 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON March 9, 2013 Are things heating up in Ward 5? At the Capital Budget debates in February, the suggestion that something bigger and better could be done with the Skyway Arena site if it were tied to the Lakeside Village Plaza and offered to developers. The words were no sooner out of the mouth of Jeff Fielding, the city manager, than Councillor Sharman, Ward 5, was on top of the idea and talking about how he would craft a Staff Direction.
 That caught the attention of people in the ward who are rather fond of their one pad ice rink and wanted to ensure their views were heard and that they would be at the table when discussions took place.
The SAVE SKYWAY ARENA website, with the headline: Because city hall doesn’t listen to its residents, was put together by Ward 5 activist and former candidate in the ward James Smith, who is also very active on transit issues in the ward and president of the Friends of Freeman Station where he has been very successful in keeping that structure out of the hands of those who wanted to make kindling out of the structure.
Seems as if Smith has a bit of a track record in the community. Is he lining himself up for another run at the Council seat.
 It is reported that six people showed up at the community event, including the ward councillor. The important thing, commented one person, was that the Sharman “for the most part did not attempt to take over the meeting. The group also believes it won the “concession that any Request for Proposals or Expressions of Interest would include the ideas that we’ve drummed up – not his , and that community involvement will be part of the process.”
Sharman is reported to have done a lot of qualifying as to what the city can or can’t do and the impact of budget restrictions. One obviously biased attendee said: “No one came away impressed with the fellow.” As one said after the meeting: “Sharman would not be listening to us unless you launched this – thanks”.
It looks like things are heating up in ward 5.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON March 6, 2013 The city has a new fire chief – Tony Bavota will take on the role of chief of the Burlington Fire Department, effective immediately.
 Tony Bavota appointed Chief of the Burlington Fire department. Bavota has been a deputy fire chief with the Fire Department since 2009 and is in his 18th year of employment with the City of Burlington. His progressive responsibilities within the department include acting platoon chief, fire captain, acting captain, firefighter and infrastructure project manager. Bavota also gained extensive corporate experience while working in the city manager’s office on a job rotation as the assistant to the city manager.
Bavota is going to have to rely heavily on his city hall experience to get the fire fighters he feels he needs and to prepare Burlington for a different kind of preparation. In the next five years the city will see a 22 storey structure on Lakeshore Road and, if the way the city manager is talking, we can expect to see more in the way of high-rise structures.
 High rise buildings create different challenges for fire fighters. This multi-storey building on Maple was completed recently and the 22 storey development on Lakeshore Road mean different, expensive equipment and time to train the men who will man it. The Strata on Maple Avenue is an example. These buildings require different kinds of firefighting equipment – and the stuff isn’t cheap. Then firefighters have to be trained in how to use the equipment.
Before joining the Burlington Fire Department, Bavota worked with the Guelph Police Service, as a constable and tactical response unit member.
Bavota earned a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Western Ontario in 2011, and holds a diploma in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts-Economics Degree.
Acting Chief Dave Beatty will return to his role as deputy chief. “We thank Acting Chief Beatty for his continued leadership. The fire department management team continues to work effectively together throughout the transition period and I sincerely appreciate their collective efforts,” said Phillips.
The fire department has a combined urban and rural area covering 189 square kilometres that has to be covered. They provide public education, fire prevention, suppression and emergency response in Burlington. The Burlington Fire Department currently has 202 full-time staff and a complement of 65 volunteers serving the community.
The previous fire chief left the Burlington fire department for greener pastures where he didn’t have the ongoing battle with city council for the resources he felt he needed.
Firefighters in Ontario are exceptionally well-organized and aren’t shy about showing their muscle to make their point. In the last provincial election they made it very clear they were supporting the government. They have been known to attend city budget review meetings as a group and to attend at Council meetings sitting as a group in Council chambers. .
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. March 1, 2013 What does the budget Burlington’s city council, sitting in committee, tell us?
Well, it looks as if we are now in show business and that transit is getting a boost. Those are the immediate impacts. Longer term we have at least done something to bring a new focus and hopefully some hustle to the economic development side of the way this city is going to grow.
The show business part of the spend the city did, relates to the amount of money being put into the Performing Arts Centre and the Burlington Art Centre. Neither of these in themselves are going to produce any revenue – both will be a constant draw on the public purse.
What the city has to do is ensure that both are vibrant enough to draw the audiences they need and that the spin-off from each provides the economic activity that will result in a more robust downtown.
While that might seem obvious on the surface – it hasn’t been clear to the Performing Arts management team, who, knowing they were going hat in hand to city council weren’t able to get useful data into their hands until Monday morning of this week. The Performing Arts Board made its pitch on the Tuesday – which gave council members and the public less than 48 hours to pour over the 16 pages of very useful data.
 Transit Director Mike Spicer, in the yellow shirt, shows Mayor Goldring what he wants in the way of new buses. The Mayor and council obliged and gave Spicer the go ahead to buy smaller buses. When Mike Spicer, Director of Transit appeared before a Community Development Committee on Wednesday evening to delegate on the acquisition of new buses he was asked if he could merge two documents and get them to council members for the budget meeting the next morning. Spicer went home and started work, his key staff members went home and started work and advised General Manager Scott Stewart what they were doing and where they were going.
They all gathered early Thursday morning, went over their numbers and passed along the document council needed. Dedicated professionals doing what they do well. They have the confidence of senior management and council – and as a result they got their funding and then some.
It’s hard to fathom why it took so long for the PAC people to get their data into the hands of the people who have to pay the bills that the PAC racks up. Time for an attitude adjustment over there.
The data isn’t bad but some of the rationale in the report they produced sounded like a bunch of people feeling sorry for themselves and sounding like they felt they were being put upon.
The document starts with:
We have been required to deliver higher numbers:
Increase our revenues
Increase attendance
Increase opportunities for local NFP clients (NFP is not for profit)
This industry demands a high commitment and dedication of staff resources to operate a 6-7 days per week operation where days can start at 7:00 am and end after midnight.
Every word of that is true – except that the PAC operation hasn’t been anywhere near 6-7 days a week. In 2012 they were operational 209 days.
The PAC management argued for and were given the funding to hire a sales associate. It was put in place for two years.
While several council members didn’t really buy the argument that an additional technical person was needed they went along with that funding request as well.
In asking for the sales associates funding PAC management explained the sales associate would:
Engage the community to generate new business which will increase attendance and revenues.
Develop and nurture relationships with new and existing rental partners
Promote group ticket sales
Implement initiatives by working directly with the community to break down barriers to access and make sure we’ve made them aware of our services and available opportunities.
 BPAC Executive director Brenda Heatherington talks up her operation with a supporter. There isn’t a person in this city who doesn’t know all about the Performing Arts Centre – the problem is with what they know – management over there hasn’t gotten it’s message out. In a fondly remembered movie Paul Newman said to a sheriff who was standing there with a shot-gun in his hands as Newman called out: “What we have here is a failure to communicate.” That kind of sums up where things stand with the PAC and the city. They need a more effective spokesperson.
In their report they trotted out a couple of equations. Try these on for size:
ROI = Gain from investment – Cost of Investment
Cost of investment.
They later put this one out:
ROI = ($368,675 – $275,813) + ($320,810 – $273,783) – $63,600 = $76,289 – 120%
$63,600 $63,600
I suspect that both Councillors Dennison and Sharman sputtered a bit when they saw those equations.
What PAC management was trying to say was that projected revenue for 2013 is $368,675, with ancillary revenue projected at $320,810
Actual revenue for 2012 was $275,813 and actual ancillary revenue came in at $273,783
Cost of the sales associate was set at $63,600.
PAC management seems to see a 120% return as acceptable. All they are bringing in is 20% more than their cost. There isn’t a sales manager in this city that would accept a sales representative bringing in just 20% more than the cost of hiring the person.
Councillor Taylor got it right when he said the funding approved in the budget was conditional on the review of a new business plan from the PAC – “and I don’t mean a 10 minute delegation” added Taylor. This one is going to be a getting into the mud with management and cleaning this mess up.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. February 6th, 2013 So what do we think of ourselves and the way we are served by the different levels of government we pay taxes to? Is asking these questions a good way to spend tax dollars? Those are questions you get to ask when you vote next.
 This is a listing of what Burlingtonians see as the most appealing aspects of their city. How much do you agree with these findings?  What are the most important issues for Burlington? They are listed here and shown how what is important to us – relates to how important it is to others. We get to see how we are different. Do you agree with what the charts are telling you?  Quality of life: In Burlington the polling sample said they put us at 95% if you include Excellent and Good. Other large and small communities don’t see themselves quite the same way. You just KNOW that this bit of information will replace the very tired and worn – Second best city in the country to live in.  Most important thing the government does for you? There are too many in the “Other” and “Don’t know” categories – suggests the people who pay for the government we have aren’t all that thrilled with what they are getting. For now – look at the questions and the answers. A well-respected Canadian company that has been doing public opinion polling for some time did a poll of Ontario communities both large and small and medium too – asking the same questions of a sample that was just under 400 people.
 Experience with city staff. Rankings in that “going the extra mile” could be a lot higher; other than that Burlington isn’t that different from the others.  Local government spending – this is where you want your tax dollars spent. Roads are what it is all about – with transit at least being recognized.  Use of government services: People are using the services government provides and they are talking to staff that don’t go the extra mile. What does that tell us?  Are we getting value for our tax dollars?  If push comes to shove; did you want the city to increase taxes to pay for the services you are getting or would you rather they cut the services. Mayor Goldring interprets this to mean that half of us would accept a tax increase and half us would not. Tough call.  If the city found it had to cut services – this is the list they are likely to work from – it suggests the arts would take the biggest hit. They broke out the individual results for Burlington and for the princely sum of $10,000 you get to learn what we think of ourselves.
 Burlington is where we live but the Region provides very essential services: Garbage pick up, water, sewage and police services as well as social services. The Niagara GTA highway would not have been stopped in its tracks – at least for the time being were it not for solid support from the Region City Manager Jeff Fielding sees that data as an important part of the process of engaging the community.
The results are interesting.
 This is YOUR Burlington – do you see it the way the public opinion poll gauges it to be?
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. February 5, 2013 Budget time for the city. This is going to be a tough one for Burlington to get through. The amount of money coming in is lower and the amount that different boards want to spend is higher and the city has some core decisions to make on what lines of business it wants to be in and what it might be able to get out of.
In a survey the city had done recently, (cost – $10,000) Burlington tax payers were said to be satisfied with most things and were compared to other medium and large organizations.
 These charts compare satisfaction levels in Burlington with other Ontario large and medium size municipalities. Each year the city invites the public to a presentation of the budget and asks those attending to take part in an exercise that gives the room instant answers to questions asked. Each participant is given a little device – sort of like a TV remote – which they use to indicate what they think about the questions asked. The results are tabulated immediately. This process gives the city a first look at how the public – make that taxpayers – are reacting to the spending plans.
The audience this year was considerably smaller than that of last year when the fireman showed up in force – that show of force was almost intimidating. There were about 40 people in the room at the Burlington Art Centre this year – of which 19 were public and 18 city hall staff or politicians.
Hopefully when the library opens in Alton Village next year the city will hold an event in the northern part of Burlington; those people have been left out of the loop for far too long.
 This is where the money raised is being spent. The amounts shown are for every $100,ooo of property assessment. If your property is assessed at $300,000 multiply the numbers shown by 3. With so few people taking part, it was not easy to see a tend except for comments on the funding increase the Burlington Performing Arts Centre has asked for this year – and projected out for the next three years as well. One citizen wanted a referendum held to decide if the place should be kept; a little too late for that question.
 Burlington’s historical tax rates with Consumer Price Index shown as well as tax increases for other urban municipalities. Transit was also an issue for some people. What was evident again this year was how quickly staff would dig out the specifics on a spending question a member of the public might have and how pointed most of the questions were. Most people had “their” agenda and they spoke to that.
 This is the dirty one. It shows the estimated renewal requirement for 10 years along with the 10 year budget – we are short by 60% + and if not caught up we will have to rebuild roads completely at a very significant cost.  Local boards want an additional $1.4 million. The Economic Development Corporation wants $1 million. Transit spending that was pulled from the 2012 budget shows up in 2013  This is where the money comes from.  This is the time line the city will work to for completion of the 2013 budget. If they don’t make the schedule – not to worry – the treasurer has authority to mail out a tax bill.
The city is undergoing a very significant change in the way it manages itself. Three new concepts are in the process of being introduced:
Results Based Accountability, a process that will measure outcomes and better manage performance.
Business Process Management, which is a much tighter look at evaluating the capacity the city has to improve on the services it delivers.
