King Connection December 31

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Magna move a 2015 highlight for King Township

CALENDAR

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Looking aheadNew year, new series of events in our calendar

COMMUNITY

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Making newsA look at the people and events that made headlines

2015 IN REVIEW

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KingConnectionServing King City, Nobleton and Schomberg Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015

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FAREWELL, 2015A look back and the images and stories of the year that was

Staff file photo/Nick Iwanyshyn

King City’s Rosie MacLennan waves to supporters following the final rounds of Pan Am trampoline at the Toronto Coliseum in July. See more photos from 2015 on page 3.

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ecember 31, 2015

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2015 IN PHOTOS

Clockwise from top left (photographer initials in brackets): Members of Team King Nathan Watt, Patrick Emmerton and Avery Tribe try out a hose during Junior Firefighter Day, hosted by Central York Fire Services, joining other junior firefighters from York Region’s nine municipalities at the Magna Centre in June (NI); Small car class takes to the pit during the Demolition Derby at the 165th edition of the Schomberg Fair in May (NI); Zachary Colangelo of King City at the York Region Celebration of the Arts in September; Brody and Paige Young and Kelsey Vanderwater love the parade at Main Street Christmas in Schomberg in Decem-ber (SS); September was onion harvest season at Eek Farms and Brendon Thompson was making sure the pallet boxes were filled properly (MB).

Photography by Mike Barrett, Nick Iwanyshyn, Steve Somerville

PeoPle & Places in

PhotograPhy

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Not all types of plastic arerecyclable in your blue box.Toys, utensils and plastic wrap are just afew items NOT accepted in the blue box.Plastic that cannot be recycled or reusedshould go in the garbage.For more information on what can go inyour blue box, please visit york.ca/blueboxor call 1-866-665-6752

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2015 IN REVIEW

By Tim [email protected]

This wasn’t just another news release from York Regional Police.

Never in my career have I seen such a community uproar from something the police sent out over the wire.

But the news that a high-risk offender would be coming to live in the Schomberg community was — is — certainly the talk of the town-ship this December.

In fact, Keith Theodore Constan-tin, who was released on probation after serving a four-year sentence for sexual assault with a weapon and an 18-month sentence for breach of a curfew condition, was released last July.

He only arrived in Schomberg after he was hounded out of, first, a neighourhood in Hamilton and then Stoney Creek.

Constantin also has prior criminal convic-tions for sexual assault, sexual assault with a weapon, assault with a weapon, assault, robbery and pos-session of explosives.

His arrival here, where he is liv-ing in what’s called a secure group home setting by those officials in the know, has set off a firestorm of concern. Residents and township officials were so worried that a com-munity information meeting, which drew 600 people, was held at the Trisan Centre just days after it was revealed Constantin had arrived.

Even assurances from govern-ment and police officials that secure measures and monitoring was in place have not been enough to sat-isfy upset citizens.

A Facebook group of more than 1,000 people has sprung up with the goal of pushing Constantin out of Schomberg and getting him into a secure facility where it’s believed he would get the treatment he needs. The group has vowed to push local MPs and MPPs and ministers until they get the result they want.

Local people have printed post-ers and lawn signs warning the community about Constantin and telling everyone to be wary of his presence.

The story is ongoing, so it’s uncertain at present what the out-come will be.


Any time you get wind that a multi-national company is coming to your township, that is BIG news.

And nothing was bigger in King Township in 2015, maybe in the past decade or more, than the deci-sion by Magna International to bring its world corporate headquar-ters to King City.

It was the story of the year.The official announcement

didn’t come until mid-May, but the rumour mill was chugging full blast earlier in the month, especially when I heard from a reliable source Magna had purchased land in King City for around $50 million.

Another media outlet let the cat out of the bag a day or so before I was able to confirm the rumour, but once calls were made to plan-ning director Stephen Kitchen and Mayor Steve Pellegrini, confirma-tion was official. It was impossible, at least then, to get Magna to return a call.

Magna had indeed bought land at Jane and King Road — for about $40 to $45 million — and was mak-ing the move from Aurora, where it had long had its headquarters, to King by the end of 2017.

To say King Township officials were thrilled by the news would be the understatement of the year.

Imagine suddenly seeing your employment base boosted by 625 high-paid positions, not to mention what an employer such as Magna will do to the local tax base.

“I’m just sitting here wondering if your white horses are parking outside,” said King City Councillor Cleve Mortelliti.

“I’m ecstatic and I know all of council are and I’m thinking, I was on council when Magna came to King,” added Mortelliti when Magna reps presented their futuristic-look-ing preliminary building designs at

a meeting this past June.Longtime King Township Coun-

cillor Linda Pabst, a 21-year council veteran, said: “I have seen a lot of things come and go in King Town-ship, but we’re so proud of Magna coming here. It’s the highlight of King City and King Township.”

Pellegrini, in his initial com-ments about Magna, didn’t spare praise for the auto-parts giant, call-ing its move to the township, “The best thing that’s ever happened to King.” At a later meeting, he added Magna will be the “jewel in the

crown of King. It is our great for-tune that they’re staying here (in York Region). I couldn’t be prouder. It really is setting King above the rest.”

The 200,000-square-foot, three-storey, L-shaped office will centre on the corner of King Road and Jane Street and will have a link to a 120,000-square-foot, 20-metre-high research and development facility located along Jane Street.

The Magna development will also include a pair of ball diamonds, a pool and a soccer pitch for use for its employees within a total office space area of 40 acres. In all, Magna has purchased 105 acres at Jane and King and may use the additional 65 acres to attract other Magna-friendly tenants in the future. That can only bode well for King Town-ship, which is heavily tilted toward a residential tax base and needs more industrial and commercial taxpayers.

