 By Staff
November 19, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
No one ever went wrong talking about energy saving – especially when the temperature outside was double digit below and when our friends in Buffalo were getting more than two feet of snow.
Burlington’s Sustainable Development Committee will host a free event on Nov. 25 for homeowners to help reduce home energy costs.
 Lynn Robichaud, the city’s senior sustainability coordinator takes part in almost every environmental event in the city – heading up the energy efficiency seminar later this month. Takes place Tuesday, Nov. 25 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Burlington Public Library, Central Branch, at 2331 New St.
“Homeowners can learn valuable cost-saving tips to make their home more energy-efficient,” said Lynn Robichaud, the city’s senior sustainability coordinator. “Industry experts will be on hand to answer questions.”
Participating organizations include: Burlington Hydro, GreenVenture, Halton Region, Philips Lighting and Union Gas.
In 1990, the City of Burlington declared itself a Sustainable Development Community and set up the Sustainable Development Committee as an advisory body to City Council.
The role of this volunteer citizens’ committee, which includes members of the public and the business community, is to get people talking about sustainable development and to integrate economic and environmental planning at the municipal level.
 By Staff
November 18, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON –
Samuel, Son & Co., Ltd., also known as GO Packaging, has pleaded guilty and has been fined $70,000 after a worker suffered fractures and other injuries after being caught in machinery.
On June 7, 2013, a worker was learning how to thread multiple strands of plastic strapping material at the company’s workplace at 735 Oval Court in Burlington. The worker was participating in peer-to-peer job advancement training with a senior, experienced operator who was also a lead hand. The task involved running four strands of plastic strapping repeatedly back and forth the full distance of the production line to allow the hot, freshly extruded plastic strapping to cool by air.
The trainee worker was instructed to shut down the machine and, while reaching for a side stop control panel near exposed rollers, one hand and forearm became entangled in plastic strapping. As the worker tried to use the other hand, it also became caught.
The lead hand witnessed the event and stopped the machine. Co-workers used a hack saw to cut through the accumulation of strapping material and extricated the worker. The worker suffered bruising, sprains and bone fractures as well as amputation of the tip of one finger. A Ministry of Labour investigation followed.
Samuel, Son & Co., Ltd. pleaded guilty in court to failing to appoint a competent person as supervisor when it appointed the lead hand as the supervisor.
A ‘competent person’ is defined as a person who is qualified because of knowledge, training and experience to organize the work and its performance; is familiar with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the regulations that apply to the work; and has knowledge of any potential or actual danger to health or safety in the workplace.
The employer had not made the lead hand familiar with the Occupational Health and Safety Act or the Industrial Establishments Regulation, which applied at the workplace; the lead hand was thus not a competent person as defined by law.
Samuel, Son & Co., Ltd. was fined $70,000 by Justice of the Peace Eileen Walker in Provincial Offences Court in Burlington. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.
 By Staff
November 19, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
They are taking the show on the road.
On December 1, the Mayor and the six council members will take their places on the main stage of the Performing Arts Centre and be sworn in.
In 2010 the city spring for some pretty good food – this time it will be coffee and a cookie with pop for the kids. It looks as if that great bar in the Centre won’t be open. Shame.
 The Mayor`s chair and his chain of office will get taken to the Performing Arts Centre for the Swearing in on December 1. Moving the swearing in to the Performing Arts Centre will allow for many more citizens and city hall staff to attend. Each Council member will have ten tickets to distribute for reserved seats – the Mayor gets twenty tickets.
The Burlington Teen Tour Band will take part and Hayley Verrall will sing O’Canada.
New this year will be words from Ron Foxcroft who will be the keynote speaker. He is expected to use some thought from a basketball player who talked of “elevating his game”. Foxcroft wants the city to “elevate” its game.
Justice Dale S. Fitzpatrick will oversee the swearing in while the Venerable Stephen Hopkins of St. Christoper`s Anglican Church will do the Blessing.
 The Burlington Teen Tour Band officially opened the Performing Arts Centre a few years ago. They will march during the Council Swearing in on December 1 in the Main Theatre. The Mayor will also deliver his Inaugural address. We might get to hear some of the “setup” he mentioned in his election campaign but never did expand on.
The Mayor’s chair will be transported to the Performing Arts Centre. There will be seating for each Council member, the interim city manager and Clerk Angela Morgan on the stage with space made available for the Judge, the Clergyman and other speakers.
The event will begin at 6:30 pm. The Main Theatre can hold 700+ people.
 By Pepper Parr
November 19, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Another cheque presentation; another photo op – you wonder if they are all the same and why we bother doing them.
 Cashier aisles at Fortinos told the story about the help needed and citizens responded. Making a financial contribution is hard work for the people doing the convincing to get a corporation to write a big cheque and for the people who work for that corporation – it is a big deal. Their employer gave something back to the community.
For the staff at Fortinos – all four locations in Burlington, the T-shirts that were handed out were a statement that every one of them was proud to make.
 Disaster Relief chair Ron Foxcroft on the left celebrates with BCF president Colleen Mulholland and the four Fortinos franchise owners in Burlington: Guelph Line: Joe Mangiapane; Appleby, Frank Scornaienchie; Aldershot Paul Anderson and New Street Photis Kelpis
Yesterday Fortinos proudly presented their cheque for $38,191.36 Which put the Flood Disaster Relief drive over the $900,000 level – and while the official fund raising drive has closed the Burlington Community Foundation can collect funds up to December 15th. That is the date on which the provincial government asks what they have in the bank and matches that amount of a two-for-one basis.
The drive now is to get that $900,000 up to $1 million so that there will be $3 million available for distribution.
The Fortino contribution was the result of a corporate donation which will follow and small amount collected by the cashers in each of their four locations. Those funds were collected in a very short ten day period.
The task now is to make sure those funds get into the hands of people who were un-insured or under insured. There are many families in the flood stricken parts of the city who could not buy insurance – it just isn’t available to them. And – a significant number of those people have suffered more than one flood.
This is not a situation where people were financially irresponsible – their insurance companies said no.
The provincial funding comes from the Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program (ODRAP) for which Burlington had to apply.
The original application was actually turned down – it took a lot of telephone calls and some considerable arm twisting to get the province to change its mind. A lot of the credit for that goes to the MPP for Burlington, Eleanor McMahon.
The ODRAP program has severe limits on what it can provide money for. If a furnace was destroyed, if a washer and a dryer were destroyed – those are covered, but if you had an expensive Persian rug in the family room on the lower level the province is not going to advance funds to buy a new one. You will get money for a new rug – but you won’t be replacing that Persian rug with provincial money.
The key word in the program is relief.
The deadline for financial support applications is December 15- and that is a hard deadline. The Burlington Community Foundation has received more than 75 applications for financial support but believe there are still as many as 100 homes that qualify for support who have not yet submitted their forms. The document people are required to complete is complex but – and this is important – there are people at the BCF in place to help you.
 3100 of these cards have been mailed to those home in flood ravaged parts of the city advising residents that financial support is available but that there is a December 15th deadline. You may not have some of the information the forms ask for – don’t let hold you back. The insurance people in place have software tools that will help them figure out some of the information needed. What is critical and important is this – you must have your forms in before December 15th or you will not be able to participate in the program.
The BCF has prepared a mailing piece the city is sending out to 3100 home owners advising them of the program. Funds have been raised – the community has done a magnificent job of donating the funds for those who were flooded.
The objective now is to make sure everyone who needs help gets the help they need.
By Pepper Parr
November 19, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
Boy – did he ever bush whack the guy!
Eric Vandewall, president of the Joseph Brant Hospital strode into a city council Standing Committee meeting with great news. The company that was going to build the new hospital had been selected; the financial advisors were in place and the province was on side.
It had been quite a haul from the day that a Minister was supposed to show up with a cheque in hand got stuck in traffic and Vanderwall was left sucking his thumb.
 An architects rendering of the new entrance to the Joseph Brant Hospital which will now face the lake. The entrance will be off Lakeshore Road with the new parking lot just to the west of the hospital. Yesterday Vandewall was telling Council how far the hospital had come with the redevelopment project. Something called the Integrated Team Solutions (ITS) will design, build and finance the hospital’s redevelopment and expansion project.
EllisDon will do the actual construction; – Constructor; Fengate Capital Management – Financial Advisor; Parkin/Adamson Architects Limited – Architects in joint venture.
