en http://www.theauroran.com RSS Feed for The Auroran Copyright: (C) The Auroran, see http://www.theauroran.com/ for terms and conditions of reuse 60 The Auroran Ximmix Web Portal http://www.auroraonline.com Some residents were dismayed on Tuesday when a notice popped up at the retail desk of the Canada Post location on Wellington Street, just east of Yonge Street, informing customers Canada Post was "proposing" to close that location.
"Customers will be well served by the many post offices located within a short distance of this location," said Canada Post on the notice. "Currently there are a total of six post offices within five kilometres of this location. Most of these post offices offer convenient hours of operation so that we can continue to provide local residents and businesses with convenient and accessible postal service."
While customers are encouraged to contact Canada Post with their concerns, some residents have already expressed frustration with the proposal.
"There is quite enough closed in beautiful Downtown Aurora at the moment," said Annabel Black, who lives nearby and is a frequent customer at the Wellington and Yonge Location. "If that closes we lose the tax revenue and there are plenty of seniors who walk to that post office. When we [go in to buy stamps] when we're finished there's always somebody behind us, so I can't think that it is not being used. I have talked to the churches in downtown Aurora and they all use that post office and churches do plenty of mailings."
Ms. Black added she did not take any consolation with Canada Post's note that there were other locations within a 5 km radius.
"There's a post office over at Shopper's Drug Mart at Bayview and Hollandview Trail and that is a new post office, so what are they doing opening up a new one when they have a perfectly good one on Wellington Street? The variety stores at the north and south ends of Town would require a person who lives downtown to get in their car or onto a bus to go out and buy a stamp."
Canada Post's Keisha McIntosh-Siung told The Auroran shortly after the notice was posted that this move has come out of a regular review of postal outlets and pertains specifically to the retail outlet in the building and not to the sorting facility.
"Canada post regularly reviews its network of post offices to address such issues as population, housing, business development and the shopping patterns of Canadians," she said. "This evaluation permits Canada Post to better respond to its customers' needs.
"A review of the area shows that customers will be well served by the surrounding retail network. There are 6 outlets within 5 kilometres of this post office. These offices have the capacity to handle the business in this market."
There aren't, she said, any plans "at this time" to close any other retail locations, and a closure at the Yonge and Wellington location would affect two employees, who will not lose their jobs.
"Canada Post will honour all collective agreements with its bargaining agents," she added.
But is it really just the retail location potentially on the chopping block?
An employee at the branch in question painted a very different picture. The employee said that not a lot was known at this point by the workforce, particularly in terms of a time frame, but employees had been told a potential closure could happen "sometime on 2013." The employee also said, contrary to what was indicated by Canada Post, that carriers have been told they will be moving up to the Newmarket sorting facility sometime next year, but that is still in its development stages.
A move, the employee said, would address some space issues currently being experienced in Aurora.
Since the notice was posted, complaints had been fielded by both Mayor Geoffrey Dawe and MP Lois Brown, both of whom were also trying to find out more information for their constituents.
Mayor Dawe told The Auroran that he and the Town would advocate for the facility to stay open.
"Obviously we would lose some jobs here and that is never a good thing," he said. "We would certainly lose the convenience of having a post office in the Downtown area and I have a heard from a few of the local residents already who would not be very pleased if that happened."
Ms. Brown added she did not have any further details other than what was posted, but had, at press time, heard from at least "half a dozen" residents pushing for the post office to remain open. These are concerns she said she plans on bringing to the top - Denis Lebel, Minister Responsible for Canada Post.
"People are urging me to meet with the Minister and to advocate on their behalf to keep the post office open," she said. "People in Aurora feel very strongly about their post office and I will take that position to the Minister.
"What we do know we need to do is ensure that postal services are being conducted in an efficient manner, a manner that is most cost-effective for the taxpayer and we also know that post offices often represent a very emotional attachment to a community so we need to put all of those things into the assessment.
"I urge the constituents of Aurora to send their letters into the Minister on why the post office should remain open and I too will be advocating for that position because I believe that Aurora needs to keep its own post office."
To make your feelings known with Canada Post, you can submit your comments at www.canadapost.ca/retail or send your thoughts through Canada Post itself to: Retail Feedback, 2701 Riverside Drive, Suite N1020C, Ottawa, ON K1A 0B1.]]> 1045938137 Mon, 14 May 2012 18:17:51 GMT The Auroran http://www.theauroran.com/ 83759654 1045938137 0 2012-05-14 Some residents were dismayed on Tuesday when a notice popped up at the retail desk of the Canada Post location on Wellington Street, just east of Yonge Street, informing customers Canada Post was "proposing" to close that location.
"Customers will be well served by the many post offices located within a short distance of this location," said Canada Post on the notice. "Currently there are a total of six post offices within five kilometres of this location. Most of these post offices offer convenient hours of operation so that we can continue to provide local residents and businesses with convenient and accessible postal service."
While customers are encouraged to contact Canada Post with their concerns, some residents have already expressed frustration with the proposal.
"There is quite enough closed in beautiful Downtown Aurora at the moment," said Annabel Black, who lives nearby and is a frequent customer at the Wellington and Yonge Location. "If that closes we lose the tax revenue and there are plenty of seniors who walk to that post office. When we [go in to buy stamps] when we're finished there's always somebody behind us, so I can't think that it is not being used. I have talked to the churches in downtown Aurora and they all use that post office and churches do plenty of mailings."
Ms. Black added she did not take any consolation with Canada Post's note that there were other locations within a 5 km radius.
"There's a post office over at Shopper's Drug Mart at Bayview and Hollandview Trail and that is a new post office, so what are they doing opening up a new one when they have a perfectly good one on Wellington Street? The variety stores at the north and south ends of Town would require a person who lives downtown to get in their car or onto a bus to go out and buy a stamp."
Canada Post's Keisha McIntosh-Siung told The Auroran shortly after the notice was posted that this move has come out of a regular review of postal outlets and pertains specifically to the retail outlet in the building and not to the sorting facility.
"Canada post regularly reviews its network of post offices to address such issues as population, housing, business development and the shopping patterns of Canadians," she said. "This evaluation permits Canada Post to better respond to its customers' needs.
"A review of the area shows that customers will be well served by the surrounding retail network. There are 6 outlets within 5 kilometres of this post office. These offices have the capacity to handle the business in this market."
There aren't, she said, any plans "at this time" to close any other retail locations, and a closure at the Yonge and Wellington location would affect two employees, who will not lose their jobs.
"Canada Post will honour all collective agreements with its bargaining agents," she added.
But is it really just the retail location potentially on the chopping block?
An employee at the branch in question painted a very different picture. The employee said that not a lot was known at this point by the workforce, particularly in terms of a time frame, but employees had been told a potential closure could happen "sometime on 2013." The employee also said, contrary to what was indicated by Canada Post, that carriers have been told they will be moving up to the Newmarket sorting facility sometime next year, but that is still in its development stages.
A move, the employee said, would address some space issues currently being experienced in Aurora.
Since the notice was posted, complaints had been fielded by both Mayor Geoffrey Dawe and MP Lois Brown, both of whom were also trying to find out more information for their constituents.
Mayor Dawe told The Auroran that he and the Town would advocate for the facility to stay open.
"Obviously we would lose some jobs here and that is never a good thing," he said. "We would certainly lose the convenience of having a post office in the Downtown area and I have a heard from a few of the local residents already who would not be very pleased if that happened."
Ms. Brown added she did not have any further details other than what was posted, but had, at press time, heard from at least "half a dozen" residents pushing for the post office to remain open. These are concerns she said she plans on bringing to the top - Denis Lebel, Minister Responsible for Canada Post.
