By Staff
August 16th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
This soggy weather is mucking up a lot of programs.
The city announced that the following Sportfields are closed Tuesday August 16th
All baseball diamonds
Maple Park – F1
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August 16, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
Vehicles: 2. From the south, traffic will be directed east on Britannia Road to Walkers Line then north to Derry Road and west to Guelph Line. Trucks: 2. From the south, traffic will be directed east on Dundas Street to Appleby Line then north to Derry Road and west to Guelph Line. For more information, please contact:
August 9th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
The error in the map – blame the city – not the Gazette has been corrected. Notice of Temporary Road Closure – Prospect Street at Drury Lane, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016 to Friday, Oct. 21, 2016
For more information, please contact Bob Jurk at 905-335-7600, ext. 7682 or bob.jurk@burlington.ca.
August 8th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON Notice of Construction – Brant Street, Hemmingway Drive and Upper Middle Road, August to December, 2016 The Region of Halton is installing and replacing water mains on Brant Street, Upper Middle Road and Hemmingway Drive from August to December 2016.  New street got a new layer of asphalt after a full month of dust and traffic delays while water maims and sewage pipes were upgraded. New Street from Guelph Line east to Martha had water mains replaced in July – the dust was terrible – and traffic delays were annoying. They did lay down a new layer of asphalt – nice road now. Contract Number: W-2898B-16 Scheduled Start Date: August 2016 Contractor: Ground Breakers Contracting Ltd
July 25th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON Sport Field Status – July 25, 2016 The following diamonds are closed Monday July 25 Ireland Park diamonds D1, D2, D3, D4
July 21, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON  Union Gas is running a 40 inch line right across the top or the city. Appleby Line will be closed to traffic between Derry Road and Britannia Road from Friday, July 22 at 6 p.m. to Sunday, July 24 at 7 p.m. for Union Gas construction activities. Please follow detour routes. Vehicles: 2. From the south, traffic will be directed east on Britannia Road to Tremaine Road then north to Derry Road and west to Appleby Line. Trucks: 2. From the south, traffic will be directed east on Dundas Street to Regional Road 25 then north to Derry Road and west to Appleby Line.
July 14, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON It is getting hotter and drier out there – dry enough for the fire chief to temporarily ban all outside fires—including open air burning, controlled brush burning and recreational burning—as well as banning the use of charcoal barbecues in city parks.  BBQ’s that use charcoal have been banned in city parks. “To ensure public safety, the ban on charcoal barbecues applies to the picnic areas of three city parks—LaSalle, Lowville and Hidden Valley—where propane barbecues will still be allowed,” said Mary Battaglia, director of roads and parks maintenance with the city. City parks are available for social and picnic use. Users are encouraged to book a permit in advance of their preferred dates. Request a booking online at www.burlington.ca/rentals, call 905-335-7738 or visit www.burlington.ca/picnics for more information. If you are unsure if a fire ban is in effect, please contact the Burlington Fire Department at 905-637-8253 or visit www.burlington.ca/openairburning for more information about open air burning and safety tips.
July 6. 2016 BURLINGTON, ON The Fire Department has issued a fire ban, effective immediately, prohibiting all outside fires in Burlington, including open air burning, controlled brush burning and recreational burning.  Brush fires start with a single spark – and in this hot, dry weather they spread very quickly. Wild fire means just that – a fire that has gone wild. “Brush fires tend to occur during hot, dry weather especially when there is a lack of rainfall as we have been experiencing during the past few weeks,” said Chief Fire Prevention Officer Joe Wintar. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, the fire danger rating is high for the Burlington area and the forecast of hot weather with limited rainfall is expected to continue in the upcoming days.  Open fire pits are banned uni the Fire Chief lifts the ban. “Open air burning, including fire pits and chimineas, poses a risk to nearby combustible materials such as sheds, decks and landscape materials, which can increase the risk of brush fires,” said Wintar.  Chimeneas are banned until the Fire Chief lifts the ban. Residents are being reminded to be cautious when using outdoor candles and other backyard items that may produce heat or flame. All burning permits are suspended until further notice to protect public safety. No burning can take place during smog alert days and open air burning bans. If you are unsure if a ban is in effect, contact the Burlington Fire Department at 905-637-8253 or visit www.burlington.ca/openairburning for more information about open air burning and safety tips.
