 By Ashley Worobec
August 13th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
I had another great week of training this week, capped off by my weekend long run this morning.
 It was a drop-back week for me, meaning that the distance on my long run decreased slightly- this allows the body to recover a bit while still gaining fitness, and is a big component of proper training. Periodization of training helps to avoid injuries and helps to improve performance and fitness gains- in fact, your body repairs itself with rest and that is where improvement lies. Do the work, rest, repeat. That meant this weekend was a 16km long run, whereas next weekend I’ll jump up to 24km.
 Dundurn stairs (326 stairs) The long run today incorporated 4 of the 5 sets of escarpment stairs in Hamilton; if your readers want a unique fitness challenge and have never tried the Hamilton stairs, they should definitely check out this local gem.
 It’s fun in the summer – wait until late October. All year round, people flock to these stairs to perform their workouts- there are 5 sets along the escarpment, and today we did the Wentworth stairs (498 stairs), James Street stairs (227 stairs), Dundurn stairs (326 stairs), and Chedoke stairs (289 stairs). Altogether, that equals 1340 stairs, or 101 flights, mixed in amongst that 16km run!
Another thing that I wanted to mention was the importance of planning ahead. This week had a few wrenches thrown into my regular routine, but I made sure to schedule in my runs and my workouts like a non-negotiable appointment.
My family had a 2-day/1-night getaway early in the week, so I ran early in the morning before we left home instead of missing my run altogether. Additionally, our dog got sprayed by a skunk in our backyard late one evening, which could’ve easily derailed my run plans the next morning, as I had to help my husband and deal with the cleanup of that.
  But, the runs were in my calendar, and I’m nothing if not committed to my goals. I still ran, and then I dealt with the dog situation more fully when I got home! I’m proud of my consistency through the first part of this marathon training cycle, and my activity tracker tells me that I ran 186kms in the month of July, which was all 17 of my 17 scheduled runs. You’ll see as this training plan progresses, that that’s not always going to be the case- life happens, and sometimes circumstances can’t be worked around, but I’m proving to myself and hopefully to others, that big goals like this are attainable if you stick with it. Consistency, not perfection.
Mornings are getting darker for my 5:30am starts, but the sun is always up by the time I get home, and I’m still appreciative that I can head out the door in a pair of shorts and a tank top rather than the layers that winter running brings. I’m looking forward to Fall and challenging myself with some bigger distances.
 By Pepper Parr
August 9th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
It took a while for the crowd to show up – but when they did they filled the room at the Conservation Authority offices to hear what ward 3 Councillor Rory Nisan had to say about the plans that were made public earlier in the week to turn the quarry on the Second Side Road into a public park.
It was a Standing room only event with Nisan standing before the crowd answering questions as best he could.
He was joined by Burlington Planning Director Heather MacDonald who explained the rules that were in place and what had to be done by whom and when.
MacDonald explained that at this point there was no application for anything from the Quarry. There was a letter about which she said nothing.
 Heather MacDonald – Director of Planning MacDonald set out the protocol:
There is a pre-consultation meeting with the applicant. They set out in broad terms what they want to do and what they will be applying for.
The Planners tell them what they have to produce in the way of reports – there are a number of reports that have to be submitted by the applicant.
When all the reports are in and accepted the applicant is required to hold a public meeting which will, MacDonald assured the audience, will be heavily promoted. The city mails out the notices.
It is only after that public meeting has taken place that the city will actually begin processing the application.
Just what it is that Nelson Quarry wants to do is not exactly clear – they have published information on a web site that has been put up.
The link to that web site is: https://www.mtnemoquarrypark.com/
 An architectural rendering of what the mined out quarry could look like when it is mined out and flooded – a lake in a park setting. The content of the web site can be changed at any moment. At best it is an indicator.
Councillor Nisan was at first a little conflicted with what he could say and couldn’t say. He chose to fall back on one of his election campaign promises – to protect the Escarpment.
He took the position that he wanted to hear what the people in the room had to say.
