By Gazette Staff
October 23rd, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Cheryl Hall makes an excellent point in the comment she posted in the Gazette today.
The swimmers are doing the training – where was the community support when the ward Councillor was willing to listen?
“Well, all of you who expressed concern about the handling of the RFP and its effects on BAD, it’s members where were you tonight?
“You all were aware Ward 2 Councillor Kearns was holding her open to floor questions meeting at City Hall.
“A wonderful opportunity to question a city councilor on this matter. There were only 6 attendees, 3 in person and 3 online (1 was one of those online).
“I suggest you cannot be as passionate about this issue as you all make out. Whine, whine but do nothing about it.
“BTW Councilor Kearns said check out the City Council’s next agenda, to be published on Friday.”
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Took a peek at the agenda, perhaps I’m not looking at the right one as all it shows is the failure of our mayor to get speed cameras. Is there another one I need to look at or is BAD being punished for not coming to her meeting and she’s rubbing their noses in the fact she didn’t put it forward again? Tell her I’m sorry I didn’t come to her recital but next time I promise to try and I’ll take her for ice cream after.
There were many more than the four here who have weighed in over the past months on this topic, who could have, should have attended the meeting whether in person or virtually. Shame on them.
I suggest three of you here who talk about apathy or reflect it in your comments only have yourselves to blame for allowing Council to treat you the way they do. Other peoples who have found themselves oppressed have not taken to being apathetic & rolling over. They have gathered together, resisted and overcome the oppression. If you do not stand up in a meaningful way, you will be walked all over.
Commenters here talk about acting at the 2026 municipal election. Other than not voting for any of the current incumbents on Council, what meaningful action are you going to take. Are you going to stand to be elected? Are you and like-minded thinkers going to find an alternative slate of candidates?
Let’s say MMW does not get reelected. And let’s say Councilor Kearns is elected mayor. What difference is there going to be. In my opinion absolutely none. Councilor Kearns It is very much a different person from the one elected in 2018. She has become a politician, and is no longer a representative listening championing to those who elected her
Is there any ability for residents to have an item put on the ballot paper to be voted on; a bit like a “proposition” down in California. I’m suggesting we need to find a way to make it compulsory for counselors individually and council as a whole to be transparent and accountable to residents by way of maybe open resident forum meetings, independently moderated, where council members are required to respond to un-vetted questions from the floor.
Spot on Blair.
This Council has perfected the art of hiding behind process and policy instead of leading. They talk endlessly about transparency and engagement, yet when real decisions need to be made, they retreat behind bureaucracy and self-serving interpretations of bylaws.
Time and again, residents have stepped up — sometimes with better ideas — only to watch Council deflect, defer, deny, and do nothing. Burlington deserves better than a group more focused on optics than outcomes. No wonder there’s growing apathy in Burlington around everything this group touches.
Sadly this narrative and the non-performance of this group is getting stale. Our expectations are obviously beyond their reach.
Interesting also, we have Gould praising the Mayor for her “Respect” campaign — (instead of some/any accomplishment that made the City better) …..Really ???? As stated previously, MMW wants the title, but not the accountability …. that shouldn’t be applauded by anyone ….. but further, I wonder, why is Gould (also a wannabe) in this corner with MMW ???? Let’s keep our eye on that arrangement.
If councillor Kearns is going to put a motion forward please do it or If she has no intention of doing so, stop offering it. I work later on Wednesday nights so can’t go “kiss the ring” of a councillor who is dangling a carrot of hope infront of us.
Cheryl, I would have loved to attend but unfortunately I work Wednesday evenings at 7pm and don’t have the opportunity to change that at the moment. If I don’t work, I don’t get paid. Otherwise, I would have been present.
Cheryl is quite correct in her observation. The issue deserved far better public attendance and scrutiny than it received last night – including me. But I think that there may be another dimension; widespread public apathy created by the empirical observation that nothing is ever done or, in this case, undone. I give full marks to Councillor Kearns for holding the session but I’m reminded of the old saw “a dollar short and a day late”. Where were you Lisa in July and August? This is when you were needed. Where was Emily Côté, the responsible program manager and Lead Executive? Council hid behind a totally self-serving, inappropriate interpretation of a procurement interference bylaw and allowed accountable staff to dig their foxholes wider and deeper. This is an observed practice in virtually everything that this Council does – encourage public engagement but deflect, defer, deny, dispute – do nothing. I think that many of us are just waiting for October of next year when we might have a final say.