The City of Burlington is ready to help: Choose the option that works best for you

By Staff

July 12, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

 

 

This – direct from City Hall!

It’s easy to connect with the City of Burlington. Whatever City service you are looking for, we are ready to help you. Connect with us online and virtually, via email, by phone and in-person. Choose the option that works best for you. Book appointments that suit your schedule.

Here’s how to connect with us

Phone

Call Service Burlington at 905-335-7777 Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Email

Send us an email at city@burlington.ca.

Visit

You can visit Service Burlington in its temporary location on the third floor of 390 Brant St., beside City Hall. Enter from Elgin Street. Some in-person services such as marriage licences and commissioning require an appointment. Visit burlington.ca or call 905-335-7777 to arrange a time.

Additionally, the Burlington Bus Terminal at 430 John St. and City recreation facilities are also available for in-person help.

Virtual

You can connect with us virtually via Microsoft Teams. Call 905-335-7777 to set up a time.

Online

Visit us at burlington.ca.

Quick Facts

  • The following in-person payments are available at Service Burlington, Monday to Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.:

–          Parking permits and tickets

–          Property taxes

–          Freedom of Information requests

–          Garbage tags

–          Dog licenses

–          Property information requests

–          Recreation services

  • Many services are also available online at burlington.ca/onlineservices.
  • The average wait time to answer phone calls to 905-335-7777 is five seconds or less.

Angela Morgan, Strategic Lead, Customer Experience

Angela Morgan, Strategic Lead, Customer Experience and a former City Clerk had this to say about communicating with the city:

“We want our customers to know we’re here to help. As we emerge from wide-spread lockdowns, and as the construction continues on the main floor of City Hall, we have had some customers ask us how they can connect with City staff.

The City of Burlington is operating with a mix of in-person, remote and off-site work and is ready to help customers with whatever City service they need in the way that is most convenient for them.”

 

 

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Something is up - Council in closed session to Review City Manager performance - outside counsel taking part

By Staff

July 12th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Two items were added to the City Council meeting Tuesday afternoon as “Urgent Business”

The Mayor revised the Agenda to bring these two items to the top of the Agenda because outside counsel was to take part

They two items are:

14.1

Integrity Commissioner RFP/Contract Approval

Re-Appoint Principles Integrity as the Integrity Commissioners for the City of Burlington and its local boards pursuant to section 223.3(1) of the Municipal Act for a term to December 31, 2026.

Authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to execute an agreement and any ancillary documents between the City of Burlington and Principles Integrity for integrity commissioner services, in a form satisfactory to the Executive Director of Legal Services and Corporation Counsel.

14.2

Confidential verbal update regarding City Manager Performance Review

Pursuant to Section 239(2)(b) of the Municipal Act, personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees.

 

It would be hard to come up with a reason for outside Counsel to be involved in the issuing of a new contract for the services of an Integrity Commissioner – but one never knows.

The second item – a Performance Review of the City Manager and the job he has done.  The review is a normal part of how municipalities operate – by why a need for outside counsel?

It will be interesting to see what comes out of the Closed Session.

Has Tim Commisso finally had enough and wants out of his contract and has a lawyer in the room?

Something is up!

 

 

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Has Kimberley Calderbank taken the first step to running for office in 2022 ?

By Pepper Parr

July 12th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Is this the first step[p into entering the race for the ward 2 council seat?

The line in an item on the LinkedIn platform read:

Is Kimberly Calderbank getting ready to get back into politics ?

Looking to hire a Coordinator.
Work from home/Virtual opportunity.
The candidate will work with both Yellow Robot Marketing and Black Robot (Print shop).
Detail-oriented, and experienced. Positive, can-do attitude.
Tasks may include –
Liaise with clients
Coordinate print schedule
Review/Proof-read social media posts and schedule
Source opportunities for speaking engagements/business growth
Excellent customer service.
Past work experience with not-for-profit/charity is a great asset.
Please email your interest/resume to Kimberly@yellowrobot.ca

I never saw the Yellow Robot operation as a not for profit – it is certainly a going concern.

The background story might be that Kimberly Calderbank is bringing in some administrative help to free up the time she will need if she decides to challenge Lisa Kearns for the ward 2 city council seat.

It will be a much smaller list of candidates in 2022

In the years since the 2018 municipal election Kimberly has grown professionally. She serves as the media lead for the Halton Police Services Board and for the Ontario Police Services Board. She does media for the Food4Life and was a Cogeco commentator during the Sound of Music parade.

Kimberly Calderbank has an itch for public service. This may be the year she makes a move.  She once told this reporter that she wanted at some point in time to be Mayor of the city.

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CDH provides an Interpretation of Age Census Data and struggles to reorganize and stay relevant

BY Pepper Parr

July 12th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Community Development Halton (CDH) has been struggling with budget issues, as has every not for profit organization in the Region.

They parted ways with their Executive Director and some staff and are now looking for other not for profits to share the space they have on the South Service Road.

Their intention is to turn the space into something bigger than a CDH office – they want to create a community hub where organizations with similar interests can share space, share resources and more importantly share ideas and look for some intellectual pollination

It has been a turbulent couple of years for CDH – the pandemic didn’t help and the disruption that took place when Joey Edwardh  resigned made it difficult to get a firm grip on what the organization was going to become given the gaps at the leadership level.

It is currently an organization with not much in the way of leadership or anyone with experience in the complex subject of community development.

There have been significant shifts in the make up of the Board – it is a complex job that calls for an understanding of just what the purpose of the organization is and then getting buy-in from the larger community and then being able to leverage that community acceptance into some funding.

While the job description of the Executive Directors includes fund raising none of them managed to raise as much as a dime.

Ted Hildebrand spent 20 years plus with Community Development Halton but was not seen as a future Executive Director – it took time and considerable effort to resolve that parting of ways.

One of the services CDH has been able to continue delivering is the “Community Lens” – reports that take a closer look at issues significant and relevant to the work CDH struggles to do.

Jan Mowbray served as the President of the Board for two terms and struggled to re-build a board that had in the past been unable to meet the governance need.

Ann Lawlor,, Chair of Community Development Halton Board

Mowbray ended the number of terms she was permitted to serve as a Director and Board Chair and was replaced by Ann Lawlor,  who is  a member of the Halton Hills Town Council.

