 By Staff
January 18th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Zellers is going to return to Burlington. It will be one of 25 Zellers store experiences within Hudson’s Bay.
The brick-and-mortar locations will complement the first-ever Zellers.ca ecommerce site, ultimately bringing Zellers to nearly every community in Canada.
 The Zellers sign comes off the store in the Burlington Mall. They are returning and will be part of The Bay and located inside those stores, Customers will be greeted with a thoughtful selection of design-led products across home decor, toys, baby, apparel and pets, housed within Zellers’ signature red and white that will guide customers along in their retail journey.
To stay in the loop, beginning today shoppers can sign up for updates on Zellers.ca – the future home of Zellers’ fully integrated e-commerce platform.
At launch, the Zellers experience within Hudson’s Bay will be between 8,000 – 10,000 sq ft., depending on location. The Zellers in-store experience and Zellers.ca are planned to launch simultaneously.
A lot has changed since the Zellers sign was seen on a building in a Burlington Mall – the place has been named and is now the Burlington Centre.
 By Staff
January 18th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
 In a book about social media and the way it has changed how politics is done Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, former US President Donald Trump and the word Truth appear on the cover. That seemed like something worth taking a look at. A kind of gotta read for the political junkies.
The author, is a senior fellow at Massey College at the University of Toronto, is a former Ottawa and Washington bureau chief of the Toronto Star and served as director of communications for Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.
Christopher Dornan in a review of the book writes: “But the prospect of a world without Twitter had been broached, prompting us to consider anew what the platform has become to us, and what it has meant for civic discourse and the project of liberal democracy.
“Because unlike Instagram or Pinterest or Medium, Twitter has assumed a centrality of place in the political theatre, becoming over the span of a few short years, the main stage on which the cut and thrust of partisan duelling plays out. What Etsy is to people who make jewelry at home, Twitter is to the political flame wars waged between worked-up citizens bunkered in their basements.
“Which begs the question of how Twitter has managed to entwine itself so fixedly in the political nervous system. If a magazine dies, there are other magazines to take its place. If an airline goes bankrupt, people still fly on airplanes. If a telecom company goes out of business, it does not shut down telecommunications. But if Twitter were to disappear, politics as we know it would undergo a seizure. There would be a rupture in the supply chain.
“There is a reason it’s Twitter and not Facebook that is mentioned so prominently right in the title of Trump, Trudeau, Tweets, Truth, despite the fact that Facebook is by far the larger platform. Worldwide, Twitter has 206 million daily users. Facebook has 1.98 billion. Twitter doesn’t even make money. On $5-billion in revenue in 2021, it lost $221-million (albeit an improvement over 2020, when it lost $1.1-billion).”
Interesting read.
Trump, Trudeau, Tweets, Truth: A Conversation, by Bill Fox, McGill-Queen’s Press, 616 pp. $39.95. Image courtesy of McGill-Queen’s University Press
 By Pepper Parr
January 17th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Is there a link between voter turnout and the how well constituents in a ward are informed?
 A map produced by the city gives a graphical view of voter turnout in each of the six wards.
Turn out is high for those wards south of the QEW – except for ward 1 where residents have for some time complained that they don’t see enough of their ward Councillor.
One resident was told by the ward Councillor that he would not be getting any more information from the Councillor’s office.
When the constituent complained to the Mayor he was told there was nothing she could do.
That is what happens when discourse, conversation, engagement that includes transparency and accountability are part of social fabric.
The turnout in ward 1 was very poor.
The community has a service that provides information intended for seniors; the person responsible for the content will not include anything that is political; but does promote the need for supplies at the Food Bank. She then expects the Gazette to publish her posters. She was recognized in the Queen’s 70th Jubilee.
Informed people can make informed choices, but they do have to be informed.
The best Burlington seems to be able to do is be led by a city council that talks about being transparent and accountable and prepared to leave it at that.
The people of ward 1 didn’t know that the Integrity Commissioner hired by the city had advised the Councillor how to handle his conflicts of interest. The ward Councillor chose not to inform people in the ward – but was forced to do so by a diligent and persistent resident.
That was the resident who was told he would not be getting any information from the office of the Councillor.
And there wasn’t a peep from a single member of Council on the ethics of what the ward Councillor had done.
By Staff
January 17th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
This article has been revised. Survey is now available
The City is seeking input from the public on the future of a City lobbyist registry. Feedback can be shared through an online survey, available at getinvolvedburlington.ca until Feb. 6, 2023.
