 By Pepper Parr
March 8th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
One of the outcomes of the day long workshop on procedures and the flushing out of values and how members of Council wanted to be able to interact with each other was another workshop on things like what a Point of Order is and when a Point of Personal Privilege can be used.
It was also going to include a session on how to be a good Chair of a meeting.
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward taking part in a Council Workshop on procedural issues It was while Council members were commenting on the idea of a workshop that Mayor Marianne Meed Ward said that if she had known more about Points of Order things may have been different at a past Council meeting.
That was a bit of a stretch. During the last meeting of the 2014 Council Meed Ward demonstrated an impressive understanding of procedure and the ability to respond very quickly.
Defeated council member Jack Dennison made a comment about Meed Ward’s Team “stealing his voters”. Meed Ward rose to speak when Mayor Goldring explained that comments were not debatable at which point Meed Ward pulled out a copy of the Procedural Bylaw and gave it to the Clerk that made it clear she was permitted to speak under a Point of Personal Privilege.
It was the first time that the public got to see how tough Meed Ward was going to be in working to replace much of what Golding’s council had done with the Official Plan that Meed Ward was going to rewrite.
The remarks Meed Ward made during the recent Workshop was the first time the public heard her inch towards an explanation for the behaviour during that terrible June meeting of Council that the Mayor chaired virtually from London, Ontario where she was attending the graduation of one of her daughters.
 Marianne Meed Ward accepting accolades from her election team the day she won the race to become Mayor. That isn’t enough.
The Mayor has to apologize to Shawna Stole, she can do that privately, and then go on camera, look directly into the lens and admit that the June 2022 day as not her best day; that she wishes it had never happened but it did and accept responsibility.
Everyone makes mistakes and sometimes lets a situation get out of hand. Real leaders know that when the err they apologize and work to ensure that kind of thing doesn’t happen again
Less hubris and more humility – it will take time but if Marianne Meed Ward wants to be the leader she aspires to be a behavioural course correction is needed now.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
 By Pepper Parr
March 8th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Is there anything to the rumour that the Hamilton Bulldog organization is looking at a Burlington location to build a new arena.
Our source knows the sport, knows the team ownership and is in that loop.
 The intersection of Brant and Fairview – a small mall set up with a Staples retail operation. There is one historical building on the site. The mall itself is not completely occupied; two major tenants have moved. There are some challenges but the people behind the Bulldogs are experienced at overcoming obstacles.
Meanwhile our friends at the Bay Observer report that Brantford city Council has voted 10 – to look at upgrading their arena from 3000 to 5000 seats and has put real money on the table look at what could be done.
From the Observer:
With the Brantford Bulldogs’ season ticket drive sitting at 2.400 for a 3,000-seat arena, the city is taking a serious look at making the team move to Brantford permanent by building an OHL-compatible arena.
On Tuesday night, Brantford Councillors voted 10-0 in favour of exploring upgrades that would bring the building up to a 5,000-seat capacity, thus meeting OHL requirements.
City staffers have now been given the green light to work on a financial plan, hiring an engagement and retaining service and sport consultants to create more ice and seating in the city.
 Bulldogs owner Michael Andlauer shakes with Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis. The Bulldogs are in Brantford under a one year agreement that has three renewal options Ward 3 Councillor Dan McCrary wants to see progress made on the project during the three-years the Bulldogs have contracted to be in Brantford. “We’ve got a three-year arrangement … three one-year options, so time is not unlimited and that’s why we want to advance this during 2023,”
Both the City of Brantford and the Bulldogs will pour an estimated $7.5 million into the downtown Brantford arena to facilitate an agreement that offers the team three year-long renewals.
Brantford has agreed to spend $4.67 million including $1.63 million to install a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.
Today, Andrea Horwath told 900 CHML’s Good Morning Hamilton on Wednesday she’s “hopeful” the team will make its way back to the city once a multi-year $100-million renovation of FirstOntario Centre is complete.
‘It does need to be done,” Horwath said.
“Then we’ll have a state-of-the-art arena and we’ll see, hopefully, the Bulldogs back.”
Burlington Mayor Meed Ward is understood to have met with Michael Andlauer owner of the Bulldogs.
 By Staff
March 8th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
April is National Poetry Month – the Burlington Public Library (BPL) is celebrating with its second annual Burlington Lyrics & Poetry Festival.
 Joseph Dandurand This year’s lineup offers an exciting schedule of performances, workshops, and activities for all ages, including a feature presentation by hip-hop singer-songwriter, LTtheMonk. Represented by Sonic Unyon and known for his lyrical wordplay, LT will showcase his poetic talent on BPL’s stage before answering audience questions.
His is one of seven live performances in the festival lineup, which also includes a showcase by award-winning slam poet, Lisa Shen, samples of Verdi’s La Traviata with Southern Ontario Lyric Opera, and a family-friendly presentation of theatrical prose by The Travelling Stage.
Fans of the spoken word will also get their turn in the spotlight during the festival’s capstone afternoon which includes an open mic event, along with poignant readings by poetry powerhouses, Desiree McKenzie and Catherine Graham.
The festival is as educational as it is entertaining with several poets and songwriters offering intimate workshops and presentations on their writing processes.
 Lita Barrie, CEO of Burlington Public Library. “We are excited to have a lineup of artists from diverse backgrounds presenting a diverse selection of spoken word and music,” says Lita Barrie, CEO of Burlington Public Library. “The goal of the festival is to connect people with the power of words, and we hope everyone will find something that ignites their passion for poetry.”
All events are free to attend, whether or not you are a library member. Registration opens at noon on March 15th. So, bring your curiosity, creativity, and imagination—and come along on this month-long exploration of lyrics and poetry.
2023 Burlington Lyrics & Poetry Festival Lineup
Meet the Songwriter: LTtheMonk – Monday, April 03, 7-8pm
Schubert: His Life & Music – Thursday, April 6, 2-3pm
Meet the Poet: Sareh Farmand – Tuesday, April 11, 2-3pm (virtual)
Meet the Poet: Lisa Shen – Thursday, April 13, 6.30-8.30pm
The Art of Haiku Workshop – Monday, April 17, 1.30-3pm
Meet the Poet:Dionne Samuels – Monday, April 17, 7-8pm
Verdi’s La Traviata – Wednesday, April 19, 2-3.30pm
Meet the Poet: Joseph Dandurand – Thursday, April 20, 2-3pm (virtual)
Step Into Stories – Saturday, April 22, 1-2pm
Meet the Poet: Catherine Graham – Sunday, April 23, 1-1.30pm
Meet the Poet: Desiree Mckenzie – Sunday, April 23, 1.30-2pm
Lyrics & Poetry Open Mic – Sunday, April 23, 2.30-4pm
 By Pepper Parr
March 8th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
When the city put out a media release earlier this week advising the public that the coyote population was now in its Denning Season a number of people had questions.
