 By Pepper Parr
June 19th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
ROPA won’t mean very much to the average Burlington citizen
Regional Official Plan Amendment
ROPA 48 meant a lot to Burlington.
On November 10th, 2021, the Minister of Municipal Affairs announced a change in the Official Plan that moved the Urban Growth Centre further north.
 An Urban Centre Growth boundary with the three GO stations MTSA’s in blue. This was the plan that was going to save the downtown core from massive high-rise development. In a gushy statement Mayor Meed Ward told her citizens that the “Hon. Minister Steve Clark from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing delivered amazing news for our city at a press conference earlier this morning.”
“The Province has approved our request to adjust the boundaries of the Urban Growth Centre (UGC), allowing us to move the designation that was once centered on our downtown core to focus instead on our Burlington GO Station and thereby direct future development with height and density to where it belongs: near mass transit.”
“This is a journey that started back in 2011 and saw many challenges over the years as our community repeatedly voiced their growing concerns that our Official Plan and the development they were seeing was not aligned with their vision for our city. They did not see the cherished character of our downtown and lakefront being protected and preserved. This is a big part of the reason Burlington elected a new mayor and five new members of council in 2018.
“We heard the call for change from across our city, and over the past two and a half years, we did the work to deliver for our community.
“Today’s announcement is a crucial step in the journey towards creating the community we envision.
“Burlington is open for business, and the downtown will continue to grow and evolve. By adjusting the boundaries of the UGC this way, we are in the driver’s seat, not the applicants and not the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT).
“The UGC was often misused to justify overdevelopment, even though we’ve taken our share of growth and met (and will exceed) the UGC targets. This misuse has led to land speculation, pushing affordability out of reach. Adjusting the boundary of the UGC takes the pressure off and allows appropriately scaled growth to proceed.
 The Urban Growth boundary that allowed development in the downtown core. “This great outcome is grounded in extensive study, analysis, planning rationale and feedback, and from day one, there was unanimous support from all members of our city council this term for this change. Our Executive Director of Community Planning, Heather MacDonald, has provided clear and consistent professional planning advice to council to fully complete the necessary and substantive planning policy work to support the recommended UGC boundary adjustment. I am grateful for the diligent work she and her team has done throughout this process.
“We did not do this alone. This has been a truly collaborative process with our community, including residents, developers, partner agencies, your entire City Council, City and Regional staff, our Regional Chair and fellow Halton Mayors.
 On the left, MPP at the time Jane McKenna, Minister Clarke and Mayor Meed Ward on the right. “We know this was not an easy decision for Minister Clark, and we thank him for listening to the data, the planning rationale, the advocacy of our council, our fellow Halton mayors and Chair, our staff, and most importantly — the people of Burlington. With this decision, he has shown himself to be a friend of Burlington. I know he listened to all the feedback carefully, and ultimately was persuaded by the planning evidence and the community voice.
“I’ve had the opportunity to meet Minister Clark through my role on the Ontario Big City Mayors (OBCM) and the Large Urban Caucus of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). It’s a huge asset that he is a former mayor himself. He understands that local government knows our community’s needs best as we are the closest to the people. Whenever he has come to OBCM or AMO, he has listened, consulted, asked questions and heard our feedback to shape the best policy decisions. It’s been great to collaborate with him around those tables on a whole range of issues and we’ve seen our feedback translate into policy.
“One of the silver linings of the pandemic has been the close relationship that has been forged with our office, and all our elected representatives at provincial and federal levels. We have worked side by side with MPP McKenna to serve the residents of our community, and that close working relationship will last well beyond the pandemic. She has shown herself to be a fighter and strong advocate for residents’ needs.
“There is more to come in the months ahead, as we provide input to the Region’s Official Plan Review that is currently underway. We have done a lot of work to get to this point, and we have a lot of exciting growth and development ahead of us that will help us build complete communities, accommodate the population growth that wants to live here, and ensure that as many of the characteristics that make Burlington so special are preserved and protected for our residents and businesses.”
One might ask in 2026: And how has that worked out for you?
 “Today’s announcement is a crucial step in the journey towards creating the community we envision.” Mayor Meed Ward 
 By Staff
May 14th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
 What you can do and what you can’t do.
What is open and what isn’t open.
Fireworks are permitted to be set off on Victoria Day only (May 19). Please continue to use our valued outdoor spaces responsibly – community cooperation is essential to helping keep everyone safe during Victoria Day. The City’s bylaw regulates where and when residents can set off family (low hazard) fireworks. For more information about who to contact if you have a concern, visit burlington.ca/fireworks.
Will Toronto have won the Stanley Cup by Monday?
| City Service |
Holiday Closure Information |
| Animal Services
|
The Animal Shelter at 2424 Industrial St. will be closed to appointments on Monday, May 19. To report an animal control related emergency on a holiday, please call 1-888-264-3135. |
| Burlington Transit |
Burlington Transit will operate on a Sunday schedule on Monday, May 19. For real-time bus information and schedules visit myride.burlingtontransit.ca.
Customer Service at the Burlington GO Station, 2101 Fairview St., and Specialized Dispatch will be closed on Monday, May 19. |
| City Hall |
Service Burlington and the Building, Renovating and Licensing counter on the main floor of City Hall at 426 Brant St., will be closed on Monday, May 19.
Many service payments are available online at burlington.ca/onlineservices. If your request is urgent, call 905-335-7777 to connect with the City’s live answering service.
For online development services, MyFiles can be used by residents who have applied for Pre-Building Approval. Check the status of Pre Building Approval applications at burlington.ca/MyFiles. |
| Halton Court Services – Provincial Offences Office |
Court administration counter services at 4085 Palladium Way will be closed on Monday, May 19.
With the exception of the Victoria Day closure, telephone payments are available at 905-637-1274, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. All in-person services are available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. Many services are also available by email at burlingtoncourt@burlington.ca or online at Halton Court Services. Payment of Provincial Offences fines is available 24/7 at paytickets.ca. |
| Parking |
On Sunday, May 18 and Monday, May 19: Free parking is available downtown, on the street, in municipal lots and in the parking garage (414 Locust St.).
On Saturday, May 17: Pay parking downtown is required in high-demand parking lots (Lots 1, 4 and 5) and all on-street metered parking spaces. A three-hour maximum is in effect for all on-street spaces. Free parking is available in the remaining municipal lots and the parking garage (414 Locust St.).
 NOTE:
- The Waterfront parking lots (east and west) do not provide free parking on holidays.
- Parking exemptions are required to park overnight on city streets and for longer than five hours. Visit burlington.ca/parkingexemptions to register for a parking exemption.
- Paid parking, on weekends only (including long weekends), at Beachway Park (1100 Lakeshore Rd.) begins Saturday, May 17 using HONK Mobile.
|
| Recreation Programs and Facilities |
Drop-In Recreation Activities
Tansley Woods Pool at 1996 Itabashi Way and Centennial Pool at 5151 New St. are open on Victoria Day, Monday, May 19 for recreational and lap swimming. Drop-in swimming, skating and other program times vary for the long weekend. Drop in or reserve in advance. For schedules visit
burlington.ca/dropinandplay.
Splash Pads Opening
City splash pads will begin opening on Saturday, May 17, with all 10 locations ready by May 24. For a list of locations, visit burlington.ca/splashpads.
Outdoor Activities
Burlington has a wide variety of outdoor activities to enjoy with your family during the long weekend, including:
- trails and multi-use paths
- parks and playgrounds.
- picnic site reservations for LaSalle Park (50 North Shore Blvd. E.) or Hidden Valley Park (1137 Hidden Valley Rd.)
Find out more at burlington.ca/outdoorplay.
Golf
Tee times at Tyandaga Golf Course (1265 Tyandaga Park Dr.) can be booked online at tyandagagolf.com or by calling 905-336-0005, ext. 2.
Play Lending Library
Our Lending Library has a variety of outdoor and indoor play equipment available to borrow at no charge. Equipment pickup is on Thursdays, and return drop off is on Tuesdays at Haber Community Centre (3040 Tim Dobbie Dr.). From archery to wiffle ball, and Kanjam to pickleball, reserve at burlington.ca/playlending.
Customer Service
Recreation, Community and Culture customer service is available to assist you over the holiday weekend:
- In person at recreation facility counters during program times (May 17 to 19)
- By email at liveandplay@burlington.ca (May 17 and 18)
- By phone at 905-335-7738, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. (May 17 and 18)
Phone and email service are closed on Victoria Day, Monday, May 19. |
| Roads, Parks and Forestry |
The administrative office will be closed on Monday, May 19. Essential services will be provided as required. |
Link to the story about the Queen being celebrated
By Staff
May 7th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
The Project includes the 52-kilometre (km) Highway 413 corridor, a 4 km extension to Highway 410, and a 3 km extension to Highway 427 (both facilitating connection to the Highway 413 corridor), for a total of 59 km of new infrastructure.
The highway will have 11 interchanges at municipal roads. Features such as service centres, carpool lots, truck inspection stations, and the potential for electric vehicle charging stations, have been explored as part of Preliminary Design.
The transitway will be a separate corridor running alongside the highway, dedicated for public transit, which will be subject to a separate Environmental Assessment (EA).
Highway 413 would extend from Highway 400, between King Road and Kirby Road, to the 401/407 ETR interchange near Mississauga, Milton and Halton Hills.
In the Fall of 2024, MTO reached the 90% preliminary design milestone for the project. Along with reaching this milestone, the 2024 Draft Focused Analysis Area (FAA) for Highway 413 was updated to include targeted refinements, incorporating key design elements and environmental considerations. These adjustments were informed by updated preliminary design work and environmental studies, allowing for a better understanding of land use impacts and alignment with local infrastructure.
Similarly, the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM), formerly known as the Ministry of Energy and Electrification, advanced planning work on the Northwest GTA Transmission Corridor and proposed refinements to the Narrowed Area of Interest (NAI). The NAI is a corridor of land identified and protected by the ministry and Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) for future linear electricity transmission infrastructure to support growth in the region. The FAA and NAI are almost identical. The land being protected by MEM is the same land being protected by the Ministry of Transportation (MTO), except where each is protecting additional lands specific to its particular use.
You can get lost in those acronyms.
