 By Pepper Parr
March 15th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Welcome to the world of politics, Natalie.
Being nominated as the Progressive Conservative candidate for Burlington without having to go through the nomination process was certainly a gift.
 Natalie Pierre – newly appointed provincial Progressive Conservative candidate for Burlington One has to wonder what all those card carrying members of the Burlington Progressive Conservative Association think about the decision to forgo a nomination meeting.
The tradition in Canadian politics has been for the candidate to present themselves and their ideas to the people who vote.
The last election (the federal one) the Conservative candidate refused to take part in any media event. Given that you are part of an organization with the word “progressive” in it – it would be reasonable to expect a difference from your team.
No word yet on just who is going to run your campaign; who will handle the fund raising and when we will get to see and hear you.
There is very little information about you in the public domain at this point in time. Not a word about your political activity. Many people who work in the educational sector tend to stay away from politics, however there was a senior Sheridan staff member who took a run at the Liberal leadership a few years ago.
Burlington is a city made up of decent people who love where they live. A large part of the population could be described as professionals with strong values.
This is what the people want. Those who know Jane know that she will be all over your campaign. Get to know Joyce Savoline who once served the people of Burlington at both the Regional and provincial levels. Joyce is the kind of person who will keep you on an ethical path.
Now that we appear to be coming out of the pandemic there are no reasonable reasons for not being public.
We would love to know who you are; what you think, what your values are, and how you believe you can serve the needs of the city.
Being put forward by the current MPP Jane McKenna wasn’t the route many would choose to become a candidate.
My hope is that you will be who you really are and not get muddied by the darker side of politics in this city.
The Progressive Conservatives have provided some of the most effective government the province has had. Learn what Bill Davis and John Robarts did for the province and pattern yourself after that kind of politician.
Be yourself, don’t let others turn you into something you never wanted to be.
Finally, if given the opportunity to rent the little blue house – don’t
Looking forward to meeting you.
 By Pepper Parr
March 14th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
During the debate on March 2nd about the use of city facilities when elections are taking place, I sent the following to the City Clerk:
“There were two documents on the screen that did not appear to be in the agenda.
I have attached two screen shots to help you identify what I am talking about.
Would you have both documents sent to me – and would you explain why the documents were not in the agenda pkg.
I did not get a response from the City Clerk but I did get a response from the city communications department – the City Clerk doesn’t appear to answer email sent to him – a matter we will cover in some detail on another occasion.
We wanted a copy of a document that Mayor Meed Ward introduced to Council as a “walk on” agenda item. Walk on means the item was not on the agenda. The Procedural bylaw requires that the Chair of the meeting seek the approval of a majority of Council to permit the “walk on” item. It was the Clerk’s job to catch the error and bring it to the attention of the Chair.
That didn’t happen either.
 City Clerk Kevin Arjoon had nothing to say When a report is being introduced to a Standing Committee meeting there is usually an introduction or comments from Staff on why the report is before Council. City Clerk Kevin Arjoon had nothing to say – so the Mayor moved the report which allowed her to then talk about the nine amendment she had plus a Staff Direction.
Some Gazette readers took exception with our concern over the documents not being available to the public – they are usually available five or six days before a meeting – giving those interested an opportunity to delegate. That is another matter that will also be covered at another time.
Two of the nine amendment were not staff supported; the others were supported by Staff.
Each amendment was introduced to the Standing Committee. There was stiff debate on some of the amendments.
The agenda item was: Use of Corporate Resources During an Election Policy.
In previous municipal elections then Councillors Meed Ward and Bentivegnia had significant issues with the Clerk’s department as to what was permitted and what was not permitted. There were some pretty silly decisions made by the Clerk at the time.
 Marianne Meed Ward had some direct experience with city staff, the Clerk’s Office to be specific, on how election rules should be administered. She was making sure that the same things didn’t happen in 2022 Mayor Meed Ward started her presentation setting out “Principles” and adding a :However to those Principles.
The Mayor then took council through each of the amendments – one by one.
What Meed Ward wanted to ensure was that members of Council would still be able to do their jobs while the election campaign is taking place. There were portions of the policy document that could be interpreted to suggest that a Councillor seeking re-election had an advantage. All members of those currentlt on council were consistent in wanting a level playing field.
During the meeting the Committee Clerk was able to make changes in the document that was before Council. In the illustration below you can see where items have been revised.
Most of the rules related to city space and would not apply to independent bodies like the Performing Arts Centre, the Art Gallery and the Libraries. The independent bodies were expected to create policies of their own. Councillor Bentivegnia argued that it was still city property – and it is – but it is city property that is governed by an independent Board. It took Bentivegnia a couple of conversations to fully understand that one.
Council members and many Staff people use their own phone for city business. The city pays a person who uses their own phone about $35 a month
The use of city business cards during an election was prohibited – but what does a candidate do if while talking to a voter at the door step the voter asks about a specific problem. Can the candidate give them a copy of the Council members business card and ask the voter to call the office and get the help they need?
The point being made was that while you are electioneering you are a candidate and not a Councillor. Councillor Nisan suggested that they all take part in a bonfire at which they would all burn their city provided business cards.
Incumbents are seen to have advantages new candidates don’t have in terms of media. This council was going to great lengths to ensure that their names and pictures did not appear in documents coming out of city hall.
Social media was a challenge. Some things on social media cannot be changed. An entry on LinkedIn cannot be changed was an example Meed Ward gave.
A lot of time was spent figuring out how Council members could talk about city business and not cross the line into working as a candidate. Several Councillors wanted the city communications department to monitor what the Councillors sent out – the Communications department took a pass on that one.
Meed Ward argued that during the period between May 2, when candidates can file their nominations through to the last Council meeting in September, there was still a lot of serious council business to take care of. There had to be a way for Council members to communicate with their constituents and at the same time campaign. Removing any name identification and photographs (the Councillor would be identified as Councillor for Ward X) from communications material the city issues was determined to be the best approach
Meeting with constituents at a ward meeting called by the Councillor had all kinds of possible red flags. Councillors saw it as unreasonable for a Councillor to say nothing about running for office at a meeting to discuss an issue.
Burlington is now very much into branding. There is a project that focuses on creating and promoting One Burlington, to ensure that the city as a corporation gets the visibility and attention it feels it deserves and needs.
 During the last election Mayor Meed Ward arm wrestled with the City Clerk at the time over the placing of small magnetic fridge cards on the bumpers of cards. Councillor delegated to Council on his right to put signage on his vehicle. The Clerk at the time argued that part of the vehicle was paid for by the city. It was a different Clerk and a different time.
