 By Pepper Parr
May 11th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
I arrived a little early for the Civic Chorale event that took place at St. Christopher’s Anglican Church Saturday evening.
While I waited for my guests, people, mostly women dressed in black dresses, were arriving with plates in their hands wrapped in Saran wrap.
 I couldn’t make the connection between the plates and the music I was expecting to hear.
It was only after listening to truly superb music delivered by a choir led by Gary Fraser, the co-founder of the Burlington Civic Chorale that I realized the plates were filled with treat to be enjoyed after the concert.
There was a little confusion, mostly on my part, as to who I was to pay for the tickets – the people in the church kitchen were so darn polite, assuring me that there wouldn’t be a problem.
 Gary Fisher directing the Burlington Civic Chorale The evening began with Conductor Fraser turning to the audience, instructing us to rise as O’Canada was played. The audience of about 100 people sang the anthem with more gusto than usual.
Opera is an acquired taste that may not be for everybody. But for those who listened Saturday night to Puccini’s Messa di Gloria and Dimmi che vuoi seguirmi from La Rondine knew they were listening to a choir that put its heart into every sound they made.
Gary Fraser is fairly described as a very animated conductor. Watching him direct the choir with a full swoop of his arms and then just a flick of a finger to direct an individual was almost as good as the voices we were listening to.
The Burlington Civic Chorale was founded in 1994 by Dr. Gary Fisher and Mary Jane Price. They perform three concerts each year. If you want to know more and think that perhaps singing with the chorale is something you would like to try – their Facebook is out there.
 By Pepper Parr
May 11, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Part 1 of a 2-part article on the CEO of the Burlington Library
Lita Barrie has been the CEO of the seven-branch Burlington Library system since 2018.
She was the CEO of the Grimsby library from 2010 to 2012. It was a very small operation. She moved on to the Hamilton Public Library, where she climbed the ranks and became a Director and served from 2013 to 2018 when she was appointed the CEO of the Burlington Library.
Lita described Hamilton as a good five years and that it was time for a change.
 Lita Barrie: CEO Burlington Public Library With seven years at the helm in Burlington – one might ask: what’s next?
That wasn’t the way Lita Barrie wanted to tell her story. A lot has taken place since she started in 2018.
Libraries were where Lita started when she completed her studies at McGill University.
“My first library job was at the Hamilton based Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety.
“Part of what we do at the library is trying to be responsive to the community. It’s a combination of why I really love the work and the people I work with, which includes people from the community. We’ve been through such a time of huge societal change, that I think has given us the impetus, as an organization, to reach out to individuals and try to meet the changing times.
“That’s part of our perennial challenge as a library, you don’t always know what the stats are across country on how many go to public libraries over the course of the year compared to how many attend major sporting events.
“When you go to an NHL game, you are sitting in the arena with everyone else watching, you get a sense of the enormity of the game. Libraries have a very small scale. With some of the author events, the scale is a little bigger, but you don’t get that sense of witnessing everyone’s experience at a library.
“We’re averaging an excess of 10,000 visits a month; on an average fall – winter month, we’re in the five to eight thousand range. It’s just the fact that we’re open 72 hours a week and that people can access the services as they need.
“I think some of the unintended consequences from COVID we all became very isolated in our homes, and concurrent to that, we had these devices in our hands that let us quickly swipe past anything that made us uncomfortable.
 We have to rebuild our ability to listen to someone fully and try and understand where they’re coming from. “We see it in small ways in the library that is carried forward into the way we interact as human beings. If someone says something that makes us uncomfortable, within reason, I’m not talking about gratuitous hate speech and things that just shouldn’t be uttered. But even in that middle space, we have to rebuild our ability to listen to someone fully and try and understand where they’re coming from, and recognize at the end of the day someone might have a different perspective than you, and as long as that perspective is not causing you physical harm or potentially hurting someone that there’s nothing wrong with that.
“We are a lot less comfortable with that idea than I think we were in the past, and less able to negotiate it, because, I think in that uncertainty, people have now felt silenced like, oh, it’s better if I just don’t say anything.
“I don’t think librarians are in place to just give people what they want. That might mean just comic books. We are there to feed them, to groom them. “The magazine section is an example. There are easily 20 to 25 different magazines on display – a whole new world is within those magazine covers.
“We curate what we put on our displays. One of my favorite things in the library is just watching a child explore the bookshelf and just that sense of freedom, of being able to pull something off the shelf and look at it and say, I’m interested in this is; to me, is such it’s so magical to be able to build that independence.
 We pointed out to Lita that we got the sense that this is very much her library. People respect her. She walks into a room asking people how they are doing. They don’t ignore her. Some of the people are special, they know her quite well. They get a great big hug. There is a lot of her personality in the place.
To get a sense of how she would advise the Board of Directors as to where she thought the library should go we asked Lita Barrie:
“If you had a magic wand and could do whatever you wanted – what would that be?” Her answer surprised me.
“I think particularly in this moment where there seems to be so much happening globally and we are fraught with so many challenges, I think my magic wand would bring about, in this moment, some kindness around the world, just for humanity to be able to take a collective breath and reset what it truly means to be a human being, and how we might be able to get back to or move forward to a different place.
 “We haven’t found a way to positively impact that yet. Are we teaching people to stand up? One of the things that we’re talking a lot about at the library board is working on a new, short strategic plan to get us into a better place.
“And one of the pieces that were that we’re thinking about is a library that can support our community in revisiting what it means to have neighbours who might have a different perspective on things than you.”
Lita wanted to talk about the moving of the Appleby library into the soon-to-be-opened Bateman Community Centre. “The new Appleby will have a Media Studio where people can do some sound production for podcasting or video production. They will be able to do that in those spaces.”
The books and people were in place when Lita Barrie was appointed the CEO, the introduction of technology is what has marked the changes she brought to the library. Who is she as a person?
