 By Pepper Parr
September 20, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
It was a small group of people – not much more than a cluster actually, but it was part of the largest climate march in history involving more than 2500 cities around the world and will culminate in a march on New York city, where people will peacefully flood the streets in historic numbers, both in New York City and in solidarity events around the world.
World leaders will be gathered in NYC for a landmark U.N. climate meeting — just the right moment for big public pressure. UN Secretary, General Ban Ki-moon is urging governments to support an ambitious global agreement to dramatically reduce global warming pollution.
 These Save the Planet marchers met with Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring on a street corner; they were not allowed to set foot on city property because the mayor is in election mode. Can you believe that? “With our future on the line and the whole world watching, we’ll take a stand to bend the course of history. We’ll take to the streets to demand the world we know is within our reach: a world with an economy that works for people and the planet; a world safe from the ravages of climate change; a world with good jobs, clean air and water, and healthy communities” announced the march organizers.
The event is billed as the largest climate march in history to be happening worldwide and Burlington was a part of it.
The Burlington event was marred just a little by what can only be called “bureaucratic nonsense”. The March was planned as an event that was to start and end at the gazebo in Spencer Smith Park, where the Mayor was to speak.
Mayor Rick Goldring is a serious environmentalist and it was an appropriate place for him to speak. But – Burlington is in the middle of its election for a new council and the Mayor now has two people running against him – and he can’t make use of any city owned facility. And the Gazebo in Spencer Smith Park is city property – so the event had to march up Brant street and pause on a street corner, where Goldring talked to people about the environment.
 Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring stands on a street corner explaining his environmental views to Save the Planet march organizer Alanna Antrobus. “Can we go to city hall” asked one participant. “No “said the Mayor, “Civic Square is out of bounds as well”.
To get some idea as to just how silly this became; earlier in the week Ward two councillor Marianne Meed Ward rented space at the Art Gallery of Burlington for her campaign kick off. She was told that her people could not walk the corridors of the building wearing buttons or T-shirts – which meant anyone wanting to go to the bathroom, had to take their T-shirt off.
Ian Ross, president of the Art Gallery apparently got a call from City Clerk Angela Morgan bringing him up to date on the rules as she saw them. Hopefully Ross brought the Clerk up to date on how he runs his shop.
One hopes that Ross explained to the city Clerk that the Art Gallery of Burlington was an arm’s length organization which ran its own affairs. The city does own the property – the Art Gallery runs the place.
The Burlington march was organized by Alanna Antrobus
 By Staff
September 20, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
There is something about a church fund raiser.
While the event is for the local people – anyone is welcome – you just have to show up and be ready to be social and talk to people.
 They are always very welcoming – I’ve been to events like this where people invite you back to their homes for a drink.
Thursday, the 25th the Lowville United Church is hosting a pig roast with all the trimmings. The Chef on hand will be making cuts from 5 to 7 pm.
It’s a short drive up Guelph Line – the church is at the corner of Guelph and Britannia. Chow down a good meal, chat with the folks and if you’re interested in what Lowville is like, drive on up to the Lowville Bistro for a glass of decent wine and a dessert you don’t need.
If you really want to make a day of it – head for Lowville an hour or two early and watch the salmon run in the Bronte Creek that runs through Lowville.
Tickets are $18 for adults – reserve one at 905-335-5099
New feature:
 Early in October readers of the Gazette will be able to use a new feature for announcing community events. Anyone will be able to go on line and post their event. Our editorial team will be moderating the posts to ensure they are appropriate. Watch for the notice.
 By Staff
September 19, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON –
With Rainer Noack you always get more than you see. He is generous, colourful, creative and one of the most loving people you will ever come across.
 The Burlington Performing Arts Centre has announced Rainer will be the 2014 Hall of Fame Inductee. Rainer Noack is the Founder and Program Director of Burlington Student Theatre.
Through Student Theatre, Rainer has been providing training, camps, and arts opportunities for children and youth in the Burlington area since 1978. Having also taught for the Halton District Catholic School Board, it is clear that educating is close at heart for Noack.
With his love of the arts and his incredible commitment and contribution to the city of Burlington, Rainer Noack received Burlington’s Arts Person of the Year in both 1995 and 2009.
 The Hall of Fame award will be presented to Rainer Noack at the 2014 Cabaret: Escape to The Mediterranean at The Burlington Performing Arts Centre on Saturday, November 8. This year’s special guest performer is PAVLO. Proceeds from this fundraising event support the education programs at The Centre.
Rainer joins Gordie Tapp, a television performer of some renown as well as a member of the Hall of Fame.
 By Pepper Parr
September 19, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Ten days ago Mayor Rick Goldring was strolling towards an acclamation; it was in the bag. He didn’t have a campaign office, he was attending events for other candidates – he didn’t attend the kick off for the Meed Ward campaign in ward two.
By noon of Wednesday this week it was a much different picture; a campaign office was being set up and the campaign committee was coming out of its country club state of mind; suddenly there was a contender and while Burlington didn’t know that much about the guy – he was real.
 Mayor Goldring read the Procedural Bylaw carefully and found a way to collude with the city Clerk to shut down a member of his council. The days of innocence for this Council came to an end Monday April 8th, 2013 The Gazette had made plans to interview the Mayor to talk about what he felt he had achieved the first term and what he wanted to achieve during his second term which, at the time, seemed like a sure thing.
Goldring won the office of Mayor handily against former Ontario cabinet minister and then Mayor Cam Jackson. In the 2010 election he was angry with what he thought Jackson was doing to his city and while there were a number of position papers – the 2010 election didn’t have that sharp a focus.
Burlington knew Goldring as the guy who had been on Cogeco cable TV for years and was the council member for Ward 5 where he didn’t get into any trouble. There was an opportunity to do more with the PanAm Games in Sherwood Forest Park, but that opportunity got away on both Goldring and the city.
The 2010 election was one that Jackson lost more than it was Goldring winning.
 Margaret Lindsay Holton keeps the Mayor on his toes. Goldring was stiff during the first three years of his term. He didn’t seem to have a grip on the job and was often directionless. His relationship with staff at city hall during the first six months was terrible; there was little respect for the man – some of the comments made reflected very poorly on staff.
Goldring was fortunate in having Frank McKeown as his Chief of Staff – without him at that time Goldring would have been a total failure. McKeown gave Goldring the psychological base he needed to grow into the job.
The Goldring we are seeing now is a man who is much more in control of his job. There weren’t very many people who saw Goldring as a strong leader but some of his more recent decisions suggest he is growing into the job. He is going to grow a lot more in the next 45 days now that he is being seriously challenged.
The Gazette asked Mayor Goldring to talk about his achievements during his first term and then what he would like to see achieved during his second term.
His first four years is set out below. His thoughts on the future will follow in a day.
The re-elect Goldring web site sets out Goldring’s commitment and priorities to the electorate:
My Commitment to You:
• Provide open, accountable and effective decision-making.
• Respect your tax dollar.
• Keep residents informed and engaged.
• Provide leadership through collaboration.
My Priorities:
• Cultivate a prosperous and sustainable economy.
• Protect and enhance greenspace.
• Foster vibrant and safe neighbourhoods.
• Continue to build a healthy, sustainable and prosperous community.
Not all that much in the way of specifics, but it is early in the campaign and when the above was written Goldring didn’t think he had a campaign to wage.
Goldring said he is proud of the change in the relationship between council and city staff. Former Mayor Cam Jackson took an approach to staff that was seen as disruptive. Goldring feels he has mended that relationship.
Goldring mentioned that the city had given the hospital the first $5 million of the $60 million it had undertaken to provide.
Goldring is pleased with his performance on the pier and the way that matter was settled. He didn’t actually say the city won the dispute, but he appears to want to take credit for getting that file closed. Not as sure the public feels this file was properly closed.
 When council decided not to put the turbine atop the observation deck – was there any reason for constructing an observation deck? The pier was to have a turbine at the top of the observation deck that would produce energy that would be fed into the electricity grid. The city would not get any money for that electricity but it would not have to pay for the electricity it used.
