Ward 1 News from Councillor Kelvin Galbraith
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December 2019 - A Year In Review
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IN THIS ISSUE:
- Greetings from Councillor Galbraith
- Contacting my office/City Hall during the holidays
- 2019 - A Day In The Life
- 2019 - A Monthly Review
- What Went Well/Improvements To Be Made
- Goals for 2020
- News from City Hall
- Community Events, News & Links
- Local Boards and Community Involvement
- Stay Connected
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Dear friends and neighbours, happy holidays and welcome to the December edition of Ward 1 News - a Year In Review!
Our council has just had our official one year anniversary this month and this newsletter will recap some highlights of what was produced on a monthly basis by this council.
For me personally it was a year of learning in this new job. Most jobs provide job descriptions, training and protocols to follow in addition to possible schooling and experience before one embarks on a new position. However, becoming a councillor is very unique in that you do not need any qualifications to get the job. All you need is to not finish second in the election race.
We as council members have a wide variety of skillsets and we all bring the experience from past positions to contribute what we can to the same issues. My skillset has been formed by my experience in business and economics. I have been self-employed for 25 years and had never received a pay cheque from anyone but myself until my first from the City of Burlington.
I have always used logic and common sense to make my decisions and am rarely influenced by emotion and common sales tactics. Being an entrepreneur, one needs to know when to say no. We are bombarded by sales people on a daily basis trying to sell the latest software, financial or business benefits to name a few and must place the company’s health and well being ahead of most decisions for the survival of the business and the jobs that it provides. We are constantly weighing decisions as to the cost benefit and possibly revenue generation that may result. I have had to adjust some of my thinking with the councillor position as revenue and profitability is not always the desired result. Keeping our city as one of the best places to live in Canada and having happy and safe constituents is the ultimate goal of almost all or our decisions. Quite the change for me but I have adjusted and am enjoying the daily challenge that this job presents. I am looking forward to serving you in 2020.
Hope you all have the most enjoyable holiday season.
As always there is much happening in Ward 1. Please connect with me on social media for any news and on-going updates that are happening in our community. If you have suggestions as to how we can improve our methods to inform you, please do not hesitate to provide them by contacting
ward1@burlington.ca
What I've been up to this month:
- Committee and Council meetings
- 2020 Budget meetings
- One on One meetings with Mayor
- Aldershot BIA Budget, Human Resources and Regular Board Meetings
- Engaged Citizens of Burlington Community Meeting
- Lockhart Village Love My Hood Food Drive
- 2019 Burlington Chamber of Commerce Mayor's Luncheon Event
- Burlington Hydro Luncheon & Shareholders Meeting
- Community members meeting regarding future development - Tyandaga
- Halton Region Council Meeting
- RBG 2019 Board Meeting & Christmas Social
- City Staff Holiday Open House
- Staff Meetings re Interim Control Bylaw
- Aldershot High School I-Stem Presentations
- Ward 1 Meeting - a Year In Review
- Meetings with residents to discuss ward concerns
If you would like to
stay up to date on events both at City Hall and in and around Burlington, be sure to Like our
Facebook Page
, Follow on
Twitter
or
Instagram
.
As always, you can contact my office with Ward 1 related issues. We'd be happy to help.
Kelvin Galbraith
Ward 1 City and Regional Councillor
City Of Burlington
kelvin.galbraith@burlington.ca / ward1@burlington.ca
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CONTACTING MY OFFICE/CITY HALL DURING THE HOLIDAYS
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Our Council offices will be closed between Dec. 24 and Jan. 2. A response to emails/voicemails
cannot be guaranteed during this time. Below is a listing of ways you can connect with the services you need. As a reminder, emails to my office should be sent to
ward1@burlington.ca
A number of City of Burlington administrative services will be closed for the holidays on Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2019, reopening Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020. For a complete listing of hours of operation, phone numbers for city facilities and available services, please visit
www.burlington.ca.
Parks and Recreation Programs and Facilities
Activities and customer service hours at City pools, arenas and community centres vary over the holidays.