Magna still needs to bring for-ward a formal development appli-cation, followed by a site plan to the township, but those formali-ties will come early in 2016 and are expected to be easily approved. Construction will follow later in the year and Magna expects to have its employees housed and working at the corner of Jane and King by the end of 2017.

Magna move: King City to be site of headquarters• Reporter Tim Kelly recalls some of the big local news items from 2015 •

Land on the southeast corner of King Road and Jane Street.

Keith Constantin

Offender release sparks concern


ecember 31, 2015

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HEATING & AIR CONDITIONINGAURORADesirable Hills of St Andrewlocation. Four bedroms. 1.5 baths.Large fenced lot. Very wellmaintained. Close to amentities.

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CALENDAR | CLASSIC KING

Photo/KING TOWNSHIP MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES

The Rev. James Carmichael (standing back row, far right in this c. 1908 photo) served as minister at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church (village of Strange) from 1860 – 1910. The church is located on Weston Road south of the 15th Sideroad and is now a private residence. Visit yorkregion.com/classicking to see these and other his-torical photographs. Every Thursday, a new image will be added. Additionally, community submissions for consideration are welcome. Email images, background information and questions to [email protected]

ONLINE: The King Mu-seum and Archives can be reached by email at [email protected]

St. ANdrew’S PreSBYterIAN CHUrCH CHOIr❚ UNTIL JaN. 2Holiday SkatingWHEN: Check www.king.ca for hours at various locationsWHERE: King City Arena, Dr. W. Laceby Arena (Nobleton), Trisan Centre (Schomberg) CONTaCT: www.king.ca COST: VariesYou are welcome to come out to one of the township’s three rinks during the holidays to skate with friends and family. There are a number of opportunities for drop-in public skating and shinny.

❚ TUES., JaN. 12January Networking Break-fast - Newmarket ChamberWHEN: 7 to 9 a.m. WHERE: Cardinal Golf Club, 2740 Davis Drive West CONTaCT: COST: $25/members $35/guestsBreakfast Networking creates an interactive forum where everyone has an opportunity to participate. Active network-ing is vital to career growth. Networking is about building long-term relationships and strengthening ones reputation over time. It involves meeting and getting to know people who you can assist, and who can potentially help you in return. The event begins the moment you arrive - network-ing, hot breakfast buffet, pre-sentations, self-introductions and much, much more. Don’t forget to bring your busi-ness cards! This is a place where business cards are exchanged and new contacts are made. If you haven’t had the chance to make it out to any of our past Breakfast Networking events, come and see for yourself what a great opportunity networking can be! Reservations are required in advance.

❚ UNTIL JaN. 15Sign up for King Township winter programsWHEN: OngoingWHERE: Township of King, 2075 King Rd., King City and online CONTaCT: Colleen

Beswick, [email protected], 905-833-5321, etc. 5238 COST: VariesYou can sign up for winter programs in King Township right up until Jan. 15. There are a wide variety of pre-school and school-aged kids programs available throughout the township. Programs include sports, movement, baking, cooking and kindergarten

prep (Stepping Stones) among many others. You can check out the Township’s Community

Guide or visit www.king.ca to see a full listing of what is offered.

❚ SUN. JaN. 24The art of ScotchWHEN: 2 to 5 p.m.WHERE: King Heritage and Cultural Centre, 2920 King Rd. CONTaCT: www.ArtSocietyKing.ca, 905-939-9357 COST: $40 per person + HSTAn event to celebrate Robbie Burns Day! Enjoy food, festivities and an afternoon of unique fun. Enlightened presentation from a ‘scotch sommelier’, hilarious poetry readings from Humber River Shakespeare Company, bagpiped music, delicious Scottish fare and more! Seating is limited. Presented

by Arts Society King and the Township of King.

❚ WEd., JaN. 27The Business Women’s Network of York Region January EventWHEN: 8 to 10 a.m. WHERE: Kingbridge Centre, 12750 Jane St. CONTaCT: Elizabeth Johnston, 416-910-1058, www.bwnyr.com COST: $30 non-members, $20 members, $25 at doorEach month the Business Women’s Network of York Region meets for Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast or Cocktail Party. Come out and meet like-minded women.

❚ FRI. FEB. 18Friday Fun ClubWHEN: 5:30 - 9:30 p.m.WHERE: Trisan Centre, 25 Dillane Dr., Schomberg. CONTaCT: Colleen Beswick, [email protected], 905-833-5321 ext. 5238. COST: $20 per child, $10 for each additional childKids aged 6-12 can have a pizza party, play games and enjoy a movie for the cost of $20 per child, $10 for each additional child at the Trisan Centre. Pre-registration required. Register online at www.king.ca using code 20396 or at the Trisan Centre or Nobleton Arena.

❚ GET LISTEd IN YOUR EVENTS CaLENdaRInterested in submitting events to The King Connection? Visit bit.ly/yorkregioncalendar to find out more and to down-load instructions for submitting to our online community cal-endar. These submissions get considered for print publication as well.You can also email [email protected] or [email protected]

What about help for Canadians?Re: Season of giving can involve modest, priceless gifts, column by Marney Beck, Dec. 17.

It really makes me angry to hear more about poor Syrian refugees when half the people living in this province are looking for work. I can’t get full time work and I’m not sure how long my short-term assignment is going to last.

What about Canadians who are out of work with little hope of finding jobs? Many have no money and are perhaps waiting to find decent housing, with a 15-year waiting list in our region for subsidized housing?