Service Based Budgeting, which defines the services being delivered and matching the value of those services to the budget the city chooses to live within.
The condition of our roads wasn’t a question but it was certainly an issue from the city’s point of view. Last year $1.2 million was spent on a procedure called “shave and pave” that extends the life of a road considerably – delaying a very costly re-build. Burlington expects its roads to last 50 years before they have to be completely re-built. The amount to be used on road repair for 2013 was set at $2 million
 The city collects money for the Board of Education and for the Region, which includes the cost of the police force. Of every dollar the city collects – 60 cents gets passed along to others. The public meeting was preceded by a city council meeting where City Manager Jeff Fielding outlined the issues as he saw them and added that he is going to have to recast the capital budget and would rather have produced a two-year forecast rather than the traditional 10 year capital forecast.
Burlington is moving to an “asset management” approach to the facilities they have. They will use an approach called “life cycle costing” as they city moves into a stage where residential tax revenue will stall and commercial tax revenues will undergo a reduction until the city gets a better grip on how its employments lands can be better utilized.
The capital budget proposed amounts to $551 million and covers roadways, storm water management, facilities and buildings, parks and open space, parking, fleet vehicles, information technology and corporate initiatives.
Fielding explained to Council that he was going to be able to hold the tax increase at 1.85%, which he thought was pretty good given the challenges the city faces. Where Fielding was gulping was with the growth items that would add 4.5% to the tax hike – an amount Councillor Meed Ward saw as “untenable” and no one else wanted to get attached to either. Mayor Goldring did say at that meeting that 6.5% was not on but that there was going to be something more than the just over 2% last year.
The budget process got a little bumpy as well this time around. Fielding thought part of his job was to comment on the budgets submitted by the local boards (Library, Museum, Art Centre, Performing Art Centre and the Economic Development Corporation) and was brought to heel by the Library Board when they objected to his comments on the way they were staffing for the new Library in Alton Village.
Fielding wants a “governance” discussion that will clarify his role. He told the Council he serves that “we do have to have a governance discussion…the boards represent you at arm’s length. They have more power than I have as a civic administrator. You gave them that authority to run the service and you look to those boards for the advice you need. They did that.”
“You saw the push back from the library when we even asked if they could find the staff they need for the new Alton Village library from within their current staffing compliment. You saw that they were offended.
Fielding wants Council to decide if he is to have anything to do with the budgets the boards produce. He’s in a bit of a bind; he has no oversight but he has to find the money they ask for. “If you change your minds and want me to do that work and review their growth items then you need to make that clear to me and also make it clear to the boards.” We have a bit of a turf struggle going on here. The city manager should win this one.
This is the third budget this council has delivered and it will be significantly different from the last two. The Burlington Performing Arts Centre wants an additional $225,000. The Economic Development Corporation wants close to $1 million to restructure. The Museums came in with a different story and announced that they had raised close to $85,000 in grants and didn’t appear to need any financial help. They do want $7,000 plus to convert a part-time curatorial position to full-time. The Burlington Arts Centre wants a $125,000 addition to their base funding in 2013 and the same amount in 2014 plus $45,00 to align their compensation with provincial regulations. Sound of Music is asking for $37,000 more.
The Burlington Performing Arts Centre needs a $225,000 touch up as well. All these “asks” add up to $4.5 million which will add more than 4% to the tax rate.
Meed Ward isn’t on for this even though most of the people with their hand out are within her ward. She talked of the “lived” experience her constituents have to live with where they are asked to “reduce spending by 2% to 5%” while Burlington has put in place an across the board 2% for the boards.
Councillor Craven, who can fume almost as well as Councillor’s Taylor and Craven, said he agreed with Taylor about the need to look at the budget numbers but disagreed with Taylor on where the changes have to take place. Craven says the cuts have to be made by Council and that “we can’t continue to push this onto our staff. “It’s about leadership”, he said.
The focus for 2013 is going to be infrastructure and the hospital levy. The others are going to have to learn how to cut corners. The Performing Arts people are probably going to be told to use their reserve to cover the 2012 short-fall.
The Burlington Economic Development Corporation might take the biggest hit. “I don’t know” said city manager Fielding, “if the Economic Development Corporation has a future going forward.” That’s code for – polish the resumes fellow, the gig is over. Fielding said this is “something her has to look at.”
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. February 3, 2013 The provincial government encourages municipalities to promote and preserve both the Cultural and Built Heritage of the Province through the promotion, education and support of heritage conservation projects through public and private agencies and organizations.
 This reenactor explained to a very attentive boys what it must have been like to have fought in the war of 1812 that the province will continue to celebrate in 2013. Burlington, the city that has struggled for years on how it wanted to preserve its heritage housing got into the game with the decision to highlight, and recognize the work being done by different groups to further education and promotion of Heritage by way of displays, seminars and presentations to promote Heritage both Cultural and Built Heritage in Burlington.
 With bullets flying all over the place during battle, medical services were desperately needed. This reenactor delighted in telling his audience how teeth were pulled and legs cut off. They got off on the right foot on Saturday at the Burlington Central Public Library by hosting the Heritage Fair, a free day of seminars, interactive displays for children, poster contest and exhibits by local heritage organizations.
As we wind our way through the month of February there will be a Burlington Built Heritage Award that will recognize property owners who contributed to the preservation of our built heritage for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
Unfortunately, one of the very best “built heritage” examples is a home owned by a member of Heritage Burlington, the city’s Citizens Advisory Committee on matters of heritage, and that may disqualify her from receiving an award. The Advisort committee report to city Council through the Development and Infrastructure Committee and are the best example the city has of a well-organized and focused Advisory Committee. Burlington has had problems with some of its advisory committees in the past. City council decided to sunset one and another asked to be sunset.
The Transit Advisory committee has undergone a significant re-organization and it doing very well.
 Period costume always brings out a story. A woman here explains part of the life lived by women during the province’s the war of 1812. The city is currently looking for volunteers to serve on several of its Advisory Committees. If you have experience and sincerely want to work collaboratively and can leave your personal agenda at home – this is something you might want to look into. You work hard, you have to do your homework as well but it is satisfying and personally rewarding work.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. January 28, 2012 A city council committee took four hours two weeks to get to the point where they voted 4-2 to go ahead with a pilot project to collect data on just what having bicycle lanes on either side of Lakeshore Road from Seneca Avenue eastward to Guelph Line would do to the flow of traffic. That vote now has to be confirmed at a city council meeting tonight. It is expected to fail.
 The public seemed to want Car Free Sundays so that bikes could take over the streets – but that same public doesn’t want the bikes in their own lanes on Lakeshore Road. Ward 4 Councillor Jack Dennison attended a public information meeting a few days later on the water main work that has to be done along Lakeshore Road before the lane markings get put in and said he expects to be tarred and feathered by the people he represents for supporting the pilot plan. He added that the Mayor is feeling the pressure. When asked if he thought the Mayor would hold, Dennison gave that look that suggested he too wondered if the Mayor would cave in to the pressure.
And there is pressure. The Mayor is being bombarded with emails and phone calls.
What the city doesn’t have is very much in the way of real, supportable data. What it does have is a lot of emotion.
I drove the stretch of road that is at issue – Lakeshore Road from Seneca Avenue to Guelph Line – and yes there was traffic but I had no problem making left hand turns into Seneca from Lakeshore nor did I have any problem making a left hand turn back onto Lakeshore from Delaware where I continued along Lakeshore and made a left north onto Green. I then drove along First went south on Beaver and made another left onto Lakeshore.
There was always oncoming traffic – but other than waiting – say maybe 10-15 seconds – I had no problem and there was never a back-up of traffic behind me when I was proceeding east on Lakeshore.
“When did you do this trial run”, I was asked. On Monday between 5:05 pm and 5:25 pm. “You went too early I was told”.
There are a lot of emotions about this issue but policy doesn’t get made based on emotions – does it?
The objective of the pilot is to determine if the changing of the size of the various traffic lanes on Lakeshore Road will affect people who live in the area adversely.
Three of the six council members are directly impacted by any changes to this road: Sharman, Meed Ward and Dennison. Meed Ward, whose Newsletter is the best of any council member, sets out why she voted against the change in lane markings. Her comments follow:
 Councillor Meed Ward has always been good at listening – is the LAkeshore Road cycling issue an opportunity to lead? My Take: Along with my colleagues councillors Sharman and Taylor, I support retaining the current configuration of Lakeshore Road, primarily for safety reasons for all road users. Here are 10 reasons why we need to retain the centre lane on Lakeshore Road, and take steps that will actually deliver on the goal of helping residents to use cycling and active transportation.
1. The road is currently functioning safely.
Transportation staff have confirmed that the collision type and number are what you’d expect for an arterial road, and it is not listed on the Top 10 of problem roads in Burlington. In short, the road is safe for both drivers and cyclists.
2. Current cycling infrastructure in this area is adequate.
The Centennial bike path provides a safe, segregated and beautiful route for cyclists heading between downtown and the east of the city. In addition, there is the multi-use asphalt path on the South side of Lakeshore Rd. That path will be upgraded as part of the road reconstruction. A number of cyclists told council that for speed reasons they don’t like to use either Centennial path or the multi-use path, but the bottom line is that these services exist. No one is required to cycle on the road. Riders who feel safe on Lakeshore Road already cycle there without a bike path; those who don’t likely won’t cycle on Lakeshore Road even with a bike lane.
As an aside, the city is poised to invest heavily in cycling infrastructure – the proposed capital budget for 2013 includes $1.25m for new and upgraded multi-use paths throughout the city – we need to encourage cyclists to use these paths, rather than compromise road safety for everyone.
3. Changes to the road will compromise safety for both cyclists and drivers.
Residents on Lakeshore Road remember when the centre turn lane was installed for the safety of cars turning left onto and off of the road. They noticed fewer collisions after the centre turn lane was installed. I have asked Transportation Staff to provide that data (it should have been part of the initial report). Further, with just a narrow painted median for cars to wait while turning left, passing vehicles will veer into the cycling lane to pass, putting cyclists at risk.
4. Delays will result.
Traffic flow will be impeded by removing the centre turn lane, stealing precious minutes of time from families due to commuting, reducing their quality of life and adding further emissions to the air, affecting both drivers and cyclists. As one resident said in a letter to committee: “Should we not be concerned about the plan’s generation of so much idling traffic, with its resulting air pollution, in such close proximity to a public school and a dense residential area…There’s a Burlington by-law to stop vehicles idling for over 30 seconds; how many violations of that by-law will be directly caused by this plan?”
5. If you build it they will come only works in the movies.
We’re told that on-road bike lanes will increase the number of people cycling, but this vague hope fundamentally misunderstands why people don’t cycle now. It’s not because there is a lack of on-road bike lanes; it’s because more than half our residents must leave the city to work. Until we focus on economic development and bringing jobs to Burlington, cycling to work will remain a dream for our residents, even with on-road bike lanes. As one resident said in her letter to committee: “I like cycling myself. I cannot, however, find a way to bike my two children to daycare and then down to St. Catharines in order to do the job that pays my property taxes in Burlington….I have found biking over 100km a day to be especially trying in winter.”
6. There is no data to suggest on-road bike lanes will increase cycling in Burlington or has done so where bike lanes have been added.
Creating congestion and traffic delays as a means to get people out of their cars and onto bikes, without taking steps to rectify why people don’t cycle now, only produces…..congestion and delays. We need to balance the needs of all road users; this proposal creates significant safety and other negative impacts for the vast majority of current road users. It’s not balanced. Cyclists and cars are sharing the road well now.
7. Families won’t cycle on Lakeshore Road.
For many families and individuals on-road cycling is too dangerous even with on-road bike lanes. Our residents are looking for dedicated bike paths and separated bike lanes – Ottawa is a good example. This will take more planning and time – a precious commodity in an impatient world of instant gratification – but separated bike paths will go further to achieving the results we want.
8. The “pilot” has no goals to determine success (or failure).
The pilot will measure vehicle counts, travel time, bicycle counts and motor vehicle collisions, but no thought has been given to how many more cyclists will be required to deem the pilot a success, or how many accidents or delays are “acceptable” to deem this a success. Even one accident is too many – we should not be using our residents as guinea pigs to test the safety of the road. The lack of clear targets creates the impression that calling this a pilot is simply a device to push this through without proper data, consideration or due process.
9. Poor process leads to poor decisions.
This project has suffered from lack of good data and poor public consultation – being sprung on residents before Christmas, with a proposed amendment coming days before the final vote. There was no opportunity for a public meeting that would have provided an opportunity for table group discussion to learn from our residents what would help them pursue a more active lifestyle, and whether on-road cycling lanes on Lakeshore Road will have any impact at all on their cycling patterns.
