 By Pepper Parr
September 21st, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
On the evening of September 8th, there was a virtual pre-application presentation given by Bousfields, planners for Burlington 2020 Lakeshore Inc. , which is the company expected to make the application.
It was the first look at what the property owners had in mind for the re-development of the Waterfront Hotel site.
Two things about the images shown below – we were able to show a bit of what the developers have in mind last week.
I think the design is superb.
But I don’t think that design is what the people of Burlington want. It is some distance from the slightly quaint look of the downtown core, which isn’t all that big. It is my belief that there isn’t all that much vibrancy to it. But that’s my personal view.
The decision that gets made about this development is to be made by the people of Burlington.
Unfortunately the people of Burlington didn’t get to see the presentation.
There were just over 100 people participating in the virtual presentation – of which at least a dozen were city staff.
During the Q&A part of the presentation the Gazette asked how we could get a link to the presentation which was recorded.
No one had an answer so on September 11th, I reached out to the Director of Communications Kwab Ako-adjei with the following:
Greetings
I think you will have taken in all of the pre-application virtual meeting on Wednesday.
Quite a show.
As you know it was recorded and the developer didn’t raise any objection on it being made public – what wasn’t clear was –
Thomas Walker (I erred and used the wrong last name – it is Douglas) was asked and didn’t seem to know where it would be located nor did he leave me with the sense that it would actually be put on the city web site.
Would you follow this up for us please.
I address this to you because we intend to follow how the request is handled and want to be on record as having reached out to the head of the Communications department.
Stay well
I later got a reply from Carla Marshal, who is one of the Communications Advisers with the city.
Good morning, Pepper.
Please take a look at this information, which should help to clarify the City’s role in the development application process: Understanding the Development Application Process – City of Burlington
The meeting was led by the developer so the developer owns the recording of the event. The City does not own the recording; the developer does. It is at the sole discretion of the developer, in this case, Burlington 2020 Lakeshore Inc. c/o Bousfields Inc., if and where the recording is posted; it is up to the proponent to decide whether they will post the recording online on their own website: https://bousfields.ca/
Shortly after there was a response from Suzanne Vukosavljevic, who was filling in for Marshall.. She said:
The City posts its own meeting recordings on the City site but in this specific case you are asking about, it was not a City meeting so therefore, the City is not posting the recording.
Your questions have been answered by staff below.
Thanks for your interest.
The city provided the following:
As the communications advisor for Planning, I have worked with staff to provide you with the following information:
From Thomas Douglas, Senior Planner, Community Planning:
Pre-Application Community Meetings are hosted by the proponent of a development, not the City. If/when the proponent proceeds to submit a development application to the City for their proposal, as part of their application they must provide minutes from the Pre-Application Community Meeting, a written summary of public input received at the meeting, and an explanation of how public input has been addressed and reflected in the submitted application.
In cases where a Pre-Application Community Meeting occurs virtually, this may be done using the City’s or the applicant’s teleconferencing program. When the City’s technology is used, staff will record the meeting and provide the recording to the proponent to aid them in documenting meeting minutes and public input received. The City does not post the recording on the City’s website, and it is up to the proponent to decide whether they will post the recording online on their own website.
I will inform the proponent of the 2020 Lakeshore Road development proposal that the Gazette has expressed interest in obtaining a copy of the recording.
I hope this helps!
I didn’t feel my request had been met and responded:
Actually it doesn’t help very much. I then set out more specifically what I was looking for: Carla’s responses are short – set in red.
Does the city have a copy of the event that was recorded? No
Pre-Application Community Meetings are hosted by the proponent of a development, not the City.
If not – does the city intend to obtain a copy?
No
and where will the copy be located on the city web site
The meeting recording will not be located on the City website; it is up to the proponent to decide whether they will post the recording online on their own website –
Further: whose technology was used – re: using the City’s or the applicant’s teleconferencing program. When the City’s technology is used, staff will record the meeting and provide the recording to the proponent to aid them in documenting meeting minutes and public input received.
The applicant has the recording.
Further – who would make the decision to not post the recording, should it become available on the city web site.
it is up to the proponent to decide whether they will post the recording online on their own website
I reached out to the planner Bousfields and asked where we could get a link to the presentation. And waited.
This morning there was a response from the Bousefields planner with a link to the presentation.
And later in the day there was a link from Thomas Douglas with the same link.
That’s a lot of back and forth – but we did get what we were asking for. Why the difficulty is beyond me.
There are two images below. They are of what the building will look like from Lakeshore Road and what it will look like from the Lake.
 A rendering of what the development might look like from Lakeshore Road. Commercial space will exist at grade.
 A rendering of what the site will look like from the Lake. Each tower will sit on a four storey podium and then rise to 30 storeys and 26storeys. In part 2 – there is more in the way of visuals and comment on how the virtual event went and what was learned.
The developer can now submit an application.
When and if they do – they are expected to show how they responded to some of the issues and concerns that were raised.
Bousfields added: Note that the plans are not final and are subject to modifications as we move forward. No formal applications have been submitted at this time, and the public meeting was simply to gauge public interest and explain the proposed intent for the site prior to submission of formal planning applications.
By Pepper Parr
September 18th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Many of us have already voted – hopefully a really significant number of Canadians will turn out to cast a ballot in this very important election.
There was no reason for this election to even take place and it is our belief that we will end up with basically the same thing when all the ballots are counted: A minority Liberal government.
Justin Trudeau does not deserve to be given the majority he wants.
There is hard work to be done: Covid19, the economy, housing – do we need a list longer than that?