A mammoth screw up within the Engineering department led to a situation that had BurlingtonGreen asking – pleading actually, that the turbine be maintained. Mayor Goldring thought the time for this type of energy initiative had come and gone and said at the time there might be some way to put something solar beside the pier – but that thought came to nothing.
If there was not going to be a turbine on the pier then there was no need for the observation deck either. There was a missed opportunity to cut a significant chunk out of the construction cost; the observation deck doesn’t add all that much to the pier.
Goldring is pleased with the re-launch of the Economic Development Corporation. It took far too long to dismiss the former Executive Director and get a new crew in place. Frank McKeown, the Mayor’s former chief of staff, was appointed to the position last June and there hasn’t been a single media release other than to announce a luncheon/networking event that had been scheduled before McKeown was appointed. (We stand partly corrected on this one – the BEDC did release the September Newsletter this morning.)
Senior staff and city council realize it has a lot of work to do to bring new business to the city. In 2012, 2013 – and probably the numbers for 2014 will show net negative growth in the tax revenue from the industrial, commercial and institutional sector of the tax base.
 The Mayor knows the city needs more commercial and industrial development – getting it is proving to be the tough part. Is the Mayor out there selling hard enough? The city cannot cover its costs from the residential sector – it must get more from the commercial side – and while there is some construction taking place – it doesn’t appear to be enough.
There doesn’t seem to be any sense of urgency; there is what Deborah Pickfield, head of Thinkspot, calls a “high level of complacency”. But the Mayor is happy with the way things are going.
When he came to office Mayor Goldring said he would keep tax increases to 10% and he did that – thank goodness Ward five Councillor Paul Sharman forced a 0% increase during the first year of this council’s term. Had he not done that the city would have experienced something in the order of 15% increase over the four year term.
 Mayor Goldring took out one of those fancy pocket calculators that gives you whatever number you want and said during our interview that “over the four years the city experienced tax increases that were 15% less than inflation. And if you add up the numbers the way Goldring did – he is not wrong.
To get that 15% Goldring adds all the levels of government that tax you. The Region of Halton did not increase their tax level – which made the Burlington numbers look quite good.
Goldring takes credit for how well he has communicated with the community – and on that level he has done very well. He has taken to social media in a big way – not sure how many people are actually getting the message, but he is certainly sending out the signal.
His Inspire Burlington series of speakers was a very good idea. Goldring brought people like Ken Greenberg, a noted planner and Andre Picard, the best public health thinker we have in this country to Burlington. Goldring didn’t say if he was going to continue the program in the next term.
 Mayor Goldring chats with then Minister of Transportation Kathleen Wynne. He wasn’t buying what she was selling then. Now that Wynne is Premier can the Mayor develop the relationship? One time provincial Liberal candidate Karmel Sakran, stands between Goldring and Wynne. Rick Goldring has always been an environmentalist. He once ran as a candidate for the Green party.
He takes more credit than he deserves for stopping the HGTA highway the province was thinking about ramming through the Escarpment from Kilbride into Lowville. John Taylor, Councillor for Ward three, was the stronger player on that file. During that period of time the Mayor was still getting the feel for the job.
Goldring takes the position that he was the person, who did all the talking to the province.
He wants credit as well for the decision not to allow a Nelson quarry expansion. That magnificent community response was due more to the PERL (Preserving the Escarpment and Rural Lands) crowd. The city did spend a lot of money on the legal side of that dispute.
 When Mayor Goldring first saw the small mountain of earth on this Appleby Line property he was reported to have said he was “appalled”. Is the city going to be able to resolve the problem or are they looking at yet another court case? The site plan problems with the Air Park is something Goldring wants credit for as well. The city did a great job on that file, but as I sat through council meetings I never got the sense that the mayor was leading that parade. City staff found themselves with a serious problem that, truth be told, they should have been on top of – but when north Burlington residents made enough noise the then city manager Jeff Fielding directed general manager Scott Stewart to make things happen – and things did happen.
City hall and the Region bought into the Vince Rossi Kool Aid and drank heavily from that bottle, believing that the Air Park was federally regulated and there was nothing the city could do. It was Ward six candidate for Council Vanessa Warren, who did the research and made it clear to the city that the Air Park ownership was wrong.
 Mayor Goldring feels now that not accepting the pay raises that were due in 2010 and 2011 was “perhaps a mistake”. A Mayor truly in touch with his community would have had his ear closer to the ground and seen this one coming. However, once informed the city did move on the file and won the two court cases.
Burlington has achieved a result that will benefit every municipality in the country – which is a much more laudable thing to have said of us than that “best medium sized city in the country”.
Mayor Goldring was very effective in working with the other municipalities to develop a revised site plan by law that should go into effect next week.
While the Mayor wasn’t tuned in enough with the residents of north Burlington, he is now on top of that file and expects to work with people at the federal and provincial levels to come up with plans that have the city at the table, when whatever development is going to be done at the air park is decided.
Mayor Goldring is proud of the new City View Park which will be the location for soccer team practices during the PanAm games. Burlington was/will be paid $1 million for the use of the park while training takes place. But the public will not be allowed on the grounds while the teams practice.
It is a sterling park and over time the city will become very proud of it – the work up there isn’t completed yet.
 The Cootes Paradise and the Randall Reef are two projects dear to the Mayor’s heart. The Randall Reef, while actually in Hamilton, has been polluting Burlington Bay water for years. It is the second worst toxic site in Canada. The huge glob of toxic sludge is to be capped with a massive concrete box that will seal everything. “Over time” said the Mayor “the water Burlington uses will be much cleaner and safer.” The Region’s water treatment facilities ensure that our water is safe – so there isn’t a problem. The sealing of that toxic sludge ensure that it won’t work its way into the water system.
 The Goldring family whoops it up the night of the 2010 election. Same scene for 2014? Mayor Goldring is proud of the Community Energy Plan and he has every right to be proud. Did you know that Burlington has a community energy plan and do you have any idea as to what it is going to do for you? Didn’t think so.
That plan is a solid initiative that came about because some very smart people put their minds to a serious problem. It is very good forward thinking – but nothing seems to be happening. On the energy front what Burlingtonians did see happen was a request by Burlington Hydro for a rate increase to cover the cost of cleaning up from the ice storm last December.
Tomorrow we will write about what the Mayor has in mind for the next four years – assuming he wins more votes than the other two candidates.
Rick Goldring’s re-election web site.
Links:
That turbine on the pier.
 By Staff
September 19, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
On Wednesday September 17th 2014, members of the 3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau investigated a reported $10,000 credit card fraud that had occurred at the Arctic Spa’s on Fraser Drive in Burlington. The company deals in hot tubs and high end outdoor and indoor saunas.
The investigation led police to a storage locker in Niagara Falls where three men were arrested for fraud and a quantity of fraudulently obtained merchandise along with counterfeit credit cards were seized.
Police later executed search warrants on two rooms at a Niagara Falls motel and a quantity of gift cards, receipts, laptop and a card reader were among some of the items seized.
The three men arrested and charged are from Quebec and all were held for bail.
Arrested/Charged:
Mouhammad SAID (22 yrs) of Valleyfield Quebec
Hassan SAID (24 yrs) of Valleyfield Quebec
Dominic GAUTHIER (24 yrs) of Montreal Quebec
Charges:
Fraud Over $5000
Unauthorized Use of Credit Card Data
Possession of Instruments of Forgery
Possession of credit card obtained by Crime (3 counts)
Unauthorized possession of credit card data (10 counts)
Fail to Comply with Recognizance (2 counts – GAUTHIER only)
The police expect to lay more charges.
By Pepper Parr
September 18, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
We thought he was new to the game of politics. He didn’t appear to have any local profile and he wrote of being in the trucking industry which suggested he drove a truck.
 Jeff Brooks – his politics will be local – wants more for a ward that many see as “forgotten”. We were off the mark on both points. Jeff Brooks has a considerable amount of political experience – not at the elected level but he certainly understands the process. This man is no political neophyte and he doesn’t drive a truck either.
