Burlington's Second Latin Festival

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Central Park turns into a two-day celebration of Latin American music, food, and dance next month, when the Burlington Latin Festival returns August 22 and 23. Admission is free both days, and organizers say this year is bigger than the last.

Last year drew more than 70 food vendors and businesses, with over 20 performers, three of them international, playing across 11 hours of the weekend. This year's lineup promises more than 37 performances, food from 20-plus vendors cooking dishes from across Latin America, an arts and crafts market, and a kids and family zone.

This is the second Latin festival in Burlington this summer, and the two aren't related. The Burlington Latino Fest, now in its third year, ran at Ireland Park in the Headon area back in June. The Latin Festival is a separate event by a different group, over at Central Park on New Street. Both are free, and both center on live music, dancing, and food from across Latin America.

🎥 Video from last year’s festival:

Three Burlington companies are splitting $7.5 million in federal funding to expand manufacturing and tech capabilities.

PV Labs, an imaging company off Waterdown Road, is getting $5 million to scale up domestic production of its camera systems for aerospace and defence work. Modern Elevator Innovations will receive $1 million to modernize equipment and boost fabrication capacity. Spatial Data Analytics, an AI engineering firm, is getting $1.5 million to expand its work with telecom and utility companies.

Burlington MP Karina Gould announced the funding on Monday afternoon at PV Labs' headquarters. Mark Chamberlain, the company's president and CEO, said the money will go toward growth, new equipment, and keeping pace in a marketplace Canada has historically lagged behind in.

PV Labs employs more than 70 people at its Burlington site.

The teams behind Burlington's annual Terry Fox Run are gearing up for this year's event on September 20. Last year's run drew more than 1,600 participants, a new record for the local event.

Craig Gardner and Nancy Demerling are co-chairing again this year. Gardner has been helping organize the run for two decades now. Burlington consistently ranks in the top five nationally for funds raised through the Terry Fox Run.

There's a fundraising event coming up at the Black Bull on August 9, and organizers are working with the Burlington Lions to sponsor a band for the September run.

Fun Fact: there is an image of Terry running through Burlington 46 years ago. Check it out!

🚲 Burlington’s Rules for E-Bikes and E-Scooters

Nancy's House, the only second-stage home in Halton for survivors of human trafficking, turned four this summer. One of the 15 women it has taken in is Athena, who arrived after years of trafficking, exploitation, and addiction and left two years later in her own place, with her high school diploma, her G1, and her family back in her life. "I never would have seen myself getting this far," she said.

The three-bedroom Burlington home bridges the gap between crisis care and living independently, with each resident working a personal plan that covers anything from substance recovery to school, counselling, or dental work. Demand runs well past three bedrooms: more than 130 applications have come in from across Canada, and the wait list now stretches into next summer.

Executive director Jennifer Lucking would like to see more homes like it, but says what Halton needs even more are first-stage houses to reach people still in crisis, before they ever need a place like Nancy's.

Creamy is a handsome two-year-old boy looking for a calm, quiet home to call his own. Shelter life has been a lot for him, so he'll need a little time and patience to settle in and feel safe.

Once he trusts you, his sweet side comes out. He's happiest in the quiet company of the people he's gotten to know, and he isn't asking for much: a peaceful spot to relax, feel secure, and be loved.

If you've got a patient streak and a quiet home, Creamy could make a loyal companion for years to come.

Wednesday, July 29
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Thursday, July 30
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Friday, July 31
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High: 29°C | Low: 19°C

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~ Nick