The current problems aside – there is still the SNC Lavalin issue and the loss of a two female members of the Liberal caucus.
 The embarrassing trip to India The embarrassing trip to India
The WE matter
Two pronouncements from the Ethics Commissioner.
 The hopes were high The hopes were high when Justin Trudeau first ran for the leadership– another Trudeau was going to lead the country – but it hasn’t worked out that way.
That happens in politics. Let Justin Trudeau work with whatever the public gives him on Monday.
Politics being the blood sport it is – the knives will be coming out and the Liberals will begin to look for a new leader – expect to see that in 18 to 24 months.
There is a shift taking place in the way different segments of society expect their political leadership to perform. The People’s Party of Canada is growing at a disturbing rate; the Greens are failing to grow at a disturbing rate and both the Liberal and Conservative party leaders are learning that they aren’t really as in touch with the members as they should be.
The Liberal Party polls higher than the leader of the Party and the Conservative leader is not able to impress upon his own membership that getting everyone vaccinated is critical if we are ever going to get ourselves from a pandemic to an endemic state with Covid19.
We will be watching closely Monday evening – we might be up very late or we might know as soon as the pools open in the Prairies.
The mess in Alberta – it’s actually a tragedy, that could have been avoided. Hundreds will die unnecessary death because of decisions Jason Kenny made.
By Pepper Parr
September 15th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
It’s just a matter of days now.
The advance poll numbers for the 2021 federal election show an increase of 20% more people using advance polls to vote than they did in 2019.
We are looking at one of the most interesting federal election in some time. A government could fall because they called an election that wasn’t needed.
Burlington happens to have three people sitting as members of the House of Commons representing our interests.
Will all three be returned?
Who amongst them is at risk?
Given her performance during the debates, such as they were, Karina Gould has earned the right to return to Ottawa.
Emily Brown needs to take a civics class and learn what is required of a candidate.
For us the Green Party candidate was a major disappointment.
The NDP candidate certainly injected some energy and a lot of common sense but it is our view that this election is a choice between the Liberals and Conservatives.
 Liberal MP fr Oakville North Burlington Pam Damoff Over in Oakville North Burlington Liberal Pam Damoff will likely hold her seat if only because the Conservative candidate had little in the way of profile and wasn’t that visible.
The Conservatives decided to hide their candidate and focus on their core vote and hope that enough people would be angry enough to oust Justin Trudeau. Time will tell if they are right.
Milton is an interesting situation. It represents the people in rural north Burlington – there aren’t that many people in that part of the world.
Milton’s ethic community is coming into their own. They are active culturally, they have good representation at the municipal level and they are now ready to take their place at the federal level.
The provincial seat is held by Parm Gill.
The Milton Conservative Party association dumped the former Member of Parliament, Lisa Raitt, from the board. It was about as close to being apolitical coup as you get in Ontario.
 Nadeem Akbar, Conservative candidate for Milton. The northern rural part of Burlington is in the Milton boundary. The issue for current MP Adam van Koeverden is going to be – has he made the inroads he needs to hold the ethnic community vote. Do they trust him or is their confidence going to go to Nadeem Akbar.
Canada has grown through the addition of immigrants from around the world. The first came from the UK, then Italy and, in time, from Japan and Germany.
Most recently they have come from the Middle East – thousands came from Syria and more thousand’s will arrive from Afghanistan.
That is how this country grew to what it is today.
It will all become clear but probably not Monday evening – there are going to be some messy situations where the fight for a seat might be contested or put to a recount.
That’s what politics is all about.
What matters new is you getting out to vote.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Pepper Parr
September 12th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
What if the pandemic never ends?
What if we are going to experience one version of the Covid19 virus after another?
 Where are the variants coming from – indeed, where did the virus first exist. There are far far too many counties that do not have aggressive vaccination programs. We are currently dealing with the Delta version. Given that less than 40% of the world’s population is getting vaccinated it is not that outrageous to suggest that there will be other, perhaps more dangerous variants.
Will we experience decades of limitations on what we can do? As a society can we cope with that kind of a situation?
 Segments of the population have very strong feelings about the current federal leadership. The anti-vaxers are close to rioting on a daily basis. Our human rights are being limited and we are tolerating that for the “better good” – but how long are we prepared to put up with that.
Are we going to find ourselves being inoculated a couple of times each year against the latest variant?
Ontario certainly doesn’t have the leadership it needs to get us through this – and the alternatives don’t inspire all that much confidence.
Societies go through immense change with situations like this.
The Western world became a much different place at the end of WW II – we saw decades of growth and prosperity the like of which human society has not seen since the Enlightments.
The scientists have delivered – and they might be able to continue to deliver at the same level.
But the world is made up of people, driven by their emotions and best interests for the most part.
Are we descending into a different Dark Age.
Do we have the capacity to overcome what we are faced with?
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Pepper Parr
September 8th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
There is a certain amount of satisfaction watching a political leader evolve.
They don’t all manage to grow into real leaders able to listen and to hear.
 Marianne Meed Ward was just a citizen when this picture was taken – now she is on the other side of the podium. committee. A number of years ago when Marianne Meed Ward was the council member for ward 2 she came to the realization that people were not aware of what was going on in their communities. A development was being proposed, notices were sent out but to a limited number of people. Meed Ward decided to do something about that and the practice now is to send notices to people within a 120 metre radius of a development.
During a meeting last night when there was a Statutory meeting about the Oval Court development a number of people complained that they had not received the notice of the meeting.
A staff member was asked if notices could be sent to a wider radius – he commented on possible limitations within the Planning Act.
