 By Pepper Parr
July 18th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
 MP Pam Damoff will lead a consultation on climate change at Tansley Woods on the 20th Member of Parliament Pam Damoff is holding a climate change consultation on July 20th at 7pm at Tansley Wood.
Vince Fiorito urges people to “to show up and speak up in support of an ambitious national climate strategy.”
 Vince Fiorito. Steward of Sheldon Creek has been a climate change advocate for years. A number of months ago Fiorito made a very trenchant observation when he said: “The planet it going to survive – there is no certainty that the human race will survive if they keep on behaving the way they do now.”
It is our planet – we actually get to decide what life on this planet is going to be like in the next 50 years.
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 By Pepper Parr
July 18th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Getting community culture funded in Burlington is a tricky business.
Culture and the arts gets managed at the Parks and Recreation level, Burlington has not yet grown to the point where it has a group dedicated to culture – there isn’t yet a full realization that culture is an economic driving force that has to be managed and effectively promoted.
In the past few years a cultural underground that is a lot bigger than most people realize has begun to organize itself – it is more vocal than effective at this point – but it does have potential.
Herding cats is easier than getting artists to sing from the same hymn book. At some point the political leadership or the administrative will come to the surface and changes will take place. In the meantime we muddle our way through a mushy place where most people mutter the right words but not much real change takes place.
 Selina Eckersall chose Village Square as the location for the second No Vacancy vent which they called Cirque. It was a huge success. Last week the fissures in the cultural file were evident when ward 2 Councillor Meed Ward put forward a motion to grant a group putting on a significant cultural event for the fourth year. The group had previously been turned down by the Parks and Recreation program because they weren’t a new event.
Meed Ward wanted the group to be given $4000 which members of Council went along with at the Standing committee level – it has yet to be approved by Council.
In her memorandum to city council Meed Ward explained that “No Vacancy is a non profit charitable agency whose mission is to bring contemporary art and culture to Burlington. They have previously sponsored two other art events: Cirque (2014) and Super Nova (2015).”
Meed Ward didn’t mention the first No Vacancy event that was held at the Waterfront Hotel in 2103.
Council provided one-time funding support for SuperNova, as well as funding for the Car- Free Street festivals in wards 4,5 and 6 and a Janes’ Walk in ward 1.
Funding was not sought by the No Vacancy people during this year’s budget for their Moonglade, because they were pretty sure funding would be available under the new Community Investment Fund (CIF). However, that fund turned out to be for new events. Moonglade is new in the sense that it is a different location and theme, although still run at the same time of year by the same organization. As such, the event doesn’t neatly fit the existing criteria of the CIF.
 Tomy Bewick intoned in a strong passionate voice while Teresa Seaton spread the stained glass feathers about the ground. The event was one of the strongest features in the 2015 No Vacancy SuoerNova event. Mead Ward said that “this is an event and an organization we want to support until such time as criteria are developed for ongoing community-delivered events. Currently, staff are working on a revised festivals and events strategy. The issue of ongoing event funding will no doubt be a topic of discussion, given the city currently does fund some existing events year over year (eg Sound of Music), and has funded Car Free Festivals again this year.
Meed Ward trotted out the line we are going to hear for the next five years – “the event aligns well with Burlington’s new Strategic Plan, the direction of an Engaging City.”
The strong point in Meed Wards request that Council contribute funds was the additional partners the event has brought into their tent. The Art Gallery of Burlington and the Burlington Downtown Business Association are very much on board with the No Vacancy initiative.
This year the event will be held in Brock Park behind the Art Gallery and inside the building as well. The city can be a partner as well. The request got past the Standing committee and goes to city council Monday evening.
Selina Eckersall, head of No Vacancy, the group that has put on three events, two of which were unqualified successes, had managed to put together an agreement with the Art Gallery of Burlington to hold the event at that location for their fourth event.
 Culture – it was in 2014 at the No Vacancy Cirque event. This has to be looked upon as a marriage made in heaven. The Art Gallery has all kinds of nooks and crannies that are ideal for the kind of event that No Vacancy does. Their first event at the Waterfront Hotel was small but broke new ground in terms of cultural audacity for this city. The second, held at the Village Square broke records in terms of audience attendance and the eclectic mix of participants that ranged from Belly Dancers to Teresa Seaton Stained Glass – and that is a stretch when it comes to art in Burlington. But it worked and the No Vacancy people heightened their ambitions and decided to hold their third event on Old Lakeshore Road. It suffered from overreach and too large a space – and not enough in the way of volunteer help. Lessons were learned.
 Robert Steven is showing the city that he is prepared to do things differently. Having a CEO at the Art Gallery prepared to reach out and try something new was just what No Vacancy needed. Robert Steven showed the city that he was prepared to do things differently when he sponsored a concert at the Performing Arts Centre where he made better use of the space than the staff over there do.
Inviting the No Vacancy crowd into the AGB was a brilliant move that was aided by the fact that Eckersall, was named the Arts Person of the Year award in the 2014 Burlington Best event now also sits on the Board of the AGB.
With at least some of the core funding they need in place – MoonGlade can now continue with their plans and show the city what they can do in perhaps the best location available in the city.
 Lone Garden will again be part of No Vacancy’s MoonGlade this year Kune Hua, one of the 17 participants, is growing an even bigger Love Garden. There is a man in blue wearing red sneakers that is somehow involved in promoting the event.
By Pepper Parr
July 18th, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
People enjoyed the city over the weekend – and there was a bit of a breeze.
The audiences for the KooGle Theatre Company production of the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee were very good as was the audience for The Taming of the Shrew at Thinkspot in Lowville.
