 By Pepper Parr
November 5, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Should the room in which the Burlington Community Foundation Information session on flood damage assistance have been fuller? CBC National news reported that attendance was poor and some people learned they weren’t going to be getting what they thought they would get.
 The room looks pretty full; the mirror at the back gives that impression but there were less than 100 people in the room – many of them providing information, There were less than 100 people in the room. The BCF understands there are about 500 homes that they think qualify for financial assistance but to date there have been just 50 applications submitted.
The assistance is limited to people who were uninsured or under insured. Most of the people who were uninsured were not able to get insurance. There were a number of homes in ward 5 that experienced serious flood several months prior to the August 4th flood. Other people were told that their deductible was being increased.
 Keven Reimer, the insurance adjuster assigned to the Claims Committee speaks to a couple of worried people. The application – all 11 pages of it – is complex and Keven Reimer, the insurance adjuster proving support to the Claims Committee, took the audience through it and explained what information was needed and why it was needed.
The funds raised by the community – $810,000 has been raised to date – is what is required under the provincial government’s ODRAP (Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program). The community raised funds which the government “might” match on a two-for-one basis.
To date the province has not said they will actually do any matching, although Colleen Mulholland, president of the BCF did say she has been told to be “optimistic”.
 Mark Preston, on the left and Rick Burgess holding his chin are members of the BCF Claims Committee. The public got to meet and talk to the members of the Claims Committee – Mark Preston, Preston Insurance Services; Bruce Russell, Wardell Insurance; Nancy Swietek, Dan Lawrie Insurance and Rick Burgess, Burgess Law Office.
Keven Reimer is the insurance adjuster supporting the Claims Committee.
Cunningham Lindsay, an insurance adjusting firm was brought in by the BCF to provide this service: Reimer, Branch Manager in Burlington for Cunningham Lindsay, took part in the information meeting and explained the process.
Their role is to provide claims adjudication services to the BCF Flood Disaster Relief Committee; Receive and triage all files; review claims submissions following the (ODRAP) rules. They will attend residential location where necessary to assess claim and provide the Claims Committee with a recommendation of the amount of eligible claim expenses
Reimer said: ODRAP is not primary insurance – any and all insurance options must be utilized prior to consideration by ODRAP
Key Dates were given to the audience:
December 15 is the application submission deadline: all applications must be received by BCF Flood Disaster Relief Committee.
December 15 – Total available Flood Relief Funds will be known
Eight weeks after the close of applications being received, approved applications will begin to receive some financial assistance.
 A flooded home owner doesn’t appear to pleased with the answer being given by Nancy Swietek, Dan Lawrie Insurance, a member of the BCF Claims Committee. Reimer did say the forms were complex. He urged people to get the forms in before the deadline. “We can’t do anything with forms we don’t have” he said. “If there is some information you don’t have – we can help you determine some of the numbers with computer software we have – just get the forms into us.”
One part of the application form will cause some indigestion for many: “Applicants are required to authorize the collection of personal information. “Pursuant to Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act Legislation this allows the Disaster Relief Committee or any assigned agency (such as Cunningham Lindsey) the right to collect personal information for purpose of investigating claims to the Disaster Relief Funds.”
Sounds like the police investigating a crime or a bank lending you some money. A lot of the money being dispersed came from the community – is this what the community expects?
 The body language says it all – the two home owners don’t appear to be buying into the explanation being given them. The Claims Information section allows the committee to identify which portion of the ODRAP criteria will apply to your claim.
Proof of residence for the damaged Property is required. A copy of a Driver’s License or two other unofficial documents
What is eligible? The Guidelines provide an assessment of the items that are considered under the program: essential furniture, electronic appliances such as fridge, stove, washer, dryer, furnace, freezer
Eligible restoration costs – are allowed to return the property to pre-loss condition – this means that finishes are allowed on a depreciated basis
Type of Loss are broken down into Building, Household goods, Farm Buildings, Essential Farm Equipment.
Each section of the application must have a response
Be specific – provide a list of the damaged items – floors, walls, ceiling, and give square footage of the damaged area
The amount claimed – again be specific
Provide the amount received from your insurer
If you had a sewer backup limit please advise what that limit is.
Common questions that are asked include:
If you do not have receipts provide an idea of what was paid – to whom and where at – provide what you can and we will try and assess the reasonableness of the claim.
Do provide correspondence from your insurer or from your agent providing that you do not have any insurance.
Do provide pictures.
Do provide a description of the allowed item.
Provide an e-mail address, cell/home phone number, to contact you.
There are some situations that are very sad: One man had what he saw as a very valuable collection of memorabilia that he had put together and was planning on that to be his retirement fund. He will not be able to collect as much as a dime.
 The BCF is in a bit of a sticky situation. They have done a marvelous job of raising funds from within the community. Funds came from large corporations; two of the supermarket chains got into the game; an 11 year old boy held a fund raiser at his school and collected more than $3000; and a woman in the audience advised people that there were still home backed cookies for sale at Centro on Brant Street.
The community has come through – to date the province has not and that makes it difficult for the BCF to determine just how much money they are going to have to hand out. People in the audience asked:
“What can we do to get things moving?
Write you MPP was the only answer BCF president Collen Mulholland had for them.
 By Emma Delmore
November 4, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
“I find myself becoming more and more appreciative of what Canada does for both its people and those coming here to improve their lives or find safety for their families.
“I am a single mother, my mother was a single mother, and I am afraid of what that might mean for my own daughter one day. Being a single mom means constant stress, fear for tomorrow, and terror when looking any further into the future.
 “I want a future for my child, and I want to start building that now. My biggest issue is child care; I have had to turn down potentially good jobs because of it. When my daughter started school I searched for work, I found work as a dog groomer, than went to find subsidized child care. I was told it was wait listed, stressed and not knowing what to do I admit I let some frustration out on the worker I was dealing with at the time, I looked at her and said; What am I supposed to do, I need to work to provide for my child? The answer she gave me has become a familiar one, – Ontario Works.
“I refuse” say Delmore “to let this be my answer. The Canadian Women’s Foundation reports that “a single mother with one child can earn as little as $14,829 on Ontario Works,” – what kind of life is that. As a parent I am contributing to raising the next generation of young people, – what chance do children of single parents have to be successful Canadians and contributors to our communities under these circumstances?
“I tried finding child care independently in my community that was affordable. I made a choice I am to this day deeply ashamed of.
Joey Edwardh, Executive Director of Community Development Halton, knows this story all too well.
 Joey Edwardh – one of the best advocates for the under privileged in a Region that has so much more than other parts of the province. “This story is not new”, she said, “ it is repeated over and over again. It is impossible for this woman and her child to live in safety and dignity with access to opportunities to be full participants in the economic and social life of their community.
“This is a story of the failure of public policy to provide early education and child care for our children. We all know that a child that grows up in poverty has unequal futures as a little person of today and as an adult of tomorrow.”
“This story also demonstrates the deep poverty that our government establishes for people living on Ontario Works, Ontario’s social assistance program. A single Mom and her child living on approximately $23,038 per year are deemed poor or low income. But on Ontario Works the support received totals approximately $12,600. This is a gap of $8, 584 and leaves this woman and her child unable to meet the necessities of life. We relegate then to destitution in a community and province that has so much.”
“I chose instead to have inadequate child care up until her safety was on the line; I did so because I felt I was left without choices.
 “Searching for a way to break a cycle and improve our situation I decided the answer might lay in gaining an education that I did not have. I spent two years at St. Lawrence College, taking a Social Service Worker course. It was something I believed in, and that I thought was a way to act as a change agent in improving situations for people that knew what it was like to feel hopeless; after all I have been there.
“I also felt that educating myself could potentially change my situation and offer me the future I desired while also making me a better role model to my child. I received excellent marks, graduated with distinction and for the first time since becoming a parent felt I had a place for me to be myself outside of being someone’s mother.
“I loved the work I was doing both in class and in the community as part of my placements until graduation day. I worked for non-profit agencies that I admired, but like many non-profits there was no room in the budget for added employees. I went to interviews that I researched hoping to improve my chances of working but those with experience got the jobs. I decided to come home to Burlington after nine years in hopes of finding better opportunities.
“I had a better support system in Burlington and saw it as a wonderful place to raise children. I had friends and could be closer to my aging grandparents and enjoy the time I have with them and build an invaluable relationship between them and my child.
 For many single Mothers – it is about going without and wait listing. “As the rules go when it comes to subsidized childcare, first you have to get the job, than the subsidy, it is unnerving to say the least. And so I did, I was offered an amazing opportunity in my new field, a chance to build upon my future, provide for my child, and make a difference in my community. Right away I looked into childcare, a before and after school program at her school Tom Thomson Public School, wait listed, then called about getting it subsidized, that too, wait listed. And again I said in frustration, what am I supposed to do? And again came the Ontario Works Speech.
“Constantly mothers are expected to make the choice between work and a better future and our children’s well being, why? I hate living in poverty, I hate what stress has done to my life and to my child’s life, I hate that time and again my sweet child has approached me with sad eyes and her piggy bank trying to make my life easier when it is my job to make her childhood wonderful and carefree.
“I believe in responsibility, both to ones work and to our families, but why does it always have to be a choice. Women make up the largest percentage of underpaid, minimum wage, part-time employees because we feel the greatest responsibility to provide and protect our families.
 Beth Hudson formed INCITE – had to close it down because they could not get charitable status without which donations just did not flow. Beth Hudson launched INCITE A Single Moms Support Group. Single moms are women-in-need; generally living at or below the poverty-line; that have been left alone to fend for themselves with little to no support.
INCITE offered a variety of programs to help these women make informed choices, learn, grow, have fun and give back with their Affordable Advice Program. INCITE had a team of over 50 volunteers, including professionals, that helped, offering one-on-one counseling in areas of financial, legal, mental health.
INCITE had a very exciting and rewarding short tenure helping single moms, but unfortunately, after almost 4 years in operation, INCITE had to close its doors. The nail in the coffin was being declined as a charity from Ottawa. They felt, “There was not a specific need for Single Moms.”