The Rotary Centennial Pond outdoor rink is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily,
weather dependent. The rink is closed on Dec. 25, 2019. Residents can skate for free at various City indoor rinks thanks to Tim Hortons Free Holiday Skates, Dec. 21, 2019 until Jan. 4, 2020.
There are activities on New Years’ Day including free swimming, skating and open gym time on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020.
Burlington Transit
On Dec. 25, 2019 and Jan. 1, 2020, Burlington Transit will operate a holiday schedule. The downtown Transit Terminal and Specialized Dispatch will be closed on Dec. 25 and 26, 2019 and Jan. 1, 2020
The administration offices are closed Tuesday, Dec. 24 and will reopen Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020.
For real-time schedule information, please visit
triplinx.ca or use Google or Apple maps.
Animal Shelter and Control
The Animal Shelter will be closed from Dec. 24 to 26 and 30, 2019 and Jan. 1, 2020. On Dec. 31, the shelter will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.
For more information or to report an animal control-related emergency, call 905-335-3030 or visit
www.burlington.ca/animal.
Roads, Parks and Forestry
The administrative office will be closed on Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2019, reopening on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020. Only snow removal and urgent services will be provided.
CONTACT
Halton Court Services
Halton Provincial Offences Court will be closed Dec. 24, 25 and 26, 2019 and Jan. 1, 2020.
Parking
Free parking is available in the downtown core in municipal lots, on-street and the parking garage during the month of December and on Jan. 1, 2020. There is a maximum of three hours for on-street parking spaces.
NOTE: The Waterfront parking lots (east and west) do not provide free parking during December or on statutory holidays.
For parking emergencies or enforcement over the holidays, please call 905-825-4777.
***Do you have family and friends visiting for the holidays? A reminder that there is no parking on city streets overnight between 1 and 6 a.m. Exemptions to allow overnight parking on city streets may be obtained by calling 905-335-7844 or visiting
www.burlington.ca/parking.
OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:
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2019 YEAR IN REVIEW - A DAY IN THE LIFE
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By the Numbers:
- Burlington City Council & Committee meetings & prep meetings attended: 110
- Halton Region Council meetings & Workshops attended: 21
- Hours spent in the above noted meetings: 456.5 + hours in total
- Conferences attended: 2 (6 days in total)
- Partner Organization (Burlington Tourism, Royal Botanical Gardens, Aldershot BIA, Cycling Committee) Board & Committee meetings & prep meetings attended: 42
- Ward Meetings & Drop In meetings held: 6
- Deputy Mayor assignments & Speaking engagements: 17
A Day In The Life
After a year I have come to discover there are 3 different types of weeks here at City Hall:
- Committee & Council week
- Non-committee week
- Vacation
A committee week will typically involve 4 full days of meetings. A full meeting day will begin at 9:30am - 4:00pm with a 1/2 hour break for "working lunch". IF the meeting finishes at 4:00, we can then return to our desks, pick up messages and be flagged on urgent committee related emails. We then grab a quick meal and head back into committee at 6:30pm - 10:00pm. Once done we head back to our desks to check for last minute additional items provided for the next days meeting so we can review them in time for our 9:30 start the next day.
A non-committee week may or may not involve a Council meeting, which can include a half day prep reviewing minutes from the committee meetings in order to vote on Council Agenda items. Add to that the staff meetings that are required to learn about and prepare for upcoming committee meetings, as well as preparation of any staff directions. We also attend partner organization board and committee meetings, meet with Mayor and directors, have meetings with our internal staff, residents and occasional development meetings to review upcoming developments to our wards. When we finally do have time to sit at our desks, we are furiously pouring over the 200-300 emails received in any given week. To say it is a monumental task is an understatement. This is why we rely heavily on our assistants, and encourage residents requiring urgent responses to email our ward email boxes rather than our personal ones.
Vacation weeks, which are few, are rarely vacation at all as we spend a great deal of time on our phones or laptops trying to prepare for the upcoming season.
