east gwillimbury august 27

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WHAT’S BIG SECRET, POLITICIANS? PAGE A8

OUR VIEWEXPERTS SHOW US HOW TO GRILL

PERFECT STEAK PAGE A5

STEAK OUT

East Gwillimbury councillors Joe Persechini and Tara Roy-DiClemente (centre), and Mayor Virginia Hackson, volunteered at the Habitat for Humanity Greater Toronto Area build on Walker Road last Friday. It is the third Habitat home built in town since 2007. Construction is expected to be complete at the end of September.

Region’s growth targets mean nothing: townBY SIMON [email protected]

he message echoed out of East Gwillimbury council chambers loud

and clear Tuesday: it’s time for York Region to put up or shut up.

Council members lobbed repeated pot-shots at the region for its 2041 growth projec-tions that have the town ballooning to a stag-gering population of 108,700 from its current 22,473.

The problem for council is East Gwil-limbury had already been slated to grow to a population of 86,500 by 2031, only to have its long-term plans severely hampered by the region’s sudden delay of the Upper York Sewage Solutions project due to financial reasons.

“I’m not sure how, in all good conscience, we can move forward with these numbers without certainty about the (sewage issues),” Mayor Virginia Hackson said, noting council and staff continue to struggle with when the region will build the infrastructure.

The current timeline is for the UYSS to come online in 2024.

Other members of council were more blunt in their assessments of the growth numbers.

“I don’t feel like this exercise has any validity,” Councillor Tara Roy-DiClemente

LAND USE & SERVICING

GROWTH

STAFF PHOTO/CHRIS SIMON

COMMUNITY

Town throws water on flower furyBY SIMON MARTIN [email protected]

f you’re wondering why the town maintains planters in front of the Creekside Sales Centre on Leslie Street in Sharon you’re not the only one.

Several residents have voiced concern about why public money is being used to spruce up the front of a private business’ entrance.

“So, that’s what my tax dollars go to? Making a developer look appealing? I am sure I am one of many residents in the town that would like a pretty planter

Town lands for sale like having ‘beautiful car without engine in it’

BY SIMON MARTIN [email protected]

hen Mayor Virginia Hackson announced last fall that Airstate Ltd., a manufacturing com-pany based out of Calgary, has acquired lands at the northeast

corner of Green Lane and Hwy. 404, it was sup-posed to be the first of many companies com-ing to the town’s employment corridor.

Close to a year later, there remains one major hang-up: servicing.

“We have a beautiful car, but don’t have an engine in it,” Councillor James Young said.

“We might as well go out and farm (the fields) if there is no servicing.”

Town staff has been in discussion with the region about servicing the lands along the

Green Lane corridor but the region has yet to put any firm timeline in place. The slow-mov-ing negotiations are problematic for the town.

“We need to have a sense of urgency,” Councillor Tara Roy-DiClemente said.

The town can do all the work it wants court-ing businesses to move to East Gwillimbury but without servicing in place it’s a tough sell to get anyone to seriously consider.

The region is in the process of updating its master servicing plan and East Gwillimbury wants that plan to prioritize servicing to the

Transportation refusal jeopardizes autistic son’s therapy, mom says

EDUCATION

STAFF PHOTO/MIKE BARRETT

Planters in front of the Creekside sales centre belong to the town.


I

See page A12.

GET CONNECTEDTELL US what you think about this issue. Email [email protected].

❑

See page A6.

T

i For more information on this issue, visit bit.ly/1MVeL1u

Employment Lands at Hwy. 404 and Green Lane in East Gwillimbury have been targeted for quick development but servicing continues to be an issue.

W

BECOMING A HABITAT

BY LISA [email protected]

Keswick mother says the York Region District School Board is “sabotaging” her son’s wellness by refusing to continue trans-

porting him from school to therapy treat-ments for his severe autism.

“Of course, their response is upset-

ting,” said Robin Konstantopoulos, who is scrambling to figure out how to make sure six-year-old Anthony gets to his therapy sessions, which are making a dra-matic improvement in his condition.

While board spokesperson Licinio ASee page A9.

yorkregion.com Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015 905-853-8888 $1 store sales / 42 pagesPublicationmail agreement #40051189

maintained in front of my home as well,” Christina Muirhead said.

According to the town, the planters were provided to East Gwillimbury by the developer as part of a site plan agree-ment with York Region, which wanted a physical and visual buffer on the road allowance to prevent traffic movement.

So, in actuality, the planters are town property situated on town land, a spokesperson said.

“These can be moved to other town property when the sales centre is no lon-ger in operation,” parks director Aaron Karmazyn said.

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A4 The Express, Thursday, August 27, 2015

Contact us 905-478-4282 [email protected]

Like us on FacebookTown of East Gwillimbury

Follow us on Twitter@TownofEG

Town Page

Position DeadlineCasual Crossing Guard No deadlineBirthday Party Host/Drop-In Supervisor

September 3

Seasonal Aquatic ProgramInstructors

September 3

Seasonal ProgramInstructors

September 3

Seasonal Dance ProgramInstructors

September 3

Library Program Assistant September 18See eastgwillimbury.ca/jobs for submissions details.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

August 10 - September 11, 2015

View animals for adoption at adoptapet.com or come visit us in person.

Adult cats are$50 eachDonations of towels, linens, blankets, and animal toys

are always welcome!

Summer Hours:Monday-Friday 8:30am-5:30pmSaturday from 8am-4pm

Serving Georgina, Newmarket,Whitchurch-Stouffville, and East Gwillimbury

Georgina Animal Shelter & Adoption Centre26815 Civic Centre Rd.Keswick, ONL4P 3G1

helpinglostpets.comadoptapet.com

Please call or email us today if you would like to Volunteeryour time at your local Shelter.905-476-3457 or [email protected]

In preparation for the 2015 – 2016 school year the Townhas added several new safety features in school zones.

Phoebe Gilman Public School• A new crossing guard will be located on Harvest Hills

Blvd at Thatcher Cres in addition to the crossing guardat Harvest Hills Blvd and Woodspring Ave

• School crossing pavement markings will be painted onHarvest Hills Blvd immediately west of Thatcher Cres

• School crossing signs will be located in advance ofand at the crossing

• A No-Stopping restriction has been added to the northside of Harvest Hills Blvd across from school property

Robert Munsch Public School• A crossing guard will be located directly in front of the

school on King St East to assist students crossingmid-block

• School crossing pavement markings will be painted onKing St East directly in front of the school

• School crossing signs will be located in advance ofand at the crossing

• A No-Stopping restriction has been added to the northside of King Street East across from school property

BACK TO SCHOOL SAFETY

Car Show - The EG Car Show takes place every Saturdayfrom 6 p.m. to dusk at the Civic Centre. Closing night isSept 19. Show starts at 2 p.m.Farmers’ Market - Every Thursday from 2 to 7 p.m. atYonge Green Lane Commons (Lowe`s Plaza). Enjoy localproduce, baked goods, cheese and more.Back to School Bash - August 30 from 1 to 4 p.m. atHolland Landing Community Centre. Sponsored by theLakeshore Community Church.Skating Lessons - Registration for learn to skate, adultskating and figure skating is now open. Programs beginin early September. Visit www.egskatingclub.com to viewprograms, schedules and registration.8th Annual Memorial Butterfly Release & 3rd AnnualWalk to Remember - Sept 19 at 10 a.m. at Fairy LakePark in Newmarket. Deadline to order your butterflies isSept 4. For more details or to order visit www.bfoyr.com.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

The 2015 final residential property tax bills were mailed inJune. Payment is due as follows:• 1st installment due: August 31, 2015• 2nd installment due: October 30, 2015We encourage the payment of your tax bill through thepre-authorized tax payment plan. Two pre-authorizedpayment plans are available for enrollment throughout theyear, however, tax accounts must be current.Option #1 – 10 Month Installment Plan (February toNovember -withdrawal date is the 15th of each monthOption #2 – Due Date Installment PlanOption #3 – Arrears Plan – preset monthly amount to helpyou catch up on any tax arrearsPayment can also be made by telephone/internet banking,at any Chartered Bank or in person by cash, cheque ordirect debit at the Civic Centre.All unpaid taxes will be charged an interest charge of1.25% per month effective the 1st day of default.Please call 905-478-4282 if you did not receive a tax bill.Failure to receive a tax bill does not exempt the bill frombeing due or from the taxpayer incurring late payment.