All these amendments had merit. Councillor Kearns added an amendment of her own asking that Spencer Smith Park be kept campaign free. That lost – however Civic Square was defined as campaign free.
The issue for the Gazette was the absence of any public input. While this Council would love to believe they are all going to be acclaimed – that is as certain as that Irish rainbow that is going to direct us all to that mythical pot of gold.
It was at the end of the meeting that those monitoring the web cast heard the City Clerk apologize for the walk on report – he said it was better to do it now rather than wait until April.
That raised a serious – why wasn’t this done months ago?
We all knew what the date of the election was going to be. A city that can’t stop itself from touting how engaged it is – manages to find a way to issue a report that is the very foundation of the way we choose our leaders. The Clerk’s incompetence should have been noticed by the City Manager. How did he manage to be asleep at the switch while the Clerk fumbled with the file?
 By Staff
March10th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
When Metrolinx advised the Town of Oakville and the city of Burlington that they would not be able to proceed with the planned construction of grade separations – they surely didn’t think that was going to be the end of it.
Burlington ward 5 Councillor took the lead on this and, working with Oakville council member issued a statement making it clear that a delay was not on for their communities.
The Town of Oakville and City of Burlington received updates from Metrolinx (the Province’s Agency for coordinating and integration transportation in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area) on the Burloak and Kerr Street Grade Separations.
 Life today at the Burloak crossing.
 This was the promise – when the price ballooned Metrolinx wanted to back out. The local municipal Councillors aren’t on for that decision. Metrolinx indicated it could no longer meet its commitment to the costs agreed to by all parties involved for both the Burloak and Kerr Separations and that the Kerr Street underpass would be deferred with no future timeline. ” These changes to our agreements with the Provincial agency are unacceptable to us.”
 Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman – isn’t prepared to accept the Metrolinx decision. Grade separations not only ease congestion, they are pivotal to the health and safety of our community for vehicles and pedestrians and ensure rail transportation moves unimpeded across the Lakeshore West Line. As representatives in areas directly impacted by these railway crossings, we hear daily about delays, safety issues and concerns from our residents. We are determined to ensure the Province and Metrolinx fulfill their commitments to the residents in our neighbourhoods and the Halton community at large.
The Metrolinx LAkeshore West line is schedule to offer 15 minute service – vehicles will never get to cross the tracks under those conditions.
“We are calling on all Halton MPPs to work to ensure the government’s commitments to the construction of both grade separations move forward and that they do so immediately and at the costs agreed to with the Municipalities in 2018. Now is not the time to put critical infrastructure on the back burner. With the Province mandating growth throughout our communities, we in good conscious cannot continue to fulfill the Province’s demands of added population without safety being put firs.” said Sharman
“Movement throughout our Region relies on critically integrated corridors and the infrastructure to move those vehicles, pedestrians and transit safely and quickly. This is more than a step backwards; the Government has slammed the car in reverse. We are calling on all residents who have a stake in this infrastructure getting built to contact your MPP and let them know that these delays, deferrals and cost overruns are unacceptable.”
Provincial members:
Stephen Crawford (Oakville) – stephen.crawford@pc.ola.org
Parm Gill (Milton) – parm.gill@pc.ola.org
Jane McKenna (Burlington) – jane.mckenna@pc.ola.org
Effie Triantafilopoulos (Oakville North-Burlington) – effie.triantafilopoulos@pc.ola.org
Signed:
Sean O’Meara Beth Robertson
Regional & Town Councillor Ward 1 Town Councillor Ward 1
Cathy Duddeck Ray Chisholm
Regional & Town Councillor Ward 2 Town Councillor Ward 2
Paul Sharman
City of Burlington Council Ward 5
There is an interesting omission: Burlington’s Mayor Marianne Meed Ward is not a signatore to the statement. She was all over television reports in the decision
 By Staff
March 5th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
The hot development action has always been south of Caroline, clustered along Lakeshore road.
The long term growth of the city is going to be around the GO stations that are now also known as MTSA’s – Major Transit Service Areas – that will have GO service, local transit service, as well as anything else that transports people coming together in the same spot.
 The Recommended Preferred Precinct Plans for the Burlington MTSA. Residential development will be significant with clusters that include, 5, 6, 7 or even 8 high rise towers and all the social amenities. Get used to a new one: linear parks which is another phrase for a path with some grass.
The Recommended Preferred Precinct Plans for the Burlington GO station set out above identify the name of the precinct they are in but provide no detail on what the zoning is for each precinct. Presumably that will follow. What you get at this point is a pretty graphic.
 A rendering of what the Burlington GO station now looks like. The housing that will be built in the immediate area will be in the 3500+ population range The Recommended Preferred Precinct Plans for Aldershot and Appleby Line will be separate articles
By Pepper Parr
March 2, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
Three months from now we will be marking our ballots and choosing who we want to lead us in Ontario going forward.
 The Ford government is sitting at Queen’s Park passing legislation. Yesterday we learned that there was a section in a piece of legislation that forgave a significant fine the Premier was required to pay for not getting a budget before the public by a specific date.
The government has delayed publishing the budget which was due March 31st. The new date is sometime in late April
We learn today that the government announced an advertising program that will focus on how well the economy is doing.
While important, critically important the province is slowly coming out of pandemic driven restrictions that has ticket sales of Raptors games at the Scotiabank Arena close to sold out.
People need some relief.
World news is horrific; we are in the middle of something that doesn’t impact on most of us – but the news we read about what is happening in Ukraine is going to impact every one of us in the very near future.
 Premier Ford in the Legislature Inflation is beginning to play havoc on what happens to us daily. Have you been to the supermarket; have you looked at the price of a good steak ?
Supply chain issues are still not resolved
With all this going on we have a provincial government shuffling the cards and dealing themselves a stronger hand.
Keep an eye on the rascals.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
 By Pepper Parr
March 2, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
We bid our Contributing Editor and long-time columnist Ray Rivers adieu and hope that he travels well.
Ray Rivers has been with the Gazette for at least eight years during which time he wrote an opinion column from a small L liberal perspective. He developed a following that kept him one his toes. He also developed within the community, a better understanding on just what an opinion piece is. There are some who still resent some of the stand Ray took.
 Ray Rivers – who won the best that Trump would win`. I’ve been buying him good Scotch ever since. It was my pleasure to stand behind him and support him every step he took.
He made a point of providing background links to support the positions he had taken.
In the years I have worked with Ray he became a friend, a colleague – someone who made my life bigger than it was before I met him at an event and knew before he knew that he would make a fine columnist.
