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The 2008 Rabbit and Eos.
Get local 24/7 newsdurhamregion.com✦ 40 PAGES ✦ Pressrun 52,400 ✦ Optional delivery $6/Newsstand $1 ✦ FRIDAY, JULY 18, 2008
The Pickering
When school’s
out forever
What happens when
a school is closed
NEWS/10
Beware of
summer scams
Police say seniors
are being bilked
NEWS/3
Will ‘Mr. Fix-it’ go to court?
See Good, Page 2
Neighbours say he’s just a helpful
guy, but Pickering proceeds
with bylaw complaint
By Kristen Calis
kcalis@durhamregion.com
PICKERING — An 81-year-old Pickering Mr. Fix-It
and his 80-year-old wife are about to experience some-
thing they never have before.
“This is the first time I’ve ever been in a courtroom,”
said John Tennant. “They’re a little late catching me.”
The long-time Pickering resident has repaired in his
backyard garage lawn mowers, bicycles, snowblowers,
Weedeaters and just about anything he can get his
hands on from the time he moved into his home in
1965. In fact, he’s had a love for fixing things from the
time he was 16.
“How can you change a man who’s 81?” he said.
But on June 24, Mr. Tennant and his wife, Jean, were
given notice to appear in a Whitby Ontario Court of
Justice for breaking a Pickering zoning bylaw. The
couple was supposed to appear in court on July 7, but
their neighbour, John Rooney, asked the judge to delay
the proceedings until Mr. Tennant could get a better
handle on the bylaw; it’s not available online due to its
large size, and the judge delayed it to September. The
property is designated for a single-family dwelling, not
business uses. But, according to Mr. Tennant, friends
and neighbours, he isn’t running a business; it’s simply
a hobby, and the only payment the man will accept, if
any, is a cup of coffee.
“Am I broke?” he said. “I’m far from it,” adding he
simply wants to keep his hands busy and his brain oc-
cupied.
Mr. Tennant’s neighbour of more than 40 years, Vio-
let Nicholls, wrote a letter to be presented at court in
order to defend the neighbourhood “charitable man.”
In an interview, she said the “community spirited”
man, who is older than she, is always the first to help
her rake leaves or check the oil in her car, and when Jason Liebregts /News Advertiser photo
John Tennant fixes bikes for kids and lawnmowers for seniors out of his garage. He has been summoned to court as the City of Pickering
investigates a bylaw complaint against him.
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durhamregion.comP PAGE 2 THE NEWS ADVERTISER, July 18, 2008
‘Good neighbour’ accused
of running a home business
Photo by Adrian Veczan
WALKING THE DOG
PICKERING — Richard Fraser and Gail Lawlor walk their dog,
Cleo, on the docks at the waterfront.
her grandchildren visit, they know just
who to see if anything needs fixing.
“It is a shame that John has been
charged for being a good neighbour as
I personally believe that an injustice is
being done,” she wrote.
Jack Cox wrote a similar letter. But
he’s not a Pickering resident; he heard
about Mr. Tennant when visiting rela-
tives in the area about eight years ago.
He took his broken-down snowblower
to him and when he learned it was free
of charge “I was in disbelief.
“Seeing an excellent deal when pre-
sented with it, I have since had Mr.
Tennant repair other gardening equip-
ment, all at no charge,” he wrote.
Mr. Rooney has taken it upon him-
self to help keep Mr. Tennant from los-
ing the ability to do something he loves
and is afraid of what could happen to
the energetic man.
“You keep (stressing this man out)
and he’s not going to be riding his
motorcycle in a few of years,” he said,
adding it’s quite common to see his 81-
year-old neighbour riding around on
his motorcycle, something he’s fixed
up for himself.
Mr. Rooney has canvassed south
Pickering and discovered about 200
businesses operating from homes,
such as day cares, and lawn mowers
blatantly for sale on front lawns. He
questions why someone helping out
seniors and kids is the one going to
court.
“He’s never had a lawn mower on his
front yard,” he said.