Having elected people serve on the Boards of not for profits has never been a particularly good idea.  Mowbray served as a Councillor in Milton for two terms after which she turned her attention to CDH.  She now serves as an adviser to Law while she gets a grip on just what the organization does and figures out how they can begin to once again serve the community

The Community Lens reports are good, exceptionally good on occasion, that alone id not enough to justify the amount of public money they receive.

Board members are not remunerated.

Median age and average age are commonly used to describe the age of a population.

Both metrics enable historical comparison of a population or comparison between populations. When a population is divided into various age groups, the age distribution pattern is a useful tool for government, non-profit organizations and businesses to plan, develop and deliver their age-related goods and services.

For example, the size and rate of change of the children’s age group provides vital information for the planning and delivery of children’s education. A non-profit agency serving seniors is interested in the growth of the various age groups over 65 years old. Businesses can better target their products and services to clients in various age groups

Age distribution can be presented in a population pyramid. Each horizontal bar represents an age group (e.g., 0-4 years old) and the proportion (percentage) of the total population. The pyramid is divided into two halves, one for male and the other for female. A pyramid with a wide base and narrow top indicates a young and possibly growing population. On the other hand, an inverted pyramid with a narrow base and wide top, points to an ageing and potentially shrinking population.

The pyramids displayed above show the age distribution of the population in Halton’s local municipalities. They capture a decade of change between 2011 and 2021. The 2021 pyramid (in red outline) is superimposed on top of the 2011 pyramid (in grey).

City of Burlington

Its median age was 44.4 years in 2021, the highest among the four municipalities. The top portion of the pyramid continued to widen. The senior age groups experienced faster growth than the other age groups. They accounted for 21% of the total population in 2021. Over one in five residents was a senior. Among the 6,100 seniors over the age of 85, over two-thirds were women. There were no significant changes in the other age groups.

Town of Oakville

Its median age was 41.6 years in 2021. The top portion of the pyramid was also widening. There was a noticeably narrow mid portion indicating a shrinkage of the 35 to 59 age groups. The share of the child population under 9 years of age decreased by about 2%.

Town of Milton

It was the youngest municipality in Halton. Its median age was 36 years in 2021. However, the base of the pyramid has contracted. The share of the 0-9 years age group old has decreased from 18% to 16%. Although the share of its senior population has increased, especially in the 65 to 79 age groups, the pyramid still has a relatively narrow top in comparison with the bottom.

Milton also has a much more diverse population.

Town of Halton Hills

Its median age was 42 years in 2021. To some extent, the shape of the pyramid resembles that of Oakville. All the above 55 years age groups had increased their shares of the total population.

The challenge now is for each community to take this data and lay it into a bigger data set that includes the number of new residents who will arrive in 2031, then 2041 and then 2051 – time frames that the Region does its planning around.

How many seniors will there be and what will they need in the way of services.  Parks and Recreation, cultural activities that fit into the mindset of that demographic.

What the public doesn’t see is – just how does CDH work?  Has consideration been given to making their Board meetings public and perhaps some of the committee level work as well.

Room for growth – because the population they are serving is certainly going to grow.

The biggest challenge CDH has is improving its relevance.  Losing much of the financial support from United Way was not a good sign.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Your Guide to the Most Popular Sports Betting Options

By Maria Gracious

July 12th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Before you start betting on sports, it’s critical to understand the most frequent bet kinds offered by oddsmakers. It’s amazing how many individuals wager on sports without recognizing what they’re doing or just don’t care.

Here’s a quick breakdown of each of the key bets available from the bookmakers.

Understand the most frequent bet kinds offered by oddsmakers.

Point Spread
Point Spreads betting is the most prevalent type of gambling for most sports bettors, commonly known as handicap betting. Point spread wagering is well-known among football bettors, but it’s also a popular technique of gambling on basketball. In most sports, the home team is listed second, while the away team is listed first.

Because it’s so simple, point spread betting is popular. For newbie bettors, the easiest way to grasp it is to add or subtract the point spread from their team’s score. If you bet on the underdog, then add to the point spread, and subtract points if you bet on the favorite. You win the bet by covering the point spread after doing your math.

Totals
Totals, commonly known as under/over bets, are the same throughout most betting markets, irrespective of which sport it is. The idea is straightforward. The bookmakers estimate the total amount of points achieved in a given game, and bettors can gamble on an amount under or over that figure.

Also, remember that the total includes all points scored in a game, not just those scored in normal time. Extra points are added to the total if a game goes into overtime.

Moneyline
Moneylines are the simplest form of betting. Moneyline wagers, also known as win betting or line bets in various areas of the world, don’t include any form of point spreads. When betting on Moneylines, gamblers are betting on the contest’s winner. There’s no point differential.

Futures
Futures, often known as outright bets, are wagers placed on events that occur weeks or months later. However, they can be gambled on for a shorter duration until the event is determined. Future markets, unlike point spreads or total wagering, can’t push. Bettors either win or lose their wager. The most prevalent future bets are based on big sports championships.

Propositions
Many online bookmakers refer to propositions, as props for short. Props are marketplaces that are unrelated to the game’s final conclusion or score. They’re point spread and total derivatives that act as a game inside a game for gamblers. Originally, they were just novelty wagers, but they’re now available regularly for several sports.

Props are classified into two types: player props and team props. “Who will score first?” is one of the most wagered on prop bets, although the prop bet markets available for bettors to choose from are extensive. Many prop bets on various sporting events are available at several sportsbooks. It’s up to the oddsmakers’ creativity, but proposition markets provide an infinite number of possibilities.

Final Words
One of the major advantages of online sports betting is the diversity of betting possibilities accessible. The betting options mentioned above are only a tiny part of the oddsmakers’ wagering arsenal. However, it’s advised that beginner bettors stick to them before moving on to more intricate and advanced bet types.

There’s a lot of value to be discovered in the markets mentioned above. If you line up your bets correctly, you should have no trouble starting your online sports betting journey while following our guide.

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Burlington Green is pumped! They have set up their offices in the old Pump House

By Pepper Par

July 12th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

Wednesday, July 20th, 2022 / 1:30 – 2:30 PM
Light Refreshments & Small Group Tours
OUTDOOR EVENT – RAIN OR SHINE

Burlington Green has pulled of a really smart opportunity.

I was tipped off that there was a major news story coming – that was as much as the informant would say.

