Work that’s being carried out on the Skyway Bridge in Burlington means that drivers will have to deal with various forms of lane closures during the next few days…and it’s going to be complicated.

The bridge carries the QEW across Hamilton Harbour and is the major route for commuters travelling to and from Niagara into the GTA.

It starts with the two left lanes on the QEW Niagara-bound being closed on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 9 p.m. to Thursday, Dec. 18, at 6 a.m., from north of the Skyway Bridge and including the Skyway Bridge.

Then, starting at 10 p.m. on Dec. 17, all lanes on the QEW Niagara-bound Skyway will be closed until Thursday, Dec. 18, at 6 a.m. The suggested alternate route is QEW Niagara-bound collector lanes to Eastport Drive.

During this time, the ramp from the Eastport Drive collector lanes to the bridge will be closed. All ramps at the Northshore Boulevard interchange will remain open, and Eastport Drive will remain fully open to through traffic as an alternate route to get back onto the QEW after the bridge.

Next, the two right lanes of the QEW Niagara-bound will be closed on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 11 p.m. to Thursday, Dec. 18, at 5 a.m., approaching Woodward Avenue.

And there is more.

The two left lanes of the QEW Niagara-bound will be closed on Thursday, Dec. 18, at 9 p.m. until Friday, December 19, at 6 a.m., from north of the Skyway Bridge and including the Skyway Bridge.

Finally, all lanes on the QEW Niagara-bound Skyway will be closed on Thursday, Dec. 18, at 10 p.m. to Friday, Dec. 19, at 6 a.m. The alternate route is QEW Niagara-bound collectors lanes to Eastport Drive.

During this portion of the work, the ramp from the Eastport Drive collector lanes to the bridge will be closed. All ramps at the Northshore Boulevard interchange will remain open, and Eastport Drive will remain fully open to through traffic as an alternate route to get back onto the QEW after the bridge.

Patrons at a Burlington, Ont., restaurant could have been exposed to Hepatitis A in late October, according to the Halton Region Public Health (HRPH).

Patrons at a Burlington, Ont., restaurant could have been exposed to Hepatitis A in late October, according to the Halton Region Public Health (HRPH).

A case of the infectious disease was confirmed on a food handler at the Burlington Charcoal Pit located at 2031 Lakeshore Rd. on Nov. 12, HRPH said in a news release on Friday.

Staff and patrons who ate food at the restaurant between Oct. 23 and Nov. 1 “may have been exposed to the virus,” said HRPH, and should monitor for symptoms.

The restaurant is “working closely” with public health and has been inspected “and is compliant with public health standards,” according to the news release.

Associate Medical Officer of Health for Halton Region Dr. Patrick Galange said “the likelihood of transmission is considered low,” but those who may have been exposed should still watch for symptoms. Galange also said older adults and those with existing liver conditions are at higher risk.

Hepatitis A affects the liver and can spread by “putting something in the mouth that has been contaminated by a person that has the disease,” said HRPH. Symptoms can show up 15 to 50 days after becoming infected, these include:

To avoid getting infected, it is recommended people wash their hands regularly, avoid eating raw fish or shellfish, avoid sharing food and utensils and consider getting Hepatitis A immunization if travelling often.

HRPH said if someone is presenting symptoms to contact their health-care provider.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aura Carreño Rosas is a reporter at CBC Hamilton. She's originally from Venezuela. She has extensive experience in covering stories about immigrants and migrant workers as well as interesting people with diverse journeys. You can contact her at aura.carreno.rosas@cbc.ca

From Burlington to the big stage: Victoria Mboko was honored by her home city on Friday for a breakthrough season on the Hologic WTA Tour.

The 19-year-old received a key to Burlington, Ontario for what local officials called an "inspiring" rise in professional tennis. Since 2019, Burlington has presented notable residents with a ceremonial "key to the city" to celebrate achievements, and Mboko received hers after rising more than 300 places in the PIF WTA Rankings and winning two titles -- including a WTA 1000 on home soil -- over the last 12 months.

Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden, an Olympic gold medal-winning sprint kayaker, said that Mboko's fairy-tale run through the Omnium Banque Nationale in Montreal "stole the hearts of Canadians." Entering the tournament as a wild card ranked No. 85, she overcame four former Grand Slam champions -- Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina and Naomi Osaka -- to become the third Canadian champion at the country's championships, and the first to do it in Montreal.

???? Proud moment for Vicky Mboko ????Today, Burlington’s own Victoria “Vicky” Mboko received the Key to the City in recognition of her incredible rise—from winning the National Bank Open to inspiring young athletes across Canada ????????Local leaders praised her determination,… pic.twitter.com/XzEgeOZDZU

— Tennis Canada (@TennisCanada) November 21, 2025

“We’ve always had great tennis players in Canada, but ... whether we had watched tennis before or not, everyone was a tennis fan for those weeks," he said.