 Shakespeare in Lowville. The Shrew production was an incredibly different and innovative take on what the bard wrote. The Driftwood Theatre Company is known for doing thought provoking, at time hilarious productions of Shakespeare’s work. Thinkspot has become known for bringing them to the city.
The Thinkspot event has been for just the one evening in an outdoor theatre. The audience this year was larger than last year.
 Spelling Bee cast talks to the audience after its opening last week. The Spelling Bee runs for an additional week at the Performing Arts Centre – two of the four nights the first week were sold out. Book your tickets now for this one. Fun evening.
The Mayor is reported to have been able to spell some of the words he was given but even he was eventually led off the stage by Muscle Bound Mike. You need to see the play to fully appreciate that actor.
The Bandits took a licking on the baseball diamond.
The Bandits will play again this weekend – hopefully they will do better.
The Lowville Festival begins on Friday the 22nd at the Anglican Church in Lowville where a 60+ member choir will be entertaining. This is the Second Annual Lowville Festival – an event that is finding its legs and adding to the locally based entertainment program.
City council meets this evening – then they are off for their summer break. This Council is at the halfway point of their current term of office. All were re-elected last time around.
Lowville Festival schedule:
 By Staff
July 16, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Noelvis Entenza struck out nine batters over seven innings as the Kitchener Panthers beat the Burlington Bandits 7-2 Saturday afternoon.
 Both runs Entenza (7-3) allowed were earned and came on two hits. He also walked three.
David Whiteside led the offence with his seventh home run of the season and three RBI. Mike Gordner had two hits and an RBI, and Sean Reilly drove in his 44th run of the season.
For Burlington, Nolan Pettipiece had two hits and an RBI. Julian Johnson doubled and scored, and John Whaley had an RBI.
Branden Kuzyk (0-3) allowed three runs on five hits over seven innings, striking out four and walking five.
The first-place Panthers improved to 22-7 after their second straight victory, and the sixth-place Bandits dropped to 7-20.
In Barrie the Baycats knock off Red Sox Baycats moved within a half game of second place after their 11-6 win over the Brantford Red Sox Saturday night.
Barrie improved to 19-9 and is a half game back of London, which has lost three straight.
Jeff Cowan and Kyle DeGrace each had three hits, two runs and two RBI to lead the offence. Kevin Atkinson went 3-for-5 with three runs and an RBI, while Glenn Jackson had three hits, an RBI and run. Conner Morro drove in a run, and Ryan Spataro had a hit and scored twice.
Adam Rowe (1-0) picked up the win, giving up six runs (five earned) on 13 hits over five innings. Rowe didn’t have a strikeout or walk.
Ricky Murray had two hits and two RBI for the fourth-place Red Sox, which dropped to 18-12. Chris Dennis had two hits, two runs and an RBI, Wayne Forman singled twice, and Dennon Koziol and Nic Burdett each had two hits and a run. Brandon Dailey and Jeff Hunt each drove in a run, and Tyler Patzalek had two hits.
Matt Martinow (1-2) took the loss, allowing three runs on seven hits in three innings, without recording a strikeout or walk. Riley Barr started and went three innings, giving up six runs (four earned) on seven hits, striking out four and walking one.
In Guelph the Royals scored all of their runs in the fourth inning of a 7-6 win over the Hamilton Cardinals Saturday night.
Guelph had five hits in the inning, including Chandler McLaren’s two-run home run with no out. Santino Silvestri hit a two-run double, and Trevor Nyp had an RBI single.
Nathan Dallas-Blackburn added two hits and a run.
 A summer evening with a baseball game under the lights – hearing the snap of the bat as all the eyes in the stands follow the arc of the ball. Alberto Rodriguez (3-2) picked up the win, going 6.1 innings and allowing five runs on four hits, striking out 11 and walking five.
AJ Mackey picked up his first save, giving up a run on two hits in an inning, striking out two.
For Hamilton, Dre Celestijn and Tyler Hardie each hit home runs. Hardie finished with three hits and two RBI. TJ Baker drove in two and scored twice, and Lake Molleson had an RBI.
Kyle Adoranti (0-6) gave up five runs (three earned) on six hits over 3.2 innings, striking out five and walking two.
The seventh-place Royals improved to 7-21, and the last-place Cardinals dropped to 7-23. The Bandits sit atop the two with a 7-20 record.
Future games
Sunday, July 17
London at Toronto, 2 p.m.
Barrie at Hamilton, 2 p.m.
Guelph at Kitchener, 7 p.m.
By Pepper Parr
July 16th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Where is Ray?
For many Gazette readers Ray Rivers had become a Friday habit – his views on matters federal, provincial and from time to time international have appeared in the Gazette for more than three years.
I first met Rivers when he was talking to a group of Liberals who used to meet regularly at Artisano’s. I liked what I heard Rivers saying a found a way to strike up a conversation. That led to his writing for the Gazette.
 Rivers tries to get to New Zealand once a year – relaxes with family and gets in a little fishing. His daughter returned to Canada with he husband and their children. Ray is working on making a good hockey fan out of at least the grandson. This summer Rivers and I decided that a full break for a month or more was well deserved – and except for one occasion when he had to say something about the Brexit mess in the United Kingdom, Rivers has behaved and worked with tools on his farm in Mountsburg rather than the keyboard on his computer.
There is a tree lot that needs some pruning and a new deck for the hot tub. Grass to be cut with the mower that Rivers treats as something you drive at a NASCAR event and the chicken coop needs a good clean up.
 Rivers is incapable of getting through a day without reading at last one newspaper. So – for those who wonder where Rivers is – it isn’t quite “gone fishing” but it is a respite from a task that can get onerous. Writing a column every week is demanding.