Delmore explains that “we need help, we need more support, and we need to feel that there is hope, that our children do not just deserve better but that they have a right to better, the question is, is who out there is going to help give us a means to do this? Child care services? Employers? Government services? Maybe more Pressure on our male counterparts?
“I am sick of relying on a subsidy that is never there when it’s needed, and being unemployed or underemployed. At this point I am in heavy debt due to student loans, and I am not sure how my bills are going to be paid. I am not searching for temporary solutions but rather long term ones, and I am sure  that I am not the only one who is frustrated with a faulty system! I believe that someone needs to look at the personal side of single parent issues, ask single parents what they want, and work towards making changes.”
 By Ray Rivers
October 31, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
The term ‘terrorism’ has become almost meaningless today since western leaders apply the label to almost any act of violence, particularly those committed by followers of the Islamic faith. According to dictionary.com, terrorism is “the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes”. The PM has called the killing of our soldiers by Michael Zehaf-Bibeau and Martin Couture-Rouleau terrorism.
 Michael Zehaf-Bibeau running into the House of Commons with a rifle. But is it really? Sure, these guys were two socially disaffected young men looking to do something noteworthy with their otherwise wasted lives. But no connection has been made between these criminal acts and ISIS, nor of an orchestrated ISIS terror campaign in Canada. It is unlikely that these two deadbeats believed they alone could change Canada’s foreign policy just by killing some soldiers here at home.
There is no question that Canada’s military involvement in Iraq was the spark which ignited the violent actions. But these were desperate acts by ‘lone wolves’ frustrated with the policies of their country and its leadership, and wanting to fight back somehow. Labelling these events as terrorism will not absolve the PM of his responsibility for our safety.
When he enacted the Safe Streets and Communities legislation a few years ago the PM assured us of our security. But now he is going back to the well and dredging up something as scary as permanent martial law, restricting our individual freedom and civil rights. Giving new powers to law enforcement agencies makes little sense when we consider that the perpetrators of these crimes had been in the cross-hairs of the RCMP and CSIS for some time. And wasn’t this the PM who abolished the long gun registry, thus enabling the uncontrolled proliferation and use of illegal firearms, like the one that killed Cpl. Nathan Cirillo?
Before he draws up new laws the PM should first consider his rush into the undeclared war on ISIS. Going to war is always a serious matter. For starters, there needs to be a defensible rationale for going to war. But Canada was neither attacked nor seriously threatened by ISIS (or ISIL). Offensive military action in the absence of these conditions is in contravention of the UN charter and thus illegal. So under what authority are we putting Canadians into harms’ way?
Of course ISIS is a nasty organization and its goal of establishing statehood is a concern. But there are so many other disagreeable people out there. And Canada has no ‘dog’ in this fight, unlike the US which had been an occupying power. We haven’t even suffered reporters beheaded by ISIS. And finally, the US has more than enough military equipment already there to bomb the dwindling number of ISIS targets onto oblivion. They don’t really need us.
 Canadian CF 18 aircraft now in the Middle East Still, our Gunslinging PM decided we need to hop into this fight. Without a game plan, without a plausible rationale for involvement, and without even a modest consultation with Canadians, he rushed into war. Ground forces were on their way to Iraq before the PM even made it home from the NATO meeting where this issue was a side-topic. Then, using his majority in Parliament, he rammed through a dispatch of fighter jets, against a united opposition here at home.
When a a nation goes to war it needs to secure its home-front as well as the war-front. War requires additional resources be expended, including funding to beef up national security and prevent the very kind of incidents we have just witnessed. It is clear, sadly, that the PM never anticipated any domestic blow back from his actions, nor provisioned for enhanced domestic security. As I noted in an earlier article, he probably just saw this escapade as target practice for our fly boys, in a warmer climate with real people as targets.
 The official opposition party had voted against sending the fighter jets without a more detailed discussion and a game plan. The third party had argued that Canada would have been more useful providing enhanced humanitarian aid. The PM would have done well to have followed their advice.
November the 11th is Remembrance Day, and this year there will be another two soldiers to remember, and we will. But we should also not forget that this might have been avoided had we been just a little less eager to send our troops off to war – or at least done our homework before undertaking the mission. Isn’t that what Remembrance Day is supposed to be all about?
 Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province.
Background links:
Not Terrorism Terrorism or Mental illness More Spying More Security
Unknown Gun Canada’s Role in the World Middle East Interventions
ISIS in Canada
Lone Gunman More Restrictive Laws Video
More Police Powers
By Walter Byj
October 28, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
I did make a mistake by saying that 80% did not vote for Blair. It should have read 70%.
29% did vote for Blair.
Walter
So who is the winner in an election that has 10 candidates? By our current rules, the candidate who gets the most votes wins. No argument. In ward 6, Blair Lancaster got the most votes, 2087 which was 445 more than the next candidate, Angelo Bentivegna. So clearly, she was the candidate that won.
 But what about the electorate, did they win? The 2,087 votes that Lancaster received represented 29.8% of all votes cast. This meant that 70% of those who voted did not want Blair Lancaster to represent them at council. In fact taking it a step further of the 22,579 voters eligible in ward 6, only 9.2% voted for Blair. Now perhaps it is unfair to include non voters in this review, but wasn’t ward 6 ripe for change? Or did the pundits get it wrong?
With a turnout of 30.9%, many in the ward appear to be pleased with their current Councillor and decided not to vote. But that does not discount the fact that of those who voted, 70% wanted change.
So how can Councillor Lancaster make the electorate winners also?
Well how about a town hall meeting where the electorate can voice their opinions. Lancaster is guaranteed the job for the next 4 years so why not reach out to the community and learn how to serve them better. Lancaster doesn’t have to take this route, but it would be the kind of good gesture that would allow those who did not vote for her feel they are still being represented
Perhaps specific committees could be formed within the riding that could assist in developing solutions to some of the problems? Ward 6 is a large geographical area with issues unique to select different parts of the ward.
Or will Lancaster feel that the election is won and will continue to be the Councillor that she has been for the past four years? Time will tell.
 Walter Byj has lived in Burlington for more than 25 years. He lives in ward 6
 By Pepper Parr
October 26, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
It isn’t always about who wins – it is often about how much they win by.
Looking at the Council you are going to elect on Monday – some thoughts on what to look for.
Ward 1
If Rick Craven gets anything less than 80% of the vote – his grip on Aldershot will not be what it was. Watch for the vote count Gary Milne gets.
 Councillor Meed Ward Ward 2
If Marianne Meed Ward falls below 70% of the vote – she has a problem
 Ward 3 Councillor John Taylor . Ward 3
If John Taylor gets less than 85% – take that to mean there is a change in the wind.
 Will Councillor Jack Dennison have more time to skate? Ward 4
Dennison could be gone – but it might prove to be a very tight race. The Roseland people exert a lot of clout. If Gottlob was able to penetrate the community south of Upper Middle Road as well as the community between Prospect and New Street Jack Dennison is in trouble. Total tossup in ward four.
Ward 5
 Will Councillor Paul Sharman return to the world of numbers? Sharman could be gone – this will be a close race with the difference between Sharman and Smith as low as 50 votes.
Ward 6
The question isn’t will she win – it is can she win? As to who might replace Lancaster – it’s pretty much a guessing game. The South Asian community could have taken the seat but they put up three candidates who did nothing but squabble with each other and lost the credibility they had. The police are currently investigating the behaviour of one candidate – we know – they have asked to talk to us about some email that was sent.
While Vanessa Warren is as good as they get – does she have the reach into Millcroft and Headon one needs to win?
Does Angelo Bentivegna have the reach into both the Alton community and north of Dundas to make it past the post first? There are too many people in his home community for him to pick up what he needs there.
 Will Ward 6 Councillor Blair Lancaster have time to take up flying lessons? Can Lancaster hold onto enough of her core vote to slip through the middle? It is very tough to get a bet on Lancaster holding her seat.
And where will Jennifer Hlusko land? She had by the far the best mind of the lot – almost too smart for the job. Did she pick up any traction? Will her school board tenure work for her?
And finally – what will Jim Curran end up with when the votes are counted? He believes he has solid support within the Hindu community – will they put their X beside his name? It is a secret ballot.
For Mayor Goldring this election is going to be the equivalent of a performance review. He will still drive the car the city provides him in December. What will be interesting to see is how deep a bite Peter Rusin takes out of his hide.
 The Mayor will still have his bling Tuesday morning – it just might not be as shiny If Peter Rusin picks up more than 30% Rick Goldring needs to re-think the way he serves this city as Mayor. Anne Marsden might get 10% – probably less. The Marsden’s asked good questions and were spot on with several of the issues they brought forward.
Rick Goldring does not want to be at the 60% level.
 The election results will be available on the “front page” of the Gazette. Just click on the icon and check out the different ward results.
We were not able to include the school board results in our reports. It was a matter of time and resources.
Gary Carr will still be Regional Chair on Tuesday.
By Pepper Parr
October 24, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman Ward five Councillor Paul Sharman, complains that the media were not able to act as a viable conduit through which to convey information in a reliable way but after an article that summed up his performance during his first term of office, Sharman asks that we clarify several points he has made in the past – and which we have reported upon.
He want the Gazette to address:
1: A Region Wide Flooding Study.
2: The 100% cost coverage for the short term remediation of about 100 homes in high risk flooding areas.
3: The staff direction he brought forward to waive building permit fees to flooded homes for installation of backwater valves and sump pumps.
4: The many hundreds of emails to Ward 5 home owners communicating on a one on one basis rather than through other forms of communication, because the media were not able to act as a viable conduit through which to convey information in a reliable way.
First: the staff direction I asked the Mayor bring forward to Region Council July 9th via Public Works Committee on July 2nd. I spoke to the direction at both committee and Council and in each case it was passed unanimously. Here are the details:
THAT staff be directed to undertake a Region-wide study, in consultation with Conservation uthorities and Local Building Departments, to identify causes and potential remedies with regard to historical basement flooding and that this study identify the factors that contribute to the basement flooding events and possible remedies, including capital projects on the public side as well as private side solutions and the feasibility of ordering changes on private properties to ensure separation of storm water and wastewater discharge systems.