We will hear from Ray again – right now he takes a break as he does his best to cope with the situation in Ukraine. Ray covered a Canadian Army training camp while he was in Ukraine and delivered a couple of hundred Canadian flag lapel pins made a number of friends as well. Their safety is now top of mind for him.
Ray cannot be replaced; his time with us taught our readers that there is a place for opinions in a local on-line newspaper.
which brought me to Connor Fraser, a young man I met
A number of years ago I met Connor Fraser just before he left for the University of Toronto. I fully expected the young man to do very well.
Set out below is some detail on just how well he has done.
Connor will write a column once a month, he wanted to be more frequent but it takes time to get into the habit of writing regularly – so once a week for now.
His first column will be on social media.
Connor was born in Hamilton in 1997, 1997 is a long-time resident of Aldershot. He attended Waterdown Montessori School, Glenview Public School, Burlington Christian Academy and Aldershot High School, graduating in 2015. Passionate about the issues facing Burlington, Connor has volunteered for several local organizations and advocated to municipal leaders on building transit oriented, walkable communities. His career goal is to help Burlington – and Canada – navigate the challenges of transitioning towards a just and inclusive low-energy economy.
 Connor Fraser In 2020, Connor completed undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto, with a BASc. in Engineering Science and a major in Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Between 2018 and 2019, he worked as a member of the technology development team at Microchip Corporation (North San Jose, California) where he contributed to the design of computer memory for FPGA chips. While pursuing engineering studies, Connor volunteered for the U of T Human Powered Vehicles Design Team as a machinist and led the design of a rollover detection system for high-speed tricycles. During the summer of 2013, 2015 and 2017, Connor lived in Quebec thanks to support from the YMCA Student Work Summer Exchange, and the Explore Program and is decently proficient in spoken French.
Connor has returned to U of T to enrol in the dual Master of Global Affairs and Master of Business Administration program and is concurrently a Certified Financial Analyst Level 2 candidate.
He is a Senior Producer with “Beyond the Headlines”, a weekly public affairs radio show that airs on CIUT 89.5FM every Monday (October – April) between 11am and 12pm. CJUT is the student run radio station at the University of Toronto.
Connor describes himself as an integrative thinker who enjoys observing parallelisms within and between various subjects such as science & engineering, finance, psychology and international relations. In his free time, Connor enjoys throwing boomerangs, playing tennis, and hanging out with his amazing sister.
You’re going to like this guy.
 By Staff
February 28th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
The Lakeshore Football Officials Association is continuing its campaign to recruit individuals who have a passion for the game of football and are eager to stay engaged with the game.
 “We are reaching out to everyone, teens and adults who may be interested and have a passion for football. If you bring that passion, you will be mentored by some of the best football officials in the country,” commented Referee-in- Chief Murray Drinkwalter.
There are many reasons to Get Off the Sidelines and Into the Action – Be a Ref!
For the love of the Game
Maybe you want to stay engaged and be a part of the game you loved to play, or maybe you are looking to get more engaged in the game your kids are playing. Either way, being an official will give you access to, and an appreciation for, the rules and strategies of the games you officiate like nothing else can.
Earn extra money
There is no better part-time job or hobby for you to make a little extra money doing something you enjoy. It’s the perfect extra gig for anyone from a high school student, to a parent, to a retiree.
Give Back
Many officials like to pay it forward to football for what it has given them. Officiating is also a way to guide and enrich the lives of the athletes who are playing by teaching the value of sportsmanship and fair play.
Stay Active
Maintain a healthy lifestyle by engaging with a sport you love. Also, who does not like getting paid to exercise?
 It was raining, the ground was wet, slippery and football was hard to hang onto – but the game went on. High school football. Sense of Community
The fellowship and humour officials share with one another are incomparable. You will quickly realize there is no community like officials. Many of them will become your closest friends — lifelong friends.
Life skills
Officiating teaches independent thinking and the ability to see the big picture — a skill that translates outside of officiating. It also requires dedication, togetherness, and ability to work as a team that is important everywhere.
Opportunity
Football officials are often identified and associated with the sport and are known outside of officiating by coaches, players and fans. Even if people do not know you specifically, many people associate officiating with trustworthiness, impartiality, dedication and integrity – all qualities that can open doors for you in other areas of life.
Drinkwalter also pointed out; “The pandemic took a toll on our organization and a number of our members have retired from officiating for various reasons, and with the formation of the Ontario Community Football League, youth football in our areas will be very active this summer. Our organization is making a concerted effort to recruit individuals who have the availability during the summer weekends and also in the fall to officiate high school football from September to November, the busiest time for our organization.” High school football games are normally played Tuesday-Friday with most doubleheaders kicking off at noon, 1p.m. or 2:30 pm.
All new officials must complete a one-day Level 1 Football Canada Officials’ Certification Program. The first program of 2022 will be held locally, hopefully in April.
If you are looking to get involved with football officiating, make some extra money, enjoy some camaraderie, and get some exercise, then please visit www.lfoa.ca to learn more and see the links to social media.
Have more questions? E-mail info@lfoa.ca and someone will contact you.
About the Lakeshore Football Officials Association
The Lakeshore Football Officials’ Association, (LFOA) established in 1963, is responsible for officiating all community and high school tackle football in the regions of Halton, Peel, and Niagara. The organization offers Football Canada Certification Programs, rules and positioning clinics, and a personal mentoring program to assist in the development of all officials. Many of the organization’s officials are former or current members of the Canadian Football Lea
By Pepper Parr
February 27th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
Some facts:
Municipal election results for Mayor of Burlington
Rick Goldring won with 21,797 votes. Goldring defeated Cam Jackson and Marianne Meed Ward ran and as a Councillor and won in ward 2. Anne Marsden was not a candidate in the 2010 election.
In 2014 Rick Goldring ran for re-election and won with 23,360 votes.
 Anne Marsden delegating at Burlington city council with her husband David Anne Marsden ran and got 3,043 votes.
In 2018 Marianne Meed Ward ran for Mayor and defeated Rick Goldring.
Meed Ward – 23,360 votes
Goldring – 16,781 votes
Anne Marsden ran against Gary Carr for Regional Chair
Gary Carr – 79,775 votes
Anne Marsden – 41,136 votes
The data above is all a matter of public record on either the city of Burlington web site or the Region of Halton web site.
On February 24th, Anne Marsden released the information set out below.
Marsden does not provide dates for the votes she lists. The amounts spent are a matter of public record.
The Goldring data is for the 2018 municipal election as is the data for Meed Ward.
The Marsden number represent the number of votes she got from the voters of Burlington who chose her as Regional Chair in 2018.
The data Marsden provides appears to be intended to convince people that Marsden is a credible candidate and can pull in a lot of votes without spending very much money.