Why is it up to Canada and our taxes to provide help? What about us, here, in our own country?

My generation doesn’t have full-time employment, which, therefore, will make it hard to save for retirement.

Perhaps Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should start observing more about what’s around him in his own country.

Mr. Trudeau: I understand social media is so important to you, judging by all your

selfies, but what is going to happen to Canadians?

K. SedgwicKNewmarket

O’Neill hilarious column offers timely cheer

Re: Be careful, it’s crazy out there, opinion by Bernie O’Neill, Dec. 10: bit.ly/1J0aiEL

I know it’s not often that you get a letter of appreciation, but it is well deserved for this hilarious piece.

Please pass on my gratitude for the timely cheer and hearty laughter.

Sylvia Stefancic HollaNd laNdiNg

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■ EDITORIAL

Tax refund request a nervy onerother, can you spare a dime?

That appears to be the tune our Ontario Liberal government

is singing these days after it was reported by the Toronto Star’s Rob Ferguson that the Grits are encour-aging any and all interested citizens to put their tax refunds toward the province’s nearly $300-billion debt. Having already flipped over the couches at Queen’s Park in a desperate search for spare change — not to mention starting the sell-off of the revenue-producing Hydro One and hiking a variety of taxes and fees over the years — the province is crossing its fingers that a few extremely generous ratepay-ers, or suckers as the case may be, will come forward and render unto Caesar a bit more than he deserves.

Given the time of year, the Ontario government may have bet-ter luck whipping off a quick letter to Santa Claus with fingers crossed the big guy in red will make a sec-ond trip in his sleigh to drop off a few billion dollars to put toward the province’s bloated $10.3-billion def-icit, particularly if it wants to break out the black pens in time for the 2018 election, as it has repeatedly promised. Somehow, one thinks, so large an ask would make even the jolliest old elf a little less festive, especially when one considers this government’s Grinch-like behav-iour when it comes to skyrocketing hydro rates.

And you thought the Green Energy Act was about the environ-ment.

Premier Kathleen Wynne and her government face a Herculean task when it comes to slaying the aforementioned deficit and righting the province’s finances as interest on the debt alone — costing $11.4 billion annually — has ballooned to become Ontario’s third-largest expense just behind health care at $50.8 billion and education at $25.2 billion. You can certainly under-stand why the premier might be hoping for a Wynne-fall.

That’s not, of course, to say that some people don’t fork over their tax refund to the government each year. According to Ferguson’s piece, the Ontario Opportunities Fund was created by former Progressive Conservative premier Mike Harris to help pay down the province’s

debt 19 years ago. To date, it has raised $2.8 million.

Last year’s haul was just more than $135,000.

Not surprisingly, opposition MPPs have taken a dim view of the government’s suggestion that tax-payers hand over their refunds, with PC finance critic Vic Fedeli saying that such largesse would yield an amount too small to make a dent in the province’s tab, while NDP Lead-er Andrea Horwath suggested the majority of citizens who surrender their refunds are simply doing so because the amount owed is paltry. Reversing corporate tax cuts would be a more sensible solution, in her opinion.

The reality is, no single option will deal with Ontario’s debt woes and, to be fair, there’s no way the province is banking on a sudden influx of tax refunds to balance the books. That said, we find the sug-gestion from a government with such a shoddy track record on fiscal responsibility distasteful, to say the least, and it also sends a perplexing message.

Ontarians work hard for their money and if they’re entitled to a refund at tax time, that means the government has collected more than it’s owed; it’s an interest-free loan. If you feel so strongly about the province’s debt and trust in the current government to make good use of it, by all means tick the box on your tax return that turns any refund over to Queen’s Park, but do it because you want to — not because they’re urging you to.

Otherwise, take the money (if you get some) and run. Spend it, invest it, save it, do whatever you will with it. After all, it’s your money.

This may be the festive time of year, but it’s perfectly acceptable to respond with a “Baah humbug!” to this particular request for charity.

DO YOU AGREE?HAVE YOUR SAY Send your letter to the editor to [email protected]

BOTTOM LINE: Suggestion from a government with little fiscal

sense is offensive.

BGET CONNECTED

HAVE YOUR SAY Send your letter to the editor to [email protected]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR


ecember 31, 2015

7

1700 King RdKing's Ridge Marketplace

(289) 207-0042

DawsonDental.caGrand Opening Offers

The Schomberg Cougars dropped a 6-3 decision in Erin to the Shamrocks on Sunday in Geor-gian Bay Mid-Ont. Jr. C Hockey League action.

Brendan Spencer, Kiefer McIn-tosh and Blake Culley found the net for the Cougars who head straight back to Erin for a return game this Sunday at 2 p.m.

The next home game for the Cougars is Thursday, Jan. 7, when they host the Huntsville Otters at the Schomberg Trisan Centre at 8:30 p.m.

At the 30-game three-quarter mark of the season, the Cougars sit at 26 points, good for sixth place in the nine-team league with 10 regu-lar season games left.

Cougars hit three-quarter mark in sixth

NEWS


Starting next year you’ll have to call ahead if you want to be picked up on one of King Township’s two York Region Transit routes.

Route 61, which was added sev-eral years ago to deliver Noble-ton, Schomberg, Pottageville and Kettleby riders to the King City GO Transit station will switch to Dial-A-Ride service.

That means you’ll have to call at least 60 minutes in advance to notify YRT of what stop you’ll be at to be picked up or dropped off along the route. The service will only be offered during the cur-rently scheduled two morn-ing and afternoon rush-hour runs.

