 By Ryan O’Dowd, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
September 14th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Oakville/North Burlington Conservative candidate, Hanan Rizkalla, has become the second candidate to opt-out of media availability.
 Hanan Rizkalla – Conservative candidate for Oakville North Burlington Rizkalla joins fellow Conservative candidate Emily Brown in not being available for interviews.
Both candidates failed to appear for climate change debates sponsored by the Halton Environmental Network.
The only public event that the Conservative candidates took part in was Chamber of Commerce events.
After some communication with Rizkalla’s campaign, they requested questions in advance and that they would relay some answers through email. Fulfilling such a request would not meet the standard the Burlington Gazette operates on, nor does it afford the opportunity to provide the information voters need. The Rizkalla campaign’s proposal would amount to little more than a press release.
Like Brown, Rizkalla’s sole interview takes place with a high school conservative program by and for conservatives. A tradition in Canadian elections is for media to interview candidates and set their different views. The men and woman running for public office have a responsibility to let the public they want to represent know where they stand. Almost hiding from media is a dangerous first step from becoming unresponsive to the wishes of the people who elected them.
Needless to say, these candidates have not been part of the media process – we are all the poorer for it.
Every other candidate the Gazette has reached out to in Burlington, Oakville/North Burlington, and Milton has been willing to be interviewed.
Rizkalla took part in a Chamber of Commerce debate with the other candidates in her riding and when climate change came up the Conservative candidates’ had little to say. Oakville/North Burlington Green Party candidate, Bruno Sousa, was kind enough to point this out to those listening to the debate.
“I’ve participated in quite a few debates on the environment and climate change and I’ve failed to see the Conservatives show up for these meetings so I don’t even know how they have a proper climate action plan,” said Sousa.
 Hanan Rizkalla – Conservative candidate for Oakville North Burlington who has chosen to avoid the media Rizkalla noted the Liberals had failed to reach their target and touted the Conservatives’ ability to hit their target, which was criticized as unambitious. Rizkalla focused on the low carbon savings account which she describes as the Conservatives “incentivizing rather than punishing you,” and lauded the choices it would provide Canadians.
“Mr. Trudeau and the Liberals attempted to reduce emissions by taxing hard-working Canadians, families, and businesses. Mr. Trudeau and his team haven’t set a target to deliver. The Conservative plan will allow us to meet our target in 2030 by reducing the burden on Canadians while reducing emissions by using a low carbon saving account, the Conservative government will work with provinces to incentivize Canadians to adopt a greener lifestyle while giving Canadians a choice of how to best use that credit for their families,” said Rizkalla.
Rizkalla got into a dispute with Liberal incumbent, Pam Damoff, over a question regarding government regulatory systems. Rizkalla pushed for the need to appoint a minister of red tape reduction to assist businesses and to redress credential red tape facing immigrants (where Rizkalla proposes working with a task force to acknowledge immigrant credentials more quickly). Damoff implicitly suggested there were dangers with Rizkalla’s position when she referenced the Walkerton E. coli outbreak that killed 6 in May of 2000.
“We need to be smart when we’re bringing in place things to make it easier to deal with the government. When I hear about a minister of red tape reduction my mind goes to Walkerton and the people that died there,” said Damoff.
“What we have in hand right now is six years of the current Liberal government saying they are supporting people for red-tapping and immigrant credentials,” said Rizkalla. “What we are seeing is lack of physicians, lack of nurses, lack of resources. Proposing the right credentials for immigrants is one of the main areas we are targeting, this will secure the jobs back in Canada.”
Elsewhere Rizkalla reiterated the Conservative’s plans to secure Canada’s future and spark innovation.
“We are planning to overhaul the tax system to enhance the experience of all Canadians and small businesses. We’re going to unleash Canadian innovation by cutting all the income taxes in half of any new patented technologies in Canada.
“We will establish advanced research adjacency cutting edge with carbon capture, storage, electric vehicle development, pharmaceutical research and production, all that will support small businesses and enhance the taxation system,” said Rizkalla.
In Rizkalla’s closing statement she stuck to the party script as she had for most of the event.
 Hanan Rizkalla – new to politics, forgets that media is very much a part of the political process in Canada “It is clear the Canadian’s are looking for a government that has a recovery plan and as long as they have the will and desire to implement it, the Conservative plan, to secure Canada’s future, will deliver a stronger economy, more jobs, and the health of Canadians. It is not the time to divide Canadians with campaigns based on fear, we bring in with Canada’s recovery plan the positive hope Canadian’s are looking forward to,” said Rizkalla.
Rizkalla began her career as a physician focusing on public health, research, and cancer therapies.
Rizkalla lives in her Oakville/North Burlington riding with her husband and three children.
 By Staff
August 6th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Chad MacDonald has a big pair of shoes to fill. He was appointed today as the City’s new Chief Information Officer (CIO) starting on Tuesday, September 7, replacing Christine Swenor, who retired in June.
Swenor grew the information technology side of city operations that change massively the way staff have access to huge amounts of data that can be brought to their desk tops.
MacDonald has over 25 years of private and public-sector experience in information technology, telecommunications, and innovation.
He was the acting Chief Information Officer with the City of Halifax and was responsible for enterprise-wide IT strategy, operations, and investments. During this period, he oversaw the implementation of many organizational improvements and enhancements including Enterprise Resource Planning and Identity Management systems and the implementation of customer centric design and user experience practices, data governance and an organizational maturity model.
Chad also spent 15 years working for the Province of Nova Scotia. During this time, as a director, he was responsible for the delivery of projects in the areas of Business Registry, Registry of Motor Vehicles, Vital Statistics and Permits and Licensing. Other responsibilities included leading the Portfolio and Project Management Office which was accountable for all IT delivery and management of cloud services.
For the past 3 years, he has served as Director of Strategic Planning and Delivery and
Chad is a graduate of the Master of Business Administration from Athabasca University and is a certified Project Management Professional.
Chad MacDonald is the second recruit Burlington has poached from Halifax. Kevin Arjoon, the City Clerk also came out of Halifax.
Amongst the people MacDonald communicates with at the social media level are the Mayor of Burlington – this appointment was critical for the Mayor.