As part of ongoing public consultation, the Draft FAA and NAI were posted on December 9, 2024, for a 30-day public review period on the Environmental Registry of Ontario. The consultation period was open for 30 days and concluded in January 2025. Public engagement is essential to our processes, ensuring that community perspectives help shape the final outcome.
MTO and MEM have recently finalized the FAA and the NAI at the current stage of each project, with no changes as a result of the public consultation. Each comment that was received through the ERO was reviewed and taken into consideration by both ministries.
Timeline and Next Steps
Highway 413 FAA
- An update on the FAA detailing its finalization has been posted to the Environmental Registry of Ontario, as well as the Highway 413 project website (https://highway413.ca/en/).
- MTO will be preparing a draft Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) in accordance with the requirements set out in the Highway 413 Act, 2024 anticipated in Fall 2025.
- The draft report will include a description of Highway 413 studies completed detailing environmental impacts, proposed mitigation measures and a record of consultation. The final report will be published to the Highway 413 project website.
- MTO will continue to review development applications in the study area, but it is anticipated that applications in the lands released will not be directly impacted by Highway 413.
Northwest GTA Transmission Corridor Study NAI
- An update to the NAI has been posted to the Environmental Registry of Ontario.
- MEM expects to undertake another round of consultation based on further refinements to the NAI that can be made as the Highway 413 project advances and as infrastructure planning is updated to reflect projected electricity demand growth in the region.
Environmental Registry of Ontario:
English: Highway 413 Focused Analysis Area and Northwest GTA Transmission Corridor Narrowed Area of Interest Refinements. | Environmental Registry of Ontario
Indigenous Community and Stakeholder Engagement: As we gather input from municipalities, Indigenous Communities, and other key stakeholders, engagement sessions will continue. This ensures ongoing collaboration and transparency in the decision-making process. Additionally, MTO is currently in the process of planning individual landowner sessions to take place in early Spring with property owners directly impacted by the FAA.
 By Staff
April 22nd, 2025
BURLINGTON, on
Last year, the Ontario government and Metrolinx launched the One Fare Program, which has made taking transit from Brampton to Oshawa or anywhere in between, simpler, more convenient, and more affordable.
 Transit riders now pay only once when transferring between the TTC and GO Transit, Brampton Transit, Durham Region Transit, MiWay and York Region Transit. During the first year since launching in February 2024, One Fare has saved transit riders over $123 million, with over 38 million transfers made between local transit systems.
Transit riders now pay only once when transferring between the TTC and GO Transit, Brampton Transit, Durham Region Transit, MiWay and York Region Transit. Whether you tap your PRESTO card, credit or debit, Apple Pay or Google Wallet, the One Fare savings will automatically be applied.
- Transfers are valid for two hours for trips started on local transit and within three hours of the start of a GO Transit trip.
- If you begin your trip on GO Transit, then transfer to a local transit agency within the 3-hour window, cost of the local transit agency fare will be discounted from overall trip cost.
- For trips between TTC and local transit systems, the second portion will become free (the first payment will enable a two-hour free transfer across all systems).
- Just remember to tap on each time you travel on a participating transit agency and tap off when travelling on GO Transit, to ensure the savings apply.
Learn more about how One Fare is making transit more accessible and budget-friendly HERE.
 By Staff
March 20th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Agricultural and Rural Affairs Advisory Committee spoke to Council earlier this week about what they felt was a critical issue – the future of Burlington’s rural area.
 This is the Escarpment: Our country, our rural country – forever. Vincent Sowa outlined the urgent need for resourcing and strategic planning for a rural community. “I want to be clear, this isn’t just about what I’m here to do today isn’t just about agriculture or the rural North, this is about Burlington’s economic resilience, sustainability and food security. There’s a challenge before us. You know, we’re at a crossroads. We are faced with a future in the rural area that is either a patchwork of large estates or is a vibrant mix of land uses that supports a growing urban demand for public access, connection to nature and agriculture.
“You know, up here in the North we’re facing a couple of mounting pressures. You’re all familiar with, Bill 23 and that has shifted key responsibilities from the region to the city, without a clear road map or adequate resourcing, the farmers and rural businesses up here lack the economic support they need to remain competitive.
 Residents look at a large map of their community during a Rural Summit That meeting was the genesis of making the Mt Nemo Plateau a Conservation Heritage District. “Unlike the BIA is in the city, our infrastructure is failing. Rural broadband is inadequate. Many areas still in the north, roads and drain and systems are insufficient. If you saw the damage on Guelph flying just over the last couple of days, you’d be well aware of what I’m talking about.
“And frequent power outages disrupt operations and destroy expensive equipment. Multiple residents will talk about sub pumps and pieces of equipment that are when hydro goes out due to lack of kind of infrastructure management causes economic hardship.
“Agriculture, generally, is overlooked in economic and urban planning, even though it’s a vital part of Burlington’s economy identity and fight against carbon and so without dedicated action, we risk losing not only valuable farmland, but also the businesses and families that sustain it. There is good news, and as I outlined, we outlined in the presentation that went to the Committee of the Whole there is a momentum to build the Burlington agricultural plan, which provides concrete, actionable solutions to support our rural area. But we need your leadership to expedite, move it forward and make it a priority amongst the staff for the city.
“As a committee, we’re asking for four key commitments.
First is a review, a review of the Terms of Reference, to ensure it aligns with the added responsibilities in a post Bill 23 world to include a representative from Burlington Economic Development.
Second, a dedicated role within the city focused on rural economic development as the loss of regional support means Burlington needs its own strategy to drive agricultural growth and investment.
Thirdly, a rural infrastructure strategy that one that prioritizes broadband access, road and drainage improvements and a reliable energy service to keep the rural economy strong.
Fourth: a campaign to address public awareness so that agriculture is properly represented in Burlington’s long term planning and Economic Development Strategies.
 Vincent Sowa: Chair Rural Advisory Committee “There is a cost, you know, we feel to inaction. The stakes are high if we don’t act now, so we risk losing agricultural businesses that contribute to Burlington economy, weakening our food security and climate resilience in our region, and missing the opportunity to be a leader in rural, urban economic integration. We have a fantastic opportunity to lead the country, given Burlington’s unique position as having a strong urban area with a strong kind of rural area, and can be one of the best cities in Canada and indeed, in North America.
“It’s not just about protecting farmland, it’s about ensuring Burlington’s agricultural sector thrives, innovates, and remains a key pillar of our city’s future. So Mayor, Members of Council, we have a choice before us. You know, we can react to the challenges facing our rural community, or we can lead it. We do have solutions. They are in front of us, and the need is urgent, so I urge you to prioritize and take action to prioritize this work.”
Councillor Galbraith wanted to know “If you had any communications with staff surrounding the duties being downloaded post Bill 23
Sowa: Kelly Cook is on our Advisory Council, and so we do liaise directly with her. And a lot of this was co developed; this was not just developed through the citizen group. A lot of those recommendations were taken from Halton – as you know they were downloaded to the city that formed, kind of the foundation that we built those from
 Galbraith: Any idea when the Burlington agricultural action plan is due to be approved?
Sowa: I thought I might get that question, Councilor, and I would go back to actually you and the staff, because we don’t, we don’t have clarity. I think that is one reason I’m here today.
Councillor Bentivegna: As you know, tourism and be EDC has merged. I think this is a perfect opportunity and I would encourage you to find out a little bit more about that – we’d be certainly here to help you.
My question has to do with you mentioned in in the delegation,xxx
ROMA (Rural Ontario Municipal Association) like you’d like to get a representative to go out to Roma, I’m assuming you’re in committee budget process, or maybe you’ve already done it. I don’t know. All the committees now have a pooled budget, so money is available there, and I’m sure your your councilor rep, and I would certainly be willing to help out there. You can join us anytime. I’m sure we’d appreciate that. That’d be great. So please reach out for that. I know I haven’t had my question yet. So of all the information that you’ve given us, and you’ve given us a lot, we will ask questions to staff. What is the major focus here for rural Yeah,
Sowa: If I could sum it up in one sentence, it’s a strategy for the North, right? And if we had a strategy for the North. And so whether the vision up here is, you know, just housing, and then that is the vision, then let’s just state that that’s what it is. If the vision is mixed use with, you know, a vibrant economy, then let’s state that I really think that’s where it starts. Councilor, and from there, all the other questions could be answered.
Galbraith: Can Curt Benson help us with a path forward. There’s obviously concerns from the agricultural community with with all the bill 23 changes to the region, and just wondering how the city is planning to to move forward and handle the additional duties.
Curt Benson: It is important that staff provide council with an update on the full range of planning responsibilities that were being transferred from the region to the city. We’re quite pleased that our advisory committee dealing with matters on agriculture, has identified this as an opportunity.
I think I agree with some of the comments from council that we need to work in partnership with Economic Development to decide how the city is going to fill the gap introduced by the transition of these responsibilities from the region. We’re going to work actively with members of the committee – they’ve dedicated a lot of hours to into the documents that you have in the delegation materials. We want to harness that passion and come back to council with a little bit more clarity in terms of how we see or how we recommend addressing the gap fully. It may be that there are some resources that we’ll have to dedicate to advancing the agricultural action plan, but we are well on our way to scoping that and moving that forward. Look for an update from from us in short order in terms of how we’re going to address some of these things. But know that it’s, it’s very much on our list that that we need to get to along with some of the other gaps that were identified in that report.
Galbraith: On the timeline for that agricultural action plan?
 Benson: We could probably be back with some information in a couple months. Just to give you an idea of how we’re addressing that, we’ll work closely with the committee to make sure that they’re aligned and supporting kind of the recommendation coming forward. It may be that they identify for us, it’s, I think it’s important to get the what nailed down before we talk a little bit about supports and resources. We need to really understand to what degree are the terms of reference of the committee, to what degree is that going to evolve over time? What are we looking at in terms of specific actions and recommendations coming out of the action plan ? All of those things may define how this council wants to invest in in agriculture and addressing some of the concerns and the opportunities that were identified by the committee, but leave that with us and and we’ll be back before you in a couple of months with an update. Okay?