PROPERTY TAXES DUE

August 25, 2015

Removal of Holding Symbol - Committee recommendedthe removal of the Holding Symbol for lands located onthe west side of Leslie St. north of Doane Rd. within theQueensville Community as the required conditions havebeen fulfilled, . The by-law will go to Council for adoptionat the September 8 Council meeting. Please contact TrishElliott at 905-478-4283 ext.1286 for details.Fair Access Community Partnerships - Staff proposedpartnering with York Region and York Region CatholicSchool Board for a two year pilot project allowing the Townto use their facilities for after school programs in EG.EG Home Show – The EG Home Show will be held onSept 12th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sept 13th from10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the EG Sports Complex. Residentsare encouraged to attend this free event.

UPCOMING MEETINGSCommittee of the Whole Council - Sept 8 at 10 a.m.Special Council - Sept 8 following CWCCouncil - Sept 8 at 3 p.m.

The public is welcome to attend.

CWC & COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS

Public Consultation OpportunityStreetscape & Public Realm Guidelines

Wednesday, September 9, 20157 to 9 p.m. Open House

East Gwillimbury Civic CentreResidents and Community Stakeholders are invited tocomment on the Draft Streetscape and Public RealmGuidelines. The goals of this document are to guidecurrent and future developments with a vision of EastGwillimbury to ensure the successful creation of publicspaces within streetscapes and the public realm.

We Want to Hear From YouIf you are unable to attend or have any questions pleasecontact Frank Mazzotta at (905) 478-4283 ext. 1458 [email protected].

PUBLIC INFORMATION CENTRE

Upcoming events

Étienne Brûlé Trail walk& celebrationSeptember 12 at 9 a.m.EG GO StationVoyagers will unveil a commemorative plaque andwalk along the Nokiidaa Trail

Saturday, September 12, 2015

9:00 a.m.; join us for our plaqueunveiling and ceremony

East Gwillimbury GO StationMeet at the East Gwillimbury GO station on the south sideof Green Lane between Leslie St and 2nd Concession.

Join East Gwillimbury in celebrating 400Years of French presence in Ontario!

Voyagers will walk along the Nokiidaa Trail towardNewmarket with our EG Trails Committee.

lions family fun daySeptember 7 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.EG Sports ComplexCarnival Games, face painting, live music and food!

Celebrate the reign of queen elizabeth IISeptember 9 at 12 noon

Civic CentreJoin the Town to commemorate

the Queen’s 63 year reign as our Monarch

Celebrate the Reign of

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

12 NoonJoin Mayor and Council to commemorate the

Queen’s over 63 years as our MonarchCivic Centre - Council Chambers

19000 Leslie St., Sharon ON, L0G 1V0

Holland LandingLions Club

East Gwillimbury Sports Complex1914 Mount Albert Road, Sharon

Enjoy the Labour Day Holidaywith Family & Friends

Carnival GamesFace-painting

EG Home & Lifestyle ShowSept 12 -10 a.m. - 5 p.m. / Sept 13-10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

East Gwillimbury Sports ComplexHosted by the Chamber of Commerce

Weaving wordsAugust 30 from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Sharon TempleEnjoy a festival of stories featuring

guest speaker Joseph Boyden

WEAVING WORDS 2015A Festival of Stories at Sharon TempleSunday, August 30FREE ADMISSION!11:00am - 4:30pm

Special Guest PresenterJoseph Boyden,Author of Three Day Road, ThroughBlack Spruce, and TheOrenda

St 30

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MESSAGE TO READERS

ork Region Media Group is thrilled to announce an exciting change to further strengthen and grow our already highly successful

Thursday newspapers.You’ve told us what you want and

we’re going to deliver.After many discussions with

readers, advertisers and community groups over the past year, YRMG will take steps to bolster our already solid distribution for Thursday’s editions, adding 4,200 more homes and 7,000 new readers to our award-winning package that delivers excel-lent local editorial content, and brings you the best local retail deals, real estate options and classified sections that resonate with readers.

To bring our communities even more of what they have come to expect, we will stop publication of our Sunday editions and reinvest in Thursday’s package.

Our final Sunday paper will be delivered this weekend (Aug. 30) and you won’t want to miss it! Our news team will dig deep and retell some of the best, most endearing Sunday stories, features and reprint our best photographs over the past several years, taking readers back to those crucial events that affected, changed or improved our commu-nities.

As part of our commitment to readers, we will continue to bring you even more compelling daily content to our website, yorkregion.com, which is growing in leaps and bounds every month. More than 600,000 readers enjoy our online content now and we will bring even more of what you expect to our community online news sites.

We hope you enjoy our last Sun-day paper and are confident you will see that our re-investment in Thurs-day’s products will bring you even more of what we deliver each week to your doorstep.

Y

North-south collector road could be ready this year

The north-south collector road in the new Sharon development could be ready for use late this year or ear-lier, according to a staff report.

The Sharon Village Landowners Group portion of the collector road is well underway with completion to base course asphalt expected by November.

The southern portion of the road, which includes South Sharon and Acorn developments, is less advanced than the northern portion but, with favourable weather, could be ready by the end of 2015.

The region is currently designing traffic signals at Green Lane and the north-south road.

There is not enough traffic to warrant lights at the Mount Albert Road intersection at the time being, the town projects.

Newmarket Car Club hosts cruise night at drive-in

It always feels like you’re turning back the clock at the Stardust Drive-In Theatre in Sharon. But it’s going to be even more of a step back in time Saturday afternoon when the Newmarket Car Club hosts Graffiti Night starting at 4 p.m. until dusk.

The cruise night will showcase a unique era of automobile history.

Admission is free for car and driver with additional passengers costing $12.

—Simon Martin

SPEAKING

BRIEFLY

FILE PHOTO

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A5The Express, Thursday, August 27, 2015

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RAISE YOUR STEAKSBY LISA QUEEN

[email protected]

t’s time for a steak out.Time to get outdoors with fam-

ily and friends to grill up some juicy steaks.

What are the best cuts to buy for the barbecue? How do you cook them prop-erly for the best mouth-watering results? Is there anything special you need to do with your barbecue? What can you grill up for the vegetarians around the table?

We asked York Region butchers and grill-ing experts to give up some tips on the tricks of the trade.

There is no one single best answer to grilling the perfect steak, Daniel Peisz, one of three butchers at Thornhill’s Stuart Carroll Qual-ity Meats.

“Everyone has a different grilling method, right?” he said.

Peisz likes his steaks 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inches thick because they remain juicy inside and don’t cook too fast, especially for small-er steaks.

His favourite cut is a rib eye with the bone, also called a capless rib steak, “because there’s a little extra to gnaw on.”

Other prime cuts for barbecuing include a New York strip loin, a rib eye and beef tender-loin, the most tender and expensive cut, Peisz said.

“Rib eyes have a bit more fat so more flavour and juices get cooked within the meat,” he said.

As people get older, they often tend to want to cut down on the fat in their steak so fillet is a good choice, he said.

Peisz recommends buying high-quality, grass-fed beef over corn-fed.

“Corn creates bloat in the animal, unless it’s given antibiotics to counter-act the bloat-ing,” he said.

