RainBarrel.ca sale April 30th at Royal Botanical Gardens

RainBarrel.ca is proud to partner with Earth Day Burlington, a non-profit organization that hosts free annual educational eco-festivals for local students and community tree planting events. Rain barrels must be ordered in advance and will be available for pickup on Saturday, April 30th from 9:30 AM to 1:30 at The Royal Botanical Gardens, 680 Plains Rd West in the Hendrie Park parking lot on the North side of Plains Road. Additional parking is available in the main parking lot on the South side of Plains Rd..
Each rain barrel comes fully equipped with a leaf and mosquito filter basket, an overflow adaptor that permits multiple barrels to be connected in series, 1.2m of overflow hose and a spigot that attaches directly to a garden hose. Additional overflow hose can also be purchased if required. Rain barrels are available in terracotta, grey and black. All have a capacity of approximately 220 litres and are approximately 1m tall and .6m in diameter. Rain barrels will be sold for $50 each.
Customers outside of Burlington are welcome and there are no limits on the quantity that may be purchased. Proceeds of the sale will be used to support Earth Day Burlington programming and events.

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May says "won't spend one penny on attack ads"

There are a number of ways in which this election is historic.
This is the fourth election in seven years—although that doesn’t break a record. It is an unfortunate first to see a government defeated for a confidence vote due to being found in contempt of Parliament. And, this election will go down as the most anti-democratic in history due to the collusion between the media executives and the other party leaders to shut the Greens out of the debates and eliminate national media coverage of our platform and policies.
The real potential for this election to make history is in seeing the election of Green MPs to the House of Commons.
I have never been so sure as I am today that Canada needs Green MPs in Parliament.  My own view is constantly reaffirmed by strangers who come up to me in train stations, airports, and farmers’ markets across Canada saying, “Next time you have got to win a seat. We all need you in Parliament.”
In my own riding, I am in a close two-way race. It won’t be easy, but I can win in Saanich—Gulf Islands.  We are running a strong campaign all across Canada. I believe that every vote counts—the only ‘wasted’ vote is the one that isn’t cast. Every vote sends a message to the political class in Ottawa. To the cynical and the Machiavellian, every Green vote sends a message in defence of responsible government.
We are starting to see some promising numbers, but we need to reach out to more Canadians. You know we won't spend a penny on attack ads! You know we will keep a positive message of hope.
Thanks again, more than I can say, for all your support.
Now, let’s make history!




Elizabeth May, O.C.
Leader, Green Party of Canada

Michael Ignatieff responds to AVAAZ.org petition

Last week, through an Avaaz.org petition, you asked me to call on the Auditor General to release her report on the Conservatives’ potentially illegal handling of funds for the G8/G20 summit.

You are absolutely right to want to see this report. Which is why we have put our support behind Sheila Fraser to make it available if Stephen Harper won’t, and, earlier today, called on the Director of Public Prosecutions to investigate the matter immediately.

 

But the truth is the real battle to get this report released took place in March.

On Thursday, March 24, less than 48 hours before the election began, Liberals from the Standing Committee on Public Accounts brought forward a motion to permit the Auditor General to release her report whether Parliament was sitting or not.

After months of growing evidence that the Conservatives may have funneled millions of dollars into a Conservative Minister’s riding under the guise of summit spending, it was clear to the Liberal Party that the Auditor General’s report would be of significant public interest.

However, moments before this motion was to pass, the NDP rose to block it, saying they needed 48 hours to review the motion. 

Don’t take my word for it — follow the links below to read the relevant section of the committee transcript, and media reports outlining what happened.

Had that motion passed, Sheila Fraser would have had the consent of Parliament to release the report, and Canadians would be heading to the polls with all the facts.

On May 2nd, Canadians will have the opportunity to choose their next government, and the choices have become clear. 

On one hand, Stephen Harper and the Conservatives are putting families last in line, spending billions on jets, jails and tax breaks for big banks and oil companies, and getting set to slash universal health care to pay for the $11 billion hole in their platform.

On the other hand, the Liberal Party of Canada is the only national party that can replace Stephen Harper’s Conservatives and form a progressive government that puts families first with our “Family Pack” of policies, and unswerving commitment to public health care. 

