Big Brothers Big Sisters Big Winner in Halton Hills

Yesterday I hosted the 7th Mayor Bonnette's Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowling Tournament. There were 14 teams registered at the Georgetown Bowling Lanes. Former CFLer great Dan Ferrone was the host working the teams with interviews.
My team had councillor Clark Somerville, Fire Chief Brent Marshall, Jenn, Josey and Dean Arnott.

The big winner of the day was Big Brothers Big Sisters as this was the highest ever raised in Halton Hills for this organization. And it was the second highest raised in Halton. The grand total was $11,500. Thank you Halton Hills. Johnson realors three peated as Tournament champions. All money raised stays in Halton.
Thank you Halton Hills.

Today is Remembrance Day

Today I hope most of you are wearing a poppy as we remember those who have served our country and paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we may enjoy the freedoms today. The first Remembrance Day was held in 1919, originally called Armistice Day. The name was changed after the Second World War.

Today is a day to reflect upon the over 110,000 Canadian soldiers who have lost their lives in combat defending our nation. It is also to reflect on those brave men and women who also came home from the wars who were injured or emotionally scarred.

We must remember, if we do not, the sacrifice of the thousands of Canadian lives lost will be meaningless. As Canadians, we must never take for granted our current way of life; our freedoms to express ourselves, to participate in cultural and political events are all because of those who fought.

Today is a day that we reflect on our grandparents, maybe great grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters and sons and daughters. On this unusual day 11-11-11 lets all take 2 minutes of silence for those who have lost their lives and wear your poppy proudly. If you come across a veteran, say thank you.

It's the time of year.

What is October without a few good days of heavy rains and high winds. Seems we have had our share lately. Last week the G.T.A. had experienced close to 100 k winds. Now today and tomorrow the G.T.A. are expecting anywhere from 25-35 mm of rain in the next 24 hours with more high winds. This can cause power shortages and creeks and rivers to flood. Let's hope not.
The Conservation authorities have already issued water warnings so be careful and use caution. Now if we are going to get a storm and real miserable weather I for one don't mind it during the week as long it is passed before the long weekend.
It doesn't look too bad for the weekend. Let's hope so.

Goderich Tornado Serves as a Wakeup Call

Have you ever thought of a Tornado coming to your Town? I am sure that like most communities in Ontario we think that it can never happen to us.

I remember the day the cluster of Tornadoes hit Arthur, Grand Valley, the Orangeville Race Track and later devastated Barrie. It was such a humid day you couldn't breath. I was working at my travel agency in Acton at the time and I remember going outside and the sky was black, I was dripping with perspiration yet there was a breeze. I came into the office and told my empoyees that we could get a tornado. Immediately they scoffed replying we don't get tornadoes here. One hour later Barrie was devastated and I believe 8 people perished. Probably the worst tornado in Ontario's history.

In 1979 Woodstock was also hit with a Tornado as was Perth in 1995. The reality is Ontario gets has many as 15 - 20 tornadoes a year. Most are in the F0 to F1 category so their damage is limited.

Could one come to Halton Hills? You betcha, last year it was thought that a Tornado it downtown Milton but it was later confirmed as a wind burst which did considerable damage to the down town.

Our Fire Emergency Services had a Tornado simulation exercise earlier this year. I can tell you that as much as you can never be fully prepared for a tornado the Town does have a plan for such an emergency. Let’s hope we never have one and give our thoughts and support for Goderich as they have been devastated.

Smart Commute Arrives in Halton Hills

On May 3, 2011, Smart Commute Halton officially welcomed the Town of Halton Hills into the Smart Commute family of organizations and businesses committed to encouraging more sustainable travel options.

Smart Commute is a joint venture between Metrolinx and area municipalities. It is a transportation demand management program focused on reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality, providing more sustainable travel options and reducing commuting costs. At present, more than 170 employers, with a total of 355,000 employees, have joined Smart Commute. Members of the public can also access free Smart Commute services, especially the Carpool Zone – an online ride-matching service: www.smartcommute.ca

Speaking about the Town’s participation in Smart Commute, Mayor Bonnette said:

"Our participation in Smart Commute is yet another practical example of the Town’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and Green Plan implementation. Through Smart Commute, we are helping our employees take advantage of more environmentally-responsible commuting options, reduce their carbon footprint and reduce commuting costs. The Town of Halton Hills has always been an environmental leader. This program is just a continuation of our efforts.”

