By Pepper Parr
August 15, 2015
Burlington, ON
The lights would have dimmed a bit last Monday when Murray Hogarth’s spirit left this earth.
 That twinkle never left his eyes. Surrounded by his family at their cottage Murray passed away in his 84th year.
It was a delight to interview Murray Hogarth when he was named the philanthropist of the year. There were some health issues at the time that kept him away from the podium at the annual Burlington Community Foundation Masquerade Ball – his son Tim spoke for his Dad and said: “Typical of my father’s entrepreneurialism Murray recognized that while we can’t always predict what lies ahead, we can always make sure we are prepared to seize the opportunity or meet the need when it arises. And that is what this is all about. It’s never too late… philanthropy, as Murray and Diana have proven time and again, has no retirement age.”
Murray was an entrepreneur in the full sense of the word. He was a risk taker and he was also a keen thinker – he knew how to figure out the odds and he took chances.
He was a foxy guy – you had to be fast to catch this man.
During our interview there was a consistent twinkle in his eye as he talked about how he consistently beat out the “big guys” in the retail gasoline business. The conversation ranged all over the place – from when he first met his wife Diana and included the thinking around the first gas station he opened and on to how he tweaked his marketing practices to constantly stay ahead of the name brands.
Murray was the first guy to put oil out beside the gas pumps.
Murray was the first guy to put light over the gas pumps and then added canopies to keep the rain off people.
He created loyalty cards.
In his prime he must have been a force in both his businesses and his community.
 Partners, friends since the day he first saw her when she was ten years old. Murray and Diana Hogarth in their Lakeshore Road home During my interview with Murray, his wife Diana came into the sun room, sat on the arm of the couch Murray was on and gently placed her hand on his shoulder; one of those touches that you instantly knew she had been doing every day of their marriage.
The Hogarth home was exquisitely decorated and I remarked that she must have had some experience as an interior decorator. Diana commented at the time that “interior decorators hang wall paper – I don’t hang wall paper.” That tart tongue put me in my place.
While Diana was the mother of the five Hogarth boys she was also very much a partner in the business with Murray. You could almost see them sitting across from each other talking over a business problem or situation with Diana giving it her all.
 The first Pioneer gas station – it didn’t look like this the day it opened but it has been open every day since November 1956. “There were problems” said Murray during the interview. “There were two occasions when we were in serious trouble” at which point Diana piped in with the comment: “How much do we want to tell this man Murray.”
The kind smile Murray had for Diana every day of their long healthy marriage appeared on his face and that subject got dropped.
There will be a Visitation August 19th at Smith’s Funeral Home on Guelph Line: 3pm to 5 pm; 7pm to 9pm. There will also be a private celebration at the Port Nelson United Church.
Background links:
They were a team.
 By Pepper Parr
August 14th, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
It is official!
Besides being the Best mid-sized city in Canada – Burlington is also a disaster area in the eyes of city council.
A motion, unanimously passed by council Thursday morning, asks the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to declare the City of Burlington a “disaster area” for the purposes of public and private components of the Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program (ODRAP)
Passing that motion was the first step to getting funds into the hands of citizens who have suffered extremely serious flood damage particularly in wards 4 and 5.
 The Special Session of city council was called to pass this motion and two others; one asking the Region to give immediate priority and attention to address the sanitary sewage issues of those residents who have experienced flooding and significant property loss and damage on multiple occasions including May 14 and August 4.
Following this assessment, Regional Council be requested to review the current level of financial assistance available as part of the Regional Basement Flooding Prevention Subsidy, which is currently set at $1,000.
City staff were instructed to expedite any local approval processes and waive any related fees.
A third motion was passed to assist homeowners with the cost of building permits payable under the Building Permit Bylaw. Mayor Goldring made a big deal out of leaving the council chamber while that debate took place – his house was flooded and he would benefit directly from any waiving of fees.
The public fund raising is underway. The United Way announced Thursday afternoon at 5:00 pm that $80,828. had been raised. United Way is serving as the “banker” for the local fund raising. It is going to take a mammoth give on the part of the public. You can donate on line at the following secure web site. A tax receipt is issued almost immediately.
Before council members got to passing bylaws they heard from three delegations: Maui Groff, Joanne Karaiskakis and Michelle Peronne-Bonavita; all ward 5 residents, wanted both the city and the Region to look much harder into the sewage problems. The three women, part of a community coalition that has grown to more than 40 people who want inspections and assessment of “chronic sewage backup” in homes. One delegate spoke of their being six sewage backups in one building. Another said that she had insurance and her claim is going to be paid this time – but she can no longer get insurance.
The delegations wanted:
Inspection and assessment of chronically sewage back up homes.
Careful monitoring of water flow during heavy storms and subsequent emergency roll – out.
100% subsidy for purchase and installation of recommended back-flow valves and sump pumps. These things come up to close to $6000 installed.
Retroactive payments for residents who have already taken the above measures.
The community wants to hear a lot more from the Region’s Medical Officer of Health – there was no one commenting at all publicly on the health risks. Where the algae rate in Lake Ontario water reaches a certain level the Region puts out a bulletin. Where are those people when there is a crisis?
The delegations wanted someone to tell them if certain areas are deemed “sewage back up/flood risks. There are parts of ward 5 particularly where property owners have come to the conclusion they are not going to be able to sell their homes because of the flooding history.
Mayor Rick Goldring said he had visited more than 100 homes in the past week and reported that more than 2000 homes were reported to the Region`s 311 line.
There is a report that 1052 homes in the city had significant to serious flooding.
 Mayor Goldring said about 2% – maybe a bit more of the Burlington population was damaged by the flooding; Councillor Sharman said 650 – 700 of the damaged homes south of the QEW were in his ward.
The Red Cross is doing a door to door survey of the city and leaving information packages behind. They will have identification and be wearing red vests.
“Most people have insurance”, said the Mayor “but they don`t have the appropriate insurance.” As disastrous as the situation is the basement cleanup are going quite quickly. Goldring said that earlier in the week he could see 11 dumpsters in the line of site from his from door; this morning there were just two.
The Mayors asks everyone – How can we help? The answer of course is to get funds into the hands of those people who have to buy new refrigerators, new furnaces and freezers plus washers and dryers.
Everyone seems to want to agree that no amount of infrastructure could have handled the rain that fell on the city and everyone agreed that we have not seen the last of the catastrophic weather – but that didn’t do much for the ward 5 residents who believe there is something wrong with the way sewage and storm sewer pipes seem to all run into basements rather than out.
Mention was made of the young pregnant Mother who had to leave the house they lived in because the basement floor was cracking and the structure was deemed to be unsound. They bought the house two years ago.
Michelle Peronne-Bonavita spoke of the nurse with an autistic child that could not handle the terrible disruption. “We have found the Region, which is responsible for water and waste treatment to be very dismissive. We are known as the floodies and we don’t feel the Region has given our problem the recognition we deserve. Bonavita maintains that if the infrastructure was sound and properly put together we wouldn’t have had this kind of damage.
She added that she should get paid by the Region for being a sewage holding tank. “This is public waste on private property and the problem is worsening.” Bonavita says she pays the Region $823 a year and wants her money back.
 Burlington MPP, Eleanor McMahon talks to media after a Special city council meeting which asked the province to declare the city a disaster area so that provincial funds can flow to the city. The community that has suffered severe flooding began to be developed 50 years ago and those still around will tell you there have always been flooding problems. Allan Magi, Director Capital Investment said that some municipalities tie their sewage and storm water pipes together but Burlington doesn’t do that.
Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon, spoke to city council explaining the procedure the province would follow in getting funds to the city and its citizens.
Counsellor Lancaster wanted to know if the Region had done any upgrades in the community. There was no one in the room from the Region – they had been invited but didn’t appear.
Joanne Karaiskakis wondered why there could not be some form of “social triage” that looked at every situation on the spot, assessed the damage and made decisions. During the worst of the storm the city ran a Command Centre and had all the right people close to telephone, but there was no one out in the streets. The fire department and the gas company tricks were seen when a gas line was left exposed and the smell of gas in the air.
People wanted boots on the ground – and they just didn’t seem to be available.
Boots are beginning to appear at door steps. The Red Cross has people going door to door collecting information: were you flooded – how bad was the damage and where do you need help?
 Mayor Goldring explained that with the motion on its way to the Minister of Municipalities and Housing the city can turn to its next stage which is to get the local Disaster Relief Committee set up. Collen Mulholland, Executive Director of the Burlington Community Foundation is going to head up that local committee; names of Ron Foxcroft and Keith Strong are being tossed around as members of the committee. If Strong is on deck – bet on Jim Frizzle being there with him.
It is this committee that will evaluate the need at the really local level – no one better than Mulholland to do this job; smart, sensitive and connected. She was one of the homes flooded.
The BCF was quick to put $15,000 on the table from the get go – so far though the corporate community hasn’t exactly surpassed itself with generosity. When Strong is onside – then watch what happens.