 The Gazette is currently running a readership survey. It will be up until the 15th – you can access the survey HERE One wrote: “I’m waiting for the time when someone gets seriously attacked or their pet killed, and resorts to a class action suit. This, sadly, is where we may be heading”
City seems to be taking its lead, again, from Coyote Watch and placing the onus on citizens to manage what the City increasingly appears incapable of administering. This is a failed strategy that is as ineffective in 2023 as it was in 2015.
 A dangerous coyote – they don’t all snarl – but they are a concern Another reader finds that when she is out walking her dog, more often than not she spots a coyote and has to pick up her dog and start walking backwards away from the coyote.
In September of 2022, Stephen White and Julie Martin wrote and presented to the City Manager, a detailed report with some action that could be taken.
The City Manager sat on the report – didn’t pass it along to any member of Council. He later said that he should have circulated the report.
White points us to several features in the report which we have set out below.
Conduct an impact analysis by neighbourhoods to identify various controls that should be implemented to safeguard residents, children and pets from coyote attacks.
Improve both the quantity and quality of signage relating to coyotes, and ensure it offers meaningful information on what to do in the event of sightings.
Current municipal by-laws should be amended to permit the laying of charges and assessment of fines for persons who feed coyotes.
Provide appropriate coyote management education in schools and parks that border creeks.
Change municipal by-laws to permit residents to increase fence heights in order to deter coyotes from entering residents’ properties.
Permit residents’ whose properties back onto wooded areas to place an awning structure at the top of their fence to prevent coyote jumps.
Request more frequent and nightly bylaw officer visits to wooded areas known to have coyote dens.
Scientifically measure the size of the coyote population in West Oakville, Bronte and Burlington.
Institute a program of coyote contraception to limit the size of the coyote population.
Initiate a program of aggressive hazing to instill fear in coyotes.
Institute a program of regular pesticide spraying of rats and other vermin consumed by Coyotes in our trail areas and known den areas.
Stephen White is of the view that parts of the report he submitted are being implemented which he sees as a problem
Related news story:
Coyotes are creating dens for their newborn pups
Orillia takes a different approach
The White- Martin report on the Coyote problem
 By Staff
March 8th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington offers a wide variety of recreation programs for all ages and abilities, from educational programs to sports and fitness programs.
Adult programs vary from sports, games, fitness, creative activities, social events, day trips, discussion and learning programs for adults of all ages and abilities. In-person and virtual courses are offered.
 Pickle Ball – the current rage for the Senior set Registration dates and times for the Spring 2023 Adult Recreation Program Registration are is as follows:
Registration opens on Saturday, March 11 at 9 a.m.
Non-resident registration opens Friday, March. 17, at 9 a.m.
Visit our Registering for a Program page for more information
Customer Service staff are available by phone at 905-335-7738 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday. Email support is available Monday to Friday.
In-person registration is available at the Burlington Seniors’ Centre and Tansley Woods Community Centre starting Monday March 13, following the launch.
 By Pepper Parr
March 8th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
The Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) met Tuesday morning and during a 45 minute meeting determined that the case would be head in March of 2024 and last 19 days – from March 5th to March 19th, 2024
The city of Burlington, Millcroft Greens, the applicants, the Region of Halton, the Halton Conservation Authority, MAD, Millcroft Against Development and Millcroft Greenspace Alliance are the parties appearing before the OLT.
 Aerial view of part of Millcroft golf course The OLT member ordered that the issues list be organized and consolidated by April 3rd. An Issues List sets out what each of the parties thinks the key issues are – that list has been submitted by each party – it now has to be organized and consolidated then it becomes what gets argued by legal counsel for each of the parties.
The OLT member hearing the case asked that people not submit form letters setting out their opinions. The hearing process is now at the point where arguments over the technical issues are the focus.
 Rendering of where new homes will be located The OLT member asked if the group has considered mediation. Our correspondent said that there was a rather long period of silence. This development resolution is going to be litigated.
The OLT member added that she was fully aware there was a significant amount of public interest at the pre-application meetings, at delegations to City Council is as well at the required Statutory meeting.
The Member was not aware that the City had passed a resolution supporting the community. That decision was made on December 13th, an occasion when Council went into a closed session and did not communicate their decision made in the CLOSED session.
Burlington’s Counsel at the OLT meeting undertook to submit a copy of the resolution.
This is one of those situations where the city had a good news story for Millcroft residents that they neglected to share.
Related news story:
City decides to support the residents
By Staff
March 7th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Karina Gould, the Member of Parliament for Burlington and a member of the Justin Trudeau Cabinet was today named to Women of Influence+, a leading global organization dedicated to promoting gender equity in the workplace.
 Karina Gould sitting in the House of Commons while then President Obama was addressing both the House and the Senate Minister Gould was named to this distinguished list of influential Canadians for her important work advancing gender equality and fighting for families in Canada, namely her role in negotiating the bilateral childcare agreements with provinces and territories, and building a historic and transformational Canada-wide early learning and childcare system as well as her contributions to Canada through her roles as Minister of Democratic Institutions and International Development. Minister Gould is the youngest woman appointed to Cabinet in Canadian history and is extraordinarily proud to represent her constituency in Burlington.
The Top 25 Women of Influence Awards celebrate women who have made significant contributions to their respective fields. This year’s recipients represent a diverse range of industries and sectors, each with their own unique stories of success and impact. Women of Influence+ is committed to celebrating and promoting women’s achievements and advocating for gender parity in all areas of work and life.
“I am honoured to be named as one of Canada’s 25 Women of Influence+ for 2023” Said the Hon. Karina Gould. “Congratulations to all of the inspiring women on this list. I can’t wait to meet you and see how we can work together to empower others and keep breaking down barriers!”.
The 2023 Top 25 Women of Influence recipients are:
Cheyenne Arnold-Cunningham, Researcher at the Indigenous Law Research Unit and In-House Counsel at Union of BC Indian Chiefs
Louise Aspin, Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer, Toronto General and Western Hospital Foundation
Kirstin Beardsley, CEO, Food Banks Canada
Linda Biggs, Co-Founder, joni
Elvalyn Brown, the Black Ontario Public Services Employees (BOPSers) Network
Dr. Vivien Brown, Award-winning Physician
Margaret Coons, Founder and CEO, Nuts For Cheese
Jan De Silva, President and CEO, Toronto Region Board of Trade
Lovepreet Deo, Athlete and Disability Advocate
Natalie Evans Harris, Executive Director, Black Wealth Data Center
Allison Forsyth, two-time Canadian Olympian, Safe Sport Advocate, and Partner and COO, ITP Sport and Recreation
Senator Rosa Galvez
Haben Girma, Disability Rights Lawyer
The Honourable Karina Gould, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
Eva Havaris, Vice-President of Partnerships and Participation, Tennis Canada
Nicole Janssen, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, AltaML
Janet Ko, President and Co-Founder, The Menopause Foundation of Canada
Maya Kotecha and Carly Shuler, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs, Hoot Reading
Dr. Rachel Ollivier, Maternal and Women’s Health Specialist
Bobbie Racette, Founder and CEO, Virtual Gurus and AskBetty
Paulette Senior, President and CEO, The Canadian Women’s Foundation
Domee Shi, Oscar-winning Director, Pixar Animation Studios
Christine Sinclair, four-time Canadian Olympian and Professional Soccer Player
Suzie Yorke, CEO and Co-Founder, The Better Chocolates
By Pepper Parr
March 7th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
There was a time when signs of Spring were evident when the upper part of King Road was shut down so that the Jefferson Salamaner could cross the road and do things that the boy salamanders do to the girl salamanders.