Her Mother immigrated to Canada as a child; the family settled in the Hamilton area which is where Lita was born. I”‘ve always had family that lived in Hamilton, but it was only after I finished my post-secondary degree at McGill University that I ended up settling in Hamilton.
“I am comfortable mixing with people; that comes from my one grandmother, she’s a very sort of social person, but not wildly social, sort of just within her circle. Any time there was a milestone to be celebrated, it was celebrated. There was no excuse for not celebrating a milestone.
“I have so many memories of her at these large events, and just watching the way that she would not actually work the room, but be a part of the space. If it were her birthday, you would never know it, because she was so busy making sure that everyone was seen and included and felt like they were part of the celebration.
Hobbies, we asked. What do you do for hobbies? “We’re very fortunate to have a family cottage, so a lot of my summer is spent at our cottage. I love to surprise, so I will tell you Pepper, I like to read: You probably couldn’t have seen that one coming. I bake and love the outdoors, so lots of hiking.
 As the CEO of a seven-branch library service in Burlington, Lita Barrie is the spokesperson who does much of the media work. “My favourite book is always the book I haven’t read yet; same with movies, I don’t think I have one that I go back to as a favourite, but I’m continually interested to see what’s new.
We asked Lita: “You’re flying to Calgary or Vancouver. You don’t want to do any work stuff – you go to the newsstand to pick out a magazine. What would that magazine be? “I’d probably grab the Economist, it captures global events and issues. I find it not only insightful, but accessible, because they always have that blend of the longer form articles as well a shorter pieces.
When you’re travelling on vacation, where do you go? “In a few weeks, we’re off to Portugal.
 A 3d printer, one of the pieces of equipment in the Makers Space. “The use of technology in libraries is relatively new. Burlington, much like the Hamilton Library, had a Makers Space. We do have some individuals who have prototyped different devices, with the 3d printer and with the laser cutter. These people have done some pretty innovative things, but they go in, they do their project, and have a sort of private experience. Getting that collective impact with the Maker Space is a challenge we are looking at. We are going to be expanding the Maker Space concept to a few more of our branches. Up at the Alton branch, the Maker Studio is going to focus on five tools to support the kind of crafting based on the community.
At Central there are a number of people who come in every day to read the newspaper. It’s their routine; starting their day with someone saying good morning and being able to enjoy that newspaper in a place that is full of life and activity.
Those little ways, I think, are how we kind of keep our society stitched together, keep people feeling connected and part of something bigger than themselves.
A couple of quick factual items I wanted to address:
 By Staff
May 11th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
 M Is for the Many things she gave me,
O Means only that she’s growing Old.
T Is for the Tears she shed to save me,
H Is for her Heart of purest gold.
E Is for her Eyes with love light shining,
R Means Right and Right she’ll always be.
Put them all together, They spell MOTHER.
A word that means the world to me.
The original lyrics were written in 1915 and the song is titled Mother:
 By David Rodier.
May 10th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
I was hoping to manage the Liberal media bus again for the 2025 Carney election campaign. It’s really a sweet gig if you don’t mind the odd moments of terror. You get to see Canada in all its beautiful glory, meet old friends, make new friends – and get a front-row seat to history. There are also a lot of laughs along the way.
I also welcomed a change of pace from my duties as a public affairs consultant as we prepared our clients last year for what seemed like an inevitable Pierre Poilievre coronation. We analyzed his National Post Memo to corporate Canada: Fire your lobbyist with the intensity of Talmudic scholars studying ancient scrolls. With the Liberals languishing in the polls as late as January, it was a dispiriting task.
I served as Justin Trudeau’s media bus “wagon master” in 2015 and shared those duties in 2019 with the indomitable Terry Guillon. I wrote about the experience and my moment of terror in my 2019 chronicle Confessions of a campaign wagon master.
But I would not see the open road in the April 28 election. With fewer media organizations hopping on the bus, it was decided that Guillon would work alone. I was grounded. Instead, I would support the tour and communications teams as an adviser at Liberal campaign headquarters. I was told I would be an adult in the room. They said our team was good but very young and my experience would be helpful, especially to keep people calm when things went bad.
 What became evident very early in the campaign was the Mark Carney was enjoying himself. I can do that, I said. Prime Minister Mark Carney was my fourth Liberal PM. I had certainly seen the good and bad over a lifetime as a campaign hand. When needed, I can project a semblance of calm while dying inside.
I joined the campaign a few days before the election was called and was never once required to be an adult in the room. I was so impressed by the talent coalesced around the Carney campaign. They were young for sure, but smart, focused and team-oriented. Carney had to build a campaign team on the fly while wrapping up the party’s leadership race and naming a new cabinet. What would normally have required months of preparation was undertaken in a matter of days. It was like hopping on a jet as it was rolling down the runway.
Technology and campaigns
The 2025 campaign made me reflect on the incredible changes I have seen over the last 30 years as the world and politics have gone from analog to digital. Technology – once a nice-to-have – is now the campaign’s brain and central nervous system.
In 1990, as a Jean Chrétien leadership campaign staffer, I had a primitive database and dot-matrix printer that I had to buy myself. With these tools, we tried to identify and reach Liberal youth by telephone, mailings, school kiosks and word of mouth. For the leadership convention, I was given a foot-long Motorola cell phone that had little reception or battery life.
Today’s computers are thousands of times more powerful and have fundamentally transformed how we manage campaigns. Smartphones connect us to voters and allow us to engage them directly and constantly in ways unimaginable a few decades ago.
Computer power was once used mainly for basic polling data, with our messaging limited to broadcast and printed forms. Campaigns now also use ads and other content on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Google and YouTube to target voters with tailored messages. We can track engagement and adjust strategies instantly. The effectiveness is immediately measurable.
Modern campaigns require a digital-savvy workforce. The teams are much larger, more specialized and younger.
