Mayor’s Mailbag – March 2024 Roundup – Burlington Food Truck Festival; Solar Eclipse & Regional & City Services
Welcome to the Mayor’s Mailbag – March 2024 roundup.The Mayor’s Monday Mailbag is a weekly initiative Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and the Mayor’s Office has launched to share answers to questions from the public we’ve received through our main email inbox at mayor@burlington.ca or the Mayor’s social media platforms.At the end of the month, we publish a roundup of those most pressing questions we’ve received in the weeks prior.
Mayor’s Mailbag – March 2024 Roundup
- “What’s happening with the Burlington Food Truck Festival?”
- “How do I stay safe during the upcoming total solar eclipse in Burlington on April 8?”
- “What services do the City of Burlington and the Region of Halton look after and who do I reach out to if I have an issue, concern or feedback?”
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BURLINGTON FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL UPDATEQUESTION:“What’s happening with the Burlington Food Truck Festival?”ANSWER:Burlington’s Food Truck Festival has been taking place in July at Spencer Smith Park yearly since 2016. In the first few years of operation, the event was well received by both residents and downtown businesses. Since the pandemic, Burlington’s Food Truck Festival event has been brought before Council due to concerns expressed by the Burlington Downtown Business Association (BDBA) and the Burlington Restaurant Association (BRA). They both expressed that the event negatively impacts their businesses.In October 2023, Council approved the following motions from report RCC 16-32 Food Truck Festival:
- Direct the City Manager and the Manager of Festivals & Events to decline future Burlington Food Truck Festival applications for Spencer Smith Park effective 2024; and
- Encourage the event organizers to continue to work with staff to find a suitable location in Burlington.
Following this decision by Council, staff have had numerous conversations as well as coordinated site visits with the Event Organizer to find a suitable location to continue hosting their event in Burlington. With the delay in the construction project at Burloak Park, the Event Organizer has decided to host in Burloak Park for Summer 2024. They are aware the construction is scheduled to commence Spring 2025.The event is still in the planning phase.As a next step, the City's Festivals & Events office is required to conduct a community consultation due to the event having a significant change, in this case, the location. A community consultation is completed to ensure residents are provided information about what to expect in their local community, the impacts of the event and provide feedback accordingly. The community consultation is expected to take place early in 2024.Planning is underway for the event to take place July 19-21, 2024. Staff will continue to work with the event organizer and members of the Special Events Team to lead this event through the City's Special Event Process.The Event Organizer was immediately drawn to the beautiful lakefront feature of this park and looks forward to hosting the Burlington Food Truck Festival at this location.
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STAYING SAFE DURING THE APRIL 8 SOLAR ECLIPSEQUESTION:“How do I stay safe during the upcoming total solar eclipse in Burlington on April 8?”ANSWER:A total solar eclipse will be taking place on April 8, 2024 and will be visible across North America. The path of the eclipse will pass through multiple provinces, including Ontario. In Burlington, the solar eclipse is expected to start at 2:04 p.m. and continue until 4:31 p.m. Full coverage of the sun by the moon will pass over Burlington at approximately at 3:18 p.m. and end at 3:19 p.m. It is recommended to add buffer time before and after in planning for added safety.Looking at the sun without special protection may cause damage to your retinas from radiation (solar retinopathy). If you look at the sun during an eclipse, you will not feel pain and your eyes’ protective mechanisms will not adequately protect you (for example your blinking reflex). Precautions are required for the entire duration of the eclipse — that’s from 2:04-4:31 p.m.Here are some safety precautions and considerations to help prepare you for the solar eclipse:
- Do not look directly at the sun! Do not look indirectly at the sun using a window or mirror reflection;
- Where possible, schedule tasks indoors during the eclipse, to reduce the likelihood of looking at the sun;
- If driving, continue as normal and avoid looking at the sun – depending on the sun position, use hats/shades/visors that don’t allow any visible light to pass through;
- Don’t drive while wearing eclipse glasses;
- During a Solar Eclipse, the environment will darken like dawn or dusk – prepare for distracted drivers/people. Where applicable, ensure adequate lighting and wear high-visibility clothing appropriate for low-light conditions. If driving, have headlights turned ON for entire duration;
- Regular sunglasses are not nearly adequate to protect your eyes while looking directly at the sun. Do not use a camera, a telescope, binoculars, translucent shades/visors or any other optical device to look at the sun. These devices are not safe for eclipse viewing, and the concentrated solar ray can cause retinal burns; and
- Special glasses can be worn for safe eclipse viewing. It’s important that they are validated and tested by a properly accredited laboratory to meet the requirements of ISO 12312-2:2015. Please note, there’s a significant number of counterfeit glasses being sold as “ISO 12312-2:2015 compliant or certified.” If you choose to view the eclipse in your off-hours, ensure your glasses are authentic and purchased from a reputable vendor.