Rivers and I usually have a short conversation about what he would like to write on – we exchange ideas and I pretty well leave him to his own devices. It is the readers that keep him on his toes.
There are about a dozen that watch what he writes very carefully. It did take a while for Gazette readers to fully appreciate that Rivers was a columnist with a view point. Several complained that he was a Liberal and therefore shouldn’t be writing articles.
He is certainly a Liberal and a liberal as well – and that was the point. The Gazette wanted someone with a clear point of view. We also wanted a strong Conservative and talked to a number of people who could have filled that role – none chose to step up the plate.
Public opinion needs to be informed and the exchange of views is part of what informs people. It took us some time to bleed out the more raucous comments that used to appear in the Gazette.
This is not yet a city with a clear understanding of how important it is to keep the public informed and to do so as transparently as possible.
Rivers, who has consistently written a column with often extensive links to other material that few columnists provide.
 With the New Zealand part of the family now on Canadian soil Rivers can see his grandchildren whenever he wants. Rivers will be back in the fall – we expect him to have something to say about both the Republican and Democratic conventions taking place in the United States and how our federal and provincial governments are doing in this country.
The Gazette is fortunate to have Rivers as part of the editorial team – Burlington doesn’t yet fully appreciate the contribution he makes – which isn’t about what he actually writes – but about the fact that he does write. The city badly needs a public that is informed and is prepared to speak out.
 By Staff
July 16th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
They certainly dropped the Hammer on us.
The Hamilton Cardinals pounded out 14 hits in a 17-1 win over the Burlington Bandits Friday night.
 Tyler Hardie went 4-for-5 with four RBI and three runs to lead the seventh-place Cards, who improved to 7-22. Chris Beer singled three times and drove in three and scored once, while Nate Mastervick hit a solo home run and single and scored three times. Dre Celestijn went 2-for-4 with two RBI and four runs, Liam Wilson drove in a pair of runs and scored twice, TJ Baker and Jake Foden each had an RBI, and Marcus Dicenzo added a single, RBI and two runs.
Robert Wilson (2-4) went eight innings for the win, allowing one run on five hits, striking out six and walking two.
Justin Gideon had a solo home run for the sixth-place Bandits, who fell to 7-19. Alex Nolan added a double.
Derek Zwolinski (0-1) took the loss, lasting four innings and giving up eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits, walking three and striking out three.
In Brantford the Red Sox took a 12-2 win over the Guelph Royals all the way to the bank Friday night.
Burdett drilled a three-run blast in the sixth inning and singled three times. Wayne Forman went 4-for-5 with two RBI and a run, Dennon Koziol had two RBI, while Benjamin Bostick and Jeff Hunt each drove in a run. Tyler Patzalek, Ricky Murray and Chris Dennis combined for five hits and five runs.
On the mound, Nathan Forer (6-2) went 6.1 innings and allowed two runs on five hits, striking out six and walking one.
For Guelph, Adam Rossit had the lone RBI. Matt Schmidt went 2-for-2 with a run and walk.
Daniel Marquez (0-2) took the loss, giving up five runs (four earned) on four hits in 2.2 innings. Marquez walked seven and didn’t record a strikeout.
The fourth-place Red Sox improved to 18-11, and the last-place Royals dropped to 6-21.
Elsewhere in the league pitcher Deska strikes out 13 in Toronto Leafs win over the London Majors.
Marek Deska went seven scoreless innings and struck out 13 as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the London Majors 5-0 Friday night.
Deska (2-1) scattered six hits and didn’t walk a batter as the fifth-place Leafs improved to 15-14.
Grant Tamane drove in a pair of runs in the win. Connor Lewis, Will Richards and Damon Topolie each had an RBI.
RJ Fuhr had two of London’s seven hits. Carlos Arteaga singled and stole two bases.
Owen Boon (4-1) allowed four runs on five hits over seven innings, striking out five and walking four.
The second-place Majors (20-9) dropped their third straight and trail Kitchener by 1.5 games.
Future games
Saturday, July 16
Kitchener at Burlington, 1 p.m.
Brantford at Barrie, 7 p.m.
Hamilton at Guelph, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 17
London at Toronto, 2 p.m.
Barrie at Hamilton, 2 p.m.
Guelph at Kitchener, 7 p.m.
 By Pepper Parr
July 15th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
There is something fun about musicals – they always start with a burst of energy and you know you are going to be entertained.
As the actors and actresses take to the stage you wonder how they are going to portray their character, more than often there is a surprise or two.
Thursday night the KooGle Theatre Company opened “The 25thAnnuual Putnam County Spelling Bee” with a cast of nine supplemented by four members of the audience who volunteered to be part of the spelling bee.
Their names weren’t provided but the woman who was asked to spell “cow” did not expect to be on her knees on the stage with Muscle bound Mitch Mahoney, played by Giovanni Spina, as he comforted her when she failed to spell a word.
The audience didn’t expect to see Jesus in the balcony either as he spoke to one of the players. It was that kind of night.
The cast on stage taking questions from the audience. First night was SOLD OUT – as are many of the seven day run performances. Mark Allan, playing Leaf Coneybear, didn’t really know how to spell but had a “divining rod” that took over his mind and his body as he blurted out the letters to words he didn’t even understand. He was the nut case who turned in a funny performance of a whimsical character.
The chair of the Spelling Bee – she was winner in the 3rd Annual Putnam County event, stroked the microphone stand in a way that said much more than she perhaps wanted to convey. Cara Pantalone, playing Rona Lisa Perretti was that busy, supressed personality that runs the show – she sold real estate.
The awkward teenage Boy Scout, played by Daniel Spragge, who had let himself slip into a day dream of some wished for girl in his life that produced an erection he was not able to hide was one of the funnier characters on the stage.
