Opinion: Attend the March 2nd Council Meeting

Elimination Of Development Charges To Be Voted On At The March 2nd Council Meeting PLEASE BE THERE ! There has been much publicity and comment about the ongoing debate at City Hall as to whether or not the City of Burlington should allow property developers a holiday from paying development charges. It is being proposed by … Continue reading Opinion: Attend the March 2nd Council Meeting

Opinion-David Barker’s Delegation to Council February 17th, 2026

David Barker spoke to council on February 17th, 2026, regarding the mayor's proposal to eliminate development charges in Burlington. There is a short survey gathering public input on this issue at the bottom of this post. This is what David said: I am amazed and extremely disappointed that City Council is willing to in effect … Continue reading Opinion-David Barker’s Delegation to Council February 17th, 2026

Opinion – Eliminate Development Charges – Yes or No?

Mike Collins-Williams, the CEO of the West End Home Builders, recently delegated to the Burlington city council. Collins-Williams asked council to remove development charges completely for the next two years. What are Development Charges? Development Charges (DCs) are one-time fees collected by municipalities from developers to help pay for new infrastructure to serve new growth. … Continue reading Opinion – Eliminate Development Charges – Yes or No?

Opinion – SORRY, NOT SORRY

On Monday, February 9, I live-streamed Burlington’s Committee of the Whole meeting. At least four delegations urged the City Council to reduce or defer development charges for new housing. Council was eventually persuaded to move to the next step in granting a two-year freeze. The justifications were familiar: softer housing demand, unsold condos across the … Continue reading Opinion – SORRY, NOT SORRY

Opinion – Housing or Speculation?

With the recent cancellation of a 475-unit condo project on Appleby Line, a correction in the condo market may already be happening. https://burlingtongazette.ca/appleby-line-development-cancelled-475-units-will-not-make-it-to-market What are some of the reasons behind this market correction? The transformation of GTHA's condo market from housing to an investment vehicle for "mom and pop" investors didn't happen overnight. The roots … Continue reading Opinion – Housing or Speculation?

OPINION – Serious Concerns Regarding the 2026 Proposed Budget Increase

One way to communicate with our city council is to write a letter and send the letter to clerks@burlington.ca Joe Gaetan took the time to write a letter regarding the 2026 Budget. To: Burlington City Council Regarding: 2026 Budget Review (FIN-36-25) Re: Serious Concerns Regarding the 2026 Proposed Budget Increase Mayor and Members of Council, … Continue reading OPINION – Serious Concerns Regarding the 2026 Proposed Budget Increase

Road Capacity – “Let’s get people onto transit and into cycle lanes”

Here is a quote from the Tuesday, September 9th, 2025, council meeting during a discussion on a high-rise development proposal on Plains Road. A city hall employee stated to our council: “There is a point where a road becomes overcapacity, like the IMP (Integrated Mobility Plan) suggests, let's get people onto transit and into cycle … Continue reading Road Capacity – “Let’s get people onto transit and into cycle lanes”