Mississauga Pulls Green Thorn from its Paw

Toronto Star, GTA section, September 9th, 2009

By: Mike Funston

Mississauga citizen watchdog Don Barber raises monarch butterflies at home and raises Cain at city hall.

To friends and neighbours, he is a good man who works tirelessly to protect wildlife and natural habitats. To city politicians and staff, he is a negative force, the reason behind council's recent decision to drop its public question period – a rare tradition for a city government – after more than 30 years.

Barber, who used question period for 15 years to poke, prod and insult councillors over their policies and decisions, won't be able to do that when Mississauga council meets next Wednesday. And he says he won't bother to attend today's committee meeting, which will have no community cable TV coverage and a 15-minute limit on public input.

It was his passion for the environment – one friend calls it dedication bordering on obsession – that turned the 53-year-old burly, bearded bachelor into an activist.

His involvement began in 1994, when the Cawthra Bush, a 21-hectare area in Port Credit that fuelled his boyhood fascination with the natural world, was subjected to the cutting of 1,600 trees. The cull was part of a city maintenance plan that Barber believed threatened a previously unlogged area, rich in plant and animal species, that could take care of itself.

The five-year fight for a ban on tree-cutting devolved into a series of clashes between councillors and Barber, a man who speaks quietly and deliberately but in language that's often sarcastic and insulting.

Councillors "circled the wagons" and tried to shoot him down, as Barber recollects it, but that only strengthened his resolve. The more he came back, the more the accusations and insults flew. Many of his allegations can't be printed for legal reasons.

Over the years, Barber has continued to be a thorn in the city's side while filing frequent freedom of information requests (he wouldn't venture a number). A 2002 decision by Ontario's privacy commissioner, in response to complaints that he was abusing the process, restricted Barber to four such requests a year.

Then there have been his sometimes outrageous allegations about various senior officials. At one question period, to illustrate an unsubstantiated insinuation, he presented Mayor Hazel McCallion with a birthday bottle of Bristol cream sherry.

Neutral observers would agree he sees the mayor and council through a very dark lens – and the feeling is mutual. Animosity peaked in 2006, when Barber was ejected from the council chamber during a heated exchange, and was charged with assault for allegedly pushing a security guard on the way out.

The charge was in the court system for a year before being dropped. A bail condition for Barber was that he stay away from city hall. He claimed he was set up, in order to keep him on the sidelines during the run-up to the 2006 municipal election – in which he ran for mayor against McCallion and came a distant second with 2.99 per cent of the vote.

A judge ruled against the city's subsequent request to have a peace bond issued against him.

Barber doesn't see his ongoing war with city hall as an obsession so much as a refusal to be intimidated by the schoolyard bullies intent on silencing him. He has run against McCallion four times and started a website devoted to Mississauga politics.

As the primary target of his scorn, McCallion makes no secret of her disgust at the media attention Barber gets, suggesting it only encourages his excessive behaviour.

"Unfortunately, (while) he has raised some good points he spoils it in his presentation because he immediately becomes confrontational as well as insulting. That's it in a nutshell," McCallion says.

"The mayor and members of council want to hear his questions, but he refuses to accept answers."

When Barber served on a citizen environmental committee, she says, the city wound up disbanding it after other members quit over his negative approach.

Currently unemployed but trained in repairing printing presses, Barber comes to environmental interests as an avocation.

"I have been successful in many different ways. I stopped the logging and tree farming; I helped advance science through my discoveries about the Cawthra Bush. It went from being a bunch of trees to a provincially significant wetland and declared an old-growth ecosystem," he says.

Bob Morris, a biologist at Credit Valley Conservation Authority, confirms Barber's claim that he discovered the presence of fairy shrimp, tiny freshwater crustaceans, in the bush's wetlands.

"That was new to us," Morris says, adding that Barber also raised awareness about the rare Jefferson salamander found in the bush, a factor in its ultimate preservation.

Still living with his father in the modest home where he was raised, Barber has created a monarch butterfly habitat in the yard.

He collects their eggs and protects the caterpillars until they change into butterflies, releasing hundreds of monarchs every year.

