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and FINANCIAL SERVICES JD INSURANCE JONES - DOOLEY INSURANCE BROKERS 905.427.3595 JDInsurance.ca “Personal Service Makes A Difference” Travel, Health, Life, Auto, Home & More... Complete Insurance & Financial Solutions Discounts for: •All Ages •Auto & Home •Good Claims History •Multi Cars • Retirees • & More Mortgage Insurance Compare our Low cost + Superior Coverage Home and auto rates are on the increase. Call for a quick quote today! ™ Your Best InsuranceYour Best Insurance IsAn Insurance BrokerIs An Insurance Broker 103 Church St. S.103 Church St. S. Ajax, Pickering VillageAjax, Pickering Village BLAISDALE M O N TESSO RIBLAISDALE MONTESSORI SCHOOL 12 months - grade 8Blaisdale.com 905-509-5005 OPEN HOUSE Thurs. April 30, 2009 @ 7:00 p.m. 56 Old Kingston Rd., Pickering Village, Ajax Rougemount Campus 365 Kingston Rd., Pickering Thurs. Feb. 18, 2010 @ 7:00 p.m. 905-686-9607 Visit our showroom 239 Station St., Ajax www.lifestyleproducts.ca SUNROOMS • WINDOWS PORCH ENCLOSURES • DOORS From Pressrun 51,400 • 24 pages • Optional 3-week delivery $6/$1 newsstand PICKERING Th ursday, January 7, 2010 NNews ews AAddveverr titisseerrTHE SABRINA BYRNES / METROLAND PICKERING -- Tersisa Hamilton flipped through a magazine at the Pickering Public Library on Jan. 5. The library experienced record circula- tion numbers in 2009.Pickering library has best year ever NEW IHELP DESK ALLOWS CLIENTS TO USE IPOD, SOFTWARE FOR FREE BY KRISTEN CALIS kcalis@durhamregion.com PICKERING -- The belief that a downturn in the economy means a surge at the local library rang true at the Pickering Public Library in 2009. With nearly 1.2 million items borrowed, 2009 was its most successful year yet, with an increase of seven per cent in circulation from 2008, despite no increase in Pickering’s population. “If you have to let go of your Internet subscrip- tion, you come to the library,” said library CEO Cathy Grant. The library, in the civic complex at One The Esplanade, not only continued its Internet ser- vices and expanded its collection of books, games, DVDs, magazines and audio books, but also added its iHelp desk. The technological service centre features five iMac computers that offer a wealth of software programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator and GarageBand, and has stations to print digital photos, scanners and two big-screen TVs for viewing news, video podcasts, stock tickers, traf- fic, weather and video editing purposes. See PICKERING page 5 COURTS 2 Pickering youth guilty Toronto teens mowed down during Ajax brawl REGION 4 Have your say Public input sought for Durham transit SPORTS 17 Karate kids to worlds Pickering club to send members to Argentina Boys, 15 and 17, mowed down during brawl in Ajax BY JEFF MITCHELL jmitchell@durhamregion.com OSHAWA -- A Pickering youth has plead- ed guilty to criminal negligence in the deaths of two teens who were run down by a speeding vehicle in the midst of a massive brawl early last year in Ajax. The Crown has indicated its intention to seek a jail term for the youth, who admitted in an Oshawa court Tuesday he was behind the wheel of a Saturn Ion that struck and killed the boys in the midst of a fight last February. The boy, 17, plead- ed guilty to two counts of criminal neg- ligence causing death and will be sen- tenced March 1; his identity is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Prosecutor Ken Polley said the outburst of violence in the residential neighbour- hood near Ajax’s Hermitage Park arose from a simmering dispute between the youth and another boy, both of whom were incensed by acts of “disrespect. “One spat on the other’s car and one threw a wrench” during an earlier con- frontation, Mr. Polley said in reading an agreed statement of facts. The boys agreed to meet on Friday, Feb. 27 to resolve their differences, Mr. Polley said. Word of an impending fight spread and five carloads of youths showed up in Ajax. They met first at Pickering High School, but the threat of sanctions by school authorities led them to take the dispute elsewhere. The young people convened at Hermit- age Park, near Griffiths Drive and Leah Crescent, and watched as the youth and the other boy talked; the result was that the boys “resolved their beef without vio- lence,” Mr. Polley