 By Pepper Parr
May 29th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
Remembrance Day and The Battle of the Atlantic Sunday have always been important to me.
I was a Sea Cadet as a youth and then served in the Canadian Navy – I was an Able Seaman aboard HMCS Haida that is now tied up in Hamilton.
In 1914 and 1939 we sent young men and women into war; thousands didn’t return and many of those who did, were damaged for life.
 Hundreds gather at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Day to honour those who served, remember those who did not return and treasure the democracy they defended. Every November 11th, hundreds of Burlington residents gather at the Cenotaph to remember those we lost, honour their sacrifice and celebrate what we gained – we are a democratically fee nation.
We have a Charter of Rights and Freedoms, we elect our representatives at the Federal, Provincial, Regional and Municipal levels. As a nation, we have fought to have the fundamental right to freely select those who will govern us. It is both our privilege and our responsibility to make informed choices and vote.
Over the last two weeks we have highlighted the way the Councillor for Burlington ward 1 manages his personal financial interests and the way he has chosen to represent the people who elected him. We feel that he is unable to represent his constituents in an open and unbiased fashion. Despite our journalism efforts there is no indication from Kelvin Galbraith that there will be any change. He simply does not seem to understand his conflicted position. There also seems to be an equal problem with his constituents and opponents holding him accountable.
 Kelvin Galbraith swearing an oath to serve his constituents. In the 2022 municipal election the candidate in ward 1 did not tell the voters that he had been advised by the Integrity Commissioner that there would be occasions when he would have a Conflict of Interest due to the location of some of his business interests. The other 2022 candidate in the ward became aware of the Integrity Commissioner’s report 11 days before the election but decided not to advise voters. To do so would not have been playing ‘dirty political games’ or ‘hitting below the belt’. Rather it was his duty to ensure that the constituents of ward 1 were properly informed before they made their choice. He failed to do so.
The information was made public by a resident who keeps a close eye on civic matters and has made repeated but unsuccessful efforts to hold Councillor Galbraith accountable. He has been confronted with apathy, indifference and, we believe, systemic incompetence.
What Burlington seems to have difficulty with is taking the time to ensure and insist that the men and women they elect are accountable and transparent. We wait until the situation becomes intolerable or uncomfortable, for whatever reason, and vote for wholesale replacements. It is an all or nothing scenario repeated every 4 years. Or so it seems.
The Gazette has published five articles on election campaign donations. Those articles have been read by thousands of people. The Aldershot Insider, a Facebook page, carries a number of comments on the issue – non favourable to the Council member.
 The Councillor for ward 1 has chosen not to comment and we were informed that he was advised to not respond. It’s an old issues management truism that when you have a fiery issue you don’t provide it with oxygen. Stay silent and it will pass; people always forget.
And that is where we have a real problem. It appears that the truism is 100% true. The reason that our elected representatives are not transparent is that they don’t have to be. In fact, it’s a serious disadvantage to them if they are. The reason that they are not accountable is that we don’t hold them to account.
As citizens we need to exercise our democratic responsibilities – be informed, be actively involved and vote. In the final analysis, Galbraith is the self-made problem of the people of Ward 1.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
 By Blair Smith
May 22, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington Today reports that:
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward says there will “absolutely not be a City of Halton.”
She told BurlingtonToday that Burlington council has agreed to support an assessment of Halton Region and be an active participant in that process, after passing a motion at its May 16 meeting.
 Burlington, along with Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills are gathered together as a Region. The Region has its own Official Plan that Burlington must comply with. The Region handles Social Services, Waste and water management, some roads, police and Emergency Services. It levies taxes which the city collects. “Everything else is on the table,” she said, adding things like transit could be uploaded to the Region and other things downloaded, “but it must deliver better service for better value.”
To be polite, here we go again with our Mayor answering a question that may have been relevant six months ago but hardly now in the face of Minister Clark’s announcement on Thursday.
Actually, it’s puzzling why BurlingtonToday would choose to report the Mayor’s comments since their context is now rather dramatically changed. And just to be completely accurate, “the motion” was tabled as a “consent item” at the May 16th Council meeting with no questions, comments or debate. So much for being “an active participant”.
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward greeting Premier Doug Ford during a tour of Joseph Brant Hospital. Indeed, there will certainly not be “a City of Halton”; there may be no Halton at all. There may be no City of Burlington either, although I imagine that Meed Ward is eager to accept the prospects of a Mississauga scenario with abundant Strong Mayor powers.
The reality is that the Ontario Government is once again rolling the municipal dice and the target – not for economies of scale and operational efficiencies but for better management of new housing targets – is the Upper Tier.
All the services that were consolidated will be disaggregated into the emancipated municipalities and the costs, both of dissolution and of creating needed service depth and structure, will be borne by the taxpayer.
Will Burlington benefit if Halton Region is dissolved? It is impossible to say at this point but I personally don’t like the prospects. The economics just don’t make sense.
 When a group of us fought regional amalgamation in 2019 we believed that we were protecting local voice and decision-making. Today, we would be far less enthusiastic. Even in 2019 we acknowledged and supported the benefits of further consolidation of certain services and functions at the regional level – things like information technology, fleet management, common purchasing, vendors of record and transportation.
However, we felt that cities, such as Burlington and Oakville, should have strong influence over how they grew as communities and should not be amalgamated into an indistinct ‘melting pot’. That would still be our belief today despite the failure of our Council to deliver on their promises and a truly remarkable opportunity.
It is time for honest and direct engagement with Burlington’s citizens – straight talk about what the possible impacts of Upper Tier dissolution are. Given the fact that the municipalities left standing and perhaps whole will still be creatures of the province, subject to provincial direction and control, but now tasked with funding standalone services, it is difficult to be enthusiastic.
Related news story:
The article that brought out the opinion.
By Pepper Parr
May 5th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
Next Monday a large group of people who oppose what the provincial government wants to do to the health system we have will do their best to fill parts of the Public Gallery in the Legislature .
 Natalie Pierre speaking at Queen’s Park While the group sits in the Gallery Natalie Pierre will be in her seat and when there is a vote she will stand and vote with the government and I wonder how she will feel.
I met with Natalie for a very short period of time during the election. I was impressed – there was a sense of empathy that I felt during the short period of time I was able to talk with her.
There was supposed to be a longer follow up interview with Natalie but her handlers made sure that didn’t happen.
Natalie was new to the game and chose to follow directions rather than follow her instincts and inquire.
Her years at Sheridan College, where she worked in Human Relations, was a time when she developed the ability to listen.
I find myself wondering what Natalie will think is as she glances at the people in the Gallery and wondering if she will ask herself: Am I serving those people or am I one of a number of people in this place, here to support a government that I am a part of ?
The woman who represented Burlington before Natalie was elected didn’t have the ability to understand what people wanted or needed. She was an MPP looking out for herself.
The sense I gained when I talked to Natalie was that she was genuine; real and capable of knowing what people needed.
I expect Natalie will vote with the government knowing full well that to not vote will kill and chance she might have to grow is as a legislator.
My early sense was that this one was different.
There has not been an opportunity to interview Natalie since she was elected. Whatever her office sends out to media doesn’t come our way.
It has been our practice to publish the maiden speech of every member of both Parliament and Queen’s Park. We were in touch with Natalie’s office asking if they would let us know when she was to speak.
We didn’t hear from her office then and you didn’t get to hear what she had to say.
 So far the voice of Natalie Pierre has not been that strong. We understand that some people, elected to serve the public, aren’t comfortable with the way we report events. Their job is not to be comfortable but to be available to accredited media.
Were we to publish puff pieces often enough we would be made very welcome.
Our approach it to work at doing our best to inform the public so that they can make informed decisions.