Watching the web cast you could see the Mayor thinking it through – thinking perhaps about how she could arrange to have Statutory meeting notices sent to a larger area.
Watch for something like that in the months ahead.
Later in the same meeting as council members were preparing to wrap it up for the day – it was approaching 10:00 pm, the Mayor took a moment to comment on what things used to be like when development applications were filed..
There would be a Notice of a development application.
There was no such things as a pre-application meeting.
The application would be submitted and then things went quiet – not a word.
Then a Statutory meeting was called. The Planning Act required those meetings.
Council required a report from Staff with a recommendation on the development. They could say yes – it looks good or it is not a good development application and does not represent good planning.
What Meed Ward found amazing at the time was that the Staff Report would be submitted at the same time the Statutory meeting took place.
Whatever comments the public wanted to make during the Statutory meeting was irrelevant – the Staff report had already been written.
That said Meed Ward was the way things were done.
 Councillors had been away from the business of getting things done for six weeks – it was a slow start plagued by technical issues. Delegations to the Statutoy meeting were coming in at a surprising clip – getting the equipment to work was a challenge. Last night there was a Statutory meeting on the Oval Court development. There were some technical problems and it turned out that a lot of people wanted to delegate and found that they were not able to do so.
Again there were technical problems.
The Statutory meeting was very unsatisfactory to both the residents, staff and Council members.
But the meeting had taken place.
Mark Simeoni, Director of Community Planning, told Council that a Statutory meeting was mandated – a meeting must be held and it must be advertised and held in public.
He however added that there was nothing in the Act that said the city was limited to just one Statutory meeting.
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward: All the ideas, all the things she wanted to do while a member of Council can now be advanced as Mayor. Expect the lawyers who were watching the web cast to be searching through their copies of the Planning Act to see if that was true.
This is a different council, breaking the practices of the past and finding new more effective ways to get things done.
Mayor Meed Ward is far from perfect – she has a lot of growing to do yet – but it is interesting to watch her as she thinks something through, makes a note and comes back to it later on.
By Staff
September 7th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton District School Board wants ideas from the public on the renaming of Ryerson Public School.
The city wants idea from the public on renaming the park that abuts the school.
Could they not create a joint committee and come up with a single name ?
Not on your life – there is too much political upside for all the politicians to share this one.
 The school will be renamed – as will the park that abuts the property. The decision to dump the name of Egerton Ryerson was done very very quickly – basically on one delegation from an Indigenous parent.
 The statue of Ryerson was toppled shortly after it was splattered with paint. The head of the statue ended up on an Indigenous reserve at the end of a pole. There is tonnes of research on just what Ryerson did and didn’t do but those documents aren’t going to get much attention.
This is classic rush to judgement and lets pile on a good thing.
Community members are encouraged to submit a suggestion for the new name of the school by Sept. 24
In a media release the HDSB said: “Ryerson Public School was named after Egerton Ryerson for his contributions to the Ontario education system, however, Ryerson was also instrumental to the design of Canada’s residential school system.
Students, families and community members are encouraged to submit suggestions for a new name for the school between Sept. 7 – 24, 2021.
The HDSB recognizes the significance of naming a new school as an opportunity to:
• reflect the geography, history, local environment, culture or traditions of the community;
• consider equity, diversity and inclusion in the school community;
• name a renowned person of historical significance to the Halton community, or a real person whose contribution to society or humanity is recognized and valued across Canada.
Suggestions can be made:
• By completing the online form
• By fax — 905-335-4447
• By mail — Communications Dept., Halton District School Board,
PO Box 5005 STN LCD 1, Burlington, ON L7R 3Z2
Suggestions will be accepted until Friday, Sept. 24, 2021.
Each name that is submitted will be reviewed by a committee which will include parent/guardian representation. A shortlist of names will be prepared and presented to the Board of Trustees who will select the final name at one of the regularly scheduled Board meetings in November 2021.
The selected name for the school will be announced in a news release and posted on the HDSB website (www.hdsb.ca) and social media.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Pepper Parr
September 2nd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
So – there is going to be a vaccine passport. Took the Premier long enough to get a wiggle on. He is right however – why isn’t there a federally issued Covid19 Passport?
Being able to prove that you are vaccinated is critical. Getting everyone fully vaccinated is proving a little difficult but we are at close to 80% and with the need to have that passport to be able to get into a restaurant or an event will push the number to, ideally 95%.
Provision has been made for the exceptions.
For those who don’t want to get vaccinated there are limits to what they can do in a public setting.
The one that really galls me is this. I have to be able to show that I have been fully vaccinated but the person taking my order in a restaurant, but the person serving the food and the person cooking the food does not have to prove they are vaccinated.
I was in a restaurant in Guelph talking with the owner and he said that he could not ask his employees if they were vaccinated.
Really?
That restaurant owner wants me to have a meal in his restaurant but he isn’t prepared to ensure that his staff is Covid free.
I want to go to a restaurant that has the courage to put a sign on the front door saying all their staff are vaccinated.
Those that aren’t – tell them not to bother coming to work until they are vaccinated. What about their human rights? What about my right to stay alive?
There is something wrong with a set up that requires me to be vaccinated in order to be served but does not require the server to be vaccinated.
If the restaurants want our business, which many of us really want to give them, then let those restaurants step up and be bold enough to make it clear they are watching out for us.
Restaurants turned to the city for help and they were given help. A lot of taxpayer money was shoveled out the door to help the hospitality sector and most people were happy to see this done.
Our Council members urged us to support the hospitality sector and to begin shopping locally.
I’d like to see those in the hospitality sector looking out for me while I dine in their establishments.