 Ward 3 Councillor Rory Nisan was at the meeting he called to listen to his constituents. “I want to hear from you guys. This is about you guys”
One women said “We know this is coming – what can we do to prepare?.
There was no advice from the Councillor.
The best advise the crowd was given came from Roger Goulet who was one of the leading voices of the PERL – Protecting Escarpment and Rural Lands.
Do your homework, said Goulet. Read all the reports that are submitted; question everything – go deeper and deeper into the details.
Asked if he had talked to the MPP – Nisan said “not yet” He did tell the audience that “you are going to need to be out there advocating”.
Nor had Nisan talked to or met with anyone from the Quarry even though they are reported to have reached out to the Councillor.
Nisan told the audience that he “could not tell them what his position was” that he needed more time to get all the facts.
There was never any sense that the Council member was going to be part of the team that would lead the battle; but he was going to protect the Escarpment.
More than a dozen people spoke of the damage done to their homes from the blasting done in the quarry. Windows crack, wells get put out of alignment, and dishes rattle in cupboards.
The constant heavy truck traffic with drivers that are much more aggressive was making things worse.
 Burlington Springs Golf Course – has it been sold? There were conflicting views on whether or not the golf course had actually been sold to Nelson Quarry. One speaker said the owner is my neighbour and he said he had sold it – others had different stories.
Several said representatives from the quarry were going door to door, in some cases asking for water and earth samples which a real estate agent in the room said they did not have to give – “Just tell them to get off your property. That agent added that the announcement of a quarry expansion would lower the value of properties.
There was a lot of information being bandied about – much of which couldn’t be validated.
What was clear was that the residents didn’t have the leadership they needed and it didn’t look as if much in the way of leadership was going to come from the council member.
 Isabelle Harmer on the left. Several of those who fought long and hard to win at the Joint Application Review Tribunal in 2012 were in the room. Isabelle Harmer spoke on several occasions urging people to get out organize. Harmer will be as supportive as she can.
No one wanted to talk about the park that was being proposed. The concern was with the damage that would be done if an expansion of the quarry were to take place.
At some point the quarry will be mined out and the water will rise. Most of the people in the room last night seemed quite content to let that happen.
By Ashley Worobec
August 5th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Had a great week again this week, the pinnacle of which happened on my Sunday long run.
 Just for the record This week’s long run was 22km, and my training group did what we call the “Pier run”: this means our route included four piers- the Brant Street pier, both lift bridge piers (one on either side of the canal), and the LaSalle Park marina pier.
It was a gorgeous morning and we started at 7am while most of the City was still asleep on this sunny long weekend. Nutrition is a huge part of a long run like that, and I took in a lot of water, a bit of Gatorade, and a couple of gels while on my run.
My favourite gel is a natural product called Endurance Tap, and it’s only got three ingredients- maple syrup, sea salt, and ginger. They are a Canadian company and I love them so much that I’m a brand ambassador for them. They sit well in my stomach and don’t give me any GI upset that can be common in long-distance running.
When running for so long, your body shunts blood away from your digestive system and prioritizes it into your muscles, so sometimes it’s tough to take in needed nutrition while on the run.
 Solid breakfast I’ve included a picture of the breakfast I ate after this particular run, a variation of which I eat many days each week- eggs for protein, spinach for iron, strawberries for antioxidants, sweet potatoes for carbs, peanut butter for fat, and coffee for coffee!
One other thing to note this week is that I changed my running shoes. I keep track of my mileage, and most recommendations advise changing shoes after 500-800km. I hit 800km on my current pair, and while they still look good on the outside, I know that’s enough mileage that they’ve done their work and taken a beating.
 The running shoe that has never let her down. Since a big focus for me right now is injury prevention, I don’t want to make a silly training error like that that’s so preventable. I always have a couple of pairs of running shoes sitting in my closet, as I buy them when I find them on sale throughout the year, and then they’re there for me when I need them. When I find a shoe that I like, I’ll often buy a few pairs at a time, as running shoe manufacturers often make changes to their shoes with each new yearly edition.