Because of this sometimes hectic schedule, residents are highly encouraged to contact my office by using
ward1@burlington.ca, to ensure a faster response time.
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2019 YEAR IN REVIEW - A MONTHLY REVIEW
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Retail Cannabis approved by Council
After much public consultation and engagement, Burlington City Council voted on January 14, 2019 at a Special Meeting of Council to allow the operation of retail cannabis stores in Burlington.
1157-1171 Northshore Boulevard “Amica” Public Meeting
A Statutory Public Meeting was held at Art Gallery of Burlington to consider the proposed Official Plan Amendment and zoning by-law
Ward 1 Inaugural Meeting hosted – NUVO Network
I was able to share my 4-year outlook & goals for this term which include:
- Completion of the Official Plan
- Completion of the Aldershot Mobility Hub Plan
- Increased Ward 1 employment opportunities
- "Smart intensification"
- South Service Rd improvements
- Smart/Synchronized traffic signals
- Possibility of addition of a Ward 1 seniors activity centre
Mayor Meed Ward’s State of the City Address
- Red Tape Red Carpet Initiative Announced
Welcome to Ye Olde Squire & relocation of Looney Tunes to Aldershot
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1085 Clearview “LIV” Development Application received
An application was submitted to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law for the above-noted properties. ** note - conflict of interest declared for this application due to proximity to my own home
1151 Old Plains Road Application received
The applicant, 1511 Old Plains Road West Inc., proposed a development including five self-storage buildings and an office building 1-2 storeys in height.
Maple Avenue Reconstruction Project begins
City of Burlington provided a PROJECT UPDATE to Maple Avenue residents, informing them of continuing watermain work on Maple Avenue. The tentative construction timeline was February 2019 to September 2019 (weather permitting).
Ester Drive Minor Reconstruction Project Public Information Centre held
City of Burlington and Halton Region are together making improvements to Ester Drive, Janina Boulevard and Humphrey's Crescent.
The proposed construction includes:
Ester Drive
- New watermain and water services
- New wastewater main and services
- Full depth asphalt roadway replacement
- Curb and gutter replacement
- Spot sidewalk replacement
Janina Boulevard
- New watermain and water services
- New wastewater main and services
- Full depth asphalt roadway replacement
- Curb and gutter replacement
- Spot sidewalk replacement
- Tree removal
Humphrey's Crescent
- New watermain and water services
- New wastewater main and services
- Full depth asphalt roadway replacement
- Curb and gutter replacement
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Interim Control Bylaw (ICBL) passed
On March 5th at a Special Meeting of Council, Burlington City Council voted 5-1 in favour of a staff report recommending an interim control bylaw (ICBL)
The bylaw restricted any development within the boundaries of the Downtown Urban Growth Centre and lands in proximity to the Burlington GO station, for a period of at least one year.
During this freeze, Staff will have completed a land-use study so that they can assess the role and function of the downtown bus terminal and the Burlington Go station on Fairview Street as Major Transit Station Areas, examine the planning structure, landuse mix identified in the study area, and update the Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw regulations as needed for the lands identified in the study area.
1157-1171 Northshore Boulevard Development on hold
As a result of the City Council vote to support an interim control bylaw, this development will not be moving ahead at this time. Future developments in this application take place later in the year
King Road Temporary Closure announced – Jefferson Salamanders migration
The annual closure of King Road to allow for the safe passage of the endangered Jefferson salamanders during their breeding migration began on Monday, March 18. King Road was closed from the base of the Niagara Escarpment to Mountain Brow Road for approximately four weeks.
