 By Staff
March 9th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The Canadian Revenue Agency published notice of an excise tax increase of 4.7% effective April 1, 2024. Today, the Beer Store launched a consumer awareness campaign in all its stores province-wide regarding this beer tax increase.
“TBS believes it is important to tell our customers of the Government of Canada’s decision to increase beer taxes by 4.7% on April 1,” said Roy Benin, President, and CEO of The Beer Store.
With consumers seeing higher prices on daily purchases, The Beer Store wants consumers to be aware of the increase in beer taxes and its potential effect on retail prices.
 We applaud The Beer Store initiative. Can you think of a worse time to impose this tax. Under Canada’s Excise Act, excise tax increases every year based on inflation. Given persistently high inflation levels, this year’s increase will be the biggest in 40 years. Last year, the Government of Canada capped the excise tax increase at 2%, in line with the Bank of Canada’s CPI target.
“We applaud the Ontario government’s announcement of a two-year freeze on provincial beer taxes,” said Benin. “We urge the Government of Canada to implement a similar freeze, beginning with not increasing the excise tax planned for April 1 or, at a minimum, impose a 2% cap.”
In Ontario, typically, 43% of the retail price of beer is provincial and federal taxes.
 By Pepper Parr
March 8th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
A snapshot of population ages by gender in 2022.
Raises a lot of questions – the one for me is: How can men possibly continue to rule the roost the way they have for decades with population numbers like this?
They can’t and the shouldn’t.
This being International Women’s’ Day perhaps we can each do our part to ensure that the needed, necessary changes take place.
 Rosie the Riveter was the star of a campaign aimed at recruiting female workers for defence industries during World War II, and she became perhaps the most iconic image of working women. American women entered the workforce in unprecedented numbers during the war, as widespread male enlistment left gaping holes in the industrial labour force. Between 1940 and 1945, the female percentage of the U.S. workforce increased from 27 percent to nearly 37 percent, and by 1945 nearly one out of every four married women worked outside the home.
That was then – today 57% of woman feel they can achieve what they want in the work place. 65% of the women today feel they are underpaid.
 By Pepper Parr
March 8th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
If anyone thought for as much as a second that Paul Sharman was going to behave any differently on the Pipeline to Permit Standing Committee than he does on any other City Council Committee – they don’t know Paul Sharman.
 Sharman has come to the conclusion that population growth in Burlington is anticipated to be in the order of a minimum 110,000 people, leading to a total population of 305,000 While data consumes him he tends to look at the long game and figure out what we need to do today to ensure that we don’t run into cockups down the road.
With that objective Sharman produced a Motion that focused on where we will be as a city in 2051.
Sharman has come to the conclusion that population growth in Burlington to 2051 is anticipated to be in the order of a minimum 110,000 people, leading to a total population of 305,000. This is despite the fact that Burlington ran out of Greenfield developable land in 2015, when it essentially became built out.
 Developments like this are being discussed at Council and within the Planning department. “Being built out has led to stagnation of development and assessment growth over the last decade. With an influx of 110,000 people, many aspects of the City are about to change, especially when the current economic conditions become favourable for development again.
“In related planning studies, it has been estimated that the mix of new homes in Burlington will be 82% high density, 12% medium density and 6% low density, which represents a significant change in comparison to the existing preponderance of low- density homes. Another aspect of existing housing is the high proportion of expensive large lots, which will likely be unaffordable for many future homeowners and renters. This suggests that future land assembly and densification of lots in single family neighbourhoods will lead to greater densification of Burlington than currently imagined.
“The question Burlington needs to address is how to sustain the existing high quality of life experienced by current residents for generations to come as population increases and densification occurs?
“Our prior and current planning regimes and regulations were designed for different times, where cheap land was readily available, and development occurred around roads and assumed frequent use of vehicles. None of which is possible going forward nor consistent with our vibrant mixed-use vision for tomorrow.
“To answer the question, we now need to look into the future to be able to determine who will likely live in Burlington. What will their cultural heritage be? What will be their sports interests, health needs, transportation needs, work characteristics, financial capacity, age distribution, housing needs? These and a myriad of other factors should be considered to understand the people who will be the future of Burlington, and how we can best prepare for their needs now.
 With his Motion on the table Councillor Sharman leans back and watches the reaction. “Today’s community members do not and mostly will not live the lives of future generations and while we might guess at the answers to the essential question, our answers might not be reliable. It is suggested that the answers can be better understood by seeking to anticipate demographic change, technology change, financial change, energy needs, and housing availability with which to paint a picture and a vision that will satisfy our ambition for our children, grandchildren, and future generations of Canadians, wherever they may come from.
We are not alone in this conundrum explains Sharman. Please see One Crisis After Another: Designing Cities For Resiliency. The book, which calls for a new, comprehensive, systems-driven approach to designing resilient cities and buildings.
Also worth considering is the following video of the mounting pressure and opportunities to transform our urban regions for the better by employing a variety of “shelf-ready” approaches and digital technologies to the problems virtually every city on Earth faces: https://youtu.be/HBMlQZeXMiA?si=6WjzIV7MuQtQox_O .
In his Motion Sharman said: “I propose the City, through Burlington Economic Development (BED) and the Burlington Lands Partnership (BLP), and partner with other potentially interested parties to undertake the necessary research and modelling to answer the questions raised in this motion memo.
By Pepper Parr
March 8th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Data is going to drive everything.
In the past – that being the last decade – decision mistakes were made because we didn’t really know what was going on. No one was counting.