The notion of time is also different now. Campaigns fly on 36- to 48-hour horizons compared to week-long plans in the olden days. That broader media cycle also includes mini-cycles like the Buttongate kerfuffle or candidate immolations that come and go in mere hours.
 A rally that would once have taken several days to organize is now put together in an astonishing 24 hours. Our campaign was a sophisticated on-time delivery system. A rally that would once have taken several days to organize is now put together in an astonishing 24 hours. Today, we invite party members with a quick email blast rather than working the volunteer phone banks for days in the hope of drawing people out. Today, we can precisely calculate from the RSVPs how many people will fill the room.
The campaign pivot
The first half of the campaign was about pivots. Carney suspended his campaign to respond to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs with credible policy, reassuring language and compelling campaign visuals. Many people moved a lot of parts to make it all align over a series of long stressful nights. Poilievre’s campaign did not make the same pivot, continuing to focus for days on the same domestic issues.
A campaign needs leadership with awareness and courage to pull off these pivots. At the same time, it’s not always clear how to balance old and new messages. The leader must know when to pick the right spot. It’s also risky when the normal planning of media events and the vetting of people and venues are compressed.
Our campaign frequently changed plans. After a lull for the debates, the final 10 days were a sprint to locations where polling data was promising. A leader’s visit can add one or two percentage points of support in that location if the visit is done well.
 A high-tech piece of equipment known as a white board featuring cutting-edge dry- erase markers and dollar-store sticky notes. It was here that campaign pivots would be plotted out. Deep in the bowels of the Ottawa campaign headquarters, our office managed the tour team board – a high-tech piece of equipment known as a white board featuring cutting-edge dry- erase markers and dollar-store sticky notes. It was here that campaign pivots would be plotted out.
The board was not meant to be shared because everyone was supposed to focus on delivering for the next day. But I would occasionally, surreptitiously, share images of the board with anyone who used flattery on me. Often, halfway through a pivot plan, further changes would come. More than once, I was accused of “jinxing the board” with my photos. Cake or doughnuts were often the only remedy for the shaming that ensued.
To pull a policy pivot in an area such as support for the steel industry or auto sector, our teams in communications, digital, tour and voter outreach came together to do a week’s work in 24 hours. Policy people worked collaboratively and virtually on a draft. The tour located, vetted and set up new announcement locations. The campaign linked up with local candidates and media, repositioned the campaign airplane and buses and found hotels for dozens of people.
Communications and policy people crafted messages for the media and digital content, and wrote speaking points. Senior leadership had to get the policy approved by the candidate and help prepare for the media availability. All products had to be in French and English.
The policy was then disseminated to Canadians through a multi-channel strategy. It started with the leader’s announcement and media availability live-streamed across social media and to the networks via the media pool. The campaign undertook a media blitz with press releases and infographics that could be shared on social media alongside short videos.
Email and text messaging were used to directly engage supporters while MPs were briefed so they could promote the policy through townhalls and local events. Paid ads, third-party supporters and rapid-response fact-checking helped reinforce messaging and counter criticism. A well co-ordinated rollout ensured maximum reach, strengthened the narrative and hopefully built sustained momentum.
U.S. Defence Secretary Peter Hegseth recently made Signal chats famous, but our campaigns have used them since 2019 for less confidential plans for everything from communications within teams to channels dedicated to daily activities. I was on the policy platform launch chat and I observed with wonder as my smarter colleagues doggedly shaped our platform and compared the fine details to those of other parties.
Digital and traditional media
Digital content is a core campaign pillar today. The 2015 election was famously the “selfie” campaign. We had one videographer on the road, streaming events from a fixed position. In 2019, we added a second handheld camera.
In 2025, a dedicated team followed the leader producing sophisticated Instagram feeds and shareables showing Carney in action. Our digital campaign was successful at introducing Carney to Canadians as a relatable, warm person. The Mike Myers spot and the Nardwuar vs. Carney video were huge digital hits.
 Soundcheck for Down with Webster, the band that played at the Liberal victory party at TD Place Arena in Ottawa. DAVID RODIER Traditional media made a bit of a comeback in 2025. Carney got worldwide attention with the video where he said the longstanding U.S.-Canada relationship is over. The media bus provided value to the Liberal campaign, giving us at least a dozen media travellers each week. As Get Fact’s Kevin Newman put it on LinkedIn: “Having experienced national political reporters around makes them advocate for airtime, and the media bosses want to see value for their investment in covering it.”
A consequential campaign
In his stump speeches, Carney called the 2025 election one of the most consequential of our lives. And it was. Over the past few years, Canada, like other Western democracies, has experienced a deepening crisis in trust in our major institutions.
The 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer categorized Canada as “moderately polarized.” By 2025, it indicated a profound shift toward a grievance-based society marked by economic fears and a pervasive belief that systems are unfair. I feel relief that through Carney the political middle held.
Liberal voters saw the prime minister as an expert who spoke thoughtfully and was someone who acknowledged that things were hard, showing them the trade-offs and making an appeal for unity.
Carney was also propelled by an energetic and unified campaign team through two debates and at least 98 events. They were young, ethnically diverse, idealistic, progressive and came from across Canada. The digital whiz kids were supported by a bench of battle-hardened veterans who worked together to make it all happen. It was really a great mix.
While Trudeau departed under less-than-ideal circumstances in January, he did inspire many people to get engaged and join the Liberal cause in 2015. He left Carney with a legacy of MPs and talented staff who helped deliver the 2025 election victory.
Liberal MP Steven MacKinnon, who once worked for former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna, recounts a line Brian Mulroney once told his boss: Just when you think the Liberal Party is dead, it gets up and kicks your ass.
And just when you go into a campaign to be an adult in the room, you walk away in awe of the next wave of Liberal campaign staffers and grateful to have been a part of it.