We believe the numbers are misleading and were intended to mislead.
Anne Marsden has positioned herself as a person who hews to the truth and argues vociferously that she has the facts and that she is right.
She has on occasion done a good job of digging out facts – especially with the C. difficile outbreak at the Joseph Brant Hospital in 2009.
The virus overran the hospital from May 2006 to December 2007- the information was not released until 2009.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
 By Pepper Parr
February 21st, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Marty Staz is just one of those people I have always liked.
I thought he was the better candidate in ward 1 during the last municipal election but with 10 candidates in the race it was more of a crap shoot than the selection of a candidate.
 Marty Staz – figuring it out. I recall watching Marty at one of the city events where there were large posters with graphics related to low rise, medium rise and high rise guidelines. Marty, spent some time looking at the posters then got into a conversation with the planning staff member on hand to answer questions.
Marty has spent a good part of his working life in the real estate business – he sells it and brings a specific skill set to the work.
The Gazette gets dozens of Facebook message – there isn’t always enough time to spend on them – often they are a self promotion picture, occasionally they are quite funny. I have a couple of favourite people I make a point of clicking on.
Marty send one along earlier today.
Marty didn’t write the piece – but he knew the kind of message that would resonate on Family Day in Ontario.
Right on my friend, was my immediate response.
Related news story:
Staz on fixing a housing problem
By Staff
February 21st, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
The province cut the public some slack in opening up things in the hospitality sector – they certainly needed a boost.
Burlington sent out an update on changes taking place at the recreational facilities as well as vaccination updates
 Capacity at gymnasiums that are used by community groups has been increased. Recreation facility capacity limits will be increased for rental, program and activity spaces, while ensuring requirements for physical distancing are maintained. Existing program providers and facility renters have been notified directly.
Drop-in recreation programs will increase capacity. Participants are still encouraged to register in advance. For schedule and online registration visit burlington.ca/dropinandplay. For information on how to register or to setup an account, visit burlington.ca/registration
Registered winter courses already in progress may open additional spots if possible, pending staffing, regulations, specific ratios, and maintaining physical distancing for example. Check liveandplay.burlington.ca for new spots.
Spectator seating areas remain at 50 per cent capacity, and change rooms and dressing room capacities remain limited. Occupancy levels are posted.
Proof of Vaccination and Screening
Proof of vaccination with an enhanced vaccine certificate with QR code is currently required for entry into City recreational facilities.
Masking and physical distancing is still required.
Those entering recreation facilities will be required to acknowledge posted screening questions at the point of entry. Pre-screening in advance of arrival is no longer required.
 Chris Glenn, Director of Recreation, Community and Culture Chris Glenn, Director of Recreation, Community and Culture continues to emphasize that the “Health of participants and staff will always be a top priority. We’re looking forward to safely and carefully welcoming more people back into our facilities and programs. Increasing program capacities takes time so please be patient as we work through these changes.”
 By Jonas Johansson
February 21st, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
What are the top online trends in Canada this year? The internet has come a long way since its beginning and shows no signs of slowing down. Here you can read about some of the top online trends in Canada for 2022. Have you been drawn to any of them?
 Gambling is supposed to be fun. Enjoy it. 1. Gaming, casino, and betting
Gaming and gambling are hobbies that are still going strong in Canada. It involves all kinds of games, from casino and betting to classic PC games and console gaming. Online reviews by both experts and players on different levels make it easy to find good options, such as red casino 32.
Players today want the very best experience, and the gaming companies have to compete in order to attract players. A clear trend in 2022 is that mobile gaming is on the rise, with 24/7 access to apps on the go. Playing games and gambling on our smartphones have become a normal part of the digitalized world that we now live in.
2. Investing in stocks and cryptocurrency
Trading and investing are part of another trend that isn’t going away any time soon. In fact, the hobby is only getting more popular. People are investing in stocks, forex, CFDs and cryptocurrency because of the potential for high returns. Social media, online forums and news sites play their part in spreading the word. There are even specific accounts to follow on social media that share their journey on the stock market, possibly inspiring more people to try it out.
Some people are drawn to the excitement of high-risk trading, for example day traders that are buying and selling crypto and other assets actively as the market fluctuates. Others invest for long-term profit, preferring a lower risk level.
 Shopping online has now taken over from the bricks and mortar locations 3. Shopping
Whether you want to order clothes, groceries, or technology, you can be sure of finding it on the internet. Online shopping is the preferred way of buying new items for an increasing number of people in Canada. Many people agree that it’s convenient, especially since you can compare products on different websites and won’t need to travel anywhere. Also, with online banking, it’s quick and simple to check how much money there is left on the account.
In-store shopping is still popular, but online shopping has been growing rapidly in recent years. It’s predicted that the trend will continue throughout 2022 and beyond. The trend also involves ordering takeaway online through different delivery services. Staying at home has never been easier!
4. Watching TV shows and movies on streaming services
Gone are the days of checking the TV schedule in order to not miss your favorite show or movie. Nowadays, most of us tune in to one of the many available streaming services in Canada in order to watch something entertaining after work or on a lazy morning. The choice is huge and keeps growing, with new services and content being added all the time. Of course, live sports are also a popular choice included in streaming.
 It’s never quite this easy – but millions have met and married with a relationship that started online 5. Getting personal on social media platforms
Social media has revolutionized the way we live our lives and how we take part in other people’s lives. Sharing our lifestyle with others and connecting with people all over the world is now more common than not. The trend on social media has in some areas changed from perfectionism to brutal reality – today, an increasing number of users want to see the real deal. This could be seen as a response to the perfect lives that are often portrayed on social media.
Do any of these trends appeal to you or are there other online trends that interest you more? We’re yet to find out what new trends will emerge in the near future!
By Pepper Parr
February 17th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
Yesterday Premier Doug Ford said: he’s “eager to get these mandates moving.”
 It has always been about business for Doug Ford. “I hate as a government telling anyone what to do. We’ve just got to get moving forward and get out of this and protect the jobs,” Mr. Ford said at a manufacturing announcement in Hamilton.
“The world’s done with it, so let’s just move forward.”
The government intends to fully lift capacity limits on businesses and social gatherings on March 1. Its vaccine-certificate policy – which requires certain businesses only admit vaccinated patrons – is set to end the same day.
Mr. Ford said Tuesday that he was “never sold” on the proof-of-vaccination policy, but that he introduced it on the advice of the province’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Kieran Moore.
 “Dr. Moore’s phenomenal, but you know something, he’s reasonable, too. He’s reasonable, he gets it, he understands the economy,” Mr. Ford said. “Thank God, on March 1, we’re moving forward out of this … I just can’t wait.”