That has changed. This city administration is counting everything. Chad MacDonald, the Executive Director of Technology is spending a fortune adding software, upgrading existing software to get to the point where the city will know what took place yesterday and the day before and the month before as well.
The document set out below was released on March 7th and included data from February 29th. At the next meeting (April) of the Pipeline to Permit Standing Committee there will be an update.
The city now has a computer program that reaches out to a number of departments and plucks data from each one and then assembles that data so that you get what appears below.
This is no small feat; some very smart people are now making things like this happen.
Roll your cursor over the graphic to enlarge the image.
By Staff
March 7th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Can You Find Jeff & Sally?
When was the last time you played hide and seek?! Our friends at CORE are inviting anyone who likes fun and games to try finding their salamanders, Jeff & Sally!
 He isn’t exactly pretty but nevertheless plays an important role in the local environment. Comes in different colours as well. He once brought changes to an extension to the Nelson Aggregate site to a halt. These giant, one-of-a-kind Jefferson salamanders are art installations being hidden all over Burlington from March 11th to the 15th.With 5 pairs of Jeffersons to find, each one has been uniquely painted by the Escarpment Artists.
Find the daily Jeff & Sally pair—but don’t dillydally, each salamander will be visible for one day only! Whether you’re 8 or 88, seeking out these unique art pieces will be great fun for anyone.
Great prizes to be won! Get the details here.
Read the short story of Jeff and Sally here!
By Pepper Parr
March 7th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
During the second meeting of the Pipeline to Permit Standing Committee meeting, Jamie Tellier,Director of Planning set out to explain the data on the chart below.
One of the reasons the Pipeline to Permit committee was created was to look at the available data to better understand just what was happening in the development sector.
It crystal clear: better data was needed.
Roll your cursor over the image to enlarge.
As you can see in really small print on the bottom, it was generated on February 27 2024. The previous chart that was presented to you at the last committee meeting was generated on February 2. So this what you’re seeing here is less than a month.
The total number of housing units for major planning applications has gone up since the last chart – it’s gone up by about 3500 residential units. We are now a little over 45,000 residential units within the major planning process pipeline.
 Jamie Tellier, Director of Planning in his animated mode. I’m going to take you through the application status and you’ll see some of the changes through the various stages of the planning pipeline.
On the right side you’ll see the application status, that’s gone up by about 3000 units. That number signals the ongoing interest in obtaining the planning approvals for residential developments. This reflects the confidence that we commonly refer to as the hoping to dream stage.
This is very early days and we’re having those consultations but again, it signals the interest to develop residential in Burlington.
Underneath that you’ll see the under review status. That has stayed pretty much the same since the last one.
I do want to note that even though that number has stayed the same, when we when we consider major planning applications to things that are subject to legislative timelines, and certainly the bill 109 refunds, we are achieving our legislative timelines 100% of the time.
Underneath that you’ll see appeal to the OLT. I’m very pleased to note that that number is going down. Staff have been busy resolving various litigation matters, which ultimately will enable more housing in Burlington.
 Depending on the decision from the OLT (Ontario Landing Tribunal) landowners are either going to move to a building permit stage or perhaps they’re going to move into the site plan stage depending on the nature and type of development.
Underneath that you’ll see waiting for site plan application. That number has increased by a little over 600 units. Referencing the appeals – perhaps fresh off of an OLT decision.
Now the developers have to put all their technical documentation together to come in for a site plan.
The last one is the planning approval. We’ve changed that name to bring a little more clarity to it. This number is where the planning approvals have been issued. And now they can move on to the building permit.
This is a planning approval, not building permit approval. I’m happy to note that that number has also gone up by about 1100 units since our last report.
At that point Tellier was ready to turn things over to Nick Anastasopoulos, City of Burlington Chief Building Official,
We report on what Nick had to say in a separate article.
 By Pepper Parr
March 6th, 2024
BURLINGTON. ON
FOI documents suggest intent to conceal
The Official Opposition NDP has obtained documents through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request showing the use of code words across thousands of pages of government records referring to the Greenbelt grab.
 The New Democrats are on the case. The Mounties will love this. Terms like “G*,” “Special Project” and “SP” were found in several records, including correspondence between the ministry and the Premier’s office.
In some emails, a reference to the Greenbelt had been replaced with “G*” before being forwarded to Ryan Amato, the former chief of staff of former Municipal Affairs and Housing minister Steve Clark.
The change was discovered by comparing the original email with what was forwarded to Mr. Amato’s account.
“What this looks like is intent to conceal—a creative use of code words to evade public scrutiny for what they clearly knew was wrong,” said Marit Stiles. “For months, the Ford Conservatives claimed that there was nothing wrong with their Greenbelt grab. Clearly, they knew they had something to hide.”
The FOI records also show that throughout October 2022, ministry officials regularly used the term “Special Project” (or “SP”) to refer to the Greenbelt grab. This includes two emails exchanged between Amato and Patrick Sackville, the premier’s current chief of staff.
The emails are dated Oct. 17, 2022 — 10 days before the date Sackville claimed under oath that he was first briefed on the Greenbelt project.
“We’ve cracked the code, and it’s time for the Premier to come clean about his office’s involvement in this mess,” Stiles said.
The NDP’s FOI yielded
3,776 pages of documents from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
The term “special project” appeared 36 times.
The term “SP” appeared 44 times.
In an index of records provided by the ministry to the NDP in response to its FOI, there are five instances of the term “special project” and 21 instances of the term “SP.”
A criminal investigation into the Ford government over the Greenbelt scheme is currently underway.
By Staff
March 6th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
LEE ROCKER of the Stray Cats
Tickets available at 50% off!