Peisz puts kosher or sea salt or a steak sea-soning on the meat shortly before he throws the steaks on the grill on medium-high.

“I like to keep it simple,” he said.“I don’t like wet marinades. It hides the

flavour of the steak.”Don’t keep flipping your steak while it’s

cooking because it won’t cook evenly through-out, Peisz said. It should only touch the grill four times to cook each side and create a criss-

cross pattern on the meat.Tim Maunder, head butcher and owner of

Maunder’s Food Shop in Aurora, agrees that over-flipping is one of the biggest mistakes backyard grillers make.

“Most people, as far as barbecuers, tend to flip it upside d o w n , left,

r i g h t , all over the place,” he said.

“Really, a steak should be one side down and then wait until a little bit of juice pools on the raw side and then flip it so the cooked side’s up and then wait until the cooked side gets a little shiny and a little bit of liquid pools.”

Maunder dismissed concerns that over-cooking the meat will make it tough.

“Tenderness is the quality of the meat, it won’t change with cooking,” he said.

If a steak is thick, Maunder starts it on high and then moves it off direct heat so the barbe-cue works more like an oven.

“What that does is keep the outside of the steak from getting over-charred, but you have enough time on the grill that it heats all the way through and cooks through,” he said.

He also favours New York strip loins and rib eyes for the barbecue.

“You can get beef tenderloin, which is a cut above. It’s more tender, but it has less flavour.”

Make sure to oil and season the steak before putting it on the grill, Maunder said.

The leaner the cut of meat, the more oil you need to put on the

outside, he said.“If you’re

in a

restaurant and they’re doing a steak, they’re always seasoning the outside and adding oil, so when they grill, it doesn’t stick and you get nice grill marks and it helps protect the meat, get that good sear on the outside,” he said.

If you are barbecuing a poorer quality of meat, such as a flank steak for fajitas, Maun-der recommends marinading it for 24 hours before cooking.

The marinade should contain a fat or oil and an acid, such as lemon juice, wine or bal-samic vinegar to break down the tendons to make the meat more tender.

“I always try to taste the marinade before I use it to marinade. If it doesn’t taste good before it goes on the steak, it’s not going to taste good on the steak,” he said.

Make sure the steak is at room temperature before throwing it on the grill and let it rest for five to 10 minutes after it comes off so the pores have a chance to close and seal in the juices, said Maunder, who sell grass-fed and dry-aged beef.

You don’t have to spend thousands of dol-lars on a barbecue to cook the perfect steak,

Duff Dixon, president and owner of Ontario Gas Barbecue in Concord, said.

“My $299 barbecue will cook a steak just as good as my $30,000. The qual-

ity of the steak coming off is all about the quality of the steak and

the cook,” he said.A good barbecue will pro-

vide even heat distribution and also heat to a high tem-perature for cooks who like to sear the outside of their steaks, Dixon said.

He prefers a charcoal barbecue for its high heat and its ability to produce a better tasting steak.

More and more people are starting with a good gas barbecue and then adding char-coal grills and smokers, Dixon said.

“People just love to get outside and enjoy

outdoor cooking and entertaining. We are see-

ing indoor chefs are taking their talent out of doors and

looking to cook a lot more things out of doors. And with

that comes the desire to get the accessories and equipment that

goes along with that,” he said.“The passionate cooks have all

kinds of gadgets for indoor cooking and we are seeing them trending to all these

gadgets for out of doors to go way beyond steaks and burgers and chicken.”

A big mistake people make when barbecu-ing is over-cooking the meat, Dixon said.

“Once you overcook it, it’s beyond what you wanted, so you can’t return. So it’s getting your timing down,” he said.

Cori Doern, of Cori’s Café in Sutton, said there are many options that allow the vegetar-ians at the table enjoy barbecued fare.

Her suggestions include grilled Portobello mushroom burgers with grilled eggplant, Por-tobello mushrooms with a red pepper aioli or pesto, grilled halloumi cheese, grilled veggie pizza, grilled rainbow skewers with spicy chi-michurri sauce and grilled corn, sweet onion and jalapeno taco or burrito with guacamole and salsa.

If you’re sticking with steak, make sure you start with good quality meat, the experts said.

“Enjoy your steak. Go to a butcher. Don’t cheap out. If you’re going to get a strip (loin) and it says $9.99, you’re probably not getting a good piece of meat. Know what you’re eating,” Peisz said.

The last thing you want is for anyone to get sick from the barbecue dinner you cooked up for them.York Region has tips to make sure that doesn’t happen:

• Wash your hands for 15 to 20 seconds before and after handling food

• Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils and counters with hot, soapy water after preparing each item

• Wash all dish cloths after use in the hot

water cycle of your washing machine• Keep different food products separate to prevent cross-contamination

• Store raw meat, poultry and seafood on the lowest shelf of your fridge to avoid juices dripping on to other food

• Use different cutting boards for meats and fruits and vegetables

• Don’t put cooked food on dishes that have had raw meat, poultry, seafood, eggs or unwashed fruits and vegetables

on them

• Make sure food is cooked to safe temperatures available at http://www.york.ca/wps/wcm/connect/york-public/f373e5e0-fa27-4c98-ab9b-3c5a6707c8e8/food+safety+safecookingtemps+fact+sheet.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

• If food is not eaten immediately, make sure it is kept hot or refrigerated

• Reheat leftovers to 74 C or 165 F of higher

I

‘‘My $299 barbecue will cook a steak just as good as my $30,000

one. The quality of the steak coming off is all about the quality

of the steak and the cook.

In photo: Tim Maunder, owner of Maun-der’s Foods in Aurora, shares tips on how to grill the perfect steak.

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Hwy. 404 employment lands by 2018.There is also a heightened sense of urgen-

cy because Engineered Air would like to be operational by 2018, CAO Tom Webster said. The first phase of the move is expected to bring 200 jobs to the town.

“This has to be one of our single most pri-orities,” Young said.

If the region won’t step to the plate, everything has to be considered, Young said, including borrowing against the town’s devel-opment charges.

According to the staff report, it would take an estimated $9.2 million to service the lands.

East Gwillimbury has more than 1,000 acres designated employment land, includ-ing space on Yonge Street North, Green Lane, Hwy. 404 and the Bales Drive Industrial Park, near the intersection of Woodbine Avenue and Davis Drive.

York Region is counting on the town to be a key growth centre in both population and employment. While the region is slated to increase its number of jobs from 2011 to 2031 by 32 per cent, East Gwillimbury is aiming to increase its employment by 364 per cent.

That’s an increase from 7,400 jobs to 34,000 in the span of 20 years.

A seeming lack of urgency from the region to get this job growth started is concerning to Young.

“(They are basically) saying we would like to help you, but things are tough right now,” he said.

While the town has seen a lot of job growth in the Bales Drive Industrial Park area, many of the facilities are regional headquarters that don’t pay tax dollars to the town, Webster said.

Councillor Marlene Johnston pointed out that the empty employment lands off Hwy. 11 do have servicing and the town should put a greater emphasis on attracting busi-nesses to them.

From Front Page

Servicing employment lands must be top priority, Young says

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905-862-0808www.lucymaudmontgomery.ca

Weaving Words Festival oF storiesAug. 30, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.Sharon Temple National Historic Site and Museum, 18974 Leslie St.Weaving Words is a celebration of stories and the many ways that we tell them, through written and spoken word, through music, film and dance. Event welcomes award-winning Canadian author Joseph Boyden as its featured performer this year. For additional information and a complete schedule, visit www.weavingwords.ca.Contact: [email protected], 905-478-2389.

what ’s onTo have your event included in what’s on, add it to our calendar at yorkregion.com

the landingAug. 27, 3:45 to 5:30 p.m.Newmarket Community Church, 145 Pony Dr.The Landing is a free, weekly program offered at Newmarket Community Church that aims to equip teens (ages 12 to 17) with the tools needed to overcome life’s struggles.Contact: [email protected], 905-836-7251, 905-967-4081, www.newmarketcommunitychurch.org.