Councillor Bentivegna: Let’s start with the delegation – they sent out some information regarding agencies that they used to go to through the region and learned from them about food security standpoint, distribution of products and and part of the tourism agriculture section. I’m assuming Burlington is not alone in this. I mean, the other three municipalities are probably in the same situation, and through this report, is it possible to somehow communicate with these other municipalities to see how we can manage it collectively? Because there’s so many things involved here, we’re talking about number of households, potential opportunities as a group, and when it’s all said – how we can grow the economic development portion of it, because I think that’s very, very important. And then lastly, in the report, will we see options or opportunities to get funding? I mean, we got all this downloaded from the region, and as the mayor would say, when we talk about the federal, provincial and municipal – maybe there’s some some grant money that we can talk about, or you can talk about, that are opportunities that we can get from a resource standpoint.
Benson: On the first point, absolutely, we know agricultural resources and systems, which include a broader network of facilities that are dedicated to food and food security, they transcend municipal boundaries. So we actually have to have our eyes on how all the Halton municipalities, how the broader, greater Golden Horseshoe is addressing some of these challenges and and so as a part of the report back, would be happy to identify opportunities for those types of collaborations. I would say on your second point, you know, from a funding and resourcing perspective, you’re right. We can’t do it alone. This burden shouldn’t be put on the city; It’s a, bigger issue. How do we set ourselves up for funding opportunities in the future for senior levels of government, it’s going to be important part of our our overall strategy.
Nothing was determined – but at least there is a start. Interesting that the push had to come form the Advisory Committee level.
 By Pepper Parr
February 19, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a typical Burlington event: polite.
The three candidates, who were on the platform, knew their briefs, some better than others, and spoke clearly and to the point.
The all candidate meeting took place at the Port Nelson United Church in Roseland, the epicentre of politeness in Burlington
 Andrea Grebenc was the favourite going into the debate and left as the favourite. Andrea Grebenc was the favourite going into the debate and left as the favourite. Megan Beauchemin, the New Democrat suffered from being a late starter. On paper she looked very good; the profile is what the NDP looks for.
Unfortunately, the party structure had decayed, there wasn’t much in the way of an organization. Beauchemin relied on her husband to do a lot of the rebuild and run the campaign at the same time.
She stumbled a bit but she was certainly a very credible candidate.
She is employed as an automotive engineer (took a leave of absence to be the candidate)
 Kyle Hutton, the Green candidate was ahead of the other two on the innovative and bold ideas. Kyle Hutton, the Green candidate was the best speaker, he knew the issues and was ahead of the other two on the innovative and bold ideas. Hutton said in an interview before the all candidiate,that the Greens could pick up 12 seats and have party status, which was a stretch.
All three candidates were fortunate to have a very good moderator working from a script that he had carefully put together.
There were some light moments – he never let it get out of hand.
In their closing statements Grebenc’s passion was very evident. She has been seeking public office ever since she leaving the public school board where she served very well.
 Megan Beauchemin, the New Democrat candidiate. Megan Beauchemin struggled – but the future potential is clearly there.
The structure of the event had different people, selected before hand, ask questions based on specific interests: Housing, transit, budgets, health, education, livable income, and the minimum wage.
The only subject that didn’t come up was Regional government.
The failure on the part of Progressive Conservative candidate Natalie Pierre to be on the platform surprised everyone; the reasons given were very weak – pathetic as well.
By Staff
January 15th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Waterdown wants to become part of Burlington.
A Waterdown resident said he has experienced firsthand, the frustration of our community being part of Hamilton. Despite high taxes, we receive barely serviceable amenities. Our property taxes continue to skyrocket yet we witness a stark lack in crucial services like police coverage. Our transit system is crucially flawed; buses move into Burlington first, then into Hamilton which is absolute nonsense for local commuters.
 Aligning Waterdown with the Halton region would greatly enhance our services and also potentially lower our property taxes. The communities in Halton enjoy high-quality services while being levied with comparatively lower property taxes. The year-on-year property tax hike in Hamilton is rapid and unsustainable for many Waterdown residents.
Apart from benefiting from improved services and lower property taxes, this move would reflect the distinct community identity Waterdown possesses, separate from Hamilton. We are not simply a sub-section of Hamilton, but a vibrant, independent community that deserves recognition and resources to suit our specific needs.
As residents speaking on behalf of our community of Waterdown, we urge the recognized authorities to take immediate action. This is not just a change for better services and lower taxes, but a change for the recognition and respect our community deserves. Please sign this petition to join us in advocating for the separation of Waterdown from Hamilton and aligning it with Halton.
Continue reading Waterdown wants to become part of Burlington
By Staff
December 23rd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
On both Christmas Day and Boxing Day, GO trains and buses will operate on a Saturday schedule and UP Express trains will run on a weekend/holiday schedule for both days.
Riders can transfer for free with One Fare between GO Transit and most local agencies, including the TTC.
New Year’s Eve Schedules
Metrolinx will be offering complimentary service on GO Transit and UP Express this holiday season in partnership with Forty Creek Whisky. And no, they will not be serving the beverage on the trains.
Both GO Transit and UP Express services will be free to all customers on New Year’s Eve from 7 p.m. until 8 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2025.
In addition, GO Transit will run extra late evening trips into Union Station to help customers travelling downtown, as well as a variety of special trains from Union Station after midnight to help them get home safely:
- Lakeshore East and West Lines: There will be additional trips arriving and departing regularly at Union Station throughout December 31.
- Milton Line: There will be additional late-night trips departing Union Station on December 31, with the last train departing Union Station at 2:55 a.m.
- Barrie Line: There will be additional late-night trips departing Union Station on December 31, with the last train leaving Union Station at 3:54 a.m.
- Stouffville Line: There will be additional late-night trips departing Union Station on December 31, with the last train leaving Union Station at 4:12 a.m.
- Richmond Hill Line: The 6:45 p.m. train departing Union Station will be cancelled and replaced with a later train departing Union Station at 1:15 a.m., making all stops before arriving at Bloomington GO at 2:21 a.m.
By Pepper Parr
November 20th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Part of the budget process is the filing of Motions by Council members to add or remove an item to the budget.
During an all-day session Councillors Kearns and Bentivegna wanted to remove a $148,000 job for corporate affairs, Web and Digital Marketing.
We will cut to the chase and tell you that job was not cut – it was approved.
Getting to that point was awkward and enlightening.
The Chair, for this Committee of the Whole (CoW) was Paul Sharman. (At one point they were all chaired by the Mayor – she decided to share the workload – with different Councillors serving as Chair.
Sharman asked Bentivegnia to go first . Nope that wasn’t going to happen. Councillor Kearns used a Point of Privilege and asked: “Might it be possible if we could have the items put up on the screen for those in chambers?”
 Councillor Bentivegna: I’m assuming, is approved by someone, some people, a leader in whatever department that is, and it gets put into  Councillor Kearns: The report goes says that the purpose for it is to provide accuracy and so on and accessibility for content. Kearns: My request here is to remove the $148,000 and here’s the reasons why – the report goes on to say that the purpose of the ask is to provide accuracy and so on and accessibility for content.
This conversation has been taking place for a number of years. My concern here in reading this whole reasoning for this particular position is, I think we need to take care of the issues that we’re concerned with first..
Bentivegna: The information that gets put into the website. I’m assuming, is approved by someone, some people, a leader in whatever department that is, and it gets put into the web site. From my standpoint, I would like to see some information as to what specifically we need to take out? And then I think the accountability side of it is responsible by each department. You know, if I’m in a particular department and I’m looking for some information and then key it in and it’s not coming out properly, we either remove what is unnecessary or change what needs to be changed. I think once we get into that scope, and then we have a sort of an indication of where we are, I think then we can plan moving forward. Because I think this position is putting the cart for the horse in that this individual is going to basically say what I’m saying, which is: “Okay, everybody out there make sure that the information from your department is correct and it answers the concerns or questions of residents. That’s really my reason for it in terms of funding, I like Councillor Kerns idea of building it from within. But then again, I think we need to take care of the initial issues first and then move forward.
Sharman: I’m looking at the time process, I’m going to be monitoring everything. So questions are one minute and comments at three minutes. We just allowed a maximum of up to three minutes for Councillor Bentivegna introductory comments. I wonder whether do we need to talk about them both? Did you want to make a comment initially about what you’re suggesting Councillor Kerns so that we could do both at the same time, I would prefer to do them both at the same time. So would you comment please.
Kearns: Sure. “While this is the same line item within the budget, it has a different approach to maximizing and optimizing the funding. Should the the funding be removed from the budget. It’s equitable across the two proposed amendments. In my research and scan and dialog with with communications department within corporate affairs, what’s become abundantly clear is that this is probably one of the strongest areas within the employment landscape, which is having its base requirements change and shift and be advanced at an accelerated rate, with additional technology investments, as well as new tools that can make communications faster, clearer and more efficient.
“While I have worked with staff to go through the entirety of the department, which does incredible, great work across different sectors, which is the comms piece, it’s the support piece, and it’s, of course, the engagement pieces in this department, what became clear is that perhaps retraining or reallocation or harmonizing across different departments would hopefully lead to, in this year, at least a reallocation of an existing resource to continue to support this role, which is SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and digital marketing.
 HOW we do it is the big question So in that regard I will table it, because I think one of our roles was to identify any types of savings. Look for synergies, look for opportunities. Add in a market scan, add in the changing context and landscape within the world as it relates to each and every one of the departments that we oversee. That’s why this one is drafted a bit differently than simply removing that. There is no doubt that the service is still required. We still need to bolster our SEO, bolster our web collateral. How We Do It is where we can take a second lens and look at it for this year, if we don’t find an area that we can bring those re-allocated resources in to support through either retraining or recalibrating, then we can look at this again next year; that that was my approach for this one, in consultation and with understanding from staff. I know it wasn’t an overly welcome to ask, but sometimes there’s definitely tension when we come and do the budgets. But this is just that healthy tension, and that dialog between staff and Council.
Sharman: Could you clarify – you used the word table. What did you mean by that?
Kearns: Put it on the table?
 Sometimes tabling means taking it off. Sharman: Oh, you mean your proposal. Just wanted clarity. I don’t know. Sometimes tabling means taking it off. I don’t know, my guess, thank you for that. I’m going to move to questions from Councillor Galbreath,
Galbraith: I just really want to hear from staff on the potentially removing of the advisor, and two on the funding resources from other parts of city operations. Just want to be clearer on what other parts would be funding this, if we keep it in.
At that point Leah and Oanh were asked to introduce themselves.
