Last month, the Province announced Halton Region would be added to the municipalities entering Stage 3 in Ontario’s phased reopening. We have all had to reorient to navigate this new way of living, working and playing.

I would like to thank the residents of Burlington, and in particular Ward 1 for their patience, resilience and compassion during these last 6 months. It is fantastic to see the innovative ways businesses have pivoted to provide safe products and services to customers, as well as the creative ways everyday citizens are navigating recreation, social interactions, and continuing to help each other out.

One way that businesses of Burlington have been encouraged to participate is to take on the POST Promise. You may see stickers/decals etc in local businesses, indicating their commitment to adhere to safety standards in order to keep you, the consumer as safe as possible, and to inspire confidence in the businesses you frequent.

Maintain physical distancing.

September will certainly bring about change to many families as students get back to some form of schooling whether it be online or in-class.

I can empathize and relate to the uncertainty that many are feeling with regards to the programming and short time frames to prepare for the changes recently announced. I do have 6 children that will be spread over post-secondary college, high school and daycare and my wife is a high school physical education teacher coming off of maternity leave, so the changes in my household will be extreme.

Since COVID-19 closures happened back in March, I have been working from home and finding a quiet place to do a Zoom meeting has proven very challenging. I am confident that the provincial government is making every effort to bring forth a good back to school plan. Trying to find a plan that is satisfactory to everyone is never going to be achieved as I have learned to be similar in my political role. I do believe that our children will benefit from the social interactions and change of scenery that leaving the house may bring.

Our numbers of cases and outbreaks in our Region remain very low and the opening of Stage 3 has not resulted in any spikes of transmission thus far. Should any outbreaks occur this fall, I think we are much more prepared to isolate and trace the infection and children are more adaptable to online learning, having experimented with this technique in the spring.

For more information on Ontario's return to school plan, please visit https://www.ontario.ca/page/guide-reopening-ontarios-schools

We as Council and our staff teams are primarily working offsite for now. However, City Hall has reopened for a small contingent of staff. Beginning July 20, the Service Burlington counter at City Hall was reopened to the public to offer in-person payments for the following services:

The counter will be open from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. Service Burlington will continue to offer marriage licenses and commissioning services by appointment. Please call Service Burlington at 905-335-7777 to schedule.

Anyone entering City Hall must wear a mask or face covering unless exempted from by the Mandatory Mask Bylaw. Residents are asked to bring and wear their own masks.

The City of Burlington is also taking precautions as we reopen our facilities, including mandatory masks on transit and at City facilities.

As you will recall, the City of Burlington and Region of Halton have both enacted a mandatory Mask bylaw. The city received a significant donation of masks which were distributed at City Hall, and while those supplies have been distributed, each Councillor has received a donation of a number of masks to distribute within their ward. Ward 1 residents can pick up masks at the following locations, or contact my office at ward1@burlington.ca to arrange:

City of Burlington Council, Senior Management and Communications are updating the city's COVID-19 webpage daily. Many answers can be found regarding city services and outside resources. Residents are highly encouraged to visit and subscribe to this page to receive updates: https://www.burlington.ca/en/your-city/corona-virus.asp

Residents may visit the Community resource page which provides links to many resources from volunteering, donations, where to get support, applying for grants, mental health supports, and community resource mapping. Rather than repeat all of this information here, we encourage you to visit the page to find links to organizations that can help you:

To access this page and discover these many resource links, please visit https://www.burlington.ca/en/your-city/covid-19-community-resources.asp

If your issues are not addressed on the above page, please visit the City's COVID-19 FAQ page which addresses many of the other questions we have received during the course of the shutdown https://www.burlington.ca/en/your-city/coronavirus-covid-19-faqs.asp

Due to the daily updates from the provincial and federal government, information is constantly changing - if you cannot find the answers you are seeking, please contact our office at ward1@burlington.ca and we will endeavour to get information for you.

The Province of Ontario is providing daily updates to residents to help them navigate through these unique times. Please visit https://covid-19.ontario.ca/

Featured updates

Residents who visit this page will also be able to find information such as links for financial help to resources for students and parents, information for workers and details for businesses looking to reopen and keep employees and customers safe.

The province has launched a toll-free line 1-888-444-3659 to provide support to Ontario businesses who have questions about the province's recent emergency order to close at-risk workplaces following recommendations by Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health.

