 By Ray Rivers
February 21st, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
The clock is ticking for Liberals to vote in a ranked ballot online starting February 28th to select Canada’s next PM. Among the finalists will be the two current members of Parliament, Chrystia Freeland and Karina Gould. Both of these candidates, as former Finance Minister and former Government House Leader respectively, can share some of the credit and/or accept blame for the governing Liberal record going back to 2015.
Freeland’s platform now disowns some of that record though she had served as Trudeau’s number two. She would axe the carbon tax and cancel the increase in capital gains taxation. Freeland also proposes imposing a 100% tariff on Tesla electric cars and bribing Canadian doctors and nurses to return here to work. Burlington’s Gould is promising to cut the GST to 4% for one year, enhance employment insurance and initiate a guaranteed income program.
Former MP Ruby Dhalla was disqualified as a candidate for the leadership of the party on a unanimous vote by the leadership and expense committees to drop her from the contest.
Dhalla served with Paul Martin and pivots to the ‘right’ of the party, proposing to deport ‘illegal immigrants’ and slamming drug users with life sentences. Baylis, a Montreal businessman, would limit senators and MP’s to 10 years in office. And among other ideas he’s also keen on recognizing a Palestinian state.
 Mark Carney speaking to Liberals in Hamilton. But the heavy betting is on former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney. Carney played a key role in navigating Canada through the 2008 global economic downturn and as Bank of England Governor helped that nation through its Brexit transition. He held a UN post as climate envoy and had previously served as special advisor to Mr. Trudeau. However, Carney sees himself as an outsider, never having held a parliamentary seat. But he has brought a breath of fresh air to the Party, which as the polls tell us was in critical need of a re-set.
Carney has racked up the greatest number of Liberal Cabinet endorsements to date. Recent polls indicate that as leader he could bring the Liberals back from a double digit lag to a dead heat with Mr. Poilievre’s opposition Tories. That is something that has brought fear and panic into the Conservative camp which had been ever so keen to capitalize on Trudeau’s plummeting popularity. And that means Carney needs to watch out for dirty tricks. In that vein social media trolls falsely posted that Carney’s recent meet and greet of Liberals in Vancouver was AI doctored to create the illusion that the crowd was bigger.
Carney is an economist but he knows the campaign of disinformation and lies about carbon pricing has poisoned that economic instrument, so it is destined for the history books. He plans to introduce a middle income tax cut to compensate for loss of the carbon tax rebate, however. Carney plans to run a balanced budget regarding government spending though he has not ruled out borrowing for infrastructure projects which would benefit future generations.
Mostly Mr. Carney needs to attribute the climate of economic uncertainty Canadians are now facing for much of his growing popularity. US president Trump’s economic war on Canada starting with tariffs on some of our most important exports has this country on the defence. And Canadians would prefer to see an experienced professional at the helm rather than someone like Mr. Poilievre, who has almost never held a real job outside of working for the Conservative Party.
 Rivers, upper right (where the red dot is) covering Mark Carney during a speech he gave in Hamilton earlier this week. I was invited to one of Mr. Carney’s meet and greet meetings in Hamilton recently. He addressed the crowd in a soft spoken, sincere tone, without bashing his opponents. I found that a refreshing change from the dynamics of what we’ve seen too often in Ottawa politics. Let’s hope it continues.
 Ray Rivers, a Gazette Contributing Editor, writes regularly applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was once a candidate for provincial office in Burlington. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Ray has a post graduate degree in economics that he earned at the University of Ottawa. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links:
Liberal Leadership – Carney – Karina Gould – Dhalla –
 By Pepper Parr
February 20th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Dan Jacobs sent in a comment that we are upgrading to a news story.
Based on what Jacobs said in his comment it would appear that he has some role within the Progressive Conservative party.
 John Greven explaining why Natalie Pierre was not sitting in the chair reserved for her at that all candidate event on Tuesday. He maintains he was the person who spoke directly with John Greven, the debate moderator, about Natalie Pierre’s failure to take part in the all- candidate event on Tuesday.
“As the person who spoke with Mr Greven directly, and for a significant period of time, he most certainly did receive a direct response.”
The issue was not how direct the response to Pierre’s failure to show up was – the issue was that she didn’t show up.
A “ commitment that Natalie would personally call every person in attendance who wished to speak with her” is worse than saying the dog ate my homework.
“We also provided a QR code and link that people could use to book in times to speak with her.”
Really? The public was told that Natalie was going to be out knocking on doors not sitting by the phone waiting for disapointed constituents to call her.
Jacobs adds: “ At no time was it mentioned that there is any policy in place regarding debates, because there is no such policy.” Interestingly, Progressive Conservatives across the province are not taking part in public debates.
Jacobs also said: “If this is a direct quote, then Mr Greven has show (sic) his partisanship by fabricating the response.”
Greven did no such thing. He was fair, decent and reflected the concerns of the community when he talked about the missing Natalie Pierre.
“In addition” said Jacobs, “ no less than a half dozen additional representatives of the organizers asked the same question about Natalie’s attendance by phone, e-mail, and by attending the campaign office, and all were provided the same response.”
And that makes the failure to appear acceptable?
 Progressive Conservative candidate Natalie Pierre chose not to use the table set up for her use. She didn’t show up for the debate. The Progressive Conservatives are a political party that wants to stay in power and they will do whatever they can to continue being the government of the province. The public understands that and on the 27th they will decide if they want to continue being governed by that political party.
What reason does Natalie Pierre have for not showing up? Because they told her not to?
Where is the independence and the responsibility to represent the people that elected her?
Natalie Pierre decided that she would not run for re-election then changed her mind and announced that she would seek office again. Failing to win will put her out of her misery.
The decent woman who was nominated was destroyed by a political party that lost its moral footing when it elected Doug Ford.
Salt with Pepper is an opinion column reflecting the observations and musings of the publisher of the Gazette, an on-line newspaper that is in its 12th year as a news source in Burlington and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
 By Pepper Parr
February 18th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Hassaam Basit had more news than any member of Council when he did an update.
Burlington, as you know, is a city of many communities. And so on January 22nd our incredible community champions were celebrated for their dedication to all of the work that they do within their communities. This includes city programs like Love My Neighborhood, Outdoor neighborhood rinks and the Neighborhood Matching Community Fund.
 CAO delivers an update on what his team has being doing at City Hall. Goodies for the people moving the snow are in the works. January 22 was also a snow- storm. We’ve had many in succession, but despite that, 80 community members showed up and came out for an evening honoring their hard work. We have received 120 centimeters of snowfall in the past week, three storm events with 75 centimeters in total. In quick succession, the city activated its EOC and level two enhanced monitoring, which allowed for all of the communication and operations to be pulled into one stream. And as you would know, members of council, you received those very thorough, very detailed emails from our Director of Roads, Parks and Forestry. The city’s Crews have been working 24 hours a day on 12 hour rotating shifts, non stop without any break.