 By Pepper Parr
July 26th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Tom Muir was bothered about the run around Spectator columnist Joan Little was getting from the city.
“Her narrative on a problem she had in getting information through appropriate senior planning channels is one I am familiar with” said Muir.
Little had said she “… got a rude awakening about how some things are done today in Burlington. I had questions about a city report on the Regional Official plan, so e-mailed a senior planning person to check that my understanding was accurate. The reply came from a name I didn’t recognize. Too late I realized it had been filtered through the communications department – read PR people!”
 Muir said: “I sympathize with this reaction as I recently had a similar experience writing a comment to City and the Mayor about the Millcroft development proposal and the Mayor justifying not making a decision and therefore allowing the application go the LPAT (OLT). I pointed out that the Mayor is on the record from taking office as saying she would never approve of such a non-decision ever again.
“But instead of a response from the Mayor, or a senior planning official, I got the same communications department, Mayor, PR response and they didn’t really know what they were talking about except excuses. I never got answers to my concerns and the Mayor remained silent my question on her pledge to never doing non-decision to LPAT again.
“What I also see, that I don’t like, is the communications PR folks put in charge of answering important questions of City business that are not their purview or competency. What I got from them was just usual PR crap, that didn’t address my questions or concerns, and my second reply on this was ignored.
“Typical PR non-response to the central issue.”
Part 1 of a series.
 By Pepper Parr
June 22nd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The plan to rename Ryerson public school started when the Halton District School Board trustees were looking at the progress they had made in their Multi-Year Strategic Plan (2020-2024) , in which they committed to champion supportive and inclusive practices, and to promote knowledge and understanding of Indigenous perspectives and realities.
 Halton District school Board Chair Andrea Grebenc wants to name of the school changed and would like to see the evidence based approach to making decisions continued. Problem is some of the evidence is more emotional than factual. One of the first steps was to “to assess how we as a school board can raise awareness”. The trustees wanted to build their understanding of the truth and take action, which included addressing common misperceptions about Canadian history. “We must start this critical and necessary conversation and truth.”
 The statue of Egerton Ryerson was vandalized, then toppled with the head of the man mounted on a pole on the reservation in Western Ontario “Ryerson Public School was named for Egerton Ryerson’s contributions to the education system. E. Ryerson was pivotal in the design of Canada’s residential school system arguing that “Indians should be schooled in separate, denominational, boarding, English-only and agriculturally-oriented (industrial) institutions.
“In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission concluded that this assimilation amounted to the genocide of Indigenous people.
“People and organizations are being challenged to confront all forms of bias, discrimination and harm, including in the colonial context which is still very real today. We have also heard from the local school community which includes Indigenous voices.”
 Fallon Melander, an Indigenous mother with children attending the school formally asked that the name of the school be changed. Fallon Melander, an Indigenous parent, formally requested an examination of the use of the Ryerson name.
As Trustees, they felt there was a “need to lead by example and have the courage to approach these difficult conversations.
“We recognize that when we know better, we do better.
“As years have gone by and truths have been uncovered, we have a responsibility, in collaboration with our staff and communities, to re-evaluate past decisions and address accordingly. The perspectives of the diverse communities of Halton must be valued and honoured. Indigenous students, staff and the broader community should be able to enter a school without being harmed by the HDSB upholding the name of a person that has contributed to genocide.
 Trustee Margo Shuttleworth – believes the sign has to be replaced. “Today, many institutions are re-evaluating their use of the name Ryerson — we must do the same.”
The original motion was to be immediately remove the name “Ryerson” from the school located at 565 Woodview Road, Burlington, Ontario and to initiate the renaming process for a public school.
It turned out to be quite a bit more complex than that.
The renaming process must take place, including public consultation, before a new name can be decided upon.
It is going to cost between $15,000 and $20,000 to remove the signs – there are three of them. The Staff recommendation was that two be removed immediately and that the third be covered until the school has been renamed.
Report cards for the school year that is ending will state that the student graduated from Ryerson Public School.
The school that students report to in September will still be known as Ryerson Public school. Athletic wear and forms will still have the word Ryerson on them.
The Board of Education has a procedure for renaming a school. In order to ensure full public consultation the Board decided to have the committee that will be handling any re-naming report back no later than November 3oth, 2021.
 The trustees want the school name sigh to be replaced with a new name. Not much public input on that decision. The research that was done to support the decision to re-name the school was done by Trustee Shuttleworth. The Gazette has asked for access to the source documents. We have yet to receive that research.
Trustee Shuttleworth is not an historian nor is she known to be highly versed in this publicly contentious issue.
 Trustee Amy Collard – remove the sign immediately. The vote on the motion was unanimous. Trustee Oliver said there was an “urgent nature” to this decision. Trustee Danielli said she felt this was the right thing to do and Trustee Collard wanted the sign taken down immediately.
Director Miller explained that there had to be a sign on the building for safety purposes. He didn’t comment on the purpose a sign would serve if it was to be covered up. There will apparently be signage explain the cover-up.
There is another chapter to this story. Stay tuned.
 By Pepper Parr
May 17th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Tuesday afternoon, tomorrow, Mayor Marianne Meed Ward will take her seat in Council Chambers as Chair of a meeting of city council.
Along with her is the City Clerk, the audio visual technician – who should be referred to as the magician given the way he manages to keep the video feed stable. It is no small matter.
Part of getting a Council meeting underway is to read a land acknowledgement and to read out any proclamations that are to be made.
The following are the proclamations that are to apply for this meeting of Council
Proclamations:
Day of Action Against Anti-Asian Racism: May 10, 2021
Apraxia Awareness Day: May 14, 2021
National Public Works Week: May 16 – 22, 202
National AccessAbility Week: May 30 – June 5, 2021
World Sickle Cell Day: June 19, 2021
Senior Volunteer Appreciation Week: June 1-8, 2021
Hidradenitis Suppurative (HS) Awareness Week: June 7 – 13, 2021
Month of Play: June 2021
National Indigenous History Month: June 2021
National Deaf/blind Awareness Month: June 2021
Pride Month: June 2021
Her Worship speaks frequently about her 22 years as a journalist and when there were people in the council chamber the Mayor would acknowledge the presence of media.
