Burlington Life — Gordon Schottlander

Regrets

To all the kind people who have read and commented on my blogs I offer my sincere regrets for my silence.

Family health problems, including hospital stays, have prevented me from carrying out the research necessary for the material.  Now we are moving (downsizing) and that is such a big chore that I suggested to the great people at The Spectator that they might like to replace me.

However they kindly agreed to give me "leave of absence" for a while longer.  We move at the end of February and I expect to resume some worthwhile information about happenings in Burlington by mid-March.

Best wishes to all for 2007.

 

WAL-MART - To be or not to be

Starting last Monday the Ontario Municipal Board hearing into the proposed Wal-Mart use of the land at Brant and Fairview is expected to last eight weeks.

The whole situation has some interesting byplays and the result of the hearing is hard to judge.

Wal-Mart is the largest corporation in the world.  In the United States alone it employs 1.2 million people!  The company is extremely successful, making billions of dollars profit each year.  Of course when you are that big, making enemies isn't hard.  There are all kinds of accusations about low wages, unfair labour practices and predatory pricing.  In fact there are some organizations formed just to do battle with Wal-Mart.  In one town in California a referendum was held  to decide whether to have a Wal-Mart in the town.  It was defeated with something like 65% vote against.

Paying minimum wages is not uncommon and many large companies do just that.  Wal-Mart does provide steady employment to many people who might otherwise not have a job.  Wal-Mart is not unionized although some efforts have been made to do so (one of the first ones in Quebec) and in almost every case the unionized store has closed for a variety of reasons, soon after the union vote.

Although Wal-Mart does provide some medical benefits for employees, they are not very comprehensive and fairly costly to the employee.  This has led to accusations that the cost of medical attention falls back on the taxpayer.  Not sure how that can be, because if there were no benefits at all, then 100% of the cost of medical attention would be paid by the taxpayer.

Wal-Mart have been accused of predatory pricing.  Hard to accept this.  Everything in the business world is competitive.   Could we say that the several "low price" food stores we have in Burlington are predatory?   In spite of them Fortinos, Longos, Ultramart and others seem to survive very well, thank you!

I am not making a case for Wal-Mart, I just think that just because you are huge doesn't make you bad. And I think no matter what size you are you should be treated fairly.

On the local scene, well yes, there will be some traffic congestions around Brant and Fairview.  Yes, there will be considerable competition for the downtown stores and Zellers, Sears, The Bay and the malls.  But that's business and ultimately it is the consumer who benefits.  Let's not forget that there are many low-income families in Burlington who would welcome another Wal-Mart at a location they reach more easily.

And just to add fuel to the fire, City Council just recently changed the Official Plan for the property to make the land more transit-supportive, even though originally City staff had supported the Wal-Mart project.  This, in fact, may ultimately be the key to the OMB decision.  Should the zoning that was in place at the time of the original application and recommendation by City staff be allowed to stand or should the City's last minute change be permitted?

One final note....Fortune Magazine, one of the worlds most reputable and well-know publications picked Wal-Mart as its #1 most admirable company.

Do we want another Wal-Mart in downtown Burlington? The answer probably depends on whether you are a local business owner or a low income family. 

We'll know the answer some time in 2007.

A VISIT TO THE BURLINGTON SENIORS' CENTRE

Last week I had the pleasure of a visit with Cathy Lamb, Program Supervisor of the Burlington Seniors' Centre in Central Park, which has just completed phase one, part of a $1.7 million renovation.  The second phase, the new rooms and spaces, will be completed later this fall.

Cathy explained "We are being pro-active.  The baby-boomer generation is reaching the age where they will need this facility".  She also points out that many of the programs have been held in satellite areas within Central Park, which is unacceptable in an organization where socialization is so important.

Founded in 1979, the Seniors' Centre is funded by and is part of the Burlington Parks and Recreation Department of the City of Burlington.  Funding is also received from special events that are organized by the seniors and from ongoing support from the corporate community.

The day-to-day use of the facility is guided through a partnership of a voluntary 12 member Board of Management and the City of Burlington staff.  The Board of Management provide input into the daytime use of the Centre, sets fees, deal with ethics and works on the programs.  It is a very successful partnership.

I was amazed to learn that there are 2,300 active members between the ages of 55-90, each paying $32.00 a year in dues.  In addition program fees ranging from $1.75 to $27.00 are paid by members.  I counted approximately 75 programs being offered to members.  Many of the instructors are members of the Centre, thus incurring no extra cost.

The Centre is open Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and there are occasionally some evening programs.  The facility is open most evenings and on weekends for rental.   These rentals include seniors groups, community groups and church groups.