July 6, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON The Halron Regional Police asked for the public’s assistance in locating a missing elderly woman withAlzheimer’ s. Helen Robertson (79 Years) was last seen at her Millcroft residence in Burlington in the early afternoon of July 5th.  Helen Robertson (79 Years) was last seen at her Millcroft residence in Burlington in the early afternoon of July 5th. Helen is described as: white, 5’2, 110 lbs, white collar length hair, slim build, glasses. Possibly wearing a red, long sleeved collared shirt and two different shoes. Police are still looking for the public’s assistance in locating 79 year old Helen Robertson. Helen was last seen at her residence on Millcroft Park Drive in Burlington early yesterday afternoon. Helen has Alzheimer’s and is known to walk long distances. Police are concerned with the amount of time Helen has been missing with the hot weather yesterday and the expected hot weather today. An extensive search was conducted overnight and will continue today with the assistance of our SIRT (Search Incident Response Team).  Helen is described as: white, 5’2, 110 lbs, white collar length hair, slim build, glasses. The public are asked to check their properties and outbuildings as well as keeping an eye out for Helen. Helen is described as: white, 5’2, 110 lbs, white collar length hair, slim build, glasses. Possibly wearing a red, long sleeved collared shirt and two different shoes. Anyone with information is asked to call Halton Police at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2305
July 13, 29016 BURLINGTON, ON Location: Cavendish Drive at the Rambo Creek Culvert location between Upper Middle and Faversham Avenue will be CLOSED Date: Monday, July 18 to mid-September 2016 Time: Full time Purpose: Remove and replace existing culvert. Detour routes: Use Upper Middle Road as a detour route. If you would like more information about this project, please contact Janine Yaromich at 905-335-7600, ext. 7421
June 30th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON Saying we share the air and we have to work together to keep it clean is one thing – actually doing something about the air we share is something else. Burlington city Council is planning on passing a motion at its meeting on Thursday to Support a Governance Structure to implement Climate Change Initiatives between the Cities of Burlington and Hamilton.
Here is what they want to do – the language is a little stilted – but the intent is clear enough. GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE FOR COMMUNITY CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION PLAN Whereas, the Government of Canada’s intent is to protect communities and grow our economy by making significant new investments in green infrastructure and clean technologies as well as to endow a $2 billion Low Carbon Economy Trust to fund projects that reduce carbon that will “support projects in clean energy that can be commercialized, scaled up, and exported”; Whereas, the Province of Ontario has a Five-Year Climate Change Strategy and has introduced legislation, which aims to formalize a cap-and- trade system and invest those funds into green projects to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas pollution; Whereas, the Province of Ontario has already announced in 2015, the Green Investment Fund that commits $325 million to projects that will fight climate change; Whereas, the City of Hamilton has developed a Community Climate Change Action Plan, which directs priority actions that will mitigate greenhouse gases, adapt to the risks associated with climate change and will help make Hamilton a resilient and prosperous community in the face of climate change;  In an attempt to prove that the water in Hamilton harbour was safe then provincial cabinet minister George went for a swim. Whereas, taking action on climate change will be beneficial to the Hamilton Harbour / Burlington Bay area and will complement the work on greenhouse gas reduction by the City of Burlington; Whereas, in order to successfully implement the Community Climate Change Action Plan, a formalized governance structure is necessary; and, Whereas The City of Hamilton already has an internationally recognized participatory governance structure known as the Bay Area Restoration Council (BARC) and the Bay Area Implementation Team (BAIT); Therefore be it resolved:  The really dirty stuff is on the right in Hamilton. (a) That staff be directed to develop a governance model similar to the Bay Area Restoration Council and the Bay Area Implementation Team, in collaboration with staff from the Federal and Provincial offices of the Ministries of Environment and Climate Change, and report back to the Board of Health; (b) That the Mayor correspond with The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and The Honourable Glen Murray, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, to request that the Federal and Provincial Ministries assist the City of Hamilton with the establishment of City of Hamilton’s Community Climate Change Action Plan Implementation Team in identifying the appropriate Federal and Provincial government staff, private sector and community representatives to provide expert advice and financial resources toward the action on climate change, within the funding guidelines for the Low Carbon Economy Trust; and, the Five-Year Climate Change Strategy; (c) That upon the formation of the governance structure for the Community Climate Change Action Plan Implementation Team, the City of Hamilton seek a partnership with the City of Burlington to coordinate efforts, with respect to the implementation of the Plan; and, (d) That staff be directed to report to the Board of Health annually, respecting the progress of the Community Climate Change Action Plan. Is this one of those Motherhood issues that everyone will get their voting hand up to see who can be first? Will it be like the Shape Burlington report passed unanimously in 2011 and forever forgotten?  The not yet existent Code of Conduct is buried within the 25 year Strategic Plan that city manager James Ridge has put together. Or will it be like the Code of Conduct that city council has yet to adopt. They shuffled that one off to the city manager who buried it in his 20 year Strategic Plan – suggesting that we will perhaps see some within the next 25 years. Which was probably a smart move – this council doesn’t want a code of conduct. We will know Thursday night how serious they are about climate change.