If you are looking for a link to the federal benefits and services that will be available to Canadians, please visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/corporate/notices/coronavirus.html

The Regional Official Plan (ROP) is a land use policy document created by Halton Region to shape the Region's future growth and development.

The Planning Act requires that the ROP be reviewed every 5 years to:

Halton Region is reviewing the implications of growth management, natural heritage and a rural and agricultural system in North Aldershot.

Halton Region is updating the land use policy framework for North Aldershot as part of the Official Plan Review. The new policies will guide future land use in the area in keeping with Provincial polices and plans.

The North Aldershot area is identified in the current Halton Region Official Plan as a separate land use designation. The objectives of the North Aldershot Policy Area policies in the Official Plan are to:

The updated Official Plan must be consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement, 2020

(external link) and conform to a Place to Grow: The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2019 external link),the Greenbelt Plan, 2017 (external link) and the Niagara Escarpment Plan, 2017 (external link). Changes to the Provincial Policy Statement, 2020 and the Growth Plan, 2019 no longer allow for North Aldershot as a distinct land use designation and require the policy framework in the Regional Official Plan to be reviewed.   

The Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark system (external link)  is an innovative partnership to protect, connect and restore natural lands and open space between the Niagara Escarpment and Cootes Paradise in Hamilton Harbour. The EcoPark system spans a significant amount of land within North Aldershot.

Join Halton Region online or by phone for a Public Information Centre on the implications of growth management, natural heritage and a rural and agricultural system in the North Aldershot Planning Area. The meeting will begin with a presentation, which will be followed by a Question and Answer period.

A copy of the presentation will be posted on halton.ca/ropr in advance of the meeting.

Date: Wed., Sept. 9, 2020

Time: 7 p.m.

Meeting ID: 955 3904 8081 | Passcode: 221448

Join online: Click on the Zoom Link to join the webinar at the scheduled date and time.

Join by phone: Call 1-855-703-8985 (Toll Free) and use the meeting ID and passcode above. Those joining by phone are not able to submit questions live during the meeting—please email ropr@halton.ca or call 311 to submit questions in advance of the PIC.

To help you learn more about this topic, you can read our North Aldershot Planning Area Discussion Paper (PDF file). The paper provides more detailed information about how climate change relates to the Regional Official Plan.

If you require an alternative format or need accommodation, please call 311, email accesshalton@halton.ca, TTY 905-827-9833 or 1-866-442-5866. We will work with you to meet your needs.

To help you plan ahead for construction activities please read the project related information below. Wherever possible mitigation plans will be put in place to minimize disruptions.

Dust and mud: There may be increased levels of dust and mud near the work site. The contractor is required to manage these impacts.

Noise: You may experience noise as a result of Regional improvements. We will schedule work in accordance with local noise by-laws.

Traffic delays: This work may cause traffic delays, lane shifts or lane restrictions. We will make every effort to minimize any potential inconvenience. Emergency vehicle access will be maintained at all times.

Erosion and sediment controls: We will install erosion and sediment control measures for the duration of the project.

Tree protection fences: Tree protection fences will be installed before construction around specific trees within the project site that may be at risk of damage during construction. The Tree Protection Fences will serve as barrier for the tree and root zone to prevent damage during construction.

Lawn irrigation system: If you have a lawn irrigation system, please locate, disconnect and remove any sprinkler heads within the public road allowance. Halton Region will reimburse you for the reinstallation of the removed irrigation systems.

Driveway access: Direct access to your driveway may be restricted for short periods of time. We will provide advance notice of any planned restrictions.

Sanitary services: The Contractor may ask you to restrict your water usage at specific timesdur ing the course of construction. This should only last for a limited amount of time while they rehabilitate and/or replace your service. We will provide advance notice of such planned interruptions.

Truck traffic: You will notice occasional increases in truck traffic around the ongoing work. Please be aware and use extra caution while driving.

Vibration: You may experience some vibration due to ongoing work. As a precaution, we recommend that you remove or secure objects on shelves and walls.

Waste collection: Your garbage and recycling will continue to be picked up on your regular scheduled collection day. The contractor is responsible for moving your garbage and recycling to a location where our collection vehicles can pick them up. Please mark your house number on containers or bins to help with identification.

For more information about Regional improvement projects:

• Visit halton.ca

• Email accesshalton@halton.ca or call 311

The City of Burlington awarded this project to Dufferin Construction Company.

