 By Rory O’Dowd: Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
October 8th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Recently re-elected Liberal Member of Parliament, Pam Damoff, reflected on her journey from replacement candidate in 2015 to three-time riding winner today. Damoff laid out where she has her sights set for her third term. Inducing long-standing passion projects such as cancer research funding and infrastructure, working with Ontario to implement affordable childcare, and Indigenous issues. Damoff also discusses the nastiest campaign of her career and the need for government intervention in social media disinformation.
 Pam Damoff returned for the third time as the Member of Parliament for Oakville North Burlington. Pam Damoff won her third federal election in the Oakville/North Burlington riding on September 20th. Damoff first ran for a federal position with the creation of the Oakville/North Burlington riding in 2015. Damoff’s nomination was unique in that she stepped up to represent the Liberal party when the original candidate Max Khan passed away unexpectedly. Damoff, representing Oakville Town Council at the time, made the most of the opportunity and now enters a third term, having won her two re-election bids comfortably(securing 47% in 2021 and 48.26% in 2019).
“It’s an honor, I never had a better job in my life. I love what I do and I’m excited to start a new parliament, especially as we’re coming out of the pandemic. It’s been terrific and I’m proud of the work that I’ve been able to do. I always say to people ‘don’t ever believe that MPs can’t make a difference,’ because prior to being a parliamentary secretary, I was able to get $160 million for the Terry Fox Research Institute, by working hard and lobbying.
“There’s a lot that you can do in committee, and in Parliament, whether you’re in cabinet as a parliamentary secretary or an MP. You know, there’s only 338 of us across the country and it’s a privilege to be able to do what I do,” said Damoff.
Damoff has long been a champion of cancer research funding. She lost her mother to leukemia in 1989, her father survived cancer, passing away due to unrelated causes as a 25-year cancer survivor. Damoff lost several other family members to the disease. Damoff is the current chair of the Terry Fox Run, where she has engaged with others impacted by cancer. The aforementioned would-be Liberal candidate Khan also survived three bouts of leukemia before passing away in the hospital after arriving with flu-like symptoms.
 Damoff with football great Tony Gabriel at the 3582 memorial marker. Both are working to get Terry Fox on the next $5 bill issued. “Everyone has been touched by cancer in one way or another,” said Damoff.
Damoff said the government has started putting the focus on helping cancer researchers who couldn’t procure funding. She wants to assist underfunded areas, referencing research at McMaster University into deadly forms of breast cancer disproportionately impacting black women as an example.
Before the election Damoff told the Gazette she wanted to leave her mark on the office by assisting implementation of the Liberal government’s affordable child care program. Damoff says she is hopeful the federal government will get something done with Ontario and believes the childcare program will be implemented before the provincial election.
As for Damoff’s local goals she mentioned long-held advocacy for cycling and walking infrastructure. Damoff co-founded cycling infrastructure advocacy organization Cycle Oakville in 2013 before holding a federal position so this remains a long-term passion project for her. Damoff also hopes to work with Halton Region to bring in housing funding and climate change action.
As former parliamentary secretary to the minister of Indigenous Affairs, Marc Miller, Damoff found the Truth and Reconciliation Day gatherings encouraging. Damoff attended an event in Ottawa on September 30th, adding she was impressed by the Burlington ceremony. She encouraged Canadians to continue to participate in such events, to read Indigenous authors, and to visit cultural centers such as the Woodland Culture Centre in Brampton.
 Damoff celebrating her third victory as the Member for Oakville North Burlington Damoff doesn’t know if she will retain a role in the Indigenous Affairs department in this parliament. Stressing that all calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation committee are important, Damoff acknowledged some are easier to get to than others, saying she’d like to see a monument built in Ottawa, which would commemorate residential school survivors and victims as well as educate Canadians.
As for shortcomings in the Liberal administration’s dealings with Indigenous affairs Damoff suggested it’s more important to look forward than at what they could do differently. The Liberal government’s lagging deadlines on lifting boil-water advisories are one of the most common criticisms with their handling of Indigenous affairs. In Damoff’s previous interview with the Gazette, she pointed out it is not up to the federal government to lift boil water advisories but up to the communities themselves.
She would not say if the Prime Minister made a mistake in the 2015 campaign pledge to lift all boil water advisories if it was not possible for his administration to carry out this promise.
 “It was an ambitious timeline and we put a plan in place to get rid of the rest of them so I think the focus needs to be on ensuring that the remaining long-term drinking water advisories get lifted. I think that’s where we need to focus on, whether the timeline was the right one or not,” said Damoff.
Damoff called her 2021 bid for re-election the nastiest campaign she’s been involved in. Damoff was saddened as Liberal volunteers were accosted by conspiracy theorists at the door.
“It’s really unfortunate that people who choose to volunteer their time for political parties, regardless of political party, would feel unsafe when they’re volunteering their time. We had a lot of young people working on the campaign. The vast majority of people who disagree with us on policy do so respectfully in a way that’s part of a healthy democracy. Sadly, there’s a small portion of society so aggressive and angry,” said Damoff.
Beyond the campaign, Damoff pointed to young people in the workforce being screamed at by anti-maskers. When asked if she believed she could speak to conspiracy theorists and work on the divide Damoff was skeptical. Damoff said she hoped civilized discourse could exist but it needs to start from a basis of accepting science and public health measures. Realities COVID conspiracy theorists seem incapable of accepting.
 Pam Damoff has been very effective with members of the different ethnic communities. Damoff credits social media with a large role in the degradation of discourse and says the government must be involved in holding social media companies, who she says lack the employees to monitor their standards(which have often been inadequate to begin with) to account.
“We need to do something because disinformation shared on Facebook and social media sites fuels the types of things that we’re seeing in our society now,” said Damoff.
As for what her schedule looks like right now Damoff looks forward to connecting with the municipal government officials in Burlington and Oakville and establishing priorities for the current administration.
 By Staff
October 7th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Margaret Lindsay Holton, rely on her to do something different.
She has put together WHAT and calls it GROUP THINK; it has been in the works since the release of her second album, CANADADA: TAKE TWO, in 2017.
 MLH explains: GROUP THINK explores several issues that have been brewing since we’ve settled into this ‘new normal’. – How are we really doing?
And, are we really ready for time travel? Will we leave Nature behind, again? The primary focus though is on language. Across the media spectrum, our words have become increasingly volatile, vulgar, and violent. – Why? What happened to civility? – When did words start losing their unifying potency and meaning?
Have a listen to these musical ‘sound thoughts’ and read my notes on the album.
 By Staff
October 6th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The Government of Ontario has made regulatory amendments under the Condominium Act, 1998 (Condo Act) and four other statutes that extend the effective period of temporary legislative provisions permitting corporations governed under these statutes to call and hold meetings virtually, as applicable, notwithstanding certain restrictions or requirements. The effective period of these temporary legislative provisions has now been extended to end on September 30, 2022.