 Does the Jefferson Salamander have enough status to justify creating a holiday to celebrate its existence. Times have changed and Burlington has to cope with copulating coyotes.
“It’s Coyote Denning Season: said the city announcement. “– Five things Burlington residents can do to deter coyotes”
It’s that time of the year again when the City of Burlington is reminding residents about steps they can take to help reduce the risk of potential coyote conflicts during their denning season.
Denning season is the time of year when coyotes’ pups are born. Shortly before a coyote gives birth, between April and May, the coyote will begin digging a den which they will use to raise their pups.
While naturally wary of humans, coyotes will seek food and shelter in residential neighbourhoods when they are being fed on purpose or by accident.
The Top 5 things residents can do to help deter coyotes include:
 Does the city have plans to destroy the dens when they discover where they are? 1. Never feed coyotes
Feeding coyotes, on purpose or by accident, teaches them to depend on human handouts and can cause them to become too familiar with humans. This familiarization can lead to aggressive behaviour around people and dogs.
2. Never leave pets unattended
Coyotes may see pets as a threat to their territory and may attack, especially when there is a den site nearby. Always keep dogs on a short leash (less than six feet long) when walking outdoors. Make sure your cats and dogs are not left alone outside, even in your fenced backyard.
3. Keep a tidy property
Residential neighbourhoods are an ideal coyote habitat with access to water, shelter and food sources like garbage, pet food, fruit tress and birdfeeders. Make sure your property is tidy and clear of garbage, food, brush, long grass and wood piles which are ideal den sites for coyotes or other wild animals that attract coyotes.
4. Inspect your property
Make sure spaces around and under decks, sheds and similar structures are closed off with wire screening that extends at least 20 centimetres under the ground.
5. Consistently haze coyotes
Discouraging coyotes takes vigilance. Ongoing efforts by the entire community to haze coyotes can help to re-instill their fear of humans and stop unwelcome behaviour.
Use one or more of these hazing techniques every time you see a coyote to help move it out of a residential area:
• Stop. Don’t run.
• Pick up small children and pets.
• Yell loudly;
• Wave your arms and make yourself look as big as possible;
• Use air horns, whistles, bang pots;
• Throw small rocks, large sticks, cans and/or rubber balls near the coyote;
• Spray the coyote with water from a garden hose or a water gun filled with vinegar.
• Back away slowly.
Report coyote sightings, including aggressive, sick or injured coyotes online at www.burlington.ca/coyote. Call 9-1-1- if a coyote poses an immediate threat or danger to public safety.
 Nick Anastasopoulos, Director of Building & Bylaw getting his point across at a Council meeting Nick Anastasopoulos, Director of Building & Bylaw, did not expect to see coyote management on his job description when he came to Burlington. He is now a bit of an expert and has this to say: ““With spring around the corner, we’d like to remind residents about steps we can all take to help prevent potential coyote conflicts. Research and past experiences have shown the most effective thing we can do to lower direct run ins with coyotes is to remove coyote enticements such as food – this includes direct feeding, such as leaving food outdoors for coyotes, and indirect feeding, like leaving waste garbage out at the curb overnight or rotting fruit on the ground from fruit trees.”
Quick Facts
• Coyotes are native to North America and can be found living in urban and rural areas.
• Food sources like mice, rats and garbage are readily available in urban areas, attracting coyotes to residential neighbourhoods.
• In 2015, Burlington City Council approved a Coyote Response Strategy that provides guidelines on preventing and managing conflicts with coyotes.
• Concerns about direct or indirect feeding of wildlife can be reported to Animal Control at animalshelter.mailbox@burlington.ca
• Hand feeding and ground feeding wildlife on private or public property is prohibited by the City’s Lot Maintenance Bylaw (59-2018) and is subject to a $300 fine.
• To request an audit of your yard for coyote attractants by city Animal Control staff, please email animalshelter.mailbox@burlington.ca.
Links and Resources
• Learn more about living with coyotes at www.burlington.ca/coyote
• Report a coyote sighting online at www.burlington.ca/coyote
By Pepper Parr
March 7th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Council met in a day long workshop last week to take a hard, close look at the Procedural Bylaw – the document that sets out the rules on how members of Council work with each other and how the public relates to Council when they meet.
The Gazette is currently doing a readership survey. You can access the survey here. It will run until March 15th Burlington has had a bumpy ride getting a Procedural Bylaw in place. A number of years ago the province mandated that a municipality had to have a Procedural Bylaw in place and if they didn’t put one in place the province would do it for them.
James Ridge, the City Manager at the time, presented the provincial model to Council and that was adopted.
The city has come a long way since then. Some of the suggestions that were discussed in the day long workshop during which council members went through a process that was intended to give the City Clerk the information he needed to come back to council with a revised procedural bylaw are troubling. At this point the City Clerk is working with Council to work out the kinks and will be returning to Council with a document that will be debated and made final.
 City Clerk Kevin Arjoon said he gets excited when he talks about Procedural Bylaws. City Clerk Kevin Arjoon told members of Council “We are seeking drafting instructions, which means we will be listening, taking notes and will endeavour to return with a draft bylaw.
“The Procedural Bylaw is at its core a set of rules and values that help to structure how a conversation amongst members of council occurs. “That’s it”, said Arjoon. “It really boils down to: how do you want to have conversations with one another on local matters that affect your communities.
 Workshop facilitator Suzanne Gibson described Mayor Meed Ward as “illustrious”. Suzanne Gibson, the facilitator brought in by the Clerk to keep the meeting moving along, which she did rather well, told the workshop “I’m going to ask each of you to tell me what’s really important to you around establishing good process just as an opening, and then we will have a conversation about what values guiding principles, what criteria are important to you to shape this discussion. So we’re kind of grounding ourselves and what matters: is it a democratic process. Is it about inclusion, we want to look at all of those values and make sure that we’re being guided by what matters most to us as a group.
The only glitch, and it was a whopper, was when Gibson referred to Marianne Meed Ward as “our illustrious Mayor” on more than two occasions.
Gibson has helped more than 200 established organizations, at three levels to reach and attain their goals.