10. We ignore the public at our peril.
More than 125 residents wrote to me and other members of council, to ask that the centre turn lane be retained. An additional 250 residents submitted a petition asking for the road to remain as is. Residents have clearly communicated their concerns, and goals for a balanced approach to cycling infrastructure. Yet those have been set aside. We’ve been told that supporting the on-road bike lanes at any cost to drivers and despite the concerns of residents, is showing “leadership.” Leadership has become the code word to justify ignoring public input.
The best decisions are made by carefully consulting and considering the views of the people most directly affected by our decisions. The city’s commitment to community engagement is built on this premise. It recognizes that elected officials don’t have a corner on wisdom (no one does), but that collectively there is much wisdom in our community if we listen and learn from each other.
When politicians dream about the future and impose a solution, it doesn’t always work out the way it’s supposed to, and residents are left suffering with the consequences until we fix it. One example will suffice: last week, council members discussed parking problems in the Uptown community of Burlington in Ward 5. This community was designed as high density with limited parking to “get people out of their cars” and onto transit. It didn’t work – people still have to drive outside the community for work, or long distances for shopping or recreation. So now Councillors are having to fix the situation, and have approved relaxed on-street parking rules in the area. Several councilors expressed surprise that the vision hadn’t worked. The reason: without jobs (and shopping and recreation) close by, residents still have to drive.
Making it hard for residents to drive doesn’t automatically get them out of their cars, if nothing else in the community changes. We need to heed this lesson before imposing hardship on the users of Lakeshore Road.
Meed Ward is not going to ignore her public – but she isn’t going to lead it either.
 The proposed pilot test of new lane markings on Lakeshore Road would run from Seneca (not Torrance) east to Guelph and have a very small divider lane with exclusive bike lanes on either side. Residents see that small divider lane as too small for them to make left hand turns. Dennison who is an avid cyclist, thinks the cycling lanes are part of the direction Lakeshore Road should be going in.
Sharman, who is also a consistent bicycle user and a strong proponent of the Car Free Sundays appear to be reacting to public pressure. For a guy who always wants the data he doesn’t seem too concerned about the lack of data on this issue.
The whole idea was to determine if putting bicycle lanes on either side of Lakeshore road would make any difference to the flow of traffic.
 The Region ensured that the public got an opportunity to fully understand what was going to happen to Lakeshore Road when the water main was upgraded. The public was given useful data. Why can’t the public let the city gather useful data on what separate bike lanes would do to the flow of traffic on Lakeshore? Perhaps because emotions are over ruling reason? The road is going to get ripped up to have a new water main put in by the Region and no one is grousing about the problems that is going to cause. When the road is resurfaced after the water main has been installed the city wants to remark a section of the road and make provision for bike lanes that will stay in place from about September of this year until April of 2014.
What’s the big deal? If it becomes evident that the road cannot safely, and at little inconvenience to the people who live in the immediate area, handle the change in lane markings, then bike lanes should come out.
After driving about Lakeshore I headed north up Appleby Line to look at a parking problem in the Uptown area and then headed west along Upper Middle Road. If you want to have to handle traffic and struggle to make a left hand turn, with traffic lights to help – try Upper Middle. I wanted to go south on Walkers to get home. The traffic was backed up and it was going to take several lights before I would make it through the intersection.
I went further west to Centennial and was able to make a left and get home.
Upper Middle Road was a lot harder to drive than Lakeshore Road. And there were bike lanes which didn’t get in the way – but then it was cold, cold, cold and there was just the one brave cyclist on the road.
We have added some material from a city, Minneapolis, that has an active cycling policy in place. They have snow there and they have the coldest average temperature of any major metropolitan area in the United States.
The City of Minneapolis Bicycle Program is integrated into many divisions and departments at the city. The core staff of the Bicycle Program operates out of the Traffic & Parking Services Division of the Public Works Department. They have the primary responsibilities of educating the public through the Bike Walk Ambassador Program and implementing new projects through the Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program. Bicycle Program staff also produces the Minneapolis Bicycle Map and organizes the annual bicycle count. Other staff in Traffic & Parking Services responds to bicycle traffic safety issues and rents out bike lockers at municipal parking ramps in the downtown area.
Elsewhere in Public Works, new off-street bike trail projects, the bike rack cost share program, and the Bicycle Master Plan are managed by staff in the Transportation Planning & Engineering Division. Many Minneapolis bikeways are cared for by crews in the Street Maintenance & Repair Division.
In the Minneapolis Police Department, the Bicycle Recovery Unit stores recovered and abandoned bicycles and holds bicycle auctions. The Traffic Unit investigates accidents between bicyclists and motorists. The Traffic Control Unit enforces parking rules in bike lanes. Police officers in each of the five precincts enforce bicycle-related laws and respond to emergencies. Twenty-Eight percent of the MPD police force is certified to patrol by bicycle.
This is a city with a committed policy and pro-active programs that lead to, foster and support increased use of cycling.
Burlington has a Master Cycling Plan and does make attempts to promote cycling. The city held a Bike to Work day event at which breakfast was served for those who arrived at city hall on their bikes. The Mayor was there on the bike that seems reserved for just photo ops; he does not ride to work on a bicycle.
Cyclists have a right to be on every road in the city – not the 400 series roads but certainly on Lakeshore Road. They have a right to the safe use of those roads. Bike lanes will be safer. Will creating exclusive bike lanes make it safer for cyclists and not unduly delay car drivers – that’s what the six to nine month trial was being put in place to tell us.
 Will this Mayor on his bike ever get to ride on a separate and safe bike lane on the Lakeshore Road? Not if they Mayor folds at city council this evening. The cycle enthusiasts put forward some very solid data at the council committee meeting that deserves attention. Those opposed to the cycle lanes gave anecdotal evidence that had an obstetrician missing a birth because of traffic. Why didn’t he leave earlier; he certainly knew the road and its traffic patterns.
Councillor Sharman fanned useless flames when he spoke of the possibility of one of his constituents dying in an ambulance because it got tied up in traffic – such rubbish.
Mayor Goldring speaks glowingly of the cycle plans he saw in Portland, Oregon when he visited that city. The glow appears to have rubbed off – most indications are that the mayor is getting antsy about the vote for the pilot he cast at a council committee meeting.
Looks like we are in for a long city council meeting tonight.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON January 24, 2013 Mayor Rick Goldring delivered his third State of the City address to a sold out audience at the Burlington Convention Centre:
Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen and thank you for taking time from your busy schedules to attend this year’s State of the City Address. This is my third address and it is something I look forward to every year.
Before I go any further, there are several people I want to thank and acknowledge. The Chamber of Commerce for not only hosting today’s event, but for your relentless efforts in advocating for business and increased prosperity in Burlington.
 Throughout the first half of this his first term as Mayor, Rick Goldring has been out in the community talking and listening; doing what a Mayor us supposed to do. I would like to thank today’s sponsors – Scotia Bank, Bell, Certified Management Accountants and The Centre for Skills Development & Training. Events like these would not be possible without the support of our valued community sponsors.
I also want to thank TVCogeco for broadcasting this address to those who cannot attend in person or are here today but want a repeat viewing. An informed community is an engaged community.
I would also like to thank and introduce my Council colleagues: Councillors Rick Craven, Marianne Meed Ward, John Taylor, Jack Dennison, Paul Sharman, and Blair Lancaster. Of the many achievements we have accomplished, what I value the most from you is the professionalism, dedication, and collaboration you bring day in and day out. While differences of opinion arise from time to time, as they do and must in great councils, the interests of our constituents’ and the City always remain first and foremost. I can honestly say this Council is focused on and committed to the tasks at hand and the people of Burlington. Burlington is a fine example of the effectiveness of municipal government.
City management and staff – we are proud and fortunate to have a fine team that serves the needs of our community, often without fanfare or notice. You are the backbone of our daily lives, making sure that the vital, in-demand services you provide each day are done professionally, efficiently, and with our customers in mind. I would like to introduce two of our three senior executive teams – both Jeff Fielding, City Manager and Kim Phillips, General Manager of Community Services are with us this morning.
And to the people of Burlington: it is truly an honour and privilege to serve you.
This year’s State of the City Address is a time to review our performance and share our upcoming priorities and opportunities. It is a measurable and transparent scorecard, which reflects three core themes that are important to this council: strong governance, accountability, and community aspirations.
This morning’s address is divided into three areas:
1. 2012 in Review
2. Looking Ahead: 2013 and Beyond
3. The Long Term Vision for the Future
2012 in Review
As we all know, the global economy remains seriously challenged. With escalating debt levels and an uncertain economic horizon, governments around the world, at all levels, are challenged in maintaining highly valued, if not essential services, despite an ever straining tax base. Burlington is not immune to these head winds.
But as we also know, Canada has, to date, been able to weather through these difficult times better than most countries. With Burlington’s location, talent and creativity, we have forged a road ahead, on our own terms, accomplishing impressive wins for our community.
I will go through the key highlights of 2012 now, but if you want details, please refer to report we are releasing today: “The Sum of 2012”which is available here and on the city’s website.
I invite you to view it at your leisure to see all the great and tireless work being done by so many in our great city. I want to thank the city manager’s offices, our communications department and my staff for their hard work.
Burlington’s robust economy continued to grow in 2012.
• 680 new full-time jobs and 220 new businesses were created.
• Our unemployment rate is at 6.0%, which remains lower than the provincial average of 7.8%.
• In 2012, Burlington issued 2,138 building permits having a construction value of over $425 million.
• The office vacancy rate has fallen to 10.5% from significantly higher levels only a few years ago.
• More businesses are either coming or expanding in Burlington. The industrial vacancy rate is down to 5.5%, a low mark.
 Meeting after meeting listening, making comments and doing what a Mayor is supposed to do I am pleased to advise that the re-development of Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital is on track. The contribution agreement for the City’s $60 million was finalized last year. City staff are currently working on the site plan application for Phase 1 of the project and we expect this part of the process to be completed relatively soon.
I am very pleased to advise that meaningful progress has been made on the Brant Street Pier in 2012. Work has continued in the winter and staff expect the ribbon to be cut in June.
As you know, the City of Burlington and Halton Region strongly opposed the expansion of the Nelson Quarry, which is nestled on the Niagara Escarpment in a designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. A Joint Board decision that undeniably supported our position was reached in October.
Prior to becoming Mayor, I identified the need to review our Downtown plans and get back on track. Council established a downtown task force early in the term to update these plans, which incorporate the waterfront, and we continue to receive feedback from across the City. On November 6, a Downtown Vision Workshop was held at the Burlington Art Centre and I was inspired by the number and energy of the participants, who shared their vision and ideas. The key findings from this summit will form an important component of our Official Plan Review.
Back in 2011, I determined that local graduates were not finding career opportunities in Burlington. I was concerned about losing our best and brightest. Determined to change that, innovateBurlington was created along with several community partners. I’m pleased to report that innovateBurlington has been a huge success with:
• 10 graduates participating in the program this first year;
• 5 alumni now working locally in their field;
• Revenue targets were exceeded and innovateBurlington worked with 12 companies and completed 13 projects;
• 16 mentors provided guidance and experience to our grads.
innovateBurlington is a great example of how we integrate opportunities for local youth employment and the needs of the local business community, and provides us with our future community leaders.
Responsible governments have to be fiscally prudent. 2012 offered unique challenges in the constant battle to weigh the inevitable trade-offs between increasing taxes and tailoring services and responsibilities. We have managed this well, despite the challenges.
Council agreed to an increase in the hospital tax levy of 1% in 2012 and the expectation at this stage is that we will do the same for 2013 and 2014. The community has told us loud and clear that the Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital redevelopment is a number one priority. The community needs to get behind the foundation as they work to raise their $60 million share for the redevelopment.
For 2011 and 2012, there was a cumulative increase of 3.2% for the Burlington portion of property taxes or 4.2% including the increase in the hospital levy. Our objective in the longer term is to maintain average tax rate increases around inflationary levels, which is very challenging to achieve.
What does all this mean?
MoneySense magazine named Burlington the GTA’s number 1 city and the second best city in Canada in which to live. It was also rated the 8th best place for jobs.
In an independent survey this past Fall conducted by Environics, Burlington residents who were surveyed responded:
• They were very satisfied with the services they receive from the City of Burlington
• 83% of Burlington residents surveyed said they receive excellent value for their tax dollars
• Burlingtonians are very satisfied with municipal government.
• Residents also have a positive outlook on the future as it pertains to both their quality of life and personal financial situation.
• 95% say they have an excellent or good quality of life.