In their media release the province said:
“The people of Ontario continue to be required to adhere to the measures that have been put in place to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Providing corporations governed under these statutes with the flexibility to host annual meetings and other meetings of significance virtually despite certain requirements or restrictions is intended to help these corporations safely meet their obligations during the ongoing pandemic.”
The ministry will continue to monitor pandemic-related developments and will communicate any additional updates in the future, as appropriate.
 By Staff
October 5th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The Recommendation was to Authorize the Director of Engineering Services to negotiate and execute a cost sharing
agreement with the owners of property municipally known as 431 Martha Street, City of Burlington, for the design and replacement of a jointly owned retaining wall that is in need of replacement.
“Approve the project geotechnical investigation and detail design costs funding” as noted in engineering services department report.
A retaining wall exists, along the bank of Rambo Creek, at 431 Martha Street, City of Burlington. The lower portion of the retaining wall and foundation is reinforced concrete, and the upper portion of the wall is masonry block. The construction year is unknown, and no information exists respecting who constructed the wall.
That is troubling – city administrations keep everything but for some reason the information doesn’t exist.
 How this level of damage to a retaining wall was missed is disturbing. In early 2021, the City conducted its legislated biennial detailed visual inspections in accordance with the requirements of the Ontario Structure Inspection Manual. During the inspection on April 9, 2021, the City’s consultant assessed this retaining wall as being in poor condition, recommending immediate replacement. The consultant also recommended fencing off the area behind the retaining wall, within a 4m radius of the wall to prevent pedestrian and vehicular access to the area for safety reasons until the retaining wall is replaced. The City proceeded to fence off this area and closed the affected sidewalk and driveway at 431 Martha Street. The City obtained a legal survey and confirmed the majority of the retaining wall (approximately 80%) is located within 431 Martha Street private property limits.
 The bit of grate seen at the left is where the creek runs beneath Martha Street. The level of damage is severe. The remaining 20% of the wall is within the City’s Martha Street right-of-way. Failure of the retaining wall could cause significant damage to private property and Rambo Creek, potentially causing debris to block or disrupt the flow of the creek. If the retaining wall collapses there is also a risk of damaging the surrounding sidewalk as well as compromising the adjacent culvert structure and the Martha Street roadway. The City is working with the property owners to secure a cost sharing agreement which would result in a 50/50 cost split for the geotechnical investigation work and a cost split of 80% ownership of 431 Martha Street and 20% City of Burlington for the design and construction. The City is currently negotiating the terms of a cost sharing agreement relating to the geotechnical investigation as well as the design and construction of the retaining wall. At this time, the property owners agreed to the City managing the retaining wall replacement project, pursuant to the terms of the City’s Procurement Bylaw.
Given the experience the city had during the 2014 flood replacing that retaining wall is critical.
 By Staff
October 4th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
How many perspectives should be included in a brief news piece? When are letters considered an appropriate remedy to showing another side of an issue? These are questions that reporters and editors face every day as they exercise their editorial judgment to determine the angle of the story, the people interviewed, and the evidence used to provide an accurate account of events for readers.
The National NewsMedia Council recently reviewed a reader’s concerns about accuracy and lack of opportunity to present another perspective in a story about local pesticide use.
 Exchanging different points of view – respectfully. The article, published in an Ontario-based community paper, reported on residents’ reactions to a recent application of fungicide, via helicopter, to a cornfield in the area. The article featured comments from local residents expressing concern with the noise disturbance and proximity of the helicopter to their houses.
An individual in the agricultural industry expressed concern with the lack of perspective from farmers and other members of the agricultural community. In particular, the individual argued that the article suggested that the fungicide was “sprayed liberally on the native ecosystem around the field boundaries,” rather than used correctly by trained professionals.
In reviewing the article, the NNC observed that the comments were clearly the perspective of some residents and were attributed accordingly. The NNC found no evidence to support the claim that the article implied that the product was used incorrectly or outside the intended area.
 The brief article offered a summary of the concerns raised by residents about the application of the fungicide near their houses. All statements were attributed accordingly to the individuals quoted in the story.
That said, we understand that the individual’s primary concern in this case was not being able to provide a different perspective and relevant information in response to the concerns raised by residents quoted in the article.
A subsequent edition of the local newspaper dedicated a section of its pages to reader reactions to the brief article.
In one article, the publisher alerted readers to the different—and often strong—perspectives on the published piece and other issues at hand. The edition included a published response from the complainant as well as several letters to the editor and other comments in response to the story.
In this case, the NNC considered the news organization’s decision to publish responses to the article to be consistent with best practices in addressing reader concerns, and found the issue resolved. The significant attention devoted to reader responses provided opportunity to show a range of opinions in the community, from farmers and those outside the agricultural industry.
Letters to the editor offer opportunities to clarify or provide different perspectives on information and opinions presented in articles. In this way, they can often serve as a remedy to concerns raised by readers, and showcase the breadth of opinions held by members of a community.
The Gazette has taken a slightly different approach with its comments section. On many stories there are close to a dozen comments – some very well informed, others not as well informed as they could be.
In the past six months we have found that some commenters ride an issue pressing their view again and again. We no longer approve those comments.
We are also finding that people are writing a comment without identifying themselves and using a phony email address.
Then there are others that are rude and uncivil.
We have in the past told commenters that they need a break and suspend the privilege they have for a period of time. We have had to completely suspend one commenter.
Going forward we will stiffen the requirement for people to comment.
Behind all this is a belief that informed citizens can make informed decisions and that no matter what the leadership in Burlington do they must be both accountable and transparent.
By John Seolink
October 4th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Online casino revenues have been growing over the last few years but they are seeing a big increase this year. This is obviously due in part to the fact that the Covid-19 pandemic has kept many of us at home and limited our ability to do our usual activities – at some points in the past year, we haven’t even been able to travel outside of our communities. While it has been difficult, this time has encouraged us to find virtual substitutes or alternatives to our favorite activities, including gambling. But what other reasons can we attribute this growth to?
Variety
 Everything is now on-line – which can be a plus. In today’s world, we have access to a huge variety of entertainment options. With streaming services for films and television, e-readers and audiobooks for print media, and the endless possibilities of the internet, we have become very used to having a lot of choice. Traditional casinos, especially smaller venues, are not always able to fulfill our desire for options. Online casinos, however, are perfectly designed for our option-hungry society, offering us hundreds, if not thousands of casino games to play. To take one example, www.superseven.com gives users the choice of more than 1,000 slot machine games and dozens of live casino games. With so many options, it’s easy to see why more and more gamblers are turning to online instead of traditional casinos.
Rise in mobile gaming
 The on-line gambling sites may not have the buzz of the live casino – but they are safe and you don’t have to leave the house. As mobile gaming has become more popular, it has influenced other industries as well. Since many online casino games are very similar to mobile games, it makes sense that this increase in popularity would extend to them. The monetization of mobile games, either through the freemium model, microtransactions or subscriptions has made users more comfortable with the concept of paying real money to play a virtual game. This has helped to make playing online casino games more widely accepted.