Then the announcement came out that the Pump House on Lakeshore Road was going to serve as a EcoHub for Burlington Green – what a great idea.

Then I wondered how that came about – put a bunch of questions to Any Schnurr who tried at first to slide by them – a little more poking the near and Any explained.

A significant piece of the city’s infrastructure history has been repurposed – fitting that it becomes the new home for Burlington Green

The city had posted a Request for Proposals i=on their web site.

Someone at Burlington Green immediately saw the benefits for their organization.

The Pump House served as a private residence when it no longer pumped water

They put together a response and the city bought it – and why not. The Pump House is a significant part of the city’s infrastructure history. At one point that location pumped all the water Burlington needed to households across the city. Burlington was probably a town when all this happened.

The building underwent some major upgrades – the roof was replaced and some of the architectural features were given some help.

The inside was basically bare – running water and heat.

The basement is dry – for a building that close to the lake to have a dry basement attests to some solid construction work.
The city then put out proposals and found a woman who wanted to set up a beach xxx operation. You could rent chairs, umbrellas, paddle boats. It was a good idea but when Covid19 shut down the city it wasn’t viable – rent had to be paid and there were no customers.

The building was empty – again.

This is one of those win win situations. A part of the city’s heritage was being put to good use and an important part of the city’s not for profit community had a new home.

The current pumping station and water treatment plant are just across the road.

Hopefully Amy will learn from this experience that getting as much information as possible out as early as possible is part of being transparent and accountable.

The Mayor will apparently cut a ribbon – we thought she might go for a swim.

You are asked to reserve at:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/burlingtongreen-eco-hub-launch-tickets-382645351547

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One Burlington at Performing Arts August 1st - A CELEBRATION OF DIVERSITY

By Staff

July 9th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

 

No Sunscreen, No Bug Spray, No Umbrellas Needed!

New this year, One Burlington’s Celebration of Diversity is being held at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre (BPAC) instead of outdoors at a local park.  Holding this FREE event at BPAC allows us to offer air conditioning, full accessibility, beautiful facilities and rain can’t dampen the day.

The event runs from noon to 4:00pm.  International food trucks will be outside to provide lunch and snacks from 11:30am.  Enjoy lunch at the nearby Cogeco Patio under the trees.  Coffee, tea and water are available free in the BPAC lobby.

Community and professional performers will be featured on the Main Stage theatre.  Shows begin at 12:15 and run every 20 minutes.  Performers range from Chinese Zither players to JoyRide, an entertaining exploration of musical instruments to Tyrsa Ukrainian Dancers.

The BPAC lobby will house community, faith and cultural groups at tables to provide information on their services and programs.  This is a one-stop shopping opportunity to learn about what’s available in Burlington.

There will be a panel discussion in the Studio Theatre from 12:15 to !:30.  The topic is “Working for Peace”.  Moderator Rev. Michael Coren is known for his controversial history as a conservative journalist and TV presenter before his change of heart and subsequent ordination in the Anglican Church.  Panelists come from a range of experience as faith leaders and educators.  Two Prayer Rooms are available for a little private time away from the crowd.

The Burlington Performing Arts Centre is the perfect facility for this event.  BPAC has fully equipped theatres, a large glass enclosed lobby and plenty of space on the Cogeco Patio and the Plaza for enjoying international foods.  All of this and no chance of sun stroke, rain or annoying bugs.

All activities are free of charge. Everyone is welcome to come and experience what Burlington has to offer.

For more information, please contact Barbara Anderson-Huget, Project Manager, One Burlington at barbarinaah@yahoo.ca.

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Burlington isn't even on the list of the Best Places to Buy a Home

By Staff

July 7th. 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

 

When the list of the Best Places to buy a home was published people who wanted to buy in Burlington knew the city didn’t have a chance of being anywhere near the top of the list.

Burlington isn’t even on the list of 35 cities.

What does it all mean?  More people will be looking into the Guelph market which might take some pressure off the Burlington market.

But for those owning homes in Burlington, those sky high prices are just fine.

 

 

 

1 Guelph (ON) ON $527,300 8.65 $65,567
2 London (ON) ON $394,622 7.6 $26,506
3 Victoria (BC) BC $678,700 12.16 $18,159
4 Ottawa (ON) ON $403,800 6.53 $-56,276
5 Kingston (ON) ON $366,549 6.54 $50,265
6 Brantford (ON) ON $426,037 8.36 $13,963
7 Hamilton (ON) ON $585,500 10.36 $50,934
8 Kitchener – Cambridge – Waterloo (ON) ON $491,241 8.57 $40,590
9 Abbotsford – Mission (BC) BC $858,132 16.59 $204,819
10 Windsor (ON) ON $313,281 6.07 $-12,225
11 Saguenay (QC) QC $178,811 3.66 $-5,046
12 Peterborough (ON) ON $435,964 8.61 $75,786
13 Trois-Rivières (QC) QC $166,280 3.91 $-32,594
14 Barrie (ON) ON $466,400 8.2 $29,017
15 Durham/Oshawa ON $576,702 9.48 $120,917
16 Gatineau (QC) QC $267,187 4.85 $-71,252
17 Québec (QC) QC $266,201 5.14 $-43,130
18 Sherbrooke (QC) QC $226,354 5.18 $-37,611
19 St. Catharines – Niagara (ON) ON $397,000 8 $-27,449
20 Kelowna (BC) BC $494,500 9.2 $-173,514
21 Greater Sudbury (ON) ON $250,495 4.49 $-95,121
22 Vancouver (BC) BC $1,017,900 19.58 $-147,910
23 Thunder Bay (ON) ON $219,203 4.13 $-100,435
24 Charlottetown (PE) PE $221,761 7.68 $-36,488
25 Montréal (QC) QC $353,400 7.54 $-38,332
26 Halifax (NS) NS $301,011 5.82 $-89,910
27 Toronto (ON) ON $767,800 14.83 $68,201
28 Winnipeg (MB) MB $266,600 5.2 $-97,045
29 Saint John (NB) NB $182,350 3.68 $-76,154
30 Regina (SK) SK $264,200 4.4 $-141,302
31 Moncton (NB) NB $199,050 4.09 $83,337
32 St. John’s (NL) NL $285,287 5.14 $-72,966
33 Saskatoon (SK) SK $282,500 4.84 $-89,994
34 Calgary (AB) AB $414,600 6.5 $-118,239
35 Edmonton (AB) AB $316,200 5.02 $-141,471