In January 2022, the City launched a trial online lobbyist registry designed to document interactions between individuals who lobby members of City Council. Data from this trial online registry, along with the community’s input, will help determine how to improve the registry. The input will also be used to help shape City Council accountability measures over the next four-year Council term (2022 – 2026).
A report to Council about the future of the lobbyist registry is scheduled for early Spring 2023.
There are three types of lobbyists that exist in Burlington:
Consultant Lobbyist – an individual who lobbies for payment on behalf of a client (another individual, a business or other entity).
In-house Lobbyist – means an individual who is an employee, partner or sole proprietor, and who lobbies on behalf of his or her own employer, business or other entity.
Voluntary Unpaid Lobbyist – means an individual who lobbies without payment on behalf of an individual, business or other entity for the benefit of the interests of the individual, business or other entity.
 By Pepper Parr
January 17th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
The buzz among those who follow world class multi sport games is that Hamilton – Burlington is seen as the likely choice for the 2030 Commonwealth Games. An event hosting over 70 countries that will be watched by over 1 billion people internationally.
 Originally known as the British Empire Games when they were held in Hamilton in 1930 Part of the reason for the choice is because the original games in 1930 took place in Hamilton – at that time they were called the British Empire Games – that was when the United Kingdom was an Empire – and 2030 will mark the centenary of the only multi sport Games event founded in Canada
The people leading the BID for the Games have support from several regional chambers’ of commerce, indigenous groups, a number of post secondary institutions and a large number of domestic sports associations who are all excited about the impact and legacy of this event were it to be held in Ontario in 2030.
 The venues are spread over a large part of GTA West through to the Niagara Region There is going to be a meeting of leaders from involved municipalities later this week. Included are: Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge Ancaster, St. Catharines, Mississauga, Milton and Welland.
The 2030 Games are being described as an event that will have a positive impact for the entire GTA West through to Niagara area. Based on data from previous Games in the past impact is not minimal – it tends to be huge.
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) prefers a host city to be between three quarters to one and a half million in size and reasonably close to a major city. That’s almost a perfect description of the Hamilton Burlington community.
 Interested citizens tour part of the property where some of the Games infrastructure could be located. Alinea , a private sector land owner, is interested in part of their 50 hectare site that runs west from King Road up to the eastern edge of the Aldershot GO station being used for some of the games events – at no cost to the city, as a way of accelerating the positive impact associated with the Games in advance of 2030.
Funding is being sought from both the federal and provincial governments. Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism and Sport was handling the file but Ontario’s participation will be decided by . the Office of the Premier of Ontario which is where the file is now.
What many people are unaware of is the structure of the Commonwealth Games. First – they are squeaky clean – not something one has been able to say about FIFA or the Olympics.
While sports is a focal point the Commonwealth Games Federation puts a big emphasis on the Games making a lasting positive mark on the host community.
 The Bid Committee is now pulling together the local support that is a part of bringing the international events to a community. More information about how they hope to do that can be found here: Hamilton2030.ca
By Staff
January 17th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington announced the appointment of Jacqueline Johnson as the new Executive Director of Community Relations & Engagement.
 Jacqueline Johnson: new Executive Director of Community Relations & Engagement. Jacqueline has been a leader in municipal government for over 14 years leading, supporting, and advocating for impactful changes in Human Services. Through her experience working with some of the most vulnerable people in the community, she continues to influence and drive change to the delivery of human services programs by expanding participation at strategic tables.
Jacqueline was most recently the Director of Community Access at the Region of Peel, which includes services for clients on Ontario Works, where she led the implementation of the Province’s new Vision for Social Assistance in Peel including what the transformation means for Ontario Works clients and the community.
As a key member of Peel’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, she championed the launch of Peel’s first workforce census and the development of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy.
She is committed to ensuring that the voices of clients, residents, and staff continues to be heard and accounted for in the design of programs and services. Jacqueline has also obtained a number of professional certifications including Human Centered Process Design, Change Management and Project Management Professional (PMP).
Jacqueline also serves on the board of directors for the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association and Crime Stoppers of Halton.
The new position of Executive Director of Community Relations & Engagement has been part of the City’s efforts to support the development of an even stronger and deeper relationship with our customers, the community, and community groups such as the Indigenous and LGBTQ2+ communities.