Safety
While most casinos have fantastic security inside, casinos and the gamblers leaving them are still targets for robberies. Large-scale heists – think Ocean’s Eleven style – are very rare but they do still occasionally happen, like the 2017 armed robbery at the Emerald Resort Casino in Vanderbijlpark. More common are attacks on individuals after they have left the casino – a frightening possibility. Online casinos remove this risk since you can remain safe at home while gambling, and instant payout casinos transfer winnings directly to your bank account or debit card so there’s no worry about carrying around large quantities of cash.
Convenience
 There is an app for almost everything. You get to choose where you want to spend your time. Especially during the pandemic, people have been trying to find ways to do what they enjoy without leaving the house. Concerts are being livestreamed, new movies are released on streaming services and video calls let us meet up with friends while staying home. The rising popularity of online casinos is part of this trend. Though for some people the bright flashing lights and noises of the casino are a big part of their appeal, being able to play your favorite gambling games from the comfort of home is a major draw. This convenience means more people play more often.
Live casino games
Up until recently, online casinos were mainly associated with slot machine games and similar games that were more like mobile games than actual casino games. For gamblers who enjoyed table games such as poker and blackjack, online casinos seemed like a poor substitute. Live casino games have changed that and therefore have attracted more users to online casinos. These games feature a real dealer and are streamed in real time. While regular online casino games are solitary, live casino games are more social – some even have chat functions to allow players to have conversations with the other people ‘at their table’, just like in a traditional casino.
By offering what is essentially a simulation of the table game experience, online casinos are able to increase their profits despite the added costs associated with these games. This is impressive, considering these costs include expenses like floor space for livestreaming the tables, dealer salaries and the cost of the technology that allows players to interact with the dealer and the cards on the table. Being able to carry these costs and still see an increase in revenue shows just how important table games are in attracting new users to online casinos.
Playing online casino games provides a great break from our daily lives. Their popularity is seen in their steadily increasing revenues. It will be interesting to see how online casinos develop in the coming years.
 By Vince Fiorito
October 2, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Regarding the “choice” between the environment versus the economy Vince Fiorito explains that this is a false dichotomy. We can also have both or neither.
Another way to describe the “environment” is the “global life support system”.
 Would an astronaut on the International Space Station (ISS) be forced to choose between his job and the ISS’s life support system?
Would we even give an astronaut a task that would make the ISS uninhabitable?
If the life support system fails on the ISS, the repercussions would be immediate. Any task that would adversely affect the ISS’s life support system would not likely be attempted. That’s because humans react to immediate problems pretty well.
What we aren’t that good at, is reacting to and managing long term problems, like climate change, the biodiversity crisis, environmental toxification and potable water shortages. These human created problems impact the “global life support system” and must be solved immediately and simultaneously.
Unfortunately, most of the environmental protest industry has focused on climate change; neglecting, for the most part the others.
These groups have held protests during elections that interfere with political environmentalist efforts to identify and get out the environmental vote.
Effectively the environmental protest industry has increasingly become an obstacle to positive progressive political change. Since these groups must protest to recruit volunteers, fundraise and grow their movements, their relationship with status quo governments they help greenwash during elections and then protest afterwards, is mutually beneficial. Most environmental groups seem uninterested in helping to elect governments that solve environmental problems. Without status quo governments that increase our economic dependence on converting fossil carbon into GHG emissions, who would they protest? How would they grow their movements?
Many of them are dependent on the status quo governments for grants and other funding. Why would these organizations bite the hands that feed them?
Another part of the problem is that during an election, political opportunists will say anything to win the environmental vote including nonsense like “balancing the environment with the economy” as if improving the economy always comes at the expense of creating environmental problems… or solving environmental problems always comes with an economic cost. The truth is that solving environmental problems would create economic growth and new jobs.
 The cost of solar has now dropped to the point where it is cheaper than all other energy sources. Monthly payments on a loan to install a solar power system to go off grid would be cheaper for most homes and businesses, than their current monthly electricity bill. After the upgrade is paid off, the cost of electricity would be near zero, whereas the monthly electricity bill would continue to increase.
This change to a distributed network of micro energy producers and consumers would create more jobs that pay better than those that would be lost due when the nuclear power plants and gas turbines become stranded assets.
I understand why people who have invested in the status quo would oppose this change, but why electrical unions and the construction industry haven’t embraced this change remains a mystery to me.
Probably the biggest opportunity to grow the economy and save the planet at the same time is through energy conservation. Most homes and businesses can be made more energy efficient, reducing costs. The monthly savings would pay off the upgrades in a relatively short time. Why the housing construction industry hasn’t embraced this change is also a mystery to me.
 The energy industry is lying to us, for the same reasons why the tobacco industry lied in the past. I believe we have been manipulated by wealthy people who profit from the status quo of laying waste to the earth’s biosphere for short term profits and union jobs. These people refuse to embrace change. The energy industry is lying to us, for the same reasons why the tobacco industry lied in the past.
I used to believe that people could be convinced to make better decisions if they were presented with good accurate information. I now realize that most people are overwhelmed by bad inaccurate manipulative misinformation.
Solutions exist to all our problems, but we won’t implement these solutions, not because it doesn’t make economic sense, but because the people who profit from the status quo are better at manipulating public opinion, than scientists and engineers.
 Fiorito didn’t tell me if the hare got away. For this reason, I’ve moved on to acceptance. Humanity isn’t going to make better choices to save ourselves and the earth’s biosphere. That’s why I am up north, trying to document what’s left, before its destroyed by logging companies intent on converting old growth forest into mostly toilet paper and consumer products that end up in landfills. While the rest of the species that share the Earth’s biosphere with us don’t deserve what’s coming, most of humanity does, including the environmentalists who are more interested in protesting the status quo, rather than meaningful action to change the status quo.
 Watching –  Watching – ready to pounce. Vince Fiorito now lives 300km north of Thunder Bay, near Wabakimi Park where he took the photographs.
 By Pepper Parr
September 29th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
It was during a meeting on that wonderful deck that runs along the north side of Lakeshore Road – across the street from Spencer Smith Park where one can see the ships heading to, or leaving, Hamilton harbour and where, what a long departed friend said, one can enjoy an Adult Libation.
 One of the prime places to just enjoy the city is on the north side of Lakeshore looking out over the lake. Great ideas bubble to the surface while enjoying an Adult Beverage, I was meeting with a couple of friends and talking through possible options and new ideas to keep the Waterfront Hotel site in public hands rather than have a large tower go up.
At the time no one knew that the developer’s plan was for two 30 story plus towers on the site.
Many see the land south of Lakeshore Road as a “public” part of the public realm. Much of it is land that was recovered and made usable with landfill.
The owners of the hotel do have title to some of the land but surely not all the land right up to the edge of the lake.
My friends, who don’t want their names trotted out at this point – at an appropriate time they will be more public. These are men who comment intelligently on public matters.
They wondered aloud if there was not some kind of land swap that could be done.
And that was when a light bulb lit up.
 It doesn’t function all that well as a place to work and the city is going to need a lot more space. City hall as a building is not that functional. It is past its best-before date but, because it is what we have, money is going to be spent on making the best of a bad situation.