 

1 Guelph (ON) ON $527,300 8.65 $65,567
2 London (ON) ON $394,622 7.6 $26,506
3 Victoria (BC) BC $678,700 12.16 $18,159
4 Ottawa (ON) ON $403,800 6.53 $-56,276
5 Kingston (ON) ON $366,549 6.54 $50,265
6 Brantford (ON) ON $426,037 8.36 $13,963
7 Hamilton (ON) ON $585,500 10.36 $50,934
8 Kitchener – Cambridge – Waterloo (ON) ON $491,241 8.57 $40,590
9 Abbotsford – Mission (BC) BC $858,132 16.59 $204,819
10 Windsor (ON) ON $313,281 6.07 $-12,225
11 Saguenay (QC) QC $178,811 3.66 $-5,046
12 Peterborough (ON) ON $435,964 8.61 $75,786
13 Trois-Rivières (QC) QC $166,280 3.91 $-32,594
14 Barrie (ON) ON $466,400 8.2 $29,017
15 Durham/Oshawa ON $576,702 9.48 $120,917
16 Gatineau (QC) QC $267,187 4.85 $-71,252
17 Québec (QC) QC $266,201 5.14 $-43,130
18 Sherbrooke (QC) QC $226,354 5.18 $-37,611
19 St. Catharines – Niagara (ON) ON $397,000 8 $-27,449
20 Kelowna (BC) BC $494,500 9.2 $-173,514
21 Greater Sudbury (ON) ON $250,495 4.49 $-95,121
22 Vancouver (BC) BC $1,017,900 19.58 $-147,910
23 Thunder Bay (ON) ON $219,203 4.13 $-100,435
24 Charlottetown (PE) PE $221,761 7.68 $-36,488
25 Montréal (QC) QC $353,400 7.54 $-38,332
26 Halifax (NS) NS $301,011 5.82 $-89,910
27 Toronto (ON) ON $767,800 14.83 $68,201
28 Winnipeg (MB) MB $266,600 5.2 $-97,045
29 Saint John (NB) NB $182,350 3.68 $-76,154
30 Regina (SK) SK $264,200 4.4 $-141,302
31 Moncton (NB) NB $199,050 4.09 $83,337
32 St. John’s (NL) NL $285,287 5.14 $-72,966
33 Saskatoon (SK) SK $282,500 4.84 $-89,994
34 Calgary (AB) AB $414,600 6.5 $-118,239
35 Edmonton (AB) AB $316,200 5.02 $-141,471
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Centre for Skills Development - Job openings

By Staff

July 7th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

 

 

 

SUSTAINABLE AND MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT FOR EVERYONE.

TRANSFORMING LIVES AND IMPROVING THE WORKFORCE AND ECONOMY.

·    Business Developer – Ornamental Plant Breeding

·    Teacher

·    Bulk Selector

·    Cook

·    Early Child Educator 

·    Electrical Panel Assembler

·    General Assembler (Oakville)

·    General Labour (Milton)

·    General Labourer (Burlington)

·    Medical Office Assistant

·    Order Fulfillment Team Member

·    Production Line Operator

·    Project Assistant

·    Receptionist / Office Administration 

·    Room Attendant

·    Sanitation General Labourer

·    Security Guard Patrol

·    Sorter / Loader

·    Data Integrity Specialist

·    Demand Planner

·    Hotel Cleaner

·    IT Manager

·    Junior Woodworker / Helper

·    Sales Support Associate

·   Trades Assistant Instructor – Construction

·    Trades Assistant Instructor – Machining

·    Trades Instructor – Machining Warehouse Production Team Leader

·    Workers Compensation Specialist

·    EDI Specialist (6 Month Contract)

·    Application Specialist

·    Apprentice – Transit Mechanic

·    Customer Service Representative

·    Dispatcher – Crossborder

·    General Laborer

·    Graphic Designer

·    Material Handler

·    Production Associate

·    Receptionist / Admin Support

·    School Custodian

·    Shipper/Receiver Sr. Communications Manager

 

SEE ALL JOBS
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Surprise candidiate running as Regional Chair - Andrea Grebenc school board Chair moving up the food chain

By Staff

July 6th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Here is a candidate announcement that surprised many – Andrea Grebenc, business owner for over 20 years, elected Trustee in 2014 and 2018 in municipal elections and elected Board Chair for four annual terms (2018-2021), is seeking the office of Halton Regional Chair in the October 24, 2022 municipal election.

Andrea Grebenc

Grebenc appears to be taking the position that younger more energetic leadership is needed at the Regional level. She wants to bring new ideas that meet the needs of those who are raising families and appreciate just how safe life is in the Region – she wants to build on that

Andrea is currently in her final year of her second four-year Trustee term with the Halton District School Board (HDSB). The organization is one of the largest organizations within Halton and one of the largest school boards in the province with an annual operating budget of $850 million dollars, over 100 facilities and 10,000 staff that serves the entire region.

The HDSB has been one of the top performing boards in Ontario during her tenure and while sitting as Chair she was often sought out by other Ontario School Board Chairs for advice. Halton Region functions under similar laws and governance rules and processes as the HDSB.

Andrea is known by many media outlets for providing frank and factual insight on education issues. A listing of interviews and articles is available on the Andrea4Halton.ca website. She looks to continue to serve the people of Halton in an alternate leadership position at the Regional level.

“The role of Regional Chair requires passion, energy and accessibility to fight for the well-being and interests of Halton Region. I have demonstrated these assets as a Trustee, Board Chair and entrepreneur.” – Andrea Grebenc

Grebenc:: core values include transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Andrea has developed relationships with local, provincial and federal elected officials and is always ready to listen and serve her constituents. She has an excellent record as Trustee and Board Chair, with stellar attendance and trying to improve the system by sitting on and often chairing standing and ad hoc committees. Andrea’s core values include transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement.

As a business owner/consultant in the Information Technology (IT) field, Andrea has worked with organizations large and small to provide services and solutions. Her largest clients have included Toyota Canada Inc. and McMaster University where she has taught for over 20 years. She is a problem solver and collaborator.

Andrea has lived most of her life in Burlington. She loves Halton and has chosen to raise her three children here with her husband who also works in the IT field.