COVID-19 Information

The Government of Ontario has declared this construction essential:

Construction projects and services that are required to ensure safe and reliable operations of, or to provide new capacity in, critical provincial infrastructure, including transit and transportation sectors beyond day-to-day maintenance.

The City of Burlington is concerned for the Health and Safety of all workers and all others that either live in or must enter the construction site.

The City of Burlington and Halton Region are working with our contractors to make sure this work is done in a safe and timely way. We follow the direction of the Federal and Provincial Governments and more specifically the Canadian Construction Association direction COVID-19 Standardized Protocols for All Canadian Construction Sites – Version 1, dated March 26, 2020.

This construction site is managed by Dufferin Construction Company. It is the contractor’s Health and Safety Policies and Procedures that will govern the job site. City of Burlington staff, Halton Region staff and all other consultants that visit the project site will follow the policies outlined by Dufferin Construction Company. for onsite Health and Safety.

Disruption to your home internet or telephone service may occur. We realize that there is a heightened concern with respect to families who are working from home. The City has raised this concern with utility companies and their need to react quickly to disabled services. Our goal is to have affected internet connections repaired by the utility companies within 24hrs of an issue occurring. The contractor typically contacts the utility company, however if you lose service, please feel free to contact us.

Ward 1 residents are invited to save the date for an upcoming Molinaro Group pre-application virtual public meeting, to be held on October 1. Time and Zoom link, as well as further information on this application will be shared in our September newsletter.

The Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) has approved the National Homes 2100 Brant Street development after the local neighbourhood group Vision 2100 Brant withdrew as an opposing party to the hearing. Two residents with participant status at the hearing also withdrew.

In advance of the hearing on July 28, Vision 2100 advised the Tribunal that it had settled with National Homes, with no further changes to the proposed development. Vision 2100 did not present any evidence or make any submission at the hearing.

Based on the uncontested opinion evidence from planners for National Homes and the City of Burlington in support of a revised proposal, and the submissions of the remaining Parties (including the Region of Halton), the Tribunal issued an oral decision approving the settlement and the proposed planning instruments and plan of subdivision. That was followed up with a written decision on July 30 available via this link.

The written decision states: “At a Case Management Conference held on June 4, 2020, the Appellant informed the Tribunal that it had reached a settlement agreement with the City and the Regional Municipality of Halton (“Region”). On July 7, 2020, the Vision 2100 Brant Neighbours Association, which was an Added Party, withdrew from the proceedings. On July 8, 2020, Jim Young withdrew as a Participant from the proceedings and on July 15, 2020, Tom Muir withdrew as a Participant from the proceedings. No opposing Parties or Participants remain.”

The LPAT’s approval of the 2100 Brant St. development brings this appeal to a close, except for a ruling from the LPAT on a motion from National Homes for costs for preparing to appear in support of the previous settlement approved by the former city council. In November 2018, the previous city council approved a settlement with National Homes after the municipal election when 5 of the 7 members at the time knew they were not returning, but prior to the new Council being sworn in.

The new Council rescinded that settlement in order to work with residents, the applicant and planning staff to make additional modifications that resulted in further revisions and the settlement the LPAT approved.

The Tribunal also gave authority to the City for final approval for the proposed draft Plan of Subdivision, subject to a long list of conditions from various parties, including:

A phasing schedule for construction must also be provided identifying proposed house construction (start dates/occupation dates), tentative grading, sodding and tree-planting schedules in accordance with the City’s grading and sodding policy and schedule.

At some point in the future, National Homes will need to obtain site plan approval for the development of the townhouse component of the plan.

We will continue to update residents as this application moves into its construction phase.

While this development may not be what some residents or council members were hoping for, it was improved upon multiple times throughout the planning process over what was initially submitted. That was the direct result of the input received from our community.

The revised proposal includes more green space than the original application, including a new park, fewer units, less height and density, more variety and senior-friendly options, increased setbacks and better transition to the neighbourhoods to the north and south.

We thank the public for their involvement in the process and for continually providing their feedback and input.

We would also like to thank the resident group Vision 2100 for their hard work and cooperation in achieving an improved development plan. They spent countless hours and finances over the past few years, working with city staff, council and the developer to make changes to the development that we are sure future residents of this new neighbourhood will appreciate.