Mr. Tennant isn’t worried about the
fine he may have to pay; he’s worried
about losing his hobby and doesn’t
appreciate the stress this brings to his
life.
“To drag my wife to court for some-
thing like that I think is absurd,” Mr.
Tennant said.
The City of Pickering cannot discuss
Mr. Tennant’s case since it’s before the
courts, but City clerk Debi Wilcox said
the City’s bylaw department operates
on a complaint basis.
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THE NEWS ADVERTISER, July 18, 2008 PAGE 3 A/P
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durhamregion.com
Seniors targeted
for high-pressure
sales, police say
By Jeff Mitchell
jmitchell@durhamregion.com
DURHAM — Several sus-
pects have been charged
and another is being
sought in what police are
describing as a driveway
paving scam that saw vic-
tims overcharged and, in
some cases, threatened
when they balked at high
prices.
Reports of alleged pres-
sure tactics and goug-
ing have been pouring in
since Durham police went
public with the story of an
80-year-old Bowmanville
man who is out $14,000
after agreeing to a hastily
arranged paving job at his
home, said fraud unit De-
tective Mark Stone.
So far cops have identi-
fied eight potential victims
across Durham, particu-
larly in the north and east
regions, he said.
“I’ve been taking reports
all day,” Det. Stone said
Wednesday. “There are
going to be more charges.”
Five men have been
charged with multiple
counts of fraud over $5,000.
And in two cases, charges
of intimidation and extor-
tion were laid.
Threats were allegedly
made to people and prop-
erty when victims bristled
at high costs for jobs they’d
agreed to without learning
what the final tab would
be, Det. Stone said.
Homeowners reported
they’d been subjected to
cold calls from a paving
company representative
who would say he had as-
phalt left over from a job,
offering what he said was
a great price and then get-
ting them to sign work or-
ders. Typically when the
work was about half done,
the bill, often for several
thousand dollars, would
be presented, Det. Stone
said.
The pavers were charg-
ing anywhere up to $15 a
square foot for jobs, while
the industry standard is $2
to $2.50 per square foot,
Det. Stone said.
Some victims who dis-
puted the cost would be
threatened with legal ac-
tion, while others were
frightened of physical
harm or damage to their
property, he said.
The scams for the most
part targeted elderly hom-
eowners.
“I’d say 80 per cent of the
victims are seniors,” Det.
Stone said.
So far police have tied
the Durham suspects to
invoices bearing three
company names: Bel-
con Construction, Hiway
Maintenance and Velcon
Construction.
Charged are Michael
White of Dartmouth, N.S.;
Jeremy Mussche, Steven
Franklin and Istvan Bar-
tha of Hamilton and Philip
Dixon of Mississauga. All
were released on bail Tues-
day. A warrant has been
issued for the arrest of a
sixth man.
Police have issued a
warning to residents to
watch out for suspicious
offers, but Det. Stone has-
tens to add there are plenty
of reputable contractors.
One local paver has offered
to fix up the Bowmanville
senior’s poorly finished
driveway, he said.
Det. Stone said people
ought to be wary of con-
tractors making cold calls
and offering what they say
are great deals, especially
when there’s a high-pres-
sure sales pitch.
“If they’re making you
make a decision right there,
generally you shouldn’t do
it,” he advised.
“There’s something
wrong.”
Five charged in alleged paving scams in Durham
Photo by Adrien Veczan
BLUES AT SUNSET
PICKERING — The ‘Full Count Blues Band’ entertained recently
during a free concert at Millennium Square.
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durhamregion.comA/P PAGE 4 THE NEWS ADVERTISER, July 18, 2008
AJAX — Police used a Taser device
to subdue an Ajax man who alleg-
edly threatened his son with a machete
and assaulted responding officers early
Tuesday.
Cops converged on the Delaney
Drive address at about 7:20 a.m. in
response to a 911 call about a domestic
dispute and witnessed the man as-
saulting his 21-year-old son, Sergeant
Paul McCurbin said. The suspect
pushed an officer as she tried to arrest
him, knocking her down a short flight
of stairs, Sgt. McCurbin said.