At some point when this is over, I think I will show up with some goodies and warm beverages for them. Thank you to everybody in the city as well as all the communities, for being patient as they go through and carry out those tasks. Now not to be outdone, our fire crews, two weeks ago, delivered a baby boy, and so I think that’s fantastic news. I don’t know which Ward it was in, but it was a Burlington baby.
 Our Medical Director, Dr Sheldon Cheskes, has brought the safe pins to Burlington Fire. Now, the safe pins provide a way for fire services to be recognized for the work that they do. There’s some technical, you know, jargon. It’s called
On April 4, Dr Cheskes will be at Burlington Fire, presenting those pins to individual firefighters; their is a long list of them.
On corporate services, the city’s social media accounts now have enhanced image descriptions. It’s called alt text. It’s a useful way to ensure people who use screen readers can perceive images. It’s part of our accessibility.
Our community panel, which we have put a call out for community members, is growing. We have 60 residents now who have registered to provide feedback on all sorts of important projects, like Ward boundary review, asset management plan and climate change action. This is part of, a commitment from the city to engage in and engage with as many voices as we possibly can on health and safety.
Our year – end data shows that the city achieved its 2024 objective for WSIB lost time. Our goal was to be below 1.97 per 100 FTE, and we’re at 1.57 which is good. It is, of course, something where the work is never done and will continue to make enhancements and push forward with all sorts of safety training and the cultural aspects of, you know, having a safe workplace.
 She brought in the volunteers and made sure they were properly trained.  She was pretty good with a hammer as well. She will be missed A quick shout out to Michelle Dwyer. She was our Manager of Engagement and Volunteers. Michelle retired very recently after 34 years of service to the city of Burlington. You have all had experiences working with Michelle her creativity and helping each of you engage with the community. So I’m sure you’ll join me in wishing her well in the next endeavor, and with that, thank you very much.
 By Staff
February 17th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
 Rosie DiManno, TorontoStar columnist decides to call out King Charles III Rosie DiManno, a Toronto Star columnist covering sports and current affairs for the Star has never been one to mince her words.
In a column published online this morning Rosie let it all out – both barells – asking where is the King when he could be useful?
A king outranks a potentate or a mountebank shilling from his Oval Office soapbox.
And we’ve got one of those — a king, I mean.
 King Charles III So where is King Charles III when Canada needs him? Not a peep out of His Majesty since U.S. President Donald Trump has been blathering and bloviating about this country becoming the 51st American state, repeated ad nauseam, any time he can wedge in a dig. Stony silence as well from the useless Governor General. For that matter, where are the 55 other nations in the Commonwealth that was so vitally important to the late Queen? They haven’t said boo in defence of their beleaguered fraternal member. Or … hello, Europe?
In a constitutional monarchy, the king can’t proclaim “off with his head,” nor ruffle any governance feathers. But savvy Queen Elizabeth II knew how to thread that needle, making her position known in times of crisis. For instance she used her influence among Commonwealth leaders to suspend Zimbabwe over its human rights abuses. (President Robert Mugabe, a dyed-in-the-wool Anglophile despite the legacy of colonialism in what was Rhodesia, went into such a fury — his knighthood also stripped — that he later withdrew Zimbabwe from the organization.)
A coronet-ed head does have subtle power. But Canada might as well be on the other side of the moon, rather than merely the other side of the Atlantic, for all the support for sovereign dominion that Charles has expressed these past few weeks. Links between Charles and Canada have been historically strong — he’s made 19 visits, though all as Prince of Wales, last in these parts in 2022. As the Queen spread out her children and grandchildren as nominal figureheads of the Crown across the Commonwealth, establishing particularly close ties, we got Prince Andrew, who attended school here.
Trump, who has long been in awe of the Royal Family, was especially enthralled by the Queen. Awe for royals but now OW for Canada as the disrupter-in-chief has deep-sixed turned diplomacy, with a slew of whinges about America’s northern neighbour and greatest trading partner. He might not wear a bejewelled headpiece — oh how he wishes — but he’s certainly been wielding his Sharpie like a sword in a frenzy of executive orders.
Charles may not want to be seen as mucking into a partisan spat between Canada and the U.S. But, he’s never had difficulty getting his sentiments across via leaks to the media by assorted confidantes and acolytes. That’s how he effectively demonized Diana as the cuckoo Princess of Wales during the mutually hostile years that threatened the future of the monarchy. And if he doesn’t want to step into this political whirlwind, then send Prince William. Remind Trump that we are part of a much bigger historical empire, millennia old. The USA is, relatively, a pipsqueak and Pax Americana is already in decline. We even once burned down their damn White House. Well, the British did in 1814 during the War of 1812.
Of course, royals need to receive an invitation to step foot in Canada — not including Prince Harry, who went off the protocol grid when he and Meghan landed for a few months in a Vancouver Island mansion after the turncoat Sussexes bolted as “working royals,” before packing up for California. No such invite has been extended. Doubtless “Governor Trudeau,” as Trump disses the prime minister, has more urgent matters on his mind — contending with the unhinged president and staring into the abyss of his protracted resignation with a Liberal leadership race in full throttle. But seriously, in a time of existential upheaval, he really should draft in all the help he can get.
 President Donald Trump signing yet another Executive Order The Beltway Bully obviously delights in provoking Canada, tossing around insults whilst reinventing the presidential wheel. Everyone knows, though, that there’s only one way to deal with a bully and that’s to sock him back twice as hard. While at first, when the coveting-Canada postulation was viewed as just a lame joke, it was easy to let the jibe slide. “Never going to happen,’’ said Trudeau last month of the U.S. annexing Canada. Just Trump being Trump, laying the foundation for future negotiations, arm-twisting an ally like no other over tariffs disastrous for both countries, triggering a trade war and force-marching Ottawa into stiffening its borders against illegal migrants and fentanyl.
Except Trump wasn’t just blowing smoke. He did unilaterally rename the Gulf of Mexico, he did wrangle concessions out of Panama over the canal, he did turn his rapacious eye for territorial expansion toward Greenland. At least Denmark countered by threatening to impose a 500 per cent tariff on Ozempic and Wegovy, the weight loss drugs trademarked by a Danish pharmaceutical company. And Trump did — still does apparently — intend to plant the U.S. flag in Gaza, exiling some 2 million Palestinians.
So no, not laughing at Trump’s witless cheek anymore. Just last week, Trudeau told an economic summit in Toronto that he believes Trump’s fixation on Canada is “a real thing” and that the president hankers for this country’s abundance of critical minerals. Trudeau may have once taken Patrick Brazeau to the mat in a charity boxing match but his jabs at Trump have scarcely amounted to rabbit punches. It’s been embarrassing from many angles, even as Trump’s craven hunger for us has galvanized a nation so often at regional knives drawn.