Going forward we will work a little harder at getting through to Natalie Pierre.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
 By Ray Rivers
April 29th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
It’s a Coronation – Does Anyone Care?
 King Charles Philip Arthur George III There is not much promotion that I’ve seen over King Charles’ upcoming coronation. And it’s only a few days away, yet I can’t seem to find anyone keen to join me to watch and celebrate the event.
This disinterest may have something to do with Charles himself. Those of us who cared about Diana have never forgiven him for casting her aside and for what followed – her tragic and untimely death. The highly successful Netflix series, the Crown, also may have tempered our love of the royals as it demystified their lives. Though clearly privileged, they were portrayed as pretty ordinary folks in many ways, with flaws and warts just like the rest of us.
Princess Anne was something of a spoilt brat. Sexual exploitation had stained Prince Andrew thanks to his seedy association with Jefrey Epstein. Then, there was this royal passion for things Nazi, including the former King Edward apparently designated to be Hitler’s puppet in London. And Prince Phillip also had a softness for the fascists.
That makes some sense since a monarchy traditionally is just another authoritarian system of governance. It is leadership gained by breeding rather than by popular vote. So today a growing number of Brits, mostly younger ones, would like to ditch the royals. Over 40%, would prefer an elected head of state instead of an inherited, according to one survey.
 Weighs tonnes; is heated and air conditioned. Older Brits on the other hand seem content with the status quo, so this may just be an age thing. After all, Charles is no spring chicken, and despite his longstanding concern for the environment, doesn’t seem to relate well to the younger generations, even in that regard. Ageism is a reality in politics these days. One only has to consider the mixed reception Joe Biden is receiving in his bid for another presidential campaign, despite a very impressive record of public achievements during his first term.
The monarchy serves a useful role as head of state, not only in the UK but also through its representatives in Canada and other commonwealth nations. And here in the colonies the Governor General, like Supreme Court judges and senators, is appointed – making them more like public servants than politicians. These appointees owe their loyalty to the government of the day and the rule of law. When Stephen Harper wanted to avoid losing a non-confidence vote in 2008 he went to the Governor General for permission to prorogue and she did what she was told.
Democracy is under attack, more today than at any time since the second world war. We need look no further than the Jan 6th attempted insurrection at the US Capitol building, an act precipitated by the ‘big lie’ that Trump was cheated out of the presidency. For that, some would blame social media and cable news channels, like Fox, for the misinformation and outright lies that makes us wonder what exactly we should believe – if anything at all.
There has also been a growing trend for opposition politicians to engage in hate mongering and character assassination. If you say a lie enough times, folks may start to believe it. Once upon a time there was some semblance of accountability for one’s actions in the political theatre. Yet Donald Trump’s popularity seems to be rising, hand-in-glove as his criminal behaviour is uncovered and he faces a growing number of criminal court cases.
Indeed we see the same phenomenon happening back here in the great white north. Instead of being evicted from his party’s caucus for embracing and supporting the insurrectionist criminals (truckers) in Ottawa back in February last year, Pierre Poilievre was rewarded. He was promoted to become leader of Canada’s official opposition party for his supporting role in shutting down the nation’s capital.
 Trucks parked on the streets of Ottawa during a long civic disruption. Voter turnout in last year’s municipal elections was one of the lowest ever, as two thirds of voters stayed home. Being effectively disenfranchised, there is little reason to leave your TV sets and run to the polling station to cast a ballot in an election which more and more means less and less. Premier Ford slashed representation for Toronto residents by half as one of his first acts.
Ranked ballots to ensure that only the most popular candidate would win were banned. Ford has overruled the municipalities and conservation authorities taking away their power to manage local development decisions. He made it harder and moire expensive for individuals and councils to challenge his development decrees. And then he became just another a lying politician, raising questions of corruption, by breaking his promise to protect the provincial greenbelt from more urban sprawl.
Alberta has just passed it’s own sovereignty legislation, a declaration of war on the federal government and on Canada’s efforts to rein in its carbon footprint. It is a cheap stunt by politicians more concerned with the politics of division than the reality of what is happening to our planet. Alberta’s ongoing anti-Canada monologue has become more of a threat to Canadian unity than Quebec’s attempts at independence ever were. At least Quebecers had legitimate complaints about their linguistic and cultural rights in this country.
We are in troubled times – a nation divided by the very political leaders who should be uniting us. Is it any wonder that voters are disillusioned? And if we can’t be positive about our local or federal/provincial governance, why should we even give a hoot about what is going on in London this coming weekend?
My parents were not of British stock but they purchased a brand new TV just to watch Queen Elizabeth’s coronation. And we would crowd around that set to watch her annual Christmas address every year. We went to see Charles and Diana when they came to Vancouver in the ’80’s and like many Canadians wept when the Princess senselessly died in that car accident.
 The Crown that will be used at the Coronation on May 6th I don’t consider myself a royalist. In fact, I am rather indifferent about the Crown. But I still plan to watch King Charles and the spectacle of the formal coronation on Saturday May 6th, even if I have to watch it alone.
It’s a great excuse for a spring-time party. And, it may be the last coronation I ever get to watch, even if the British public doesn’t replace that inbred crowd with an elected president as their head of state.
Related news story:
How Ontario plans to celebrate the Coronation
Background:
Canada is a Constitutional Monarchy with a Parliamentary Democracy – we are stuck with a King
About those Royal Carriages – How many are there.
Andrew in Bed with Epstein
Nazis in the Royal House
Ditch the Royals
By Pepper Parr
April 20th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
 Janice Atwood Janice Atwood, a Principles Integrity partner, acquitted herself very well earlier this week when she reported to city Council on the report she had written on a complaint sent to the Integrity Commissioner related to the behaviour of a member of the Committee of Adjustment (CoA).
Council listened to the CoA member Nick Leblovic as he explained what he had done and both challenged the conclusion reached by the Integrity Commissioner and impugned the reputation of the professional planner who was representing the complainant.
During his delegation, Leblovic claimed that the whole investigation, which he estimated to have taken 50 hours at $235 per hour, would have been unnecessary had the Integrity Commissioner agreed to meet with him and discuss the complaint. In fact, Ms. Atwood did invite Mr. Leblovic to meet but received no response to her invitation. She notes that the extensive correspondence and responses Leblovic sent the Integrity Commissioner and which seemed to be his preferred method of communicating “articulated fully and unequivocally his perspective, his position and his views, rendering an interview unnecessary. As a result, all of our communications were in writing.”
He went on to argue during his presentation to Council that hearsay evidence was admissible and that he could introduce new evidence when he thought it was relevant.
 Nick Leblovic This was Leblovic in full flight and in his usual form – the kind of performance that was seen and experienced at the Waterfront Advisory Committee that Leblovic chaired until the city sunset the committee.
Members of that Waterfront Advisory will well remember Leblovic’s chairmanship. I recall one member swearing that if Leblovic continued with his behaviour he would “punch him in the face”.
Leblovic tends to draw that kind of response from people.
He served in a senior position on the Meed Ward run for Mayor in 2018 and again in 2022 – he was one of the very few (some think that together with his wife, the only core member) that carried over from 2018 to 2022.
The relationship with Leblovic was so tight that the Integrity Commissioner had to advise the Mayor that she did have a Conflict of Interest forcing her to give up the gavel and let the Deputy Mayor handle a portion of the City Council meeting.
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward Leblovic is a citizen who has been active in local politics for decades, he was believed to be very close to former Mayor Cam Jackson who was instrumental in getting Leblovic on the Waterfront Advisory Committee
 Waterfront Advisory committee before City council voted to shut the committee down. From left to right: Nick Leblovic, Michael O’Sullivan, Ken Harris, Jeff Martin, Donna Ankrett, and Gary Scobie. There comes a point when the grey beards need to sit on the sidelines and let those who are not past their “best before date” run the show.
