Latest news with #Burlingtonians
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Burlington City Arts kicks off art, concert, film series Friday
BURLINGTON, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) – Cool jazz and cool art will be only two of the many ways for Burlingtonians to keep cool this summer. Summer in the City, a 'summerlong celebration of downtown arts and culture', will be starting June 6. The artistic series will include concerts, dances, and film showings at City Hall Park, special art exhibits at the Burlington City Arts (BCA) center on Church Street, and some special new events like the Twilight Block Party series, which will combine music and vendors with the Vermont sunset over Lake Champlain. The first day's events on Friday will include a concert by jazz-folk band Andrew Richards Quartet at 12:30 p.m., a dance with DJ Richie Conte at 4:00 p.m., and the season opening reception at the BCA center at 5:00 p.m.. This will be followed by more events Saturday and then throughout the summer. A full listing of events is on the BCA website. Burlington Jazz Fest promises a musical journey around the world On display at the beginning of the season at the BCA Center will be two contrasting art exhibits, Animation as Art, which features animated film shorts on 'themes ranging from housing instability to game design,' and Jacob Hashimoto: a lowercase sky, which combines traditional kite-making, collage, and papercraft. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hamilton Spectator
08-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Burlington says these infrastructure projects are ready to go should Trump trade war lead to stimulus funding
Burlington city staff identified nine local infrastructure projects that could be submitted for provincial or federal stimulus funding. Last month, city council directed staff to review the 10-year capital project plan and provide a list of 'infrastructure projects that could be quickly advanced if stimulus programs are announced' for the May 12 committee of the whole meeting. A staff report states the listed projects 'could be advanced from their current proposed year if external funding was to be provided … to proactively deliver infrastructure projects that could assist limiting the impacts of International Trade Policies,' including tariffs. Staff recommend city councillors receive the report and list for information. The list includes a range of projects and timelines to provide options for future funding applications. The identified projects are currently proposed for completion between 2026 and 2031 — but could be completed earlier if stimulus funds are announced. Criteria for selecting projects included: preference to projects that don't require partnership with Halton Region or a neighbouring municipality; ability to obtain necessary permits from external agencies; work that can be completed within three or five years from the award of any stimulus funding; projects with Canadian content that don't rely on international components. Staff note criteria for any external stimulus funding is not known yet, and there will be additional staff time required to prepare and submit funding applications for any of the nine projects. The report also states stimulus programs from upper governments normally require the municipality to fund a portion of approved projects. Recently re-elected Burlington MP Karina Gould said she looks forward to supporting Burlington's infrastructure applications at the federal level. 'The Government of Canada will be introducing a Speech from the Throne on May 27 that will outline our priorities for this upcoming session of Parliament,' Gould said in a statement issued by her office. 'I will absolutely keep Burlingtonians updated when more details are available.' Ontario Premier Doug Ford said during the 2025 provincial election campaign that his government would invest in an infrastructure stimulus package to face a trade war with the United States. Burlington MPP Natalie Pierre's office, and Infrastructure Ontario, did not respond to requests for comment by deadline. Burlington Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Terry Caddo had not reviewed the list of identified projects, but said: 'It is good governance to have projects ready to go if additional funding becomes available.' City View Park improvement is one of several projects Burlington city staff say could be completed earlier than planned under anticipated federal and provincial stimulus funds.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Burlington City Council pushes Marketplace Garage security, lifts college's housing cap
Burlington will be investing in a few quality-of-life initiatives, focusing on two of the city's biggest hurdles: housing and public safety. The March 10 City Council meeting ran shorter than most but led to the passing of two contracts that Burlingtonians will see go into effect soon. The downtown Marketplace parking garage, which has long been a hot spot of vandalism, graffiti and drug usage, will be renewing their security contract to further secure the garage's safety. Champlain College will be lifting their student housing cap to better serve their students who are struggling to find affordable housing in Burlington's housing market. The council voted unanimously to continue the contract with Green Mountain Concert Services (GMCS), which will "continue the work already being done to secure the spaces." The contract will be renewed for $395,000 to extend into fiscal 2026. The Department of Public Works told the council that they cannot open stairwells in the garages because of the amount of crime and vandalism. But DPW Director Chapin Spencer said there has been a change since GMCS started patrolling the building, as much less repeated vandalism is being reported. Besides having patrolling