Please take a moment to read the source materials below. With so much at stake, it’s time to choose a Liberal alternative that will protect health care and bring accountable government back to Canada.

Thank you.

Michael Ignatieff

 

SOURCES

40th PARLIAMENT, 3rd SESSION Standing Committee on Public Accounts EVIDENCE – CONTENTS – Thursday, March 24, 2011
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=5069719&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=3#Int-3826365

Failed motion to release AG report during election not ‘respectful’: NDP MP (Postmedia News, April 12, 2011)
http://www2.canada.com/story.html?id=4601992

Fraser launches probe into report leaks (CBC News, April 12, 2011)
http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/politics-canadavotes2011/story/2011/04/12/cv-election-christopherson-ndp-rules-115.html

Liberals call for legal investigation into Conservative misappropriation of G8 slush fund (Liberal.ca, April 20, 2011)
http://www.liberal.ca/newsroom/news-release/liberals-call-legal-investigation-conservative-misappropriation-g8-slush-fund/

Liberals decry hypocrisy of Jack Layton’s proposal after NDP voted with Conservatives to cover up AG’s G8 report (Liberal.ca, April 13, 2011)
http://www.liberal.ca/newsroom/news-release/liberals-decry-hypocrisy-jack-laytons-proposal-ndp-voted-conservatives-cover-ags-g8-report/

The Liberal Family Pack: Our five-point plan to strengthen Canadian families
http://www.liberal.ca/familypack/

Open letter to Canadians on the future of health care from Michael Ignatieff, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada (Liberal.ca, April 8, 2011)
http://www.liberal.ca/newsroom/news-release/open-letter-canadians-future-health-care-michael-ignatieff-leader-liberal-party-canada/

Beach residents continue to get flooded in Stoney Creek

Teal Ave Resident from (Ward 10). 

A few weeks ago I had sent all of you an article posted in the Stoney Creek News regarding all the development in our area and how bad the flooding is getting each year.  It was also mentioned that there were not any issues in our area but that is not true. 

I woke up today to find Church Street flooded over again.  The neighbours are also flooded who back on to Edge Lake Park and one person has water right up to his house.  On the other side of Bush Button Pond (the pond located in Edge lake Park) on Frances Avenue the culvert is being blocked by the massive willow tree (for over 2.5 years now we asked our councillor to have it removed many times because it is blocking 4 sewer drains).  The culvert is now dangerously filled to the top.  It is so high it is almost in line with the street level.    The trails inside the ESAs between Church St and Frances are so flooded that some residents who go through there are saying it is the worst they have ever seen in.

This flooding is unacceptable to the residents of this community.  It has been going on since I first moved into the area over 4 years ago.

I am also starting to wonder if it is doing any damage to the salamanders and other creatures that live in the ESAs located on Church and Frances.

This issue needs to be addressed immediately.  It is not getting any better just worse. 

Councillor Maria Pearson has responded.

Good afternoon. Thank you for your e-mail and the info. I was on site this morning and took pictures. There are two issues.

 

1) The first is the large channel that flows in the area of the 'turtle ponds' and goes under Church Street through a residential property to out fall at the lake. The water was over the road this morning and staff are aware of it and trying to address it as we speak. The cause of the flooding is that the outfall at the lake filled with sand and debris from the storm (north easter) causing the mouth of the outlet to become blocked from the lake side. Staff have been unable to get to it to clear it because of the turbulence of the water. They will be making every effort to clear it as soon as the lake and weather permits. In the meantime, signs warning of water over the road will be posted.

 

2) The little drainage swale that runs behind the properties on Teal backing onto Edgelake Park has also caused problems for the property owners to the west. Staff are, again, monitoring this and will see where the water is being blocked. There may be a honeycomb catchbasin that has become covered with leaves etc. As soon as staff can access this they will clear it as well. 

 

With regards to the willow tree that you are speaking of, I spoke with the Conservation Authority and have also advised you that they do not recommend removing or changing this drainage area as the habitat of the wildlife will be affected. If Mr. Miazga of the Conservation Authority wishes to review this, I would fully support this.

 

Maria

GO Transit adding late night trips to Hamilton UFC fans April 30th

Fight fans from across southern Ontario are expected to flood downtown Toronto when the Ultimate Fighting Championship makes its city debut later this month.
Now, GO Transit says it will help ease their battle getting home after fight by adding extra late-night trips following the anticipated event on April 30.

