The Dream Pave Dream Team

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I am now the proud owner of the first fully permeable Dream Pave driveway and walkway in Bolton. There is one other in Caledon, but that belongs to an owner of the company, so it doesn’t count. I get bragging rights on this one. For pictures of the finished product go to DreamPave.ca, and under “Projects” look for the “Permeable Driveway Using Resin Bound Aggregate in Caledon” … the pictures are worth a thousand words.Bolton-permeable-driveway-with-resin-bound-aggregate - resin bound aggregate permeable driveway in bolton

Tom Cordeiro is the dreamer behind Dream Pave, and Phil Pinto is the landscaper who makes the Dream come true. The two men have been friends since boyhood and their trust in each other shows in the quality of their business partnership. As an added bonus, both  men live in Caledon – home grown entrepreneurs!

Phil’s crew from Almeida Landscaping Company worked ceaselessly through high heat and thunderstorms to complete the project right on schedule. Phil excavated an almost two foot deep bed that he later filled with tons of gravel. The team tamped and levelled the surface precisely. They removed our old curbstones without breaking one, and laid them back like they were building the Temple of the Sun. I have rarely seen such workmanship and attention to detail as the Almeida team displayed.

On the final day, Tom showed up with huge bags of granite gravel that the teams combined with the bonding resin. They meticulously poured out batches that Phil smoothed to perfection with a large concrete polishing fan. The team celebrated with a group lunch and toasts at La Bomba Taco in Bolton. We couldn’t walk on it for a while or park on it for five days, but when we could, I danced on the driveway exclaiming, “This is a work of art.” You can get away with dancing on your driveway when you’re a senior.

My son, the engineer, was sceptical about the permeability paving. At the first rainstorm, he rushed to the front door and watched the water disappear. He became a believer. I have never been so happy with a home project ever: timetable kept, costs met as per contract, finished product above excellent. Yes, more expensive than the regular re-covering of a driveway, but there’s no more assfault on my turf. Our driveway is clean, green, strong, and long lasting.. Welcome to the 21st century.

This permeable Driveway will allow stormwater to filter back into the water table and divert it from polluting our rivers, lakes and ponds. There is less carbon footprint to produce permeable pavement than using asphalt or concrete, no heavy machinery, and a truly beautiful finished product.

Now, keep reading if you’d like to know the history. Tori Newton and Andy Newton of Stone Set (offspring of Michael Newton who was one of the UK founders/directors) and the brand they have now built and partnered with Dream Pave is Stone Set.

Their website says it best: “StoneSet are the TRUE pioneers of resin-bound paving. Installing for 35+ Years, from UK to Siberia to Australia. Dream Pave now offers StoneSet in Canada! The Stoneset Premium resin delivers a permeable pavement that is 100% permeable, made with Canadian natural stone, it was developed for driveways, walkways, tree and pool surrounds. StoneSet by Dream Pave, creates a durable surface, highly suitable for vehicular traffic, while also allowing water to pass through.”

Now we have StoneSet technology right here in Caledon thanks to Tom Cordeiro of Dream Pave and Phil Pinto of Almeida Landscaping, using Canadian granite and Canadian resin. Think Global, buy Local, invest in Canadian entrepreneurs!

I started lecturing about the benefits of a permeable paved community back in 1989. It took a while but I finally put my money where my water table begins. The way I see it.

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Note: StoneSet Australia’s tagline: “For more than a decade, we have demonstrated a sincere dedication to various projects, regardless of their size. As a result, we have gained the trust of local governments, businesses, and homeowners. We take pride in providing reliable services to our valued clients.

The solution we offer is not one dimensional. Our permeable paving is the product for those who want a solution that survives the test of time as much as they want stunning visual appeal that Australian sourced stone provides. All of StoneSet’s eco-friendly resin bound products are fully backed by Governments, schools, businesses & homeowners since 2008. We take pride delivering our Australian-made products to clients with customer service excellence & 10-year guarantee. Our extensive Australian wide approved installer network allows for us to ensure a high quality experience & result from start to finish.”

Mis-Leading Once Again

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Our Mayor of Caledon is nothing if not consistent. Consistently misleading, misinforming, and misdirecting.