To be a part of this bid for fresh, strong leadership in Halton, join the campaign by volunteering, donating, and ordering a sign. Invite Andrea to events, large or small. Information is available at Andrea4Halton.ca. Reach out to Andrea at contact@Andrea4Halton.ca or call (905) 510-4847. Follow Andrea on Twitter at @AndreaGrebenc or on Facebook at @Andrea4Halton.

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Opinion writer finds fault with Canada’s legal system

By Connor Fraser,

July 6th,  2022

BURLINGTON, ON

 

These last few weeks I have been unusually tired. Initially, I suspected that a combination of tough assignments at work and the warm weather were doing me in. However, a string of recent crimes and developments in high-profile cases have truly taken my breath away, to the point where I am ashamed to call myself Canadian. Happy belated Canada Day, I guess.

Accident scene in Vaughan where three children and a grandfather lost their lives

A few weeks ago, Edward Neville-Lake took his own life, 7 years after his 3 children and father-in-law were killed by Marco Muzzo at a Vaughan intersection. Muzzo – who was initially sentenced to 10 years in prison (despite having admitted to driving drunk in the past a handful of times) is now a full parolee, with no driving restrictions.

Back in May, Brady Robertson, 21, who killed a woman and her three daughters in a horrific crash in Brampton in 2020, was sentenced to 17 years in prison. Considering time served, Robertson will be released in just over 14 years. With our country’s disturbing affinity for early parolees, my money says he’ll be out in less than 7.

And this notwithstanding the fact that Robertson had the gall to appeal the government’s limit of THC concentration as “arbitrary” – despite himself having a THC concentration of 8 times the legal limit during the crash.

More recently, in its decision R v. Bissonnette, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down a Harper-era law allowing judges to stack parole ineligibility periods for multiple murders, alleging that such a punishment violates Section 12 of the Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms, which protects against “cruel & unusual punishment.”

In a country which prides itself for having a justice system designed to protect minority rights, these cases stand out for their egregious disregard for the rights of an oft-forgotten minority – victims. I cannot imagine the pain of the Neville-Lake family, who now live with the possibility of publicly encountering Mr. Muzzo. Were the roughly 4.5 years Muzzo (of his 10 year sentence) spent behind bars proportional to the damage he caused? Was the 10 year sentence?

Marco Muzzo

Perhaps more distasteful is knowing that Mr. Muzzo has also regained the privilege to legally drive a car. Sentences for drunk driving are no longer a deterrent and should be stepped up dramatically. For starters, I would advocate for a lifetime ban on driving for anyone caught behind the wheel with alcohol or THC concentrations above the legal limit.

The Supreme Court’s R. v. Bissonnette decision is a poster-child for how our justice system has been hijacked by an out of touch minority of jurists and academics. The decision is riddled with self-serving language that renders it nothing more than a pathetic monograph in defence of the most hardened criminals.

The justices write “For offenders who are sentenced to imprisonment for life without a realistic possibility of parole, the feeling of leading a monotonous, futile existence in isolation from their loved ones and from the outside world is very hard to tolerate. Some of them prefer to put an end to their lives rather than die slowly and endure suffering that seems endless to them (paragraph 97).”

Oh, I’m desperately sorry if some prisoners feel their predicament is “hard to tolerate.” Shouldn’t that be an intended result, to enforce upon prisoners a “monotonous, futile existence” that is “hard to tolerate”?

At its core, the court argued that because stacking parole ineligibility can completely eradicate a prisoner’s chance for re-integration, it violates human dignity and is incompatible with the principles of fundamental justice. Even if barely, the door to redemption should always remain open. Moreover, the court positioned its ruling as one “not about the value of each human life, but rather about the limits on the state’s power to punish offenders, which, in a society founded on the rule of law, must be exercised in a manner consistent with the Constitution (paragraph 142).”

Philosophically, I cannot agree with the court’s judgement. The concept of justice is fluid, subjective, and open to widely varying interpretations, none of which are inherently wrong. Despite what anyone might tell you, there is no such thing as “universal” or “fundamental” principles. In the United States, for example, many regions continue to apply the death penalty. Given that the United States is the among the world’s most enduring democratic societies, founded upon the rule of law, it would be hard to pinpoint what “fundamental justice” actually means when their methods of dealing with multiple murderers are so vastly different from our own.

So let us not blindly accept the narrative that there is some universal, invisible force preventing Canada from, under very specific and carefully considered circumstances, guaranteeing that a dangerous criminal will spend their entire life behind bars with no chance at redemption. To anchor the verdict, the court cited the maximum sentencing possible in a host of European “peer” countries, none of which exceeds 30 years. Regardless of what pathway others have chosen, Canada is not obligated to follow. Perhaps the prevailing narrative should be that these European countries have erred, and the law existing in Canada before May 27, 2022 was in fact more “just” according to the views of Canadians.

Which arrives at my second and final disagreement, specifically with the notion that there was ever a need, through this case, to place “limits on the state’s power to punish offenders.” The original law enabling stacked parole ineligibility was advanced by a democratically elected, Conservative majority government. The government’s lawyers in R. v. Bissonnette advocated upholding that same law, and were acting on behalf of a democratically elected, Liberal minority government. With such clear and bipartisan support, I hardly concur that any government abuse of power was amok. This is the will of the people today, from which a uniquely Canadian notion of justice should flow.

The current mess we have gotten ourselves into will not be easy to rectify given the importance our legal system places upon precedence. The Charter of Rights & Freedoms is a vital document, but one which leaves the door too far open to an ultra-lenient interpretation of the rights that criminals ought to have. A mere “slap on the wrist” for killing four people while driving drunk, or even the chance at being released into society after shooting up a mosque, is inappropriate.

Connor was born in Hamilton in 1997, is a long-time resident of Aldershot.

In 2020, Connor completed undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto, with a B.A.Sc. in Engineering Science and a major in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

 Between 2018 and 2019, he worked as a member of the technology development team at Microchip Corporation (North San Jose, California) where he contributed to the design of computer memory for FPGA chips. During the summer of 2013, 2015 and 2017, Connor lived in Quebec thanks to support from the YMCA Student Work Summer Exchange, and the Explore Program and is decently proficient in spoken French.

Connor has returned to U of T to enrol in the dual Master of Global Affairs and Master of Business Administration program.

