 By Pepper Parr
July 31st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The CNE has been running their Rising Star Talent Competition program since 1987.
Each year young boys and girls from across the province enter the competition that runs for xx days at the Canadian National Exhibition.
The talent competition showcases young artists between the ages of 6 to 21
Contestants are judged on their natural ability, audience appeal, stage presence and the quality of their performance
Erica Pickering, a 12 year old grade 7 student at Sacred Heart where she says her best subjects are English and languages is a Rising Star contestant.
Erica puts in 25 hours a week on training but doesn’t talk in terms of a dance career for herself. She likes the look of interior design and decorating but is typical for a girl hr age – she is “considering her options”
 Erica Pickering, a contestant in the CNE Rising Star competition. Erica sings and dances and does some acting; commercial work is something she thinks she might like to do. She sees herself as a “triple threat”
Erica has this pixie look to her. The photographs of her as a performer are not the girl that you talk to in the back yard of her home.
The Erica on a stage has a very polished professional look to her.
In an interview she is confident; doesn’t look to her Mother for the answers to questions and doesn’t hesitate to tell you what she thinks – and does so very politely.
“Dancing is hard work” she will tell you but she must be doing something right: she was one of the top five in the Atlantic City event.
Now it is on to the CNE competition which is an event you must apply to for consideration.
There are usually more than 100 participants in the numerous categories.
The event is described as a “nice show” one that doesn’t have the meanness that is often seen on the events that have a reality aspect to them.
That is so Canadian: decent, polite, clean and fun – which pretty well sums up Erica Pickering.
The Gazette will follow her performances.
The Rising Star schedule is:
Junior Preliminaries: Friday August 18 – Monday August 21
Junior Semi-Finals: Monday August 28 & Tuesday August 29
Junior Finals: Saturday September 2
Youth Preliminaries: Tuesday August 22 – Sunday August 27
Youth Semi-Finals: Wednesday August 30 – Friday September 1
Youth Finals: Sunday September 3
The Grand Champion of the junior competition will receive $1,000. The Grand Champion of the youth competition will receive $2,500.
Youth division is 13 – 21 years of age ; the Junior division is 6 – 12 years old
 By Staff
July 30th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The 2017 regular season for the InterCounty Baseball League (IBL) comes to a close later this week with the playoff series to follow.
At this point the teams to watch are the Barrie Baycats who have gone 33-2 and the Toronto Maple Leafs who are the only team to beat the Baycats – they did that twice.
The Burlington Herd will be playing the London Majors in the quarter finals – the Herd was unable to beat the London Majors during the regular season, which suggests the Majors will move on to play the Toronto Maple Leafs who should take that series and go on to play either Kitchener or Hamilton – Kitchener is favoured to win that series – which gets the league to a final series between the Barrie Baycats and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Leafs will go into that series as the under dogs – expect to see some really good competitive baseball. Worth driving to Toronto to take in a game.
For the die hard Leaf fans they could look upon the baseball games as the whetting of their appetites for the coming hockey season.
The men who swing the bats do not get paid.
Did you know that the men who play for the Inter-County Baseball League (IBL) do not get paid?
IBL compensation rules, 2017 season state that: Payment for playing in the IBL is not allowed. Additionally, compensation is not allowed as an incentive.
The IBL rate for mileage for 2017 season will be a maximum of 0.40 per kilometre. Maximum flat rates for players for the 2017 season is $35.
Non-Canadians, who are unable to legally work, but staying “in town” for the season, may be subsidized for housing and food. The amount for food is not to be greater than $50 per diem and the amount for housing is to be the real cost incurred by the player or the team.
Players cannot accept cash, significant gifts or discounts or any financial compensation from third parties in return for playing in the IBL.
Violation of these rules may result in suspension of the player(s) involved as well as team officials. The team may also face forfeiture of games in which the identified player(s) appeared.
A lot of name changes for the Burlington baseball team – playoff wins have been scarce.