City Manager Tim Commisso started the conversation saying he wasn’t quite ready but spoke nevertheless.
 City Manager Tim Commisso “I wasn’t quite ready. I think I was anticipating council to go first, but yeah, I mean, I’ve long loved working for Burlington. I’ve lived here and I have a passion, I think for the fact that this council, you know, makes decisions which quite frankly leave a legacy in terms of the development of the city. It’s the decisions you make that create this place that is so wonderful, and quite frankly I don’t want to sound like I’m saying but I do believe that we are in one of the top municipalities in Canada, if not North America. So that’s it.
“I love the fact that council has passion for doing whatever it has to do to support community and make this place what it is. And that’s that’s really I think, the you know, gets back to the next question about why I enjoy working with this council because you’re all of the same mind.”
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward Mayor Meed Ward was next:
“I’m very excited about planning our city for the next seven generations. And putting in a strong foundation for the people that will come after us the families and the youth and everybody – so very excited about that.
“And what’s personally important to me, I like to all the values and the guiding principles it was really, really hard to pick one. But for today’s purposes, I love procedure bylaw, by the way. I love good governance and the reason that I do is that it does help people make good decisions. And better decisions and bad process and bad governance will actually make good people end up doing things that are really harmful to them and to the community that they’re trying to serve.
“So you know, I also think it’s really important that people understand expectations, they, if they don’t understand them at the beginning, then they can they can fail because it wasn’t clearly communicated. I don’t think that’s fair to people.
“And then also procedure can help to make sure that the rules are applied equally. And not in a way that you know, we’ll have a different set of rules for people we’d like and agree with and a different set of rules for people that we don’t.
 An example of how Mayor Meed Ward has treated members of Council in the past is HERE. It runs for 14 minutes. “So procedure. bylaw really is the great leveller for everybody that we’re all under the same rules and if we understand them clearly people I believe and especially this council will follow them and you know we will get to good decisions and the final thing that’s important to me as we go through this process, but any process, is that we treat each other kindly with respect and assume if we’re going to assume any motive the motive should be that we’re all here to serve our community and make it a better place. And I truly believe that about everybody around this horseshoe and everybody that works at the city.”
 Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman Councillor Sharman took a slightly different approach saying: “The word excite is an interesting one. What I really like about being in this role is being able to make a contribution. And that’s really about it. And that means thinking about the whole community and what we can do to make the community more effective, more efficient, but more importantly more caring.
“And you know, in a municipal environment, government environment, I can say that the two things that come out for me most strongly are purpose and perspective. I believe our purpose is to think about the values that we hold for the city well into the future. And emphasis on the future.
“I am less concerned about things that are urgent things that are bothering people in the community today as to thinking more broadly about where we’re going and how we’re going to get there. Not to suggest we should ignore what things are bothering people, but oftentimes I find that that if you don’t think about the future you can’t put those other things in perspective..
 Ward 6 Councillor Angelo Bentivegna Councillor Bentivegna was perhaps the most direct in why he ran for public office.
“I’m involved in being a councillor because I want to make a difference. I think that’s really why we’re all here; we want to make a positive difference. I think it’s very important that the community evaluates the city evaluates us in their everyday lives. And we have that opportunity to make those adjustments, make those changes so that the quality of life continues to get better in our city.
“And that’s what we’re really here for. And it’s not just, you know, what we do each day has to be fair for everyone. Regardless of what walk of life we come from, where we come from, and what financial situation that we’re in. And that’s it’s a long way to go around and say we need to make decisions that are best and fair in our community.”
Lisa Kearnsm said: “I too, along with what the mayor has said and Kevin has said, I’m a bit of a process nerd. I think that’s been evident. I was really looking forward to today as well. So that is one of the things that excites me about being in this role is that is the opportunity to represent citizens in the city in order to ensure that the process that we’re operating under is fair and reasonable. I like that word that Councilman to Bentivegna used – fair and reasonable.
 Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns “I mean the manner in which we conduct business on behalf of residents should in essence, be under a process that’s fair and reasonable to the people around this horseshoe to the staff and to the residents of the city as far as their voice being heard and that we are being transparent and accountable.
“What’s personally important to me with respect to this comes down to that: are the decisions that we make involve political motivations, and that’s fair and reasonable because that’s part of our role. The process by which we make those decisions should not be politically motivated.
“So I’m excited to make sure that whatever we come up with today is kind of separated so we have a clean and neutral process. While we make decisions on behalf of the city.”
Ward 3 Councillor Rory Nisan: “ Yeah, one thing that excites me, you know, having grown up in Burlington, it’s just really fun to be on council and to be making decisions and seeing things that I saw, or better understanding the city that I grew up in and saw from a totally different perspective.
“And then the other half of that is now developing building a city that I’ve known for a long time and seeing the weightiness of our decisions and the way that it can have an impact for years and decades down the road. So that’s very exciting to be able to have an influence on the future of the city. And what’s important to me ?
 Ward 3 Councillor Rory Nisan took part in the meeting virtually “Well, what I really like about procedure by laws and Robert’s Rules of orders is how democracy underpins the decision making process. How everything is in the end under this principle of majority rules, which I find really cool and I like how there’s tensions that are with say, cheering right chair as an enhanced decision making authority needs to be overruled by a two thirds majority.
“For example. I just find it is very very important that the majority rule be there at the at the bottom, but that we also have rules that enhanced the efficiency of what we’re doing. I think it’s really important that that efficiency be something that we are looking at which I know we are looking at today. But efficiency doesn’t mean rushing either so that’s what matters to me.”
Ward 1 Kelvin Galbraith said: “I’m very excited about being in this role. You know, I’m Burlington born bred, work, live and breathe everything Burlington. To be able to participate at a city level and give back to the community is what really excites me. I realized throughout my life how much time I spent at city rink facilities, parks, and sometimes I didn’t even know they were city run by by the city, but now that I’m on the other side.
“I really want to participate and give back and help build the future for the next seven generations as the mayor said. I can participate and that is really exciting to me. And what’s important about this process well, you know, I I must say I didn’t know the procedure bylaw like the back of my hand; this process could have been done four years ago and might have benefited me and some of our procedures but I’m all about efficiencies.
 Ward 1 Councillor Kelvin Galbraith “I think most of my colleagues will agree with that. So if we can make this process more efficient, and I’m very supportive of that.
“Looking forward to the Deputy Mayor discussion as well. I think that’s a very unique thing that this council is doing and helps us collaborate together. So I’m really looking forward to that discussion as well.”
Kevin, Arjoon, the City Clerk summed up his view saying: “Yeah, for me working with the city. I think the one great thing is I get to work with people right. On Friday, I got to go to Frank Hayden secondary school and talk to trustee Ethan who set up a student poll for their student trustee and it was just so magical to have a conversation with someone about democratic rights and barriers to participation, stuff like that. So I think that’s the one big thing is I get to talk to people that are in the community, doing good things, and that really energizes me.