While he may have alienated people inside and outside city hall, he also has loyal friends and admirers.

"As a person he's outspoken, politically incorrect and willing to poke into places people often ignore," said Laurie Kallis, a Hamilton artist who used to live in Mississauga. "And from what I can see, he's paid the price for it."

She credits him, in the Cawthra Bush fight, with saving an extraordinary ecosystem in an urban area. She and Barber once stopped a developer from chainsawing mature trees on Mississauga Rd. by standing in front of them.

Kallis painted a portrait of Barber at Cawthra Bush for a juried art show, and notes that it later was on display in city hall during a time he was banned from attending council sessions.

Councillors always did want to see him hung, Barber jokes – just not that way.

"He can be a pain in your side sometimes, but he does make sense," says another activist, Roy Willis, who has ruffled a few feathers at city hall himself.

"He's very intelligent, does his homework and his research," says Willis, "but he goes about it the wrong way, in my opinion. (Councillors) get their backs up, get mad at him, and no matter what he says, they will not listen just because it's Don Barber."

John Walker, a next-door neighbour who has known Barber for 50 years, describes him as "a very gentle person. He feeds the squirrels. He wouldn't hurt a flea."

A friend, Virginia Hughes, admires Barber's efforts for wildlife. "Recently he saved four orphaned baby skunks," Hughes said. "Whenever I come across an injured bird or animal, I call him and he's there in a heartbeat."

Photo Source: Toronto Star

Councillor Unloads on Speaker

Mississauga News, August 7th, 2009

By: Joe Chin

An outraged Mississauga councillor all but chased a resident speaker away from Wednesday’s meeting of City Council.

Andrew Hamilton-Smith, a University of Toronto Mississauga student, who’s also secretary of the Mississauga South NDP association, had just finished urging City councillors to delay abolishing public question period when he was berated by Ward 7 councillor Nando Iannicca.

The outspoken councillor appeared upset the deputant’s party hasn’t pushed for instituting the practice at the provincial and federal levels where the NDP is represented. He called it hypocrisy.

“They don’t do it there, but they want to come here and tell us how to run the place. And of all people the NDP," said Iannicca. "So why don’t you move along and get an education of how things actually work, for God’s sake.”

Iannicca, who was first elected to Council in 1988, told The News he doesn’t regret his outburst.

“Not at all, not at all,” he said. “(Hamilton-Smith) is not Joe Citizen; he was here on behalf of a political party.” Iannicca noted he was respectful to the other deputants who addressed Council on the issue.

The City of Mississauga wants to do away with a 30-year tradition of allowing anyone to essentially walk off the street and ask questions of City officials.

Instead, councillors want to bump it back to the committee level and impose strict time limits.

“The objective here should be to refine the quality of questions asked at Council, not eliminate them altogether,” argued Hamilton-Smith, who sits on the City’s cycling advisory committee.

He called on councillors to defer the move until the fall to allow time for public consultation. “The public should have a say in the elimination of public question period,” he said.

Longtime City observer Alan Forde, who also spoke on the issue, was surprised by the way Hamilton-Smith was treated. “There has to be some explanation as to the rough handling of a citizen, especially your age,” he told Hamilton-Smith in an e-mail.

He also asked: “You and Nando have a history?”

Photo Source: Mississauga News

Step Down, Nando

Mississauga News Editorial, August 7th, 2009

Ward 7 Councillor Nando Iannicca owes Mississauga resident Andrew Hamilton-Smith an apology. Then, he owes the rest of Mississauga his resignation from City Council.

Iannicca brought Mississauga City Council to an entirely new low point when he attacked a resident who had a query, ironically, about public question period at Wednesday’s meeting. He berated Hamilton-Smith, labelling him and his comments banal, before condemning him for his political association with, “of all people, the NDP.”

“You’re number two on the list of banality,” Iannicca shouted. “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? It’s embarrassing. Why don’t you go home and do some homework? Why don’t you just move along and get an education and learn how things actually work, for god’s sake.”