I run in Mizuno shoes; they are narrow and fit my foot well.
Now, to sleep and recover!
By Ashley Worobec
July 30th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Friday, July 26th marked 100 days until the NYC marathon.
100 days might not sound like much, but it still means more than another three months of solid training.
The goal for me throughout this training is to focus on proper recovery and injury prevention, so I’m doing a lot to support those goals.
I try to get to a yoga class once per week, or do some yoga and mobility work in my backyard. Running inherently tightens everything up, and I feel like my muscles and joints move better if I continue to focus on mobility – it only takes a few minutes to see the benefits, and I really advocate this under-utilized component of athleticism to all of my patients.
 The general rule is that dynamic stretching (stretching that involves movement, like walking lunges, marching and leg swings) is best to be done before activity, whereas static stretching (stretch and hold movements, like the downward dog seen in my photo) is best to be done after activity.
 I am also really trying to focus on sleep, and that 9 hours you see on my Garmin reading happened the night after a 20km run (my longest run to date in this training plan).
Sleep is when our body rebuilds itself, and since marathon training is so catabolic (breaks down muscle), sleep helps to rebuild that damage and repair stressed tissues.
My long run will build up again this weekend to 22km, and then I’ll have a recovery week of a 16km long run- this method of a few weeks of mileage buildup, followed by a recovery week where mileage is decreased, is called “periodization of training,” and it is used across many training domains, including running and weight-lifting.
RECOVERY is key, you cannot expect your body to just do more and more and more without giving it a break periodically.
Another important component of my training right now is building leg strength and power, and this is done with hill running (trills, or trail hills, as noted below).
Although the NYC Marathon route is not known for it’s hills, the number of bridges (and therefore bridge ascents) that we have to cross is deceiving, and there is 10km of ascent throughout the 42.2km route!
Hill training, and the benefit of leg strength, is very important if I’m going to make it up those bridges.
 By Staff
July 30th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
This afternoon, on Tuesday, July 30, 2019, at 2 p.m. City of Burlington aquatics staff noticed an odour.
Staff cleared the pool and evacuated approximately 40 people outside the pool and splash pad perimeter.
Staff called 9-1-1 and fire, ambulance, police and the health department responded at 2:13 p.m..
 The facility at LaSalle Park is very popular. Eighteen individuals were assessed on scene and seven people were transported to hospital for further evaluation.
It has been determined that during routine maintenance, water levels had dropped causing disinfectant to enter the pool at higher than normal levels, but still within the recommended range. The levels have since been further lowered. The City is reviewing this incident to prevent future incidents.
The Burlington Fire department inspected and tested the entire perimeter of the pool for air quality and deemed all levels to be safe.
At this time, the Halton Region Health Department is on scene. The wading pool and splash pad will reopen once approved by the health department. The City expects to reopen the pool tomorrow at 11 a.m. once it has been tested, inspected and confirmed safe.
The above is the city’s story – and they will stick to it until an independent authority takes a closer look and asks some “why’s” about how disinfectant levels are determined.
By Pepper Parr
July 24th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Ashley Worobec, a Burlington based sports chiropractor, is training for the New York marathon on November 3rd; as she puts it “15 weeks from yesterday”.
Ashley is about four weeks into this training cycle. She is very much a half-marathoner and 10k runner and didn’t start a training plan with no fitness under her belt. “I was comfortably running 5-10km a few times per week before training “officially” kicked off mid-June.
 Will Ashley Worobec go through a pair of running shoes while she trains? “I run 4-5 times per week, with one long run per week that will gradually increase in length; this past weekend was 18km with a 37C humidex!
 All the training data she needs is on her wrist. “My longest training run will be in the 36-38km range, and a full marathon is 42.2km- the marathon is unique in this respect, as it’s the only race that athletes go into not having completed the full distance in training ahead of time- the reality is that the risk of injury just gets too high when you get up into those super long runs, so race-day adrenaline and sheer willpower will get me through the last few kms of the marathon.
