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Affordable housing,

youth shelterproposed

BY MARNEY BECKmbeck@yrmg.com

An application to build a new 10-storey, 225-unit affordable housing project has been brought to the town.

To be located on Yonge Street, just north of Crosby Avenue, the application by Housing York Inc. asks council to permit a mixed-use, high-density residential development, which would include facilities for Pathways for Chil-dren, Youth and Families.

If approved, the Pathway facility would feature a youth centre, emergency and transi-tional housing, plus administrative offices.

While in its early stages and with two public meetings on the project set for this fall, two councillors gave thumbs up to the plan.

“We have a desperate need for affordable housing across York Region,” Regional Coun-cillor Brenda Hogg said. “This development is a good step toward meeting those needs, but it will barely scratch the surface.

There are now about 6,500 families on the region’s affordable housing waiting list, she added.

“Richmond Hill is a great place to raise a family and more people should have that opportunity,” said Ward 2 Councillor Carmine Perrelli, in whose ward the project is to be built.

A previous Pathways youth shelter, also in Ward 2 on Centre Street East, was rejected because it was too far from public transit, he said.

“This location is far superior to the original residential location,” Mr. Perrelli said. “The

VISIT YORKREGION.COM FOR BREAKING NEWS, PHOTO GALLERIES AND MORE / HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR TO MBECK@YRMG.COM

See ‘COMPATIBILITY’, page 5. See MEN, page 13.

BY KIM ZARZOURkzarzour@yrmg.com

There’s nothing like pizza and parenting to bring folks together.

Ed Bader, a parenting educator and Thornhill grandfather, has just placed a plat-ter of pizza in the middle of the meeting room and the cheesy goodness seems to have opened the floodgates.

Fathers, mothers and grandparents tuck into the slices while they tap into shared experiences raising children.

Clara Mazanegos, a newcomer from Guatemala, talks about how she deals with isolation, raising her two-year-old in a city

without friends or extended family.Markham resident Paul Au compares

child-rearing in Canada to Hong Kong, where multiple generations are involved.

Nellie and Amin Jutha, of Aurora, share the struggles they’ve encountered trying to parent as a team with each other and their own parents.

And Alexes Barillas Zuniga, of Richmond Hill, recalls the time he lost his daughter in the mall and, later, after she was home, safe and asleep, weeping with remorse, wonder-ing if he was doing this whole parenting thing right.

It’s something most parents wonder and

Mr. Bader hopes this parenting program will help, especially since he will be tapping into an increasingly important resource: the experience and wisdom of grandparents.

Partnership Parenting is his unique new program offered free across York Region to help families — newcomers, fathers and grandfathers in particular.

And it begins with Mr. Bader’s theory, “if you feed them, they will come”.

It’s only partly tongue in cheek. In these busy, scattered times, he has found food is often the thing that draws a community

Partnership Parenting hones in on dads

STAFF PHOTO/SUSIE

KOCKERSCHEIDT

Richmond Hill dad Alexes Baril-las Zuniga talks about struggles to find connections and balance while raising children in Canada at a new parenting program aimed at fathers and grandfathers.

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BY KIM ZARZOURkzarzour@yrmg.com

Cars that are emission-free just got one step closer to being worry-free in York Region with a new charging sta-tion located in Thornhill near Hwy. 7.

CAA South Central Ontario has installed the vehicle charging post in the parking lot of the association’s head office at 60 Commerce Valley Dr. E. Electric vehicle own-ers can charge up at no cost on the dual level II charger installed this summer by Siemens Canada.

Teresa Di Felice, the CAA director of government and community relations, hopes it will reassure those consid-ering buying an electric car that the infrastructure will be there to keep the vehicles on the road.

“Alternative fuel vehicles help reduce the impact of driving on the environment. Having our own electric vehicle shows our members we are leading the way in accepting new technologies,” Ms Di Felice said.

Located in an business industrial area near Hwy. 404, the charger will provide peace of mind to drivers who attend meetings in the area, she said.

There are about seven publicly available chargers in York Region, she said.

A map provided by Plug’nDrive Ontario, which is in process of being updated, includes locations at Maple Nissan in Vaughan, Richmond Hill town hall, Markham Mitsubishi, Richmond Hill Mitsubishi, Windfall Ecology Centre and NewRoads Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC.

An app is being created to help drivers find locations across the country with the help of the CAA, Plug’nDrive and Electric Mobility Canada.

The South Central Ontario head office has also added a Nissan Leaf electric vehicle to its corporate fleet to be used by employees for corporate events, conferences and off-site meetings.

A blog, Life-side Connections on the association’s website caasco.com, helps electric car drivers understand what it’s like to drive an alternative vehicle, while CAA Insurance offers a 5-per-cent discount to policy holders who own an electric vehicle or a hybrid.

For more information on electric vehicles and a map showing pub-licly available charging stations, visit plugndrive.ca

CAA South Central Ontario has installed the vehicle charging post in the parking lot of the association’s head office at 60 Commerce Valley Dr. E. in Thornhill.

CAA car charging station gives electric vehicles jolt

The shocking truth about Ford’s Electric FocusIt’s time to put up or shut up

about electric cars.I admit I am a skeptic about pure

electric cars as the road to the future. In certain circumstances such as inner city environments – yes; but in the real world of regular daily com-mutes — no.

Tested here is the 2012 Ford Focus Electric or more properly BEV (Bat-tery Electric Vehicle), which is just like any other Focus except there is no engine, gas tank and zero, and I mean zero, emissions.

Outwardly, it is identical to a standard Focus and so is most of the standard equipment.

Instead of an engine and gas tank, it has a 107-kW electric motor and a 23-kWh lithium-ion battery and a 6.6 kW onboard charger. The battery is both heated and cooled to cope with weather extremes. Ford in Michigan makes the battery in partnership with LG Chem.

Together, power is rated at 143 hp and 184 lb/ft of torque.

Ford claims it has a range of up to 160 km and top speed is 136 km/h with a one-speed transmission driv-ing the front wheels.

It comes equipped with a special hand-held five-prong plug and a 10-foot electric cord with a ground-ed three-prong plug at the other end that goes into any standard 110-volt outlet.

Located on the left front fender, the charge port activates a light ring that illuminates the port twice when plugged in. Flashing quadrants rep-

resent charge in progress and solid-lit quadrants show stages of charge completion.

The Electric was delivered to my home on a flatbed truck, a rather dubious beginning, but the ratio-nale being it was fully charged and ready to go as a courtesy.

On the main instrument cluster there is a depiction of the battery showing full at the top and empty at the bottom. As power is con-sumed, the level goes down and shows roughly how many kilome-ters remain based on the way the car is being driven at the time.

You can add kms by braking and, as I was to find out, by coasting downhill.