"People are urging me to meet with the Minister and to advocate on their behalf to keep the post office open," she said. "People in Aurora feel very strongly about their post office and I will take that position to the Minister.
"What we do know we need to do is ensure that postal services are being conducted in an efficient manner, a manner that is most cost-effective for the taxpayer and we also know that post offices often represent a very emotional attachment to a community so we need to put all of those things into the assessment.
"I urge the constituents of Aurora to send their letters into the Minister on why the post office should remain open and I too will be advocating for that position because I believe that Aurora needs to keep its own post office."
To make your feelings known with Canada Post, you can submit your comments at www.canadapost.ca/retail or send your thoughts through Canada Post itself to: Retail Feedback, 2701 Riverside Drive, Suite N1020C, Ottawa, ON K1A 0B1.]]> 1125323014 Tue, 17 Apr 2012 01:21:22 GMT The Auroran http://www.theauroran.com/ 83759654 1125323014 0 2012-04-16 A resident of Richmond Hill, Mr. Adams-Luchowski won on the third
ballot Monday night facing off against Aurora resident Dave Williams, who ran unsuccessfully for the position in the October 2010 municipal election.
Out of the 18 eligible applicants for the position who made their cases to the Board on February 28, only four were ultimately nominated by other trustees at last Monday's meeting. Rounding out the four were Tottenham resident O.P. Lamba, who was eliminated on the first ballot, and Aurora resident Angus Duff, who dropped off on the second.
After the votes came in, Mr. Adams-Luchowski said he was surprised but happy he had been appointed to fill the vacancy left by trustee Gord Kerr, who resigned in January.
"I'm very, very pleased and proud to be able to represent constituents again on this board," said Mr. Adams-Luchowski, who had previously served as a trustee for Richmond Hill before being defeated in the last election by Carol Chan.
"When people put trust in me in this field of candidates, the confidence they put in me tonight is hard to put into words with the gratitude I feel.
"I thank everyone for applying. I know what it feels like to lose. I've been there and I think people should keep trying and keep that interest maintained. For the constituents of Aurora-King, I know the workings of the board, I know how to get things done, and I am starting tomorrow."
Mr. Adams-Luchowski said he and his wife are planning to soon build a home in King Township. He first became involved with the York Region District School Board as a high school football coach in 1996 before becoming a school council member and chair, and a supply teacher. He first became one of two trustees for Richmond Hill in 2007.
During the appointment process, Dave Williams had been the favourite to win in some quarters, garnering the support of both Aurora Mayor Geoffrey Dawe and King Mayor Steve Pellegrini. After Monday's meeting, Mr. Williams said the voters in both towns were the "losers" in this process.
"I appreciate the support of the trustees that voted for me, and I appreciate the support of the electorate, the over 6,000 people that voted for me the last time, and I just lost by a very close number," said Mr. Williams. "I think the losers in the process today are the voters in Aurora and King where democracy really was circumvented for, I guess, some political reasons to bring a candidate in from another community.
"It would say to me that the candidate they chose today doesn't resonate with his own community."
This was a sentiment Mayor Dawe shared with The Auroran after Mr. Adams-Luchowski was sworn in. He said he was "disappointed" the board didn't go with a local representative, let alone Mr. Williams.
"I was very much in favour of having a by-election in the first place," he said. "I still think that is the right thing to do. The second best thing, in my opinion, would be to appoint the person who was clearly the second place person.
"Mr. Williams was within 400 votes of winning. Granted, there were only two candidates and he still garnered 6,000 votes. It's obvious that he resonated with the residents of King and Aurora. For me to run for Council in Aurora I have to live in Aurora. I don't know what the trustee requirements are, but it strikes me if you're going to have a trustee for King and Aurora it should at least be a resident of one of those two communities. We're talking about [Mr. Williams] who lives here now, has obviously indicated an interest in running in this area and working with the people in the area."
With a new trustee in place, however, Mayor Dawe said he hopes - as he has indicated during Council meetings in the past - there is an opportunity to work with the school board in making sure all stakeholders are up to date with what the Board plans to do with Aurora schools. One issue in particular that has cropped up recently is increased traffic in school areas. This, he said, has been partially exacerbated by the "repurposing" of some schools to be catchment areas for French immersion.
"They're bringing more people in, more buses are coming in by default and more car drivers are coming in," said Mayor Dawe. "At the very least I would like to see some dialogue going back and forth. The school doesn't make this decision on Friday night and start on Monday morning. They have months and then you find out a couple of months after the fact. Something like that would be a great place to start.
"I would hope that whatever [Mr. Adams-Luchowski] is doing is taking the needs of Aurora and King into account and the residents of King and Aurora."
Mr. Adams-Luchowski was sworn in on March 6.]]> 789226935 Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:15:29 GMT The Auroran http://www.theauroran.com/ 83759654 789226935 0 2012-03-13 A resident of Richmond Hill, Mr. Adams-Luchowski won on the third
ballot Monday night facing off against Aurora resident Dave Williams, who ran unsuccessfully for the position in the October 2010 municipal election.
Out of the 18 eligible applicants for the position who made their cases to the Board on February 28, only four were ultimately nominated by other trustees at last Monday's meeting. Rounding out the four were Tottenham resident O.P. Lamba, who was eliminated on the first ballot, and Aurora resident Angus Duff, who dropped off on the second.
After the votes came in, Mr. Adams-Luchowski said he was surprised but happy he had been appointed to fill the vacancy left by trustee Gord Kerr, who resigned in January.
"I'm very, very pleased and proud to be able to represent constituents again on this board," said Mr. Adams-Luchowski, who had previously served as a trustee for Richmond Hill before being defeated in the last election by Carol Chan.
"When people put trust in me in this field of candidates, the confidence they put in me tonight is hard to put into words with the gratitude I feel.
"I thank everyone for applying. I know what it feels like to lose. I've been there and I think people should keep trying and keep that interest maintained. For the constituents of Aurora-King, I know the workings of the board, I know how to get things done, and I am starting tomorrow."
Mr. Adams-Luchowski said he and his wife are planning to soon build a home in King Township. He first became involved with the York Region District School Board as a high school football coach in 1996 before becoming a school council member and chair, and a supply teacher. He first became one of two trustees for Richmond Hill in 2007.
During the appointment process, Dave Williams had been the favourite to win in some quarters, garnering the support of both Aurora Mayor Geoffrey Dawe and King Mayor Steve Pellegrini. After Monday's meeting, Mr. Williams said the voters in both towns were the "losers" in this process.
"I appreciate the support of the trustees that voted for me, and I appreciate the support of the electorate, the over 6,000 people that voted for me the last time, and I just lost by a very close number," said Mr. Williams. "I think the losers in the process today are the voters in Aurora and King where democracy really was circumvented for, I guess, some political reasons to bring a candidate in from another community.
"It would say to me that the candidate they chose today doesn't resonate with his own community."
This was a sentiment Mayor Dawe shared with The Auroran after Mr. Adams-Luchowski was sworn in. He said he was "disappointed" the board didn't go with a local representative, let alone Mr. Williams.
"I was very much in favour of having a by-election in the first place," he said. "I still think that is the right thing to do. The second best thing, in my opinion, would be to appoint the person who was clearly the second place person.
"Mr. Williams was within 400 votes of winning. Granted, there were only two candidates and he still garnered 6,000 votes. It's obvious that he resonated with the residents of King and Aurora. For me to run for Council in Aurora I have to live in Aurora. I don't know what the trustee requirements are, but it strikes me if you're going to have a trustee for King and Aurora it should at least be a resident of one of those two communities. We're talking about [Mr. Williams] who lives here now, has obviously indicated an interest in running in this area and working with the people in the area."