said. But “certain members of both groups were not satisfied with the peaceful res- olution,” he said, and the two groups squared off as fights erupted, he told Jus- tice Peter De Freitas. During the melee a friend of the Pickering youth’s was stabbed. The boy got into his vehicle and fled the scene, only to turn around and race back, Mr. Polley said. Witnesses heard the engine revving and tires squealing as the Saturn approached, he said. The car mounted a snow bank and plowed into the Toronto boys, sending them flying, court heard. The victims sustained fractured legs when hit by the car and fractured skulls as they fell to the roadway. Both boys were rushed to hos- pital but succumbed to their injuries. An investigation by Durham police indicated the youth’s Saturn was acceler- ating at a “pedal to the metal” pace and that no brakes were applied in the sec- onds before the collision, Mr. Polley told the judge. The youth helped his friend, who had suffered minor stab wounds, into anoth- er vehicle, which fled the scene. Durham police stopped the vehicle nearby on Kingston Road. The youth remains free on bail pending his sentencing. newsdurhamregion.comNews Advertiser • January 7, 20102 AP FX AUTOFX AUTO 701 BROCK ST. N.701 BROCK ST. N. WHITBY, ONWHITBY, ON 905-430-2235905-430-2235 FROMFROM $$2492490000 FROMFROM $$33 99 9595 FROMFROM $$11 80809595 WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENTSWINDSHIELD REPLACEMENTS STONE CHIP REPAIRSSTONE CHIP REPAIRS WINDOW TINTWINDOW TINT Join us at one of our information nights to learn more. January 14, 2010 7to9p.m. Oshawa campus Room SW209 Intellectual disability + the CICE program = Opportunity Community Integration through Cooperative Education An exciting opportunity for students with intellectual or other significant learning challenges to complete a college program that is tailored to fit their individual academic abilities. For information please contact 905.721.2000 ext. 2059, Angie Wood at ext. 2495, e-mail angela.wood@durhamcollege.ca or visit www.durhamcollege.ca/CICE. CONTINUING EDUCATION Helping you help others. www.durhamcollege.ca/coned | 905.721.3052 Social Service Worker The Social Service Program combines class- room work with practical experience to provide graduates with the skills, knowledge and att itudes required to work in the diverse and complex field of community and social services. The program focuses on the development of front-line counselling skills for work with indi- viduals and groups in a variety of social ser vice settings. Child & Youth Worker This program is designed to prepare students to provide frontline treatment services to emotionally troubled and behaviourally disordered children and youth. 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West Durham Ostomy Clinic Theresa Henderson, RN, BScN, ET, CWOCN, CAET(c) Partner in Community Nursing Performed by: Hollister Sponsored by:Hosted by: 635 Kingston Road, Pickering (Just West of Whites Rd. - South Side) www.themedicalsupplystore.ca Third Thursday of Every Month - Next Clinic: Thursday, January 21/10 - 10am - 2pm By Appointment Only - Call to Reserve Your Appointment 905-839-6200 Hours: Mon. - Fri.: 9am - 6pm • Sat. 9am - 5pm • Sun. 11am - 5pm COURTS Pickering youth guilty after speeding car kills two More vehicles stopped, fewer charges laid DURHAM -- Fewer people were charged with drunk driving during this year’s Festive RIDE campaign than last year, despite Durham officers checking more vehicles during the seven-week effort. One hundred twenty-two motorists were charged with impaired driving dur- ing the campaign, which began in late November and wound up on the week- end following New Year’s Day, Durham police reported. The 2008 campaign saw 152 impaired charges laid. The number of motorists who had their licences suspended for registering a warning on roadside breath tests was down too, with 127 suspensions issued in 2009 compared to 168 in 2009. In all, 656 roadside tests were conducted in 2009 (903 the previous year) as officers stopped 12,989 vehicles (10,468 in 2008) at check points across the region. One statistic that showed an increase was the number of G1 and G2 drivers caught for breaching their no-alcohol restriction: 66 charges were laid in 2009, compared to 45 in 2008. DRUNK DRIVING Impaired charges decline in Durham’s Festive RIDE campaign Please recycle your News Advertiser newsdurhamregion.comNews Advertiser • January 7, 20103 AP It’s not your mortgage or your child’s education. It’s usually your personal income tax. I can help you make the most of your money and minimize your taxes. Call us to find out how The Plan™ can help you prosper now… and over time. 