The big issue with pure electric cars is “range anxiety”, which sim-ply means do I have enough juice to make it to where I’m going or will I be stranded in the middle of nowhere or on a busy street?

The other issue is charge time.

Jim Robinson

WheelsTalk.com

On at standard 110-volt system 12 hours or more is common. Ford does offer a 240-volt charging sta-tion that is claimed to lower the charge time to something like four hours, but costs $1,599 and has to be installed by the Geek Squad from Best Buy.

On my first trip around town I covered 80.1 km and used 12.7 kW. The display showed the battery down about 40 per cent. Accord-ing to the supplementary readout, it was going to take 8.1 hours to recharge.

Plugging in inside our Rich-mond Hill garage at 8 p.m. to take advantage of off-peak power rates,

it was fully charged when I went out to check at 8 a.m. the next day.

That was quite acceptable, as getting around town and having it ready to go the next day is probably the main use this car will see.

But what about going to the limit, ergo about 141-145 km as shown on the battery graphic when fully charged?

The next day I drove north on primarily two-lane highways aver-aging about 70-80 km/h which was the rate of the flow of traffic.

With 71 km remaining, I decid-ed to turn around and return.

As I drove south, it showed 58 km left in the battery. To my horror,

I realized I was probably still about 45-50 km away from home.

The longer you brake, not how hard, puts more regenerative power in the battery. I was recapturing 1-2 km this way but it still looked like it was going to be close.

Being in a hilly moraine region, I’d gingerly accelerate up hills and then coast down the other side. This was good for another 1-2 km.

I probably irked a lot of drivers behind me but it sure worked. By the time I got home there was still 21 km in the battery.

My combined total driving that day was 124.0 km. I was shocked to see the summary readout say it was going to take 18.9 hours to recharge.

I plugged in at 8 p.m. and at 8 a.m. the next day three quadrants were solid and the fourth was flash-ing. Six hours later, it was all topped up. I’m guessing it took about 13 to 14 hours to fully charge.

The Canadian price is $41,199. Provincial rebates of up to $8,500 in Ontario lower the price to $32,696.

That’s still pretty pricey for a car that can’t get you realistically beyond 130-140 km in 24 hours.

On the other hand, judicious use makes the Ford Focus Electric a practical family car that never needs to stop for a fuel pump again.

With fuel costs ever rising, that alone makes the Focus Electric a viable motive alternative and me much less skeptical.

Outwardly, the 2012 Ford Focus Electric looks the same as any other Focus, but inside is a battery-charged electric motor that — with care-ful driving — lets you drive right by fuel pumps.

JIM ROBINSON PHOTO

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Slow down, York Region drivers.A total of 19 regional roads will have new,

mostly slower, speed limits, if a new set of revisions proposed Wednesday get the green light from council Sept. 20.

Aside from one recommendation, to increase the speed limit along one stretch of Mount Albert Road in East Gwillimbury, all revisions will see reduced speeds across the region’s road network.

According to a staff report, the changes are a result of routine investigations, which are generally initiated by requests from the pub-lic, members of council or proactively as part of ongoing monitoring of roadways.

The changes are:

RICHMOND HILL

• Leslie Street: reduced to 60 km/h from 70 km/h, John Street to Elgin Mills Road and 19th Avenue to Stouffville Road• Yonge Street: reduced to 60 km/h from 70 km/h, Devonsleigh Boulevard to Gamble Road• Yonge Street: reduced to 60 km/h from 80 km/h, Gamble to Old Colony roads.

VAUGHAN

• Jane Street: reduced to 60 km/r from 70 km/h, Steeles Avenue to Major Mackenzie Drive• Keele Street: reduced to 60 km/h from 70 km/h, Langstaff Road to Alberta Drive• Langstaff Road: reduced to 60 km/h from 70 km/h, Keele to Dufferin streets• Weston Road: reduced to 60 km/h from 70

km/h, Steeles Avenue to Rutherford Road• Weston Road: reduced to 60 km/h from 80 km/h, Major Mackenzie Drive to Teston Road.

MARKHAM

• Major Mackenzie Drive: reduced to 70 km/h from 80 km/h, Glenbourne Park Drive to Hwy. 48• McCowan Road: reduced to 60 km/h from 70 km/h, Steeles to 14th avenues and Carlton Road to 16th Avenue• McCowan Road: reduced to 60 km/h from 80 km/h, 16th Avenue to Major Mackenzie.

AURORA

• Wellington Street: reduced to 70 km/h from 80 km/h, Bayview Avenue to Hwy. 404• Yonge Street: reduced to 60 km/h from 80 km/h, Bloomington Road to Industrial Park-way.

EAST GWILLIMBURY

• Mount Albert Road: increased to 60 km/h from 50 km/h, Leslie Street to 305 metres east of Leslie Street• Mount Albert Road: reduced to 60 km/h from 80 km/h, 656 metres west of Woodbine Avenue to Woodbine Avenue.

GEORGINA

• Black River Road: reduced to 70 km/h from 80 km/h, Queen Street to Park Road.

KING

• King Road: reduced to 50 km/h from 60 km/h, Hwy. 27 to 8th Concession Road.

- Tiffany Hsieh

Speed limits likely to drop on regional roads

Smart Commute Markham, Richmond Hill presents the second annual Breakfast of Champions Sept. 12.

Interested in sustainable transportation solutions for your business and employ-ees? Already part of the Smart Commute program and want to kick it up a notch?

Come to the Sheraton Parkway Toronto North Hotel, Markham Room, for a morn-ing breakfast meeting of networking and idea sharing.

The free event runs from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. and includes a hot breakfast, guest speakers sharing success stories and ways to solve challenges, plus tips on saving money and engaging employees in com-muting programs.

Smart Commute Markham, Richmond Hill is a not-for-profit sustainability pro-gram of the municipalities of Markham and Richmond Hill, York Region and Metrolinx. It helps local employers and commuters explore different commuting choices such as carpooling, cycling and transit.

The goal is to ease gridlock, improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emis-sions while making everyone’s commute less expensive and more enjoyable.

The hotel is at 600 Hwy. 7 E. in Rich-mond Hill.

Register by e-mail to events@smartcom-mutemrh.ca

Attend breakfast of champions for commuting tips

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cost to build was not affordable and the operational costs were not sus-tainable.

“I look forward to working with Pathways and the region on the details of operating the shelter, to ensure safety for the youth and com-patibility with the neighborhood.”

That neighbourhood houses car dealerships and commercial uses, with Genesis Place non-profit apart-ments just east of the proposed site.

The Yonge location has access to transit, shops, parks and schools, Ms Hogg noted.

“We need to integrate affordable housing into our community if it is

to help families and singles build their lives and contribute to every-one’s quality of life,” she said. “This apartment building will accommo-date a range of needs, including employment counselling and train-ing.”