Red Tape Red Carpet Kickoff Meeting
Many thanks go to the business leaders, developers, and staff who attended the Red Tape Red Carpet Task Force Town Hall at Waterfront Hotel on March 28
City of Burlington Budget Passed with 2.99% increase
At City Council meeting on February 25th, Burlington City Council approved the Capital Budget, and on March 25th the Operating Budget, with an overall increase of 2.99%
RELM, Burlington’s 1st retail cannabis store opens
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) System launched
“Georgian Court" Statutory Meeting held
Residents were invited to attend a Statutory Public Meeting to consider the proposed Official Plan Amendment, Zoning By-law amendment and plan of subdivision application for the above noted property. The meeting took place on April 2, 2019, at Burlington City Hall in Council Chambers.
1085 Clearview “LIV” development Statutory Meeting Held
Residents were invited to attend a Statutory Public Meeting to discuss and consider the proposed Official Plan Amendment, and Zoning By-law Amendment application for 1085 Clearview.
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Ward 1 Drop In meeting held – Mapleview Shopping Centre
This event was my first ever drop in as a Ward Councillor and I was not quite sure what to expect. The venue (Mapleview Centre)allowed for walk-up meetings, as well as scheduled drop ins and was very well attended. I heard from residents from across Ward One about various issues.
City wide Green Up Clean Up held
Ward One residents showed great passion and initiative in supporting Burlington Green's Clean Up Week! We had several groups contact our office for information on how to initiate a clean up, and many more looking to join a group.
484-490 Plains Rd Application appealed to LPAT
The proposed development requires Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment applications to permit two nine-storey condominium apartment buildings with commercial uses on the ground floor and 283 residential units above, and 117 condominium stacked back to back townhouse units.
To learn more about the appeals process, please visit
here
“Georgian Court” application under review
The proposed development affects 8.4 hectares of land on the east side of King Road, south of Plains Road East. The area currently contains 280 rental townhouse units. The redevelopment proposes the successive demolition of the existing townhouse units and their replacement with new apartments and townhouse blocks. Official Plan Amendment, rezoning and draft plan of subdivision applications have been submitted.
1085 Clearview “LIV” development under review
A 6 storey, 160 unit residential apartment building is proposed. 203 parking spaces are proposed, with 154 spaces located in a below-grade parking structure, and 49 spaces provided at grade.
Two vehicle entrances are proposed for the site, located on the east and west sides of the proposed residential building. The building is proposed to have two main resident entrances, one fronting onto Masonry Court, and the other from the rear of the building.
City View Park Pavilion announced
Since approval of the park Master Plan, phased implementation of the components of City View Park has occurred including three artificial turf fields, creative playground, parking, pond/wetland, trails, natural restoration and a park maintenance facility.
In the next phase, the City of Burlington has designed a park building in City View Park and is planning to construct the building in 2020, with completion in 2021.
In addition to green building measures under the LEED® program, the “passive house” design includes criteria to minimize energy use, particularly through heat requirements.
The year-round building will support existing and future planned uses in the park.
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Annual Gypsy Moth Spraying initiative begins
As part of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program, the City of Burlington used a low-flying helicopter to apply a bio-pesticide over four wooded areas to control gypsy moth populations which causes significant defoliation and potential long-term impact to the City’s urban forest.
The areas included:
• Forestvale/Kerncliff Park
• LaSalle Park
• Lowville Park
• Mountainside Park
92 Plains Rd application appealed to LPAT
This development application is currently appealed to LPAT. The proposed development requests
Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw amendments to permit a six storey, 49 unit apartment building with ground floor office/commercial uses. To learn more about the appeals process, please visit
here
An LPAT Appeal Update can be found
here
LaSalle Park Playground Improvements Complete
Based on community input through the ‘Love My Playground’ engagement in 2017, the changes to the park and playground included:
- removal of existing playground equipment
- installation of new playground equipment and swings (see image below)
- new accessible playground safety surfacing
- new concrete perimeter curbing for playground and swing areas
- placement of concrete transition curbs in both curbed areas
- new accessible asphalt pathways from existing path system to new playground
- new benches
- renewed bike racks
- drinking fountain area renewed and reinstalled
- irrigation system modifications
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Ward 1 Meeting hosted – Tyandaga Golf Club
A big thanks to those attended the Ward 1 Tyandaga Community meeting. In addition to our planned topics of City View Park improvements; Tyandaga-area Development news; Tyandaga-area Construction projects; Meridian Quarry updates and General Ward One news, we were able to hold a question and answer period.
