By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON August 29, 2012 In the world of politics – it doesn`t matter if it`s federal, provincial or municipal – a summer picnic is one of the most effective ways to pull a crowd together and just stand around and chat – get caught up and take the pulse of the community.
This is what a corn roast is all about. Lay on the butter and chomp away. Guests were attending Blair Lancaster’s Ward Corn Roast – good political move.
This country is known for some great summer BBQ`s but there doesn`t seem to be a tradition of that sort of thing in this city.
Ward 6 Councillor Blair Lancaster just might have hit upon an idea and a location that will create such an annual event. While it will probably be a Tory Blue event, that’s just a fact of life in this part of the world.
Blair Lancaster – almost holding court with her constituents at a corn roast.
Lancaster chose the Burlington Air Park as her location and having the aircrafts set out for the crowd to look over was certainly a nice touch. There was a double wing bi-plane in the air doing all kinds of stunts; as well as a plane that looked about the size of one of the Mercedes Benz Smart cars up in the air with both the pilot and a passenger aboard. The comment on that was “not in this lifetime for me”.
The hangers and the administrative side of the Air Park operation are accessed off Bell School Line – but over on Appleby Line there is the start of some significant construction. But the city knows nothing about that according to Lancaster. Airports are a federal matter even though this site is clearly within the borders of Burlington. Apparently the Conservation Authority isn’t in on what’s taking place – and there is certainly “something” taking place. More than five pieces of heavy construction equipment are grooming the grounds on the Appleby Line side of the property.
At one point in 2007 Rogers had an application to install a cell tower in the southwest portion of the air-park property. The application was withdrawn, a pity because cell phone reception is really spotty in that part of the city.
The Burlington Airpark was founded by Victor and Gwen Kovachik in 1962. It is still a family owned operation with a number of services available on the site including flight training, engine maintenance and overhaul as well as charter services and a place to rent a hanger to store planes.
Aerial view of the Air Park in North Burlington. This isn’t a rinky dinky little airport out in the country. Count the number of hangers. Privately own, within the city, federally regulated.
Located in North Burlington where there are a number of people who can fly from their escarpment country residences into Toronto or points east and west.
The location is a short drive from Milton, Oakville and western Mississauga.
Burlington’s Economic development people just love the idea of the city having its own airport. At the moment the facility is not a port of entry but a small regional airport that serves a specific clientele.
This field isn’t being graded to grow cabbage. Does it look like a construction site?
All the grading work being done along Appleby Line suggests there is something much bigger both in the minds of the people who own the facility and the people who use the airport. Wonder who at city hall knows anything about this? Is someone trying to develop an opportunity here? Would that mean light jet aircraft flying in and out of the escarpment at night?