I’d also like to see the Burlington Downtown Business Association counseling their members to care for the people that they want to attract.
There is a film crew using the third floor of the building my office is in. I rent office space on the third floor. Every member of the film crew is masked.
 Juliana Robertson Juliana Robertson, a paramedic by training, asked me to come to the table she had set up so that she could put a little stick up my nostril to ensure that I was not infected even though I told her I have been fully vaccinated.
Sorry she said – you have to do this. I surely had the right to go to my office and do my work. I decided not to challenge her right to “invade my privacy” She asked me to wait 10 minutes for the results and then told me I was good to go.
Robertson runs Reel Medics in Motion – her market is the film production companies doing their filming in Hamilton. She is the Medic/Covid Supervisor on the Ghosts of Christmas Past production. She does the Covid testing and is the first responder for anyone hurt on the film set.
It would be really nice if the hospitality sector was as conscientious.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Pepper Parr
August 29th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
Elections are about power.
Those who have it want to keep it.
Those who don’t sometimes think they can get it and they do their very best to win power.
The current Prime Minister wanted a majority which would give him the power he wants to run the country the way he wants.
 Karina Gould has a seat in this house – Emily Brown wants that seat – you the public get to decide which woman will represent you best. Remember they both take an ideology with them. There was no need for this election but the Governor General decided to agree to his request to form a new Parliament.
Karina Gould wants to be part of that government Emily Brown thinks she can win the seat.
The public will decide – our role is to do what we can to ensure that the voting public is well informed.
The candidates may not like what we write – we aren’t writing for the candidates. We are writing for people who are going to decide who they want to represent them
Emily Brown brings a lot to the table. She thinks she can win and should she do so – she will want to be a Member of Cabinet.
The Conservatives see an opportunity and they are going to fight as hard as they can to win the seat.
Both Karina Gould and Emily Brown have impressive educational achievements.
This country had a tradition of politicians meeting with media.
The argument that she is too busy organizing her campaign office to meet with media is spurious at best.
Ms Brown speaks of supporting traditional family values – truth, honesty and decency.
Ms Brown was the child of a military family. One would have thought she would be defend the values her Father put on a uniform to ensure we kept the democracy we have.
The power is always in the hands of the people. Those who want that power are obligated to to be transparent and accountable. Going door to door is part of the process, meeting with media is another part.
We wish her the best – and hope that she chooses to be what she is telling us she is.
Should she win the seat and find herself sitting in the House of Commons she will be a force to contend with.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Pepper Parr
August 13th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington and development have for the past five years been in one of those awkward relationships.
The city wants development, the developers want to build – the problem has been what kind of development and where.
It became a menage a trois when the province said that we had to grow – big time. More housing for more people with not much in the way of space for the traditional single family house with a nice back yard that made Burlington what it is today.
Those that live in the southern part of the city didn’t want to see dozens of high rise towers taking over.
The developers wanted their buildings to be in the downtown core where the pricey condos were being built.
The argument got intense from about 2015 to the 2018 election when the issue was the boundary for the Urban Growth Centre.
Set out below is the boundary that was in place when the current city council was elected.
 The Urban Growth Boundary that is in the Official Plan that is in force now went through a number of changes. The colours define the different precincts the city is divided into. A precinct is an area that has zoning and development rules unique to that area. Marianne Meed Ward convinced people that she could get hat boundary changed and while the fight isn’t over yet – there are new Urban Growth Centre boundaries in place and once the Official Plan gets completely approved – it is currently in the hands of the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs – where it is expected to be approved – all it has to do is get through the appeals process – there are 40 some odd organizations appealing – it becomes the law of the land.
Meed Ward was adamant from day 1 – the boundary has to be changed.
This is what the Urban Growth Centre boundary is going to look like.
 Boundaries for the Urban Growth Centre that are part of the approved but not in force Official Plan. Now slide back up and look at what was in place before a new city council set out to make a change
A huge difference – and the credit for much of it belongs to the Mayor. She was thee one who pushed and pushed and did her best not to budge an inch.
It was no small feat.
Meed Ward did not do this alone – what she did was lead the five newcomers to council, who for the most part were on her side when they were first elected, and then supported what she was setting out to do.
The Gazette has a number of differences with how this first term Mayor has handled and portrayed herself; Lord Acton had it right when he said: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Time will tell if Marianne Meed Ward can catch herself before she falls. None of this should take away from what she did in getting that Urban Growth Boundary moved north,
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Pepper Parr
August 12th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The definition appeared in a media release from the city’s communications department.
I had never seen something like this before.
2SLGBTQIA+ (TwoSpirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual)
This expansion of the acronym to refer to the community has gone too far.
 The symbols are important -let’s not demean them with acronyms that lead to ridicule. The fight to get the Pride community the respect it deserves has been long and hard; it has taken decades to get to the point where the community is recognized and not shunned, dismissed, shamed and hurt.
The political leadership has once again gotten over-enthusiastic and in the process hurt the people she chooses to speak for.
The Pride Community can speak for itself.
Gazette readers are commenting – some examples.
 Brave step – smart move. One in every ward in the fullness of time. Agreed (name withheld). “I do not have the time of day for this passive aggressive approach orchestrated by the mayor. She created the survey (not staff). Now there are 2 rainbow crosswalks in Ward 2 and not one of them is in front of city hall. She will hide behind the survey results but we all know what her goal was.”