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This is a full-time opportunity to establish your own variable-income and self-employed business in association with Investors Group.MP1323 (09/2008-P) www.careersinvestorsgroup.com Regional Director WALTER ALONSO CFP, BA 1550 Kingston Road Suite #313 (905) 831-0034 (905) 831-0130 walter.alonso@investorsgroup.com PICKERING, ON L1V 1C3 Investors Group Financial Services Inc. Call us at (905) 831-0034 for Career Session Dates SABRINA BYRNES / METROLAND Ajax collision AJAX -- Police and firefighters were called to the scene of a multi- vehicle collision at the intersection of Harwood Avenue and Kings Crescent on Jan. 6. BY KRISTEN CALIS kcalis@durhamregion.com PICKERING -- Despite some objections from the com- munity, Pickering’s planning and development com- mittee has approved plans for a retirement residence on Kingston Road. V!VA Retirement Living Corp. plans to build a 135- unit, six-storey rental retirement residence at Glenanna and Kingston roads. A day care that will accommodate between 35 and 40 kids is also planned for the bottom floor. “I would encourage the com- mittee to send this back to the planning department for further discussion,” said resident Peter Smith. Mr. Smith feels the building would be too tall for the neigh- bourhood, and that traffic will become even more chaotic than it already is. He also fears for more of the same coming to the neighbourhood, considering there are two vacant lots to the north of the property. Planning director Neil Carroll said this development represents the northern limit of high density in the area. There would have to be some “heavy-duty” zon- ing amendments to the area that is designated as low density, and he doesn’t believe they’d be approved. Mr. Carroll also said he’s “not anticipating any signifi- cant traffic issues here.” Nearby resident Richard Smiles, a 40-year amateur radio operator, said the building will interfere with his radio communication contacts, limiting use of his radio station. He’s also concerned it will interfere with his satellite services. Although Mr. Smiles said V!VA representatives indi- cated they would accommodate his worries, he’s con- cerned about the upkeep of any devices that may be installed to help him maintain his hobby, and is wait- ing for something in writing. “I strongly recommend this building structure height be limited to three sto- reys or less,” he said in a letter to the City. “This would be in line with all other structures on the north side of Kingston Road between Dixie Road to the west and Brock Road to the east.” Mr. Smiles was also concerned about alarms being muffled in case of an emergency at the Pickering Nucle- ar Station. But Ward 2 Regional Councillor Bill McLean said with the new advance warning system that’s been put into place, that won’t be a problem. Coun. McLean said the building will be a welcomed, tasteful addition to the community, in a great, con- venient location for seniors since it’s close to many of Pickering’s amenities. “People want to get out, we encourage people to be mobile,” he said. “Here is a per- fect example where people can be mobile.” The plans will come go council on Monday, Jan. 18 for final approval. DEVELOPMENT New retirement residence planned for Pickering BILL MCLEAN newsdurhamregion.comNews Advertiser • January 7, 20104 AP We Guarantee the HIGHEST Prices Paid for Gold in Canada! Based on the Daily World Gold Price Index WE BUY: OLD & BROKEN JEWELLERY • RINGS • CHAINS • EARRINGS • BRACELETS • NECKLACES • BROKEN GOLD • GOLD & SILVER COINS • GOLD & SILVER CHARMS BROKEN CHAINS • SCRAP GOLD • DENTAL GOLD Don’t give away your valuable Jewellery – Check out the competition then come see Rafael. We PAY You In CASH - Not A Cheque! We Buy All Gold & Silver Rafael Jewellery 15 Westney Road North at Kingston Road, Ajax (In the Westney Heights Plaza beside Rogers) 905-426-4700 • www.rafaeljewellery.com %63)".3&(*0/ #3*%"-&7&/5 '"4)*0/4)08 +"/6"3 :5) ".