 Oanh Kasperski, Director of Communications and Engagement on the left and Leah Bortolotti Head of Corporate Affairs. Leah Bortolotti: I’m the head of corporate affairs. I’m Oanh Kasperskki, Director of Communications and Engagement.
Council was about to learn just how much they didn’t know about the way the city handles its web site.
Note: The software we use to capture who is speaking is less than perfect. We don’t always know who is speaking – in this case was it Oanh or Leah? The two work so well together it was hard at times to tell from the transcript which person was talking.
First – there is no web master – no one person that has oversight over just how the city web site works.
 No dates making it hard to know if you are getting the most recent information. Each department just loads their content – and that’s it. For those who have wondered why you could never find anything or when you did search and find something there were so many entries – most with no date – you gave up.
So to the question that was asked about potentially removing this position, what you would risk would be compliance with AODA standards, pertinent updates we talk about.
Leah Bortolotti I like this example. We talk about the flood that happened in in July. And the number one thing people used was the phone, right? They called in. But the second thing they did is they checked on the website for updates, right? And people are coming there annually.
6.7 million people come to the city website annually. are coming to our website. There is an increase in reliance on the city’s website to provide pertinent information; updating information is constantly changing. We have Council, we have committee every month. We have things changing from the province, federally as well that’s impacting our information. If we don’t have someone dedicated to do that, we risk not only internally, having a very cumbersome system, also because we do the internet, this would be a position that would work on the internet, but also providing incorrect or inaccurate information to our residents.
 Leah Bortolotti We hear this at committee or council, that the information is hard to get, that they can’t understand it. And while I’m relatively new to the city, what I do understand is this has been something that has been requested for several years. Councillor Kerns talked about the systemic issue when it comes to communications engagement, and that really resonated with me, something that I took back. What we are seeing here, if something continues to pop up saying, you know, it’s hard to access information, your website is hard to navigate, I can’t get the relevant information. There’s always a need for continuous improvement at the city, we understand we can communicate better. We can find more creative ways to engage the public.
What we’re we’re seeing here is that we can’t continue to work on the side of our desk. The communications advisors have 25% of the city’s work, and 267 projects right now are active, with 1400 completed this year, and so they are working diligently. There’s always a need to do more, but not funding this position will not change the outcome when it comes to capacity and our ability to be nimble and respond to a changing landscape with constantly changing information.
Councillor Bentivegna: I’ll just add two quick things. I think that if we take a step back for a moment, the idea that we can be a community of this size growing the way that we’re anticipated to grow and not have a single staff role accountable for the website, acknowledging that this is work, as Leah said, that gets done off the side of people’s desks. Not having that person available introduces a level of risk that I don’t think is where we want to go as a community, particularly given that we’ve heard from our community over and over again that the web is an important place for them to go for city information.
Kasperski: The other thing I’ll say is that when we think about the communities communications channels, they’re fairly mature.
They continue to grow incrementally year over year, but generally, they’re fairly mature. As we grow as a community over the next 25 years, and we want to continue to reach more people, different people than we’ve been able to reach before, in ways that are important to them. I think we need to do the digital marketing piece of it, so that we can be proactive, so that we can be strategic and targeted and continue to engage more of our audiences year over year.
I appreciate that Council has very difficult decisions to make around a budget season; this is not something that we would move forward if we thought the skill set or the capacity existed on the team currently in place. It isn’t. Someone else can do it if we train them or if we invest in them. This is a highly specialized skill – I just want to make that perfectly clear.
Leah Bortolotti: I’ll speak on a macro level, on that. I can’t tell you where we might have some funding elsewhere to fund this role. I can’t really look at the city in my capacity and say, Okay, take from here to fund that if, if that was what council decided, then that would be your decision. But I think regardless of where that allocation or reallocation of resources came from, what I would say from a head of corporate affairs position is that we would need to find the resources somewhere to fund this position.
Chair: Have you got any other places to cut money?
LeahBortolotti: I have to tell you – I do not. I guess there was a decision the executive management team level to support this. So this is one of the ones that did go forward, that we did support. There were others that didn’t get through that process.
Councilor Nissan. One question I have is, there’s also a reference to strategic communications, which I think is a great opportunity for us. But how are we going to find someone who’s an SEO and website lead who’s also an expert in strategic communications? How’s that gonna work?
Kasperski: Well, I think we’d like to take a shot at it, so we’ll see what the market will bear. But I think that currently, when we look at the job responsibilities, we do want to prioritize that content management piece, the SEO will come out of that. If we can get somebody who is strategic in terms of how they see the content map for the city, how it maps against our website. I think that the SEO will come out of that. If we have a really, really strong content, it’s easy to find, it’s accessible, I think that that will generally improve our SEO game.
 Leah Bortolotti : That’s a great question when it comes to kind of the different skill set here. So what we’re looking for is someone that’s highly specialized, technical, you’re right strategic as well; that’s kind of like finding a needle in the haystack, but one is coachable. One comes with the technical skill set to make your information more marketable, more accessible, it’s kind of, it comes it builds with that experience and anything that isn’t there inherently through training when it comes to that, that educational background strategy. I mean, we all strategize here. It’s very hard to coach the technical skills that are involved with web and marketing advisor. I couldn’t do it for sure.
Last question, any savings for us not advertising in the Burlington Post that can be reallocated or have those gone into mail outs and other places ?
Kasperski: The city’s current advertising budget is, or at least the part of it that sits within communications is very, very limited. Some of the amount is allocated to paid advertising, I think we spend probably 80% of it distributing City Talk the two issues that we’ve committed to doing so there’s very little to begin with, and I don’t think that I can speak to many savings given how, how little we’re working with.
Councillor Bentavegna: Just two, two quick questions. Can you tell me who authorizes the information in terms of the accuracy and the accessibility that goes on to the website.
Leah Bortolotti: So I’ll take it from a broad level, and then I’ll have Oanh, who’s the Director of Communications, take it from a micro level. So from a macro level, let’s say we’re working with the Commissioner of Development and Growth Management for instance. We’re getting information from that department, we’re working with the subject matter expert in that division or that department to confirm what is being drafted for communications is accurate.
Once that goes to the relevant communications advisors, because all the communications advisors have their own files for four pillars (name them) that would then go online. The problem, or the gap that exists right now is that once that information goes online, changes might not always be communicated, and changes might not also be understood. Like, let’s say the province changes something, and we don’t catch wind of it until two or three weeks later, that information is already out of date. What I would say is to have the position we want to fill be proactive and the monitoring of the information on that website and proactively reaching out to that division department to say, is this information still accurate? We are doing an audit of x, and this is why we need to have you double check it to verify if it’s true and if it’s not, then that person would then change the content to make sure that it is up to date.
Leah Bortolotti: I think, in an ideal world where there’s capacity to also do the end-to-end would be great. They are creating the content, they’re verifying it through the relevant departments, and then they’re also uploading that information. Absolutely, that would be perfect.
Mayor Meed Ward: The problem is, right now, there’s only one person whose role does not include updating or working on the website – is that right?
Leah Bortolotti: In an ideal world where everyone was trained on updating that website and ensuring that their contents are current, absolutely but the reality is that the advisors are also working on projects across the city and then for one councilor as well. Everyone has a dedicated Councillor that they work for as well for communication support. Could we be more proactive? What I’m saying is, there’s a capacity issue just plain and simple, and we’re not always on the back end, scanning the website and all of its variety of pages to ensure that the content is relevant, because we’re working on projects of the day.
My second question is a quick one. You mentioned 6.7 million users. That’s a lot of users. Do we track, if I went on to the website and didn’t find what I wanted to when I first went on and went on again immediately after? Do we track duplicates or triplicates in terms of the 6.7 million, does the system tell us that I went in twice or three times for the same thing?
Leah Bortolotti: That’s a great question. Councilor through the chair. So the data that we’re tracking is unique users through IP addresses. So if you’re going through again on the same device, then it would tell us that it’s the same user. We’re also getting the number of sessions and page views against individual users. So we can tell if we’ve got particular IP addresses that are coming back over and over again, you’re spending a very small amount of time on a single landing page, and then we call it bouncing. They leave immediately after.
We can deduce from that either they found what they needed really, really quickly, or they didn’t at all. Right, we can look at some of the user journeys and get a better sense of it through some of the data, but we do have that available to us. What we’re seeing is, for the most part, people use the website to access services. So they are coming in through a Google search, which is why the SEO is so important to us. They are finding a particular set of pages related to that service that they’re interested in. They’re getting the information that they need, and then they are leaving.
That’s the general experience that we’re seeing so far, and that’s why the content that exists on those sub pages becomes really, really important. Is it up to date? Is it relevant? Is it delivered in a way that provides people with what they need in an accessible manner? That’s what this role is built for.
In 2022 in our budget, we provided $150,000 to take the website from 2015 standards, the last time it was either invented or updated, to 2022 standards. The regulatory requirement for the AODA compliance from that time as well.
A Council member asked: Are you saying that we haven’t either templated any uploads to be AODA compliant, or we just haven’t had anyone go back and check AODA compliance?
I’ll go round about a little bit on this one. Best practice in the field is typically to update it every two to three years. If you look at your iPhones, if you look at your tablets and your computers, there’s a shelf life to some of this technology, and so AODA compliance is one of the things that we’re looking for.
AODA compliance also requires us to meet different standards that are progressively higher over time. So we have a different set of standards to meet today than we would have had in 2022 to ensure accessibility of our materials in our site.
Sorry, I thought that the AODA compliance was by 2025 – are you saying it changed again? So it would be a different level of AODA compliance. Starting in 2025 would be the highest level. Okay, I just think that there’s a difference here between AODA compliance and all the other things that you might be communicating need to go in around website cleanup and broken links which still exist and things like that.
Yeah, it’s fundamentally a website management role with digital marketing attached. And so all of the things that you would look at in terms of website management and administration, are the things that we would be looking for this role to take on.
Bentivegna: A quick question for you. So given the increasing sophistication of everything, internet, everything, it environmental factors, and the loss of the Burlington Post, does that make the task that you’re you’re proposing here more critical?