Vandewall was there to justifiably boast about the new seven-storey patient care tower; 172 new beds; a new Emergency Department, nine new operating rooms, a post-anaesthetic care unit, a new and expanded Cancer Clinic, expanded ambulatory care programs, a renovated level 2B Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit, expanded Diagnostic Imaging Services, expanded medical, surgical and outpatient services and a new main entrance.
 It was a sunny summer day and a provincial government minister was on her way to Burlington with what everyone thought was going to be a cheque for the hospital in her purse. She didn’t arrive and hospital president Eric Vandewall sent all his guests home. Few realize just how much Vandewall has done since he first got the funding needed to re-build a hospital that had a terrible reputation and was nowhere near the standard the public needed and expected. He had more than a fair share of stick handling to get to the point he was at Tuesday when he told Council he expected to see shovels in the ground Spring of 2015.
That’s when Ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven began asking questions: Were you aware asked Craven “that the final site plan is not in yet?” Without site plan approval a building permit can’t be issued.
ITS is responsible for that was Vandewall’s response
MTO has not signed off on the interchange advised Craven. A building permit can’ be issued until MTO signs off.
Were you aware of the neighbourhood issues asked Craven; drive ways on the north side of the hospital property as well as visuals.
Craven wanted to know if Vandewall was aware of the procurement for three different designs
Craven closed his questions by reminding Vandewall that a public meeting was required and that hospital approval was un-delegated – which meant approval comes from Council – not staff.
Vandewall agreed that he and Craven should get together and talk. That is going to be some conversation.
The re-development of the hospital is the biggest project the city has on the go and while it is located in ward 1 – it is a city wide concern.
For the ward council member to bush whack the president of the hospital in public like that is very unusual to say the least.
Where is the Councillor getting his information and why did he have to put Vandewall on the spot like that?
Vandewall and his team had additional good news. The hospital foundation part of the fund raising is going very well; they have raised 65% of their goal and have $40 million in hand.
Taxpayers are putting up half of the $120 million the province said we had to raise and the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation is raising the rest. Vandewall said the hospital will open sometime in late 2018 or early 2019.
 By Ray Rivers
November 18, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
He is consistently below Trudeau and Mulcair in national opinion polls and his party is currently lagging that of Trudeau by double digits, yet the voters in the two federal by-elections yesterday chose Harper. Of course the Alberta riding of Yellowhead was never in doubt, and the new Tory there won by a resounding 60% of the vote. But that is Alberta, where the point of having an election is, arguably, a waste of money. Why not just have the Conservative Party appoint the MPs?
 Whitby-Oshawa was a closer race between the Libs and Cons. Nevertheless, the popular former Whitby mayor, Pat Perkins, who only recently jumped in for the Conservatives, won the support of a clear majority of the voters, receiving almost 50 per cent of the votes cast. The Liberal, Celina Caesar-Chavannes, came in second with a respectable 40% of the vote in this one-time Liberal riding. The NDP, which had replaced the Liberals as the second choice of voters in the last general election fell back to their more traditional spot.
Of course this is the constituency of former finance minister Flaherty, whom Canadians generally respected, once he came to federal politics. And it didn’t hurt that Flaherty’s widow, Christine Elliott, is the sitting provincial MPP there, and also a front runner in the contest to lead the provincial Tories. So the newly-cast conservative candidate had a lot of things going for her.
Oh, and did I mention that the PM announced his so-called ‘family income splitting’ promise mid-campaign – a $2 billion tax giveaway for the wealthiest tax payers, a program Flaherty had justifiably disparaged? But the ‘tax-cut’ spin still works. And it didn’t hurt when tough guy Harper ordered tough guy Putin to “get out of Ukraine” last week – newsworthy, but an empty threat given what little we had and would do for that embattled nation.
By-elections generally tend to have lower turnout and these two contests were no strangers to that phenomena. Only a third of Whitby-Oshawans could be bothered to vote and over 80% of eligible Yellowhead voters must have slept-in all day. I guess they  knew the result would be a foregone conclusion in a province where some voters act as if Canada’s borders start at the Rockies and end somewhere in the prairies. And Mr. Harper is local, despite his accidental birth in Ontario.
Americans just finished voting in their mid-term congressional elections and the President, whose party got slaughtered, grumped that only a third of eligible voters showed up – implying he might have won had turnout been higher. He may be right, but the point is why don’t we have higher voting numbers? Australia has had compulsory voting for eons, with real penalties for those too lazy to get their butts into the ballot both. As a result, over 90 percent of the electorate consistently make the effort to vote, that number hitting 95% in some years.
Were we to adopt a similar law, Albertans would still probably continue to vote Tory, or for the Attila the Hun party if they could – and that is their choice, of course. But at least more people would be engaged in the process of holding our politicians to account. And that should mean better governance.
Of course if you were an NDP supporter in either of these by-elections you might ask yourself why bother? And that is where preferential balloting for multi-party politics makes a lot of sense. Voters select their first choice as they do today in our first-past-the-post system. But if no candidate wins 50% of all the votes cast, second (and third) choices are counted until a winner is announced. Governing parties would always be elected by at least a simple majority of the people, instead of the thirty-plus percentages we’ve seen over the last few elections. However, a preferential ballot wouldn’t have changed the result of these by-elections.
 And maybe we need to make voting easier. Why not hold elections on a weekend when most people have real spare time? And what about on-line voting for a nation that has proven how securely we can even do banking that way? What about better election coverage? I mean how many people were even aware that these by-elections were taking place? And what about more time teaching political choice and process at schools, so our youth can develop an interest in how their governments can work for them?
By-elections are usually a good time for the public to register its displeasure with the government in power. If that is true we should take it that the voters are pretty happy with the government we have. But that flies in the face of the national polls – so what is really going on?
Are we a nation of people wanting change, but too complacent to be bothered to do anything about it? Or maybe we truly have become the ‘small c’ conservative society that Stephen Harper had set out to create – too conservative to try change?
By-Elections Yellowhead Whitby-Oshawa
Polling More Polling
Analysis Election Canada Results
Australian Voting Harper’s Income Splitting
 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.
 By Pepper Parr
November 18, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
We did elect them – well 34. 14 % of us did. In twelve days the newly elected council will get sworn in and determine what they want to achieve in the next four years.
 Full team was returned to office. Now they need to get down to work. Long list of tasks and opportunities. Now that the significant seven have all been returned to office – what do they have on their plates for the immediate future and perhaps for the length of their term of office which officially starts December 1 when they are all sworn in. A stronger sense of enthusiasm and drive would be nice
Mayor Goldring explained to us during the election campaign that his first term was a “cleanup/setup” operation. He didn’t explain what he had cleaned up and he hasn’t clarified yet what he means by “set up”. We wait to hear that story.
A partial list of the issues facing this Council includes:
 The city now has a site plan application. Will they approve what has been submitted and provide a permit? Air Park – what does the city want to do with it? The city now has a site plan application in hand. Once it is reviewed they will decide if a permit should be issued. Bu what is the long term plan for the air park and is the city going to be able to get the cooperation it needs from Rossi?
Beachway – while the homes in that part of the city – just to the west of Spencer Smith Park are not about to be expropriated – city hall is reported to be beavering away at plans and designs that will come forward at some point in this term of office. One wonders when the public will be invited to the planning
Downtown development: Always an issue in Burlington – which in itself is telling. When we get a downtown one wonders if we will recognize it.
 Major development opportunity in the Old LAkeshore precinct. Huge developments underway. How will it all play out during this term of office. Old Lakeshore precinct – sometime this year work will start on the Bridgewater project that is to consist of a 22 storey condo, a seven story condo and an eight storey hotel. The hotel was to be open for the Pan Am Games but that won’t happen. Is there any thinking being done as to what the long term vision is for the properties between Lakeshore Road and Old Lakeshore Road and that part of the waterfront?
Ranked voting: Mayor Goldring kind of liked that idea. Let’s see when he moves to bring it forward now that the province has said it is to be permitted. The only member of the current Council who would have been impacted by Ranked Voting would have been Blair Lancaster – but if you look at who placed second and third – Lancaster suddenly doesn’t look all that bad.