 David Rodier is a lawyer with over 30 years of experience advising senior leaders from the federal government, national nongovernmental organizations and business worlds. He is managing director, corporate communications, at . He has served in senior campaign roles for prime ministers Jean Chrétien, Paul Martin, Justin Trudeau and Mark Carney.
 By Staff
May 10th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Spring, the end of the school year.
The Halton District School Board recognized the success of 108 students at the 41st annual Celebration of Student Excellence event at Elsie MacGill SS (1410 Bronte St S, Milton) on Thursday, May 8 at 7 p.m.
Each year, one student from each HDSB elementary and secondary school is honoured for their excellence in self-improvement, enhancing the school and/or local community, citizenship, student leadership, academics, vocational studies and specialized programs or extra-curricular activities.
Amy Collard, Chair of the Halton District School Board, said: “Our 2025 Students of Excellence exemplify the remarkable learning and leadership taking place across all HDSB schools. These students have made meaningful contributions that enhance our schools and positively impact our communities. The entire HDSB community celebrates their outstanding achievements.”
Take a moment to scroll through the pictures of the 108 students who excelled. They are the future. The determined look on the faces of many, the shy smiles on others are a peek at who the leaders will be a couple of decades from now.
 By Staff
May 2nd, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Every community has groups of people who perform: singers, musicians, choirs – they practice for hours and take great joy from what they do.
 Alexander Cappellazzo Tenor Soloist On Saturday, May 10th.
The Burlington Civic Chorale will perform at St. Christopher’s Anglican Church.
Giacomo Puccini was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long line of composers, stemming from the late Baroque era.
 By Pepper Parr
May 9th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
One has to step back and think about how much has been done in the very short period of time .
From the date on which he won the election and became Prime Minister to the day he met with US President Donald Trump – ten days.
In that time, he set out what his government planned to do – this was AFTER being elected – these weren’t election promises –
In his first media event since being elected Prime Minister, Mark Carney:
“On Monday, Canadians elected a new government to stand up to President Trump and to build a strong economy. Canadians also sent a clear message that their cost of living must come down, and their communities need to be safe. As prime minister, I’ve heard these messages loud and clear, and I will act on them with focus and determination. The
“Canadians made their voices heard with a voter turnout rate that hasn’t been seen in the last 30 years. Nearly 20 million Canadians voted, and even more of them voted in early voting than ever before.
“The engagement of Canadians at rallies, on social media and around the dinner table was very high, and while different visions were put forth by various contenders, we disagreed agreeably, and the leader of every party quickly and graciously accepted the results. At a time when democracies around the world are under threat, Canadians can be proud that ours remain strong, as I’ve been clear since day one of my leadership campaign in January.
 I’m in government to do big things “I’m in politics to do big things. I will work relentlessly to fulfill that trust, as I stressed on election night, I am committed to working with others, governing as a team in cabinet and caucus, and working constructively across parties in Parliament, working in real partnership with provinces, territories and indigenous peoples, and bringing together labor, business and civil society to advance the nation building investments that will transform our economy.
“This will be an incredibly exciting time as we take control of our economic destiny to create a new Canadian economy that works for everyone. We will begin to set out that new path for Canada with a new cabinet to be sworn in on the week of the 12th of May and the recall of parliament on May 26.
 The last time a monarch opened Parliament in Canada was 1977, when Queen Elizabeth II delivered the speech from the throne with Prince Philip as part of her Silver Jubilee tour. “We will have the privilege of welcoming His Majesty King Charles III, who will deliver Canada’s Speech from the Throne on May 27. This is an historic honor which matches the weight of our times.
“I’ve stressed repeatedly, that our old relationship with the United States, based on steadily increasing integration, is over. The questions now are how our nations will cooperate in the future, and where we in Canada will move on.
“Earlier this week, I had a very constructive call with President Trump, and we agreed to meet next. Our focus will be on both immediate trade pressures and the broader future economic and security relationship between our two sovereign nations.
“My government will fight to get the best deal for Canada. We will take all the time necessary, but not more in order to do so. In parallel, we will strengthen our relationships with reliable trading partners and allies. Canada has what the world needs, and we uphold the values the world respects.
“We will remove federal barriers to internal trade to help unleash the full potential with provinces, territories, indigenous groups, to identify projects that are in the national interest, projects that will connect Canada, deepen our ties with the world and grow our economy for generations.
 Prime Minister Mark Carney: That means bringing down costs for Canadians and helping them get ahead. So we will put more money in Canadians pockets with a middle class tax cut that will take effect by Canada Day. “We’ll make the Canadian government a catalyst for these projects, not an impediment, and we’ll always be guided by our conviction that our economy is only strong when it serves everyone.
“That means bringing down costs for Canadians and helping them get ahead. So we will put more money in Canadians pockets with a middle class tax cut that will take effect by Canada Day, saving two income families up to $825 a year, we will protect the programs that saves families thousands of dollars a year – that includes PharmaCare and $10 a day daycare. The dental care plan is serving 8 million Canadians, saving the average family over $800 per visit.
“To lower costs for first time homebuyers, we will cut GST on new homes at or under $1 million allowing them to save up to $50,000 and we will lower the GST on homes between a million and a million and a half. These tax measures will provide immediate relief, but they won’t be sufficient to make housing affordable again.
“We have to address failures in the housing market head on, unleashing the power of public private cooperation at a scale not seen in generations. We will slash development charges in half for all multi unit housing. That’s about $40,000 off the cost of a two bedroom apartment in Toronto, and we will create an entirely new Canadian housing industry in modular and pre fabricated housing using Canadian technology, Canadian skilled workers and Canadian lumber.
 Housing starts have been weak, particularly in Ontario, where the province has yet to meet any of the housing starts it set. “We will build houses faster at lower costs, with a smaller environmental footprint in construction and greater efficiency once families move in. To kick start these efforts, we will create a new entity, Build Canada Homes and provide $25 billion in financing to private developers who will construct two times as many homes each year and create a new construction industry.