In accepting the revised proposal, council considered a number of factors, including public input, the improvements made that addressed some of the concerns raised, the planning justification provided by staff, and advice from legal counsel.

Our decision also factored in some practical realities, including the inability to secure a planning witness that was of the opinion that the November 2018 proposal did not overall represent good planning, the likelihood that a hearing would not produce a different result, and the possibility that city taxpayers could be required to pay the entire costs of the applicant at a lengthy hearing. In addition, city staff who supported the November proposal would likely have been required to testify on behalf of the applicant, at city taxpayers expense.

This application was in its third year of review.

The decision to settle with National Homes on the 2100 Brant development was the responsible decision for all parties involved. We achieved the best plan possible for the community. This development brings townhouse, semi-detached and senior-friendly housing, along with a new neighbourhood park and protection of natural heritage features.

For more background on this file, please visit Burlington.ca/2100Brant. If you would like to discuss or have any questions, please contact my office at ward1@burlington.ca

Late last month, Coletara Development Group notified Council of their revised submission for the above noted property.

In the notification, they state:

"Through extensive discussions with City Staff and legal counsel, the design for the Subject Lands has been revised to address the feedback that we have received from staff. On June 3. 2020 we provide [sic] a revised set of drawings to staff on a with prejudice basis to ensure that our good faith intentions were formally on the record for consideration by City staff and council.

As many in the community are aware, I have had to declare a conflict of interest on this development due to its close proximity to my house ( less than 50 meters ). Advise is provided to council on these matters by an independent integrity commissioner.  

I am encouraged by the changes made by the developer in response to planning staff comments but I think the main concern still is the height of the building to local residents. A decision on this file will be forthcoming in the September cycle of committee and Council meetings. 

To review all current Ward 1 development projects, including an option to subscribe to the page for updates, please visit https://www.burlington.ca/en/services-for-you/ward-one.asp

I was pleased to attend the first ever virtual AMO conference this past week.

I was able to listen in to many conference webinars regarding the various tools municipalities are using to deal with implications of COVID-19.

Of particular interest to me were the business-related seminars and also had the opportunity to meet with Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria who is the Minister of Small Business and Red Tape reduction. We were able to discuss possible amendments to the bonusing provision that has hampered municipalities in assisting small businesses with any form of aid during the recovery following the lockdowns. Looking forward to some action on this item in the near future.

Any developments on this topic will be shared in a future newsletter

A: Please note that due to COVID-19 restrictions, which caused a significant layoff of Roads, Parks and Forestry staff, many median flower beds were not planted this year. Because of the staff required to maintain these beds, only those with pre-existing irrigation systems were planted. In addition, the Adopt-A-Bed program was cancelled for this year, and the weeding of the empty beds is being completed as staff are able.

With sunny days and warm nights, we are naturally spending more time outside, squeezing every minute out of summer that we can.

However, for the Burlington Fire Department, it means an increase in the number of open-air burning complaints. I want to take a moment to remind residents that, open-air burning is only allowed in designated areas of the city with a valid Open-Air Burning Permit.

Open-air burning (such as a wood burning camp fire or burning of brush) is never allowed in urban Burlington which is anywhere south of Dundas Street and Highways 403 and 407 ETR. Our rural residents can apply for an Open-Air Burning Permit online at Burlington.ca/burnpermit or by calling 905-637-8207.

Open-Air Burning Permits involve a site visit from a Fire Department Inspector and if approved, are free of charge.

Outdoor burning devices that use propane or natural gas as fuel supply, such as outdoor heaters, liquid or gas-fueled accent appliances are allowed in all areas of the City. The exception to this would be apartment building balconies where prohibited by condominium corporation rules, rental agreements and/or Technical Standards Safety Authority (TSSA) regulations. These approved devices are safe, do not produce smoke which can be a nuisance to neighbours and are great for cooking hot dogs or roasting marshmallows.

If you want to enjoy your outdoor cooking device please keep in mind, it must be small, a confined fire, supervised at all times, and used to cook food on a grill, barbeque or spit that is an appropriate size for the type and quantity of food being cooked. Furthermore, the fire must be put out immediately after cooking.