Everyone wants to know if enough is being done. Councillor Sharman asked the Mayor if he could assure him that what is being done now does not constrain what the city can do in the near future. “No, I cannot” said the Mayor. The Sandra O’Reilly, Controller and Manager of Financial Services piped in with “the city can do something additional.”
This being an election year – watch for situations where members of council will think of ways to move as much city money as possible to people in their wards – especially four and five.
With the paper work on becoming a disaster area done by the city – people wanted to know: How soon does the province report back? Acting city manager Scott Stewart explained that it is really important to quantify everything – and we are 98% there.
But no one was able to say with any degree of certainty that there would be cheques in people’s hands by Labour Day?
 By Pepper Parr
August 13, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
City council will be meeting Thursday morning to consider asking the province to declare parts of the city a disaster area – which is a necessary prelude to being approved for disaster relief funding.
While the public hears of the horrific damage done to individual homeowners and their property – the city is looking at its infrastructure and figuring out the cost of repairing, and replacing in some instances, pipes and roadways.
During the December ice storm the city received approximately $2.2 million from the province to cover the cost of the damage. There was no funding for private individuals.
 There was a time when bins in the driveway meant renovations and upgrades – for the month of August and on into the fall they identify those homes with serious water damage from the August 4th flooding. The Council meeting might be focused on the recovery of funds for the infrastructure. The people that voted the seven members of council into office have a more pressing problem – repairing their homes and figuring out how they are going to pay for refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and furnaces when insurance coverage is at the as low as $5000 with some people having $15,000 in coverage.
Funds for individuals will not come from the city. Those funds will come from community fund raising that will get matched by the province on a two for one basis. The rules are such that not a dime of city money can be used to pay for individual losses.
A private fund raising arm has to be put in place – that was done last Friday when the United Way stepped up and made their information technology system available. Funds began flowing into the United Way account within hours and as of 5:00 pm Wednesday the United Way had collected $74,400 in donations.
Donations can be made on line on a secure site that issues a tax receipt automatically. Click on that red line – and be generous
Once the request for a declaration that Burlington is a disaster area has been approved by the Minister of Housing and Community Services; Burlington neighbour Ted McMeekin – the city will then create a Disaster Relief Committee that will oversee the collection and disbursement of funds.
 The fire fighters are making their man power – the woman as well – available to those who need help. The form on their web site sets out time slots that are available. There are a number of local grass roots opportunities to raise funds. This weekend the city will be holding a two day Children’s Festival on the waterfront. Someone should round up half a dozen clean oil drums, paint them bright yellow and have signs made up: Disaster Relief funding – and watch the $20 bills come out of wallets.
Later in the month Rib Fest takes place – another opportunity to raise funds. People want to help and they will help – if you give them the opportunity.
Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward is married to Pete Ward who at one time headed up fund raising for World Vision – and those guys knew how to raise money. The job called for a lot of travel – Pete wanted less travel and got into consulting as a fund raiser. Expect Meed Ward to toss out some ideas at the Thursday Council meeting.
The city has not appointed anyone to the Disaster Relief Committee but there are names being floated around. “We want people who have some experience with this kind of thing” said Scott Stewart Acting City Manager.
While it is never fast enough, organizations are coming together and help is being delivered.
The Red Cross has taken on the task of organizing the volunteers. The Firefighters have set up a schedule showing time slots that are available for fireman to work at a home that needs help.
There are senior people at city hall who remark that the Region has been missing in action on this file; much the way there were totally uninvolved with the land fill dumping that was going on at the air park.
 We are going to see a lot of this for the next couple of weeks. Hopefully the Disaster Relief Fund, once it is created will be able to get funds into the hands of people who need it – now. The Mayor, whose home reportedly had eight feet of water in the basement, came close to “losing it” several times during the media event.
This experience has been hard on just about everyone. Time now to pull together and clean up the mess. We will be living with some of this come Christmas.
 By Pepper Parr
August 13, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
Jennifer Hlusko must have been one of the most popular girls in the grade ten science class; she surely had the best notes available and every jock in the class would want to read those notes.
When one meets with Hlusko she will be taking notes; mention a word she doesn’t know and she writes it down.
A Britannia Road resident Hlusko has served on the Halton District School Board for more than ten years, most recently as the Chair.
 Jennifer Hlusko – one of eight candidates for ward 6 Hlusko didn’t do very much, the Director of Education and several of his supervisors did all the talking – the issue got resolved and that was that story. The parents didn’t get everything they wanted but the school board didn’t get what they wanted either.
Hlusko holds a doctorate in veterinary science. She practiced as a vet for a number of years, but gave up that line of work to focus on raising her children
There isn’t all that much on her web site about what she will do as a member of city council; but Hlusko does send out a constant stream of links to papers and articles that she appears to think her “community” want to read. On some days there are as many as three links.
Hlusko did organize the Burlington Riding MPP Candidates Education Debate at Nelson HS during the provincial election. Hlusko wrote the questions posed for the candidates – they were good questions.
The material on the Hlusko web site tells a lot about her family, her individual life style passions – which include a 2 acre organic garden and the 1845 heritage home she and her husband Greg have renovated, but the site doesn’t say all that much about what she stands for.
Is parking an issue for Hlusko – she doesn’t say very much.
Is the air park and its difficulties with the city whose council she wants to sit on an issue. Not a word on what is a major issue for the people in North Burlington.
What about the project to make the eastern part of rural Burlington a protected area with special zoning? Nothing from Hlusko on this issue either.
 Ward 6 – a mix of solid suburban, a brand new community and a large stretch of rural. There isn’t a working group at which the city and the board can meet regularly. While Hlusko wants to improve the relationship – there is little on the public record to show that she made any progress at this level while she was chair.
There is not as yet a parents association in Alton – Hlusko would like to see that changed. Traffic in Headon is a mess.
She wants to see better governance models and a code of conduct in place. These are issues that draw yawns from people who have a problem with parking or snow removal. There is a small streak of naivety in Hlusko who is certainly not a retail politician.
What we appear to have in Jennifer Hlusko is someone who has lived in rural Burlington for a long time and served at the Board of Education since 2003.
What she stands for – hard to tell. Hlusko has positions on almost everything one can think of – and they are all set out on her website. Here is the list to date – there will undoubtedly be more.
Burlington Flood Relief, Pier Settled. Surely this is not the end?, Waterfront Property Sale Investigation, Pedestrian Bridge at Dundas Street & Tim Dobbie Drive, My Submission on Dundas Street Corridor Plans, Creating a Sustainable Urban Canopy, Cancer Doesn’t Need More Ribbons, Hlusko’s Debate for Burlington MPPs, Heritage Award from LACAC’s Les Armstrong and Jane Irwin, Burlington Elementary School Boundary Review, Burlington High School Closures Coming?, Internet Filters? yes or no?, Just One of the Many Reasons Why I am Running for Council, Bike to Work/School Day (everywhere but Burlington), Trumpeter Swan Coalition, All Candidates Forum on Arts & Culture, “Longtime Burlington School Trustee to run for City Council”, Today I registered for Ward 6 Councillor, Overnight Parking in Alton?, Tax Increase, Why aren’t Councillors on the Sunshine List?, Salaries Paid to Elected Representatives, Little: A ‘dummies guide’ to being a Councillor
Hlusko may be relying on the level of service she gave as a school board trustee to get her the votes she needs to win the ward 6 council seat. Problem with that approach is that school board elections have very poor turnouts for the most part.
 The Hlusko family: with the children out of the public system it was time to serve elsewhere – city council seemed to fit the bill. Hlusko has a couple of dozen testimonials, most from the educational community and more than we have ever seen for a candidate. Do they mean anything? Hard to tell.
Jennifer Hlusko is a very intelligent woman; she is focused, driven at times and a bear when it comes to soaking up information. A little quirky in personality – that’s an observation – not a judgement, and perhaps not suited to the give and take of municipal politics.
The same of course can be said of several of the seven that now sit on council.
By Pepper Parr
August 13, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
If boots on the ground are what win elections – then Jim Curran is in the race for the ward 6 seat.
Curran is a real estate appraiser as well as a political operative of long standing. He has been at the political game for a long time, usually in the background as an adviser. This will be his first attempt at gaining public office for himself and he brings the discipline and tested approaches to winning.
 The bylaw enforcement officer told Curran to take down signs he had put up late in July.. He was ready to plant 300 of the things in ward 6 lawns. Curran thought the city was offside with that rule and wrote the city manager – he apparently didn’t get as much as a reply or an acknowledgement to his letter. Curran argued that there is case law that says signs can go up any time but decided this wasn’t a battle he wanted to take on. He said he had 300 sign locations and wanted t get them all up in a single day.
He does however have a number of battles that need, from his point of view, a serious taking on. The damage done to the Sheldon property on Appleby Line where the owners of the air park have built 30 foot hills on either side of a small property.