Adrian Kawun, manager of service planning for YRT, was

the bearer of bad news at King Township Council Nov. 16.

He said current ridership numbers didn’t justify keep-ing a full-service route.

“Customers who wish to book a trip must do so 60 minutes in advance of their trip,” Kawun told council.

It was because of, “low demand,” on the route,

especially in Nobleton, he

said.Mayor Steve Pellegrini said

there was a “hard-core group,” in Schomberg and Pottageville,” who he said uses the service and wanted to make sure they could continue to get it.

Kawun told council that any-one who needs a consistent ride daily can put in a standing order to YRT and they will be picked up and dropped off at the same stop

each day at the same time.But the switch to dial-a-ride

service allows us “to be a little more flexible,” said Kawun.

The 22 and 22a buses that run in King Township get heavy rid-ership and Kawun said YRT has actually had to add extra buses to accommodate increased demand.

It’s expected the switch to dial-a-ride service on route 61 won’t take effect until June 2016.

Transit switch: King’s Route 61 to move to Dial-A-Ride

Two house painters who fell off scaffolding in a Christmas Eve acci-dent in Nobleton ended up with broken bones but survived the fall.

A 59-year-old Toronto man was rushed to Sunnybrook hospital in Toronto by ORNGE Air Ambulance with what were thought were life-threatening injuries.

York Regional Police confirmed Tuesday that he suffered broken bones and is on the mend.

A 33-year-old Vaughan man who fell from the scaffolding also suf-fered injuries in the fall.

Both men were unconscious at the Janet Avenue home when police and ORNGE staff arrived there at 11:41 a.m. last Thursday.

The Ministry of Labour attended the scene.

Two injured in

scaffolding accident

On the 100th anniversary of its founding, King Township resident Susan Beharriell has been appoint-ed to the Ontario Soldier’s Aid Com-mission.

Beharriell, a retired Lt. Colonel in the Canadian Forces, will offer her expertise in helping the commis-sion with its work.

Formed in 1915 during the First World War to support returning veterans in need, the commission was developed by regular Ontarians who saw it was required.

At the time of its formation, few services were available for veterans and the commission filled a valu-able role. Many commissioners had served with other veterans asso-ciations so they could help veterans seek out funding opportunities such as unclaimed pensions for Veterans’ widows and their dependents.

The commission today includes eight commissioners who volun-teer their time to ensure veterans in need get the assistance they require.

The centrepiece of this year’s 100th anniversary celebrations will be the Commission’s new book – Ontario’s Soldiers’ Aid Commission: 100 Years of Assistance to Veterans in Need 1915-2015.

“Despite challenges, the Com-mission has forged ahead with its mandate to support Ontario Vet-erans and their families in times of hardship. In many ways, these needs remain as acute as they were 100 years ago,“ says Commission Chair Colin R. Rowe.

Beharriell appointed to Soldier’s Aid Commission

Hospice King-Aurora expands service; seeking volunteers

This fall Hospice Richmond Hill closed its Yonge Street location after serving the community for more than 19 years. Through a formal pro-cess, nearby Hospice King-Aurora was chosen to step in and provide visiting hospice and caregiver sup-port services in the area.

Now the expanded hospice is calling out to Richmond Hill volun-teers to help.

Serving a wider geographic area of York, there’s a greater need for

trained compassionate volunteers to provide in-home visits to those diag-nosed with life-threatening illness and support to their loved ones.

Hospice King-Aurora is already receiving visiting referrals for Rich-mond Hill clients and is calling on former Richmond Hill volunteers for support.

“One of the greatest gifts to Hos-pice Richmond Hill was the volun-teers. Their unconditional love and compassion was profound,” said

former co-ordinator, Georgina Mer-couris, who is now with Hospice King-Aurora.

Aundrea Larocque, former execu-tive director of Hospice Richmond Hill, will be joining the King-Aurora team and working with volunteers starting in the new year.

Hospice King-Aurora, a charita-ble, not-for-profit corporation, was one of the first community-based hospices in Canada and the first in York Region.

By Jeremy [email protected]

The Const. Garrett Styles trial remained acrimonious from the day it began in April until it ended in November.

Legal arguments settled very little and since the end of the eight-month trial, the status quo has remained in terms of the lives of those involved.

The Newmarket teenager, left a quadriplegic after the crash, is still living at home with his parents, albeit under the supervision of the author-ities.

The Styles family remains broken hearted.

It did succeed in one respect, there is now further legal precedent to suggest that anyone who kills or plays a part in a police officer’s death, is more likely to receive a first-degree murder charge.

The jury found the teenag-er, whose name is still under

a publication ban because he was 15 at the time of the crash, guilty of first-degree murder.

However, he received no prison time due to his age at the time of the crash and his ongoing medical predica-ment.

This decision clearly upset the police and his family, both of whom put out statements questioning the decision.

Although the convicted teen attempted to apologize to the Styles family at one point during his testimony, The Crown eventually put an end to his statement, saying it was inappropriate.

“I always think that it should have been the other way around,” the teenager said, explaining that he often thinks he should have died and wishes Styles had sur-vived. “I never in a million years wanted what happened that night to happen.”

He then chose not to apol-ogize when given another chance before his sentence was read out.

The teenager has set up a website for those suffering from catastrophic spinal inju-

ries and he is expecting to go to university soon.

A documentary filmmak-er has been attending court and is considering making a film about the teen’s journey through the judicial process.

The Styles family has not spoken out since the state-ments immediately following the sentencing.

However, their victim impact statements indicate the wounds from that early-morning summer are as raw as ever.