The role will provide strategic leadership and oversight for:
• Corporate Communications and Engagement
• Customer Experience; and
• Office of the City Clerk
Jacqueline will start in her new role on February 13.
Tim Commisso, City Manager said “Jacqueline will play a key role as a member of both the Burlington Leadership Team and the Strategy and Risk Team in the development and implementation of Council’s strategic priorities including our commitment to human centered service delivery.” The position is a new one on the city’s org chart. In an earlier statement from the city reference was made to the new role being filled internally.
By Pepper Parr
January 17th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
When you are the Leader of the opposition of a provincial government there is a role to play – you are there to oppose what the government has done and to suggest and advocate for different levels of change.
And it works – governments understand that public pressure is a bit of a compass point out the direction you might want to go in – in some situations you go in whatever direction that is being suggested if you want to continue being the government.
 Andrea Horwath in the provincial legislature: She fought the good fight. Andrea Horwath did a decent job of opposing – some thought that was all she was ever going to be able to do. She had come to realize that she was not going to form the government and while she won her seat in the Legislature she decided to resign.
Shortly after Horwath announced she was going to run for Mayor of Hamilton. She did and she won. Then a new set of problems came her way.
The “crazies on the left” were furious – their new Mayor was not putting the boots to the Premier the way they thought she should. She was being “torched” by her own people who clearly didn’t understand what a Mayor has to do – which is to build relationships and encourage the provincial government to support the things her city needs.
To her credit Horwath has picked up on what the job is and is reported to be doing quite well.
There are going to be some major announcements soon on a number of issues that will surprise many people. Horwath has a number of very well placed people advising her; they do not appear to be “special interest” types who are lobbying more than they are advising.
 Andrea Horwath: Good leaders find good advisors. Good leaders learn to find and trust the people who can advise; then takes that advice and uses her judgment, experience and wisdom to make the necessary decisions and begin to bring around the rest of her council members. And in Hamilton that is not a slam dunk. We suspect Andrea Horwath is fully enjoying this new role she gets to play.
It will take some time for Andrea Horwath to be fully comfortable with the Chain of Office she now wears which is more than Burlington can say about its Mayor.
Some time ago when an event took place at the Eva Rothwell Centre in North Hamilton, Andrea used the occasion to tell the small crowd that “this was the kind of event where the real Hamilton; people caring about people” came out. That is the kind of city Horwath is going to work at creating. The crazies on the left will figure that out eventually.
The Eva Rothwell event was close to a love in as people got to talk about the things they had done to make the city a better place.
By Pepper Parr
January 17th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
It is sometimes referred to as the City Council piggy bank – a fund that can be dipped into when things get tight.
The taking of $400,000 out of the Hydro Reserve fund was a classic example.
Set out below is the status of the reserve accounts as of September 2022.
At the end of each fiscal year Council takes whatever there might be in the way of a surplus – meaning money that was not spent, is sprinkled on various reserve funds.
 Some of the reserve funds can be accessed -others can’t be touched until they are needed
By Pepper Parr
January 17th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Try this one on for size.
Statements of Claim (they were being sued) were served on three former senior executives of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO) executive board for accessing money from the union Strike Fund
 OPSEU picket in front of government office. One amount of $500,000 was taken as damages “for injuries to his feelings, dignity and self-respect” and the transfer of an OPSEU/SEFPO vehicle; outlined in the statement of claim.
This hasn’t got to court yet and the three defendants have yet to file a defence.
The allegations against longtime president Warren (Smokey) Thomas former first vice-president/treasurer Eduardo Almeida and Maurice Gabay, former administrator of the union’s financial services division, are detailed in a statement of claim filed in Ontario’s Superior Court on Monday morning and follow a forensic audit ordered by the union.
The claims were for “$1.75 million from Thomas, $3 million from Almeida and $1 million from Gabay, as well as damages of $6 million for “breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, conspiracy, conversion and/or unjust enrichment”
By Pepper Parr
January 17th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Don’t think we have ever seen anything like this before.
 Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward. The Chamber of Commerce advises people that:
Due to popular demand we have opened up a SECOND room at the Burlington Convention Centre for the Mayor’s State of the City.
Tickets are selling quickly – purchase yours now before it is too late!
Join us to learn what Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and Council hope to accomplish over the coming year. This annual event, emceed by Tim Caddigan, highlights important issues facing our municipality and how they will be addressed in 2023. It will be an engaging and informative session for the Burlington business community with an opportunity to submit questions during registration.