With a new trustee in place, however, Mayor Dawe said he hopes - as he has indicated during Council meetings in the past - there is an opportunity to work with the school board in making sure all stakeholders are up to date with what the Board plans to do with Aurora schools. One issue in particular that has cropped up recently is increased traffic in school areas. This, he said, has been partially exacerbated by the "repurposing" of some schools to be catchment areas for French immersion.
"They're bringing more people in, more buses are coming in by default and more car drivers are coming in," said Mayor Dawe. "At the very least I would like to see some dialogue going back and forth. The school doesn't make this decision on Friday night and start on Monday morning. They have months and then you find out a couple of months after the fact. Something like that would be a great place to start.
"I would hope that whatever [Mr. Adams-Luchowski] is doing is taking the needs of Aurora and King into account and the residents of King and Aurora."
Mr. Adams-Luchowski was sworn in on March 6.]]> A resident of Richmond Hill, Mr. Adams-Luchowski won on the third
ballot Monday night facing off against Aurora resident Dave Williams, who ran unsuccessfully for the position in the October 2010 municipal election.
Out of the 18 eligible applicants for the position who made their cases to the Board on February 28, only four were ultimately nominated by other trustees at last Monday's meeting. Rounding out the four were Tottenham resident O.P. Lamba, who was eliminated on the first ballot, and Aurora resident Angus Duff, who dropped off on the second.
After the votes came in, Mr. Adams-Luchowski said he was surprised but happy he had been appointed to fill the vacancy left by trustee Gord Kerr, who resigned in January.
"I'm very, very pleased and proud to be able to represent constituents again on this board," said Mr. Adams-Luchowski, who had previously served as a trustee for Richmond Hill before being defeated in the last election by Carol Chan.
"When people put trust in me in this field of candidates, the confidence they put in me tonight is hard to put into words with the gratitude I feel.
"I thank everyone for applying. I know what it feels like to lose. I've been there and I think people should keep trying and keep that interest maintained. For the constituents of Aurora-King, I know the workings of the board, I know how to get things done, and I am starting tomorrow."
Mr. Adams-Luchowski said he and his wife are planning to soon build a home in King Township. He first became involved with the York Region District School Board as a high school football coach in 1996 before becoming a school council member and chair, and a supply teacher. He first became one of two trustees for Richmond Hill in 2007.
During the appointment process, Dave Williams had been the favourite to win in some quarters, garnering the support of both Aurora Mayor Geoffrey Dawe and King Mayor Steve Pellegrini. After Monday's meeting, Mr. Williams said the voters in both towns were the "losers" in this process.
"I appreciate the support of the trustees that voted for me, and I appreciate the support of the electorate, the over 6,000 people that voted for me the last time, and I just lost by a very close number," said Mr. Williams. "I think the losers in the process today are the voters in Aurora and King where democracy really was circumvented for, I guess, some political reasons to bring a candidate in from another community.
"It would say to me that the candidate they chose today doesn't resonate with his own community."
This was a sentiment Mayor Dawe shared with The Auroran after Mr. Adams-Luchowski was sworn in. He said he was "disappointed" the board didn't go with a local representative, let alone Mr. Williams.
"I was very much in favour of having a by-election in the first place," he said. "I still think that is the right thing to do. The second best thing, in my opinion, would be to appoint the person who was clearly the second place person.
"Mr. Williams was within 400 votes of winning. Granted, there were only two candidates and he still garnered 6,000 votes. It's obvious that he resonated with the residents of King and Aurora. For me to run for Council in Aurora I have to live in Aurora. I don't know what the trustee requirements are, but it strikes me if you're going to have a trustee for King and Aurora it should at least be a resident of one of those two communities. We're talking about [Mr. Williams] who lives here now, has obviously indicated an interest in running in this area and working with the people in the area."
With a new trustee in place, however, Mayor Dawe said he hopes - as he has indicated during Council meetings in the past - there is an opportunity to work with the school board in making sure all stakeholders are up to date with what the Board plans to do with Aurora schools. One issue in particular that has cropped up recently is increased traffic in school areas. This, he said, has been partially exacerbated by the "repurposing" of some schools to be catchment areas for French immersion.
"They're bringing more people in, more buses are coming in by default and more car drivers are coming in," said Mayor Dawe. "At the very least I would like to see some dialogue going back and forth. The school doesn't make this decision on Friday night and start on Monday morning. They have months and then you find out a couple of months after the fact. Something like that would be a great place to start.
"I would hope that whatever [Mr. Adams-Luchowski] is doing is taking the needs of Aurora and King into account and the residents of King and Aurora."
Mr. Adams-Luchowski was sworn in on March 6.]]> 778810216 Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:16:48 GMT The Auroran http://www.theauroran.com/ 83759654 778810216 0 2012-03-13 A resident of Richmond Hill, Mr. Adams-Luchowski won on the third
ballot Monday night facing off against Aurora resident Dave Williams, who ran unsuccessfully for the position in the October 2010 municipal election.
Out of the 18 eligible applicants for the position who made their cases to the Board on February 28, only four were ultimately nominated by other trustees at last Monday's meeting. Rounding out the four were Tottenham resident O.P. Lamba, who was eliminated on the first ballot, and Aurora resident Angus Duff, who dropped off on the second.
After the votes came in, Mr. Adams-Luchowski said he was surprised but happy he had been appointed to fill the vacancy left by trustee Gord Kerr, who resigned in January.
"I'm very, very pleased and proud to be able to represent constituents again on this board," said Mr. Adams-Luchowski, who had previously served as a trustee for Richmond Hill before being defeated in the last election by Carol Chan.
"When people put trust in me in this field of candidates, the confidence they put in me tonight is hard to put into words with the gratitude I feel.
"I thank everyone for applying. I know what it feels like to lose. I've been there and I think people should keep trying and keep that interest maintained. For the constituents of Aurora-King, I know the workings of the board, I know how to get things done, and I am starting tomorrow."
Mr. Adams-Luchowski said he and his wife are planning to soon build a home in King Township. He first became involved with the York Region District School Board as a high school football coach in 1996 before becoming a school council member and chair, and a supply teacher. He first became one of two trustees for Richmond Hill in 2007.
During the appointment process, Dave Williams had been the favourite to win in some quarters, garnering the support of both Aurora Mayor Geoffrey Dawe and King Mayor Steve Pellegrini. After Monday's meeting, Mr. Williams said the voters in both towns were the "losers" in this process.
"I appreciate the support of the trustees that voted for me, and I appreciate the support of the electorate, the over 6,000 people that voted for me the last time, and I just lost by a very close number," said Mr. Williams. "I think the losers in the process today are the voters in Aurora and King where democracy really was circumvented for, I guess, some political reasons to bring a candidate in from another community.
"It would say to me that the candidate they chose today doesn't resonate with his own community."
This was a sentiment Mayor Dawe shared with The Auroran after Mr. Adams-Luchowski was sworn in. He said he was "disappointed" the board didn't go with a local representative, let alone Mr. Williams.
"I was very much in favour of having a by-election in the first place," he said. "I still think that is the right thing to do. The second best thing, in my opinion, would be to appoint the person who was clearly the second place person.
"Mr. Williams was within 400 votes of winning. Granted, there were only two candidates and he still garnered 6,000 votes. It's obvious that he resonated with the residents of King and Aurora. For me to run for Council in Aurora I have to live in Aurora. I don't know what the trustee requirements are, but it strikes me if you're going to have a trustee for King and Aurora it should at least be a resident of one of those two communities. We're talking about [Mr. Williams] who lives here now, has obviously indicated an interest in running in this area and working with the people in the area."