Saturday March 9, 2024 at 8pm
Main Theatre 50% off!
Use Code: GIANTBASS at checkout
*while quantities last
*not applicable to previously purchased tickets.
If you want to take advantage of the deep discount you will want to call the box office.Box Office. 905-681-6000
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 12pm to 4pm, and one hour prior to a performance.
Lee Rocker made his mark singing, playing, standing on, spinning and rocking his giant upright bass as a founding member of the Grammy-nominated music group The Stray Cats.
He has since been named “Greatest Of All Time” in Bass Player Magazine’s 2022 listing of the top 100 bassists ever.
Hear hit songs like Stray Cat Strut and Rock This Town live in concert! $69.50 – $89.50 (All-in). Member: $64.50 – $84.50 (All-in) This is before the discount.
By Pepper Parr
March 6th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Updated: 9:40 am
Yet another update: Note from Councillor Shawna Stolte: Kelvin made the “time sucking” comment about issues in his ward…then I, as the Chair of Committee of the Whole, jokingly alluded to using this phrase in reference to our Committee having taken 20 hours, over 2 days, to debate what should have taken 12.
Funny bunch of people
How often do we hear members of Council tell you it is an honour to serve you? Often, especially during elections
During discussion on changing the ward boundaries and taking a hard look at the size of Council (Mayor Meed Ward has no problem with a larger council) Ward 1 Councillor Kelvin Galbraith let us know how he sees the job he has when he said:
 Ward 1 Councillor Kelvin Galbraith: the job is a time sucker. “RBG, Beachway, hospital – there’s a lot of time sucking features in my ward that need to be considered and they will be ongoing whether it’s me or somebody else.”
Galbraith seems to resent having to attend meetings that focus on the needs and interests of the people he was elected to represent.
Moments after Galbraith made his comment, a Council member said: “Could you use that time sucking quote frequently – there are many opportunities for that.”
They represent you – how do you feel about that?
 By Pepper Parr
March 5th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The arguments begin today.
 Milton Greens, the developer who wants to put 98 high end homes on what is golf club land.
 Millcroft Greenspace Alliance and Millcroft Against Development have each raised significant sums of money to oppose the development at the Ontario Land Tribunal that begins today.
he both want as many of their supporters as possible tuning in today for the hearing.
The hearing is scheduled from Tuesday March 5 to Thursday March 28 through virtual meetings. You may log in at the link below. Only lawyers and those speaking at the meeting will have cameras and microphones on.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/719383509 Access Code is 719-383-509
David Donnelly, the lawyer representing Millcroft Greenspace Alliance will make an opening statement today and will continue representing the group throughout the hearing.
 MAD has their team in place with local planner Allan Ramsay representing them.
 It will be some time before there is a decision – many feel the hearing would not have taken place if Mayor Meed Ward had been able to convince the Minister of Housing to issue a Ministerial Zoning Order (MZO) would have brought everything to a halt.
That as the community knows didn’t happen.
By Pepper Parr
March 5th, 2024
BURLINGTON. ON
 Councillor Rory Nisan Ward 3 Councillor Rory Nisan, who now lives in ward 2 explained in a Linked in comment that Burlington has received $21 million from the federal government that will be used to build new homes.
Just because he said it – doesn’t mean it’s all true.
Here is what he did say:
Later today Nisan who is Chair of one of the Standing Committees. He is also the City’s representative on the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and has a meeting to attend.
 Mayor Meed Ward participating in a meeting from her vehicle. Nisan told Council yesterday that he is going to try and chair the Standing Committee meeting while he is in the air or at the airport.
That should be something to see – we will let you know how that works out. There is a vice chair so the meeting will take place – no idea where Nisan will land.
Mayor Meed Ward did participate in a Standing Committee meeting while in her vehicle recently.
Councillor Stolte is reported to have told a community meeting at the Port Nelson United Church that the $21 million was clinched when the city committed to four dwelling units per lot as of right instead of the provincially mandated three units. Stolte is reported to have said that “the more aggressive target unlocked the federal money (21m).”
 By Staff
March 4th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
She didn’t strap on the pads but she was in the room for the photo op celebrating the $25,300 Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) grant.
The grant was to help cover the costs of the equipment goalies need to stand between the pipes and stop the puck.
“Through the government of Ontario’s OTF funding stream organizations like BLOMHA are able to provide services and supports that young people need to succeed,” said Natalie Pierre, MPP for Burlington. “I am pleased that the Burlington Lions Optimist Minor Hockey Association has received funding to help aspiring goaltenders reach their potential.”
 Back row left to right: Director of Hockey & Marketing Anthony Miele, Admin. Coordinator Heather Bohlmann, Burlington MPP Natalie Pierre, Executive Director Rick Dawson, Admin. Coordinator Heather Smart. Front row: Luca Ilczyszyn (white jersey) and Kellan Capern (red jersey). The grant, which was first awarded in September 2023, was used to purchase additional new goalie equipment to be lent out to prospective goaltenders. The goal of the project is to help stimulate involvement of goaltenders in the sport while alleviating the financial barriers faced by those seeking to play the most expensive position in hockey.
“It takes three main components to run a recreation hockey organization- referees, volunteers & goaltenders. This grant helps us to allow the opportunity to provide programming so that kids can stay in hockey in Burlington,” said Rick Dawson, Executive Director of Burlington Lions-Optimist Minor Hockey Association.
The Burlington Lions Optimist Minor Hockey Association was formed in 1951 by members of the Burlington Central Lions Club and the Optimist Club of Burlington, making it one of the oldest and longest serving youth recreational organizations in our city.