 It is an awkward building – there was no real design – additions kept being added. The entrance was once on the west side. The Art Gallery has never been a truly functional building. It is a collection of additions to a structure that were added on when there was a donor.
So – here is a swap that could be done:
 The owner wants to build and has some impressive designs – that will, if ever built, change the heart and soul of the city. There is a chance to give the developer what they want and to save what is left of Burlington. Exchange the Waterfront Hotel site for the city hall site and the Art Gallery site.
Then design a purpose built building that would house City Hall and the Art Gallery on the Waterfront Hotel site.
Include a band shell and ensure the roof of the structure is environmentally friendly. And ensure that the building is not more than four storeys.
Two for the Art Gallery and two floors for the city.
Hold a charette and commission some design ideas from architects from around the world.
Imagine for a moment: City Hall and the Art Gallery nestled at the base of the slope of the land immediately south of Lakeshore Road leaving a clear view of the Lake. Try the idea on for size the next time you are walking along the promenade and talk it up with your friends.
Parking – that is something that would have to be figured out. The Lotus Street Parking lot is used by city hall staff now – that could continue and there could be some parking beneath the four storey building.
Can’t be done you say? With the right leadership – it certainly can be done.
 Rob MacIsaac, a former Burlington Mayor, took bold steps and changed the city in a way that no one has since his time. Rob MacIsaac, a former Burlington Mayor, did it when he turned the former police station on Locust into the Performing Arts Centre, then had the building that houses a restaurant along with the tourist office on the ground floor and office for the Chamber of Commerce, the BDBA and the Economic Development Corporation on the second floor with five levels of parking above it all.
Then he got really ambitious and got a pier built as well.
So – never say it can’t be done – think about how it can be done and where the leadership is going to come from.
More on this going forward.
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
September 27th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Many in Burlington have been patiently waiting for the federal government to announce that Terry Fox will be on the next version of the five dollar $5.00 bill. They aren’t ready to announce yet. The wheels turn slowly.
 Hopefully they will not be as slow when the Office of the Governor General, where the Order of Canada awards and announcements are made, decide that the two Michael’s are to be made Members of the Order of Canada.
There is a process of course and it has to be followed – but is this not a very special situation ?
 Michael Kovrig on the left, Michael Spavor on the right Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor spent more than 1000 days in wretched jail cells, cooped up with others because the Chinese government wanted to force the Canadian government to let one of their citizens return to China. We are not going to name the Chinese citizen – enough attention has been wasted on her.
All she had to do was admit what she eventually did admit she had done.
The Michaels are different – they stood strong during a very hard situation. Now they have to adjust and learn about all the things they missed. Their credit cards have to be renewed; do they have places to live? Do they have jobs? Is their mental health good?
Both men are going to need time to adjust – they will need as much privacy as media and the public in general can give them. In the immediate future though, there is an opportunity for their government to formally recognize their contribution to making this country what it is.
 By Max Bowder: Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
September 26th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington/Oakville Climate event was held in Spencer Smith Park yesterday to raise awareness of Climate Change with the mission of raising awareness and educating people on how to make a difference with the environment.
“We want to have people come, learn something about climate and have hope,” said event organizer, Aki Tanaka.
The event had a line up of two children’s choirs, a singing performance by Hayley Verrall, and powerful speeches. One such speech by Liana De Sousa was captivating and called for politicians to take immediate action against climate change.
 Environmental groups such as Grand(m)others Act to Save the Planet, Burlington Green, Fridays for Future, and others came to the park hoping to convince people that climate change needs to be taken seriously and what they can do to limit their effects on the planet.
Grand(m)others Act to Save the Planet is a community group started by grandmothers but open to everyone with the purpose of making the planet livable for their grandchildren and everyone else. They have been operating since 2019, advocating to all levels of government and organizing community petitions and rallies.
 Sign board at the climate change event held in Spencer Smith Park Local and federal environmental organizations at the park explained the dangers of climate change and several ways they can make a difference in very large and impactful ways and small things regular people can do everyday.
Large things people can do is get involved in any of the organizations at the event such as Burlington Green and the Halton Environment Network.
These organizations work at raising awareness, particularly amongst young people with the hope of “teach our children the wonders of the natural world.”
Other things people can do include calling on their local Member of Parliament (MP) and making sure they are aware of their concerns. The other thing is to get involved in any environmental group that does good and effective work in protecting the environment.
Small things people can do include recycling and limiting their consumption of meat and dairy products, together they contribute a total of 50% of all foods contributing to climate change. Planting trees also makes a difference.
 Liana De Sousa was captivating – calling for politicians to take immediate action against climate change. Several youth speakers raised awareness at the event with powerful words calling for immediate action against Global Warming saying we only have six years before we reach a point that can’t be undone making it a climate emergency.
“Dear Politicians, Everyday you continue to refuse to take action, you’re actively stealing the futures of your children, your grandchildren and every generation to come.” – Liana DeSousa
De Sousa is 17 years old and has been involved in public speaking for a few years including giving speeches at other events and at Hamilton city council meetings. DeSousa says there is much more to be done to bring carbon emissions down to zero and she will continue to advocate for the environment.
“We are continuing to do the fracking and old brick logging that needs to be stopped,” DeSousa said.
Event organizers had trouble getting stared with the event – delays due to high winds at the beginning and rainfall nearing the end. Despite the weather event organizers are happy with the way the event turned out.
Many people left the event feeling strongly about environmental action. Many also felt that not enough is being done on the federal level saying they are trying to please everyone, subsidizing fossil fuel extraction that contributes to carbon emissions and not raising the carbon emission taxes high or fast enough.
Environmental organizations to join:
Fridays for future – https://fridaysforfuture.org/
Burlington Green – https://www.burlingtongreen.org/
Halton Environmental network – https://gsshaltonpeel.ca/
By Pepper Parr
September 24th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward once said that fireworks were something she heard about from residents almost as much as parking.
Parking – where do the people driving put their cars when they want to shop, or visit or dine?
Back up a bit and ask – where are all the cars coming from?
Back up a bit more – when a development application is filed with the Planning Department one of the reports that must be included is a traffic study.
Look at any number of those studies and they will all say that the number of cars that might be added to the flow of traffic in the city is “acceptable”, or words along those lines.
The people who write these reports are seen to be professionals who know their craft very well and their evidence is accepted as true.
The traffic reports get an OK from the planners.
And – the OK for that single traffic study might be very valid.
But there is a bigger picture that has to be looked at – and at this point no one is looking or asking the question.
 All the traffic from the underground garage will exist on to Elizabeth, shown on the left. To the left of the development is the site for whatever the Waterfront hotels site ends up looking like for the site The hundreds of cars coming out of the Bridgewater Development will exit the development onto Elizabeth street and then can continue north or go right or left on Lakeshore Road.
The hundreds of cars that are expected to come out of the proposed redevelopment of the Waterfront Hotel site also empty onto Elizabeth Street and then can continue north or go right or left on Lakeshore Road.