Back in 2010 InterCounty baseball was revived in Burlington when a team named the Twin,who started out in St. Thomas moved to Stratford in 2004 and then moved to Mississauga for the 2008 season and operated there for two years before moving to Burlington in 2011. They were renamed as the Burlington Bandits in 2013 and were taken over by new owners. Two season later the team was once again sold to new owners and renamed the Burlington Herd.
By Staff
July 29th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a dismal way to end the season for the Burlington Herd who struggled to get above the bottom half of the league standings throughout the season.
 New name, new logo, new ownership weren’t enough to put th Herd in top half of the league standings. A new name and new ownership wasn’t enough, the team ended with a 13 – 23 win loss record.
They will play the London Majors during the playoff season.
 London Major player. Photo by Matt Hiscox. The London Majors defeated the Burlington Herd twice on Friday – A game that started on July 20 in Burlington was tied 7-7 when it was called due to darkness. When the game resumed yesterday each team scored once in the 11th, and London added two more in the 13th. That gave London a 10-8 win for the delayed game.
In Friday’s scheduled game, London won 11-1.
The Herd will now play London for the quarter final of the playoff series
Standings
Barrie Baycats 32-1
Kitchener Panthers 27-8
London Majors 24-9
Toronto Maple Leafs 17-17
Brantford Red Sox 15-19
Burlington Herd 13-23
Hamilton Cardinals 8-25
Guelph withdrew.
By Staff
July 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Youth Soccer Club (BYSC) is hosting its “Burli Blast Festival” this Saturday, July 29th to celebrate the end of the soccer season for the U3 – U6 age groups in their Outdoor House League program.
 The Burli Blast Festival is an event dedicated to celebrating the successes and achievements of the players and volunteer coaches over the course of the summer season. There are over 800 players in these age divisions, and with parents and coaches, the expected attendance is upwards of 2,500 people.
Burli Blast will take place from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm at Sherwood Forest Park (at the end of Fairview Street past the Appleby GO station) in Burlington. The festival will feature 60 mini soccer matches and medal presentations spread throughout the morning and afternoon.
 The BYSC has also invited many of its community partners that are providing bouncy castles, carnival games, food, and prizes. The BYSC invites the Burlington community to come out and enjoy the day, regardless of whether your child plays in their programs. An information tent with staff will be in attendance if you have questions about any BYSC programs or if you are interested in registration.
For more information about Burli Blast Festival or other BYSC programs, visit www.burlingtonsoccer.com or call 905-333-0777.
 By Staff
July 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Some 450 athletes, coaches, managers, support staff, technicians and mission staff from across Ontario are set to represent the province at the 2017 Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The Games begin today in Winnipeg.
 It is at events like the Canada Summer Games that athletes get to test themselves; do they have what it takes to move on to International events? Most, if not all, of the Canadian Olympians took part in the summer games – an event held every four years.
Every sport imaginable is played giving young Canadians to move from beyond their community or province to a national stage.
The list of sports played is exhaustive. It includes: Athletics, Baseball, Basketball, Canoe/Kayak, Cycling, Diving, Golf, Rowing, Sailing, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball and Wrestling
Competing at the Canada Summer Games allows Ontario’s athletes to gain the elite competition experience that they need to excel on the world stage. More than 4,000 athletes from all of Canada’s provinces and territories will compete in 16 sports at this year’s Games, which take place from July 28th to August 13th, 2017.
 Ontario’s year-round support for its high performance amateur athletes is part of Game ON: The Ontario Government’s Sport Plan. A key priority of Game ON is our Quest for Gold support for athletes, which provides direct funding to high performance athletes to help with the costs of living, training, sports equipment, coaching and travel to competitions. 105 athletes competing at this year’s Canada Summer Games are receiving Quest for Gold funding.
2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the Canada Games, this country’s largest multi-sport event for young athletes.
Ontario placed first at the 2013 Canada Summer Games in Sherbrooke, Quebec, with 213 medals – 95 Gold, 69 Silver and 49 Bronze.
 By Staff
July 28, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Toronto Maple Leafs scored in seven different innings of their 20-6 victory over the Burlington Herd Thursday night.
For Burlington, Justin Gideon had three hits, an RBI and a run. Ryan Freemantle drove in two and scored once, John Whaley had two RBI, and Matt Schmidt singled twice and had an RBI. Nolan Pettipiece scored twice.