One would have thought that the Mayor would have chosen to recognize the National News Media week and take up the opportunity to support local news media.
A web site organized by a group of senior journalists with the humorous name inkstainedwretches took on the task of asking municipalities across the country to support local news. The “wretches” are asking Canadian municipalities to pass a journalism-support resolution between May 3, 2021 and Canada Day.
The petition read:
Given that the creation and distribution of reliable information is crucial for our individual and collective well-being, democracy and civil society;
Given the point to which digital platforms have evolved during the past decade has severely damaged an ecosystem that enables news outlets to provide reliable information (the damage is evident from the number of established news media outlets that closed or merged in Canada since 2008, and has become more critical due to the novel coronavirus pandemic).
We encourage our elected leaders to enact legislation to shape an ecosystem that supports one of the crucial foundations of a functioning democracy: reliable, local journalism.
The following is a lost of all the municipalities that passed a resolution of support to date – look as hard as you may – Burlington is not in the list.
City of Winnipeg, Man. (April 29, 2021)
City of Kamloops, BC (April 20, 2021)
City of London, ON (April 13, 2021)
Chatham-Kent, ON ( April 12, 2021)
City of St. John’s, NL (April 5, 2021)
City of Prince George, BC (March 22, 2021)
City of Toronto, ON (March 10, 2021)
Town of Saugeen Shores, ON (Nov. 23, 2020)
District of Tofino, BC (Oct. 27, 2020)
City of Kitchener, ON (Sept. 14, 2020)
Town of Essex, ON (Sept. 8, 2020)
Town of LaSalle, ON (Sept. 8, 2020)
City of Cambridge, ON (Sept. 8, 2020)
City of Kingston, ON (Sept. 1, 2020)
City of Windsor, ON (Aug. 24, 2020)
City of Hamilton, ON (July 17, 2020)
Township of Wellesley, ON (June 30, 2020)
Township of Woolwich, ON (June 23, 2020)
Township of North Dumfries, ON (June 22, 2020)
Township of Wilmot, ON (June 22, 2020)
City of Waterloo, ON (June 22, 2020)
Region of Waterloo, ON (June 3, 2020)
While quick to talk about the importance of the media Mayor Meed Ward has yet to hold a press conference since donning the Chain of Office. Requests to her office for a comment on an issue results in someone from the communications department who ask what it is we want to know. The Mayor has a full time communications operative working for her.
The Gazette has served the city for ten years. Before becoming Mayor there were numerous interviews with Marianne Meed Ward; nothing since taking the Oath of Office.
Her Worship might surprise us all and produce a resolution before Canada Day.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Pepper Parr
April 24th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The week was a media bonanza for ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns.
 Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns On Wednesday she handled a two hour webcast on what is known now as Fairview LP, the gigantic development that will rise on the 8.5 acre property to the east of the Burlington GO station; on Thursday she held a ward meeting in which she jammed in everything she could possibly tell you about what she is achieving at city hall.
There was one item of significant interest in the city hall recap – that was what appears to be a new and very welcome approach to creating budgets.
Kearns first explained that the 4.14% increase on the city portion of your tax bill was really necessary – that can be argued at some future date.
Kearns also explained how hard council had worked to get a budget in place before the end of March.
The Finance department prefers to get a budget in place before the end of a calendar year but Covid19 has screwed up everything everyone is trying to get done.
 The practice in the past was to invite the public to “review” the budget that had already been decided upon. It was community engagement at its worst – getting public input before city departments did their work would be classic community engagement. The plan, if we heard to ward Councillor correctly, was to start budget thinking in June and ask the public what they would like to see before having the various departments submit their first cut on a budget.
The Gazette has been advocating this for years – maybe, just maybe, they will ask the public how they would like to see their money spent.
Done properly this could be very effective.
Time will tell.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Staff
March 30th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a shock to many of the people who got the letter from Sofina – better known as Fearmans – the pork processing plant at the intersection of Appleby Line and Harvester Road.
Ward 6 Councillor Paul Sharman said “First time I knew about the ammonia project was when Sofina called me to say they were sending the letter in accordance with Fed regulations. It was going to 1000’s of homes 2.kms around it. That was it. They did not mention the sign to me.
March 2021
Dear Neighbour,
As a partner in the community, we are sharing some information with you. Sofina Foods Inc. operates in Burlington at Appleby Line and Harvester Road. This facility is one of the largest employers in Burlington, and we have proudly done business in Burlington for 60 years.
Keeping You Informed: Ammonia Safety at the Burlington Plant Why are we sharing this information with you?
As a partner in the community, we are informing all neighbouring residents and businesses about
the use of ammonia at our facility.
What is ammonia?
Ammonia can take several forms including a colourless gas, a liquid or a white vapour. Ammonia, like most chemicals, when properly managed, is very safe.
How does Sofina use ammonia?
Like many other companies, we use ammonia at our facility as a refrigerant to keep our products cold. As required, it is stored in pressure vessels located in an engine room and transported from those vessels through a closed piping system, to cooling units in our production areas, storage rooms, coolers, and freezers.
Sofina’s ammonia system is maintained by highly trained Sofina personnel and third-party specialists through a rigorous preventive maintenance process and schedule. Further, our cooling system has monitoring systems in our engine rooms to alert our team of any possible issue related to a potential release.
 A 150 year old corporation that plays a significant role in the Burlington economy. Should a slaughterhouse be in this location? It is not about to go anywhere – if anything they want to increase the size of the location. What do you need to know?
In the highly unlikely event that there is an ammonia-related release, we have measures in place similar to other companies that use ammonia.
It is important that you are aware of the following:
• You may hear a loud siren. This means there is an ammonia-related release at our Burlington plant.
• Sofina will send out a text message to everyone who has opted into our text notification system. Instructions for opting in are below and this is your best way to stay informed.
• You must “Shelter-in-Place”. This means you should stay where you are and not go outside. If you are outside, you should get indoors immediately.
• If you are “Sheltering-in-Place” and you are at home, close your windows and doors and shut down your ventilation and/or air conditioning. Staying inside is the best way to protect yourself.
• If you are “Sheltering-in-Place” and you are in your car, remain in your car, park in a safe spot and turn the engine off.
