you see in more detail than we were able to provide show the differences between the three options and to let you mix and match as it were, features in one version that you would like to see in a different version.
 Is this the best place for the clock tower? The versions are: Corridors, Atrium and Portal.
In one of those version the clock tower is moved from Brant Street to Elgin Street to the West of what used to be The Queen’s Head.
One version has the entrance in basically the same place on Brant Street but there is a decent canopy in place.
The water feature has a couple of different options.
 Is this a water feature you would like to see ….  … or do you prefer this one? The point we are making is that it is well worth your time to go do the survey and play with the options. There is provision on each option to write what you like and don’t like about the designs.
This is your city hall and they are offering you an opportunity to put your comments on the record.
As you do the survey you get taken through each of the options with more in the way of graphics than we were able to provide.
 The image you get while doing the survey is much larger and you can zoom in. You can click on a button and enlarge the image and move from one part of the Civic Square to another. After you have seen all you want to see you get to answer some questions and say what you like and don’t like.
It is just a wee bit awkward until you get the feel of the survey – maybe that is just my age showing. Take the time to let the city know what you like and don’t like. Don’t complain later that you weren’t given the opportunity.
There is also going to be a public event on Wednesday, June 5 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Staff will be in the City Hall lobby with concepts on display to take feedback and answer questions. Parking downtown after 6 p.m. is free on weekdays.
Residents, community partners and businesses are asked to view the concepts, and answer a short survey. The online survey will be open until June 9.
The people who live south of Fairview tend to care about Civic Square more than those who are north of Fairview.
If you have friends who live north of Fairview – get in touch with them and urge them to take part.
It is your city hall – take part in what the revitalization is going to look like.
By Pepper Parr
May 27th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
He has been in place for a month; got through Standing Committee meetings, a Council meeting and a Special Council meeting as well as a couple of CLOSED sessions of Council
 Hassaan Basit: both direct and innovative. Hassaan Basit is settled in and getting on with the business of running the city.
For a peek at what he has in front of him for the next two months – June and July – Council breaks for the month of August, consider the following:
A budget is in the process of being prepared; it looks like it is going to be another Mayor’s Budget – no word yet on who the next Treasurer will be.
Basit has to get comfortable with where things are with the Bateman Community Centre and the Burlington Lands project that Tim Commisso created.
He has to get a clear sense as to what will be possible with the Alinea plans for 1200 King Road, a development that will change the city as we know it when it is complete.
 Basit when he was with Conservation Halton. The document to watch is the Strategic Plan; it was in the hands of Sheila Jones on the Staff side and Paul Sharman on Council. Sharman and Jones didn’t “chat”, that wasn’t her style. Who that task gets handed off to with Jones no longer on the city payroll is one of the bigger challenges Basit is going to have to manage.
He is working through the developing of relationships with not just the senior people, but literally every person he can meet. He wants to know who they are and wants them to know who he is. He is totally new to Burlington City Hall – now he runs the place.
He is very much a people person; has a very warm smile and the capacity to draw the best out of people.
He is innovative; will look at new ideas and while the public has no idea what he plans for the next 18 month you can bet a sizable sum that he has ideas of his own – that’s just the man he is.
As the Chief Administrative Officer/City Manager he is the only person Council hires. His job is to run the administration and follow through on the Staff Directions City Council passes.
While running Conservation Halton he was serving as the lead person for a group of Conservation people who were working with the province. After the province took the Conservation through the first round of cuts, Basit is reported to have marched into then-environment minister Jeff Yurek’s office to demand an explanation, and ended up leading a working group made up of Conservation authorities, municipalities, developers and the province that tried to chart a less combative and more collaborative way forward.
To get a better understanding of how he approaches issues hear his comment made during an interview: “We’re not a stakeholder, as far as I’m concerned, of the province. We’re not someone you give a heads up to or put on a checklist of calls. No, you need to start with us. Bring us into that conversation. We’re an extension of the province. We need to be at the table with you because we are in the field along with municipalities.”
Is he moving fast enough? Hassaan Bait doesn’t let himself get rushed into anything. There is a deliberateness about him – but don’t translate that in his being plodder. In an interview with The Narwhal he said: “Anything innovative needs to be nurtured along the way for it to continue to be leading edge. Otherwise, it’ll fall apart.”