While we try to hang onto sunny days and warm nights, we want you to be able to enjoy the outdoors responsibly. Penalties for open-air burning without a permit can be costly. If you’re unsure about the rules and regulations or if your outdoor burning device is allowed, please call us at 905-637-8207 or email us at firedepartment@burlington.ca. We would prefer to take a few moments to discuss and educate before you make the decision to burn rather than spend time issuing a fine or putting out a fire.

I was thankful to be able to join my council colleagues to participate in an announcement on Tuesday August 25, hosted by Adam van Koeverden, Member of Parliament for Milton, Minister Karina Gould (Burlington), MP Pam Damoff (Oakville—North Burlington) and MP Bob Bratina (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek), to announce funding to Conservation Halton for their Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan (HHRAP).

The project will lead local coordination and implementation of the action plan, with the end goal of getting the Hamilton Harbour delisted as an Area of Concern.

Actions include local coordination of the HHRAP, information exchange, inter-agency liaison and relationship building, public and stakeholder outreach and engagement, supporting the development of beneficial use impairment (BUI) assessment reports, and redesignating four BUIs: Degradation of Wildlife Populations, Fish Tumours or Other Deformities, Bird or Animal Deformities or Reproduction Problems, and Degradation of Aesthetics.

This funding will support the federal government's efforts to work with local partners to protect the Great Lakes. This work will be accomplished by: restoring Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs), preventing toxic and nuisance algae, assessing and enhancing the resilience of Great Lakes coastal wetlands, evaluating and identifying at risk nearshore waters, reducing releases of harmful chemicals.

This area is a destination zone for so many people from Burlington, Hamilton and beyond and our strategic pillar of “creating a city that is green and healthy” also applies to our surrounding water. Thousands of people use this area each year for walks, boating, bird watching, fishing, water sports, transporting goods and so much more.

My family and I have lived in this area for many years and I’m proud to call this area my home and my ward. I will share any developments on this project as they arise.

At this time of year, one can expect to see gypsy moth having emerged from their cocoons as brown moths flying around erratically, and white moths on tree branches and other surfaces, typically with a brown, fuzzy egg mass nearby. (figure 1, right). At this stage in their lifecycle, Gypsy moth are no longer feeding so much as reproducing for next year’s cycle of defoliation.

European Gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, is an introduced pest that is known to defoliate trees. Caterpillars that emerge in May will feed for several weeks, and in some cases can defoliate whole trees, depending on the population size. Most trees can withstand defoliation of this magnitude over several years as they will ‘push’ a second set of leaves, typically visible around this time (late July).

Repeated defoliation can weaken trees however, as it depletes nutrient stores that would otherwise be used for tree growth, as well as in times of increased plant stress, such as drought, or poor growing conditions.

In order to manage this pest, Egg mass surveys are conducted by Forestry staff in the fall to estimate the relative defoliation that can be expected for the following year. Using an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach, areas that are known to have exceeded an action threshold (~2,500 egg masses per hectare) are assumed to be beyond the limits of control by existing predators, such as birds. In these areas, a control such as a pesticide, can be used for the following year, typically in late May.

Forestry assesses municipally owned trees only – these are considered along right of ways, parks, and naturalized areas. In 2019, the City applied a pesticide by helicopter to 120 Ha of city-owned land.

Forestry is in the early planning stages of an egg mass survey for the fall of 2020, with the intent to proceed with a program in 2021. Forestry staff will be submitting a budget request to Council for this work, as this program is not currently funded.

If you are interested in control measures for your own home at this time, the recommended option is to conduct egg mass scraping. This can be done most effectively with a hand scraper or barbeque brush. You will be limited to how high you can scrape – but every little bit helps!

For more information, visit www.burlington.ca/gypsymoth or contact us at forestry@burlington.ca

Construction of Phase 2 of the Lowville Park Master Plan will officially begin Sept. 8, 2020. As of Sept. 8, the parking lot will be closed to all vehicles and visiting the park will no longer require a reservation. The park will remain open but visitors are strongly encouraged to walk or bike to the park as there will only be limited on-street parking at the east end of Lowville Park Drive.

Read More: https://www.burlington.ca/en/Modules/News/index.aspx?feedId=0b11ae3a-b049-4262-8ca4-762062555538&page=1&newsId=1aae24ea-c830-43cb-b2fe-a2f409dc0972

Riders can pay fares using a PRESTO card. For more information, including subsidized passes, please visit https://bit.ly/3jgvJd8.