 Obviously a major hydro user and also a company that is well funded and in a position to grow their operation if the market demand is there. • Once the Fire Department assesses the situation, they will collaborate with Halton Region Police and Paramedic Services to determine appropriate next steps.
• Throughout the emergency, the public will be informed regarding the status of the emergency response and the actions being taken to resolve the situation.
• The team at Sofina will work closely with the Burlington Fire Department and Halton Region Police and Paramedic Service. You can check our website at www.sofinafoods.com for updates and visit the City of Burlington’s social media platforms: Twitter @cityburlington @burlingtonfire and www.burlington.ca/en/
Symptoms of exposure to ammonia can include a burning sensation in your eyes, nose or throat and in extreme cases, difficulty breathing. If you are experiencing these symptoms, you should cover your ears, nose or mouth with a towel or some type of fabric and move to an area inside. You should keep your doors and windows closed and if necessary, place towels at the base of the door. If you believe you have been exposed to ammonia, you should see a medical practitioner
– either your family physician or emergency care as needed.
For more information Text Alerts:
The text alert system will be the fastest way to receive information and stay informed. Please sign up today. You will only receive these in the event of an emergency. Please text
1-888-217-6557 and the word ‘ADD’ to be added to our contact list. We do not collect any personal information from this service, and you can opt out at anytime.
Contact Us:
emergencyresponse@sofinafoods.com I 905-637-2301
Other languages:
To view this document in other languages please visit: www.sofinafoods.com/info
By Pepper Parr
March 25th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
Political leadership is something that has to be grown.
They don’t just fall off a tree like a ripe apple.
Public service is seen as honourable with good salaries and wonderful benefits.
The current city council has a very young group of people. They had an exceptionally steep learning curve and at least two have yet to get to the point where they are competent. They may never get there.
 If Lisa Kearns jumps to Queen’s Park – that opens up the ward 2 seat. The ward 2 council seat is now in play – that will become official when Lisa Kearns comes out of her political closet and confirms that she will carry a Liberal flag come the 2022 provincial election. She will do so when it is to her advantage.
Question then is – who will replace Kearns? Kimberly Calderbank has said she will run again.
Roland Tanner has realized that he would have been a terrible Councillor and has decided to stick to his information technical pursuits. His 905er podcast does not appear to be any better than his description of how he would do as a politician.
The word abstemious might apply.
There is a young man in the city who appears to be grooming himself for a shot at the ward 2 council seat.
David Vandenberg, studied political science at McMaster, served as campaign manager for Rick Goldring in 2018 – that didn’t turn out very well – more the candidate than the campaign manager.
 Name a charity group that needs help – and David Vandenberg will be there. Vandenberg gets involved in organizations focused on helping other people. He is currently part of the Wellington United Church Meals Ministry that prepares take-out meals. It grew out of the Friday Night Community Dinners that were cancelled due to Covid19 issues.
The giveaway sign that David Vandenberg was going to throw his hat into the ring was the Burlington Dave podcast that Vandenberg hosts four times a year.
Vandenberg explains his podcast pursuit this way:
 The Vandenberg score card “Burlington is full of folks of all ages who strive every single day to create a virtuous, equitable and compassionate community. Reflecting on over a decade of local engagement, I have had the privilege of learning about our community, the heroes within it and the landscape in which we live – here in Burlington, Ontario.
“I hope to highlight some of our local heroes, business champions, and heritage and community issues through this blog.
Vandenberg introduces himself to people who visit his Facebook page this way:
“If we have not met before, thanks for popping by! If we know each other, welcome back! My name is David Vandenberg. I am a passionate community leader and speaker in the Halton Region. My deep commitment to innovative community and city-building inspired me to work in the advocacy space for local organizations.
 Vandenberg on a Zoom call “I am a recent McMaster Grad who now works as the Operations Manager of the Meal Bag Program at Wellington Square United Church. Outside of work, I love to capitalize on our proximity to hiking and biking trails, sit on boards of local charities and advocate for issues and people that are close to my heart.
“Building bridges is what I do. I truly believe that when we work together in our community, we can drive a bigger social impact. I hope you enjoy hearing about some of the incredible people, businesses and stories I have to share with you here in Burlington.”
That is about as political as a profile can be.
 David Vandenberg with his Mother Our first reaction to young Vandenberg is – Good Luck to you, young man. Your heart appears to be in the right place.
And then we ask: Have you ever had a full time job at which you were more than a volunteer. We are aware of some internships you’ve done – all good.
We would like to see situations where you worked hard, got promotions and added responsibility. Were placed in situations where you gained what the soft liberal set call “lived experiences”.
There was a quote you put up on the Facebook that impressed me.
If that is the way you think, if you really have that level if realpolitik you just well might grow into a credible and effective politician.
Goodness know the city could use more of those.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
 By Pepper Parr
March 11, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
 The RBG is a leader in the development of new strains of plants. Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) is seeking community leaders to serve on ITS Board of Directors as they embark on the implementation of a Master Planning initiative that aims to position the Gardens as Canada’s leading environmental centre with world-class gardens, natural areas, programs, services and facilities.
As community leaders, Board members possess a well-developed interest in horticultural, conservation, education and related science, along with a commitment to RBG’s mission – to connect people, plants and place for the purpose of nurturing and preserving healthy growing life on our planet.
As a registered charity, RBG is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of community members, representatives appointed by four levels of government, and a representative from the RBG Volunteers.
The Role
The Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing RBG to ensure its viability and sustainability by:
 Almost every variety of lilac you can imagine. These are seen by the RBG Board as assets that have to be protected. · Establishing RBG’s strategic direction and priorities that will ensure fulfillment of its objects as defined in legislation;
· Safeguarding RBG’s resources;
· Monitoring the performance of RBG and the results achieved relative to its strategic priorities;
· Determining the overall approach to governance issues; and,
· Reporting to key stakeholders.
The Board meets at least five times annually, including RBG’s annual meeting. Directors are expected to serve on at least one sub-committee.
 The Tea House – will it reopen soon? Qualifications
We have an immediate requirement for members with experience in:
· Philanthropy and Fund Development
· Government Relations
RBG is also seeking to build a roster of potential talent to be considered for future Board and Committee vacancies with experience in the following areas:
· Risk Management
· Strategic Planning
· Not-for-Profit/Governmental Agency Governance
· Government Relations/Public Administration
· Organizational Effectiveness
RBG is committed to equity and diversity and welcomes applications from all individuals.