The greatest surprise in this whole mess was the recommendation put forward by the Integrity Commissioner – not suspension, not removal but a voluntary couple of hours of training for everyone on a City Board or Commission. How does this either fit the offence or reflect the lack of contrition that Mr. Leblovic so obviously demonstrated?
It contrasts so jarringly with the decision made by the Integrity Commissioner on the Shawna Stolte matter, where she was docked five days pay, that one shakes their head in disbelief. The Integrity Commissioner made the point, after the decision had been sent to Council, that had they known Stolte was not in the least contrite the penalty would have been more severe.
While Stolte took the position that she did what she did was a matter of principle for her, which would not excuse her, she never challenged the jurisdiction of the Integrity Commissioner to adjudicate and she did nothing to denigrate the Office of the Integrity Commissioner. Can the same be said for Mr. Leblovic?
It is our view that Nick Leblovic is no longer fit for office and the responsible thing to do would have been to remove him from the Committee of Adjustment.
Related news stories:
Nick Leblovic gets to tell his story.
Integrity Commissioner teaches Councillors just what a Conflict of interest is
Integrity Commissioner refutes statements Leblovic makes
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Pepper Parr
April 15th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
The words accountability and transparency get banged about like a ping pong ball – but little respect from some senior administrative staff and just about every member of Council. They mouth the words but there is little in the way of meat on the bones of their statements.
 The swearing in of a new council is the process that transfers power to newly elected Council members. They swear to be accountable and transparent. Elections are critical: they are actually a transaction between the public and those running for public office. The voters give the power they have – a ballot and use it to transfer their power to the people seeking public office.
The city administration, in this case the City Clerk overseen the elections, makes sure the ballot are properly counted and issues a statement declaring the winner for the Office of Mayo and the Council member for each ward.
Sometime after the election the City Clerk releases the financial statements each candidate is required to file. Those statements were due to be released on March 31st.
 Detailed election finance reports are behind this file on the city web site. Go figure. Try to find them on the city web site. They are there but difficult to find – we had to work with the City Communications department to figure out just where the documents were posted.
Unfortunately, and unfairly the Communications people are taking the hits for this dumb situation. We believe it is the City Clerk’s responsibility to ensure that the information is made public and easy to find.
 Executive Director Jackie Johnson  Both the City Clerk and the Director of Communications report to the city’s newest Executive Director Jackie Johnson; she might want to invite Kwab Ako-Adjei and Kevin Arjoon in for coffee and explain to them that they first have to cooperate and then exactly what she means by accountability, transparency and open government.
The Gazette is in the process of reviewing all the financial returns and doing an analysis of how much money each candidate raised and where the money came from.
Accountability, transparency and Open Government.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
 By Anne Marsden
October 3rd, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Click Let’s End the MMW Era
December 19, 2016 will be a Council meeting my husband Dave and I will never forget for two reasons.
1. The misrepresentation in the December 14, 2016 Audit Committee Minutes of what really happened at the Audit Committee regarding an audit of the 2014 Election Nomination Papers, was approved by all Council members regardless of having an understanding that the minutes were incorrect.
2. A without notice removal of the definitions of accountability and transparency from the 2014 Procedure By-laws proposed by a group that included Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward and a representative of the Clerk’s Office, was unanimously approved by Council.
It took five months for the definitions referenced in paragraph 2 above to form the core of an approved corporate policy covering the accountability and transparency definitions that Council unanimously removed from the Procedure. By-law.
Fast forward to the opening of nominations for the 2022 election when we heard commitments by at least one candidate and multiple members of the electorate, to end the MMW (Mayor My Way) era 2010-2022. The Burlington DownTowners in particular announced in the comments section of the Burlington Gazette, this election for the first time Anne Marsden had their vote for Mayor and offered to put up her signs if available.
After 2022 nominations opened, a better way of communicating by the City through the website was announced and implemented without any warning. The new website had huge gaps in information including committee and council webcasts and minutes of the December 14, 2016 Audit Committee and December 19, 2016 Council meeting. Further, the 2018 financial reports of incumbent members of council all running for re-election were missing.
Lisa Kearns the Marsdens Ward 2 councillor refused to address this sudden dearth of information that affected voters becoming fully informed. She claimed it was a Clerk/Marsden issue and announced to numerous email recipients that she had withdrawn from the email conversation on this matter. Strange as it seems what was not missing was the Corporate Policies which is not something the electorate would normally be checking for to determine who would get their vote.
A cursory review showed a dejavue situation the Marsdens had addressed with Council in the past. “Many corporate policies had passed their due date for review some of them expiring years earlier.”
The 2022 posted Corporate policies identifies the Council Code of Conduct was scheduled for review in October 2022 – a time known, when the date was set, that Council would not be meeting. Although requested in the past no-one has volunteered the information as to what it means when review dates of corporate policies have expired, or what the liability is attached to such expiration.
We all know however, what is behind these expiries – sheer incompetence and lack of accountability. This incompetence in my professional career world would have resulted in an immediate removal of this responsibility from my job description and a much lower salary for me to take home, at the very least.
The biggest shocker to the Marsdens, however, post nominations opening was the Review Date on the Corporate Policy headed ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY. The date was April, 2022 and the person responsible? “The City Clerk”! If the Burlington City Clerks over the past decade, two of them, have been unable to handle a simple follow up file to keep a check on such review dates, what can we expect from someone who is responsible for all the policies, legislative requirements etc. that are a part of oversight of a municipal election. An election that gives the winners the right to decide how they spend a $287 million operating budget. Further, how we undertake our responsibilities to all those we serve who put the money in the city’s budget accounts. Let’s also not forget the Clerk is responsible for the Burlington tender process and accurately recording Committee and Council meetings.
The Council approved definitions of accountability and transparency removed from the 2014 Procedure By-law state:
1.1 “Accountability” means the principle that the City of Burlington will be responsible to its stakeholders for decisions made and policies implemented, as well as its actions or inactions.
1.38 “Transparency” means the principle that the City of Burlington actively encourages and fosters stakeholder participation and openness in its decision-making processes. Additionally, transparency means that the City of Burlington’s decision making process is open and clear to the public.
My September 28, 2022 Gazette opinion piece advises my first priority is a full and thorough review of the Procedure By-law. These definitions that should never have been removed will go back into the Procedure By-law through this review with I am sure, a unanimous vote by the elected council. This will then ensure regardless of corporate policy expiry dates that these two definitions are respected as they must be.
The definitions that the MMW (Mayor My Way) era council saw fit to remove from their reference handbook that should be considered their “bible” is now, as far as anyone knows, not a legitimate part of City of Burlington corporate policies.
No wonder those we talk to on the campaign trail have the highest discontent rate Dave and I have ever heard beginning 1997. The discontent is related to lack of: integrity, accountability, transparency, public engagement, public safety, accessibility and much more! October 11 – October 24 we all have an opportunity to state at the ballot box the MMW era must come an end.
Anne Marsden is a candidate for the Office of Mayor
Content paid for by the Committee to elect Anne Marsden Mayor Burlington
By Pepper Parr
September 28th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
There is an issue that no one on city council wants to talk about – the Councillors for wards 3 and 6 are terrified that their constituents would tar and feather them if they supported the offer the Nelson Quarry has made to give the the city title to the land which would be turned into a park.
The quarry, once it has been mined out and some work done to return the land to its original form has the potential to meet a need that is going o exist in the not too distant future.
 Nelson quarry that is near its end of life – the site will fill with water and could be turned into a park. Council members take the view during an election that it is heresy to talk about something many are against rather than explain the long term potential and why the idea of having the quarry turned into a large public park when all the useful aggregate has been mined out is a very wise long term decision.