Our 2012 efforts and results will go a long way towards Burlington continuing to be a destination and home for families and businesses. The challenge going forward will be to maintain this positive progress and energy, and build on this foundation and drive.
 Mayor Goldring delivers his speeches in a direct deliberate style. Last month, at a presentation hosted by the Burlington Economic Development Corporation (BEDC), Craig Wright, Chief Economist at TD Bank and Burlington resident, suggested that Canadian growth would be dampened and kept at about the 2% level, interest rates will likely remain low and the regional housing market will cool, with little risk of a major declines. Craig then moved to his view of the local Burlington economy and clearly stated that we have a “vibrant local economy that is well positioned to grow.” As evidence, he cited the diversity of our economic base, noting the healthy mix of professional services and manufacturing in Burlington and the fact that we are a relatively prosperous community; our household incomes are nearly 20% higher than the Ontario average. This will sustain the local housing market and fuel future growth in consumer spending to the advantage of local businesses.
Canadian businesses have improved balance sheets, indicating a future acceleration of their respective investment levels. This means to me that we need to ensure Burlington is well positioned to capture more than “our fair share” of such future investment.
We must position and market ourselves accordingly, with the right infrastructure in place. Burlington must be fiscally responsible and well-run; an engaging place that businesses are attracted to and invest in and where their people want to live because of the amenities and quality of life we offer and enjoy. This is our key challenge for 2013 and beyond.
Looking Ahead: 2013 and Beyond
So what must we get right in 2013?
The Pier construction must continue to be well-managed by our staff. This project has been a visible distraction to all of us. Once completed, the pier will integrate positively into our iconic waterfront and provide an identity for future generations.
Last year several parks were completed in North Burlington and our new state-of-the-art Alton Public Library and Community Centre, built-in conjunction with a new public high school, will be open this fall. Knowing that access to parks and green space are important drivers of citizen satisfaction and quality of life, we are investing in our communities and creating vibrant neighbourhoods.
We are working with our neighbours in Hamilton on mutually important issues through the Greater Bay Area Sub-Committee. This includes the clean-up of Randle Reef and potential economic development opportunities, which will open the door for future, mutually beneficial partnerships.
Our Official Plan Review will continue in 2013. This is an extremely important process because our population is changing and there is very little room left for brand new greenfield development. Within our Alton community, there is only potential for 450 more single family homes. Our present and future state is infill, intensification and redevelopment that provide us the opportunity to create compact, mixed use and walkable neighbourhoods.
We also have a growing number of seniors and single person households. The needs for housing, transit, and services will also change. The Official Plan Review will be a big picture look at how and where we will grow from here, to meet our needs and create the Burlington of the future.
A number of important strategic initiatives took place in 2012 where we will see results this year.
Our Community Energy Plan team will submit their report, allowing us to set and achieve long-term sustainability goals. Together with Halton Region, we are working towards the development of the Beachway Park Master Plan with recommended actions in 2013.
Late last year, the province advised us that they will be addressing transportation challenges in the Halton, Hamilton, Niagara regions by widening existing highways and not with a brand new Niagara GTA highway through North Burlington-for now. The details will be announced in February.
Widened highways will not address the issue long-term. Commute times in the GTA are some of the longest in North America. We need the province to aggressively support “The Big Move” plan of Metrolinx. This requires $50 billion of funding of which only $16 billion of that has been funded. If implemented, the result will be a 32 minute reduction in average commute times in the GTA.
With the fiscal challenges of the provincial government, they have to look at alternative sources of revenue to pay for this which could include road tolls, parking levies, a regional sales tax or increases in the gas tax. The federal government needs to step up as well, as Canada is one of the few countries in the world where the federal government does not contribute to public transit. There is no time to wait on this, as the cost of congestion is significant for both commuters and consumers.
Led by our City Manager, Jeff Fielding, staff has initiated Results Based Accountability, with a goal to have Performance Based Budgeting in place for 2015. We will continue to realign our programs and services to meet the goals and objectives of this Council’s Strategic Plan. This includes continuing with a head count freeze at City Hall. All new positions required are filled by redeployment of existing staff or attrition.
The City’s e-government technology project is underway with the goal to significantly advance our web-based customer service.
One of the key priorities for 2013 will be the Burlington Economic Development Corporation. In November 2012, Burlington City Council endorsed aggressive growth targets and formally requested the BEDC to take a more direct, active and strategic role in the short and long-term development and marketing of Burlington.
While the city’s employment lands are valuable strategic assets, they are in limited supply. We must take a proactive and targeted approach to preserve and optimize the city’s employment land inventory to yield higher tax contributions bringing in proportionally more revenue and making us less reliant on residential property taxes. The longer term goal will see the City essentially double its industrial/commercial revenues over 20 years by focusing on business intensification below the escarpment, thereby driving Burlington’s long-term fiscal capabilities and sustainability.
Looking Ahead: Beyond 2013
Burlington is at an interesting point in its history. We are becoming built out as mentioned earlier, resulting in our tax assessment growing at a slower rate. We are aging at a rate greater than provincial averages with 17% of residents over age 65, and 45% over 45. The major revenue source for the City is from property taxes. Now more than ever, we need to be creative in looking at our financial situation in the long-term and analyzing our balance sheet, which could result in the redeployment or leveraging of our assets. We cannot accept status quo thinking.
As Mayor, I am part of the Large Urban Mayors Caucus of Ontario (LUMCO). One of the areas we are focusing on is research in preparation of asking the provincial government for the opportunity to access alternative sources of revenue. There is real unfairness about a tax system that sees municipalities receiving 11% of tax revenue generated along with maintaining 65% of the capital infrastructure. Mississauga Mayor Hazel
McCallion has said many times that the federal government has all the money, the province has all the power and the municipalities have all the problems.
So what must we get right in the long-term?
We must redefine and market Burlington’s value proposition to target global and national companies in key economic sectors including advanced manufacturing, financial services and information technology.
We must review the City’s planning and development approvals system to be more in tune to the needs of industry and business and create a distinct, sustainable competitive advantage.
An early example of this is the Ikea project, which played a vital role in helping us shape the new direction for the Burlington Economic Development Corporation, by creating the opportunity for big picture thinking about the needs for our future growth and development to retain and attract the kind of businesses we want for Burlington.
I am pleased to announce that at our next Council meeting, we will be approving an Official Plan Amendment and Rezoning Application to allow for the relocation of Ikea to the QEW and Walkers Line. While there are two other processes that we must go through with the Region, Conservation Halton and the Ministry of Transportation, I am confident that we will be successful in keeping Ikea’s Canadian head office here in Burlington. What does this mean for Burlington?
• A new head office and store over 440,000 square feet, which is 70% larger than the existing facility;
• about 90 new jobs or nearly a 20% increase to their team;
• $1.7 million in total tax revenue and $10.8 million in total development charges;
• a facility that attracts about 1.5 million visitors to Burlington.
IKEA has become the catalyst for unlocking the development potential of the North Service Road area.
Developing the area of North Service Road between Guelph Line and Appleby Line is the starting point for turning the QEW employment lands into Burlington’s Prosperity Corridor.
Our vision is to launch a cycle of re-investment that will see high-profile sites fill the QEW corridor with new office buildings that will house companies and create high quality jobs that mirror the skills of our residents. This will be an opportunity to leverage our investment in the DeGroote of School Business with the prosperity corridor. This will be a significant development of over 2 million square feet of new industrial/office development projects and will accommodate over 6,000 new high-value jobs.
Another element in the development of our employment lands to create jobs and prosperity for the city is the redevelopment of the King Road Underpass, also known as the ‘Big Push.’ This significant engineering accomplishment marks the kind of strategic and innovative investments that will continue to take us into the 22nd century.
Our goal is to build over 900,000 square feet of new industrial/commercial facilities every year which will generate over $600,000 in new ICI tax revenue; and create 1,526 jobs per year for a total of approximately 29,000 new jobs across the city by 2031. This will increase the opportunity for more residents to not only live in Burlington, but work here as well, improving their quality of life.
Burlington’s era of automatic pilot growth and new construction is over. We are out of land for large new residential subdivisions and our supply of industrial/commercial land is also constrained. So, I repeat the earlier question, “what must we get right in 2013 and beyond?”
When Wayne Gretzky played hockey, he saw and played the game in a very different way. He never worried about where the puck was at any given moment. Everyone else did. He stayed steps head, thinking where the puck is going to be and then acted. We have to anticipate and shape our future and then act, ahead of, smarter, and better than others.
If civic government was merely the fiscal administration and execution of specific services, this would be simple and clear. But I propose that civic leadership is more than that. As stewards for our community, we must harness and galvanize the energies and desires of our people, community groups, and businesses to make Burlington the choice where people want to dream, live, enjoy, work, raise their families, and invest, now and in the future.
To do this, we have to dare to create a clear, unified vision, designed and executed by all stakeholders, and then drive to put and maintain Burlington on the map of top-tier communities. We have to envision and create our future on our own terms.
Two months ago, I arranged for an Inspire Burlington – Defining Our Dream workshop for 35 community leaders including representatives from Council, business, media, education, community groups, faith, sports, arts and culture, healthcare, youth and environmental advocacy groups, to define the dream for Burlington.
The objective of the two-day workshop was to define an exciting future or dream that we can all aspire to, work towards, and benefit from. The two days were both invigorating and exhausting. The depth of people’s passion for Burlington was phenomenal and authentic. There were three major themes that came out of the workshop.
Burlington is a compassionate, connected community. This is evidenced by the work of our social agencies, faith communities and service clubs that reach out to those in need including the 17,000 people in Burlington living below the poverty line.
There is a tremendous connection with our natural environment. In fact, the terms “Iconic Natural Identity”, “Jewel on the Lake” and “Sense of Place” were used. While the Niagara Escarpment is not unique to Burlington, it is integral to our City.
The other theme encompasses “Super Charging Ideas” which recognizes that with our limited growth potential and the way the world is changing, we need to be innovative and creative using “22nd century thinking” to maintain and enhance the vibrant nature of Burlington, where we are the home of “great opportunities” with “local riches and “global impact” being created.
Burlington offers so much: wonderful neighbourhoods, a great waterfront, our rural north, great parks and open space, recreational and cultural opportunities, great businesses and educational institutions. If you can’t find what you need in Burlington, you don’t have to go very far to find what you are looking for.
Why do people choose to live in Burlington or have their business in Burlington? It is quality of life. I mentioned earlier that 95% of the people surveyed by Environics rank their quality of life very high. Our challenge will be to maintain what we have.
This, for me, was an amazing process – both inspirational and educational. For us as a collective, it solidified the direction of our strategic plan and reinforced the work we have begun at the City. I believe, ultimately, that the information gleaned during this process can become a blueprint for all of our stakeholders and partners to use in planning for their future. It can give us an intelligent, pragmatic, and sustainable competitive advantage and serve as our legacy to future generations. As a community, we must shape and drive our future together.
So what do I want you to take away from today?
 Opening new parks, cutting ribbons – all part of the job a Mayor does. Be positive. Burlington is in good shape. Council is committed to keep Burlington as a thriving, prosperous, inclusive community through strong fiscal management, innovation and partnerships.
Be open to change. We have a meaningful Strategic Plan in place with a focused Council and staff that understands Burlington’s priorities. We will continue to look at how we engage the community as we work through the change that is taking place. The City of Burlington is focused on improving customer service, improving productivity through technology, and decision-making through teamwork and performance based measurement.
We will overcome challenges and continue to position ourselves as the community of choice for residents and business because of our strengths, amenities, and quality of life. We will not take anything for granted.
What makes me optimistic for our future? Burlington is a not just a city. We are a community; a community of partnerships, and generosity. A community of people who strengthen this city giving it its character and charm, who balance pride with humility, with neighbours working together and otherwise people from different walks of life, who selflessly and quietly help others. I am continually inspired by the efforts of the many people who do caring things for others in our community.
It’s the single volunteer who cooks a turkey for Christmas dinner at Carpenter Hospice, to those who contribute precious dollars and talent to community groups, all the way up to the rather astounding force of the Burlington Eagles Hockey Club who along with other organizations, collected more than 200,000 pounds of food in their Fall Food Drive for local food banks.
We have a past and present that we can be rightfully proud of. But what excites me, what inspires me, is the enduring spirit of our community and people.
So let’s dream and join together, for Burlington and each other. We are in this together. And together we will continue to build a wonderful city.
Thank You.
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. January 16, 2013 On December 5th 2012, the Halton Regional Police Service Collision Reconstruction Unit commenced an investigation into a motor vehicle collision outside Maplehurst Elementary School on Plains Road East in Burlington.
A five-year old kindergarten student had been struck and seriously injured by a motor vehicle that also struck the school crossing guard. Both parties had been on the crossing at the time, and both are now recovering from their injuries.