 The Naval Promenade along the edge of the lake in Spencer Smith Park is ground zero for much of her training – rain or shine Ashley has run five full marathons in the past, including the Boston marathon in 2003. However, she I hasn’t run a full marathon since 2007, and “in that 12-year gap I’ve had two children and have a lot less free time now! I do all of my runs very early in the morning (5:30am meetups with my running group) and that’s how I make it work.”
A lot of people have been asking me how I train through the summer heat, and this is my advice:
1- focus on hydration the day before your run so that you’re hydrated heading into it.
2- bring water with you, or arrange to have access to water fountains along your route
3- start early to beat as much of the heat as you can
4- be mindful of your route and keep in mind that shaded areas, or areas along the lake (with a lake breeze!) are typically cooler
5- don’t worry about your pace per kilometer, just run by feel and listen to your body.
Ashley will be checking in with the Gazette every week. We will follow her on run day as well.
By Pepper Parr
July 18th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
How do you start a marathon when there are 52,000 people competing?
That was the question we asked Ashley Worobec, a sports chiropractor who practices in Burlington and has been accepted as a competitor for the New York City Marathon which is a 42km run that winds its way through all five New York City boroughs starting on Staten Island.
 42 km marathon that will cover all five New York City Burroughs – with 52,000 runners.
Ashley Worobec, sports chiropracter Ashley was a participant in the Torch run during the 2015 Pan American games and has run the Boston Marathon.
She expects that her time in the New York Marathon will be in the 31/2 hour range.
The marathon selection is usually a lottery draw – she qualified at a half marathon run in Mississauga where her time was verified.
Why is she doing this? Not sure was the first part of her answer – to which she added that the challenge was a bog and given that she had not run a marathon since 2007 – two children will do that, she decided she was ready to get back into the game.
With her son now 10 and her daughter 7 – Ashley feels she can get away and do something her kids will understand.
The Gazette has decided to follow the 16 week prep time to the run which takes place November 3rd and then to cover the event as live as we can.
Each week we will be doing a piece on where she is in the prep event.
 By Staff
June 14th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Things are looking up for the kids who want to use the ball diamonds – there is just one park with a shut down notice attached to it:
Champlain Park D1
 This is why we have ball diamonds. While the kids are out playing the techies at city hall have advised that the Parking forms feature on the city web site will be shut down on Wednesday, June 19, 2019 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. while they do some maintenance offline.
This will affect some online forms. Parking forms will be offline and not available during the maintenance.
• Parking Ticket Payment
• Parking Permit Renewals
• Parking Exemption
No word on what is being done to the banking software that someone had their way with in May.
 By Staff
June 7th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The consistent rain and cool temperatures has created the ideal environment for growing grass at a fast pace; it has also created conditions that make it very difficult for the City to service the parks, primarily cutting the grass.
In some park areas, the ground is too wet for the equipment to cut the grass without sinking into the soil, creating issues with rutting and equipment getting stuck.
Once the grass is long, it does take extra time to cut in order to prevent damage to the equipment from overheating.
Mary Battaglia, Director of Roads, Parks and Forestry Department and the person responsible for ensuring that the parks and sports fields are usable explains that: “Given the conditions with rain, it is likely going to be a few weeks before we are able to get the grass cutting under control and return to normal cutting rotations.
“Unfortunately, we’re at the mercy of Mother Nature and we are doing our best to work under the current conditions. Everyone’s patience is appreciated while staff work to address this situation.”
 Spongy grounds and long grass is making it difficult to keep the grounds in decent shape. Those wet conditions have playing and multi-use fields un-usable.
As a result the following grass multi-use fields and ball diamonds are closed today:
• Brant Hills Park D1, D2, D3, F1
• Breckon Park D1
• Cavendish Park D1
• Champlain Park D1
• Fothergill Woods Park D1
• Frontenac Park F1
• Gary Allen High School Park F2
• General Brock Park D1
• Hidden Valley Park D1
• Lansdown Park D1, F1
• Leighland Park D1, D2
• M.M. Robinson High School Fields
• Maple Park F1
• Mohawk Park D1
• Nelson Park Casey Cosgrove Baseball Field (D1)
• Newport Park F1
• Ryerson Park D1
• Sheldon Park D1, F1
• Skyway Park D2
• Wellington Park F2
 By Staff
June 5th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The City of Burlington hosting two youth sporting events that will result in the closing of the Nelson Pool on June 9, July 6 and July 7.