I had the pleasure of sitting between Deb Tymstra and Loretta Bailey in the balcony and will not forget the Bailey laugh, it came from deep in her throat, she was thoroughly enjoying the Boy Scout and his predicament. Baily once played a leading role in Les Miserable in Toronto and will be performing at the Lowville Festival on the 24th of July.
The contest judge, played by Christopher Gray, did explain and apologized for the “unfortunate incident” that required him to bow out of the judge job in a previous spelling bee. He assured his audience that he had worked on his problem.
The performance program describes the cast as six quirky adolescents and the three equally quirky grown up who reveal pasts that are at times hilarious and poignant.
Marcy Park, played by Laura Caswell, was waiting for her Dad who had her contest entrance fee, did a superb performance as she sang in a very plaintive voice the words “Mama – chanti” as the Mother who had been in an ashram in India and the Father who didn’t always show up stood on either side looking away from their child.
Her blossoming affection for William Barfee, played by Niko Combitsis, was tender, touching and for this reviewer, stole the show. Mary Park won the hearts of the audience and the Spelling Bee trophy as well.
Barfee was certainly the strongest character on the stage who did a short tap dance, a skill he began to acquire in January. How his dancing and spelling go together is something you are going to have to see to fully appreciate.
Olive Ostrovsky, who spoke six languages, was played by Shaina Silver-Baird who came to the conclusion that wining was perhaps not all it was cracked up to be and left the stage on the back of muscle bound Mitch.
 One of the four volunteer contestants in the Spelling Bee returned to the stage for his bib. They had a lot of fun. Leslie Kay and Christopher Gray performed well – KooGle is their theatre company and it was their efforts and energy that brought the play to the stage of the Community Studio. Christopher has this capacity to expand the character he is playing with small deft movements that convey much more than the words he speak. There is a tightness to the man that works well; not controlled but very evident. He is to be appreciated.
The Performing Arts Centre is a superb location – we are fortunate to have the place. The Spelling Bee – try it – light summer fare that is worth the time. If you are one of those brave souls with a sense of adventure – sign up to be a contestant – there are four spots available for each performance.
They were sold out their opening night and are sold out for several of the seven day run which is: July 14th to 16th and July 21st to 23rd at 7:30 pm in the Community Theatre. The play also runs at 2:00 pm from July 17th to 24th.
 By Staff
July 15th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Thursday night’s game in Burlington between the Bandits and Barrie Baycats was suspended due to rain. The game was tied 2-2 after Barrie’s Jordan Castaldo and Burlington’s Kevin Hussey traded two-run homers. No completion date has been announced.
 In Kitchener, there was no rain and the Panthers won the second half of a home-and-home against Toronto, beating the Maple Leafs 14-6 Thursday night.
David Whiteside had two hits and four RBI to lead the first-place Panthers (21-7), who lost in Toronto on Wednesday. Mike Glinka had three hits, two RBI and a run, Sean Reilly singled twice and drove in two, while Mike Andrulis added two hits, two runs and an RBI.
Jonathan Brouse had a double, two RBI and three runs. Tanner Nivins and Ryan Douse each scored twice, and LeJon Baker came around to score three times.
Ian Rendon (5-1) picked up the win, allowing four runs (two earned) on seven hits over five innings, striking out five and walking five.
Brett van Pelt (1-4) took the loss, going 4.2 innings and giving up 10 runs (eight earned) on 10 hits. Van Pelt walked five and struck out three.
At the plate, Justin Marra hit a two-run home run. Connor Lewis and Ryan White each had two-run singles with the bases loaded, and Dan Marra went 3-for-4 with two runs.
The fifth-place Leafs fell to 14-14.
Future games
Friday, July 15
Burlington at Hamilton, 7:30 p.m.
Toronto at London, 7:35 p.m.
Guelph at Brantford, 8 p.m.
Saturday, July 16
Kitchener at Burlington, 1 p.m.
Brantford at Barrie, 7 p.m.
Hamilton at Guelph, 7:30 p.m.
By Pepper Parr
July 14, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
We are still in the throes of summer – but that doesn’t slow down the people who organize the annual fall Art in Action Studio Tour.
 Darlene Throop the Art in Action Scholarship Chair and Emma Roberts winner of the 2016 scholarship They get the early word out each year by announcing their scholarship winner. This year Emma Roberts, a graduate of Hayden High school who is going on to do a Bachelor of Design through York University and Sheridan College.
As well as winning the scholarship Emma will be included in this year’s Art in Action Burlington Studio Tour on the first weekend of November.
Darlene Throop the Scholarship Chair and the jurying members found that the number of high quality applications made it very difficult decision.
 By Pepper Parr
July 14th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It’s the day the actors take to the stage – and if they aren’t ready now – they will never be ready.
 A tried and true comedy put on by a production company with significant depth and experience. The KooGle Theatre Company is mounting their second major piece of summer theatre at the Performing Art Centre – this time if you’re in the audience and you think you are a good speller – you will be invited to leave your seat and join the actors and actresses on the stage in the Community Studio. You will be taking part in a production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The first KooGle production was I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, a musical comedy that was the second-longest running Off Broadway musical.
The ‘Spelling Bee’, a long one-act musical comedy, centers on a fictional spelling bee set in a geographically ambiguous Putnam Valley Middle School. Six quirky adolescents compete in the Bee, run by three equally quirky grown-ups.
Christopher Gray, half of the KooGle artistic team plays the part of the school vice principal – he grew a mustache for the play which runs from July 14th to 16th and July 21st to 23rd at 7:30 pm in the Community Theatre.