He is part of a team that is responsible for the movement of product into a manufacturing plant and getting what is made distributed to customers throughout Canada and the United States. He is a logistics expert; knows how to respond quickly to a crisis – and when you’re moving freight throughout North America – crisis is part of every day.
Brooks has been a Burlingtonian since 1998. He and his wife and their first child landed in Brant Hills and never left. Loves his neighbourhood but described ward 3 as the “forgotten ward” and wants to see new blood and new energy representing the people in the ward.
Brooks realizes he is up against a well-entrenched incumbent and knows he has a battle on his hands. John Taylor, the incumbent has a large following – but Brooks doesn’t think it is as loyal as Taylor believes it is.
He is active at his church, St. John`s Anglican; has coached hockey in the community and taken part in community tournaments.
Brooks was an assistant golf pro for a period of time and then got into speed skating and raced in the Canada Games and made it to the Olympic trials level.
So – why run for office? Brooks was frustrated with there not being at least a challenger for the office of Mayor – he had no intention of even thinking about that job but as he thought about who was representing the ward and talked with his friends and neighbours he came to the conclusion that new blood was needed, more energy and someone with new ideas was necessary. “I didn’t make a last minute decision – I just waited until close to the closing date for nominations before I filed my papers”, said Brooks. He has been working with friends and getting his campaign material and web site ready for the roll out.
Brooks won’t be running a big flashy campaign but he is certain he is going to give Taylor a run for his money – which in the 2010 election amounted to less than $4000.
Ward 3 has more than 300 flood victims but the ward didn’t see all that much of Taylor, said Brooks. “Most of the people I talked to thought the incumbent could have done a lot more.”
 Jeff Brooks, long time ward 3 resident takes on a 24 year incumbent. Brooks was a YPC (Young Progressive Conservative) while at the University of Toronto and worked with the late Larry Grossman and Frank Miller. Brooks has solid contacts within Toronto municipal circles and expects to draw on those contacts for strategic and financial support.
Brooks sees well-kept flower and plant growth along Plains Road and wonders why ward 3 can’t be made more attractive. “There are a lot of opportunities to brighten up parts of Brant and Upper Middle” said Brooks. “A council member with 20 years plus experience at city hall should know who to call and what to do to make our ward look more attractive.
“The bus schedules in this ward don’t really meet the needs of those who have to take public transit” said Brooks and “I’ve not heard anything about transit changes or improvements from the council member”
Brooks would not have gone for building the Performing Arts Centre “but we have it now so let’s make it work.
Should he get to Council who would he look to as a mentor and model himself after? Marianne Meed Ward he responded without pausing for as much as a second.
The incumbent could probably live with that.
 By Staff
September 18, 204
BURLINGTON, ON.
As of 8:00 a.m. today, the Burlington Community Foundation Flood Disaster Relief Committee has raised a total of $590,000 in cash and in-kind support.
“We are thankful that many citizens and businesses have stepped up to support our community flood relief efforts, however we still have a long way to go,” says Ron Foxcroft, Chair, BCF Flood Disaster Relief Committee. “The need for financial relief is imminent and we are still asking neighbours, families, friends and businesses to give generously so we can help those who are still suffering.”
 Over the last week the BCF Flood Disaster Relief Committee received generous donations of $25,000 each from Branthaven Homes and Union Gas. There has also been a lot of work in the community with a variety of retailers accepting cash donations. A Flood Relief Donations Centre was opened by a concerned citizen at 728 Burloak Drive. In addition, the BCF website is now accepting on-line donations.
 As of September 15th the BCF Flood Disaster Relief Committee has received five Advance Funding for Emergency Additional Living Expenses claim applications. Two have been granted and three claims were denied as the expenses claimed were not related to emergency living expenses. The Committee has contacted each applicant to explain the rationale and encourage them to include appropriate expenses in the broader Assistance for Losses and Damages application later this month.
“We are pleased to begin sharing the funds raised in this community with flood victims,” says Colleen Mulholland, President of the Burlington Community Foundation. “We would also like to remind those affected that the deadline for Advance Funding for Emergency Additional Living Expenses claims is October 4th.”
 Applicants are asked to complete an Advance Funds Claims Package that includes filling out a form, attaching receipts, and providing all requested information. The package must be submitted to the BCF Flood Disaster Relief Committee at Burlington Community Foundation, 3380 South Service Road, Unit 107, Burlington, Ontario, L7N 3J5 by October 4, 2014.
The form can be found at the BCF website or residents can call 905 639 0744 ext.223 to arrange for an Advance Claims Package to be mailed, picked up or delivered. The Committee is committed to assisting people in completing the form to expedite the claims process if that is requested.
Advance funding of up to $1,000 will be made available to victims who have no insurance coverage for emergency additional living expenses. Eligible costs are: evacuation costs, accommodation and meals, and essential clothing.
The next phase of the claims and disbursement process is The Assistance for Losses and Damages funding. It is designed to assist victims in greatest need with more extensive losses and damages, and who were either uninsured or under insured for their building and/or contents. Homeowners and tenants, small businesses, non-profit organizations and farms can apply. Applicants will be required to fill out a more complete form that will be made available at the BCF website by September 30th. At that time, more information outlining what expenses are eligible will also be provided.
Funds granted to those in need must comply with a very strict procedure – the Burlington community Foundation has recruited former city manager Tim Dobbie to review each claim and ensure it meets the provincial criteria. The BCF doesn’t set that criteria – they are told what they must do – and they do it.
Donors are encouraged to continue supporting the campaign by:
Cheque – make cheques out to “Burlington Community Foundation” with a memo reference to Flood Relief Campaign – mail or drop off at Burlington Community Foundation, 3380 South Service Road, Unit 107, Burlington, Ontario, L7N 3J5
On-line donations – Click on the DONATE NOW button at BCF web site. www.burlingtonfoundation.org
 By Pepper Parr
September 18, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Politics is about power – even at the municipal level. Politicians have access to information the rest of us don’t have. They make decisions that determine how much of our money is paid in taxes; they decide when the swimming pools will be open and they decide when the snow gets cleared off your street.
There are thousands of municipal politicians who serve the public and there are some who serve themselves. They fight hard to become politicians and fight just as hard to stay there.
Politicians work at creating the image they believe their constituents want. Not all of them but the vast majority for sure. Some have agendas – others just want to make their community a good place to live in.
In Ontario municipal politicians have to go before the voters and seek re-election. They have to either spend their own money or raise money to pay for their campaigns.
Those who do the job well – work long hours, very long hours. We have one Councillor in Burlington who thinks being a city Councillor and a Regional Councillor is a part time job. It isn’t.
Burlington has had poor media this past eight to ten years. Poor media means an uninformed electorate. Uninformed voters cannot make informed choices. When voters don’t have enough information – they tend not to vote. Burlington has a poor voter turnout.
 Blair Lancaster, first term member of council seeking re-election. The Burlington Gazette has organized a debate for the people running in ward six – where nine people want to replace first term Councillor Blair Lancaster. That is a clear sign that a lot of people are unhappy and that a number of people think they can win the Ward six council seat.
We were able to get the use of the theatre at the Hayden High school and have had positive responses from all but two of the candidates.
Jennifer Hlusko has advised us that she has an important board of Education meeting on Wednesday September 24th. Ms Hlusko has served as a school board trustee for 11 years –however she ends that job in November. She is now a candidate for a municipal council seat and her obligation is to the people, who are voting for municipal representation.
Ms Hlusko appears to want to get permission from the Director of Education to miss the school board meeting. She advised us that she would “speak with the Chair, trustees and Director about the September 24th conflict.”
The director of Education reports to the trustees. Ms Hlusko is currently a trustee; quite why she feels she has to seek permission or approval from the Director of Education suggest she doesn’t fully understand the relationship between trustees and the Director of Education.
Blair Lancaster has not yet replied to our invitation to take part in the debate.
The Gazette got a call from a Brenda McKinley who said she was calling on behalf of a ward six candidate but would not identify who she was representing.