The first public meeting is Sept. 26, 7 to 9 p.m., at the Richmond Hill Central Library, hosted by York Region.

The town’s public meeting is Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. in council cham-bers, during which you can address council about the project.

No final decision on the project will be made at either public meet-ing.

STAFF PHOTO/SJOERD WITTEVEEN

This former car lot on Yonge Street just north of Crosby is the site of a proposed affordable apartment building and Pathways youth shelter. Genesis Place apartments can be seen in the background.

‘Compatibility’ will be important, councillor

From page 1.

COUNCILLOR CARMINE PERRELLI: ‘Far superior to original residential location’.

REGIONAL COUNCILLOR BRENDA HOGG: ‘We need to integrate afford-able housing into community’.

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

Don’t mess with LCBO successRe: It’s time for corner store liquor, edito-rial, Aug. 16.

I found your arguments for putting liquor and beer in corner stores to be short-sighted and narrowly conceived.

Yes, the province makes a profit from the LCBO. However, the province has a $15-billion deficit. To kill the LCBO would add $1.5 billion annually, leading to an increase in taxes for everyone.

Secondly, the argument that corner store owners are responsible is pretty weak. We have seen how responsible some stores have been in scamming the lottery corporation for decades and now you want to give them alcohol? They can hardly police the selling of tobacco to minors.

The LCBO is the one of the largest pur-chasers of alcohol in the world. As such, it can leverage suppliers for lower rates on spirits. It has some of the lowest purchas-ing costs in the world. Having individual stores and chains trying to negotiate with suppliers will lead to less choice at higher prices.

You state there has been no increase in sales of alcohol to minors in Alberta. You fail to mention the increase in crime and number of armed robberies of con-venience stores selling alcohol.

The Fraser Institute reports Calgary witnessed an increase in shoplifting and

commercial robberies corresponding with the privatization of liquor stores, along with an increase in drinking and driving offences and alcohol-related domestic disputes.

The institute noted: “The bulk of empirical studies generally support our hypothesis that unrestricted free markets increase alcohol consumption while pub-lic monopolies restrict consumption.”

Finally, the LCBO does a fantastic job managing this business. Limiting the number of stores limits options for people with drinking problems and both Brewers and the LCBO have demonstrat-ed an efficacy in this area.

Their stores are clean, well stocked with a great variety of products, offer good hours and friendly and knowledge-able staff.

Privatization will lead to higher prices, less choice, more taxes, greater availabil-ity for people at risk, a probable increase in drinking and driving and domestic disputes and sketchy operators in charge of a potentially harmful drug. But we’ll be able to buy our potato chips at the same time.

MICHAEL ST. GEORGERICHMOND HILL

Editor’s note: The editorial didn’t advo-cate for the demise of the LCBO, but that convenience stores should also be permit-ted to sell beer and wine.

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Editor in Chief Debora Kelly

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905-884-1105

t’s amazing how many people think there isn’t poverty in our region,” says York Region anti-poverty advocate Kris-tine Carbis. “Making people aware there

are people without life’s basic needs is part of what keeps me going.”

The single mother volunteers with unrivalled passion and optimism to make a difference in the lives of peo-ple living in poverty, even though she, herself, struggles to get by on a mea-gre disability allowance.

She’s right, too many aren’t aware of the need in our community.

I’m not suggesting we don’t know times are tough for some families and individuals; but what we don’t know is the depth — the starkness — of the real poverty in our communities and province.

But a report released last week by the province’s unions and more than 90 community groups and non-profit organizations may have popped the bubble in which some of us had been living.

Thousands of Ontarians spend sleepless night knowing if they pay the rent or mortgage, they won’t be

Compassion can stop more from falling behind

Debora Kelly

able to feed their children.Nearly 400,000 Ontario children live

in poverty, while 40 per cent of Ontar-ians struggle to get by with incomes that have stagnated or declined for more than a decade.

Our province ranks dead last in Canada for equality and social wel-fare.

The Ontario Common Front report, called Falling Behind, documents the devastating impact of government cuts to jobs and public services by tracking indicators such as the wage gap, hours of work, hospital beds,

tuition fees, poverty rates, support for seniors, access to affordable housing, disability support and wait lists for community services.

During the Liberal government’s reign, Ontario Disability Support and Ontario Works recipients have seen the spending power of their sub-poverty income decline nearly 60 per cent.

In its last budget, the Dalton McGuinty government increased social assistance rates by less than the rate of inflation and cut programs.

The report criticizes the federal and provincial governments for policies that have pushed so many citizens to the edge of the poverty line in favour of corporate tax cuts.

Any political agenda aside, the report underlines the message that people like Kristine have been tell-ing us: If we work together to make a difference, we will be stronger and healthier — as a community, as fami-lies and individuals.

We need to elect governments that won’t wastefully spend our tax money or use it to benefit corporations over hungry children and adults.

And while our governments have a

responsibility to help citizens unable to access the necessities of life with-out assistance, despite the economy, so, too, do we. We need to continue to volunteer and try to dig a bit deeper to support our community charities.

It doesn’t take much for me to real-ize how much I have to be grateful for these days.

A man sits on the sidewalk outside my bank branch, begging for coins. At the grocery store, I bump into a friend who tells me her husband has lost his job after decades with the same company.

There but for the grace of God go I.

And I think of Kristine, who, despite her own challenges that would bow most others, thinks only of the people who are worse off than she is.

“I love people and if there is any way I can help make their lives better, I’m going to do it,” she says.

“I love what I’m doing and hope I can inspire others to take on a cause.”

We may be dead last in Canada for equality and social welfare, but being first in compassion and caring for those in need is the way to stop more of us from falling behind.

‘I

NS7

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Final witness, lawyers spar over public input

on observatoryBY MARNEY BECKmbeck@yrmg.com

The final witness in the 12-day Ontario Municipal Board hearing on the observatory mediated settlement was heard Thursday

Planner Lindsay Dale-Harris, retained by Corsica, which owns the David Dunlap Obser-vatory lands, which are north of 16th Avenue along Bavyiew Avenue, was grilled at length by a lawyer for the Richmond Hill Naturalists, the only group opposing a multi-party settle-ment hammered out in April through OMB mediation.

Ms Dale-Harris was questioned by Virginia MacLean on her areas of expertise, past expe-rience with any heritage properties and even on the definitions of planning documents and procedures.

THICK STACK OF PAPERS

However, when Ms MacLean’s line of ques-tioning seemed to imply that public submis-sions from residents objecting to the devel-opment of the observatory property were ignored and showed a stack of papers about one inch thick, Corsica lawyer David Bronskill showed his impatience.