It was actually former Prime Minister Stephen Harper who came out swinging. At the recent launch of his new book, Harper told a private audience: If I was still prime minister, I would be prepared to impoverish the country and not be annexed, if that was the option we’re facing. Now, because I do think if Trump were determined, he could really do wide structural and economic damage, but I wouldn’t accept that. I would accept any level of damage to preserve the independence of the country.’’
Put some more lead in your pencil, Justin, and go out with a bang-bang.
And Your Highness? The real one, not the pretender Prince Trudeau — get your royal purple arse over here.
 By Staff
February 15th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
On Friday, February 14th – Valentine’s Day – a number of Burlington residents received a “you are loved” notice from Burlington Hydro. The notice alerted the Hydro customers that they had been “kissed; that there had been a data breach and their private information had been unlawfully accessed. An anonymized copy of the letter follows:
 Some Hydro customers didn’t take much comfort or assurance from the letter. The notice covers all the mandatory statutory elements of a notification of privacy breach (as defined by Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner) but it is rather light on background information or on helpful follow-up links. In fact, if you do contact Burlington Hydro you will discover that their Customer Support organization is closed until February 18th, after the Family Day holiday.
What is disturbing or, at the very least needs further clarification, is the second paragraph of the notice – “On January 22nd, 2025, our third -party customer information system vendor made us aware that it experienced a data breach from an unauthorized user to its system. We want to assure you that the issue was quickly contained, and the impacted system is secure and there is no ongoing unauthorized access to any data.”
First, despite the date on the letterhead, it is over 3 ½ weeks from the date of the breach until the first notice to affected customers. And Burlington Hydro used snail mail to the exclusion of other, more immediate means. They have, after all, the email addresses of their customers. In an age when misuse of personal information can occur in milliseconds, this delay is simply far too long.
Secondly, and potentially far more concerning is the statement “our third -party customer information system vendor”. In other words, Burlington Hydro is saying that the customer information database is on a system held (and operated?) by a third party. Who is this “third party” and where are they located? Have they been properly vetted? How remote are they to Burlington Hydro operations? Are they in the USA and subject to all the regulations around trans-border data flows? These are serious questions.
 Mayor Meed Ward is a member of the Hydro Board with a C Dir certification that was paid for by Burlington Hydro. I suppose that we must wait until next Tuesday, at the earliest, for answers. Not surprisingly, there is nothing on the city website, although the breach would have been reported to COB as soon as Burlington Hydro was made aware. We should remember that Mayor Meed Ward sits on the Burlington Hydro Board of Directors.
 By Staff
February 11th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
An alert Burlington resident advised us this morning that the City of Burlington will no longer use the Alert Burlington program, effective immediately.
There is no further action needed on your end, and all personal information will be erased.
Moving forward, emergency alerts for life-threatening incidents will be issued through the national Alert Ready system.
 We were ready in 1812 – are we ready now? Learn more at www.alertready.ca. Residents looking to stay informed during an emergency should visit www.burlington.ca/subscribe to subscribe to newsfeeds, calendars, and webpages for the latest information on the City’s emergency response.
 If you are in immediate danger, please call 9-1-1. Do not respond to this email. This email is not monitored.
Our reader wonders if the President of the United States would see this as an opportunity to invade the country in the dark of night without our even knowing it.
Could this be the war of 1812 all over again? Could the Burlington Heights be scaled again and allow them to capture Hamilton at the same time.
These are perilous times – or at least that is the opinion of one city resident.
 By Staff
February 11th, 2025
BURLINGTON, PN
City of Burlington administrative services will be closed for Family Day, on Monday, Feb. 17. A summary of closures is listed below.
| City Service |
Holiday Closure Information |
| Animal Services |
The Animal Shelter at 2424 Industrial St. will be closed to appointments on Monday, Feb. 17. To report an animal control related emergency on a holiday, please call 905-335-7777. |
| Burlington Transit |
Burlington Transit will operate on a Sunday schedule on Monday, Feb. 17. The Downtown Transit Terminal, at 430 John St., and Specialized Dispatch will be closed.
Online services
|
| City Hall
|
Service Burlington and the Building, Renovating and Licensing counter on the main floor of City Hall at 426 Brant St., will be closed on Monday, Feb. 17.
Many service payments are available online at burlington.ca/onlineservices. If your request is urgent, call 905-335-7777 to connect with the City’s live answering service.
For online development services, MyFiles can be used by residents who have applied for Pre-Building Approval. Check the status of Pre-Building Approval applications at burlington.ca/MyFiles. |
| Halton Court Services – Provincial Offences Office
|
Court administration counter services at 4085 Palladium Way will be closed on Monday Feb. 17.
Except for the Family Day closure, telephone payments are available at 905-637-1274, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. All in-person services are available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. Many services are also available by email at burlingtoncourt@burlington.ca or online at Halton Court Services. Payment of Provincial Offences fines is available 24/7 at paytickets.ca. |
| Parking |
Free parking is available downtown, on the street, in municipal lots and in the parking garage (414 Locust St) after 6 p.m. and on holidays, including Monday, Feb. 17.
On Sundays, free parking is available downtown, on the street, in municipal lots,. and in the parking garage (414 Locust St.).
On Saturdays, pay parking downtown is required in high-demand parking lots (Lots 1, 4 and 5) and all on-street metered parking spaces. A three-hour maximum is in effect for all on-street spaces. Free parking is available in the remaining municipal lots and the parking garage (414 Locust St.).
NOTE:
- The Waterfront parking lots (east and west at 1286 Lakeshore Rd.) do not provide free parking on holidays.
- Parking exemptions are required to park overnight on city streets and for longer than five hours. If you have family and friends staying with you that require street parking, please visit burlington.ca/parkingexemptions to register for a parking exemption. Please note: parking exemptions are not valid during declared snow events, to assist with snow removal.
|
| Recreation Programs and Facilities |
Drop-in recreation activities
Indoor pools, including Aldershot (50 Fairwood Pl W), Angela Coughlan (2425 Upper Middle Rd.), Centennial (5151 New St.), and Tansley Woods (1996 Itabashi Way) are open on Family Day Monday, Feb. 17 for swimming. Tansley Woods Community Centre also offers a drop-in family fitness, family gaming, and craft time on Family Day.Drop-in swimming, skating and other recreation program times vary for the long weekend. For all schedules, visit burlington.ca/dropinandplay.Cogeco Skating at Burlington Rotary Centennial Pond
The outdoor rink at 1340 Lakeshore Rd. will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., weather and ice conditions permitting. Residents are encouraged to call the ice conditions hotline at 905-335-7738, ext. 8587 before leaving to make sure the pond is open. The free skate lending program at the Burlington Rotary Centennial Pond is available Monday to Thursday, 5 to 9 p.m., Friday 5 to 10 p.m., and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. for Saturday, Sunday, and holiday Monday. For more information, visit burlington.ca/pond.Cogeco Neighbourhood Rinks
The outdoor skating season is here. Find a Cogeco Neighbourhood Rink in your neighbourhood at burlington.ca/neighbourhoodrinks. There are seven locations to choose from.