“We will focus on keeping Canada secure as a sovereign nation and Canadians safe in their communities. We’ll build a stronger Canadian Armed Forces to protect Canadians, defend our sovereignty and support our allies.
“We will strengthen our border security with 1000 more CBSA officers, as well as scores of drones and scanners to fight the traffic of guns and drugs. We’ll strengthen Canadian law enforcement by hiring 1000 more RCMP officers and giving law enforcement more tools to fight crime. We will toughen the Criminal Code and bail laws for those threatening the safety of Canadians, including making bail harder to get those charged with stealing cars, with home invasion, human trafficking and smuggling.
“We will return our immigration to sustainable levels by capping the total number of temporary workers and international students at less than 5% of Canada’s population by the end of 2027; it’s a sharp drop from the recent high of 7.3%. This will help ease strains on housing, on public infrastructure and social services. At the same time, we will work to attract the best talent in the world to build our economy. Canada has what everyone wants.
 Canada has a very diverse population, seen from coast to coast to coast. Few nations have what we have, especially our neighbour to the south. “We’re a confident nation that celebrates our diversity, that believes in and practices free speech, that respects the rule of law, that has a vibrant democracy. We value innovators and builders. We trust science. We protect our immense natural heritage. For Canadians abroad thinking about returning to build their lives in our nation, there’s never been a better time to come home.
“We will be guided by fiscal a new fiscal discipline. The government’s operating budget has been growing by an unsustainable 9% every year. We will bring that down to 2%, less than half the average nominal growth rate of the economy.
“We will not cut any transfers to provinces, territories or individuals. Instead, we will balance our operating budget over the next three years by cutting waste, capping the public service, ending duplicative programs, and deploying technology to boost public sector productivity.
“We will use scarce taxpayer dollars to catalyze massive private investment. By working together, we can give ourselves far more than the Americans can ever take away.”
With that, Mark Carney ended his first media event as Prime Minister. He proved to have a sense of humour, and while his French is not yet what he wants it to be, he nevertheless used it frequently.
Realize that in setting out what he planned to do, Carney was setting a new agenda – and now he wanted to get on with it.
The day after the media event, Mark Carney flew to Washington and met with President Trump.
 By Staff
May 9th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Please register HERE
 If it is alive, how do we deal with it? Or – how does it deal with us? Renowned the world over for his vivid investigations of the natural world and our connection to it, award-winning author and scholar Robert Macfarlane visits on publication of his enthralling new book Is a River Alive?
“…a beautiful, wild exploration of an ancient idea: that rivers are living participants in a living world. Robert Macfarlane’s astonishing telling of the lives of three rivers reveals how these vital flow forms have the power not only to shape and reshape the planet, but also our thoughts, feelings, and worldviews. Is a River Alive? is a breathtaking work that speaks powerfully to this moment of crisis and transformation.” –Merlin Sheldrake
Jason Allen, esteemed broadcaster, publisher, and fellow environmental advocate will lead the conversation.
 By Pepper Parr
May 9th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
On Monday, Prime Minister Mark Carney will announce his Cabinet.
 How close was it? It is expected to be smaller, gender ally equal with representation from the western provinces where the Liberals in the past didn’t have much to choose from.
The public had had enough of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and the Conservative party built what they were certain was a winning campaign – and it certainly looked that way.
The public didn’t want any more of what Justin Trudeau had been delivering, which meant many of the Trudeau Cabinet might not be appointed. The Carney government is sending strong signals that the new Cabinet will be very different.
The result of the April 28th election found that Pierre Poilievre lost his seat, but the Liberals did not win the majority that many projected.
 Karina Gould with her second child at a Burlington fund raising event. The New Democrats lost party status.
The political landscape was now very different, leaving many asking: Can this last?
After hearing the very progressive and aggressive agenda Prime Minister Carney set out earlier in the week, and then watching how Carney handled himself when he met with President Donald Trump, there was reason to at least hope that we might have a government that would fill its four-year term.
The question the people of Burlington are asking is:
Will Karina Gould be made a member of the new Cabinet?
She resigned as a member of the Trudeau Cabinet to run for the leadership of the Liberal Party. While she didn’t do as well as her campaign team had hoped, Canada saw what her generation wanted to achieve.
This wasn’t her last run for the leadership of the Liberal Party; Not yet 40 – she has a lot of time to build the organization she will need to serve as a Prime Minister. Don’t expect anything less from Karina Gould.
 By Staff
May 8th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Some call it a war, some maintain it is the Israelis clearing out the Hamas terrorists, others describe it as a genocide.
It is a tragedy taking place on the other side of the world – something most of us don’t really know all that much about.
What we do recognize is human suffering and that ability we have to overcome the injustice of it all.
By Staff
May 9th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
 Applications to serve on the City of Burlington’s School Traffic Safety & Mobility Committee and the Council Remuneration Review Working Group are being accepted now, until May 23, 2025.
As a member of the Burlington School Traffic Safety & Mobility Advisory Committee, you will work to identify, assess and provide recommendations to City staff on school traffic and mobility-related risks, with the goal of implementing measures that improve safety in and around school areas.
Members of the Council Remuneration Review Working Group review and make recommendations on the compensation, benefits, and all applicable expenses of elected officials.
Serving on a committee offers the opportunity to expand your network, learn more about your local government, and build new skills. Individuals aged 18+ from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. To learn more, visit burlington.ca.
 By Staff
May 8th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
The latest National Rent Report from Rentals.ca and Urbanation reveals that the average asking rent for all residential properties in Canada increased by 0.4% in April to $2,127, reaching a five-month high. Despite this monthly increase, rents are still down 2.8% annually.
Here are the key points from the report:
– Average asking rents in Canada have climbed 28% since reaching a pandemic low in April 2021.
– Purpose-built rentals led April’s monthly gains, rising 0.9% to an average of $2,105.