Is this rise in public interest due to a budget that will require a tax increase of just above 7% over last year?
 A July budget projection is set out below. The tax increase for 2023-24 got shaved to 7.08% in the Budget books delivered to Council
 By Staff
January 16th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Robert Burns, also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide.
On Sunday, Jan. 22 a number of road closures and lane restrictions will be in effect for the Robbie Burns race.
 Robert Burns, also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns Race Start Time
8:30 a.m. from Elgin Street, travelling in a clockwise direction.
 Road Closures
6 to 10 a.m. – Elgin Street from Burlington Avenue to Locust Street.
8 to 9 a.m. – Baldwin Street from Hurd Avenue to Brant Street.
8:30 to 9 a.m. – Brant Street from Baldwin to Fairview.
Lane Closures
7:30 to 10 a.m. – Locust Street northbound.
All remaining streets on race route will have one lane coned-off for runners. Expect delays.
Traffic Supervision
Halton Region Police Services will supervise all closures.
Road Closures or Traffic Control Information
Event liaison, City of Burlington, 905-335-7777, ext. 7201
Downtown Municipal Parking
Enjoy free parking every Sunday in Burlington’s downtown municipal lots: There are a few EV charging stations in the Locust street parking garage.
 By Pepper Parr
January 16th, 2023
BURLINGTON, on
In a number of recent news reports on people who were arrested for drug or human trafficking offences Gazette readers expressed alarm and concern over some of the people whowere released on bail.
There is a gap between what people think bail should be and what it actually is. The John Howard Society produced a short video on how the bail system, referred to as “conditional release” works.
The view the John Howard Society has and the views of the criminal community are some distance apart.
 Bail conditions vary. They are reviewed regularly. Many of the criminals have no intention of showing up – they keep failing to appear until a Judge decides to not agree to bail.
One of the problems is that the provincial government doesn’t want to cover the cost of keeping people who have been arrested in a jail – it is very expensive.
View the video and then think about what you would like to do. Should the process be changed – if that’s what you think – tell your MP and press the government to make sure you are safe on the streets of you community.
About the John Howard Society
 Provides for the effective integration into the community of those in conflict with the law and provides, or encourages others to provide, services to those in contact with, or affected by the criminal justice system;
Promotes changes in the law and the administration of justice which will lead to the more humane and effective treatment of individuals;
Promotes citizen awareness of the problems of crime and its causes, acceptance of responsibility to respond to these problems and involvement in the delivery and management of justice related programs;
Promotes the fair and humane treatment of all incarcerated persons and seeks to ensure that all forms of detention and imprisonment comply with relevant legal and human rights standard
By Staff
January 16th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Enbridge Gas, the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council and Burlington Fire Department announced they are working together to improve home safety and bring fire and carbon monoxide-related deaths down to zero in Burlington.
The Safe Community Project Zero is a public education campaign that is providing alarms to residents in 50 municipalities across Ontario. Through this project, the Burlington Fire Department has received 438 combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
 It is indeed the law – yet we still have terrible loss of life . In 2022, Enbridge Gas invested $250,000 in Safe Community Project Zero, and over the past 14 years, the program has provided more than 76,000 alarms to Ontario fire departments.
The alarms provided to Burlington will be distributed through a combination of public events, the Alarm Assistance Program and response calls when needed.
When properly installed and maintained, combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms help provide the early warning to safely escape from a house fire or carbon monoxide exposure. Carbon monoxide is a toxic, odourless gas that is a by-product of incomplete combustion of many types of common fuels.
By Pepper Parr
January 16th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
 Marit Stiles will be confirmed as the leader of the NDP on February 4th after being acclaimed as the Leader of the Party earlier in the year. Well that didn’t take very long; before media could tell the full story about what the provincial government is putting forward in the way of private clinic services, the NDP was out with a statement that was the equivalent of “Not so fast Big Fella”: saying
“This was Doug Ford’s plan all along. He has spent years starving our health care system of resources, demoralizing health care workers with his wage-capping Bill 124 and leaving Ontarians desperate for care and frustrated by his games.
“We want to be clear – he will not get away with this. People will end up paying out of pocket and face longer wait times in our hospitals, as his plan drives healthcare workers from our public system. At every turn, he proves that he doesn’t care about ordinary Ontarians – just making profits for his donors and friends.
