By Pepper Parr
May 12th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
By now the members of Council who spent five days in Holland commemorating the liberation of that country 80 years ago are back home
Mayor Meed Ward at a wreath placing event in Apeldoorn with the Mayor of that city.
Little by little we learn just how many people were on what can now be fairly called a junket. The Mayor took her husband with her; Councillor Galbraith, who was not part of the official delegation, is believed to have taken one of his older children with him and Councillor Nisan is understood to have taken members of his family with him as well.
They will individually picked up the cost of the airfare and whatever increase there might have been in accommodation. As for meals – did family members attend any of the official events.
Given the tight economic conditions and the voiced public concern about fiscal responsibility, it might have been wiser for the Mayor to travel with one person, lay the wreath, attend the critical events and returned to Canada.
The Teen Tour Band has its own budget as does the Mundialization committee.
The word we are getting from people is that this city council doesn’t understand what fiscal responsibility is.
We’ve learned as well that the Mayor sent a note to all of the administrative assistants working for the members of Council suggesting language that might be used when people ask about the trip to Holland.
The public is losing patience with this Council.
About time
Your article indicates “the public is losing patience with this council”. Perhaps it should be “some members of this council”.
Not all council members were included.
The next Municipal election is coming. It will be interesting to see who is running for re-election, and who residents will elect to represent them.
HOLLAND !!
I thought they were all just in Japan.
Editor’s note:
Japan was the trip before this one.
Editor your statements sound like those of from members of political parties of all stripes who say “people” or “Canadians’ or “residents’ are saying this or want that. They generally have no evidence to support their statements which surprisingly mirror their political platforms.
So I ask:- Who exactly is saying this to you? The usual band of anti council readers/commenters? Has the Gazette conducted an opinion poll of scientific size?
I am all for physical prudence. If the family members accompanying official delegation members were not paid for with City funds, who cares a flying fig that they were there. That is totally irrelevant to the question of City fiscal prudence! The same goes as respects Councilor Galbraith being there. If he paid his own way and still represented the City I think we should praise him for his contribution to the strength of this City’s delegation without the City incurring cost.
Was the official delegation too large? Maybe Samantha Yew was a questionable inclusion, not as a person but because she has no obvious connection with Apeldorn. All other official party members were justifiable selections.
One must take into consideration this was no ordinary anniversary of the liberation of Holland. It was the 80th! The Liberation of Holland was primarily accomplished by Canadian troops. And as one could see from the television news reports the local Dutch support and immense gratitude for the Canadian veterans who attended and for Canada and Canadians in general is still enormous. Their feelings of gratitude even in generations who have come well after the war is quite remarkable. Being the 80th anniversary, and with Burlington being twinned with Apeldorn it was only right and proper that this City send a delegation that clearly shows the importance of our current relationship with Apeldorn but also our commitment to never ever forget or downplay the sacrifices made by Canadian troops who died there or those who survived those horrors not just for our benefit but for the benefit of those in occupied Europe and the free world in general.
Any other year your questioning would be pertinent.
Editor’s note: when you said: I am all for physical prudence – I think you meant fiscal prudence. If that was not the case – would you expand on what you mean by physical prudence.
That is a case of phone voice recognition not recognizing the voice.
Editor’s note: If you say so
Editor: I think that Bruce means “No nookie under the windmills when on official business”.