How Many New Houses Can We Expect?

In a previous blog I wrote about water allocation and the fact that the Town now has water that can be allocated to new housing. On Monday September 27th Council allocated water to 4 housing developments that have been planned and waiting for years for this water.

Water was allocated to the following developers:

Halton Hills Village Homes will build 384 single detached homes east of Saint Catherines of Alexandria school on Barber Drive in Georgetown South

Fernbrook Homes will build 107 single detached homes and 40 townhomes west of Mountainview and north of 10th sideroad

Eden Oak will build 142 townhomes on Main Street north at Carruthers Road

Menkes will build 50 single detached homes and 80 townhomes on the former Upper Canada College

The Eden Oak development is from the Residential In Fill pool and the other 3 developments are from the Residential pool.

There is still water left in reserve to permit further development of residental, in-fill residential and non-residential.

Just Cupcakes Opens in Downtown Georgetown

Yesterday was the official opening of a unique new business in downtown Georgetown. Just Cupcakes is a new business that morphed out of an old business.
Up until a month ago 98 Main Street South was the home of Canterbury Gourmet Foods, a business that served lunch and specialized in frozen entrees. Canterbury was originated by gourmet chef Jenny Allen. However when Jenny decided to retire from business, the current owners of Just Cupcakes took over the business.
I asked what made them switch business models. Apparently they had added cupcakes to the menu and couldn't keep up with the demand in addition to preparing all of the other foods. The idea of a cupcake business had been on their minds for years so they decided to drop everything else and just do cupcakes.
Apparently cupcakes are just fun and they like having fun.
The interior has been remodelled by the 3 owners, Debbey, Rosey and Arlene with assistance from their husbands. This is a family affair with 2 sisters and 2 sisters-in-law in the trio.
So far business has been very good and today they booked their first wedding.
The complete menu can be found on their website www.justcupcakes.ca

Hospital Walk Raises $30,000

Last Sunday was a lovely day for a walk around the hospital district in support of the Georgetown Hospital Foundation. The Mayor's team was filled out with councillors. The picture shows from left to right, Mayor Bonnette, Councillors Jane Fogal, Dave Kentner, Moya Johnson and Bob Inglis. Missing from the photo is Councillor Jon Hurst. It was understandable that he missed the photo as he was out of town and actually did the walk in North Bay. He told us that it was much hillier than the course in Georgetown. Jon is a Board member of Halton Health Care and a staunch supporter of the hospital, so simply being out of town was insuffient reason to not participate.

The photo below shows the extraordinary group of people who did the 5 km walk. Doing the walk is one thing. Doing it while pushing an adult in a wheelchair is quite another. I am very impressed with those who managed to complete the 5 kms in this manner.

The purple people in the front of the photo are Paul's Peeps, the team from Armstrong Insurance. They raised the most money of any team with a total of nearly $8000. Paul Armstrong is a former Georgetown Citizen of the Year in recognition of his generosity both financially and timewise. I have personally worked with Paul on the Board of Cote Terrace Seniors Apartments and have seen his leadership and dedication first hand.

Congratulations to the Hospital Foundation for raising $30,000 for help pay for equipment that is not funded by the Ministry of Health.

Water and development in Georgetown

This is a quick overview of the water situation in Georgetown.
All of the water used in Georgetown comes from 3 wells: Lindsay Court, Princess Anne, and Cedarvale. These wells are all rated by the province for the maximum amount that can be pumped out of each one without harming the surrounding environment such as wetlands and streams.
The maximum amount allowable is determined through pumping tests that have to be done throughout the 4 seasons of the year.
Once the maximum allowable has been reached then no new development can be approved. All new development requires a water allocation.
For the past several years the town has not been able to allocate any new water and therefore could not approve any new development, whether that was houses, commercial development or institutions such as schools or seniors housing.
During this period the Region of Halton has been conducting a search for a new well field. You may have seen this testing in the area south of the 15th sideroad and east of Trafalgar Road.
Also, further pumping tests have been conducted on the Cedarvale well.
The province recently approved a new rating for Cedarvale that would provide enough water for 1200 new single detached homes also referred to as 1200 SDEs.
It is up to the Town to allocate that water.
The Town of Halton Hills divides up that water into 3 categories in order to balance development. The following categories and allocation were approved at Monday's Council meeting: Residential 750 SDE's, In-fill Residential 250 SDE's, Non-Residential 200SDE's.
When this water is used up then we will be back in the situation where development will stop unless there is another re-rating of a well. However, we have been told to expect that another 1200 SDE's will be approved by the province in the next couple of years.
My experience is that it always takes longer than suggested.