Alicia Jakaitis, Program Manager for Smart Commute Halton, commented:

"We have all experienced the stress and frustration facing commuters in the Greater Toronto Area. When environmental leaders like the Town of Halton Hills partner with Smart Commute, they demonstrate the proactive role that employers can take to make commuting easier for their employees."

In welcoming Halton Hills to the Smart Commute family, Smart Commute Halton hosted a staff engagement event on May 3rd to recognize the Town’s commitment to reducing congestion, being an environmental leader, and to increase awareness of the program. The event featured an official presentation of one of the Town’s new dedicated carpool parking signs by Smart Commute Halton to Mayor Bonnette. In addition, to highlight carpooling as a ‘green’ commuting option, one of the parking spaces was temporarily converted into a ‘park’.

Participation in Smart Commute helps implement recommendations of the Town’s Green Plan. For example, Recommendation #66 of the Green Plan calls on the Town to work with other proactive organizations to improve the environment. Participation in Smart Commute is one way of implementing this recommendation. The Green Plan also references the need to address greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality. Reducing the number of single occupancy vehicle trips taken by Town staff by providing sustainable transportation options through Smart Commute is one means of achieving this.

About Smart Commute Halton and Benefits

Smart Commute Halton is a program of Halton Region with funding and support from Metrolinx and Halton Region. Smart Commute Halton currently services ten local employers with more than 7,000 employees.

Benefits of participating in Smart Commute include reduced on-site parking demand, decreased facility costs, reduced traffic congestion, lower greenhouse gas emissions, improved employee retention and improved productivity. Benefits to employees include improved transportation options, travel cost savings, improved health, and enhanced access and mobility options.

For more information on the Town’s sustainability initiatives, please contact Damian Szybalski (Sustainability Coordinator) at 905.873.2601 ext. 2289 or visit www.haltonhills.ca/sustainability. Businesses and organizations interested in joining Smart Commute are invited to contact Alicia Jakaitis (Program Manager, Smart Commute Halton) at 905.825.6000 ext. 7556 or Alicia.jakaitis@halton.ca

Diane Penrice Citizen of the Year

How much do you volunteer? Last night I was at the Georgetown Citizen of the Year award and this year's recipient is Diane Penrice. Diane was chosen by the Georgetown Lion's Club as the 2010 Citizen of the year. Her many hours of volunteering makes her an excellent choice. Here is an example of the Diane's committees and organizations she has volunteered over the years. She was a Girl Guide leader, the Jacette's, Crazy Boat Race, Arts Alive Committee for the Halton Hills Library and Cultural Center. She is active on the relatively new Halton Hills Cultural Round Table. Last year she volunteered on the successful Big Daddy Festiva. Diane and a group were instrumental in the formation of Cancer Assistance Services of Halton Hills ( CAShh ). This is a wonderful organization that has given support to many throughout Halton Hills who have been touched by this dreaded disease called cancer.
If that wasn't enough Diane Penrice volunteered her time to the the biggest party in Georgetown in decades and that was the Georgetown Homecoming that together back 1000's of past and current residents for a great party long weekend.

In 2008 Diane was still not done she joined Gerry Kentner as a volunteer to Light Up the Hills. Along the way of the hours spent volunteering she also was an active canvasser for Heart and Stroke, Kidney and Cancer Society. All of these hours volunteering while still be a mother, wife and holding a job sellng real estate.

Diane Penrice breaths community and this year she was an excellent choice being selected Citizen of the Year in Georgetown. Her husband Doug is also an active volunteer. It is volunteers like the Penrice's who enrich our community.
Congratulations to Diane Penrice.

Enjoy Family Day Holiday in Halton Hills

This will be the third year that this will be a long weekend in Ontario. Premier McGuinty pronounced Family Weekend after just be re-elected for a second term. There was some push back as this may cost money to companies having to pay employees for a new statutory holiday. Personally, I like the idea of a long weekend in February. It's just a long month or as some would say we are in the " winter blahs". Not a bad weekend for some to exercise and enjoy what winter brings.