Ward 1 Drop In hosted – Shoppers Drug Mart
I'd like to thank all those who dropped by to speak with me at my Ward 1 drop-in session held at Shoppers Drug Mart on Plains Road.
I heard from residents on a variety of topics including:
- Pipelines running through our Region
- bus shelters needed in Aldershot
- where to get replacement recycling bins
- Aldershot Honour Roll
- need for an Aldershot Seniors Centre
- Stormwater drainage issues
- Aldershot Go Station Parking issues
- Interim Control Bylaw
Francis Road Bike Path Construction Announced
Construction
begin on the Francis Road Trail, and the current path was completely closed during construction (July to September 2019). This allowed for many improvements along the bikeway. This serves to improve accessibility, safety, connectivity and Active Transportation - all of which are important to our city.
The renewed trail includes:
- a four metre-wide paved surface,
- more gradual slopes - less than 4 per cent,
- benches every 150 metres,
- garbage cans,
- bollards and curb ramps at intersections and
- trailhead signs.
This project was partially funded by the Ontario Municipal Commuter Cycling Program
Burlassic Park @ Civic Square
The City of Burlington was proud to announce that the downtown Civic Square, Central Park and eventually Spencer Smith Park would become ‘
Burlassic Park
’ as the City and Sound Of Music Festival hosted a free viewing party for Games 1 through 6 of the NBA Finals.
Civic Square was packed with basketball fans of all ages, to cheer on our Toronto Raptors as they took on the Golden State Warriors. Weather was not always the best but spirits were high and this event was a great community-building success. It is estimated that well over 2000 people came out to cheer on the teams and to eventually celebrate the historic win by the Raptors on June 13, 2019.
BIA Party on Plains initiative launched
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New City Manager Tim Commisso announced
Burlington City Council announced that after an extensive search and recruitment process it had appointed Tim Commisso as City Manager effective July 1, 2019. Tim had been Interim City Manager since January 2019.
Prior to his role as the Interim City Manager Tim was a Senior Advisor at MNP, a national accounting, tax and business consulting firm.
Having served ten councils and eight mayors, Tim has extensive knowledge and experience in municipal government, strategy development, organizational effectiveness and performance, economic development and change management. Tim holds a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation and obtained his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Wilfrid Laurier University.
1085 Clearview “LIV” Development Public Meeting
As you may remember from previous Notice letters that were mailed in February and March 2019, the City of Burlington has received applications from MHBC Planning on behalf of LIV Communities to re-designate and rezone the property located at 1085 Clearview Ave., and 1082, 1086, and 1090 St. Matthew’s Ave.
Residents were invited to attend a Public Meeting to consider the recommendation report to refuse the above-mentioned applications. This meeting took place on July 9, 2019
LaSalle Park Marina Wavebreak tender approved
The City and LPMA discussed the option of installing a floating wave break that could be kept in place year round, and at its meeting on July 15, 2019, Council approved the tender to purchase a new floating wave break at a cost of $4M. In September staff reported to Council on the preferred operating model for the Marina along with a repayment schedule that will result in the Marina operator committing to pay in excess of $2M over a 25 year period for the new floating wave break.
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Unsworth Traffic Calming PIC held
Staff have determined that traffic calming measures are warranted for Unsworth Avenue between Plains Road West and Bellflower Drive. Accordingly, staff has completed a detailed review and has created a traffic calming plan. The plan consists of installing flexible delineator treatments and pavement marking enhancements near the multi-use pathway crossing.
Macleans Magazine announces Burlington as Best Community in Canada, Best City to Raise a Family
On August 8, Maclean's Magazine released their report ranking Burlington as the Best Community in Canada AND the Best City in Canada to Raise a Family.