“I have an issue with the tone [of the ques-tioning] suggesting there is something delib-erate and we have done something wrong,” said Mr. Bronskill.

“I have no problem with this evidence being admitted, but these are comments made before the mediated settlement.”

He was referring to the April deal agreed to by the Town of Richmond Hill, Corsica, the David Dunlap Defenders and two other par-ties, which would see 530 homes built on the property instead of the initial 830, and also the western portion of about 99 acres donated to the town by Corsica.

PUBLIC PROCESS

When Ms MacLean asked Ms Dale-Har-ris if members of the public were attending Thursday’s hearing, Ms Dale-Harris said there were and noted, “I know the whole process has been public and in newspapers and on

websites”.When Ms MacLean asked about a specific

letter concerning traffic concerns written in January 2011, Mr. Bronskill again objected.

“I have been very tolerant, but I will be objecting,” he warned, stating the letter referred to issues on the old development proposal, not the current settlement.

Even the chairperson of the OMB, Karlene Hussey, spoke up, noting that “the public pro-cedure is set out, I want to make clear — the public is certainly not excluded”.

Ms MacLean asked Ms Dale-Harris numer-ous questions concerning Corsica’s promise to maintain the heritage buildings, including the famed telescope.

“Is maintenance required for the admin-istration building and the other buildings including the telescope?” asked Ms MacLean.

“The settlement agreement talks about preservation ... and best efforts to maintain and repair them in good condition,” replied Ms Dale-Harris, reading from documents.

LIGHT POLLUTION

Light pollution from new homes to be constructed on the observatory site was also a line of questioning.

“Is it good planning to put subdivision homes north of the telescope knowing there is an impact?” asked Ms MacLean.

“Yes,” replied Ms Dale-Harris, “given con-trols that can be imposed through a subdivi-sion agreement”.

When cross-examined by Corsica lawyer Mr. Bronskill about the terms of settlement and what lands would be granted to the town and what will be developed for housing, Ms Dale-Harris summarized, “at the end of the day, 40 hectares will be public land as com-pared to the original plan”.

The Naturalists object to the settlement, saying it does not comply with provincial conservation and heritage policies and the site should be preserved in its entirety.

Final summations will be heard when the OMB hearing reconvenes Monday morning at 9:30.

Meditation sessions focus on stress

A Kadampa Buddhist Meditation pro-gram will start Monday, Sept. 10 in Rich-mond Hill with a focus on stress.

For five weeks, every Monday night from 7 to 8:30 p.m., the non-profit organi-zation will present meditation programs to promote stress-free living.

Learn to identify the inner causes of

stress, how we can practically calm our mind and start to experience the life with-out stress we long for.

Classes are held at the Richmond Hill Central Library, 1 Atkinson St.

Training in meditation will be provided at the beginning and the end of the discus-sion; nominal fee of $10 per session or $40 pass for five.

For more information visit www.kad-ampa.ca or call 416-762-8033.

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BY KIM ZARZOURkzarzour@yrmg.com

It’s 9 p.m. on Tuesday night and Dustin Bevin is knee-deep in documents.

Five local maps are open on his desktop along with 15 spreadsheets, a stack of email messages, web pages and “all the latest, great-est tools” for community event planning.

Not far away, also in Thornhill, his buddy Shawn Sussman is also home from work, wad-ing through festival emails and text messages, arranging for aerial photos and eco-friendly transit options.

In his Richmond Hill condominium, Michael Shalit is fine-tuning the event’s new content management system and responding to Facebook queries.

Welcome to the new and improved Thorn-hill Village Festival.

This is not your Gramma’s town fair.Nine days from now, Thornhill’s popular

annual event gets under way on Yonge Street with the usual marching bands, pony rides, midway, food and fun.

But chances are, you’ll notice some chang-es. You’ll be able to buy tickets online, for example, park your bike for free, or check out happenings on Facebook or the brand new web page.

The festival, which nearly died a few years ago due to lack of volunteers and schedul-ing difficulty, has been reinvigorated with a

new group of volunteers with a new group of ideas.

Publicity chair David Rawcliffe considers them “young’uns”.

That’s because Mr. Rawcliffe, like most of the festival’s organizers, have been around a long time, and he is thrilled to see the festival getting a new lease on life with help from “the younger folk”.

It’s time, he says, to turn over the reins.“We’re getting old. It’s as simple as that,” he

says with a laugh.Mr. Rawcliffe, who has helped with the fes-

tival since 1984, said the event, a project of the Society for the Preservation of Historic Thorn-hill, has been held together for many years by a core group of volunteers, “really great people who worked very hard”, but those organizers are making way for the next generation.

“At some point, we need to be passing over the reins,” he says. “This is the youngest infu-sion in many a long year.

“They have an eagerness and we want to channel it. It will change the tone, help the event evolve, and that’s what you want.”

Leading the vanguard is Shawn Suss-man, a 29-year-old audio engineer and newly appointed committee chairperson.

He was in a band that performed at the fes-tival and when he read a story in The Liberal outlining the precarious future of the event, he decided to help with music and staging.

“I just wanted to make sure we had a good

gig,” he recalls. But as time went on, he helped out more.

“I realized I had my opportunity, played there for years. Now it was time to give others the opportunity.”

When his friends started talking about how they’d like to improve the festival, he suggested they put their ideas to work, too.

“It was the beer garden they were inter-ested in, to be honest with you,” he laughs.

Word spread and last year, for the first time in many, the festival was not scrambling for volunteers. Today, there’s a core committee of about two dozen people, as well as a contin-gent of volunteers who help on the day of the event, and a sense that the beloved old festival has new legs.

Dustin Revin, 35, came on board in May. He helped arrange for tickets to be sold online in advance, at a discount through WagJag, and is in charge of entertainment on Yonge Street.

He has attended the event since 1986 and his band, the Brittannia Pub House Band, will perform this year at the CIBC parking lot beer garden.

He says volunteering with the festival is a welcome, happier activity to balance out his sometimes “heavy” duties as a bailiff, or repo man, that is his full-time job.

“It’s a feel-good thing, a nice contrast for me,” he says. “No matter who you speak to, everyone has been to the festival.”

Michael Shalit, 29, is the festival’s webmas-

ter and helps with operations. He’s hopeful more young people will lend a hand to ensure the event will be around for the long run.

With the new “youthful” outlook comes new, modern ideas, more social media and young, local bands; there’s even talk, for next year, of incorporating a Taste of Thornhill to showcase the variety of food available in old Thornhill.

This is not just a fall festival that highlights the history of a venerable village, but a way to bring the whole community together, Mr. Sussman says.

“In your youth, you’re preoccupied with friends and your own life and don’t necessarily think much about the community,” he says.

But when you head to the beer garden or to watch the festival parade, “all of a sudden, the sense of community is front and centre.”