This year our Recreation and Parks are asking our residents not to forget that there are free activities on Family Day Feb. 21st. It's all fun and fun for all thanks to our generous sponsors - Canadian Tire Georgetown, RBC Georgetown, Tim Horton'. Come on out and enjoy swimming, skating,c rafts, yoga, ZUMBA and a Youth Room.

For more information visit www.haltonhills.ca/familyday for the day's activity schedule.

I Had a Visit From Flat Stanley - Who is Flat Stanley

Yesterday I had visit from Flat Stanley. Do you know who Flat Stanley is? Flat Stanley is a character in a series of books written by Jeff Brown.

In 1995 Dale Hubert, a grade three teacher in London Ontario, began the Flat Stanley Project. The Project focused on literacy. Students begin by reading the book and becoming acquainted with the story then they make their own paper Flat Stanley. They then document the places and adventures of their very own Flat Stanley. Usually a teacher will assign their students a two week time frame to have their own Flat Stanley adventure.

Since then, Grade's 2 and 3 students all over the world have been participating in the Flat Stanley Project and I'm happy to have recently been visited by a local Halton Hills Flat Stanley. Madison McMaster a grade 2 student from George Kennedy Public School brought her Flat Stanley to the Civic Center for a visit. His conversation with me was rather flat. All kidding aside, I think this a great character and the kids have a lot of fun using their minds to create adventures for their Flat Stanley.

I never knew who Flat Stanley was but now I do.

Georgetown Hospital Asks Town for Financial Support

We are in very tough budget deliberations. On our plate we have two to three arenas we have to build during this term, we have requests for senior's centers in both Acton and Georgetown plus many more big ticket items as well as the usual of road repairs, maintenance of our facilities. Last night at council the CAO of Halton Health Care John Oliver presented quite a compelling case for a $4.456 million dollar grant to the Georgetown Hospital for a new CT Scanner, improved Digital Imaging as well as an expansion for the hospital.

The total cost of the project is over 12 million dollars. Council members campaigned to be elected on the usual Municipal requests like the arenas, libraries etc. Hospitals normally are a Provincial jurisdiction. But I guess the Province is in difficult financial times as well as there are many hospital projects throughout the Province.

The hospital is confident that they can raise the money through the Hospital Foundation (they do wonderful fundraising), as well as the Hospital volunteers and through parking receipts etc. The Town will have to debenture the money over ten years if we do decide to go ahead which will be a Hospital Levy of up to 2% on the taxes. Council has asked our Treasurer to look at how we can finance this urgent need. There are many stories out there our CT Scanners do save lives. If council decides not to support this it may be 8 - 10 years before we get one.

Council supported a motion to have a public meeting on Jan. 24th to hear from you, our Halton Hills residents on whether they would support this as I stated earlier this is not really the norm for Municipalities. Having said that, Oakville and Burlington have already committed through their taxes support for their hospitals. It was only a short time ago that many people of Halton Hills along with myself, councillors of the day fought to keep obstetrics open in Georgetown.

I would like to hear your opinion on this issue. You can email me at mayor@haltonhills.ca We recognize the need, but can we afford it now is the question?

New Acton Library on Schedule

I had a tour of the new 9,000 square foot Acton library this week. Councillors Jon Hurst, Clark Somerville and Jane Fogal were also on the tour. We were all impressed with building thus far. It is going to be a great improvement of the outdated building that is the library now.

The best news of the day is that the library is on time and on budget. That is music to Municipalities ears. This new library will be almost three times the size of the present library. Statistics show that since 2003, circulation is up 45%, children's program attendance is up 23% and in-house Internet usage is up 50%.

The current Acton branch cannot meet the community needs. Not was space limited, users do not have enough room to work and read, and many larger programs cannot be accommodated. This new library will be more accessible for wheelchair users, people with mobility issues and young moms with strollers. Natural light will be maximized, will have more Internet stations.

The new Acton branch is due to open in late February or first of March. The new building will be heated and cooled using Geothermal. The cost of the new branch is expected to cost 3.5 million dollars which is being split between Federal, Provincial and the Town of Halton Hills.

For Acton and area library users this will be an exciting time to see the new building completed.