BLOMHA is a volunteer-based organization with approximately 1,800 players registered, making us the largest recreational minor hockey association in Burlington. Our objective is to promote, provide and develop recreational youth hockey within the City of Burlington, and to provide the maximum amount of opportunity for all eligible participants regardless of their ability.
“Non-profit organizations across Ontario deliver programming that makes a difference,” said Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “That’s why funding that my ministry is providing through the OTF is so important. Our government wants to ensure that these programs and spaces remain the heart of communities across our province.”
By Mariana Delton
March 5th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
 If you are looking for ways to get more out of your online casino bonuses, you have come to the right place.
Here are five ways you can maximize your bonus, whether it’s part of the new player welcome bonus or ongoing promotional offer long after you have claimed your sign-up bonus and whether it’s a free spins bonus or matching deposit bonus.
How can I maximize my online casino bonus?
 There are all kinds of bonuses offered. Read the terms and conditions carefully. An online casino bonus might be part of a new player promotion offer to tempt new players to sign up and start playing on that site, or it could be part of a loyalty rewards program or other one-off promotion.
Whatever the bonus, there are a few things you can do to ensure you always get the most out of it. Here are five of the best ways to ensure your online casino bonuses are maximized, and that you achieve the most out of any promotional offers at today’s best sites:
- If you live in Canada, you should only ever claim desktop or mobile casino bonuses from fully licensed and regulated online casinos that specifically cater to the Canadian market. Make sure the sites are controlled by reputable companies with solid backgrounds in the iGaming industry
- Check the wagering requirements before claiming a bonus, and only stick to claiming bonuses with low to medium wagering requirements, preferably worth 40x times the bonus amount or lower
- Always read the bonus terms and conditions before claiming an online casino bonus. Not only will it reveal info about the wagering requirements attached to that bonus, but also how long you have to complete them and which games will count more towards completing them per C$1.00 wagered
- The bonus winnings might be capped at a certain amount, so don’t be disappointed if you don’t receive the exact amount you win from your bonus
- Find out if any payment methods are excluded from the promotional offer because you don’t want to miss out on your bonus just because you used a certain type of online payment method
What else can I do to ensure I get the most out of money bonuses?
Try not to claim more than one bonus at a time. For example, juggling several bonuses simultaneously and trying to complete multiple wagering requirements can often prove too much. Complete one bonus before moving on to the next instead of claiming multiple bonuses at once.
 Don’t let an expired bonus ruin the fun you were having. Some online casino bonuses require certain unique bonus codes, so ensure you have the correct code when claiming your bonus. Also, make sure you enter the correct code into the required field because if you enter the wrong code, it won’t activate the bonus.
Similarly, online casino bonuses and the codes that can be used to unlock them have a tendency to expire if they aren’t used by a certain time, so remember not to leave it too long before claiming any bonuses you have had your eye on.
Final thoughts
 Gaming can be fun and exciting – be a responsible player. When claiming any online casino bonus, the golden rule is to READ THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS. Failure to read them can often lead to disappointment, which can be frustrating.
Most online casino bonus Ts and Cs should be easy to read and take less than a minute to read from start to finish. If you don’t quite understand something, you can contact the casino’s player support live chat agents, who should be able to clarify things for you so you can get the most out of your bonus.
By Pepper Parr
March 4th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
 Lou Frapporti with Dave Pitblado talking to City Manager Tim Commisso – on the left King Paving Executive – the kind of meeting the Alinea people are going to miss. He kissed every ring in the room and mentioned there was “the hint of a tear” in his eye on the news of City Manager Tim Comisso moving on to something a little less stressful.
 Alinea spokesperson Lou Frapporti “It’s a delight to be back with you today on behalf of Alinea delegating to comment on the presentation you’ll hear later from your Economic Development department on the city’s vision for what we are now at least temporarily calling the project at 1200 King road”, said Lou Frapporti.
“As you are keenly aware this will be the first public presentation relating to the project; the first the community will hear about the scope of the vision for King Road that we have been been engaged with you on for the past several years. It is a moment in what has been years of reflection, engagement, conversation and exploration on the subject of the remarkable potential.
 Raw land that has been on hold for decades while the owners wait for the right time to begin development. Deer roamed the property, some farming was done, homeless people chose to call it home. “The thoughtful development of this parcel of land presents engagement that began over three years ago at the Alinea corporate launch event which many of you attended, Where CEO Paul Paletta made the commitment to begin a new chapter in the company’s history – moving beyond transactions to the building of relationships in the community, which are premised on first listening to you to better understand your priorities and vision for your community manifested through these lands.
 That large rink has NHL written all over it. “Having met with you and listened to you over the last several years, we have been particularly moved by Councillor Galbraith’s passionate championing of his constituents and their needs in this project. Councillor Sharman’s thought provoking suggestions regarding innovative approaches to fostering well-being and soliciting strategic partnerships. Councillor Nisan’s encouragement of our prioritizing sustainability in the development. Councillor Bentavegna’s engagement around the importance of anchoring sports and recreation in the effort. We have all benefited from the Mayor’s leadership not only here but regionally as well in urging rapid action in addressing the housing crisis.
“I’d also be remiss in not pointing out that we have greatly benefited from the thoughtful engagement of your staff at every level, whose effort and input has been invaluable today and will be critical in the future. Having benefited from a better understanding of your needs and vision it’s been our pleasure to begin recruiting and engaging leading partners here and abroad to assist in realizing the vision that we and you I believe share in relation to development of this parcel of land.