SunRype TRiKiDS Triathlon is June 9.
 The butterfly being done the way it is supposed to be done. Burlington Aquatic Devilrays are hosting a swim meet on July 6 and 7.
Anyone wanting to enjoy a swim or spray pad on those days are encouraged to visit any of our other many indoor and outdoor pools and spray pads. For a listing of locations and schedules, please visit burlington.ca/waterplay.
The City of Burlington encourages people of all ages to get outside and play. Help Burlington become the Most Active Community in Canada.
Take ParticipACTION Community Better Challenge and track your activities. All you need to do is download the free app at participACTIONapp.com.
By Staff
June 5th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlassic Park public viewings confirmed for Games 3 and 4 moving to Central Park Bandshell
The local broadcasting of games 3 and 4 of the NBA finals that has Toronto’s Raptors facing the Oakland Golden State Warriors in a seven game series that is now tied at one game each will be taking place at the Bandshell in Central Park due to construction at City Hall
 Golden State Warrior stadium in Oakland California – better viewing in Burlington. Games 5, 6 and 7 will be at Civic Square in downtown Burlington.
The following are the dates, times and locations for Burlassic Park NBA Finals public viewing parties:
Game 3 Wednesday, June 5: Central Park Bandshell. Viewing party begins at 8:30 p.m.
Game 4 Friday, June 7: Central Park Bandshell. Viewing party begins at 8:30 p.m.
Game 5: Monday, June 10. Civic Square. Viewing party begins at 8:30 p.m.
Game 6: Thursday, June 13. Civic Square. Viewing party begins at 8:30 p.m.
Game 7: Sunday, June 16. Civic Square Viewing party begins at 7:30 p.m.
 Construction at city “viewing party” has moved to the Band shell at Central Park. The City of Burlington will be hosting game viewings rain or shine. As the games are likely to go beyond 11 p.m., City Council has granted a Noise Bylaw exemption for all days.
Road Closures
For all games at Civic Square, Brant Street will be closed from James to Elgin Streets from one hour before the viewing parties begin and will be reopened soon after the game is over.
Event updates will be available on the City of Burlington social media accounts and residents are encouraged to following along for event shares via the hashtag #burlassicpark
By Chris Wardlow
June 4th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The New York Mets are harboring some strange concerns regarding the practices of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
 Do the Dodgers know something about the pitching done by other teams? Following a 9-5 loss last Monday at Dodgers Stadium, the visitors told the New York Post that they suspected that the opposition might have known what was coming as they knew exactly how to swing. According to the Mets, It was almost as if they’d known the pitch sequences and arm slots prior to the game. Basically, they asserted that the Dodgers had some sort of system or technology that enabled them to steal signs.
 RIGGLEMAN believes the Dodgers have “a system that helps get them some signs and stuff” Bench coach Jim Riggleman told the aforementioned publication he believes the Dodgers have “a system that helps get them some signs and stuff”. He would add that he didn’t think whatever that system is is illegal, noting that the Dodgers do a good job of picking things up.
Manager Mickey Callaway echoed pretty much the same, saying that the Los Angeles side always seem to know what’s coming, with offset pitches the only thing that can throw them off, while scouts have also picked up on the fact that the Dodgers are making the correct guess on many of their big plays.
The following night, though, the Mets were able to come out on top, claiming a 7-3 victory to avenge Monday’s loss. Pitcher Steven Matz, who’s having quite the resurgent period, played a much better game on Tuesday night.
Matz did not follow a sequence and, after the game, he told the Post that he changed speeds and pitched backward to keep the hitters off balance.
The Mets did not win another contest during the four-game series, losing 9-8 on Wednesday and 2-0 on Thursday. And, during the final game of the series, someone from the Dodgers’ dugout evoked laughter from all in earshot after suggesting that they should turn on the camera.