Outdoor Fun
Head outside and play in our parks with trails, disc golf at Tyandaga Golf Course (1265 Tyandaga Park Dr.), tobogganing and more. Explore all the options at burlington.ca/outdoorplay.Play Equipment Lending Library
If you need some indoor or outdoor play equipment, try the Play Equipment Lending Library. It’s free of charge! Equipment pickup and return is at Haber Community Centre (3040 Tim Dobbie Dr.). To reserve and borrow, visit burlington.ca/playlending. Customer Service
Recreation, Community and Culture customer service is available to assist you over the holiday weekend:
- In person at recreation facility counters during program times (Feb. 15, 16 and 17)
- By email at liveandplay@burlington.ca (Feb. 15 and 16)
- By phone at 905-335-7738 (Feb. 15 and 16)
- Phone and email service are closed on Feb. 17
|
| Roads, Parks and Forestry |
The administrative office will be closed on Monday, Feb. 17. Essential services, including winter control, will be provided as required. |
Burlington is a city where people, nature and business thrive. Sign up to learn more about Burlington at burlington.ca/subscribe and follow @CityBurlington on social media.
 By Julieta Belen Correa
February 10th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Canada is home to some of the most diverse bucket-list destinations on the planet — it has some of the best ski slopes, thousands of kilometres of untouched nature, and multiple hubs of commerce and entertainment of international renown. This, coupled with its expansive tourism push in recent years, means that Canada relies on an adaptable and modern aviation industry.
Luckily for tourists and Canadians alike, the nation hosts North America’s busiest and most technologically advanced airports, perfect for handling the influx of tourism expected over the next ten years. Take a look at the top ten busiest airports in Canada.
10. Kelowna International Airport (YLW)
You can fly into Kelowna, a critical gateway to British Columbia’s Okanagan region, to explore some of Canada’s best wineries, lake regions, and the breathtaking scenery of Osoyoos. The airport serves around 2,000,000 passengers a year and offers destinations nationwide and routes all the way down to sunny Mexico.
 Billy Bishop, named after a Canadian war hero is an airport minutes from downtown Toronto 9. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ)
Toronto’s second-largest airport, situated on the Toronto Islands, is named after one of Canada’s most iconic fighter pilots. This airport caters to just over 2,000,000 passengers a year and makes a great alternative to the massive Toronto Pearson International Airport, especially if you’re looking for either domestic or short-haul flights. You can expect shorter security queues and faster processing times so that you can make every minute count of your vacation or work trip.
 If your destination as a tourist is Halifax International – you will want to visit Peggy’s Cove. 8. Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ)
Coming in at 8th place on the list is Halifax Stanfield. The airport serves the Halifax region, mainland Nova Scotia, and other areas in the Maritime provinces. As Canada’s easternmost international airport, it is a vital connection for rural communities and also provides hundreds of jobs for the region’s tourism sector. The airport generated a massive C$4.2 billion for the Nova Scotia economy in 2023 alone, and with a rise of over 20%, it’s expected to continue to grow in the coming years.
The airport is also home to numerous Fixed-Based Operators (FBOs), private companies that provide essential aviation services like fuel, parking, maintenance, and passenger amenities.
7. Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (YWG)
Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, located in the Winnipeg Capital Region, handled just over 4 million passengers last year. YWG is crucial for connecting small communities living in difficult conditions with regularly scheduled flights to Northern Manitoba, Northwestern Ontario, and Nunavut.
6. Ottawa/Macdonald–Cartier International Airport (YOW)
As the airport serving Canada’s capital city, Ottawa International is a home base for Canadian North and a major hub for Porter Airlines, which is investing $65 million into the airport infrastructure over the coming years. The airport serves the National Capital Region with over 4 million passengers annually — a 36.9% increase on the previous year, the highest such growth among Canada’s busiest airports.
The airport’s modern terminal, extended in 2008, features artwork reflecting the region’s history and culture, creating a uniquely Canadian welcome for first-time visitors to the country.
5. Edmonton International Airport (YEG)
Climbing into the top 5 busiest airports in Canada sees a marked jump in passenger numbers, with a massive 7.4 million passengers flying in and out of Edmonton International Airport. The airport caters to residents and visitors to the Edmonton Metro Region, some three hours north of Calgary.
The airport itself is so busy due to the lack of other major cities in the region, making it the only major airport for those travelling from Alberta and Saskatchewan.
 Calgary International 4. Calgary International Airport (YYC)
Calgary International Airport, also known as “the gateway to the Rockies,” serves a whopping 18.5 million passengers a year. One reason for YYC’s huge numbers is its proximity to Banff and Canada’s impressive range of ski destinations.
YYC is home to two terminals — one domestic and one international — and serves as the main hub for Canadian airline WestJet. The airport offers world-class accessibility with modern parking systems, easy-to-use car rental services, and the reliable Calgary Transit System, which offers routes across the region.
3. Montréal–Trudeau International Airport (YUL)
Serving the Greater Montreal area, Montréal–Trudeau International Airport is a bustling hub that managed over 21 million passengers in 2023. This large operation is the region’s primary link between Canada’s French-speaking population and the rest of the world.
YUL’s strategic location makes it perfect for transatlantic flights, with popular routes to Paris, London, and Frankfurt. This dynamic location, combined with a modern general aviation terminal, makes it an ideal airport for those looking to charter a private plane to Europe and beyond. Domestic travellers also benefit from frequent flights to Toronto, Vancouver, and Halifax.
 Vancouver International 2. Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
Vancouver International Airport, nestled on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, is the busiest airport in Western Canada. Welcoming almost 25 million passengers in 2023, the airport is the ultimate gateway to the region’s surrounding mountains, lakes, and the icy North Pacific. YVR is consistently ranked as one of the best airports in North America and was most recently named as the number-one airport on the continent in 2024.
Vancouver International is also the nation’s best link to Asia, with frequent flights to Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Seoul. Its location also makes it a popular stopover for flights to Australia and New Zealand.
1. Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)
With almost double the capacity of number two on the list, Toronto has been Canada’s busiest airport for decades. It’s the primary hub for Air Canada and the second busiest arrivals hub for international travellers to North America. Serving the Greater Toronto Area, Pearson handled an impressive 44.8 million passengers in 2023, making it the pride of Canada’s already-impressive aviation industry.
 Pearson International Located just outside Toronto in Mississauga, Pearson offers direct flights to destinations on every continent. With its cutting-edge amenities, including world-class dining and shopping, Toronto Pearson sets the standard for Canadian airports when it comes to sheer size and availability.