Consider the public promise to hold a vote on the controversial 12 zoning by-laws at a certain date, and then moving the date back without a warning  to her constituents,

Consider the controversial 0 Shaw’s Creek infill by-law motion, where she changed the times of the public meeting three time over three days, cancelling any delegations and shortening time for questions by the hundreds of concerned citizens.

Consider the admission, along with Premier Ford, that “developer influenced” decisions just make “common sense” to them.

Consider this report in the Caledon Enterprise, Friday, September 12, 2025 regarding the mayor’s controversial “Destroy Swan lake” motion:  “According to the mayor, the motion was to grant the developer a bylaw ‘exception’ so a more-than-usual limit of 10,000 cubic metres fill could be brought to the site. This procedural step must be approved by council because staff do not have the authority to amend a bylaw, she explained.”

‘It was just to authorize an exception to the fill bylaw not to approve the permit,’ she said. ‘A month before, Councillor Early tabled a motion to amend the fill bylaw to allow them to be able to bring fill over in that Alloa-Mayfield West area, so it’s not unusual.’ Groves also said that she was not approached by the developer and had not been part of initial discussions. She agreed to present the motion, when asked by town staff, as part of normal procedure. This just starts the process for the proposal to be considered, she said.”

Whoa! Back that one up Mayor Groves! First, the motion by Councillor Early to ask for an exception to the fill by-law was to allow excavation fill from a residential site in an Alloa Mayfield West  project to be moved across the street to the adjacent commercial property so that it could be infilled and graded to safely complete the approved projects. Yes, not unusual at all.

What is unusual is for a motion to be tabled for a yet unapproved project that would allow a developer to bring tons of GTA construction waste soil and dump it in a freshwater lake in the middle of a fully rehabilitated greenspace. That is really unusual.

Secondly, with whom did the developer have his initial discussions? Who on the Town staff asked the Mayor to present the motion?

Misleading, misinforming and misdirecting. And yet, oh so photogenic, You spin things so well, I get dizzy just reading your media releases. It’s beginning to remind me of a line in a speech by Juliet in Shakespeare’s classic teenage love tragedy. Are you the “Beautiful tyrant, fiend angelical. Dove-feathered raven, Wolfish devouring lamb. Despised substance of divinest show, Just opposite of what thou justly seem’st?”Can You Spot the Wolves in Sheep's Clothing?

All that glisters is not gold, the way I see it.

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*Image from Covenant Caswell, Substack

 

Flags at Half Mast, Upside Down

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When a political figure who has been a positive role model and inspirational change agent in their communities and countries, dies naturally, or is assassinated,   our local and national flags should fly at half mast in honour of their contributions to the betterment of society.

When a political figure who has been a racist, misogynist,  homophobic and transphobic ideologue amplifying support for gun ownership and denying the tragedy of school shootings, dies naturally or by assassination, there should only be condolences to surviving family members.

If the leader of a country mourns such a death and wants to celebrate the life of such a person, then the flags of that country should be flown at half mast, upside down. For it surely indicates the death of intelligent governance for that country and chaos for the world order.

The way I see it.

The Swan and The Developer

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Many of us will remember one of the most riveting short stories we read in high school, “The Lady or the Tiger” written by Frank R, Stockton in 1882, but published in almost every collection of short stories read by students in the coming decades. Why?

Because …Summary, Review and Reflection: The Lady or the Tiger by Frank Stockton – THINK . WRITE . INSPIRE

… the ending created such a quandary for students that we debated it for months. The story basically centres around a King who held absolute authority over his lands. He had a way of determining justice by placing the accused in an arena filled with an engaged and excited public. The arena had two doors on the side opposite the King, Behind one door stood a beautiful youth, behind the other a starving tiger. One either became wed or devoured depending on their choice,

The King discovers that the Queen has been visited by a handsome youth, and hears rumours that they are in love. The King has the young man arrested and taken to the arena.

Bear with me now because this story affects the future of Swan Lake.

Once upon a time there was a Strong Mayor who dealt out decisions in their Council Chambers with a public audience. The decision facing their Council this month was to choose between two doors. Behind one was a Swan living in a beautiful lake and lush ecosystem; behind the other was  a Developer with trucks and construction fill to destroy the lake.