Apparently, the Mets didn’t only suspect the Dodgers of stealing signs; they investigated, somewhat. Their general manager Brodie Van Wagenen and pitcher Jacob deGrom were both spotted inspecting the tower of speakers beyond Dodger Stadium’s center-field wall before Thursday’s clash.
If the Dodgers do have some system that allows them to wise up on opposition sequences, then they’ve put it to very good use. They’re the best offensive team in the National League at the moment and Betway is offering odds of +175 on them winning the National League Championship series. You could check out www.onlinesportbetting.ca for the best baseball bets, as well as bets on all major sports.
The Mets, meanwhile, are garnering odds of +1800 to win the NLCS from Betway and have a National League bottom half ERA ranking of 4.54 (at the time of writing). They will probably find it hard to convince anyone the Dodgers gained an advantage by stealing their signs and persons from other teams aren’t exactly sold on the notion.
 Kapler “no room for paranoia”. Philadephia Phillies manager Gabe Kapler, for one, was in no mood to have the Dodgers’ home ground inspected for sign-stealing tech ahead of his side’s 6-3 loss on Friday, declaring that there’s no room for paranoia in his system.
It looks like the Mets are on their own for this one.
By Staff
June 3rd, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
On Friday, June 14, 2019, students from the Halton District School Board will participate in the 32nd Annual Special Athletes’ Track Meet at Garth Webb Secondary School (2820 Westoak Trails Blvd, Oakville). The track meet for athletes with physical and developmental challenges will take place from 9:30 a.m. – -2 p.m. Opening ceremonies begin at 10 a.m.
 Concentration! This year, more than 320 athletes are expected to participate, a significant increase considering only 12 athletes participated when the event began in 1987. Coaches, school staff and home school peers, friends, family members and volunteers provide support and encouragement for the athletes.
The Special Athletes’ events include 50m/100m races, softball throw (precision and distance), bean bag throw, Bocce (traditional), T-ball, and Frisbee throw.
 Effort! Additional events and stations have been added to the schedule including hoops/ropes and sensory exploration stations.
This event provides Special Athletes with an opportunity to demonstrate their skills and celebrate their successes with fellow students, friends and family. The Optimist Clubs of Halton Hills, Milton, Oakville and Burlington will be donating and serving hot dogs, hamburgers and cold drinks at the meet.
The rain/heat date for this event will be Tuesday, June 18, 2019 at Garth Webb Secondary School.
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By Staff
June 3rd, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
It is going to be a great evening to watch a basketball game with everyone glued to a TV screen and really pumped.
It didn’t work out quite that way but Councillor Nisan did say it was ‘Raptors in 6”
What few people will know is that the whistles being used by the referees is a Canadian product developed by Ron Foxcroft and manufactured in Canada.
Foxcroft spent his early years as a referee and came to the conclusion that a better whistle was necessary – the result was the Fox40.
These whistles are also wired up to stop the clock every time a referee blows.
 Foxcroft kept a net in his office – was never sure when he was going to be called back to the courts. And to think none of this would have happened if Foxcroft hadn’t have been a basketball referee who several times had the pea in his whistle get stuck, including in the gold medal game in the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
“I decided I needed to design a whistle that didn’t ever get stuck,” said the Hamilton and Burlington businessman, who earlier this year was bestowed with Canada’s highest honour of being made a companion of the Order of Canada.
Certainly the man known in basketball circles as Foxy has used his whistle in some big games, including in his decades as an NCAA referee.
 Foxcroft testing one of his Fox 40 whistles. He was on the court for the first game a guy named Michael Jordan played at the University of North Carolina in 1981.
He has also refereed an NBA exhibition game and went on to be an NBA official’s game performance evaluator.
“The Raptors are doing something that others have not been able to do,” Foxy mused. “They are uniting the whole country. There is no debate from people of all walks of life over their love of the Toronto Raptors.”