Canada, Connected
With some of the most forward-thinking, accessible, and downright massive airports in North America, Canada continues to impress year-on-year with its dazzling array of airports. Vancouver continues to offer the best service in North America, Toronto Pearson connects you to the world with ease, and Calgary, Halifax, and Winnipeg airports continue to provide a vital lifeline to some of the continent’
 By Ezra Klein
February 2, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Look closely at the first two weeks of Donald Trump’s second term and you’ll see something very different than what he wants you to see.
If you want to understand the first few weeks of the second Trump administration, you should listen to what Steve Bannon told PBS’s “Frontline” in 2019:
Steve Bannon: The opposition party is the media. And the media can only, because they’re dumb and they’re lazy, they can only focus on one thing at a time. …
All we have to do is flood the zone. Every day we hit them with three things. They’ll bite on one, and we’ll get all of our stuff done. Bang, bang, bang. These guys will never — will never be able to recover. But we’ve got to start with muzzle velocity. So it’s got to start, and it’s got to hammer, and it’s got to —
Michael Kirk: What was the word?
Bannon: Muzzle velocity.
 Donald Trump’s first two weeks in the White House have followed Bannon’s strategy like a script. Muzzle velocity. Bannon’s insight here is real. Focus is the fundamental substance of democracy. It is particularly the substance of opposition. People largely learn of what the government is doing through the media — be it mainstream media or social media. If you overwhelm the media — if you give it too many places it needs to look, all at once, if you keep it moving from one thing to the next — no coherent opposition can emerge. It is hard to even think coherently.
Donald Trump’s first two weeks in the White House have followed Bannon’s strategy like a script. The flood is the point. The overwhelm is the point. The message wasn’t in any one executive order or announcement. It was in the cumulative effect of all of them. The sense that this is Trump’s country now. This is his government now. It follows his will. It does what he wants. If Trump tells the state to stop spending money, the money stops. If he says that birthright citizenship is over, it’s over.
Or so he wants you to think. In Trump’s first term, we were told: Don’t normalize him. In his second, the task is different: Don’t believe him.
Trump knows the power of marketing. If you make people believe something is true, you make it likelier that it becomes true. Trump clawed his way back to great wealth by playing a fearsome billionaire on TV; he remade himself as a winner by refusing to admit he had ever lost. The American presidency is a limited office. But Trump has never wanted to be president, at least not as defined in Article II of the U.S. Constitution. He has always wanted to be King. His plan this time is to first play King on TV. If we believe he is already king, we will be likelier to let him govern as a king.
Don’t believe him. Trump has real powers — but they are the powers of the presidency. The pardon power is vast and unrestricted, and so he could pardon the Jan. 6 rioters. Federal security protection is under the discretion of the executive branch, and so he could remove it from Anthony Fauci and Mike Pompeo and John Bolton and Mark Milley and even Brian Hook, a largely unknown former State Department official under threat from Iran who donated time to Trump’s transition team.
It was an act of astonishing cruelty and callousness from a man who nearly died by an assassin’s bullet — as much as anything ever has been, this, to me, was an X-ray of the smallness of Trump’s soul — but it was an act that was within his power.
But the president cannot rewrite the Constitution. Within days, the birthright citizenship order was frozen by a judge — a Reagan appointee — who told Trump’s lawyers, “I have difficulty understanding how a member of the bar would state unequivocally that this is a constitutional order. It just boggles my mind.” A judge froze the spending freeze before it was even scheduled to go into effect, and shortly thereafter, the Trump administration rescinded the order, in part to avoid the court case.
 Stephen Kevin Bannon served in the US Navy as an Officer, then worked with Goldman Sachs as an Investment banker In 2016, Bannon became the chief executive officer of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign[18][19] and was appointed chief strategist and senior counselor to the president following Trump’s election. He left the position eight months later and rejoined Breitbart. In January 2018, after his criticism of Trump’s children was reported in Michael Wolff’s book Fire and Fury, he was disavowed by Trump and subsequently left Breitbart. What Bannon wanted — what the Trump administration wants — is to keep everything moving fast. Muzzle velocity, remember. If you’re always consumed by the next outrage, you can’t look closely at the last one. The impression of Trump’s power remains; the fact that he keeps stepping on rakes is missed. The projection of strength obscures the reality of weakness. Don’t believe him.
You could see this a few ways: Is Trump playing a part, making a bet or triggering a crisis? Those are the options. I am not certain he knows the answer. Trump has always been an improviser. But if you take it as calculated, here is the calculation: Perhaps this Supreme Court, stocked with his appointees, gives him powers no peacetime president has ever possessed. Perhaps all of this becomes legal now that he has asserted its legality. It is not impossible to imagine that bet paying off.
But Trump’s odds are bad. So what if the bet fails and his arrogations of power are soundly rejected by the courts? Then comes the question of constitutional crisis: Does he ignore the court’s ruling? To do that would be to attempt a coup. I wonder if they have the stomach for it. The withdrawal of the Office of Management and Budget’s order to freeze spending suggests they don’t. Bravado aside, Trump’s political capital is thin. Both in his first and second terms, he has entered office with approval ratings below that of any president in the modern era. Gallup has Trump’s approval rating at 47 percent — about 10 points beneath Joe Biden’s in January 2021.
There is a reason Trump is doing all of this through executive orders rather than submitting these same directives as legislation to pass through Congress. A more powerful executive could persuade Congress to eliminate the spending he opposes or reform the civil service to give himself the powers of hiring and firing that he seeks. To write these changes into legislation would make them more durable and allow him to argue their merits in a more strategic way. Even if Trump’s aim is to bring the civil service to heel — to rid it of his opponents and turn it to his own ends — he would be better off arguing that he is simply trying to bring the high-performance management culture of Silicon Valley to the federal government. You never want a power grab to look like a power grab.
But Republicans have a three-seat edge in the House and a 53-seat majority in the Senate. Trump has done nothing to reach out to Democrats. If Trump tried to pass this agenda as legislation, it would most likely fail in the House, and it would certainly die before the filibuster in the Senate. And that would make Trump look weak. Trump does not want to look weak. He remembers John McCain humiliating him in his first term by casting the deciding vote against Obamacare repeal.
That is the tension at the heart of Trump’s whole strategy: Trump is acting like a king because he is too weak to govern like a president. He is trying to substitute perception for reality. He is hoping that perception then becomes reality. That can only happen if we believe him.
 President Donald Trump displaying an Executive Order he had signed. The behaviour of a school child showing his parents his home work. The flurry of activity is meant to suggest the existence of a plan. The Trump team wants it known that they’re ready this time. They will control events rather than be controlled by them. The closer you look, the less true that seems. They are scrambling and flailing already. They are leaking against one another already. We’ve learned, already, that the O.M.B. directive was drafted, reportedly, without the input or oversight of key Trump officials — “it didn’t go through the proper approval process,” an administration official told The Washington Post. For this to be the process and product of a signature initiative in the second week of a president’s second term is embarrassing.