On Aug. 24, 2020, Burlington City Council unanimously approved requesting the Region of Halton through its Municipal Comprehensive Review of the Regional Official Plan (MCR), to adjust the boundary of the Downtown Urban Growth Centre (UGC) to generally align with the lands in proximity to the Burlington GO Station, and to remove the Major Transit Station Area (MTSA) designation from the Downtown.

Read More: https://www.burlington.ca/en/Modules/News/index.aspx?feedId=0b11ae3a-b049-4262-8ca4-762062555538&page=1&newsId=88a94b07-e10c-49ed-9899-30137e4400c9

The City of Burlington is converting ‘wait for the gap’ crossings along Brant Street to pedestrian crossovers to be ready for Thursday, Aug. 27, weather permitting.

The City of Burlington will be installing its first pedestrian crossovers at:

In addition to the three locations along Brant Street, crossovers will also be installed at the Centennial Pathway

Read More: https://www.burlington.ca/en/Modules/News/index.aspx?feedId=0b11ae3a-b049-4262-8ca4-762062555538&page=1&newsId=70b4e152-d317-4b53-b212-2110790ebccc

Following public health direction, the City of Burlington continues to open redesigned recreation services with COVID-19 precautions in place to protect staff and public. Three, four-week sessions for Adults 19+ and 55+ and private, in-person music lessons will be offered in some indoor facilities this fall while following the same safety protocols established for outdoor pools and other programs.

Read More: https://www.burlington.ca/en/Modules/News/index.aspx?feedId=0b11ae3a-b049-4262-8ca4-762062555538&page=2&newsId=cc31f1ec-b096-4249-9e4c-2472a625c42d

In an effort to expand protections and reduce transmission of COVID-19, as of Aug. 20, the temporary Mask By-law will apply to most common areas of condominiums and apartment buildings, with the same exemptions as for enclosed public spaces. Burlington City Council also approved extending the temporary Mask By-law until Jan. 31, 2021. The By-law can still be rescinded earlier or be extended beyond Jan. 31.

Read More: https://www.burlington.ca/en/Modules/News/index.aspx?feedId=0b11ae3a-b049-4262-8ca4-762062555538&page=2&newsId=d6ad5c67-498e-44b2-b23b-366bf254c689

As the City of Burlington continues to resume services during COVID-19, fiscal responsibility has been a priority to make sure the City is able to deliver services and keep tax rates reasonable without incurring a year end shortfall. Today, the Province of Ontario announced as part of the federal-provincial Safe Restart Agreement that the City of Burlington will receive $4,470,700 to support municipal operating pressures for Phase 1 and Burlington Transit will receive $1,571,213 to support municipal transit systems for Phase 1.

Read More:https://www.burlington.ca/en/Modules/News/index.aspx?feedId=0b11ae3a-b049-4262-8ca4-762062555538&page=2&newsId=7c5f8eca-3c60-472e-abfd-c43908e5a293

The “Taking a Closer Look at the Downtown” team has recommended modifications to the Official Plan policies that will guide development in Downtown Burlington to the year 2031. These recommendations have been informed by extensive public engagement conducted over the last year, analysis of downtown’s existing context, technical studies, and the need to conform with regional and provincial policies.

The recommendations will be considered by members of Council at the September 30 meeting of Community Planning, Regulation, and Mobility Committee and at a Special Council meeting on October 7. Council will be asked to endorse the recommended policy modifications and send them to Halton Region for incorporation into the City’s new Official Plan, which was adopted by City Council in April 2018 and awaits approval by the Region.

Have Your Say:

Members of the public will have all summer to review the recommendations and send comments or questions to the project team. Comments should be submitted by August 28 in order for the project team to have time to review and respond to them before the public meeting on September 30. There will also be an opportunity for members of the public to delegate at the public meeting on September 30.

The recommendations and associated reports can be accessed online at https://www.getinvolvedburlington.ca/official-plan-2019, under “June 8, 2020 - Release of Reports and Recommended Modifications to the Adopted Official Plan”. The recommendations are described in the final report by SGL Planning & Design. The modified policies and maps are found in appendices 2, 3, and 4.

Comments and questions can be sent to the project team at:

905-335-7600, ext. 7787 - Leave a message and staff will call you back during business hours. Staff are monitoring voicemail and will respond as soon as possible.