While this is, at this point in time, a Ward 2 concern it will become an issue elsewhere when the large developments along Fairview and in the east end of the city come online.
We challenge Councillor Kearns to look for a way to require traffic studies to focus on the impact the single development will have (they are already required to do that) AND to provide a report that sets out the impact their development will have on new developments already approved within a 120 metre radius.
The planners can work out the specifics; the objective is to have information that sheds light on that bigger picture.
It is the bigger picture – everything happening within a specific radius that isn’t being looked at.
The city planners don’t ask – they aren’t required to.
We don’t quite why Heather MacDonald, Chief Planner doesn’t go before council and point out that they are not asked to report on the bigger picture – and ask Council to give them a Staff Direction to do just that.
At some point someone has to get ahead of the problem and ask the bigger question.
If we don’t the phrase in the Official Plan that has Burlington as a “City that Moves” will have to add – moves very very VERY slowly.
To Lisa Kearns and Heather MacDonald – the ball is in your court.
Looking forward to listening to what you put before Council on this one.
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
September 23rd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
We saw the first occasion where a ward councillor met with constituents both virtually and in person last night.
Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns met with her community on Facebook live while at the same time talking to small audience at the Art Gallery.
There were just 8 people in the room – it was pouring rain which tends to keep people at home. Those in the room had solid questions – the most pressing being traffic.
 Lisa Kearns, Ward 2 Councillor Several referred to the 20 to 30 storey towers in various stages of development – from pre-application to a crane on the site that would be dumping hundreds of cars on the streets in a city that already has serious traffic problem.
Kearns opened her meeting saying that real people in the room was essential if city council is to get the feel of what people think. The body language and the buzz when people are together is essential and we “are not getting that right now” said Kearns.
What was surprising to the eight people in the room was the sense that it was really nice to meet with people you know but haven’t seen for a long time. The Councillors’ administrative assistant responded to someone who said: “ I haven’t seen you for a while – answering “actually it has been years” – which was so true.
More on that in a separate story – city council is struggling with a decision on when to open things up. The Mayor seems quite content with the way things are, telling people that the public gets more work out of her when she can work from home. Councillor Galbraith seems to like the idea of working from home as does Councilor Nisan who is able to do his fathering thing and take part in virtual meetings at the same time.
The number of cars on the streets was not the only traffic related complaint – vehicle mufflers have become such a nuisance that the Regional police have assigned two officers to patrol the streets – they have issued 1400 tickets so far.
 Traffic on Lakeshore reduced to one lane during an event. With the development of several high rise towers traffic will be much worse than this. Kearns told her audience that there are no plans to make Lakeshore Road any wider than it is – it is really quite narrow in several places.
With the Bridgewater development now completed and units filling up – traffic from that building’s garage empties into Elizabeth Street which feeds directly onto Lakeshore Road.
While the Waterfront Hotel redevelopment is just at the pre-application stage traffic from the four levels of parking in that building will also empty onto Elizabeth. The total number of vehicles from the two developments will exceed more than 1000 that have to feed into Lakeshore Road.
THAT is a traffic jam.
When we talk to politicians as they meet with their constituents the inevitable question is – will you be running in the next election which is just over a year away. One can see individual council members setting themselves up to run for re-election.
Ward 1 Councillor Kelvin Galbraith and Ward 3 councillor Nisan as well as ward 4 Councillor Stolte will be running again.
Councillor Kearns has been coy – not saying yes and not saying no.
There is at least one person preparing to run against her. Given the level of indecisiveness over accepting a request to run for the Liberal seat in the Legislature and then withdrawing the moment another candidate jumped in – one can wonder – is Kearns really committed to the job? More on that at another time.
 This event, the formation of ECoB, was what launched the Kearns campaign. She has advised colleagues (but not the media) that she intends to run again. Asked about the budget this council is going to have to approve in the coming months – before year-end if they stay on course – Kearns was not prepared to say just how high a tax increase she will support.
There is little doubt that there will be a tax increase – how high? Was a 6% increase over last year acceptable to Kearns ? She didn’t have a comment.
What we did learn however was that Lisa Kearns is now a Celebrity – having been on Breakfast TV and noticed by people as she walked the streets of the city. A minor celebrity but a celebrity nevertheless. Kearns did not say that anyone has yet to ask for her autograph.
By Staff
September 23rd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Memo to Directors of Education across the country. Young people do care about who gets elected to office.
 Letting students get a sense of what is involved in an election is an important first step. Some 700,000 students took part in a mock parliament. According to the results of a mock election, elementary, intermediate and secondary school students, the Liberals edged the other parties to win a minority government just as it did in Monday’s federal election.
However, in the students’ vote, New Democrat Party Leader Jagmeet Singh formed the largest opposition party, winning 107 of the 338 seats in Parliament to the Liberals’ 117 seats, said Student Vote Canada, a hands-on program for students to learn about the voting process.
The NDP also garnered 29 per cent of the popular vote to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s 24 per cent for the Liberals, according to the fantasy election.
The 740,515 student voters came from more than 5,478 schools across Canada and votes were cast in all 338 federal ridings. The mock election came after the students researched the parties and platforms, and debated hot issues raised on the campaign trail.
During Canada’s 44th general election campaign all parties tried hard to engage with voters, especially the younger generation, though social media pandemic-related public health concerns hindered in-person door knocking.
The new internet platform TikTok became an important venue for engaging with Gen Z voters, and Singh was the only party leader with a TikTok account, which gave the NDP a clear advantage in translating Gen Z followers into young voters by engaging them on their preferred platform.
 Students were expected to research and try to understand the different party policies. It was no wonder that polling showed Singh having a higher positive impression rate among young voters, according to Sara Bourdeau, director of operations for the StrategyCorp Institute of Public Policy and Economy.
Most of this story was taken from an article in the Toronto Star of September 22nd, 2021.
By Staff
September 22nd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The City of Burlington will observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Thursday, Sept. 30 as a holiday. To mark the importance of the day, City of Burlington administration buildings will be closed.
 Residential school survivor Lorna Standingready (left) is comforted during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada closing ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, June 3, 2015. Beginning Sept. 27, and leading up to Sept. 30, City employees will observe the holiday by focusing on educational events and opportunities that reflect on the nation’s past and recommit to understanding the truth of our shared history and advancing reconciliation.
We encourage residents to visit the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation website for educational materials and event opportunities.
City Services open and closed on Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021:
City Service Holiday Closure Information
Animal Services The Animal Shelter at 2424 Industrial St. remains closed to the public due to COVID-19. To report an animal control-related emergency, call 905-335-3030 or visit Burlington.ca/animal.
Burlington Transit Burlington Transit will operate a regular weekday schedule on Sept. 30. For real-time bus information and schedules visit myride.burlingtontransit.ca.
The downtown terminal at 430 John St. and Specialized Dispatch will be open.
City Hall The Service Burlington counter at City Hall (426 Brant St.), will be closed to all appointments and walk-in service on Sept. 30.
Many service payments are available online at Burlington.ca/onlineservices.