Casey Bouillere-Howard (0-1) gave up nine runs (seven earned) on 13 hits over seven innings. He walked two and struck out two.
 The Leafs seemed to get production out of every player. Zac Orchard went 4-for-6 with a home run, two doubles, three RBI and three runs. Daniel Szpik had three hits, including a home run, four RBI and two runs. Dan Marra singled, doubled and drove in three while scoring twice, Justin Marra had three hits, two RBI and two runs, Jonathan Solazzo went 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI, Tyler Hardie and Ryan White each had two hits and two RBI and combined to score four times.
Julian Johnson singled twice and had an RBI and three runs, and Grant Tamane added a double and scored twice.
Adam Garner (1-0) went seven innings for the win. He scattered three hits and allowed an unearned run while walking one and striking out one.
The Herd hasn’t been out of the bottom half of the league so far this season. The team has just one more game before the league moves into the playoff part of the season.
Looks as if the playoffs are going to be short on the farm.
The playoff schedule will be:
 Barrie Baycats with their 32-1 position get a bye
# 2 plays #7
#3 plays # 6
#4 plays #5
Future games
Friday, July 28
Burlington at London, 6:35 p.m. (completion of suspended game of July 20, tied 7-7)
Burlington at London, 7:35 p.m.
Standings
Barrie Baycats 32-1
Kitchener Panthers 27-7
London Majors 22-9
Toronto Maple Leafs 16-17
Brantford Red Sox 14-19
Burlington Herd 13-21
Hamilton Cardinals 8-24
* Guelph Royals 1-35
* – Ceased operations
By Staff
July 26, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
This August, sixty young men will participate in the Burlington Cougars 2017/18 Training Camp to pursue their hockey dreams of playing Junior A Hockey. These players, who range in age from 16-20 years old, are mostly local players but there are others from across Ontario and beyond who are looking for a place to call home here in Burlington.
The Cougars are looking for homes for up to 8 players that will be on the 2017/18 roster.
The Burlington Cougars Billet, Host Family Program, is a staple to the organization, which allows players from outside the immediate area the opportunity to play at the highest level of junior hockey and have a home away from home. Billet families provide a caring, supportive, family environment for the players with the reward of lifelong relationships.
 “Our billet families provide a home away from home for some of our players, their support of our organization is important to the success of our team. They become lifelong family and friends. They really open their arms to our players and it’s a really awesome and unique thing. ” says Cougars Head Coach Terry Richardson.
Families who join the Cougars billet program are provided with the following:
– a monthly remuneration to assist in offsetting food and other costs
– an invitation to participate in the Cougars Family Appreciation Night event
– two full season tickets per player they host
“The billeting program has been a critical aspect to our program,” said General Manager Alex Bezerra. “It has been a rewarding experience for many of our players over the years. Connections have been made between both players and their families, which will last a lifetime.”
This year the Cougars are looking for homes for up to 8 players that will be on the 2017/18 roster.
Anyone interested in learning more about the billet family program can contact Cougars General Manager Alex Bezerra, at 647-300-0559 or via email abezerra@burlingtoncougarsjrahockey.ca
By Staff
July 26th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Herd took advantage of 13 walks in a 9-4 win over the Hamilton Cardinals Tuesday night.
Burlington collected eight hits but used the free passes to build a 5-0 lead after three innings and a 9-1 advantage in the seventh.
 Giving that incoming ball a close look. John Whaley drove in a pair of runs, and Justin Gideon scored twice and swiped a pair of bases. He also had an RBI.
Ryan Freemantle, Matt McCue and Nolan Pettipiece each singled, scored and had an RBI, while Andrew Mercier drove in a run. Ethan Cummins singled and scored twice.
Rich Corrente (2-3) went six innings and allowed a run on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
Mike Hart singled twice and had an RBI and run for the Cardinals. TJ Baker had a pair of singles, and Connor Bowie went 2-for-2 with an RBI. Luke Tevlin drove in a run and scored once.