Passage BetWeen tWo Worlds exhiBition & sale By erika takacs and Marissa sWeetOngoing to Sept. 12, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Aurora Cultural Centre, 22 Church St.The story of Canada’s immigrants is a shared journey of creating a sense of space & place in a new country. With the exhibition Passage Between Two Worlds, artists Erika Takacs and Marissa Sweet present courageous inter-pretations of their personal immigration experiences. Exhibition continues through until Sept. 12. Galleries open Tuesdays and Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Gallery admission is at no charge. Galleries are closed on Sundays and Mondays.Contact: Clare Bolton, [email protected], 905-713-1818.

Mino Miikana BiMaadiziWin: the Path oF liFe: exhiBition oF Works By donald chretienOngoing to Sept. 12, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Aurora Cultural Centre, 22 Church St.Solo Exhibition of the works of local First Nations artist Donald Chretien from July 18 to Sept. 12. Large new works in the Great Hall Gallery and small works in Reception Gallery. Exhibition continues through until Sept. 12. Galleries open Tuesdays and Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Gallery admission is at no charge. Please note that the galleries are closed on Sundays and Mondays.Contact: Clare Bolton, [email protected], 905-713-1818.

Blood donor clinicAug. 27, 2:30 to 7:30 p.m.Aurora Legion, 105 Industrial Pkwy.Canadian Blood Services needs about 170,000 additional donors per year to maintain the blood supply. We ask eligible donors to consider booking an appointment by downloading the GiveBlood app or visit blood.ca.Contact: [email protected], 1-888-236-6283.

neWMarket FarMers MarketAug. 29, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.Riverwalk Commons, Doug Duncan Drive. Fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, eggs, baked goods, food vendors, hand-crafted artifacts and products such as jewelry, furniture, soap, horse and wagon rides, musical entertainment, buskers, fresh flowers, etc.Contact: [email protected], 905-773-9751.

Free zUMBa class at riverWalk coMMonsAug. 29, 8 to 9 a.m.Newmarket Riverwalk Commons, 200 Doug Duncan Dr.Free Zumba class every Saturday morning in June, July, and August from 8 - 9 a.m. at the Fairy Lake Newmarket Farmers Market, along side the reflecting pool. Instruction will be by The Move fitness and dance studio

Blood donor clinicAug. 29, 9 a.m.York Region Administrative Centre, 17250 Yonge St. in Newmarket.Canadian Blood Services needs about 170,000 additional donors per year to maintain the blood supply. We ask eligible donors to consider booking an appointment by downloading the GiveBlood app or visit blood.ca.Contact: [email protected], 1-888-236-6283.

caWthra MUlock FaMily FUn BBQAug. 29, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.Cawthra Mulock Nature Reserve, 18462 Bathurst St.Celebrate nature with the whole family at Cawthra Mulock Nature Reserve!

Join Ontario Nature staff in celebrating pollinators with a Bee-BBQ picnic, nature hike, crafts, games, and more! Explore nature with new eyes on a kid-friendly guided trail hike. You might catch a glimpse of a bobolink, painted turtle, or red fox! Talk to experts about welcoming wildlife to your own backyard and great ways to support nature in the community. Kids of all ages can decorate butterfly wings, join bee relays, and learn about the amazing world of pollinators. Menu includes basic BBQ fare, with fresh salads, fruits and other bee-pollinated delicacies. RSVP by Aug. 17. Contact: Megan Anevich, [email protected].

8th annUal Back to school BashAug. 30, 1 to 4 p.m.Holland Landing Community Centre, 19513 Yonge St.FREE school supplies, Zoo to You, juggler, bouncy castle, $2 haircuts, silent auction and more. All proceeds from haircuts, silent auction and food sales will go to Habitat for Humanity.Contact: [email protected].

taste & learn - MediterraneanAug. 31, 7 to 8 p.m.Sobeys extra Aurora, 15500 Bayview Ave.Taste and Learn is a FREE class series offered by Sobeys Dietitians. Each class is focused on a particular food (this month is all about Mediterranean cuisine). During the class, you will receive some intro/background info about the food and the dietitian will prepare a recipe or two for everyone to taste. You will leave the session with new knowledge, a few free recipes and some great ideas to try at home. Registration is required. Contact dieti-tian Colleen to register. Sign up early to avoid being on a wait list.Contact: Colleen Miller, [email protected], 905-726-2499.

haPPy hoPPers sQUare dance clUB - oPen hoUseAug. 31, 7 to 8:30 p.m.Newmarket Seniors’ Meeting Place, 474 Davis Dr.The Happy Hoppers Square Dance Club is a modern, western-style club offering programs in the BASIC, MAINSTREAM & PLUS levels. Come to the free Open House for an evening of fun and laughter.Contact: Anne Currie-O’Brien, [email protected].

Model rocketry & aMateUr radioSept. 1, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.Sharon Temperance Hall, 18974 Leslie St.The York Region Amateur Radio Club meetings for the fall of 2015 are space-themed, starting in September with a presentation on applying amateur radio to model rocketry. The club meeting starts at 7:30 with a

brief business meeting and the presentation will commence after a short refreshment break and run until 9 or 9:30 p.m. depending on the number of questions. Aimed at ages 13 plus with an interest in technical subjects.Contact: 416-673-2210.

Movies in the Park - Frozen Sept. 1, 8 p.m.Hickson Park, Conover & Borealis Ave. in Aurora.Join us for a free movie in the park on Tuesday September 1. Frozen will be shown at dusk (approx. 8 p.m.) A food dona-tion for the local food pantry is appreciated. Delicious food vendors will be on site selling food. For your seating comfort, bring a lawn chair.Contact: Shelley Ware, [email protected], 905-726-4762.

FaMily storytiMeSept. 2, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m..Mount Albert Branch, East Gwillimbury Public Library, 19300 Centre St.Ages 0 – 5 years with caregiver. Free. Drop In. Drop in with music, rhymes, stories and a craft.

Big toP circUs oPen hoUse & registration Sept. 2 & Sept. 10, 4 to 8 p.m.Big Top School of Circus Arts, 1119 Ringwell Drive, Unit 1 in Newmarket.Big Top Circus is offering free trial classes in the circus arts for all ages. Come dressed to participate and get a taste is on offer. The fall programs begin Sept. 14 and include aerial classes, circus for all ages, circus tots and new this year ... a family class on Thursdays from 7:30 - 9 p.m.! The open house classes run Sept. 2 and 10 as follows: Tots (18 mos-3 yrs): 4-5 p.m. with parent; 3-5 yrs: 5 - 6 p.m.; 6-9 yrs: 6 - 7 p.m.; 10+ yrs: 7 - 8 p.m.; Adults: 7 - 8 p.m. No registration required--just come out and have some FUN!!!Contact: [email protected], 905-898-0699.

end oF sUMMer BlUes concert in the Park Sept. 2, 6:30 to 9 p.m.Aurora Town Park, Wells StFree community concert featuring JUNO Award Winner Jack De Keyzer Band. Plus Youth Bands, Aurora Classic Car Club Cruise Night and Celebra-tion of Arts & Culture organizations.Contact: Jamie MacDonald, [email protected], 905-713-6318.

so yoU think yoU can sing? Sept. 2, 7 to 9:30 p.m.Sharon-Hope United Church, 18648 Leslie St.Male singers wanted to participate in a free 5-week training programme to learn 4-part a Capella singing, hosted by the Upper Canada Chordsmen. Take your singing to the next level with small group instruction by our

directors culminating in the opportunity to audition for the Chorus. No cost to participate and no obligation to join the Chorus, but when you experi-ence how much fun it is to sing four-part harmony, you’ll want to join!Contact: Rene Frappier, [email protected], 289-648-6300.