With a new trustee in place, however, Mayor Dawe said he hopes - as he has indicated during Council meetings in the past - there is an opportunity to work with the school board in making sure all stakeholders are up to date with what the Board plans to do with Aurora schools. One issue in particular that has cropped up recently is increased traffic in school areas. This, he said, has been partially exacerbated by the "repurposing" of some schools to be catchment areas for French immersion.
"They're bringing more people in, more buses are coming in by default and more car drivers are coming in," said Mayor Dawe. "At the very least I would like to see some dialogue going back and forth. The school doesn't make this decision on Friday night and start on Monday morning. They have months and then you find out a couple of months after the fact. Something like that would be a great place to start.
"I would hope that whatever [Mr. Adams-Luchowski] is doing is taking the needs of Aurora and King into account and the residents of King and Aurora."
Mr. Adams-Luchowski was sworn in on March 6.]]>
Aurora-King's new trustee on the York Region District School Board is Peter Adams-Luchowski.
A resident of Richmond Hill, Mr. Adams-Luchowski won on the third
ballot Monday night facing off against Aurora resident Dave Williams, who ran unsuccessfully for the position in the October 2010 municipal election.
Out of the 18 eligible applicants for the position who made their cases to the Board on February 28, only four were ultimately nominated by other trustees at last Monday's meeting. Rounding out the four were Tottenham resident O.P. Lamba, who was eliminated on the first ballot, and Aurora resident Angus Duff, who dropped off on the second.
After the votes came in, Mr. Adams-Luchowski said he was surprised but happy he had been appointed to fill the vacancy left by trustee Gord Kerr, who resigned in January.
"I'm very, very pleased and proud to be able to represent constituents again on this board," said Mr. Adams-Luchowski, who had previously served as a trustee for Richmond Hill before being defeated in the last election by Carol Chan.
"When people put trust in me in this field of candidates, the confidence they put in me tonight is hard to put into words with the gratitude I feel.
"I thank everyone for applying. I know what it feels like to lose. I've been there and I think people should keep trying and keep that interest maintained. For the constituents of Aurora-King, I know the workings of the board, I know how to get things done, and I am starting tomorrow."
Mr. Adams-Luchowski said he and his wife are planning to soon build a home in King Township. He first became involved with the York Region District School Board as a high school football coach in 1996 before becoming a school council member and chair, and a supply teacher. He first became one of two trustees for Richmond Hill in 2007.
During the appointment process, Dave Williams had been the favourite to win in some quarters, garnering the support of both Aurora Mayor Geoffrey Dawe and King Mayor Steve Pellegrini. After Monday's meeting, Mr. Williams said the voters in both towns were the "losers" in this process.
"I appreciate the support of the trustees that voted for me, and I appreciate the support of the electorate, the over 6,000 people that voted for me the last time, and I just lost by a very close number," said Mr. Williams. "I think the losers in the process today are the voters in Aurora and King where democracy really was circumvented for, I guess, some political reasons to bring a candidate in from another community.
"It would say to me that the candidate they chose today doesn't resonate with his own community."
This was a sentiment Mayor Dawe shared with The Auroran after Mr. Adams-Luchowski was sworn in. He said he was "disappointed" the board didn't go with a local representative, let alone Mr. Williams.
"I was very much in favour of having a by-election in the first place," he said. "I still think that is the right thing to do. The second best thing, in my opinion, would be to appoint the person who was clearly the second place person.
"Mr. Williams was within 400 votes of winning. Granted, there were only two candidates and he still garnered 6,000 votes. It's obvious that he resonated with the residents of King and Aurora. For me to run for Council in Aurora I have to live in Aurora. I don't know what the trustee requirements are, but it strikes me if you're going to have a trustee for King and Aurora it should at least be a resident of one of those two communities. We're talking about [Mr. Williams] who lives here now, has obviously indicated an interest in running in this area and working with the people in the area."
With a new trustee in place, however, Mayor Dawe said he hopes - as he has indicated during Council meetings in the past - there is an opportunity to work with the school board in making sure all stakeholders are up to date with what the Board plans to do with Aurora schools. One issue in particular that has cropped up recently is increased traffic in school areas. This, he said, has been partially exacerbated by the "repurposing" of some schools to be catchment areas for French immersion.
"They're bringing more people in, more buses are coming in by default and more car drivers are coming in," said Mayor Dawe. "At the very least I would like to see some dialogue going back and forth. The school doesn't make this decision on Friday night and start on Monday morning. They have months and then you find out a couple of months after the fact. Something like that would be a great place to start.
"I would hope that whatever [Mr. Adams-Luchowski] is doing is taking the needs of Aurora and King into account and the residents of King and Aurora."
Mr. Adams-Luchowski was sworn in on March 6.]]> 720054792 Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:34:50 GMT The Auroran http://www.theauroran.com/ 83759654 720054792 0 2012-03-12
Aurora-King's new trustee on the York Region District School Board is Peter Adams-Luchowski.
A resident of Richmond Hill, Mr. Adams-Luchowski won on the third
ballot Monday night facing off against Aurora resident Dave Williams, who ran unsuccessfully for the position in the October 2010 municipal election.
Out of the 18 eligible applicants for the position who made their cases to the Board on February 28, only four were ultimately nominated by other trustees at last Monday's meeting. Rounding out the four were Tottenham resident O.P. Lamba, who was eliminated on the first ballot, and Aurora resident Angus Duff, who dropped off on the second.
After the votes came in, Mr. Adams-Luchowski said he was surprised but happy he had been appointed to fill the vacancy left by trustee Gord Kerr, who resigned in January.
"I'm very, very pleased and proud to be able to represent constituents again on this board," said Mr. Adams-Luchowski, who had previously served as a trustee for Richmond Hill before being defeated in the last election by Carol Chan.
"When people put trust in me in this field of candidates, the confidence they put in me tonight is hard to put into words with the gratitude I feel.
"I thank everyone for applying. I know what it feels like to lose. I've been there and I think people should keep trying and keep that interest maintained. For the constituents of Aurora-King, I know the workings of the board, I know how to get things done, and I am starting tomorrow."
Mr. Adams-Luchowski said he and his wife are planning to soon build a home in King Township. He first became involved with the York Region District School Board as a high school football coach in 1996 before becoming a school council member and chair, and a supply teacher. He first became one of two trustees for Richmond Hill in 2007.
During the appointment process, Dave Williams had been the favourite to win in some quarters, garnering the support of both Aurora Mayor Geoffrey Dawe and King Mayor Steve Pellegrini. After Monday's meeting, Mr. Williams said the voters in both towns were the "losers" in this process.
"I appreciate the support of the trustees that voted for me, and I appreciate the support of the electorate, the over 6,000 people that voted for me the last time, and I just lost by a very close number," said Mr. Williams. "I think the losers in the process today are the voters in Aurora and King where democracy really was circumvented for, I guess, some political reasons to bring a candidate in from another community.
"It would say to me that the candidate they chose today doesn't resonate with his own community."
This was a sentiment Mayor Dawe shared with The Auroran after Mr. Adams-Luchowski was sworn in. He said he was "disappointed" the board didn't go with a local representative, let alone Mr. Williams.
"I was very much in favour of having a by-election in the first place," he said. "I still think that is the right thing to do. The second best thing, in my opinion, would be to appoint the person who was clearly the second place person.