Size of Council. Sometime during this term of office the Regional government will realign its seats and probably give more to Milton. That “might” mean a change in the number of seats Burlington has on the Regional Council. Right now Burlington has seven regional seats which makes every City Council member a Regional Council member as well. Half of a Council member’s income is paid by the Region
Governance: The Council whose term ends the morning of December 1st developed a good approach to Governance and devoted one meeting every quarter to looking and talking about the way they were running the city. There was some very productive work done at those meetings – let’s hope they are continued.
 Does current City General Manager Scott Stewart have a change in the title on his business card in the works – or will the moving trucks be getting a call. Scott has kept the city running for the past six months.
A new city manager and an overhaul of the senior ranks. The task of hiring a new city manager is underway. Burlington is seen as one of the better city’s to run and we will be a popular choice for some of the better people out there. The last time this city hired a new City Manager they brought in Jeff Fielding from London who was energetic and had more new projects going than staff could keep up with. His decision to head for what he thought were greener pastures in Calgary put a lot of new ideas into a tail spin and staff had to scramble to work without the drive and focus Fielding brought to everything he did.
He fortunately had Scott Stewart beside him to execute on most of the ideas. Stewart was in the running for the job of City Manager last time and has his hat in the ring this time around as well. If Stewart doesn’t get the nod this time – you can expect him to be making an appointment with a moving company. The guy has been holding the city together for the past three months.
Citizen Engagement. Engaging the community is theoretically what every city hall is supposed to do. Burlington didn’t do all that well on that level. When Cam Jackson asked the late John Boich and former Mayor Walter Mulkewich to lead research into just what was needed to better engage the people who pick up the tab, few expected the report that was produced. Shape Burlington shook up many at city hall who felt they were unfairly picked on which was quite telling.
Some of the senior staff at the time felt they knew what the public needed and that the public didn’t need to be engaged all that much.
When the Shape Burlington report was released there was some hope – but a closer look at the people who served on that committee was revealing – Paul Sharman and Blair Lancaster were on the Shape Burlington Committee and withdrew when they decided to run for office. They were certainly not champions of involving the public during their first term of office but both got re-elected.
Code of conduct: While the Mayor likes to talk about how well this Council functions – in truth it doesn’t function all that well. The Councillors for wards 1 and 2 can’t stand each other – which makes it awkward for them because they sit beside each other.
Councillor Taylor, because of his experience, has a vision of the city and where he thinks it should go that is quite different than that of his colleague ward 4 Councillor Jack Dennison who has served more than 20 years on Council.
These two old timers (that’s intended as a compliment) never did share a common view of the city and the direction it should take. Taylor tends to work from strongly held principles – for Dennison its all about business.
One would like to think they would serve as the institutional memory for Council and while they both know where all the skeletons are buried they seldom put forward much in the way of long term thinking for the city. Councillor Taylor has done some excellent work with his Mt Nemo initiative but that has yet to bear any fruit. The city is spending $200,000 to determine if a heritage district is worthwhile.
Water Street property. This Council is going to have to make a decision soon on just what they will actually do with that stretch of property between St. Paul and Market Streets. They did vote in principal to sell the property subject to the price to be paid and some legal questions that have to be resolved.
Mike Swartz, spokesperson for the other two property owners, commissioned a report on the evolution of the property including the arrangements that were made for the building of the breakwater and the infill that was put in place to prevent natural erosion.
The report includes the Swartz version of the legal arguments that hound this issue. A concern for many is that the report Swartz commissioned will be used by Council to justify their original decision but because it is legal in nature the city’s solicitor might advise that it be kept under wraps. It would appear that the document is certainly germane to the issue – it should be made public if it informs the debate.
The citizen based Waterfront Committee has taken issue with how this matter has been handled and asked for an investigation on the way the city handled this issue. The Municipal Act allows for any person to request that an investigation be undertaken respecting whether a municipality, local board, or a committee of either, has complied with the closed meeting rules contained within section 239 of the Act. Municipalities are able to appoint an Investigator for the purpose of examining these closed meeting complaints.
A request was made last June – at this point the city Clerk’s office said they have yet to get the report. Might be a can of worms with this one
 Georgina Black got Burlington to the point where it produced the best Strategic Plan possible under the circumstances. Will Council now move forward with a plan that has both a vision and drive? Strategic Plan. The city put together a pretty good Strategic Plan in 2011. It was limited mostly because of the inexperience of the Council at that time. Given that it will be the same tribe creating the Strategic Plan for the next four years we can expect a shorter time frame to get the document done and a better final document.
Georgina Black of KPMG led Council through the 11 half day exercise. She realized part way through the second session with a group that consisted of both senior staff and council that there wasn’t what she called a BHAG – a big hairy audacious goal – something the city wanted to do.
Burlington doesn’t have a vision; it doesn’t have a goal – what it does have is many groups with goals of their own but nothing that the city can get a grip on and work towards.
Mayor Goldring did make an effort in the first half of his first mandate to pull people together and figure out what we wanted to be when we grew up. That event was as close to a disaster as you can get without being called a failure. The Mayor never produced a report for an event that came in at $50,000. It was all private sector money.
Official Plan: A critical document for the city. Frequently a bit of a yawn – not this time. Burlingtonians are demanding that we have a plan that we stick to and not change at every developers whim
Outstanding Development: Eagle Heights in Aldershot; Tremaine and Dundas in the north east end and Upper Middle Road at Burloak in the east centre part of town. All three are major development opportunities.
Economic Development: Where are we on this file? What defines us? Have we created a niche – something are better at than others and are thus attractive to corporations looking for a new location. Have we gotten beyond that tired phrase: the best mid-sized city in Canada?
This is a lot to get done in a four year term. Does this Council have the drive, vision and fortitude to achieve any of it?
 By Walter Mulkewich
November 18th, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
Greg Sorbara, “The Battlefield of Ontario Politics, An Autobiography”, Dundurn Publishers, Toronto, 2014
Greg Sorbara was one of Ontario’s most influential provincial politicians for 27 years from 1985 to 2012: He was a significant cabinet minister in the governments of David Peterson and Dalton McGuinty, including Minster of Finance in the McGuinty government. As President of the Liberal Party of Ontario and Chair of three consecutive Liberal Party election campaign victories, he helped build a successful political machine in Ontario.
 He was in Burlington Monday night as part of his book tour and demonstrated with his straight and candid talk why he was successful and progressive politician.
Sorbara’s autobiography provides a useful summary of Ontario provincial political issues in the past quarter century. But, most significantly this book gives a candid view of how politicians play the political game to actually get things done.
It’s a good read for aspiring politicians, those who want to understated what happens in the back rooms of political parties, and for all of us to understand how politics works.
He gives an understandable account of how the Ontario Health Premium was developed even though his party campaigned on a promise of no tax increase. He explains the kind of deal making that made possible the York Subway expansion. He shows the kind of collaboration that was needed to develop a progressive Ontario Child benefit.
Sorbara deals with the reality of politics as team sport: His candidacy for the Ontario Liberal Party leadership in 1992 in which he came third. His private views on issues such as the harmonized HST and Meech Lake. An honest account of his resignation from the Cabinet over allegations with respect to the Royal Technologies affair, he was exonerated and returned to cabinet. Some interesting stories about candidate recruitment and how campaigns are organized
Perhaps his most controversial chapter is about the gas plant issues in Oakville and Mississauga that he calls “the gas plant myths”, which were “impervious to evidence”. He devoted much of his talk in Burlington to this topic and makes a convincing case, but his is a point of view some might challenge.
His last chapter is the most interesting. He reflects on the future. He expresses his concern about income inequality and he makes a strong case for a national Income Support System and tax reform, as well as federal investment in cities. He talks about the need to grow the economies of smaller cities outside the GTA.
Perhaps Sorbara’s most interesting and controversial suggestion is that, while the Catholic School system has served its purpose, Ontario is changing, and we should have one publicly funded educational system. But, this is a position he never championed in his time at Queens Park.
As the pragmatic practitioner of the political arts, he does not indicate how we might move the political system to accomplish a single public educational system or his other ideas in his last chapter. Maybe that is the point of his book, that there is a time and place for taking on issues.
 Walter Mulkewich is former Mayor of Burlington. He served from 1991 to 1997. Prior to that he was a member of city Council in Burlington and Halton Regional Council.
By Staff
November 16, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
They are going to call it the Saxony and it will be limited to four storeys as required by the existing zoning.