Another reader wrote: “I was surprised to see the latest permutation of inclusivity symbols in this article (2SLGB….+). While I am fully in favour of demonstrations of support for people struggling to find their identity, there is a danger of going to extremes to include more and more subsets until everyone finds their own personal home. And let’s not forget there is another axis of identity being explored these days based on race, heritage, language and age. At some point our whole view of our society becomes a jumble of alphanumeric compartments that render it meaningless, while activists in each group clamor for special attention. Thus we become divided, not united.”
 What the Halton Regional Police Service did was dignified and appropriate. Let’s continue to raise the Pride flag and when we see instances of discrimination personally do everything we can to put a stop to it.
Support the Pride Community the way you would like your community to be supported.
Why the city communications department went to the lengths it did is both surprising and disappointing.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Pepper Parr
August 12th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
We ran a piece yesterday announcing the Green Party candidate whose people suggested that an election call might come as early as next week.
 The next election isn’t due until sometime in 2023.
There is no valid reason to call an election at this time. The country is doing just fine with the current minority Liberal government.
The Conservative Opposition cannot get itself elected; the federal New Democrats couldn’t from a government in the very unlikely event that they did get elected.
The federal Green Party may not be a political party if they continue with the internal squabbles.
The only reason for an election is the Prime Minister wanting a majority government.
 David Peterson called an unnecessary election in 1990 because he thought he would win. Ran a terrible campaign and lost. David Peterson tried that stunt in 1990 and it cost him the government he had.
 Governor General Mary Simon Canada has a new Governor General – what little we have seen of Mary Simon suggests she might suggest that the Prime Minister go back to his office and think about it should he decide to pay her a visit asking that she dissolve parliament.
When the Liberal Caucus meets (virtually) are there Members of Parliament with the courage to tell the Prime Minister that an election now is a mistake.
Given the polls we are seeing there is no certainty that the Liberals could win a majority.
Ending up with another minority would be reason enough for Justin Trudeau to offer his resignation.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Pepper Parr
August 7th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
There are public hearings taking place at the Ontario Land Tribunal.
Before a full hearing can take place what are known as Case Management Conferences are held that set up the data and sworn statements that will become part of the actual hearing.
At this point in time there are appeals to the ICBL (Interim Control Bylaw) that shut down development in parts of the city for more than two years and the Approved but not in force city Official Plan.
The creation of a new Official Plan is a big deal – the changes the council elected in 2018 put in place were hugely different than the plan the 2014-2018 Council approved.
There are major dollars on the table – opportunities for eye popping profits for the developers and buildings that will change the look, feel and character of the city for decades.
Many people don’t pay all that much attention to these matters – they often don’t understand what is really complex stuff and wonder what difference their voice would make.
Then when they see a 26 storey tower that comes right out to the property line leaving them feel like they are in downtown Toronto they ask: How did this happen?
The picture below is a look at what it at stake.
 The cultural and historical heart of the city has been bought up by developers who want to put up high rise towers reach close close to 30 storeys. Each circle represents a development underway of property on which a development application has been filed.
By Pepper Parr
August 4th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Food Bank Executive Director Robin Bailey put the situation in plain black and while.
 An incredible record of performance The damage the pandemic has done to the annual Gift of Giving Back food raising event is going to have a negative impact on what the food banks are able to do.
In the past, Jean Longfield and her team have done a superb job of rousing the team spirits of young people involved in sports and using that energy to produce tonnes of food that kept the food banks running quite well.
When Longfield came up with the idea in 2007 it just grew and grew – to the point where she was able to pass the idea along to other communities.
 Jean Longfield talking to a television reporter about the success of the Gift of Giving Back program. John Tate is in the background. This year, there will be a food drive – it won’t use the traditional Gift of Giving Back – instead they will work under the banner of xxx and work with Burlington Centre to create a location people can take food to and have it picked up from the cars parked in the lot.
It won’t be the same – the buzz that always existed around the Giving Back event was exciting; seeing student after student come into the high school gymnasium with cartons of food that other people would need was a sterling example of our young people learning to care for others.
For Jean Longfield this must be an anxious period of time. She put everything into making the program better year after year.
To be stopped in your tracks by a pandemic is understandable – but that doesn’t lessen the disappointment.
By Pepper Parr
July 30th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
Politics can be a cruel mistress.
A number of months ago Andrea Grebenc thought she had grown to the point where she decided she would like to try something bigger in the world of politics.
She was chair of the Halton District School Board. The Burlington Provincial Liberal Association was going to have to nominate a candidate soon and Grebenc thought she could do that job.
The process to the actual nomination of a candidate for the Liberals was messy – sloppy is perhaps a better word.
 Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns was coy about seeking the Liberal nomination. She announced; shortly afterwards Andrea Grebenc announced she was also running for the nomination. Kearns withdrew. The Liberals invited ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns to seek the nomination. After a month or so of saying maybe yes – maybe no publicly, she finally came out and said she would seek the nomination.
A few days later Grebenc announced her intention to see the nomination.
Within 48 hours Kearns withdrew.
By that time there was a third candidate seeking the nomination.
Mariam Manaa announced she would seek the nomination. Ms Manaa, a young Muslim woman had been recruiting new members for the Burlington Provincial Liberal Party since January.
Grebenc chose to wait until May 27th to file her papers. The Provincial Liberals set June 6 as the date for the nomination meeting.
 Andrea Grebenc, chair of the Halton District School Board – lost the nomination contest. Grebenc explained to the Gazette at the time that she was working regularly with Jane McKenna, the MPP for Burlington and felt that it would be rather awkward to be working with McKenna and at the same time preparing to run against her.
Thus the wait until May 27th.
With just 10 days to sign up new members there wasn’t much of a chance to overcome the new membership lead that Ms Manaa had.