"Mr. Williams was within 400 votes of winning. Granted, there were only two candidates and he still garnered 6,000 votes. It's obvious that he resonated with the residents of King and Aurora. For me to run for Council in Aurora I have to live in Aurora. I don't know what the trustee requirements are, but it strikes me if you're going to have a trustee for King and Aurora it should at least be a resident of one of those two communities. We're talking about [Mr. Williams] who lives here now, has obviously indicated an interest in running in this area and working with the people in the area."
With a new trustee in place, however, Mayor Dawe said he hopes - as he has indicated during Council meetings in the past - there is an opportunity to work with the school board in making sure all stakeholders are up to date with what the Board plans to do with Aurora schools. One issue in particular that has cropped up recently is increased traffic in school areas. This, he said, has been partially exacerbated by the "repurposing" of some schools to be catchment areas for French immersion.
"They're bringing more people in, more buses are coming in by default and more car drivers are coming in," said Mayor Dawe. "At the very least I would like to see some dialogue going back and forth. The school doesn't make this decision on Friday night and start on Monday morning. They have months and then you find out a couple of months after the fact. Something like that would be a great place to start.
"I would hope that whatever [Mr. Adams-Luchowski] is doing is taking the needs of Aurora and King into account and the residents of King and Aurora."
Mr. Adams-Luchowski was sworn in on March 6.]]>
The argument over the agreement between the Town and the Aurora Cultural Centre escalated last week as the two sides argued over the intention of a motion coming before Council next week.
The battle over the Cultural Centre began in earnest earlier this month when Councillors John Abel and Paul Pirri told The Auroran they intended to put forward a motion terminating the Town's agreement with the Centre in twelve months and working together to come up with a new, mutually beneficial agreement.
Councillors Abel and Pirri said they wanted a new agreement which would address concerns brought to Council this winter by Town Solicitor Warren Mar who identified many shortcomings in the current agreement. These included the fact the Centre is not obligated to come to Council with a budget of what they plan to do with the public money it receives annually.
"We have received a lot of support and the overwhelming [feeling] is the residents are pleased to know that we're asking more about how we fund the Cultural Centre," said Councillor Abel.
Residents have told him, he said, that they believe the Cultural Centre should present a budget before any public funds are given out, as well as their ongoing sustainability. Negative feedback received, he added, had been fuelled by what he described as Councillor Chris Ballard's "rally to fight the closure of the Cultural Centre" on his blog.
"There is a lot of support and a small pocket of those against it," said Councillor Abel. "Most of the emails [we have received] are misinformation so they are not addressing our notice at all. There is a story they were given by Councillor Ballard that is not factual. I am disappointed in what Councillor Ballard is informing the small pocket of people that are concerned."
Councillor Abel said he has met with the Board of the Cultural Centre to discuss the motion, which will be spoken to on February 28. He added he and Councillor Pirri could amend their motion when it gets to the table to address some of the concerns they have heard from the board.
"We would advance the expiry date and then we would have a brand new long-term agreement," said Councillor Abel of a possible amendment. "This is the stability factor, and I like Paul's analogy - it's like an athlete in his final year of his contract getting a contract extension."
Speaking to The Auroran, however, Councillor Ballard insisted he was not "instigating a scare campaign" with a blog post describing "the fight to save the ACC" and a need to "counter the well organized misinformation campaign that seeks to shut the Centre."
"You come in and drop the atomic bomb on the Centre by cancelling their contract," Councillor Ballard told us. "What does that tell the public and what does it tell supporters of all sorts of negative things about our volunteer board, about our great staff, and the fantastic volunteers we have?
"You can't talk out of both sides of your mouth. You can't say that the Aurora Cultural Centre is a great place and they are doing a great job and they have fantastic programs, and then out of the other side of your mouth say that it all has to be changed, it's no good, the board is not doing this, that or the other. By invoking the termination clause that is exactly what Councillors Abel and Pirri are doing.
"They brought an atomic bomb to a knife fight and people are really reacting because there has been so much sniping in the last 18 months about the Aurora Cultural Centre and finally it is coming to a head."
Councillor Ballard pondered why the Councillors are "treating" the Aurora Cultural Centre different from any other corporation around Town, comparing that agreement with the agreement, for instance, that the Town holds with Turtle Island for waste disposal.
"If I were a service provider to the Town and the Town came to me and said we want to open the contract up mid-stream and develop new KPIs, I would probably tell them to go pound salt," he said. "That's one thing that bothers me that I don't think Council understands that the Aurora Cultural Centre itself is an independent, incorporated not-for-profit organization.
"I don't believe I am fear mongering. I think the alarm needs to be raised because I don't believe that Councillor Pirri and Abel understand the consequences of invoking a termination or an early cancellation clause and the damage it does to the reputation of the centre. They really don't get it."
]]> 1952934390 Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:20:45 GMT The Auroran http://www.theauroran.com/ 83759654 1952934390 0 2012-02-21
The argument over the agreement between the Town and the Aurora Cultural Centre escalated last week as the two sides argued over the intention of a motion coming before Council next week.
The battle over the Cultural Centre began in earnest earlier this month when Councillors John Abel and Paul Pirri told The Auroran they intended to put forward a motion terminating the Town's agreement with the Centre in twelve months and working together to come up with a new, mutually beneficial agreement.
Councillors Abel and Pirri said they wanted a new agreement which would address concerns brought to Council this winter by Town Solicitor Warren Mar who identified many shortcomings in the current agreement. These included the fact the Centre is not obligated to come to Council with a budget of what they plan to do with the public money it receives annually.
"We have received a lot of support and the overwhelming [feeling] is the residents are pleased to know that we're asking more about how we fund the Cultural Centre," said Councillor Abel.
Residents have told him, he said, that they believe the Cultural Centre should present a budget before any public funds are given out, as well as their ongoing sustainability. Negative feedback received, he added, had been fuelled by what he described as Councillor Chris Ballard's "rally to fight the closure of the Cultural Centre" on his blog.
"There is a lot of support and a small pocket of those against it," said Councillor Abel. "Most of the emails [we have received] are misinformation so they are not addressing our notice at all. There is a story they were given by Councillor Ballard that is not factual. I am disappointed in what Councillor Ballard is informing the small pocket of people that are concerned."
Councillor Abel said he has met with the Board of the Cultural Centre to discuss the motion, which will be spoken to on February 28. He added he and Councillor Pirri could amend their motion when it gets to the table to address some of the concerns they have heard from the board.
"We would advance the expiry date and then we would have a brand new long-term agreement," said Councillor Abel of a possible amendment. "This is the stability factor, and I like Paul's analogy - it's like an athlete in his final year of his contract getting a contract extension."
Speaking to The Auroran, however, Councillor Ballard insisted he was not "instigating a scare campaign" with a blog post describing "the fight to save the ACC" and a need to "counter the well organized misinformation campaign that seeks to shut the Centre."
"You come in and drop the atomic bomb on the Centre by cancelling their contract," Councillor Ballard told us. "What does that tell the public and what does it tell supporters of all sorts of negative things about our volunteer board, about our great staff, and the fantastic volunteers we have?
"You can't talk out of both sides of your mouth. You can't say that the Aurora Cultural Centre is a great place and they are doing a great job and they have fantastic programs, and then out of the other side of your mouth say that it all has to be changed, it's no good, the board is not doing this, that or the other. By invoking the termination clause that is exactly what Councillors Abel and Pirri are doing.
"They brought an atomic bomb to a knife fight and people are really reacting because there has been so much sniping in the last 18 months about the Aurora Cultural Centre and finally it is coming to a head."
Councillor Ballard pondered why the Councillors are "treating" the Aurora Cultural Centre different from any other corporation around Town, comparing that agreement with the agreement, for instance, that the Town holds with Turtle Island for waste disposal.