Jackson Jones (0-3) took the loss, giving up five runs (two earned) on three hits with eight walks and two strikeouts in five innings.
Future games
Thursday, July 27
Toronto at Burlington, 7:15 p.m.
Standings
Barrie Baycats 30-1
Kitchener Panthers 27-6
London Majors 22-9
Toronto Maple Leafs 15-17
Brantford Red Sox 14-18
Burlington Herd 13-20
Hamilton Cardinals 8-24
* Guelph Royals 1-35
* – Ceased operations
 By Pepper Parr
July 24, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The first ever Halton Everesting challenge Saturday along Kerns Road didn’t end the way organizers had hoped.
After beginning the one-day vertical ‘climb’ of Mount Everest at 4:30 a.m. Saturday, remaining riders George Orfanogiannis and Matt Zielinski had to call the event at lap 69 (just short of 73 laps of the 4.9-kilometre loop)) due to malfunctioning measuring equipment.
What are a bunch of cyclists doing on Kerns Road pretending they are climbing Mount Everest? They were “Everesting”.
George Orfanogiannis’s eight year old son Joey was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in January of 2016 and has been battling the disease since then.
Joey is currently at a point where the disease is being maintained. His doctors hope to be able to say it is in remission if his current maintenance program goes well through to 2019.
 Joey – ready to take on whatever comes his way. Joey is now on daily chemotherapy medication and monthly visits to the hospital. He had to be homeschooled for a year but has returned to his school and is looking forward to getting back to class in September.
The “Everesting” was to raise funds and awareness of the cancer that has invaded Joey’s young body.
George was a cyclist with the Oakville Morning Glory cycling club; they took up the challenge of driving up and down Kerns Road in Burlington until they had ridden the equivalent of 29,029 feet in elevation – which is the height of Mount Everest from its base camp.
They did all the paper work and set up stuff with the Everest organization – they are the people who oversee the challenge for any group that wants to create a target they can work towards achieving.
The day of the “climb” turned out to be less than stellar, drizzly rain was an on and off thing throughout the day but that didn’t deter Joey for as much a minute. He was running all over the place serving people lemonade. His day took a huge surge when a Burlington Fire department truck rolled into the parking lot and Joey was made an honorary fire fighter and got to wear fire fighters clothing and have his picture taken. Big moment for Joey Orfanogiannis.
 Non the worse for a stern lecture from a police officer fr blowing through stop signs one of the cyclists checks in with the family. Half an hour earlier a police cruiser slide into the parking lot. The officer had pulled over a couple of the cyclists who were blowing through stop signs at speeds in the 60km range – on the downhill portion of Kern Road. No tickets – but stern warnings. All was forgiven when the police officer bought himself a tall lemonade.
Things weren’t going as smoothly for the “climb”
At the approximately 315-kilometres point, the cyclists were “feeling good and ready to go the distance” said Orfanogiannis.
But something didn’t seem right, the riders “did a quick recalculation” and found that the device that measured altitude had been affected by the day’s air pressure, and had “robbed us of 60’ for every climb we did.”
“That would have taken the ride to 88 laps and pushed us to 6 a.m. We were ready to go to 6 a.m., but the issue became was going to rain again and we thought if we get to 6 a.m., what happens if the rain robs us of more laps; does it become too dangerous to finish?”
“We stopped just short of what should have been 27,064’ but on the device doing the actual measurement was reading 23,000’ (Everest is 29,029’) The ride doesn’t count unless it is measured on by the software that takes all the data and calculates just how many feel of elevation the cyclists have completed.
What no one told the riders from Morning Glory was that atmospheric conditions were part of the calculation – lots of clouds meant a different barometric pressure reading on the measurement device.
But these riders wouldn’t be considered hard-core cyclists if they gave up after their first attempt.
“We gotta get up it. I won’t stop until I get it and neither will Matt,” said George
Orfanogiannis came up with Halton’s first Everesting attempt, not just as a challenge for himself, but to raise funds and awareness in support of research into pediatric oncology; his son Joey, 7, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in January of 2016.