Poverty – yes we have poor people in Burlington says Curran needs attention. “The Comfort Inn is packed with welfare cases” he said. While social welfare is a regional issue Curran appreciates that he is both a city Councillor and a Regional Councillor and expects to improve Burlington’s performance at the Region.
Curran is not at a loss for issues: Parking, close to a disaster in the ward and nothing is being done. The current council member held a town hall – 16 people showed up – most people in the community didn’t know about the event.
QEW traffic congestion is another issue that Curran wants more discussion about: “We know that even more grid lock is coming – it’s time to look at the options to make getting to places on the QEW easier and faster”, said Curran.
Don’t expect Curran to be a wall flower at council meetings. This man looks at the issues, develops an opinion based on the facts he can gather and speaks his mind.
He thinks the Region is making a massive – and very expensive mistake with the way the Randall Reef problem is being handled. The Randall Reef is a spot in Burlington Bay where toxic waste has collected over the years and got to the point where it is now the second most toxic site in the country. The Region decided to put a concrete cap on the site. Curran says a better, far less expensive way has been worked out but, according to Curran, no one is listening to the people with the information.
Curran looks for situations where a project is designed to become self-sustainable as quickly as possible – and he has his eye on what the Economic Development Corporation is doing. He didn’t appear impressed but the new board has only been at it for a couple of months.
 Curran thinks the Candidate Manual produced by the city clerk was far from clear on the rules on when signs can be out up. Curran gets animated when he reviews where the other seven candidates in the ward are in terms of support and where they are likely to be when all the ballots are counted – and declares that he is going to win the election in ward 6.
Wonder what incumbent Blair Lancaster thinks of that statement?
 By Staff
August 13, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
It will be the fun event of the weekend for families with small children. Each year the people who manage the events for the city put on a Children’s Festival that lasts two days. The coming weekend – Saturday the 16th and Sunday the 17th there will be thousands of kids with their parents stretched out along Spencer Smith Park taking in the various events.
The Festival is an award winning event that runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, in Beachway Park and on Sunday, Aug. 17 in Spencer Smith Park. This year’s festival features a super hero theme.
The Saturday action includes sand-sculpting, superhero shows, meet-and-greet opportunities, face-painting, balloon artists, and a children’s marketplace and food court.
 The little ones loved this game; parents got to help them along as they walked each of the challenges • Adults, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Families, noon to 4 p.m.
• Youth, ages 13 to 17, noon to 4 p.m.
• Children, ages 4 to 12 years, 2 to 4 p.m.
The Sand Sculpting Competition will award first, second and third prizes in each category as determined by the master sand-sculptor judges. A People’s Choice Award is selected by festival attendees who fill out a ballot. Prizes include a custom sand sculpture trophy for first prize for each category and great prizes provided by Burlington Canadian Tire stores for all prize levels.
 Many families make the sand sculpting a full day event – everyone takes part and they stake out their location as early as they can. Prizes for the best sculptures. Saturday’s free event features a Superhero Show with Spiderman and Batman, and superheroes Iron Man, Wonder Woman and Superman on the beach, and fun summer activities like face painting, a photo booth, marketplace, and food trucks.
The event continues after sunset with a free showing of the movie The Incredibles, on the Burlington Beachway, starting at 8:30 p.m.
 Is this one pretending to drive Dad’s car? Day two of the Children’s Festival takes place in Burlington’s Spencer Smith Park from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Themed around superheroes, children can enjoy:
• Live Entertainment
• Play Zones
• Superhero Inflatables
• Character Meet and Greet
• Themed Shows
• Kids’ Marketplace
The Superhero Show with Spiderman and Batman, and superheroes Iron Man, Wonder Woman and Superman will appear again on Sunday, along with fun summer activities like face painting, a photo booth, marketplace, and food trucks. The Canadian Tire main stage will feature a Boy Band Mania tribute and a Selena Gomez tribute. Both shows will follow with a meet-and-greet with the performers, presented by Safari Dentistry
Day two of the Children’s Festival takes place in Burlington’s Spencer Smith Park from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Themed around superheroes, children can enjoy:
• Live Entertainment
• Play Zones
• Superhero Inflatables
• Character Meet and Greet
• Themed Shows
• Kids’ Marketplace
The Superhero Show with Spiderman and Batman, and superheroes Iron Man, Wonder Woman and Superman will appear again on Sunday, along with fun summer activities like face painting, a photo booth, marketplace, and food trucks. The Canadian Tire main stage will feature a Boy Band Mania tribute and a Selena Gomez tribute. Both shows will follow with a meet-and-greet with the performers, presented by Safari Dentistry.
The pictures in this article were taken at last year’s event. They were having a great time.
 For some a snooze in the shade is a great way to spend part of the day.
By Staff
August 12, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
When the politicians met with the city residents who were up to their knees in water in their homes Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon said the city is made up of generous people and she urged the corporate sector to begin to help out as quickly as possible. “These are your customers” said McMahon and they need your help.
 It is homes like this that are going to need support. How long will it be before they see any financial support? The city has to pass a piece of legislation advising the province that they are seeking support.
It’s all time consuming. Everything should be place by Thursday noon after city council meets in a Special Session that morning.
Burlington Hydro Electric Inc. made a donation of $30,000
Newalta donated $10,000
The Burlington Community Foundation donated $15,000
Literally hundreds of individuals have made donations as well.
The United Way, which created the Disaster Relief Fund, is using their web site to collect funds. Anyone can use the safe, secure web site to make a donation.
The city had more than two months’ worth of rain fall within 24 hours. Homes have been flooded and destroyed, families are stranded and resources are limited.
The need is urgent.
- Donate Online, by clicking HERE (please write BURLINGTON FLOOD in the comments box)
- By Phone 905-635-3138
- By Email uway@uwaybh.ca
- In Person 3425 Harvester Rd, Unit 107, Burlington
The city is going to request the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to declare the City of Burlington a “disaster area” for the purposes of the public and private components of the Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program (ODRAP);
And further, should the Minister declare a disaster area regarding the private component of ODRAP, Council will immediately, under the authority of ODRAP, appoint volunteers to a Disaster Relief Committee to administer ODRAP.
The request the city is making to the province has two parts. A public request and a private request.
 How does a household clean up a mess like this? Mayor Rick Goldring will know – his home was flooded – there was a reported three feet of water on his basement. The private money the city wants is money that will get given to citizens that need help. That money will not flow as fast as the the water that flooded their basements.
A number of things has to happen before private citizens get to see any money. The city has to create a fund raising arm. That has been done – the Burlington Hamilton United Way will serve as the bank for the fund raising. The link to send the United Way funds is above – be generous.
With is in place to province can then approve a Disaster Relief program that will aid private citizens. No one gets any money quite yet. The city has to appoint a Disaster Relief Committee. The members of this Committee cannot come from the communities that are affected. No word from city hall on who these people are likely to be.
What this means is that public provincial funds will be going to the city to repair city property that was damaged. In the Staff Report that will go to Council they said: “Expenses continue to be incurred for cleanup. However, further expenses will be realized as the repairs could take months to complete and debris cleanup is expected to extend for two to three weeks. City staff will report back to Council on the impacts of the storm to the 2014 operating and capital budgets. This is the second significant weather event that the City has had to respond to within the past eight months. An ice storm which occurred on December 21 to 22, 2013 also caused significant damage to property in Burlington.”
For the estimated 2,000 private properties that suffered damages, the property owners are required to seek coverage first from their insurance provider under the private component of ODRAP. Most homeowner policies will not cover floodwater that comes across land.
What people haggling with their insurance companies and still trying to get trades people in to repair damage is this: How much of the funds raised will get into the hands of the individuals suffering severely. We know of one lady who walked through a neighbourhood where the devastation was severe asking if she could take some of their dirty laundry home and wash it for them.
If the private component is put in place, that is the funds that will go to people whose homes were flooded, the municipality must appoint a Disaster Relief Committee. The Disaster Relief Committee will be a volunteer committee supported by a program manager. The Committee must engage in fundraising as a requirement of the private component. The Province tops up the funds raised by the Disaster Relief Committee to the amount that is needed to pay eligible claims at 90% up to a maximum of 2:1.
It should be noted that the fundraising component cannot be in the form of a contribution from the municipality, it must come from the community. All locally raised funds must be expended first before provincial funds are provided. The Committee will be responsible for reviewing and administering private claims.
 Some people plowed through it all. For many people there was more water than they could handle. Not everyone is going to agree with that last sentence.
 On a ward by ward basis – a fair question is – what have they done for you lately? Aldershot was not hit, Ward 2 didn’t suffer any flooding. No word yet on ward 3 but wards 4 and 5 took a beating. Nothing on ward 6 yet either. All of this is complex and confusing. We will follow up on what we have learned and do our best to keep you informed, which is a lot more than you are getting from city hall.
We will listen carefully to what gets said at city council Thursday morning.