 Location of the motor vehicle accident where a car struck a kindergarten student and a crossing guard. As a result of this investigation, David Paterson, an 80-year old Burlington resident, has been charged under the Highway Traffic Act with Fail to obey school crossing stop sign – Community Safety Zone.
Mr. Paterson is scheduled to appear at Burlington Provincial Offences Court in March.
As Burlington population ages, and the city is expected to have an elderly population greater than those in neighbouring communities, this kind of accident is going to take place more frequently. Seniors will insist on being allowed to drive. Public transit is such that people can only get where they want or need to by driving a vehicle.
At some point most of us will have to turn in our driver’s license – painful and many of us will fight it. But there comes a time when we should not be behind the wheel of a car.
That child was five years old.
 By Margaret Lindsay Holton
BURLINGTON, ON. January 14, 2013 I have been watching and listening with a great deal of interest over the past few days to the ‘Idle No More’ movement that has erupted across Canada. There are many issues on the table, not the least of which is the desire by the people of the First Nations to be treated as Nations by the current Harper regime governing in Canada. In the midst of this activity – that had me thinking a lot about Canadian colonial history – I received a note from OurBurlington’s publisher, to remark on the recently announced winner of the Public Art Commission for the Burlington Performing Arts Centre. His note to me read, “Can you comment on this in your next column? Be fair, but be very direct as well”.
I read the attached press release. Peter Powning, from far-off New Brunswick, has won, with his design, Spiral Stela. Included in the City of Burlington’s press release was an open invitation to the public to add ‘objects of significance’ or “cultural mulch” to his sculpture. “The artist will make a mould of the object, which will then be cast in bronze and added to a large band that encircles the sculpture.” Three times and two locations were provided so the public can participate: Jan 31, 10-3 pm at the Central Library and 7 pm-9 pm at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre, and also February 3rd at the Burlington Arts Centre from 2-4 pm. The final session will include an artist lecture and ‘creating session’.
 The proposed sculpture: Spiral Stela, by Peter Powning, from far-off New Brunswick. Well, here’s my opinion about all that. (Remember I’ve just been listening, watching and learning from the Idle No More movement … )
I agree to participate in the ‘cultural mulch’ ceremony that will ‘imprint’ objects of significance – presumably from Burlingtonians – onto this foreign object, for posterity. To that end, I will bring a swatch of plastic grass to commemorate the winter of 2009 when our City Elders sold out a piece of our irrefutably unique natural heritage, now known as City View Park in North Burlington, at Kerns Road and Dundas Street, to the Pan Am Games organization of Toronto.
The DESIGN for this largest parkland area in Burlington, supposedly protected under the Greenbelt Act and the Niagara Escarpment Commission, was transformed in the 11th hour by City staff and members of our previous – and current – City Council into a ‘sports tourism destination’ without any public consultation with immediate residents, or an Environmental Impact Assessment that analyzes how tons of plastic grass will impact this environmentally sensitive era. Thems the facts.
Initially conceived as a “recreational” diverse ‘natural’ parkland area for ALL to enjoy, this park has – and will – become a ‘member’s only’ fenced-in facility geared towards ‘tournament grade’ soccer. In short, WE, the tax-paying public, have lost OUR park, an important local natural heritage ROOT.
There MAY be an opportunity to regain this park after the Pan Am Games in 2015 when the toxic artificial turf carpets must, by law, go to a hazardous waste facility. (Plastic grass expires every 5-8 years. Two of the plastic carpets were laid in 2011. The ‘tournament’ field and flood-lit stadium will be installed in the fall of this year, or spring of 2014. So, somewhere around 2020, that toxic gunk will have to come out.)
 City View Park: Before plastic grass installation, this once-living landscape had to be scraped ‘clean’ and made pan-cake flat. Photo by Margaret Lindsay Holton. At that time, it will be up to the NEW City Council to determine if taxpayers funds will be utilized to re-carpet this smothered ground again with million dollar plastic turf, OR, alternatively, whether they will finally have the good sense to rejuvenate this slowly dying eco-system with real growing grass, and, by so doing, provide an essential ‘natural habitat’ for animals (including humans), birds, insects and earth-churning worms. If so, they will also have the opportunity to remove the restrictive fences. This action alone would once again allow all forms of life to freely traverse across this unique open landscape. Living creatures could once again forage within this distinct portion of our section of the designated UNESCO Biosphere, known as the Niagara Escarpment.
Will they do it? Who knows.
Perhaps, years ahead, when Burlington has become the utopian Jersey Shore of the Golden Horseshoe, with electric light-rail transit zipping through the landscape powered by solar and geo-thermal energy, and the old-time ‘locals’ are long dead and buried, newly arrived residents will wonder aloud about the lunacy of previous City Elders who covered their ever-diminishing living-giving-breathing Earth with Life-defying plastic, especially in a ‘protected’ PARK. They may wonder why these turkeys so deliberately eliminated a vital and tangible connection to our communal Burlington natural heritage, the Niagara Escarpment. That is, of course, if they know how to wonder at all.
It is a very real possibility that this on-going eco-travesty will just be forgotten. Taxpayers will duly pay the exorbitant replacement costs for a PRIVATE ‘members-only’ tournament soccer facility in a PUBLIC park, and the wildlife that does still roam and roost throughout North Burlington’s escarpment terrain will just quietly die off … A dull robotic monoculture of humans will survive on imported genetically modified foods. Tax-enslaved workers will buy FRESH water from off-shore nations who did FIPA-like deals under Harper’s regime. Children will learn programming before they can speak. And ‘play’ itself will become a forgotten IDEA buried under intense competition to host tournament-sport ‘tourism’.
Still, I have hope.
On the first dawn of this New Year I looked out the frosted windows at the farm in North Burlington and watched as twelve robust wild turkeys emerged from a conifer stand and slowly began to forage across the snow-covered yard under the bright winter sun. It was a stately, near sacred, sight to see.
Where had they come from? Where were they going? And why did there seem to be so many?
I had to do some sleuthing.
 Author tracks multiple wild turkey tracks. Photo by Margaret Lindsay Holton. Wild turkey was originally native to Ontario, but they disappeared at the turn of the last century due to rapid colonization, habitat destruction and unregulated hunting by settlers. In brief, we killed off the species.
 But, in the mid 1980’s wild turkeys were re-introduced at 38 different release locations in southern Ontario through a program to “restore our natural heritage, provide fowl for hunting and viewing recreation, and derive economic benefits.” (Ministry of Natural Resources). Begun in 1984, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, in partnership with the National Wild Turkey Federation and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, launched a reintroduction program that began with just 274 birds.
Stock from the wild turkey populations of New York, Michigan, Nebraska and Tennessee were often ‘swapped’ for wildlife species from this province: moose for Michigan, river otters to Missouri and Nebraska, and gray partridge to New York state. Today, wild turkeys have adapted to our agricultural farmlands totaling somewhere between 60 to 80,000 wild birds.
Turkey hunting season officially began in 1987, and was initially restricted to a spring hunt. But in 2009, a fall hunt was introduced. Only bearded toms, (mature male turkeys), are allowed to be harvested. ‘Turkey season’, (April 25th, after the peak breeding season, until the end of May), has now been established in most rural areas in Ontario. This hunt is also open to hunters from outside the province.
Wild turkeys are known as promiscuous breeders. Most individual adult males will mate with multiple females. Hens lay a clutch of 10-12 eggs during a two-week period, usually laying one egg per day. Young males are commonly called ‘jakes’ and young females are ‘jennies’. They consume a wide variety of wild foods, including hard mast (acorns, seeds), soft mast (wild grapes, raspberries), green vegetation, and insects. In areas where natural habitats have been replaced by agriculture, turkeys may also feed on domestic grains, like corn, buckwheat, alfalfa and/or soybean. Young turkeys (poults) feed almost exclusively on insects for the first several weeks of life. Insects provide poults with the high-protein diet that they require for rapid growth. A 2-3 week old turkey can eat several thousand insects a day. As you can see, wild turkeys, like all wild critters, need a diversified living habitat in order to survive.
 Wild birds die after ingesting bright bits of PLASTIC, mistaken as FOOD. Other predators, besides humans, such as coyote and raccoon, are capable of snatching young turkeys, but most are no match for a mature fighting tom. Wild turkeys can run up to 40 km per hour and fly as fast at 90 km per hour. They can cover over 20 miles per day in search of food. A male tom can be up to 4 feet tall (!), and weigh over 30 pounds. Females are, on average, about half that size. Wild turkeys have excellent vision during the day, but can hardly see at night. They roost high off the ground, usually in trees, at dusk. Conifers often provide thermal protection for roosting turkeys so they can conserve energy under extreme cold and windy conditions.
 Wild turkey roosting in trees at night fall. The sale of turkey licenses per annum contributes over $250,000 to wildlife management programs in Ontario. The annual spring and fall hunts generate economic activity for the province worth $2.3 million. (So says the Ministry of Natural Resources).
As of 1999, the use of live decoys, electronic calls and baiting for the purpose of hunting wild turkeys was prohibited. Finally, only a landowner, with a valid firearm license, may shoot wild turkeys that are damaging or about to damage their property.
 Obese domestically raised 20 pound turkey carcass in a kitchen sink. Can wild turkeys hurt you? Any wild animal when cornered or harassed may attack. So, if concerned, call in an expert. Note, only a registered turkey hunter or landowner (with a valid firearm license) can shoot wild turkeys.
All in all, the reintroduction of wild turkey in this province has been a success. Wild turkeys are thriving once again in Halton County in rural North Burlington. Due to human initiative and determination, this formerly extinct species has re-established a solid toe-hold in this, our home and native land. Their reintroduction has, as promised, added to the natural heritage of Ontario. The growing populations are providing viewing as well as hunting recreational activity and, as such, they are adding revenue to our economy.
If we, as humans, can do that over the short course of twenty odd years, surely we can a) improve our dialogue with Canada’s First Nations, and b) bring back City View Park to a ‘natural state’ for future generations.
I wonder what plastic grass looks like when it’s cast in bronze …
Margaret Lindsay Holton is both an environmentalist and a community activist. She is an artist of some renown and the designer of a typeface. She is also a photographer and the holder of opinions, which are her own, that she will share with you in an instant. She appears as an Our Burlington columnist every two weeks. All photographs are by MLH unless otherwise indicated.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON December 1, 2012 While Burlington chuckles over the problems Toronto has with its Mayor and raises an eyebrow over the number of Mayors in Quebec that have taken “retirement”, the political types gather to look at the offerings at the federal Liberal level.
Few care that the federal Liberals are looking for a new leader but they did register a tinge of excitement when Justin Trudeau breezed through town a while back.
That party wants to at least attempt to make their selection of a new leader have a measure of respectability and not just pass the crown along to Justin, son of Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Liberals have learned, the hard way, what happens when the leadership decision amount to a coronation – John Turner, the politician who waited so long for the job, then blew it when he got it.
The federal Liberals, who were all but destroyed in the last federal election, are now in a re-build mode and are trotting out those who want to lead the party to what they believe is their rightful place in the House of Commons – leading the country.
While many love the idea of another Trudeau leading the country there are many who aren’t sure Justin Trudeau is ready for the job and they want to ensure there is a more than credible alternative to Trudeau when the leadership.
Trudeau the younger has made a few missteps – he managed to insult much of western Canada with recent comments about Calgary really running the country. An apology didn’t help all that much. His thoughts on the long gun registry won’t keep Quebecer’s very happy either – so just maybe there is an opportunity for another candidate?
 David Merner listens carefully to a potential supporter. No one was trying to nail down support – everyone was just getting to know everyone; all very friendly. Thus, on the first winter Saturday of December close to 50 Liberals met to meet David Merner, Jonathan Mousley and Marc Garneau, who was the only member of the House of Commons in the group.
 Canada’s astronaut was late getting to the meeting but when he waled into the room it was as if he owned the place. He certainly has some of that “royal jelly” – enough the beat the son of the “great one”? Only time will tell. Marc Garneau, the first Canadian to go into space, needed an extra half hour to arrive, which let Merner and Mousley button hole the “delegates” that were gathered at a coffee shop to do the meet and greet stuff that is the essence of politics.
Marc Garneau arrives fresh from this week’s campaign launch. Marc is the MP for Westmount—
Ville-Marie. He is a former naval captain, Canada’s first astronaut, and now the Liberal House Leader and critic for science, industry, and technology.
David Merner is a past president of the Liberal party in B.C. and has worked in almost every volunteer role imaginable, from canvasser and sign installer to policy chair and riding president. He lives in Victoria and now works leading transformational change in British Columbia’s justice system.