Councillors Support Rotary But Who Pays?

The photo shows several members of Halton Hills Council at the Georgetown Rotary Club annual fundraising dinner last night. Pictured seated are Councillors Joan Robson, Bob Inglis and Jon Hurst, and standing Moya Johnson, Dave Kentner and myself, Jane Fogal.

Councillors attend many fundraising functions throughout the year but I am sure that many people wonder who is really paying. The answer is that councillors pay their own way. We do not have expense accounts to draw upon at the Town.

There is the odd time when we are invited by the organization and are given free tickets by the organization. But that usually happens when they want us to play a role in the event, ie they want us to be a speaker.

The expense accounts of Toronto City Councillors is a topic in the Toronto election but there is no comparison between their situation and ours, even though we do the same job. For example, when constituents call me they often apologize for calling me at home. I tell them that is okay because they have reached my home office. We do not have town offices or administrative assistants. We are given laptops and blackberries by the Town and then we are on our own. We schedule our own appointments, pay for our own paper and internet costs, and do our own filing. This is not the case in larger municipalities such as Oakville and Burlington. We run a very lean operation in Halton Hills.

There are some expenses that the Town covers such as mileage and expenses associated with conferences if the Town has approved our attendance.

I was amused a few years ago when the Harris government advocated that municipal governments should be cutting back the number of councillors as a great cost cutting measure. The cost to the municipality for a local councillor is very minimal in the overall budget and any cut would hardly be noticable on your tax bill.

Local Councillors in Halton Hills are considered part-time and are paid $22,330 per year. Regional Councillors are full time employees who act as both Regional and Local Councillors and are paid $65,134.

I hope this helps to clarify the councillor's expenses in the Town of Halton Hills.

Cycling Summit Draws Star Speakers

On Monday and Tuesday of this past week I attended the Ontario Cycling Summit in Burlington. I was very impressed with the quality of the speakers and the opportunities for interaction with people who make policy decisions in Ontartio.

The first picture is of Sam Adams, Mayor of Portland Oregon. He was an incredible speaker and talked about the success that Portland has had since it began to plan for the future by changing how people move around the city. They have integrated thinking about carbon reduction, economic success and healthy lifestyles and invested in changing the infrastructure and land use planning to support it.

Portland has been transformed from a city that was failing to a vibrant, economic powerhouse that people love to work and live in.

A huge part of the vision was accomplished through focusing on cycling as a mode of transportation. As Mayor Adams put it, "cycling is now part of our DNA." There isn't a message that goes out about the city that does not reference cycling.
Portland's 'Green Dividend' is estimated at $2.6 billion per year. Yes that is billion. Portland has reduced carbon emissions on a real bases, not per capita, from 1990 levels!
Residents of Portland are also the 7th fittest in the U.S.
The economy has taken off and it is largely focused on outdoor gear, sports equipment and all things related to sports and recreation.
Portland built its entire 300 mile cycling network for the same cost as a single mile of urban freeway. It is clear that taking cars off the road reduces the need for more miles of freeway expansion or repair. It is obviously a great investment for everyone, regardless of whether you are the one on the bike or the one in the car on a less busy road.

One cannot help but see the contrast between what Sam Adams has done in Portland and what the mayoralty candidates in Toronto are advocating.

The second photo is of the Minister of Transportation, the honorable Kathleen Wynne. It shows the change in attitude at the provincial level when the Minister agrees to speak at a bicycle conference. The Minister was very knowledgeable and well spoken. She brought with her many of her senior policy staff and they also made a presentation and asked for input from the delegates at the conference. It was pleasantly surprising to see this kind of two-way communication at the ministerial level built into the summit format.