HOW TO APPLY
Please reply with a C.V. and covering letter addressed to the RBG Governance Committee c/o Carrie Haans, Executive Assistant to the CEO at chaans@rbg.ca.
 The RBG Arboretum
By Staff
February 1st, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
A new Ontario regulator, improving protection for new home buyers, starts operations today. The Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA) is now responsible for regulating and licensing the people and companies who build and sell new homes in the province.
 The Village isn’t completely built out yet – there are still pockets of construction taking place. Still room for new people. “The HCRA will enforce high professional standards for competence and conduct in the homebuilding industry, giving new home buyers confidence in one of the biggest purchases of their lives,” said Tim Hadwen, Interim CEO of the HCRA. “We will also ensure consistency across the sector, curtailing unethical and illegal builders and maintaining a fair marketplace.”
In addition to licensing, the HCRA provides educational information for consumers on their home buying journey, and manages the Ontario Builder Directory (OBD) – the official source of background information about each of Ontario’s more than 5,000 new home builders and vendors. The OBD provides current information on each builder and vendor’s licence status and specifics such as whether they have had any convictions, the number of homes they have built, and their warranty history. It also lists illegal builders and provides details about charges and convictions to better inform and protect consumers.
The HCRA is also implementing a streamlined complaints process, providing a clear, straightforward way for a new home buyer to raise real concerns about a builder or vendor’s conduct.
 New regulatory agency to support home buyers who run into problems. These prices have not been seen in Burlington for some time. An independent regulator, the HCRA takes over the licensing function from Tarion. Previously, Tarion was responsible for both licensing and warranty administration. Tarion will continue to deliver Ontario’s new home warranty and protection program.
A separate licensing body was recommended by a major review of Ontario’s homebuilding sector.
“In essence, the HCRA will ensure professional standards for the builder, and Tarion will backstop responsibility for the building,” Hadwen said.
Recognizing that some consumers and builders may not immediately know where to turn, the HCRA and Tarion are committed to a “no wrong door” approach, seamlessly directing stakeholders to the right place to deal with their specific issues.
By Pepper Parr
December 11th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
We got another one.
This is the third or fourth – maybe the fifth time people within city hall have chosen not to respond to questions for basic information. They do this because they are told not to respond.
The City Clerk who is mandated to ensure that citizens can access city documents and arrange to delegate to City Council as well as answer questions on procedure and process.
Earlier in the week there was a report delivered to Council about the contract with ADR Chambers being renewed for a three year period.
ADR Chambers serves as the Ombudsman for the city.
I was a little confused and asked the Clerk the following:
“Would you explain to me the different roles that ADR Chambers and Principles Integrity play and the service they provide your office.
“I don’t think I have a clear picture. ADR is the Ombudsman – what then does Principles Integrity do?”
Kevin Arjoon, the City Clerk replied:
“Hi Pepper, as you know the protocol is that all media requests go through communications. I’m sending this to Sharon Will my Communications rep.”
Two things:
The protocol that Arjoon mentions is not something I have seen. There have been requests that I work with the Communications Advisors in the past and I have on occasion done that.
On those occasions when the information I need is complex, often requiring a follow up – I choose to work directly with the person who has the information.
Communications Advisors are not journalists. They are employees of the city in place to first and foremost protect the interests of the city.
They issue media releases that set out the city’s side of the story.
That is not how a public is properly informed.
The organization that provides us with our credentials has a mantra that it uses to explain what journalism is and why we have a free press.
At this point, my experience with the city is that they have chosen to manage the flow of information.
Completely unacceptable.
 By Andrew Drummond
November 15th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
On Nov 13, the Ford government announced that Halton region will be added to the list of regions in the “red” zone, effective Nov 16. After a Toronto Star story exposed that the government ignored health experts’ recommendations and amplified the requirements for inclusion to red restrictions by 4x, they announced a new set of guidelines that will include Halton into the most restrictive conditions that currently exist in Ontario.
Unfortunately, even these restrictions are too little to seriously impact the spread of COVID-19 within our community given the explosive increase in cases and positivity ratings during the last month. The best course of action would be for the government to fund a complete two week shut down of all non-essential businesses so that Halton and other communities have a chance to fight the spread of COVID-19. Without decisive action now, we will be forced into a second, lengthy lockdown that will threaten the economic recovery that our region has worked so hard to build.
 Regional Public Health data for November 11th Over the week of Nov 5-11 Halton region had a rate of 54.9 confirmed COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents. The Region also has a positivity rate of 4.4%. These are alarming stats, and indicators that the current efforts in the Region are not sufficient to contain the spread of the virus. There is reason for concern however that the new measures to be implemented on Nov 16 will also be insufficient in stopping the spread. As an example, Peel region is currently under even more restrictive measures than what the “red” zone mandates and yet has seen its cases increase exponentially. People are fatigued with social gathering restrictions and will only follow guidelines if stringently enforced, not if they are merely recommendations.
Controlling the spread of COVID is essential to the health of our community. Beyond spread within the Burlington community, there is also a localized outbreak at Tansley Woods Retirement Home. To date 35 residents and 11 staff members have been infected with the virus. As of Nov 13, 7 of these residents have died. This is too terrible an impact within our community to ignore. Without quickly imposed strong measures in place, we risk further institutional outbreaks that will endanger our most vulnerable populations.
 Andrew Drummond talking to Jane McKenna at an all candidates meeting during the last provincial election. On October 24, Burlington MPP Jane McKenna co-authored a public letter to Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health referring to the minimal restrictions in place at that time. “These measures are working.” she said. This was completely untrue. We now know that holding back on necessary restrictions then allowed the virus to spread virtually unchecked within our community. It is critical that those mistakes not be repeated again. We need a stronger set of restrictions with rigid enforcement or we risk our region suffering the same fate as Peel with more than 400 cases every day.
The COVID pandemic has to date caused a massive amount of damage to the Burlington economy. Countless small and medium businesses in Burlington have struggled. Many have closed and many more have been forced to move. And throughout, there has been very little support from the provincial government. The federal government has offered a significant amount of support towards businesses and employees affected by the economic downturn. But the province has been hesitant to provide even meager additional supports. That has to end.