City of Burlington

c/o Alison Enns

Community Planning Department

426 Brant St.

P.O. Box 5013

Burlington, ON L7R 3Z6

BurlingtonGreen’s Grow to Give program has been an active contributor to the Burlington community since it first began in 2012, and has grown and donated nearly 8000 lbs of fresh produce to the Food Bank and local food security agencies. Thanks to the support of the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund and the Burlington Foundation, this year we will respond to COVID-19 by pivoting and expanding on our program to collect fresh produce from Burlington gardeners to donate to local food banks.

Gardening has been a popular pastime by many Burlington residents this year and a great deal of fresh produce is expected. We want to try and bridge this gap to make it easy for locals to donate a portion of their harvest.

We have weekly collections set up at four different Burlington parks; Central Park, Amherst Park, Francis Road Bike Path and Ireland Park, outside of the community gardens, where local residents can donate fresh produce.

All clean, dry and unspoiled fresh produce is accepted and no donation is too small! Every fresh produce donation is brought to local food banks, who are working hard to keep the community fed.

From now until the end of October, staff will be set up on the Francis bikepath (near the community garden at Marley Road), ready to collect fresh produce donations every Tuesday from 10:00 am -11:00 am. The more we can spread the word, the more fresh produce we can collect and deliver to local food banks.

To learn more:

Grow to Give webpage: https://www.burlingtongreen.org/services/programs/grow-to-give

Grow to Give launch video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8zdeSprIZ8

There’s still time to register for the 2020 Virtual Terry Fox Run, on September 20th. If you’re on the fence about signing up this year, here are 10 good reasons to go for it! To read more, click the link!

Burlington Tourism Blog

Visiting Burlington for the day? Or getting in one last staycation at home before the end of summer? Whether you’re here with the family or as a couple, seeking adventure or a relaxing time outdoors, we have something for everyone!

Read More and subscribe: https://www.tourismburlington.com/subscribe/

Taste of Burlington Blog

Our local restaurants need our help and support. With the COVID-19 pandemic, they were hit hard. Effective July 24, restaurants were able to offer indoor seating, as well as patio seating, plus take-out and delivery. Note distancing applies, so there will be new capacity limits. We have compiled a list of restaurants and food-related businesses offering service during these hard times. You can find it here – please support where you can. We’re all in this together.

We are pleased to announce that the Taste of Burlington Prix-Fixe Dining program will return this October and will run at participating businesses October 5-25. Watch for more info on menus and what restaurants are participating in the coming weeks here.

Read More: https://tasteofburlington.ca/

As businesses and services reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a pressing need for businesses to implement regulations and safety measures to prevent the spread of the virus, and to protect the health and wellbeing of Burlington residents. In particular, these measures are needed within enclosed spaces, where physical distancing is difficult to maintain.

Read more: https://bedc.ca/

Please be advised that upcoming Aldershot Lions Club Garage Sales will be:

In addition to serving as Ward 1 City and Regional Councillor, I have the opportunity to sit on a few other local boards and committees:

As a member of the Board of Directors for Ward 1's own Royal Botanical Gardens, I meet with a team of dedicated individuals, aimed at serving Burlington and beyond.

We meet roughly every 3 months, with the Annual General Meeting occurring in June.

For more information on the Royal Botanical Gardens, please visit www.rbg.ca

Tourism Burlington is overseen by a volunteer Board of Directors who represent various sectors of the Tourism, Industry and Business sectors in the City of Burlington. The Board meets September to November and February to May on the 3rd Thursday of the month, with the Annual General Meeting held in May of each year.

For more information on Tourism Burlington, please visit www.tourismburlington.com

The Aldershot Business Improvement Area (ABIA) acts as a voice for Aldershot business while providing a professional approach to improving business opportunities for its members, enhancing its commercial profile and relationships with the community and the City of Burlington while building a strong local economic engine for Aldershot.

The ABIA identifies Aldershot as a distinct community for shopping, dining and doing business. Established in December 2004, we continue to partner with other Aldershot groups - The Aldershot Community Honour Roll, Partnering Aldershot, Alderfest Community Festival and others to build support for approximately 250 retailers and service professionals.

For more information on Aldershot Village BIA, please visit www.aldershotbia.com

I have committed to sharing frequent updates via social media channels. I would love to connect with you there to be able to share day to day information. If there are specific items you would like me to address, send me a note!

You can find me at the links below.