 Jennifer Hlusko, currently a school board trustee running as a candidate for the ward six seat on city council. Ms McKinley wanted a moderator from the Chamber of Commerce and she wanted questions from the panelists to be asked of all ten candidates. We declined to change our format and we did not want the Chamber of Commerce moderating this event. They have in the past held their own debates.
Our format was to have the panelists ask a candidate a question, after which any other candidate could make a comment – with one minute to do so. The candidate the question was put to would have a minute to respond to the comments from the others.
Ward six is clearly a contested seat and there are some powerful interests who want to see the “right” person win. We hope that the wines of the debate are the people of ward six.
The event will start with each candidate being given two minutes to put their case before the audience and two minutes at the end of the debate. The order in which the candidates speak will be drawn by lot.
We learned later that Ms McKinley has been in touch with at least one other candidate to get allocated seating for their supporters. The debate is for the public and we will do what we can to ensure that the candidates do not flood the room with their supporters.
We are trying to work within the framework of a democracy and giving everyone an equal opportunity.
There will be questions from the audience when the debate concludes.
At this point we do not have a commitment from either Ms Hlusko or Ms Lancaster. There will be a seat for them with their name on it – it is up to them if they choose to speak to the voters
By Pepper Parr
September 18, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
We know more about Peter Rusin today than we did yesterday.
He is currently running around setting up his campaign organization – when you come into the race as late as he did – there is catching up to do.
 We described Rusin earlier as someone who was in real estate, which somehow got the word “developer” attached to him. While Rusin has done some small development work his strength appears to be in getting things done.
The approach I personally take to hiring people is to look at their core values and their range of skill sets. If those are up to snuff – then you have someone you can train.
Municipal government is radically different than the corporate world. The way they do accounting is confusing to those that don’t know how municipalities are structured and the provincial rules they must operate under. Municipalities are creatures of the provincial government – the province can deice to merge Burlington with Oakville in a heartbeat or, God forbid, annex us to Hamilton.
The old Ontario Reality Corporation hired Rusin to clean up a filing cabinet of cases that had languished for years – this was at a time when the 407 was being built through our part of the province and reaching into Oakville and points west. Rusin’s job was to clear up files that were years old related to land acquisition problems.
He was later appointed to the Board of Negotiations, a part of the Ontario Municipal Board but not responsible to it. This was a 4 year appointment made by a provincial Cabinet order.
His job there was to work on files and get parties to agree on a settlement of the financial dispute.
Rusin is a strong family man (don’t they all say that); he drives his kids to school and thinks the city should pass a bylaw that prevents retailers from selling drug related paraphernalia. Drugs are a big personal issue for Rusin and on this one he tends to lose touch with reality. The city probably cannot prevent the sale of such products. As dismal as it is – we are becoming a society that sees the recreational use of drugs as acceptable. Rusin knows all too well that the use of drugs tends to go beyond recreational.
Rusin would like to see a tree bylaw. “We shouldn’t be cutting down trees – it’s as simple as that.” He sees trees as an environmental issue and doesn’t appear to get tangled up with what some developers choose to do when they purchase a property and take out all the trees then apply for zoning changes. Trees are necessary and they don’t get cut down lightly says Rusin.
There is an apartment building on Guelph Line, south of St. Christopher’s where the superintendent wants to cut down the apple trees because the geese are eating the freefall. Someone suggested he gather the apples and give them to the church that has a food bank – superintendent didn’t appear to want to do that. Peter Rusin might want to have a talk with that superintendent.
The Association of Municipalities in Ontario (AMO) announced that Mayor Goldring was to be appointed (he may have been elected at an AMO board meeting) to an important committee. Rusin saw this as a bit of a travesty – “Why would AMO appoint the Mayor to a committee” asks Rusin – “because they expected him to be acclaimed?” Rusin felt AMO should have issued a statement decrying the fact that the people of Burlington were not going to have an election for Mayor because no one else had come forward. This was part of the reason Rusin decided to run for the office of Mayor.
Rusin believes Burlington needs growth – not growth for the sake of growth but Smart Growth – a term that can mean different things to different people and Rusin was a little fuzzy on a definition.
He points to Dundas and Appleby and what he calls excellent mixed use development. “People can walk to much of what they need in that part of the city. The schools are close at hand; that part of the city seems to function better.”
Perhaps but try walking across Appleby at Dundas – there are six lanes of traffic – close to impossible for a senior with a walker.
 Rusin is apparently a tough negotiator. So – why is Rusin running? He wants to see a more effective Council; he is adamant about their being new blood; term limits are vital. “We have people who have been on this council for more than twenty years – two of them – and twenty years is far too long. We need people who are capable of bringing new ideas to the table and listening to those ideas.”
Burlington is close to build out; all those juicy development charges are not going to come into the city’s coffers. to
There is a piece of land on Brant Street that has round bales of hay sitting on it. The land is adjacent to the Tyandaga golf course which is owned by the city. The piece of and on Brant is owned by the Catholic church – Rusin plans on having a meeting with the Bishop to get that land put into productive use. Letting someone take hay off that land gets them a lower tax rate – which Rusin sees as a lose, lose, lose situation.
Should this guy get the chain of office draped around his neck – expect a much more proactive Mayor. He is a doer, he gets out there and gets it done. He makes mistakes but he seems to have the capacity to pick himself up and move on.
He suggested during our interview that city staff should work a four day week – and, get this, get the same pay. When he says that in a debate there will be an immediate 500+ votes for him from city hall staffers which will come nowhere near offsetting the howls from the other people who will be casting ballots
 Rusin thinks city hall is a dysfunctional building – thinks staff should work a 4 day week City hall he adds is an unhealthy place. “The air is stale, the building is not a friendly place; the structure is inefficient”, said Rusin. There is a report that has yet to be taken to a Standing Committee on what the city has in terms of space and what it needs in terms of space. The report is believed to have recommendations that include a new city hall. It is being held back until the election has taken place. Having come perilously close to having their brains beat out of them over the pier, this council was not going to talk about another high profile, expensive project before the election.
That is not the Rusin way. He seems to want to get all the information out into the hands of the public and let them be a part of the decision. Are we hearing the real Rusin? We can’t know yet. The public needs to hear much more about Peter Rusin and be given several opportunities to ask questions. At this point he is very much of an unknown. He does have to be given credit for ensuring there is a debate and an opportunity to hold Rick Goldring to account.
Rusin wants the city to begin thinking in terms of Regional transit. “There have to be buses running along Dundas. We have to make better use of the GO stations and the mobility hubs the city has been talking about have to be made more real – and a little sooner as well” adds Rusin.
Rusin believes there are good developers in the city and thinks the project the Molinaro’s are building at the Burlington GO station is the right direction. He adds “there are developers who have a feel for the community and we need to work with them.” Parkland dedication, Section 37 issues and creating a smoother permit process are all part of the changes Rusin wants to see at city hall.
We are beginning to get a sense of who Peter Rusin is and the way he thinks.
 By Ray Rivers
September 17, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
I wrote this piece before we had learned of the actual diagnosis. Our wishes are all with Mr. Ford for a speedy and complete recovery. He deserves all of our support in this battle of his life.
Well it’s a tough one – you would have voted for Rob Ford but now it’s his brother. At a high school reunion the other day, a couple guys, who live in Rob Ford’s Toronto, wanted to bet me he’d get re-elected mayor. I should have taken the bet. They voted for him last time, disowned him only last year, but were seriously thinking of him again.
Doug Ford has been described as kind-of like his brother but without the comedy act. I can’t imagine any late night shows inviting Doug to enliven their audiences. Though quality of dialogue isn’t what made his brother Rob so popular. It was the unbelievable dribble, contradictions, lies and obscenities that made him so much fun to watch.
 Just plain boring – with other agricultural interests? Truth is Doug is plain boring – he lacks his brother’s charm. Remember that radio talk-show they used to have? Well Doug was always the straight-man, right? He has other talents I’m sure, but really lacks a good stand-up routine. And that has to change if he is to be taken seriously as the ‘mini-me’ candidate to his younger brother.