Now, in the original story, the Queen knows behind which door they both are waiting, the lady and the tiger. She is torn between her desire to see her loved one live and her jealousy that he will wed another. On the other hand, she is horrified by the thought of seeing him torn apart by the tiger. Her lover glances up at her and with the slightest gesture she indicates the door to her right.

Without hesitation he walks to the door and opens it. So, what door did she choose, the Lady or the Tiger? And the story ends. WTF? We debated her decision for weeks.

Caledon Council will soon walk into an arena filled with an engaged and excited public. Behind one door awaits The Swan. Behind the other door awaits a hungry Developer. The Swan represents the promises the Mayor made to protect the communities greenspaces, The Developer represents destruction and greed.

So which door will the Council choose? For which door will the Mayor cast a Strong Vote? The Mayor glanced to the door of their choice, The Councillors all saw the glance. Now they each had to make a choice.

And so I leave it with all of you: Which came out of the opened door,  — The Swan, or The Developer?

Women in Leadership: MP Ruby Sahota

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As federal MPs return to Parliament on September 15, 2025, citizens of Caledon have a good reason to feel proud. Ruby Sahota, formerly the MP for Brampton North since 2015, is now the MP for the newly created riding of Brampton North-Caledon. When Parliament sits on September 15, 2025, she will be representing Canada as the  Secretary of State – Combating Crime.

I had the honour of interviewing Ruby Sahota recently, just before she moved from her old office to fresh headquarters In her new riding. I have interviewed many politicians over the years from Prime Ministers to Mayors to Trustees, and the measure of a person is often revealed in that first meeting. I was outside her office when an entire family of her constituents poured out the door – grandparents. parents, children, all smiling and still engaged in conversation with her.

She was still actively listening, fully engaged in their dialogue. Rarely do you meet a genuine representative of the people – completely empathetic, involved in their concerns, and fully committed to addressing their needs. That was my first impression in meeting MP Ruby Sahota. Our interview only reinforced that first impression.

My questions ranged from getting to know Caledon, to her new role in Parliament, to her goals for the term, to the legacy she hoped to leave her children. I opened by asking her jokingly (alluding to a famous Russian novel) if she had been appointed the Secretary of State for Crime and Punishment because she was from Brampton. She laughed, “Ah, Dostoevsky, I had to read that in law school.” Unpretentious and versed in the classics, is a winning combination.

As a lawyer, and with her background in Political Science, MP Sahota is more than ready to be combatting crime. She is looking forward to meeting with federal, provincial, and municipal colleagues to discuss issues of public safety and justice.

We then switched from Brampton to Caledon. “I am very excited to be representing Caledon,” she stated, adding that she was getting to be familiar with a lot of new issues: agricultural concerns, meeting dairy farmers, development issues, getting to know Southfields. She added that she was looking forward to dragon boat races on Heart Lake.

While engaging with the communities in her new riding, MP Sahota also acknowledged that she would be devoting a lot of time to her new role as Secretary of State. The crime in Brampton is a local issue, but she clearly stated that globally, “The rules have changed.” Locally, gangs would fight over turf and deal in their own territories, Globally. the criminal organizations now network, sharing supply lines, technology and access to weapons. Cars, drugs, weapons, smash and grab theft, and human trafficking still remain the top issues, However, if we follow the money, we discover that these criminal organizations are being funded primarily by the profits made from auto-theft.

She said the gangs now have better technology, weapons and more money than most of our law enforcement agencies. This means our police forces are going to need more training and better tools to combat both local and global crime. This costs money, so taxpayers will need to recognize that seriously combatting crime will become a major budget item for both federal and provincial governments.

My final question was about the legacy she would like to leave her children when they look back at her role as a person and an Honourable Member of Parliament. Ruby Sahota paused briefly and said, “I would like to be remembered as accessible and willing to listen, as a person who worked hard to understand the needs of my constituents.”

That is a legacy worth remembering. The way I see it.

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*Photo Credit: Bernard Thibodeau, House of Commons Photo Services

Note: This article was first written for Just Sayin’ Caledon.