From the accompanying article:
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Burlington’s hybrid location—sometimes grouped in with the Hamilton-Niagara region, sometimes considered part of the Greater Toronto Area—worked to its advantage. Residents have the option of commuting to either area or working within Burlington itself, which is home to many major manufacturing employers. And the city also offers access to the natural environment, something that can be hard to come by without spending hours in the car in other parts of the GTA.
The city is part of the Halton region, which has some of the lowest crime in the country. It’s got great weather—at least when you compare it to the rest of Canada—with relatively warm and dry winters and summers. And residents enjoy great access to health care and the amenities of the big city, including entertainment options."
Pioneer Cannabis opens
The store is located at 1200 Brant Street and opened on August 2
nd , 2019.
Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference – Ottawa
Held in Ottawa, this was a great conference attended all of Burlington Council. There, we had the opportunity to engage with many of our Provincial Ministers on topics that were of concern or interest to Burlington. Building relationships with our provincial counterparts is very important to provide an open door to address issues affecting our municipality now and into the future.
Maplehurst Public School Playground Improvements completed
‘
Construction In Your Neighbourhood’ Site Launched
The City launched a new webpage which includes construction projects by both Halton Region and City of Burlington, frequently asked construction related questions, and a Permit Applications Online Map.
Also included are links to all current development and construction projects across the city, as well as a map of city projects in the 2019 Capital Budget.
For more information, please visit:
1157-1171 Northshore Boulevard revised proposal submitted
On August 19, 2019, the applicants submitted a
revised development proposal which included 17-storey and 12-storey building elements with a 6-storey lower building podium, transitioning down to a 2-storey element for a portion of the rear of the building. The number of proposed seniors living units has been decreased from 475 to 419. More activity on this application occurs later in the year
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Ward 1 Drop In – Tim Horton’s
I was able to meet with about a dozen residents to discuss various ward and city concerns ranging in topic from:
- Transit route changes
- Plains Road Development
- Traffic Lights
- Ester Road Minor Reconstruction Project
- Community Events
- Road Safety
Joseph Brant Museum Grand Opening
The re-opening of the Joseph Brant Museum in Burlington took place with a community celebration on
September 15, 12 noon to 4 pm.
This museum is a great addition to our cultural offerings here in Burlington. Travelling exhibitions will tour through this 10000 square foot facility attracting many visitors for the surrounding region.
Brant Street Resurfacing project begins
Alderfest held
Food for Feedback BBQ
The City of Burlington hosted this community engagement BBQ on
September at Central Park Bandshell. Attendees received a free lunch from a food truck, in exchange for providing feedback to the City on projects and initiatives.
Topics discussed included:
- The Official Plan – taking a closer look at the downtown
- 2020 Budget
- Leash Free Parks
- Integrated Mobility Plan
- Climate Action Plan
Burlington Transit Route changes announced – Route 4
Burlington Transit responded to residents from LaSalle Towers, Royal Botanical Gardens area and BFAST (Burlington For Accessible and Sustainable Transit) for a transit route that would service these areas and provide opportunities for people residing in the west end of Burlington to access the City using transit.
As a result, a new
Route 4 was created that combined the former Route 300 and Route 5 and extended the route to include various apartment buildings in the west end.
Red Tape Red Carpet Recommendations approved by Council
September 23, City Council unanimously approved a set of 22 recommendations brought forth as a result of the Red Tape Red Carpet Task Force initiative announced at Mayor Meed Ward's State of the City Address on January 30th.
Rainbow crosswalks approved by Council
As part of working to be an inclusive and welcoming City, Burlington Council recognized an opportunity with regards to inclusivity with the LGTBQ2IS+ community. This year the
City raised the Pride and proclaimed the month of June as Pride month. Burlington’s Inclusivity Advisory Committee, at their June 2019 meeting, supported working on Pride events for June 2020 with staff, advisory groups and citizens.
In addition, the a staff direction was approved at Council on September 23, directing the Director of Transportation Services to work with Council, staff and community to determine the most suitable location(s) to install rainbow crosswalks in the City of Burlington, and that the installation(s) be completed prior to Pride Month 2020.