– Condo rents declined 1.0% from March and 5.2% year-over-year to $2,210.
“The rental market in Canada has shown some early signs of stabilizing this spring with rents moving higher over the past two months,” said Shaun Hildebrand, President of Urbanation. “Renters are starting to take advantage of the improvement in affordability, which is thanks to the record amount of new supply hitting the market.”
Since reaching a pandemic low in April 2021, average asking rents in Canada have climbed 28%, with a 6.2% increase compared to two years ago.
Among property types, purpose-built rentals led April’s monthly gains, rising 0.9% to an average of $2,105. Condo rents declined 1.0% from March and 5.2% year-over-year to $2,210, while other secondary rentals fell 0.9% monthly and 6.8% annually to $2,166.
Three-bedroom purpose-built apartments posted the largest annual growth at 4.4%, with all purpose-built unit types seeing rent increases between March and April. In contrast, condo rents declined across all unit types, with two-bedroom condo units dropping 5.9% year-over-year to $2,344.
 By Staff
May 8th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Bank of Canada says Trump’s trade war could create ‘dysfunctional’ financial market
In its Financial Stability Report released today, the Bank of Canada said that a severe trade war could push the rate of missed mortgage payments beyond levels reached in the 2008 global financial crisis.
 The Bank of Canada says the Canadian economy would have been in a solid spot right now if it wasn’t for U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war, and it is worried that high levels of uncertainty could soon create financial market “dysfunction.”
The report said that Canadians with a mortgage have managed their debt better than expected throughout 2024 while interest rates significantly dropped since June.
Insolvency filings by businesses have also fallen substantially, according to the report.
Those without a mortgage, however, are showing bigger signs of financial stress — though rates of arrears on consumer credit products remain below historical averages, the report stated.
The bank said that, overall, Canada’s financial institutions have not come under stress and are well positioned to handle higher credit losses in the future.
“The country’s financial system has faced unprecedented shocks in recent years, and it has proven resilient,” Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem said in a press conference Thursday.
“Now the Canadian economy and financial system face a new threat,” he said. “U.S. trade policy has taken a dramatic protectionist shift. Tariffs and uncertainty have sharply reduced prospects for global economic growth. And financial markets have been rocked by chaotic policy announcements and reversals.”
 Richard Tiffany “Tiff” Macklem is a Canadian banker and economist who has served as the tenth governor of the Bank of Canada since 2020. He was also the former dean of the Rotman School of Management and had previously served as the senior deputy governor of the Bank of Canada. The governor warned that a prolonged trade war would reduce economic growth and increase unemployment.
“While that’s not the central bank’s base case forecast, it’s a reminder of the urgency with which Canadian officials must address the trade spat with the U.S.,” Royce Mendes, economist at Desjardins, wrote in a note to clients.
At the same time, the bank is increasingly concerned that Trump’s trade war will cause a “disorderly” market sell-off in the near-term, harming Canadian households and amplifying the risk of an economic slowdown.
 The report cited recent bouts of “extreme market volatility,” particularly when investors dumped stocks and traditionally stable U.S. government bonds following Trump’s announcement of global “reciprocal” tariffs on April 2.
“Government bond markets are the foundation of the financial system. They need to function smoothly for other markets to work,” said senior deputy governor Carolyn Rogers in prepared remarks.
“If the trade war causes a larger spike in volatility than we have seen so far, leveraged hedge funds might rush to sell their holdings. That could strain liquidity across core markets, increasing stress throughout the financial system,” she added.
The bank said it is monitoring signs of financial stress in Canada’s financial system, and it is working closely with federal and provincial financial authorities to address potential emerging issues.
By Pepper Parr
May 8th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Council is being asked to approve the final option on ward boundaries, or a modified version thereof, that will be adopted on May 20th.
Options were set out in a detailed report prepared by Ward & Associates Economists Ltd., the consultants hired by the city to do a required Council Composition and Ward Boundary Review.
The City Clerk will bring forward a by-law reflecting the approved ward boundary option to the May 20, 2025 meeting of Council.
Getting to this point was a long process with little in the way of significant public engagement – the public was invited and events were held in every word – few showed up.
The online survey didn’t fare much better. A total of 216 people responded to the survey, a level of participation the consultants described as “fairly high”.
people responding to some or all questions;
 Burlington’s city Council differs in a number of ways from the other three municipalities in the Region.
The makeup of the other Town Council is set out below. A municipality can describe itself as a Town or a City.
Interesting that Halton Hills, a municipality with a population of about one-third that of Burlington, has 11 members while Burlington has just seven.
The ward size and population in 2021 is set out below.
 With these fundamentals and the following questions put before them Council will debate and make a recommendation that will go to Council.
Next Steps
Before the Consultant Team can develop ward configurations for 2026 and beyond Council is being asked to consider two key questions:
1. Should all City Councillors also serve on Regional Council?
2. If Regional Councillors do not have to be local Councillors, should Regional Councillors still be elected by ward?
A flow chart outlines the different configurations of council based on the questions presented below:
The delegation that was in Holland commemorating the Liberation of that country in the closing months of WWII will be returning to Canada in the next day or so. One has to wonder if they will have more of an appreciation of just what a democracy is, and if that will impact the decision they make. Or will they forget the sacrifices and focus on their self interest?
The ward set up and the services the city provides Councillors to do their jobs exceeds, by a considerable measure, what other municipalities provide.
 By Tom ParkinMay 8th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
The federal party’s rebuilding lies in helping provincial NDP sections defeat Smith, Moe, Ford and Houston. Or at least not getting in the way.
 NDP official opposition leaders, left to right: Naheed Neshi (Alberta), Carla Beck (Saskatchewan), Marit Stiles (Ontario), Claudia Chender (Nova Scotia).
UCP premier Danielle Smith is dividing Canadians and tearing up Canada at exactly the moment Donald Trump is attacking our economy, sovereignty and security.