The suspect was subdued with a
Taser and taken into custody.
The 54-year-old man, who isn’t
being identified to protect the identity
of the victim, is charged with assault
with intent to resist arrest, assault and
possession of a dangerous weapon.
AJ Groen/ News Advertiser photo
A CANOE FOR TWO
AJAX — Courtice’s Eric Knott paddles down Duffin’s Creek with Melissa Nicholls. Melissa is an instructor
with the Ajax Recreation Services’s Youth Teen Adventure Camp in which Eric was enrolled.
Cops taser
man with
machete
THE NEWS ADVERTISER, July 18, 2008 PAGE 5 Pdurhamregion.com
Ron Pietroniro/ News Advertiser photo
VOLLEYBALL CAMP EXERCISES
PICKERING — Ipyana Viscardi leaps over the hurdle during the Solstice Summer Volleyball Camp as Elise
Hazelton looks on. The camp runs for only one week, but the outdoor volleyball league runs Wednesday and
Thursday evenings at the Pickering Recreation Complex.
Sudoku
newsdurhamregion.comNOW
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Check it out at PICKERING — A Paralympian and
a man running across Canada to raise
autism awareness will stop in Pickering
Saturday morning en route to Toronto.
Twenty-four-year-old Jonathan How-
ard began the solo journey, Run the
Dream, in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and
has since completed 3,000 kilometres of
about 8,500 to finish his journey. When
Mr. Howard was in Ottawa, two-time
Paralympian Terry Robinson, who uses
a wheelchair, joined him for the Ontario
portion.
Mr. Howard has been recognized in
the legislative assemblies of Nova Scotia,
Prince Edward Island and Quebec.
The two will stop off in the Pickering
Town Centre parking lot in front of Gold-
en Griddle (the southeast corner of Liv-
erpool and Kingston roads) Saturday,
July 19 at 8:30 a.m. Residents are invited
to join in the run, which departs at 9 a.m.
and will travel east along Kingston Road.
For more information visit www.run-
thedream.ca.
Cross-Canada runner to stop
in Pickering Saturday morning
General Motors fighting against economic clock
We think.. e-mail responses to mjohnston@durhamregion.com
NEWS ADVERTISER 130 Commercial Ave., Ajax ON L1S 2H5
newsdurhamregion.com newsroom@durhamregion.com
The News Advertiser is a Metroland Media Group newspaper. The News Advertiser is a
member of the Ajax & Pickering Board of Trade, Ontario Community Newspaper Assoc.,
Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc., and the Canadian Circulations Audit Board. Also
a member of the Ontario Press Council, 2 Carlton St., Suite 1706, Toronto, M5B 1J3, an
independent organization that addresses reader complaints about member newspapers.The
publisher reserves the right to classify or refuse any advertisement. Credit for advertisement
limited to space price error occupies. Editorial and Advertising content of the News Adver-
tiser is copyrighted. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.
Publications Mail Sales Agreement Number 40052657
& Editorials
Opinions
Tim Whittaker - Publisher
Joanne Burghardt - Editor-in-Chief
Mike Johnston - Managing Editor
Duncan Fletcher - Director of Advertising
Andrea Babin - Retail Advertising Manager
Eddie Kolodziejcak - Classified Advertising Manager
Abe Fakhourie - Distribution Manager
Lillian Hook - Office Manager
Janice O’Neil, Cheryl Haines - Composing Managers
News/Sales (905) 683-5110
Classifieds (905) 683-0707 Distribution (905) 683-5117
Fax (905) 683-7363
e-mail letters to mjohnston@durhamregion.com / max. 200 words /
please include your full first and last name, place of residence & daytime phone number /
letters that do not appear in print may be published @ newsdurhamregion.com
Our readers think...
A/P PAGE 6 THE NEWS ADVERTISER, July 18, 2008 durhamregion.com
G race under difficult circumstanc-
es.
That was Perdita Felicien on Tues-
day morning, telling a group of journal-
ists in a conference call that the Olympic
Games -- what would have been the third
in her track and field career -- would be a
no-go, derailed by an injury that wouldn’t
allow her enough time to prepare.