“The one thing that I like about Procedure Bylaws is when you read one and there’s minority rights, baked in, embedded into the procedure bylaws. So the you know, the majority rules, all of that is really great, but then there’s little nuance pieces that really respect that there could be divergent opinions, and they respectfully provide rules for the divergent opinions to sort of coexist and be managed within the process. So that’s my favourite thing about a procedure by law.”
City Manager Tim Commisso followed up saying: “Sorry, I realized I didn’t answer the second question. My apologies. The procedural bylaw for me is the most important integrating structure we have related to governance. I like to look at alignment and integration as really two keys of a great organization. A Procedural Bylaw provides full integration, not across all aspects of governance, but the ones that really, I think, allow us to work together. The relationship that council and staff have in this municipality, I think is really the strength of the organization.”
And so there you have it – the politicians were not in election mode – there were doing their best to tell Suzanne Gibson, the Workshop facilitator why they liked the job.
Her job was to help them create a Procedural Bylaw that would help them to deliver on why they were members of City Council.
You can now think about what they said and decide if they are up to doing the job. The public now needs to wait until the draft of the Bylaw is presented to Council.
By Pepper Parr
March 7th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
You may not have known about it, some members of Council will know – but you aren’t going to get this news from City Hall
 Food Trucks in winter weather might be a bit of a challenge The Burlington Holiday Market is said to take place on DECEMBER 1, 2 & 3, 2023 – Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The Santa Claus parade takes place on Sunday the 4th
The Burlington Holiday Market has joined the For the Love of Markets event umbrella along with For the Love of Fathers and Food Trucks
The Gazette is currently running a readership Survey. It will run until March 15th You can access the survey HERE In their announcement the Food Truckers ask vendors to “Join us for the third annual Holiday Market, where 15,000 guests stroll their way through the downtown and shop local! “
No word yet on just where the Food Trucks are going to be located.
We do look forward for some comment from Brian Dean, Executive Director of the Burlington Downtown Business Association
By Staff
March 6th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington Public Library is delighted to announce the results of their annual bookmark contest.
Earlier this year, they asked participants to design a bookmark inspired by their favourite book—the 278 entries they received were “as creative and diverse as the books on our shelves”.
Shortening the entries to four designs per age category for community voting was challenging. After tallying up the 1000+ votes cast online, the 2023 winning designers are Rori C. (ages 5 and under), Samreen K. (ages 6 to 12), Shannon B. (ages 13-17), and Hayley E. (ages 18+).
 Congratulations to the winning designers—and well done to everyone who entered the contest this year!
The winning designs truly showcase the imagination and talent in our community. Starting next week, customers can pick up the professionally-printed bookmarks at all branches to use in their next great read.
By Staff
March 6th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
A new study out of Brock’s Developing Memory and Cognition Lab shows there may be more to those heartfelt requests from toddlers for “five more minutes” before heading to bed than researchers have previously understood.
Brock student researchers Taissa Fuke (MA ’22), Ege Kamber and Melissa Alunni (BA ’21), alongside Associate Professor Caitlin Mahy in the Department of Psychology, co-authored “The Emergence of Procrastination in Early Childhood: Relations With Executive Control and Future-Oriented Cognition,” which was published in Developmental Psychology last week.
The paper shows that not only does procrastination behaviour emerge as early as age three, but it also becomes more characteristic over time and appears to be linked with other future-thinking behaviours, such as delaying gratification.
One of the key distinctions drawn by the researchers is the difference between task avoidance and procrastination, which boils down to two important factors: a personal need to do something and an intention to do it — eventually.
“Task avoidance for adults may be as simple as staying away from a social event we don’t want to go to,” says Kamber, a Brock PhD student. “But in procrastination, we know we have to do this task, even if it’s undesirable, but we put it off.”
Mahy says determining intention, especially in children as young as three, can be challenging, so the team was careful to have parents report on tasks children intended on doing or had to do themselves, such as getting out of bed in the morning.
As a result, they detected an interesting pattern.
 The marsh-mellow test: a classic tool to determine how long children will delay eating the marsh mellow. “The three- and four-year-olds procrastinated in different areas than the five- and six-year-olds,” Mahy says. “The younger children were much more likely to procrastinate on tidying up messes and engaging in bedtime or mealtime routines, whereas the older children were more likely to procrastinate on doing homework or doing chores around the house.”
Kamber, whose PhD research focuses on episodic future thinking, says the connection between procrastination and future-thinking behaviours, such as delaying gratification, has been of particular interest to him.
Using the example of the marshmallow test, where children are given a marshmallow and assured that if they don’t eat it right away, they can have a second marshmallow in 10 minutes, he explains how delayed gratification and procrastination involve similar forms of impulse control.
“You know you need to wait because the future outcome is better, but it’s also hard to wait, because it’s a marshmallow,” he says. “Delayed gratification is our ability is to inhibit our current impulses to focus on greater future outcomes, but with procrastination, we have to inhibit our impulse to not do the undesirable task in order to get it completed.”
The connection between procrastination and future-thinking is important because it involves “having empathy for your future self,” Mahy says.
“The thing about procrastination is that you get an instant reward of not vacuuming the carpet or not doing homework — you get to enjoy the current moment,” she says. “But the task that you will eventually have to do still hangs over your head and tends to create more anxiety over time — you’re effectively punishing your future self with the task and also the prolonged anxiety.”
Link to the paper HERE
 By Staff
March 6th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Four new public art pieces from diverse artists and an artist collective have been selected by the city to celebrate Burlington’s diverse communities.
Last spring, diverse artists were invited to submit their ideas to create installations in Burlington public spaces to celebrate Burlington’s diverse communities.
A total of $29,000 was offered for the projects.
The City’s public art program is supporting these successful applicants by providing resources and staff support through the planning, installation and execution of the project. This may include connecting to artists and fabricators, help with permits and permissions as well as general project support.
The selected artists, projects and locations are:
Selected are:
 Tansley Woods will be the location for Hope Flynn’s Birds of the World painting. Poonam Sharma Spring Mural Central Recreation Centre
Noah Cecol Cliffs to Gardens Photography Waterfront Parking Garage
 Teresa Seaton has been a frequent grant recipient. Her studio is located on Spring Gardens Road, opposite the RBG Hope Flynn Birds of the World Painting Tansley Woods Recreation Centre
Teresa Seaton and John Highley Making Roots Mosaic glass Maple Park Community Garden
 By Staff
March 6th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Times changed and events had to take place virtually – which didn’t stop the Women of Halton Action Movement from celebrating its 20th annual International Women’s Day fundraiser, the longest running event of its kind, with a virtual event – The “un” Dinner party.
 March 8th, keynote speaker Lisa LaFlamme will talk about her recent trip to Tunisia, her career, some of her best ever interviews and what she has planned for her future.