And there you have a Premier doing a Class A hissy fit in public. The 1500 plus new infections Ontario is experiencing each day is a clear sign that we are not “done with it” yet.
 Apparently his heart was never in the fight to conquer. The comments made by the Premier are so irresponsible. He has never understood that it really isn’t all about jobs – it is about the health of the people he serves. The thousands of deaths recorded so far are a testament on just how serious this has been.
There is hope however, early in June the people of the province can decide with their votes if they are done with Doug Ford.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
 By Staff
February 16th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
City of Burlington administrative services will be closed for Family Day, on Monday, Feb. 21. For a list of which City services and facilities are available on the Family Day holiday weekend, please see the summary below or visit burlington.ca.
*Important information regarding COVID-19: The information provided below is accurate as of Feb. 14, 2022. In the event of any changes made by the Province of Ontario to current COVID-19 public health measures, please visit burlington.ca/coronavirus for potential impacts to City services and programs.
Residents can also stay informed about city news on our social media channels: @cityburlington on Twitter and facebook.com/cityburlington.
| City Service |
Holiday Closure Information |
| Animal Services
|
To report an animal related emergency on a statutory holiday, please call 1-888-264-3135.
The Animal Shelter at 2424 Industrial St. remains closed to the public due to COVID-19, however services are ongoing. For more information, call 905-335-3030 or visit www.burlington.ca/animal. |
| Burlington Transit |
Burlington Transit will operate a Sunday schedule on Family Day. For real-time bus information and schedules visit myride.burlingtontransit.ca.
The downtown terminal at 430 John St. and Specialized Dispatch will be closed. |
| City Hall |
The Service Burlington counter, temporarily located on the second floor at City Hall (426 Brant St.), will be closed to all appointments on Monday, Feb. 21.
Many service payments are available online at burlington.ca/onlineservices. |
| Halton Court Services – Provincial Offences Office |
Court administration counter services at 4085 Palladium Way will be closed on Monday Feb. 21.
With the exception of 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. |
| Parking |
Free parking is available downtown, on the street, in municipal lots and in the parking garage (414 Locust St) on weekends and holidays.
NOTE: The Waterfront parking lots (east and west) do not provide free parking on statutory holidays.
No on-street parking is permitted during a snow event and parking exemptions are cancelled during this time. On-street parking can resume after the snow event has been declared over by Roads, Parks and Forestry. Follow burlington.ca/snow. |
| Recreation Programs and Facilities |
Indoor drop-in activities such as swimming, skating, and drop-in gym times are offered on a reduced schedule over the Family Day weekend, please visit burlington.ca/dropinandplay for program times and online registration.
Looking to plan a private skating or shinny time for your family group? There are still limited hourly ice rink rental times available at Appleby Ice Centre. For booking requests, please email rentals@burlington.ca.
Burlington has a wide variety of outdoor activities to enjoy with your family during the winter season including:
- disc golf at Tyandaga Golf Course, 1265 Tyandaga Park Dr.
- skating
- tobogganing
- trails and multi-use paths
- parks and playgrounds.
Find out more at burlington.ca/outdoorplay.
Our Lending Library has winter outdoor equipment available to borrow at no charge. Visit burlington.ca/playlending for details.
Burlington Rotary Centennial Pond will be open daily for outdoor skating, weather conditions permitting. Pre-registration is not required. For more information, visit burlington.ca/pond and remember to check ice conditions before leaving home by calling 905-335-7738, ext. 8587. |
| Roads, Parks and Forestry |
The administrative office will be closed on Monday, Feb. 21.
Essential services, including winter control, will be provided as required. |
Burlington is a City where people, nature and businesses thrive. As residents continue to rediscover many of their favourite spaces and activities in the city, City services may look different as we work to stop the spread of COVID-19. The City’s commitment to providing the community with essential services remains a priority. Sign up to learn more about Burlington at Burlington.ca/Enews and follow @CityBurlington on social media.
By Pepper Parr
February 16th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Transparency is a word that gets used by every member of the current city council – frequently.
They pride themselves on being transparent, but saying you are transparent doesn’t mean you are.
In the past several months many have asked why there are so any Closed Sessions of Council- and why next to nothing gets said by Council when they come out of a Closed Session. At least two council members want the address of the property made public when they go into Closed to discuss property matters.
 Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte has been consistent in her efforts to bring more transparency to the business of city Council. Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte has sort of led this effort for more in the way of transparency. She has said that she would oppose going into Closed Session when it was proposed and indeed today she did just that.
While the matter they were going into wasn’t crystal clear – it may have had to do with the possible purchase of the Bateman High School from the Board of Education.
Elsewhere in the meeting there was a bylaw passed to authorize a request for the issuing of a debenture by the Regional Municipality of Halton for a Confidential Land Acquisition.
There was no mention in the bylaw what the land acquisition was nor what the amount of the debenture was; the Region handles all the raising of loans for the municipalities.
There is no evidence that the two matters are related. Many feel the public has a right to know what the money is being borrowed for and how much is being borrowed.
Outside legal Counsel was involved in this Closed Session that lasted about 25 minutes and when they voted to implement the decision that was made Stolte voted for it, which suggests Stolte was Ok with the decision that was made.
Stolte has been a strong advocate for more information in the hands of the public.
But when there was an opportunity to comment in Open Session – not a word from Stolte.
 Councillor Nisan wanted the city manager to immediately contract with a law firm for advice on going into Closed Session procedures. Ward 3 Councillor Rory Nisan, who doesn’t have much in the way of a getting along well with Stolte relationship (they differ on many procedural issues), put forward a motion that directed the City Manager to immediately contract with the law firm Aird and Berlis to guide the city on its procedures and policies on the matter of Closed Meetings.
There is a procedure for a citizen to complain about Closed Sessions of Council. Mayor Meed Ward said it was all set out on the city web site.
The sticking point would be appear to be with the city legal department. They appear to be asking that a Session be Closed and the Clerk goes along with it.
I don’t recall this Council or any other for that matter, being opposed to going into a Closed Session
Mayor Meed Ward then made this comment. “There are times when I work quietly behind the scene”.
THAT by any stretch of the imagination is not a definition of transparency.
Much more to this story.
 By Staff
February 11th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington has hundreds, maybe even thousands of people who took early retirement or put in their 25 years and stopped punching a clock – and are looking for something to do that appeals to their better selves.
Some serve on committees, others join service clubs and others come up with an idea of their own and look for ways to make it happen.
 Typical set up at a Repair Cafe. Lawson Hunter has served on a number of committees – including Community Development Halton, served on a committee that wanted to hear what the public had to say about the Tansley Woods Centre that was to be developed. He worked with the Burlington Food Bank for a period of time.