Leah Bortolotti: through the chair? I would say absolutely. But it’s more so that we’re seeing now more than ever, people are they’re not passively consuming, they’re actively consuming, and so they’re looking for that information. And so we need to make sure I had this correct. We host over 500 static pages, 650 dynamic pages, and 1400 documents. That’s constantly changing. We also have a changing population, so some of this information isn’t easy to consume for them.
When it comes to providing relevant information, absolutely, we need to make sure that the integrity is there as a city that we’re giving them the most up-to-date information.
 The AI symbol We talk about artificial intelligence all the time. It’s very exciting. I get excited about it in regards to how it can support our own CoBy When residents reached out to COBY it’s pulling from our website. So you still need a human to make sure that that information is relevant and up to date. COBY is not going to say, or AI, is not going to say at its current state for our city website. Oh, on page X, down the rabbit hole, this is out of date.
We need a human being to do that and then train the AI so in very critical times when people are looking for relevant information – flood grant relief programs that the city offers, COBY was using the information that a human made and put on the website to make sure that it was sharing the right information with residents.
Chair Sharman: I’m going to treat this item as already moved by both the council members. I don’t think we need to move it again, but I’m going to ask for comments.
 Councillor Stolte Councilor Stolte: My comments will be brief. It had not occurred to me to look to remove this item, and I’m certainly been convinced with all the conversation that we’ve had that engagement and communication is critical. I totally agree that we have residents who are seeking out that information actively, which is great, and if the information is not updated and relevant, it results in added workload on Counsellors offices, Counsellors’ assistance Service Burlington, as people struggle to get the information they need. If filling this position allows people to get the updated and current, relevant information they need, then I think it’s well worth it.
Councillor Bentivegna: When we did the 2022 update it included the Burlington Transit website and a couple of other websites too Will this include Get Involved ?
Kasperski: Through the chair, absolutely. This osition specifically would be for website management, so anything that we have would be this specific role.
 This feature will build out over time. It grows based on the information it can refer to. Bentivegna: And you brought up AI – CoBy is great, he or she, whoever that person is, I actually test the system. I ask questions, as a resident may ask questions, and it says, please go to Service Burlington or whatever. So I guess my comment is, how can we utilize such a great resource which a lot of our public does not know he exists, or she exists, or it exists, and for us to look at staff wise. How do we put in those questions that are commonly asked because we already know them and fix it. That’s where I want to get to before we allocate more funds to make things even better. I think we need to fix what we have and then move forward maybe two times, rather than just moving forward and having to go back and talk to CoBy.
Mayor Meed Ward: Chair through you. I do see this as a critical investment in community engagement, especially when the Burlington Post and other outlets are struggling to provide the information to the community. We know there’s been an increased cost. The Hamilton Spectator, where we now have to advertise certain things we used to put in the Post, is far more expensive than the Post. I know that’s taken a hit with your budget, and when 6.7 million residents visit, some probably every day, go to the website, you know, obviously that’s 6.7 million attempts to find information. It needs to be accurate, it needs to be accessible, and it needs to be there. So I see this as an investment in our community and community engagement, giving them transparent, accountable information.
Two votes were required. Bentivegna lost on his Motion and Kearns lost on her Motion – and the ask for the $148,000 stayed in the budget. City Council now knows a lot more about just how bad the city website is. What was really evident was that neither Kasperski and Bortolotti knew very much about how a newsroom handles the flow of information from a keyboard to the press room or the internet. That is not a knock on either woman – they certainly knew what they were up against with the website that is currently in place. They certainly know now what they are looking for and they know this is not going to be an easy placement.
The communications people all have certificates in public relations – not a newspaper person in the department.
At the provincial level the Communications Director for every department is a former senior newspaper person – people who understand media, have decades of experience, and reliable sources.
The really good news is that Kasperki and Bortolotti have managed to get past the first ask – they will need additional people next budget. If they hire the right person and manage the job that gets done the public will be a lot better off when it comes to getting information.
By Pepper Parr
October 31st, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The 600 page agenda that Council members are going to have to get through in two days has an interesting item.
 For a small structure, the John Street transit station has had a huge impact on the development of high-rise towers in the downtown core. Relocation of the Burlington Transit Terminal
Direct the Director of Burlington Transit to proceed with relocating the Burlington Transit Bus Terminal from 430 John Street to the Burlington GO Station, located at 2101 Fairview Street; and
Direct the Manager of Realty Services to proceed in accordance with the instructions sought in the confidential transit department report.
The immediate question is why?
 By Pepper Parr
September 12th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
Mayor Meed Ward mentioned last night at the Budget meeting that consideration was being given to doing a ward boundary review – which would amount to changing the size of each ward. She added that thought was being given to adding some wards to allow for better representation given the size of the population growth the city is going to experience,
 Denise Davey. Photo from Gazette photo bank To put that growth into perspective the Mayor pointed out that one development in the works will have residents equal to the size of the City of Stratford, Ontario. Denise Davey, an east end resident shuddered at what that was going to do to traffic which is close to grid lock at too many locations during rush hours.
There are residents in the western side of ward 2 who think they will be better served if they were part of ward 1.
Ward 2 is the ward with the biggest population and at this point the ward with the most development.
 Six wards with each ward having a single Council member supported by an Administrative assistant.
The plans for a six tower development on Fairview west of Guelph line will make ward 2 even bigger – clearly some changes have to be made.
That creates a problem. Burlington is part of a two tier form of government. The city is part of the Region of Halton where there are 21 Regional Councillors of which 7 are from Burlington.
Were the city to add council members – some of them would not get seats on the Regional Council – which pays half of their $100,000 + annual salary.
The work being done at a Queen’s Park Legislative Committee that is looking into the role Regional governments has to be considered. Some are suggesting in the case of Halton – the Regional government may be at the point where it is no longer needed.
Burlington’s Planning department which had to comply with Regional rules no longer has to do that.
Transit which is a municipal responsibility would better serve the public if the four transit authorities were merged into a single service.
Waste collection and the operation of the water service could – (should) be hived off into a separate operation that would be a stand-alone with representation from the municipalities that are served and significant provincial financial support.
 Social services is a Regional operation – it works reasonably well – however it is difficult to be close to the social needs of a community when the relationship is managed by a bureaucracy nowhere near the people who need support.
There is a lot of thinking to be done – and it won’t get done in the near future: however, they are at least thinking about it. The public concern will be – are we going to get better service and how much is it going to cost us?
One can just imagine how a New Democratic government would tackle a problem like this. Liberal and Conservative governments have in the past done decent jobs. Given the shape the Liberal party in Ontario is – one would not want to bet on their returning to office in the near future.
Which leaves it up the the current Progressive Conservative government.
Where are John Robarts and Bill Davis when you really need them?
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Staff
September 4th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
On Saturday, September 7 and Sunday, September 8, Lakeshore West rail service will be temporarily modified to accommodate critical track work that will bring faster, more frequent service across the network.
 Train service between Union Station and West Harbour GO will operate on an hourly schedule.
- GO Bus Route 12, 15 and 18 connections may be adjusted.
- Please check the schedule before your trip.
For those who normally connect from Lakeshore East service to continue travelling west, not all trains will continue past Union Station.
Regular service will resume on Monday, September 8.
Riders can transfer for free with One Fare between GO Transit and TTC. Customers are encouraged to use gotransit.com or triplinx.ca to plan their trips. You can also check the GO Transit Service Updates page for real-time details.
By Staff
August 15th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The eagerly anticipated 2024 Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) is opening this Friday and Metrolinx is thrilled to enhance the CNE experience for GO and PRESTO customers!
 PRESTO cardholders receive exclusive discounts of up to 44% on CNE advance sale admission and ride tickets. This incredible offer is available starting now until August 15 on the PRESTO Perks website. Don’t miss out because after August 16, savings will drop to up to 37% for PRESTO card holders. Find more details about PRESTO discounts for CNE 2024 HERE.
In addition, veterans and a companion can ride GO and UP Express free to and from the CNE for the Warriors’ Day Parade on Saturday, August 17. Immediate family members of deceased veterans may also ride for free if carrying something to identify their relation to the late veteran, such as service papers or an identification card.
We’re also increasing GO Train services between August 16 – September 2 along the Lakeshore West and East lines to ensure customers can GO to the CNE with ease.
Lakeshore West:
- New eastbound train trips have been added, departing from Oakville GO making all station stops to Union Station in the late afternoon and evening.
- New westbound train trips have been added, departing from Union Station, making all station stops to Oakville GO and some to Burlington GO in the evening.
Customers are encouraged to use gotransit.com to plan their trips and check schedules in advance. Riders can transfer for free with One Fare between GO Transit and local transit agencies. Customers can also take advantage of our $10 weekend day online passes that allows you to GO wherever you want.
The Canadian National Exhibition takes place from August 16 to September 2, 2024 at Exhibition Place in Toronto.
 Canadian National Exhibition media preview Green Phantom, left to right, Pretty Ricky Willdy, Nova and Jimmy Hart announce the opening of the annual Canadian National Exhibition on media preview day at the CNE fairgrounds in Toronto on Wednesday, August 14, 2024. (The Canadian Press/Laura Proctor)
By Staff
August 2nd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Sitting in your car at an intersection waiting for the light to change in your favour is part of being in a city that experiences some grid lock
That is, hopefully, in the process of changing. As part of the Integrated Mobility Plan, Transit Signal Priority (TSP) aims to align our transportation network with our City’s long range mobility objectives.
A team, led by Steve Vrakela (Supervisor – Traffic Signals) in partnership with Burlington Transit, Tacel Ltd, and Applied Information Inc. has commenced the testing of V2X at city intersections.
Tacel provides much of the hardware while Applied Information, an American based company handles the software side in tandem with Tacel. They are using AI level software that figures out a lot of the processing of traffic information. Getting into the details is quite exciting. Well maybe not exciting – but certainly interesting. Give the installation a couple of more months and we will all get to experience the improvements.
 By Staff
June 15th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The Art Gallery of Burlington announces a new Board.
 Is this property a future development site? Chair: Natasa Veljovic
Vice Chair: Dan Lawrie
Treasurer & Secretary: John Arnold
Past Chair: Susan Busby
Continuing Directors:
Councillor Lisa Kearns
Diana Tuszynski
Garratt Wootton
 The kids are having fun. The programs available to students are superb. Newly appointed Directors:
Vickram Agarwal
Scott Cooper
Tracy King
Juliette Prouse
Gennile Thomas Smith
Photographs of the Board were not available.