 Will the re-design the developer does wrap the Saxony around the Melodia restaurant? Daniel Mclean, vice president with Landform Development Group Inc. wrote the Neighbours of St. Luke’s Precinct and thanked them for their comments and advised them that “will formally submit our new design and application in accordance with current zoning allowances (4 storeys of condos) in the spring of 2015.
The ‘Saxony’ project will be a 4-storey classic condominium building, designed to reflect the rich and vibrant heritage of the community in the City of Burlington. There is to be no on surface parking and there will be commercial space at grade.
“Our commitment” said Mclean “is to build great buildings in great communities, and after listening to all of the comments and feedback, we are very pleased to be building in (Ward 2 – St. Luke’s Precinct) in the City of Burlington.”
The Saxony certainly looks like a fine building in the renderings that were shown.
Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward has always taken the approach that developers should meet with the community before they take an application for development to city hall.
Whenever a developer wants to build something in Burlington they arrange for what is called a per-consultation meeting with the planning department. That is when the developers explains what they want to do and the planning department tells them what they are required to do under the zoning attached to the property and the guidelines in the Official Plan.
 It will be called the Saxony and will be limited to four floors with commercial at grade level and no above ground parking. Each ward Councillor gets a list of the pre-consultations that take place every month. Thus, they know what is coming down the pipe and can, if they wish, call the developer and arrange to talk about the project. Meed Ward appears to be the only Council member who invites the developers to meet with the community.
Meed Ward relates to her ward residents much differently than any other Council member. She is younger than the others; has a much stronger command of media, especially social media than any other Council member. Ward 1 Council member Rick Craven was a radio broadcaster but at a time when media was a lot different.
Meed Ward brings a much more open and collaborative style to her job. It was both interesting and telling when she told her residents that of course she wanted their vote – but more importantly she wanted their trust. That is the message she will take to the community when she announces she is running for Mayor in 2018.
If she is able to follow through on her record to date – Burlington will be a much different city ten years down the road.
There are those in the commercial development sector that say Meed Ward drives development out of the city. She didn’t drive Landform and its Saxony project out of town.
 ADI Development is asking for a zoning change to allow 28 stories on property currently zoned for a maximum of 8. It doesn’t always work out. Meed Ward met with ADI Development to talk about their 28 storey condominium project at Martha and Lakeshore. They were not interested in meeting the community. They did what they were required to do and will follow the 180 day time frame. If they don’t have an answer from the city they will probably, as is their right, take their application to the Ontario Municipal Board, which is what they have done with the Dundas/Sutton Link2 project.
ADI wasn’t interested in working with the community – they probably knew what the reaction was going to be – it was certainly rowdy when the Martha Street proposal was presented to the community.
Landform chose to meet with the community and listen to their objections.
The big difference between the two is that Landform was asking for one additional storey; ADI wants to put up a 28 storey structure on property that is zoned for eight.
Way back in 1985 the city approved the building of a 28 storey structure on the south side of Lakeshore. It took more than 20 years to get that project to the point where there are now shovels in the ground and a sales office on the site.
Had the Bridgewater site come before the city today – how would it have been received? Mayor Goldring explains that the project is a “legacy site” – whatever that means.
Wait until the public realizes there will be just 500 feet of open space between the condominium and the hotel through which people will be able to see the lake when the project is completed.
Some legacy!
Related content:
There is a different Burlington coming your way.
By Pepper Parr
November 16, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
What will the city look like in five years?
A lot differently than it looks today.
Lakeshore Road will be much different.
 The Bridgewater development from the lake. Not a lot of space between the condominium on the right and the hotel on the left at the top of the picture. It will be a pretty small “window on the lake”.  Bridgewater from LAkeshore Road. See it as the “legacy” project that was first approved in 1985 The Bridgewater condominium should be completed in five years – however it has been in the works for more than 25 years – so one never knows. We should be able to attend a New Year’s Eve party at the Delta which will be at the bottom of John Street within five years.
Carriage Gate will have completed the Bentley on John Street.
The Saxony will have been open for a number of years.
Will ADI Developments get the 28 storey’s they want at the bottom of Lakeshore and Martha? They will get something – perhaps everything they want. A close reading of their application suggests that the only real issue is traffic and city hall people say that isn’t an issue.
Will a new city hall be on the planning boards – the city has to do something about their office space needs. The existing structure is inefficient and doesn’t have the amount of space needed to house all the employees. Finance, Legal, Purchasing and most of the Capital Development people plus the Human Resources department walk across Elgin Street to city hall several times a day.
Is Burlington ever going to come up with a solution to the Elizabeth Street parking lot?
Will there be a development on the parking lot at the top of John Street leading into the plaza on Brant Street.
And what will we see in the way of preliminary plans for the Beachway part of the waterfront?
Lakeshore Road on the left – Old Lakeshore Road on the right. The ADI Development proposal will go up directly across from Ema’s Back Porch. There is an opportunity to do something really exciting with the properties between the two Lakeshores – but someone is going to have to pull the 18 property owners together. Not something the leadership of this Council is going to manage to do. Add to that list the parcels of land called the football – the properties between Old Lakeshore Road and Lakeshore Road. There is an incredible opportunity to do something spectacular that will be immediately east of the Bridgewater development – but the imagination and the political will are not evident in the hearts or minds of the newly elected Council. Mayrose Tyco owns a significant part of the property – where there are believed to be 18 different owners.
And of course there is then the Air Park issue – with the city pressing hard to get a site plan approved for the property. All indications are that the Air Park owners are pushing back quite hard. They recently completed the paving and widening of the runway and are adding landing lights – so someone over there who signs the cheques has a plan. It just hasn’t been shared with the city – yet.
The solution that residents arrived at with the developer for the four story condominium on Elgin and Locust suggests there is at least an opportunity for the public to be involved in the way the city grows.
Will we see the kind of community involvement with tax payers at the table for developments in other wards? Will a leopard change its spots?
 Is there a new city hall on the boards for the city? There is a report that sets out what the city has in the way of office space and what it needs. That should come to the surface the first year of this term; the city has to decide soon if it wants to renew its lease on the Simms building – across Elgin Street from city hall. Are we in for four years of same old at city hall?
The city will hire a new city manager in the next 60 days. We will know than what kind of administrative leadership we have – that will determine what gets taken to Council.
Former city manager Roman Martiuk was brought in to contain spending – but he and the Mayor parted way half way through Martiuk’ s contract.
The city brought in Jeff Fielding from London, ON. He was as much a gust of wind as he was a breath of fresh air. He had great ideas, huge plans, but didn’t stick around long enough to see any of them through.
Let’s see who the city decides to put in place to re-develop both the culture at city hall and maybe even cleaning out some of the department heads.
It is going to be interesting.
 By Staff
November 16, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
It was certainly an eye sore but it wasn’t really clear who owned the land and who was responsible for its upkeep. The Conservation Authority is in there somewhere – they are the ones who are responsible for ensuring that the flow of water through creeks in Halton is words
 T he red line shows the portion of Sheldon Creek that got a solid clean up from volunteers and a corporation that cared enough to ask their staff to pitch in and clean up a mess. The call went out anyone who wanted to help clean an illegal dump site near Harvester between Appleby and Burloak. “You are invited to participate and/or share this event with your friends. The dump is adjacent to a parking lot behind 977 Century Drive. Bellwyck Medical Services had property that backed onto the creek and their staff did a large part of the work one weekend.
The rest got done by a small group of people who turned out on a crisp fall day to pick up trash and help transform about 200M of Sheldon Creek from the dumpiest section to one of the best. The group removed nearly 50 tires, half a dozen mattresses and about 20 bags of trash…
 More than 50 tires were pulled out from the creek area along with dozens of bags of trash and mattresses that were deliberately dumped. The Field and Stream Rescue Team was the biggest group to show up along with people from Friends of Sheldon Creek and Corpus Christi High School.
 This garbage could have and should have been taken to the Regional dump. While the community has volunteer groups who took on this dirty task – where was the Conservation Authority? The creeks in the Region are their responsibility.
Personal thanks went out to the individuals who climbed up and down hills and braved the muck, burs and rose thorns to help Sheldon Creek not just become more beautiful, but better habitat for resident and visiting native flora and fauna. During the event, a Great Blue Heron and a Red Tailed Hawk dropped by. Coincidence? Maybe, but the group preferred to interpret their visit as an expression of gratitude.