But it’s not just the O.M.B. directive. The Trump administration is waging an immediate war on the bureaucracy, trying to replace the “deep state” it believes hampered it in the first term. A big part of this project seems to have been outsourced to Elon Musk, who is bringing the tactics he used at Twitter to the federal government. He has longtime aides at the Office of Personnel Management, and the email sent to nearly all federal employees even reused the subject line of the email he sent to Twitter employees: “Fork in the Road.” Musk wants you to know it was him.
The email offers millions of civil servants a backdoor buyout: Agree to resign and in theory, at least, you can collect your paycheck and benefits until the end of September without doing any work. The Department of Government Efficiency account on X described it this way: “Take the vacation you always wanted, or just watch movies and chill, while receiving your full government pay and benefits.” The Washington Post reported that the email “blindsided” many in the Trump administration who would normally have consulted on a notice like that.
I suspect Musk thinks of the federal workforce as a huge mass of woke ideologues. But most federal workers have very little to do with politics. About 16 percent of the federal work force is in health care. These are, for instance, nurses and doctors who work for the Veterans Affairs department. How many of them does Musk want to lose? What plans does the V.A. have for attracting and training their replacements? How quickly can he do it?
 Any damage done to the American Social Security Administration will hurt vulnerable people almost instantly. The Social Security Administration has more than 59,000 employees. Does Musk know which ones are essential to operations and unusually difficult to replace? One likely outcome of this scheme is that a lot of talented people who work in nonpolitical jobs and could make more elsewhere take the lengthy vacation and leave government services in tatters.
Twitter worked poorly after Musk’s takeover, with more frequent outages and bugs, but its outages are not a national scandal. When V.A. health care degrades, it is. To have sprung this attack on the civil service so loudly and publicly and brazenly is to be assured of the blame if anything goes wrong.
What Trump wants you to see in all this activity is command. What is really in all this activity is chaos. They do not have some secret reservoir of focus and attention the rest of us do not. They have convinced themselves that speed and force is a strategy unto itself — that it is, in a sense, a replacement for a real strategy. Don’t believe them.
I had a conversation a couple of months ago with someone who knows how the federal government works about as well as anyone alive. I asked him what would worry him most if he saw Trump doing it. What he told me is that he would worry most if Trump went slowly. If he began his term by doing things that made him more popular and made his opposition weaker and more confused. If he tried to build strength for the midterms while slowly expanding his powers and chipping away at the deep state where it was weakest.
But he didn’t. And so the opposition to Trump, which seemed so listless after the election, is beginning to rouse itself.
There is a subreddit for federal employees where one of the top posts reads: “This non ‘buyout’ really seems to have backfired. I’ll be honest, before that email went out, I was looking for any way to get out of this fresh hell. But now I am fired up to make these goons as frustrated as possible.” As I write this, it’s been upvoted more than 39,000 times and civil servant after civil servant is echoing the initial sentiment.
In Iowa this week, Democrats flipped a State Senate seat in a district that Trump won easily in 2024. The attempted spending freeze gave Democrats their voice back, as they zeroed in on the popular programs Trump had imperiled. Trump isn’t building support; he’s losing it. Trump isn’t fracturing his opposition; he’s uniting it.
This is the weakness of the strategy that Bannon proposed and Trump is following. It is a strategy that forces you into overreach. To keep the zone flooded, you have to keep acting, keep moving, keep creating new cycles of outrage or fear. You overwhelm yourself. And there’s only so much you can do through executive orders. Soon enough, you have to go beyond what you can actually do. And when you do that, you either trigger a constitutional crisis or you reveal your own weakness.
Trump may not see his own fork in the road coming. He may believe he has the power he is claiming. That would be a mistake on his part — a self-deception that could doom his presidency. But the real threat is if he persuades the rest of us to believe he has power he does not have.
The first two weeks of Trump’s presidency have not shown his strength. He is trying to overwhelm you. He is trying to keep you off-balance. He is trying to persuade you of something that isn’t true. Don’t believe him.
 Ezra Klein is an American liberal political commentator and journalist. He is currently a New York Times columnist and the host of The Ezra Klein Show podcast. He is a co-founder of Vox and formerly was the website’s editor-at-large.
By Pepper Parr
February 10th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
They are calling it “the Great Man Theory” as what is behind all the noise coming out of the mouth of the President of the United States and his apparent desire to make Canada the 51st state.
 Fulton County Mug shot of Donald Trump taken when he was arrested. Trump is said to believe that he is a great leader and can remake America – expand its boundaries to include the provinces and territories. He still has huge support within the United States – the reckoning that Americans will eventually face when it becomes clear that Donald Trump is not going to solve the very real problems the average American faces.
Canadians, to date, haven’t been all that upset over this challenge to our sovereignty. We accept that the American are different and they are free to be whatever they choose to be.
Can you imagine a Canada with the health system the Americans have; can you imagine Canada having people walking down streets with a weapon in a holster on their hip?
Canada doesn’t have the rampant level of racism that pollutes a lot of what American’s do. We created and value the social safety net we have in place. We have two languages that are part of what we are as a country.
It is becoming clearer that Donald Trump is going to do whatever he can to make Canada part of what is now the United States if we continue to be asleep at the switch
In an interview aboard Air Force One Trump continued to threaten a country that has long been one of the U.S.‘s closest allies. He claimed that Canada is “not viable as a country” without U.S. trade, and warned that the founding NATO member can no longer depend on the U.S. for military protection.
There is a timidity to Canadians – time to thicken our skin and stand firm. Our response to whatever Trump announces today has to make it clear that Canadians see his plans to be an affront against our sovereignty.
The Prime Minister who is out of the country, somewhere in Europe, discussing Alternative Intelligence, needs to be on a plane and in the country leading the response to whatever Trump announces.
Salt with Pepper is an opinion column reflecting the observations and musings of the publisher of the Gazette, an on-line newspaper that is in its 12 th year as a news source in Burlington and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Pepper Parr
February 9th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
UPDATED February 10th
Among the Directions the Mayor issued to staff on the matter of possible tariffs the Mayor included:
Staff to undertake research and provide advice to the head of Council on potential responses to the tariff threats, including attendance at Mayor’s Tariff Task Force meetings as required in a research and advisory capacity.
No mention is made of just who is on this Task Force and what its immediate objectives are.
 It looks like tariffs are real again. The tariffs that President Trump had put on hold for 30 days – that didn’t last. Before heading off to the Super Bowl Game in New Orleans Trump announced that he would announce 25% steel and aluminum tariffs Monday; with more import duties coming.
This President has made monkeys out of the American media. He keeps flooding the media with announcement- which they take and run with. While media is chasing announcements the President gets on with what matters to him.
He needs his Cabinet in place and it appears he will do everything he can take get them there.