The people managing the application for a license extension and renewal are about to announce that they will be making an announcement on a park operator.
 Rendering of what part of the quarry could look like once all the aggregate has been extracted Does this suggest that the city has lost the opportunity to be involved in the creation of parkland that is going to be needed in the not too distant future. The ability to be consistently short sighted on the part of Councillors Bentivegnia and Nissan is astonishing – both are reacting to the views of their constituents north of Hwy 407 and Dundas, forgetting that the bulk f their constituents are south of that border.
The Joint Tribunal process is winding its way towards a decision.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
 By Anne Marsden
September 7th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Anne Marsden has had articles and a paper published at the International, National and local levels. These publications include sports reporting. a paper for an International Conference on Mental Health and the Law based on Halton Long Term Care and a newspaper column that discussed disability issues.
My municipal campaigns since 1997 have always included reference to the very poor municipal election turnout. My 2022 campaign to be Burlington’s Mayor and Chief Executive Officer is no different. Every family has a story of the sacrificial giving of parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles or grandparents. My husband Dave and I have never believed that simply recognizing this sacrificial giving on Remembrance Day is enough if, we are to teach this present generation what “Lest We Forget” actually means.
Sacrificial giving, has affected families for a full generation and more. In my family it affected two generations. The inability to just “suck it up” that was expected from those who returned to civilian life and those who had fought the battle on the home front, was often deemed mental illness that was genetic, as it was for my mom, with a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia that lived with her until she passed April 9, 2006.
Mom was just 19 years old when dad left her and my brother, just a baby at the time “to go to war”. My father was a medic and anyone who has seen actual footage of the carnage he had to deal with knows what horrific memories it left him with. Mom lived in a high bombing area and worked at the ship yard during the day, which was bombed. She spent most of the war sleeping in the shelter at the bottom of the garden. There were no phone calls or leaves during that long six years, only letters that spoke of undying love. Their marriage ended in divorce when I was very young. Dad was told mom needed the divorce for a fresh start that would hopefully heal her memories. It never did despite the more than one hundred shock and coma treatments, that autopsy showed left her brain scarred, and finally drugs with horrible side effects.
 Harold Stevens  Eva Bourgoin One anonymous soldier’s words set out in a poem called “Memories” have never been forgotten. They illustrate why he could no longer walk in the woods as stepping on a twig created a noise that took him back in time. To ensure the frozen bodies he had to bury would fit a small grave, he had to force their legs together and the snapping noise haunted him forever. His words constantly remind me of how grateful we all need to be to all those who not only gave the ultimate sacrifice; but also for those who came back with their horrific memories/missing limbs/and shell shock from any war we as Canadians are part of.
God! How I hate the sound
A dead branch makes
When stepped upon
Even
The snapping of a stick of celery
Chills my spine
Calls up old memories
Makes the hairs
On the nape of my neck
Erectile!
So what has this to do with a Burlington 2022 municipal election? Most reading this know the answer. The sacrificial giving as described above is demeaned by poor turnouts at any election in any country in the world that claims to have democratically elected governments in place nationally, provincially or locally.
What can we as individual families do about it? We can decide that we will do our very best to do the research we need to do to cast fully informed votes rather than just vote for the incumbent or another name we know as they are a member of a social group we attend.
Talk the fact that we have an election October 24, 2022 up with family, friends and neighbours and encourage them to vote. Participate in the Honour the Sacrifices sign blitz I am proposing as my effort to bring up the numbers casting informed votes. While I would prefer no candidates’ names appear on each family sign just encouragement to Honour the Sacrifices and vote on or before October 24, 2022, everyone is free to design the sign they think will Honour the Sacrifices.
 EASTER 1991 THE MARSDEN FAMILY MOTIVATED THE BURLINGTON AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITY TO FILL THE FOOD BANKS FOR EASTER AFTER JOHN TUCK SCHOOL ALERTED THEM TO THE EMPTY SHELVES IN LOCAL FOOD BANKS. . WITH THE SUPPORT OF LOCAL MEDIA AND SCHOOL BOARDS THEY RAISED OVER $1,000 TO BUY WHAT WAS NEEDED TO SUPPORT DONATED FOOD. THE EMPTY SHELVES OF THE SALVATION ARMY, COMMUNITY UNITY, BURLINGTON EAST EMERGENCY FUND AND OAKVILLE FAIR SHARE WERE FILLED. IT TRIGGERED LOCAL POLITICIANS, THE BURLINGTON FIRE DEPARTMENT AND OTHERS TO UNDERSTAND THE NEED AND MEET IT ON AN ONGOING BASIS. THE MARSDEN FAMILY HAVE FOUND ANOTHER CAUSE TO BRING TO THE PUBLIC’S ATTENTION, THE LUDICROUS LOW TURNOUTS AT MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. THEY BEGAN ADDRESSING THIS IN I997 WHEN THE TURNOUT WAS 17%. THERE HAS BEEN SOME IMPROVEMENT BUT IT IS STILL FAR TOO LOW. THE MARSDEN FAMILY ARE ASKING THE COMMUNITY TO BRING ATTENTION TO THE NEED TO “HONOUR THE SACRIFICES” AND CAST VOTES IN THE OCTOBER 24, 2022 ELECTION. CREATE YOUR SIGN TAKE A PHOTO AND EMAIL IT TO anneandave@gmail.com AND LET US KNOW IS IT GOING TO BE A GARDEN SIGN, A CAR SIGN OR A T-SHIRT LOGO.. EVERY EMAIL WE RECEIVE WILL BE PUT IN A DRAW FOR FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT TREATS. WE KNOW WE CAN RAISE THE PARTICIPATION LEVEL – THE COMMUNITY FILLED THE EMPTY SHELVES IN 1991 IT CAN INCREASE THE VOTE TO A RESPECTABLE LEVEL IN 2022. WHILE THE MARSDEN FAMILY HAVE A GREAT ARTIST IN THEIR MIDST, USE OF PHOTOS, ETC. OR WHATEVER A FAMILY MAY UTILIZE TO GET THEIR MESSAGE ACROSS IS ACCEPTABLE. Everyone who sends a photo of the sign in place in their garden or as a magnetic sign on their car or posted on their car window will be entered into a draw for several family entertainment treats. Hopefully this can happen at the Friday Fish and Chip Night at the Legion with a veteran making the draw before the election. Send the photos of your sign in place to anneandave@gmail.com. Your email will be your ticket in the draw. Print shops can laminate your sign to protect from the weather.
I was told a pack of cigarettes was the price dad paid for a drawing of mom by a German prisoner of war. He drew it from a photograph mom sent. The first time I saw the drawing, long after their divorce and folded up with the crease lines wearing a hole in the bottom right corner, I pictured Dad in my mind’s eye soaking in every feature of mam’s beautiful face. Re-energized he would fold the picture up and put it in his uniform’s top pocket close to his heart and then get back to his difficult work as an army medic, dreaming of when his darling Eva would be back in his arms.
September 7, 1945 our family was complete with my birth. The words of the Dame Vera Lynn song mom sang so beautifully every day of her life are carved into my brain, the same as Jim Menken carved the veteran in my “Honour the Sacrifices Gazette Block Ad” into a dead tree, never to be forgotten “There will be joy and laughter and peace forever after, tomorrow when the world is free.”
 Anne Marsden during a contemplative moment in front of the Cenotaph at Veteran Square Paid for by the Anne Marsden election campaign
By Pepper Parr
September 7th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
It would appear that City Manager Tim Commisso and citizen Stephen White have different views on professional courtesies.
White was told that the Staff Report going to Council for the September 14th meeting of the CSSRA – Corporate Service, Strategy, Risk and Accountability would include his report as an Addendum and that if he wanted to delegate he would have to register.