Mayor's Breakfast for Halton Industry Education Council

Today was a once a year special day for Milton Mayor Gord Krantz and myself as we co-host the breakfast for the Halton Industry Education Council. Over the past 20 years the HIEC has played a key role in providing positive learning experience for the students in Halton Region. The working partnership between businesses and schools has helped make Halton a great place for businesses to locate and students to find excellent employment opportunities close to home.

We know technological advances are upon us so quickly today that the need for a well educated and competent work force is a priority for both business and our community.

Today young people need to constantly upgrade their skills throughout their careers and the HIEC will continue to play an important part in their long learning journey.

Today there was a good crowd of about 200 people at Rattlesnake golf course. Many school board trustees as well as councillor Dave Kentner. Many students, educators and busy people were there. After breakfast there was a panel discussion of businesses and students who have gone through the program and they took questions from the floor.

The Student C0-Op program operated by HIEC is well received by the business community: students learn what the " real working world " is a like. There is no fiction here. It prepares them to enter the work force as productive players.
HIEC should be thanked for their ongoing commitment to make our community and region of Halton a great place to live and work.

Santa Claus is Coming to Halton Hills

This Saturday Santa Claus will be making a few appearances in Halton Hills. That is right, the jolly fellow will be first coming to Acton. Bill Spielvogel and Acton Firefighter's Association have made arrangements for Saint Nick to join him in the Acton Santa Claus parade. The parade begins at 1 PM. It is a fairly long parade so get your spot early. Also the Acton B.I.A. will have photos with Santa tomorrow afternoon at Roxxy Coffee at the corner of Mill and Main St. Acton. The B.I.A. will also be giving out hot apple cider vinegar. The parade begins at Acton Blvd. and runs through Mill St.

Now if you miss Santa Claus in the afternoon he will be making a second appearance in Georgetown for another parade. Al Watts and the Georgetown Lion's Club have Santa booked for their evening parade. The parade begins at 5:00 pm. This is also worthwhile to see as their are many colorfully lit floats. This parade will be going through Guelph St. to downtown Georgetown onto Charles St.

The weather man has arranged for great weather but please bundle up the little ones.

Skating is always a great Excercise in Canada eh!

Last Saturday the Georgetown Figure Skating Club hosted a skatathon as a fundraiser for the Club. What a great way for the members to just come out and enjoy a leisure skate with other members and members of the public. I was invited to go out with them. Hmmm! I hadn't skated in years and boy am I out of practice. I played Jr. C hockey as a goalie so about 7 years ago I traded my goalie skates for a pair hockey skates. There is a huge difference.

I was a little wobbly for the first little while. Many of the families of the skating club were out including the coaches. Full marks to the Georgetown Raiders who sent a couple of their players out for a skate. The Raiders show real community spirit in this Town.

I thought of a skatathon was a real innovative way of fund raising while allowing everyone just to come out and have a great time. Some of the younger skaters were doing circles around the old beaters like myself. It is a credit to the coaches and the Georgetown Skating Club for teaching these young kids how to skate. It is a real joy watching kids out there having fun and show their skills that they had learned.

So now I am convinced I have to get out and do more skating. I do a lot of in line skating in the summer. The movements are similar but stopping is a whole different kettle of fish. The best kept secret in Town is that week day from 10-1 pm is public skating for only three bucks. Not bad eh! I went back today ( Tuesday ) and there is only a handful of skaters. So if want a good cardio vascular exercise over lunch Moldmasters Sportplex or Acton Arena are the places to be. Who knows maybe one day you will be as good as Georgetown Figure Skater.

Should Remembrance Day be a Holiday ?- I Say NO!

Over the weekend I attended many Remembrance Day marches and dinners. Both the Acton and Georgetown Legions organized the ceremonies and the dinners honoring many of our vets as well as the marches honoring those brave women and men who have died for our country.

Both Legion's displayed pictures drawn by students depicting their interpretation of past wars. One which caught my eye was a student in Acton who drew a black and white picture of a field and a lone poppy. The poppy was slumped over with a tear coming from it. It was a powerful statement to make from someone so young.