This is a completely different President – the rules do not matter to him. David Frum, a respected news analyst, has described Donald Trump as a predator who uses every tool and new outlet to get his message out.
He has taken away the security clearance former President Biden had; he has removed senior people from the FBI; he has removed Inspectors, the people who are in place to ensure a federal agency is doing the job it is supposed to do to protect the public interest. The President is required to advise Congress if he wants to do this. Trump doesn’t pay attention to rules.
 Time to look for better customers  All the while confusing everyone as to just what he plans to do.
This is the guy Doug Ford wanted to vote for – 1000% said Ford. Remember that 18 days from now when you cast your ballot for member of the provincial Legislature.
Canada has a lot of very strong options. Cut off the power they buy from Canada that keeps the lights on in New York City; stop selling them the oil they need.
Wear velvet gloves but make sure the Americans know that they need us as much as we need them. The threat of doing things like this is all that is needed – time to see the Canadian government showing that they have options – and in the meantime look for better customers.
The Mayor has yet to announce who the members of the Task Force will be.
By Staff
February 6th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Today, Mayor Meed Ward issued a Mayoral Direction focused on supporting Canadian businesses, workers, and the broader Burlington community, aligning with provincial and federal efforts to bolster national economic resilience.
The Mayoral Direction issues the following directions to staff:
Continue reading Mayor Meed Ward: We have to Stand Up for Canadian Businesses and Burlington’s Future
By Staff
February 5th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
It has been a whirlwind past week in Canada-U.S. relations, after announced tariffs on Canadian goods entering America – set to take effect on Tuesday – were delayed 30 days. This, after a call between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump, where Trump claimed victory but by many accounts received little.
 Continue reading Pride in Canada rebounds in face of Trump threat
By Staff
February 4th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport Announces a new strategic airline partner, Porter Airlines.
Porter will initiate service at Hamilton International beginning in early June 2025, introducing daily service from Hamilton to four popular domestic destinations: Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, and Vancouver.
The airport will move now on planned terminal upgrades that will begin immediately.
 The long-term collaborative partnership between the City and TradePort, in place since 1996, has positioned the airport as a critical driver of connectivity, economic growth, job creation, and community partnerships for Hamilton and the surrounding region. Under the new lease, efforts to expand air service, enhance the passenger experience, and deliver safe, sustainable, and efficient operations will continue – starting with planned terminal upgrades that will begin immediately.
Airport enhancements will include an updated exterior frontage with new and expanded canopies to improve curb operations, and a refresh of terminal interiors from check-in counters and passenger screening areas to gate seating and baggage claim. Integration of architectural elements and finishes inspired by the region’s natural geography will lend the airport a unique sense of place, while new digital signage and lighting upgrades will enhance the overall travel journey.
Additionally, future enhancements will include passenger jet bridges to connect the terminal directly to aircraft – a first for Hamilton International – and terminal infrastructure upgrades to position the airport for future expansion to accommodate expected air traffic growth
Airport enhancements will include an updated exterior frontage with new and expanded canopies to improve curb operations, and a refresh of terminal interiors from check-in counters and passenger screening areas to gate seating and baggage claim. Integration of architectural elements and finishes inspired by the region’s natural geography will lend the airport a unique sense of place. New digital signage and lighting upgrades will enhance the overall travel journey.
Future enhancements will include passenger jet bridges to connect the terminal directly to aircraft – a first for Hamilton International – and terminal infrastructure upgrades to position the airport for future expansion to accommodate expected air traffic growth.
By Staff
January 30th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
This article has been updated.
Transforming Minds, Shaping the Future
On Feb. 24th in Burlington, Ontario, an organization called the “i3 Institute” is holding their “Reviving Roots Conference” with the theme of “Reclaiming the Muslim Identity in a Secular World.” One of the speakers is Mohammed Hijab.
Hijab an outspoken antisemite obsessed with Jews and Israel, he’s described pedophilia as “relative,” and he routinely pontificates about the superiority of Islam.
 Members of i3 – names of the men were not provided. i3 institute is a non-profit organization offering classical Islāmic education through a holistic and interactive approach. Impact? Today we have several brands to help Muslims reach their full potential!
We have been serving different segments of the Muslim communities with a focus on youth development through regular halaqas, workshops, conferences, and tournaments for the personal and professional development of our students and volunteers.
Mayor Meed Ward appears to have taken exception to the event – and released the following statement:
 Some wondered what the statement was about when it appeared on social media. Struck the Gazette as a little inflammatory. Reactions like this do not help. The Region has a growing Muslim community – we are no longer a white Judeo-Christian society.
Gazette reader Ted GAmble provided this LINK in his comment.
 By Staff
January 30th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Karina Gould, speaking to media in Ottawa earlier today set out part of what she would do should she become leader of the Liberal Party on March 9th.
By Pepper Parr
January 29th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
The last chapter of the most recent journey Burlington’s Natalie Pierre has taken has started.
 Natalie Pierre speaking in the Legislature Doug Ford got Lt.-Gov. Edith Dumont to issue a writ of election. The Legislature came to a close at 4:00 pm Tuesday afternoon and the election began.
Should Natalie Pierre be re-elected she will begin a second term as an MPP – a job she didn’t want and didn’t do all that well at during the several years she has represented the city at Queen’s Park.
Continue reading Natalie Pierre: ‘With some personal luck she will lose the election and be freed to become the person she is’
 By Pepper Parr
January 23rd, 2025
BURLINGTON. ON
There she was on the street outside the Liberal Party of Canada head office in Ottawa, telling media that she had just filed her papers, paid the required fee ($50,000 at this point)- now she was legitimately a candidate for the leadership.
 Gould: “I want to make sure that the Liberal Party of Canada works for its membership.” It was snowing, snow plows were passing in the background as she explained what her thinking was in terms of what the Liberal Party had gotten wrong and what she wanted to do in the way of making changes.
She didn’t mince her words.
“I decided to run two weeks ago and in that time we have built a national organization.
“I need people to vote for me no later than the 27th – and please donate “because I don’t have deep pockets.”
In each of the public events the Gazette has covered Gould has spoken in French and English. Her command of French is very good.
She points out that the Liberal Party of Canada is more than one person. It’s the 1000s of Canadians across this country who have raised their hands to say that they want to build a better country. “It’s their opportunity to have great debates about the kind of country that we want to be. I want to make sure that the Liberal Party of Canada works for its membership.
“I’ve heard from too many people across this country that the Liberal Party of Canada hasn’t given members the space they need. I’m here today to propose three things to make the Liberal Party of Canada about the members and give power back to our membership.
 Gould: “Ottawa doesn’t know best.” “First and foremost, we need to get together more; I’m going to bring back policy conventions. We’ve been talking at you for too long. It’s time for the Liberal Party of Canada to listen to our members once again.