 Jonathan Mousley didn’t bring any actual political experience to the room – he is apparently a part of the old Chretien regime. Jonathan Mousley works as a senior economist in the Ontario government. He’s previously worked in Ontario’s Cabinet Office and as a senior policy advisor under the Chrétien government. He’s also an active community leader, chairing two non-profit organizations.
Merner and Mousley struggled a bit but Garneau walked into the room and behaved as if he owned it. There is some of the “royal jelly” in the man. Does he have enough of what it takes to win? He can only win if Trudeau falls down and in politics falling down does happen; ask Stephane Dionne or Michael Ignatieff .
Trudeau has already been to Burlington. He did pull in a bigger audience than the three that were in the city today – and had the space all too himself. There were the ‘oohs’ and the ‘awhs’ and people lined up to get their picture taken. None of that with just Garneau, Merner or Mousley; although Garneau is every bit the celebrity as Trudeau – he just doesn`t milk it. And Garneau`s celebrity is personally earned and bore a price of which few Canadians are aware. So the local Liberals were looking the offerings over. A few words were said and the candidates were off to perhaps another event.
Does Mike Wallace have anything to worry about? Not today. Mike is as safe as a Canada Savings Bond – at least until there is someone who will really excite Canadians and actually give Prime Minister Harper a run for his money.
 Alyssa Brierley was a trooper as a candidate and if she worked the riding she would have a better than even chance. Bu t her heart and mind are elsewhere. The Liberal that ran against Wallace in the last federal election, Alyssa Brierley, didn’t attend. While she has a residence in Burlington her focus right now is completing the two degree program she is doing at York University, teaching a law course and holding down a job with a law firm in Toronto.
For Brierley to have any chance of winning the Burlington seat during the next federal she is going to have to create much more of a profile in the city and be seen much more. She is exceptionally good at the door step and engages very well with people. She is also a lot smarter than Wallace and would be seen as Cabinet material very early in her career if she had a seat in the House of Commons. The best Mike Wallace is ever going to achieve is perhaps a Parliamentary Secretary.
But, Wallace is a first class constituency politician. If he likes you and cares about what you`re doing he will bend over backwards for you.
Those who drove to the meeting, which was everyone – no one relies on public transit on a Saturday in Burlington, were probably listening the CBC’s program – The House; which is all about politics across the country – an essential listen for the political junkies .
The thrust of one of the interviews was that Canada was probably in a posy-charismatic phase when it comes to politics. You wouldn’t have guessed that when Trudeau was in town a few months ago.
 BURLINGTON, ON November 29, 2012 Part of the reason for creating this “newspaper on a web site” was to try and re-balance the “information deficit” the Shape Burlington report said the city was struggling to deal with. It has not been an easy task and at times we felt we were out there all by ourselves.
When we wrote something about a person or the organization they led – we were taken off the media list. When we were consistently critical about the leadership of the Waterfront Access and Protection Advisory committee we were sued for libeling the chair.
That lawsuit is working its way through the various processes that apply to libel and defamation. There is a phrase that describes what is being done: – “libel chill”. If they sue we are supposed to back down and apologize. Better yet, they could drive us out of business as we struggle to cover the legal costs. We will keep you posted in the libel matter
We aren’t the only person who understands the “information deficit” and the role of a free press. Peter Goddard recently posted a comment to a story we wrote. That comment was so good – not that we agree with everything Peter Goddard has to say – that we felt it should be given a much wider audience.
Here is what Goddard had to say to our Mayor:
Dear Mayor.
I propose that what you have accomplished is a list of gooey sentiments with no real substance. You have expanded on the adjectives you already attached to ethereal concepts, and arrived at intentions with no plan at all.
Today I still face a real problem, that far too many citizens in Burlington have faced, are facing, will face. We are being bullied by developers who, with the aid of a far from contrite planning department, are building unwanted and inappropriate mega-condo projects in the middle of the “jewel on the lake”. Far from contributing to vibrancy, energy, belonging, and compassion, these developments are contributing to a sense of worthlessness, hopelessness, depression, and acrimony in the neighbourhoods they blight. These monstrous developments are marketed as separate communities, and indeed they are separate. You cannot draw a line around any other portion of the affected neighbourhoods and say “this area is distinct”. They do not fit. They are the equivalent of inclusions in the jewel, imperfections that make our jewel worth far less than one that is clear and free of undesirable detritus.
 The Mayor calls this city of ours a Jewel on the Lake and it may well be but are we not more than just our geography? In this same sense, anyone could appreciate that while you are busy polishing the jewel, the value still only decreases as we accept a lower and lower quality of gem, and our own experts in city planning, like jaded dealers, contend the imperfections make it better.
I am tired of this conversation. You messaged me with a link to this blog entry, I suppose you felt I should be inspired as you were. But I offer you may be suffering from a form of Stockholm syndrome, the psychological phenomenon in which hostages express empathy or sympathy, and have positive feelings towards their captors.
I feel you may be trapped in the sense you are powerless to influence negative changes in the city, brought about by the provincial and regional intensification plans you are legally bound to observe. In response, you are polishing a turd. In my experience this only results in a shinier turd.
Because we are bound on all sides Burlington faces a difficult problem. How do we grow? In response to this problem Burlington committed to a plan, developed and implemented in the form of provincial, regional, and municipal “official plans”.
Each of these plans describes in progressively finer granularity, the details of how we will achieve required growth within the constraints of the law, and each plan aspires to accomplish a greater goal of improving our communities in fair and equitable ways.
The plans primarily call for DIRECTED intensification, with the specific stated goals of easing traffic congestion while supplying an adequate mix of housing PROXIMAL to workplace and transit lines. The finely tuned plan was unveiled to Burlington a few years back. This included maps of where the development would take place, what it would look like, and how we would accomplish it. It was a good plan.
 Post It notes left by citizens at an Official Plan review meeting. Peter Goddard isn’t the only one who doesn’t agree with the city planner. But now; The city is twisting the plan to serve a single metric. Person/jobs per hectare. Nothing else matters in their decisions. When faced with reasonable arguments against a development, they simply ignore those arguments, or devote their resources to researching obscure and weak counter arguments that are insulting to reasoning persons on the face of them. They hold these weak counter arguments up as proof of their wisdom, but we see the truth clearly. City planning views the plan as an arbitrary guide, and has assigned themselves the role of arbiter. The head city planner told me personally he is “like a cop” and that “people who follow the speed limit on the highways are actually getting in the way”. Presumably this means I am getting in the way when I question his judgement, or the judgement of his staff. He actually became visibly disturbed when I suggested I wanted to check his departments facts, admonishing “you’re not questioning my engineers, are you?” (BTW, yes.)
 Peter Goddard has given Mayor Goldring quite a bit to think about. Will the Mayor respond? You are elected to govern the city in a democratic manner. The four pillars of democracy are Freedom, Representation, Equity, and Justice.
-I am apparently FREE to leave if I don’t like it.
-I am apparently free to consult with my REPRESENTATIVE on council, who may or may not answer my concerns or return my correspondence.
-I am apparently equal to the others in this city who have been bulldozed by the “planning process”, but not EQUAL to the richer parts of the city whose properties are in “significant” areas.
-And Justice? I’m sure I am receiving an equal helping of the kind of justice Burlingtonians are becoming accustomed to. The kind of justice that gives tickets to those who follow the speed limit, and encourages dangerous speeding.
So while you are looking forward to sharing the journey, my dreams are being told to move to the back of the bus.
Peter Goddard
Thank you Peter Goddard.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON November 28, 2012 Do you remember that bit we did a while ago about those unintended consequences; that mess up that occurred when the city gave a contract to a new security services company because they believed they were able to get the same level of service for less money?
This came about due to a change in policy that allowed the purchasing department to spend up to $100,000 without having to get the purchase approved by city council. If transit wants to buy a new bus – that has to come to council. Paperclips and printing paper – the folks over at purchasing don’t have to get an OK – they just look for the best price and do a quality check – we suppose.
Midnight Security had the contract to provide security services but they got a little sloppy with the paper work and didn’t get their bid in on time last year and so the contract went to Star Security who were expected to keep the existing security staff on their payroll.
 Bob Kerr is back at city hall doing the afternoon-evening security shift. New shoulder patches on his shirt and a smile on his face. Well Star Security did that but they didn’t want to pay the staff what they were getting from Midnight which created some tension. The level of security was on the sloppy side according to a number of reports from people who know these things. When senior city hall staff became fully aware of the mess it became evident that changes had to be made.
But there was a contract and it had to be met. Then Star fired Bob Kerr; that put the fat in the fire. Kerr had been on the job for more than five years and knew the building inside out and every staff member by their first name. He knew every nook and cranny in the building as well.
Wheels were put in motion and the city apparently found a way to end the contract with Star Security and brought Midnight back in. Midnight gave Bob Kerr a call and he was ironing his new shirt to be on duty the next day.
The purchasing department made the mistake of going for the lowest price forgetting that the savings they achieved had to come out of Bob Kerr`s pocket.
But Bob`s back; says he has had hugs from more than 14 women – so he`s a happy camper and security at city hall is where is was supposed to be. ALL the doors get locked at night.
Someone at purchasing owes Bob a case of beer.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON November 19, 2012 Burlington, like many other municipalities across the province, looks to its citizens for advice, guidance and fresh ideas.
Among those currently looking for people who want to serve and feel they have something useful to offer are:
Burlington Accessibility Advisory Committee
Burlington Civic Recognition Awards Committee
Burlington Cycling Committee
Burlington Inclusivity Advisory Committee
Burlington Mundialization Committee
Burlington Public Library Board
Burlington Sustainable Development Committee
Burlington Transit Advisory Committee
Heritage Burlington
Heritage Umbrella Group (HUG)
Burlington Seniors’ Advisory Committee
Waterfront Access and Protection Advisory Committee
The Board of Directors of Burlington Hydro Electric
 Members of the Inclusivity Advisory Committee who put on a Civic Square BBQ event to draw attention to an initiative they developed. Advisory committees are not just attending meetings – lots of fun as well. The Waterfront Access committee has been sunset by the city – shouldn’t have been on the list, but if the waterfront interests you – get in touch with Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward and take part in the ad hoc committee that she formed when the Waterfront committee, formed by Cam Jackson before the 2010 municipal election, was shut down effective December 31st.
While we have not attended meetings of every Advisory committee we have been to enough of them (the only media in the city to do so by the way) and we can tell you that some work very well while others are walking disasters where people shout at each other, throw documents at each other and get precious little done.
At the same time there are others that are close to sterling in what they do and the advice they pass on to city council committees. The city actually outsources much related to heritage in the city to Heritage Burlington Advisory Committee. It is an exceptionally well run committee but it has some deeply rooted differences of opinion on property rights and the role heritage plays in the creation of a balanced community.
The differences are real and for the most part respected – it is a pleasure to watch the dynamic created when different opinions work towards a solution they can all live with.
Working in that kind of an environment takes a level of maturity not seen on some committees. So if you decide serving your city in an advisory capacity is for you – think about leaving your emotional baggage at home and go to meetings prepared to hear new ideas that might move you out of your comfort zone.
You’ll be a bigger and better person if you can do that – and the city will have the benefit of a public that has some skin in the game.
Terms vary from one to four years, with monthly meetings. Volunteering on one of our local boards or citizen committees is a great opportunity to meet new people, share your talents, and develop your skills while addressing a common interest.
The city also appoints people to various boards and agencies. Several of these are reserved for members of Council. If you’re interested – check into the city’s web site and look over the forms – and if you’re still interested – look up the names of the people who currently serve on an advisory committee and have a chat with them. That won’t be easy because the city doesn’t make their addresses or telephone numbers available (they call that protecting a person’s privacy – if you want to be private then don’t get involved in public matters is our view on this)
Each of the Advisory Committees reports to a committee of city council and reports to them at least annually. The more active advisory committees are in close to continued communication with the city.
It can be fun, it can be exciting and it can also be very exasperating. But if you want to make a difference – this is as good a place as any to start. If you do decide you want to try this – leave your ego at home.
Still interested? Here’s where you start.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON November 10, 2012 They were doing more of that vision thing. They were doing it in the Shoreline Room of the Arts Centre. There were more than 150 people in the room – it was basically packed, with 140 of them citizens taking part in an exercise that was intended to help in the shaping of the city’s downtown core, which many feel is a bit of a mess and at times a disappointment – not THE place you go to for services and supplies.
But our situation is, according to the people who are doing the surveying, not all that bad. Pretty good in some categories, very good in others.