Did anyone think Lisa LaFlamme was going to sit in a corner and take up knitting ? This is a woman well worth listening to.
LaFlamme is one of Canada’s most recognizable and awarded journalists, a former national news anchor, a humanitarian and an Order of Canada recipient.
Her departure from a national news organization was a major news story that changed the way the public reacted to how woman were treated in senior roles within large corporate interests.
Tickets are available at www.thedinnerpartyiwd.ca/event2023. Every ticket purchase and donation will receive a tax receipt for the full amount. At any time on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2023 or thereafter, please enjoy watching our programme at www.thedinnerpartyiwd.ca
The two charitable organizations benefitting from this event are The Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Services of Halton (www.savisofhalton.org )and Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan (www.cw4wafghan.ca ).
SAVIS provides free and confidential services to all survivors of violence, offering counseling, education, anti-human trafficking assistance and 24/7 crisis support.
CW4WA represents Canadians taking action, in partnership with Afghan women, toward improving conditions of human rights, ending women’s oppression, and providing opportunities for Afghan women to live their lives with dignity, certainty and purpose.
The Founding Sponsor for this event is The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario.
By Pepper Parr
March 5th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton District School Board announces secondary school students Sultan Alimzhanov and Shrena Sribalan as the Board’s Student Trustees for the 2023-2024 school year.
Both students were successful in their bid to be elected to the role on Friday (Feb. 24) through an online and in-person election with 23 candidates running and more than 2,500 students casting votes.
Alimzhanov is a Grade 11 student at Abbey Park High School in Oakville and Sribalan is a Grade 11 student at Craig Kielburger Secondary School in Milton. The new term of office officially begins on Aug. 1, 2023.
 Shrena Sribalan is a Grade 11 student at Craig Kielburger Secondary School in Milton. “Being elected as one of the successful candidates to represent over 66,000 students in our board has been an unparalleled experience,” says Alimzhanov. “I feel a great sense of excitement and anticipation for the work Shrena and I will be able to contribute to enhancing HDSB in the upcoming school year. I am deeply grateful to my friends, family and teachers who have provided unwavering support throughout this journey. I am honoured and grateful to all the students in the HDSB who placed their trust in me to safeguard their interests. I am optimistic about the future of this school board, and I am confident that we will achieve great things together.”
 Sultan Alimzhan is Grade 11 student at Abbey Park High School in Oakville “Ever since I first heard about the Student Trustee role in elementary school, I instantly fell in love with the opportunity to lead change in the HDSB,” Sribalan says. “After years of involving myself in the HDSB Student Senate initiatives and hearing the voices and concerns of hundreds of students, I can’t express in words how humbled, grateful and honoured I am that my dream has come true. I’m unbelievably excited to work with Sultan, board members and most importantly, the students to ensure the HDSB is always striving to support every student in reaching their potential throughout their schooling and beyond. After watching my predecessors voice student concerns and reach immense heights at the board level, I am excited to see where this role takes me.”
In recognizing the results of the Student Trustee election, Trustees of the Halton District School Board welcomed Alimzhanov and Sribalan to their roles as Student Trustees for the 2023-2024 school year.
If these two students are like past student representative, the HDSB team of trustees will be a much better group. I have heard student trustees speak on issues that the trustees were vaguely aware of – the students were focused, well prepared and at times stunned the trustees with the quality of their delivery when they spoke.
Several have gone on to university careers – they will make a mark on this troubled society.
“Congratulations to Halton District School Board’s newly elected Student Trustees Sultan Alimzhanov and Shrena Sribalan,” says Chair Margo Shuttleworth. “The Trustees of the Halton District School Board deeply value student voice. A Student Trustee is a representative of the students at the board table, they vocalize the opinions of the students and strive to make change. We are excited to welcome Sultan and Shrena to the Board table, and we know they will respectfully and equitably represent their fellow students with passion and excitement. The Board of Trustees look forward to working alongside our new Student Trustees in making positive change happen in Halton.”
 By Staff
March 4th, 2023
HAMILTON, ON
During the Ontario Liberal Party’s largest Annual Meeting in over 20 years, party members voted to adopt a new system for electing their next Leader.
The Gazette is currently running a readership survey that will be up until March 15. You can access the survey HERE. You only get to do the service once.  Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie drawing the attention of Ontario Liberals at their Annual AGM Under the new leadership election system, each constituency association shall be allocated 100 points, to be awarded to leadership candidates based on the proportion of support they receive.
Members will directly cast their votes for their preferred Leadership candidate using a ranked ballot, giving every member a say in the election of a new Leader.
In continuing to recognize the unique and important roles youth play in our party and in the future of Ontario, party members have also voted to allocate 50 points to each Ontario Young Liberal student club.
At the Annual Meeting, party members will also elect a new President and Executive Council, who will determine the timeline and additional requirements of the leadership election process.
By Staff
March 4th, 2023
BURLINGTON , ON
Burlington Green has a very active event calendar for April. The events and dates are set out below – slip over to their web site for more details on the Burlington Green web site.
March 10: Community Clean-Up registration opens
March 13: BG Youth Network Guest Speaker
March 15 & 21: Volunteer Information Sessions
March 25: Take Action for Earth Hour
March 27: BG Youth Network Film Screening & Beach Clean Up
April 1: National Butt Blitz Begins!
April 5: “Out of the Lyme Light-Wellness through Birding” Webinar
April 22: Green Up Tree Planting and EARTH DAY event
May 13: Spring E-Waste Collection & Repair Cafe
They are also looking for someone to work on a summer project. Details HERE.
 Employment Opportunities
 The Gazette is running a readership survey. We would appreciate hearing what you have to say. CLICK HERE to access the survey Our “Branching Out” strategic plan guides our impactful work. We collaborate with residents, businesses, organizations, and governments to ensure the rights of the environment are respected and together we make direct and tangible improvements to the local environment through the delivery of a wide variety of programs, events and services.
If you are passionate about creating a healthier environment and want to create positive change for a more sustainable future in Burlington, we invite you to check out the rewarding employment opportunity outlined below.
Please note that all applicants must submit a cover letter as well as a resume to be considered for this opportunity.
Please include your contact information including the city where you live on your resume.
CONTRACT OPPORTUNITY (with potential extension)
We are seeking a passionate, organized, flexible, self-motivated, experienced professional to join our team serving as a Program Assistant, responsible for community engagement services and assisting team members with the research, planning, promotion, delivery, and evaluation of a variety of locally-focused environmental programs, events, presentations, and activities.
More detail on the Burlington Green web site.
By Pepper Parr
March 4th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
 John Fraser, the Interim Leader, Ontario Liberal Party John Fraser, the Interim Leader, Ontario Liberal Party was giving an address to the more than 1500 Liberals who gathered in Hamilton for their AGM.