Two extra trains will depart Union Station about 30 minutes after the event at the Rogers Centre wraps up, giving transit riders plenty of time to make it from the event to the train.
A Lakeshore West train will head westbound, making all stops on its way to the Aldershot GO Station, with a bus connection to Hamilton's GO Centre.

The UFC's first foray into Ontario has been a hotly anticipated ticket ever since Queen's Park announced the previously banned form of prize fighting would finally be allowed inside the province.
More than 55,000 tickets were snatched up as quickly as they were made available, making the mixed martial arts title fight a sell-out and setting new attendance records.

Welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre will headline UFC 129, the sport's debut in Toronto, defending his title against Jake Shields at the Rogers Centre on April 30.
In addition to the return trips, GO Transit says it will provide extra trains earlier in the day, for those attending the UFC Fan Expo at the Direct Energy Centre that afternoon

Meet Hamilton East/Stoney Creek Green Party Candidate David Hart Dyke

Click to Enlarge

Jack Layton responds to AVAAZ "Demand The Truth" petition

Thank you for your message outlining your desire to have the Auditor General report on the G8/G20 meetings made public before Election Day.

I fully agree that Canadians have a right to know what is in the report
before May 2.  We have already seen at least two leaks to the media of
details from draft versions. Therefore, we think that it is in the best
interests of all parties involved to clear the air, and only making the
full and final report public would accomplish this.

On April 12, I wrote to Auditor General Sheila Fraser and all Party
leaders proposing a solution to the current impasse. Regretfully, Ms.
Fraser remains entrenched in her position that the final report should
not be released until after the election, as per her April 13 reply to
me. For your interest, I have attached copies of these two letters.

Again, thank you for informing me of your interest to know the truth
about this serious matter.

All the best,


Jack Layton
Leader of Canada's New Democrats

Letter to Auditor General from Jack Layton

Auditor General Response

Local 1005 ends lift bridge protest against US STEEL

Locked-out U.S. Steel workers braved the cold and wind all day Sunday in a bid to prevent a ship transporting valuable steelmaking materials from leaving Hamilton Harbour.

But after 17 hours police convinced the workers to leave the bridge and let the ship pass.

About 25 workers holding flags and signs marched back-and-forth across the lift-bridge, preventing it from being raised and forcing the vessel, carrying about 20,000 tons of coke, to park about a kilometre out in the harbour from the demonstration. It first tried to get through at about 8 p.m. Sunday.

“We feel the coke belongs to us. It should be used here to make steel and we think (moving it out) is a provocation on U.S. Steel’s part,” Local 1005 president Rolf Gerstenberger said. “We don’t think it’s right that they just have us making coke and they just ship the coke out to other plants.”

Nine hundred Hamilton workers were locked out Nov. 7. The workers started protesting on the bridge at about 5 a.m. Sunday morning. Mayor Bob Bratina visited them later that night to show his support.

U.S. Steel Canada started shipping coke out of the city last month, and a Canada Steamship Lines vessel carrying the metallurgical coal left Hamilton Harbour for Nanticoke at the end of March. At that time, the union had sent out an urgent appeal to its members, asking them to gather at the Burlington Canal lift-bridge, but the ship was already gone.

Nothing should be moved from Hamilton while Ottawa and U.S. Steel are still in court, union leader Jake Lombardo said. “At the end of tonight, I hope that the federal government is listening.”

The union says U.S. Steel Canada is moving about 44,000 of 200,000 tons of coke stored in Hamilton.

THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR 

Chrysler pressing for end to Hamilton US STEEL labour dispute

U.S. Steel Corp. is hiring a handful of workers to staff locked-out positions at its Hamilton Works in Ontario, even amid industry chatter that at least one key steel customer is pressing for an end to the labour dispute.

Chrysler LLC, which operates a vehicle assembly plant in Brampton, Ontario—near the Hamilton facility—wants to be able to source coated steel from the Z line at Hamilton as it prepares for the 2012 model year, sources claim.

The Z line is a relatively new hot-dip galvanizing line and features the world’s largest zinc pot, built specifically to service the automotive industry. It produces high surface quality steel for exposed automotive body panels.