Chair: Natasa Veljovic is a strategic leader with over 30 years of experience. In 2019, Natasa retired from her role as President & CEO of Woodstock General Hospital. In her tenure, Natasa brought the vision of a new hospital, and worked strategically with the Hospital Board and multiple levels of government through an eleven-year journey of building and transitioning into a state-of-the-art site. Over the past decade, Natasa served on the Woodstock Art Gallery Advisory Board and as Chair of the Fanshawe College Foundation Board.
Vice Chair: Dan Lawrie is the founder and Chairman of Lawrie Insurance Group Inc., a multi-disciplined insurance and risk management firm, that ranks in the top 5% of insurance brokerages in Canada.
Treasurer & Secretary: John Arnold has been an entrepreneur for over 50 years. He was a founder of what became one of the largest wood pressure-treating companies in Eastern Canada as well as serving as a director and senior officer of numerous mining and exploration companies in Canada and abroad.
Past Chair: Susan Busby is a retired Educator who worked as a teacher and Elementary School Principal for the Halton District School Board for 30 years. She has an undergraduate degree in History and a Masters of Education. In her retirement, she has volunteered extensively within the community. She was Chair of the Board at Nelson Youth Centres, Chair of the Board at the Halton Learning Foundation, Chair of the Board of Governors at Joseph Brant Hospital, and Chair of the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation Board.
Directors:
Vickram Agarwal – Vickram is a digital and technology entrepreneur, serving on several Advisory Boards and mentors start-ups across the EMEA region.
Scott Cooper – Scott has been practicing law for over a decade and is currently a Deputy General Counsel at Interac Corp., where he leads a team of talented lawyers supporting several Interac products and business units.
Councillor Lisa Kearns enters the second year of her first term on the board and is an elected Halton Region & City of Burlington Councillor and Deputy Mayor of Community Engagement & Partnerships. Experienced in national management positions in healthcare, manufacturing, and advertising, Lisa is known for common sense solutions that deliver powerful results throughout her career.
Tracy King held a successful career in finance and now focuses on her family and volunteering. Tracy has years of board experience having served four terms on the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation and is the chair of this year’s Revel: The Ultimate Art Bash signature fundraising event.
Juliette Prouse is the Director of Finance and Administration in the Faculty of Social Sciences at McMaster University. She is a CPA with an undergraduate business degree and has occupied senior leadership positions in not-for-profit organizations in the child welfare and education sectors.
Gennile Thomas Smith is the founder and executive director of Halton Black Voices and leads efforts to combat anti-Black racism and create safe spaces for Black individuals in the region.
Diana Tuszynski enters the third year of her first term on the board and is the President of The Benefits Edge Insurance Services Limited, a boutique Benefits and Insurance consulting firm working with employers to maximize their benefits budget through a variety of innovative benefits solutions.
Garratt Wootton enters the third year of his first term on the board and is an entrepreneur, and business executive specializing in communication and technology enabled process automation. Garratt brings a human-centric approach to everything he does. He is quick to understand pain points and excels at finding unique human-experience-based solutions to the some of the trickiest situations.
By Staff
May 7th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The following was sent to us by Bfast – Burlington for Accessible Sustainable Transit . The Gazette was unable to attend the event, we are grateful for what Bfast provided.
Traffic congestion and the need for more buses are limiting improvements to Burlington Transit, and senior governments must step up to support local transit systems. Those were two dominant themes of this year’s Transit Users’ Forum, held Saturday May 4. Nearly 100 transit riders, City staff and politicians attended the forum, organized by Burlington for Accessible Sustainable Transit (BFAST), at the Central Branch of the Burlington Public Library.
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward highlighted City Council’s role in supporting the service expansion that has propelled transit ridership to record levels and committed to continue with transit improvements.
“We have invested heavily in transit, but we’re also trying to remove financial barriers,“ she said. “We’re looking at the feasibility of adding some additional free transit.” And the City will continue to make improvements in its specialized service (Handivan) to handle booming ridership.
“We’ve already starting to talk about the 2025 Budget and we’re looking at more investments in transit yet again.”
Record year for transit
 Burlington Transit Director Catherine Baldelli. Burlington Transit (BT) had a record year in 2023, with some 2.97 million rides, according to BT Director Catherine Baldelli. “People are embracing transit,” she said. “That’s really exciting.”
The affordability of transit was emphasized by Baldelli and most of the speakers at the forum. But growth in demand and worsening traffic conditions are putting the service under pressure.
Long travel times and limited schedules are often due to a shortage of buses and the people who operate and maintain them, Baldelli and transit staff said in response to stories of people forced to spend as many as four hours a day on their work commute.
Heavy traffic, including spillover from the highway, is also slowing down buses, she said. Over the next year, Burlington Transit will work with the City’s Transportation department to implement transit signal priority, which gives a bus priority through an intersection if it is running late.
Heavy traffic also causes bus bunching, where two buses might appear at once after passengers have waited for some time, she explained to a number of users who reported overcrowding on the Fairview-Hamilton Route 1. Bunching happens when one bus is delayed so much that other buses catch up to it. Transit staff monitor the system and make adjustments to keep things moving, she said.
Strong majority support for transit
The solution to many user problems could lie with more provincial and federal support for transit, speakers from BFAST and other organizations said. And public opinion seems to be on their side.
 Environment Hamilton’s Ian Borsuk said transit activists in that city envied the progress that has been made in Burlington over the past five years. (Photo credit: Zara Paris/BFAST) Panelist Gideon Forman, policy analyst with the David Suzuki Foundation, said there was “strong majority support” for more investment in public transit, according to a poll conducted last year by Ekos research. The poll showed nearly 80% of Ontarians wanted provincial and federal governments to invest more in transit. “What’s really exciting here is that it’s that a whole range of demographics” who support transit investment, from youth to seniors, he said.
Support, at 90%, was strongest in Toronto. But it was almost as strong in the 905 region.
“Almost four out of five folks in the 905 region support more money for public transit,” Forman said. “Obviously, lots of folks have to drive in this part of the province. They still support more money for public transit because they see the value in public transit even if they’re not using it themselves.”
Ward 3 Councillor Rory Nisan said a cultural shift was making transit more attractive to youth and families. He said friends were beginning to see the benefits of transit and he believes the shift will continue.
 Councillor Rory Nisan: A growing economy means more pressure on roads and “you can’t build your way out of that,” since road expansion only increases car use. Plan for roads
He projected traffic levels 25 years down the road, when Burlington would have as many as 100,000 new residents. He said Halton Region’s master transportation plan was in process and would deal with regional roads.
“We need to make some very serious decisions about the future of the roads,” he said. “Like it or not, it’s going to be busier on the roads. And the question is, ‘What are we going to do about it?’” A growing economy means more pressure on roads and “you can’t build your way out of that,” since road expansion only increases car use,
“So what’s the answer? The answer is more people walking, biking and taking public transit, and making it easier for people to take public transit. So that’s what we’re building today, so that we’re ready for … 25 years down the road.”
“In a lot of ways, for the last few years, we in Hamilton have been looking at what’s going on in Burlington with envy,” said Ian Borsuk, Executive Director of Environment Hamilton. But he said transit users had to keep the pressure on local councils to act on their issues. He cited a widespread service disruption in Hamilton that eventually led to the formation of the Hamilton Riders Union.
‘We continued putting ongoing pressure on city councillors and it became, politically, absolutely necessary, especially in areas where there isn’t currently bus service, to keep onside with increasing bus service in the city of Hamilton.
Encouraging response
“What’s best for Burlington, what’s best for Hamilton and all our various communities is that the communities determine what’s best for themselves. We know what type of service we need to see in our local communities. And it’s absolutely vital that we continue to work together and learn from each other.”
“We are very encouraged by the response to this year’s Transit Users’ Forum and we thank everyone who attended and helped with organizing this event,” said BFAST Chair Doug Brown.
“We’re seeing a real change in attitudes towards transit as congestion and affordability take a bite out of our over-dependence on cars,” said Brown. “We hope this forum further demonstrates to our elected representatives that despite the progress we’ve made over the past five years, there is still a lot to be done.
“Transit is one of the best tools in our kit to reduce pollution, end gridlock, make our streets safer and improve the quality of our urban life,” said Brown. “We will continue to work with transit supporters, Burlington Transit and our municipal government to make better transit a reality in our community.”
By Staff
April 13th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Yet another government plan to get housing built.
A bill was introduced to the Legislature on Wednesday designed to streamline government permit processes, make it easier for universities to build student residences, improve transparency around the controversial minister’s zoning orders (MZO) framework and eliminate parking requirements for higher density housing developments near transit stations to lower costs.
 Housing Minister Paul Calandra includes a “use it or lose it” provision in the bill to allow cities to withdraw building permits for stalled housing developments. “ These measures recognize the struggles that our municipal partners have faced in building homes and are targeted at removing those obstacles”, said Housing Minister Paul Calandra.
The Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act enshrines — and prioritizing new infrastructure such as roads and waterworks for ready-to-go projects — and further streamline approvals for garden suites, laneway housing and basement apartments.
The Tories will not mandate as-of-right four-plexes across Ontario despite calls from Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie to do so in the name of “gentle density.”
 Bonnie Crombie calls new legislation a ““a random grab-bag of small-ball measures”. Crombie blasted the legislation as “a random grab-bag of small-ball measures the Ford government could have done years ago if they were serious about building housing.”
NDP Leader Marit Stiles said it was “a weak bill from a government lacking in the bold vision and leadership that is needed in order to do what they should have done years ago: build at least 1.5 million homes by 2031.”
Green Leader Mike Schreiner said “with this bill, the Ford government is effectively admitting defeat after five years of housing failures.”
The Act includes amendments to the provincial building code to promote mass timber buildings, which are faster and cheaper to build, and modernize Ontario’s standards to be more in line with national construction codes. Currently, only 12-storey “advanced wood” buildings are permitted, but that will change to 18 floors.
 NDP Leader Marit Stiles said it was “a weak bill from a government lacking in the bold vision and leadership that is needed in order to do what they should have done years ago. The province will also allow cities to revamp development charges on condos and many other projects by eliminating a previous five-year phase-in of hikes; as of June 1 there will finally be exemptions from or discounts of such fees for builders of affordable housing. These are designed to spur construction and increase revenues to municipalities that had been concerned about previous Tory moves.