There is a private member's bill in Ottawa wanting to make Remembrance Day a national holiday. I remember years ago when it was a holiday. Then it was called Armistice Day and eventually called Remembrance Day. As well meaning as it may sound to have a day of recognition for those who have paid the ultimate price I don't agree with it. Here's why. It is being called a holiday. If the kids are out of school I could see them taking it as a holiday. How can we engage our youth so that they will remember the 110,000 plus Canadians who have died for Canada while protecting our freedom and our way of life. They are better in school and learn from the teachers and read about the first and second world war, the Korean War, about the many peace keeping missions and of course the present Afghanistan war on terrorism. I could see hockey tournaments being organized if this was holiday. The meaning of Remembrance Day would be lost on a holiday. We need our kids in school so that they can hear the veterans who visit the schools and tell them what war was like so we don't repeat history. We need see our youth at the cenotaphs to see our present living veterans and say " thank you. "

As much as it may be a noble idea to honour our veterans with a holiday, I think the meaning would be lost by having a holiday.

It was so great to see the scouts, cubs, girl guides, Air Cadets and other youth orientated groups marching with the veterans to the cenotaphs. Watching them laying wreaths so we will not forget the fallen's sacrifice.

If you agree with me write your M.P.'s and tell them not to vote for a Remembrance Day Holiday.

There is No free in Freedom

Cenotaphs across our great nation will be honouring those brave men and soldiers who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

The first Remembrance Day was held in 1919 and was originally called Armistice Day. When I was in public school I recall this being a holiday.

This time of year it is time to reflect upon the ultimate sacrifice of 110,000 Canadians who valiantly served our country in WWI and WWII, the Korean War and now Afghanistan.

Being a baby boomer I never lived through the first or second world wars or even the Korean war. I can tell you the Afghanistan War ( make no mistake it is a war ) does hit home. Watching the news clips of our young soldiers being returned in coffins and taking the Highway of Heroes road does hit home. The images are real not fiction.

Remembrance Day purposely keeps alive the memory of those who have served to protect our freedom of Canada. It is through their achievements and sacrifices that have contributed to the development of our great nation.

We must remember, if we do not, the sacrifice for the thousands of Canadians lives lost will be meaningless. They died to protect our way of life.

As Canadians we must never take for granted our current way of life. Our freedom to express ourselves, in cultural and political events.

We must continue to recognize our Canadians stationed around the world today. Particularly those who are engaged in combat in Afghanistan.

Lastly, this week, through November 11th, is a day to reflect upon our grandparents, maybe great grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters who have served or are presently serving our great country.

On behalf of the citizens of Halton Hills, our Councillors, we say thank you for those who have or continue to serve our country.

Lastly, if you know a Veteran, say thank you.

How will you Remember our Fallen????

This is a week that many in Halton Hills will be remembering our fallen soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we may enjoy our freedom. It is a time to reflect on those who died for our country and also to thank those who continue to serve Canada with much courage.

I will write more on this later in the week. You can mark your calendars as there will be three Remembrance Day marches this weekend. They are as follows:

Acton November 6th - 11:00 am
Glen Williams November 7th - 12:00 Noon
Georgetown November 7th - 2:00 Pm

Myself and many of the councillors will be there. I hope to see many of you there to say thank you to a veteran. I will write more as we get closer to the end of the week.

The Newly Elected Council Term of Council Will Soon Begin

Now that the Provincially wide Municipal elections are over it will soon be time for the newly elected council to begin. I was very humbled to receive an acclamation this election year. There were many changes throughout the Province of Ontario. Some municipalities will have completely new councils. Ask anyone who was elected they will tell you there is a certain learning curve to the job of a councillor or Mayor.

I congratulate the Acton councillors, Jon Hurst, Mike O'Leary and Clark Somerville on their acclamations as well. Also a congratulations to Jane Fogal, Bob Inglis, Moya Johnson, Dave Kentner, Joan Robson, Bryan Lewis for their solid victories in the election. Ann Lawlor is the one new voice on council. Ann ran an excellent campaign and Ann will be no stranger around the council chamber as she has worked on many community projects and committees over the years. John Duncan was not returned and I will miss is business attitude and of course his Irish humour.

In the next week or so I Will be meeting with the councillors elect to see what committees they are interested in serving also to get their ideas as well as what they may have heard while door knocking.

I personally feel we have a strong council. The election results have proved that the public supports them as they all got re-elected by wide margins with the exception of John Duncan.