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NS9

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Queen contest winner ‘touched lives of thousands’

The latest Queen for a Day winner is Donna Houle, a longtime resident of Richmond Hill and a dedicated elementary school secretary in the area for many years.

She was nominated by Marina Di Girolamo who wrote: “She has put on countless band-aids, wiped a million tears, applied thousands of ice cubes on bruised knees, always with an infectious smile and comforting words.

“Donna is the first one called when lunches are forgotten, clothes are soiled and tummy aches erupt. She has touched the lives of thou-sands of children and their families over the years and she is so deserving of the wonder-ful recognition” through the Queen for a Day countdown contest.

As part of her prize package, Ms Houle will receive tickets to the Queen for a Day; The Musical, running Sept. 26 through Oct. 7 at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts.

Based on the first-ever reality show of the 1950s and 1960s, it’s a musical comedy inspired by true stories and filled with songs, laughs, and the original charm of reality TV. Most shows will star Canadian Alan Thicke.

To nominate someone deserving in the Queen for a Day countdown contest or order tickets to the show, visit queenforadaythemusi-cal.com

Speaker on learning disabilities will inspire, help

The annual meeting of the Learning Dis-abilities Association of York Region aims to

help and inspire families coping with learning disabilities.

The free meeting with guest speaker Melis-sa Rowbotham will take place Sept. 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the association’s Richmond Hill offices.

Ms Rowbotham will discuss links between mental health and learning disabilities, including risk factors and resiliency.

As manager of community education and engagement of the Integra Foundation, she is dedicated to helping children and adoles-cents who experience social, emotional, and behavioural problems related to their Learn-ing Disabilities.

The workshop will explore possible areas of overlap between learning disabilities and mental health issues such as anxiety, mood issues, ADHD/executive functioning deficits and behavioural challenges.

She will outline strategies to boost self-esteem and promote wellness for youth with learning disabilities.

The workshop and 36th annual general meeting will be held at 11181 Yonge St., Rich-mond Hill.

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Driving me crazy - coping with teen behind the wheelWhat’s the hardest thing you’ve

ever done as a parent? For me, it’s adapting to being

a passenger or observer to my daughter behind the wheel of a car, nervous about her driving on roads alongside drivers who may not be quite as vigilant as she is.

On a general rather than per-sonal level, I’ve always been bewil-dered by the fact 16-year-olds are eligible to operate a potentially dangerous piece of machinery. With one small distraction or error, lives can be lost.

In fact, motor vehicle crash-es, according to American stats (found at driving.ca), are the num-ber one killer of teenagers.

At 16, an age when the brain is still developing, the law dictates teenagers are capable of making split-second, life-and-death deci-sions while driving, but are still years away being allowed to vote. And how is it that the same law makers consider it best for teen-agers to wait until 19 to consume alcohol?

I have heard rumours that the age for driving may jump to 18, and I’d welcome this, but the cyn-ics among us may wonder if car manufacturers and insurers might

fight this change. After all, 16 year olds, or their

parents, pay high insurance pre-miums for the privilege of driving a car.

When my daughter turned 16, I was relieved that she wasn’t all that eager to jump into driving.

In fact, even though she obtained her G1 at 17, and com-pleted her in-class lessons soon after, she continued with a slow, steady and sporadic series of in-car lessons for years until she felt completely confident behind the wheel.

Last month, at 20, she was granted her G2. I think with all her training, she is a technically bet-

ter driver than me. She has even pointed out a few things to me I had forgotten.

However, through no fault of her own, and despite remind-ers that she wouldn’t have been granted her licence if she wasn’t competent, I still have my right foot on an imaginary brake when she is driving me anywhere, I still grip the handle above the window and feel the urge to close my eyes as she is turning left at a busy intersection.

Guiltily, I know I am more of a hindrance than a help.

I know that when I’m nervous and giving off those vibes in the car, she is going to feel tense, too, but I can’t seem to help myself.

I have reminded her on several occasions that this has nothing to do with her – she has persevered and earned her rightful position behind the wheel. But give me a break – after all, wasn’t it only yesterday she was learning how to ride a bicycle?

Despite my emotional reac-tion, I am thrilled that she has learned how to drive – and at an age when she is more mature, less of a risk taker and better at deci-

Sara Dimerman

Parenting column

sion making. Driving is an important life

skill and will make her life easier when she one day has kids to car pool or simply wants the luxury and independence of getting from one place to another without rely-ing on us.

Mostly, I appreciate her patience as I work towards becoming a better passenger. It can’t be easy for her to under-

stand how hard it is for me, as her parent, to watch the car that she is driving turn the corner and drive away until it is no longer in my sight.

Thornhill’s Sara Dimerman is an indi-vidual, couple and family therapist and the author of three books - ‘Am I A Normal Par-ent?’, ‘Character Is the Key’ and ‘How can I be your Lover when I’m too Busy being your Mother?’ Visit www.helpmesara.com

On Thursday, Sept. 27, Liberal parenting columnist Sara Dim-erman will participate with other guest panelists at a Nightwood Theatre special event, hosted at Tarragon Theatre.

Following the 8 p.m. perfor-mance of the world premiere of the play Between the Sheets, written by Jordi Mand and direct-ed by Kelly Thornton, panelists including CBC parenting colum-nist Diane Flacks will participate in a discussion and question and answer session on many of the hot button issues in the play.

These include infidelity, rela-tionships, parenting and stres-sors on women, in particular.

The play focuses on an ordi-nary parent teacher interview and leads to a confrontation between two women; one fighting to pro-tect her family, the other fight-ing for the family she has always wanted.

Tickets range from $13 to $40; for more information and to purchase tick-ets, visit www.nightwoodtheatre.net or call 416- 531-1827.

Columnist panelist at play premiere

NS11

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BY L.H. TIFFANY HSIEHthsieh@yrmg.com

Plans for a proposed gas pipe-line south of Hwy. 407 in Markham, Richmond Hill and Vaughan are moving ahead.

Enbridge Inc. announced a $600-million financial commit-

ment for the new GTA pipeline project Thursday.

The 22-kilometre pipeline crossing York Region and south to Scarborough is part of two sec-tions totalling 47 km.

The expansion will upgrade the existing system that delivers natu-

ral gas to the three southern York municipalities as well as Toronto, Brampton and Mississauga.

The last time Enbridge expand-ed its system in the area was 20 years ago. Since then, the com-pany’s customer base has doubled to 1.9 million.

The company received posi-tive input from residents follow-ing three public open houses in York Region earlier this year, said Malini Giridhar, who heads up the project.

Despite natural gas leaks and damage to pipelines, Ms Giridhar said most people have no issues with the location of the proposed pipeline after learning a significant portion will be built in a utility

corridor to minimize construction issues.