THAT staff report back to Council summarizing the results of the study by June 2015.
Sharman was very active in his work with 40 homeowners that were flooded on May 13th in Ward 5. This culminated in a meeting of 80 home owners with Public Works Commissioner, Jim Harnum on July 31 at Appleby Ice.
All work that was done led to a clear awareness at the Region and City that clusters of Burlington homes have flooded multiple times over the last 40 years. All 40 homes flooded again on August 4th, only 3 times worse. At the August 14th special meeting of Council a memo was approved:
Be It Therefore Resolved that the Council for the Corporation of the City of Burlington respectfully requests Halton Region give immediate priority and attention to address the sanitary sewage issues of those residents who have experienced flooding and significant property loss and damage on multiple occasions including but not limited to May 13, 2014 and August 4, 2014;
At that same special Council meeting on August 14th Council passed a motion Sharman put forward to:
Direct the City Solicitor and the Director of Planning and Building to investigate the implications of establishing a program to assist homeowners with the cost of building permit fees payable under Building Permit By-law 52-2012 and; Direct the City Solicitor and Director of Planning and Building to report back to the September 8, 2014 Development and Infrastructure Committee meeting outlining details of the program for qualifying homeowners which will include the following conditions:
a) The subject property qualifies for the Ex-Gratia Sewer Back-up Flooding Grant Program offered by the Region of Halton; and
b) The subject property experienced basement flooding as a result of the extreme rainfall on August 4, 2014; and
c) The application for a building permit is received prior to December 24, 2014; and
d) The permit applied for is for the installation of an approved backwater valve and/or weeping tile disconnection from the sanitary system and the installation of a sump pump.
Neither the Region nor City staff provided names and addresses of homes/homeowners who flooded on either May 13 or August 4th for “privacy” reasons. With the help of a dozen volunteers I held 12 neighbourhood meetings, one of which you attended, which were advertised by flyers being placed in hundreds of homes mailboxes and posted on lamp posts. In addition I spoke to over 300 home owners in the three weeks immediately following August 4th on the phone.
 Councillor Paul Sharman tends to be very direct. Here, in the blue shirt, he makes a point during the Strategic Plan meetings in 2011. Most people would see all this as part of a day’s work for a city Councillor. Paul Sharman wanted us to bring it to your attention.
We do want to point out that the community meeting we did attend was one at which we were told very clearly that we were not welcome.
Media cannot do their job if they are not informed – and for the most part Councilor Sharman doesn’t inform. Today he did and we pass along his achievements.
Related articles:
Paul Sharman: an assesment
Ward 5; potential and problems.
By James Smith
October 24, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
The Red Cross identified more than 200 homes that were severely damaged. The city asked the Burlington Community Foundation to take on the task of raising funds from within the community and handle the processing of flood relief applications. Aid is available only to the people who had no insurance or were under insured. Many of those who did not have insurance were unable to buy insurance because of past flood claims. To date there are something in the order of 40 applications received by the Community Foundation. James Smith knows of at least five people who do not understand the forms and believes there are others. He wants the city to lend a hand.
Open Letter
Mr. Patrick Moyle, Interim City Manager, The City of Burlington
As you may know I am a candidate for Burlington’s Ward 5 in Monday’s municipal election but this is not a political message. Rather this is an urgent request to the civic administration, on behalf of the many people who have had their lives and property damaged by the storm of August 4th.
The City of Burlington needs to help, advise and offer direction on the process of how to make claim through the Ontario Disaster Relief Plan (ODRAP) that the Burlington Community Foundation (BCF) is managing.
The process is almost unknown to a large number of residents who had their homes damaged by the events of August 4th. The form, as developed by the BCF may be thorough, but is only readily available from the BCF’s website, and many seniors do not readily have access to the internet, the form is also 13 pages long and fairly complex. Add to these hurdles, the process is not well understood by many.
Here’s what thousands of residents of Burlington’s South East need, and need right away:
Train a handful of City Staff, (15-25) from any department, and familiarized these City Staff members with the ODRAP process, the forms produced by the Burlington Community Foundation (BCF) and how to fill out the forms and how to deal with questions from those who will apply.
Organize staff into teams to hold small scale meetings in a large number of locations across the South East of the City, in City facilities but also in non traditional locations such as: Places of Worship, Stores, Restaurants, Work Places and even private residences.
Use whatever means possible to let those who’ve been damaged know about when and where meeting will take place. Do not simply rely on Advertising in local media and city websites and social media. Old school methods should include flyers, door-to door canvas, mobile signs and posters on utility poles.
Organize meetings that are part information and part working meetings with greeters directing the public to either information or intake workers.
These meetings need to be working meetings that focus on having these members of city staff to assist residents fill out & and accept forms and documentation, and follow-up with those who apply or who need further information.
As a city, I feel we owe this kind of effort, at the very least, to those in our community who have been damaged by the events of August 4th.
I trust you agree with me and will find the resources to accomplish this without delay or direction from council because; it is the right thing to do.
By Pepper Parr and Walter Byj
October 24, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Although his venture into local politics was somewhat by accident, the past four years have whetted his appetite and he now wants an additional four more years as the Councillor for ward 5.
 Paul Sharman served on the Shape Burlington Committee along with Lancaster. He was a bit of a “bull in a china shop” with that organization and brought the trait along with him when he got elected to Council. In a recent conversation with the Gazette, Paul Sharman reflected on his current term and shared his thoughts for the future of Burlington. With the analytical mind of an accountant (he was in the top 100 influential people in American accounting circles for the years of 2005, 2006 and 2007) and a strong advocate of a strong and sustainable community, Sharman continues to weigh the practical vs idealistic.
He was against the changes proposed for Sherwood Park in its bid as a training field for the Pan Am Games as he believed it would bring more light and noise pollution to the neighbourhood.
He also wants to remove any plans that would extend Fairview Street to Burloak as this could potentially stream additional traffic into the neighbourhood. Ward five is now facing aging infrastructure in both its roads and facilities.
Although Centennial pool has been modernized, the Skyway Arena requires a badly needed facelift. And the local Lakeside Plaza needs renovating, but that is a private matter.
 As the communities to the north and east of Burlington keep expanding, fiscal sustainability and community management should be a major focus for Burlington. Although Burlington will experience minimal population growth relative to the other municipalities in the Region, the half a million additional neighbouring residents could easily put a strain on our infrastructure through attending our various festivals or the increase of our commercial base. As a member of the Burlington Economic Development Corporation, Sharman is committed to bringing business growth into Burlington and wants to ensure that the added traffic can be handled.
Asked if the re-election of the provincial Liberal party would be an asset to Burlington, he felt that they are more sensitive to the needs of municipalities but he is awaiting the Ontario go forth strategy.
As all governments struggle to secure funds, especially municipalities, Sharman was asked if Burlington should have more taxing powers to help cover costs. An emphatic no was his response as he felt that Canadians are taxed enough already. “We need to make better use of the funds that we now have.”
 With transit in the GTA being a major concern, was Sharman favourable to the daily 15 minute GO service. In some ways he said it might be counterproductive as he wants more Burlington residents working in Burlington and not commuting to Toronto. He has the same conflict with the proposed new provincial highway through Niagara and north of Burlington. He understands the need to protect the Niagara escarpment and the unique status of the Mt. Nemo plateau, yet he worries how the huge increase in traffic along the QEW will affect Burlington. He acknowledges that different modes of transport should be studied, but we still seem to be an automobile based society.
 Sharman and former Burlington Transit Director Donna Shepherd never did have a close working relationship. Did this contribute to her retirement? In the same vein, Sharman said “we need to come up with a better plan for Burlington transit. The current system is not effective. We need to design a system that is sensitive to the needs of our community”. New software that has been acquired by the city will enable the planners to get a better understanding of the traffic patterns of the current riders and this will enable to build a transit system that will be unique to Burlington using the proper equipment.”
Asked why the voters should return him to council, he cited his former high level managerial positions that allow him to view tasks from a macro perspective thus allowing for a better overall viewpoint.
 Frank McKeown, then the Mayors Chief of Staff explains a concept to Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman. McKeown was described as the 7th council member during the Strategic Plan sessions. He is now the Executive Director of the Economic Development Corporation of which Sharman has been a city representative Responding to a fanciful question of what would he do if a huge amount of money, with no strings attached, suddenly appeared before city council, he responded that he would initially put the money in reserves. “We don’t need more stuff” he said. Rather he would want to spend the cash prudently on projects that will continue to have Burlington remain as the best mid-size city in Canada. Spoken as a true accountant.
This ward is very healthy from a political perspective. There are now at least two grass roots groups that are angry and want to see something done. Both groups are made up of some pretty smart people who can’t be managed.
Trying to lead a community devastated by the August 4th flood, Sharman struggles to meet the needs of his constituents when he has to work with a Regional Council that isn’t all that forthcoming with information.
The grass roots groups don’t want to hear excuses – they want results and Sharman, through no fault of his own, is not able to deliver all that much. His management style makes it difficult for him to cope with people who are pressing their issue.
There are people in ward five that do not yet have furnaces in their homes and they do not know what the different levels of municipal government can do for them.
 It was Councillor Sharman who always asked the tough question. He was always very direct and had a penchant for data others at times did not understand. Sharman works as well as he can with the several community groups that have formed. These are people who are angry and want something done. Sharman often ends up differing with the people he wants to serve. His approach and style is to bull forward and get things done, however he is to a large degree stymied by the process, the difficulty getting anything from the Regional level.
Sharman held a community meeting at a local church and chose to tell media that it was a closed event. It wasn’t; he just didn’t want media in the room.
The ward has some significant issues: transit, parking, particularly in the Orchard Park community. There is a major development in the northern part of the ward that slipped out of the hands of the planning department and is now at the Ontario Municipal Board.
There has been absolutely no movement on the development potential for the plaza in the eastern part of the ward despite the significant effort on both Sharman’s part and that of senior city hall staff.
Has Paul Sharman made a difference in his ward during his first term? It is difficult to point to a list of things that were achieved. He has done better work than most of the council members have at the Region. He has worked with residents to resolve their parking problems.