Matthew, Cathy, Robyn, Jon, Ainsley, Vince, Jeff, Katie, David, Gen, Shane, Brad along with others were there. This is what community is all about.
 By Pepper Parr
November 15, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
The 2015 budget will take a significantly different approach in the way it is presented to the public. There will be a focus on Results Based Accountability with the service delivered more easily identified and understood. Tax payers will see the service; its cost and who is responsible for delivering that service efficiently and effectively. The first step in getting to that point was to create an inventory of services delivered to the public and to place them in categories for administrative purposes. What the city actually does for you is set out below.
What has city hall done for you lately? How about changing that to – what does city hall do for you anyway? And for that there is an answer.
 Just under 1000 people working full and part time deliver 25 different services to the public. The building they work in can no longer hold them all. They call it their Portfolio of Services – which is a list of all the things the city does for you. Burlington has what city hall calls an Insight Panel – which is a group of people who answer questions the city poses on the development of a service or a policy. It is a relatively small group of people but it does serve as a good sampling – it includes the balance needed to include gender, location, income, education, home owner or renter. The important part is the city doesn’t know and never will know who you are – they just know what you are.
The city used the Insight Panel to ask some questions about the portfolio of services. It wanted to know how well people understood the names given to the service and the description of the service.
The information being gathered is the first step towards Service Based Budgeting and Results Based Accountability.
The city will assign responsibility for the efficient and within budget delivery of each service and in time will ask the public if they want to continue spending a specific percentage of the budget and a set dollar amount on a specific service.
The following is a list of the services the city delivers.
Building Code Permit & Inspection Service
Development Review Service
Parks & Open Space Design & Development Service
Cultural Service
Organized Sport Support Service
Recreation Service
Council & Citizen Committee Service
Service Burlington
Cemetery Service
Parks & Open Space Maintenance Service
Roads & Sidewalk Maintenance Service
Street Lighting Service
Surface Water Drainage Service
Tree Management Service
Animal Control Service
By-Law Enforcement Service
Emergency Management Service
Fire Protection Service
Halton Court Service
Roads & Structures – Design & Construction Service
Parking Management Service
Traffic Operations Service
Transit Service
Transportation Planning Service
Winter Control Service
Each of these services will be put into a category – the city wanted to know what the panel thought about the six categories they had created and if a specific service should be in a particular category.
674 people were invited to take part in the survey; 385 started and 252 completed what was a long and at times complex survey.
In the report summary staff reported:
What We Learned
• Providing a visual reference, such as a picture, helps the public identify with a service; however, it is important the pictures truly represent the service to avoid confusion.
• The word “service” is over used and redundant.
• Descriptions must be clear and use easy-to-understand language.
• Categories must be well defined and their use must be clear.
What We Will Do
• Work with our service owners and communications partners to identify the appropriate pictures to associate with the service.
• Eliminate the word “service” from the service name.
• Work with our service owners to ensure clear and use easy-to-understand language is used in the descriptions and in other information related to the services.
• Use the comments from the panel to prompt discussion with service owners to refine our services.
• Revisit the category names and the categorization to refine based on feedback.
Of those who completed the survey the city wanted them to comment on the following:
Clarity: There were more favourable comments than unfavourable comments; that is, 70% were favourable and 30% were unfavourable. Of the favourable comments, 42% referred to the overall view being easy to follow.
Of the 30% unfavourable comments, the majority of these comments reflected the redundant use of the word “service” and the lack of clarity in the category names representing the services.
Format: There were more unfavourable comments than favourable comments; that is, 73% were unfavourable and 27% were favourable. Of the unfavourable comments, 28% related to the font size (e.g. being too small) and 20% referred to the need for the visual to be more appealing.
Completeness: There were only unfavourable comments related to completeness. The majority of the comments related to the catalogue not being complete with all services including reference to services provided by the Region of Halton.
Six categories were created with like services clustered together in a single category.
1) Design and Build; 2)Maintenance; 3)Roads and Transportation; 4)Leisure; 5)Local government support; 6) Public Safety and asked if a service belonged in a specific category.
Design & Build Category
Building Code Permit & Inspection Service: Over 70% of the respondents indicated the name and description were suitable. When asked to place the service into a category, over 75% of respondents selected the Design & Build category.
Development Review Service: Less than 50% of respondents indicated the name was suitable and slightly more than 55% of respondents indicated the description was suitable. When asked to place the service into a category, over 75% of respondents selected the Design & Build category.
 This is a little park that the public may never see – staff thought the city should lease the land on the edge of the lake between Market and St. Paul streets – council has decided to sell it – but that’s not a done deal yet. Parks & Open Space Design & Development Service: More than 60% of respondents indicated the name was suitable and slightly more than 55% of respondents indicated the description was suitable. When asked to place the service into a category, over 60% of respondents selected the Design & Build category.
Leisure Category
Cultural Service: Less than 50% of respondents indicated the name was suitable and less than 60% of respondents indicated the description was suitable. When asked to place the service into a category, over 75% of respondents selected the Leisure category. Seven respondents made specific comments that the Cultural Service name was too vague.
Organized Sport Support Service: Slightly less than 65% of respondents indicated the name was suitable and slightly more than 65% of respondents indicated the description was suitable. When asked to place the service into a category, over 90% of respondents selected the Leisure category.
Recreation Service: 75% of respondents indicated the name was suitable and more than 70% of respondents indicated the description was suitable. When asked to place the service into a category, over 80% of respondents selected the Leisure category.
Local Government Support Category
Council & Citizen Committee Service: Slightly less than 60% of respondents indicated the name was suitable and slightly less than 65% of respondents indicated the description was suitable. When asked to
 Residents gather to review a budget that the city has basically already made up their mind about. Some want a more open, transparent budget process. Results Based Accountability could be a first step towards this happening. place the service into a category, over 90% of respondents selected the Local Government Support category. Six respondents made comments indicating the service description should highlight citizen committees.
Service Burlington: Slightly less than 55% of respondents indicated the name was suitable and only 40% of respondents indicated the description was suitable. When asked to place the service into a category, over 75% of respondents selected the Local Government Support category. Thirteen respondents made specific comments indicating the name and description were too vague.
Maintenance Category
Cemetery Service: Over 70% of respondents indicated the name and description were suitable. When asked to place the service into a category, fewer than 40% of respondents selected the Maintenance category and almost 35% indicated that it did not fit into a category. Five respondents made comments indicating Cemetery Service does not fit well into a category.
Parks & Open Space Maintenance Service: Over 75% of respondents indicated the name and description were suitable. When asked to place the service into a category, over 75% of respondents selected the Maintenance category.
 That’s certainly surface water drainage. Roads & Sidewalk Maintenance Service: Over 75% of respondents indicated the name and description were suitable. When asked to place the service into a category, 60% of respondents selected the Maintenance category, while over 30% selected the Roads & Transportation category.
Street Lighting Service: Over 80% of respondents indicated the name and description were suitable. When asked to place the service into a category, 50% of respondents selected the Maintenance category while over 35% of respondents selected the Roads & Transportation category.
Surface Water Drainage Service: 75% of respondents indicated the name was suitable and over 70% of respondents indicated the description was suitable. When asked to place the service into a category, over 70% of respondents selected the Maintenance category. Three respondents made specific comments indicating the description was unclear.
Tree Management Service: Over 75% of respondents indicated the name and description were suitable. When asked to place the service into a category, over 85% of respondents selected the Maintenance category. Three respondents made specific comments indicating the name should be more descriptive and include the loose leaf pick-up program.
Public Safety Category:
Animal Control Service: Over 80% of respondents indicated the name was suitable and over 70% of respondents indicated the description was suitable. When asked to place the service into a category, approximately 50% of respondents selected the Public Safety category, while 25% of respondents felt it did not fit into a category and another 20% of respondents selected the Local Government Support category. Two respondents comments indicated the description was unclear and should be expanded and three respondents’ comments indicated it did not fit into a category.
 That hill of land fill that no one really knows where it came from was done without an approved site plan. The city had to go to court to force the Air Park owners to comply. They have yet to do so. By-Law Enforcement Service: Over 75% of respondents indicated the name was suitable and slightly less than 70% of respondents indicated the description was suitable. When asked to place the service into a category, less than 50% of respondents selected the Public Safety category, while over 25% of respondents selected the Local Government Support category. Three respondents’ comments indicated this service should be merged with Parking Management Service.