Movies in the Park - the lego Movie Sept. 3, 8 p.m.Norm Weller Park, McClellan Way north east of Bathurst Street, in Aurora.Join us for a free movie in the park on Tuesday, Sept. 3. The Lego Movie will be shown at dusk (approx. 8 p.m.) A food donation for the local food pantry is appreciated. Food vendors will be on site. Bring a lawn chair.Contact: Shelley Ware, [email protected], 905-726-4762.

Bingo World neWMarket gaMing centreSept. 4, 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.Bingo World Newmarket, 1230 Kerrisdale Blvd.Bingo World Newmarket has undergone a Charitable Bingo and Gaming transformation and now offers new products and technologies - like electronic bingo, Tap Tix and more. Customers can kick back with friends in a welcoming, comfortable environment and have some fun! Must be 18 years of age or older. Government- issued identification may be required.Info: Bingo World, [email protected], 905-836-4861.

shoUt sister choir york/neWMarketSept. 8, 1 to 3 p.m.St. Paul’s Anglican Church, 227 Church St.Shout Sister! takes an unorthodox approach to choral singing. There’s no audition and they sing a fun variety of music from pop and Motown, to folk, to a touch of country and blues. No reading of music required.Contact: Oriole Claxton, [email protected], shoutsisterchoir.ca.

Today

Reader Jim Churchill sent us this close-up Your Shot of a bee on some flowers. Send us Your Shot. The popular theme is Nature & Wildlife. Email your high-quality jpegs to editor Tracy Kibble at [email protected] for a chance to have your photograph included in our online gallery and published in the newspaper.

To have your event included in what’s on, add it to our calendar at yorkregion.com

the reign oF the QUeen oF canada exhiBitionStarts Sept. 4, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Aurora Cultural Centre, 22 Church St.On Sept. 9, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s reign will surpass that of Canada’s other great Mother of Confederation, Queen Victoria. The Aurora Cultural Centre, in partnership with the Monarchist League of Canada (York Region Branch), celebrates the long reign of Her Majesty with artifacts and archival materials. Hours: Tuesdays, Thursday - Saturday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Wednesdays: 10 am - 8 pm.Contact: [email protected], 905-713-1818.

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The eXPReSS www.yorkregion.com

580 Steven Crt., Newmarket, ON L3Y 6Z2Publisher Ian Proudfoot

General ManagerShaun Sauve

Director, Business Administration Robert Lazurko

Director

Creative Services Katherine Porcheron

Director, CirculationCarol LambOOPINION

L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R

Engage Canada ignores important facts

Re: Election campaign deceit-ful, manipulative, letter to the editor by Wendy King, Aug. 20: bit.ly/1NESLH6

I consider myself a self-re-specting Conservative and don’t have a problem looking in the mirror. Maybe King is getting her information from groups such as Engage Canada, which just hates Conservatives of all stripes, doesn’t care much for the truth and is bankrolled by unions, Lib-erals and NDP socialists.

Engage Canada is ignoring facts and willfully burying them in favour of their ideology.

Case in point, in one ad it says there has been a $36-billion cut to health care when, in fact, fed-eral health care transfers to the provinces will be 6 per cent more this year and 6 per cent more next year. It also claims the gov-ernment made “no new invest-ment for jobs” and made “cuts to economic development”. Wrong again. The 2015 budget was filled with new money for both jobs and economic development.

King calls the Conservatives deceitful. Well, talking of deceit, could she please explain when her party is going to return the $2.75 million it has been ordered to by Board of Internal Economy and Public Disclosure to repay for breaking Parliamentary rules by using taxpayer money to run its offices for party purposes?

While looking in the mirror next time, she may want to ask where Angry Tom (Mulcair) is going to get the $9 billion per year to pay for the universal chil-dren’s day care.

I’ll stay with the mirror I have, thanks.

John M. KingNewmarket

Elections wonderful; time to make change

Elections are wonderful. I’m tired of political deception and lies. I’m tired of my mailbox being routinely loaded with unwanted political partisan propaganda, paid for using tax dollars. I’m tired of distorted facts, phony photo-ops, scandalous behav-iour and a local representative that panders to a dictatorial PM rather than his constituents.

Elections are wonderful because they provide us with an opportunity to do something about these things. Our coun-try is in dire need of change in Ottawa and, for us, it begins right here at home. It’s time to vote for real change.

It’s time to deliver a clear message to those who have arro-gantly abused their powers and the democratic process and free-doms we so value. It’s time to say, “Pack your bags and leave.”

E D I T O R I A L

Yeah, thanks for the notice, politicians

‘ABC’ has never sounded so good.

DaviD PaynemouNt albert

Mulcair’s plans would take billions of dollars

Re: NDP best choice for mid-dle-class Canadians, letter to the editor by Chris Lewis Aug. 20: bit.ly/1WOlNrT

I cannot help but be amused by the naivety underlying Lewis’ recommendations. First, he would foist the child care respon-sibilities of parents onto a new federally sponsored national day care (baby sitting) program.

Then, he would increase the ranks of the unemployed by bumping the minimum wage to $15 per hour. Then he adds a couple more items, all of which will add up to many, many bil-lions. He conveniently fails to spell out how all of this will be paid for, but it is fair to speculate that neither he nor his fellow NDPers expect they will be hit with higher taxes.

Perhaps they believe the economy will grow fast enough to generate enough new tax rev-enues.

If so, they should look around. Global economic weakness has put Canada’s resource sector in the tank. The Ontario Liberal gov-ernment’s open-ended buildup of the provincial debt, combined with an ill-conceived, highly expensive energy program, has contributed directly to massive job losses in the manufacturing sector.

For evidence, just look at the empty industrial space around Newmarket. Bottom line, current economic conditions do not sup-port new social programs and it would be fiscally irresponsible to use deficit financing for this purpose.

JaMes R CRysDale SharoN

Province, not unions to blame for financial mess

Re: Lock out teachers, break union, Sunday Forum opin-ion by Rod Urquhart, Aug. 23: bit.ly/1NETFDF

Yes, Urquhart, I agree my union should be busted. I mean, the financial mess Ontario is in is certainly a result of the deci-sions and actions my union and I decided to undertake. Let’s look at what I am responsible for:

1. eHealth2. Ornge3. Moving gas plants for an

election4. The $1.4-billion dollar

Windsor Parkway 5. Financial mismanagement

of the GM and Chrysler bailout. I really hope we get all of our money back.

6. Deciding to bring the PAN

L E T T E R S P O L I C Y The eXPReSS York Region Media Group community newspapers

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tions across Ontario. The York Region Media Group includes The Liberal, serving Richmond Hill and Thornhill, Newmarket

Era, Aurora Banner, East Gwillimbury Express, King Connection, Vaughan Citizen, Markham Economist & Sun, Stouffville Sun-

Tribune, Georgina Advocate, Bradford Topic, GoodLife, beingwell and yorkregion.com

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rime Minister Stephen Harper was in York Region last week for a public event in King Township.

What’s that? You didn’t hear about the visit?Well, you’re not alone.The media release indicating Harp-

er and local Conservative candidates Peter Van Loan (York-Simcoe) and Lois Brown (Newmarket-Aurora) were going to speak at WaterStone Estate & Farms on Dufferin Street, Aug. 20 at 10 a.m. (media was to be onsite by 9 a.m.) was emailed by the Conservative Party National Campaign and delivered to a York Region Media Group reporter’s account at 10:59 p.m. Aug. 19.

There are certainly logistical issues to address when arranging a visit by the country’s leader — his time is very limited and there’s always a chance he gets called off to something else, so sometimes there’s a reluctance to make a commitment until organizers are confident there will be no changes — but giving 10 overnight hours of notice certainly gives the impression the public event wasn’t meant to be public at all.