The play also runs from July 17th to 24th at 2:00 pm
Joint artistic directors Leslie Kay and Christopher Grey met on a stage and have made the stage the passion in their life. When talking one will glance at the other and be able to complete the sentence.
 Leslie Kay Leslie Kay was born and raised in Burlington and has been singing and dancing through life since she was a little girl. She loved to belt out songs from Annie and A Chorus Line to her mom’s records and put on shows for her family and neighbours. She enrolled in dance classes when she was 10 and auditioned for her first musical (The King and I) at age 13 with the encouragement of her Grandpa Walker (George) who played the bass fiddle in the orchestra at Hamilton Theatre Inc.
Christopher Alan Gray grew up in Chatham, Ontario and began singing at a very young age in his church choir. He then began studying voice and competed in the Kiwanis Music Festival for many years before receiving his Grade 8 Level Singing from the Royal Conservatory of Music.
Christopher studied action at Ryerson Theatre School where he received his Honours BFA and worked with many of the greats.
He spent a period of time at Stratford as well.
Leslie runs the company on a day to day basis while Christopher works in client relationship for one of the major banks.
 Christopher Alan Gray He has co-produced, co-written and performed in KooGle’s first four productions – Couple of Swells: A Movie Musical Revue, Rock Around the Clock, Let the Sun Shine, and Broadway Moments.
Most recently, KooGle teamed with Symphony on the Bay to present An Afternoon of Rodgers and Hammerstein on the main stage of The Burlington Performing Arts Centre. This sold out show was conducted by Denis Mastromonaco and featured not only the incredible sound of the 50 piece Symphony on the Bay but also fifteen local singers who joined Christopher and Leslie.
The name of the company was created to celebrate and remember Leslie’s sister who assed away very young. “There was a game we used to play that we called “koogling” – it seemed fitting to use that word as the name for the theatre company.
 Leslie Kay and Christoper Grey – the KooGle Theatre Company. Leslie and Christopher always seem to be on the go while raising two boys – six and nine and coming with new ideas it improve commercial theatre in Burlington.
Leslie has done some dance outreach with the Performing Arts Centre,
The I love you you’re perfect…” production was basically a sold out event in Burlington that went on to be remounted as a co-production with Angelwalk Theatre in Toronto at The Toronto Centre for the Arts.
These two have their own on stage experience and have developed the skills to mount larger production. The Spelling Bee is an Actor’s Equity production with a large cast.
The Performing Arts Centre is a “road house” operation that brings in shows from whatever is available. They don’t do productions of their own – but Leslie and Christopher are doing something to fill part of that gap.
It will be interesting to watch how Burlington takes to productions of this quality that deserve the Main Stage – it’s all a matter of growing the audience and that is something the KooGle Theatre Company is certainly doing.
The Community Studio is a General Admission House and all you need to do is enter the number of seats you want if you are ordering on line.
There are already several sold out nights.
By Pepper Parr
July 14th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
If the heat is more than you can manage – and can anyone actually manage this heat – give some thought to a pleasant evening yards away from Bronte Creek in Lowville on a large shaded lawn while you listen to a Shakespearian classic comedy – The Taming of the Shrew
 The play’s apparent misogynistic elements have become the subject of considerable controversy, particularly among modern scholars, audiences and readers.
It is nevertheless wonderful use of the English language in a setting that is hard to beat.
The play is sponsored by Thinkspot, a Lowville based operation that focuses on shifting the way people think and the way they work together.
This is the third year they have sponsored Shakespearian plays done by the Driftwood Theatre Company. The event has become the event that precedes the Lowville Festival which this year begins Friday July 22nd through to Sunday July 24th
The Lowville Festival – for the artist in all of us.
Festival schedule:
 By Staff
July 14th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Bandits were idle Wednesday evening – they put a team on the diamond when the Barrie Baycats come to town.
 Elsewhere in the league the Toronto Leafs knock off first-place Kitchener Panthers in a 10-7 game and the Brantford Red Sox survived a late London rally and beat the Majors 5-4 Wednesday night.
Toronto (14-13) is in fifth place.
Fourth-place Brantford improved to 17-11.
Future games
Thursday, July 14
Toronto at Kitchener, 7:30 p.m.
Barrie at Burlington, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 15
Burlington at Hamilton, 7:30 p.m.
Toronto at London, 7:35 p.m.
Guelph at Brantford, 8 p.m.
 By Staff
July 14, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It is getting hotter and drier out there – dry enough for the fire chief to temporarily ban all outside fires—including open air burning, controlled brush burning and recreational burning—as well as banning the use of charcoal barbecues in city parks.
 BBQ’s that use charcoal have been banned in city parks. “To ensure public safety, the ban on charcoal barbecues applies to the picnic areas of three city parks—LaSalle, Lowville and Hidden Valley—where propane barbecues will still be allowed,” said Mary Battaglia, director of roads and parks maintenance with the city.
City parks are available for social and picnic use. Users are encouraged to book a permit in advance of their preferred dates. Request a booking online at www.burlington.ca/rentals, call 905-335-7738 or visit www.burlington.ca/picnics for more information.
If you are unsure if a fire ban is in effect, please contact the Burlington Fire Department at 905-637-8253 or visit www.burlington.ca/openairburning for more information about open air burning and safety tips.
By Staff
July 13, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
They held it together until the eighth inning and then opened the floodgates and put seven runs on the scoreboard to beat the Guelph Royal 8-5 at a game played in Guelph,
 The Bandits were using their bats.
Canice Ejoh went 3-for-5 and hit his first home run of the season to lead the Bandits offence. Ejoh had three RBI. Nolan Pettipiece had two hits and drove in a pair of runs, while Julian Johnson and Justin Gideon had the other RBIs. Kevin Hussey singled, doubled and scored a run, and Brad McQuinn scored a pair of runs.