Emergency Management Service: Close to 75% of respondents indicated the name and description were suitable. When asked to place the service into a category, more than 70% of respondents selected the Public Safety category. Two respondents’ comments indicated the name was unclear.
Fire Protection Service: Over 85% of respondents indicated the name was suitable and almost 75% of respondents indicated that the description was suitable. When asked to place the service into a category, more than 90% of respondents selected the Public Safety category. Two respondents’ comments indicated the description was unclear.
Halton Court Service: Over 65% of respondents indicated the name and over 70% of respondents indicated the description was suitable. When asked to place the service into a category, less than 55% of respondents selected the Local Government Support category, while over 20% selected the Public Safety category and another 20% of respondents indicated it did not fit into a category. Two respondents’ comments indicated Halton Court Service did not fit into a category and three respondents’ comments indicated the name was vague.
Roads & Transportation Category:
Roads and Structures Design & Construction Service: Less than 70% of respondents indicated the name and description were suitable. When asked to place the service into a category, slightly less than 60% of respondents selected the Roads & Transportation category, while approximately 35% selected the Design & Build category.
Parking Management Service: Slightly over 80% of respondents indicated the name was suitable and slightly over 75% indicated the description was suitable. When asked to place the service into a category, over 60% of respondents selected the Roads & Transportation category. Three respondents’ comments indicated this service should be merged with By-Law & Enforcement Service.
 Traffic barriers in place on LAkeshore for the Car Free Sunday last year were expensive and not really used. The event was poorly attended. An opportunity for better traffic management. Traffic Operations Service: Over 60% of respondents indicated the name and over 65% of respondents indicated the description was suitable. When asked to place the service into a category, over 65% of respondents selected the Roads & Transportation category, while 20% selected Public Safety category. Five respondents’ comments indicated the name was unclear.
Transit Service: Over 80% of respondents indicated the name and over 75% of respondents indicated the description was suitable. When asked to place the service into a category, slightly less than 85% of respondents selected the Roads & Transportation category.
Transportation Planning Service: Slightly less than 65% of respondents indicated the name and slightly less than 60% of respondents indicated the description was suitable. When asked to place the service into a category, more than 65% of respondents selected the Roads & Transportation category, while over 20% of respondents selected the Design & Build category. Four respondents’ comments indicated the description was unclear.
 One of the more than 25 pieces of equipment out clearing the primary roads – on this day they were out at at 3 am. Winter Control Service: Over 70% of respondents indicated the name and over 80% of respondents indicated the description was suitable. When asked to place the service into a category, less than 50% of respondents selected the Roads & Transportation category, while over 30% of respondents selected the Maintenance category. Seventeen respondent comments specifically indicated winter cannot be controlled.
This is what your city does for you. In a couple of months they will tell you how much of your money they want to pay for these services.
The budget that is presented for 2015 will be quite a bit different than what the public saw for 2014. The Gazette will report on all the changes.
By Staff
November 15, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
 Helicopter with Santa aboard arrives at the Burlington Mall. The Ho, Ho, Ho man arrived at the Burlington Mall Saturday morning. He grabbed his bag of candy canes and headed for the store where he happily sat for hours getting his picture taken with kids on his knee and a smile on his face.
 This is Santa’s “cookie” elf -handing out cookies to the crowds awaiting Santa’s arrival. Check out the pink tool belt with the kitchen utensils. The elf learned her cooking skills at Tuck elementary school. The event is an annual thing for the Burlington Mall. Santa will be “in residence” from
10:00 am – 8:00 pm on Fridays, from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm on Saturdays and from 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm on Sundays, starting November 15, 2014.
Once December hits and Santa and his elves have finished making toys for Christmas, he’ll be able to spend more time at his cabin.
 Santa listens carefully to make sure he gets the gift request right. His December hours are: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm Monday through Saturday, and 10:00 am – 6:00 pm on Sundays.
By Pepper Parr
November 15, 2014
Burlington, ON
She does it differently.
We get to many, but not all, of the local meetings Council members hold and while they each have their own style, ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward does do something uniquely different. She listens, she coaxes answers out of people and – yes she still talks too much. But her people – and those that show up are very much her people; like her and they trust her.
Thursday evening the community meeting was about a condominium project basically across the street from the Performing Arts Centre wrapped around what is currently the Melodia restaurant. City hall is across another one of the three streets that border this project.
Zoning for the property is four storeys – and that zoning is specific to the property. The developer wants to add an additional floor and is asking for a change in the zoning and the Official Plan.
Meed Ward tends to personally oppose this kind of change in both zoning and the Official Plan. She argues that it is not the city’s job to make changes in zoning so that a developer can gain additional density and this a higher return on their investment.
Zoning on the property:
Permits high density residential, office & commercial uses
Permits density between 51 & 185 units per hectare
Retail uses required at grade
No surface parking permitted
Min. height 2 storeys – max. 4 storeys
Other Downtown Core sites allow up to 8 storey height through rezoning.
This area has a specific policy restricting height to 4 storeys to maintain compatibility with residential uses to the north and west
Meed Ward tends to look for trade-offs – in return for the additional density she looks for some form of contribution to the city. It can be public art or an amenity from which the public will benefit.
The fifth floor in the design is set back by about three metres on each side so that it doesn’t add to the perceived height of the building. What wasn’t stated at the meeting was that the mechanical equipment will be on top of the fifth floor; adding a bit more height.
The design is both traditional and classic in looks with detailing to be done in stone and brick. There will be bay windows in each unit with balconies built into the side of the structure and not hanging out on the side of the building.
Whenever a developer asks for a change local residents bring up the old setting a “precedent” argument and developers do try to exploit that when they are looking for a change in the rules.
City planner Bruce Krushelnicki tirelessly tells people that a change made in one location does not mean the same change is going to be permitted elsewhere. Planners ask one question: Is this a good plan and if, in their judgement it is good planning , they say so in their staff report. Have they made mistakes in the past? You bet your ‘bippy’ they have – the Ghent Street development was a serious mistake that we predict history will prove to have been wrong.
The re-development would be a fine addition to the downtown part of the city. Some suggested that allowing five stories would put pressure on the single storey and two storey dwellings in the neighbourhood – and it will. Many of the properties on Locust do not make economic use of the land they site on. Some of the properties are historic in nature and have to be preserved and the Heritage Advisory committee will be asked for an opinion on their historic credibility. One of the structures used on the property that was purchased by the developer used to house the Blair Lancaster Spa – while the building is on the Registry it is hard to see much in the way of historic value to the structure. It actually looks a little shabby.
The Core District group which keeps a close eye on development in their immediate neighbourhood and everything in the ward is good at getting the troops out to oppose projects. It would be a large step forward if they moved beyond just opposing and got into some serious thinking about what they want their neighbourhood to look like 5, 10 and 20 years out.
 Ken Greenberg told Burlingtonians in 2012 that they could have much more input if development proposals brought to the city if they organized. Noted planner Ken Greenberg was in Burlington in April of 2012, as part of the Mayor’s Insight series of events – one of the better things the Mayor did in his first term of office. Greenberg explained that it is possible for the residents of a neighbourhood to set out their basic principles and invite any developer with plans to meet with them.
That is a part of what happened Thursday evening but that event was organized by the ward Councillor – the residents themselves need to take control.
The architect and the developer that met with the public Thursday evening appeared to be quite willing to accommodate the audience. They have yet to take an application to the planning department. They were convinced to meet with the residents in the community – about 50 people attended and they listened. They will now go back to their drawing boards, perhaps make some changes and submit their application. They have bought and paid for the property so they have sin in the game.
The developer said that they usually build one bedroom units but that real estate people in Burlington advised them that the market wanted two bedroom size units. One parking space for each unit and ¼ of a parking space for each unit to accommodate visitors.
 The proposed development is two blocks north of this intersection. Adding a fifth storey to the proposed building is not going to change the texture or feel of the neighbourhood. When built – the structure will add dignity and grace to the streetscape. There really wasn`t much to complain about with this project. The chatter in the Gazette`s comments section based on a piece we published telling people about the meeting had these words: One said: “I do however like the design and the extra story is stepped back nicely and does not appear to be detrimental. If I’m a resident, I’d rather be near a high-quality 5 story building, than a cheapo 4 story building. Or a parking lot that a developer is sitting on in hopes of building something big for that matter. Hopefully they can get this done whether it happens to be 4 stories or 5 stories is not really the most important issue.”