1157-1171 Northshore Boulevard application appealed to LPAT
On September 23, 2019, the Official Plan amendment and Zoning By-law amendment applications to facilitate the proposed development were appealed to the Local Planning Appeals Tribunal (LPAT). The proponents appealed the applications based upon the lack of a City decision on these applications within the legislated timeframes, as set out by The Planning Act. This site is within the City’s Interim Control By-law area, and as such, no recommendation reports have been brought forward for development applications in this area until such time as the Interim Control By-law is lifted and policy and zoning are in place.
40-50 Plains Road Pre-Application meeting held
Located along Plains Road East, approximately 150 metres east of Waterdown Road and 650 metres south of Aldershot GO Station. The proposal is to redevelop the existing low-rise residential properties with a 10-storey, mid-rise building with approximately 160 residential units, including a mix of one, two and three bedroom units (subject to change)
For questions or more information please contact:
Maple Park Construction begin
The City of Burlington will be replacing older infrastructure in Maple Park, adding new features and improving accessibility this fall. Specific work includes:
- Replacement of playground, swings and safety surfacing as well as the addition of protective netting and perimeter fencing
- Replacement of all ball diamond fencing and the addition of protective netting and sports field lighting
- Reconstruction of the main pathway from the parking lot to the ball diamond and the addition of protective netting and pathway lighting
- New parking lot lighting
Construction began September 2019 and will be completed in the spring of 2020.
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NEW BABY Ari Arrives!
October was a very busy month for me. Not only was I the Deputy Mayor this month but I also had a baby on October 7
th( my 6
thand final child, Ari Victor Galbraith)
Federal Election held
Development Updates Page Launched
Many residents have contacted me with the desire for more information about developments in Ward 1. City of Burlington staff have listened and made it easier for residents to find the information they need about development and construction in Burlington.
The City has positive changes to help share information and provide status updates on developments, from the application stage through to construction, if approved, including any accompanying road restrictions.
burlington.ca/developmentprojects
Blue Zones meetings hosted
On October 24 & 25, The City of Burlington hosted both a public engagement session and private community stakeholder meeting to enable residents community leaders to learn about a new and exciting opportunity to participate in “the Blue Zones Project”. Blue Zone Projects get the most out of the setting that we spend our time in, our “life radius,” helping to make the healthy choices easier, and naturally adopt healthier behaviours together as a community. For more information about Blue Zones, visit
bluezones.com.
Regional Review Announcement
It was announced that Ontario's Provincial Government has decided
not to impose changes in size or structure to municipal governments. The Regional review included 8500 submissions, 9 in person sessions, 100 individuals and organizations.
"
Throughout this extensive review, the government heard that local communities should decide what is best for them in terms of governance, decision-making and service delivery. After careful consideration of the feedback we heard through the course of the review, our government stands firm in its commitment to partnering with municipalities without pursuing a top-down approach. We will provide municipalities with the resources to support local decision-making."
Bingo Connection demolition begins
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Loose Leaf Collection program begins – experiencing many delays and eventual modified pickup schedule due to weather
Unfortunately, due to the sudden, early snow fall and subsequent freezing temperatures that allowed the snow to remain for 10 days, we lost valuable time that was dedicated to the leaf program. We have asked the Region of Halton to assist with our pick up and they agreed to extend their yard waste pick up to December 20
th, provided that the leaves are in bags.
Cootes Paradise Sewage Spill Announcement – response from Mayor Meed Ward distributed
In a statement released November 26, Mayor Meed Ward, on behalf of Burlington City COuncil and the residents of Burlington stated: “Like residents of Burlington, Hamilton and neighbouring municipalities, I am shocked and disturbed to hear of the massive sewage spill into the Cootes Paradise watershed. Like many, we are left asking how such a thing could have happened over such a long period of time, what the impact is to the environment and our residents, and why the public, and partnering municipalities and agencies were not notified". The Mayor went on to state, "As we did before with the clean up of Randle Reef, the City of Burlington is ready to help our neighbour and partner for the greater good. The environment, clean water and clean air are not confined to narrow municipal boundaries and the impact and resolution of this issue isn’t either.”