 

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Unwanted talent in Spencer Smith Park becoming a problem. - Concerts in the Park is what the public prefers

By Staff

July 4th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

Revised and updated

Spencer Smith Park has a special meaning for the people of Burlington.

Trample on what it means to them and city hall tends to hear about it.

Marianne, a nurse, who lives in downtown Burlington wanted to share with you her environmental exposure.

During the late evening of July 2nd the downtown was exposed to a random guy playing acoustic guitar (not very well) with a speaker.

During the wee hours – aka 0330 hrs. – on July 3rd – the downtown was exposed to a random act of fireworks.

During the late evening (beyond 10 pm) on Sunday, July 3rd the downtown was exposed to a random gal singing (not very well) with the assistance of a speaker.

What is the City of Burlington and Spencer Smith Park becoming????; an uncontrolled panhandling mecca in our coveted park?

No police presence or control.

A little further east at the band shell in Central Park the mood and the music is what people preferred.

These concerts take place on Wednesdays and Saturday: 7:30 to 9:00 pm – bring a chair and a blanket.

The program is a joint venture with Rocca Sisters and the city.

That skyline looks as if it was painted in place – it was real and there are more of them to come.

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Repair Cafe setting up in Aldershot this time - July 5th

By Staff

July 3rd, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Repair Café – that band of people who pop into a community offering to repair almost anything – they can’t repair computers or printers is back.  They are inviting people to bring in their broken household appliances which the team does their best to fix free.  All the person with that broken hair drier has to do is pay for any parts.

Next location is Tuesday, July 5th 3-7pm at the Aldershot Outdoor Market, 195 Plains Rd. East.

Burlington has hundreds, maybe even thousands of people who took early retirement or put in their 25 years and stopped punching a clock – and are looking for something to do that appeals to their better selves.

Some serve on committees, others join service clubs and others come up with an idea of their own and look for ways to make it happen.  Hunter Lawson picked up the idea, tweaked it a bit, created a logo and some signs and called people he thought would be interested.  They now meet in different parts of the city every month or so

Related news story

What they do at the repair cafe

 

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Housing strategy fundamentals in place - now for the really hard work in an uncertain economic environment

By Pepper Parr

July 3rd, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

City Council decided January 2021 that there had to be a housing strategy that would make it possible for people to be able to live in Burlington and at some time in their lives buy a hone.

The provincial requirement that the city grow meant intensification had to take place which amounted to growing up  – translate that to mean high rise towers – rather than growing out because there was no more greenfield land left.

At the same time the value of single family dwellings sky rocketed – due in part to cheap money from the banks and the realization that if you didn’t get into the marker now you might never get in.

Traditionally municipalities do not involve themselves in the supply of housing – they determine what can be built where through the zoning bylaw.

In June City Council took the first step in recommending the creation of a Housing Strategy.

The lead up to getting to the point was an 18 month process that resulted in a report yesterday that set out

12 actions – six of which were priorities

5 themes

5 pathways

1 vision

Most of the city departments were involved in putting the report together but there were five women who were at it every day of those 18 months.

It was a very proud day for Alison Enns and her team: Laura Daly, Kate Hill-Montague and Alexandra Mathers.

Increasing options for housing across the city was identified as a top priority and goal in the From Vision to Focus Plan. A key action item associated with this priority was ‘to complete the City’s Housing Strategy and implement the plan to address the needs related to young families, senior’s housing, affordable housing, special needs housing and newcomers by Q2-2022’.

A key action associated with this priority is to employ a range of communication and engagement tactics to ensure citizen involvement.

The objective was to

“…develop an innovative Housing Strategy for the City of Burlington that sets out policies, tools and actions to address residents’ housing needs now and in the future and will build on and support the Region’s Housing Strategy through the development of local solutions to housing issues in the City of Burlington.”

The Housing Strategy provides a road map for addressing local housing needs and increasing housing options that meet the needs of current and future residents at all stages of life and at all income levels. It identifies the key players in housing and their respective roles, including the role of the City of Burlington (See Action 1 of the Housing Strategy).

Burlington, as a lower tier municipality, has two key opportunities to do its part to “make moves” in addressing the broader housing crisis:

  • First, through partnership and advocacy to help deliver the deep affordability and housing options needed by residents of Burlington within the lower income deciles; and
  • Second, through focusing on implementing the direct actions that the City can take to increase housing options and opportunities for residents of Burlington within the middle-income deciles.

The key findings of the Housing Needs and Opportunities Report are summarized below:

  • Rental housing supply is not meeting the needs of existing and future
  • Housing is not affordable for many Burlington In the City of Burlington, the supply of housing that is affordable for all incomes is diminishing. In particular, home ownership for middle-income earners has become a challenge;
  • Burlington residents do not feel there is enough diversity or options for housing in the City to meet residents’ needs throughout their lifecycle;
  • As Burlington continues to grow and evolve, housing options will need to reflect this growth and change;
  • As a lower-tier municipality, one of the greatest actions and areas of focus will be to leverage relationships with upper levels of government and local community organizations to advocate for housing affordability and foster partnerships for the delivery of housing to address needs across the continuum; and
  • A lack of understanding among the general public about the benefits of a range and mix of housing options in the City often results in opposition to development that would address housing gaps.

The need was clear, what wasn’t as clear was how to get this done.

The pathway that Enns and her team had to determine was cluttered with what the other jurisdictions were doing.

The federal government was going to provide funds.

The Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) would be heavily involved

Ontario produced a report saying the people would just have to get used o the idea that there were going to be four plxes on streets that were single family dwellings.  Try that idea on a city councillor who has to deal with property owners who say – certainly, great idea – but not on my street if you want my vote.

The Regional government had the task of determining what the urban growth boundaries were going to be – and had to work aganst a lot of deeply rooted resistance from the farming community.

Locally the team had to work within a planning department environment that was struggling to cope with close to impossible work loads and significant changes at the leadership level.

This was an initiative put in place by a city council was about half way through its term of office and at a time when the leadership of the Planning department was experiencing some stability issues.

The Chief Planner found that her position no longer existed on the City Organization Chart so was given the opportunity to find employment elsewhere taking a significant financial settlement with her.

Mayor Meed Ward was never able to create the kind of relationship she wanted with Mary Lou Tanner who was the Director of Planning, which made her departure inevitable at some point.

Despite this Allison Enns and her team were able to work very effectively.