“My wife and family are very disappointed in regards to Justice (Alex) Sosna’s deci-sion,” Garrett’s father, Garry, said. “The sentence to us means nothing. It appears to us that a police officer’s life means nothing in the eyes of justice. As a former police officer, I find the sentence imposed to be lacking and opening the door to further tragedies involving police officers just doing their sworn duty.”

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UPPERCANADAMALL.COM | 17600 YONGE STREET, NEWMARKET

WE’RE OPENNEW YEARS DAYFriday, January 1, 201611:00am - 6:00pm

York Catholic District School Board

Kindergarten Registration

Register at your local Catholic school. Thefollowing original documents are required:•Roman Catholic Baptismal Certificate (child or parent)•Proof of age•Proof of legal status in Canada•Proof of residency•Proof of Separate School Support (i.e. MPACAssessment Notice), or you can complete a schoolsupport form that is included in the registrationpackage.

Registration for the2016-2017 school year beginsJanuary 4, 2016

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Parents/Guardians are encouraged to call the school before visiting.Find your local Catholic school at: locator.ycdsb.ca

JK: Children must be 4 years old by Dec. 31, 2016 (born in 2012)SK: Children must be 5 years old by Dec. 31, 2016 (born in 2011)If your child is already attending a YCDSB school for JK you do not need to register for SK

YEAR IN REVIEW AROUND YORK REGION

By Jeremy [email protected]

There are hundreds of fatal car crashes each year in the GTA, but the resulting public anger is rarely, if ever, matched by that felt by sus-pected drunk driver Marco Muzzo.

It was on Sept. 27 that Edward and Jennifer Neville Lake lost their three children and their grandfather, Gary Neville, after Muzzo’s Jeep T-boned the family minivan in Vaughan.

Muzzo, an heir to a bil-lion-dollar development for-tune, was later slapped with a variety of charges, includ-ing impaired driving causing death.

The public reaction was fierce.

There were thousands of messages seeking judicial and even vigilante revenge on Muzzo.

Videos and photographs of him and his family were dug up from the past, people began tweeting family secrets and social media pages

began popping up slamming the 29-year-old King resident as “entitled”.

A variety of photos of him in Ferraris made their way into the media and it was later reported that he was returning from his bachelor party in the United States when the crash occurred.

Some voices have been calling for a less caustic reac-tion, saying this is another, – albeit major and destructive – human mistake.

But those have been large-ly drowned out by those put-ting their faith in the courts, hoping to see him serve a lengthy sentence.

Although unrealistic, the largest Facebook page, Pris-on 4 Marco Muzzo, is calling for life in prison.

That sort of debate came to a shuddering halt Dec. 15 and a new argument began after an experienced lawyer told yorkregion.com he’s been hearing rumours about a plea deal in the works at the Newmarket courthouse.

He suggested Muzzo’s

lawyer, Brian Greenspan, is using Muzzo funds to set up a foundation and pay the Neville-Lake family in an effort to get him a reduced prison sentence.

The average sentence would usually be eight to 10 years, but with time served, Muzzo could serve as little as two years in prison, accord-ing to the outside lawyer.

One experienced York police officer, who did not want his name shared in the media, said he wouldn’t be surprised if Muzzo serves as little as 18 months.

The story appeared to open old wounds and those interested in the case have been bracing themselves for what some have called a “two-tiered” court system, which allows those with expendable cash to serve fewer days in prison.

Neville-Lake has not responded to the story, but continues to use her Face-book page to encourage oth-ers to appreciate the special lives around them.

Marco Muzzo: fierce public reactionFacing impaired driving causing death charges

Garrett Styles: trial concludesSentence ‘means

nothing,’ says father of fallen police officer

ONLINE: For more Newsmaker stories visit yorkregion.com.


ecember 31, 2015

9

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By Lisa [email protected]

From war-torn and displace-ment images half a world away, to their arrival on Canadian shores, Syrian refugees captured head-lines this year like no other news-makers.

Their plight began hitting clos-er to home over the last few weeks as Canada started welcoming families, including the first plane-load of refugees to reach Canadian soil on Dec. 10. They were greeted at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Premier Kathleen Wynne and other top-ranking politicians.

In York Region, Immigration Minister John McCallum, MP for Markham-Thornhill, and Health Minister Jane Philpott, MP for Markham-Stouffville, are playing key roles in the settlement issue.

Canada is welcoming 10,000

refugees by the end of the year and another 15,000 by the end of February. The government has indicated a total of 50,000 refugees may call Canada home by the end of 2016.

The federal government will invest up to $678 million over six years toward settlement and integration support. The Ontario government has agreed to accept 10,000 refugees and has pledged $10.5 million over two years.

The majority of refugees are privately sponsored, including about 76 now in the process of settling in York Region, according to a Dec. 17 report from Adelina Urbanski, the region’s commis-sioner of community and health services.

Across the region, residents are forming networks and raising money to sponsor refugees.

They speak in generous terms as they describe their hopes of providing a safe home for refu-gees, despite any challenges along the way.

“Life is a risk, there’s no doubt about it, but surely of all the

risks we take in life, this has to be one worth taking,” said Rev. Joan Masterton, the minister at Stouffville’s St. James Presbyterian Church, which is spearheading the Stouffville Cares campaign to sponsor a refugee family.

“We are a Christian church. We consider ourselves children of God and disciples of Christ. Jesus, himself, was a refugee.”

That sentiment to welcome refugees has been echoed across the region.

“What started as an interest from just a handful of people resulted in an outpouring of sup-port that I have never experi-enced or seen before,” said Aimee Esparaz, who is working with others in her Richmond Hill and Yorkdale-based church, The Meet-ing House, to sponsor two refugee families.