“The Ontario NDP will use every tool available to protect our publicly funded healthcare system. We want to live in a province where everyone has access to affordable mental and physical health care. We want Ontario to be a province for everyone to live, work, and feel supported by a system that works for them, not against them. We want to work together for a province we’re proud of.”
 I don’t really need to feel proud of the province – but I would like to get my cataracts problem taken care of. The outfit I was sent to has asked for $500 for each eye to do a really accurate measure of what I will need once things get to the surgery point.
Related news story:
The plan.
By Staff
January 16th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Hate – it has become an issue. It has lways existed but we are seeing more and more of it.
Burlington recently had two young men, masked and putting up signs on the doors of city hall late at night.
 Two young men approaching city hall with hate literature they pasted on the front doors. On Wednesday February 22nd, 2023 at 1pm, Ontario Tech University Centre on Hate, Bias, and Extremism will be hosting a virtual webinar featuring Kimberly Cato of True Roots Counselling Service and Kara Hart of the John Howard Society of Peel-Halton-Dufferin, who will open a window into the reality of hate crime and incidents in the Halton region and the effect hate has on victims and the community.
The findings of a community research project studying the prevalence and impact of hate in Halton Region will be presented and participants will be provided with information regarding tools and actionable, evidence-based ideas that can help reduce hate crime in the region and mitigate the impact of hate on victims and equity deserving communities.
This event is free and registration is available through Eventbrite: Click HERE to register for this free and important event.
By Staff
January 16th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
The Ontario government is making it easier and faster for people to access the publicly-funded surgeries and procedures they need by further leveraging community surgical and diagnostic centres to eliminate surgical backlogs and reduce wait times. As the government significantly expands the number of surgeries being done through community surgical and diagnostic centres, it will do so with measures in place to protect the stability of health human resources at public hospitals, including requiring new facilities to provide detailed staffing plans as part of their application and requiring a number of physicians at these centres to have active privileges at their local hospital.
“When it comes to your health, the status quo is no longer acceptable,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Our government is taking bold action to reduce wait times for surgeries, all while ensuring Ontarians use their OHIP card to get the care they need, never their credit card.”
Community surgical and diagnostic centres have been valuable partners in responding to the pandemic and addressing the pandemic-related backlog in surgeries. Increasing community delivery of surgeries has proven to increase patient and provider satisfaction and reduces the risk of a rescheduled appointment. Surgeries performed at these centres will be publicly-funded.
Ontario has a three-step plan that better integrates and uses these state-of-the-art facilities to speed up how quickly people are able to get surgeries and procedures using their health card.
Step One: Ontario is urgently tackling the existing backlog for cataract surgeries, which has one of the longest waits for procedures.
New partnerships with community surgical and diagnostic centres in Windsor, Kitchener-Waterloo and Ottawa will add 14,000 additional cataract surgeries that will be performed each year. This number represents up to 25% of the province’s current cataract waitlist, and accounts for the estimated COVID-related backlog of cataract surgeries. These centres will perform the 14,000 additional surgeries with existing health human resources.
Ontario is also investing more than $18 million in existing centres to cover care for thousands of patients, including more than 49,000 hours of MRI and CT scans, 4,800 cataract surgeries, 900 other ophthalmic surgeries, 1,000 minimally invasive gynecological surgeries and 2,845 plastic surgeries such as hand soft tissue repair. Surgical wait lists are anticipated to return to pre-pandemic levels by March 2023, barring operational issues.
Step Two: To further reduce wait times, Ontario is expanding the scope of community surgical and diagnostic centres to address regional needs with a continued focus on cataracts, as well as MRI and CT imaging and colonoscopy and endoscopy procedures. To start as early as 2023, these procedures will be non-urgent, low-risk and minimally invasive and, in addition to shortening wait times, will allow hospitals to focus their efforts and resources on more complex and high-risk surgeries.
Step Three: Early detection and diagnosis of a health issue has an immense benefit on a patient’s quality of life, prognosis and treatment path. As a next step, the government will introduce legislation in February that will, if passed, allow existing community diagnostic centres to conduct more MRI and CT scanning so that people can access publicly funded diagnostic services faster and closer to home.