Sharman speaks of his involvement on the Steering Committee of the Shape Burlington initiative but there has been precious little follow through on real engagement with the residents; Sharman isn’t an engagement kind of guy. He tends to want to lead and expect people to follow because he truly believes he knows what is best for others.
 The Freeman Station – settled into its new home and now in the process of being completely restored. His handling of the Freeman station issue was as close to shameful as a member of an elected body can get. He was patronizing to most of the people who delegated on that issue. Sharman couldn’t see a way for the station to be saved; we were never sure if he wanted it saved. The previous council had federal funds to restore the structure but bickered with everyone and ended up not being able to find a place to put it. The formation of a community group that would not give up, saved the structure and today the Freeman station sits on a site beside the Fire Station where community volunteers are in the process of restoring the building. Should Councillor Sharman be re-elected one hopes that he will not take part in the official opening.
 Sharman is an avid cyclist. – “this is why I am a city Councillor of this city”. The closing note on the Sharman Freeman station position was heard when James Smith announced his intention to run in ward five; Smith was the president of the Friends of Freeman Station and deserves much of the credit for creating the team that spearheaded the drive to save the building.
James Smith is a real contender. Sharman doesn’t have the two and three term experience that other council members have – and while he has been doing decent ward constituency work – he hasn’t developed a following in the way that Meed Ward has.
During his first year on Council Sharman bullied his colleagues into a 0 % tax increase and let staff know that he was not one to trifle with.
In his second and third years he became quite a bit closer to the Mayor who came to rely on Sharman for a lot of his strategic thinking.
 Councillor Sharman has held two public sessions with Senior’s as part of his effort to understand their needs and develop policy that Council can put in place to serve this vital community. At most of the sessions Sharman holds his Dad is often in the audience. Paul Sharman has done a lot of work with the senior’s community. He has held several town hall type meetings and gathered a lot of data – but we’ve yet to see anything concrete come out of the data collection.
Sharman has been a city member of the Economic Development Corporation for much of this term of council. He was fully aware of the problems with the Executive Director at the time but, like the rest of the board, went along with delay after delay of removing the Executive Director from office and letting the board find the direction it needed.
The executive capacity that Sharman attempts to exude just isn’t publicly evident.
In 2010 there were seven candidates. Sharman won with 1,503 votes. Cal Millar came in second with 1,327 votes. James Smith came in third with 1190 votes, Peggy Russell came in fourth with 1163 votes. Serge Beraldo, Paul Keselman and Dave Kumar all got less than 1000 votes each,
Cal Millar is now working on the Smith campaign – the bulk of those votes will probably go to Smith.
Few of the Peggy Russell votes are going to go to Sharman.
Sharman is a numbers man – “give me the data” he will bellow. The data suggests that Paul Sharman could be in serious trouble.
Related material:
Ward 5: Problems and possibilities
By Ray Rivers
October 23, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Hamilton used to be the second largest city in Ontario, with a powerful football team showcasing its importance, and vying with Toronto for status. But growth, driven by the steel industry, started to dry up in the late 60’s as Ontario’s economy became more complex and service-oriented, and overseas markets started to replace our home-grown metal products.
Today ‘Steel Town’ is only the fifth most populous city in the province and with a slagging growth rate, compared to, say, Milton. Oh, and the Tiger Cats lost the Grey Cup to the Rough Riders last year.
 Like other rust-belt cities around the Great Lakes, Hamilton has seen its core decline and the surrounding suburbs mushroom over the decades since WWII. And it would be unfair to blame the city’s decay solely on the changing economy. Decisions by small-minded councils over the years have inadvertently helped bury potential recovery by favouring urban sprawl and the automobile over downtown development. For example, despite a proud history of public service rivalling that of Toronto’s transit system, the Hamilton Street Railway is, today, a railway in name only.
Barton Street and the rest of the older area of Hamilton could easily be mistaken for somewhere in Cleveland, Buffalo, or maybe even Detroit – the other once great cities bordering the Great Lakes. And as further consequence, most of Hamilton’s tax base is residential today, whereas it once included a more diversified mix including more industrial and commercial. As a result residential property taxes are among the highest in the province.
 Other economic health indicators such as unemployment, welfare levels and average incomes are also less than favourable. So, it is no wonder that Hamilton has some of the most competitively priced housing in the so-called Golden Horseshoe. Old Ancaster, Dundas and Westdale communities, which are exceptional places to live, can be contrasted with the dilapidated city core and all of that mindless urban sprawl in farm country.
This Monday, voters in the City will elect a new council and mayor. Of the twelve candidates running for mayor, only three are really in contention. I met with leading candidate, and a former mayor (2006-2010), Fred Eisenberger and also with councillor Brian McHattie.
Both of these candidates have extensive experience in city politics and are aware of the challenges ahead for Hamilton and themselves should they be elected. I sensed that both mostly shared a common vision of what is required for the city to break from the past and move towards a brighter future.
 For example, they agree on the need to re-develop the downtown. That means support for what they hope will be a provincially funded light rail transit system (LRT), to do for King Street what the subway did for Yonge Street in Toronto. Redevelopment of the the downtown and waterfront are key to bringing people back into the city core, but transit is essential to avoid the kind of gridlock issues currently facing Toronto.
McHattie highlighted the need for political leadership – a council speaking with one voice, particularly essential when dealing with the Province and the development industry. And McHattie is also the real ‘green’ candidate, opposing urban sprawl, pushing additional bikeways and even greater availability of transit to replace the pedestrian unfriendly automobile.
Hamilton is discovering new business opportunity in its emerging arts sector with regular arts and music ‘crawls’ – an attraction to scores of city dwellers who rarely venture out at nighttimes otherwise, compared to those in other cities. Call it cause and effect – more people downtown means more demand for commercial services, and then more services mean more incentive for people to come and live downtown.
Councillor Brad Clark, a former Mike Harris MPP, didn’t respond to my requests for a meeting. Although a one-time supporter of an LRT, he appears to have flipped on this issue and is currently pushing for more roadways, and thus more cars and eventual gridlock. I also had the pleasure of chatting with Brother Reverend Michael Baldaraso of the Church of the Universe, another would-be mayor.
Brother Michael is well known for his promotion of legalized marijuana, which he insists is a sacrament in his one-man ministry. Having run in an endless string of campaigns trying to get elected for something, including leadership of the former federal Progressive Conservatives and Alliance parties, Reverend Badasaro is active and well-liked by his community in the old city core where he lives.
Baldasaro has offered some innovative suggestions into the mayors debate, including an alternate design for the LRT and the creation of an oversight committee of also-ran politicians, to keep the newly elected council’s feet to the fire. Oh and his industrial vision for the city includes the production of that whacky weed, as we’d expect.
 Aldershot, once part of Hamilton (Wentworth County) seceded to join Burlington in the early 1970’s. Then when the Harris government decided to forcibly amalgamate the new city of Hamilton, over a decade ago, many outlying residents would have traded their first-born to also join Burlington. But Harris needed the regional communities’ taxes in order to pay for his downloaded provincial social services in Hamilton.
Today, nobody believes that the ‘egg’ of amalgamation will be unscrambled, and the city decentralized as it functioned before. But disaffected voters would be a lot happier in this election were someone elected who could lift the city out of its troubled past and towards a brighter and better future. If you can believe the politicians whom I spoke with, that may well be within our grasp.
 Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province.
Background links:
Hamilton History More Hamilton Eisenberger McHattie
Clark
Baldasaro Transit
Urban Renewal Baldasaro’s LRT Aldershot
By Greg Woodruff
October 23, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
 I would like to share with you my experience while running for the Halton Regional Chair. Could the population and elected officials please pull your heads out of the sand?
The government of Ontario is insisting via “Intensification” that hundreds of thousands of new residents are housed on top of us. In a recent meeting Colin Best chastised me because I was only sighting the short term figure of 250,000 more people and thought we better prepare for 500,000 more. That is a doubling of our population. This is the only comment I’ve heard throughout the entire campaign which shows engagement on the massive transformation imposed on us by the Ontario government.
Do I think radically transforming stable communities via Intensification is a good idea? No. I think it’s totally unfair, wreck-less and undemocratic. But since the decision is above the pay grade of the Regional Chair; let’s do this transformation in a way that retains our character and standard of living. We need to stand up and negotiate with the Ontario government for the tools and funds we need to pull this off. However, the reality is they are not asking us about increased density – they are telling. They have all the legal authority they need and a guaranteed mechanism via the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB).
The OMB is not a court deciding what is “fair”. It’s a body designed to overrule the entire municipal government if the City attempts to block a development. The Mayor, Councillors, City Staff and master plans all become instantly and totally irrelevant when the City looses at the OMB. Forget “Controlling Growth” you can’t even “Direct Growth” if the OMB decides against you. This is why developers have proposed a 28 story building in down town Burlington in a space clearly marked for 8 stories maximum. They don’t think the residents, City Council or City Staff have any say in the matter at all.
Unless we get vice-like control of the development process the City can direct nothing and the city will become a grey congested mess. If any developer can descend on any chance piece of land and slap up a massive building how can you plan transportation and transit? The increased density will be scattered around making transit planning impossible and the car will remain as the only practical way around. The city will end up with business all concentrated in a few areas then endless apartment blocks in others. It’s not as if Halton will suddenly fold. It will just be a grey area filled with massive roads.
I’ve heard little about what to do from candidates. The whole place is going to undergo a massive change in the upcoming years and the election is the most important mechanism for residents to shape a brand new city. Where is the debate on this topic? Worse yet mistaken ideas are often repeated and go unchallenged.
A mistake I’ve often heard is that to attract business into an area you need to increase the local population. The local population doesn’t matter – the population in a businesses “Trading Area” does. This is a function of how quickly and conveniently a resident can access a business. People make choices based on “time” not “distance”. It’s important because when you make an area congested with traffic the “Trading Area” will shrink.