The presented their report and got the endorsement they needed quite quickly.  The recommendation vote was unanimous and went to Council on June 21st.

Then what?

Getting to this point meant loads of virtual meetings, all kinds of survey work.  Enns was particularly good at creating a pause during a virtual meeting and doing a quicky survey of those participating on line

The Housing Strategy is underpinned by extensive technical work by Dillon Consulting and SHS Consulting

And of course there was an engagement plan that drew more than 1,400 responses over the course of 4 online surveys and hosting 6 virtual Open Houses.

One key element of the engagement was the Housing Strategy Working Group who along with the Steering Committee guided the preparation of the Housing Strategy.

The Housing Strategy identifies 12 Actions to move toward the vision for housing in Burlington. It provides a set of action-oriented housing objectives (Themes) and an associated implementation plan that also identifies a list of Prioritized Actions and Quick Wins.

 

 

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Council agenda on Monday thick with closed meeting items.

By Staff

June 3rd, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The week long schedule of Standing Committee meetings begins on Monday.

Don’t expect it to be as dramatic as the Council meeting last wee.

The part that is going to keep this Council behind closed doors for much of the time on Monday is the items on the Confidential Agenda.

Confidential reports may require a closed meeting in accordance with the Municipal Act, 2001. Meeting attendees may be required to leave during the discussion.

5.1
Confidential human resources report providing a bargaining update for Local 2723 (HR-07-22)

Pursuant to Section 239(2)(d) of the Municipal Act, labour relations or employee negotiations.

Oh to be a fly on the wall when this gets discussed. The city’s legal department is usually loath to let any information get out to the public. City Solicitor Nancy Shea Nicol has not had yo release this information in the past.

5.2
Confidential legal report – waive privilege to release external legal costs for Planning Act appeals completed during current term of Council (L-25-22)

Pursuant to Section 239(2)(f) of the Municipal Act, advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose.

5.3
Confidential legal report – update on a litigation matter at 3200 Dakota Common (L-27-22)

Pursuant to Section 239(2)(e) of the Municipal Act, litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals, affecting the municipality or local board.

1025 Cooke Blvd: The proposal affects 1.08 hectares of land on the north side of Plains Road East, east of Waterdown Road. The redevelopment proposes two mixed-use, mid-rise buildings of 10 and 12 storeys with retail and service commercial uses at the street level and 450 residential units above. Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw amendment applications have been submitted. Access to the property is proposed off Cooke Boulevard and Clearview Avenue with parking located at the rear of the buildings and an underground parking garage. It is currently the site of Solid Gold – an adult entertainment operation.

5.4
Confidential legal report – update on Ontario Land Tribunal appeal for 53-71 Plains Road East and 1025 Cooke Blvd (L-29-22)

Pursuant to Section 239(2)(e) of the Municipal Act, litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals, affecting the municipality or local board.

5.5
Confidential legal report – update on a litigation matter regarding a class action (L-32-22)

Pursuant to the following sections of the Municipal Act: Section 239(2)(a) the security of the property of the municipality or local board; Section 239(2)(e), litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals, affecting the municipality or local board; and Section 239(2)(f), advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose.

Class actions are tricky business – no word yet from those who pass along information.

The public is now getting much more information on what is involved and who is involved.  At one point Councillor Lisa Kearns complained about the public not even knowing the address of a development that had become a confidential legal matter.

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Street level reaction beginning to come in on that Council meeting last week.

By Pepper Parr

July 3rd, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The street level reaction is beginning to come in now that people can see the 15 minutes of fame that Andy Warhol promised us.  You get to watch a train wreck taking place live.  Link to that stunning performance by the Mayor is set out below.

When the Mayor announced she was going to do some agenda management and moved directly to what she referred to as an Integrity Commissioner she was exercising a right that she had.  The problem with the decision she made and the position she took is that there was nothing from the Integrity Commissioner.  Click HERE and see for yourself.  It wont take much more than a minute.

Top row: Member of Council: Sharman, Galbraith and Nisan watching in stunned silence. Bottom row Councillor preparing to leave the meeting and Clerk Kevin Arjoon struggling to maintain some order. He never did find a way to bring the Mayor to order on the several occasions when he should have.

FACT:  Also the the Integrity Commissioner did not write a report to Council .

FACT: The Mayor had no right to bring something onto the agenda without a majority vote to waive the procedural by-law.

FACT: The apology was a private matter. Councillor Stolte had chosen to apologize during non-debatable statements by Councillors. That was entirely her right to choose how she wanted to proceed.

Most of the remarks set out below are from Gazette readers.  We didn’t make this stuff up. All asked not to be identified.

One writer said it “was not not clear how the Mayor had any ability to make a private matter public”; that didn’t deter the Mayor.

Some readers wondered “just where City Clerk was in all this” – he never did have control of the meeting which is what he was hired to do.

“Ms. Gartside clearly knew the matter was both private and not on the agenda. It is hard to imagine that she was a willing participant in what occurred.

“In the world of politics and drama, some scenes are meant to be watched, especially when you have no lines.”

The Integrity Commissioner can expect to be quite busy for some time yet – assuming he doesn’t drag his heels and then decide that this cannot be investigated or reviewed before the election.

Someone somewhere is going to have to do something to get this Council to the point where they walk their talk about Good Governance.

They all expect to be re-elected.

Related news story:

The event: the Mayor and her train wreck

A small poll on what readers thought the Mayor should do

 

 

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86% of the people who responded to the poll said the Mayor should have apologized to Councillor Stolte

By Staff

July 2, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

Mayor Marianne Meed Ward taking part in a Council Standing Committee meeting.

 

The first of our polls has been completed.

We asked: Should Mayor Meed Ward be apologizing to the public?

The response for something that was new and different for our readers was more than satisfactory.

The response was slightly above 10% of the people that saw the poll.

Our plan at this point is to publish a poll on the Sunday of each week and report on the results on the Thursday – last thing in the day.

We will set up our polling service so that people can look at the results of previous polls once they are complete.

You won’t be able to see the results of a poll while it is running – unless and until you have voted. We didn’t want people to see the results and then go with the majority.

The poll is set up so that you cannot vote more than once on any one question.

We’d like to get that response rate up to a 25% level.

And, if you have a question that you think should be polled – pass it along.

The results from the first poll are set out below.