 By Staff
August 12, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
We are a little late getting this to you – the Art Gallery of Burlington issued a Call for photo submissions for the ‘Infinite Daydreams: Reflections on the Sublime Imaginary’ exhibit.
 The AGB says: “The exhibition explores how we respond to the sublime in nature – that sense of wonder, power and beauty we feel looking out at blue skies filled with clouds over the lake’s horizon. This is hard to capture in one photo, so we need lots!”
To be a part of a photo installation in the gallery, please send our guest curators:
– one photo of the sky over the lake, or
– one of the horizon
Photos will be added to the exhibition throughout the summer.
Email photos in .jpg format along with your name to infinitedaydreams1@gmail.com
The exhibit runs until August 24th – new material is added regularly.
By Pepper Parr
August 12, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
She exudes youth and at 27 Karina Gould, a Burlington native seeking the federal Liberal nomination for an election that is scheduled to take place on October 15, 2015
In her media material we are told that Karina grew up in Burlington and has been an active member of the community her whole life.
 M.M. Robinson graduate Karina Gould will seek the federal Liberal nomination. Gould attended McGill University where she obtained a Joint Honours degree in Political Science and Latin American Studies. At McGill, Karina was very engaged in student life, serving as President of the Arts Undergraduate Society and organizing a $20,000 fundraising campaign for victims of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.
In 2010, she moved down to Washington, D.C. to take up a position as a consultant to the Migration and Development Program at the Organization of American States, the principal political forum of the 34 member countries of the Western Hemisphere.
Most recently, Karina completed her Master’s in International Relations at the University of Oxford in England.
 Karina lives in Burlington, with her husband, and works as a Trade and Investment Specialist for the Mexican Trade Commission in Toronto.
“Serving my community through open, honest and accountable representation, ensuring your voice – the voice of an entrepreneurial, diverse and growing community – is heard loud and clear in Parliament, is my top priority” said Gould.
 She shares Justin Trudeau’s vision for a prosperous and compassionate Canada. Gould believes in a Canada that takes the stewardship of our resources – human, natural, capital – responsibly. “For our families to thrive we need a Canada that fosters growth and innovation, we need a Canada that is well-positioned, economically and politically, on the world stage; and a Canada that is thinking about and prepared for the future, said Gould..
 The Burlington federal Liberals will formally nominate Karina Gould at a nomination meeting August 19th, to be held at the Burlington Central Library at 6:30 pm.
Once nominated Gould will run against Burlington MP Mike Wallace,
Should Gould win the federal seat she would join Eleanor McMahon MPP making it two women representing the city federally and provincially
 By Staff
August 11, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
There is a man out there exposing himself to people at the Mapleview Mall – police are asking for help in arresting the culprit.
The man exposed himself to children on two separate occasions. The first occurrence took place on Saturday July 19th, the second occurred the following weekend on Saturday July 26th, 2014.
The male suspect is described as:
Male white,
approximately 5’8”,
large build, 230-250 lbs,
bald head,
wearing baggy grey track short pants,
green t-shirt,
white and black running shoes,
wearing black sunglasses and carrying a small black bag.
If anyone has any information, please contact the 3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau general line at 905 825-4747 ext 2316 to speak with an on-duty Detective Constable.
Anyone with information on this or any other crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
Background links:
Voyeur caught at Mapleview Mall
By Pepper Parr
August 11, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
She just might be a dark horse in ward 4 where candidates are running against Jack Dennison, a well-entrenched incumbent.
 Focused, fresh eyes – and a lot to learn in the next 75 days, If she can get her message out – and that is going to be a challenge ward 4 voters just might take to her and decide incumbent Jack Dennison’s political career can come to an end. John Sweeney apparently came to the realization that he could not afford to take on the job of city Councillor. He felt all the meetings should take place in the evenings or on weekends. It was evident Sweeney didn’t understand or appreciate what the job of being a city councillor actually is. Despite Jack Dennison saying the job can be done half time – it is a full time job for which these men and woman should be paid more than they are getting.
Steve Kempf doesn’t live in the ward and not much has been heard from him.
That leaves Dan Davidson, who we have yet to interview and Carol Gottlob running against Dennison.
 The Gottlob fleet is a two bike one car operation. Gottlob was an immigrant herself; her parents were German and made Scarborough their home. Speaking with a bit of an accent set her apart from the other students. She was an only child with parents that both worked.
The Gottlob household didn’t have TV; the family was frugal, disciplined – lived all the stereotypes that one attributes to Germans.
Gottlob has an adventuresome streak to her. She decided one summer to drive across Canada to Whitehorse in the Yukon to teach English as a second language. Her two boys were close to grown up and could take care of themselves.
She is an environmentalist with two bikes and a car; she won one of the bikes through a Tim Hortons draw. While she isn’t a “techie” she does have a good grasp of technology. She bought an object called a “square” which you plug into your telephone and people can transfer funds from their account into her campaign donations account.
That campaign is slow to start but Gottlob has taken a leave of absence from her job to go full tilt on the campaign.
While certainly not “up to date” on everything Gottlob looks at an issue and takes a factual data approach. The Pier, it wasn’t a project she was keen on in the beginning, she thinks we paid far too much for what we got – but “given that we now have the thing let’s make the best of it” , she said.
She says she brings “no baggage” to the job which she defines as – “how can I help you?”
She said she has no assumptions and will develop her thinking mindfully and watch out for the hidden agendas.
Gottlob tends to be a perfectionist but sees whatever she does as something she wants to have fun at.
 “We’ve got the pier” – “paid too much for it” but lets move on. What one does see in Gottlob is a streak of European exotic – she thinks North America and Burlington in particular could use some of the depth and charm that exists in European cities.
When you listen to Gottlob you hear a person who thinks young, is self-sufficient, kind – almost to a fault with a sold belief in – we are here to help each other. There are numerous small initiatives she takes on – but doesn’t want published. “These were little jobs I took on because people needed help – they weren’t done for political recognition – so let’s leave them at that”, she said.
When her boys were young she founded a school council and stayed with it until they left the school.
If Gottlob can get her campaign active – and that is going to be a challenge, ward 4 will see someone with fresh eyes and a need to be effective.
By Pepper Parr
August 9, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
When there is a disaster in a community the province has a program that requires the community to raise funds locally which the province will match on a two for one basis.
 It’s a sort of ‘if you will help yourselves – we will join you’. You can donate online to the United Way
It seemed to take a little longer that one would expect for the city and the United Way to get together and create a Burlington Flood Relief Fund. Everyone knew how bad things were by Tuesday morning but it was Friday before there was any announcement about the plans to solicit donations which the province will match.
 A number of people have commented on the paucity of information available to the public Monday evening – other than requests to stay off the roads and stay inside your homes. Tough for those who had water several feet deep. There wasn`t much more information available on Tuesday either.
Burlington had much the same problem with the ice storm last December. There was very poor communication between the city and the different media outlets – turned out that the city media people didn’t have an up to date data base and weren’t able to get information out.
For those who were not caught in the storm it is difficult to grasp just how bad it was. Some television footage tells part of the story.
 Well managed cities have contingency plans that were written, tested and sitting on a shelf ready to be implemented in hours. Imagine how much relief those dealing with flooding would have felt, had they known that come the next morning the city would have the wheels rolling.
We didn’t see wheels rolling in this town until Friday, when there was what amounted to a photo-op for the Mayor and the Regional Chair.
Earlier in the week ward 5 candidate James Smith urged Council to declare a state of emergency and get a disaster relief program rolling. It might take months to get funds into the hands of people, who have gone through several floods in the past and seen their insurance cancelled or capped at $10,000 when they face a restoration cost of $150,000.
Burlington has massive reserves; funds set aside for specific situations. Was there anyone at city hall on Friday pouring over the rules and looking for ways to loosen up some of those reserves and make funds available to people who need the help now?
Burlingtonians are generous people – the donations will flow and the province will eventually cut a cheque – but that will take time. Why can’t the city loan a couple of hundred thousand dollars to the relief fund the United Way is going to set up and have funds move into the hands of that family on Stanley Drive, where they were up to their knees in feces.
Ted McMeekin, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, said that Burlington must declare a “disaster area” for the purposes of the ODRAP program. That apparently isn’t going to take place until the Council meeting on Thursday – why the wait until close to the end of next week?
A large congregation in the east end of the city had senior staff members driving to the homes of the members of the church with cheques in their hands within 36 hours of the flooding. If a church can move this fast – city hall should be able to do so as well. .
The Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program is intended to ease the hardship suffered by private homeowners, farmers, small business enterprises and non-profit organizations, whose essential property has been damaged in a sudden and unexpected disaster, such as a flood. The program provides funds to those who have sustained heavy losses for essential items such as shelter and the “necessities of life.”
Jeff Valentin, CEO of the United Way said: “The families of at least 1,000 homes in Burlington are struggling to get their lives back to normal following the storm, and some do not have the means to make this happen. The United Way is here to help direct the generosity of people in Burlington toward their neighbours into a fund that can help the people who need it most.”