 Hassaan Basit at his first Council meeting. There is 60 days of some serious work to get done. Council will be off for August. Expect to get a decent sense of who Hassaan Basit is and how he will serve as CAO.
He is not a James Ridge, nor is he anywhere near what Jeff Fielding was – he is his own man. He once said: “If you think that 36 [conservation authorities] doing something in the entire province is a recipe for inconsistency, I don’t see how over 444 municipalities doing that thing make things better. It doesn’t.”
You don’t hear language like that in the world of municipal politics very often.
Watching his interaction with Council during the week of meetings it seemed evident they were keen and looking forward to the years ahead. His comments on the minister’s authority to override Conservation permits was refreshing. “It’s been on the books for a long time and we question the need for it. Why not address the root causes rather than give yourself that judge-jury power? That’s troubling.”
It will be interesting, and refreshing, to see how he applies that kind of thinking to the work ahead of him.
By Pepper Parr
May 26th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
I wrote in an opinion piece last week that I believed the ship is taking on water and that it will eventually sink. The “ship” was the head of city council and I suggested she might lose the next election and it was perhaps time to find a ship that was more seaworthy. What else might be available?
More than 12 years of experience as a municipal councillor, five as the Mayor.
Experience with large advocacy agencies and a wide network.
What’s available or likely to become available?
Halton Region Chair; more of a lateral move me thinks.
The provincial seat for Burlington – there will be an election in 2026, assuming the Premier doesn’t call a snap election which for him is probably a good idea.
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward Those are the options available to Mayor Marianne Meed Ward who is dealing with a significant slump in support that doesn’t look like it can be turned around.
How does Meed Ward get the Liberal nomination for the Burlington seat?
It isn’t all that hard and given the network she has Meed Ward could pull this off.
Membership in the Burlington Provincial Liberal Association is free – you have to be 18 years of age and live on the constituency.
All you have to do is go on line and join.
There is nothing to prevent an individual from lining up supporters and asking them to join the BPLA.
There is nothing to prevent a person from issuing a statement saying that when nominations for a candidate are announced that she will be seeking that nomination.
Were Meed Ward to win that nomination the chances are better than even, in my opinion, that she could defeat the current MPP Natalie Pierre – she really hasn’t done anything other than perfect the photo-op. She manages to get pretty close to five every week: she shows up, snap, snap – shakes some hands and the job for the day is done.
 Burlington MPP Natalie Pierre I was impressed with Natalie Pierre when I first met her. I sensed a level of empathy and a real desire to make a difference. That didn’t last very long.
 Provincial Liberal Party Bonnie Crombie  Halton District School Board Trustee Andrea Grebenc Don’t expect to get as much as a hint that she is casting her eye for a new ship to command – that would make her a lame duck Mayor. She is still a young woman with lots of energy left in her.
In the event that she seeks the nomination she would be wise to clear it with leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, Bonnie Crombie who has to personally sign the nominations papers. As leader Crombie has the authority to refuse to sign the nomination papers of any candidate and parachute her choice into the riding.
There is another potential candidate for the seat. Andrea Grebenc ran for it last time around; a series of circumstances prevented her from putting everything she had into the race at that time. The public hasn’t seen very much of Grebenc since then. Problem with a public profile is – you have to keep it fresh – and that isn’t something she has done.
Related opinion piece and news items:
What do you do when the ship is sinking?
Support slipping
Mayor stiffs council
By Pepper Parr
May 26th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
There is a group located on the western edge of Burlington that supports people going through difficult times.
Eagle’s Nest is one of the groups supported by the United Way. They have been around for 20 years.
What do they do? They embrace others with compassion, without judgment or shame. They pursue each action in love, demonstrating dignity and respect. They create a safe place, accepting and welcoming all people. They maintain integrity in their actions, reflecting honesty and trustworthiness.
The counselling service is in place to help people understand themselves, care for their mental health and learn new tools for healthy relationships. They offer counselling, coaching, support groups and programs to adults, youth, children and families. The services are low-cost or subsidized to help make them accessible to everyone without regard to religion, ethnicity, race, gender or sexuality.
Like every group they look to the community to raise funds.
They are currently in the last week of their fund raising campaign; it’s an online auction.
People can go on line and bid on the more than a hundred items that are waiting for bids.
The list of people who have donated goods and services is impressive.
 
Forget for a moment that you are supporting a worthy cause; there are some very good deals. You might want to check it out – see if there is something you have been looking for.