Calandra told reporters the government has “listened to our municipal partners” and will ensure civic revenues aren’t affected by the changes to development charges.
In what is seen as a bid to curb NIMBYism, the government will be “limiting third-party appeals to the Ontario Land Tribunal” to get quicker approvals for housing. Some 67,000 housing units, which began being built between 2021 and last year, are being thwarted by third-party appeals of official plans and rezoning.
The proposed changes would also allow proponents to appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal when a municipality refuses an application or does not make a decision on a settlement boundary change outside the Greenbelt area, ensuring that decisions over boundary changes are subject to an independent and neutral process.
Ontario’s 23 publicly funded universities will join colleges in being exempted from Planning Act restrictions when it comes to building student housing on campuses and on land they own elsewhere. All universities and colleges will be required to improve accessibility to student housing.
 None of the people named in various public documents have been interviewed yet by the RCMP The legislation arrives on the six-month anniversary of the RCMP launching a criminal probe of the $8.28-building Greenbelt land swap scandal comes as the Tories risk missing their target of 1.5 million new homes by 2031.
The government needs to build an average of 150,000 new homes annually to meet its goal. 110,000 were built in 2023, 73% of what’s needed each year.
By Staff
March 30th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The province of Ontario released the 2023 Sunshine list; the document that sets all those who earned more than $100,000 in the year 2023.
Here is a list of the top income earners for the city of Burlington, people earning over $200,000 a year.
The names in red are people who have retired or were let go.
When there are discussions related to staff salaries current City Manager Tim Commisso has explained that the city has to compete with other municipalities to get the talent it needs to be able t0 run a city that is expected to go through rapid population growth requiring large increases in housing. Because Burlington has very little in the way of land within the urban boundary that can be purchased by developers what land there is available gets used for high rise towers.
The planning expertise for high rise housing requires talent that Burlington just didn’t have. Add to that the changes made at the provincial level and you have a planning department that is struggling to stay on top of things.
Finally – there are the number of development application appeals that are at the Ontario Land Tribunal. Preparing for those requires staff time and the need for a beefed up legal department. It is far from a pretty picture.
Are other municipalities of comparable size going through the same experience? We do know that the Mayor of Guelph chose not to take on the Strong Mayor Powers and that they were given a decent chunk of money for meeting their development targets.
Which leads to the question: Is the Burlington situation unique ?
What is clear is that the city has experienced some significant retirements – they knew that was coming. The recent decision to let some very senior staff go hasn’t helped. The Mayor refuses to take responsibility for the decision citing information about people that is personal – yet the city manager was able to confirm that people the Gazette named has been let go. Looks and sounds like forked tongues to me
The decision on the part of the current Mayor to double down on the Strong Mayors powers hasn’t helped either. Add to that a Council that has yet to figure out a way to bring the Mayor to heal.
And finally – tax payers who have to pick up the cost of everything. Expect the tax payer blow back during the last budget presentation to be repeated next budget.
While Council may not have figured out how to put a leash on the Mayor – citizens know exactly what to do. Come the 2026 municipal election look for a blood bath.
| Name |
Title |
2022 |
2023 |
Increase % |
| Commisso, Tim |
City Manager |
$ 275,377.06 |
$ 301,993.94 |
9.67 |
| Ford, Joan |
Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer |
$ 242,396.60 |
$ 263,169.11 |
8.57 |
| Boyd, Laura |
Executive Director, Human Resources |
$ 211,310.92 |
$ 256,119.08 |
21.20 |
| Magi, Allan |
Executive Director, Environment, Infrastructure and Community Services |
$ 237,624.68 |
$ 254,034.58 |
6.91 |
| Shea Nicol, Nancy |
Executive Director, Legal Services and Corporate Council |
$ 242,464.89 |
$ 253,409.31 |
4.51 |
| Jones, Sheila |
Executive Director, Strategy Risk and Accountability |
$ 217,058.93 |
$ 226,593.50 |
4.39 |
| Nheiley, Brynn |
Executive Director, Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility |
$ 167,855.71 |
$ 215,825.95 |
28.58 |
| Macdonald, Chad |
Executive Director, Digital Service and Chief Information Officer |
$ 192,306.17 |
$ 214,654.08 |
11.62 |
| Scalera, Enrico |
Director, Roads Parks and Forestry |
$ 200,629.64 |
$ 207,649.46 |
3.50 |
| Anastasopoulos, Nick |
Director, Building Services and Chief Building Official |
#N/A |
$ 204,018.55 |
#N/A |
| Kummer, Craig |
Director, Transportation Services |
$ 180,785.86 |
$ 204,018.42 |
12.85 |
| Hamilton, Scott |
Director, Engineering Services |
$ 199,957.57 |
$ 203,787.64 |
1.92 |
| Ako-Adjei, Kwab |
Director, Corporate Communications and Engagement |
$ 183,423.83 |
$ 203,370.23 |
10.87 |
| Hurley, Blake |
Executive Director, Legal Services and Corporate Council |
$ 186,761.34 |
$ 202,755.29 |
8.56 |
| Meed Ward, Marianne |
Mayor |
$ 191,619.82 |
$ 202,712.11 |
5.79 |
This is a list of everyone who received an increase of 10% or more. The list includes members of the fire department where overtime is being used to manage a staffing shortage.
| Name |
Title |
2022 |
2023 |
Increase % |
| Pawlik, John |
Deputy Fire Chief |
$107,660.18 |
$178,356.34 |
65.67 |
| Cote, Emilie |
Director, Recreation, Community and Culture |
$127,990.25 |
$175,804.23 |
37.36 |
| Remedios, Shirley |
Database Administrator |
$100,782.49 |
$137,108.19 |
36.04 |
| Begbie, Alison |
Application Analyst |
$102,272.67 |
$134,975.90 |
31.98 |
| Schustyk, Kevin |
Senior Traffic Signal Technician |
$103,479.41 |
$136,357.78 |
31.77 |
| Nheiley, Brynn |
Executive Director, Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility |
$167,855.71 |
$215,825.95 |
28.58 |
| Bell, Alan |
Architect, Digital Platform |
$106,938.75 |
$136,989.95 |
28.10 |
| Tellier, Jamie |
Director, Community Planning |
$142,899.43 |
$180,291.55 |
26.17 |
| Robinson, David |
Building Inspector |
$102,171.96 |
$126,663.32 |
23.97 |
| Kumar, Anil |
Engineer, Building |
$120,126.63 |
$148,752.62 |
23.83 |
| Weaver, Judy |
Architect, Digital Platform |
$111,697.74 |
$138,194.81 |
23.72 |
| Kerr, Amanda |
Recreation Planner |
$103,194.02 |
$127,286.39 |
23.35 |
| Bethlehem, Gerald |
Building Inspector |
$100,414.34 |
$123,658.76 |
23.15 |
| Savrnoch, Gerald |
Building Inspector |
$100,545.64 |
$123,653.19 |
22.98 |
| Malik, Umar |
Stormwater Engineer, Development |
$115,485.79 |
$141,089.04 |
22.17 |
| Mahrous, Ebtessam |
Architect, Building |
$103,014.34 |
$125,849.61 |
22.17 |
| Naismith, Andrea |
Consultant, Organizational Development |
$101,103.42 |
$123,295.77 |
21.95 |
| Obal, Leigh-Ann |
Business Partner, Human Resources |
$110,944.95 |
$134,901.16 |
21.59 |
| Boyd, Laura |
Executive Director, Human Resources |
$211,310.92 |
$256,119.08 |
21.20 |
| Mchugh, Tina |
Manager, Data Analytics and Visualization |
$116,705.43 |
$141,019.05 |
20.83 |
| Gagliano, Michael |
Architect, Digital Platform |
$107,585.83 |
$129,807.30 |
20.65 |
| Mark, Kristen |
Application Analyst |
$129,210.15 |
$155,134.14 |
20.06 |
| Rabeau, Marion |
Manager, Design and Construction – Parks |
$126,372.16 |
$151,688.54 |
20.03 |
| Farbotko, Michael |
Architect, Digital Platform |
$113,640.45 |
$136,135.61 |
19.80 |
| Garcha, Kulbir |
Manager, Information Technology Systems |
$136,513.08 |
$163,532.43 |
19.79 |
| Robichaud, Lynn |
Manager, Environmental Sustainability |
$118,676.33 |
$141,670.27 |
19.38 |
| Kennedy, Trudy |
Manager, Building Inspections and Deputy Chief Building Official |
$131,370.09 |
$156,128.34 |
18.85 |
| Renner, Kirsten |
Supervisor, Payroll Services |
$100,595.14 |
$119,322.73 |
18.62 |
| King, Chris |
Manager, Transportation Operations |
$104,303.14 |
$123,701.59 |
18.60 |
| Schut, Paul |
Data Modeler |
$104,471.20 |
$123,677.97 |
18.38 |
| Maas, Andrew |
Manager, Asset Planning |
$131,568.75 |
$155,165.03 |
17.93 |
| Woods, Donna |
Business Partner, Human Resources |
$114,109.63 |
$134,295.75 |
17.69 |
| Beishuizen, Roy |
Firefighter |
$103,659.33 |
$121,913.73 |
17.61 |
| Yaromich, Janine |
Manager, Design and Construction – Roadways |
$132,755.44 |
$156,084.05 |
17.57 |
| Plas, Kyle |
Manager, Development and Design |
$138,949.20 |
$163,114.45 |
17.39 |
| Swioklo, Paul |
Manager, Corporate Fleet |
$102,383.70 |
$119,889.34 |
17.10 |
| Maxwell, Sandra |
Manager, Festival and Events |
$102,780.96 |
$120,246.78 |
16.99 |
| Filice, Suzanne |
Senior Business Partner, Labour Relations |
$114,658.16 |
$134,124.36 |
16.98 |
| Enns, Alison |
Manager, Policy and Community Initiatives |
$133,664.96 |
$156,184.64 |
16.85 |
| Clark, Cary |
Manager, Development and Stormwater Engineering |
$142,428.20 |
$166,384.24 |
16.82 |
| Wing, Paul |
Firefighter |