The two-time Olympian and the pride of
Pickering announced officially Tuesday she
won’t be on the track representing Canada
in Beijing next month.
After recovering emotionally and physi-
cally from the cauldron of Athens in 2004,
after working hard to return to form to
capture silver in the 100-metre hurdles at
the 2007 world track and field champion-
ships in Osaka, Japan, it hardly seemed fair
she won’t be one of Canada’s medal threats
in China. As disappointing as uttering the
words “My decision is not to take part in
the Summer Olympic Games” must have
been for the 27-year-old two-time world
champion, she handled herself with her
usual class and positive outlook.
Despite saying goodbye to a chance to
compete on the biggest stage in sport, there
were no tears of frustration, no woe-is-me
demeanour, no time for moping around
-- just an unshakeable belief in herself and
that better days are on the horizon.
She suffered a stress fracture on her left
foot after a training session in February. Ini-
tially diagnosed as a sprain, it was expected
to keep her out of training for four to six
weeks. Unfortunately, the injury proved
much worse than first suspected.
Tests ultimately revealed the fracture,
which meant a whole new way of address-
ing the injury. It meant being fitted with
a walking boot and crutches, which she
endured for four weeks.
She fought hard, using every available
minute for rehabilitation and training in an
attempt to qualify for the Olympics. Even
after being granted a medical exemption
that allowed her to bypass the Canadian
Track and Field Championships earlier this
month, she still held out hope.
She decided against attempting to qualify
for Beijing late last week, on the advice of
her doctors, her family and her long-time
coach Gary Winckler.
Even in the throes of delivering such dev-
astating news, she was already preparing
for the future. In fact, she was headed out to
train at the conclusion of the press confer-
ence.
In her future, post-Beijing, she’ll train for
the 2009 world championship in Berlin,
Germany, where she’s eager to line up on
the starting blocks against some of the girls
who’ll compete at Beijing.
And, even further in the distance, she’s
excited by the prospects of wearing the red
and white at the next Olympics in London
in 2012.
With 2012 in mind, when Perdita will
be 32, American hurdling champion Gail
Devers serves as her shining example of an
athlete in her discipline who’s competed
and thrived well into her 30s.
“Gail was competing in her 40s. Do I
have those ambitions? Not at this time,
but I want to take it as far as it can go.”
We’ll still watch the Beijing Olympics,
but, for me, Perdita will be conspicuous
by her absence.
And, that’s truly a shame.
Al Rivett’s column appears every third
Friday. E-mail arivett@durhamregion.
Olympics won’t be the
same without Perdita
D on’t look now but General
Motors CEO Rick Wagoner has
just made another brave state-
ment about his beleaguered company’s
ability to weather all economic storms.
It’s almost become a sad and regu-
lar routine to see Mr. Wagoner before
a podium at GM headquarters in
Detroit putting on a brave face to the
world. Just six weeks ago, Mr. Wagoner
announced that four truck plants -- one
in Oshawa, two in the U.S, and one
in Mexico -- would be shutting down
sometime in 2009. That move will send
2,600 local workers to the unemploy-
ment line.
Several months before that there
were promises the auto giant was going
to turn it around, cut its losses and
become competitive, indeed be a win-
ner. We’ve been hearing this hopeful
message for years.
In between these state-of-the-com-
pany addresses, we learn of layoffs,
cutbacks, and reductions that start with
one shift being shut down, then a sec-
ond -- in the case of the truck plant --
and finally an announcement that the
whole plant will be closed.
It’s getting harder to believe Mr. Wag-
oner and the top executives at General
Motors have the answer his thousands
of employees are looking for. One pic-
tures a man in a boat, bailing water as
fast as he can as the leak gets bigger
and bigger. He’s pushing for a distant
shore while the storms of economic
disaster are whipping around and
competitors swim like sharks in the
surrounding water. It’s an ominous sce-
nario.