According to the Ontario government, 97% of direct support for COVID impacted people and businesses has come from the federal government with only 3% coming from Ontario itself (https://www.fao-on.org/en/Blog/Publications/fed-prov-response-2020). Ontario needs to step up and have a plan for the long term health of our economy. Preventing shutdowns now risking future COVID outbreaks is short-sighted. We need the government to actually support our businesses through the short term so they can rebound through what is to come.
Burlington, Halton, and Ontario need to beat this wave of COVID-19. Our community cannot afford another week or month of the indecisive wait and see approach from our leaders. But our small and medium businesses cannot afford to take this hit by themselves. The Ontario government must finally step up and give our business community the support that it needs to shut down in a controlled manner, before we are forced to do so in a panic.
 Burlington is currently in the red zone – Control The current measures do not go far enough. It is a continuation of the conflicting direction and expectation that most people will take additional measures on their own initiative. That is not good enough, we need better. Even the “red” zone guidelines are conflicting in their expectations. The strong recommendation is that no one leave their homes except for essential travel (work, school, etc.). However, there are guidelines set as to how house league sports are to conduct themselves (no games, practices only). Is house league sports really an essential activity worth risking our community’s health?
Why have guidelines for it if everyone is supposed to stay home except for essentials? Mall food courts are restricted to 10 seated guests. The food court at Mapleview almost certainly has to close under those restrictions. So where is the support for those businesses? Every recommendation from the government in the last three months has been politicized and constantly modified to the point that neither citizens nor businesses are sure what the exact advice is anymore.
These conflicts are only examples of the conflicted, unclear, and indecisive leadership shown by the government during this crisis. They are so invested in protecting businesses in the immediate short term that they can’t or won’t plan for what is necessary in the medium term. Burlington needs a decisive shut down in order to protect our community and to ensure that all of our efforts in the past six months were not in vain. Burlington has worked too hard for too long to suffer through more indecision and half measures. The time is now for decisive action to ensure that our community has a chance to build the recovery we need.
Andrew Drummond is a Burlington resident. He was the NDP candidate during the last provincial election.
By Pepper Parr
October 23rd, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
For most of us it’s a Friday, another weekend where there are more restrictions than things to do.
But for most of the members of city council Friday matters. Marianne Meed Ward was elected Mayor, Angelo Bentivegna, Kelvin Galbraith, Rory Nisan, Lisa Kearns and Shawna Stolte were elected to council for the first time.
Paul Sharman was re-elected – he wasn’t certain that he was going to pull it off – but he did.
 Minutes before the Chain of Office was placed on her shoulders in December of 2018 Meed Ward has certainly made her mark during this first two years as Mayor. She has and is moving the needle.
The Gazette will report in depth on how each of the newly elected have done now that they are at the half way point and their minds get turned to re-election or deciding that being a council member isn’t everything they thought it was going to be.
It is certainly a harder job than any of the five new members thought it was going to be.
Some have grown into the job, for others it’s clear they shouldn’t be there.
There have been some surprises – the job is clearly a calling for them.
COVID-19 hasn’t helped these people adjust to the job. There is still a little trying to figure out just what they can do and what they can’t do as members of Council when a lot of the decision making is in the hands of the City Manager and senior staff.
This Friday the five newbies deserve congratulations – they have worked hard; they have struggled and they are learning.
Mayor Meed Ward is, for the most part, doing what she said she would do. There are parts of her promise she may not be able to keep but it won’t be for lack of trying.
Like the five newbies she is adjusting to a role she has thirsted for, fought for and won.
Much to her chagrin she has found that some of her colleagues are not looking to her for the leadership she would like to provide. In the municipal world the Mayor is just one vote with a bully pulpit along with some bling.
The money is decent, more than most of the members of this council have ever earned in their lives.
The newbies have power; they can make things happen.
Power often does funny things to people; it tends to eat into whatever humility they had before they took the oath.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Pepper Parr
September 28th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
Last June Regan Russell was walking in front of a transport truck that was loaded with hogs that were being taken into the Fearmans slaughter house. The truck had stopped until protesters finished walking front of it; Regan Russell wasn’t able to get out of the way in time and was run over by the truck. She died at the scene.
 Regan Russell The slaughter house is part of a group of slaughter houses across the country that are owned by Sofina Foods.
Regan was one of a number of demonstrators who gather regularly at the Harvester Road/Appleby Line intersection to, as they put it, “bear witness to what is taking place” and to attempt to water the hogs.
They see what they are doing as a peaceful demonstration. They are indeed slowing down the entry of the truck into the meat processing plant.
Regan was run over by the truck that apparently didn’t see her. She was slight in stature and the front of the truck was very high.
The Regional Police investigated and came to the conclusion that a 28-year-old male from the Municipality of North Perth was to be charged with Careless Driving Causing Death under the Highway Traffic Act. The police reported that ‘there were no grounds to indicate this was an intentional act, or that a criminal offence had been committed.”
 The protesters usually arrive as a group waiting for the transport truck to enter the slaughterhouse. Animal Rights protesters have been demonstrating at that location for a number of years.
The meat processing plant, in operation since the 1960’s, has no intention of moving and currently employs 1000 people.
The provincial government recently passed legislation that would give the municipalities that have demonstrator problems “tools” to handle these situations.
The argument is that the issue is really one of public safety – they want the demonstrators out of the way.
Strong legislation certainly helps do that.
 Protestors water hogs when the transport has to stop for a traffic light at the entrance to the slaughterhouse. At the Monday City Council meeting a resolution was put forward and passed unanimously.