“I can tell you that the Manaa supporters were very loyal. I called many of them – they weren’t budging.”
Ms Manaa is the Liberal candidate – she won fair and square – the problem was that the rules didn’t allow those who had been Liberal supporters with Party experience to make a choice.
Anybody could become an instant Liberal. All you had to do was live in the city and be able to prove it.
The process turned out to be a race to see who could recruit new members – Manaa recruited more than anyone else and won.
The nomination process was unfair to both Grebenc and Manaa – they were limited to a 10 minute speech with nothing in the way of debate between the two women.
 Mariam Manaa – Liberal candidate . Manaa has some very credible experience in the community. Her work for the Member of Parliament was much appreciated by the Minister and the community that she was able to help.
We were indeed in the middle of a pandemic and there were stiff restrictions. But not so many that a debate could not have taken place and streamed live.
Neither candidate was given a chance to show their stuff.
The blame for this rests in the hands of the Burlington Provincial Liberal party executive. They failed the party; they failed the candidates, and they failed the people of Burlington.
Hopefully Ms Manaa will create an election team and keep her distance from the Burlington Provincial Liberal Association – they have proven to be incompetent.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Pepper Parr
July 14th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
They waved to the cameras once the motion to adjourn was passed – and with that the seven members of Council were off for the summer.
They return to a thick schedule of meetings September 6th.
Some have set out pretty hectic schedules for themselves; others are taking a break.
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward Nothing specific from the Mayor – she will network with her tribe and shore up the weak spots.
 Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte Ward 4 Councillor Stolte is going to hold Pop Up meetings in parks throughout her ward. We lost count at seven locations. They will take place on Wednesdays from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.
Bentivegna plans on something a little more subdued – he will be meeting with small groups of five or six in back yards to listen and to ensure that they know he will be running again.
 Ward 6 Councillor Angelo Bentivegna Bentivegna is very effective in working a crowd; he plunges right in and makes friendly. He isn’t as available for media – basically he doesn’t respond; he used to – early in his first campaign he posed for pictures and talked about his plans as a city councillor. When he didn’t like what we had to say – he stopped talking.
 Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman Councillor Sharman is going to focus on his Orchard Park community – it might have to be virtual. He has an annual Appleby Line event that might make it out of the Covid19 social distancing limitations.
Ward 1 Councillor Kelvin Galbraith will be taking part in a couple of community events. The Rolling Horse Tour d’Aldershot is on his calendar. Summer is cottage time for the Galbraith household.
Every member of Council will begin, or have already begun, looking at their election prospects.
 Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns will be doing some Zoom broadcasting. A usually reliable source told the Gazette that Kearns told him she would not be running for the Council seat even if she lost the attempt to gain the Liberal nomination for a seat in the Legislature.
We all know how that event went – she dropped out the day another candidate threw her hat into the ring.
Kearns can be mercurial at times. Will she live up to the statement she is reported to have made?
The long break gives the people elected to represent the interests of the tax payers time to think about what they have managed to get done and what they want to do with the time left in this term of office.
The achievements have been significant – they set a different direction in terms of the development that is taking place and will take place.
They have also come to learn more about the strengths and weaknesses are of their fellow council members and what they can achieve personally.
Some rude awakenings for several.
For those that decide to run again – most of them will – but they aren’t all going to retain their seats.
The Mayor will run again – she loves the job and, truth be told, there is no one out there who can beat her at this point in time.
Also true – she was the best choice the city had for Mayor in 2018
The budget could trip her up – there are too many changes coming on the expense side. Insurance premiums are going to sky rocket for the municipal sector – and there isn’t much councils can do.
Spending on small items will add up –a reported $100,000 for Rainbow Crosswalks comes under the Mayor’s “want to have”. She used to talk in terms of must have and nice to have.
There are two members of Council with Mayoralty aspirations – both realize this is not their time – 2026 might be.
 City Manager Tim Commisso City Manager Tim Commisso has done a fine job of rejigging the way the administration is to operate and put some very qualified people in place. He has a number of top level positions that will see retirements – Legal and Finance might not change while the pandemic has to be dealt with but once things are secure they will want to live different lives.
Will Commisso renew his contract? Probably not – but his work isn’t done yet.
However, his replacement gets better every day. And a majority of Council thinks she great. Awesome was the word used by several.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Pepper Parr
July 13th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
City Council meets at 1:00 pm this afternoon for their last meeting until September.
The agenda for that month is loaded.
There have been very few delegations since the first lockdown in March of 2020 – those that did take place left little impression on those listening.
During the period of time the city was in a State of Emergency with its affairs guided by an Emergency Control Group they met whenever it had to –seldom less than twice a week. The City is still in a State of Emergency, which is where the city manager thinks it should remain for as long as possible.
Provincial funding goes to those who are in a State of Emergency.
Last week Council went through an impressive schedule of Standing Committee meetings that were both controversial on some levels and solid governance on others.
The Mayor’s ill-advised tweet about support she got from some of her colleagues but not others was petty politics at its worst – while the comment from Councillor Sharman on the decision by Human Resources to do away with annual performance reports was excellent governance.
Councillor Sharman was not amused. We will let you know when the annual performance reviews are put back in. Sharman will beaver away at this – expect him to prevail.
Will we see that decision as a Staff Direction? That might be expecting a little too much.
 We used to get this: City Council meeting – before COVID The meeting today will be swift – there is next to nothing on the Agenda page in terms of documents that are going to be approved.
 Now we get this. All the Council members were present – they don’t always all appear on the screen at the same time The City Manager’s work plan – all the things he is going to get done, was not available to media during the Standing Committee meeting.