Meanwhile, students with the York Catholic District School Board raised almost $70,000 as part of the Toronto Archdiocese’s Project Hope campaign.

In Vaughan, Humanity First Canada, a humanitarian relief

organization, is working to bring 300 refugees to Canada by the end of 2016. It has already helped set-tle more than five dozen.

The organizaton’s chairperson, Aslam Daud, also spoke to volun-teers with King 4 Refugees, which is ready to welcome two refugee families to King Township.

“It looks simple because it is. It’s a piece of cake. Don’t be scared. We are living like kings compared to a lot of families in the world,” Daud said.

From a group called New Beginnings in Richmond Hill to Newmarket’s Syrian Refugee Fam-ily committee, residents across the region are coming together to wel-come refugees with open arms.

“It’s just such a massive issue. It may seem like a drop in the bucket sponsoring one family, but every little bit helps,” Newmarket committee member Claire Prieur said.

“It’s a great example of what people really feel in their hearts.”

— with files from Chris Simon, Kim Zarzour, Tim Kelly and Adam Martin-Robbins


Syrian refugees: communities respondFirst planeload

reached Canada earlier this month

❚ King’s ConneCtionLocally, the group King4Refugees is taking off in the township. Over 70 enthusiastic volunteers packed a King City Public Library room Dec. 9 in the hope of welcoming up to two refugee fami-lies to King City in the coming months.Lead organizer Ann Raney told the crowd a startup committee has “brought you this far; what we need are people to volunteer, people to help organize.”And with that, volunteers signed up for one or more of six different teams: Welcome and Support; Accommodation; Fundraising and Donations; Administration; Communications; and Special Committee.Raney said the ideal location for refugee families would be in King City, due to its accessibility to public and GO transit.Raney said rental accommodation will need to be found in King City for the families but that the group is also looking for those who have space to provide for a family.The group will be meeting early in the new year to determine its next steps. The next meeting is Wednesday, Jan. 6, at 7 p.m. at the King City Seniors Centre, 30 Fisher St., King City.

– Tim Kelly

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By Chris [email protected]

An historic merger between United Way Toronto and United Way York Region was formalized June 25.

Members of both boards approved bylaw changes uniting the non-profit entities entrusted to support social service agencies in Toronto and York Region.

Immediately following the formalities, the new alliance announced it will be investing $86.3 million through 2016 in social service agencies and programs that support peo-ple throughout Toronto and York Region.

“We’re coming together to strengthen our ability to build a better future for peo-ple in neighbourhoods and communities throughout our region,” said incoming United Way Toronto and York Region president and CEO Susan McIsaac. “This investment will give people a chance at a better life, from the water-front of Toronto to the south-ern shore of Lake Simcoe.”

As part of United Way’s commitment to protect local investments, the charity will continue to support 200 social service agencies in Toronto and 40 in York Region. After government, United Way is the largest funder of social

services in our regions, sup-porting 832 programs.

Included among the 401 regionwide community building programs are sup-ports for residents in tar-geted neighbourhoods. This includes resident engage-

ment and leadership capac-ity building done through the Building Strong Neighbour-hood Strategy and Strength Investments, both of which support grassroots initiatives in York Region.

Across Toronto and York

Region, United Way sup-ports 237 programs that help kids be all they can be, by investing in their develop-ment from early childhood to young adulthood. North Eto-bicoke’s Braeburn Neighbor-hood Place is one such pro-gram, providing quality after school and out-of-school programs during critical peri-ods of child development.

United Way funding sup-ports 194 programs that move people from poverty to possibility and give people the opportunities they need to build better lives across our region. An example is West Neighbourhood House’s The Meeting Place, a drop-in for socially isolated and under-housed adults located at Queen Street West and Bathurst Street.

The agency proudly notes it is a responsible steward of funds invested. In 2014, Unit-ed Way’s combined fundrais-ing and administration costs totalled only 14.8 per cent, while returning the rest to community initiatives.

Historic merger for United Way of York Region❚ About

The organization will continue its commitment to supporting youth, improving neighbourhoods and strengthening the community services sector - now extending beyond Toronto, through the inner suburbs, to Aurora, East Gwillimbury, Georgina, King, Markham, Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, and Whitchurch-Stouffville.The 2014-2015 United Way Toronto Report to the Community is avail-able digitally at unitedwaytoronto.comFor more information, visit unitedwaytoronto.com. You can follow on the agency via:• Blog, imagineacity.ca• Twitter, twitter.com/unitedwayto• Facebook, facebook.com/united-waytoronto• Instagram, instagram.com/united-waytoronto

Staff file photo/ANDREW LAHODYNSKYJ

United Way Toronto and York Region president and CEO Susan McIsaac (left), Ontario Minister of Children and Youth Services Tracy MacCharles and Weston-Mount Dennis resi-dent Abrone Hassan attend the 2015 United Way annual general meeting where an historic merger between United Way Toronto and United Way York Region was formalized.


ecember 31, 2015

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By Lisa [email protected]

With the real possibility of an elected regional chair on the near horizon, Wayne Emmerson may serve as York’s last chair selected only by a majority of mayors and regional councillors.

In the meantime, Emmerson, who opposes having the chair elect-ed by voters — an issue coming before council in February — says he’s busy taking care of business.

Now, with a year as the region’s top political dog under his belt, he said he’s pleased with the accom-plishments the region made in 2015 and is looking forward to continued progress in 2016.