June 29th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON Canada Day – and no fireworks to thrill and entertain my little kids? Get real. Fire Chief Tony Bavota is getting very real – and very serious. Remember those fires that devastated large parts of Fort McMurray – the available evidence suggests they were the result of carelessness  Evidence to date suggests the fire in Fort McMurray, Alberta may have been the result of carelessness. Have you taken a look at the colour of most of the lawns around the city – some pretty brown looking grass. There hasn’t been enough rain. All the farmer’s think they are going to be lucky to get two cuts from their hay fields – three cuts are out of the questions. Soybeans are looking a little limp and who know what’s going to happen to the corn silage? Forest fires are very dangerous – very tough to control – so if the fire chief says don’t light fire crackers given the weather we are having – he needs to be listened to. A city council that truly leads would pass a bylaw now that gives the authority to ban fire crackers to the fire chief – and make it a stiff, stiff, STIFF fine for those who fail to adhere to the bylaw. Don’t let your Canada Day Fireworks go up in smoke” says the Chief. The Fire Department is reminding residents to keep safety top of mind when planning annual Canada Day celebrations, especially those with fireworks. “With the lack of rain and dry weather lately, we’re discouraging fireworks on Canada Day,” said chief fire prevention officer Joe Wintar. “The city is hosting a full day of activities in Spencer Smith Park, including fireworks. I encourage everyone to think about enjoying this show put on by pyrotechnic professionals.” To keep your family and property safe, follow these guidelines when setting off fireworks: • It must be three days before or during Canada Day, on July 1. • You are being safe. Read and follow the directions on label carefully.  It takes but a stray spark to start this kind of fire. As with any emergency, if there is a fire and public safety concern related to fireworks, please call 9-1-1. For more firework safety information, visit www.burlington.ca/fireworks
June 27th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON They are relentless. They do nothing but send this type of email out by the tens of thousands – all they need is one sucker to click on that link and they could be in inside your computer tapping into anything and everything you have. If you don’t recognize the sender – don’t open it. This on came our way a few days ago:  This is a ZIP file – you have no idea what is in it – only that is will not be nice.
June 28, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON Mike Spicer is already grey – and he is in the process of losing the hair that he has left. Some of that hair got pulled out in frustration the past couple of weeks. Burlington Transit has bought into technology in a big way – they want people to know when that bus is going to arrive and then make sure it does arrive.  Director of Transit for the city of Burlington, Mike Spicer replaces marches in the Santa Claus parade – he may be wearing an I’m sorry sign in the next parade. The Transit people bought a technology that would let a person plan their trip on their computer – sounded like a great idea – at the time The installation of the service didn’t go all that well. They still aren’t sure that it is working the way the advertisements say it is supposed to work. Spicer sent us a note earlier today saying: “Our web site is live again as we have been able to fix the issues. We would encourage our customers to use the web trip planner as much as possible over the next couple of weeks in order to ensure that all of the previous issues have been resolved. We have extended our testing for a few more weeks in order to closely monitor the site and software to ensure it is meeting our customer’s needs.” So – besides being loyal transit users – you are now a guinea pig – testing the service. Keep us informed.