The City of Burlington has been working with Halton Region to clean up following the storm on Aug. 4, repairing, reopening and cleaning roads and sidewalks, and clearing debris in creeks and parks. Nearly 200 millimetres of rain fell in three hours. The high-intensity short-duration storm caused creeks to overflow and resulted in road closures and flooded basements in many areas of the city.
“We are very grateful to the United Way for setting up a community flood relief fund to help the people of Burlington affected by the flood,” said Pat Moyle, Interim City Manager with the City of Burlington. “The creation of a community-based fund is crucial to the success of securing provincial funding support for the residents impacted by the flood. For every dollar raised locally, the province has the ability to double that amount through its Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program.”
 “I have spoken to hundreds of people since Monday’s storm. Everyone is doing the best they can to return their lives to normal, clean up their homes and to try to make it work financially,” said Mayor Rick Goldring. “This is truly a very serious situation for the people of Burlington. I look forward to our provincial partners helping the United Way help those in need.”
Halton Region announced that it will support the City’s request for provincial assistance through the Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program (ODRAP). The provincial program provides assistance for those who have experienced extraordinary damage due to a natural disaster. The City will adopt a resolution next week requesting funding from the program. To strengthen the request, the Region will provide a letter to support Burlington’s request for Provincial assistance.
 By Ray Rivers
August 9, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
My dad once gave me an Indian headdress he’d bought in northern Ontario. It was just a kid’s version, an imitation, and not very flowing – but he bought it at an Indian artifact shop and it was pretty special. It became a favourite when playing ‘cowboys and Indians’ back then, though I’m a little uncertain about the political correctness of any of that today.
 Prime Minister Stephen Harper wearing an Indian headdress. He has been a friend to the aboriginal community. In Canada our aboriginals face a host of issues such that a celebrity donning a piece of traditional tribal costume might hardly be worth a footnote in the list of society’s grievances. Life on the reserves is being challenged by recent changes the Harper government made to the environmental and fisheries habitat protection laws, in order to steamroll oil and gas pipelines over lands claimed by these first nations. And life for so many, on a number of the reserves, is barely habitable by most standards.
 In fact, Canada has been criticized by the UN for its aboriginal policies, and with some legitimacy. One needs to only look at incarceration rates in Saskatchewan and Manitoba to see that there are problems. And, then there are all the other issues: inferior education, missing women from reserves, violence, alcohol and drug abuse, increasing obesity rates and racial discrimination that still occurs in parts of the country.
The root of all these problems lies with the Indian Act, Canada’s saddest piece of legislation. Back in its day (1876) Sir John A. MacDonald heralded the Act and its goal of fully assimilating Canada’s aboriginals. The purpose of the act was to administer Indian affairs in such a way that Indian people would feel compelled to renounce their Indian status, leave the reserves and join the rest of society as ordinary Canadians – a process called ‘enfranchisement’.
I don’t want to pick on Sir John A. or any of the other prime ministers. The problems really started with all the treaties that the British signed as a well-meaning alternative to wars and the ultimate extermination of the natives. King George III, yes, the mad English King who was also responsible for the loss of the thirteen American colonies, signed a well-meaning Royal Proclamation in 1763, promising all kinds of good things to aboriginals. This may have been an over-reaction to his failures with the American colonialists or part of a plan to get Canada’s natives on-side for the oncoming US revolutionary war.
There have been numerous amendments to the Indian Act, which have brought a modicum of enlightenment to the legislation, and even an attempt (Trudeau) to abolish the Act. But the courts have generally blocked these attempts, falling back on the legislation, the old treaties or the Bill and Charter of Rights. Abolishing the Indian Act would likely require constitutional changes, much like the Canadian Senate, and out of the purview of the courts.
 Suffice it to say that there have been some positive amendments to the Act over the years, allowing status Indians the right to vote and eliminating discrimination against women who choose to marry outside their tribe. The process of ‘enfranchisement’, or ‘civilizing’, which gave us the horrific experience of residential schools, has mostly been brought to an end. In addition there has been progress on land claims. This topic is a complex web of issues to unweave, so please stay tuned for another column.
In 2006 the Paul Martin minority government managed to get everybody, including the provinces, political parties and tribal organizations to achieve consensus on a program to improve the lives and standing of Canada’s aboriginals. In fact even after Martin’s government fell, and Harper became PM, the Kelowna Accord became law; though the delivery ended up being curtailed by the less-than-enthusiastic new PM (after all it wasn’t his invention). Still, Mr. Harper has come back to the spirit of Kelowna, more recently, introducing measures to improve aboriginal education.
Harper has also attempted, boldly, though unsuccessfully, to shift the ownership and full responsibility for the reserves from the Crown to the Indian tribes and their individual members. The notion was to empower aboriginals by privatizing the reserves’ land holdings and transitioning from the communal way in which bands now operate their activities on reserves. By ‘normalizing’ economic activities on reserves this might have been seen as just an alternate way of accomplishing the intent of the original Indian Act.
More recently however, the Harper government passed the ‘The First Nations Financial Transparency Act (FNFTA)’, requiring First Nations to disclose their financial statements and the salaries of band council officials. The argument is that this would provide greater transparency and allow band members to hold their leaders more accountable. Of course there were critics, as always, claiming that this was a higher standard than applied for most public officials.
But Harper had the angels on his side and scored an early win as the postings appeared on the government’s web site. In the tiny First Nation of Kwikwetlem (Coquitlam B.C.), with a band membership of 81, it turns out the contracted Chief, Ron Giesbrecht, got almost a million dollars remuneration from the band council. Apparently he was also the Director of Economic Development which earned him $80,000, plus ten percent of any business that came in. And an eight million dollars land settlement fell into his lap, giving him close to a million big ones, and tax free since he is a status Indian.
Initially the band council supported Giesbrecht, but that is an awful lot of money. The federal Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, Bernard Valcourt was outraged and other Canadians joined in the chorus of disapproval. Apparently his new contract with the band now excludes any provision for commissions. Nevertheless, Chief Giesbrecht would be a brave man should he decide to don a feathered bonnet at his band’s next festive occasion. That is unless he decides to give the money back to the band or donate it to some worthy cause. After all, as good a chief as he may be that is still a lot of money.
 Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province.
BACKGROUND LINKS
Headdress More Headdress Even More Headdress War Bonnet
Indian Act Kelowna Accord More Kelowna Accord Harper’s Plan Big Bonus
Transparency Act More Transparency Even More Transparency
Kwikwetlem
By Pepper Parr
August 7, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
Candidate for City and Regional Councillor in Burlington’s Ward 5, James Smith, is urging Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring and council to declare a disaster as a result of the August 4th flood that caused extensive damage to many homes and businesses in Burlington.
Smith quoted Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring who said on radio 680 “it was the worst flooding in 20-30 years”. Smith continued “surely the worst flooding in 20-30 years qualifies as a disaster. The only way for the city to access provincial disaster relief is to declare a disaster and apply to the province for matching funds.”
According to Smith “Burlington was lucky, in that it was only property was damaged, there was no loss of life. In our home we sustained no damage from the storm, but neighbours all around us have serious problems.
“I’ve spoken to some people’s who’s insurance will not cover all, or significant amounts of the damage they’ve sustained. Given that many people in the South East are only now recovering from an earlier event we are going to need whatever assistance we can get from the province. Even the city of Toronto declared a disaster last summer, after a smaller event. The city of Burlington’s focus must be helping in whatever way they can to get relief right now. That means declare a disaster, to get access to help from the province.”
Smith has high praise for City and Regional staff who’ve responded amazingly well in this event but has some concerns. “The City of Burlington and the Region of Halton have been slow getting needed information to those affected. We need to do a better job getting information out to people affected. Residents requiring assistance need access to timely and accurate information.”
Smith concluded, “ The Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program requires fundraising to get underway as quickly as possible. I’ve already seen how many people in my neighbourhood have responded and have pitched in to help their neighbours. This is the kind of occurrence that proves Burlington is a caring community, we need to continue this effort; the fundraising needs to start right away, we need the Mayor and council to do their part to get the province involved. Declare a disaster, and let’s get to work!”
 By Carol Gottlob
August 7, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
So the flood waters have subsided, and the issues surface….
The Corporation of the City of Burlington has, since the last election, spent a phenomenal amount of money on two new features of the city; the doomed pier and the Performing Arts Centre. I admit I didn’t pay much attention to the pier, until the crane toppled over and the bills started to pile up. Next, was the Performing Arts Centre, which I questioned, because we are already surrounded by performing arts centres in Oakville, another in Mississauga, Brampton, Guelph and Hamilton. Don’t get me wrong – I endorse art and culture, but this seemed like a bit of overkill to me.
The fact of the matter is, these now exist, and we live with them.