security guards, GMCS monitors and maintains security cameras, has increased and upgraded lighting, holds annual meetings with hotels and businesses and improves fencing when necessary. Hoping to lessen the crush of Burlington's housing market, the council voted unanimously to lift Champlain College's cap on student housing. There has been a limit on how many beds Champlain College can have on campus since 2009, with a maximum of 680 beds. While first-year students are provided housing, Champlain College upper-class students have often chosen to live off campus. However, changing preferences and a worsening shortage of quality and affordable housing near campus has created a new paradigm in which Champlain College upper-class students increasingly request housing on campus. Furthermore, other renters in the city are also struggling to find affordable housing. No specific plan has been laid out of where or when new housing can be created, but plans will now begin to move forward with the council's approval. Sydney P. Hakes is the Burlington city reporter. Contact her at SHakes@ This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Burlington VT City Council lifts Champlain College housing cap
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Proposal to ban guns in bars back on Burlington ballot
BURLINGTON, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) – Next Tuesday, Burlington voters will answer a question that's been debated for a long time in the city: Should guns be allowed in bars? This Town Meeting Day, item number five on the Queen City ballot will once again ask Burlingtonians to weigh in on that subject, after city council unanimously passed a resolution in November to put the decision back into the hands of voters. Ahead of the big day, some people who think firearms shouldn't be allowed in establishments that serve alcohol are making their voices heard, including Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak. At a news conference Thursday afternoon, the mayor and a handful of others talked about the proposed ban, and asked people to vote 'Yes'. 'When people say guns and alcohol do not mix, they truly do not mix,' Mulvaney-Stanak said. 'Data indicates that nearly half of all homicide offenders are under the influence of alcohol at the time of the homicide.' Weinberger wants tougher gun-storage regulations and other reforms Some of those who joined the mayor for the news conference were students at the University of Vermont and Champlain College. They noted the topic of allowing guns in bars has been debated in Burlington for more than a decade, dating back to when many of them were in elementary school. The question first appeared in front of voters on Town Meeting Day in 2014, and Burlingtonians back then approved of the ban idea. But, like all charter changes, the ban proposal needed to also be approved by the Vermont Legislature before taking place, and state lawmakers shot it down. That meant the ban never went into effect, despite the majority of Burlington voters being in favor of it. Advocates of the ban argue that since then, deadly incidents have happened that may have otherwise been avoided. That includes a shooting at Red Square on Church Street in August 2024, where one man was killed. 'I remember hearing about the shooting and thought to myself: 'Will I be safe here?',' said Laurel Papera, a student at Champlain College who had just recently moved into her dorm when the shooting took place. 'No student should have to worry about their safety like that.' Gun violence, crime on agenda for Vermont lawmakers If the ban question were to pass again and get legislative approval this time around, it would include some exemptions. Law enforcement officers, members of the U.S. Military, and store owners and employees who are authorized to carry would still be allowed to have firearms inside businesses that have liquor licenses. But like many charter change proposals, this one hasn't come without pushback. Some folks have voiced displeasure with the notion on social media, arguing everyone has the right to bear arms everywhere per The Second Amendment, and per Vermont being a 'constitutional carry' state. Others have also said that in scenarios where criminals who never intended to follow the law break into bars with guns, less people would have means of protecting themselves. Supporters of the ban acknowledged some of the critiques Thursday, firing back by saying many bar owners and gun owners support the idea too. 'Guns and alcohol do not mix … Many of the responsible gun owners that I know are also aware of that,' said Marek Broderick, a Progressive Burlington City Councilor representing Ward 8. 'So, this is not any type of targeting. I would consider this a very common sense first step in addressing gun violence in the city of Burlington.' 'This is not a partisan issue,' said Nancy Harkins, a member of the Moms Demand Action Vermont chapter. 'The overwhelming majority of Americans recognize the danger of firearms and alcohol.' Amid the discussion in Burlington, state lawmakers are also pondering a bill that would ban firearms in bars and restaurants across the entire state. H.45 was introduced in the House last month by eight democrats and progressives, all of whom are from Burlington. Since being brought to the House floor, the bill has been on hold in the House Judiciary Committee. Lawmakers introduce bill to ban guns from Vermont bars If you want to hear more of Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak's thoughts on article five as well as some other ballot items, tune into 'What Matters This Week' on Sunday. Lauren Maloney will sit down one-on-one with the mayor to talk about the proposed charter changes and more. The episode airs at 10:00 a.m. on ABC22 News, and 10:30 p.m. on FOX44 News. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