June 27th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON
It isn’t a done deal yet – and it might not make it over the 66% needed by each of the four United Way organizations in the Region and Hamilton – but it won’t be because they didn’t give it the old college try. The vote was 61% The result of a recent ratification vote has delayed but not derailed plans to bring together the United Ways of Burlington & Greater Hamilton, Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills into a single United Way serving all of Halton Region and Greater Hamilton. The four United Ways have been working through an extensive process of research, evaluation, consultation and planning for over a year. In May, each organization’s board of directors approved the amalgamation plan, setting the stage for ratification votes at each organization’s annual general meeting in June. On June 20, United Way Oakville unanimously approved the recommendation, setting the stage for United Way Burlington & Greater Hamilton’s AGM on June 22 and the AGMs of United Way Halton Hills and United Way Milton on June 28. However, the Burlington & Greater Hamilton vote to approve amalgamation achieved a majority 61% when a two-thirds majority was required. The motion was therefore defeated. “I personally am so excited about the benefits that will come from amalgamating these four organizations,” said Anne Bermingham, United Way Burlington & Greater Hamilton Board Chair. “With the majority of board votes in favour of this direction, we need to keep working on addressing concerns and finding a way to make this happen.”
Jeff Valentin, CEO of United Way Burlington & Greater Hamilton, said that the motivation for exploring amalgamation remains clear. “This is about enhancing community impact,” he said. “With the majority of our board members, so many of our staff and so many of our donors and community partners supporting amalgamation, I feel like we have a responsibility to our community to follow through. The work of finding the right way to do that starts today.” Across North America, United Ways have been coming together to build stronger organizations to serve their communities as part of their strategic direction. A recent example is the merger of United Way Toronto & York Region in 2015. “United Way Centraide Canada endorses the proposed amalgamation and strongly encourages continued work towards a successful outcome,” said Jacline Nyman, President and CEO, United Way Centraide Canada. “The four United Ways have demonstrated leadership and commitment to building a new and stronger United Way with a greater capacity to lead and engage our donors and community partners in serving the Halton and Hamilton Region.” “If we can make it work, the amalgamation of these four United Ways will produce a more efficient, more effective and more sustainable organization,” said United Way Oakville Board chair John Armstrong. “We were excited to support the amalgamation plan at our annual general meeting in Oakville and we continue to be committed to working with our partner United Ways for the good of the communities we serve.”
Chris Cooke, Board chair of United Way Halton Hills, sees the amalgamation as a strong combination of local focus and a larger organization. “We understand how important local support and the ability to focus close to home is to our partners, donors and agencies,” he said. “Our plan will allow us to balance that need with the benefits of a larger organization. It would be a win-win.” “There is real potential in our plan, which is why we all need to stick with it,” said James MacAskill, United Way Milton Board chair. “The amalgamated United Way would be able to devote greater resources to providing evidence-based information to our supporters and ultimately deliver a greater impact for the communities of the region. That’s the bottom line.” Janet Foster, CEO of United Way Halton Hills, said, “These United Ways have a strong history of working together. It just makes sense to take our partnership to the next level.” Brad Park, CEO of United Way Oakville, summarized the vision for the amalgamation process when he said, “The plan will give us a bigger, stronger and more versatile team that will allow us to make a real difference in terms of community outcomes. Together, we can accomplish so much more than we ever could separately.” The bulk of the material in this article came from the United Way media staff. The Gazette heard nothing about the meetings that led to the amalgamation attempt from any of the four media staff.
June 27th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON There is now a new direction in place at Conservation Halton. The Board of Directors have announced the appointment of Hassaan Basit as Chief Administrative Officer. He has, up until the appointment, served as the General Manager.
Conservation Halton Board Chair John Vice commented, “We are all delighted and impressed by Hassaan’s accomplishments in his six months as General Manager. His commitment to staff and to the Board has been exemplary. His perseverance, optimism, integrity, compassion, discipline and executive leadership have been recognized by the CAO Review Committee and the Board of Directors.” “I would like to thank members of the Board of Directors for this opportunity, and for their support of my vision for the organization. I’ve been humbled by the encouragement I’ve received from so many people, not just from within the organization, but also from our partners and stakeholders” said Hassaan Basit, Chief Administrative Officer. “Above all, I would like to thank my staff for their support. They have shown a renewed drive to deliver exceptional services and embrace change.” Hassaan Basit was a biologist at the University of Toronto early in his career. He has been with Conservation Halton for 12 years, starting out as Communications Specialist, before moving to Community Engagement and then Director of Communications. His role as Director of Strategic Planning has demonstrated his commitment and skill in engaging staff, asking tough questions, building consensus and moving forward in a focused, strategic direction.
In addition to his experience at a senior leadership level, his academic qualifications include a B.Sc in Biology from the University of Toronto, and M.Sc from Queen’s University of Belfast. The Halton Conservation had earned the reputation of having a very intimate relationship with paperwork and a tin ear when it came to hearing what residents wanted to say. Basit was always very strong as a communicator – his task was made difficult given the senior management he had to work with. Now that the reigns are in his hands along with strong support from the board – there are great expectations. Let’s see how well Basit does. There is a lot of work tio get done – the Board is eager to see a more responsive organization.