ʰ1 . 4 5 "//6 "- %63)".$0--&(& $".164 3&$3&"5*0/"/%8&--/&44$&/53& "WFOVFPG$IBNQJPOT 4JNDPF4U/$POMJO3E 0TIBXB 5JDLFUTJOBEWBODF QMVTUBYFT PSBUUIFEPPS #6::0635*$,&540/-*/&50%": 888#&"65*'6-#&(*//*/(4#3*%"-$0.03 8884)084%63)".3&(*0/$0. DURHAM -- Durham residents can now have a say in how their buses are run. Durham Region Transit is now enter- ing the fourth, and final, phase of con- sultation activities, for the long-term transit strategy. With stakeholder and community advisory committee meet- ings happening throughout January, the third series of open houses will also be held at five locations around Durham. The purpose of these open houses is to receive input from the public about the proposed plan for DRT. The advisory committee is made up of 40 individual and organization vol- unteers, whose purpose is to develop transit alternatives and discuss goals for DRT. “We’ve received valuable comments from our residents and businesses throughout the year-long study. We have evaluated a number of transit corridors and technology options, and now it’s time to go back to the community and obtain their feedback on our results,” said Phil Meagher, deputy general man- ager of operations for DRT. Open house sessions will be: • Oshawa -- Jan. 21, from 2 to 5 p.m., at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, South Wing, 200 Simcoe St. • Brooklin -- Jan. 23, from 1 to 4 p.m., at the Brooklin Public Library lounge, 150 Winchester Rd. W. • Cannington -- Jan. 25, from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Cannington Community Centre auditorium, 91 Elliot St. • Ajax -- Jan. 28, from 6 to 9 p.m., at Pickering (Village) High School, theatre arts room, 180 Church St. N. • Pickering -- Jan. 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Petticoat Creek Community Centre lower lobby, 470 Kingston Rd. For more information: CALL 905-668-7711 ext. 3700 (Phil Meagher) VISIT www.durhamlongtermtransitstrategy.ca REGION Durham residents have say in transit strategy Please recycle newsdurhamregion.comNews Advertiser • January 7, 20105 P curves.com [ ]TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE THE WORLD 1 MILLION WOMEN STRONGER curves.com/StrongerTogether Offer based on first visit enrollment, minimum 12 mo. c.d./e.f.t program. 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Valid only at participating locations through 2/27/10. © 2010 Curves International, Inc. 000 000 0000 Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address LlAdd 000 000 0000 Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address LlAdd 000 000 0000 Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address LlAdd 000 000 0000 Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address LlAdd 000 000 0000 Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address LlAdd 000 000 0000 Local Address Local Address 000 000 0000 Local Address Local Address 000 000 0000 Local Address Local Address 000 000 0000 Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address LlAdd 000-000-0000 Local Address LlAdd 000-000-0000 Local Address LlAdd 000-000-0000 Local Address LlAdd 000 000 0000 Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address (000) 000-0000 Local Address (000) 000-0000 Local Address (000) 000-0000 Local Address (000) 000-0000 Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address (000) 000-0000 Local Address (000) 000-0000 Local Address (000) 000-0000 Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address (000) 000-0000 Local Address (000) 000-0000 Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address (000) 000-0000 Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address (000) 000-0000 (000) 000-0000 (000) 000-0000 (000) 000-0000 Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address Local Address (000) 000-0000 (000) 000-0000 (000) 000-0000 Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 000-000-0000 Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 000-000-0000 000-000-0000 Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 000-000-0000 000-000-0000 000-000-0000 Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local AddressLocal Address Local Address (000) 000-0000Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address 000-000-0000 Local Address Local Address 000-000-0000 1050 Brock Rd., Pickering (between 401 & Bayly) 300 Kingston Rd., Pickering (Gates Plaza @ Altona) 905-421-9550 905-509-5578 Join now and get 30 days free. Curves works to add 3 years to your life. Regular exercise is proven to have long-lasting benefits for your health. Try our 30-minute circuit three times a week. You’ll work every major muscle group, strengthen your heart and burn up to 500 calories each workout. 