Angelo Bentivegna, Burlington's deputy mayor for recreation and community services added: "You’ve shown determination, humility and strength beyond your years. While the world sees a champion, we see someone who reflects the heart and spirit of Burlington.”

Mboko was born in Charlotte, North Carolina but relocated to the Toronto area with her family at 2 months old. She and her siblings honed their tennis skills in Burlington under the tutelage of former Canadian Davis Cup captain Pierre Lamarche.

And as she posed for photos with students from a nearby school, and signed a giant tennis ball one brought, Mboko said she already has plans to inspire the next generation of players.

“The community here is so welcoming and friendly,” she said. “We have almost everything we need around here and I have been and continue to be so blessed to live here and have the opportunities my family created for me. It’s something I don’t take lightly and I’ve set out as a goal in the future for myself to help provide and create opportunities for others. To that extent, if I were to ever have one wish, it’d be to have more tennis courts here in Burlington.”

Riverfest Elora and the Sound of Music (SOM) in Burlington have both struggled to stay afloat, and this week, organizers of the Elora event said they are shutting down their festival permanently after 15 years.

Meanwhile, in Burlington, organizers of SOM are trying to regroup after politicians in that western GTA city turned down a financial request to keep the cash-strapped festival going. SOM has been held for 45 years.

The City of Burlington maintains it wants to have some kind of music event “in the spirit” of SOM at the lakefront next June, but those close to the situation believe it won’t have the same scope or extensive line-up of performers that made SOM the largest, free concert festival in Canada.

While those involved in SOM have been invited to submit a proposal, Burlington has put out a call to other groups to submit plans for a new event and has asked residents for feedback on whether continuing the festival is worth pursuing.

In both Elora and Burlington, attendance was never an issue as the festivals attracted solid crowds. Organizers say they could no longer keep up with the financial burden caused by the rising costs associated with presenting festivals with well-known acts.

For Elora, located about 14 km northwest of Guelph, the three-day Riverfest in August has been an artistic success since it was launched. The natural beauty of the village made a visit doubly enticing for tourists looking for more than just music, but the music was usually more than enough, as headlining acts over the years included Bruce Cockburn, Violent Femmes, Metric, The Flaming Lips, Alessia Cara, and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. But those acts cost money and the losses started to mount. There have been no talk of trying to save Riverfest.

“Continuing to operate an unsustainable model would only deepen that burden beyond what we can responsibly bear,” read the statement posted by organizers of Riverfest Elora this week. “Sadly, this is not an isolated circumstance. Festivals across the country are facing these same pressures, with many struggling to survive in a rapidly shifting economic and cultural landscape.”

Indeed, SOM has fallen into the same predicament.

The four-day event that was centred at Spencer Smith Park attracts more than 400,000 people each year (although the city claims that number is inflated) and, along with Canada’s Largest Ribfest, put Burlington on the map as well as pumping millions of dollars into the local economy.

This year, the line-up of performers was Canadian and included Steven Page and David Wilcox. In the past, international acts such as the New York Dolls and Devo appeared as did major Canadian headliners Tom Cochrane, Carly Rae Jepsen, Kim Mitchell, Jacksoul, and Men Without Hats.

Typically, the City of Burlington provided SOM with $150,000 each year, but turned down a request for an additional $750,000 for it to continue in 2026.

Burlington is expected to reveal in January how it will proceed.

The Sound of Music Festival is not happening this year, but Burlington, Ontario will still get its summer festival.

The city has just named MRG Live as the new operator for a free, two-day Burlington waterfront music festival in Spencer Smith Park this summer. Known as one of the largest free music events in the country, Sound of Music had run into significant financial problems in recent years, and was reliant on government funding to continue its four-and-a-half-decade legacy.

Inside Halton reports that "on Monday, Dec. 1, staff identified MRG Live Ltd. as the top applicant from 12 potential operators that submitted proposals." MRG Live has offices in Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto and experience “producing multi-day festivals, civic celebrations, artisan markets, and large family focused events.”

Back in October, city council decided not to provide funding for the proposed 2026 edition of Sound of Music Festival and instead provide its $150,000 of base funding to a potential new waterfront music festival. The new event is currently scheduled to take place within the weekend of June 19-21, 2026, but that has yet to be fully confirmed.

Awards News

The husband-and-wife duo of Bette MacDonald and Maynard Morrison have been named as co-hosts of the 2026 East Coast Music Awards, which will be taking place in Sydney, Nova Scotia, on May 21. The couple are both active in T.V. and theatre, with MacDonald starring in the television series Rideau Hall and Mr. D. and the holiday theatre show Christmas in Cape Breton. Morrison has been active in the Cape Breton theatre scene for over three decades and was a founding member of the Cape Breton Summertime Revue stage show, which featured MacDonald.