 Note something that happens in polite households – and if Burlington is anything – it is polite He adds that “ If they sit on it until the 14th, and don’t release it before, then in fairness they should have advised Julie and I as a professional courtesy.”
So far the promised report has not been seen by anyone we know.
The city certainly has its own definition of “engagement” – something you talk about when it is to your advantage but neglect when it has an odour that isn’t going to pass the smell test.
This is not what the bulk of the people in Burlington think their city is about.
Some people at city hall need to change their diaper.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Pepper Parr
August 23rd, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
The Roseland Community Organization (RCO) is hosting a debate that will involve the ward 4 candidates and the people running for the office f Mayor.
And good on them for taking this on.
In 2010 the Gazette sponsored a debate for the ward six candidates – there were eight or nine of them. It went well but it required a lot of work and ate up time we just didn’t have.
In 2018 ECOB – Engaged Citizens of Burlington sponsored debates in all six wards during which the city saw some of the biggest turnouts for a political event in several decades.
 ECOB filled the Baptist Church on New Street during the 2018 election debates. ECOB’s Penny Hersh did the bulk of the work to make those happen.
Other than the Roseland Group – who else is going to step up and arrange for debates in their wards ?
Are there service clubs that could take this on ? Sponsoring a debate is not a political activity – it is a civic decision to put in motion an event that gives people a chance to inform themselves.
Ward 2 and 3 both badly need a debate as does ward 5 now that Paul Sharman has to run for office instead of being acclaimed.
There were some interesting comments made by Gazette readers on the story we ran of the RCO announcement
One reader wrote: Roseland Community Group is a group of homeowners, who show interest and take pride in their community. There is no reason why other communities cannot form the same type of organizations.
Another wrote: The problem I have is, who is the Roseland Community Organization? Who are the members? Are any candidates” a member or affiliate with them? Did any of the members of the ROC help or donate to any of the candidates’ campaigns? If so, isn’t that a conflict of interest? and how do we know it will be fair and impartial. Even the venue is suspect, do any of the candidates belong to the church? Who is going to moderate the debate and come up with the questions? Hopefully it’s not Mr. Parr because we know he mentions Shawna in every article he writes. What experience does the ROC have in running a political debate?
All this reader had to do was spend five minutes on the RCO web site and his concerns would disappear. Suggesting that using a church would be a conflict – Really?
By Joseph Gaetan
August 20th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
If you know anyone who is thinking about buying a condominium – pass this along to them. They will thank you.
Privately Owned Public Spaces, a.k.a POPS, are spaces dedicated to public use and enjoyment, which are owned and maintained by private property owners (but not all property owners in the City of Burlington, just condo owners), in exchange for bonus floor area or waivers.
POPS agreements when in place are provided by a developer but then maintained by property owners in perpetuity in accordance with the statutes, bylaws, regulations in place and pursuant to any City approvals. POPS in part are also the result of City zoning regulations aimed at ensuring the densest areas of our city also offer a measure of open public space and greenery. Thus, POPS can be important amenities for the enjoyment of Burlington citizens, and visitors.
 The POPS that is to be part of the Core development located between Lakeshore Road and Old Lakeshore Road is a decision made by the developer that future residents will have to pay for. If you have never owned a condo that has a POPS or never plan on doing do so, you may think what is the big deal anyway? Well, the big deal is, those who do own one, end up paying for something they had little input on and something that will affect their cost of living as long as they live there. The cost of the POPS will be reflected in both the common area fees (CEF’s) that owners pay on a monthly basis as well as the monthly contribution to the Reserve Fund that is put in place for major repairs and/or replacement of the POPS assets at some point in the future.
So, imagine a situation where the parking structure is buried under a POPS. In the beginning owners will be paying for basic and ongoing yard maintenance, snow removal, pruning of trees, replacement of benches and any litigation, insurance etc. Sometime in the future (as identified in the Reserve Fund but often sooner) the underground concrete slab will have to be repaired or sections replaced. But before that, all of the overburden, all the trees, all the sidewalks, everything on top of the slab will be stripped clean and taken off-site so that the remedial work can be performed.
Upon completion of the repair/remediation work, guess what, new soil will be returned to the site, new trees planted, new sidewalks poured and after 6 to 8 months of disruption the POPS will have been restored to its original design parameters. Without exaggeration this could cost the property owners millions of dollars.
When a developer turns a property over to a not-for-profit condominium corporation the common area fees and Reserve Fund allocations are grossly understated. The principal reasons for this being, there is no cost history or Reserve Fund study to base these figures upon. A condominiums first Reserve Fund study occurs during its first year of incorporation with follow-up studies every three years afterward.
Under normal circumstances per the Condominium Act 1998, upon turnover the Condominium Corporation usually has one year to cancel any contracts made by the Declarant.
Case in point, one condo in Burlington chose to cancel the Geo-Thermal, Renewal Energy Agreement put in place by the Declarant. The corporation was able to cancel the agreement and then secured a loan to purchase the system saving residents approximately $6 million dollars over a 30-year period. This option does not apply to POPS as canceling such agreements is beyond the scope of this section of the “Act.”
Below is an excerpt from an Official Plan Amendment Rezoning Application document for a development that was approved in 2008:
Conditions of Zoning Approval
“agree to grant an easement to the City for the purpose of providing public access over the (feature details redacted) containing the (feature details redacted) at the South end of the front yard, from (address details redacted) of, and pay for all costs associated with the easement including the preparation of a reference plan legally describing the location of the landscape courtyard subject to the easement; and,
“include the following warning clause in all Offers of Purchase and Sale and in the
Condominium declaration:
“purchasers/tenants are advised that the landscape courtyard containing the (redacted) at the South end of the front yard, is for public use”
POPS were invented in New York, in 1961 via a Zoning Regulation, the purpose was to find solutions to the city’s budget gaps in providing public spaces. Mobilising private funds seemed like a good way to build public infrastructure and something a city could offer that was seemingly free (i.e., public spaces, in exchange for additional housing units).
POPS have a place in the public realm and should not be discarded in totality. The use of POPS has been successfully used throughout the world (i.e., High Line NYC) but not without issues (i.e., Autumn of 2011, a small anarchist group occupied Zuccotti Park, a public plaza in Downtown New York).
All homeowners in Burlington should expect and deserve to be treated fairly and equitably. While I there is a place for POPS, such developments that create a cost burden to one class of taxpayers and not others are simply wrong. If the City of Burlington approves POPS for additional height on a particular building, or additional housing units in a development, those costs should be spread across all taxpayers within the City of Burlington.
With an election on the horizon the subject of POPS deserves attention. When a candidate asks for your support, it is fair game to ask them if they are in favour of approving developments where the POPS will place an unfair financial burden on some taxpayers (condo owners). Residents of a building that sits on .58 hectare of land, and contributes around $1 million a year in realty taxes, should not be asked to also pay more for a POPS.
Further information regarding the issues and cost effects of POPS on condo owners can be found by reading the CCI Toronto article entitled, “Privately Owned Publicly Accessible Spaces” that may be found by visiting, CCI-T-Condovoice-Spring2019-FB19.pdf (ccitoronto.org)
Related news story:
Just what does a POPS mean
 Joe Gaetan is a Burlington resident who lives in a condominium that has a POPS.
He speaks on occasion before Council on civic issues and participates in Ontario Land Tribunal matter
 By Pepper Parr
August 18, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Imagine this:
You decide to buy a condominium and learn, probably well after you the sale has closed, that some of the property is privately owned but it is public space – which means any Tom, Dick or Harry can use that space and you are responsible for the upkeep of the space and probably ensuring that it is safe.
 The Chrysler Carriage House will be integrated into the development The developer selling you the property will not have told you this but it will be included in the title document you get once the condominium is registered.