8 WEEK FLORAL DESIGN COURSE Sunday, January 31st - Sunday, March 28th, 2010 (No Valentine’s Day class) • Fee $40 - 2 hour weekly class • Floral supplies extra • Certifi cate Upon Completion Come have fun, learn and grow RSVPclass is fi lling quickly Ajax/Pickering 905-239-8098 Specializing in Weddings • Events • Sympathy • All Occasion • Corporate • Gifts Flowering Potted Gardens • Gift Baskets • Delivery Service (Wide Range) 109 Old Kingston Rd., Unit 14 (Courtyard Plaza @Elizabeth St. Bliss faces Kingston Rd.) Ajax/Pickering 905-239-8098 Blissflowersandgifts@rogers.com • www.blissflowersandgifts.com fl owers&gifts “We see this ... as an evolution of what librar- ies have always done,” said Ms. Grant. The iHelp desk also offers iPods and iPod downloads, allowing clients to fill them up with audio books for free. “I would say that’s one of our popular ser- vices,” said digital services librarian Kayhan Boncoglu. Mr. Boncoglu, the brains behind iHelp’s creation, minds the desk, happy to answer questions and solve software problems for library clients. “We try to have all the answers to a whole gamut of digital questions,” he said, adding he had just helped a woman restore the oper- ating system on her network. iHelp was originally designed to help baby boomers and seniors since more of their questions were focused on technology than traditional reference questions. “They were getting tired of asking their kids,” Ms. Grant joked. But now, it seems people of all ages are using it, she said. Ms. Grant feels the layout of the library, with sections such as mystery and home and garden, keeps clients coming back by creat- ing an enjoyable atmosphere for them, much like a book store, making it easy to find the right book. “It’s a very browsable collection,” she said. Staff also continuously updates the library’s stock, keeping regulars like Terisa Hamilton happy. “My library is very important to me because I’m a bookaholic,” she said. The Ajax resident, who’s able to borrow from Pickering since she works in the city, drops by almost daily. “They have a hard time keeping up with me,” she joked. But Ms. Hamilton often utilizes the fast- read program, which gives clients only five days with a hot book. In 2009, the library also expanded its oper- ating hours to include year-round Sundays at the central library so busy families could use it on the weekend, a big factor to the increase in visitors, said Ms. Grant. It also displayed local art at the library branches by partnering with the Durham West Arts Centre, which is now located at the Greenwood branch. We try to have all the answers to a whole gamut of digital questions. Kayhan Boncoglu, digital reference librarian PICKERING from page 1 SERVICES Pickering library continues to evolve with the digital age WE THINK... email responses to newsroom@durhamregion.com & A Metroland Media Group Ltd. Publication Tim Whittaker - Publisher Joanne Burghardt - Editor-in-Chief Mike Johnston - Managing Editor Duncan Fletcher - Director of Advertising Eddie Kolodziejcak - Classifi ed Advertising Manager Abe Fakhourie - Distribution Manager Lillian Hook - Offi ce Manager Janice O’Neil, Cheryl Haines - Composing Managers News/Sales 905-683-5110 Fax 905-683-7363 Classifi eds 905-683-0707 Distribution 905-683-5117 130 Commercial Ave., Ajax ON L1S 2H5. Publications Mail Sales Agreement Number 40052657 Member: Ontario Press Council, OCNA, CCNA, SNA. All content copyright Editorial Opinions SUPPORT OUR TROOPS This repatriation was truly different To the editor: On Sunday, I attended the bridge on Cobbledick Road in Newcastle, arriving at 4 p.m. with my wife, Jaci, and her 75-year- old mother, Jean. Jean happened to be on holiday from Wales. Jean is not good on her legs these days but she insisted she wanted to be present for the homecoming of some of Canada’s finest. We all waited patiently for 50 minutes, when, in the distance, the