Starting in 2024, this next step will also expand surgeries for hip and knee replacements. Legislative changes will also, if passed, strengthen oversight of community surgical settings so that patients can continue to expect to receive the world class care they know and deserve and provide the province with more flexibility to continue to expand access to more surgeries and further reduce wait times. As the province expands the role of community surgical and diagnostic centres, Ontario Health and the Ministry of Health will continue to work with system partners and clinical experts to put in place the highest standards for quality and safety.
“Timely and convenient access to surgery and diagnostic imaging is critical to keeping people healthy,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “This plan will boost the availability of publicly funded health services in Ontario, ensuring that Ontarians currently waiting for specialized surgeries will have greater access to the world class care they need, where and when they need it.”
As the government shortens wait times using community surgical and diagnostic centres, Ontario Health will ensure that these centres are included in regional health system planning. Funding agreements with new community surgical and diagnostic centres will require these facilities to work with local public hospitals to ensure health system integration and linkages, including connection and reporting into the province’s wait times information system and participation in regional central intakes, where available. Community surgical and diagnostic centres will also coordinate with local public hospitals to accept patients that are being referred, ensuring people get the surgery they need as quickly as possible.
Related news story:
Premier’s media conference:
By Staff
January 16, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Premier Doug Ford is expected to unveil reforms clearing the way for Ontario to do more surgeries at clinics outside hospitals to clear a backlog from the pandemic.
The controversial plan — which Ford telegraphed last week — comes amid concerns it will result in doctors, nurses and other medical professionals leaving hospitals that are already short-staffed after three busy years of the pandemic.
 Premier with Minister of Health at a media event Procedures at registered independent health facilities are expected to include hip and knee replacements and cataract surgeries.
Ford and his officials have said the reforms will enable doctors and others to work in clinics in their “spare time,” and pledge “safeguards” to protect staffing levels in hospitals.
Assurances that the private clinics are not “stealing” hospital personnel was reported to be a serious concern.
The Premier and the Minister of Health speaking at a media event Click here – they are talking about YOUR health
 By Pepper Parr
January 16th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
The Parks, Recreation and Culture department is in the process of bringing in a new Director. Chris Glen who served in that role for close to a decade before choosing retirement: He is still working for the city on other assignments.
At a recent Council meeting a letter from the Burlington Eagles hockey team (the letter was not made public) expressed concern over how the city facilities were allocated.
 Beard: “Parks, Recreation and Culture is a complex business.” Denise Beard, Manager of Community Development Services responded to questions from ward 6 Councillor Angelo Bentivegna on the delivery of services by the Parks, Recreation and Culture department which Beard said “ is a complex business.”
Touching on the delegation, Beard said the concern was about the engagement section: they felt that they weren’t engaged in the conversation and wanted to know what the process is that gets reports from staff about engagement from these participants?
“These are partners that we have throughout the city. There are different levels of programs for the children; with respect to engagement in this report, we were really not bringing forward any recommendations at this point. It’s really an overview just letting you know and letting the public know about the project that we’re about to embark on in this review” explained Beard.
“They’ll definitely be consultation as we go throughout. Our approach is engagement. I feel like we are usually pretty good at this – we typically go to our partners and let them know of items coming up that are of interest to them.
“In this case. I did not engage because the document was more of an overview report. Hopefully that answers your question.”
Bentivegna: “It does, I just want to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to participate in terms of the discussion and whatever that form may take. How it comes back to us is important. So that the information that we’re receiving is brought in from the users of whatever that sport may be. ” Adding – “the question for me- do we take into account the age group, when we are determining who gets what ice time? Is that taken into account presently?”
 Denise Beard: “We do and we don’t.” “We do and we don’t said Beard who added that “we did a lot of consultation on the framework when it was implemented. All the user groups were engaged, and they were all part of the conversation. It’s been about a five year process to get to that point and then council approved it in the spring of 2019, just before the pandemic.
“Council was also engaged in that because we talked about some of these situations. We talked about this, some of these situations where we were focused on fundamental skill level development.
“The vast majority of people learn the basic physical literacy skills and or arts and culture skills, to have general recreation and we felt when we approved the framework that general tax supported entity should support the greater context a greater number of people through fundamental skill development, and that was the opportunity there.
 Beard: “Whether you are an older adult or youth, a baby, it doesn’t matter” “So whether you are an older adult or youth, a baby, it doesn’t matter – if you’re just learning a new skill, you should be able to do that in a tax supported facility. As we go up the skill level, we then say we’ll offer whatever space we have available – for whoever – youth or adult, it’s all about the skill level it wasn’t necessarily about the age.