He was former Program Manager at Cable 14 Hamilton; former Executive Director at Jamesville Business Improvement Area (Hamilton); former Communications Assistant to Lily Oddie Munro, Minister of Culture & Communications; former Administrator at Burlington Art Centre (now Art Gallery of Burlington); retired Letter Carrier at Canada Post.
At 21 years of age, Hunter was the youngest Board member of the Sarnia Public Library & Art Gallery.
He has clearly earned his stripes.
With time on his hands Hunter heard about the Repair Café; an organization with 1500 volunteer units around the world and about eight in Canada. Toronto has a Repair Café that has been operational for five years.
Hunter set up an outdoor Repair Café with the Aldershot BIA to learn what the interest might be. “One lady came in with a knock off Tiffany Lamp and wanted the cord replaced. While we were working on the lamp another lamp walked by, saw the lamp and said – I have one of those and the cord is worn out – can you fix it?. We could and we did.
“Before the day was over a third person said she too had a lamp that needed a new cord. I knew we were filling a need.”
Hunter adds just how immediate a repair need can be. “A woman came in asking if we could repair the cord on her electric mowing machine – and get it done before her husband came home.
 Lawson Hunter delegating to city council With a couple of trial runs in different parts of the city Hunter knew he had identified a need and rounded up some of his friends and applied to the city for a Community grant.
His application was accepted – the next repair Café will be in Tansley Woods Centre on March 12th – runs from 10 am to 1:00 pm
Show up and they will do what they can for you.
There is no charge for the labour – you are expected to pay for any parts that are needed.
Then he came up with an idea – why not help people fix things? He wasn’t thinking of helping people fix their relationships – that’s not quite where Lawson excels.
He wanted to help people fix a toaster or a blending machine or a CD player.
He applied for and got a grant from the city (cheque hasn’t arrived yet) to set up the Repair Café. “We’re just a bunch of guys that want to fix things and keep them out of the landfill site” said Hunter. To use the moniker of a ‘Repair Cafe’,  means to agree to the policy of not charging for repairs (parts yes, labour no) which he adds – “ it’s a terrible business model but a great community service.”
“Getting in touch with the Repair Cafe is easy: All residents are invited to contact us to let us know what items they need to get fixed to keep them out of the global garbage heap. Email us at burlingtonrepaircafe@cogeco.ca or visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Burlington.Canada.Repair.Cafe
By Pepper Parr
February 9th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Remember the group that wanted your opinion on what the “official” bird for the city should be.
It took them a bit but they now have a list of ten birds and would like you to weigh in on which bird that should be.
Nominations received from the public have been short-listed to the 10 finalists below:
-
 Burlington has the well earned reputation as being a city that went to some length to give the Trumpeter |Swan a safe refuge. Bald Eagle
- Black-capped Chickadee
- Carolina Wren
- Chimney Swift
- Eastern Bluebird
- Great Blue Heron
- Mourning Dove
- Northern Cardinal
- Trumpeter Swan
- Turkey Vulture
If you live, work, or go to school in Burlington, you can vote here:
Voting closes at midnight on Sunday, March 6, 2022, after which poll results will be announced on Bird Friendly Hamilton Burlington’s social media.
Bird Friendly Hamilton Burlington is working to get both Burlington and Hamilton certified as Bird Friendly Cities in 2022, under the new Nature Canada program. Selecting a “City Bird” is part of the certification process. Toronto, London, Calgary and Vancouver are certified as Bird Friendly cities.
The challenge for this group is going to get this past city council. The Turkey Vulture isn’t going to cut it – the Trumpeter Swan should be the hands down choice.
Let’s see what the citizens think.
Links to learn more:
Facebook: Bird Friendly Hamilton Burlington
Twitter: @BFCHamBurl
Instagram: birdfriendly.hamburl
Website: birdfriendlyhamiltonburlington.wordpress.com
Toronto, London, Calgary and Vancouver are certified as Bird Friendly cities.
The City of Burlington’s website, www.burlington.ca, and some web applications will be temporarily unavailable between Feb. 15 at 10 p.m. and Feb. 16 at 2 a.m. for scheduled maintenance.
 A handful of technical types will be working late upgrading the city’s web site and many of the applications they run. During the temporary shut down, the following websites and applications will not be available:
- Parking ticket payment
- Parking permit renewal
- Parking exemption request
- New dog licenses
- Renew dog licenses
- Tax assessment lookup
- Business license renewal
- Senior property tax rebates application
- Property information requests
- Marriage licenses
- My festival and events applications
The following City of Burlington web applications will not be impacted:
The maintenance work has been scheduled in the evening hours to be as minimally invasive as possible. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
 By Pepper Parr
February 4th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The City is resuming work on the Waterfront Hotel Site Planning Study.
When the study is completed, it will provide guidance in the redevelopment of this site.
 The white dotted line is the boundary of the site – the dark blue in the centre is the site of the hotel property Located next to two of Burlington’s most significant landmarks, Spencer Smith Park and the Brant Street Pier, the City is asking for input to make sure the new development reflects a high quality of urban design that enhances the community’s access to the waterfront and the downtown.
Virtual Public Open House – Feb. 15
Residents are invited to join a virtual public open house to talk about the study process and hear from City staff and the city consultant team, The Planning Partnership, who will present the preferred concept plan for the site. There will be a Q & A period following the presentation.
The open house is on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Zoom or dial +1 647 374 4685 by telephone and enter meeting ID 813 0521 1078
Residents also have the opportunity to learn more about the planning study on the City’s online engagement platform,
The Waterfront Hotel Planning Study is separate from the development application process.
And that is where this gets messy – very messy.
The Planning department is working furiously to have a report to Council before April 17 with either
A recommendation to approve the development
A recommendation to approve the development with changes
A recommendation to not approve the development.
 The information given to the public last September was for two towers; one 30 storeys and the other 35 storey – both sitting on a five story podium. The very painful truth with this development is that far too few people know very much about it.
The public first got wind of it when a pre-application community consultation took place.
 Graphics and raw data on this project have been very difficult to come by – the Gazette had to threaten legal action to get a copy of what was a public report. The entrance to the site was to be from John Street, one block east of Brant. The light blue space in the very centre of this graphic will be a breezeway leading from Lakeshore to the steep steps that will lead into Spencer Smith Park. The light green will be amenity space for the tower residents. The tan coloured space will be open and where the public can gather The new hotel is shown in darker blue. The residential towers are in pink. The Gazette has not been able to have conversations with the developer’s planners. The Gazette has been reporting on this situation for some time – all the way back to 2015 when the city was putting together some ideas as to just what could happen with the Waterfront Hotel site when it was eventually re-developed.