The Resolution reads:
Whereas the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2020 recognizes the unique risks that can result from interfering with livestock transport including creating unsafe work conditions as well as causing stress to animals and introducing diseases or contaminating our food supply; and
Whereas Sections 6(1), 7, 14(1) 3 and 15(1) of the Act came into effect on September 2, 2020 and prohibit the stopping, hindering, obstructing or otherwise interfering with a motor vehicle transporting farm animals; and
Whereas protest groups, including minor children, present outside the Sofina pork plant in Burlington continue to reach inside livestock trailers to touch, film and give water to the pigs creating an unsafe situation where they may be injured by the animals or trailer; and
Whereas the recent tragic loss of the life of a protester in Burlington underscores the urgent need to ensure the safety of all involved; and
Whereas Section 6(2) of the Act states that no person shall interfere or interact with a farm animal being transported by a motor vehicle without the prior consent of the driver of the motor vehicle;
Therefore be it resolved that the City of Burlington pass a resolution urging the Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to immediately proclaim Section 6(2) of the Act in order to provide a legal basis to prevent the unsafe practice of protestors having contact with livestock trailers and animals; and
That this resolution be forwarded to Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Region of Halton.
Those in favour of the motion didn’t have a word to say about the right of people to protest.
 Hog suffering from heat while being transported. Councillor Sharman sounded more like a shill for Sofina Foods (they are in his ward) rather than a person responsible for the wider community. The puffball questions he asked the three delegations were embarrassing.
Which begs the question: Why not find a way to allow the Animal Rights people to demonstrate, maybe even water the hogs while the trucks wait at the gate for 10 minutes.
After which the demonstrators would be required to move on.
The Conservation Authority closes off a portion of Kind Road for weeks in the spring so that the Jefferson Salamander can cross the road and mate in the wetlands.
 He isn’t exactly pretty but nevertheless plays an important role in the local environment.
In 2008 a provincial tribunal found that the loss of a habitat for the Jefferson Salamander in north Burlington was reason enough not to give the Nelson Aggregate an extension to their license.
We have a proud history of protecting endangered species. Admittedly hogs are not endangered but the right of people to voice their views in a public place is as important as making huge allowances for an endangered species.
That history was sullied this morning by city council.
Related news story:
Protester run over by truck transporting pigs to slaughter.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Pepper Parr
September 24th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
‘Did someone at Queen’s Park teach the Premier and his colleagues that song about “The Big Rock Candy Mountain”?
Money is flying out of the government coffers.
A million here; ten million there – yesterday it was $1 billion.
All for good reasons – this time it was to Expand COVID-19 Testing and Contact Tracing.
That we have to test so much is really the problem. We now know what we have to do to keep COVID-19 under control – create a safe bubble and stay in it.
The Prime Minister put it in language we could all understand. “There will be no Thanksgiving Dinners with extended family – but if we do the right things we have a shot at Christmas”.
 A Canadian city with a diverse population. The Ontario government is building on the largest provincial testing initiative in Canada by providing $1.07 billion to expand COVID-19 testing and case and contact management.
The government is also immediately investing $30 million to prevent and manage outbreaks in priority sectors, including the province’s long-term care homes, retirement homes, and schools. These investments are part of the province’s comprehensive plan to prepare the health system for a second wave of COVID-19.
To date, Ontario has maintained adherence to public health measures and established a strong foundation for testing and case and contact management by:
 Smaller than microscopic – this virus needs you to become its home so that it can replicate itself. • Establishing a provincial COVID-19 lab network with capacity for more than 40,000 daily tests;
• Establishing over 150 assessment centres;
• Testing long-term care home residents and staff in addition to the ongoing testing of staff and homes in outbreak;
• Providing up to 1,700 more contact tracers to support public health units in contact follow-ups through an agreement with the federal government;
• Launching a new, custom-built case and contact management digital system to improve data quality and timeliness and eliminate the use of the multiple tools being used across the province and the integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) for COVID-19;
• Launching COVID Alert, the country’s made-in-Ontario exposure notification app; and
• Launching a robust public awareness campaign to educate the public on how to keep them and their families safe, including targeted campaigns to young Ontarians.
Many people have heard all this before – it is the ones who haven’t heard, or don’t want to hear, that are the problem.
 Less than 8 days ago in a Canadian city – near a university campus Massive minimum fines is a start – something to catch their attention.
The rest of us can remind those who choose not to wear masks to start now.
The Regional Police have a program that allows the driver of a car who spots someone driving erratically to dial 911.
Amazing how many of these dangerous drivers get pulled over very quickly and charged with a Highway Traffic Offence.
The Provincial Medical Officer of Health has the power to take action along those lines.
Do it – use the billion dollars to swear in constables with the power to take people into custody if they are not wearing a mask.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Staff
September 15th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Media yesterday, including the Gazette, reported that two students were found to have been infected by the Covid-19 virus.
The two people who were infected were students but they didn’t contract the virus in a classroom.
Neither had yet started school.
They were declared infected by the Public Health Unit on the weekend.
Halton District School Board Director of Education Stuart Miller found himself with a piece of bad news on his hands before the school doors even opened.
So far there has not been an infected student or teacher identified in the school board population.
Media got their information from the school board web site.
By Pepper Parr
August 27th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
While the Medical Officer of Health is responsible for health matters – that responsibility doesn’t include what happens at your front door as the kids head for school.
 Dr Meghani, Regional Commissioner and Medical Officer of Health For parents – it starts at home.
Dr. Hamidah Meghani told the virtual Town Hall audience that parents are going to have to work with their children to explain what is going to be different when they return to school.
There were several thousand people listening to the presentation and more than 2600 questions were sent in before the meeting began.
A lot of information was passed along during the presentations but there are still a lot of unanswered questions.
The Gazette will beaver away at getting answers for you.
By starting at home Dr Hamidah Meghani meant “talking to your children about what is going to be different” and to refer to the poster the board had made available, which has a check list of the things to watch for.
She made the point that socialization was a huge part of an education and having students in classroom was better than their being at home.
A lot of parents didn’t agree with that statement and have chosen to keep their children at home and have them learn virtually.
There is a lot of follow up to be done. Material that was presented last night has not yet been made available to media.
When it is available we will publish it.
The organization of the elementary classes will be considerably different than those at the secondary level.
The Halton District School Board had its plan in place weeks ago but could not proceed with it until approved by the Ministry.
New rules about personal safety were put out by the Ministry yesterday afternoon – making it extremely difficult for both the Boards of Education and the Regional Public Health unit to properly inform the public.
Expect their analysis and interpretation of the documents they got yesterday to be done by the end of the day – the Gazette will pass those along when we can get access to them
 By Pepper Parr
August 26th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
It was all about what people thought – the brand, the image – backing up why Burlington was the best mid-sized city in the country.
