Burlington Life — Gordon Schottlander

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.