Doesn’t the Conservative campaign team want coverage from local news outlets?

Don’t party members want the general public to come out and hear Harper’s message?

It doesn’t seem so.It seems Harper is content to not

only handpick the media that get access to him, but also the members of the public who are welcome to take part.

How many people do you know who could find out about an event at 11 p.m. one night, be able to do every-thing necessary to clear their schedule overnight, when the majority of the province is sleeping, and be in atten-dance at 9 a.m.?

How many people do you know who would even try?

Van Loan and Brown have much better records when it comes to media/public invites.

For example, on Sept. 5 at 3:10 p.m., Van Loan’s office issued a release that he would be making a GO Transit facility announcement in East Gwillimbury at 10 a.m. Sept. 8.

Then, Oct. 10 at 2:03 p.m., Van Loan’s office issued an email about a Georgina Ice Palace announcement Oct. 15 at 10:30 a.m. Brown also under-stands the importance of providing notice. Her Nov. 8 announcement about the citizen coffee and tea with the MP program was issued at 11 a.m. Nov. 6.

That means the media and public were given a minimum of two days notice for a coffee and tea event, but a visit by the PM merits only 10 hours. Perhaps Harper could learn a thing or two from his area MPs.

But we’re not picking on Harper, here.

The fact of the matter is, he was the only federal party leader since the election call, to make a campaign stop in the region, although Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau was expected in New-market yesterday morning, according to a media release received at 1:10 p.m. Tuesday.

What’s even more worrisome is this recent trend isn’t isolated to federal politics.

Ontario Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne was in Newmarket Aug. 20 to announce a provincial investment of more than $224,000 to Special Olym-pics Ontario for the Partners in Play program.

The project, according to a media release, will introduce young special needs athletes to sports such as track and field, basketball, soccer and swim-ming.

Unfortunately, the aforementioned media release was sent after the actual announcement took place and was simply a recap of the day’s event.

There was no advance notice to the media that Wynne would be in the area.

Those politicians who appear to be attempting to control the media and the message have to realize their efforts only make it look as though they have something to hide.

P

GET CONNECTED

READ All our published letters at yorkregion.com or send your

letter to the editor to Tracy Kibble at [email protected]

ISSUE: Politicians need to inform local media when they are in town

so we can alert readers.

BOTTOM LINE: Now that the cam-paign is in full swing, citizens deserve to know who is coming to town and

media should have opportunity to ask questions.

Am games to Toronto, causing the budget to balloon and then paying $7 million bonuses to 64 executives. I really hope we make an Olympic bid!

7. Creating a bloated bureau-cracy in education: we certainly need more consultants.

Also, I have many, many adult friends whose children had to go overseas to teach. Wait, I guess that’s a result of the faculties of education not capping enrol-ment. Why turn down thousands of dollars in tuition, right?

I think you see my point. The mismanagement of Ontario’s finances do not lie on the backs of people in my profession. Cor-ruption and mismanagement at the provincial level is to blame. I would invite you to research fur-ther into the issues that I and my colleagues have with the prov-ince right now.

Oh, by the way, I know many, many teachers that would be in favour of year-round schooling.

The tired line of “summer’s off” ... that’s a ministry decision.

DaviD MooRekeSwIck

On Baloney Meter: Mulcair on police numbers

More smoke and mirrors from the NDP. Just like the $15 FEDERAL minimum

wage that only applies to FEDERAL employees NOT a person working in a warehouse making $13/hour. Look

it up... Adam

Surprise... surprise.... bet the unions loved this... more members, more money and more political power.

I think we have enough cops just hang-ing around drinking coffee and passing

out tickets, which is something a $60k not a $100K+ per year resource can do.

The only cops that deserve $100k per year are those who work in dangerous

areas such as Jane Street and Finch Avenue. Maybe these so-called politi-

cians can address the issue of these increasing costs, the impact on services

we need, especially in smaller, quieter communities who don’t need police

state-like police services!Greg

Here’s what you can do to encourage

voter turnouts a journalist and as a civ-ic-minded Canadian, one of my big fears concern-ing this Canadian election is that voter apathy will plummet even lower than

it was for the last federal election.Like most of you, I haven’t read

every clause in the Harper Govern-ment’s Fair Elections Act.

But from the news stories and opinion columns I have read, I under-stand that it is no longer Elections Canada’s mandate to encourage voter turnout.

The Globe and Mail warned: “The Conservative government is strip-ping Elections Canada of its authority to encourage Canadians to vote in federal ballots under changes to the agency’s mandate.”

BC journalist, Andrew Nikiforuk, wrote that the Fair Elections Act “bans Elections Canada from educating the public about their civic duties or low voter turnout”.

That worries me — no, actually, that alarms and

angers me.

For my entire career as a journal-ist — and especially as an editor — I have believed it is my/our civic, patriotic duty to encourage people to find out about the issues, get to know their local candidates and — most importantly — mark their ballots on election day.

According to Elections Canada, only 61 per cent of eligible voters turned out in May 2011.

The three previous federal elec-tions turnout ranged from a low of 59 per cent to a higher 65 per cent.

Am I dreaming of Utopia or Nev-erland to think Canada should be hit-ting 75 per cent voter turnout, at least, which is what we achieved back in the 1960s and 1970s?

Why should you care? What does all this have to do with you, you may be wondering?

There are 10 ridings in York Region. There are eight weeks left until Oct. 19 voting day.

Let’s make sure there is at mini-mum one all-candidates event in each of those 10 ridings or, preferra-bly, two or three.

If we allow voter apathy to worsen — then the party that wins will have more power and less legitimacy, if fewer Canadians bother to mark their ballots.

That does not benefit Canada and it sure does not improve democracy.

If you haven’t heard about an all-candidates meeting in your riding, there’s still time to encourage com-munity organizations to organize one.

Call your chamber of commerce, board of trade, your service clubs. Often, ratepayer groups work together in a community to find a location and stage a debate or meet and greet.

York Region Media Group news-rooms are willing partners. Already we have helped organize all-candi-dates events in Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill, Markham-Souffville and the Richmond Hill ridings, with more to come.

Let us know

If you know of such a candidate event in your community, let us know, so we can share that news.

And as reaching out to the younger generation is so important, share this news via social media and, better yet, plan to attend the candidate event in your riding and insist your adult chil-dren accompany you.

Robocalls, attack ads and unfair election regulations serve to turn off many voters. If you care about Can-ada and the state of our democracy, you can help reverse the lethargy and apathy.

— Marney Beck is editor of The Era/Banner/Express sister papers,

The Richmond Hill/Thornhill Liberal newspapers.

A

Marney Beck

C M Y


DATE: Thursday,August 27th 2015

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Robin Konstantopoulos and her six-year-old autistic son, Anthony share a laugh. The fam-ily lives in Keswick and Anthony is transported by the York Region District School Board to his school in Newmarket and then to therapy sessions, five minutes away. The board has now said it will no longer transport him to therapy.

School board policy must be ‘fair for all students’Miguelo said the board is simply applying its transportation policy fairly and equitably, Konstantopoulos accused school officials of “sabotaging my son’s critical leaning oppor-tunity because they don’t want to set prece-dence on transporting children to therapy.”

She is so upset with the board’s decision, she is taking her concerns to higher authori-ties.

“The provincial advocate for youth and children is now investigating,” she said, add-ing the Human Rights Commission will be her next step because the board has a “duty to accommodate” her special needs child.

Konstantopoulos, who runs a support group called Autism Unplugged, worries the board’s decision will hurt many York families who have children with autism.

Anthony has severe autism and has been non-verbal. He also suffers from chronic yeast infections and severe food allergies, said Konstantopoulos, whose nine-year-old daughter, Aristea, has dysgraphia, dyslexia and severe sensory, executive functioning and self-regulation issues.