The lawyer you hired to handle the paper work may not know all that much about POPS
Privately owned public space (POPS), or alternatively, privately owned public open spaces (POPOS), are terms used to describe a type of public space that, although privately owned, is legally required to be open to the public under a city’s zoning ordinance or other land-use law.
Both terms can be used to represent either a singular or plural space or spaces. These spaces are usually the product of a deal between cities and private real estate developers in which cities grant valuable zoning concessions and developers provide in return privately owned public spaces in or near their buildings. Privately owned public spaces commonly include plazas, arcades, small parks, and atriums.
The term privately owned public space was popularized by Harvard professor Jerold S. Kayden through his 2000 book Privately Owned Public Space: The New York City Experience. The history of privately owned public space commenced in 1961 when New York City introduced an incentive zoning mechanism offering developers the right to build.
Between 1961 and 2000, 503 privately owned public spaces, scattered almost entirely in downtown, midtown, and upper east and west sides of New York City’s borough of Manhattan, were constructed at 320 buildings.
While privately owned public space as a term of art refers specifically to private property required to be usable by the public under zoning or similar regulatory arrangements, the phrase in its broadest sense can refer to places, like shopping malls and hotel lobbies, that are privately owned and open to the public, even if they are not legally required to be open to the public.
POPS is often referred to as Public Realm by a developer.
Let’s apply this concept to Burlington, and specifically to the Core development that is located on properties that are between Old Lakeshore Road and Lakeshore Road and the large Molinaro development that has towers on either side of Brant Street at Ghent.
That development has five POPS.
The Core development, in the words of the development justification report describes the development as having “ been shaped by a comprehensive landscape strategy that integrates high quality public realm improvements across the site.
 “A significant area of privately owned, publically accessible open space is provided on the west side of the development, adjacent to the proposed tower. The 19.3 metre wide space facilitates an important view corridor down to Lake Ontario from Lakeshore Road. The open space draws people towards Burlington’s waterfront serving as a connection point, while also providing an active meeting and gathering space where the whole community can interact, relax and play.
“The open space will provide a diverse and attractive green contribution to the proposed development that softens and balances the paving and the building massing. It has been designed to allow for the future expansion of the open space when the property to the west ultimately redevelops.
“Significant public realm improvements will also be integrated along the north and south sides of the site, through significant streetscape improvements. The widening of sidewalks and new paving and tree planting will bring life to both Lakeshore Road and Old Lakeshore Road, and significantly improve the setting of the heritage building.
 This rendering shows the POPS looking north from Old Lakeshore Road “The integration of these public realm improvements will create a strong sense of place, foster social interaction and support a positive pedestrian experience. The benefits will be experienced by both the residents of the development, and Burlington’s existing residents, and contribute towards the building of healthier communities for a more sustainable future.”
All well and god but the fact of the matter is that the condominium owners are responsible for that property and all the liability that entails.
We will be writing about this in more detail going forward.
 There are eight high rise developments in this photograph. Not all of them have POPS as part of the development. We have identified the eight properties; some are almost complete other are at the OLT appeal stage.
By Pepper Parr
August 16th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Is she or isn’t she?
 Charismatic, competitive – ready for big time politics locally? Is Kimberly Calderbank going to run for the office of Mayor?
If she is – and at this point we don’t know – her recent LinkedIn piece could have been read any number of ways.
Calderbank considers herself a strong strategic thinker – is her game plan to wait for the very last minute and then announce giving her some almost immediate momentum ?
The last half of August is always a quiet time; the pace will quicken as soon as the Labour Day holiday is over.
Calderbank was identified as the “developers” candidate in 2018 when she ran for the ward 2 council seat.
She wasn’t trounced but she certainly didn’t win.
The Gazette interviewed Calderbank during the 2018 election; we weren’t all that impressed.
 It could easily be taken as a political statement. We heard a young woman who certainly had career aspirations but not much more than that say she wanted to be Mayor but didn’t appear to have much in the way of a plan or a vision for the city.
She runs a successful private marketing business and has several media related jobs.
She serves as the media point person fo the Halton Region Police Services Board as well as the Ontario Police Services Board.
One of her clients is the Food4Life non-profit organization where we learned a number of months ago that they had contingency plans in place for marketing support in the event that Calderbank filed nomination papers.
We certainly got h impression from that source that Calderbank was going to be a candidate – and it wasn’t going to be for a Council seat.
She has very strong support with several families that could and would put a lot of weight behind a campaign.
She has a very good working relationship with Cogeco.
All the pieces needed to launch an election campaign exist.
It could happen – but it has to happen before 2:00 pm on Friday the 19th – that is when nominations close.
Should Calderbank run for the office of Mayor it will be one heck of a race.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
Related new content
Kimberly in her own words
 By Staff
August 11th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
The readers are what count.
In the direct correspondence, their emails and the comments they leave in the newspaper for others to enjoy they reflect ideas and thoughts of some of the people in the city and the several thousand that don’t currently live in Burlington.
One reader sent the following as a comment and we have “upgraded it to stand alone Opinion.
Mr. Parr asks the right question and, wisely, leaves the reader to arrive at their own conclusion. Here is mine and it is only mine. The context for the quote referenced in the article was Meed Ward’s response to the Ford pronouncement that he was proposing to give the Mayors of Ottawa and Toronto veto rights over their Councils.
Meed Ward (along with the Big City Mayors) was very quick to support “investigating” the broader application of this veto power and cited the remarkable synergy of the Burlington Council in support. ‘We’re a cohesive group anyways, are we not?’ Well, no, and the video clip attached to this article demonstrates more vividly than words could ever do, how dangerous such power would be if placed in the hands of any Mayor.
It is particularly worthwhile to watch the expressions of Council members (even Galbraith and Nisan) and the City Manager while our Mayor attempts her ‘ad hoc’ agenda management.
 Marianne Meed Ward on election night in 2018 Whether you are one of her many followers, true believers in her brand of social media populism, or one of her detractors, often once part of the faithful who now view her with an open cynicism – Marianne Meed Ward is, I believe, a divisive figure; she polarizes. There are few in Burlington, if they draw breath and are on the right side of the grass, who don’t hold an opinion on Her Worship.
She is exceptionally charismatic; she can make someone feel that they are the only focus of her interest and commitment. She attracts followers as if by a force of nature. She is also resourceful, insightful and one of the hardest working politicians you are likely to meet. She picks the popular issues and rides them until they are exhausted. And she knows no “time out”. If she fails in something, it will never be because she has not put the time and effort into winning.
But she can also be, in my opinion, impatient, spiteful and self-absorbed. She does not appear to forget a slight or a perceived harm and she seems to lose perspective when an opportunity to “get back” presents itself.
Her treatment of Shawna Stolte is a glaring and shameful case in point. (Click HERE to view the video) So, does she work well with her Council? I would suggest that if the criteria are toleration of opposing views, natural ability to lead or a desire to selflessly mentor all subordinates equally, then the answer is a rather resounding “NO”. But this is only my opinion and my conclusion, of course.
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward doing a Cogeco TV show with Blair Smith and Lynne Crosby Blair Smith is a life long Burlington resident who has been active in representing the views of his peers. He was part of the team that worked with Marianne Meed Ward to get her elected Mayor in 2018
By Connor Fraser
August 11th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
We have allowed powerful firms to created wasteful narratives. It’s time to push back.
How many times per week do you poo?
This past winter, I happened upon a regular schedule, nearly every day. Oh, and by “poo” I mean shampoo.
In December, my hairdresser recommended a new set of shampoo, conditioner and product specific to my hair style – instead of generic soaps found at the grocery store. I suppose it was more excitement at the prospect of taking better care and ownership of my body that caused me to embrace this daily routine. Recently, it has propelled me to think about how often I wash, and whether soaps are even necessary every time. They are not.