An environmental report is to be completed at the end of the month, she said.

Construction is to take place in 2014 and 2015, subject to approval by the Ontario Energy Board.

For more information, visit enbridgegas.com/gtaproject

Gas pipeline to expand through southern York

This diagram shows the portion of proposed gas pipeline to be constructed through Vaughan, Richmond Hill and Markham.

A round table discussion about transportation issues in York Region and the GTA takes place in Rich-mond Hill Sunday.

Organized by Civic Engagement Canada, a volunteer community group, the public event will feature municipal politicians as panelists.

Among the participants are Markham Deputy Mayor Jack Heath and Regional Council-lor Gord Landon, Richmond Hill Councillor Godwin Chan, Vaughan Councillor Sandra Rocco and Toronto councillors Chin Lee and Mike Del Grande.

The forum will focus on Metrolinx’s regional transporta-

tion plan, known as The Big Move, and the investment strategy that is scheduled to be delivered next year.

Discussions will cover municipal transportation development and challenges, investment options, parking surcharges, toll roads, regional sales tax, public-private partnerships, property taxes, capi-tal value assessment and develop-ment surcharges.

The event is at the Richmond Hill council chamber, 225 East Bea-ver Creek Rd., from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

For more information or to RSVP, e-mail alicksiu@yahoo.com

Politicians discuss The Big Move

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SPORTS

Three Richmond Hill badminton players earned medals at the recent Cape Breton-Canada Games. Ann Choi and her husband, David Goldshaw, won silver in mixed badminton competition, while Goldshaw and mens doubles partner Kanji Patel won bronze in their contest. Choi also competed in the ladies badminton event with partner Lynn Thompson from London, Ontario and won gold at the national event, held every two years.

CANADA GAMES MEDALS

together. Conversation follows naturally after that.

Many new parents, especially those new to Canada and without extended family, feel isolated and overwhelmed, he says.

Mothers are more inclined to share those con-cerns, but dads and grandfathers, not so much.

“Women do better than men at talking about these things,” he says. “In fact, women know when they meet another woman, within an hour, whether they have children, etc. A man may be with a guy for months and not even know they’re married. They talk about everything else but that.”

And that’s not good, he says.Fathers and grandfathers are taking on stron-

ger family roles in modern times, no longer seen as back-up child care, but as key sources of learn-ing and nurturing, studies show.

In some immigrant cultures, several genera-tions live under one roof and that can lead to con-flict, he says. In others, young parents are missing support of grandparents back home.

That’s why Paul Beka, a Thornhill father from Eastern Europe, whose wife is from South Ameri-ca, takes part in the parenting class.

“A couple generations back, parents learned from each other. Now, we are completely sepa-rated and it takes time to build relationships. We don’t have opportunity to learn from each other. Courses like this are really important.”

Partnership Parenting began with a six-week pilot program at the Early Years Centre in Thorn-hill this summer and, with funding from York Region, will expand this fall to centres in Wood-bridge and Newmarket, a mosque in Stouffville and the Markham Community Hub, which will also house family physicians.

In the new year, Mr. Bader plans to add a pre and post-natal component aimed at fathers and grandfathers.

He calls it “anticipatory guidance”.“Fathers are often unsure what they’re getting

into in the pre-natal period,” he says. The program will include four sessions before

the baby’s birth, four sessions after birth and another four between ages nine and 18 months.

“If parents can talk about what’s ahead, they won’t feel like they’ve fallen off the track when things happen.”

Mr. Barillas Zuniga has seen the success first hand.

The Richmond Hill dad, who comes from El Salvador, says he learned a lot when he began attending Mr. Bader’s program. Now, he is taking a leadership role.

“The very concept of some guys getting togeth-er and talking about how to discipline and man-age illnesses with children is a new concept to me. The important thing is the opportunity to meet other people and realize you’re not alone. There’s other people in exactly the same situation, as much confused as you are and as much frustrated as you are. We’ve all been there.”

The Juthas are also taking leadership roles in the parenting course.

“The child needs to know, no matter what the age, that you work as a team,” Ms Jutha explains.

Mr. Barillas Zuniga agrees.“There are times when you’re gonna hit rock

bottom, but that only makes you stronger and drives you in the right direction. You are all taking great steps being here. This is a good place where you can actually discuss things, one of few places where you can share.”

To learn more, e-mail partnershipparenting@gmail.com or contact socialservicesnetwork.org at 905-940-7864.

From page 1.

Men taking on bigger family role

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Glass & Aluminum InstallerMinimum 2 years experience for growing glass company in Richmond Hill. Top wages paid. Great benefi ts. Dental, Medical, Life Insurance. Boots & Uniform supplied by company. Start Immediately.

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Email resume: mail@remingtonmedical.com

Seeking a mature, part-timeSALES ASSOCIATE

with some decor/colour experience.Some evenings & weekend shifts.

Email resume to:elginmillsdecor@hotmail.com

Full Time Receptionist/ Veterinary Assistant

Needed in (401/ Jane St. area). We are seeking an exceptional

communicator to liaison between Doctors and clients with the skills

and ability to work both independently and as a team player.

Please forward your resume to lennoxah@gmail.com

Oak Ridges locationNow Hiring MANAGERS and

ASSISTANT MANAGERSExperience required.

Call 416-889-4233 for interview

Holy Spirit Child Care Centre (located in Holy Spirit C.E.S.)

requires aR.E.C.E.

Part time split shift, Monday to Friday.Please email resume to:

amongfriendsdaycarecentres@hotmail.com

SECURITY ALARM

INSTALLERExp. preferred with security, CCTV & Access Control or

related cabling/communication

fi eld.Clean driving record/ valid driver's license.Fax:905-770-8158

Email: joe@detsonsecurity.ca

General HelpGeneral Help

Health Care/Medical

General Help

Health Care/Medical

General Help

Health Care/Medical Health Care/MedicalCareers

Technical/Skilled Trades

Careers

Technical/Skilled Trades

Careers

Technical/Skilled Trades

General Help

Office/Administration

Sales Opportunities

Veterinary Help

Restaurants/Hospitality

TeachingOpportunities

Office/Administration

Sales Opportunities

Veterinary Help

Restaurants/Hospitality

TeachingOpportunities

call: 905-884-1105 or 1-800-743-3353 fax: 905-853-1765

Adjustments: Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of your ad. Please check your ad on the first insertion. For multiple insertions of the same ad, credit will be made only for the first insertion. Credit given for errors in connection with production on ads is limited to the printed space involved. Cancellations must be made by 2 p.m. one business day prior to publication date. Cancellations must be made by telephone. Do not fax or e-mail cancellations.

Business & Telephone Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 5:30 pm www.yorkregion.com

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Join our NEW team!