Though a business will get access to 600 new customers in a new development it will loose access to 6,000 others. It doesn’t matter if people walk, bike, take buses, rail or drive, but the speed of movement matters greatly. Larger businesses aware of the phenomena will jump out of the congested area and cluster around each other. Single owner businesses attempt to populate store fronts for a while, but the lack of surrounding larger stores will sewer them eventually. This phenomena is well on it’s way in Aldershot. Checkout Clappisons Corners if you doubt this analysis.
Another often repeated mistake is that “active transit” and buses will solve our transit problems. Places with high rates of non-car transit have massive investments in public transit. The cities of Europe have subways, pedestrian only paths, dedicated bike lanes, etc and still have tremendous traffic and congestion. None of these mitigations are even on the drawing board in Halton. I didn’t hear a word from any candidate on how to create these alternate methods of transportation. Remember a 100% increase in the population means 100% more cars unless you provide alternate methods of transport.
 This increased density is coming and every elected official better have a plan and ideas on how to manage it. My preferred notion is “horizontal zoning” where high value commercial space is required at ground level. Every approved building without this forever deepens our transit woes. This is only one piece of what needs to be a comprehensive and forward thinking plan. Please ask your Councillor “How do you intend to deal with the massive increase in population mandated in Halton?” Please factor in the responses when voting.
Greg Woodruff is a candidate for Chair of Halton Region
By Staff
October 23, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Burlington Transit held a community meeting on proposed changes to Route 6 at Tansley Woods Community Centre Tuesday evening. It was not a smash hit.
Two seasoned observers, one, the best mind on transit matters the city has and Jennifer Hlusko, a current school board trustee running for the ward six council seat who always has a command of the numbers on anything she talks about, comment on the event.
Hlusko had this to say:
“I attended the City’s presentation last night about the options that City Staff are considering to response to the complaints received from Headon Forest Drive residents. I had attended the Council meetings last May to listen to the residents’ delegations.
 Jennifer Hlusko I was astounded by what I witnessed last night. The City hired a Consultant to handle this transit complaint. Dennis Fletcher, of Steer Davies Gleave, told the audience that over the past few months he has read every email and complaint received from the public. Mr. Fletcher said he was “brought in by the City to be an objective third party”.
In addition to the Consultant, I counted 8 City staff members, 23 residents, 3 Ward 6 Councillor candidates and 1 Ward 6 trustee candidate. Significantly, in the room was Mike Spicer, Director of Burlington Transit. John Duncan, Burlington Transit, was quick to tell me staff weren’t being paid overtime. That wasn’t my objection (although I expect they’ll be given lieu time).
My objection was that the City once again hired a Consultant to handle a file that staff should handle. There was nothing that Mr. Fletcher provided last night that staff couldn’t have handled themselves. Halton District School Board staff frequently lead very contentious public meetings dealing with boundary reviews and school closures.
Mr. Fletcher presented the 3 options (that were already available online), took questions from the audience then invited them to review the charts up close. Neither he nor staff would provide ridership data. To me, that is the crux of the matter. Mr. Fletcher did take the opportunity to diss the school board for downloading the problem of transporting Notre Dame Catholic SS students onto the City of Burlington. How many students ride the bus? If the route is changed to Option #1, has the administration at Notre Dame been asked how that would likely impact ridership? Does the City project that changing to Option #1 will increase ridership by providing direct access to the Supercentre mall, MMRobinson HS, the No Frills plaza, etc.? Can these projections be shared with the public?
Mr. Fletcher said that City Staff will prepare a report that will go to Council in December. If I am elected to be the Ward 6 Councillor, rest assured that I will advocate for data based decisions. Furthermore, that data is shared with the public. I will highlight for the public every time the City considers hiring a Consultant and how much it will cost taxpayers.
I invite residents to attend the repeat performance on Thu Oct 23rd at Tansley Woods. While the notice states the meeting start time is 6pm, the presentation does not begin until 6:30pm.
Here are the three options. Please note they did not include an option along Upland Drive that meets the criteria of providing transit to the Burlington Supercentre mall, but would consider it if the public requested it. Then when an audience member asked if they would consider Deer Run, Mr. Fletcher said, “We are not looking for streets to put a bus on or to take a bus off. We are trying to provide a service to meet GO times.”
The Hlusko comments were published by Hlusko on “blog” she writes almost daily
 Doug Brown and Susan Lewis look over a 1982 copy of the city’s bus schedule. Doug Brown, chair of Bfast a transit advocacy group based in Burlington made the following comments about the meeting.
Residents do not have the right to remove service from transit users. Not wanting a bus or bus stop near your home is not a reasonable request. It is strange that Council has been so receptive to moving bus stops and bus routes away from complaining homeowners, while showing no interest in the hundreds of complaints from bus users who have lost service during the arbitrary changes resulting from the “Interim Plan” of September 2012, and the wholesale route and schedule changes of November 3, 2013. Does Council have a bias against transit using citizens?
Transit routes should be determined by user needs and through a long-term, comprehensive transit plan. The November 03, 2013 changes did not meet these criteria.
Any changes made to Route 6 should be based on user needs and views – not on unreasonable requests from non-users to remove service.
Further transit changes should be based on a long-term well researched transit plan. Since the 2010-11 Transit Master Plan was aborted by the City in January 2011, there has been no long-term transit plan. The current Transportation Master Plan would have been a good opportunity to develop a long-term integrated transportation plan that would have included a balanced strategy for moving people via car, transit, cycling, or on foot. This opportunity is being missed.
In an interview the day after the meeting Doug Brown said: “To put it mildly, not a good public meeting.
The meeting had a number of non-transit using residents of lower Headon Forest and Pine Meadow. There were some transit users there, even though the Tansley Woods meeting site has hourly bus service – not great accessibility if you can’t drive there.
The meeting began with a talk by a paid facilitator who spent 25 minutes describing the three options that Burlington Transit has developed for the north end of Route 6.
I was the first person to speak from the audience, but was stopped half a minute into my statement by the facilitator and Mike Spicer on the grounds that only comments on the posted three options were allowed. Before being cut-off, I was interrupted several times by some rude residents with comments such as “have you heard the buses.”
I did at least get my first point out that no resident had the right to prevent transit from using their street, and that streets were public right of ways.
Empty buses was the theme of most of the non-transit using residents. Four transit users did speak, but it was very apparent that the NIMBY-minded residents had created a very anti-transit mood. The first transit user to speak felt compelled to apologize for his comments since they contradicted the presented empty bus claims.
Nonetheless, there were several good observations from the few transit users there. One lady recommended going back to the old #6 route which serviced Burlington Mall as well as the Fortinos plaza.
Anyway, back to my comments which I was prevented from delivering. My first point was that residents did not have the right to remove bus stops or buses from their streets. The second issue is that Transit routes should be determined by user needs and through a long-term, comprehensive transit plan. Good transit planning cannot be achieved by the ad hoc and time constrained options presented at the meeting.
My third point was that any changes made to Route 6 should be based on user needs and views – not on unreasonable requests from non-users to remove service. This is a key issue as staff and council seem to pay much more attention to non-transit users views than the needs of transit users.
And my fourth point was that further transit changes should be based on a long-term well researched transit plan. I noted that the City’s 2014 Capital Budget document shows no funding allocation for a transit plan until 2018 meaning that for the next 4 years, any transit measures will be ad hoc and not based on a sound long-term plan.
The three options presented by the City were far too limited as they ignored the central issue of lack of funding and poor service levels (one- hour headways on the north east routes). Staff has apparently ruled out any alternative that would cost more money – which rules out many potential options for better service.
A final comment – I have been attending many public meetings over a very long time. Last night was the first time I was stopped from speaking.
By Halton Residents Against Sewage Backup and Flooding
October 22, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Dear Mr. Carr:
Eleven weeks have passed since the Aug. 4th flood and majority of Burlington residents are still wondering what happened on that day when tens of thousands of liters of raw sewage and overflow from creeks entered into their homes, causing millions of dollars in damages and a plethora of issues from insurance battles to health risks to stolen repair deposits.
Below are questions and concerns from the residents of Burlington which HRASB compiled over the last several weeks. Health and Safety.
As you are well aware, there is a sizeable elderly population in Burlington and many live alone or with their domestic partner of many years. Several of these elderly folks did not have their homes cleaned out within the recommended time frame for a sewage backup. Also, the Ontario Environmental and Safety Network (OESN) mentions that fecal matter trapped in weeping tile and drains can release methane gas, not to mention when affected areas of the home are not adequately cleaned and tested (which OESN found in every case), then bacteria and viruses could grow and overt health effects could occur to otherwise healthy individuals. Why not bring in the Public Health Department to inspect homes?
Follow-up by the Region
We are aware of at least two residents who reported sewage backup flooding to the Region but were not contacted. Of those residents who were contacted by the Region, some reported missed appointments by Regional staff which resulted in delayed reconstruction or pressure from insurance companies for installation of the backwater valve system. Many residents still have storage pods in their driveways.
Burlington Flood Relief Foundation
Why did the representatives from the Burlington Flood Relief Foundation decline two invitations to attend sewer backup meetings thereby missing opportunities to connect with 350+ residents who were directly affected by sewage backup?
Wastewater Capital
Wastewater capital investment for new development in Oakville is 368.4 million dollars from 2012-2016 and a mere 6 million dollars for Burlington in the same time frame. Residents understand that Oakville is experiencing growth; however, Burlington east wastewater pumping stations were identified as ‘poor condition’ and the ‘highest priority’ (in Halton) as per RV Anderson and Associates engineering study provided in 2012 to the Halton Region. Why so little capital investment in Burlington when there are known issues?
Backwater Valve and Subsidy Decisions
Some residents will receive full coverage for the installation of back water valve and sump pump system while others will not. What exactly are the criteria for full subsidy and who oversees the program?
Construction by Year-End
If the Region is waiting for the results of a flood report expected in July of 2015, why are there plans to begin construction by year- end in some neighbourhoods? What knowledge does the Region have currently regarding the sanitary sewer infrastructure which has not been made public?
New Development
Residents feel that developers have ‘no business’ proposing high-rise apartments downtown, at Appleby Mall, or any other area of Burlington significantly impacted by sewer backup/flooding. Until the major infrastructure problems are identified, made public, and ultimately fixed, there will be significant push back by the residents.