The third picture is of Marcus Gee, Globe and Mail columnist and Eleanor McMahon, Executive Director of Share the Road and conference organizer. Marcus was scathing in his comments about Rob Ford, Toronto mayoralty candidate. Gee remarked that Ford fails to get his facts right and yet people seem to love him. Marcus Gee is someone who does get his facts right so it makes the Ford popularity all the more perplexing.
The conference was packed with insightful speakers and people who get thing done. There were many examples of success stories in municipalities across North America where cycling has been promoted and where the quality of life has improved in concert with that effort.
In Halton Hills we have just completed our first cycling Master Plan. It will soon be coming to council for approval. I hope to be involved in the implementation as we start to make Halton Hills a cycling friendly community.

My Racquet Club Celebrates 35 Years of Fun

Last Saturday the Georgetown Racquet Club celebrated 35 years of fun, fitness and friendship. I have personally been an active member of the club for 32 of those years.

The Club is off the beaten track so you have to be looking for it to find it. It is located on Armstrong Avenue, in our Georgetown industrial area, and is just east of the Sinclair intersection. This doesn't sound like an appealing area but the surprising thing is that as soon as you turn into the driveway you are transported to an entirely different landscape. You instantly find yourself in a wooded paradise nestled in the Credit River Valley.

The first picture illustrates the point. It shows the 2 lighted tennis courts carved out of the wooded valley. I have personally watched deer wander by as I was playing tennis. It is an idyllic place to relax and enjoy a spirited game of tennis with friends.

The second picture shows a visitor to the open house as he tries one of the skills tests that were set up for anyone to try. There are 2 American courts and 2 International courts at the club. They have different dimensions but it is still the same game and players use both courts depending on what is available. The club also has an exercise room and saunas in the locker rooms.

I can honestly say that the club has played a very important role in my life. I have developed some of my best friendships at the club. We have celebrated together and supported each other throughout the years. I certainly had no such expectations when I joined all those years ago.

Of course playing squash is also important to me as part of my fitness program. I find that I can totally lose myself in the game and forget how hard I have to work to get to the ball. It is a fun way to work up a sweat while having a lot of fun. I feel really fortunate to still be playing this game at my age.
There are opportunities at the club for all skill levels and all ages. It is indicative of a great club when there are young players who develop into great players and that has happened here. Melanie Jans and Andrew Jones both started in the junior program went on to great national and international prominence. Melanie is our first Olympic star. Andrew came back to the club for the 35th anniversary and played an exhibition match to show all of us just how the game is supposed to be played.

If you are interested in more information about the club, just call 905 877 0333 or email me if you prefer.

United Way President's Ball

This photo was taken Saturday night at the United Way 12th Annual President's Ball. As you can see the Campaign Goal is $325,000 which is the highest ever.
Surrounding the campaign sign from left to right is MP Michael Chong, Councillor Joan Robson, Mayor Rick Bonnette, Chris Cooke, Chair of the Campaign Committee, Councillor Moya Johnson, Councillor Dave Kentner, Janet Foster United Way Manager, and Councillors Bryan Lewis and Jane Fogal

The Event was held at The Club at North Halton and was well attended. Congratulations to the organizers who put together a very enjoyable evening. There was an extensive Silent Auction all to help the cause. Bidding was fairly brisk so it appears that the United Way of Halton Hills is off to a great start.
The United Way is also very well supported by Town staff. There are many events at the Civic Centre and satellite locations throughout the year in support of the United Way. You will notice on Fridays that staff who participate in the payroll deduction plan can participate in Casual Fridays.
The United Way funds a long list of agencies in Halton Hills and I hope everyone will remember to "Give Where You Live."

Why did the Farmer's Market Change Sides?