 Shoreline Room of the Art Centre was packed; close to 150 people participated. Did we manage to move the ball up the field? The event was nicely structured. City hall is getting very good at coming up with ways to involve people. Much more use is being made of large maps that people can work over as they gather around tables and trade comments and opinions.
This event ran just a little on the long side. People were beginning to drift out of the room and there wasn’t a solid wrap up – but there was a lot of input and if city staff can capture that input, interpret it and then work it into the plans they develop – the evening will have been time very well spent.
So what did we learn? The evening began with those necessary(?) introductions. Councillor Sharman wasn’t seen in the room and Councillor Dennison slipped in late in the game. Downtown isn’t Councillor Taylor’s turf.
Defining and then creating a vibrant downtown core is a joint venture between the private sector that takes the risks and city hall that comes up with rules, zoning and regulations that make things possible and a public that buys into what is in place and shows up with their wallets and purses and spends.
 This was a Workshop and people at the tables were certainly active. The session lasted a little too long and there wasn’t time to hear all the table summaries. There are some locations that are close to outstandingly successful. The Works, a high end hamburger joint where four people can spend more than $100 on burgers is very popular – don’t expect to always get a table right away – there are lineups – often. As marketers the people at The Works have figured it out – everything was free the first day they opened. Talk about getting the public’s attention. The folks over at the Village Square have had to put what they had on the selling block because the ability and the desire to really aggressively market that location just isn’t in them anymore. The property is for sale – some say it has actually been sold. The public record doesn’t show a change in the owners of the property.
La Costa did a name change and is now Celli’s Osteria which means authentic food sourced from the local countryside. Melodia is open on the corner of Locust and Elgin, the Prime Rib moved from Brant to Elgin several months ago but has yet to open their doors. So there is some health in the core.
 These could have been tables with family members gathered playing a game of cards – most had a friendly, relaxed mood to them. The meeting was a review of the Strategic Action Plan which Jody Wellings, Planning and Building department, said the committee had delivered on. As a committee they met 14 times and got 520 people to take part in the survey they had done.
As part of the research work done by Urban Metrics for the city, a measurement was taken of all the retail space in the downtown core. Here is what we learned from the 140+ people who participated in the Workshop.
They reported that there was 1.1 million square feet of retail space in the core (which oddly enough was never defined during the meeting) and that 81,000 people lived in the area.
 Notes taken, views exchanged – city planning staff now have to go through all the data and figure out what the public has said. Is there an end result? At some point Burlington will have the vibrant downtown is wants. There are 130,000 square feet of office space in the core. While delivering the data the researcher added that there are companies that would kill for the kind of downtown Burlington has. That view doesn’t quite square with comments made by Sheila Botting. National leader on real estate and financial services for Deloitte, who told a Council Workshop that while the core is appealing the cost of providing parking is prohibitive – business prefers the Burloak area where parking is less expensive. Transit in Burlington doesn’t appear to be an option for the management and executive crowd.
However, people believe there is significant opportunity for smaller boutique operations in the core – problem there is no one defines “boutique” and we have yet to see one choose Burlington.
 Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward had her daughter Miranda, a grade 9 student, shadowing her all day. The workshop was the end of a 12 hour day. The young lady does not have a campaign manager.  Ward 6 Councillor Blair Lancaster was there but didn’t appear to be an active participant. Here she talks with Scott Wallace, proprietor of Burlington Taxi who has an interesting report going to council committee this week. In general boutiques are seen as small groups – that can reach 75 people, who are professionals: architects, law firms, researchers that prefer a quieter community but need very quick access to downtown Toronto. Burlington does have the access to the “big smoke” – it’s just not that fast to get to. An hour on a plugged expressway isn’t the way professionals want to spend their time.
The researchers described our core as stable with commercial space increasing; that would be marginal increase at best.
The commercial space vacancy rate is 11.2% of the existing space which is a little on the high side. We aren’t in trouble but the sector isn’t exactly vibrant.
 Each of the tables was assigned a subject to discuss. Had the people at this table gone shopping. The researcher said that 70% of the people who shop in the trade area live south of the QEW, 20% are from outside the community – which leaves 10% that come from north of the QEW – the folks in the Orchard and the new Alton community aren’t coming downtown as much as the merchants would like them to.
Why do people come downtown? Because they have to; because they live downtown or they work downtown or they have an appointment. 13% of the people who come downtown do so to shop while 9% come downtown to dine.
29% come once a week; 47% drive to the core, 40% walk; 8% use transit and 4% use their bikes.
Asked what downtown should be – the answers from the survey were: festivals, entertainment, meeting people and the place they take visitors.
What kind of retail services did those surveyed want to see? A first run movie theatre; a small supermarket, a hardware store and more restaurants with more in the way of clothing and accessory retailers was on those wish lists.
The Burlington Downtown Business Association (BDBA) has been trying for some time to get a supermarket to open up in the core – Brian Deane, Executive Director of the BDBA, hasn’t been able to land one of them yet. Parking is the biggest problem and because the supermarkets know we all have to eat – we will go to where they are – they don’t have to come to where we are. There will come a time, when the core will have people who will not want to or be able to drive to the supermarkets, and supply will follow the demand. That day hasn’t arrived yet.
The advice the researchers offered was that we need to leverage the assets we have, (most of the retailers don’t know how to do that) and communicating has to be well done. Many of the smaller merchants don’t particularly want to communicate to a wider market; they have their core clientele and they do very well with that – why go to a lot of additional effort at some cost and not be certain they are going to see a return.
The surveys did note an interest in a Farmer’s Market in the core – and the city had one for several months in the summer. It struggled. The one time there was a crowd was during the Chef’s Shootout which could have been a boffo event had it not rained. Even with the poor weather, with a dozen or so umbrellas set up to keep the water off people as they watched two well rated chef’s do their thing with the most rudimentary equipment.
The number of people who showed up for the event suggests Burlington Tourism wants to look at this – it was a good idea that just needed some time and more in the way of promotion – hopefully Barry Imber won’t give up the ghost on the idea – it is well worth doing for at least one more season.
Our Burlington was the only media in the city to continuously follow and promote the event.
The researchers thought public funds and resources were needed to draw in private investment. Those are your tax dollars they’re talking about. Back in 1985 the city permitted a “landmark” structure to be built on the edge of the lake – there is still nothing on the site. The city back then did it’s part – the private sector sat on what they were given and let it improve in value but gave nothing back to the city. Late this year we might see a shovel in the ground to start the building of an eight story structure – they currently have approval to build up to seven storeys – they’re asking the Committee of Adjustment to allow an additional floor.
There are cranes on the horizon in Burlington, there is activity, that tipping point however doesn’t appear to have been reached. Last Christmas season there were major restaurants and retailers on lower Brant who had nothing in the way of seasonal decoration on their locations.
The audience was told to not compromise the vision and expect false starts – does the pier fall into that category? While on the pier – construction progress does take place – albeit at close to a snail’s pace. But what are we going to end up with? A place we take people to and talk about how long it took to get built and how much it actually cost us?
It will be a magnificent structure and it will change the look of the city but will it end up like Ben Johnson, a magnificent athlete who destroyed his reputation by taking drugs; does the pier have too much negative history that we may not be able to live down?
There is certainly a challenge to leverage that asset when it finally opens and communicate the story. Do we have the people with the skill sets needed to do that communication?
We were told to measure performance and then empower the decision makers – that would assume there are enough qualified decision makers in town. It is a challenge. There are some exceptionally good people who work for the city – are there enough of them?
 At some point all the data and all the public input gets placed in front of Burlington’s Planner, Bruce Krushelnicki – who will issue a report and city council will make decisions. Creating the downtown the city wants and needs has not been an easy process for Burlington. The province has a growth plan which calls for 15,000 new jobs in the region by 2031. Burlington is going to limp towards its part of that objective; we just aren’t creating the job opportunities; our commercial assessment for 2012 will be less than it was for 2011 – not a good sign. Once the Economic Development Corporation shakes itself out we will begin to see a change but that could be as much as a year away.
The province wants there to be a “mobility hub” in Burlington, which will centre on the Fairview GO station that is undergoing an upgrade. The site immediately south of the GO station, west of Wal-Mart on the north side of Fairview, is to be developed and have at least four towers. Efforts are being made to have some of that space set aside for commercial use.
With the theory and some of the potential set out for the Workshop audience, the researchers then began an interactive process with the audience. Participants were given hand help devices the size of a package of playing cards, and told to make their choices to questions that appeared on the large screen at the front of the room.
A question would appear on the screen, participants would be given 30 seconds to make a choice – and the results would appear on the screen instantly. It is a remarkable opinion survey tool the city has used in the past. Very effective.
How many of you live in the downtown core:
Of the 130 responses – 2/3rds say they lived in the downtown core.
How many owned a business? 20% of the 133 responses
How many of you think the core has a lot going for it? Most saw the core in a positive light.
What are the top three things you like about the downtown core?
The waterfront, the restaurants, the places to walk. 137 responses
Things that need the most attention?
Neighbourhood shops; better places to live, more entertainment locales. – 133 responses.
What would you like to see added? You can add your views to the city’s on line survey.
https://urbanmetrics.fluidsurveys.com/s/burlingtonsurvey/
 One of the prime places to just enjoy the city is on the north side of Lakeshore looking out over ther lake. This could be a social spot in almost any one of the prime tourist destinations in Europe or North America – but it is right here in Burlington. More entertainment destinations, restaurants and cafés, retail stores and parks. That last one, parks was odd; Burlington has the equivalent of 333 football fields in public park space. Central Park has to be one of the largest in any city of comparable size.
The audience was told that all the data collected will be up on the city’s web site. Most of the questions are shown but the responses aren’t there at least not as of Saturday afternoon.
The Downtown vision team will be going over the data and determining what to do next. That means more meetings. Ugh!
 By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON November 10, 2012 Halton Police are currently investigating a collision between a westbound GO train and a pedestrian in the City of Burlington. This collision occurred at approximately 5:45pm just east of Guelph Line along Fairview Street.
Police and other Emergency services were called to the scene and located a single male in critical condition. He has been transported to Hamilton General Hospital for treatment. His prognosis is unknown and his identity is being withheld at this time pending notification of next of kin.
Due to the apparent seriousness of the injuries, the Halton Regional Police Collision Reconstruction Unit took carriage of the investigation with assistance from GO Transit Safety Officers and CN Police. No foul play is suspected at this time.
The tracks at this location have been partially reopened to rail traffic at restricted speeds.
The involved Go Train was carrying approximately 300 passengers, none of whom were injured in this incident.
This is the second serious accident involving a pedestrian and a GO train at a place other than a regular traffic crossing.
Any witness or person with information is asked to contact Detective Constable Chris Heffernan at 905-825-4747 ext. 5420.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON November 6, 2012 — The environment, global warming – yeah, yeah, I know. Those icebergs that are falling apart way up north. And the hot summer – it all means something – at least that’s what they tell us…but then there are those who tell us it is just a phase the earth is going through.
I know there is something different about the weather – it was certainly hotter last spring and that false signal all the tender fruit trees got put a big dent in the fresh fruit market. But was that global warming or was it just a weird stretch of weather?
Sometime we need a big bold signal. And that was what Bloomberg’s Newsweek magazine said with its cover this week.
It was also a part of what Metrolinx CEO Bruce McCuaig said recently about GO transit capacity and the crucn we are facing as the Region grows by 100,000 people each year. Then he made a statement that stunned me. He said “A full 70% of residents in the GHTA never use transit.”
GHTA means the Greater Hamilton Toronto Area. I checked with the GO press relations people to be sure that number was right. It was.
GO ridership has increased 21% over the past five years and at peak times is operating at 110% of capacity. McCuaig adds that “without at least doubling transit mode share, the average daily commute will jump from 82 to 109 minutes in 25 years. In rush hour, using the QEW to get to downtown Toronto the commute is easily 90 minutes. Being able to use the HOV lane cuts that quite a bit – but that lane is certainly not anywhere near its capacity.
After reading the McCuaig comments my mind went back to that Newsweek cover and suddenly the dots were connected. It is the environment – and we are stupid.
 Bloomerberg Newsweek magazine cover – has the point been made yet? The article in the magazine set out the point and the problem.
When mainline media take on an issue and use their ability to put up stunning graphics you know something is amiss.
New York magazine had a very strong visual showing New York city with part of it in close to total darkness while other parts of the city had power.
Parts of Burlington were without power for a period of time – not short to those who had no light and a fridge that would only keep its temperature for so long.
What does a single person do. If you’re one of the 70% in the GHTA who hasn’t taken transit – there is a simple step you can take.