flashing lights of the cavalcade could be seen thank goodness. I personally have attended 80 per cent of all the homecomings standing on various bridges from Newcastle to Oshawa, but this one was the most heartbreaking. I looked around at the other citizens on the bridge and there was not a dry eye to be seen. So what was different about this repatriation? Was it because the reporter from Calgary, Michelle Lang, was amongst the return- ing servicemen or the amount of vehicles involved with so many family members therin? Or was it because we were about to get out of the extreme weather conditions (-20 C) or maybe a combination of them all -- I don’t know. But this ceremony was dif- ferent for sure. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all those who came out and showed the families of the fallen their respect and support. The Highway of Heroes probably had tens of thousands on it Sunday night. God bless you one and all. John Johnson Past President Branch 178 Royal Canadian Legion Bowmanville HISTORY MATTERS Author appreciates review To the editor: Re: Whitby author brings history to life, Jan. 3. I want to thank Mike Ruta for his recent story on the first book in the Leaders Legacies series, The Mystery of the Moonlight Murder: An early adventure of John Diefenbaker. We live in a country with an acute lack of national consciousness. What I neglected to mention to Mr. Ruta was many people seem to think our high level of immigration is the reason for our lack of national consciousness. Nothing could be further from the truth. According to researchers when it comes to feelings of pride, visible minorities express high levels of pride in Canada, on par with white Canadians. Despite popular belief, immigrants are eager for information about their new land and are often keen to fit in. As a children’s book author, my goal is to make our history accessible and compel- ling -- to both the ones who have been born here and the ones who arrive each day. When young people grow up and see opportuni- ties for themselves, feeling an internal sense of leadership from within, I see opportunities for Canada, too. It is this belief which will allow our children to shape our nation for generations to come. Roderick Benns Whitby MANNERS What’s with the new generation? To the editor: I would like to know when it became accept- able in society to use foul language in a nor- mal conversation in public. We are told not to wish anyone a Merry Christmas as it may offend someone but it is OK to use the F word and we aren’t supposed to be offended. I keep getting told this is all part of the ‘New Generation. I am told our parents and grandparents went through the same thing when they viewed the younger generation but I don’t remember growing up to be so disrespectful and discourteous. Jamie Julien Bowmanville Region lets down citizens with loss of health information It may have been a small device able to fit in the palm of a hand, but it contained a massive amount of important information which could ultimately affect the lives of over 83,000 Durham residents. “It” was the USB key which contained vital data on 83,524 local people who had been vaccinated at one of the Region’s H1N1 flu clinics. The computer storage device fell out of a Durham Region Health Department employee’s pocket in a park- ing lot and has since failed to turn up. And that is worrisome. What’s on the little USB key? It con- tains such data as name, address, date of birth, health card number, doctors’ names and other pertinent health information. It sounds like the perfect stew for a fraud artist to make use of if the information fell into the wrong hands. According to Detective Brett McCagh- erty of the fraud unit of Durham Region- al Police, the data on the storage device is not substantial enough to create a false ID. That comes as a relief. However, there is enough there for someone to conceivably get a cellphone in someone else’s name, using the information on the USB key. What the storage device does not contain are driver’s licence and social insurance numbers. Det. McCagherty says, without those pieces of information, creating a false identity is extremely difficult. The detec- tive does advise all those who were vacci- nated at a regional clinic before Dec. 15 to check their credit histories, recent