“There was a big flip that was made during that framework discussion where we talked about fundamental skills versus your physical age.”
 Bentivegna: “I can speak for hockey.” Bentivegna responds: “I appreciate what you have said about the skill level process. Each of these organizations whether it be swimming, baseball, soccer, or hockey, the skill level starts at a very early age.
“I can speak for hockey – at three or four or five years old, they have programs where they just sort of have learned to skate, learn to play hockey.
“There are no leagues; the private sector organizes that. Once they know what to do, in terms of skating skills they then become part of a program, governed by another body that gives them guidelines as to what time they should be playing ;that’s where some of the unknowns are.
“How will we see some of that in the report that we’re going to see later on ?”
 Bentivegna: “Again when are we going to get that report ?” Beard – “In the report on space allocation, you’ll see that information but it is not on the table right now, not on this agenda.”
Bentivegna: “Again when are we going to get that report ? Before June?”
Beard, “Definitely before June.”
By Staff
January 15th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Home – a word that Habitat for Humanity understands – it defines who they are describes what they do.
 The contest for 2023 is on – thousands of students from across the country will write about what Home means to them. In 2007, students in Grades 4, 5 and 6 were invited to share what home means to them in a national writing contest that is now open for the 2023 contest.
Submissions are being accepted by mail or online at meaningofhome.ca from today until February 24, 2023.
Housing continues to be an important concern for all Canadians, including children, who understand how housing can provide their family with a safe place – a place to study, pursue their dreams and build a better life.
Every student who enters the contest will help Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga-Dufferin build safe and affordable homes because every entry earns a $10 donation towards their local Habitat for Humanity.
Three grand prize winners will each receive a $30,000 grant to help a local Habitat for Humanity build a place to call home for a family in need of affordable housing. In addition, nine runners up will receive a $10,000 grant for their local Habitat for Humanity. Winners will be announced by June.
Founded by SagenTM 1, the Meaning of Home contest has raised over $2 million to help local Habitats across Canada build decent and affordable housing. Last year over 13,000 entries were received, the largest number of submissions Habitat Canada has ever received for this contest and raised over $311,000.
 Writing an essay is not a simple task. Given an opportunity to write about something that is very important to them – elementary students often surprise us. Our local affiliate has been fortunate to have many winners over the years, including Rylan from Oakville’s grand prize win in 2022 and two winners in 2021: Kara from Orangeville and Mya from Georgetown.
“Since 2016, the Meaning of Home contest and the youth who have participated have generated over $150,000 to our affiliate to serve more working low-income families in our communities”, says Eden Grodzinski CEO Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga-Dufferin.
 For some children there is no such thing as home. “It is so wonderful to see the enthusiastic response each year from parents, teachers and especially the children, who enter this contest and share what home means to them in their own words,” says Julia Deans, President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada. “We know that having a safe and affordable place to call home helps people build better lives and stronger communities.”
“As a founding sponsor of this contest, we continue to be amazed at the creativity of each student who participates,” says Stuart Levings, President and CEO, Sagen. “We are proud to see how this contest provides students with an opportunity to learn more about the importance of housing and give back.”
The Meaning of Home contest would not be possible without the generous support of Founding Sponsor SagenTM and Awards Sponsors Urban Systems Foundation, Face to Face Games, and Home Trust.
 A 2018 Habitat for Humanity project About Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga-Dufferin
Habitat HMD is a charitable, non-profit housing provider that serves the communities of Halton, Mississauga and Dufferin. Since 1999, we have built a total of 69 affordable homes. Our mission is “to empower lower income, working families to build strength, stability, and independence by providing affordable housing that enables financial equity and lasting change.”
Our housing model fills an important gap in the housing continuum – it provides a “pathway to home ownership.” It helps lift people (who no longer qualify for government-assisted housing but have nowhere to go) out of community housing. And it provides a viable alternative to market rental housing, which does not generate any wealth for tenants. By providing families with access to equity-generating affordable housing options, Habitat is making vital efforts to help combat the housing crisis in Canada. Please visit our website for more
information: www.habitathm.ca.
About Habitat for Humanity Canada
Founded in 1985, Habitat for Humanity Canada is a national charitable organization working towards a world where everyone has a decent and affordable place to call home. Habitat Canada brings communities together to help families build strength, stability and independence through affordable homeownership. With the help of volunteers, Habitat homeowners and 48 local Habitats working in every province and territory, we provide a solid foundation for better, healthier lives in Canada and around the world. Habitat for Humanity Canada is a member of Habitat for Humanity International, which was established in 1976 and has grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in more than 70 countries.