The current expansion is costing $1.7 million and will result in more meeting rooms and more efficient use of space by the using partitions,. This means rooms can be utilized for small or large groups.  40% of the funds for the expansion was raised by members contributions, fundraising and donations.  Cathy Lamb states, "This is simply amazing.  We were told by professional fundraisers that 5-6% response would be good.  But our people and the community responded in a way we had not expected."   There were many fundraising events by the members, a partnership with Canadian Tire and many donations in the form of, for example, a fireplace and a wheelchair from the Corporate sector.

By late summer the fundraising campaign was only $25,000 short of its $1.7 million objective.  This final funding will be received from Mayor Rob MacIsaac's final Mayor Gala being held this month.  Quite a feat!   They expect to have a grand reopening of the Centre in Late january or early February.

The Centre publishes a Newsletter four times a year, which is self supporting by advertising.  It shows an amazing range of programs.....want to belly dance, learn to knit, make cards, play snooker, learn about computer?   Then join the Seniors' Centre!

I consider this use of taxpayers money to be outstanding.  Serving a group of people who are often in need of companionship and activities the Burlington Seniors' Centre is an example of a well run, efficient and successful organization.

MEETING THE CANDIDATES

I have to admit to being somewhat disappointed that there are not more opportunities to meet the candidates running for Mayor in the upcoming election.

Following is a list of the currently scheduled events:

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 11 - ALL CANDIDATES MEETING WARD 2 - 7PM - 10 PM,  Wellington Square United Church, 2121 Caroline Street, Burlington

TUESDAY OCTOBER 17 - MAYORALTY CANDIDATES ON TVCOGECO CABLE 23, 8 - 9:30 PM.  You can call in or email questions to vote2006@cogeco.com during the show

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 18 - MAYORALTY CANDIDATES SPONSORED BY THE BURLINGTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, Breakfast meeting at 7:15 am at the Holiday Inn, South Service Road, Burlington.  Members no charge, non-members $15.00 (must register in advance at 905 639-0174 - no walk ins)

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 18 - ALL CANDIDATE MEETING WARD 1, 7 - 10 pm,  Aldershot High School Auditorium

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19 - ALL CANDIDATE MEETING WARD 5, 7- 9 PM,  St. Elizabeth's United Church 5324 Bromley Road, Burlington

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 25 - ALL CANDIDATES FOR CHAIR OF HALTON REGION, 7- 9 pm,  Seniors Centre, 2285 New Street, Burlington

It appears to me that if you don't have Cogeco Cable and can't attend the Chamber of Commerce event (most people will be working), you are out of luck to be able to hear from our Mayoralty candidates vying for the most important position in this city. 

There's still five weeks to go (and no events for scheduled for November), so maybe someone could set up an evening meeting when more people could attend.  Making an informed decision as to who to vote for is fundementally essential for the future of Burlington.

However even if you can't get to a meeting....GET OUT AND VOTE!

MEET THE LAKES

Elaine and Ken Lake.  Burlington's International Athletic stars!  And yet they never run a relay, throw a javelin or jump a hurdle.   Nevertheless, this Burlington couple have been an important part of local, National and International Amateur athletic programmes for over 30 years.

Elaine and Ken are Track and Field Officials and have officiated at Meets all over Canada, the US and in many countries around the world including the Montreal Olympics, the Brisbane Commonwealth Games and for over 10 years, the Hamilton Spectator Indoor Games.

Elaine is an International Track Referee.  This means she is responsible for all aspects of Track events where she is officiating.  This includes ensuring the event is correctly set up, confirming records, disqualifications, settling disputes and making sure the event meets the required standards and regulations of the IAAF (International Association of Athletic Federations - the World governing body for Track and Field).

Ken is an International Official Starter and Field Referee for events such as discus, hammer and shotput events.  He has the same event responsibilities as Elaine when he is officiating.

For this couple it all started when their children were young and they were involved in skating and hockey.  Their keen interest in being a part of their children's recreation has led to many years of service to Burlington, Canada and the International community.

They have won so many awards it is impossible to list them all.  If you visit their home you will two walls of plaques, pictures and medals, illustrating their great success and the contribution they have made to Amateur Athletics.

Recognition of their efforts has come from around the world.  In 1980 and again in 1993 they both received the A J Dunn Award for Sportsman of the Year in Burlington.  In 2002 they both received  Queens Jubilee Medals as recognition of their work.

There are only about 10 people in Canada who have similar expertise in Track and Field Officiating.   Ken points out that it can take up to 15 years for an official to come up through all the levels and reach a point where they can officiate with the same responsibilities as Elaine and Ken.