Many people were confused when they arrrived in downtown Georgetown and found that the Farmers' Market had changed sides of the street. Some people wondered if the market was smaller.
The background is that the farmers always preferred the west side of Main Street because in the summer their produce is in the shade and doesn't spoil.
However, shopkeepers on the east side complained that they were disadvantaged by the Market focusing on the west side.
After much discussion on this issue the Board of Directors of the Downtown Georgetown Business Improvement Area (BIA) decided that they would try the Market on the east side during the fall months to see how that would work. In September the Market moved across the median on a trial basis to see how the produce faired and how the Market in general was affected. The move would also test the theory that businesses on the east side reap some benefit if the market is on their side of the street.
After a couple of weeks it has become apparent that the move has not been well received. The first issue is that in the cool September mornings the shady side of the street is quite cool for the first 3 hours for the vendors to endure. The second thing is that the market is also cool for the first 2 hours for the market patrons, many of whom have complained.
It is also clear that certain areas are too congested such as around Heather's Bakery.
The location of the Market was raised again at this week's BIA Board Meeting and it was decided that the Market should move back to the west side as soon as the permits can be changed.
Personally I think that the right decision has been made.
The Farmer's have to be happy or they could just as easily move to other market areas out of Downtown Georgetown. Secondly, the patrons need to be happy if the market is to be successful.
I think that businesses like Heather's have adapted to the Market by putting tables out in the parking space in front of their business. It would add to the Market if more businesses brought their wares out onto the street during the market hours rather than staying closed for most of the
Market hours.
Do you have any suggestions for improving upon this already highly successful Farmer's Market.

Local Farmer Explores Biomass Potential

Jamie Fisher is a Halton farmer who is searching for ways to keep his farm profitable and diversified. He was the guest speaker at the annual Halton Farm Tour held on Sept. 16th.

Fisher is a member of an organization of farmers called the Ontario Biomass Producers Group. Their mission is to promote the production and market of biomass as an alternative fuel.

Biomass can be either waste products such as old hay or corn stalks or it can be purpose grown such as switch grass. Most of us consider switch grass to be a weed but to Fisher it is a crop with great potential to solve our energy problems.

It is Fisher's opinion that biomass is a carbon neutral fuel in that carbon is removed from the air, is fixed in the plant and then released through burning. Carbon in - carbon out. This differs from burning fossil fuels whereby carbon that was fixed millions of years ago is released into the atmosphere.

The issue of food verses fuel was touched on but Fisher said that it is a very complicated subject and would take too long to fully explore.

It was interesting that the Ontario Biomass Producers Group is looking at how the Nanticoke Coal plant could be retooled to burn biomass after it stops buring coal. The coal plant is very inefficient as an electricity producer with 40% of its energy transferred into the water cooling system. In effect Lake Erie is being heated by coal.

The Biomass Producers hope to design a system that would be much more efficient from start to finish, or in other words from field to wire.

I think it is encouraging to find that people like Jamie are putting their minds and energy into solving some of our most pressing issues. This solution is interesting as it provides a use for waste products that can be sourced locally and used in far more efficient ways likely through co-generation technology.

Creativity Melds Agriculture and Energy

As part of the 2010 Halton Farm Tour we visited Brandelle Industries in Milton. This is the outside of their manufacturing operation. It looks more like a chalet than a creative engineering start up business. Brandelle Biomass Systems is the subsidiary company and the principals are Mike Brouwers, Gary Bot and Curtis VanderMarel.

The middle picture show the owners explaining to our group how this boiler works and why it is unique.

Although the developers of this boiler searched the world for a boiler that would use biomass for feedstock they were unable to find anything that would do the job. In the end they decided that they had to build something from the ground up.

The result is a heavy duty, industrial strength boiler that can custom burn a variety of materials including corn, switch grass pellets, wheat shorts, etc.
It was explained that each type of fuel requires different settings in order to avoid residues and off-gasing. However, they have met this challenge and the resulting boiler is highly mechanized and can even be computer controlled remotely.

The fuel pictured below is pelletized switch grass.

It was interesting to learn that there are farmers in Halton who are experimenting with switch grass as a crop specifically for the biomass market.
As part of the tour we were able to see one of these boilers operating. It is very quiet and produced a very small amount of ash.

This is brand new technology created without the benefit of government assistance.
It will be interesting to see where it takes us as these creative people move forward with their product.

Living Lightly in Halton Hills

Where are all of these people going in the rain?

They are all attendees of the annual Halton Farm Tour which is organized by the Halton Agricultural Advisory Committee. I have attended many of these tours and always find them informative.

The first stop on the tour was Danbrie Farms on 15th sideroad in Halton Hills. It belongs to Jay Thoman who is pictured below (on the left) with Regional Chair Gary Carr as Gary presents him with a memento of this year's tour.