 The stretch of Road at the bottom of the section of Martha the Mayor lives on – not what her Worship thinks the city can put up with. It has to do with the weeds – the things that were sprouting up through the pavement in medians all over the city.
During Standing Committee meetings Staff did their best to tell Council that they didn’t have the people to get out and do the work.
 Walker at New Street  This is the Burlington this council believes the citizens want and they were going to make certain that they got it. All the part time and summer help had been let go when the lock down took place in March.
There wasn’t a member of Council who wasn’t prepared to push Staff and direct them to find a way.
And find one they did.
They came back with three options: contract the task out to someone; spend $40,000 and have the work done internally or do nothing.
Do nothing was not an option.
 Councillor Angelo Bentivegna – he will remind Council of this spend when the budget is on the table. The $40,000 didn’t look so bad from Councillor Angelo Bentivegna’s perspective – it worked out to $98 a median.
So they went for it.
Bentivegna didn’t vote for it. Everyone else did.
The shiver that the budget is going send up the spines of this Council isn’t being felt – yet.
 By Pepper Parr
August 4th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
We’ve all worked and sacrificed a lot to get us to this new normal.
Businesses are opening up across the Region and life is resuming some sense of normality, including riders coming back to public transit.
There is a dotted line that connects life when we are not using public transit to keeping others safe when you do use public transit.
 Metrolinx senior manager of media, Anne Marie Aikins Metrolinx senior manager of media, Anne Marie Aikins – who has been acting as the Emergency Information Officer for Metrolinx during the COVID-19 pandemic – connects those dotted lines.
“ At this point in time it is so easy to let our guard down.
“To give in – for a bit – and try not to let the ongoing pandemic rob of us of any more intimate moments of close contact with those we’ve done without.
“But this war on COVID-19 is not over – not by a long shot. It is easy to forget the enemy and leave a door open.
“Our actions in the back yard, or on a restaurant patio, or greeting friends in a park on a bright summer day, carry over into every other part of our days – and the many people we come in contact with or even pass on a GO Transit train or bus.”
Metrolinx began 2020 by initiating their pandemic response plan. It has been over six months since the first person in Canada tested positive for the Coronavirus. And now more than 116,000 people have tested positive and, tragically, nearly 9,000 have died from this virus.
For more than 130 days, at times excruciatingly lonely days, people have faithfully followed the guidance of our public health officials.
 Masks for everyone – everywhere. “That’s a long time to go without any hugs or handshakes, parties or celebrations, sustained visits or contact with our colleagues, family and friends who nurture, entertain, commiserate and support us throughout our life during the best of times but most especially during the worst of times” said Aikins, who adds: We’ve all been starved of contact and connection.
“We’ve missed all the usual weddings, graduations, vacations and funerals. No video conference call can ever replace the healing power of a single warm embrace.
“No doubt, life has been hard — especially for those on the front lines. Many people have really suffered, lost loved ones to this virus, lost income due to job loss or lost a stable home or relationship. Our collective mental health has taken a beating and many are feeling wounded.
“We’re exhausted by it all and desire some sense of security and peace that only our friends and family can provide.
“I get that. I’m an extrovert that thrives around smart, creative, funny, passionate people – but there is so much to lose if we let our exhaustion give into the desire to throw the health rules under, well, the bus.”
Public health officials have seen some worrisome trends of late — although we’ve continued to make progress on reducing the transmission, the numbers of people contracting the virus still persists and younger people now account for half the growth of cases perhaps related to house parties or other big gatherings.
Convincing our youth to use protection has always been a challenge we’ve often failed at miserably. Risky behaviours, however are not reserved to only the frisky.
COVID is not taking the summer off, so we all, young and not so young, must not let down our guard.
 Go Transit customer S. Thiru, aboard a GO train. (Lorne Bridgman photo) As ridership increases and physical distancing becomes more of a challenge on our services, face coverings are critical in making people feel safer on their journey and limit the transmission of the virus. Metrolinx has made face masks mandatory. Their customers responded as the good partners they are and most have been wearing their face coverings or non-medical masks faithfully.
There are other equally necessary measures. Continue to stay home if you are sick or think you’ve been exposed. Get tested. It’s easy, just a wee bit uncomfortable in the nose region, and testing is readily available and quick.
Aikins adds: “I hate to burst your bubble, but please choose how many you let into your circle judiciously. You don’t want that moment of glory, of reconnecting with friends, to become regretted and a cautionary tale for others.
“Keep everyone outside your circle at a distance, six feet away specifically whenever possible.
“Wash your hands frequently. Scrub them like you just picked up your pooch’s poo. That works for me better than the birthday song. Use hand sanitizer too — you can find it everywhere now. Keep some in your purse or jacket and throw in some disinfecting wipes. It’s often as easy as toilet paper to find in stores now.
“As you open up your social bubbles, keep your visiting outdoors. Enjoy the nice weather. It’s good for the soul. And the fresh air reduces the virus’ ability to spread.
“As horrific as the tally of illness and deaths has been, the losses could have been so much higher if not for your commitment to protecting public health throughout this pandemic.
“You saved lives.
“Now is the time to double down in your resolve. The celebrations, the public good-byes and the healing will come in time.”
This article draws liberally from a piece written by Anne Marie Aikins, Metrolinx senior manager, Media.
 By Pepper Parr
July 30th, 20020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Ontario Ministry of Education held a Technical Briefing this afternoon on the plans to re-open schools safely in September.
Shannon Fuller, Assistant Deputy Minister of Strategic Policy and Planning Division, Denys Giguere, Assistant Deputy Minister of French-Language Teaching, Learning and Achievement Division, Dr. David McKeown, Chair of Ontario’s Public Health Measures Table, and Nancy Naylor, Deputy Minister, from the Ministry of Education will be taking part.
A question and answer period followed the briefing. All information provided could not be attributed –it was for background purposes only.
Governments meet with media to outline approaches that are being taken to announcements they intend to make.
We can expect an announcement in the very near future on the re-opening of schools.
Governments tend to issue bad news on Friday afternoons of a long weekend.
We are going into a long weekend.
Tomorrow is a Friday.
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