 New York city. This is what it looks like when the lights go out in a major city. Global warming? If you live in Burlington and you don’t drive and you are attending a city council meting and want to take part in the debate as a delegation you want to hope that you are up early if the list is long. I have seen situations where d delegation has had to leave because if they did not they would miss their bus.
Last budget the city took thousands of dollars out of the transit side of the budget and used it to “shave and pave roads that were said to be in serious need of repair.
We close down bus routes and limit the schedule. And we continue to build communities where a car is essential.
It is global warming and we really can be stupid – this time our stupidity has the potential to make it impossible to live on this planet.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON October 30th, 2012 More changes on the staffing side at city hall. The search for a third general manager doesn`t appear to be going all that well. Could the city manager do the job with just the two general managers? Can Kim Phillips who handles the corporate and administrative side of things and Scott Stewart doing the heavy lifting on the operational side keep the good ship Burlington on an even keel?
 Alan Magi, foreground in blue shirt, listens intently during the development of the Strategic Plan last year. Magi wasn’t able to get people to listen during the recent governance review of that Strategic Plan; partly because he didn’t have much to say. City Manager Jeff Fielding explained to a city council workshop that he was stretched pretty thin on the senior staff side and has a couple of people who aren’t pulling their weight.
Alan Magi certainly didn’t cover himself with glory when he lead council and staff through a governance review and a closer look at the strategic plan now that we are well into our first year with that document.
While Kyle Benham isn’t a city “employee” he too is getting a stern second look by both his board and city council. There are those who think that board is far too large to be effective and many wonder if it can do an effective performance review of their Executive Director.
The mess with the IKEA plans to move from their Aldershot location on Plains Road to a site on the North Service Road just west of Walkers Line threatens the efforts on the part of the city to retain IKEA as a corporate client.
 Kyle Benham, Executive Director, Burlington Economic Development Corporation – will he make it past the performance review? The Economic Development Corporation hasn’t been bringing forward very much in the way of new business to the city. Other than running full page advertisements in the business press telling the commercial world that we are the second best place to live in the country there isn’t much to see for what is being spent on that department. Those who are betting people won’t even need odds to get a return on their money if they bet on major changes over at the Burlington Economic Development Corporation.
There are some really smart people at city hall who think the whole thing should be blown up and re-created as a much smaller board; say seven members rather than the 20 people who populate that board now.
Economic development is far too important a matter to play around with. The Molinaro project next to the GO station is going to result in 1000 housing units; the ADI project on Guelph Line is going to result in 70+ units; the project being worked up for Ghent Street is looking for more than 50 units. Many of the people that move into that housing might want to work in Burlington – but there have to be jobs for them. The city also needs the tax revenue from the ICI (Industrial, Corporate, Institutional) portion of the property base.
Tax revenue from ICI for 2012 looks like it will be less than it was during 2011 – not a good sign and one that is giving the city manager and the treasurer heart burn.
Frank McKeown advised the mayor a few months ago that he wanted to move on from his role as Chief of Staff. Many wonder if Rick Goldring is ready to fly on his own and if Jackie Isada, who is moving from the sinking ship over at economic development and into the Mayor’s office, will be able to fully replace
McKeown. Many think that is a stretch.
 Frank McKeown, on the left talks with Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman during the Strategic Plan sessions. McKeough leaves the Mayor’s office at the end of the year – is there a future for him elsewhere at city hall? Many hope so – the talent is needed. Frank on the other hand still talks about a political role in his future and is on record as saying that if there were a seat open he might go for it. The rumour is that he kind of likes the look of Ward 4 – is Jack Dennison ready to throw the towel in over there?
McKeown doesn’t have to work but his administrative and analytical skills are both in demand and badly needed at city hall. Expect to see him staying on after he finishes the transition out of the Mayor’s office and in some senior role where he would work very closely with the city manager.
City Manager Jeff Fielding is doing everything he can to upgrade the skill sets and the competencies of his staff and will have everyone from Supervisor level up taking courses created for the city by people at the DeGroote campus of Master University on the South Service Road.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON October 25, 2012 Turns out the Minister of Transportation doesn’t like the idea of a highway through the Escarpment either but he isn’t sure what the next step should be.
He has the document on his desk – he doesn’t like what’s in it but he isn’t going to release the document until sometime in the first quarter of 2013. Given that the government isn’t sitting right now – there isn’t much anyone can say to the Minister in the Legislature.
The Liberal Party will have a new leader at the end of January and our Escarpment isn’t going to be at the top of that leaders agenda unless the Burlington provincial Liberal Association makes a big stink during the leadership race.
 Regional chair Gary Carr on the left with Mayor Rick Goldring of Burlington beside him – drove to Queen’s Park Thursday morning and heard the Minister of Transportation say he was not happy with the recommendations coming from some of his staff. However, the public will not get to see just what those recommendations are until sometime early in 2013. All we can do now is wait it out – knowing that they won’t be doing all that much until there is a decision by the Minister who will take it to Cabinet and they will decide. We are looking at some time in the fall of 2013 – by which time the pier will be open – or so they say.
Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring and Regional Chair Gary Carr met with Bob Chiarelli this morning and spent 40 minutes reviewing the recommendations. The Minister is not happy and he looks to the Region and the city of Burlington for some input, comment and feedback – and he apparently doesn’t want to hear more “we don’t want the highway here” – he wants to hear what people think about just how we are going to handle all the traffic that is going to be generated with the population growth the province faces.
Mayor Goldring felt Chiarelli was upset with what he had before him and had apparently engaged in a vigorous debate with the engineers and planners who prepared the document.
 Minister of Transportation Bob Chiarelli doesn’t want a highway busting across the Escarpment and is said to be unhappy with the recommendations his planners and engineers have given him. That’s good news – but we need better news. “He (Chiarelli) is basically a very decent guy and he doesn’t want to see a highway going through the Escarpment nor through part of the Green Belt either – but he doesn’t have any solutions at this point.” And so he wants feed back.
The Stop Escarpment Highway Coalition (SEHC) know what they want and that is an end to the Phase 2 part of the study. Goldring was not able to say if the Minister was prepared to say that there would not be a Phase 2 section to the current Environmental Assessment. All he appeared to want to say was that he wasn’t happy with the recommendations he was getting.
So the demonstrations and the protests are working.
Geoff Brock, SEHC spokesperson has concerns with the mandate the EA people were given in the first place. “They are highway people, they build roads – it was unrealistic to expect them to even suggest transit.
Brock points out that the transit portion of the traffic along the routes being discussed is now 6% and they see that possibly going to 12%. Brock wants them to determine what I would take to get that number up to 20% or higher.
Brock feels the transit people need to get away from the “hub and spoke” system we have now where everything goes to Union Station.
The solution of course is the electrification of the Lakeshore West GO line. By electrifying the service we would see a train every five minutes. Metrolinx has a plan to electrify the line – it will cost $10 billion and the funding hasn’t been made available to them.
 These 600 people did not want a highway through the Escarpment – and the Minister of Transportation just might be hearing what we have to say. As for ideas coming from the public, Brock thinks the idea not to go forward is the best one the public has and they’ve done a very good job of getting that message across.
“It would help too” comments Brock “if the terms of reference for the EA were changed to include a serious look at rail”.
Pete Zuzek, SEHC spokesperson, said at the community meeting on Tuesday that this situation needed an independent peer level review. SEHC might offer to do just that for the Ministry – put forward a proposal for some funding and see where that gets them. If the Minister wants outside opinions – help finance them. SEHC would do a much deeper, more comprehensive report – and for a lot less than the province would.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON October 12, 2012 Someone seems to have forgotten who got the ball rolling when it came to fighting the application Nelson Aggregates planned to make for an additional license to take stone out of the ground on the Mt. Nemo Plateau.
According to Roger Goulet, it was Isobel Harmer and her daughter Sarah along with Dick Lyons who held that very first meeting more than seven and a half years ago.
 PERL wants to ensure that when this quarry is mined out that the site is properly rehabilitated and returned to the public. The depth will make it a magnificent lake when water is allowed to build up. In a press release the city lauds almost everyone except the PERL people. It was the research that PERL folks did on the Jefferson Salamander which had one of its few habitat on the Harmer family property.
Councillor John Taylor, whose ward encompasses much of the Escarpment, and who knows the people who fought with him on an issue he is very passionate about, seemed to have forgotten who his allies really are when he said: “My thanks go out to the city’s legal team, including environmental lawyer Rod Northey of Fogler Rubinoff in Toronto. City staff demonstrated the values that we as a community cherish. They showed a passion for the environment and a commitment to preserving the Niagara Escarpment.”
The best the Mayor could do was say: “This is excellent news for the people of Burlington and for the Niagara Escarpment, a world biosphere reserve.” To his credit however, the Mayor did arrange to buy one of the limited edition prints of Mt. Nemo that decorates his office.
PERL has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and still owes a significant amount to various creditors, yet made no mention of PERL when Taylor said: “My thanks go out to the city’s legal team, including environmental lawyer Rod Northey of Fogler Rubinoff in Toronto. said Ward 3 Councillor John Taylor. “City staff demonstrated the values that we as a community cherish. They showed a passion for the environment and a commitment to preserving the Niagara Escarpment.”
 Few in Burlington fully understand how much harm was being done to the Escarpment as a result of the quarry. Thus topographical map shows where the quarry is in relationship to the Escarpment. The site is shown in red outline. The land Nelson Aggregates wanted a license to quarry is just below the existing quarry. PERL wants to work with the public to come up with a plan to protect all of the plateau. What would you do with this part of the city if you had a voice? To his credit Taylor did put out a second statement the next day recognizing the PERL contribution. One would have thought every elected or appointed official would have bumped into each other getting to a microphone to talk about how important it is to have public spirited citizens doing the hard work that brings about results like this Ontario Municipal Board decision.
Public accolades are not that important to the PERL people. They will meet next week to celebrate a bit more and then buckle down to planning a very public celebration and then move on to their Nemo 7g project, which is a look at a much more far ranging plan for the Mt. Nemo plateau and – to ensuring that something useful gets done with the quarry site Nelson is still taking stone out of.
The longer term plan, which is to let the site fill up with water over time, was put together more than 25 years ago and Roger Goulet thinks that plan is very much out of date.
While Nelson Aggregate is not a part of the Nemo 7G organization, one would hope that there might at some point be talks with Nelson to perhaps turn the whole thing over to PERL and let them do what should be done with the site.
It’s a pretty big operation and, if Burlington can follow the pattern that we see in St. Mary’s, ON, where the old quarry was turned into a swimming pool for residents, a very respectable park could be located on that property.
PERL wants to now transition itself from an advocacy group, formed to fight a major battle, into an organization that moves on to the next step which is to ensure there is a community based plan for all of the Mt. Nemo plateau.
They formed Nemo7G to gather community input and form a 7-generation vision for the Mount Nemo plateau.
The vision is to develop and implement a multigenerational plan that will balance sociocultural, technological, ecological, economic and regulatory factors to protect and enhance the natural, recreational and spiritual qualities of the Mount Nemo plateau for current and future generations.
 It was Isobel Harmer and her daughter Sarah who were the early advocates for a community response to an application by a mining company for a second license to take stone out of the Mt Nemo plateau. Dick Lyons was at the table with the Harmer’s PERL has taken on the task of providing the leadership and mobilizing community members, governments and businesses to develop and participate in defining a 7 generation plan
The objective is to preserve our natural capital while improving the diversity and quality of living for all forms of life on the Mt. Nemo plateau through collaborative, educational, energy-efficient and spiritual means.
The first step is to educate the community, businesses and governments on the values of the community and the natural heritage of the Mt. Nemo plateau and ideally transform the quarry into a world renowned, economically self-sustaining site that embodies the spiritual, environmental and recreational aspirations of the community.
Big job – you bet it is. But PERL has shown that it has the organizational depth plus the level of ongoing commitment needed to stick it out and not back down. Now, given the grace they have shown this past few days, they should be able to take the talks that have already taken place with Nelson Aggregates to a new level and work with that company to come up with a long range plan that will benefit the immediate community as well as the people who live south of the Dundas – 407 corridor who see Mt. Nemo as a nature walk destination.
 That clump of land in the middle of the quarry will eventually become a small island in a man made lake. Burlington city council has held receptions for all the Olympians who represented Canada in London and Monday night council will recognize the magnificent achievement of Brandon Wagner: who competed in men’s wheelchair basketball in the London 2012 Paralympic Games where he won a Gold medal.
Not to take away one bit of the recognition that young man deserves, nor diminish the inspiration he will be to thousands of disabled men and woman, but the Mt. Nemo we know today will be there for centuries after we are nothing but ashes. PERL is making sure it doesn’t get turned into a super highway with parking lots and picnic tables.
Time for the city to recognize all of its heroes.
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