“Whether it is in the recruitment of post-secondary institutions or arena and recreational partners or to the engagement of thought leaders here and elsewhere in a variety of disciplines, all critical to the outcome will be presented later today. We have and will continue to have the very best organizations available and committed to you and this project as it moves forward.
“Work which collectively centers on a vision that demands our close collaboration, and ultimately nothing less than the best will be required of us. A quick look at this map explains why this is a massive blank canvas of land not only at the geographic heart of the city, but of the population and transportation epicenters of the most significant economic cluster in Canada, and the second most significant in North America. It’s a future city on a hill in its own right, that can advance a remarkable range of important outcomes, not only for those that live work, learn and play in this community or will in the future, but for the region as a whole.
 The reach the development will have if the plans are actually met is significant. It is a bold move that will have many beginning to think about what it will mean to the socioeconomic make up of GTA West “All of these and more outcomes and benefits will be pursued: they can and will be realized in our work together on this project. And with all of this in mind, I humbly submit that the moment demands that we stop to reflect on the sobering reality that we collectively face. In all of this. We really have just one shot to advance so many of the city’s priorities in the development of what is arguably the most significant greenfield site in the city.
“Are we going to capture it? It’s not an exaggeration to say that owing to the nature scale, location and quality of this and other development assets in the community. This council, staff have it in their power to materially transform this community in almost unimaginable ways at an unprecedented pace.
“With a remarkable in growing list of aligned stakeholders, almost all the decision makers necessary to determine these outcomes are in the room looking at each other today.
“That said, the history of development is replete with examples of squandered opportunities, crushing incrementalism, short sighted thinking parochialism, the paralysis of nimbyism and resistance to change – Yes, bold action entails risk, but in the end, the greatest risk we face is not the risk of action, it is the risk of inaction of missed opportunity of not being worthy of the moment our not seizing the opportunity together to bring about the transformative change that is within our collective grasp. In this and in the related projects of which you are all very familiar you have the collective power to be to be the most significant public and private leaders in this city’s history, transforming this community for generations to come. A transformation that moves you beyond simply being the best midsize city to live in Ontario, or the fourth or best, whatever in Canada, but to being one of the most remarkable cities anywhere in the world to live. I truly believe that’s possible.
 Aspiration at best – and filled with promise. Given the strong push from the developer and a City Council that is onside this could move quite quickly.
“I have lived here in the past and aspire to live here again working for leaders like Paul and Michael Paletta who are deeply invested in every way imaginable in the success and well-being of the community. I have every confidence will get there together.”
A classic example of covering all the bases.
By Pepper Parr
March 4th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The tragedy taking place in Gaza with millions of people bombed out of their homes and pushed into the southern part of that small bit of land is not easy to fully understand.
There are certainly different and strongly held views on what Hamas did to the Israelis and what the Israelis are now doing to Hamas.
We are watching a very one sided war with people who are innocent – they just happen to live in that part of the world. Millions are starving to death – today, right now.
I want to share a short comment that came my way yesterday.
“We know what starvation does to the body: feeding on stores of fat, moving to the muscles, eroding the heart, shutting down the immune system, and ending in a slow and painful death. We watch as Israel hones starvation as a weapon of war.”
The Americans have begun to drop food into southern Gaza. What the aircraft below dropped is reported to be the equivalent of one truckload of food. More than 500 truckloads of food a day are needed to feed the two million people who are facing starvation.
 By Pepper Parr
March 4th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
An update on the occasions when the city of Burlington decided I should be banned from entering city hall.
They do this by issuing Notices of Trespass.
The first one was delivered to me by James Ridge, in September 2017
 Former City Manager: James Ridge Ridge served me with a Notice of Trespass – something I learned much later that he didn’t have the authority to do – which I am pretty sure he knew at the time.
At the time I was stunned; what bothered me most was that the decision to issue a Notice of Trespass was based on a report on my behaviour that the city had done by an outside law firm engaged to investigate a complaint.
I was never interviewed, I was not given a copy of the report and thus had no way of defending myself nor did I know what it was I was supposed to have done. The first ban was for one year.
I met with a number of lawyers; few had any experience with this kind of thing.
I decided to wait out the year and cover city hall as best I could without stepping into the building.
A year later I had not heard from the City.
The first Notice of Trespass expired one year later September 2018.
In October of 2018, then City Manager James Ridge issued a second Notice of Trespass that was for an indeterminate length of time.
This time I knew why I was being served with the Notice of Trespass
Let me provide some context around this second incident.
When there was a Planning matter that I needed some clarification on I would call the planner on the file and ask some questions. Most, but not all, were a pleasure to work with; they answered the questions often providing additional information.
Some were a little edgy: they weren’t sure just how much they could say and they didn’t want to annoy the Director of Planning who, at the time, was Mary Lou Tanner. She wanted to be aware of what I was talking to planning staff about.
 Former Director of Planning – Mary Lou Tanner I had suggested to Tanner that when I was communicating with planning staff by email I bcc her on every email. That way she would be in the loop and could step in if she was concerned.
Up until that point there was a decent relationship with Mary Lou, or at least I thought so.
On what was Halloween Eve of 2018 I sent Ms Tanner an email. The response was one of the automated “I am not at my desk” things.
Now appreciate this – I am talking to someone I felt I got along with reasonably well and it was during the day of Halloween Eve – and the person I wanted to talk to wasn’t available.
I responded with the following:
 Emojis are a form of communication. How a smiling face could be seen as anything other than a joke was beyond me. A second Notice of Trespass came from City Manager Ridge in October of 2018. This notice was for an indeterminate period of time.