Halton Court Services – Provincial Offences Office All court proceedings will be closed on Sept. 30 and all matters that were scheduled for that day will be rescheduled.
Court administration counter services at 4085 Palladium Way will be open and operating with skeleton staff on Sept. 30, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Telephone and email services will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at: 905-637-1274 and burlingtoncourt@burlington.ca.
With the exception of the skeleton staff operations on Sept. 30, 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 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday to Friday. Many services are also available by email at burlingtoncourt@burlington.ca or online at Halton Court Services.
Parking Paid parking will be in effect on Sept. 30.
In Downtown Burlington, receive 90 minutes of free parking when you pay for parking at the pay station or using the HonkMobile app.
Parking in Downtown is Burlington is free after 6 p.m. and on weekends.
Recreation Programs and Facilities Drop-in recreation programs and rentals will run as scheduled on Sept. 30. Visit
Burlington.ca/dropinandplay or follow @BurlingtonParksRec on Facebook and @Burl_ParksRec on Twitter for the latest updates.
Registered recreation programs will be closed on Sept. 30. Participants impacted will be contacted with additional details.
Please note: In keeping with the provincial regulations and Ministry of Health guidance, effective Sept. 22, 2021, individuals entering indoor City facilities used for sports, recreational fitness activities, meetings, and events, will be required to be fully vaccinated (as defined in the provincial guidance) and provide proof of vaccination, along with identification (unless otherwise exempt). To learn more, visit Burlington.ca/coronavirus.
Roads, Parks and Forestry The administrative office will be closed on Sept. 30. Essential services 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.
Quick Facts
• Sept. 30, 2021 will mark Canada’s inaugural National Day for Truth and Reconciliation also known as Orange Shirt Day.
 • In June 2021, the federal government passed legislation proclaiming Sept. 30 as a public holiday. The holiday is one of 94 calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and is intended to honour and commemorate Indian Residential School survivors and those children that did not make it home.
• Before it was a public holiday, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was started in 2013 as “Orange Shirt Day” where Canadians would wear the bright colour as a sign of their allyship and support toward Indigenous communities.
Links and Resources
• Learn more about Orange Shirt Day and how you can contribute: www.orangeshirtday.org.
• Hear Survivor stories and read the Calls to Action at National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
 By Ray Rivers
September 21st, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
By law there has to be an election four years following the last one, except when there is a minority government. Mr. Trudeau had a choice. He could call an election when the polls favoured him, as Jean Chretien once did. Or he could wait until the opposition ganged up and forced an election, as happened when Jack Layton pulled the rug out from under Paul Martin.
That is what politics is all about – trying to get and keep the most seats in Parliament. Indeed Mr. Harper did exactly that in 2008, even after introducing Canada’s fixed election law. Does anyone remember the media calling that an unnecessary election?
 The lineups were long – in Toronto Fort York people waited for an hour and a half. Fewer polling stations and an upset public wanting to express their dissent. That we are in the midst of a pandemic can be a problem. Longer lines and fewer polling places can be frustrating for the voter. But mail-in ballots and advance voting had been available. And the good news is that there have been no reports of transmission or COVID outbreaks during the campaign. Indeed being in a polling station is likely as safe as a vaccination clinic, except for the long lines in some locations.
Elections cost money, this one came in at about $600 million. All that cash goes to pay for poll clerks, polling supplies, room rentals, travel by electoral officials, and communications services. Some of it will be returned to the treasury in the taxes collected from these activities.
Like CERB and the wage subsidy this is an infusion of money into the community. But unlike the wage subsidy the money flows into the community and not into the corporate director’s pockets. Of course there is always a better use for $600 million, including paying down debt.
 At this point in the election Justin Trudeau realized he was in the fight of his political life. It came very very close – even thought the Liberals are now saying it was a win. Holding an election at this time wasn’t in the Liberal’s election platform but from all the noise one would think that was all the Liberals stood for. The real issues, like climate change, mandating vaccines and passports and national child care somehow got lost in the noise.
This was a nasty campaign by comparison to all others, including violent protesters throwing stones at a sitting PM. And it was cursed with a dysfunctional English language debate. Almost from the start Mr.Trudeau became the target of just about everyone.
Despite propping up Mr. Trudeau since the last election, Mr. Singh complained that the Liberals did nothing over all that time. Ms. Paul claimed Trudeau couldn’t possibly be a feminist or respect indigenous rights since he removed his former justice minister from the Liberal caucus. And Mr. O’Toole appeared to blame Trudeau for the COVID crisis in Alberta.
 The election bill came in at $600 million – was there a value proposition in there somewhere. But the voters weren’t convinced. And election night they have returned the PM and his party pretty much where they had started out – back into a minority situation. Maxime Bernier’s People’s Party is still seatless, though he surpassed the Green Party in popular support. The Greens have actually gained a new seat and lost an old one, but are still without a leader to represent them in Parliament.
Either the Bloc or NDP will be needed to prop up the new minority government once again. But barring a successful non-confidence vote Mr. Trudeau will have another four years of government before him. And nobody should think the Liberals will go back to the people again before those four years are up – unless they can show Canadians that it is really necessary.
 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:
Harper’s Unnecessary Election – https://toronto.citynews.ca/2008/09/07/why-did-harper-force-an-election
By Staff
September 15th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Halton Region elected officials are supporting the call for the creation of safety zones around hospitals to protect people seeking or providing medical treatment from harassment.
 Members of Halton Regional Council In a media statement released today the Region members collectively said:
Recent protests at hospitals have included hateful and harmful messages, harassment and misinformation. Healthcare itself and its people have been targets of abusive messages.
We condemn the abuse and harassment of healthcare workers.
Protests against government policy and action should take place at the places of government.
We represent our community’s continuing strong support for our healthcare heroes. There is an overwhelming majority in our community who support our healthcare people.
We know they join in our respect for everyone’s right of peaceful protest. We know they also believe protests must not take place in locations or in ways that could impede access to essential healthcare.
We all thank our healthcare personnel for the enormous sacrifices you have made and continue to make during this pandemic to heal us and keep us safe.
What a shame the elected officials have to make statements like this.
By Pepper Parr
September 15th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
It’s just a matter of days now.
The advance poll numbers for the 2021 federal election show an increase of 20% more people using advance polls to vote than they did in 2019.
We are looking at one of the most interesting federal election in some time. A government could fall because they called an election that wasn’t needed.
Burlington happens to have three people sitting as members of the House of Commons representing our interests.
Will all three be returned?
Who amongst them is at risk?
Given her performance during the debates, such as they were, Karina Gould has earned the right to return to Ottawa.
Emily Brown needs to take a civics class and learn what is required of a candidate.
For us the Green Party candidate was a major disappointment.
The NDP candidate certainly injected some energy and a lot of common sense but it is our view that this election is a choice between the Liberals and Conservatives.
 Liberal MP fr Oakville North Burlington Pam Damoff Over in Oakville North Burlington Liberal Pam Damoff will likely hold her seat if only because the Conservative candidate had little in the way of profile and wasn’t that visible.