Toronto voters have a lot of choice this election. In fact some 67 people had registered as mayoralty candidates this time. I mean why vote for politically right-leaning Doug Ford when you can get the real thing with the ultra-right, neo-nazi, Don Andrews? And if you want something completely different, there is always the dominatrix, Mizz Barbie Bitch’ Ritch who’d just love to whip Toronto into shape.
No question that since Rob Ford’s reign, everyone looks at City Hall as one big circus – so who better to run it than ‘Sketchy the Clown’, Dave McKay? And what about someone called Happy Happy, who lives out the ‘Hokey-Pokey’ in real time, registering for office then pulling out, then registering again, then pulling out again… and that’s what it’s all about. Gosh isn’t that just like the transit debate – light rail is in, and then it’s out and then subways are in, and they shake it all about…
I, too, was diagnosed with a tumour in my abdomen, back a while ago. So I gave up running for office and have been OK ever since. I had a business associate, a friend, who looked like he had inadvertently impregnated himself. Everybody just assumed it was obesity, but he got diagnosed with a benign tumour the size of a basket ball in his abdomen. Once the operation was over, he was a much relieved man.
Rob Ford, as of this writing, is still waiting for the diagnosis of his tumour, mine was cancer, so we all hope his problem is more like the other guy’s. But perhaps Mr. Ford should give up running for office too – and not just for his health – for the rest of us who are through laughing at the ridiculous, and ever so tired of his adolescent antics.
And what is with this family thing? Oh sure, after JFK was assassinated Bobby ran as President, and then Teddy tried to run in his brothers’ stead. But that was the Kennedy dynasty not Toronto’s Fords. Still, patriarch Joe Kennedy made his money doing a lot of what Doug reportedly did at one point in his life – dealing in illegal substances. And the Fords have deep pockets too, despite this masquerade at being with, for, and of the common man.
 Whose interests are being served? Fortunately the mayor is just another vote at council. They took away a bunch of his responsibilities, and he wasn’t around for a lot of the time anyway between football coaching and rehab. Yet, despite his delinquencies, Toronto survived Rob Ford. So chances are good, almost no matter who gets elected, the city will survive – not like our sister city Detroit.
Another guy named Ford made Detroit one of America’s greatest back when. He was a real entrepreneur who founded the world’s fourth largest auto maker. And the city did get a little help from the Supremes and those other Motown music folk as well. But then decay set in and half a century later Detroit faced its second ‘Black Day in July’ – as it declared bankruptcy last year. I’d like to think that would never have happened if Henry were still around.
And don’t we wish Henry were the Ford now running to be Toronto’s mayor. Of course, there are other candidates with experience such as Olivia Chow, and that guy with that unfortunate name, which makes him sound like he personally owns the Progressive Conservative party. But if I lived in Toronto I’d seriously start thinking about that ‘Sketchy’ character. How could he be any worse for the city than the last clown they had?
 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.
Rob Ford Withdraws Doug Ford
Doug Ford Illegal Substances Rob ford Story Rob Ford More
Mayor Candidates Joe Kennedy Detroit Bankruptcy
By Pepper Parr
September 17, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
I want your trust – your votes would be nice too – but it is your trust that is most important to me. And with that Marianne Meed Ward ended her election kick-off event at the Art Gallery of Burlington to a more than respectable audience.
 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward and school board candidate Leah Reynolds at the Ward 2 kick off. Meed Ward shared her event with ward one and two Halton District School Board candidate Leah Reynolds who she heavily endorsed. Not something Burlington would have seen in the past.
Selfies, the rage for the social media set, was made part of the event – the photographer covering the room for Meed Ward climbed a ladder to get a group photo which Meed Ward said would be put on her office wall to remind her every day who she was working for – Residents First was the mantra.
Mead Ward took the trust theme further when she said: “ .” She added: “I’ve heard and seen the disrespect towards people who come to city council to delegate – we should be working with you, we should be listening to the really good advice people bring to us.”
“Good discussion isn’t possible when a delegate has five minutes before council” she added and for Meed Ward discussion is what it is all about. The current Council, particularly the Mayor, is not a huge fan of prolonged discussion. The council meetings are short and abrupt – they argue that all the “heavy lifting” gets done at the standing Committee level.
Meed Ward would move away from Standing Committees and create workshops where issues could be thrashed out in a less regulated process.
We talk about infrastructure and we misuse that word, said Meed Ward. “Infrastructure equals “lifelines” those roads and sewers and utility lines are the life lines that keep the community going. We need to talk in language that people understand.”
She made little mention of the Region – but she did talk about the mistrust the people in the Beachway have of their elected representative who went to the Region and failed to represent some of the people that elected him.
 Meed Ward believes taxpayers paid $5 million more than they had to for the pier. “The pier” she said to an audience that laughed. “We failed to trust the contractor we had and instead of working with him to resolve a design problem we took the wrong path and went to court. We didn’t win – but we did pay more than $5 million than we should have – and that was your money.”
The Air Park was next: “We let that problem fester for more than five years until residents told us that it was an intolerable situation. This city reacted when the residents pushed back and refused to accept the argument that the land was all regulated by the federal government.” Two court cases later the city is about to pass a new site plan by law that will have them doing something about the landfill – all because residents pushed back.
The Drury Lane bridge that crosses the railway tracks – “it is a lifeline for an isolated community. All of a sudden it needed repairs and the city shut it down because it was unsafe. Residents were close to locked in.” Meed Ward worked with those residents to get the bridge fixed and made sure that the item got through Council.
Meed Ward however didn’t do nearly enough with the Queensway development that jammed some 50 plus housing units into properties that previously held six homes. It was part of the intensification process the city had to undertake – but it has created a situation where the residents have little in the way of public amenities.
 Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward at her election kick off. Meed Ward takes credit for getting free parking downtown on Saturday and all of December and is a leading talker about our “vibrant” downtown but makes no mention of the number of retail operations that have taken down their signs or how dismal Brant Street is during the holiday season. Some of those stores that gave up have been on Brant Street for many years. New stores open – but they don’t last all that long.
The evening was a remarkable performance during which she made it very clear what she stood for – even though she said she was not going to talk about her platform – that was on her web site for those who wanted to know.
Trust was the issue she wants to ride on – and the audience, made up of supporters, for the most part, there were at least five that we counted that would not normally be Meed Ward supporters.
Meed Ward wants a walkable community – she made an issue of the free parking spot she gets as a council member and regularly pays the city the value of the parking spot which she doesn’t feel she should be given.
Her ward 2 community association is the most effective in the city. No one comes near to what she has done with her residents. She publishes the most effective newsletter and she has asked for more recorded votes than any other member of Council. She also has more 6-1 votes than anyone else. Meed Ward stands up and insists that the votes be counted. There was a memorable council meeting where she called for five recorded votes and was the only person to vote no. Her colleague John Taylor kept rolling his eyes at the temerity of it all – but what was evident was the matter of principle.
Meed Ward believes every vote should be a recorded vote – she hasn’t won that battle.
The room Meed Ward rented at the AGB had small tables set out at the edge – places where she could sit and talk to people. On each table there was what could have been taken for the wine list – no such luck – this is Burlington after all.
Meed Ward brings a level of energy to a job she just loves and takes an “I can do something about that” approach. “I first ran for council” she writes “because my neighbours said they wanted better information, sooner in the process, before decisions were made at City Hall. As a professional print and broadcast journalist for 25 years, I thought “I can do something about that!” I started a website and newsletter, which now reaches more than 4,000 residents across the city.”
 She ran for city council because she believes “Residents come first: We live in a great city and must take care to keep what is great as we grow and change. We must protect what you value and what makes you want to live here in the first place. We do that when city hall works with residents, putting the needs of residents first. When we build a city that put residents first, we create places where business want to come, where people want to visit, and where people want to live. When we put residents first, we attract jobs, tourism and new residents – everyone wins.”
There are many, particularly in the commercial and development sector who believe Meed Ward has done significant damage to the city and that she lacks an understanding of the fundamentals that drive business and development.