"If I were a service provider to the Town and the Town came to me and said we want to open the contract up mid-stream and develop new KPIs, I would probably tell them to go pound salt," he said. "That's one thing that bothers me that I don't think Council understands that the Aurora Cultural Centre itself is an independent, incorporated not-for-profit organization.
"I don't believe I am fear mongering. I think the alarm needs to be raised because I don't believe that Councillor Pirri and Abel understand the consequences of invoking a termination or an early cancellation clause and the damage it does to the reputation of the centre. They really don't get it."
]]> More than 300 people gathered at the Aurora Cenotaph Friday morning for the annual Remembrance Day commemorations.
Bundled snugly against the cold and the wind, Aurorans young and old, including veterans and dignitaries, elders in wheelchairs and toddlers in strollers, gathered around the monument for the same solemn purpose.
As the colour guard paraded off the field and back down Yonge Street the lawn began to clear as residents went back to work, back to the school, or back to the Legion to get warm, but five-year-old Hazel Smith and her father Dan stayed back for a couple of minutes right near the entrance of the park.
A moment later, with poignant determination, young Hazel marched up to Aurora veteran Albert Arcand and presented him with a homemade card made with pencil and white paper.
The two - one who served his country in the Second World War and another who was born during Canada's most recent conflict - shared a special, moving moment.
Afterwards, when asked what she gave to Mr. Arcand, she told The Auroran the card was "for thanking a soldier for saving my dad's parents."
Hazel's grandparents, her father elaborated, lived in The Netherlands during the Second World War.
"We are thankful to the Canadians for the liberation of Holland," he said.
For Mr. Arcand, who served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the war and later spent 25 years serving with the Royal Canadian Engineers in Korea, Vietnam, and Laos, Remembrance Day signifies many things.
"It reminds me of all the people I served with for many years and I think it is a good thing for the young people to know what was happening in the past and to honour the veterans," he said.
Friday's services
followed the traditional, time honoured format of Remembrance Day ceremonies across the country and wreaths were laid on behalf of the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario by MPP Frank Klees, the Town of Aurora by Mayor Geoffrey Dawe, the Townships of King and Whitchurch-Stouffville, the Royal Canadian Legion, the Royal Canadian Legion's Ladies' Auxiliary, Central York Fire Services, St. Andrew's College, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Trinity United Church, several Aurora families, and the Salvation Army, among others.
In his reading, Major Brian Bishop of the Salvation Army offered prayers "of thankfulness and care for those who have gone before us, those who died that we might live, who suffered and still suffer in the defence and the dignity of all people."
"This day we remember men and women who have struggled for peace, stood against evil, sought justice with the sacrifice of their blood, their bodies, their minds, their future, their lives as a result of conflict and the strife of war," said Major Bishop. "We pray for those who have been victimized, innocent casualties of hatred and terror, the children of the men and women whose eyes have seen the darkness of war. We pray for those who continue to place themselves in harm's way in order that peace and harmony might be achieved.
"We are grateful for those who have fought and valiantly died so that we may enjoy liberty and freedom. We are grateful to those who have perished while engaged in the task of peacekeeping. Bless those who continue to train and prepare themselves for active duty and missions."
]]> 693625101 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:30:28 GMT The Auroran http://www.theauroran.com/ 83759654 693625101 0 2011-11-14 More than 300 people gathered at the Aurora Cenotaph Friday morning for the annual Remembrance Day commemorations.
Bundled snugly against the cold and the wind, Aurorans young and old, including veterans and dignitaries, elders in wheelchairs and toddlers in strollers, gathered around the monument for the same solemn purpose.
As the colour guard paraded off the field and back down Yonge Street the lawn began to clear as residents went back to work, back to the school, or back to the Legion to get warm, but five-year-old Hazel Smith and her father Dan stayed back for a couple of minutes right near the entrance of the park.
A moment later, with poignant determination, young Hazel marched up to Aurora veteran Albert Arcand and presented him with a homemade card made with pencil and white paper.
The two - one who served his country in the Second World War and another who was born during Canada's most recent conflict - shared a special, moving moment.
Afterwards, when asked what she gave to Mr. Arcand, she told The Auroran the card was "for thanking a soldier for saving my dad's parents."
Hazel's grandparents, her father elaborated, lived in The Netherlands during the Second World War.
"We are thankful to the Canadians for the liberation of Holland," he said.
For Mr. Arcand, who served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the war and later spent 25 years serving with the Royal Canadian Engineers in Korea, Vietnam, and Laos, Remembrance Day signifies many things.
"It reminds me of all the people I served with for many years and I think it is a good thing for the young people to know what was happening in the past and to honour the veterans," he said.
Friday's services
followed the traditional, time honoured format of Remembrance Day ceremonies across the country and wreaths were laid on behalf of the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario by MPP Frank Klees, the Town of Aurora by Mayor Geoffrey Dawe, the Townships of King and Whitchurch-Stouffville, the Royal Canadian Legion, the Royal Canadian Legion's Ladies' Auxiliary, Central York Fire Services, St. Andrew's College, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Trinity United Church, several Aurora families, and the Salvation Army, among others.
In his reading, Major Brian Bishop of the Salvation Army offered prayers "of thankfulness and care for those who have gone before us, those who died that we might live, who suffered and still suffer in the defence and the dignity of all people."
"This day we remember men and women who have struggled for peace, stood against evil, sought justice with the sacrifice of their blood, their bodies, their minds, their future, their lives as a result of conflict and the strife of war," said Major Bishop. "We pray for those who have been victimized, innocent casualties of hatred and terror, the children of the men and women whose eyes have seen the darkness of war. We pray for those who continue to place themselves in harm's way in order that peace and harmony might be achieved.
"We are grateful for those who have fought and valiantly died so that we may enjoy liberty and freedom. We are grateful to those who have perished while engaged in the task of peacekeeping. Bless those who continue to train and prepare themselves for active duty and missions."
]]> A resolution passed at general committee last week, a resolution which comes before council for final approval this Tuesday, calls on staff to conduct a review of the traffic calming measures, including the hotly debated chicanes and street closures in the neighbourhood, and hold a public meeting with residents.
The move came after
councillors rejected a staff recommendation to hire Dillon Consulting, the same consulting firm behind the report which ultimately led to the traffic calming measures being installed in the first place, a contract for $4,750.
"To address council request for a plan to review the northeast traffic calming program and a method to obtain an accurate reading of the neighbourhood's support for the program, staff have contacted Dillon Consulting Limited as the prime consultant on this project requesting that a plan for the review of the northeast traffic calming program be prepared for staff," said Ilmar Simanovskis, Aurora's Director of Infrastructure, in a report recommending Dillon.
In his report, Mr. Simanovskis said Dillon Consulting was set to develop a survey which the Town would distribute and collect,
tabulate the results, and write a memo based on the survey
findings.
But councillors ultimately aborted this plan asking staff to do the work for which, as Councillor Michael Thompson said, they were doing the "the majority of the work" anyway.
"How long does it take to write a letter, count the results from a handful of houses, and do a memo?" he asked. "If that is a week's work, I would be surprised, so we're paying $100 an hour."
Mr. Simanovskis, however, said that while the workload is one thing, impartiality in the findings is another.
"Dillon was involved on this project the first time around and they did a review of this process in 2008 which we reported on, so they are familiar with the entire project," he said. "My preference is to have them do this so we have the third party review. The biggest challenge with this proposal is actually getting information to residents, walking the streets or by
e-mail, then we can
actually generate some
responses."
Councillor Thompson was not convinced, nor was Councillor Evelyn Buck who rejected the idea that hiring Dillon Consulting would lend an air of impartiality to the endeavour.