‘When folks became aware that the policy was not being followed,

a plan was put in place to bring the situation into compliance.’

Although the family lives in Keswick, the board transports Anthony by taxi to school in Newmarket, where he is in a class for chil-dren with autism.

While schools in Keswick offer similar classrooms, Konstantopoulos believes the school in Newmarket provides the best envi-ronment for her son.

A year ago, after a four-year wait, Anthony was placed in government-funded IBI autism therapy program in the afternoons.

The board agreed to transport him by taxi from school at lunch time to his treatment. Konstantopoulos picked him up at the end of the sessions and drove him home.

But at the end of the last school year, the board said it would no longer transport Anthony to his medical appointments, which are five minutes from the school.

Instead, it would transport him 30 min-utes from school to home.

Now, Konstantopoulos and her husband, who is on disability, have to decide whether to pay a taxi to take Anthony to his daily treatments or have Konstantopoulos drive down at lunch time to take him to therapy, drive home and then drive back to pick him up at the end of treatment.

Either option could create some financial

hardship for the family, Konstantopoulos said.

One way or another, Anthony will con-tinue with the necessary therapy, she said.

“The school board is failing my non-verbal son. IBI therapy is Anthony’s scientifi-cally proven best chance to find his voice,” she said.

The treatment is making a crucial differ-ence to Anthony’s progress, his senior thera-pist at the IBI therapy centre said.

“Since he started therapy at 20 hours a week, there has been an amazing jump in his cognitive and social skills. He is so ready to learn right now and so eager to discover,” the therapist said in an email forwarded by Konstantopoulos.

“Before starting IBI therapy, Anthony was non-verbal and unable to relate to the world. Now, he’s excited to start conversations and show us what he’s mastered. We’re excited too. We can’t wait to see what he will come up with next or what new skill we can throw at him.”

Although Miguelo doesn’t know of Antho-ny’s situation in particular, he said the board has a policy of not transporting students to appointments.

“The policy is for all students, so for each and every student. We do not transport stu-dents to appointments, we don’t have the resources to do that,” he said, pointing out the public and Catholic boards jointly con-tract out their transportation services.

“We get many, many requests to transport students to medical appointments and we can’t say one medical appointment is more important than another medical appoint-ment….We apply the policy fairly and equi-tably to all of our students because what we do for one, we do have to do for all requests.”

Anthony should never have been trans-ported from school to his therapy sessions, so the board is enforcing its policy as the new school year begins, Miguelo said.

“Somewhere along the line, someone did not follow the policy and I’m not sure what exactly occurred,” he said.

“I don’t know this case specifically, but when folks became aware that the policy was not being followed, a plan was put in place to bring the situation into compliance.”

Konstantopoulos questioned the logic of the board spending more money to transport Anthony a longer distance.

While she understands the board wanting a fair policy, she said it could give parents the option of taking their children to daily medi-cal appointments if they are closer to school than home.

“What’s sad is now the school board is taking advantage of the situation to save a few dollars, knowing full well these parents will not have their children miss out on this critical learning opportunity afforded to them by the government.”

From Front Page

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said. “I’m not interested in looking at growth sce-narios without certainty for servicing and transporta-tion.”

Councillor James Young was baffled by the projec-tions when the region is crying poor and holding up necessary infrastructure in the municipality.

“We have to stop and say, ‘No more’,” he said. “I want to give the region the benefit of the doubt, but their track record has not been very good.”

The lack of trust in the East Gwillimbury cham-bers toward the region was palpable. “(York) keeps pulling out the rug from under us,” Councillor Mar-lene Johnston said.

It’s not just about servicing but also transporta-tion, she added.

“We need an east-west road for all the new hous-es,” she said.

Council had little interest in even considering the 2041 numbers from the region.

The discussion was part of the town’s comments to the region on the preferred 2041 growth scenario.

Beyond East Gwillimbury, the population is pro-jected to grow from 56,200 to 81,000 in Aurora, and 85,700 to 114,900 in Newmarket by 2041.

The employment forecast shows Aurora will have 38,000 jobs in 2041, up from 27,000 in 2014. Newmar-ket will host 56,600 jobs, while EG will grow to 41,900, up from 42,700 and 9,500, respectively.

Several factors helped decide the forecasts, including land supplies, changing demographics and economics, municipal policies, infrastructure capac-ity and provincial growth plan requirements, which set minimum intensification, employment and population targets.

The region gets its growth target from province.

From Front Page

EG has trust issues with York Region

OPINION

No wonder town can’t trust region

TYork has dragged its feet on servicing, delayed sewage plant, changed decision on Doane Road

here’s an age-old saying: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice. Shame on me.

It appears the Town of East Gwillimbury is living this sce-

nario and has finally learned its lesson with York Region’s dog and pony show.

The boiling point was Tuesday’s coun-cil meeting when council got a chance to respond to York Region’s 2041 growth tar-gets for the East Gwillimbury that would see it grow to a population of 108,700.

Council, essentially, called the num-bers useless and I don’t blame them.

How can the region expect the town to take it seriously when it’s very unclear how serious the region is about helping East Gwillimbury meet its ambitious and provincially mandated 2031 growth targets?

How can it expect to be taken seri-ously when it tells a town to more than triple its population to 86,000 by 2031 and then delay the sewage plant, dubbed Upper York Sewage Solutions, that would facilitate much of that growth?

How can the region expect to be taken seriously when it tells East Gwillimbury to quintuple the number of jobs it can offer residents by 2031 only to drag its feet on servicing for the town’s employ-ment lands?

How can it expect to be taken seri-ously when it tells the town and residents that Doane Road will follow one align-ment only to switch its plan at the last

minute?The region has a credibility problem,

not only at the bank, it appears, but in East Gwillimbury, as well.

The region has a credibility problem, not only at the bank,

it appears, but in East Gwillimbury, as well.

Saddled with a $2.5-billion debt, the region delayed the UYSS until 2024 in some creative bit of accounting to make its books look better during the 2015 budget process.

At the time, it justified the move by pointing to how much money it currently has invested in infrastructure projects in East Gwillimbury, including the massive 2nd Concession reconstruction project.

The region failed to mention the project was long overdue as growth had

ground to a halt in East Gwillimbury for 15 years while everybody waited around for it to come up with some sort of ser-vicing for the town.

Former mayor and now Councillor James Young remembers when the envi-ronmental assessment was completed for the York Durham Sewage System extension in 2006 only for the region to rip up that assessment and start over on direction from the province.

Young said the region’s track record in East Gwillimbury is not very good and he’s right.

When I first started reporting in town in 2012, I noted how cynical Councillor Marlene Johnston sounded when she said, “I won’t believe it until the shovel is in the ground.”

Now I understand. A promise to the town is made to be

broken. When push comes to shove and the region has to write a big fat cheque to pay for infrastructure, that growth neces-sitates it kicks the can down the pot-hole filled road.

That’s why the interchange at Hwy. 404 and Doane Road remains untouched. That’s why the UYSS is delayed. That’s why the town has to grov-el to try and get its employment lands serviced.

The region talks a big game when it comes to growth but it doesn’t want to play — or pay.

Talk is cheap, after all.

Simon Martin

C M Y

by DUNCAN FLETCHERTo take a step into the home of Canadian Celtic music

duo Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy is to step intothe heart of the music itself. Fiddles, piano, bag pipechanters, drums and voice fill every room as the youngerLeahy-MacMasters pick up the tools of their parents tradeand begin to forge their own legacy.

In fact they are well on their way. The younger clan –now numbering six, from 16 months to 9 years of age,are already a fixture in the rollicking, foot-stomping,step-dancing, down-home Ceilidhs that people have cometo expect of Leahy-MacMaster shows. That seems to be anatural progression to anyone acquainted with thelegacies of Leahy and MacMaster both of whom have musicand family at the heart of what they do.