 Centre – former city Councillor John Taylor in conversation with Linda Davies, owner of the leading condo real estate sales broker on the right and Dee Dee Davies at one of the public meetings in 2018
The city put together a process that had the developer agreeing to pay the full cost of a review that would include significant public input.
And those meetings took place – there were four of them out of which came a number of concepts – but no consensus – and then for reasons which look pretty weak, the city put a pause on the waterfront study.
The developer didn’t pause.
As early as August, the Burlington Urban Design group was meeting and providing comment on the development.
They engaged planning consults and architects and met with people in the Planning department to advance their development application.
Members of Council knew what was taking place – but the public didn’t.
Members of Council are still saying very little – they have all taken the position that they cannot make statements until they have a Planning Staff report in front of them.
So here we are with two very different streams of activity taking place at the same time about the same piece of land
The developer pushing their application – and the city reviving a study that should have been completed years ago.
Close on the heals of the study re-start is a Statutory Public meeting required under the Planning Act that is to take place on February 22nd at 6:30 p.m. It too will be a virtual meeting.
In a media release from City Hall on Thursday we learned that Planning Staff will be recommending that Council direct staff to continue to review and process the application.
Planning Study Background
In 2017 and 2018 (the Gazette interviewed a member of the Planning staff in 2015 on this study proposal) the City began looking at a planning study to guide the redevelopment of the waterfront site at Lakeshore Road and the foot of Brant Street, including the Waterfront Hotel at 2020 Lakeshore Road., City staff gathered feedback through visioning workshops, public and stakeholder engagement.
In mid-2018, the Waterfront Hotel Planning Study was placed on hold due to other priorities in the Community Planning Department.
 A number of design concepts have come forward – no consensus yet. Why the study can resume
In its media release the City said it is able to resume the Waterfront Hotel Planning Study at this time because:
• the re-examination of the New Official Plan Project, including Taking a Closer Look at the Downtown, has been completed,
• approval of the new Official Plan (under appeal), as well as
• the Minster of Municipal Affairs and Housing’s approval, with modifications, of the Regional Official Plan Amendment 48.
City staff, with support from the project consultant, will pick up the work where it left off in 2018, and complete the study. The work is estimated to take four months and will use community input to-date to help develop a final preferred concept.
 The City has this work remaining:
Phase 4: Report and Recommendation of Preferred Land Use Concept, Q1 2022
This phase of the study involves the selection of a preferred concept and the preparation of a Planning Justification Report.
• Phase 5: Official Plan Policies, Zoning and Urban Design Guidelines, Q2 2022
The fifth phase of the study includes the development of draft site-specific official plan policies, zoning regulations and implementation guidelines. This phase will also include a public open house, presentation to Committee and final delivery of the implementing Official Plan Amendment and Zoning Bylaw Amendment.
It all gets messier and tighter in terms of time frames.
When a developer takes an application to the city – the Planning department has 120 days to make a recommendation to council. That recommendation can be to not proceed or to proceed with changes or to give it a rubber stamp and tell the developer to bring in the cranes and start building.
The developers submitted their plan on December 17th, the Planning department told Council they didn’t think the application was complete. There was a lot of scurrying around and the city was able to say that the application was indeed complete. Close to 30 days of very valuable staff work was lost. The city will tell you that there was no time lost – don’t believe them.
 Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns brought forward a motion at Council directing Staff to complete their work and make a presentation to Council before April 17th, 2022. She wanted to be as certain as possible that the city did not find itself before the Ontario Land Tribunal for failing to deliver a report within that 120 requirement.
 Nothing was to be built west of the line Plan B drew. Included in all this are the brave efforts of Plan B – a small group of citizens who objected strongly to the concept designs that were being shown. They had a concept that would keep development within a “thin red line”.
The city’s Mayor said: “We know the Waterfront Hotel is a key site in our city, right next to our cherished downtown waterfront park. We know we have to get it right, and the time is now, with the Waterfront Hotel study starting up again, and an active application for redevelopment filed.
“We also need to ensure the public has every opportunity to share their feedback. That’s why Councillor Kearns and I worked together on a motion to direct staff to complete the study and the application review within the required statutory time frames — so we can record a decision as a community on this site, and not risk an appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal for non-decision within the deadline.
“The best way you can shape the future of what happens here is to participate in both the study, as well as the development application review. We welcome your input and look forward to those discussions.”
Ward 2 City Councillor Lisa Kearns said: “We have heard loud and clear that residents place an extraordinary value on Burlington’s Waterfront. Development concerning the Waterfront Hotel site is extremely important to Ward 2 residents and to residents across our city. The outcome of an active development proposal is paramount to the future of our Waterfront and Spencer Smith Park, not to mention our downtown businesses and residents alike.
The development plans as they stand now will result in a Burlington few significantly than what is in place now.
 Renderings that show the development relative to Spencer Smith Park and the Pier.  On the left is the view of the lake from Lakeshore Road at Brant. On the right the view from the same spot looking north up John Street. 
What is at stake here is the heart of the city – Ground Zero – the intersection of Lakeshore Road and Brant Street and the look and feel of the downtown core for decades.
How different city Councils let things get to the point we are at now boggles the imagination.
Related news stories:
Plan B was trying to get some traction within the Planning department and with the public.
The time line of a very sad story.
Are there other options.
By Pepper Parr
February 2nd, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
City staff and Councilors are getting prepared for the fall municipal election.
Two items on the council agenda today are reviewing the election sign by-law and a Staff Direction for the City \Manager to include in a March report a review of the city’s closed session meeting policies and procedures and report back on options and recommendations to ensure the development of updated best practices.
 How does on prevent this kind of clutter? You don’t – they are a foundational part of the democratic process. Let’s take the election signs issue. Several members of Council would ban election signs completely; they already have the name recognition they need.
For those looking for a way to gain some name recognition signs on lawns are critical.
It will be interesting to see how Council reacts to what is put on the table.
As for Closed sessions of council there is nothing but shame for this Council; they have held more closed sessions in this term that in any other in the past decade.
Admittedly, there are development issues, especially those related to Ontario Land Tribunal matters that have to be in closed.
The City Manager has advised of his intent to bring forward a report to the March 2002 CSSRA meeting regarding enhancing the alignment and effectiveness of the City of Burlington’s governance related business processes, practices and policies.
The impetus for the report is tied to the need to issue a new RFP for the upcoming renewal of the five-year contract for the City’s independent Integrity Commissioner.