Proponents of the moderately famous “no poo” movement will argue that abstention from all commercial soaps is possible. There are people all over the internet who claim to have done so for 5+ years. While those claims are more than a bit ridiculous and I don’t plan to jump on their boat anytime soon, recently I have experimented with lathering up only every third day, and (maybe) rinsing for the remainder. And I haven’t noticed any difference. If anything, my hair is healthier than before.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Europeans get away with much less – they shampoo roughly half as often as North Americans. My friends and family who recently returned from vacation in France, Spain or Italy all reported a great experience. They didn’t mention anything about slippery streets or having to throw out clothes after brushing into someone’s head on the subway.
 The push to have long flowing curly hair is a feature of advertising in North America In fact, regular use of shampoo arrived only in the 20th century, when large-scale advertising campaigns “showered” people with the idea. They painted an image whereby buying and using their product was a ticket to gaining social acceptance. Those who remained on fringe were medieval.
As a student of business, I appreciate that firms exist to harness (hopefully for good) the most basic human instinct which is self-interest. Optimally, appropriate checks and balances would be in place to control the worst impulses of owners to, among endless possibilities, commit fraud or abuse their employees. But there is nothing illegal about pushing a product which people don’t really need, or at a greater frequency than is actually necessary.
I wonder whether Canadians are guilty of sleep walking into this trap. People, myself included, love stories. We crave simplification and narratives, and marketing departments at most large multinationals have evolved into history’s most successful storytellers. The problem arises, however, when the stories we are told do not end up creating value for consumers. Business, like politics and life, is a game. We must be vigilant to keep competitors honest and fight tooth and nail to avoid being coaxed out of our hard earned savings of real and social capital.
Over-usage of shampoo is but one example. What about laundry & dishwasher detergent? For the past year, I have washed my clothes with Tide. Despite always pouring the smallest suggested measure of detergent, even for heavy loads, I have never experienced dirty clothes. Moreover, my family always splits the bar of dishwasher detergent in half. Literally zero difference.
What about cellphones? Is it fate that everyone on the planet should have a portable phone, or rather did executives in Silicon Valley conspire to cook up another great narrative which we have all embraced without an afterthought? While I’m being crude, there is plenty of truth here.
 You’ve seen a lot of these. Because we live in an increasingly digital age where advanced marketing tactics have given firms the upper hand, so too must we arm consumers, and particularly young consumers, with the tools they need to defend themselves. When I was in elementary school, I recall my teacher briefly explaining to the class why it’s important to constantly question the messages behind advertisements.
That was one lesson, in 4th grade. For the most part, myself and my classmates were left to fend for ourselves. One opportunity might be to revitalize Ontario’s media literacy curriculum such that it rigorously prepares tomorrow’s generation to become more responsible and critical consumers. Additionally, consumer protection groups might accelerate verification of claims made by companies to ascertain whether they are backed by objectivity and science. Perhaps there is a rationale for increased funding towards federal watchdogs such as the Office of Consumer Affairs.
In the meantime, I encourage you to think about what products and services you consume as part of your routine, with an eye for identifying which are truly adding value, and which are freeloading. Consider sharing your findings and perspective with a comment below – I’m excited to learn what you discover!
 Connor Fraser is a long-time resident of Aldershot.
In 2020, he completed undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto, with a B.A.Sc. in Engineering Science and a major in Electrical and Computer Engineering.
He has returned to U of T to enroll in the dual Master of Global Affairs and Master of Business Administration program.
By Pepper Parr
August 9th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
In ten days we will know who the candidates for city council are going to be and have a pretty good idea what the next council is going to look like as well.
 Kelvin Galbraith: Could be in trouble Ward 1 was a given. Kelvin Galbraith has a high school teacher campaigning against him thinking that he can continue as a high school teacher and serve as a council member at the same time.
There appears to be a change. Robert Radway now realizes that he can get a leave of absence from the Board of Education but that will not apply to his first year as a Councillor. Radway said he has a plan in place that will allow him to perhaps do some teaching and still serve as a member of Council.
 Lisa Kearns: Probably has the finest mind on this council – needs to work on some issues. Lisa Kearns should prevail in ward 2 – candidates do keep coming out of the wood work but Kearns has earned the right to a second term. A real race for the seat will test Kearns in a way that will make her very uncomfortable but she will be better for it.
Rory Nisan has proven to be a disappointment for many – apparently not those working with him for re-election and certainly not for the Mayor. She now has a new lap dog.
 Rory Nisan: biggest disappointment Jennifer Hounslow has a chance but she is pushing a rock up a hill – but Councillors that disappoint consistently do lose. and on that level Rory Nisan has proven to be a disappointment. The Gazette supported Nisan in 2018 – mentored him a little, urged him to get a copy of the Procedural bylaw and know it well. He certainly did that – took a complaint to the Integrity Commissioner that found Stolte had broken a rule.
 Shawna Stolte should retain her seat. There are those who have issues with the Integrity Commissioners reports and the sanctions they handed out – the Gazette will comment on just what that is all about in the near future.
Paul Sharman will be acclaimed in ward 5.
 Angelo Bentivegna faces a stiff contender. His less than 50 seat plurality in 2018 and the serious dissatisfaction on the part of a lot of people in Millcroft over the attempts to build on golf course land have not helped.
Rick Greenspoon has his work cut out for him but he seems more than able to take the seat.
While there are many that don’t like what Mayor Meed Ward has delivered – Anne Marsden just does not have what it takes to be a Mayor.
What she might manage to do is significantly reduce the Meed Ward vote enough to smarten up Marianne.
 These are the people you elected in 2018. Time to think about how many you want to serve you again. So what will that deliver?
Meed Ward as Mayor
Galbraith in ward 1
Kearns in ward 2
Ward 3 could be a surprise
Stolte in Ward 4
Sharman in ward 5
Greenspoon in ward 6
We might want to revise these suggestions after nominations close.
In the weeks ahead we will interview and spend time with each of the candidates.
The options will be clearer on the 19th which is when nominations close.
There is a hope out there that Kimberly Calderbank will take a run at the Office of Mayor. Calderbank is a strong strategist and there are some very respectable people who will support her.
The process of filing a nomination is cluttered – you have to make an appointment with the city Clerk. Should Calderbank file papers the news will have been flashed to the Mayor before the ink is dry on her papers.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Margo Shuttleworth
July 29th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
As the deadline draws near for people to submit their names to run in the upcoming municipal election, there is a notable absence of names being put forward to run for School Board Trustee. At first glance, this can be seen as a vote of confidence from the community that we are doing things right at the board table. However, with several Trustees in Burlington and Oakville not seeking re-election, it has left places at the table to be filled.
 Dr. Margo Shuttleworth, Chair Halton District School Board The role of a trustee is not an easy one. There is a large time commitment involved in juggling work commitments, however, it is extremely rewarding. We have done many great things over the past four years during my term which, as a board, we are all proud of:
We launched and are responding to our Reimagine Forward initiative
We created a Multi-Year and are working hard to fulfil our goals and commitments with a focus on students’ learning and achievement, mental health and well-being, equity and inclusion, indigenous perspectives and environmental leadership
We have work hard to represent those traditionally underrepresented groups
We have asked hard question but have always ensured we are kind and respectful
(and probably most importantly) we have worked collaboratively as a team to support students, families and staff
These great achievements are some of the amazing pieces of being a trustee. We all came to the table for different reasons, and that diversity of opinion is something that makes our board so great.