Jay and his wife moved to this location 8 years ago with the idea of getting out of the city and to live in a more sustainable fashion. The farm already had many maple trees and so they began a small maple syrup operation. At this point they have 1500 taps. The syrup is available primarily at farmer's markets in the city. Jay remarked that the recent local food movement has helped his sales and also that people recognize the benefit from this natural product.

The real reason this operation was chosen for the tour was to illustrate the way that Jay has diversified in order to supplement his income. In this case he chose to take advantage of the provincial program that allows property owners to generate electricity and supply it to the grid. In this case it was the Micro FIT program.
At first Jay got permission to install a wind turbine, however, he has not followed up on that. Instead, he installed approximately 50 solar panels that can be seen on his barn.

From this installation Jay reported that he had generated 1250 KWH in the month of August. He anticipates that his investment will be paid back in approximately 9 years which he considers to be reasonable.

Jay was quite complimentary of both the Ontario Power Authority and Halton Hills Hydro as he worked his way through the approval and set up process. It was recommended that anyone thinking of installing solar panels do their research in order to find a good vendor. The vendors and manufacturers will continue to increase because the rules of the provincial program require a percentage of the equipment to be manufactured in Ontario. As a result there is great interest by both large and small corporations in setting up manufacturing in Ontario. Our own Econonic Development Officer, Doug Penrice has noticed the number of inquiries for space or land has been dominated recently by renewable energy businesses.

Jimmy Valentine Honoured by Fire Department

Jimmy Valentine joined the Georgetown Fire Department in 1938! He holds the record as the longest serving firefighter in the history of the department.

When our local firefighters were busy organizing the official opening of their two new fire halls in Georgetown they thought they also needed to find some way to recognize Jimmy Valentine as part of the event.

It was suggested that the new laneway at the back of the Maple Avenue firehall leading to Armstrong Avenue should be called Valentine Lane in honour of Jimmy's amazing commitment to the town through his service in the Fire Department.

At the official ceremonies the name plaque was unveiled to the delight of everyone in attendance. Jimmy was very gracious and said a few words about his early years in the department and was absolutely charming. Actually he stole the show.
I asked Jimmy to pose for this shot and he graciously stood in front of the 1942 Ford Fire Truck that was purchased by the Town when Jimmy was already a veteran of the department. They both look terrific to me.

Two Fire Halls and EMS Officially Open

The top photo shows Fire Chief Brent Marshall, Mayor Rick Bonnette and Councillor Moya Johnson, Chair of our Fire Services and Emergency Planning Committee, chopping the official fire hose to open the new Fire Department Headquarters Station at the corner of Main Street South and 10th Sideroad in Georgetown. The official ceremonies took place on Friday Sept. 10th.

Following the official chopping, the firefighters posed for photos in front of their beloved 1942 Fire truck. This beautiful truck is the pride and joy of the firefighters and it is housed in the heritage room visible from 10th sideroad. It is expected that many school children will tour this facility and learn about our firefighting tradition in this room.

The station is also the Emergency Operations Centre should an emergency ever be declared in Halton Hills. All of the necessary communications lines have been put in to facilitate emergency communications and coordination.

Th bottom picture was taken at the official ceremony later the same day over at the new Maple Avenue Fire Hall and Emergency Medical Services building (Ambulance). This was a partnership project with Halton Region, the level of government responsible for ambulance services. Regional Chair Gary Carr can be seen in this photo along with Chief Marshall, Mayor Bonnette and Councillor Johnson.

Both of these buildings were obviously designed by the same architects and are certainly attractive. However, it is important to note that they are very well thought out buildings designed to conserve both energy and water. For example water is collected on the roof and stored in a cistern for use in washing the trucks and fire fighting. The tower is designed for air drying the hoses and is also used to practice rappelling. Both facilities are heated and cooled using geo thermal technology.

It has not been easy financing these two buildings. Normally we would fund the new fire hall from development charges. This is a charge put on every new home and is rolled into the purchase price. However, you may have noticed that housing development has been very very slow because of a lack of water in Georgetown. It was decided by Council that we had to move ahead to ensure proper fire protection for the town. This is why there is a special fire levy of 1.2% on the municipal tax bill to pay for these services.