“It will be emotional,” he said. “As a Canadian, it’s a dream come true to see basketball being the focus.”
 Foxcroft gave Queen Elizabeth one of the Fox 40 whistles when he was presented to her. Back in his refereeing days, the Americans he worked NCAA games with teased: Shouldn’t you be refereeing that violent game with the slippery surface?
He laughs now, because who would have ever known the whistle he invented would be in the middle of every NBA game, no matter who is playing?
Or that a Canadian team would be just three wins from an NBA title?
Burlington’s Burlassic Park public viewings confirmed for entire NBA Finals series
By Staff
June 1st, 2019
BURLINGTON,, ON
According to city hall, “Burlington’s Burlassic Park roared with excitement as over 2000 people came out to cheer on the Toronto Raptors and celebrate the historic win of Game 1 of the NBA Finals.”
The City of Burlington wants to continue to share Canada’s moment with Burlington residents and is all in to host free public viewings for every NBA Finals game.
 Don’t see 2000 people in this picture – the two buildings centre background will be a lot taller five years from now – 24 storeys taller. The following are the dates, times and locations for Burlassic Park NBA Finals public viewing parties:
Game 2 Sunday, June 2: Civic Square 7:30 p.m.
Game 3 Wednesday, June 5: Central Park Bandshell 8:30 p.m.
Game 4 Friday, June 7: Location to be determined next week. 8:30 p.m.
Games 5, 6 and 7: Civic Square (if needed and the Raptors do not take the series in 4 games)
Games 5 and 6 public viewing parties would start at 8:30 p.m. and
Game 7 at 7:30 p.m.
The City of Burlington will be hosting game viewings rain or shine. As the games are likely to go beyond 11 p.m., City Council has granted a Noise Bylaw exemption for all days.
 Can’t see a pop corn stand in this picture. Event updates will be available on the City of Burlington social media accounts and residents are encouraged to following along for event shares via the hashtag #burlassicpark
Twitter: @cityburlington
Facebook: @cityburlington
Instagram: @cityburlington
Councillor Rory Nisan said “The Raptors are on track and Burlington is stepping up, making Burlassic Park the spot to be for the rest of the NBA finals. Let’s show the Raps how much we support them with an even bigger crowd for Game 2 and through the rest of the series.”
By Staff
May 30th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
 Pathways in Paletta Park are being eroded. It isn’t just the ball parks that are having water problems: The Beachway, LaSalle Park and parts of Paletta are closed due to high water levels.
The Burlington Beach Regional Waterfront Park—the Beachway—is closed until further notice due to high water levels. The closure includes all beach rentals and services.
 Shoreline in the Beachway is being ereoded. The closure takes place to protect public safety and will remain until the lake-level goes down. There is significant sand erosion and debris at the shoreline.
At this time, the playground, concessions, washrooms, parking and the recreational trail will remain open.
The lake-level is approaching the recorded all-time high of 2017, and it is anticipated to continue to rise.
City staff will be removing the floating public docks at LaSalle Park. A contracted crane service will be performing the dock removals which is tentatively scheduled for Friday, May 31. The public boat launch will stay open and the docks will be re-installed once the lake-level has returned to normal.
 Washouts along with Groyne Trail at LaSalle Park LaSalle Park, west and south of the Sailing Club, the stone dust trail has been closed due to The pedestrian bridge on the Groyne Trail has been locked closed and barricades are in place.
 Docks at LaSalle will be taken out of the water until levels fall. Trail access at Paletta Park remains closed along the east side of the park, as well as a section of trail on the west side of Shoreacres Creek at the waterfront, where shoreline erosion has occurred.
Murray Cameron, Manager of Parks Operations explains that rain has raised Lake Ontario water levels; everyone is being asked to stay away from the beach until the water is low enough for us to at least get a clean-up crew in place.
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By Pepper Parr
May 29th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
For a city that basically drove the amateur baseball team out of town and into the welcoming arms of the city of Welland – hearing that the Mayor is agog at the plans to cheer on the Toronto Raptors as they begin their run for the NBA championship.