June 23rd, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON It will work properly – eventually. Burlington Transit got all excited about a new computer application that would let you plan a transit trip – it had all kinds of neat whistles and bells – but it didn’t work – so they took it off line. It is now back up- but isn’t working quite they way they want it to work. The Gazette was to spend time with “marvelous” Mike spice, Director of Transit for the city – to get a full demonstration. That has been put off until it works flawlessly. We will let you know when that bright shiny days arrives. The Gazette got word from the transit people that site is active again but they are still “testing”.
“The only way to determine if we have fixed the issues is to put it live again in order to see how it works in the real environment.” To be continued.
June 22nd, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON The Halton Region Health Department has received test results confirming that a bat found at Honeyvale Road and Swansea Drive in Oakville, on Friday, June 17, had rabies. Residents who may have had physical contact with a bat in this area are advised to immediately contact the Health Department by dialing 311.  Bat in Oakville found to have rabies “The Health Department is reminding residents to avoid all contact with bats and other wild animals,” said Matt Ruf, Director, Healthy Environments ＆ Communicable Disease for Halton Region. “Anyone who comes in physical contact with a bat or other wild animal should see a physician immediately and contact the Health Department.” Rabies is a viral disease that causes severe damage to the brain and spinal cord, leading to death. The virus is spread through the saliva of an infected animal, usually entering through a bite. Rabies illness in humans can be prevented after exposure to rabies by the use of rabies vaccine, which is extremely effective, but only if it is administered before symptoms occur. It is not always possible to identify if a bat has rabies, however rabid bats may move slowly, lose the ability to fly, remain active during daylight hours or be unresponsive to loud noises. There are a number of things you can do to protect your family and pets: • Make sure your pet’s rabies vaccinations are up to date. For more information on rabies, visit halton.ca/rabies or call the Halton Region Health Department by dialing 311.
June 22nd, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON It is going to get a little hairy for people who use Lakeshore Road where it cuts away at Maple Avenue. The city is raising parts of that road, just outside the Joseph Brant Museum as much as a metre and slopping it down until it gets to the end of the water treatment plant – that will close the road from July 4th to Early August 2016 +/-
Burlington Canal Lift Bridge – Daytime Sidewalk Closures During these dates, the following restrictions will be in place Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.: • from July 4 to 29, the north and south pedestrian underpasses will be closed;
This schedule may change due to weather conditions or logistical requirements. PSPC will publish notices regarding any changes in schedule.
June 18th, 2016 BURLINGTON, ON Due to unexpected technical difficulties, www.burlingtontransit.ca – the online Trip Planner has been temporarily shut down while a solution is found. The Gazette first reported problems with the computer application. For access to real-time departure information, please call 905-639-0550 or visit Burlington Transit’s online schedules for scheduled departure times.
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Local access to homes and business will be maintained. Please refer to the map for vehicle and transit detours.
This is an issue that is dear to the heart of Mayor Goldring – he would, we are sure, like it to become his legacy issue. He doesn’t have one so far and this is as good a legacy as anyone can hope for – let’s see how it goes at Council on Thursday.
As a result of the failure, and that is what it was, the United Ways of Halton Hills and Milton will no longer ask their general memberships to vote on amalgamation on June 28, though each organization plans to present and discuss the amalgamation plan for information.
During the past six months, Basit has worked to develop a new strategic plan (Metamorphosis 2020), rebuild Conservation Halton’s image and brand, realign budgets, refine communication with stakeholders, and contributed to the Provincial Government’s Conservation Authority Act Review.
He also served as acting Director of Lands, which has allowed him a thorough understanding of Conservation Halton from a conservation, regulation, and operations perspective.
“The problem seems to be with the volume of users accessing the trip planner at the same time. We are not anywhere near our total capacity, but something is causing the system to crash. We think we have worked out most of the issues, but will wait until tomorrow to determine if we have rectified all the bugs.”
For those that ride their bikes along the old railway line and want to head for Hamilton – bad news – the pedestrian crossing at the lift bridge will be closed frequently:
The bridge will remain open to pedestrian and cyclist traffic on weekends and weekdays after 5 p.m.