 George Orfanogiannis “When my son was going through treatment I always told him I wouldn’t ask him to do what I wouldn’t do. I asked him to climb a mountain so I owe him a mountain,” said Dad.
Orfanogiannis said the event was incredible nonetheless based on the hundreds of people who came out to support the cyclists, not just fellow riders but members of the community and those touched by cancer. Two thousand dollars was also raised.
“Four young children came down at midnight with their parents to donate their allowance money,” said Orfanogiannis, a selfless act that moved him to tears.
The next day a small group of girls had set up their lemonade stand on Kerns Road, raised $130 and donated that to the cause as well.
The residents along Kerns Road were so moved by the effort that they said they will ask the city to close the road next year and make it a much bigger event.
Orfanogiannis and his team “knew what we were in for physically and emotionally, it was devastating when we realized we came this far only to be robbed by technology.”
 Lap chart at 2:00 pm on a rainy Saturday afternoon. The challenge began at 4:30 am. They made it to lap 69 George Orfanogiannis isn’t all that good at giving up. He reports that “there is currently open dialogue with Strava the software that manages the data for rides and there may be a chance the realize the error in the technology and be willing to correct it – if that is the case I would need to climb the hill eight more times which I am prepared to do.”
 By Staff
July 24th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Clublink Corporation ULC, a corporation that owns and operates the Rattle Snake Point Golf Club in Milton was fined $50,000 after a young worker was injured by a wood chipper.
On May 27, 2015, two Clublink workers were operating a wood chipper at the golf club. The first worker started the chipper and began feeding wood while the second looked for a place to put down a coffee cup. Placing the cup near a vent on the back of the chipper, the second worker tried to feel if air was coming out of the vent that would knock the cup over. The second worker’s hand was pulled into the vent and injured.
 Rattle snake point golf course club house. A Ministry of Labour investigation determined that a guard that should have prevented access to the vent was not in place at the time of the incident. This was in violation of section 25(1)(b) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Clublink Corporation ULC was fined $50,000 by Justice of the Peace Margot McLeod. The court also imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.
By Staff
July 24, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It started out looking like a pretty good game for the Burlington Herd – they were ahead 7 – 0 but the Toronto Maple Leafs rallied for an 18-7 win Sunday afternoon at Christie Pits in Toronto.
Burlington leadoff batter Justin Gideon had two hits, including his seventh home run, two RBI and two runs.
John Whaley singled, homered and drove in three, and Ryan Freemantle drove in a run and scored once.
The Leafs got their 18 runs this way: Christian Hauck (2-2) gave up 10 runs on 10 hits in four innings. He walked four and struck out two. Ryan White went 5-for-5 with a home run and two RBI to lead the Leafs. Grant Tamane singled, homered and drove in four, while Dan Marra had four hits, including his first home run of the season, and six RBI.
Damon Topolie had three hits, three RBI and two runs, Adam Odd singled twice and had an RBI and a run, Julian Johnson went 2-for-4 with three runs, and Daniel Szpik singled, doubled and drove in a run while scoring twice.
Trevor Caughey (2-0) earned the win, allowing seven runs (six earned) on eight hits with five strikeouts over seven innings.
Future games
Tuesday, July 25
Burlington at Hamilton, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday July 27
Toronto Maple Leafs at Burlington, 7:15 pm
Standings
Barrie Baycats 30-1
Kitchener Panthers 25-6
London Majors 21-9
Toronto Maple Leafs 15-16
Brantford Red Sox 13-17
Burlington Herd 11-20
By Staff
July 23, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Herd got buried by the Kitchener Panther’s on a Saturday afternoon 13-4 drubbing at Nelson Park.
Ryan Freemantle singled, doubled and had two RBI for the Herd.
Justin Gideon had a two-run double, and Nolan Pettipiece went 2-for-2 with a run.
Jack Caswell (0-1) took the loss, giving up six runs (four earned) on three hits with five walks and three strikeouts over 4.1 innings.
It was the Panthers’ 11th consecutive victory.
Interisano singled twice, doubled and also scored twice. La Rosa and Andrulis had three singles apiece. La Rosa plated three runs and stole his first base of the season, while Andrulis swiped a pair of bases.