1600 Kerns Road Pre-Application Meeting held
Fieldgate Retirement Living is proposing to amedn the Official Plan and Zoning By-Law for the property located at the address above, to allow for a 5 storey retirement home with ground floor retail.
Francis Road Bike Path Completed
The construction to improve the Francis Road Bikeway is now complete and the renewed trail now includes
- a four metre-wide paved surface,
- more gradual slopes - less than 4 per cent,
- benches every 150 metres,
- garbage cans,
- bollards and curb ramps at intersections and
- trailhead signs.
Official Grand Opening Event to occur in Spring of 2020
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Ward 1 'A Year In Review' Meeting Held
A big thank you to those who attended our final Ward meeting of the decade! Attendees learned of the current state of the upcoming Waterdown Road expansion project (more information to come in future ward meetings) as well as traffic and traffic signals along Plains Road. We also went through a monthly review of all that has occurred in our Ward
Metrolinx Advocacy Letter approved by Council - carried
Private Tree Bylaw - carried, revisions to come in 2020
City of Burlington Budget
*
*at the time of this newsletter going to press, the final Council session of the year had not yet completed. A full description of decisions carried at that meeting will be included in my January newsletter
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What worked well/Improvements to be made
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The first year of any job is a definite learning curve - getting used to the Council, Committee and Board meeting rotations as well as dealing with seasonal issues, I now feel better equipped to deal with the year ahead.
WHAT WORKED WELL
- Engagement, feedback & resident education opportunities improved
- Aldershot BIA Strategic Plan developed and implemented
- TEC/Mayor/Council meetings held – next steps in progress
CAN BE IMPROVED
- Leaf Program
- Response time to emails
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- 4 ward meetings, 4 drop in meetings
- Monthly newsletters
- Seniors residence visits
- Elementary & secondary school visits
- Small community group meetings in areas of high development
- Completion of Burlington’s Official Plan
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Ward 1 Community News & Events
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The residents of Lockhart Village have transformed their neighbourhood into Frosty's Village! With over 65 Houses participating, come visit and count all the snowman this holiday season.Non perishable food donations are encouraged and can be dropped off in front of 1148 Lockhart Road.
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Upcoming dates for Lions Club Garage Sales are:
November 23, December 14, January 18 and February 22
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Local Boards & Community Involvement
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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:
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Royal Botanical Gardens Board
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
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Tourism Burlington Board
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.
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Aldershot Village BIA (Business Improvement Area)
The Aldershot Village BIA identifies Aldershot as a distinct community for shopping, dining and for doing business. The BIA contributes to a variety of initiatives including the completion of a full interchange at Waterdown Road and revitalization and development along the Plains Road corridor.
The BIA partners with several other Aldershot groups including the Aldershot Community Honour Roll, Plains Road Village Vision Group, Partnering Aldershot, Alderfest Community Festival and others to build support for approximately 250 retailers and service professionals.
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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. If you would like to pick up a paper copy of this newsletter, copies are available at The Fitness Firm, 15 Plains Rd. West, or Aldershot BIA office 193 Plains Rd E Unit 6. We can also mail a copy to you - to request please call my office at 905-335-7600 x7863 or email
ward1@burlington.ca
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In compliance with Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation, recipients of this newsletter may unsubscribe at any time. Please feel free to forward this newsletter on to friends, family, neighbours and colleagues so that they can sign up as well.
Please add kelvin.galbraith@burlington.ca to your address book so that this correspondence will be sure to arrive in your inbox.
As always, you can contact my office at any time through email, telephone, social media or by attending neighbourhood and public open house meetings.
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City of Burlington & Region of Halton
Ward 1 Councillor
905-335-7600 x7587
fax: 905-335-7881
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