To be fair, GM has been hit hard by
soaring gas prices, a miserable slump in
the American economy and the desire
by consumers to find fuel-friendly and
cleaner, greener vehicles. Mr. Wagoner
vows GM is divesting itself of poor
sellers and vehicles the market says
consumers don’t want, such as gas-
guzzling large trucks and SUVs. He says
GM’s new lines coming out in 2009 and
2010 will satisfy the needs of customers
who want style, value and vehicles that
get great gas mileage.
But time is the enemy for Gen-
eral Motors and solutions are
needed immediately.
It’s in all of our collective interest
that Mr. Wagoner and his top advis-
ers come up with the answers.
Al Rivett
Cyclists don’t enjoy
the Waterfront Trail
To the editor:
Re: ‘Waterfront Trail is for pedestrians
first’, letter to the editor, News Advertiser, July
9.
Writer Karen MacLean expressed her
disdain for cyclists on the Waterfront Trail.
It should be known that cyclists don’t enjoy
using the Waterfront Trail. It is indirect and
clogged with pedestrians. There is no way
for cyclists to travel east-west safely in Ajax,
yet that does not stop the current adminis-
tration from pushing the lakefront trail as
a golden road for cyclists. Instead of com-
plaining about cyclists on the Waterfront
Trail, how about complaining that cyclists
have to use the waterfront trail? Why not
do the logical thing and build bike lanes on
Hwy. 2 before anyone gets hurt?
Terry Price
Ajax
THE NEWS ADVERTISER, July 18, 2008 PAGE 7 A/Pdurhamregion.com
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Cover up and wear light-coloured clothing
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For more information contact
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calling 1-888-777-9613 ext. 2188
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DURHAM — Keeping their
eyes wide open in the urban
jungle can help youth win
prizes and display their pho-
tography skills.
Through the Youth Cen-
tre’s Urban Eyes Photo and
Awareness Project, partici-
pants will learn from a pro-
fessional photographer and
use their pictures to speak up
and take action on a social
issue that matters to youth in
the community.
“The goal of the Urban Eyes
Photo and Awareness Project
is to create more opportuni-
ties for youth within the com-
munity and to give them an
avenue to make a difference,”
said Jorge Caxaj, health pro-
moter at The Youth Centre.
“When youth are meaning-
fully involved and connected
to their community, the com-
munity benefits as a whole.”
Participants can present
their work at an art exhibit
in the community, where
friends, family, and others
will be invited for light re-
freshments. They’ll also have
the opportunity to win prizes
for their displayed work.
The program occurs each
Tuesday, July 29 to Aug. 12,
from 1 to 3:30 p.m., and on
Aug. 19 from 7 to 9 p.m.
“Research shows there is a
strong connection between
the meaningful engagement
of youth and healthy vibrant
communities,” Mr. Caxaj
said. “Healthy communities
are all about creating an en-
vironment where making a
difference is the norm.”
Pre-registration is required
and enrolment limited. Call
The Youth Centre, 360 Bayly
St. W., Ajax, at 905-428-
1212.
Youth Centre has
Urban Eyes project
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durhamregion.comA/P PAGE 10 THE NEWS ADVERTISER, July 18, 2008
Boards can sell,
lease or keep
properties
By Crystal Crimi
ccrimi@durhamregion.com
DURHAM — Boxes are
being packed and pictures
taken down at Holy Cross
Catholic School, one of five
in Oshawa that won’t reopen
this September.
But, that doesn’t mean the
Durham Catholic District
School Board won’t be keep-
ing the property, or any other
of the five closing schools.
“There’s always the pos-
sibility we could retain one or
two properties for any other
school board purpose,” said
Paul Pulla, the board’s direc-
tor of education.
Along with Holy Cross, also
closing to address continued
declining enrolment in Os-
hawa are Canadian Martyrs,
Father Francis Mahoney,
St. Gregory, and St. Michael
Catholic schools. Any one of
the properties could be used
for new or expanding pro-
grams, or retained for future
growth. “It could be for any
of those and we’ve not yet de-
termined whether we will be
making a recommendation
to board for any such use,”
Mr. Pulla said.