Yorbis Borroto had two hits, two RBI and a run, Mike Gordner drove in a pair, Tanner Nivins scored twice and had an RBI, and Zarley Cina had an RBI and scored once.
Matt McGovern (3-1) tossed six innings of one-run ball for the win. He scattered six hits and walked one with four strikeouts.
Future games
Sunday, July 23
Burlington at Toronto, 2 p.m.
Thursday July 27th
Toronto at Burlington 7:15 pm
Standings
Barrie Baycats 29-1
Kitchener Panthers 24-6
London Majors 20-9
Toronto Maple Leafs 14-16
Brantford Red Sox 13-16
Burlington Herd 11-19
Hamilton Cardinals 8-22
* Guelph Royals 1-31: Ceased operations for the season
 By Staff
July 22, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
An event next Thursday is going to pull together a number of interests in the city and give people an opportunity to get outside and do some fixing up of a facility that has been home to baseball since it came to the city six years ago.
The Nelson Baseball Park Neighbourhood Group wants to celebrate the completion of the Nelson Baseball Park beautification and fencing improvements project at the Burlington Herd baseball game on Thursday, July 27.
The Herd will be playing the Toronto Maple Leafs – the team that broke the 25 game winning streak the Barrie Baycats had achieved – those guys play some serious baseball.
The pre-game ceremony begins at 7 p.m. and attendees are encouraged to come early to get a seat and participate in some of the pre-game fun.
Entrance to the ball game will be free, a 50/50 draw and a BBQ in support of the Terry Fox Foundation.
The beautification and fencing improvements were done with the support of community volunteers and funding from the City of Burlington’s Neighbourhood Community Matching Fund program.
That fund is a favourite of the Mayors and was part of an initiative that the Parks and Recreation department dove into a number of years ago when they brought in Jim Diers who had done some incredible work in Seattle to juice up the thinking at Parks and Recreation.
Burlington was not able to get community responses that were as involving as those in Seattle but the program has begun to take hold.
The work being done at Nelson Park is a good example. It is similar to what a bunch of elementary students did with their ball diamond at Lakeshore Road elementary public school.
 Site lines and picnic tables have been improved. If you know Casey Cosgrove then you know that there isn’t a baseball game he can avoid. All it takes is the crack of a bat to shift his focus. When his community of “baseball enthusiasts” heard about this baseball ‘gem’ we have in our neighbourhood park and learned that the sight lines were in need of improvement so that a baseball game could be viewed clearly, without obstruction they gathered to tackle this project together.
The City of Burlington’s Neighbourhood Community Matching Fund provided much of the financing and they have been able to improve the fencing and freshen up the baseball buildings, stands and picnic tables in Fenway green, a famous baseball colour, to make the neighbourhood baseball park a first- class facility for players and spectators.”
Will someone be throwing the ceremonial opening pitch? Don’t let the Mayor near the ball. When he took on that task back in the days when the team was known as the Burlington Twins he let fly and the ball dug into the ground a couple of yards before the plate.
Nelson Stadium, part of Nelson high school facilities, which is adjacent to Nelson Park, has plans of its own to improve those grounds.
 By Staff
July 20th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Nelson Pool Service Interruption – Lap Swim Cancelled Friday July 21, 2017
 The lap swim at Nelson Pool will be cancelled from 8:30am-10am on Friday July 21, 2017 due to unexpected preventative maintenance.
The pool will be open for regular service at 10:30am.
Hold on – isn’t this a brand new swimming pool that has been operating since July 8th and is getting ready for its official opening in August – with the Mayor and the Ward Councillor in attendance?
What is it this time?
 By Staff
July 19th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The city is hosting a celebration to officially mark the opening of the new Nelson pool and splash pad from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 1.
Nelson pool grand opening ceremony and ribbon-cutting. Admission will be free all day, and there will be family activities and giveaways.
 Artists rendering of the Nelson pool which has been open since July 8 – reader says it’s beautiful. The Mayor and Ward 4 Councillor Jack Dennison will be on hand for the photo op.