Peter Rusin, a candidate for Mayor said: “This site is actually quite suitable for an 8-storey redevelopment. There is no reason for any of the old Meed Ward crazy type of resistance; that negative philosophy increases taxes for everybody, keeps unwanted upward pressure on housing price increases for everyone, and kills downtown businesses that hope to rely on more people living in the core. I just hope the old Meed Ward mentality changes in the new term of council. I hope she does her math homework; this assignment is easy. Go to eight stories and encourage even more intensified projects; The future of Burlington depends on it.”
Another astute observer made this comment: “The main difference between Ms. Meed Ward’s point of view and Mr. Rusin’s is that the electorate supported the former and rejected the latter.
A principle of good planning is that we establish a plan and be extremely prudent about changing it. I don’t believe we owe developers the “right” to make a living.
This is a good development. It will be pricy but there will be quality sticking out of every corner. We will be lucky to get it. At least that is my take.
Related content:
What Ken Greenberg had to say about involving the community.
Initial response to the project was divided.
By Staff
November 14, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
Halton Regional Police have completed their month long firearms and weapons amnesty. It is evident our communities in Halton are that much safer due to the partnership between the community and police.
Between October 15 and November 15, 2014, Halton officers took in approximately 180 firearm were turned in, approximately 40 knives and 200 pounds of ammunition.
Police invited people with a firearm to turn it over to police who would destroy the weapons. When the announcement of the amnesty was made police cautioned anyone asking to have a weapon picked up to:
DO NOT BRING ANY WEAPONS OR FIREARMS TO A POLICE STATION.
DO NOT TRANSPORT FIREARMS OR WEAPONS IN YOUR VEHICLE.
DO NOT GREET OFFICERS AT THE DOOR WITH FIREARMS/WEAPONS.
Officers assigned to pick up the weapons“ said the announcement will provide police identification and will require a signature for destruction. They added that “This Amnesty is an opportunity for everyone to take part in removing these firearms and weapons from the community, reducing the risk of them falling into the hands of criminals.`
Today there are 180 fewer guns in the community.
The police make as much use of photo-ops as the politicians and have invited media to attend a photo opportunity at HRPS Headquarters, 1151 Bronte Rd, in the Town of Oakville on Monday November 17th at 10:00am in the Community Room.
Related story:
Police offer an amnesty to owners of guns and other weapons
By Pepper Parr
November 14th, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
The end of the 100 day stretch comes to a close today. Ron Foxcroft took on the challenge of getting Burlingtonians to raise $2 million to support those people who were severely damaged by the August 4th flood.
 Anyone with the ability to listen got the Foxcroft pitch. That figure turned out to be more than the city would need – and more than we were able to raise as well. But that shouldn’t be seen as a failure on anyone’s part. A great job was done and by the end of the day the Burlington Community Foundation will release a new number.
While the “official” fund raising period comes to a close there are still major donations coming in. One of the major banks will be doing a presentation next week and there are a number of people who can and will write significant cheques now that they know every dollar they give is going to produce two more dollars from the provincial government.
The fund raising will continue, albeit on a smaller scale until December 15th. On that date – everything stops – and the BCF moves to the disbursing of the funds to those people who have submitted applications.
 Foxcroft was relentless in his drive to pull in the funds needed. There was quite a bit of his own money on the table as well.  Cheques like this just didn’t happen. It took many phone calls and a lot of persuasive language to get them written. We will tell you when this is all over which banks were at the table and which weren’t. The people of this city have done a fine job. Foxcroft has burned his candle at both ends and the people he works with at selling unique whistles want him back at his desk. The National Basket Ball Association wants to see more of him as well – and wife Marie hopes to actually have Ron at home for dinner in their house and not at some banquet. The two have not sat across from each other in their own dining room since August 18th. Light the candles Marie and set out the silver.
By Staff
November 14, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
A Burlingtonian is at least going to get a chance to carry the Pan Am Torch. We didn’t get to hold any of the Pan Am events at Sherwood Forest Park because of the mis-information that was handed out by both the city, the then Council member.
We did get to rent a brand new soccer pitch at City View Park to the soccer teams for practices but the public will not be allowed to watch any of those practices. We will be getting a pretty decent sized cheque for letting them use the space.
 And the Delta Hotel that will rise on Lakeshore Road along with a 22 and a seven storey condominium won’t be open in time for the games either.
But someone from Burlington will carry the torch through the city. And the public is going to be involved in choosing who that person is going to be.
Burlington is described as a major celebration community for the Pan Am Torch Relay and will choose a local resident to carry the Pan Am flame on behalf of the city.
The Burlington Pan Am Community Engagement Committee is accepting applications and nominations until Dec. 14. To be considered, applicants or nominators must submit a photo and a Letter of Interest explaining the connection to Burlington and what being Burlington’s community torchbearer would mean to him or her. The public will then vote on a short list of names the committee will release.
If you’re interested send your application to: www.burlington.ca/panam .
Allan Magi, the city’s executive director of capital works said: “We encourage residents who will be 13 years and older on May 30, 2015, to apply to be Burlington’s community torchbearer. “We’ll be looking to the community to help select the finalist to run for Burlington when the flame comes to the city.”
The short list of torchbearer nominees, including their submissions, will be shared at on the panam portion of the city web site.
Residents will be asked to select the community torchbearer to represent Burlington beginning Dec. 19, 2014. Voting will close on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015. The selected torchbearer will be notified in mid-January.
The relay begins in May 2015 with the traditional Aztec lighting ceremony at the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, Mexico. The Canadian journey for the flame starts with its arrival in Toronto on May 30, 2015.
It will then visit five cities in Canada, as well as 130 communities across Ontario.
 By Jennifer Soukup
November 14, 2014
Burlington, ON
Being the owner of a restaurant is like a recipe:
It starts off with a bunch of ingredients that all get whisked together in a bowl and cooked into something. You have to have many components for the end product to turn out. With time comes perfection.
There’s something about walking in every morning that I love. Kind of neat that after five years I still smile to myself when I pull into the parking lot and turn down the country music.
 Soukup does not catch the fish – when she fished – well she is pointing to her most recent catch. Starting up the coffee pot and checking with the bike store next door if the mail lady dropped off mail. Then it’s a whole bunch of ordering, scheduling, paying bills and prepping, before I turn the open sign to flashing.
I believe the old saying -if you love what you do, it doesn’t feel like work. Cutting a 700 pound fish sure feels like work, but knowing that the customers are happy with eating wild fish makes me happy.
Making everything from scratch and without preservatives is also time consuming, but it separates our products from the rest. So I guess if you love what you do then it just feels worthwhile.
When I was 25 I bought Boston Fish & Chips. I wasn’t sure what to expect. It has been a roller-coaster of learning that’s brought me to my fifth year here.
Not to mention all of my regular customers who feel more like family. I’ve grown as an individual, and I’ve really enjoyed watching all of their families grow as well.
There’s the elderly couple who come in every Tuesday at 10:45, even though we don’t open until 11 and the man makes sure I put exactly 12 French fries on his plate. Never 11, never 13.
There are the two little girls who ride here on their bikes from around the corner to share a plate of ketchup together, because I can never see the fries.
There is this older gentleman who always tells me a joke every time he comes I always listen carefully, even though it’s always the same joke over and over.
There’s the couple who brings me tomatoes from their garden and tells me stories about their beautiful granddaughter and the trips they’ve taken.
Plus my Mom and Dad who are my biggest cheerleaders and just a phone call away to listen, offer advice and come in to help on the biggest day of my year.
Don’t know where I’d be without them. My grandma who comes to bring me fruit and tell me stories while I cut cabbage, and my other grandparents who stop by regularly.
My sister and brother and their families who come and make sure I’m not working too hard. My supportive boyfriend who always seems to make me laugh and calm me down when things get hectic; my friends who don’t get mad at me for working long hours, and being okay with me meeting them after I close.
 Jennifer uses the sign her boyfriend painted to let people know she has been successfully running Boston Fish and Chips for five years. The girls who work for me, let me take some time to myself and letting me trust them with Boston. All of these things are the things that create my recipe. Without some of these components my end product might not turn out so well.