The cost of the two firehalls is $9.2 million, funded through the Town ($6.4 million) Ontario ministry of Infrastructure Renewal ($1.9 million) and Halton region ($1.1 million)

YMCA Camp Norval Remembered

The first photo is of the new interpretive signage that the Town installed this week on its newest section of the Hungry Hollow Trail. The trailheads can be found either at the end of Hall Road or on Beaumont Court at the east end of Georgetown. This section of trail runs through the former YMCA boys camp that was run by the Toronto West YMCA beginning in the late 1920s. The camp, known as Camp Norval

was owned by the YMCA until 1988. The Town of Halton Hills aquired the land in 1998.
Local resident Neil Shepherd collected information on the 'Old Y Camp' as part of project and passed the information over to the Town in the hope that some interpretive signage could be installed at the site. Thanks to Neil hikers can better understand the history of this part of Georgetown. Remnants of the camp are still visible. The second photo shows two concrete pads that support the piers for the Director's cabin. The interpretive sign is set amongst the piers. The sign shows a map of the camp and how it relates to the new developments in the area.
This is a relatively short section of trail but it does connect to an informal trail that one can follow further into the valley. The new trail is level and easy to walk. The informal trail includes a steep section that will require substantial work and more investment by the Town to make it easier for walkers. You can expect to see further developments next year if this project makes it through the budget process.
This month the trail access from Regan Crescent to the boardwalk trail east of Mountainview will be formally opened to the public.
If trail development is important to you, be sure to ask candidates in the municipal election if they will support further trail development during the up coming budget discussions.

Queen Street Reconstruction

Pictured to the right is Queen Street in Georgetown, illustrating the reconstruction project. The photo was taken on August 23rd.

Residents are feeling a little frustrated with the progress as sometimes they don't see anything going on, which was the case this week.

In fact things are progressing as expected but sometimes that progress is not apparent to the casual observer. Although it looks as if it a road project, in reality it is also an "under the road"project. The underground work is a Regional project and involves replacing the water and wastewater pipes. Other services such as hydro, gas, and cable are likewise effected. The road itself is a Town project and all of the work must be coordinated by the Town Supervisor.

Printed below is the Town's Construction Supervisor's response to questions about the progress this week.

The reason very little work is being done this week is that the water main has been installed and after that the next step is to flush it, chlorinate and then flush it again and to remove the chlorine and then test the water in the water main to ensure there is no bacteria in it prior to connecting the houses with new services. This process takes approximately 1 week, the samples were sent in Tuesday and the results should be back today or next Tuesday and all going well if the tests pass the contractor can begin installing the new services to the main. Until this is done nothing further can be done on the stretch between McNabb and Guelph. The stretch between McNabb to King is almost at the paving stage, I was informed that they were going to place the final gravel next week and pave shortly after. The contractor is basically on schedule for the first week of October barring any rain days.

Kevin Chalmers CST, CET
Supervisor of Construction
Town of Halton Hills

We are near the end of the project but nerves always seem to get frayed at this stage after months of hot dusty days, rough roads, restricted access and numerous other inconveniences. In the end the road will be vastly improved and the underground water and wastewater services will all be upgraded.

Georgetown Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade

Pictured is a photo taken this week showing progress on a new Digester at the Georgetown Wastewater Treatment Plant. The size of the people illustrates the magnitude of the project.

This plant is located in Hungry Hollow east of Mountainview Road and is a Halton Regional facility.

Most Georgetown residents will not be aware of its location since it is hidden from view but those living near the edge of the valley, particularly on the south side are occasionally reminded of its existence.

This is the treatment facility for all of the sewage generated in Georgetown and was originally constructed in 1959. There are currently 2 digesters at the plant but they do not provide enough capacity to match the rest of the processes at the plant. This upgrade is necessary to meet the demand of Georgetown within our current urban boundaries. It is not sufficient for an expanded Georgetown that is theoretically planned to begin in 2021.

In addition to this third digester there will also be a new service building that is expected to reduce odour impacts on the neighbours as it will enclose part of the operation.

Residents are asked to report odour complaints by calling 311.