Hamilton-Smith, much to his credit, responded civilly and politely, even in the face of Iannicca’s unbridled rage over a simple question from a resident.

Iannicca later dismissed his callous treatment of Hamilton-Smith by saying he wouldn’t have treated a private citizen that way, but one who has affiliation with a registered political association — “with, of all people, the NDP” — is fair game. To our knowledge, becoming a member of a registered party does not make anyone less of a citizen or disable their right to ask questions of elected representatives.

Sadly, both Mayor Hazel McCallion and Ward 6 Councillor Carolyn Parrish exacerbated the attack on Hamilton Smith by questioning him about the legislature and his opinion on provincial politics and procedures. Instead of responding to his questions, they bashed Queen’s Park policies, clearly a red herring designed to divert Hamilton-Smith and avoid his questions.

“This has nothing to do with the federal or provincial government,” Hamilton-Smith responded quietly and with surprising dignity in the face of Iannicca’s onslaught.

Iannicca seems to have forgotten he sits on City Council at the behest of residents and it is to them he owes the utmost respect and loyalty. They do not deserve his scorn and contempt.

Open Letter to Mississauga City Council

Re: Proposed Amendments to Council Procedure By-Law (Public Question Period)

July 31, 2009

When asked about the directive issued by Council on July 8th, 2009 (GC – 0486-2009) Deputy City Clerk Grant Bivol cited the need for efficiency and the fact that certain individuals were “grandstanding” at televised meetings. While it is understandable that Council needs to maintain decorum and stay on topic during sessions, the actions of one or two individuals cannot possibly justify the extreme measure of completely removing the tradition of Public Question Period (PQP) from Council meetings.

The objective here should be to refine the quality of questions asked at Council, not eliminate them altogether. Rather than redirecting debate to another level (i.e. committees) these changes will actually serve to undermine it. Citizens are already free to attend committee meetings under the current system, and although the common sense seems to be that public questions are handled more effectively through committees, little evidence of this exists. The ultimate effect is to simply herd more citizens into fewer avenues of recourse.

The fifteen minute time limit for all public questions at the end of each committee meeting will hardly address this reduction of opportunities for public discussion. Worse still, this brief time includes the time required to hear responses. It is entirely conceivable that only one question could be asked and only one answer given within a fifteen minute period, depending on the complexity of an issue.

Do these changes represent a genuine attempt by Council to streamline public inquiry?

By referring all questions to city staff and committees, Council is restricting the ability of citizens to communicate with their elected representatives or hold them accountable. Although it is true that most municipalities in Ontario do not have PQP at council, to its’ credit Mississauga has granted this privilege to its citizens for thirty years.

There are many alternatives to destroying this part of our history: impose time limits on questioners, limits on number of questions, agenda-relevancy rules which are enforceable, and so on. Potential questions could be quietly screened by a city clerk during the meeting to make sure it is related to the agenda.

After the trial period for these changes expires in June 2010, how will Council evaluate them? If the intention is not to save money (since city staff reported on June 30, 2009 that financial costs of PQP at Council are not applicable), what will be used to gauge the effectiveness of these changes? Efficiency is hard to define or measure when part of Council’s job is to listen and respond to citizens at every opportunity, and not just vote on routine measures prepared by staff.

With one less opportunity to participate in the process of government, citizens may simply disengage and walk away. Council should carefully weigh this danger against the expected benefits before approving these amendments to the by-law.

Thank you for your consideration.

On behalf of the Mississauga South New Democrats,

Steven Martin,
President, MSNDP

Cc: All City Councilors
Grant Bivol, Deputy City Clerk
Shalini Alleluia, City Clerk’s Office
All Mississauga NDP riding associations
Mississauga News

Cycling a Better Way

Editoral Guest Column, Mississauga News, July 22nd, 2009

By: Andrew Hamilton-Smith

As the City puts the finishing touches on its Cycling Master Plan, cyclists are holding their collective breath in anticipation.

Through public consultations the past year, residents have consistently identified one cycling priority above all others — connectivity. Basically, people want to be able to ride to and from various destinations, in a way that’s both safe and easy to navigate.