The Conservatives decided to hide their candidate and focus on their core vote and hope that enough people would be angry enough to oust Justin Trudeau. Time will tell if they are right.
Milton is an interesting situation. It represents the people in rural north Burlington – there aren’t that many people in that part of the world.
Milton’s ethic community is coming into their own. They are active culturally, they have good representation at the municipal level and they are now ready to take their place at the federal level.
The provincial seat is held by Parm Gill.
The Milton Conservative Party association dumped the former Member of Parliament, Lisa Raitt, from the board. It was about as close to being apolitical coup as you get in Ontario.
 Nadeem Akbar, Conservative candidate for Milton. The northern rural part of Burlington is in the Milton boundary. The issue for current MP Adam van Koeverden is going to be – has he made the inroads he needs to hold the ethnic community vote. Do they trust him or is their confidence going to go to Nadeem Akbar.
Canada has grown through the addition of immigrants from around the world. The first came from the UK, then Italy and, in time, from Japan and Germany.
Most recently they have come from the Middle East – thousands came from Syria and more thousand’s will arrive from Afghanistan.
That is how this country grew to what it is today.
It will all become clear but probably not Monday evening – there are going to be some messy situations where the fight for a seat might be contested or put to a recount.
That’s what politics is all about.
What matters new is you getting out to vote.
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.
“We make a lot of television in Canada. Some of it is brilliant and some of it is mediocre. The worst of it is truly, truly awful. This botched election debate is down at the bottom of the list; an indictment of everyone involved from the host to every politician who attempted to speak during the shambles.” (John Doyle – Globe and Mail)
By Ray Rivers
September 15th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The Debates in French were better. In fact they couldn’t have been worse than that horror show last Thursday. What went wrong? We could start by the debaters. There were too many.
 Green Party leader Annamie Paul Did we really need to see the Green Party leader at the debates when she has zero chance of ever leading a government, let alone winning more than Elizabeth May’s seat again. The party is polling at about 3% and imploding into a legal fight over the choice of its leader. Her voice is important, like everyone else. But in a league of potential PMs she is out of her league.
The Bloc leader’s stated goal is to tear Canada apart. And his party’s popular support is currently sitting at around the 6% mark, given that he is a Quebec only politician. While Annamie Paul may have a delusional ambition of becoming Canada’s next PM, Yves-François Blanchet takes pride in saying he never wants to be PM. So why was he invited?
 Maxime Bernier on his way to being sworn in as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Harper government – he is now the leader of the People’s Party of Canada. Meanwhile People’s Party (PPC) was not invited, even though his party is now polling in fourth place, ahead of the Bloc Quebecois and almost double that of the Greens. Of course there are no PPC MP’s in the House and Bernier would probably need to get vaccinated to appear with the others, something anathema to his party’s platform. Still, he should not be dismissed if the Greens are invited. After all, the Reform party before him came from relative obscurity to opposition in a single election.
Moderating a leaders’ debate takes skill and patience and none of that was present in the English debate unlike the other two held in the French language. It was pathetically unprofessional, on the one hand encouraging the debaters to go at it, then cutting them off before they could finish their sentences – allowing anyone interrupting them to take over the floor. And as most have observed the moderator tended to favour the other parties over the Liberals, the Bloc being the sole exception.
 Jagmeet Singh leader of the New Democrats The most cringeworthy moments were when Jagmeet Singh opened his mouth. Singh’s election platform is best described as nothing more than broad generalized notions and aspirations dotted with sob stories of all the poor people he met on the street. As in that old song – anything the Libs are doing he can do better – he can do anything better than them.
He is promising to pay for his promises by taxing Jeff Bezos and other billionaires, regardless that Bezos is not even Canadian. He is also looking to eliminate subsidies to the fossil fuel sector estimated at $18B, something Trudeau had promised to do back in 2015. Though that would be the proverbial drop in the bucket given the hundreds of billions he includes In his spending plan.
Singh, comes from a well-to-do family which sent him off for private schooling in the USA and then paid for his law schooling. Yet he is constantly comparing his life to that of poorer Canadians and indigenous folks. Justin Trudeau may have been a drama teacher but he could learn a lot about acting from Singh.
You can either attract first time voters or steal those from other parties to build up an electoral base. Mr. Singh has targeted Trudeau Liberals and is appealing to them with often inaccurate and half truth drive-by attacks on the Liberal leader. He recently accused the Liberals of talking about a national child care program for 30 years but failing to deliver, for example. Yet he conveniently forgot that Paul Martin’s pan-national program was killed by Jack Layton’s motion of non-confidence only 15 years ago.
 Erin O’Toole leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons Erin O’Toole has a tough road ahead of him given the party he leads, though he is still polling well. His dramatic shift to a more central position on key issues will encourage voters, fed up with Mr. Trudeau, to vote for him. But he is also losing the hard right faction of his party to Mr. Bernier, who is gradually improving in the polls. Quebec premier’s endorsement of O’Toole may only strengthen that erosion, though Quebec is still a wild card.
And O’Toole like the other leaders and the media keeps asking why we are having this election. And Mr. Trudeau has not really given a satisfactory response to that question. But most folks suspect it was political opportunism to call an election while his popular support was high with the Tories still in the formative stage of redefining themselves.
One benefit of this election, however, is that Canadians are having a healthy debate about a number of issues, primarily climate change. If the Tories don’t win the most seats and claim the right to govern, which they might still do, they will have been given direction on what they need to do fashion policies for the next election.
The Liberals, whether they form the next government or not should have learned a couple of lessons. First they should not call an election, even if in minority, unless they are forced to by the opposition. Second they need to redouble their efforts at phasing out Canada’s fossil fuel sector, starting with ending their subsidization.
Third, when the Liberals do next call an election they need to be better organized and have a good reason for that call. And they actually have a pretty good record of accomplishments, which most of us seem to have overlooked:
1. The problem-free legalization of cannabis and decriminalization of all the people once involved;
2. Over-achievement of the 20% goal of poverty reduction;
3. The first significant federal action on reducing our carbon footprint, including a carbon tax, a cessation of new pipelines and the prohibited sale of new gas vehicles 2035; and
4. Commencing the long road towards indigenous reconciliation.
 Justin Trudeau in the political race of his life – if he wins just a minority it might be the end of a political career. But as Mr. Trudeau ponders his future in the last days before an election which still might see him out of power, he needs to reflect why he gave up on his promise of electoral reform. Over half of all Canadians support parties which promote progressive social and economic policies.
Yet our first-past-the-post system might well allow the Tories to sneak up the middle and win seats with only 30% of voter support while the lefties argue among themselves about who can target even higher emission reductions.
Implementing electoral reform would have been and still might be Trudeau’s greatest accomplishment.
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:
The Debate –
Liberal Platform – Singh’s Lifestyle –
Who Won the Debate –
Climate Crisis –
By Ryan O’Dowd, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
September 14th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
With less than a week left in the federal election, we never got to know Emily Brown.
Brown chose to be the only major party representative in her riding to avoid an interview with the Gazette, or any other news outlet as far as one can tell.