These are pretty proforma events, everyone gets recognized and thanked.
But his time around Fraser was able to do something different.
 The Gazette is currently running a readership survey. Please access the survey HERE. Turns out that Hamilton Centre, the seat that Andrea Horwath held before she ran for and won the job of being Mayor of Hamilton has a candidiate running in the byelection. Deirdre Pike is the candidate running for the Hamilton Centre seat.
 Liberals pack the Convention Centre in Hamilton for their AGM Fraser invited every one of those 1500 people to get out and do some door knocking.
I’ve done my share of door knocking, usually with the candidate and sometimes a couple of people working the other side of the street as we worked our way through a neighbourhood.
But can you imagine if those 1500 Liberals in Hamilton for a convention descended in groups of 50 on a street – all wearing red T shirts.
The Hamilton Centre riding included the Convention Centre; image the TV footage that would come out of an event like that. Might even make the evening news.
The Liberals will decide on how they will elect their new leader and clean up parts of their Constitution.
 A healthy crowd in Hamilton for a Convention: All Liberals getting ready for a critical election in 2026
 By Erin Nicole Davis
March 4th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
As we look ahead to the warmer months, brokers, sellers, buyers, and would-be buyers are sitting in the sidelines, eagerly watching the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) real estate market for new signs of life.
But, if we’ve learned anything in recent years, it’s that the GTA’s ever-dramatic housing market is a tricky one to predict. With talks of a looming recession still swirling, a climate of sky-high interest rates, and a stark reality of low home sales, some headlines inevitably warn of doom and gloom on the real estate front as we move into 2023.
The Gazette is running a readership survey. Please CLICK HERE to access the survey. Just one survey per person. The figures don’t lie: GTA home sales were down 44% year-over-year in January and new home sales dropped to a 23-year low the same month.
But some experts say there’s also room for optimism. In their most recent market outlook report, the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) called 2023 “a year of two halves.” The 2023 Market Outlook & 2022 Year in Review Report suggests an uptick in GTA real estate activity in the second half of the year, when we’ll see an increase in sales activity, heightened competition among buyers, and a renewed upward pressure on home prices.
 “We start the year more or less where we were through the fall and winter of 2022, but I anticipate that, as we move into the second half of the year — and that can include part of the spring market — that we’ll start to see a greater number of would-be homebuyers moving off the sidelines,” TRREB’s chief market analyst Jason Mercer tells STOREYS. “If you think of previous interest rate cycles and even the onset of the OSFI stress test a few years ago, it takes about a year or a year and a half for a change in the interest rate environment to have its full impact on the market. People have to pull back and think about how they’ll mitigate the impact of higher borrowing costs. They may look at a different priced house or in a different part of the GTA, but — after a year — people have made that decision.”
So, Mercer says they’ll move back into the marketplace — albeit with a potential re-evaluation of expectations. “All of the other preconditions for housing demand are in place,” highlights Mercer. “We have extremely tight market and we’re seeing the population grow at a record pace — people require a place to live.”
With that said, there’s no denying that this spring’s real estate market will look different than it has in recent years, especially in the wake of the GTA’s red-hot and record-smashing run that began not long after the term “social distancing” became a common one in our collective vocabularies.
“Certainly, we had a record-setting year in 2021,” acknowledges Mercer. “In 2022, the spring market was anything but a pick-up, because we were seeing the initial impact of higher borrowing costs. I would expect to see more of the seasonal trend this year — I do expect to see more sales in the spring than we did in January and February — but sales will definitely be off if you’re looking at it from a historical perspective in comparison to 2021 and many years over the past decade or so.”
 The Toronto market will be closely watched come the Spring Certain areas of the GTA may see more action than others, says Mercer. “One thing we noticed in our IPSOS consumer polling was that first-time buyers are going to represent a substantial chunk of intending buyers this year,” says Mercer. “If you think about the most popular type of homes for first-time buyers, condo apartments are on top of that list. So, certainly those areas that have a substantial stock of condos may be of interest to this group. Obviously, the City of Toronto has many condo developments, but throughout the GTA, there are also various condo nodes: Mississauga City Centre, Vaughan and Metropolitan Centre. ”
Mercer points out that the focus has, understandably, been on the demand side of the market — a by-product of the interest rate hikes — but that the GTA has also not seen a lot of movement on the supply front.
“So, for the medium to long-term, this is still a major issue for the GTA,” he says. “If we’re seeing record levels of immigration, and a lot of those people are choosing to move into the GTA and Greater Golden Horseshoe, so we need to provide enough housing in both the rental and the ownership market. In both cases, over the past decade, we’ve seen competition among people who need housing. So, just because we’ve seen a slowdown in the ownership market due to higher borrowing costs, it doesn’t mean that we take our foot off the gas when it comes to getting more supply online. All levels of government have committed to addressing the supply crisis and we need to continue this.”
Despite the record-low sales that have inevitably kept some realtors up at night, some industry insiders point to a relentless lack of inventory as a driver to keep the market competitive in the months ahead. Earlier this month, John Pasalis, President of Realosophy Realty, highlighted that low-rise inventory had fallen below two months in the GTA, while condos fell below three months of inventory. According to Pasalis at the time, these could be signs of a market that is gradually heating up.
Of course, low housing inventory usually means that buyers will typically pay more for homes because the demand for the limited number on the market tends to be higher. Pasalis was quick to tell STOREYS that he’s not suggesting the market is remotely close to being as competitive as it was last year, just that it’s more competitive than it was in the fall.
GTA-based realtor Davelle Morrison can confirm that there’s definitely competition in the market. “Surprisingly, I’m seeing a lot of bidding wars,” Morrison tells STOREYS. “Last night, my clients were offering on a townhouse in North York and it had 19 offers on it. We thought they’d get it for sure — especially because it was only two bedrooms — but they lost out. They were only the second highest offer.”
When we spoke, Morrison said she was about to show a condo downtown earlier in the day, but got an email from the realtor saying they’d just received a registered offer.
“So, I feel that things are picking up right now on the listing side as well as on the buying side,” says Morrison of what she’s currently seeing in the market. But she isn’t convinced this trend will continue into the warmer months. “People always seem to hold out for the spring market, thinking it’s the right time to list a house,” she says. “I would disagree, because that’s when you could see a bit of a slowdown because we’re going to have more supply — which is what everyone’s been looking for — but I think that supply might be enough to satisfy the few buyers who are out there looking right now. So, while there are lots of bidding wars right now, I’m not sure that same condition is going to happen in April or May.”
People will list their houses, says Morrison, but buyers likely won’t have to deal with the bidding wars they’re fighting off right now. “I’m crossing my fingers and hoping the Bank of Canada keeps its promise to pause rates,” says Davelle of the impact of interest rates on the spring market. The Bank of Canada recently signalled that is would finally pause its perpetual rate hikes.