Cities around the world are making tremendous strides in accommodating cyclists. Riding a bicycle instead of driving a car reduces traffic congestion, emits no pollution and is in the best interest of riders’ health. In Chicago, Toronto, Montreal and New York, bikes have dedicated lanes on major roads that extend directly through the most built-up areas.

Once cyclists have a safe, direct route from one part of a city to another, the result is an immediate increase in the number of people cycling to work. Rather than waiting for people to start cycling before building the necessary infrastructure, the opposite appears to work far more effectively. With apologies to the movie, Field of Dreams, “if you build it, they will ride.”

Which brings us back to Mississauga’s Cycling Master Plan – how to integrate safe, direct cycling routes in a city that, until now, has been designed with automobiles in mind.

Many voices, notably VIVA Port Credit, Walk & Bike For Life and Smart Commute, advocate for marked and/or dedicated cycling routes on nearly every major road; cyclist safety must be given priority. Several cyclists have been killed or injured by cars in Mississauga in the past few years.

However, City planners counter major roadways, such as the six-lane Hurontario St., are the last place cyclists should ride. Until recently, the overwhelming number of Mississauga’s cycling trails have been built off-road, usually in parkland and along waterways.

The result is a fragmented system of pathways. Cyclists can be seen with bikes on their cars, driving to a park instead of riding to it, because there’s no way to ride safely from one trail system to another.

So, what will the Master Plan look like? If the City takes safety and connectivity seriously, it will accommodate cyclists on the streets, or find another way for bikes to get around. Alternative solutions could involve finding direct routes for cyclists, other than roads. Toronto has replaced the steel track of an unused railroad line with asphalt trail.

In Mississauga, two pilot projects have been approved to build pathways through hydro corridors parallel to The Queensway and Speakman Dr. No effort is being made to bridge the Credit River. Although these routes will safely remove cyclists from traffic, they won’t provide direct connectivity. If bike routes are tucked away from major areas and don’t provide convenient access to various destinations, they won’t succeed in attracting large numbers of cyclists.

A bold cycling vision based upon new ways of thinking will draw people out of their cars, creating a more livable city on a human scale.

Andrew Hamilton-Smith is a 25-year resident of Mississauga and member of the Mississauga Cycling Advisory Committee.

Community Heroes Lauded

Mississauga News, May 25th, 2009

By: Dominik Kurek

Some of Peel Region's outstanding citizens and police officers were honoured tonight for their contributions to the safety of their communities.

Awards were handed out at the Police Services Board Awards Ceremony that took place at the Mississauga Convention Centre. Among the recipients was Mississauga's Matt Turner, 20, whose quick actions helped save another man's life.

Turner, who received the Civilian Citation at the ceremony, was riding a Mississauga Transit bus in April of last year when a fellow passenger collapsed from a heart attack.

"No one seemed to provide CPR and the bus driver did not know what to do so I stepped up and did CPR on the man," he said. Turner, 19 at the time, continued CPR for about four minutes until emergency crews arrived and took over. Turner is a St. John's Ambulance volunteer. The ill man eventually survived.

"I don't think it was that big of a deal," he said. "I just did what I was trained to do."

Peel Regional Police Sgt. Darren Brennan received a Police Commendation award for preventing a potential kidnapping. Brennan received a call from a motel clerk who reported a man checking-in with two young children. Brennan came to the motel and, after speaking with the man and the children, Brennan had his suspicions.

He called the children's parents, who said the man wasn't a relative, but a close family friend. The parents said the situation was fine, but Brennan's suspicions continued.

Brennan sent a police officer to stay with the children and the man until the parents arrived. It turns out Brennan's suspicions were true. "There was a threatening letter of death with respects to a potential ransom and a kidnapping (involving the children)," he said. The man was arrested.

"This left a funny impression in my head that I better double-check everything and it's a good thing we did," said Brennan. The awards ceremony recognized several citizens and police members for their actions that helped ensure community safety. There were also media awards handed out to organizations for their help in spreading public awareness about policing issues.

Photo Source: Mississauga News