What we have is a list of what Brown says are her four key concerns – they are all are: domestic: safety, divisiveness, Canada’s international reputation, and the economy.
Climate change does not make the list; Brown did not show up for the climate change debate that every other major party candidate in Burlington made time for.
 Early pictures of Conservative Emily Brown had her with a rifle in her hands. Economic concerns are at the forefront of election issues but Brown’s other three priorities appear nowhere near the top of an August 27th Angus Reid poll of the key issues this election. In this regard, Brown’s platform could have benefited from her submitting to some level of media scrutiny to make a clearer pitch for why these issues should matter more than climate change.
She has a brief profile from the Burlington Post in which the only information of note is what’s missing, that being Brown is the sole candidate who declined to provide her vaccination status.
The Gazette focused much of our first report on Brown’s domestic safety concerns, which Brown defines as domestic safety, major crime concern in Burlington, the Canadian government being soft on crime and “attacking” law-abiding gun owners.
It is certainly eye-catching as she is the sole Burlington candidate making the pitch that crime is a top concern in Burlington, human trafficking is rampant, and she is the only gun advocate on the ballot.
 While the Green and the NDP candidates were at the table – the focus was on Conservative Emily Brown and Liberal Karina Gould. Based on the Regional annual safety rankings and polls trending towards indifference toward the recent gun restrictions passed by the Liberal government it’s unclear how well this message will resonate.
If elected, it remains to be seen how heavily represented this will be on Brown’s agenda but based on her ranking of this issue, endorsements from the National Firearms Association, and her standing on several gun boards, it will surely be a primary focus for a potential Minister Brown.
Brown’s efforts to elaborate on divisiveness in Canada have been largely anecdotal (in a campaign introduction video she says she’s “talked to friends across the country” who feel like Canada is divided) except for a telling answer on optional vaccinations during a rare public appearance at a Chamber of Commerce event. Brown said vaccinations were a personal choice and she does not support mandatory vaccinations or vaccine passports. How Brown thinks it’s appropriate to placate anti-vaxxers misled by disinformation campaigns while pushing for a less divided Canada is a tough nut to crack.
One would surmise the very division she opposes is being propagated by the portion of Canadians divided from reality who protest at hospitals and harass the Prime Minister.
At the Chamber of Commerce event, voters did get to hear Brown talk about tangible policies. Brown spoke about COVID-19 recovery and had an opportunity to illustrate an economic recovery plan focusing on helping businesses.
“Conservatives will partially forgive loans for businesses who invest back into Canadian and Burlington companies. We need to take it out of government control and help Canadians invest in their own businesses. We need to stop the bleed of businesses that are fleeing the country because of poor policies, I’m hearing that everywhere at the door. We will also incentivize the hiring of employees who are out of work, knowing the longer you’ve been out of work the harder it is to get back in the employment field. So we will be offsetting the salaries for up to 6 months for companies who hire individuals,” said Brown.
Brown was also swift to dismiss the Liberal’s childcare plan saying it’s a family’s choice and not a government institution. Brown also cites she had to make sacrifices as a stay-at-home mom as an argument against making childcare more affordable now.
“One of the things we’re providing is the ability to “upskill or reskill” to meet your professional goals to change your strategy for going forward. Especially for women who have found themselves at home during the pandemic. I was a stay-at-home mom with my sons and it was a choice I was able to make, we gave up a lot to do that. I did not benefit from any childcare program and I feel it is a choice that needs to be made as a family and it is not a government institution,” said Brown.
The Chamber of Commerce event at last afforded a peek at Brown, but due to the format of the event featuring brief answers and no open debate, it wasn’t much. It remains unclear what Brown’s agenda is if we try to look past the obvious.
Liberal incumbent, Karina Gould, remarked upon the mystery of Brown.
 “It’s the first time I have faced a Conservative candidate who has brazenly misled people like this,” said Gould. “There are only two things I know about the Conservative candidate in Burlington. The first is that she wants to weaken our gun laws specifically repealing the assault-style weapons ban. Two is that she is deliberately lying to voters as the door about our Liberal housing plan…
“It’s the first time I have faced a Conservative candidate who has brazenly misled people like this,” said Gould.
Questions around Brown’s platform are all but assured to extend through to election day. On September 20th Burlington’s gun advocate candidate will ask voters to take a shot in the dark.
By Staff
September 14th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The Gazette recently published an article on the tax rate that applies to quarries. There is a link to that article below.
The article came out of a comment the Mayor made at a Standing Committee when she said quarries are taxed as farms – and farms have a very low tax rate.
The Ontario Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (OSSGA), lobbyists for the aggregate industry, took exception to the article and sent us the following:
The assessment of property tax in Ontario is a complicated business. Likely we all agree – too complicated. That said, OSSGA believes there is a fair and equitable system currently in place.
We note that the Burlington Gazette states they “believe fervently that an informed population can make informed decisions.” We agree, and that is why a deeper understanding of the tax environment is needed to understand that the aggregate industry does in fact pay its fair share. It likely won’t come as a shock to your readers that politicians don’t always tell the whole story.
 The current operating quarry in Side Road # 2 in rural Burlington The issue of a fair and equitable Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) valuation system for aggregate is not new. From 2005 to the present there has been a full pendulum swing from what the industry would consider reasonable rates, to excessive rates, and back to reasonable rates again.
To assess pits and quarries MPAC uses a cost-based methodology that assigns a Class 5 farmland rate plus a licensing cost to account for the investment in the land to get a licence allowing for future extraction. This calculation is used to determine the ‘value’ of the land – and then an appropriate ‘tax’ classification is applied based on how the land is being used. For example, if a portion of a licenced area is being actively used for extraction – it is taxed at an industrial rate (far higher than a farm tax). If it is currently being farmed, it is taxed at a farm rate. If there is no activity at all on the land, it may be taxed at a residential rate. This methodology was agreed to by the municipalities.
In 2016, after eight years of consultation and mediation between aggregate producers, municipalities and MPAC, more than 500 appeals were finally settled. However, it appears not all municipalities were happy. Some were banking on the excessive rates that they are now calling ‘lost revenue’.
 Nelson Aggregates has filed an application for an extension of their license and set out places where they want to expand. Hence the disagreement continues. The new valuation system has been challenged again by Wellington County. The hearing has taken place and a decision is expected in the coming weeks. But in the meantime, politicians accusing the industry of not paying their fair share are not telling the whole story!
One final point. When speaking about revenues received from the aggregate industry, municipalities typically fail to mention (and there was no reference to it in your article), that the aggregate industry also pays a per tonne aggregate levy. In 2020, the amount of the levy was $25 million Province-wide. Dollars that help pay for roads and other infrastructure. No other industry pays such a levy.
We encourage your readers to learn more about the industry by visiting GravelFacts.ca.
The letter was submitted by Norman Cheesman Executive Director, Ontario Stone, Sand & Gravel Association.
Related news stories:
Mayor thinks quarries are being taxed as farms\
Nelson quarry wants to expand the area they are mining and give land to the city when the pits are mined out.
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