Some might feel the email was inappropriate – I could live with that. Ridge in his second notice of Trespass said:
You were clearly notified at that time that your pattern of behaviour directed at staff constituted harassment and a number of restrictions were imposed on your access to city hall and city hall staff under the Trespass to Property Act, R.S.O. 1991, c. T.21.
Two things: Ridge did not have the authority to issue a Notice of Trespass and exactly what can be defined as harassment appears to be whatever the city says it is. Every opinion I got did not define the Halloween Eve email as harassment.
And that is where things stood. The pandemic took over the way things worked everywhere and everyone did the best they could.
In June of 2023, there was a motion on a Council Agenda to pass a bylaw related to Notices of Trespass.
Turns out the city did not have the right to issue Notices of Trespass unless there was a bylaw allowing them to do. .
What we had then was the city issuing Notices of Trespass when they didn’t have the authority to do so.
Some time later, September 27th, 2023 I had occasion to send an email to Blake Hurley who was now the City Solicitor.
I didn’t get a response from Hurley but did get a response from the law firm the city had hired when we sued every member of the 2018 Council.
The law firm told me that the Notice of Trespass that had been issued in October of 2018 had been withdrawn in July of 2019.
That was a surprise to me. I didn’t recall getting any notice from the city. I checked the computers I use – What the city maintains they sent didn’t get to my computers.
Given the seriousness of the matter – requiring a credentialed journalist to be escorted by security while in city hall – is serious stuff.
It was my view that when advising me that the Notice of Trespass was being lifted, a responsible City Manager would have asked me to drop by for a short meeting during which he would advise me that the Notice of Trespass was no longer in place and then talk about how we could put together a working relationship that first ensured media, working for the public interest, would have access to key personnel and that there were clear procedure for interviewing staff.
The behaviour report the city had done in 2017 is, to this day, a document I have never seen. It was issued by then city manager James Ridge who did say prior to the 2018 election that he would let me have a redacted copy of the Notice when the election was over. Of course we all know what happened to Mr. Ridge.
While withdrawn, the document does exist, filed away somewhere, and easily brought forward again should it serve some city purpose.
Our motto – Informed people can make informed decisions – is behind everything we do.
I don’t believe the current administration is fervent in wanting an informed public. They pay lip service to the concept but the proof is just not in the pudding at their table.
So here is where it all stands:
Any notices telling me that I was not permitted to enter city hall without an escort are no longer in effect.
However, the city tells me – If I ever do what they maintain I did they can use that report to kick me out again.
This is bullying and intimidation.
They are what they are – they do what they do.
By Pepper Parr
March 3rd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
In the world of politics – the photo op is just what they do.
Get your picture in the paper – any media will do – and the voters will see you as out there doing your job. And that seems to be enough for most of the voters.
There are situations that are must be seen at events for every politician in every community.
You can never go wrong with the hospital, the Food Bank, BurlingtonGreen and Halton Women’s Place. There are others.
Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward turned every member of Council into a Deputy Mayor and sends them out to do some of the photo ops. A Council member out there cutting a ribbon is not the same is as a Deputy Mayor cutting that ribbon.
Think hard about those Deputy Mayors. One, ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte, has managed to get something useful done – she was the driving force for a new Standing Committee – Pipeline to Permits. Too early to know if they are going to make a go of it – but the signs are all good.
Oddly enough Stolte is probably the worst at the photo op game; no shame there sister.
The Mayor does do the photo op – from singing in a Smart Car to being on hand for a Halton Women’s Place event.
A picture is worth a thousand words. Isn’t it
By Pepper Parr
March 3rd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The Ontario Trillium Foundation advises that: The $615K grant was a Grow grant which are typically have terms of up to 3 years. The other 2 grants were Resilient Community Fund grants which had terms of 1 year and a maximum request amount of $150K.
OTF does not accept MPP letters of support nor are MPPs required to support grant applications.
Council will hear a request from BurlingtonGreen this week for an annual fee from the city for services they provide.
The Staff recommendation is to approve one time funding for 2024 in the maximum amount of $50,000 from the Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve Fund as a fee for services provided by BurlingtonGreen.
Direct the Executive Director of Environment, Infrastructure and Community Services to execute a Memorandum of Understanding between the City and BurlingtonGreen outlining the services to be provided in 2024, including performance measures in a form satisfactory to the Executive Director of Legal Services and Corporation Counsel; and
Consider an ongoing fee for services approach with BurlingtonGreen in the amount of $50,000 per calendar year during the Mayor’s 2025 budget process the period of 2024 – 2027.
 This is where the rubber hits the road for the BurlingtonGreen people. CleanUp-GrenUp In 2023, BurlingtonGreen received $70,000 under the Recreation, Community and Culture’s Community Development program to deliver programs which support the City’s strategic directions related to sustainable transportation, urban nature priorities, climate change actions and zero waste.
The unfortunate part of the Staff report before City council this week is that there is no mention of the $ 773, 500. BurlingtonGreen has received from the provincial Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) that distributes profits from the lotteries.
Ontario Trillium Foundation Community Investments
Amount awarded$615,300.00
Year2017-2018
Delivering a project that builds on the success of a proven model or program with a $615,300 grant over 36 months to increase the number of people volunteering in community eco-action activities. Encouraging people to support a healthy and sustainable environment, this initiative is helping people and resource users take deliberate actions to benefit the environment, and has an impact on the lives of 6,300 people in the community.