"There is not going to be impartiality when we asked Dillon Consulting to do the review," she said. "They did the design. I don't see how they're going to be impartial about bringing in a report that may possibly be negative on what they designed in the first place."
In that light, after hearing from residents, and from taking a spin through the chicanes herself, Councillor Buck added that she was not prepared to send any further money on reviewing them. Her solution was straightforward.
"Get rid of those frigging chicanes," she said. "Just break them up and chuck them and open up those closed roads. Those are the things people are infuriated with. It is hair raising
to be driving down the road with those chicanes. Furthermore, before this plan was implemented Dillon was sent in there with a catalogue of every possible obstruction they could put in the neighbourhood and they picked every one of them. Everything that was available to them they took.
"I don't have any hesitation in saying I'm not interested in spending any more money. Just give the people sledgehammers and invite them to come over on a cold Saturday when they need to work up a sweat and get out there and break the damn things to pieces and bring in a truck and remove them!"
While Councillor Paul Pirri said he would be "the first to volunteer" in Councillor Buck's chicane removal scheme, councillors voted to keep the consultation in house and also hold a public meeting - not just for residents in the affected neighbourhood but for all residents of Aurora.
"I think it is important to consider in this whole process that we have a public meeting of some sort because it is not just the people in the area that are affected," said Mayor Geoffrey Dawe. "These are area roads that the whole Town has the right to use. I think if we are going to go ahead with this, I believe we should also put in a public meeting as part of the whole process to get a chance for some global input."
]]> 1736934944 Thu, 24 Nov 2011 10:44:04 GMT The Auroran http://www.theauroran.com/ 83759654 1736934944 0 2011-11-07 A resolution passed at general committee last week, a resolution which comes before council for final approval this Tuesday, calls on staff to conduct a review of the traffic calming measures, including the hotly debated chicanes and street closures in the neighbourhood, and hold a public meeting with residents.
The move came after
councillors rejected a staff recommendation to hire Dillon Consulting, the same consulting firm behind the report which ultimately led to the traffic calming measures being installed in the first place, a contract for $4,750.
"To address council request for a plan to review the northeast traffic calming program and a method to obtain an accurate reading of the neighbourhood's support for the program, staff have contacted Dillon Consulting Limited as the prime consultant on this project requesting that a plan for the review of the northeast traffic calming program be prepared for staff," said Ilmar Simanovskis, Aurora's Director of Infrastructure, in a report recommending Dillon.
In his report, Mr. Simanovskis said Dillon Consulting was set to develop a survey which the Town would distribute and collect,
tabulate the results, and write a memo based on the survey
findings.
But councillors ultimately aborted this plan asking staff to do the work for which, as Councillor Michael Thompson said, they were doing the "the majority of the work" anyway.
"How long does it take to write a letter, count the results from a handful of houses, and do a memo?" he asked. "If that is a week's work, I would be surprised, so we're paying $100 an hour."
Mr. Simanovskis, however, said that while the workload is one thing, impartiality in the findings is another.
"Dillon was involved on this project the first time around and they did a review of this process in 2008 which we reported on, so they are familiar with the entire project," he said. "My preference is to have them do this so we have the third party review. The biggest challenge with this proposal is actually getting information to residents, walking the streets or by
e-mail, then we can
actually generate some
responses."
Councillor Thompson was not convinced, nor was Councillor Evelyn Buck who rejected the idea that hiring Dillon Consulting would lend an air of impartiality to the endeavour.
"There is not going to be impartiality when we asked Dillon Consulting to do the review," she said. "They did the design. I don't see how they're going to be impartial about bringing in a report that may possibly be negative on what they designed in the first place."
In that light, after hearing from residents, and from taking a spin through the chicanes herself, Councillor Buck added that she was not prepared to send any further money on reviewing them. Her solution was straightforward.
"Get rid of those frigging chicanes," she said. "Just break them up and chuck them and open up those closed roads. Those are the things people are infuriated with. It is hair raising
to be driving down the road with those chicanes. Furthermore, before this plan was implemented Dillon was sent in there with a catalogue of every possible obstruction they could put in the neighbourhood and they picked every one of them. Everything that was available to them they took.
"I don't have any hesitation in saying I'm not interested in spending any more money. Just give the people sledgehammers and invite them to come over on a cold Saturday when they need to work up a sweat and get out there and break the damn things to pieces and bring in a truck and remove them!"
While Councillor Paul Pirri said he would be "the first to volunteer" in Councillor Buck's chicane removal scheme, councillors voted to keep the consultation in house and also hold a public meeting - not just for residents in the affected neighbourhood but for all residents of Aurora.
"I think it is important to consider in this whole process that we have a public meeting of some sort because it is not just the people in the area that are affected," said Mayor Geoffrey Dawe. "These are area roads that the whole Town has the right to use. I think if we are going to go ahead with this, I believe we should also put in a public meeting as part of the whole process to get a chance for some global input."
]]> www.pevonia.com.
Esthetics Services by Hilda: 905 727 8571]]> 1622759512 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 14:44:06 GMT The Auroran http://www.theauroran.com/ 83759654 1622759512 0 2011-03-28 www.pevonia.com.
Esthetics Services by Hilda: 905 727 8571]]> * * * *
Nigel Kean became the first person to announce his candidacy for Aurora Council in the October 25 election.
By the time the nomination period closed in early September, 18 candidates had thrown their hats in the ring for councillor, and five were running for mayor.
* * * *
The 500-metre gap in the Nokiidaa Trail between Newmarket and Aurora at the McKenzie Marsh continued to spur debate throughout the year.
Despite several studies and community meetings, many people were still unhappy with any of the plans, which included extensive ecological enhancements estimated at almost $400,000, and the escalating cost of the entire project.
The link was finally approved by council later in the year, with construction of the trail and boardwalk connection to be completed in 2011.
* * * *
In late January, it was announced that David Tsubouchi would be the town's new Integrity Commissioner, replacing David Nitkin, who had been fired by council the previous August.
* * * *
In February, Aurora's Hot Spot closed after 18 years of providing a forum for thousands of local teens to spend Friday nights with their peers.
* * * *

In late February, construction was completed on the 860-space GO parking garage, east of the train station.
Later in the summer, controversy arose when preliminary discussions about the future of the GO site suggested eliminating the parking on the west side of the tracks.
* * * *
In early March the town's Master Parks and Recreation Plan was approved after several months of discussion.
* * * *
Aurora was awarded
with the prestigious Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Award for Community Leadership in Heritage Conservation and Promotion.
In part this was due to the work in establishing the Church Street Cultural Centre, which officially opened in early April.
* * * *
In mid-March the Aurora Food Pantry moved to a much larger and more handicapped accessible location on Industrial Parkway, the previous home of Aurora Cable Internet.
* * * *
On Easter weekend a local resident was attacked by a neighbour's dog, which was eventually put down.
In November, a 12-year-old boy was attacked by a different dog in Aurora.
* * * *
In late April, Wells Street School lost its final hearing, when an administrative review agreed that the York Region School Board acted properly in its decision to close the school.
Adding insult to injury, later in the year the Board declared that the school had suffered significant structural damage from the summer earthquake, resulting in the school being fenced off.
* * * *
The town would have to wait at least another four years for the town to be split up into wards, when council turned down a proposal to add the question to the ballot in the October 25 election.
* * * *
Discussions on the development of 2C lands in the northeast part of town sparked a great deal of interest not only from Aurorans, but from Newmarket residents bordering the area.