Saskatchewan Party Premier Scott Moe, under opposition pressure and dithering for weeks, finally yesterday came out in favour of a united Canada. Weak stuff.
Wherever PC Premier Doug Ford goes, a film of land speculator ooze follows. His political dependence on them has hiked the cost of living and people are leaving, the economy is faltering and unemployment is up.
Nova Scotia PC Premier Tim Houston is focused on concentrating power rather than fixing healthcare and building housing. Only because of opposition-led backlash he was stopped from giving himself the power to fire the Auditor General and sidestep Freedom of Information laws.
There is no mission more important to Canada and social democrats than handing defeat to these four conservative governments.
The next evolution of the federal NDP will either help win these battles and, in so doing, rebuild. Or be an obstacle, letting provincial conservatives win and setting the federal NDP on the path to extinction.
If the federal NDP is not working on gaining popularity in the places where people are already voting NDP provincially, it is not on a rebuilding path.
This doesn’t mean the federal NDP is subordinate to provincial NDP sections. It can’t be. It has a national role to play, one that can only be carried out from Ottawa.
What it does mean is the federal NDP needs to be aligned and in step with key provincial sections, especially as they take on Smith, Moe, Ford and Houston. If each province is a pearl, a good federal leader adopts national themes that are the string uniting them.
Conservative dividers, cutters and cheaters, given long enough, will destroy Canada. Canadian nationcraft is in its essence a social democratic project.
The New Democrats’ job is to find unity in diversity, tell the story of shared values and build co-operation to advance each regional economy and respect the people who do the work. It’s about finding points of agreement and building on them. That is the federal NDP leader’s job. Really, it’s every social democrat’s job.
With U.S. President Trump and 100 million MAGA supporters at our back, that job of political co-operation and co-operative economic development has never been more urgent.
But it’s not just the pearls. It’s also the places on the electoral maps.
If Danielle Smith is to be defeated, it’s not enough for the Alberta NDP to take all the seats in Calgary and Edmonton. In Saskatchewan, it’s not enough for Carla Beck to win all Regina and Saskatoon. Marit Stiles winning the GTA and Niagara isn’t enough. Claudia Chender taking Halifax-Dartmouth and Cape Breton isn’t enough.
Provincial NDP sections need to win Lethbridge and Red Deer, Prince Albert and Moose Jaw, Sarnia and Kingston, Lunenburg and Colchester.
The federal NDP must help in those places. Or at least not be getting in the way.
Against Smith and Moe, we’ve recently seen how hard Nenshi and Beck are leaning into a feeling of Canadian community. New pearls of national themes are being grown. A new federal leader can help string together those emergent pearls, creating a strand of national themes uniting the key places provincial New Democrats needs to win.
And in building its story of Canada, and its role in it, it builds the foundation of the next federal NDP.
It’s an incredibly hard job. It’ll be a lot easier to shoot spitballs at those trying to do it.
It’ll take trust, goodwill and sure-footedness. But there is one path to defeating bad governments and rebuilding the federal NDP.
Off that path, the federal NDP will be obscure at best, eventually extinct.
 By Staff
May 5th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
A picture is worth 1000 words.
What then is a picture with words worth?
Gloria Reid now knows.
By Staff
May 7th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
The Project includes the 52-kilometre (km) Highway 413 corridor, a 4 km extension to Highway 410, and a 3 km extension to Highway 427 (both facilitating connection to the Highway 413 corridor), for a total of 59 km of new infrastructure.
The highway will have 11 interchanges at municipal roads. Features such as service centres, carpool lots, truck inspection stations, and the potential for electric vehicle charging stations, have been explored as part of Preliminary Design.
The transitway will be a separate corridor running alongside the highway, dedicated for public transit, which will be subject to a separate Environmental Assessment (EA).
Highway 413 would extend from Highway 400, between King Road and Kirby Road, to the 401/407 ETR interchange near Mississauga, Milton and Halton Hills.
In the Fall of 2024, MTO reached the 90% preliminary design milestone for the project. Along with reaching this milestone, the 2024 Draft Focused Analysis Area (FAA) for Highway 413 was updated to include targeted refinements, incorporating key design elements and environmental considerations. These adjustments were informed by updated preliminary design work and environmental studies, allowing for a better understanding of land use impacts and alignment with local infrastructure.
Similarly, the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM), formerly known as the Ministry of Energy and Electrification, advanced planning work on the Northwest GTA Transmission Corridor and proposed refinements to the Narrowed Area of Interest (NAI). The NAI is a corridor of land identified and protected by the ministry and Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) for future linear electricity transmission infrastructure to support growth in the region. The FAA and NAI are almost identical. The land being protected by MEM is the same land being protected by the Ministry of Transportation (MTO), except where each is protecting additional lands specific to its particular use.
You can get lost in those acronyms.
As part of ongoing public consultation, the Draft FAA and NAI were posted on December 9, 2024, for a 30-day public review period on the Environmental Registry of Ontario. The consultation period was open for 30 days and concluded in January 2025. Public engagement is essential to our processes, ensuring that community perspectives help shape the final outcome.
MTO and MEM have recently finalized the FAA and the NAI at the current stage of each project, with no changes as a result of the public consultation. Each comment that was received through the ERO was reviewed and taken into consideration by both ministries.
Timeline and Next Steps
Highway 413 FAA
- An update on the FAA detailing its finalization has been posted to the Environmental Registry of Ontario, as well as the Highway 413 project website (https://highway413.ca/en/).
- MTO will be preparing a draft Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) in accordance with the requirements set out in the Highway 413 Act, 2024 anticipated in Fall 2025.
- The draft report will include a description of Highway 413 studies completed detailing environmental impacts, proposed mitigation measures and a record of consultation. The final report will be published to the Highway 413 project website.