They are both the only Technical Delegates in Canada appointed by the IPC (Internarnational Paralympic Committee) Federation in England, which includes Wheelchair, Amputee, Blind and Cerebral Palsy competitions.

Because of their considerable knowledge in Track and Field officiating they have been asked to be part of a seminar in Oklahama next year.

And this weekend at LaSalle Park in Burlington they will be officiating at the Ken Lake Cross Country Meet, sponsored by the Burlington Legion Optimists.

Elaine and Ken are great ambasadors for Burlington and certainly deserve all the recognition, accolades and awards they have received.  It is also worth noting that every hour they have given over the years (and there have been lots!) is voluntary and they never receive any compensation for their work other than expenses when they travel on IAAF business.

Congratulations Elaine and Ken for the important work you have done for so many years.

SHOCK AND DISMAY!

I simply could not believe my eyes on Saturday morning when I opened The Hamilton Spectator and read the headlines "LIBERALS ABANDON KEVIN AND JARED'S BILL".  This is  (was) the bill that would require an coroners inquest when a child dies when he/she is in the care of a parent who has been under a supervised parental access order.

In spite all the work done by the families of the murdered children, 60,000 signatures on a petition and a WRITTEN promise from Government House Leader Jim Bradley that the bill would be tabled, the bill has been tossed aside like so much garbage.

Dave Levac, the Liberal party whip and MPP for Brant (where Jared lived and died) told The Spectator that the Ministry of the Attorney General did not want the victims' funds paying for inquest lawyers.  Furthermore Levac stated that the government wanted an amendment to the bill that would require an investigation to determine if an inquest is needed and another amendment that would make the leglisation apply apply to both supervised and unsupervised visits.

Cam Jackson, the architect of Bill 89 points out correctly that an investigation as outlined in the amendment is exactly how the system works now.  But the decision is left to the Coroner under present law whether or not an inquest will go forward.  Bill 89 would have changed that.  Jackson says he has already agreed to amend the bill to include both types of visits.

So then it appears that it all boils down to money.  Imagine that!  At least two children murdered and the Government is worried about money! How many more deaths will it take before this situation is rectified. 

This is a totally unacceptable decision on the part of the Liberal Government.  I urge everyone who cares about children to contact their local MPP and demand reconsideration.  And let's write some letters to the papers and tell them how we feel.

Cam Jackson says, "This all boils down to the Attorney General.  Michael Bryant does not want to open up the compensation fund to these victims of crime".   Well then don't open it up to bereaved families.  Make that a condition of the bill. I don't believe the families want compensation.

What they want is a law to protect those who can least protect themselves and a law that is passed before another tragedy takes place.

Surely our well-paid leglislators owe that to the citizens of Ontario.

ARE WE SAFE, GRAMPA?

After watching the terrible events at Dawson College one of my young Granddaughters asked me if such a thing could happen in Burlington.

Of course, I reassured her that it was extremely unlikely that such an event could take place here and she should not worry about it.

However in my heart I knew that a tragedy like Dawson College could happen here and there is not much we can do about it.

We are extremely fortunate in Canada because we are not involved in a civil war or worse, a Holy war.  We don't have to fear suicide bombers or car explosions and can go about our daily lives without feeling threatened every moment.

But still I can't help but feel unsettled by the fact that one twisted mind can cause destruction in the blink of an eye.  I am alarmed by the ease with which guns can be obtained.  I am contantly uneasy with the amount of violence that is in almost every movie, both on TV and on videos and particularly in video games.

I heard the other day that there is now a video game that takes you into Columbine High School where you can  kill teachers and students!  This is unbelievable.  There appears to be no control over the content of this "entertainment".

Violence, wars, killings and aggression haved always been a part of humanity since the beginning of our history and presumably always will be.  No gun laws will prevent a person intent on obtaining a gun from getting one.  No censorship will remove the desire of a warped mind to take lives as revenge for abuse, bullying and other perceived agonies.

There were many people who saw the Dawson College perpetrator on his blog with a weapon in an aggressive attitude.  Nobody reported it to the police.

We must remain vigilant at all times and pray that our Burlington schools and public places will remain safe for all our citizens. 

I hope that one day I will be able to say to my Granddaughter, "Yes dear, you are completely safe in Burlington".

VOTERS AND LITTER

Is your name on the Burlington Voters List?

The City of Burlington's Preminary Voters List has been prepared and is now available for review at City Hall and at all Library branches.