 Election kick off crowd posing for the group photo that will hang on the Meed Ward office wall to remind her who she is working for. Meed Ward came back to the trust issue again and again. If given the trust she asks for in the next four years she will work to have a Council Code of Conduct: Currently, she maintains, council members can raise money for their own activities with no limits on who can give, or how much. That allows spending beyond allotted budgets, and has led to seeking funds from developers with current planning applications – a conflict of interest. “I support a Code of Conduct to set restrictions and higher ethical standards, reducing risk to residents” she said.
She will work at creating a vibrant downtown and job attraction by revamping the Burlington Economic Development Corp., exploring “incubators” for start-ups. She believes that “with incentives we can attract jobs here. I support new office and institutional uses downtown, to bring weekday foot traffic to our businesses. Commercial development that helps the city’s bottom line; residential does not – requiring tax increases to cover the shortfall.”
 Neighbourhood character and green space: “We need to move beyond development that just considers maximizing profits and cramming the most units in the smallest space. I will continue to stand with residents, and I will work with the developers who bring projects that respect neighbourhood character, consider public input early on, follow our own Official Plan, and preserve green space.”
Transit, trees, culture and more: “I’ll also champion: adding 13,000 more transit service hours and three community buses serving the Seniors Centre; a tree bylaw preventing clear cutting properties before development; a facility fee waiver to help artists use our cultural buildings; partnering with Halton Region to buy affordable housing units in new builds downtown.”
Quite an agenda for the next four years. In 2018 expect Marianne Meed Ward to run for Mayor – then watch the fur fly. There are those that will choose to trust her and there are those that will do everything possible to stop her.
 By Pepper Parr
September 16, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
It look like there is going to be an opportunity for local artists to “paint the town. On Tuesday, October 7, 2014 from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM local artists are invited to attend the briefing event at The Hive on Elizabeth Street.
This event is for Burlington artists only ‘No one from Nova Scotia at this event” said Jeremy Freiburger who is organizing the event for the city as part of its Cultural Plan.
 Jeremy Freiburger, author of a report that provided direction for the city’s cultural plan based on reams of data he had gathered. Now the city has to determine how it wants ti implement its Cultural Action Plan. The city is launching the Local Artist Mural Program. It is intended as an annual program that will commission small to medium-scale murals throughout the city. The intention is to have one in each ward but locations will not be worked out until there is significant public participation in choosing the locations.
Burlington residents will have the opportunity to submit suggestions for mural locations and themes and the resulting commissions will be open exclusively to Burlington artists. As part of the program, free professional development opportunities will be offered to artists who may not have previous experience creating public art and/or murals.
“To ensure this program meets the needs of local artists, we want to hear from you”, said Angela Paparizo, cultural co-ordinator for the city.
Local artists are invited to participate in an open brainstorming session – that’s the event at The Hive. The purpose of this session is to identify program goals and maximize opportunities for local artist involvement.
Artists will be given some help with scaling a work they want to do; there are health and safety issues with putting something on the side of a building – what are those issues and how do they get addressed.
Freiburger points out that these “murals” may all be 2D – “but a sound installation could be done” – imagine a graphic of a steam engine running along the old rail bed in the Beachway with the sound of the train whistle. The possibilities are close to endless.
Freiburger is particularly good at tweaking people’s ideas and drawing more out of them than they thought they had in themselves. “I want to know where do you need the help, where can they Jeremy help them
Is this going to be “upscale graffiti” – undoubtedly someone will see it that way and squawk at the $70,000 budget.
Burlington artists, working in a variety of mediums (murals don’t necessarily need to be painted!), are invited to attend a brainstorming session. Dinner and refreshments will be provided.
To register, please contact Kim Selman: kim@cobaltconnects.ca or 905-548-0111
By Pepper Parr
September 15, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
If you live in Burlington and you are a runner – you know who Kelly Arnott is.
If you are a serious runner and live in the GTA – you also know who Kelly Arnott is. If you live in Ward 2 you will get to know who Kelly Arnott is – she is running against a very popular candidate for the ward 2 council seat.
 Kelly Arnott isn’t that tall to begin with – she has a tall order to beat a very popular candidate. Arnott wants to see a more robust downtown – we would agree with her on that issue – how to make that happen is the challenge and despite numerous studies and a lot of hand wringing, no one has come up with a solution to making downtown “vibrant”. Oakville has it figured it out, Milton has a great little downtown – Burlington; not yet. Check out the south end of Brant and wonder how many established retailers have left that part of town. New people do come in and take their chances – but the word vibrancy just doesn’t apply
Arnott has done a lot to make Burlington a destination for the running community. Every December she brings 4,000 runners in Santa Claus suits to town to run up and down Brant Street. She also runs the Half Chilly Marathon each year that shuts down a portion of Lakeshore Road. There are some that think she should be running that race in the bland, boring industrial part of the city – along Mainway.
Arnott understands what races are all about and is hired frequently to be the race director for organizations throughout Ontario.
She wants to involve younger people in the affairs of the city; not high school students – young people who have chosen Burlington as home but who may work elsewhere.
Arnott thinks from business perspective – how can something be made financially viable? How do you involve people? She certainly has a knack for involving the running community.
 Can that knack be developed and be used to get people in the city involved in the way the city is run? She is the first person we have seen in some time who comes from that commercial retail sector of the city. Arnott doesn’t have a store front now – but she has had store fronts in the past and she fully understands the needs of retailers.
Do the retailers themselves get it? Hard to tell. Is Arnott a true voice for the downtown commercial community? Is she active with the Burlington Downtown Business Association? Does she have a constituency. Why is she running?
Arnott wants to see better representation for ward 2 at city hall? She has chosen not to be negative in the election race but does ask: What has Meed Ward done?
If elected Arnott wants to spend the first part of her term listening and learning what the job of a council member is about. She has a specific interest in the way the planning department works and would like to resolve issues that builders and small developers have with that department.
She also wants to see a more vibrant Tourism office. She believes Burlington has a real story to tell and would like to see Tourism doing a better job. The city has two of the largest public festivals in – Sound of Music and Ribfest plus a very good Performing Arts Centre. The festivals pull in large numbers of people who return year after year – so why isn’t downtown a place they want to shop in and hang around at for awhile?
Are the malls the problem? We don’t know. Arnott doesn’t appear to have a clear cut solution – she just knows that downtown is a bit of a bust and a fix is badly needed.
The Arnott campaign is being run by Shannon Gillies who was a candidate in the 2010 election; she was bested by Marianne Meed Ward.
Arnott has done a lot for this city – she has just over 40 days to lay a glove on Meed Ward – she has her work cut out for her.
 By Staff
September 16, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Raising funds for a community that is trying to recover from a disaster is never an easy task. Burlington’s August 4th flood was more than a month ago and in a word where the news cycle is good for three or four days at best, it is difficult to keep public attention – but the need is real and in some cases dire.
 Union Gas presnted a cheque for $25,000 to the Disaster relief Fund. From the left: MAyor Rick Goldring, Michael Shannon of Union Gas, Burlington Community foundation president Colleen Mulholland, Mark Egbedeyi-Emmanuel, Union Gas and Ron Foxcroft. The Burlington Community Foundation (BCF) is doing the lead work on the raising and distribution of funds with Ron Foxcroft doing the arm twisting and getting the major donations.
Last week there was a $25,000 donation from Branthaven Development and yesterday there was a $25,000 donation from Union Gas. Donations like this move the thermometer close to the $2 million target – which Burlington expects the province to match under its two for one ODRAP program.
The Ontario Disaster Relief and Assistance Program (ODRAP) allows the province to contribute $2 for every dollar raised by the community. If this happens the BCF will have access to $6 million to aid those who lost almost everything in the lower levels of their homes; including washers, dryers and furnaces.