* * * *
In the continued efforts to eliminate the sounding of train whistles in town, council approved the construction of pedestrian gates at the level crossings at Engelhard Drive, Centre Street, Wellington Street East and Center Street, and at a pedestrian crossing at Cousins Drive.
While train operators would have the option of sounding their whistles within Aurora, they would not be required to do so under normal operating conditions.
* * * *
In late June Magna announced that it would once again sponsor Hoedown, after a one-year absence due to the poor economy.
The 22nd version of this event held in September raised more than $500,000 for local charities, sports clubs and community organizations.
* * * *
The town reported an operating surplus of more than one million dollars for 2009.
The much-needed funding was reallocated into various reserve accounts.
* * * *
The town saw a number of successful events throughout the summer including the Street Festival, Canada Day parade and festivities, Concerts in the Park, Movies in the Park, Doors Open Aurora and Ribfest.
* * * *
In August Councillor Evelyn Buck was reprimanded by council for posts written on her blog regarding the approval process for the town's Master Recreation Plan.
* * * *
In September, the town and 46 of its workers reached an agreement on a new labour contract, which included at 2.5 per cent wage hike over three years.
* * * *
At one of their last meetings before the election, council adopted the town's new Official Plan and Promenade Plan, leaving it to the next council to implement these initiatives.
* * * *
As Fall began, there was a great deal of interest in the upcoming municipal election, with many people attending debates and other information sessions.
Unfortunately, the looming election also saw an increase in the vandalism of election signs.
* * * *
In mid-October, just a week before the election, it was announced that taxpayers would pick up the legal tab for the lawsuit brought forth by Mayor Phyllis Morris against three bloggers accused of defamation.
It was felt that this played a part in the eventual outcome of the election, as the results showed that Aurorans wanted change, with Geoff Dawe being voted mayor by a significant margin, and five new councillors being elected. Voter turnout was 38.5 per cent, up slightly from the last election.
* * * *
Mayor-elect Dawe pledged to act quickly on his promises of reviewing the position of Integrity Commissioner, cancelling town financial support of Morris' lawsuit, and reviewing council's Code of Ethics.
* * * *
The election stretched out a little longer than usual when a recount was requested by Stephen Granger, who had finished just out of the running for the final councillor's seat by 21 votes.
The recount, undertaken after much discussion by council, showed an even greater gap between Mr. Granger and the eighth place finisher.
* * * *
Despite continued discussions throughout the year on the potential use or demolition of the historic Petch log house, its fate had yet to be resolved.
* * * *
As the year closed, it was announced that Eric Joliffe would replace Armand La Barge as Chief of York Regional Police.
* * * *
Those are some of the highlights of what happened in Aurora in 2010.
With a number of master plans to be implemented and a new council eager to make its mark, 2011 should prove to be just as interesting.]]> 1698079344 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 11:36:17 GMT The Auroran http://www.theauroran.com/ 83759654 1698079344 0 2010-12-23 * * * *
Nigel Kean became the first person to announce his candidacy for Aurora Council in the October 25 election.
By the time the nomination period closed in early September, 18 candidates had thrown their hats in the ring for councillor, and five were running for mayor.
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The 500-metre gap in the Nokiidaa Trail between Newmarket and Aurora at the McKenzie Marsh continued to spur debate throughout the year.
Despite several studies and community meetings, many people were still unhappy with any of the plans, which included extensive ecological enhancements estimated at almost $400,000, and the escalating cost of the entire project.
The link was finally approved by council later in the year, with construction of the trail and boardwalk connection to be completed in 2011.
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In late January, it was announced that David Tsubouchi would be the town's new Integrity Commissioner, replacing David Nitkin, who had been fired by council the previous August.
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In February, Aurora's Hot Spot closed after 18 years of providing a forum for thousands of local teens to spend Friday nights with their peers.
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In late February, construction was completed on the 860-space GO parking garage, east of the train station.
Later in the summer, controversy arose when preliminary discussions about the future of the GO site suggested eliminating the parking on the west side of the tracks.
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In early March the town's Master Parks and Recreation Plan was approved after several months of discussion.
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Aurora was awarded
with the prestigious Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Award for Community Leadership in Heritage Conservation and Promotion.
In part this was due to the work in establishing the Church Street Cultural Centre, which officially opened in early April.
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In mid-March the Aurora Food Pantry moved to a much larger and more handicapped accessible location on Industrial Parkway, the previous home of Aurora Cable Internet.
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On Easter weekend a local resident was attacked by a neighbour's dog, which was eventually put down.
In November, a 12-year-old boy was attacked by a different dog in Aurora.
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In late April, Wells Street School lost its final hearing, when an administrative review agreed that the York Region School Board acted properly in its decision to close the school.
Adding insult to injury, later in the year the Board declared that the school had suffered significant structural damage from the summer earthquake, resulting in the school being fenced off.
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The town would have to wait at least another four years for the town to be split up into wards, when council turned down a proposal to add the question to the ballot in the October 25 election.
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Discussions on the development of 2C lands in the northeast part of town sparked a great deal of interest not only from Aurorans, but from Newmarket residents bordering the area.
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In the continued efforts to eliminate the sounding of train whistles in town, council approved the construction of pedestrian gates at the level crossings at Engelhard Drive, Centre Street, Wellington Street East and Center Street, and at a pedestrian crossing at Cousins Drive.
While train operators would have the option of sounding their whistles within Aurora, they would not be required to do so under normal operating conditions.
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In late June Magna announced that it would once again sponsor Hoedown, after a one-year absence due to the poor economy.
The 22nd version of this event held in September raised more than $500,000 for local charities, sports clubs and community organizations.
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The town reported an operating surplus of more than one million dollars for 2009.
The much-needed funding was reallocated into various reserve accounts.
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The town saw a number of successful events throughout the summer including the Street Festival, Canada Day parade and festivities, Concerts in the Park, Movies in the Park, Doors Open Aurora and Ribfest.
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In August Councillor Evelyn Buck was reprimanded by council for posts written on her blog regarding the approval process for the town's Master Recreation Plan.
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In September, the town and 46 of its workers reached an agreement on a new labour contract, which included at 2.5 per cent wage hike over three years.
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At one of their last meetings before the election, council adopted the town's new Official Plan and Promenade Plan, leaving it to the next council to implement these initiatives.
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As Fall began, there was a great deal of interest in the upcoming municipal election, with many people attending debates and other information sessions.
Unfortunately, the looming election also saw an increase in the vandalism of election signs.
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In mid-October, just a week before the election, it was announced that taxpayers would pick up the legal tab for the lawsuit brought forth by Mayor Phyllis Morris against three bloggers accused of defamation.
It was felt that this played a part in the eventual outcome of the election, as the results showed that Aurorans wanted change, with Geoff Dawe being voted mayor by a significant margin, and five new councillors being elected. Voter turnout was 38.5 per cent, up slightly from the last election.
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Mayor-elect Dawe pledged to act quickly on his promises of reviewing the position of Integrity Commissioner, cancelling town financial support of Morris' lawsuit, and reviewing council's Code of Ethics.
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The election stretched out a little longer than usual when a recount was requested by Stephen Granger, who had finished just out of the running for the final councillor's seat by 21 votes.
The recount, undertaken after much discussion by council, showed an even greater gap between Mr. Granger and the eighth place finisher.
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Despite continued discussions throughout the year on the potential use or demolition of the historic Petch log house, its fate had yet to be resolved.
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As the year closed, it was announced that Eric Joliffe would replace Armand La Barge as Chief of York Regional Police.
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Those are some of the highlights of what happened in Aurora in 2010.
With a number of master plans to be implemented and a new council eager to make its mark, 2011 should prove to be just as interesting.]]>