 In Burlington activities like this are part of the right of passage; an experience that stays with younger people forever. Ontario Trillium Foundation Resilient Communities Fund
Amount awarded$78,400
Year2021-2022
Our organization, with a $78,400 Resilient Communities Fund grant over 12 months, will rebuild and recover from impacts of COVID-19 by engaging staff to create new, inclusive and safe volunteer opportunities, attract more diverse volunteer participation, and implement new volunteer fundraising strategies.
Ontario Trillium Foundation Resilient Communities Fund
Amount awarded $79,800
Year2023-2024
 Three generation Clean Up crew – an annual event that draws thousands. From 2017 through to 2023/24 BurlingtonGreen has received $773,500.00 from different OTF programs that are financed by the proceeds from the different lottery programs.
BurlingtonGreen has been operating in the community since 2007 and has a long history of partnering with the City. They took over the annual community Clean Up event from the City in 2011 (formerly organized by the Mayor’s office) and significantly increased participation as it has evolved into the annual Clean-up Green-up event, running over several months instead of just one week around Earth Day.
Forestry staff and BurlingtonGreen have partnered on several occasions to deliver tree planting, give aways and educational events. The City entered into a funding agreement with BG in 2021/22 to complete the community based Electric Mobility Strategy presented to Council in September 2022 (fifty percent of funding was provided by the provincial Ministry of Energy).
 The Pump House that once brought in water from the lake to meet the city’s needs and is now used by BurlingtonGreen as an EcoHub. No word on how long a lease was signed or the rental rate. In 2022, BG successfully made arrangements with the City to lease the Burlington pump house located on the Beachway. They transformed it into a community Eco Hub where they present climate related programs and actions, such as:
- Home energy retrofits showcasing the air source heat pump installed at the Eco Hub;
- Active and sustainable transportation given the location on the multi-use trail along with bike parking and a bike repair station; and
- Electric mobility with the soon to be installed electric vehicle charging
The fee for services approach will help to supplement external funding and provide additional support for staff and resources allowing BurlingtonGreen to attract volunteers, develop and coordinate communications and successfully deliver activities noted above.
BurlingtonGreen has made a huge difference to the public perception of environmental issues. Their reach starts with students at the elementary level through to grandparents. The corporate sector is very comfortable and readily identifies with the group.
But there is a bigger question here that does not get raised in the Staff report – at what point does the City pick up all the costs of this organization.
 There are other community organizations that deliver services to the community at no cost. The work done by Bfast has resulted in transit services that meet the needs of that part of the population that depends on public transit.
 A neighbourhood tradition in Burlington – not a dime of public money. The Food Banks provide services without financial support from the city.
The matter before Council should not be: does the City keep providing and increasing ongoing financial support but rather at what point do taxpayer dollars get used to support community groups. There is a policy the city does not appear to be adhering to.
There is absolutely nothing in the Staff report on the BurlingtonGreen financials; how much they raise and what it gets spent on.
BurlingonGreen has an impressive public profile; it has close to Holy Grail status. Its reach within the community is both admirable and far reaching – the questions is how far should it be reaching into the public purse.
The 3711 taxpayers who signed a petition against the 7.5% 2024 tax increase have to be taken into consideration – their voice is as valid as the BurlingtonGreen supporters.
 Past due property tax at the highest level in 5 years.  Transparency and accountability launched a political career. Missing anywhere in the Staff report are the two pillars that said to be critical to what gets done with public money: transparency and accountability – a special interest group doesn’t use the words and City Council appears to be taking a pass on them as well.
We will return tomorrow with detail on what BurlingtonGreen has done in terms of its own fund raising and how it spends the funds it receives. And we will look at that policy as well.
By Staff
March 2nd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Brock University has attached itself to Burlington in a way that higher education institutions in the area have not. Brock currently has one faculty using Burlington facilities for teaching and expects to move into a portion of the Robert Bateman Community Centre where they have leased all of the second floor.
The university also makes members of different faculties available for interviews on subject of public interest.
Food pricing is the focus of comments made by Eric Dolansky. He said that:
“The public reacted swiftly this week when news spread that Wendy’s had potential plans to test run surge pricing in its restaurants.
 Surge pricing practices, “While the popular fast-food chain has since indicated it will not increase prices during the busiest times at its restaurants, the situation has shed light on both current and potential future surge pricing practices, says Brock University’s Eric Dolansky.
“The Associate Professor of Marketing with Brock’s Goodman School of Business says the thought of restaurants introducing dynamic pricing elicited public backlash because it “violates norms and expectations” for the food industry.
“As of late, the concept of surge pricing has been attributed mainly to transportation companies such as Uber, which use a dynamic model to moderate use by customers based on supply and demand.
“However, “surge pricing is a relatively new name for a fairly old concept,” says Dolansky, who studies behavioural economics, price perception and consumer estimations of value.
“Tying price to supply and demand is as old as classical economics, but the technological power needed to do it in real time and on a wider scale is more recent,” he says. “Even so, for decades companies have been altering prices based on either actual or expected demand.”
Dolansky points to the travel industry, where both airlines and hotels operate on dynamic pricing models — and have for some time.
The difference is the perceived value for consumers when it comes to purchases such as travel versus physical products, such as food items, for which customers expect relatively stable prices, he says.
 Eric Dolansky.: Associate Professor of Marketing with Brock’s Goodman School of Business. For instance, with Niagara Falls being one of few places in the path of totality for the April 8 total solar eclipse, hotels raised their prices in anticipation of the celestial event’s ability to draw tourists.
“Staying in Niagara Falls around April 8 holds a great deal more value, for some consumers, than that same stay one week earlier or later,” Dolansky says. “Therefore, they are willing to pay more, and the companies involved are trying to capitalize on that desire.”