We look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Members of the HRASB
www.hrasb.com
 Letter to the Editor
By Geoff Brock
October 20, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
A point of clarification. Peter Rusin never said a highway through Burlington was inevitable. He did say a new highway was inevitable and that if Burlington didn’t get proactive with the province and make sure they were at the table where the decisions are going to be made there could be a highway through Burlington.
I’m want to respond to the discussion I’ve seen in the news over the past weekend about a new Niagara Highway coming to Burlington.
I’m very disappointed to see that Peter Rusin, one of the candidates for Mayor in Burlington, is supporting a new Highway through Burlington because he thinks that will end traffic congestion and drive growth
 Mr. Rusin’s position ignores the 10+ year study process that was completed by the Provincial Ministry of Transportation in 2013. This study involved multiple municipalities, dozens of Public consultation meetings, and over $10 million in consulting work and transportation planning. The conclusion was that a New Niagara highway corridor is not needed in Burlington. The Stop the Escarpment Highway Coalition was an active participant in this process, along with the City of Burlington and the Halton Region. The conclusion that was reached is a great example of local community groups working with local governments. I don’t know what facts Mr. Rusin is working with other than his own personal opinion.
 Metrolinx completed the Midtown Oakville Mobility Hub Study in October 2012. The study developed a long-term vision for the Oakville GO Station and surrounding lands, building on the substantial amount of planning work the Town of Oakville has already completed – the May 2011 Livable Oakville Official Plan and the June 2008 Draft Midtown Business and Development Plan. It focuses on the redevelopment of publicly-owned lands around the Oakville GO station, the majority of which is owned by Metrolinx. The study also looks at expanding the GO station to ensure it can best accommodate significant growth planned for the area and future Trafalgar Bus Rapid Transit. Mr. Rusin seems unaware of the work Metrolinx is doing in the GTHA to get people out of cars and onto transit. Some things Burlington can do alone, and some need Regional and provincial support. GO train electrification will get us GO train service every 15 minutes all day long, all year. That should get some cars off the road and improve air quality! Expanding the Mobility hub around the Burlington GO station could further help reduce congestion and create an employment centre. You only have to look at the great work done in Oakville to define a vision for the Mobility hub around their GO station. Do look.
Getting people out of cars is tough unless they have a viable alternative. Even the MTO’s long term plans show Burlington only moving from less than 5% of trips on transit, to slightly over 10% in the next 15 years. We need politicians and leaders who will ask “What will it take to get 20% of trips on transit?” The answer is better and more convenient service!
 There are lots of great policy ideas that Burlington can do on their own. Local trips on transit are not that convenient. It’s still difficult to get from Burlington to Oakville or Hamilton on transit. Working together with sister municipalities, instead of having standalone transit systems, will support the way citizens are living and working in the community. This idea requires regional thinking and cooperation and the vision a municipal mayor can give to the process.
Study after study shows that $1 spent on transit infrastructure returns many times the benefit of one spent on roads. Cars are going to handle the majority of trips for a long time, but the mix is going to change. We need leaders who understand that long term shift is coming and set the course to keep Burlington one of the most livable cities in Canada.
Geoff Brock is the Co- Chair, Stop the Escarpment Highway Coalition
 By Pepper Parr
October 17, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
He’s calling the first four years of his time as Mayor the “cleanup/set up” phase for what one might assume is going to be the new beginning for Burlington. The phrase was used in an interview the Mayor gave recently.
 What was there to “clean up? The city certainly has its problems but is there a load of stuff that had to be cleaned up?
Infrastructure needs money, transit needs attention, the advances made with the arts and cultural file have been good.
We still don’t have an Economic Development Corporation that is going to do great things for us. Yes, they do need time to put the new story together but we said the same thing about the Executive Director that it took more than a year to get rid of.
On the surface all the public is seeing is an organization that holds networking events. The next biggie that will speak to the commercial elite is our own hometown girl Lisa Lisson, president of FedEx Canada.
We hear precious little from this Mayor on what could be done with the Air Park. Staff have carried this one – what the public is going to gulp at it how much money has been spent on legal fees. Is that clean up or has the public been set up?
Mayor Goldring has taken the position that he put the pier problem to bed – and except for a few minor details that file is closed: what the Mayor will not live up to or taken responsibility for are the several mistakes that added a couple of million to the cost of the thing.
This city managed to go through two city managers while Rick Goldring was Mayor. They pretty well fired the one that was in place when Goldring took office – the second one took a hike to a greener pasture – and if anyone thinks the council Jeff Fielding had to work with was not a part of his decision to change addresses – then they have the same limited vision our Mayor has.
When Goldring was elected there were some questions asked about his work as a financial planner/wealth manager. At the time we were told that Goldring had given up the various licenses he was required to have and that he would be a full time Mayor. We now learn that he “owns” a local branch of Assante Wealth Management from which he has taken a leave of absence – not quite the same thing as getting out of the business.
The public has heard nothing about what Rick Goldring’s vision is for the city. We do know that he is “not on” for the 28 storey tower the Adi Development people want to put up at the corner of Lakeshore and Martha but we know nothing about what he thinks that part of the city should look like.
There are parking lots in a large part of that area. Private and corporate property owners don’t operate parking lots – they hold land until they are ready to develop. Burlington needs to decide what it wants to see in an area that is going to have a 22 story condominium tower and an eight storey hotel just a block away from the proposed 28 storey tower.
Saying that Burlington already has the legacy tower it wanted (that was back in 1985) it a pretty weak argument for not permitting a 28 story tower.
The “set up” here is our Mayor failing to really fight for what he thinks is best for the city he is supposed to be leading.
At the recent Chamber of Commerce debate Rick Goldring, in an aside to candidate Peter Rusin, the Mayor is reported to have said he agreed with Rusin’s views on any NGTA highway but couldn’t say anything for political reasons.
How’s that for leadership?
By Carol Gottlob
Candidate ward 4
October 12, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Each week, until the ballots are cast on October 27th, we are going to follow the tales and travails of a single candidate. We have chosen Carol Gottlob, running in ward 4 against a well entrenched incumbent. Gottlob has no experience in civic government, has never campaigned before. Following this candidate is not an endorsement; Gottlob will win on her own merit.
Thanksgiving holiday marks the 10 week point since the flood hit Burlington on August 4th. In the final weeks of this year’s municipal election campaign, I find myself walking up to houses in all parts of Ward 4; some still have bins in the driveway, and many are patiently waiting for the contractors to show up.
The physical clean-up is virtually complete in terms of removing debris and cleansing, but the social and emotional rebuilding still has to happen and confidence in our government needs to be restored.
 Creeks couldn’t handle the volume of water because they were left in a “naturalized” state which meant broken limbs and fallen branches were not regularly cleaned out During this severe rain storm, our municipal systems that combine storm water and raw sewage into the same pipeline were exposed to more volume than they could handle, and the result was sewage backup spewing out into basements and other low lying drains. As we now know, sanitary sewer overflows which were caused by that huge downpour, created a severe problem to the environment, to public health and significantly, to many homeowners, wreaking havoc on many Burlington homes, causing thousands of dollars in damage to floors, walls, furniture, appliances and electrical systems.
This situation also threatened our Public Health because these overflows were comprised of raw sewage before it reached our waste water treatment plant, and it contained disease-causing bacteria, floating human waste, toxic pollutants, pesticides, and other contaminants that threaten public health and the environment, contaminate drinking water sources, and damage buildings.
Those unfortunate Ward 4 residents who found themselves in this terrible situation were not alone, we now realize. With heightened awareness, we are now learning that the increase in the number of homes connected to already aging sewage systems has contributed to rapid and repeated increases in sanitary sewer backups, flooded basements and overflows in our community.
 The flood waters sparred no one – home owners and commercial sections of the city all had water in their premises. In addition, the problems of the adversely affected Ward 4 homeowners were, in many instances, also negatively impacted by nearby creeks, such as Tuck Creek which became blocked by fallen trees and debris, consequently overflowing and further flooding many residential basements via windows and portals.
Generally, the creeks and waterways in Burlington are under the jurisdiction of Conservation Halton. The storm water system comprised of storm water sewers and culverts is under the jurisdiction of the City of Burlington. Sanitary sewers and waste treatment is under the jurisdiction of the Halton Regional Government.
The question before us is this; are these governments taking sufficient initiatives and offering appropriate financial and other assistance to the adversely affected homeowners?
Apparently, Burlington is making grants to affected citizens to offset the cost of building permits and Halton is offering a lump sum towards the cost of the installation of a back-flow valve.
In this regard, I must point out that it is unacceptable to me that our municipalities are also making it a condition of such nominal payments, that a homeowner formally release the municipality from any other claims they may have. The only statement that may, in my view, be required from any recipient is that such payments shall not be deemed an admission of liability by the government and that if a claim against the government is subsequently successful, the government shall be credited with the payment received.
In my view, this extraordinary, but rare, negative situation deserves an extraordinary response from our municipal governments. Provincial and community fundraising contributions notwithstanding, the municipalities should exercise their authority under the Municipal Act to make a financial grant to the affected homeowners and the municipalities would together, upon a formula agreed between them, fund such grants to compensate for the following:
a) the full cost of the purchase and installation of a sewer back-flow valve;
b) the cost of cleaning out and disposing of the sewer backup sludge, the damaged walls, floors and household contents;
c) the cost of removing mold, cleaning and restoring the basement walls, foundation and main floor where affected;
d) the cost of replacing the interior walls and floors of the basement and main floors damaged by the storm and sewer backup;
e) an interest free loan to cover the costs of restoring the basement and its contents, as well as the main floor where affected and not covered by the compensation listed above.
Certainly, the foregoing compensation would be subject to several process and claim procedures, including the homeowner being able to establish to the governments his or her losses and damages, as well as evidence that none of their claims were covered by private insurance coverage. Clearly, the governments would not be obliged nor able to compensate the homeowners for the loss of intangibles, computer data, electronic media and related records.