 Is Burlington more than its over priced pier? Now, looking ahead, I feel it is time for “renewal”. It is time to look at what we already have, and where necessary, preserve, rebuild, enhance and protect it. The recent flood highlights exactly that need. Climate change is upon us. Floods, ice storms, hurricanes and tornados will become part of our existence on this planet and in this community. We will not be spared. So, let’s take a closer look at the infrastructure, and try to get ahead of the curve. We need to invest in fortifying our systems that we rely on, namely power, transportation and water. We need to protect the properties we call “home”. And this is where the story gets very real.
When the flood waters rose, I stood at the foot of my street and looked at the water rising on New St. I saw people wading through waist-high water carrying their belongings in green garbage bags. I offered help and saw many people doing likewise. Later, I walked over to my former neighbourhood, just south of New St. As I approached my old street, I could smell grilled meat on the bar-b-q. As I passed houses, I saw people inside eating, laughing and drinking wine. Meanwhile, a few steps further down the street toward Tuck Creek, lights were out, cars were floating, and people stood by looking on silently, exchanging almost whispered comments. It was surreal.
The next morning, I returned to pay a visit to former neighbours and dear friends, whose house was now a soggy shell, pumps gorging water back into the creek. Across the road, I saw an elder couple I’ve observed for years. They bought their house when it was built in the 60s and have kept it tidy and neat for all these years. Now they were standing outside, trying to understand how to put the pieces together again.
This is where we need to invest. In the properties that exist. The farmhouses that herald our rural traditions. The neighbourhoods that developers built, but people developed! The original telephone poles that adorn my street were installed in the 1950’s, when two wires were suspended – one for electricity, one for telephone. Now I look out, and I see 26 cables dangling from the equivalent of a toothpick! We need to fortify. We need to protect what we have. We need to help those who turned the houses into homes.
This recent event could aptly be called an emergency situation. Thankfully, no one was harmed, but the damage is severe and the long term impact is undeniable. And let us not be fooled; there will be more to contend with. It is imperative that the city and the council operate with a view to the near future and build reserves, provide contingencies and look after the needs of its citizens when disaster strikes.
Carol Gottlob is a candidate for the ward 4 council seat.
By Staff
August 6, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
The Region has put in an “enhanced curbside waste collection” services for the areas of Burlington hardest hit by starting Thursday, August 7, 2014.
 On their regularly scheduled collection day, residents in Burlington Collection Areas one through eight (1-8) will not be limited to the usual three-bag limit. The restrictions for bulk waste have also been lifted to help with clean-up efforts.
“We are committed to working with the City of Burlington to assist residents after Monday’s storm,” said Gary Carr, Regional Chair. “Waste collection is an important Regional service and we will continue to monitor how we can further respond as clean-up efforts continue over the coming weeks.”
In order to assist with the clean-up, residents are asked to observe the following Regional waste collection guidelines:
Bags/containers of garbage are not to exceed 23 kilograms (50 pounds).
Flooring, including carpet, is to be bundled in maximum two-by-four foot lengths.
Insulation should be placed in a standard garbage bag only.
Any plastic sheeting and loose drywall debris should be placed in a standard garbage bag/container.
Waste material is to be placed curbside no sooner than 5:00 p.m. the day before the scheduled collection day.
Note: acceptable bulk waste collection materials remain the same during the enhanced waste collection period, and these do not include building and construction materials such as drywall and wood panelling.
 By Pepper Parr
August 6, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
We get mail, ok email. The mail bag yesterday had a piece from Mr. Vince Rossi, president of the Burlington Air Park Inc., with the words in the subject line “For your publication” . Mr. Rossi is the person suing the Gazette, me personally, Vanessa Warren and Monte Dennis for a total of $100,000 to be awarded to him as exemplary damages. He wants us to be ordered to give him money, so that we are set out as examples of what people cannot do.
That matter has yet to get in front of a judge.
In his article to us – which we have set out below in full – with comments in a different typeface and we identify the Rossi comments. Our objective is to show the full picture with all the detail.
 Getting the Air Park to the point where it has a strong sustainable business case has been an uphill battle for Vince Rossi – he’s not there yet. ROSSI The Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change recently completed a review of groundwater monitoring and an environmental site assessment by Pinchin Environmental completed in April, 2014. In a letter to the Airpark dated August 1, 2014, the District Supervisor of the Halton Peel District Office writes:
“Based on our analysis of the information provided in this report, the [Ministry] has found that there is no indication the fill operations are adversely impacting groundwater offsite at this time.”
The key words here are “at this time”. It takes a lot of time for anything to work its way into a water table and the MECC makes that clear. This is in no way a clean bill of health.
ROSSI The Airpark further understands that Halton Region’s Medical Officer of Health has concluded, based on the Ministry’s review and private well sampling conducted by Health Department officials, that there is no health risk to residents from the Airpark’s activities.
 Vanessa Warren has been the best voice for those who want much more transparency on what is taking place at the air park. She formed a community coalition, Rural Burlington Greenbelt Coalition and then decided that she would run for the council seat for the ward the air park is located in. Warren and six other candidates want to take the seat from Councillor Blair Lancaster Halton Region has not produced any reports related to the safety of the fill that has been placed on the Burlington Airpark property.
In August 2013, the Health Department and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) (formally the Ministry of Environment) worked together to sample and analyze the drinking water wells of homes located immediately adjacent to the areas of the Burlington Airpark where fill was placed. The results were provided to the individual private well owners. The purpose of the private well testing was to determine the safety of the well water at the time of sampling based on the parameters tested. The results were not intended to provide any conclusive evidence of any impacts from the filling operation at the airpark. The Region has not completed any other testing, nor produced any reports or studies related to the fill operations at Burlington Airpark.
Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Medical Officer of Health and Commissioner, Region of Halton
ROSSI The Airpark will conduct further groundwater testing in the future and will be sharing the results with the Ministry.
An informed reader who asked not to be identified had these comments:
The majority of the sample wells are for testing groundwater that has reached the perimeters of the airpark. The only interior well that I am aware of, is in a location with very little fill deposited.
There does not appear to be any documentation from the MOE that indicates that Terrapex was erroneous in their 2013 identification of contaminants in the scant soil samples that Rossi provided.
Furthermore, since there was no indication as to where these identified contaminants lie within the airpark’s extensively filled sites, it is reasonable to understand and believe that while there is no health risk now, it is just a matter of time before these contaminants will leech into neighborhood wells and bodies of water.
Those who have kept up with this file, several on city council want a comprehensive, core test drilling for contaminants, grid by grid on all areas that Rossi accepted ungoverned and unregulated fill.
We are told by a source in the trucking industry that at least one of the companies that delivered landfill to the site says that all the soil the one company delivered was tested. Aecon, Millennium Dumping, and King Paving delivered landfill to the site. Where are all these soil samples – and why have they not been turned over to the City?
Yes they will be conducting further tests – because Mr. Rossi knows that without data that can prove there is no contamination – there will be little co-operation from anyone he hopes to do business with at city hall. Testing has to be done over a lengthy period of time.
 Dennis Monte, one of three people being sued for libel has delegated frequently on the air park. While a compassionate focused speaker – one wonders if this council is listening to him. Please find attached a copy of the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC), Technical Support Section review of the following document: “Groundwater Monitoring Program and Limited Phase II Environmental Site Assessment” dated April 7, 2014, prepared by Pinchin Environmental Ltd. and signed by Melissa Gallagher, Sarah Ferguson and Andy D. Vanin.
For reference, this report can be viewed at the Burlington Airpark website www.burlingtonai rpark.com.
In summary, the Environmental Site Assessment and groundwater monitoring program found that groundwater down gradient of the fill area meets the provincial standards, except for uranium.
Based on additional re-sampling that was done, the report concludes that the uranium levels are likely naturally-occurring. A one-time cobalt exceedance was reported in one well, however additional core sampling was_done and the exceedences were not found.
Based on our analysis of the information provided in this report, the MOECC has found that there is no indication the fill operations are adversely impacting groundwater off site at this time.
Going forward, the MOECC is recommending that Burlington Airpark submit an ongoing groundwater monitoring plan for our review. The purpose of this groundwater monitoring program would be to monitor groundwater quality over time.
ROSSI In another development, Airpark owner Vince Rossi announced that he will not pursue a further legal appeal against the City of Burlington on the question of jurisdiction to apply its site alteration bylaw on land used for an airport.
Mr. Rossi has until September 10th to seek leave to appeal the Appeal Court decisionIf he doesn’t seek leave that ends things legally. While Rossi has said he will not seek leave the city is going to sit tight until the ability to appeal is lost.
ROSSI “While I do not agree with the decision given by the Ontario Court of Appeal in June, I accept the Court’s judgment and intend to comply with it. Equally important is my desire to move forward and in a mutually respectful and beneficial way with the Airpark’s neighbours, the City of Burlington and all other interested parties,” Rossi said.