The Halton District Catholic School Board has elected Mark Rowe. Mark grew up in Acton, raised his family in the Glen and taught in Georgetown. He will do a fine job.

The Halton District School Board voted to reduce their Halton Hills trustees from having two to just having one. Gillian Tuck Kutarna was elected. This last term board decision of school boards made decision which caused a lot of havoc. The HDCSB cancelled many buses in Georgetown South. They had public meetings but neither Save Our Buses or myself speaking on behalf of the Town could convince the Trustees to change their minds. The Public School Board never gave a chance to have this debated as they approved the cancelling of the buses in one night. Plus they put 2.62 acres of land at MSB School in Acton for sale. 5000 names on a petition could not convince these trustees that this was a big mistake.

Very interesting to note many of the trustees throughout Halton were wiped out at the polls. Some thought it would be best to run regionally. Big mistake as they were demolished at the polls. Councillor Jeff Knoll in Oakville and Councillor Rick Craven gave their opponents ( both Public School Board trustees ) a severe spanking.
Hopefully there will be lessons learned at the board. The now have many new faces and a new Super Intendent. Lets hope they can turn this around and we at the Towns have a positive relationship.

Halton Hills Votes

Today in Ontario, Canada voters are going to the polls to vote for their Mayors and councillors who will represent them for the next four years. Sometimes we do take democracy for granted. I have been privileged to get an acclamation. I am truly humbled by it. There are still elections going on in three of the four wards as well as races for both separate and public school boards.

The polls close at 8pm. The weather is good so I hope you take the time to exercise your freedom and vote.

Halton Hills is a Youth Friendly Community

The Town of Halton Hills was officially recognized as a Youth Friendly Community at a presentation ceremony held at Queen's Park on Monday October 4th,2010. This is a prestigious award for our community and I give kudos to our Mayor's Youth Action Committee ( MYAC ) for perseverance in getting this award.

Halton Hills is one of only 6 municipalities being honored that night. There is only about 32 communities out of 440 in Ontario to have this designation. There are 16 criteria to be reached and we reached 12. Myself and Councillor Moya Johnson were on hand for the ceremony presided by the Honourable Margaret Best, Minister of Health Promotions.


Being awarded a youth friendly community is a great testimony to know that so many initiatives Council supported over the past few terms around youth engagement have been right on the mark.

Councillor Johnson also noted " engaging youth in shaping our community is not only important for youth, it is important to all of us as they will be the leaders of tomorrow. "

The best speaker of all of the Youth Awards was are own Chair of MYAC Zuha Khan. She stated, "I believe that the Town of Halton Hills is a youth friendly community, because they are always proud of their youth's efforts and manage to encourage, support, congratulate and celebrate every achievement."

There were many of our MYAC members there and they did us proud wearing their bright red MYAC shirts. They looked like a team. All members of council are proud of our MYAC committee!

Juno Award Winner David Usher Plants Trees in Halton Hills

Saturday was a special day for Halton Hills as Juno Award singer David Usher joined many volunteers to plant trees in Cedarvale Park in Georgetown. The morning tree planting was organized by a local environmental group Protect Our Water and Environmental Resources ( P.O.W.E.R. ). Tree Canada ( Trees by the Shore ) was represented by Ed Borczon. We know trees are the lungs of the world. This was a great partnership between Majesta, Tree Canada, P.O.W.E.R. and the Town.



Let me tell you a bit about some of these programs. Trees by the Shore is a program sponsored by Tree Canada. This is a charitable organization established to encourage Canadians to plant and care for trees in urban and rural settings. Trees by the Shore have planted over 74,000 trees in Canada over the last two years. Majesta Brand is privately owned company committed to North America and the environment. They are part of the Irving Forest Products, a company that employs over 8,400 people in North America. All Majesta products are made in Canada and come with a Tree Planting Promise : "To plant trees for every one used to produce Majesta products."

David Usher addressed the crowd. The popular Montrealer spoke very passionately about the environment and he did go out and plant trees with many of the volunteers. It was a family morning activity. We are pleased to see him lend his support to such an important cause.

This was the 50th event of the program in Georgetown. Halton Hills welcomes David Usher to our community in the Year of Biological Diversity.