“I think my greatest concern is the rules that OFSI may come out with,” says Morrison of potentially stricter stress tests by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI). “In January, they came out to say they’d be doing some consultations — which would end around the middle of April — and these consultations would tighten up the mortgage requirements. I don’t know exactly what’s going to happen, but I feel by the end of the year — maybe it’s summer or fall — I feel that there will be some tightening, which will make it that much harder for buyers to enter the market and impact sellers trying to sell.”
On that note, she advises sellers that now isn’t the time to wait when it comes to listing their properties. “You’ll most likely get less the longer you wait,” she says. “There’s a lot of mixed messages in the market right now. You have the stats of slumping sales and prices but, on the same note, you’ve got bidding wars. I would say that the housing market is a lot stronger than the condo market right now. Condos do seem to be sitting on the market a lot longer, whereas there’s more activity with houses.”
Toronto-based mortgage broker and real estate commentator Ron Butler notes that there was a “tiny burst of activity” starting immediately in the new year, with both inquiries and approvals up. “But that seems to be petering out in the past 10 to 12 days,” he says. “Of course, there is a direct correlation between mortgage rates and sales activity. What we experienced in December and January was reductions in fixed-rate mortgage rates — the two-year, three-year, and five-year options went down. Obviously, variable went up because it’s always going up.
We saw as low 4.24 five-year fixed. That doesn’t seem very low considering it was 1.99 a year and a bit ago, but it’s still a lot better than 5.29. We saw a three-year fixed at 4.68 and it started to create a tiny bit of affordability when the rates were that low.”
Butler is quick to point out that “low” is relative. “’Low’ is just a function of not being in the fives — not having a rate that starts with a five,” he says. However, Butler says that rates have shot back up in the past two weeks. “The three-year rates have gone up 80 basis points; the five-year has gone up 70 basis points; with the exception of the CMHC five-year fixed, we’re going to be seeing every rate in the five percent range again this week,” he says. “So, that’s a major and meaningful change when it comes to affordability.”
Butler says that, if this trend continues, the outlook for the spring market isn’t going to be great. “It won’t be too springy,” he says. “It’s as simple as that.” He says that nearly half of all GTA listings are terminated.
“We have a group of people who may want to sell, but want to explore just how much their house is going to get,” says Butler. “So, they try. But we see many listings terminated when they discover nobody will pay the price and they withdraw the listing. Then, there’s definitely people who are interested in buying. We see that when a property is listed that it’s designed for multiple bidding situations. People are expecting to list their house at $699K and sell it for $899K. So, you end up with 25 people coming to see the house because they think there’s a chance that it could sell for the low price. That shows there’s people interested in buying their first home.”
Conversely, he says the market doesn’t see similar activity in the $2M+ market. “First-time homebuyers create the bottom of the pyramid of real estate; says Butler. “If they find it’s not affordable, there just won’t be that much action. It’s very strange but it’s true that a mortgage that starts with a four is just much more interesting than a mortgage that starts with a five. If the fixed rate mortgage environment continues upward, it will be a very quiet spring.”
Butler calls the current interest rate climate “slightly chaotic” and highlights Canada’s susceptibility to the market in the United States (US).
“The Bank of Canada is committed to a pause in increasing the prime rate; there will be no rate hike in March,” says Butler. “But there’s pressure south of the border because the Federal Reserve has become much more hawkish in the last two weeks. There have been big job reports in the US, their inflation isn’t falling as fast as ours, and there may be continuous small increases there. There may be quarter percent increases next month, the following month, and maybe even again in the summer — and that impacts Canada. Eventually, if they continue to raise their federal funds rate, that will result in pressure here to increase rates — both fixed and variable.”
So, we have to watch job creation numbers and inflation both in the US and in Canada, says Butler. “In some ways, the US situation is going to start to control the Canadian situation,” he says.
In the meantime, while those April showers may be so close we can almost feel them, whether the spring breathes new life into the GTA real estate market is still up in the (hopefully warming) air.
Erin Nicole Davis is a born and raised Toronto writer with a passion for the city and its urban affairs and culture.
 By Staff
March 3rd, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
A Toronto based developer has announced a project that will feature homes priced at under $500,000.
This is a National Homes development in a highly sought after, family-friendly neighbourhood of Northshore, a contemporary mid-rise development.
 Eight storeys of one, two and three bedroom units. This community will offer one, two and three bedroom units.
The developer describes it this way:
In an area that boasts home prices averaging over $1M, this is a rare opportunity for those looking to purchase their first home or even for those looking to right-size their home.
Located on Plains Road East, this eight-storey building contains 153 residential units that are sized to just under 1,000 square feet plus over 5,000 square feet of amenities space.
Ensconced within southern Ontario’s Greater Golden Horseshoe, Burlington has become one of the most desirable places to live and the natural choice for those seeking a balanced lifestyle with modern conveniences. The Aldershot and Burlington GO Transit Stations are minutes away and offer fast and convenient transit west to Hamilton or east to Toronto and the downtown core.
“We’re thrilled to be launching Northshore in one of Burlington’s more desirable neighbourhoods,” says Jason Pantalone, president and managing partner with National Homes. “This area historically has been known for its picturesque homes. We have worked hard to deliver a community that allows first-time buyers to enter the market along with those who wish to downsize and remain in the same area they have lived in for many years.”
 The Gazette is running a readership survey. You can link to the survey HERE One of the oldest and westernmost neighbourhoods in Burlington, the Northshore area has recently seen a revitalization along Plains Road bringing a new vibrance to the area. The downtown core offers restaurants, nightlife, and various activities for all ages, while the surrounding areas offer some of the best greenspaces and outdoor amenities in the region.
In 2019, Burlington, Ontario Ranked Number One for Best Community in Canada and also ranked as the Best Place to Raise a Family by Maclean’s magazine.
The area has seen significant growth in the last few years; now just shy of 200,000 people call Burlington home, with a higher-than-average median household income of around $94,000. Northshore will deliver the highly coveted lifestyle in this growing urban centre and offer a balanced combination of urban fun and quiet family living.
The project promises balance throughout, with big city amenities that have been designed to blend with the backdrop of Burlington. Surrounded by nature, with Lake Ontario to the south, the Niagara Escarpment to the north, residents can truly enjoy an active outdoor lifestyle. Proximity to Burlington Beach, the Burlington Trail, and La Salle Park and Marina are part of the allure of living at Northshore.
The convenient location between Toronto and Hamilton is another draw of the area. Commuters will be able to get to Toronto in 35 minutes and Hamilton in 15 minutes. Both Lester Pearson and Hamilton airports are a short distance away. Burlington has made significant investments into local transportation and a sustainable future through over 48 km of bike lanes. Residents at Northshore will have local transportation at their doorstep, and be just mere minutes from the GO Train, QEW, Hwy 403 and 407.
About National Homes
National Homes is currently building on Brant Street site.
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