Please consider what your reasons may be. Look at it from a positive lens, what you can add, how you can contribute and how you can serve your community. Reach out to your Trustees to get information as to what is involved. I know the Trustees who are seeking different paths in this upcoming election are happy to chat and would welcome the opportunity for some new and diverse voices to be at our table. We want our students to see themselves within the people who represent them. It is disappointing that we have not seen more interest in the trustee role, but I hope that people will reach out to either myself or your local trustee, find out what is involved and consider the opportunity.
Dr Margo A Shuttleworth is the Chair of the Halton District School Board and the Trustee for ward 4. She can be reached at Shuttlewortm@hdsb.ca
905 691 4508
Twitter: @margoshuttle
Facebook: Margo Shuttleworth Burlington Ward 4 Trustee
Instagram: Margo4Trustee
By Brian Hall
July 27TH,2022
BURLINGTON, ON
With the recent school year just ending and report cards being given out, coupled with the recent Province of Ontario election now behind us, perhaps the time is right to shift our focus to the Municipal Election this fall and in particular, a report card on Mayor Meed’s first term as Mayor.
Here are 3 subjects to consider:
 Currently under construction opposite city hall this tower will be 26 storeys high. 1) Original Election Platform – this was built on the promise to deal with and resolve the continued high rise condominium buildings destroying Burlington’s downtown appearance. Well, she has a 0 -7 record with the Land Tribunal people, resulting in mega legal fees for the taxpayers of Burlington, which currently are running close to $250,000 now. Grade score on this subject – “F”
2) Needless Spending – for special crosswalks to highlight only 1 small segment of many marginalized groups in the City and at a cost of $50,000 or more. What the City did to the Halton Catholic School Board, and I am not Catholic by the way, was a total ‘slap in the face’ and the City should be ashamed. Grade Score on this item “F”
 Mayor Meed Ward at a diesel bus delivery announcement. 3) Transit – Each & every year over the past 15 years, Burlington Transit has probably averaged a staggering loss of $15,000,000 per year for a total of approximately $225,000,000 or just shy of a quarter of a billion dollars in total.
Thanks in part to the many outside consultants that the City continue to go to, who do not know Burlington, plus the lack of City leadership to find a better solution.
The City needs a good transit operation and the current one is not a good one and the fact the council and the Mayor continue to do nothing about it, is extremely disappointing and frustrating to see our tax dollars wasted with large empty buses. We need to be like a gardener and cut it right back so that new growth can come instead of wasting money year after year. Grade Score on this subject “F”
Well there you have it and the overall grade score of 3 ‘F’s, doesn’t look like a passing grade to me. Can’t wait till this October.
Brian Hall is a ward 3 resident who has operated a business that serviced the construction sector of the Burlington economy.
 By Ray Rivers
July 23, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
As the Russians were marching into Ukraine, Canada’s PM, Mr. Trudeau reassured the President of Ukraine that Canada had his back. Mr. Zelenskyy, of course, had heard this before. Every time his government had asked for defensive weapons following Putin’s first invasion, they would receive a belly full of verbal support. But instead of arms the Ukrainians would be given palliatives, and more helmets and night goggles. The prevailing western notion was that supplying anything more useful in a conflict might encourage Russia’s Mr. Putin to invade again.
But he invaded anyways. And as the Russians were massing on the border, their intention dead clear, Canada, with great fanfare, finally flew over some sniper rifles. It was too little and way too late to help save lives and prevent the genocide that accompanied the deadly invasion. But Trudeau told Mr. Zelensky that he had something better than artillery in his quiver. Stiff sanctions would stop Putin in his tracks.
 Russian turbine being refurbished by Siemens in Montreal. It was being held under a sanctions protocol. The Nord Stream 1 is a natural gas pipeline between Russia and Germany, built by the Russians a decade ago to bypass the traditional pipeline which runs through Ukraine. It requires compressors driven by turbine engines to move the gas. One of those turbines, belonging to Russian state-owned company, Gazprom, the largest gas company in the world and largest corporation in Russia, was being refurbished in Montreal. That made it subject to Canadian sanctions and prevented its return to Russia.
But Gazprom wanted their turbine back. Gazprom uses six turbines to help move gas through this pipe but it is a huge company with more pipelines and turbines than you can shake a stick at. So this was less about that particular turbine than trying to get Canada to break its stiff sanctions. This was diplomatic blackmail and a weaponizing of gas exports.
Mr. Putin had said that if he didn’t get the turbine back he would shut down the pipeline, which supplies the EU with something like 40% of its gas. And to make the point he did shut it down, claiming it was for maintenance. The Germans realized this was nothing more than diplomatic blackmail, but they needed to replenish their gas supplies for the upcoming winter, so they asked Canada to return the turbine.
Trudeau, stuck between a rock and a hard place, did some skating. He sent the turbine to Germany, knowing full well that the Germans would return it to Gazprom. He justified his action by claiming he was keeping a NATO ally on side. But he was breaking his own sanctions, albeit indirectly. Energy is Russia’s largest source of export earnings and that helps finance Russia’s massive military and its war effort.
 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with the German Chancellor The trade off was between helping keep Germans warm this winter or potentially slowing down Russia’s war and saving lives in Ukraine. Despite all his righteous indignation at Russia’s invasion, Trudeau had allowed Putin to break what was supposed to be a wall of stiff sanctions, turning it into more of a slippery slope. And the question is what he and other western leaders will do the next time Putin comes up with anther blackmail scheme?
The Ukrainian president was furious that the leader of the country with the second largest concentration of Ukrainian Diaspora would bow to such Russian blackmail. The Canadian and World Ukrainian congresses have decided to sue Canada for breaking its own law. And back home the opposition parties have also called out the Liberal leader.
Germany is at the centre of this political tempest. Despite being cautioned on the dangers of becoming so dependent on Russian gas exports, former Chancellor Merkel did just that. She started phasing out the country’s nuclear power plants in the wake of the Fukushima disaster and replacing that and the coal plants with Russian gas. Germany does get an impressive amount of its energy from wind power and has a goal to become 100% renewable, but it is currently more reliant than ever on gas – and much of it from Russia. So there is no question that Germany will just transfer the turbine to Gazprom, despite it’s own and EU sanctions.
No discussion of fossil fuels should be concluded without reference to climate change and global warming. The irony of the moment is that Europe is in the midst of a dangerous heat wave that is enveloping the continent. And while Europeans have been global leaders in reducing their carbon emissions, they are still married to gas.
Nobody is suggesting the best way to get off the fossil fuel addiction is to go cold turkey, by turning off the tap. But that could happen and it might be the silver lining to Putin’s weaponizing of gas exports. Since the invasion Germany has already reduced its use of gas somewhat, and is seriously moving towards carbon free hydrogen in addition to further developing its renewable energy options.
 Russian tanks preparing to roll into Ukraine Russia’s war in Ukraine will not end until Putin is gone. But before that happens Putin may well follow up on his threats and cut off the gas supplies to the EU anyway – turbine or not. And that would make Canada and Germany look foolish for having violated their high principles and caved in to the demands of the Russian tyrant by sending back that darn turbine.
It is a complicated story and it may be a turbine ‘tempest-in-a-tea pot’ but it is instructive. How did Mr. Putin, a terrorist and war criminal whose country has a GDP the size of Italy, manage to successfully blackmail western nations and make a mockery of the international sanctions regime?
Nobody should underestimate him.
|
|
The same reader went on to say that RCO “hasn’t truly thought this out and don’t have a lot of experience with a political debate. I mean the can’t even figure out how candidates answer questions and alphabetical order is not that fair i mean 1 person always has the first word and 1 person always has the last word.. I would suggest that they have a predetermined order to answer each question determined buy random draw now isn’t that fair.
The level of political naivety and sophistication is so disappointingly low in Burlington.
One can only wish that each community had organizations like the Roseland Community Organization.
Until that happens – would the people in each ward look for a way to hold a debate in their community.