 By Ray Rivers
January 15th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Stephen Harper first announced he was pursuing a non- competitive bid to procure 65 F-35s to replace Canada’s aging 80 McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornets back in 2010. The plane was brand spanking new and its projected cost then was estimated at C$15 billion all-in. Deliveries would have started in 2016 but he ran into trouble selling the public advanced fighter jets at a time when nobody really thought we needed them.
 The decision to begin replacing these CF18 Hornets was made in 2005 with delivery to start in 2016 Some critics claimed the real cost could have been as high as $25 billion. There were concerns that the plane, unlike the CF-18 it would have replaced, came with only a single engine. Some test pilots reported that the plane was sluggish, slower and less manoeuvrable in an aerial dogfight compared to other jet fighters. Dogfights are not just the legends of Snoopy and the Red Baron or the movie Top Gun. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was marked by some spectacular aerial acrobatics until Russia lost too many of its own planes.
Harper never got to buy his planes because Mr. Trudeau won the 2015 election and cancelled the purchase on an election promise. But seven years later he’s now changed his mind and we’re buying 88 of them for $19 billion, with deliveries starting in 2026. Confidence in the aircraft no longer appears to be an issue as Canada will be joining a number of western nations moving to this plane including Germany, Japan and Australia.
And it sounds like a good deal since, even after 13 years, the cost of each plane has only risen by about 7%. That is if you can believe any of these numbers. Canada was a partner in the original design of the aircraft and some Canadian content should sweeten the deal. And this time the military had run some kind of competition among potential suppliers. And the F-35 beat out the underdog Swedish SAAB jet fighter.
 Clouds of war made buying the F35 the best choice. It has become the NATO choice – but delivery doesn’t start until 2026. Besides, the pressure is on for Canada to get up to its 2% of GDP defence spending NATO commitment – and this will help. The F-35 is pretty much becoming NATO’s go-to fighter anyway. Technology sharing, and common architecture are important factors, especially with our primary ally, the USA. But most importantly, while in 2010 we were still dining-out on the so-called peace dividend, today the clouds of war are all around us.
The world order has changed. Russia has broken every international rule nations had all agreed on post WWII and is committing exactly the kind of imperialist aggression the creation of the UN was intended to prevent. Tomorrow it’s expected to be China, with a much more dangerous agenda as it invades Taiwan and takes on the USA in the process. Then there is North Korea.
Canada is an expansive nation with a long coast line in need of defending, but these stealth birds are way beyond overkill when it comes to border patrol, at least compared to less expensive drones and good old fashion radar. In fact the F-35 is best suited to the battlefield. It’s what we have been doing as part of NATO’s efforts in Serbia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Libya.
Aside from the billions of dollars needed to buy these birds, there is the huge environmental impact of these and all war planes. The F-35 burns 22 gallons of jet fuel per minute, 1,340 gallons of fuel and over two tonnes of CO2 emissions per flying hour. Training flights from one US airbase alone emitted between 50 and 100 tonnes of CO2 per year, the equivalent of 10,000 to 20,000 passenger cars. So much for the carbon tax and meeting our climate change commitments.
 President Joe Biden seems pleased – Canada is signing on to the F35 – Prime Minister Trudeau doesn’t seem as assured. To be clear the F-35 is considered the best stealth fighter jet out there today. And Canada is a wealthy nation, one of the G7, so affordability should not an issue. I’m a pacifist, a ‘let’s melt our swords into plow shares’ kind of guy so I’d rather see the money spent on a basic income program, a cross country high speed rail system, EV charging stations everywhere, investment in major renewable energy infrastructure, and of, course, a badly needed overhaul of our health care system.
But I’m also a big fan of being prepared and collective security. I’m reminded of the naivety of the Ukrainian leaders shortly after the Soviet empire collapsed. They were convinced to scrap their nuclear arsenal, the third largest at the time on paper promises that their territorial integrity would be respected. We all know how that story ended.
There is a lesson to all that. We are not as civilized as we’d like to think. You may love your neighbour but you’re never sure how far you can trust him/her when push comes to shove.
And, with the acquisition of these advanced aircraft, well, good fences make better neighbours.
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