Staff will complete a report
on surplus properties this fall
to be approved by the school
board, along with a corre-
sponding time line.
“The whole process from
beginning to end can take up
to a year,” Mr. Pulla said.
Education Act regulations
for property dispositions
come with a time frame.
Once the school board
declares a property surplus,
it can sell or lease the land,
giving right of refusal to area
school boards, colleges and
universities, the municipal-
ity, and others. Any of these
groups interested can make a
proposal at fair market value.
The selling school board
has to wait 90 days after it is-
sues the proposal before ac-
cepting an offer. If it doesn’t
get one, it can lease or sell it
to anyone. A tender is put out
for a real estate agency to sell
them on open market.
St. Joseph’s former site on
Simcoe Street was the last
school property the Catholic
board sold, after it received
funding to rebuild the school.
It sold for approximately $2
million and ended up be-
coming a private Montessori
school, Mr. Pulla said.
In the past, other school
board and public education
facilities could do a property
exchange arrangement in-
stead of paying market value,
but that has been changed
for at least several years, Mr.
Pulla said. The rationale for it
now is the money made goes
into reserves for additions
and capital projects.
Over the summer, custodi-
ans, hired summer students,
and other staff are packing
up the closing schools.
“Although school is done,
we haven’t moved everything
that needs to be moved for
consolidated schools,” he
said. In most cases, all the
education materials follow
students, as will most fur-
nishings. If there’s no need
for them in the consolidated
schools, the board will look
elsewhere in the system, and
if there’s still no need, they’ll
go into storage.
“So we don’t expect we’ll
have a lot of furniture or
equipment in storage,” Mr.
Pulla said.
Once a school’s empty,
maintenance staff is as-
signed on an as-needed
basis. The buildings will also
be heated in winter to pre-
vent freezing pipes, but not
to the same extent. Regular
security and maintenance
checks occur as well.
What happens when school’s out forever
Jason Liebregts/ News Advertiser photo
Ryan Kinahan cleans the PE room at the closed Holy Cross Catholic School, Oshawa.
Regional Municipality of Durham Works Department
605 Rossland Road East, Whitby ON L1N 6A3
Telephone 905-668-7711 or 1-800-372-1102
www.region.durham.on.ca
WORKS DEPARTMENT PUBLIC NOTICE
COMMITTEE MEMBERS WANTED
for an Energy-from-Waste (EFW)
SITE LIAISON COMMITTEE
The Region of Durham is seeking applications from Durham Region residents
who are interested in actively participating as a member of a public Site Liaison
Committee (SLC) in partnership with the Region of Durham and the Municipality
of Clarington. The Terms of Reference governing this committee are posted on
the Region of Durham’s website at www.region.durham.on.ca.
This committee will provide feedback to and exchange information with Regional
residents on the site-specific studies currently being conducted on the
recommended site for an energy-from-waste facility. These studies are being
completed under the Ministry of the Environment regulations as part of the
Durham/York Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Durham/York Residual
Waste Study. For more information on this study, visit www.durhamyorkwaste.ca.
The Region of Durham will be selecting five (5)residents of Durham Region and
the Municipality of Clarington will be selecting four (4)Clarington residents to
participate on this committee. Committee member selection will be based on the
qualifications and interest provided with a completed application.
If you are interested in participating on the Site Liaison Committee, please
complete and return the application form available on Durham Region’s website
at www.region.durham.on.ca or contact Elizabeth Lockett (see contact below)
to have an application form mailed to you. Applications may also be picked up
at the Durham Region Clerk’s Office at Regional Headquarters at the address
shown below or at the Municipality of Clarington municipal office located at
40 Temperance Street, Bowmanville.
Region of Durham, Waste Management
Applications must be received by
4:30 p.m. on Friday, August 1, 2008
Questions:Elizabeth Lockett, Waste Management, 905-668-7711 ext. 2843
Greg Borchuk, P. Eng., Project Engineer
Return completed applications to:
Elizabeth Lockett, Region of Durham - See address below or
E-mail: locket_e@region.durham.on.ca
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