But for MacMaster, the “natural talent” everyone seemsto attribute to her and her family is not nature’s magic, butrather the result of old-fashion practice and dedication. Witha laugh, she explains, “everyone says ‘oh they must comeout playing.’ Well, no they don’t” she corrects, adding thata well-placed push is often in order.

“You just shove a fiddle in their hand,” she begins. Oncethey gain some ability, “they extract their ownenjoyment” that, in turn, motivates them to go further on theirown – even in the face of a competing nature to go out andplay instead.

What does seems natural for the clan is the inclination topromote a collaborative environment that focuses on makingthe best music possible -- the kind of environment that bothLeahy and MacMaster come from.

Before they joined forces, both MacMaster and Leahywere already Celtic music royalty in their own right.MacMaster, the Cape Breton Girl – a prodigy of sortsherself, learned from and inspired by masters like her uncle,Cape Breton legend Buddy MacMaster and others. Shebegan performing as a young girl in community centres acrossNova Scotia, beginning her recorded career at 16.

Embraced for her musical prowess, boundless energyand love of her home, she not only helped to bring the

“Cape Breton sound” to millions but also sought out andincorporated contemporary and international influencescreating a sound and audience all her own. Appearanceson high profile television shows like Good MorningAmerica, Conan O’Brien and even Sesame Street onlyheightened her appeal.

Similarly Donnell Leahy, the elder sibling in theaward-winning Leahy family, came to the realization earlythat he was meant to play. Having a fiddle put in his handat the tender age of two by his fiddling parents, he says,“I knew right away. I wanted to be like my dad and playlike my dad.”

That meant being very good, and he was. He and hissiblings brought their Ontario blend of traditional andcontemporary fiddle music to international acclaim. With theLeahy trademark, thousand-notes-a-minute pace andDonnell’s technical mastery, they broke out big with their1996 album, Leahy. Anchored by the incendiary Call of theDance single and video, they wowed a wholegeneration of fans that had no idea they liked the fiddle.They went from filling halls on their own, to playingstadiums backing up Shania Twain for almost two years.Along the way, they continued to pick up influences thatshow in their music today.

That natural, collaborative tendency is found in thecouple’s long-awaited, new album, One – their firsttogether. Released earlier this year, it encompasses stylesfrom across the world, but always imbued with theOntario and Cape Breton “accents” that each hasbecome famous for.

“Making this record is something people alwaysexpected,” relates Leahy. “We always expected it, but it wasalways delayed because it was never the priority.”

“But when it did happen,” adds MacMaster “it was amonumental big deal.”

“I’m a big fan of Natalie and she’s a big fan of mine,”says Leahy. “So we’re also cheerleaders for each other.It’s a great environment, a great spirit to work in.”

The delay also allowed some big name talent to get onboard in the form of famed, Juno award-winning rockproducer Bob Ezrin who is also a fan. Introduced byScottish-Canadian country star Johnny Reid, Leahy relatesthat far from forcing his rock side on the project Ezrin turnedout to be a true collaborator who “broadened”and “affected” the music but did not change it. Any rock in-fluences, like the addition of some electric guitar in parts,Leahy says is his doing. He relates how Ezrin reacted.“He shook his head and started laughing and said ‘I love it,but they’re going to blame me for this.”

Life doesn’t promise to become any less busy for the duo,who bring their multi-media show to the Flato MarkhamTheatre, where they will perform at the 30th AnniversarySeason Gala on October 17 with special guest HeatherRankin. Their appearance also sets the stage for a numberof other high profile Canadian and international performersthat also include a few other Celtic inspired eveningsincluding Leahy: The Next Generation – a performance byDonnell’s brother, Doug, and his talented family on Decem-ber 19, as well as Canadian Irish music icons, the IrishRovers on November 5 and Celtic Nights – a spectacularpresentation of Irish music, dance and art from Ireland’s mosttalented performers, March 12.MacMaster and Leahy, will also receive one of the firstMarkham Performance Awards, an annual presentation tothose who have contributed to the performing arts in thatcity. September 25 will also see them starring in Canada’sWalk of Fame celebrations headlining a Massey Hallshow, which MacMaster describes as a career highlight,knowing that once again they have the opportunity tomake great music and be the best they can be. If they cando that, concludes Leahy, “everything else will look afteritself.” Naturally.

NATALIE MACMASTER & DONNELL LEAHY: FAMILY, FIDDLES & BEING THE BEST YOU CAN BE

“I’m a big fan of Natalie and she’sa big fan of mine” ~ Donnell Leahy

by DUNCAN FLETCHERFor those who remember the 80s first hand, it’s hard to

have memories that don’t include a soundtrack withPlatinum Blonde hits. From the searing guitar intro ofDoesn’t Really Matter on the hit-laden 1983 Standing inthe Dark album, to the opening harmony of Crying OverYou and the catchy Situation Critical from 1985’s AlienShores, they were everywhere.

The group’s edgy, new wave songs screamed fromevery contemporary radio station, their faces looked outfrom every record store’s front racks and their videos werehigh-rotation staples on Much Music and MTV. Junonominations, sales records and other accolades followed.

It was quite a ride for the young trio of singer-bassistMark Holmes, guitarist Sergio Galli and drummer ChrisSteffler, who rocketed out of the Toronto club scene tointernational prominence. The addition of a fourthmember, Scottish ex-pat Kenny MacLean in 1985, didnothing to slow their rising star.

Holmes credits MTV, Much Music and other videoprograms for much of their sudden fame, offeringtongue-in-cheek, that “a whole generation of teenagers gotto see us in tight trousers.”

Mass media video allowed a larger, closer, more“intense connection with fans who could not only heartheir songs, but experience their energy, flashy styleand swagger.

The success took the band by surprise, according toHolmes. After a tour with 80s stalwarts The Romantics,on which they found that more people each show were

coming to hear them play rather than the headliner, theyreturned to Canada to find 30,000 fans filing in to seethem at Nathan Philips Square.

“The whole time (before the show) we were thinking,‘they must think we’re someone else’ because we were sonew,” he says. But they did know.

The band ultimately went their separate ways in 1990.But with electronic superstars Crystal Castles backed byThe Cure’s Robert Smith releasing a hugely popularversion of Not in Love in 2010, a new generation of fansbegan to clamour for their unique sound. It wasn’t asurprise to Holmes, who also stays active as a club DJ.

“What we do now really fits in well with the currentelectronic indie rock stuff,” notes Holmes.

That renewed demand, combined with a promise toKenny MacLean the night before he passed away in 2008to carry on the legacy, helped prompt the remainingmembers to reunite.

But Holmes steadfastly refused to rely on past laurels,and was determined to bring new material to thetable. While conceding they still play their hits in concert,he says, “I’m not into glorifying the past. It’s not wherewe’re at.”

The newer material includes the 2012 release Now& Never that turned out to be a huge success with hits likeBeautiful and Valentine becoming concert staples that areas embraced as fully as the old hits – especially byyounger fans, who Holmes notes comprise the bulk ofmodern day Platinum Blonde concert attendees.

Fans old and new can look forward to a new albumcoming this fall, tentatively titled, Symphony Orchestra,that Holmes promises will be a relevant expression of whatPlatinum Blonde was and is – a band that has alwaysembraced creative energy, new sounds and technology.

“Once you make the fatal mistake of growing up, yourart is over,” says Holmes. “But we’re still doing relevantthings and I’m still having fun.”

Luckily, you don’t have to wait for the new albumto get a sneak peek of the new material and hear the hitsas Platinum Blonde rocks Flato Markham Theatre onSeptember 25. Get tickets at the Theatre Box Office or atwww.markhamtheatre.ca

Platinum Blonde on having fun and never growing up

C M Y


east gwillimbury august 27

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