There have been issues raised over the past 12 months in regard to the procedures and processes by which matters before Council are dealt with in Open versus Closed Session Meetings which have substantiated the timely need to review, update and properly define these best practices and procedures and to utilize the findings from this
assessment to support the development of an updated Closed Meeting Protocol.
 When Council meetings resume normal operations will we see as much of this? It will be interesting to learn just what the City Manager thinks a best practice is.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
 By Ray Rivers
February 2nd, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
It was 10 pm on December 3, 1973 when a 37 year old trucker from Kansas, with the CB handle ‘River Rat’, was on a regular meat products haul but found himself running out of diesel fuel. So he stopped his vehicle on Pennsylvania I-80, picked up his mic and told the world that he’d had enough with high fuel prices, limited/rationed supply and a 55 mph speed limit.
Having stopped the traffic on that highway, it wasn’t long till truckers everywhere in America joined his protest. Then came the song (see link below) and then a movie. This was a movement and these truckers were folk heroes. So the organizers of today’s Freedom Convoy would very much like to re-channel that sentiment. After all, America had been stuck in an energy crisis which was, in some ways, not unlike the public health crisis we’re facing today.
 The truckers have absolutely no idea what this woman does: She is the Governor General of Canada – a wise person doing what is a ceremonial role for the most part. But that is where the similarity ends. That 70’s convoy was a spontaneous act of civil disobedience. The convoy sitting in Ottawa is a premeditated act of attempted sedition. They are threatening to somehow get the Governor General (GG) and head of the Senate to sign a Memorandum of Understanding which will dissolve Parliament and wipe out an entire suite of federal and provincial laws and regulations. They would replace an elected government with the appointed Senate and GG and themselves – Canada Unity.
Canada Unity, the primary organization responsible, is a rebranding of United We Roll, also called Canada’s yellow vests. In 2019 they rolled into Ottawa to demand more oil pipelines for Alberta. Conservative leader Andrew Scheer, perhaps at the urging of his campaign manager, a former Rebel magazine executive, met with them. And even back then they were a pretty unsavoury group.
Supporting organizations today include Soldiers of Odin, the Diagolon network and the Plaid Army. The web site ‘antihate,ca’ identifies some of these associates as neo-Nazis, holocaust deniers, and just plain good old racists. Somewhere in the mix are the western separatists and a lot of folk who don’t actually drive trucks.
The pretence for the convoy idea makes no sense. It wouldn’t matter if Canada waived its border vaccine mandate, since the US has the same requirement. And, seriously, since 90% of truckers are already vaccinated and their very own truckers associations disapprove of this protest, it’s hard to believe that the vaccine mandate is anything but a false flag. Clearly something else is driving this movement.
It is unclear how Canada Unity assumes they can get the Governor-General and leader of the Senate to sign this memorandum of understanding without applying some kind of coercion. At least one of their crowd has hinted at doing what happened at the Capital Building in Washington last year. So the RCMP are on alert.
Prime Minister Trudeau is isolating following contact with someone testing positive for COVID. And that is a convenient cover for what we’d normally call hiding. He is no doubt sequestered by the Mounties much as the legislators in DC ended up in January a year ago. But Erin O’Toole is promising to meet with this anti crowd.
O’Toole has little choice. He is under attack for caving in on the carbon tax and flip flopping on so much else during the last election, and needs to show that he too can cater to the right wing extremists. As a former military officer, it is hard to believe he relishes the meeting, however.
 Pierre Poilievre, the current pretender to the Conservative throne, Pierre Poilievre, the current pretender to the throne, is nipping at his ankles, trying to impress the rightwing zealots in the Conservative caucus that he’s the heir apparent. He does indeed have an incredible talent when it comes to stringing together meaningless phrases like ‘vaccination vendetta.’
And Poilievre is also really good at promoting alternate facts, such as the fake images of empty grocery shelves his cabal of radicals posted on social media, despite the photos originating somewhere in Britain. Barely two weeks into the vaccine mandate, he posts…“Trudeau’s vaccine vendetta is emptying grocery shelves and ballooning food prices.”
Poilievre either doesn’t know the real reasons that have dogged the supply chains or he is being dishonest. Has he forgotten that we first ran out of toilet paper in March 2020? That was almost two years before the trucker’s vaccine mandate came into effect.
Metro stores president and CEO Eric La Flèche said the biggest problem has been absenteeism, with workers throughout the supply chain falling sick with COVID-19 or having to self-isolate. Further, it was noted that almost 100,000 trucks crossed the border the week after the mandate came into effect – about the same as usual for that time of year.
There was a time when the biggest reason to vote for a candidate was their honesty. Clearly times have changed. What do we call someone who is prepared to peddle misinformation and cavort with potential terrorists just to get headlines? One can only hope it’s not ‘prime minister’.
One of the convoy leaders, Mr. Steenburg is a real trucker. And he is proud of his TikTok page which is filled with videos promoting conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines, pandemic denialism and videos promoting fictional war-crimes trials for those responsible for vaccine mandates. But he claims he’s keeping an eye out for trouble makers.
Steenburg claims that this movement has raised $7.5 million in donations collected through GoFundMe. Clearly that didn’t all come from NDP leader Jagmeet Singh’s family, though his brother-in-law was a big donor. Mr. Singh has condemned the protest. And it is unclear whether all that money has yet been released to pay the protesters for fuel, food and accommodation, and those monstrous Canada flags.
 Parliament is not in session, the prime minister is not in Ottawa and MPs have been told to stay away. So nothing exciting may take place, and with a bit of luck they’ll go home in peace. Peaceful protesting is part of our democratic tradition, but did they really have to bring those humongous trucks? This convoy driving from BC to Ottawa and idling their engines all night, just to keep warm through the coldest nights of the year, may have single handedly generated enough carbon to keep Canada from meeting it’s Paris climate targets. Why didn’t they just take the train?
 There may be a song and movie about the Freedom Convoy, but probably only if the leaders of this protest really do go ahead with their attempt at a coup d’état. They haven’t come to Ottawa just for the drive. But Parliament is not in session, the prime minister is not in Ottawa and MPs have been told to stay away. So nothing exciting may take place, and with a bit of luck they’ll go home in peace.
In a tweet Mr. O’Toole said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberals want to “smear and demonize” truckers. It appears the convoy leaders have already done that to themselves and to the Conservative party members who support them.
 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:
Trump Jr. –
Convoy Song – ’73 Convoy – BS on Supply –
Poilievre Tweet – Tories Promote Convoy –
Convoy More Dangerous –
Trucker Hate – Empty Shelves Story – Fake Photo of Empty Shelves –
Canada Unity – ANTIHATE.ca –
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