The ceremony will take place at noon. The pool party is from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The pool has been open to the public since July 8th.
 That water bucket would be a good place for the official opening photo op. The upside for the public is the free admission. A comment from a reader read: “New one is beautiful! Tried it out yesterday. Pricey, at $6.50/adult swim (Oakville is $4), but what a lovely facility. So glad the city decided to make the investment. Now they just need to make it affordable!”
 By Staff
July 19th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Everesting – do you know what it means?
Think Mount Everest and the attempts that are made to get to the top.
A group has created an event that will have cyclists driving 2.4 km up Kerns Road 73 times which would be equal to the 30,000 feet that has to be climbed to get from the base of Mount Everest to the peak.
The 29,029 vertical feet climb on bikes, over the course of 20 hours, to equal climbing the summit of Mt Everest.
The event is seen as the Ultimate Mind-Body Challenge; this will be the first Everesting attempt in Halton.
The 29,029 vertical feet climb on bikes, over the course of 20 hours, to equal climbing the summit of Mt Everest
When : July 22nd 2017
Where: Kerns Road Burglington Ontario
Start: Lap 1 is 4:30 am eastern
Why? Joey Orfanogiannis.
 Joey Orfanogiannis with family and friends At 6 years old Joey and his family lives were changed forever. On January 4th, 2016 they had to hear the words “your child has cancer”, words that would thrust him into the challenge of his life at a very tender age.
Joey was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia “A.L.L.”
When most kids would be counting the minutes until recess, Joey was counting “arm pokes” – how many needles he would receive for blood tests prior to receiving a port into his chest which would become a pathway for chemotherapy and give him a break from all the needles. He would count spinal taps to administer chemotherapy that would protect his brain.
He would face numerous setbacks and painful surgeries coupled with nights that would leave him reeling in pain.
Through it all Joey never wavered and never backed down, he stood tall when most would fall and fought back when most would give up. We are happy to report that Joey is winning the fight with the same determination and looking forward to the word “remission” in March of 2019
Through it all, the statistics for children’s cancer became deeply troubling to his parents.
Aside from cancer being the leading cause of death in children, as well as the medical issues that occur after cancer survival from the heavy medication, one of the scariest facts is that children’s cancer research is grossly and consistently under-funded. It receives just 4% of government funding on an annual basis.
Joey’s parents knew something had to be done and wanted to help in an immediate and impactful way. They knew the challenge needed to be daunting, something that seemed as insurmountable as fighting cancer, and from that idea the Everesting event came to life.
It’s important to remember that no matter how difficult it may be to climb the cumulative height of Mount Everest over nearly 20 hours, it pales in comparison to the challenges faced by Joey and the many children battling cancer every day.
Joey will be running a lemonade stand and all the proceed will be going towards fighting cancer.
Grupetto will be serving coffees starting from 9am till noon.
Riders from the 30 top cycling clubs in the province will be taking part including the elite team Morning Glory from Mississauga and CCF Racing from Burlington.
The road will not be closed – it is seen as a very quiet road in a cycle friendly community.
Anybody can ride and no one will be ask do donate as the riders are coming to support the cause of fighting cancer and to bring awareness about how many kids are affected.
All Proceeds go directly to the Toronto Sick Kids and Montreal Children’s hospital for research funding in support of Pediatric Oncology.
By Staff
July 17, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
A 26-7 win over the Burlington Herd made it eight straight wins for the Kitchener Panthers, who moved past London and into second place following Saturday’s game
Kitchener took a five-run lead into the seventh and blew the game open with 19 runs over the last three innings.
Sean Reilly led the way with four hits, including two home runs, and eight RBI. He’s currently in position to win the triple crown with 16 home runs, 50 RBI and a .473 average.
Mike Gordner and Jeff MacLeod each singled, homered and drove in four, while Yorbis Borroto went 2-for-3 with two RBI and three runs. Tanner Nivins had two hits, two RBI and two runs, Colin Gordner drove in a run and scored twice, Mike Andrulis picked up two hits, an RBI and two runs, and Ryan Douse, Matthew Vollmer and Connor Mitchell all had an RBI.