If you want to vote you need to make sure your name is on the list.  If it is not you can file an application to have your name added at the City Clerks Department at City Hall.

The Municipal Election Telephone Information Line is 905 335-7721 or all the information is available on the city's website at www.burlington.ca.  Take the 2006 Municipal Election link from the home page under the Quick Links section.

The City of Burlington is having a contest to help the City create its 2007 litter awareness poster.

Encourage your children or grandchildren to enter this worthwhile contest.

The contest is open to students in Burlington from Grades 3 to 8.

Contestants must create a poster that focuses on:

   Impacts of litter on our community and environment,  or

   Tips to reduce litter

Poster details:

• Must be on 8 1/2" x 11" letter sized paper
• Any art supplies can be used
• Creativity, neatness and readability are essential
• Artwork must be original and hand drawn.

The back of the poster must show the name, grade and contact phone number of the entrant.

There are three submissions categories: Grades 3 & 4, Grades 5 & 6, Grades 7 & 8

Entries must be submitted by Friday, October 6, 2006, 4:30 pm and sent to Litter Awareness Post Contest, City Hall, 426 Brant Street,PO Box 5013, Burlington, Ontario L7R 3Z6 or dropped off in person at the City Hall Reception Counter.

Prizes will be awarded to the winners of each category and one grand prize will be selected overall.

All entries will be dispalyed at the Burlington Central Library during Waste Reduction Week, October 14-21

 

SIGNS OF LIFE!

Although it would be making an overstatement to say that the Burlington Municipal election is heating up, there are certainly signs of life in what so far has been a rather quiet period.

Most of the attention at this time seems to be centred around whether MPP Cam Jackson will run for Mayor. 

Mr. Jackson says he is not prepared to make an announcement at this time.  Mr. Rick Burgess, who is a Mayoralty candidate says that Mr. Jackson is continuing to collect his salary as an MPP while at the same time doing some "back door" campaigning.  To Mr. Jackson's defence came Mr. Mark Preston, a Ward 1 Council canditate, stating that Mr. Jackson should be commended for contiung to work as our MPP. 

As Mr. Preston points out, Mr. Jackson will become unemployed the moment he makes a committment to contest the electon, as he must immediately resign his position at Queen's Park.  One really can't blame Mr. Jackson for wanting to dip his toe in the water before jumping in!

Added to the mix is the statement from Mayor Rob MacIsaac that he could not endorse Mr. Jackson should he run for Mayor, stating "What I said to Cam was that I thought his biggest challenge would be getting past his partisan past.  He's been involved in partisan politics for a long time and that's not the way mayors operate".

There is also the question of the newsletter that Mr. Jackson's office sent to resident's of Aldershot which is not part of his Burlington riding.  Mr. Jackson says he is investigating and will make a formal statement later on.

Will Mr. Jackson run for Mayor?

Who will Mayor MacIsaac support (if anyone)?

How much will Mayor MacIsaac's support mean when it comes to counting votes?

Why was a newsletter sent to Aldershot residents?

We will almost certainy have to wait until September 29  for the answers to the first two questions.

Although this is all quite interesting, I certainly hope there are some "meatier" issues to challenge the citizens of Burlington to come out and vote.

WATCHING BILL 89

I have been watching with interest the painfully slow passage of Bill 89.

This is a Provincial Private Members Bill introduced by MPP Cam Jackson which calls for, among other considerations, an automatic coroner's inquest when a child dies while in the care of a parent who is, or has been, the subject of a court access order.

The Bill was originally considered in 2004 and was passed unanimously and was supposed to go to the Legislature's Standing Committee on Justice Policy but it was dropped!

The Bill, also known as Kevin and Jared's Law, came into being through the efforts of Burlington resident Marjorie Latimer whose grandchild Kevin suffered fatal injuries from a fall from an apartment window while in the care of his father, who at the time was estranged from Kevin's mother.

The Bill is also named for Jared Osidacz of Brantford who was stabbed to death by his father earlier this year.

Bill 89 received second reading this Spring and is now going to an all-party Standing Committee for public discussion.  There are two days of public hearings set aside on August 29 and 30 at Queen's Park.  The public can make presentations (if room is available (not my words)). To get more information about attending or writing a submission call 416 325-7352.

A third reading means if cabinet passes the proposed Bill, to be introduced around the third week of September, it will become law.

While Marjorie Latimer and Cam Jackson are to be commended for advancing this Bill, I cannot help but wonder why a piece of legislation like this, aimed at protecting those who are least capable of defending themselves and possibly saving young lives, can take so long to process into law.

Why was it dropped in 2004?  Will it pass this time?  I'll let you know!