Some of the narrative in the City Manager’s report was available but the specifics, what was going to get done and when, was not available and the city communications adviser we dealt with said it would not be available.
Public participation was a feature of the Goldring council – there were opportunities to speak – even though they didn’t listen all that well.
This Council is using the pandemic, and the phrase “an abundance of caution” as a reason to keep the public away – and at this point they have succeeded. We no longer hear from Gary Scobie, Jim Young or Blair Smith to name just a few.
During the last Standing Committee last week we did see some rumbling on the part of Councillor Stolte about finding a way to involve living, breathing members of the public.
Stolte got jerked around but her point was made. The City Clerk did set out his concerns – there were a lot of them, few with much in the way of merit.
Council will wish us all a fun summer and be away from their posts until September. Some will begin thinking about their re-election plans. Two of the seven are at risk with a third in for a surprise once his constituents get roused.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Pepper Parr
July 9th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The Standing Committee on Environment, Infrastructure and Community Services met earlier this week and almost swooned as they listened to Stephen Paquette talk about why the Ryerson school and the park adjacent to it should be renamed.
The Councillors and the two school board trustees who took part as delegations were like high school students listening to a rock star.
 Stephen Paquette. Paquette on the other hand was sensible and balanced.
Sure he took a strong position on the getting rid of the Ryerson name but he said he could live with statues of Sir John remaining providing there was a plaque beside the statue putting the man’s role in context.
Unfortunately many are not as sensible and balanced as Paquette.
He taught the Councillors some important lessons; one being the way we choose to elevate some people and create a statue and put it in a public place without a full understanding of the person. He seemed to be saying the statues were more adulation than realistic accounting of the person.
The fear I have is that we will rename the park and the school and then move on to something else forgetting what the real issue is – first making amends for the harm we created and then giving the Indigenous people what they deserve. Decent housing and water they can drink.
A number of years ago Gord Downie stood on a stage and implored the Prime Minister who was in the audience to take care of the Indigenous people. And how much has been done for those people since that time?
I look to Paquette being the person who keeps our feet to the flame and helps us get to the point where the members of the First Nation are true equals.
I was impressed with the man – he is an Elder serving as a staff consultant with the Halton District School Board. He is an excellent spokesperson for his people.
Joseph Boyden, wrote a book: The Orenda. It is a hard book to read on the relationship between the Jesuits who came to Canada to civilize the “savages”. There was painful cruelty on both sides. Boyden created significant controversy writing on Indigenous people. Boyden is primarily of Irish and Scottish ancestry. A number of Indigenous writers and researchers came forward to publicly state Boyden did not have the right to speak on behalf of any Indigenous community because he was not a First Nations citizen and ultimately not Indigenous.
We are going to be dogged with controversy on the question of how we atone for some time. Hopefully the plight of the Indigenous people gets improved while we squabble.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Pepper Parr
July 2nd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
What do people mean when they say “that is a defining characteristic”?
What defines Burlington? Is it the geography – the lake and the Escarpment?
At this time in our history what is it that defines Canada?
I want to suggest that the way Canadians respond to the news of yet another place where the bodies of children have been buried and what we as a people are going to do about it is what will define this country for decades.
 There are several hundred grave sites like this in Canada In this country people expect the leadership to make the big decisions. We have given the power we have to the leaders hoping that they will do the right thing for us.
The tragedy brought about by the creation of the Residential Schools is now in front of us with all the ugliness that neglect heaps on us when we treat one group of people as worth less than the rest of us.
Some 150,000 children were trucked off to Residential Schools with no consent from the parents. People just came and took them.
Those children who did eventually return to their communities years later, were deeply scarred emotionally, some physically abused, and left unable to cope with daily living.
We are learning now that many thousands did not return but were placed in shallow graves that were unmarked.
The Aboriginal community knew about those graves but no one wanted to listen to a “bunch of Indians”.
Now we all know and decisions have to be made about what we are going to do about it.
The Aboriginal community is pressing the Pope to come to Canada and apologize for the harm that was done and to make restitution as well or at least to live up to the financial contribution all of the religious organizations who operated the Residential Schools agreed to provide.
The federal government has agreed to provide the millions that will be needed to search the grounds of every Residential School to learn if and how many children are laying in shallow graves.
 This just isn’t enough. How long will the public place pairs of shoes on steps of buildings as a show of support?
Is this just a fad that will pass soon?
The weekly release of yet another grave site will keep this on the public radar for the Aboriginal community who knows they have an issue that has legs.
 Gord Downie did what few of us could so – screamed that the Aboriginal people mattered. How many remember what Gord Downie had to say to the Prime Minister who was in the audience for that heart rending performance when he asked Justin Trudeau to keep the promise? That’s been the problem, we Canadians have never kept the promise – we instead jerked them around again and again.
Are we finally at the point where that basic, human fundamental right for water that can be swallowed might be theirs the way it is ours? Or are we stuck at the placing of shoes in public places to show our support.
There is an opportunity to show the world what we have done. We have this opportunity to determine how we are defined.
My question to each person reading this is – how do you want to be defined?
By Pepper Parr
June 28th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
Mariam Manaa Liberal candidate in the next provincial election The Liberals have nominated their candidate for the next provincial election scheduled for June of 2022. Mariam Manaa defeated Andrea Grebenc.
The likelihood of the Premier calling a snap election is high – providing he can come up with an angle that lets him look like the hero he needs to be if the public is going to return him to office.
Dealing with the pandemic put Doug Ford well outside his comfort zone.
The messaging was for the most part terrible; the decision to re-open the hospitality sector in February was a serious mistake that his Science table had warned him about.