Christian Hauck (3-3) went eight innings for the win, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits, striking out eight and walking seven.
For Guelph, Aaron Loder singled, doubled and drove in three. Guelph scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth but fell short. Kyle Alarcon had an RBI and scored twice, and Chandler McLaren also had an RBI. Adam Rossit singled once and scored twice.
Richard Gill (2-3) took the loss after failing to get an out in the ninth inning in relief of AJ Mackey. Gill was charged with two runs on two hits and didn’t record a walk or strikeout.
The sixth-place Bandits improved to 7-18, and the seventh-place Royals dropped to 6-20.
Future games
Wednesday, July 13
Kitchener at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
London at Brantford, 8 p.m.
Thursday, July 14
Toronto at Kitchener, 7:30 p.m.
Barrie at Burlington, 7:30 p.m.
By Pepper Parr
July 12th, 2106
BURLINGTON, ON
It has taken a long time for Nick Carnicelli to begin his project on John street south of Caroline. But the hoardings are up and some of the demolition has begun.
 Seventeen plus storey condominium is part of the three structure Carriage Gate project at John and Caroline. The project will consist of a high end condo, a parking garage and an office building that was promoted as a medical location.
The financing is in place and the sales team is working out of a smart looking office on Old Lakeshore Road.
 Getting this one to the point where the developer can start building has not been easy. There were issues over hydro lines – were they going to get buried and if they were who as going to pay for that work?
And who was going to pay for hauling the power lines all the way up from Lakeshore Road. The city certainly didn’t make it easy for this developer.
The ward Councillor wanted to see affordable housing units in the project that is made up of a parking lot, a medical office building and a condominium.
 Hoardings are going up. This project is one of several that are going to change the look, feel and tone of downtown Burlington. You won’t recognize the place in five years.
Bridgewater will rise 22 storeys above the lake – and right at the edge of the lake, Paradigm has the first three of the five structure project on Fairview well underway. The ADI Nautique development is mired in an OMB hearing.
The Saxony on Locust is in site clearing mode.
The sleepy quiet Burlington that many people want is going to undergo a significant change.
Are we ready for it?
 By Staff
July 12th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The construction season is spread throughout the Region.
 New gas pipeline being laid across the top of the city. Union has is laying pipe for the transmission of gas – the line goes right through the top of Burlington. We get to see what has been happening in western Canada.
The 48-inch diameter steel gas pipeline that would run approximately 22 kilometres, linking Union Gas’s Hamilton valve site, near Hwy. 6 and Carlisle Road, to the Milton Gate Station south of Derry Road.
By Pepper Parr
July 12, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
There is construction going on all over the city. The work that is reaching into the sky is just fine with most people – the work being done on the roads has people complaining – New Street residents are going to be grumpy all summer.
 Concrete pours well underway at the Dundas Sutton project.  An early architects rendering of what the ADI Development Group thought they wanted to do with the Dundas-Sutton project. The look of the project and the price point both underwent a change. The Adi Lynx development on Dundas at Sutton – next to the Bronte Creek is well past the ground breaking stage – there was no ceremonial turning of the sod when that project started.
 Financing of any development project is critical. If you want to understand how the Lynx is being financed – look no further than this organization. The project has a progressive look to it – but if real estate is all about location – Bronte Creek gives this site some cred.
 By Pepper Parr
July 11th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Some momentum is being lost and the boaters at LaSalle Park are now facing an uphill battle to get the funding the need in place for the expansion the LaSalle Park Maria Association has in mind.
John Birch has been a tireless advocate for an upgraded harbour that would protect the boats from some of the rough waves that would roll in and was doing very well with his plans.
 Trumpeter swans were once the biggest problem the LaSalle Park Marina Association had in getting approval for their wave barrier project. It isn’t the swans putting on th brakes – city hall is taking a closer look at the business model. He had run into some resistance from the Trumpeter Swan people who felt the planned harbour would take their habitat away from the birds.
That isn’t the main problem anymore.
The LPMA financing always looked like a bit of a stretch but in the past the association had always met the financial obligations.
 The LaSalle PArk Marina Association wanted to build a wave barrier – the financial model they have used is making city hall uncomfortable. While the current project is quite a bit bigger than anything they had done in the past it appeared to have merit and it was getting past all the milestones.
The harbour the boaters want to put in place certainly had a number of significant benefits for the city.
Birch and ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven get along well and Craven does not like losing something his residents want. Expect some tension to surround this one as it gets worked through.
A Staff report had been prepared and put into the agenda for the current cycle of Standing Committee meetings – then it was pulled from the agenda.
“The primary reason” said city manager James Ridge “is that I believe that Council needs to consider the report in a bigger context, and a broader range of questions about the project.
“The report’s observations are also arguably at odds with a recent resolution of Council to provide a letter of support to the LPMA for grant-seeking purposes. This is further reason for Council to pause to consider the project from a more holistic perspective.
“The project involves City owned assets, and it is unusual to have a Joint Venture partner take on the financing for project of this size which invariably entails risks to both the City and LPMA. At this point we don’t have a detailed costing of the breakwater construction, however the City would very likely be responsible for any cost overruns. And as the report points out, we have concerns about the financial model, including the likely need for a loan from the city with 25 year or more repayment. This would also be unprecedented and have inherent risks.”
 City manager James Ridge “In comments made to the Gazette Ridge said: “The LPMA was unhappy with the report. However it was intended to be an independent arms-length assessment of their business case. The LPMA was very helpful in providing detailed financial records, and met with staff to answer questions before the report was prepared, but clearly disagree with the conclusions. They have provided additional information that we have reviewed, and we will meet with them again, but the report will reflect the City’s independent objective assessment of LPMA’s business case.”