 Amateur baseball team in a league with a 100 year history wasn’t able to get the support it needed from the city – they moved to Welland. The Burlington HERD just couldn’t make it work with what they saw as a dismal level of support from the city.
Folks are invited to Civic Square for a free viewing party for Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals.
The public space on the south side of City Hall by Brant Street will come alive as residents are invited to join in the fun and together watch the Toronto Raptors take on the Golden State Warriors for Game 1 Thursday, May 30.
Viewing party for Game 1 starts at 8:30 p.m. The City will also host a Game 2 viewing at ‘Burlassic Park’ on Sunday, June 2 starting at 7:30 p.m. Game viewings will be held rain or shine.
 Civic Square to be turned into an outdoor theatre with big screens and perhaps pop corn – while the city cheers on the Raptors as they make a run for the NBA championship. Mayor Meed Ward thinks this is “awesome! Thank you to our amazing city staff who was able to pull this together in such a very short time. The Toronto Raptors playing in it’s first-ever NBA Finals is our generation’s moment. It’s Canada’s moment. I’m so glad we’re able to bring this free, all ages, national celebration to our city.
Bringing our community together to celebrate sports, arts and culture is just as important as the other things we do at the City of Burlington. Very exciting.”
 Raptors in six? Councillor Rory Nisan maintains: “The entire country is on board for the Raptors drive to the championship with over three million Canadians watching the team win the conference finals. There are a lot of fans in our city so I knew we had to do our own Jurassic Park to show the team we’re behind them and to make the most of our first finals appearance. Raps in six.”
 By Staff
May 27th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
If there are yoga exercises being done on Sundays then summer weather must be here.
 They were done in Civic Square in the past –they have moved to a location outside the Performing Arts Centre – 440 Locust Street
Kicks-off June 2nd!
Runs every Sunday | 10am – 11am
Fit in the Core is back again for the summer beginning June 2nd! Join us for free fitness featuring a different class & instructor every Sunday outside the Burlington Performing Arts Centre. All you need to bring is a mat & water bottle.
This event will be canceled in the event of rain. Please stay tuned to social media @DTBurlingtonOn (Twitter, Facebook & Instagram) for cancellation announcements in addition to our webpage.
By Staff
May 24th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
The condition of the sports fields is looking a little better.
 The amount of rain the City has had over the past few weeks, (there was a point where more than ten sports fields were closed) the following Grass Multi-use Fields and Ball Diamonds remain closed today:
• Maple Park F1
• Orchard Community Park F1
• Pearson High School West Soccer Field
• Tom Thompson Diamond
All other fields are open.
By Staff
May 22, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Due to the amount of rain the City has had over the past few weeks, the following Grass Multi-use Fields and Ball Diamonds remain closed today:
• Berton Park F1
• Berwick Green Park D1
• Brada Woods Park D1
• Brant Hills Park D3, F1, F2, F3
• Clarksdale Park D1
• Frontenac Park F1
• General Brock Park D1
• Ireland Park F3, F4
• Kerns Park D1, D2
• Kilbride Park D1, D3, F1
• Landsdown Park D1, F1
• Leighland Park D1, D2
• Lowville Park D1
• Maple Park F1
• Millcroft Park D3
• Newport Park F1
• Orchard Community Park F1
• Palmer Park F1
• Pearson High School Fields
• Sheldon Park D1, F1
• Sherwood Forest Park D1
• Skyway Park D2
• Tom Thompson Diamond
• Wellington Park F2
All other fields are open.
Not much left to use is there?
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But, the runs were in my calendar, and I’m nothing if not committed to my goals. I still ran, and then I dealt with the dog situation more fully when I got home! I’m proud of my consistency through the first part of this marathon training cycle, and my activity tracker tells me that I ran 186kms in the month of July, which was all 17 of my 17 scheduled runs. You’ll see as this training plan progresses, that that’s not always going to be the case- life happens, and sometimes circumstances can’t be worked around, but I’m proving to myself and hopefully to others, that big goals like this are attainable if you stick with it. Consistency, not perfection.