The residents of the east side of rural Burlington scoff at the words “mutually respectful and beneficial way “
ROSSI “The Airpark is an important community asset, providing landing space for emergency medical flights and search- and-rescue aircraft, while also serving as a key economic driver for Burlington and Halton Region. It is my hope that with the litigation behind us, and the results of the groundwater testing re-confirmed, the City, Region and the Airpark can concentrate on enhancing the contributions the Airpark can make to the community and explore opportunities to attract more businesses and employment to our community. ”
 Part of the Sheldon property on Appleby Line. That rise of land in the background is fill Vince Rossi dumped without a site plan. There is a pile of landfill on the other side of the property as well. Sheldon basically lives in a valley with 30 foot hills on either side. The value of her property has been reduced by as much as 60% Justice Murray took the wind out of that sail with his decision which was agreed upon at the appeal level.
 We have a small piece of advice for Mr Rossi. Make an appointment with Frank McKeown, Executive Director of the Burlington Economic Development Corporation. His job is to grow the commercial and industrial side of the tax base for the city. He also wants institutional but unless you want to put a jail on the property there is nothing there for you.
McKeown is a tough cookie; he was Chief of Staff to the Mayor for two years and is one of those serial entrepreneurs that goes from one success to another. He can read a balance sheet better than most people you are going to meet – profit and loss statements get the full Monty treatment from McKeown. Pass the smell test with McKeown and you just might improve the Rossi reputation
Most of the people in rural Burlington like the airport – they kind of like that light fluttering sound when aircraft are landing. What they don’t like is what you have done to several properties. And they don’t like the spin you put on almost everything.
Can a leopard change its spots? Probably not – can Vince Rossi change? That’s an open question in the minds of the vast majority of your neighbours.
The decent thing for you to do is buy the Sheldon property and get permission to fill the space between your two 30 foot piles of fill with landfill that meets all the testing requirements. Then use the proceeds of that landfill to pay Sheldon.
Finally Mr. Rossi – keep sending us your thoughts – we really want to see you succeed – just not at the expense of others.
By Pepper Parr
August 4, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Waterfront Committee (BWC) is patiently waiting for the report on the investigations being done by Amberley Gavel Ltd., the company given the task of looking into a complaint the BWC had about how Council handled the sale of property at the edge of Lake Ontario between Market and St. Paul Street.
Reports issued are delivered to the city which is the client – they are made public when that Council decides to make them public. Apparently the BWC people won’t see the report until it is released by Council.
Council decided on October 15th , 2013 to sell the property; a decision which the BWC, along with hundreds of citizens, opposed. What the BWC is really concerned about is the process used. The public does not know why this is being done. To suggest that it is because the area does not need any additional parkland is specious.
The Council decision included the following directions:
Direct the City Solicitor and Manager of Realty Services to work with the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and enter into an agreement for the sale of MNR and city lots between St. Paul Street and Market Street to the adjacent land owners within the next six months; and
Direct the City Solicitor and Manager of Realty Services to report back to Community Services Committee if a sale agreement for city lots between St. Paul Street and Market Street has not been reached within the six month period .
In April 2014 the BWC wondered what the problem was – there were no reports coming to Council and the six months had passed. In late May, a report went to a Standing Committee asking for an extension on the time frame to come up with an agreement – an open ended extension at that.
Gary Scobie, a co-chair of the Burlington Waterfront Committee, delegated at the Community Services Committee on Tuesday May 27th, 2014. In his delegation Scobie asked “why the delay” and also wanted to know why the market value assessments had not yet been completed. He also asked: “What’s going on here?”
If there is no agreement on price Scobie thought the process should go back to square one. He was also upset with two other staff directions in the October 2013 decision.
The public was going to have input on the design of the “windows on the lake” at each end of the properties but no input other than what they got at the committee meetings in 2013 on what could be done with the land that council decided to offer for sale. The city had done a very poor job – they failed miserably to fully inform the citizens. Then General manager, Kim Phillips said “the city failed to live up to its normal high standard”. The self serving comment surprised many.
Public input on a matter that is central to how the city sees itself and a policy that is in place to protect the waterfront suggest perhaps that city council might want to take a second look at what they decided to do.
The decision to sell the property was one matter; the reasons for selling the property is another matter, which BWC believes the public has not been told.
City Council went into closed session when it made the decision to sell and then announced their decision but made no comment on the reasons why they made their decision.
The BWC understands that when it comes to discussions around the value of a piece of land and what it can be sold for – council has to go into closed session. “We`ve no problem with that”, said Deedee Davies, Co- chair of the Burlington Waterfront Committee. “What we are not OK with”, he added “is that the reasons for selling the property were apparently also discussed in closed session. We want to know what those reasons were.”
During the debate at Council in 2013, the biggest concern was that the city had too many parks in the area already and that more public space wasn’t necessary. The BWC doesn’t see the lakefront lands as a park – they see it as part of the city`s heritage and unless there is a really compelling reason for selling the land – which BWC says they haven’t heard yet – they want the land kept in public hands.
Scobie didn’t get a chance to ask those questions at the committee meeting. He was told that he would be held to a very strict limits on what he could ask – and that all he could talk about was the content of the report that was before the committee – and that had to do with why the delay was necessary. He could not talk about the reasons council had for deciding to sell the property in the first place.
A staff report presented to the Standing Committee said: “MNR staff has recently indicated to the owners that they are prepared to dispose of the filled Crown lands subject to the Ministry policies and procedures which includes the following key provisions:
The land must be sold at market value.
The City owned Water Street land must be transferred to the three landowners first before the MNR lands can be transferred.
The staff report went on to say that: “The respective policies require a fully documented appraisal process to determine the market value, and that both the City and the MNR are using the same valuation method and terms of reference.
All this was too much for the BWC – they decided to take their concern to the Ontario Ombudsman where they were told Burlington problems don’t get handled by that office – they are managed by an organization called Local Advisory Services.
To get the LAS to investigate one has to make an application to the Clerk and send along a fee of $100. The city waived the fee in this instance. Basically what one is doing is getting the city to agree to hire an investigator to investigate something a citizen feels the city has done that was not right.
Scobie says these “investigations are usually done fairly quickly, so we’re hoping for something in August. What we get is rather an unknown to us. Could it be a finding that the decision should not have been in closed session and therefore Council is advised (ordered?) to share the documentation that led to the decision? Could it invalidate the decision, because it was handled wrong? I don’t think we’ll know until it reaches us. We’re new at this.”
“Could it be an election issue? By all means it could”, said Scobie.
The Burlington Waterfront Committee came into being when the city shut down the Waterfront Access, Protection Advisory Committee (WAPA). Council came to the conclusion that basically nothing was being done. Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward pulled together as many people from WAPA and formed BWC. She stick handled the group into an organization that was able to get things done and then she withdrew. She sits on the BWC but does not have a vote. She says she is there to guide and advise.
The BWC gets no funding from the city, but it does use city space for meetings – as do a number of other public groups. When the Waterfront Access and Protection Advisory committee was shut down both Meed Ward and Mayor Goldring said they would form committees to give the public a place to oversee waterfront developments. Meed Ward got there first and nothing was ever heard of what the Mayor had in mind.
The issues related to the land that the city wanted to sell include a number of court decisions that are cloudy at best. One property owner put up his land for sale; it was purchased. The buyer understood that the water lots were a part of the property, but the seller didn’t own the water lots. The seller undertook to obtain the lots, but the neither the city or the province was prepared to sell them. That case took place some 20 years ago, but it seems to hover over the current situation.
In a decision issued by Justice Borkovitch in 1993 he wrote: “On February 16, 1989, the defendants conveyed to the plaintiffs the building lot and undertook to obtain clear title to the water lots as soon as possible after closing. The defendants were unable to complete the purchase of the water lots and as a result are unable to convey them to the plaintiffs and therefore are in breach of the written agreement of purchase and sale. As well, subsequent to this closing, but prior to having heard that the City of Burlington definitely would not sell its portion of the water lots, the plaintiffs constructed a sea wall on the edge of Lake Ontario.”
There is apparently something in a court decision somewhere that allowed a fence on the property to run across the strip of land at the water’s edge, which is owned by the city and the province. That fence on the east side prevents a person from getting to the public land.
A real estate appraiser, who wants to remain unidentified, maintains he knows the “full story” which he promises to tell us, when the city actually sells the property – which he thinks they will do.
There is one amazing number in all this and that is that the property – including the water lots was sold for $545,000. The water lots were deemed to represent 35% of the sale. The deal eventually settled at $354,250 – you can’t buy a house anywhere in Burlington for that – and this was prime waterfront property.
The Burlington Waterfront Committee now waits for the report from Amberley Gavel Ltd, who work for the Local Authority Services, (LAS), which describes itself as a “preferred provider of competitively-priced and sustainable co-operative business services for Ontario municipalities and the broader public sector.” LAS is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Association of Municipalities (AMO). Burlington is a member of AMO. There are some that see a conflict of interest here and wonder if a draft of the investigators report will be given to the city for comment before it is released.