 
Link to the site is HERE
 By Pepper Parr
May 24th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
A hypothetical look at what Mayor Marianne Meed Ward might find a useful way out of her current predicament.
Assuming Mayor Meed Ward continues to use the Strong Mayor powers that a majority of the Council she leads find offensive, and assume she continues toying with the truth her status as Mayor her best before date becomes October of 2018.
Meed Ward knows what losing an election feels like. Her first run at public office was for the ward 1 council seat where she took on then Councillor Rick Craven; she was trounced.
 Marianne Meed Ward made the waterfront her issue – it got her into office – waterfront wasn’t saved. She and her family moved out of the Tyandaga community and into ward 2 where she took on waterfront issues and challenged Peter Thoem who wasn’t all that hard to beat.
Meed Ward had her eye on being Mayor from the very beginning. When she was first running for the ward 2 seat, then Mayor Cam Jackson could see the writing on the wall. He was convinced that Meed Ward would run against him at some point.
Turns out she didn’t have to – Cam Jackson lost his job as Mayor in that 2010 election.
That wasn’t a problem for Meed Ward; the target had changed but the objective was the same.
 Things should have gone up after winning the election. They didn’t Meed Ward was prepared to run for Mayor in 2014 but decided to spend another term as a ward Councillor while she saw her three children through school and off to university.
She had built credibility, improved her profile while the city began to come to terms with significant growth downtown and an even more significant population growth that was ahead.
Meed Ward assured the public that she could save the Burlington most people loved and wanted to stay just as it was.
She became the person leading the drive against development that was too high. Downtown was not going to become another Toronto with 30 plus storey towers all over the place.
 That oval shaped property held some promise for a unique location. It will now be the location of at least five high rise structures. There was a focus in the football, that land between Old Lakeshore Road and Lakeshore Road from Elizabeth on the west and Martha on the east that many hoped would be developed and become another destination close to the lake.
That didn’t happen either. The plans currently are for at least five high rise towers, one that will keep the Carriage House restaurant. Emmas Back Porch bit the dust when the owner realized that Covid was going to wipe out much of the hospitality sector in the city. That sector is still struggling.
The Porch still stands but not as a place people can visit; you can rent it for events.
 This is the development picture in 2018 – it has grown considerably since then – and we have only seen the beginning. The feeling is that the chance to develop responsibly and have the city planners make the decisions on what could be built where had been lost. The city had yet to learn how to hire the kind of legal talent that could win at Ontario Land Tribunal hearings.
There doesn’t appear to be the sense that the current population is going to spend the rest of their days in a city they want – all people hear is that there is going to be huge growth and that we have to prepare for it.
It was hard to find anyone who would say they really felt the Mayor had a grip on what was happening. She sure doesn’t have much of a grip or a working relationship with a majority of her council. They refused to ensure that she would have the staffing she needed for the Speaker series she had planned. There was nothing wrong with the Speaker Series – it was just the way it came to be.
And, if recent data is reliable, most of the people who worked on the 2018 election aren’t going to be working for her for the 2026 election.
What do you do when the ship is taking on water? You look for a different ship.
I’ll comment on that in a follow up piece.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
Related news articles:
Mayor stiffs council members.
How close to a coup de tete was it?
 By Staff
May 24th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
BurlingtonGreen and Tech Genius team members are looking forward to greeting you and accepting your broken or unwanted electronics on Saturday, May 25th from 10-4 pm at the north-west parking lot of Burlington Centre for our 8th Zero Waste Drop-off event.
 Part of the team that will take in what you don’t want anymore – it should be something that can be recycled. Their focus on Zero Waste has them accepting more unique waste items not currently accepted in Halton Region’s recycling program.
There will also be Terracycle collection boxes on hand (thanks to the Burlington Centre), to accept items such as snack wrappers, small-sized filters, batteries, plastic cards and ink cartridges.
Please note that the Repair Cafe service at this event is already fully booked for the day. Reach them at burlingtonrepaircafe@cogeco.ca to learn about their next Repair Cafe opportunity.
Tech Genius, an organization that solves a lot of problems – you might want to check them out.
  Thanks and gratitude to the City of Burlington, Burlington Centre, Tech Genius and Burlington Hydro for supporting this impactful event as part of our Make The Switch program.
|
|