However, gift shops, tourist attractions and restaurants in the Niagara area wouldn’t normally change their prices based on an expected increase in demand, he says.
“If these businesses raise their prices, they need to convince customers it’s worth it.”
This may be done by providing an exclusive offering, such as a special menu, to increase the perceived value, he says.
Dolansky says businesses have to be careful that their pricing — not only the amount but the way prices are set and change over time — reflects the value that is perceived by customers.
“If customers don’t see a difference in value based on, for example, how busy a particular fast-food franchise is at a given moment, they won’t be willing to accept a higher price,” he says.
Dolanksy says it’s beneficial for businesses to research, innovate and test out different pricing models, but that they must be based on customer value.
“We inherently understand that if something is in greater demand, we may need to pay more for it,” he says. “But for food, in most situations in Canada, there is not the same scarcity — thankfully — so a model like this may feel artificial.”
 By Ray Rivers
March 2nd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
“I came to office as Prime Minister determined to place the environment at the top of our national priorities,”( Brian Mulroney 2019)
It must have broken his heart when his daughter, the first Attorney General in Doug Ford’s Ontario government, led the provincial legal case against Canada’s new carbon tax. Brian Mulroney was too good a politician and father to criticize her but his praise of former federal environment minister McKenna said a lot about his views on climate change.
Brian Mulroney was a fish out of water in today’s conservative camps. Unlike his federal Conservative Party compatriots today, who can’t even agree that climate change is real, he understood that one of the most important responsibilities of any government is stewarding the environment. With that possibly in mind he argued that “In the final analysis, successful leaders do not impose unpopular ideas on the public, successful leaders make unpopular ideas acceptable to the nation.”
 Former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney leads the chorus in singing an Irish song on stage with his wife (Mila) and U.S. President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan at the conclusion of a gala performance in Quebec City March 17, 1985. His record of achievement on the environment was impressive. He initiated ongoing bi-national efforts to clean-up the Great Lakes. He negotiated the 1991 Acid Rain Accord with a reluctant American president. He hosted and facilitated the 1987 Montreal Protocol to protect the ozone layer, a landmark and successful global environmental treaty. And he implemented the federal Green Plan in which every member of his Cabinet was charged with environmental responsibilities. In 2006 he was recognized as Canada’s ‘greenest’ prime minister.
Some might say he was a leader before his time when it came to the environment. But that would be in contrast to his fellow conservative provincial leaders, particularly those today in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario. Alberta is the dirtiest province in Canada when it comes to generating climate warming pollution. And yet its upcoming budget bans the production of new clean energy and places a whopping tax on electric vehicles. And the province is slashing spending on forest fires management in the mistaken belief that all the pollution they pour into the air will not come back to haunt them as it has in previous years.
 Mulroney speaking to students at St. Francis Xavier University Brain Mulroney began his career as a labour lawyer and became a skilled negotiator and the master of the compromise. However he failed twice to convince Canadians to allow changes to our constitution in order to obtain Quebec’s signature. The Meech Lake accord and, even more so, the Charlottetown referendum, involved just too many compromises for too many Canadians.
The inadvertent upshot of those initiatives and their failures was the creation of the BLOC Québécois separatist party and the enhanced popularity of the Reform Party, both of which contributed to the ultimate demise and disappearance of the political party of Canada’s first prime minister. This was a sad ending to a party which less than a decade earlier had claimed the largest electoral victory in Canadian history, winning over 50% of both seats and the popular vote. Mulroney had notably won a virtual sweep of seats in Quebec, something unheard of since the Sir John A. MacDonald government had hanged Louis Riel, nearly causing a civil war.
Mulroney came into office promising to better handle government financial management than Mr. Trudeau who had apparently lost his way among inflation, stagnation and stagflation. But Mr. Mulroney’s government never came close to balancing the budget either. In fact the deficit in the last budgets of both leaders were almost identical in real terms. And Mulroney’s GST coupled with continued high interest rates precipitated one of Canada’s worst recessions since the 1930’s.
 “In the final analysis, successful leaders do not impose unpopular ideas on the public, successful leaders make unpopular ideas acceptable to the nation.” There was this darker chapter to Mr. Mulroney’s career, where his ill-advised dealings with a corrupt German lobbyist led to betrayal of the very ethics which he had once employed to discipline members of his own cabinet. But we are all human and we all make mistakes, even prime ministers. As Mr. Mulroney said in a 2011 TVO interview, nobody is perfect. Still Brian Mulroney continued to be regarded with respect and called upon for his counsel, including by newly minted PM Justin Trudeau over renewal of the North American trade deal.
 Brian Mulroney with Nelson Mandela Perhaps his greatest international accomplishment was leading the fight to end Apartheid in South Africa and freeing Nelson Mandela, the man who would lead that country out of its miserable past. Mulroney played hard ball by imposing sanctions on South Africa, then softer ball convincing Mrs.Thatcher and Ronald Reagan to join with him in securing a better future for the people of that country. To this date, he is regarded as a hero by South Africans.
Mulroney was fond of saying that history judges people primarily by what they accomplished. And he accomplished much over his two terms in office, particularly with regard to the environment. One’s legacy is about what is left behind for future generations after their time. And what could be more important to our children and grandchildren than the state of the planet we leave for them. And in that regard Brian Mulroney left a legacy for which we should all be thankful.
 Ray Rivers, a Gazette Contributing Editor, writes regularly applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was once a candidate for provincial office in Burlington. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Ray has a post graduate degree in economics that he earned at the University of Ottawa. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links:
Climate Change – Post Mortem – Financial Management –
|
|