The big donations matter – but the small donations are important as well. A young Burlington girl was having a birthday party to which she had invited a bunch of her friends. She decided that instead of her friends giving her a birthday gift she would ask them to make a donation to the Disaster Relief Fund – she sent in a donation of $341
 When you see a donation box – toss all your change into it – it also takes paper money. Catherine Brady, a strong Rotarian leader took on the task of asking retailers if they would set up a donation box in there store. There are now more than 50 of these set up on store counters.
The need is real – and every bit helps.
 Mayor Goldring gets the look from lead fund raiser Ron Foxcroft In the days ahead there are other large organizations in the city that will be announcing major donations.
When an individual goes on line and makes a donation that actually move the thermometer. Each Wednesday the BCF will be adding all the large corporate donations to the total – so we can look for those big amounts boost that thermometer.
 At this point the total is at the 21% level. Ron Foxcroft said this was going to be a 100 day drive – we are 14 days into that drive.
 By Pepper Parr
September 15, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
If you have plans for this Friday evening and they are not to attend the No Vacancy Cirque at the Village Square – You might want to change your plans.
 The No Vacancy event last year was the cultural event of the year. This year’s event is much large and will run for much longer – from 7 pm to 2 am – which is mind boggling for Burlington. Pine Street is being partially closed for the event.
The event locations are shown in the map below; plan now for those you want to take in.
 There are more than 30 installations being shown. What’s an installation? It is what an artist decides to do with a space – they are free to do whatever they choose to do – except for taking down any walls.
Last year there were several mind expanding installations – and we’re not talking about the stuff you smoke.
This is something well outside Burlington’s comfort zone when it comes to art – give it a visit.
By Pepper Parr
September 15, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
The Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation has announced that Michael Lee-Chin and his family have made a $10 million dollar donation at its 14th annual Crystal Ball Gala.
The donation is the largest ever made in the City of Burlington and the largest made to the Joseph Brant Hospital. This gift brings the total raised for Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation’s Our New Era campaign to $37M – more than 60% of campaign goal.
 Michael Lee-Chin – hospital’s biggest donour. “There is no greater investment than in our health and the health of our community” said Lee-Chin. “We are embarking on a new era of health care in Burlington and I’m proud and honoured to be a part of it.”
Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation’s Our New Era campaign is on target to raise $60M by 2017 and will help enable the Hospital’s Redevelopment and Expansion Project which includes the construction of the new, state-of-the-art, seven-storey patient tower, scheduled to break ground in spring of 2015.
“We are so thankful to Michael Lee Chin and his family for their incredible generosity and for supporting our vision of a new era of health care in Burlington” says Brenda Hunter, Chair of the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation Board. “This gift is a true testament to the family’s philanthropic spirit and to their commitment to ensuring our community has access to exceptional care, in a state-of-the-art facility”
Joseph Brant Hospital’s Redevelopment and Expansion Project includes the construction of the new patient tower which will house a 28,000 square foot Emergency Department, nine additional operating rooms, an expanded Cancer Clinic and Intensive Care Unit, a renovated special Care Nursery (level 2 NICU) and expanded medical, surgical, diagnostic and outpatient services.
The Hospital, which recently celebrated its 50 year anniversary, has not undergone a major renovation in 4 decades.
 Shovels will go into the ground next year for a new seven storey tower that will be named after Michael Lee-Chin who donated $10 million to the hospital foundation. The Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation is in the middle of a $60 million Capital Campaign, the largest in the Hospital’s and Burlington’s history, to support the local share component of the Redevelopment and Expansion Project.
The city of Burlington levied a tax on its citizens to raise an additional $60 million.
This campaign will be the most significant health care development in Burlington’s history and will ensure that our Community’s residents have access to quality care in the years ahead.
While it may not be all that polite at this point to mention, the hospital has had its problems in the past when more than 90 people died from complications related to c-difficile that resulted in a very significant insurance settlement.
There has yet to be a public apology from the hospital administration for the harm done to the community from that event.
Joseph Brant Hospital is a community hospital serving the City of Burlington and surrounding area since 1961. The hospital provides a range of services including medicine, surgery, emergency, maternal/child, mental health and rehabilitation/complex continuing care.
Joseph Brant currently operates 245 inpatient beds and accommodates over 170,000 patient visits, 13,512 admissions, 47,389 Emergency visits and 1,165 births each year. Its team includes 175 physicians, 1,400 full- and part-time professional health care staff and more than 600 active volunteers.
The hospital, its Foundation and Infrastructure Ontario are partnered on what will be the hospital’s first major redevelopment in 40 years. The design, build, finance project will include the construction of a new, seven-storey patient-care tower and significant renovations to existing space.
Past problems however should not take away from the incredible Lee-Chin donation; the new seven story tower will be named after Michael Lee Chin.
By Pepper Parr
September 15, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
City hall sort of bungled the whole election sign business.
Ward 6 candidate James Curran took the position that the city did not have the right to tell people when they could put their election signs up and pointed to an Ontario Superior Court decision saying such a by-law is “beyond the jurisdiction of any municipality” and, adds Curran “was passed to assist incumbents with their plans to get re-elected. I would note” he adds, “that Burlington has had a high propensity to re-elect incumbents.
 Curran wrote the interim city manager to point this out to him – but got no response. Curran took the position that there were bigger and better hills to climb and vowed that when he gets to Council – he will be bringing this up.
Curran feels that the incumbents have the benefit if basically free advertising in City Talk – the city’s in house magazine that does puff pieces and tries to convince the citizens that they are doing a great job.
Based on the rule the city had in place – signs can go up six weeks before election day – which would have made Monday the 15th the start day. Then the bylaw control officer sent out an email to candidates saying they could start on the 12th.
One wonders who is calling the election shots at city hall.
At least two candidates were out on the street pushing their signs into lawns. Jim Curran says he has hundreds of locations – we saw just the one. In a couple of days more signs will appear and we will get some sense of the level of support a candidate has.
Carol Gottlob in ward 4 ordered 500 signs and then “press ganged” her sons, Peter and Carl into assembling and putting them into lawns. “I’m looking for strategic locations: said Gottlob. “I want as much visibility as I can get”
 For the Gottlob family – this election is Mom and her two boys and whoever they can find to volunteer. New signs go up on a lawn. Is the laughing about the sign or those running shoes? And so the sign game begins. Candidates are announcing their campaign kickoff dates with Marianne Meed Ward launching Monday at the Art Gallery of Burlington and ward 1 contender Katherine Henshell kicking off next week.
Up until Wednesday of last week Mayor Goldring was thinking about the party he would hold once his acclamation was announced. The Gazette was in touch with the City Clerk asking how this gets done. Angela Morgan explained that on the Friday she would review all the documents candidates had filed to ensure they were all in order and if there was just the one candidate for a ward seat or Office of the Mayor she would advise that person that they had been acclaimed.
On Thursday Goldring suddenly found himself facing a candidate he knew little about and a day later learned that Anne Marsden, a consistent and persistent advocate for people who have physical disabilities, was also in the race.
Marsden would probably not have entered the race on her own, but with a second candidate on the ballot she apparently saw an opportunity to press her agenda. Marsden delegates frequently at city hall and the Region. The Region found that her delegations were taking up time and not adding anything to the public discussion about what local government can do for those with disabilities and asked that she not register to delegate in the future.
Marsden wanted to see the rail on the pier lowered so that people in wheel chairs could have an unrestricted view of the lake. When city hall staff explained that the height of the rail is determined by the province`s building code she continued to press for change.
The purpose of a local election is to attract people who have some experience and a skill set that would allow them to make a meaningful contribution and serve as stewards for the public on how public money is spent.
Marsden has a single issue that gets hammered again and again and again – so much so that the point she wants to make is lost and they get referred to as nuisance candidates.
By Pepper Parr
September 15, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
Longtime Burlington resident and businessman Peter Rusin isn`t letting any grass grow under his feet. He came out very strongly this morning with a media release in which he set out the issues as he sees them and the platform he will run on as he seeks to gain the office of Mayor.
 Peter Rusin wants more for the city he loves – is challenging Mayor Rick Goldring for the office of Mayor. Rusin has no political experience but has recruited some top talent from Queen`s Park who are structuring his campaign. He expect to be fully operational by the middle of the week and will be relentless in his drive to replace Rick Goldring as Mayor of Burlington.