Please keep in mind that this poll was taken BEFORE the Gazette published a video of the council meeting that was so disruptive.

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An excerpt from that disgraceful Council meeting - how did this Council become so dysfunctional?

By Pepper Parr

July 2nd, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Earlier in the month, June 21st, during a city council meeting, the Mayor and a member of Council went at it.

Mayor Marianne Meed Ward taking part in a Council meeting on June 21st, virtually from London, Ontario where she was attending the university graduation of her daughter.

The Mayor, who has the right to revise a Council meeting agenda, decided that she was going to put an Integrity Commissioner matter at the top of the Agenda during which she expected Councillor Shawna Stole to read out an apology to a city staff member.

Stolte had already advised the Mayor that she would be making her agreed upon apology to Georgie Gartside, staff member with two decades of service, during the Councillor Comments part of the council meeting.

An item on the formal agenda is debatable, which would have permitted Council members to add their views. Councillors Nisan and Galbraith were the pair that took a complaint against Stolte to the Integrity Commissioner earlier in the year and resulted in the Commissioner recommending that she be docked five days pay.

Pay attention to the facial expressions and body language of these two council members.

The facial expressions were revealing. Councillor Sharman didn’t say a word; Galbraith kept this expression on his face throughout most of the meeting, Nisan hid from the camera most of the time. Stolte is shown packing up her stuff and leaving her seat at the council table. Clerk Kevin Arjoon will tell his friends it was the most contentious meeting her was every involved in.

Know that Mayor Meed Ward was not in the Council Chamber, she was in London, Ontario attending her daughter’s university graduation.

The irony of all this is that on the 21st of June Councillor Stolte was the Deputy Mayor and filled in for Meed Ward when she had to leave the meeting.

A Council members Comments at the end of the meeting are not debatable.

Mayor Meed Ward used the lame excuse that Gartside wanted the item at the top of the agenda and not at the end so she would not have to listen to the full meeting to hear the apology that she took part in crafting and had approved.

That kind of behaviour gives the phrase “your pound of flesh” a whole new Better.

During the meeting we heard “point of order” and “point of personal privilege” being tossed around like horse shoes at a fall fair.

The Gazette has reported on this in the paste. We decide to take the time to excerpt the full discussion (it’s just shy of 14 minutes long) and ends with Councillor Stolte leaving her seat at the council table.

We didn’t cut a word.

We do have some comments following the video.

The video CLICK here

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Three Ways to Optimize Your Summer

By James Snow

June 30th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Summer can mean travel to relaxing locations – take your hobbies with you

Summer is finally here and that means time off to enjoy the sun with our friends and family. But while it’s great to be on holiday, most of us miss having a sense of routine while we are away. In this article we are going to go a little deeper on this, talking about some ways you can optimize your summer and make the most of your time off, so that you don’t need a vacation from your vacation when you get back.

1: Take your hobbies with you
When we are on vacation, we want to be present and engaged with whatever is going on where we are, but what we don’t really plan for is all the time between our activities. Waiting for people to get ready in the morning, the afternoon rest before going back out and enjoying yourself, all those little moments in between all the fun. And this is where your hobbies come in. If you love playing casino games, finding a new online casino to enjoy while you are away can be the perfect way to relax and unwind – and not get annoyed at waiting for other people. Pick some fun games ahead of time so that you know what you want to play and can enjoy it, effortlessly, while on vacation.

2:  Make sure you listen to your body
With a hot summer ahead of us and temperatures throughout Europe reaching record heights in the early summer, libraries will be open so that people can cool off. Getting a heat stroke is not exactly a fun part of vacation, so stay cool by finding air-conditioning, staying in the shade and drinking enough water and eating enough snacks between meals. Listening to your body is one of the best ways to ensure you’ll end up having a great time.

3:  Plan ahead of time
While summer and fun should be spontaneous, lack of planning can lead to less optimal situations – like overbooked restaurants, long lines at attractions and not knowing what you want to spend your time on. Planning ahead of time is not the same as having an agenda, it’s just a really good way to make sure that you have great options to choose from, instead of having to think of things at the last minute. It increases the chance of having a really good time!

 

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Lynx Air now a Hamilton destination serving several western Canada destinations as well. Offering ultra-affordable prices

By Staff

June 29th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

The inaugural Lynx Air flight into Hamilton airport from Halifax took place yesterday afternoon.

This adds to the commercial destinations that depart from Hamilton to include Halifax, Edmonton, and Calgary.
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Smaller airlines are finding that Hamilton International is cheaper to work out of and quite easy to get to for many people.

The inaugural Lynx Air flight from Halifax is greeted by an arch of water from welcoming fore trucks. Quite impressive Photo by Cayla Awalt

As of July 30, 2022, Lynx will service Calgary to Halifax five times per week and increase flights from the Greater Toronto Area to seven times per week. Starting July 14, Lynx will service Edmonton to Halifax twice per week.

Vijay Bathija, Chief Commercial Officer for the company told the reception that: “We know there are a lot of personal connections between Atlantic Canada, Western Canada and the Greater Toronto region; they want to build on those connections

Lynx define themselves as  a new ultra-affordable airline, on a mission to make air travel accessible to all Canadians, and in keeping with that mission, Lynx is offering fares to Halifax from as low as $59* one-way.

Lynx’s network spans 10 destinations across Canada, including Victoria, Vancouver, Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto Pearson, Hamilton, Halifax and St. John’s. The airline operates a fleet of brand-new, fuel-efficient Boeing 737 aircraft and plans to grow its fleet to more than 46 aircraft over the next five to seven years.

When they say “ultra  affordable they weren’t kidding.  For that $59 you get a one way ticket that includes a seat and  one piece of luggage.

You pay for everything after that.

Bathija, speaking during the ceremonies said no one ever raved about the food on an airplane, suggesting that  passengers might think about eating at an airport restaurant.

The  better suggesting was to bring your food with you  – instead of  packing a  lunch bucket to take to the construction site – pack a lunch to eat on the place.

When you book your ticket in Lynxair.com you get a list of the choices.  They send you an email 72 hours before the flight reminding you what is offered and you just enter your choices and it will be there when you board.

This is an important event for the Hamilton airport and an improvement in the destinations available for people in the western GTA.

More later on the growth of the airport – it is no longer just a cargo operation.

The close to packed passenger lounges attested to that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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