Ridge as a city manager is turning out to be very fiscally prudent – no risk taking on his watch. Wonder what would have happened to the Pier had Ridge been on the job?
The Gazette will analyze the city staff report and publish a follow up piece.
Touch times for the boaters.
By Staff
July 11th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Test Kitchen didn’t make it – maybe Papa Giuseppe’s will do better.
The Test Kitchen was a restaurant that opened up on Brant street and for a short period of time was the hottest spot in town with an exception $10 lunch with a beverage included on the menu.
 The Test Kitchen had a sparse clean look to it – it was the place to be seen.  The former Test Kitchen was the first restaurant in the city to put up a pop up patio. There are now two on Brant Street. The place had a buzz to it and you sometimes had to wait to get a table.
They used all the high tech stuff to take your order and the staff was made up of those young people that just exuded energy.
Alas, something went wrong somewhere and they were suddenly gone. Overnight they stripped the two locations they had and haven’t been since.
There are a number of suppliers and a former landlord that would like to talk to them. Rumour has it that the people who backed the place financially are also looking for them… And these people aren’t your traditional bankers.
The Test Kitchen were the people that brought the first pop up patio to the city – let’s give them credit for that much.
 Papa Giuseppe’s east side of Brant – south of Caroline.
By Pepper Parr
July 11, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
And so we are going to grow Up, Smart and Beautiful – which is the tag line for what most of us understand as intensification.
How far up we go and where that up takes place is what a lengthy Committee of the Whole was about Thursday afternoon.
Council was assured that the planners knew where that “up” growth should take place and where is won’t take place.
The policies in the existing Official Plan are intended to guide the review of Official Plan Amendments involving a proposed increase in density.
These policies generally assist staff to review these applications on a site-specific basis but lack the required supporting policy framework that ensures that the proposal conforms to a broader city-wide vision and will support other important community and city-building objectives contained with the Official Plan and Council’s Strategic Plan.
 This is the vision – a clear separation between rural and urban. Without a city wide-wide vision, intensification can quickly become sporadic and create many challenges for the city including:
• limiting opportunities to concentrate growth in key under-utilized areas which have the potential to be major sources of new growth and investment;
• creating the potential for proponent driven intensification proposals in established neighbourhood areas of the city;
• resulting in the sporadic allocation of limited financial resources for development specific infrastructure and/or community infrastructure upgrades/investments; and
• not achieving key goals and objectives of the Official Plan, Places to Grow and Strategic Plan.
In 2008, the city’s first intensification framework was developed and endorsed by city Council. This strategy was primarily intended to form the basis for the development of new mixed use land use designations in the Official Plan and to identify the city’s capacity for population growth as part of the Region’s 2031 growth allocation process. However, the strategy and associated mapping were not incorporated as part of the current Official Plan.
As of March 2016, 72% of proposed residential units since 2006 which are either currently under review by city staff/under appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board, or have been approved by city staff but for which a Building Permit has not yet been issued, were located outside of the intensification areas identified through the city’s previous 2008 framework.
What that seems to say is that developers paid no attention to the Official Plan and the city let them get away with.
“Given current development trends since the development of the 2008 intensification strategy, staff believe that action must be taken to establish a comprehensive vision for intensification in the city through the Official Plan.”
Proposed Direction: Intensification Framework
A new city-wide Intensification Framework is proposed as part of the current Official Plan Review that will build upon Council’s new Strategic Plan and serve to provide greater clarity and direction to the public, city staff and other levels of government as to where and how the city plans to grow and intensify over time. More specifically, the new framework will have four key objectives:
1. serve as a filter through which privately initiated Official Plan amendments for increased density are considered and evaluated to ensure that growth is being directed to priority areas including key under-utilized mixed use and transit station areas;
2. provide the basis for the development of population and jobs growth capacity projections which will inform the forthcoming 2041 growth allocations by the Region of Halton;
3. ensure coordination amongst various city departments and other levels of government and service providers with respect to the efficient and timely focusing of investment/upgrades in infrastructure (including water and wastewater servicing, transit, utilities etc.) and community infrastructure (including parks, community facilities and public realm) which may required to support intensification and long-term growth; and
4. provide greater opportunities to accommodate a variety of housing forms that can serve the needs of a broad demographic in terms of tenure, affordability and access to services and transit.
The following sections will identify how the proposed Intensification Framework will achieve these objectives by outlining the proposed details/structure of the framework, how the proposed framework will be implemented and also identify how the framework will serve to inform future city initiatives related to intensification.
The proposed framework will achieve its objectives by establishing four key areas:
Primary Intensification Areas,
Secondary Intensification Areas,
Employment Intensification Areas
Established Neighbourhood Areas.
For each area, the Official Plan will contain objectives and policies that, while maintaining development permissions provided through the underlying land use designations, will serve to establish clear expectations for the scale and type of intensification that is expected within each area and provide greater direction when evaluating proponent driven Official Plan amendments for increased density. The high-level geographies, objectives and policies of each area are outlined below:
The Primary Intensification Area will be comprised of major nodes and corridors, which may include various residential, mixed use, commercial or employment land uses in areas which have the greatest potential to accommodate intensification including: the city’s Urban Growth Centre (UGC); mixed use areas of the Uptown Urban Centre; the Aldershot, Burlington and Appleby Mobility Hubs; the Plains Road/Fairview Street Urban Corridor; the Brant Street Urban Corridor and aging Neighbourhood Centres located south of the QEW
 This is a draft document. Primary Intensification Areas will focus on the intensification of under-utilized mixed use and employment areas (including Mobility Hubs) which have the greatest potential to accommodate significant population and employment growth and foster the development of pedestrian and transit-oriented neighbourhoods.