It may be argued by some, that the compensation outlined above for the affected homeowners is a precedent to be avoided and that, generally, it is too expensive to be paid for by the governments.
 My response is that such compensation to our neighbours is a precedent which should be set, as it is entirely in the public interest that the few citizens among us affected so adversely by such a storm should not have to bear alone and alone assume all of the negative costs of this storm due to the failure of our municipal infrastructure to handle such a storm. As one homeowner pointed out to me, if a municipal water main erupted and caused damage to nearby homes, would the municipality not be responsible?
How is this event any different, other than it being on a much larger scale? The responsibility still rests on the municipalities, and those homeowners who are experiencing repeated floods are no longer eligible for private insurance. Someone has to step up.
 Carol Gottlob – running for the ward 4 council seat and a seat on the Regional government; two bikes, one car. Furthermore, due to the fact that we can anticipate other significant storms in the future, these expenses are justified in so far as they will remove the public health threat to these citizens whose homes are vulnerable, without such improvements, to being subjected to subsequent sewer backups.
If the municipalities in the past refused to foresee the necessity to rebuild an infrastructure to handle such storms within the context of regional development, why shouldn’t they now assume the cost of paying the affected homeowners for the consequence of such prior government decisions?
All the more reason to learn from this and use the technology we have and the foresight we need to exercise, to plan and build for 100 years out if we want a stable and viable infrastructure and move away from costly damage control.
As the evenings close in on us and the weather turns cooler, I am thankful for the warmth emitted from my furnace, however I am sadly reminded that some of my neighbours are not so fortunate, through no fault of their own, and we owe it to them to provide the basic necessities through community assistance as well as good government that takes responsibility for those provisions.
By Ray Rivers
October 8, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
They used to call the Ontario Progressive Conservatives (PCs) ‘the natural governing party’. Originated with the Upper Canada Family Compact of Sir John A Macdonald, the party was first led by another Macdonald, who was actually a Liberal. The PCs under one label or another have ruled Ontario for over half of the province’s post-confederation history. And interestingly the Party’s official name used to be the Liberal-Conservative Association of Ontario.
 Next May the Ontario PCs will be choosing a new leader and will get the opportunity to rid themselves of the regressive and divisive politics that characterized much of the past couple decades. Christine Elliott, the widow of former finance minister Jim Flaherty, appears to be the candidate to beat. She’s been down this road before, coming in third place to Tim Hudak in the 2009 leadership fight. Flaherty had been one of the Mike Harris’ radicals though he took on subtler, more folksy and progressive persona as Mr. Harper’s finance minister.
After Flaherty vacated his provincial seat to run federally, Elliott squeaked in to fill her husband’s shoes. She claims to be a moderate, a centrist, and unlike Hudak, was never a foot soldier in the Harris government. In fact she has been known to criticize Harris’ ‘Common Sense Revolution’ and the extreme policies of former leader Tim Hudak, policies which led to the party’s failure in the last provincial election.
There is so much political landscape for a moderate leader of the second party to explore, providing that party is focused on good government and not blinded by ideology. For example we know that balancing the budget is an exercise in offsetting expenditures with revenues. And it follows that if costs can’t be reasonably curtailed, then taxes must increase.
Ontario’s state of transportation infrastructure is in shambles – and especially so in the GTA. Former Premier John Robarts would have intervened long ago to build more public transit, so people could come out of their cars and off the roads. And that would have helped, but this is more complex than just building bus lanes, subways and GO trains – it is about urban sprawl and planning for development in Ontario.
 Bill Davis had problems learning how to balance a budget; never really did learn. Former premier Bill Davis implemented Ontario’s land planning process, calling it one of the most advanced anywhere. But for all the praise, it is not much more than a reactive system driven by unsolicited developer proposals. Only the official plans and Greenbelt represent any kind of meaningful planning. And then there is that archaic institution called the Ontario Municipal Board, which exists nowhere else and, which can overrule municipal decisions to the ‘nth’ detail of a developer’s wet dream, thus emasculating council decisions.
Finally the whole municipal system promotes corruption and influence peddling. For example, some councillors accept contributions from land developers, and then are in a position to approve their development plans. And isn’t four years is too long a term for a municipal official between elections? Term limits might encourage greater participation in the municipal process as well as reducing the amount of ‘dead wood’ in council chambers.
Fixing these things is not really a matter of being right-wing or left-wing, and neither is ensuring adequate health care, reliable energy and quality education for the Ontario public. So I welcome a new PC leader who understands that we just want good government. Isn’t that how the PC party started and evolved, at least until it went off the rails. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a choice between two middle-of-the-road parties that mostly believe in the same things for all of us?
 And don’t we get tired watching one party come to power and then cancel the programs the former one had brought in, and so on and so forth… Of course there are some universal truths. Wealth doesn’t just trickle down from the rich to the poor, which is one of the reasons we have taxation. An economy in perpetual deficit will ultimately fail to perform at all. And the profit incentive is essential to ensure economic progress.
These principles or philosophies can be located somewhere in the constitutions of both of the two major political parties in Ontario if we look hard enough. This is the heritage of the parties and also their foundation. What’s not there is how they act to achieve these goals: being moderate, reasonable, inclusive and cooperative or conflicting, contrary, exclusive and divisive.
 Not everybody always votes for the same party, except maybe in Alberta. Some voters might occasionally want to support a second party, if only for a change of blood. But that becomes difficult when partisan ‘policy wonks’ dream up striking new ideological policy planks for the party leader. You know, the kind of stuff Mr. Tory attempted with religious school funding, Mr. Hudak with slashing the civil service and the crippling the unions, and Mr. Harris by dismantling our reliable electrical generation system.
There are at least four other contenders for the PC leadership so far, and in politics anything is possible. So it may not be Ms. Elliott who wins. Hopefully the new leader will look for inspiration to the glorious days before the 1990’s when the PCs were both conservative and progressive.
Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province.
Links:
PCs Christine Elliott PC Leadership
Patrick Brown Candidate Hudak’s Platform
PC’s Relevant? Federal Conservative Constitution
By Ray Rivers
October 2, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
It seems everybody wants to have a referendum these days. I’m in Italy visiting Venice this week and it turns out the folks out here are planning a ‘Scotland-style’ plebiscite for independence from Italy.
Some separation enthusiasts ran an on-line poll last March and claimed that an overwhelming number of respondents wanted to separate from Italy. Interestingly, like the Scots, they still wanted to stay in the EU and be a part of NATO.
 Gazette columnist cover Venetian plans to secede from Italy. That survey has encouraged Veneto, the regional entity of five million people, which includes the cities of Venice and Verona, to hold a more formal referendum. In fact a referendum was the basis for this north-eastern region to join Italy in the first place. Veneto has a colourful history. It was occupied by, among others, Attila the Hun, the Romans, the French and the Austrians. And as we know from reading Shakespeare, there was also a long period of self-government as well.
I wasn’t the only one visiting Venice. Besides the usual early autumn tourist hordes, it turns out that George Clooney, the actor, chose Venice for his wedding with British human-rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin last weekend. No, I wasn’t invited to the wedding, but I still admire Clooney as an actor, and I like the way he speaks out on the things he stands for, especially global climate change.
The city of Venice had been sinking for ages, partly from all the building on the islands and partly from the depression caused by pumping out too much ground water. Government has taken measures to eliminate that sinking feeling, but its still going to be a wet future for this ‘city of bridges’. Global climate change has already raised water levels and the future will see the Adriatic blanketing a wide swath of coastal north-eastern Italy. Fish will swim where mankind used to walk.
 New Yorkers march in the streets to save the planet. Burlington had a smaller crowd. A huge crowd demonstrated in New York last week, as world leaders met to decide what to do about climate change. Over three hundred thousand people came out to demand action, but all they got from the government leaders present, were the usual well-intentioned but meaningless speeches. President Obama got up to the podium to tell the rest of the world that it should do as he says – not as he does (or doesn’t). But at least his sentiments sounded sincere.
Canada, on the other hand, ganged up with Australia and Japan to make sure that the Kyoto Treaty was dead and could never be used to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, our Harper, who was in New York at the time of the climate change meeting, didn’t even show his face. And that was probably just as well, since the last thing anybody needs to hear is another speech with more promises that his government has no intention of keeping.
China, now the world’s largest polluter did promise to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions a tad – but not nearly enough. And Russia is too busy selling its vast fossil fuel reserves, or threatening its neighbours, to even think about reducing its carbon footprint. Europe is still optimistic that it can make progress. Munich, for example, is promising to eventually become carbon-free, but their biggest worry today is ensuring a good supply of Russian natural gas.
It was Peter Drucker who characterized management as the science of doing things right – and leadership, the art of doing the right thing. Many world leaders came to New York last week to talk about mitigating an ever-worsening global climate change. Sadly, there was little evidence of good management and no sign of leadership whatsoever.
The locals in Venice told me that the worst floods come in November and December. I was in Venice at the end of November a few years back, while attending one of those climate change conference. Water, water everywhere, and raised wooden platforms set on top of the sidewalks to avoid getting one’s feet too wet. It does really kind of takes away from the romance of it all.
 George Clooney marries in Venice. Gazette columnist wasn’t invited. But there was a lot of romance at the Clooney wedding party, I heard. A hundred people, movie stars and other friends, added their weight onto the sunken ground of Venice. George Clooney, Willie Nelson, Neil Young have been outspoken on climate change and they have been attacked in return. But the way I look at it – if not them, then who will take the moral high ground – certainly not Canada’s PM.
Heading back to the train to take me from Venice to Florence, I took the Vaporetto (ferry service) and couldn’t help wondering about the amount of carbon emissions pouring out of the stacks of these boats as thy feverishly criss-crossed the canals. And I couldn’t help feeling guilty at having come here and adding to the carbon footprint of Venice and Italy. But then it is good that I am aware, at least, and I suppose I’m going to have to get used to that feeling or do something about it.
Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province.
Links
Venice Referendum Veneto Issues Venice
Clooney Wedding Clooney
Obama climate Change Harper and the Climate Conference Climate Change Demonstration
Canada and Climate Change Renewable Energy Optimistic Energy
Peter Drucker
By Pepper Parr
September 27, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
The Air Park is the most important issue in ward six however it really didn`t get the debate it needed. As publisher of the Gazette I did not choose the questions the panelists asked. I did choose the panelists.