“I think the first year went very well. I think we’ve all adjusted to a new chair because Bill (Fisch, who retired as regional chair in 2014 after serving in the role for 17 years) was here for a long time,” he said.

“I think council is really working well together and I’m hoping they say the same, which (is what I’m hearing) from them.”

Emmerson pointed to several achievements by the region in 2015, including moving for the first time

to a four-year budget forecast that set out a financial and policy blue-print for the entire term of council.

The four-year forecast includes tax increases of 2.97 per cent for 2015 and 2.85 per cent for 2016, now approved, and projected tax hikes of 2.69 per cent in 2017 and 2.35 per cent in 2018.

“We set a four-year budget, which is a big undertaking to make sure we know the numbers, so we can continue with the programs we want to do and the infrastructure,” Emmerson said.

Council launched three task forc-es on transportation, seniors and broadband in 2015 to address top priorities facing the region, he said.

With residents identifying traffic congestion as their top concern, the region is investing more in roads than ever before, Emmerson said.

The region is spending $721 mil-lion on roads from 2015 to 2018.

Meanwhile, the region continues to invest in public transit, Emmer-son said.

For example, the vivaNext bus rapidway on the section of Hwy. 7 from South Town Centre Boule-vard to Warden Avenue in Markham

opened in 2015, joining previous sections from South Town Centre to Warden, which opened in 2014, and from Hwy. 404 to Bayview Avenue, which opened in 2013.

Still under construction is the rapidway from Hwy. 400 to Bowes Road in Vaughan. Part of the section is on target to open next year.

Meanwhile, the rapidway on

Davis Drive in Newmarket was completed in 2015, although some landscaping will take place in the spring.

The rapidway for Yonge Street south of Davis moves from prelimi-nary work to the heavy construction phase in 2016.

Social housing, another key priority identified by council, was

addressed in part through the open-ing in the fall of Belinda’s Place in Newmarket, the region’s first and only shelter for homeless single women, Emmerson said.

The Richmond Hill Housing and Community Hub, the only facility of its kind in the region providing mixed-income housing and services for youths in the southern part of the region, is expected to open its doors to residents in February.

Emmerson admitted the region took heat from some municipalities for suddenly deferring a number of major sewer projects, especially from East Gwillimbury councillors who were upset with delays to the Upper York Sewage System.

The UYSS is needed to accom-modate growth in East Gwillimbury, Newmarket and Aurora until 2031.

But the region is waiting for provincial approval for the project, Emmerson said.

“They were blaming us, but it’s the province that needs to tell us we can go ahead with it,” he said.

“It’s the most environmental sewage plant, if not in Canada, very definitely for Ontario. It’s state-of-the-art.”

Emmerson points to Region’s successes in 2015

Staff file photo/SJOERD WITTEVEEN

Wayne Emmerson.

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As we look ahead to a new year we can be proud here in King and Vaughan of the effort we’re making to bring Syrian refugees to our area.

Already we’ve seen Syrian refugees arrive in Vaughan thanks to the efforts of some hard-working volunteers and King For Refugees is working full out to bring a family or two to the town-ship in the new year. King For Refugees is meeting Wednesday, Jan. 6, at the King Seniors Centre at 7 p.m. for anyone interested in volunteering to help in the cause.

So 2016 promises to be a year free from refugee camps in Lebanon or Jordan and far from the ravages of war-torn Syria for the lucky families who’ve made it to Canada.

Not every Canadian sup-ports or is comfortable with the plan to fast-track 25,000 refugees to this country by March 1. For context, con-sider Germany, a little over twice Canada’s population

but much smaller geographi-cally has taken in a million Syrian refugees this past year alone, 40 times the number Canada will receive. Surely, one-fortieth Germany’s total is a number we can handle in this big country of 35 million. Thorough secu-rity checks have been done before the refugees have been granted the opportu-nity to come to Canada.

Contrast our attitude and our prime minister’s wel-come of the refugees with the bile and vitriol directed towards them by those run-ning for the Republican nomination for president. Donald Trump wants to ban

all Muslims from travelling to the United States. Ben Carson wants to cut off any federal funding that would help them settle n the U.S. Marco Rubio would turn them away, so would Chris Christie and Mike Huckabee. Rand Paul would block their visas. Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush would only allow Christian Syrians in, not Muslim Syr-ians.

Even though Syrian refugees had nothing to do with the Paris shootings or the San Bernardino shoot-ings, Republican candidates are suggesting they should be denied entry to the U.S. when other countries are opening their doors. It sug-gests a country gripped by fear and ignorance.

We can celebrate our val-ues and freedoms in Canada as we happily welcome and embrace Syrian refugees to our nation. Because it’s 2016.

Tim Kelly is a reporter with The King Connection newspaper. Reach him at [email protected]

COLUMNS

Tim Kelly

We can be proud of our refugee effortsBy Joan MontgoMery

Special to The Connection

With 2016 literally just around the corner, we look forward to celebrating Epiphany. The term Epipha-ny means “to make known”, “to reveal” or “to show”. It’s a 200 year old tradition in Canada, which remembers the three wise men’s visit and the baptism of Jesus. It is also a time of year, in our church, when we look ahead to the actualization of our mission (in our community and beyond).

❚ EpiphanyWe begin on Sunday Jan.

3 and then continue on for the duration of the month. The highlights, include a celebration of the Jesus’s baptism on Sunday Janu-ary 10 and a special guest speaker, Alexandra Kotyk from “Lifeline Syria” on Sun-day January 17. Hopefully, it will be a time to not only celebrate traditional biblical events but to “reveal” the

relevance of our faith within the context of today’s often tragic events.