Be part of this new & innovative concept in sushi, one of the fi rst of its kind. Located in the heart of Vaughan at Bathurst & Rutherford, mysushi provides fresh, great tasting sushi and other hot Japanese foods, all in one convenient location. Our fi rst location is opening soon and we're looking for customer focused teammates that enjoy preparing great food, having fun at work and delivering an amazing guest experience. Full-time & Part-time positions available.

Sushi Chefs & Guest Experience Teammates (Cashiers)Qualifi cations:• Previous sushi making exp. is preferred but not necessary (training will be provided). • Customer service exp. in a retail, restaurant or hospitality environment is an asset• Fluency in English is required

We offer competitive wages and benefi ts. Email resume to: desraj@mysushi.ca

or fax resume to: 1-866-241-1559

CARRIERS NEEDEDDoor to door deliveryFlexible hours while

working in your communityInterested Candidates Call

(905)660-9887Richmond Hill ext.305

Thornhill ext. 311

Maple Downs Golf & Country Club Greens Department is currently

seeking full and part time employees for the fall golfi ng season.

Please reply to jennings@mapledowns.com and indicate if applying for F/T or P/T

New School Year Approaching!We require

school crossing guards in Thornhill for September

•Baythorn & Royal Orchard•Simonston & Bucks Green

•John & Henderson•Baythorn & Inverlochy

*We also require paid stand-by guards*Please call us today at: (905)737-1600

Up to $1500 CASH

Weekly

Direct Sales JobNO Door to Door!

Apply Online

CharityFundraisingEvents.com

EXPERIENCED SERVICE ADVISOR

Must be a team player no nights or weekends please

E-mail service manager at d-dupui5@

twinhillsford.com

Technical/Skilled Trades

INDUSTRIAL TECHNI-CIAN Looking for experi-ence in industrial trade and will also train. Physical work, computer knowledge helpful. Must have driver li-cence, DZ an asset. Send resume to: inqui ry@interweigh.ca Fax: 905-940-1711

General Help

Houses for Sale

PRIVACY- 4 bedroom, 3 bath bungalow, 1.1 acres. Neutral decor. Backs onto forest. Finished basement, 3 minutes to Newmarket. $650,000. 905-836-0582

Apartments, Condos For Sale

MARVELOUS RICH-MOND Hill- 2 bedroom+, 2 full baths+, 2 parking. $320,000. Century 21 Heri-tage Group. Bill McKnight, 905-883-8300 ext. 1152

General Help

Apartments for Rent

BATHURST/ CENTRE-Basement apartment w/walkout- own backyard/ garden! Laundry, cable, in-ternet, hydro, parking $770. Great neighbour-hood. 5min. to Promenade. September. 905-707-1297

BATHURST/ ELGIN Mills- 1 bedroom basement, sep-arate entrance, laundry, parking, large livingroom with fi replace. Non-smok-ing/ pets. October 1st. $800. 905-508-9348

RICHMOND HILL- Bay-view/ Major Mackenzie building. 1 & 2 bedrooms available October/ Novem-ber. 905-883-0544

General Help

Apartments for Rent

BAYVIEW/ MAJOR Mack-enzie- immaculate, sunny 1 bedroom side-apartment w/laundry, internet, porch. Parking. Suit single. $1000. inclusive. Non-smoking/ pets. 905-884-3817, 647-688-7774

HILLCREST MALL- Large 2 bedroom basement apt. Separate entrance. Laun-dry, cable, parking. Suit single. $900. inclusive. Non-smoking/ pets. Imme-diate. 416-543-3037

Apartments for Rent

MAJOR MACKENZIE/ Bayview- Beautiful 2 bed-room basement apartment. Available immediately. $850. everything included. No smoking, no pets. (905)787-8979

RICHMOND HILL- 1 bed-room basement walkout facing forest/ lake, separ-ate entrance, parking. Suit single. $850 inclusive. WiFi, cable. Immediately. 416-728-1440

YONGE/ 16TH Ave- 1 bedroom basement. Park-ing, laundry, separate en-trance. Near Hillcrest/ transit. $790. inclusive. October 1st. mdilecce@rogers.com647-722-4672gottarent.com

YONGE/ ELGIN Mills- Large 1 bedroom base-ment, parking, separate entrance. No pets/ smok-ing. Immediately. $800+ partial utilities. 647-669-5870

Condos for Rent

LUXURY SPLIT 2 bed-room condo, corner unit, Bathurst/ Centre. Thornhill. Walking distance to malls, schools, transportation. 1,000sq.ft. $1900. 416-725-2728

Townhouses for Rent

RICHMOND HILL, Ba-thurst/ Jefferson Sideroad. 4 bedroom townhouse, 1yr. old. Near French school. Available immedi-ately. $1950.+ utilities. 647-271-7020

YONGE/ OLD Colony- New townhouse, 1700sq.ft. 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, single garage, walkout backyard w/pond. Available immediately. $1850.+ Mark 416-720-9638

YONGE/ WELDRICK- Townhouse 2 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms, 1200sq.ft., 4 appliances, a/c, 2-park-ing, deck. Non-smoking/ pets. October 1st. $1500+. References. 416-880-0668

Houses for Rent

OAK RIDGES - 2 bedroom bungalow for rent. $1400+ utilities. Laundry. 6 car parking. Available immedi-ately. Please call 4 1 6 - 4 0 0 - 2 3 4 0 / 905-773-4206

RICHMOND HILL- 4 bed-room detached house, near Jefferson Sdrd./ Ba-thurst St. close to all amenities. $1850+ utilities. 905-237-1603

Rentals Outside Canada

BEACHFRONT BONITA Springs Florida Condo (Gulf of Mexico). 2 bed-rooms, 2 baths. 905-713-1604 Basilio. 30 day rentals.

Articles for Sale (Misc.)

HOT TUB (Spa) Covers- Best Price, Best Quality. All Shapes & Col-ours Available. Call 1-866-652-6837 www.thecoverguy.com/newspaper

HOT TUB/SPA2012 model, fully loaded,

full warranty. New in plastic. Cost $8,000

Sacrifi ce $3,900. Call: 416-779-0563

VehiclesWanted/Wrecking

$200 TO $1000- Dead/ Alive.

Cars/ trucks/ vans. Fast Free towing.

We sell parts. 416-500-5050

Tutoring

MATHEMATICS- HIGH school mathematics teach-er, PhD. tutoring all levels. (905)770-8296, Nicholas (56 Queensway Dr.)alyokhin@rogers.com

QUANTUM ACADEMYHigh School Credits

Math, Science, English, French, SpanishSmall classes.