There isn’t all that much of a comfort level within BWC over the relationship with the parties on the other side. Making it an election issue might be the best course for those working hard, on their own dime, to save that waterfront land for the rest of us and our descendants.
This one isn’t over yet. Comments on the web site are pretty consistent.
Related news stories:
Public committee doesn’t like the decision made by Council on waterfront property.
By Pepper Parr
August 6, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
The Halton Region 311 service recorded more than 2200 telephone calls from regional residents; in Burlington there were at least 500 homes with varying degrees of water damage.
The Gazette newsroom had inches of water with two streams, albeit small ones coming in from both the back and the front. The proof-reader and the publisher were at one point in water up to their knees, bailing water out of a stair well outside the house that was threatening to add a foot of water to the lower level.
The city got more than two month’s worth of rain in three hours, which brought traffic on the QEW to a halt for periods of time and many of the east west roads impassable.
Other than clearing water on the streets, there wasn’t much more the city could do for residents, who were scrambling to get things out of the lower level of their homes. Initial reports indicate the southwest Ontario city received about 125 millimeters of rain, prompting 2,200 calls to the Region’s 311 service number.
Regional staff were pretty good at taking down basic information. The Region does have a support program for specific types of damage – unfortunately the people taking the calls didn’t have that information at hand.
A request to talk to someone, who could explain what was available and what the processes were to get help with the cost of repairing property, was one the Region could not meet. They advised the Gazette that the Regional web site would be updated.
The flooding moved a significant amount of earth that was covering a gas line that then sprung a leak. The fire department and the gas company were on hand to contain that crisis. The city set up a shelter at the Senior’s Centre and the Mainway area for those who needed a dry place to stay.
Goldring said the north area of the city, near Guelph Line north of Dundas Street is among the worst hit area in the city and many of the roads suffered significant damage.
The city kept up a steady flow of information with the Mayor getting to the airwaves with information – he did a much better job this time than he did with the Via Rail derailment a couple of years ago.
For those with serious water damage Tuesday was a day to be on the phone to the insurance companies and getting through to reclamation companies before all their available manpower was spoken for.
We don’t know how the Mayor did, but the Gazette managed to get a crew in by 4:00 pm – they stayed until well past midnight to take out all the carpeting and cut out two feet of drywall. The water was coming into the building from both the front and the back and the drain pipes were not able to handle the flow.
An interesting point. The city has a program, overseen by the Heritage Advisory Committee, that approves grants to owners of property that has historical significance. Those grants are for as much as several thousand dollars. Those people who suffered serious water damage may not live in historically significant dwellings – but they could use some financial support. One of our neighbours, a pastor at a church that does not have its own building, lost much of the paper work and supplies for his congregation.
The Region has two support programs:
Sewer Back-up Flooding Grant (i.e., Ex-Gratia Grant Program)
If your basement floods due to a sanitary sewer back-up, Halton Region may provide financial assistance in the amount of $1,000. This grant can help home owners to either offset the cost of a deductible on their personal home insurance or help with flood-related clean-up costs.
The Region also offers a one-time Basement Flooding Prevention Subsidy Program. Residents can receive a maximum of $2,725.00. Some of the detail on the Region’s web site:
This table lists a breakdown of the maximum allowances for certain drainage system materials and work, under Halton Region’s Basement Flooding Prevention Subsidy Program.
Weeping Tile Disconnection / Sump Pump System
- Disconnection of the weeping tiles/foundation drains from the sanitary sewer system.
- Purchase & installation of a sump pump system; to receive storm water from the weeping tiles and to direct water to suitable location away from home.
- Covers costs for materials, labour, permit & taxes.
- Disconnection of Downspouts
- Costs associated with redirecting downspouts away from home and to cap the existing pipe leading to the weeping tiles at the side of the home.
- Subsidy is for ½ of all costs up to a maximum of $250.00*Backwater Valve
- Purchase & installation of suitably sized Mainline Fullport Backwater Valve (with clear cover); to prevent sewage flows from backing up into the basement.
- Covers costs for materials, labour, permit & taxes.
- Subsidy is for ½ of the invoiced total by contractor up to a maximum of $675.00. * Homeowners will only quality for this subsidy if they have demonstrated they do not have any downspout or weeping tile/foundation drain connections to the sanitary sewer or coinciding with measures to eliminate these connections.The Application Process: How do I apply?
- Contact the Basement Flood Prevention Subsidy Program Coordinator at 905-825-6000 ext. 7918 and arrange a time for a Regional Representative to conduct a Household Drainage Survey (HHDS) at your home.
- During the survey, the Regional Representative will assess the general installation and characteristics of your home, advise what work would be eligible for subsidy funding and obtain proof of past flooding (contractor invoices, insurance statements etc.). The work eligible for subsidy will be summarized and left with the homeowner for the Contractor’s use to help itemize the costs. A video inspection of the sanitary sewer lateral may be conducted.
This kind of situation is probably the first time many Burlington residents have had to deal with the Region. Most people don’t realize that close to half of the annual salary each city council member gets comes from the Region, where they serve as regional Councillors.
During the Christmas power outage due to snow and freezing rain the city was the contact point and for those really hard hit in rural Burlington the city had set up a command post in Kilbride.
Water damage is a Regional responsibility – which means dealing with an organization that is a bit removed from the average citizen. This was one of the few occasions when the Regional Chair, Gary Carr, did not have comforting words for the citizens.
There was some sunshine on Tuesday; for those who suffered no damage the world will continue to revolve. For those who did experience flooding – they now enter into that phase called “fighting with the insurance company”. When the Gazette met with the reclamation company – there was no opportunity to negotiate a price. It was fixed, firm and you had better take it now before all the crews were sent elsewhere. We gulped and signed the agreement.
Once the water is out of the lower level and it is close to dry, we then get to find a contractor to replace the dry wall and decide what colour we want the space to be.
A final comment – the neighbours were great.
By Pepper Parr
August 5, 2014.
BURLINGTON, ON.
The office of the Clerk at city hall, the person responsible for overseeing the municipal election has at least one candidate pretty ticked off.
James Curran, a candidate in ward 6 (one of seven people running for the Blair Lancaster seat) began setting out his election signs. Within hours he got a call from the bylaw enforcement officer telling him his signs had to come down.
 A call from the bylaw enforcement officer doesn’t happen unless someone registers a complaint. Curran is pretty sure he knows who it was – “but that is her right” was his comment.
Tracey Burrows, Manager of By-Law Enforcement and Licensing for the City of Burlington advised Curran that by-law (34-2007) says signs could not be erected anywhere until “six (6) weeks immediately preceding the day of a municipal election”.
Bylaw 34-2007 was passed in 2007 – and it is mentioned in the Manual every candidate is given. But that’s all the manual does – mentions the bylaw – doesn’t give any of the content. Curran thinks the Candidate Manual is poorly written.
Near the end of what is at least a 15 page document there is mention of election sign rules:
Election signs located on private property. No candidate, agent or any other person shall affix, erect or otherwise display an election sign or permit or cause an election sign to be erected, affixed, or otherwise displayed prior to the issuance of writs for a provincial or federal election or six (6) weeks immediately preceding the day of a municipal election.
It was almost as if the people who wrote the manual wanted to hide the information.
 “It is my view: said Curran “that such a by-law is beyond the jurisdiction of any municipality and was passed to assist incumbents with their plans to get re-elected. I would note that Burlington has had a high propensity to re-elect incumbents.
In a letter addressed the City Manager, Curran says: “… you well know that the City already provides free media coverage for incumbents through their various publications particularly “City Wide Magazine” and the Burlington Post’s City Update that features the various incumbent councillors. Over the course of a four year term, incumbents will have the benefit of taxpayer funded publications which provide them with a great deal of public recognition.”
Curran adds: “Restriction of political signage clearly works to the disadvantage of challengers such as myself. It is inherently unfair. More importantly, it is at variance with the Charter of Rights and Freedom. For greater certainty, my lawyer conducted research for me to verify my views.”
Curran sent along a copy of an Ontario Superior decision dated Nov 1st, 2007 in the matter of Shurman v Vaughan. In said decision Justice J. Sosna held clearly that such restrictions by municipalities are at variance with the law. Simply put, no municipality can interfere with the “Freedom of Expression” by a citizen.
“It is not my intention to go to Court to resolve this matter” said Curran but he did want the City Manager to provide a public notice that the subject by-law will not be enforced for the duration of the 2014 election campaign pending a legal review confirming the legality of the by-law. This would avoid the need for injunctions or court applications. In the name of fairness, I would suggest that such an announcement be made as soon as possible to enable other candidates to obtain profile, while at the same time permitting citizens the right to exercise their democratic right for Freedom of Expression.
Curran copied almost everybody with any clout and an email address at City Hall. Does he have a point? How long should election signs be up – would we want signs up in January when people can nominate?
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