Matt McGovern (2-1) earned the win, allowing two runs on eight hits with two strikeouts over seven innings.
 Matt Schmidt went 2-for-5 for Burlington, with a home run and three RBI. Ryan Freemantle singled three times and drove in two while scoring once, Andrew Mercier singled twice and had an RBI, Justin Gideon went 2-for-5 with a run, and Canice Ejoh scored twice.
Rich Corrente (1-3) gave up 10 runs (eight earned) on nine hits over six innings. He walked six and struck out one.
The stunning news for the Intercounty Baseball League is the new record for consecutive wins. The Barrie Baycats are now 25-0 for the season
The Guelph Royals suspended operations for the season a number of weeks ago.
Standings
Barrie Baycats 25-0
Kitchener Panthers 21-6
London Majors 19-7
Toronto Maple Leafs 12-14
Brantford Red Sox 10-15
Burlington Herd 11-18
Hamilton Cardinals 7-18
Guelph Royals 1-28
By Staff
July 14th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The lead changed hands several times; there were 30 hits and eight errors but the Burlington Herd eventually beat the Hamilton Cardinals 18-13 Friday night
Burlington’s Justin Gideon went 3-for-6 with a home run, three RBI, four runs and two steals. Justin Whaley homered and drove in four. Canice Ejoh had three hits, three RBI and two runs, Ryan Freemantle scored twice, Quinton Bent singled twice and scored twice, while Cooper Lamb, Kevin Hussey, Eddie Chessell and Nolan Pettipiece all drove in a run.
Herd reliever Kyle Symington (1-2) gave up three runs on five hits over three innings for the win. He didn’t walk or strike out a batter. Derek Zwolinski started and gave up five runs on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts in three innings.
Jake Chiaravalle went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI for Hamilton. He also scored three times. Connor Bowie doubled twice, singled, and scored three runs, Logan Stewart had two hits, two runs and an RBI, Callum Murphy singled twice and had an RBI and run, Marcus Dicenzo went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run, and Greg Marco added an RBI.
Ben Reid (0-1) took the loss in relief, giving up three runs (two earned) on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts in 1.1 innings. Nick Virdo started and allowed seven runs (three earned) on three hits with seven walks and five strikeouts in 4.1 innings.
Future games
Saturday, July 15
Kitchener at Burlington, 1:05 p.m.
Standings
Barrie Baycats 23-0
London Majors 19-5
Kitchener Panthers 20-6
Toronto Maple Leafs 12-14
Brantford Red Sox 9-15
Burlington Herd 10-17
Hamilton Cardinals 7-18
Guelph Royals 1-26
By Staff
July 13th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
A brand new swimming pool that has been open less than a week gets closed due to heavy rain and forecasted thunderstorms. There is no justice.
The city has closed all the outdoor pools today, Thursday July 13, 2017.
Mountainside Pool and Splash Pad, Nelson Pool and Splash Pad and LaSalle Wading Pool and Splash Pad will re-open Friday July 14, 2017 on their regular schedule.
 Nelson swimming pool.
By Staff
July 9th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Hamilton Cardinals scored twice in the top of the ninth inning, with a little help from the Burlington Herd, to take a 7-5 IBL win at Nelson Park in Burlington Saturday afternoon.
 The Guelph Royals ceased operations earlier in the season. Burlington had tied the game with three runs in the bottom of the eighth but then Hamilton got the win with two runs in the ninth on just one hit, three errors and two walks.
Jake Chiaraville singled to open the inning, went to second, and then third, on errors by the pitcher and scored the winning run on a fielder’s choice.
Connor Bowie had a single and a double for Hamilton and TJ Baker hit a home run, scored twice and drove in two runs.
Justin Gideon had two hits for Burlington, including a home run, stole two bases and is now batting .414. Catcher Kevin Hussey also homered for Burlington.
Benson Merritt recorded the win and Kyle Symington was tagged with the loss.
It was the sixth win of the year for Hamilton and Burlington drops to 9-17.
Sunday is a big day in the IBL as the undefeated Barrie Baycats travel to London for a doubleheader with the second-place Majors.
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