❚ Messy Church On Tuesday Jan. 12,

5 - 7 p.m., Messy Church’s theme will be on Creation and appreciating the diver-sity and beauty of God’s world. Crafts and activities from 5 – 6 pm, story time at 6 – 6:15pm, then eating dinner at 6:15 followed by socializing or doing more crafts. Messy Church started in England with concern that children were not learn-ing the Bible stories. The ideas for various themes and activities are provided in Messy Church books and there are a number of denominations who are using these ideas. Families

are very busy these days and they welcome a chance to have someone else provide activities and food for them to enjoy. There is no charge as Nobleton United spon-sors this program.

We again thank Ed Elli-otson for covering Sunday services in our Minister’s absence and of course, we would like to take this opportunity to wish every-one a happy New Year!

❚ More informationFor more info, visit

nobletonunitedchurch.com, our Facebook page, or call our church at 905-859-3976. The church office is nor-mally open on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. We are located at 6076 King Rd., north side, about 6 buildings west of Hwy 27. We have a big parking lot at the rear of the building, an acces-sible ramp at the rear of the building, chair lifts for the seven steps and accessible washrooms.

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storiesifeL A celebration of lives well livedand people well lovedRead more Life Stories on yorkregion.com

By Simone [email protected]

obert Arbuckle was rarely idle.

When daughters Roberta or Adrienne vis-

ited their father, he always seemed to be doing something.

He would be practising music, or trying out a new recipe. Robert was always trying to improve — in music, cooking and baking.

He never stopped learning, according to Roberta.

Robert bought a mandolin about two years ago and was teaching himself to play. He loved baking and was forever on the Internet, looking for new recipes. He was continually challenging himself to come up with ways to keep busy, Roberta said. Cooking was definitely one of his passions.

A case in point: He could be out cutting grass or in the middle of gardening. When the Canadian cooking show Urban Peasant came on, he would drop whatever he was doing, stop, watch the show, write down the recipe of the day and try it out.

Robert grew up outside of King City. At age 11, he started violin lessons and would later go on to become a renowned fiddler. He learned his first songs from his par-ents, also fiddle players.

By age 14, he was already play-ing at square dances around his hometown of Laskay, Ontario.

Robert, or “Bob” as he was also known, played with various groups

Fiddle champion Arbuckle was devoted husband, fatherR

over the years, including Art Celsie and the Singing Plainsmen, who had a weekly radio show on CJRH Richmond Hill and later a TV show on CKVR Barrie during the early 1960s.

Robert met his wife Ginny Sher-ratt while playing with a group in Aurora and they later had their own group from 1965 to1970.

Ginny was a singer/guitar player from the U.S. She played with singer/accordionist/arranger Joan Fairfax.

Ginny’s parents were both well-known Toronto musicians during the 1930s and ‘40s. In her last year of high school, she joined a local band called The Country Squires, where she met Robert.

The couple would go on to play music for dances at Musselman’s Lake.

The family lived in Oak Ridges for about 20 years. Robert coached for the Oak Ridges Minor Ball Asso-ciation and also served as presi-dent of the association.

The Arbuckle family also lived in Cedar Valley, near Newmarket.

Roberta and Adrienne have happy memories of spending time together as a family tapping syrup from trees and making maple syrup. Their parents flooded the back yard so anyone could skate on the homemade rink. The family also enjoyed cross-country skiing on the property.

Later, Robert and Adrienne ended up performing on the first Friday of every month at a seniors centre in Newmarket, with Robert

playing the fiddle and Adrienne playing the piano.

Robert and Ginny started fid-dler and step dancing competitions at Black Creek Pioneer Village and competed at the Royal Winter Fair. The couple ended up competing in step dance and fiddle competitions throughout the province, eventually graduating to judging the competi-tions.

When Ginny went back to school at age 40 to become a legal secretary, Robert took over duties around the house.

“He was a nice guy and a true gentleman,” Roberta said.

Not surprisingly, when Ginny battled cancer for 2-1/2 years, Robert supported her and put his own life on hold to help her.

“It was amazing the time and effort he put in to look after her,” Roberta said. “It was a tireless effort. It was what he wanted to do. He was dedicated and devoted.”

Ginny died in August of 2010. Robert missed her terribly since they had been partners both in love and in song, performing as a duo across York Region and Toronto.

Robert died suddenly of a heart attack Nov. 22, 2015 and funeral ser-vices were held at Richmond Hill’s

“Adored by children, universally respected and an inspiration to her peers, Mrs. McCluskey was a tireless volunteer, quick to defl ect the praise heaped on her.”

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Your community newspaper is celebrating the achievements and contributions of everyday, ordinary people, who have affected the lives of others in extraordinary ways. Leaving a lasting impression on the community, our award-winning journalists will write a fitting tribute in memory of those who have a special story to share. Through your community newspaper and LifeNews.ca, we celebrate those no longer with us and remember the memories we share.

Celebrate a life well lived!

Paul Futhey.....

Marshall Funeral Home. The weekend he died, he had

attended a bluegrass awards event in Huntsville.

“He had a great weekend,” Roberta said. “He was doing some-thing he enjoyed.”

Karen Reed knew Robert through the fiddle contest circuit, posting an online condolence message:

“He leaves behind many memo-ries of kindness, gentleness, wis-dom, great tunes and great playing. His life touched hundreds of people in a positive and encouraging way. His contribution to the fiddle world has been highly significant”.

Robert Arbuckle (inset and at right) and beloved wife Ginny were accomplished musicians, making music together throughout York and across Ontario.

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King Connection December 31