Qualifi ed teachers.905-787-9720

www.quantumacademy.ca

RETIRED TEACHER, over 33 years experience, available to teach in your home, French/ ESL, all lev-els, and elementary sub-jects. 416-495-0734

Nannies/Live In/Out

AFFORDABLE, EXPERI-ENCED & Reliable Nan-nies. Call AMACARE now to have nanny in six months. 416-850-0851 www.amacare.ca

Tax/Financial

$$$NEED MONEY$$$ Do you have a pension plan from an ex-employer? (LI-RA) or (locked in RRSP). Call NOW! 1-416-357-9585

Mortgages/Loans

$$MONEY$$ CONSOLI-DATE Debts Mortgages to 90% No income, Bad cred-it OK! Better Option Mort-gage #10969 1 - 8 0 0 - 2 8 2 - 1 1 6 9 www.mortgageontario.com

Cleaning/Janitorial

A CRYSTAL Cleaning ex-perience- Homes, Offi ces. Insured/ bonded. Supplies provided. 15% discount. (647)500-2260 for details.

ABSOLUTELY BEST cleaning ladies available. Honest & hard working, at-tention to detail, insured/ bonded. 416-897-6782.

FOR SPARKLING clean home. Experienced, in-sured, bonded, references. (647)966-9369

Decks & Fences

DECKS, Shed, Concrete/ Stone walkway.

Hardwood/ Laminate fl oors 25 years experience.

416-522-8034, 905-787-0236

http://fi fi eldconstruction.wikispaces.com/

Home Renovations

COMPLETE RENOVA-TIONS- Additions. Base-ments. Medical Clinics: Dentistry; Vet Clinic; Chiro-practic. Professional. Low price. (416)427-2308 Sean.

Landscaping,Lawn Care, Supplies

INTERLOCKING- SPE-CIALIZING in walkways, driveways, patios, garden beds, repairs, tree cutting, etc. Free estimates. (647)995-4231

Moving & Storage

A-PARRIS MOVERS- Long/short, big/small,residential/ condos/commercial. Qualityservice. Affordable/

reliable. 905-758-2848, 416-677-2848

www.parrishomesolutions.com

Painting & Decorating

ABSOLUTELY amazing painters at bargain prices! Summer special $100/ room. Quick, clean, reliable. Free estimates! Second to None Painting 905-265-7738

Classifi edHotline:

(905)884-1105

Presented by The Richmond Hill/Thornhill Liberal

905-884-1105Ask for TrishBUSIN

ESS & PROF

ESSIONAL D

IRECTORY

XCLUSIVE PAINTING Fall Special - Call Today!!!

* Free in-home Estimates* Indoor & Outdoor Painting

* Personalized Colour Consultation***Visa, Mastercard, or Amex***Call: 416-859-7772

Visit our website: www.xclusivepainting.com

PAINTING & DECORATING

Everything from Horses to Houses...Buy or sell just about anything in the columns of the Liberal.

905-884-1105

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At No Obligation

FreeMarketEvaluation

WITH OVER 23 YEARS OF EXPERIENCEWITH OVER 23 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

Buy and Sell with one of the mostsuccessful brokers in Canada

www.MitraKatirai.comMitra makes the Difference

home of the week

mitra katirai..

Brokerage

broker

Mitra@Realtywaycorp.com

UNBELIEVABLE INVESTMENT$1,988,800

OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE$2000 PER MONTH

Gorgeous property of 700 Acres, just 138km North of Toronto, near Muskoka. Over 4kilometers of frontage on major highway withaccess throughout the whole year with 2300sqft of brick bungalow, 2 private lakes. Perfectfor future development or use it as a cottage.

Fabulous office space in the heartof North York on Sheppard Ave.Just steps to Subway station.Available Immediately.

101 ACRES OF LAND UNBELIEVABLEINVESTMENT $2,550,000

This property is situated just 40 kilometresnorth of Toronto. It is situated on a premiumcorner lot in the most desirable area bydevelopers. It has 3 road frontages, includingHwy400 frontage.Bestdevelopmentpotential.

GREAT FOR OFFICE LOCATION $989,000Fabulous property located in most prime area of NorthYork. On a premium lot of 40x143 feet. All renovated,finished basement, with ample parking in the back.Located adjacent to TTC for an office or business use.

HUGE LOTWITH A FANTASTIC BUNGALOW $1,499,000This beautiful 3 bedroom bungalow Near yonge/north of Finch is situated on a huge premium privatepie shaped lot of over 10,200 sqft of land in a beautiful quiet court. It features a very large breathtakingprivate treed backyard with beautiful gardens. the bungalow has a partially finished basement and featureshardwood floors, new roof. In the heart of North York, perfect for builders to build a new home on thislarge and Unique property, or you just move in to this spotless home. Must be seen to be appreciated.

Gorgeous custom home. Premium pie shaped lot with a rear of one97 feet. Breathtaking treed backyard, renovated kitchen with stainlesssteel appliances, renovated bathroom, wainscotings, hardwood floors,finished basement. Close to finest schools, centre of Performing Arts,transportation, hospital, library and entertainment.

This luxury 2+1 bedroom Penthouse, has over $120,000 in upgrades. It features: highceilings, elegant mouldings, breathtaking unobstructed ravine views, 2 large balconies, 2extra large parking, locker, hardwood and porcelain floors, top of the line stainless steelbuilt-in appliances, built-in espresso machine, 24 hours concierge and a magnificentlobby. Conveniently located near Jane/Rutherford Shopping mall, Transportation,future subway and all amenities. The top choice for residence of many dignitaries.

PRESTIGIOUS MILLPOND, $ 938,000

ELEGANT NEW 2+1 BEDROOM LOWER PENTHOUSE CONDO, $795,500

This fantastic legal Duplex is consisting of 2 (1 bedroom and 2 bedroom) units withtheir own separate entrance plus a finished basement apartment. It is completelyrenovated and presently generates $3200 of rent per month. It is situated on abeautiful corner lot of 51.37 x 125 and has a commercial/office zoning potential. Itis located just steps to Yonge St. and Center for Performing Arts in Richmond Hill.

FABULOUS INVESTMENT PROPERTY $599,900

Beautiful 2 bedroom corner unit with breathtakingunobstructed views from 2 balconies and large picturewindows, very bright, fully loaded with upgrades,hardwood and ceramic floors, large upgradedkitchen with stainless steel appliances. Steps toshopping, transportation, entertainment and more.

LARGE CORNER UNIT $468,000YONGE SOUTH OF MAJOR MACKENZIE

Charming 3 bedroom bungalow in the finestarea, walking distance to Yonge St amongmulti million homes. Large treed lot, availableimmediately. Close to shopping areas, Yonge, GOStation, HWY 7, and school and all amenities.

FANTASTIC UPLANDS AREAFOR RENT $1500 PER MONTH