Growth within Primary Intensification Areas will account for a majority of the city’s growth over the planning horizon of the Official Plan and create a network of density that will support higher-order/frequent transit opportunities.
Policies for the Primary Intensification Area will require new developments to achieve intensification and promote developments which propose significant population/employment growth to locate in the Primary Intensification Areas to ensure that proposed redevelopments make the most of the development potential these areas offer. In addition, policies will ensure that these areas are planned to develop as complete communities and that Primary Intensification Areas are a focus for city, Regional and Provincial investment/upgrades to infrastructure and community infrastructure which may be needed to support significant population and job growth in these areas.
Secondary Intensification Areas will be comprised of commercial/mixed use designated areas and generally vacant sites which are not located within a Primary or Employment Intensification Areas and which are located immediately adjacent to an arterial street. In addition, staff propose that sites containing publicly-funded schools be generally identified as forming part of the Secondary Intensification Area in order to recognize potential redevelopment/intensification needs on these sites over the long-term which may not conform to the traditional residential land use designations applied to these sites.
Secondary Intensification Areas will consist of areas which may contain limited, site specific opportunities for intensification over the planning horizon of the Official Plan. However, to ensure the Primary Intensification Areas remain the primary focus for significant intensification and infrastructure and community infrastructure investment, these areas will not be intended to intensify at a scale or intensity equal to that of the Primary Intensification Area. As such, Secondary Intensification Areas will not be intended to accommodate a majority of the city’s growth to 2031.
In order to meet the intent of the Secondary Intensification Areas, policies will include criteria to evaluate intensification proposals which involve an Official Plan Amendment for increased density. The criteria will focus on the proposed scale and intensity of the proposed development to ensure that the proposal will not result in significant unplanned population growth beyond that currently permitted under a site’s existing Official Plan permissions and that the proposal will not require infrastructure/community infrastructure investments/upgrades in order to be accommodated.
This will provide staff and Council with greater control and predictability that development proposals involving significant population and employment growth will be focused/directed towards the Primary Intensification Areas. In addition, this will ensure that financial resources for potential infrastructure investment/upgrades required to accommodate growth are not being redirected to areas outside of the Primary Intensification Areas.
Established Neighbourhood Areas
Established Neighbourhood Areas will be comprised of existing, predominantly residential neighbourhoods (including areas designated as Residential Low, Medium or High Density) as well as small neighbourhood-oriented commercial sites which are not located on an arterial street.
 This is a draft document. Established Neighbourhood Areas will be intended to accommodate existing development, redevelopment and intensification opportunities which are already currently permitted through a site’s Official Plan land use designation. As such, Established Neighbourhood Areas will not be considered essential towards achieving population/employment growth to 2031 and beyond.
In order to maintain the stability of the Established Neighbourhood Areas and limit the potential for the introduction of significant and unplanned intensification proposals into these areas, policies will be introduced that prohibit privately initiated Official Plan amendments for increased density beyond that permitted through the underlying land use designation.
As a result, only the following forms of intensification would be permitted within the Established Neighbourhood Area:
Redevelopment/infill in accordance with Official Plan land use permissions;
Consents to Sever;
Plans of Subdivision; and
Accessory Dwelling Units (e.g. second suites, including detached units).
This limitation would not prevent or preclude the potential for redevelopment or intensification of sites within the Established Neighbourhood Area but rather provide greater certainty that any proposals will be in keeping with the existing permissions provided through the site’s Official Plan land use designation and compatible with the neighbourhood’s existing built form, density, and scale.
Employment Intensification Areas
The Employment Intensification Areas will be comprised of areas identified as city or Regional ‘Areas of Employment’ as identified at the conclusion of the city’s Municipal Comprehensive Review. However, this will not include employment designated areas located in undeveloped areas outside of the built boundary as the proposed Intensification Framework is intended to apply only to developed areas where redevelopment and intensification would occur within an existing developed area context.
 This is where the residential housing was built. While not forming part of the Intensification Framework, employment designated lands within undeveloped areas of the city will continue to be governed by the underlying land use designations and policies of the Official Plan and will continue to form part of the city’s employment land inventory pending the outcome of the city’s Municipal Comprehensive Review.
The Employment Intensification Area is intended to capture employment lands located within developed areas which have the potential to accommodate further intensification and job growth to 2031 and beyond.
Within Employment Intensification Areas, staff generally believe that existing Official Plan permissions/policies along with the implementation of Council endorsed policy directions provided through the Employment Lands Direction Report will ensure that the Employment Intensification Area can continue to provide substantial opportunities for future intensification and job growth. A new policy is proposed that will promote significant employment intensification proposals to be located in areas which are in close proximity to transit routes and/or major, multi-purpose or minor arterial streets to ensure these proposals are adequately served by the city’s transportation network. In addition, staff may review the need for any additional policies pending the outcome of the city’s current Municipal Comprehensive Review for employment lands.
Council, meeting as a Standing Committee endorsed the report unanimously. It will get final approval at the next city council meeting.
It is a report that needs close study – policy for a long period of time is being put in place. The intensification targets will get written into the Official Plan – which both staff and council would like to see as something that has stronger teeth to it.
 This is a map of the 2008 intensification framework. The section of the staff report that told of the “72% of proposed residential units since 2006 were located outside of the intensification areas identified through the city’s previous 2008 framework” is troubling.
There will be more to say about intensification – right now it is Up, Smart and Beautiful as the city decides to Grow Bold.
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