 An early photograph of the Airpark property. There are now two runways and a lot more landfill now than there was when this picture was taken. The lines indicate the extent of the Air Park holdings. The Air Park is not just ward six issue – it is a city wide issue – what happens to that land and that operation will define for a long, long time what rural Burlington looks like in the years ahead.
Our task is not to decide the issues but to help in defining what the issues are. We have some very active (and opinionated readers in whom we delight) who take part in this process.
We got the following from a resident:
I’m a resident of Ward 6, and I was at the debate the other night. One issue I thought might come up was one that has previously been raised by Ms. Hlusko concerning Ms. Warren’s potential conflict of interest regarding the Airpark. Since she has stated in the past that Airpark expansion would negatively impact her equestrian business, there does seem to be a real possibility that she would have to recuse herself from discussion of any airpark expansion plans. It would indeed be ironic if she were elected to council, but was then unable to participate in the issue that brought her to local prominence in the first place.
Do you know if Ms. Warren has ever addressed this issue? I think those who support her with the thought that she would be their champion on the airpark issue should get some clarification on whether her role would be restricted.
 Tonnes of landfill were dumped on the Air Park property without the required permits. The public does not know where much of that land fill came from. The Air Park owners claimed they were regulated by the federal government and did not have to comply with municipal bylaws, Justice Murphy said they were wrong and that they did have to comply with city bylaws. How they comply is what your council is going to decide. We asked Ms Warren to respond and she sent the following:
A Buttonville-like expansion of the Burlington Airpark would negatively affect everyone living in Burlington, including my home and farming operation. The 5 year unregulated fill operation that I fought through the Rural Burlington Greenbelt Coalition and the Ontario Soil Regulation Task Force negatively affected numerous families and properties in Ward 6, and may yet effect all of us if the fill is left untested.
Every decision a City Councillor makes also effects them personally as a resident of this City; what they may not do is have a pecuniary interest in the outcome of a decision. I will in no way financially benefit from a Burlington Airpark that is environmentally safe, or that remains feasible within the context of the Greenbelt Protected Countryside that it has operated on for the last 60 years.
As Ward 6 Councillor, I would never recuse myself from anything to do with the Burlington Airpark, and I would continue to advocate for environmental and social justice on this file. Jennifer Hlusko is plain wrong on this one.
There you have it – two opinions. You now have to think about what you want your Burlington to look like. We would like to add this: the Air Park would not be the issue it is had Ms Warren not brought it to public attention.
And you might want to ask why Vince Rossi is suing Ms Warren (and the publisher of the Gazette) for libel.
Salt with Pepper is a column written from time to time by Pepper Parr the publisher of the Gazette
By Peter Rusin
September 20, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
From time to time during the municipal election the Gazette will run items in which candidates put forward their thoughts and view on the election campaign.
We are not interested in running your platform but do want to hear from you if you have something to say on the way the city is run and how you would try and do things differently. This feature is limited to those people who are not currently on city council.
It has been a week now since I registered as candidate for mayor. In that time we have been receiving only positive support which is somewhat interesting; nobody has said anything negative or unjustifiably critical. We have received invitations to meet with people, groups, other political candidates, etc. There has been a refreshing tone of curiosity, and the process we hope is at least engaging the electorate and elevating issues. People are taking this seriously.
 Rusin walks his dog regularly in Spencer Smith Park. I would like to share four notable and very distinct inquiries from a sampling of regular citizens, and some personal opinions:
The first was from a long time city employee concerned about being without a contract now since June and worried about the future. We discussed an assortment of issues important to him and his union brother and sisters. I think he felt better after our chat, because he had a chance to voice his opinions, and perhaps he felt that there was some hope in the future to be treated with a bit more respect than under the current regime at city hall.
The second was from a homeowner completely frustrated by the treatment from the mayor’s office; she felt like being treated with disrespect dealing with what she considered relatively minor issues resulting from the impacts of the flood; all this person wanted was a feeling of respect and not simply receiving template responses from junior mayoral staff.
“Try calling city hall and get a live voice on the other end of the phone” was another concern. According to this individual, a variety of staff attended the property to review the complaints, but, then asked her to come in person to pick up a blah-blah letter from the mayor’s office. It probably would have taken less city staff time and resources if she was treated with a bit of respect, instead of seventy unanswered emails.
Two different people, one from the inside and one from the outside; asking to be treated with a little bit of respect. So, is this city functioning in a caring and inviting way like the mayor proclaims, or, is that not quite how this city hall regime conducts its civil service duties?
Does city hall have a duty to provide service like a government or conduct itself in the style of some sort of exclusive private country club?
The third was a series of questions from a person asking: “are you for the gay community? I realize this is a divisive issue for some in the community but it is extremely important to me that our leaders are not afraid to be transparent about their loyalties and honest about what they will actually effectively stand for”. Answer: 100% in favour of the gay and LGBTQIA community; don’t really understand why this would be an issue.
I remember when I was a victim of discrimination as an immigrant child and the feeling of being a lesser person; but that actually helped shape who I am today. All people are equal. I have enjoyed some of the best dinner parties and conversation with my gay friends; definitely not boring, unlike some of my friends who are straight. I hope I am clear and transparent on this topic.
 Peter Rusin is very hard on crime – and particularly on drugs. Another question from the same person: “is the city planning to promote any programs to help decrease the amount of drug activity apparent around our streets and parks? Answer: Part of the Rusin Quality of Life Enhancement platform is the prohibition of the sale of drug paraphernalia in retail and convenience stores across the city. This will help protect our children, police, justice system, and also keep our streets and neighbourhoods safer and free from drug related activity. The current council has ignored this topic for the past eight years under Goldring’s watch. I will be facing this head on and will see to fighting the drug problem; whatever it takes.
 St. Paul Street residents wants to see Waterfront Trail extended through lakeshore property the city already owns. Rusin has yet to form a view on this situation. City council voted to sell the land to private interests. The fourth was a lengthy email I received from a former childhood neighbour of mine, and it made me pause a little bit more than usual: “how does your platform of preservation of green space relate to our food and preservation of farmlands or planning for affordable healthy food”; “ever since that house next door to your parents and my parents has been built, my dad and I have observed a few trees taken down, robins did not return this year, sparrows are gone”; “I have huge concerns about the waterfront and the access for all in Burlington”. “I felt that since you took a proactive stance in running for mayor I would be proactive in letting you know”.
I have not answered her yet, but, I will form my answer to her questions into the platform on these topics soon.
These people now have their voices heard and their right to vote restored. I am so proud and humbled to be a part of this process.
 By Pepper Parr
September 18, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Politics is about power – even at the municipal level. Politicians have access to information the rest of us don’t have. They make decisions that determine how much of our money is paid in taxes; they decide when the swimming pools will be open and they decide when the snow gets cleared off your street.
There are thousands of municipal politicians who serve the public and there are some who serve themselves. They fight hard to become politicians and fight just as hard to stay there.
Politicians work at creating the image they believe their constituents want. Not all of them but the vast majority for sure. Some have agendas – others just want to make their community a good place to live in.
In Ontario municipal politicians have to go before the voters and seek re-election. They have to either spend their own money or raise money to pay for their campaigns.
Those who do the job well – work long hours, very long hours. We have one Councillor in Burlington who thinks being a city Councillor and a Regional Councillor is a part time job. It isn’t.
Burlington has had poor media this past eight to ten years. Poor media means an uninformed electorate. Uninformed voters cannot make informed choices. When voters don’t have enough information – they tend not to vote. Burlington has a poor voter turnout.
 Blair Lancaster, first term member of council seeking re-election. The Burlington Gazette has organized a debate for the people running in ward six – where nine people want to replace first term Councillor Blair Lancaster. That is a clear sign that a lot of people are unhappy and that a number of people think they can win the Ward six council seat.
We were able to get the use of the theatre at the Hayden High school and have had positive responses from all but two of the candidates.
Jennifer Hlusko has advised us that she has an important board of Education meeting on Wednesday September 24th. Ms Hlusko has served as a school board trustee for 11 years –however she ends that job in November. She is now a candidate for a municipal council seat and her obligation is to the people, who are voting for municipal representation.
Ms Hlusko appears to want to get permission from the Director of Education to miss the school board meeting. She advised us that she would “speak with the Chair, trustees and Director about the September 24th conflict.”
The director of Education reports to the trustees. Ms Hlusko is currently a trustee; quite why she feels she has to seek permission or approval from the Director of Education suggest she doesn’t fully understand the relationship between trustees and the Director of Education.
Blair Lancaster has not yet replied to our invitation to take part in the debate.
The Gazette got a call from a Brenda McKinley who said she was calling on behalf of a ward six candidate but would not identify who she was representing.
Jennifer Hlusko, currently a school board trustee running as a candidate for the ward six seat on city council. Ms McKinley wanted a moderator from the Chamber of Commerce and she wanted questions from the panelists to be asked of all ten candidates. We declined to change our format and we did not want the Chamber of Commerce moderating this event. They have in the past held their own debates.
Our format was to have the panelists ask a candidate a question, after which any other candidate could make a comment – with one minute to do so. The candidate the question was put to would have a minute to respond to the comments from the others.
Ward six is clearly a contested seat and there are some powerful interests who want to see the “right” person win. We hope that the wines of the debate are the people of ward six.
The event will start with each candidate being given two minutes to put their case before the audience and two minutes at the end of the debate. The order in which the candidates speak will be drawn by lot.
We learned later that Ms McKinley has been in touch with at least one other candidate to get allocated seating for their supporters. The debate is for the public and we will do what we can to ensure that the candidates do not flood the room with their supporters.
We are trying to work within the framework of a democracy and giving everyone an equal opportunity.
There will be questions from the audience when the debate concludes.
At this point we do not have a commitment from either Ms Hlusko or Ms Lancaster. There will be a seat for them with their name on it – it is up to them if they choose to speak to the voters
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