“Their contributions to Atlantic Canadian arts and culture are unparalleled, and their presence brings a uniquely Cape Breton spirit to this year’s celebration,: says ECMA executive director Bob Hallett.

– In partnership with Alberta Music, the lucrative Edmonton Arts Prizes recognize work published, created or shown in 2025. It celebrates artists from a range of art forms and practices, recognizing their work, and investing in their continued experimentation and creation. for the Edmonton Music Prize is now accepting submissions, with a Jan. 19, 2026, deadline. Apply here. Prizes for film and visual arts have the same deadline. The primary prize recipient in each category will be awarded $15,000, and two secondary prizes of $5,000 will be awarded to the runners up. Earlier music prize winners include include margø, HAIDEE, Emmet Michael, nêhiyawak, Nuela Charles and Audrey Ochoa.

Industry News

The Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) has launched the second annual CCMA Foundation Festive Fundraiser – an online holiday auction running through Dec. 15 in support of the CCMA Foundation. Featuring unique VIP experiences and music, sports and entertainment memorabilia, the fundraiser helps raise vital funds to support the foundation's mission to educate, elevate and celebrate Canadian talent. Visit ccma.org/festive-fundraiser to view the full list of auction items and bid.

– Setting the Stage, supported by RBC, is a micro-grant program open to independent live music venues, concert promoters, festivals or others whose core business is hosting and/or promoting live music shows. The deadline to apply for Setting the Stage grants has been extended to Dec. 4. Applicants must be CLMA members to apply here.

Hard-working Toronto roots troubadour Jerry Leger is celebrating his 20th year in music by playing one of his biggest hometown shows as a headliner tonight (Dec. 3) at The Great Hall. The prolific songsmith has released fourteen studio albums, collaborated with Cowboy Junkies’ Michael Timmins, and toured alongside Steve Earle, Dawes, The Sadies and Ron Sexsmith (a huge Leger fan). He has earned plenty of peer respect, but remains better known in Europe and the U.K. than across Canada. Expect material from across his catalog, with at least one cut from every album, as well as songs from recently-released album Waves of Desire, recorded in Cologne, Germany.

– Holiday concert season is in full swing, and Hugh's Room Live in Toronto has a couple of soulful holiday shows lined up. On Dec. 16, acclaimed jazz/R&B vocalist Kellylee Evans holds court, featuring material from her holiday album, Winter Song, nominated for a 2025 Juno in the vocal jazz album of the year category. Tickets are available here.

– On Dec. 18, Hugh's Room Live presents A Soulful Christmas, featuring noted vocalists Quisha Wint, Sean Jones and Michael Dunston. Expect a mix of R&B, Motown and blues stylings. Tickets here.

– A Toronto holiday concert designed to benefit a very worthy charity takes place at Lula Lounge on Dec. 14. The annual fundraiser benefits the Birdsong New Music Foundation, which supports the production of new music created by individuals living with mental illness. The Birdsong New Music Foundation was established in memory of David Martin (1987-2017), a talented Canadian musician who lived with mental illness.

Renowned comedian and actor Mae Martin hosts with Birdsong founder Margaret Konopacki and there'll be performances by Juno Award-winning vocalist Liberty Silver, as well as Martin and such local talents as Robert Priest, Dustin Harder (Prairie Soul), Ashley Bell, Allan Kinney, D.M. LaFortune, Armand Anthony, Nicole McCafferty (Broadtree), Dr. Tansy Etro-Beko and Rachel Scully, accompanied by Bryant Didier and the Birdsong Village Band. Tickets here.

– Orchestra Toronto joins forces with award-winning world music favourites Sultans of String for a holiday concert at Meridian Arts Centre in north Toronto, on Dec. 7 ( a 3 pm show). Expect seasonal classics, stirring originals and songs highlighting jazz, Jewish, Turkish and Caribbean influences and traditions. Tickets here.

– East Coast pop-rock singer-songwriter Jon Mullane has announced his Feels Like Christmas Tour, comprising two shows in Atlantic Canada. He plays The Astor Theatre, Liverpool, Nova Scotia, on Dec. 5 (tix here) and The Y'ARC Theatre, Yarmouth, on Dec. 13 (tickets here). More info here. Mullane's new single and video, "Remember in November," is grabbing attention, and a new EP is coming next March.

– Gavin McLeod is a young Toronto rock singer-songwriter who recently signed to Dine Alone Records, releasing a debut full-length, The Constant Astonishment, in Feb. On Dec. 12, at famed Toronto venue The Rivoli, he hosts his13th annual Jammin’ for Joy concert in support of SickKids Foundation, an event he created in his early teens. Joining him on the bill are Lost Faculty and Everbloom. Tickets are available here.