$102,973.19 |
$120,060.90 |
16.59 |
| Baldelli, Catherine |
Director, Transit |
$149,493.96 |
$174,144.74 |
16.49 |
| Spence, Jennifer |
Manager, Recreation, Community and Culture Community Development |
$106,365.67 |
$123,815.43 |
16.41 |
| Evfremidis, Susan |
Manager, Human Resource Services |
$129,514.06 |
$150,569.66 |
16.26 |
| Dwyer, Michelle |
Manager, Engagement and Volunteers |
$111,362.63 |
$129,277.88 |
16.09 |
| Holloway, Corry |
Fire Prevention Inspector |
$112,486.52 |
$130,088.27 |
15.65 |
| Temoche, Peter |
Firefighter |
$138,352.86 |
$159,879.31 |
15.56 |
| Higman, William |
Senior Plans Examiner |
$102,956.62 |
$118,966.26 |
15.55 |
| Foster, Chris |
Public Safety Telecommunicator |
$118,437.14 |
$136,831.29 |
15.53 |
| Puletto, Jenna |
Manager, Planning Implementation |
$113,503.62 |
$130,919.40 |
15.34 |
| D’Angelo, Amanda |
Supervisor, Planning Services and Committee of Adjustment |
$105,859.82 |
$121,741.72 |
15.00 |
| Jurczyk, Maciej |
City Auditor |
$155,481.78 |
$178,554.83 |
14.84 |
| Armstrong, Samantha |
Captain |
$130,827.54 |
$149,751.06 |
14.46 |
| Moore, Michelle |
Supervisor, Financial Reporting |
$137,636.23 |
$157,542.82 |
14.46 |
| Cowman, Peter |
Supervisor, Field Services |
$106,365.09 |
$121,535.96 |
14.26 |
| Collins, Scott |
Captain |
$143,432.56 |
$163,107.67 |
13.72 |
| Vanderlelie, Daniel |
Platoon Chief |
$155,071.80 |
$176,127.68 |
13.58 |
| Weake, Brad |
Manager, Tyandaga Golf Club |
$112,472.06 |
$127,470.65 |
13.34 |
| Yuill, Melissa |
Analyst, Total Compensation |
$113,303.82 |
$128,401.90 |
13.33 |
| Tiamiyu, Adedunmola |
Business Analyst |
$102,701.57 |
$116,175.89 |
13.12 |
| Kummer, Craig |
Director, Transportation Services |
$180,785.86 |
$204,018.42 |
12.85 |
| Davren, Kerry |
Manager, By-Law Enforcement |
$130,493.51 |
$147,230.57 |
12.83 |
| O’Reilly, Sandra |
Controller and Manager, Financial Services |
$151,874.12 |
$171,229.94 |
12.74 |
| Peterson, Richard |
Building Inspector |
$111,344.99 |
$125,441.38 |
12.66 |
| Turner, Brett |
Firefighter |
$123,677.97 |
$139,102.66 |
12.47 |
| Jivan, Lori |
Supervisor, Budgets and Policies |
$128,894.13 |
$144,900.01 |
12.42 |
| Boyd, Brett |
Supervisor, Cemetery Operations |
$105,502.43 |
$118,556.60 |
12.37 |
| Ullah, Sef |
Manager, Strategy and Portfolio Management |
$129,552.45 |
$145,440.78 |
12.26 |
| Selkirk, Colleen |
Specialist, Procurement |
$100,445.76 |
$112,246.24 |
11.75 |
| Macdonald, Chad |
Executive Director, Digital Service and Chief Information Officer |
$192,306.17 |
$214,654.08 |
11.62 |
| Bird, Marc-Andrew |
Manager, Recreation, Community and Culture Customer Experience and Marketing |
$105,462.82 |
$117,653.54 |
11.56 |
| Pavlou, Kathy |
Senior Plans Examiner |
$102,836.60 |
$114,688.02 |
11.52 |
| Medeiros, Joshua |
Project Manager, Site Engineering |
$102,516.79 |
$114,313.57 |
11.51 |
| Krizan, Steve |
Senior Plans Examiner |
$101,556.55 |
$113,176.19 |
11.44 |
| Mcisaac, Jeffrey |
Supervisor, Site Engineering |
$107,325.81 |
$119,578.80 |
11.42 |
| Trella, Rich |
Manager, Recreation, Community and Culture Facility Operations |
$108,958.14 |
$121,381.15 |
11.40 |
| Thorburn, Philip |
Deputy Fire Chief |
$163,407.25 |
$181,717.60 |
11.21 |
| Akinloye, Florence |
Supervisor, Accounting Services |
$113,647.29 |
$126,177.99 |
11.03 |
| Rukundo, Maxine |
Business Analyst |
$107,601.08 |
$119,361.14 |
10.93 |
| Pedlar, Tom |
Supervisor, Energy and Emissions |
$106,034.59 |
$117,608.51 |
10.92 |
| Duncan, Brian |
Supervisor, Roads, Parks and Forestry Technical Services |
$109,713.22 |
$121,680.93 |
10.91 |
| Hagley, Robert |
Supervisor, Customer Experience |
$101,438.26 |
$112,495.86 |
10.90 |
| Martin, Christopher |
Incident Safety Officer |
$148,072.93 |
$164,212.84 |
10.90 |
| Ako-Adjei, Kwab |
Director, Corporate Communications and Engagement |
$183,423.83 |
$203,370.23 |
10.87 |
| Kewell, John |
Senior Plans Examiner |
$109,928.18 |
$121,862.39 |
10.86 |
| Rodgers, Mark |
Firefighter |
$114,323.26 |
$126,445.98 |
10.60 |
| Sidhu, Kirpal |
Transit Operator |
$102,497.59 |
$113,362.26 |
10.60 |
| Ellis, Rebecca |
Supervisor, Landscape Architecture |
$100,431.29 |
$111,049.12 |
10.57 |
| Cook, Kelly |
Senior Planner, Policy |
$101,173.99 |
$111,825.25 |
10.53 |
| Romlewski, Samantha |
Senior Planner, Community Initiatives |
$101,174.03 |
$111,825.22 |
10.53 |
| Tuomi, Alyshia |
Supervisor, Asset Management |
$106,972.07 |
$118,219.95 |
10.51 |
| Girgis, Hany |
Transit Operator |
$121,617.68 |
$134,151.55 |
10.31 |
 By James Portside
March 28th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The province of Ontario released the 2023 Sunshine list; the document that sets all those who earned more than $100,000 in the year 2023.
In 2023 Burlington’s operating budget was $314.3 million dollars and the capital budget was $72.6 million dollars. Salaries come out of the Operating budget
The number of people working for the city and making over $100,000 per year increased by 16%. The 2022 list contained 393 names, the 2023 list contains 457 names.
 Of the roughly 850 full time employees 458 people now earn over $100,000 per year. I’m wondering what the politically correct version of “too many chiefs and not enough Indians” is.
The 2023 list includes nine people with the job title “Transit Operator”, four people with the job title “Mechanic” and one person with the title “Officer, Animal Control”.
Of the people we elect to manage our tax dollars the one person with the job title “Mayor” earned $202,712.10 after a 5.79% raise and the six people with the job title “Councillor” each had an average income of $119,802.70 after a 6.28% increase.
A total of 84 people, outside of the fire department, received raises of more than 10%. Only 16 of these people had changes in their job titles.
Our city manager, who has resigned, received a 9.67% increase.
In first place is Emilie Cote as our “Director, Recreation, Community and Culture”. Emilie received a 37.34% salary increase in 2023.
 In second place is Kevin Schustyk. Kevin is our “Senior Traffic Signal Technician” and received a 31.77% increase. Someone should tell Kevin that the traffic lights have yet to be synchronized.
Rounding out the trifecta is Brynn Nheiley with a 28.58% increase bringing Brynn’s salary to $215,826. (More than the Mayor) As reported in the Burlington Gazette, Brynn recently left the city and, assuming there is a severance package, the package will be based on the $215,826 salary. Brynn left the City of Hamilton and started working for Burlington in March of 2019. Brynn first appears on the sunshine list in 2020 meaning her salary moved from less than $100,000 in 2019 to $215,826 in 2023.
Meanwhile the number of taxpayers unable to pay their property taxes increase to 2.9% in 2023. The highest level in the past six years.
 Obviously, all is well at city hall. After pushing through a 15.5% increase to property tax revenue in 2023, with almost no population growth staff have been richly rewarded. Our mayor likes to call the 15.5% increase a 7.5% impact on our total tax bill but the reality is the city receives 15.5% more revenue from taxpayers in 2023 and, based on the sunshine list, they know how to spend the money.
Jim has lived in Burlington for much of his life and has watched the city change and grow over the years. With over 1,000 people working for the city there is a lot going on. As a now retired, successful business owner, Jim is interested in exploring and sharing some of what our local government is working on. You can reach Jim by emailing Jim.Portside@gmail.com
By Pepper Parr
March 18th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON’
Bonnie Crombie has yet to say where she will run for a seat in the provincial Legislature. She is reported to be very close to making a decision – the numbers at this point would be very tough for Crombie to win the Milton seat – what she cannot afford is a loss or even a close win.
 Expect Bonnie Crombie to take a pass on running for the Milton seat in the Legislature – risk is far too high. Watch for her to take a pass on Milton – and somehow put a positive spin on that decision.
Crombie has taken a strong position on Climate Change and announced that “a carbon tax will not be part of my plan.”
In announcing that decision Crombie was almost giddy saying: “Climate change is the biggest threat to our province and to the health and safety of future generations. Yet this Conservative government has taken us backwards. They have no plan to fight climate change, and have made things even worse.
 Looking for a seat that she can win and win big. Taking a pass on Milton is an option. “I’m thrilled to share that we have put together a Climate Action Panel, which will be led by Mary-Margaret McMahon, our fantastic caucus critic for the Environment and Climate Change.
“This expert panel will lead our consultations and form our climate action plan, as part of Ontario Liberals’ grassroots policy process, and our upcoming thinkers’ conference.”
Crombie wants aggressive action to build up transit; invest in electric vehicle infrastructure; reform land-use planning to build livable, walkable communities; to protect our water and nature; to green our energy grid; support our farmers; and, most importantly, to find ways to help families save money by helping all our households become more energy efficient.
Winning the fight to be the leader of the Ontario Liberals was the easy part.
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