A late addition to the race, Rusin said he “made the decision to run because he believes Burlington needs stronger leadership and fresh ideas.”
“Burlington is an incredible city that is at a crossroads,” said Rusin. “We need to grow, and yet also maintain the green space and elements of that smaller town feeling we all know and love. Our infrastructure is weak, though, and our current leadership does not seem to be able to get the job done.”
Rusin’s key priorities are:
• Smart city growth and infrastructure development;
• Desperately needed affordable housing;
• Better quality of life for the people of Burlington;
• Maintain a balance of smart urban planning and growth and green space preservation and growth;
• Open, accountable government at City Hall.
“It’s time for a mayor who can look at new and different ways to fund infrastructure improvements in Burlington. A mayor who brings a solid business background, a love of this city and a new, fresh way of thinking to the mix,” Rusin said. “We cannot accept the status quo as good enough. We can do better.”
Mayor Goldring is completing his first term as Mayor and for the most part has had a pretty easy ride. He recently said he would be happy if every member of the current council was re-elected – a rather astonishing statement when one member of his council is facing 9 people who want her job.
 Mayor Goldring picking up donation in the Santa Claus parade one year. His first term performance was OK – others want more than just OK. The city isn’t agog with the Mayor they have – he was a nice guy doing his best – but beneath that Burlington politeness was a sense that “nice” wasn’t getting the job done and that there was no sense that Burlington was really doing very well when many people thought it should be doing much better. It looked as if the Mayor was going to get a pass and be returned to office without ever having to defend the positions he took.
That all changed last Thursday. Now the city has an incumbent and a challenger – and citizens will get to hear and test the opinions of two men who both care about their city and see how they would run it for the next four years.
Peter Rusin will be out and about a great deal over the next few weeks to shake hands and let the people of Burlington know who he is and what he will bring to City Hall. Expect the Mayor to have called his campaign team together over the weekend and told them to get a campaign going – quickly.
By Pepper Parr
September 13, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
So – who is it going to be? And does it matter?
Nominations closed yesterday afternoon and the city Clerk can now begin the task of preparing all the papers and getting the ballots printed. And residents of the city can begin to learn something about the people who put their $100 on the counter, signed a bunch of papers and are now going door to door to tell you who they are.
Does it matter? You bet your bippy it matters – they spend all those tax dollars you send to the city. If you live in an apartment building you might not see that tax bill but it is a large part of your rent.
Does it matter? Should you need care at the hospital – know that the city put a special tax levy in place to collect the $60 million it had to come up with to pay for the hospital. Early in the mandate of Mayor Rick Goldring he learned that – Burlington was going to have to come up with that $60 million. The city manager at the time said it was the largest financial undertaking the city had faced.
Which roads get paved – the people you elect decide that.
The PIER – yes it is built and it is nice – but was it worth twice the price it was supposed to cost? When the bill is set at more than $6 million and the final bill comes in at more than $14 million – questions need to be asked and answers need to be given. If you made a goof of that proportion in the real world you would have been fired. This is your opportunity to fire some of the people who are now on Council.
So – what are your choices:
Ward 1:
Patrick ALLEN,
Jason BOELHOUWER,
Rick CRAVEN,
Katherine HENSHELL,
Gary MILNE
Margaret Anne STEISS,
 Ward 1 boundaries Rick Craven is the incumbent; he has been on Council since 2000
We have written about Henshell and Boelhouwer. A note on full disclosure, Henshell has done and is continuing to do some legal work for the Gazette. We will write about Milne, Steiss and Allan in the days ahead
Ward 2:
Kelly ARNOTT,
Marianne MEED WARD,
Philip PAPADOPOULOS,
Andy PORECKI,.
Meed Ward is the incumbent and was first elected to Council in 2010.
 Ward 2 boundaries We have written about Arnott but not yet as a candidate. We will write about the other candidates in the weeks ahead.
Ward 3
Jeff BROOKS,
Lisa COOPER,
John TAYLOR.
 Ward 3 boundaries John Taylor is the incumbent. He is the Dean of this Council and has served for more than 20 years. Lisa Cooper has been a candidate in the past, Jeff Brooks is new to the election game. We will publish the interview we did with Lisa Cooper and will interview Jeff Brooks in the very near future.
Ward 4
Jack DENNISON,
Carol GOTTLOB,
Doug WILCOX,
 Ward 4 boundaries Jack Dennison is the incumbent and has served on Council for more than 20 years. He has been a controversial candidate and brings a distinct style to serving as a Council member.
Carol Gottlob is new to the political scene and struggles to get a campaign team together. When people meet her they appear to be impressed. we have written about Gottlob. Doug Wilcox was a last minute candidate and does not live in the ward. While that may not make much of a difference to those in the northern part of the ward – for those south of New Street it is a very big deal. The residents in that part of the city are well organized and have two community organizations.
Ward 5
Paul SHARMAN,
Ian SIMPSON,
James SMITH.
 Ward 5 boundaries Paul Sharman is the incumbent and is completing his first term. He has been strong on the financial matters that come before Council and certainly changed the tone of the debate. He is adamant about data – no date he says – then no decision.
James Smith has run for public office before – ran in ward 4 and missed the brass ring by a couple of hundred votes. He has been a frequent delegator at city hall where he speaks about transit and planning.
Ian Simpson is an unknown to us. He has had his nomination in place for a number of months but we know little about him. We will interview Mr. Simpson.
Ward 6
Angelo BENTIVEGNA,
Jim CURRAN,
Pardeep Kaur DOSANJH,
Jennifer HLUSKO,
Blair LANCASTER,
Jivan SANGHERA,
Shoaib SHAMS,
Ishar THIARA,
Mina WAHIDI,
Vanessa WARREN.
 Ward 6 boundaries Blair Lancaster is the incumbent facing nine people who want that Council seat. Lancaster was first elected in 2010 in a ward that includes the Air Park and the Alton community that was not as developed as it is now in 2010.
We have written about Bentivenga, Curran, Hlusko, Sanghera and Warren. We will publish the Wahidi interview in the near future and interview the other candidates – most of whom nominated in the very recent past.
Are there any upsets possible? Lancaster is certainly at risk. Sharman could be in trouble. Dennison has name recognition that is so high he will be difficult to beat – but if his record is looked at carefully the citizens of Ward 4 might go for some fresh blood.
Should Meed Ward be defeated it will be the upset of the century for this city.
Craven can be challenged – beaten? That one is going to be an interesting race.
There is a race for the Regional chair; Mayor Goldring has been challenged by at last one creditable candidate – and there are school board trustees to be looked at.
By Pepper Parr
September 13, 2014
Burlington, ON.
The phrase social media means different things to different people. And there are few really good examples of how social media works and the role it can play in the sharing of information.
While there are mountains of information out there – what exists may not be what you want. Perfect social media is when what you want is also what others have to share.
 A plaza on Fairview – stores flooded. Last August 4th when rain fell on the city for close to eight hours and left 191mm of water looking for a place to go – the Weather Network was collecting data from anyone who had something to send in.
The link here is a really good example of social media doing what it is supposed to do. The piece you have looked at was obtained by the city from the Weather Network and shown at a city Development and Infrastructure committee more than a month after the rains fell.
The Weather Network took video clips sent to them and just stitched them together into a strip of film and loaded it on their web site.
 Individuals sent in clips taken from the cell cameras – which are stitched together by the Weather Network and aired. Imagine if that piece of video had been shown to the public the day after the storm – Burlington would have had a much better idea as to what had happened and the response to the flood would have been much more engaged.
Had video like this been used at the Ribfest; had the story of the flood been told to the more than 100,000 people who came from places other than Burlington – the amount raised would have been much more than the $40,000 that was raised.
That $40,000 was $40,000 more than the Community Foundation had before Ribfest and the community is grateful – but when compared to the $20,000 that one man and 35 volunteers raised in four hours on Elwood Street – questions get asked.
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