bills and accounts to make sure no unusual items pop up. Dr. Robert Kyle, Durham’s Medical Offi- cer of Health, quickly reported the device missing and tried to mitigate its loss. Letters were sent out to all those who were impacted by the loss of the informa- tion. The cost to taxpayers for postage and paper for those letters was $44,808.62. That’s spending we don’t need to flush away during a recession. How did it happen? Turns out to have been simple, straight- forward human error. Obviously, it should have been handled with much better care. But now that the USB key is gone and is out there somewhere, what’s to be done by the Region and what can all those affected do to safeguard their information? The risk of the misuse of health card information is extremely low, according to experts and there is really no need to replace your health card, though it will be done for free. The Region must do a much better job of taking care of important information in future and ensure such a mistake does not happen again. Procedures must be reviewed and safe- guards put in place, so residents can con- fidently give the health department infor- mation without worrying it will be jeopar- dized. e-mail letters to newsroom@durhamregion.com / max. 200 words / letter writers are obliged to back up statements with verifiable facts / please include your full first and last name, city of residence & daytime phone number / letters that do not appear in print may be published @ newsdurhamregion.com newsdurhamregion.comNews Advertiser • January 7, 20106 P newsdurhamregion.comNews Advertiser • January 7, 20107 AP www.audiologyservices.ca Advanced care... tomorrow’s hearing today! TIP OF THE MONTH WHITBY HEARING CENTRE 905-666-7726 1032 Brock St. S., Unit 4 Whitby, ON L1N 4L8 BAYLY AUDIOLOGY SERVICES 905-426-4000 95 Bayly St. W., Suite 502 Ajax, ON L1S 7K8 AJAX-PICKERING AUDIOLOGY CLINIC 905-831-8311 1885 Glenanna Rd., Suite 104 Pickering, ON L1V 6R6 How often should I change my hearing aids? Hearing aids are generally replaced after 3 to 5 years for various reasons:Malfunctioning, Changing hearing needs of the wearer, Ability to be fit with smaller instruments, or the Introduction of newer technology. If your aids are old, don’t delay, contact us today! You’re worth it and Deserve Only the Best! S ound Walking pain-free doesn’t have to be just a dream! Please see your family doctor for a referral if you suffer from: BACK, KNEE, FOOT AND ARCH PAIN • LEG LENGTH DISCREPANCY • FOOT DEFORMITY/DROP FOOT • DIABETES, ARTHRITIS • LEG/FOOT WOUNDS OUR SERVICES INCLUDE: • CUSTOM MADE ORTHOTICS MADE IN OUR LAB ON-SITE • CUSTOM AND ORTHOPAEDIC SHOES • CUSTOM KNEE BRACES, AFO’S AND SEVERAL TYPES OF FOOT AND ANKLE BRACES. 1084 Salk Rd. Unit 9, Pickering (First driveway S. of 401 on Brock Rd.) Tel: 905-420-1015 • Fax: 905-420-8803 OHIP INSURED SERVICES PRIVATE INSURANCE COVERAGE Foot Care Kit ($24.99 value) with Foot Care Kit ($24.99 value) with the purchase of any Orthopaedic the purchase of any Orthopaedic Shoes. Offer expires ThursdayShoes. Offer expires Thursday Dec. 24/09Dec. 24/09 Receive aReceive a FREEFREE How Do I Age in Place Successfully? Aging in place is a reference to living where you have lived for many years, or to living in a non-healthcare environment and using products, services and conveniences to enable you to not have to move as circumstances change. Research shows that the majority of people would prefer to age in the comfort and familiarity of their own home. However, quite often it is the home that creates diffi culties. Most residential homes are geared to young, healthy adults and do not support the physical and sensory changes that people encounter as they age. The aging process is blamed for many problems seniors encounter with daily activities. Community Lifecare at Home presents an informal and dynamic FREE Speaker Series, directed at seniors and their families. It is intended to educate the audience about the wide range of resources that are available to support the ability to age in place successfully. Join Us: January 20 at Scarborough Retirement Residence, 148 Markham Rd, Scarborough January 21 at Orchard Villa, 1955 Valley Farm Rd., Pickering January 22 at Port Perry Villa, 15987 Simcoe St., Port Perry Call 1-800-267-5465 to reserve your seat. *!.5!29 \ &/2%6%2 9/5.'