“I remember attending regional meetings and national conventions where we had great debates on the convention floor. We need to get back to that, because the people across this country who join our party do so because they have things to say and they have ideas to share. I want us to be that Big Red Machine, not just in terms of knocking on doors, which is incredibly important, but in terms of the ideas that you are bringing forward to make our country the amazing place that it is.
Two: “I would be committed to meeting on an annual basis with all the constituency presidents across the country.
“I also think it’s time for us to decentralize the party. Ottawa doesn’t know best. We need to empower our regions, our provinces, our people on the ground who are the eyes and ears that hear from our communities.
“One of the reasons I think we lost touch over the past couple of years is because we weren’t listening to our membership. You were talking to your neighbors, you were hearing from people across the country, and you were telling us what we needed to focus on, and we got too focused on being government in Ottawa and not enough on what was happening on the grounds in our communities.
“I want to make sure that we have more field organizers in every region across the country, and not just on the ground, but digitally as well. We ran an excellent campaign in 2015 but it’s 2025 now.
 Gould: “I get it, I understand. But I need your ideas. I need your energy because you are going to keep propelling us forward.” “Three: I would make sure that we are empowering young liberals in this country and bring back the national youth director position. Young liberals have always been a force in our party, and we need to make sure that you have the respect and the space to be that force once again, when I think about where Canada is today, I know that young people in general feel disenfranchised. They’re worried about the future, and I’m here to say to all young Canadians, I get it, I understand. But I need your ideas. I need your energy, because you are going to keep propelling us forward.
Gould was asked:
What specifically did your party do? What policies did it put in place that makes Canadians lose trust?
Gould: “Yeah, Look, I think we have to be honest about the fact that Canadians have lost trust in our party, and part of it is because I don’t think we responded to the issues that they were telling us mattered to them. I think when it came to the end of the pandemic and the spike in inflation, Canadians were saying, things were really hard. And we didn’t say, you’re right. We didn’t say, yeah, things are really hard right now, and here’s how we’re going to fix it. It took us too long to understand that Canadians were struggling to make ends meet.
“Instead of taking a moment and listening to Canadians, we said, here’s all the great things that we’re doing for you. And I don’t think that was the right approach. You know, when mortgages were going up, when rents Were going up, when groceries were going up, – we didn’t respond quickly enough to the areas where Canadians were struggling, and I think we have to do a better job of that policy problem.
“You have to have policies that respond to where Canadians are at and we didn’t respond quickly enough to where Canadians were. We got there eventually, but Canadians had been saying to us, we’re struggling and we need help, and it took us too long to listen to what they were saying.”
Gould: “I don’t think we got the capital gains tax increase right. I’m having lots of conversations with the tech sector, with folks that are affected by it, to try and figure out what we can do to encourage growth and have more entrepreneurship here in Canada. So I’ll have more to say on that in the coming days.
 Gould: “… having an election, might not be the best thing to do immediately after the leadership has been decided.” Asked about the endorsements some candidates were getting she said: “That’s a great question for my Cabinet colleagues, – what I can tell you is that the liberal leadership is decided by the membership. I have full respect for my Cabinet colleagues, for colleagues in caucus, and I encourage them to endorse whoever they decide to, but let’s remember that the leadership of the party is decided by the membership, and what I am hearing from the membership across the country is how excited they are by my candidacy and the fact that so many people are raising their hands making donations, asking to volunteer.
“Unlike some of the other candidates, I’ve only been organizing for two weeks.
Gould on what she would do: “I would make permanent a GST cut on children’s clothing, diapers, strollers and the like.”
Will you try to govern as prime minister, or would you immediately call for an election?
Gould: “I think it’s a little too early to determine that. I think we have to understand where we are, look at what we are facing in the way of a potential trade war with the United States. We have to know where we are on March 9, where the country is, before we decide where we need to go, because at the end of the day, whatever decision a future prime minister makes needs to have the best interest of Canadians at heart. And if we are in an extremely difficult position with the United States, having an election, might not be the best thing to do at that time, but I think we have to see where we are on March 9.
Media: “Why do you think that you can face Donald Trump and get a win against Donald Trump?
Gould: “Because I face bullies in the House of Commons every single day. Stand up to them and win. I know how to stand up for Canadians. I know how to build a team that can do that, and I’m not afraid of a challenge
 Gould: “That’s why I did it.” Asked about the release of the Fall Economic Statement Gould said: “As the government House leader at the time, I felt that it was the responsible thing to continue to deliver the Fall Economic Statement. I mean, as the Government of Canada, we have a fiduciary responsibility to Canadians and to markets. Despite the chaos that could have ensued that day, I took the decision to say that we have to do this because markets and Canadians are expecting it.
“I didn’t write the fall economic statement, I saw it at the same time as everyone else. I felt that it was important for stability and for calm to make sure it was presented. And that’s why I did it.”
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Do let us know if you hear any other leadership candidate say what Gould is saying.
By Staff
January 23rd, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
 We are told that the Mayor’s Office is telling people that the BRAG numbers are wrong.
This information came to us from a reliable source, but it was secondhand. Tracking what comes out of the Office of the Mayor is difficult when there is next to nothing in terms of their communicating with the Gazette.
A taxpayer did his version of what the taxes were over a number of years as well as calculating the cumulative tax rate.
Here is what a resident sent us.
The numbers displayed in this article are basically the same as those BRAG produced.
Taxes are a fact of life. They tend to go up – they can be reduced but in reality, not that much.
The challenge for Burlington has two parts: A city hall that will be honest and direct with the taxpayers; and taxpayers that accept what the city is up against.
Burlington has been told that it must grow its population. More people means more in the way of services and those services cost money. Both sides need to grow up and accept the realities.
The hard part is dealing with a pay rate within city hall that is much higher than that paid in the private sector. That is where the problem is and coming to terms with that is close to an impossible task. Civil servants at the municipal level are paid much more than that paid in the private sector. Add to that benefits that are just plain very good.
It would take decades to bring about a change and it would probably have to be done at the provincial level.
The upside? Encourage your children to find work at the municipal level.
Salt with Pepper is an opinion column reflecting the observations and musings of the publisher of the Gazette, an on-line newspaper that is in its 12th year as a news source in Burlington and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Pepper Parr
January 22nd, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
She was a great ship with a proud battle history.
Julie van der Muellen created this 10-foot model made out of Lego.
Julie assembled and donated her 10-foot-long HMCS Haida to the Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton. It will be archived as a museum relic and displayed in a glass display case.
 Julie van der Muellen with her father and a 10 foot Lego model of HMCS Haida. Continue reading HMCS Haida, created out of 40,000+ pieces of Lego, will be on display at the Wartime Heritage Museum
|
|
By Ray Rivers
Ray Rivers, a Gazette Contributing Editor, writes regularly applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was once a candidate for provincial office in Burlington. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Ray has a post graduate degree in economics that he earned at the University of Ottawa. Tweet @rayzrivers