So if you’re driving by on November 15th, we are celebrating my fifth year here. We are giving away slices of cake and if you spend $25 you’ll receive a free order of onion rings. To all of you, who continue to touch my heart over the years, thank you.
 By Staff
November 13, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
 You choose your bowl, get it filled with soup, enjoy the meal at a table with friends and totter along to the Arts and Craft Sale elsewhere in the building. Soup and a Bowl is reason enough to visit the Art Gallery of Burlington – the Christmas Arts and Craft Sale is what could keep you there long after lunch.
The Soup Bowl event has been taking place for 18 years with artists from around the province contributing the bowls that are used and then taken home.
The potters get a tax receipt for each bowl they make and a free ticket to the event for every ten bowls they make.
We asked: “Do some potters contribute more than one bowl?” “Oh my gosh” responded Anne Brownell, the staffer directing the promotion of this event, “we had people who made more than 100 bowls each.” Joanne Paas, Chu Luu and Greg Marshall contributed more than 100 bowls each.
We usually need between 700 and 800 bowls – we got 1500 this year so we are set for another year.
 The table setting would put a lot of Burlington restaurants to shame. The event has always been popular. The table setting in the Shoreline Room is not that far from the way the dining room at the King Edward hotel is set up.
With a tummy filled with unique soups – it is a short walk to the north end of the AGB and an opportunity to purchase art and craft items on sale.
 The AGB Guilds put on the Christmas Arts and Craft sale at the same time as the Soup Bowl event. Artists in Burlington see this as one of the premiere events for them to market their work. Six of the AGB Guilds take part in the event – something not to be missed.
The Arts and Crafts sale runs from November 13th through to November 16th.
 By James Smith
November 13, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
I remember this past Tuesday. I’m standing in my office staring at the framed memento, almost 100 years old. A thing I’ve looked at and read countless times; “In the Service of the Nation”. Standing silently I read the names of the engagements: Chateau Thierry, Soissons, Argonne. Argonne, where he received his Purple Heart. The Purple Heart is framed and kept by one of my brothers, now retired from the American Military.
 I remember. I remember being a child, holding the medal in my hand and can still feel how heavy & cold it was. How odd to touch the engraved name, the same name as me. I can now hear the TV downstairs again. Two minutes are up, all over, go back to what you were doing. Except I keep thinking of him, his easy smile, the shock of thick white hair, the soft voice that gave his birthplace away despite decades of life in Hell’s Kitchen. He’d never talk about the war, we kids would press but he’d cloud over and say something like “The park is no place to talk of such things”. The most he would ever say is that it was a quick way to become a REAL American.
I remember his funeral. I was just old enough to know that Vietnam was starting to go badly and my own childhood notion of going to America and joining the US Marines was starting to fade as a real goal. The flag draped coffin and the honour guard suddenly seemed very scary to a ten year old. I almost cried in shock when the rifle volleys sounded. The folded flag presented to my Grandmother made me think of what I had been seeing on the TV and the young men being killed in Vietnam.
I remember looking at the Empire State Building in the distance as we made our way back to the limousine and thinking as sad as I was, what would it be like if this was one of my cousins? What if it was my dad being lowered into the ground? I’ve sometimes thought back to that springtime week in New York as the time when I started to wonder about such things that Edwin Starr would sing about a few years later in his song WAR!
I remember the following November and learning to recite In Flanders Field (I still can by the way). At the Remembrance Day assembly not only did I recite John McCrae’s Poem but I introduced the speaker. A First World War Vet, a kindly and grandfatherly gentleman. He kept me on stage to hold his tin hat after I introduced him. The helmet had an odd slice in the back flange, I put my fingers in the hole as I nervously continued to stand on stage, the slash in the steel felt cold and jagged and I wondered about the hole.
Our guest spoke not about war, but about the peace that he hoped we had gained through the horror of three wars. He told us of his wish that peace would fill our days so us kids would never have to see any of the horror that he, and my late Grandfather did. As he concluded his address he took a piece of metal out of his pocket and said how luck he was to be speaking to us and had me hand him his helmet back. With this nasty chunk of metal in one hand and the helmet in the other, he neatly locked the shrapnel into the hole in the tin hat. The audience gasped. After the assembly at recess I was briefly a cool kid because I had held this army helmet, but I recall being somewhat confused by the experience. I still am.
I remember and honour those who’ve served and those who’ve died and respect those who still continue to wear the uniform. I think all Canadians are a little more mindful and respectful this November after the killing of Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, and Corporal Nathan Cirillo. But war should never be an option until every other option has been tried and found wanting. Since the Korean War Canada has a proud history of Peace Keeping, a tradition that some would have us move away from. In fact we have very few remaining Peacekeepers in this world and I don’t like this trend. I think my grandfather and others of his generation would tend to agree with me.
 In their book WARRIOR NATION: REBRANDING CANADA IN AN AGE OF ANXIETY, Ian McKay and Jamie Swift talk about the “New Warriors” who are “looking to shift public opinion.” They speak of “zealots” who would “transform postwar Canada’s central myth-symbols. Peaceable kingdom. Just society. Multicultural tolerance. Reasoned public debate.” They would replace these traditions with “A warrior nation. Authoritarian leadership. Permanent political polarization.” Vimy Ridge it seems is more important than Baldwin and LaFontaine, MacDonald and Cartier, Laurier and the settling of the west or many other achievements.
A battle in a useless war is now being spoken of as what “made” Canada. This trend troubles Messrs McKay and Swift enough they’ve written a book, and this trend fills me with an empty feeling. The first world war was a war between Empires that was foolish, brutal, stupid and avoidable. As a colony Canada was involved because we had no choice. That men fought, and fought bravely should be remembered, but so should the fact that it wrecked and bankrupted Europe and set the table for Fascism and Stalinism and the further horror that was the second world war. That we should say our nation “came of age” because brave men killed other brave men in a war that we had no say in seems to me to the acme of jingoistic nostalgia for the good old days of Red Ensigns and Rule Britannia not the foundation of the amazing country we live in today.
I remember an all but forgotten monument on University Avenue in Toronto. You’ve likely seen it, just north of Queen Street, it’s the memorial dedicated to those who died in the Boer War. The monument features two heroic young Canadian lads marching off to do battle. As they look to the middle distance, they march in the direction a young Britannia is pointing to.
Whenever I see this monument it always make me think she’s saying: “Go! Go forth & defend the Empire good lads! Africa must be free of the evil Dutch farmers and safe for gold & diamond mines and to build Apartheid! GO my lads GO!” It is a lonely and sad monument that seems to be forgotten. Many men fought bravely for Queen and Empire, four Victoria Crosses were awarded to Canadians in that war. Given the precedent of this forgotten monument why not dust that off too and say Canada was born on the Veldt at Paardeberg rather than Vimy Ridge? I say it’s just as relevant.
 I remember visiting Sarajevo. Back when it was still Yugoslavia and I stood on the spot where Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were assassinated. The spot where the match was struck that started the Great War, and it seemed so ordinary and almost shabby. How did such a quaint and diverse city, an Olympic host city later become a place of such carnage in the Bosnian war? I bet I know part of the reason. Hate. Intolerance. Envy. Authoritarian Leadership. Political Polarization. Military Zealots.
We need to rid our landscape of such things. That the military will always be a large part of Remembrance day goes without saying. But we need to always ensure that our Remembrance Day ceremonies do not become jingoistic celebrations of conflict. The reason we remember those who served and who have fallen is to also reflect on the Peace and what is left of our Freedoms due to the service and the sacrifice of so many. We lose these freedoms through our complacency and acceptance of what the generals want.
Just to let you in on a teeny weeny secret; since at least the time of the Sumerians, the Generals have never had enough toys, and they always want to play with their toys.
I remember in the 1970’s some wag saying “rather than declare war on a little country, we should declare Peace on all countries”. I’d like to suggest we take this idea up and start a new tradition for our next Canada Day; two minutes of silence while we think about what we can do for Peace in our homes, workplaces, cities, provinces and our country. Perhaps then we can build a world that’s more like what my Grandfather would have liked to think that his service helped to build.
James Smith is an architectural technologist who dabbles in politics and has been described as an essayist. The above is his most recent pondering.
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