If you are going to be outdoors during the duration of the eclipse, be sure to use caution – it’s important to take the necessary precautions detailed above to ensure the safety of yourself and those around you.SPECIAL ECLIPSE SAFETY GLASSESThe Burlington Public Library, in partnership with McMaster University’s Department of Astrology, is distributing special eclipse safety glasses at all of its branches — while supplies last. Along with the glasses, they will have a double-sided handout for those who are interested in viewing tips and it will also feature eclipse-related BPL programs and resources.The Monarch Butterfly Eclipse Project is also selling special eclipse safety glasses on its website.The project aims to raise awareness about the conservation of Monarch Butterflies while providing individuals a safe way to witness the awe-inspiring event of the total solar eclipse. The project offers ISO Certified solar eclipse glasses for sale, and 20% of the gross sales will be donated back to the partnering organization, while 100% of the net profit will go to The Monarch Butterfly Eclipse Foundation. Interestingly, the project notes the migration of the endangered monarch butterfly mirrors the path of the total eclipse.
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SERVICES OFFERED BY REGION & CITYQUESTION:“What services do the City of Burlington and the Region of Halton look after and who do I reach out to if I have an issue, concern or feedback?”ANSWER:Local municipalities in Halton operate in a two-tier model -- a regional level (the Region of Halton) and a local level (the City of Burlington). Both levels provide and look after different services for a community and sometimes, certain services are shared by both levels of government.Below, you'll find a breakdown of those services and which level of government looks after them. If you are experiencing an issue, or have a concern or feedback on a service provided by the Region of Halton, you can connect by calling 311 or 905-825-9010, or emailing accesshalton@halton.ca. For services provided by the City of Burlington, call 905-335-7777 or email city@burlington.caREGION OF HALTON SERVICES:
| SERVICE | LEGISLATIVE BASIS |
| Public Health | Health Protection and Promotion Act, 1990 |
| Paramedic Services | Ambulance Act, 1990 |
| Policing Services | Police Services Act, 1990 |
| Waste Management | Municipal Act, 2001 |
| Water Treatment and Delivery | Municipal Act, 2001; and Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002 |
| Wastewater Treatment and Collection | Municipal Act, 2001 |
| Housing and Homelessness Services | Housing Services Act, 2011 |
| Social Services | The Ontario Works Act, 1997; and Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 |
| Long-Term Care | Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007 |
| Children's Services | Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 |
| Roads - Arterial | Municipal Act, 2001 |
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CITY OF BURLINGTON SERVICES:
| SERVICE | LEGISLATIVE BASIS |
| Cemeteries | Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002; and Municipal Act, 2001 |
| Roads - Local | Municipal Act, 2001 |
| Land Use Planning1 | Planning Act, 1990 |
| Fire Protection and Prevention | Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 |
| Building Services | Municipal Act, 2001; and Building Code Act, 1992 |
| Parking, Bylaw and Parking Enforcement | Municipal Act, 2001 |
| Animal Control and Licensing | Municipal Act, 2001 |
| Business Licensing | Municipal Act, 2001 |
| Court Services | Provincial Offences Act, 1990 |
| Libraries | Municipal Act, 2001 |
1 Following the Proclamation of changes in Bill 23 that identify Halton Region as an "upper-tier municipality without planning responsibilities" -- it will be important that the Province expedite Proclamation to realize efficiencies associated with Bill 23.
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SERVICES SHARED BY REGION & CITY:
| SERVICE | LEGISLATIVE BASIS |
| Economic Development | Municipal Act, 2001 |
| Culture, Parks2, Recreation, and Heritage3 | Municipal Act, 2001 |
2 Regional involvement in Parks is strictly limited to funding the Regional Waterfront Parks Master Plan Program.3 Regional involvement in Heritage is strictly limited to the ongoing operation of the former Halton County Museum.
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