- MTO will continue to review development applications in the study area, but it is anticipated that applications in the lands released will not be directly impacted by Highway 413.
Northwest GTA Transmission Corridor Study NAI
- An update to the NAI has been posted to the Environmental Registry of Ontario.
- MEM expects to undertake another round of consultation based on further refinements to the NAI that can be made as the Highway 413 project advances and as infrastructure planning is updated to reflect projected electricity demand growth in the region.
Environmental Registry of Ontario:
English: Highway 413 Focused Analysis Area and Northwest GTA Transmission Corridor Narrowed Area of Interest Refinements. | Environmental Registry of Ontario
Indigenous Community and Stakeholder Engagement: As we gather input from municipalities, Indigenous Communities, and other key stakeholders, engagement sessions will continue. This ensures ongoing collaboration and transparency in the decision-making process. Additionally, MTO is currently in the process of planning individual landowner sessions to take place in early Spring with property owners directly impacted by the FAA.
 By Pepper Parr
May 7th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
This is a news article that has to be read ‘tongue in cheek’
City wants to amend a bylaw related to the governing of adult entertainment establishment licensing in the City of Burlington, in order to clarify powers of inspection related to enforcement.
The existing ‘Adult Entertainment’ By-Law does not allow officers to enter and inspect businesses that have never applied for or held a City of Burlington business licence.
Inspections are limited only to those businesses who hold or have applied for a business licence with the City of Burlington.
The City’s inability to enforce the “Adult Entertainment” By-Law against illegal businesses increases risks to public safety, health, and limiting consumer protection.
While enforcing the Adult Entertainment regulations, officers discovered that provisions under the current bylaw prevented them from enforcing and prosecuting illegal activity, which
prompted the update.
 The location of the business troubled many of the Aldershot residents. It is expected to be demolished in the not-too-distant future. This has allowed unlicensed businesses to operate illegally, which contradicts the intent of the bylaw to safeguard health, ensure public safety, and protect consumers.
We will listen carefully to what each Councillor has to say.
The only adult entertainment location we are aware of in Burlington is Solid Gold – that site has been approved for a multi-story development.
By Staff
May 7th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Spring has arrived and in honor of Mother’s Day Ontario is offering Canadian residents the opportunity to fish for free across Ontario this weekend, May 10 and 11.
“Fishing is a timeless Ontario tradition that brings people together. Whether you’re an experienced angler or casting a line for the first time, fishing is a great way to connect with loved ones and enjoy everything the great outdoors has to offer,” said Mike Harris, Minister of Natural Resources. “This Mother’s Day weekend, why not get outside and enjoy the water with friends and family, all while supporting local jobs and communities that thrive through fishing.”
 Made her day! Recreational fishing is a vital part of Ontario’s economy, contributing significantly to local tourism and jobs. Opportunities like Mother’s Day weekend encourage those curious about fishing to give it a try and experience the enjoyment of fishing firsthand.
If you are fishing for free during the Mother’s Day weekend, all conservation licence catch and size limits, sanctuaries and all other fishing regulations still apply.
- This weekend marks the second of four opportunities for Canadian residents to fish for free this year. The remaining dates are Father’s Day weekend (June 14-15) and Family Fishing Week (June 28-July 6).
- Over one million licensed anglers spend $1.75 billion per year on recreational fishing in Ontario.
- Canadian residents participating in free fishing periods must carry identification issued by the provincial or federal government, showing their name and date of birth.
- Outside of free fishing periods, most people between the ages of 18 and 64 must have an Outdoors Card and a licence to fish. All veterans and active Canadian Armed Forces members residing in Ontario can enjoy free recreational fishing in the province, whenever and wherever fishing is allowed.
- Ontario fishing licences can be purchased online at huntandfishontario.com. If buying online, always look for the Ontario logo. You can also purchase in person at participating ServiceOntario or authorized licence issuer locations.
By Pepper Parr
May 7th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
The staff recommendation to City Council next will be to approve a short-term loan to Sound of Music Inc. in the upset amount of $225,000 to support cash flow requirements for the 2025 Sound of Music Festival, similar to the 2024 loan, the terms of the 2025 request include repayment in full immediately following the 2025 festival.
Reports states that the 2024 loan has a small ($20,000) outstanding balance.
 The public shows up, just because the price is right? Due to financial strain from rising costs, staffing turnover, and post-pandemic impacts, SOM requested additional support from the City in 2024, receiving over $415,000 in total aid from the City, including a $125,000 short-term loan.
Despite efforts to stay financially sustainable, challenges persist in maintaining a large-scale free event. In October 2024, the City invoiced SOM for $95,000 in outstanding payments and requested repayment of the loan by December 11, 2024, asking SOM to settle the debt or present a repayment plan. In December, staff brought a 2024 festival re-cap and city support report before committee identifying re-payment plan options for SOM.
These discussions on December 2, 2024, at the Committee of the Whole Meeting were deferred after a private donor expressed interest in supporting the festival. The donor made a $200,000 donation to the City, which the City applied to, among other things, SOM’s debt to the City of Burlington. As a result, SOM’s debt to the City was reduced to $20,000.
In early 2025, SOM and the City signed a detailed service level agreement, based on principles set out in the Accountability Framework. As a part of this agreement, the following conditions were established:
Any remaining debt must be repaid by September 1, 2025.
SOM must also submit a business plan for the 2026 festival by June 1, 2025, for approval by key city staff.
2025 Festival
SOM is working diligently to finalize preparations for this year’s festival. SOM has advised the City that they have successfully reduced costs for this year’s festival while continuing to offer high-quality programming for the community.
Due to the need to cover entertainment and supplier contract expenses in advance of the event, the BOD is requesting a loan of $225,000 from the City. SOM has agreed to repay the loan following the festival, including the small remaining balance of $20,000 from prior 2024 debt.
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I couldn’t make the connection between the plates and the music I was expecting to hear.