Doug Ford is a business person. He believes that business large and small drives the economy and that a healthy economy is what it is all about.
He cannot see beyond those blinders.
 A Premier out of his comfort zone. His government is at risk. When there is blood in the water the sharks come out. Every riding association is evaluating its prospects. The Progressive Conservatives have Jane McKenna in place. Opinion on Jane is divided and she is her own worst enemy.
The New Democrats have not publicly announced their candidate but if it isn’t Andrew Drummond they don’t have a hope.
The problem for their leader is that Andrea Horwath can’t be elected Premier. Whatever the ingredient is that gets one elected Andrea doesn’t have it.
The Greens may put up a candidate.
 Mariam Manaa: an advocate for women even during her high school years. The Liberals made a bold choice. The chose Mariam Manaa, a young Muslim woman who wears her hijab most of the time and is active and effective within the Muslim community.
She defeated Halton District School Board Chair Andrea Grebenc who we believe was seen as the favourite.
What was it that had the Burlington Liberals choose Manaa? She got the most votes – does that translates into her bringing more people into Liberal Party membership?
The problem with the process the Liberals used for creating membership was that anyone could become a member. All you had to do was prove you lived in Burlington and you were a member.
Membership in the Ontario Liberal Party is open to all residents of Ontario who are 14 years of age or older.
A savvy political wannabe would call every BEST Friend Forever they had and encourage them to join the Liberal Party and vote for them as the candidate.
It becomes a popularity contest – the candidate with the most members (friends) can expect to win the nomination.
Did Manaa do what any smart politician would do, which is to is get out and round up every breathing body you can find and urge them to become a member?
And once a member, ask them to vote for you as the nominee when the election deciding who the candidate is to be takes place.
Anybody who lives in Burlington could become a Liberal. And I mean anybody.
There was no membership fee, no oath or even a pledge to accept and support a set of principles and objectives.
 The idea at the time seems to have been: let anyone become a member and once we know who they are they can be nurtured and grown into a campaign worker, perhaps a financial donor and, heck, maybe even become the candidate in a riding that will take anyone as the candidate because they haven’t got a hope in hell of winning the constituency.
Did Manaa dig deeply in the Muslim community and create more members than Grebenc?
We will never know. The Burlington Provincial Liberal party proved to be very poor messengers this time out.
The election results for nominations are never made public.
Nor does the party association say a word about who brought in the most new members. Those that became members don’t declare who they are supporting.
It would be interesting to know just how many new members the Burlington Liberals brought in.
There isn’t much evidence on which to make assumptions.
The issue for the Burlington Liberals is can Mariam Manaa beat Jane McKenna and if she does, on what issue will she win?
 Will the just-below-the-surface racism in Burlington rear its ugly head and fail to look at the merit of each candidate?
Recent elections in Burlington have gotten very dirty and have resulted in Municipals Act, Elections Act and Criminal Code offence charges being laid.
The objective in politics is to win the seat and hope that the party wins enough seats to form a government.
The Gazette knows of one person who is not and never will be a Liberal – but joined the Party nevertheless in order to be able to cast a ballot against a specific candidate.
Another, who is politically svelte, joined to vote for a particular candidate but would never work to get her elected.
With the membership determined it is then up to candidates who seek the party nomination to convince those members to vote for them as the candidate.
We don’t know if a membership was made available to the candidates.
 It’s a little like setting out to see how many likes you can get on your Facebook page. Do they mean anything?
The process strikes me as devoid of any principles or values. At the federal level those values are difficult to find but that is another story.
We look forward to how Mariam Manaa positions herself and tells her story.
Seeing someone from the diverse (what a terrible word – is there not a better one?) community seeking our vote is progress for Burlington.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Pepper Parr
June 26th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
If one follows main line media, the big guys in the bigger population centres, there is a federal election in the making with plans to cause one to take place well underway within the Liberal Party who currently serve as a minority government.
That they have been in place for just two years is an inconvenient fact –this is politics – they call it a blood sport for a reason. Politics is about power – a majority is a thing of beauty for a government.
Justin Trudeau and his merry band have determined that they can serve us all if they can just get a chance to govern the way they want to govern.
Elections Canada, the organization that runs federal elections has issued documents that include suggestions such as campaigners keeping at least two metres from others and avoiding handshakes and the distribution of pamphlets and buttons. When that level of detail is issued – you know that the election planning is well underway.
It is the view of the Gazette that Justin has turned out to be less than the politician his father was and that his time as a Prime Minister should come to an end.
We hope that Burlington’s MP, Karina Gould, speaks out against an election at this time in caucus meetings. That is the one place where she can speak her mind.
In public, she is a member of Cabinet and required to support the team.
Should an election take place in the fall and should the Liberals get returned as a minority Justin Trudeau should do the right thing, fall on his sword and find something else to do.
We should wish for at least that.
We should be demanding that this government remain, do the best they can until the pandemic comes to an end and then go to the people asking to be returned based on how well they got the country through the pandemic, how well they have done with the economy and what they have chosen to do with the critical issue we all face with the Aboriginal community.
We have stiffed these people for far too long. They need and deserve the water in their homes that we all have in ours. And they deserve homes that have taps and toilets that use the water.
Some think that as a demographic the Aboriginal community is not as productive as it needs to be. If that is the case, and it is far from proven, it is because we created the conditions that made them that way.
Every Remembrance Day we celebrate, honour and remember those we lost in wars to defend the democracy we have, yet we seem to be having difficulty doing what has to be done to celebrate, honour and remember those who were laid in graves at such an early age.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
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