January 07 2009 - Low

Oshawa Generals next games Wednesday, Jan. 7 VS Belleville Bulls, Friday, Jan. 9 VS London Knights and Sunday, Jan. 11 VS. the Peterborough Petes.
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www.oshawaexpress.ca
Well Written, Well Read
Vol 4 No 11
One soldier rides away
Wednesday, Jan 7 2009
Hockey star
dies in coma
A local young hockey star died just weeks after hitting his head on the hard ice during a fight at a hockey
game.
Don Sanderson of the Whitby Dunlops died in the
early morning hours of Jan. 2 at Hamilton General
Hospital.
After Sanderson became involved in a tussle with
Corey Fulton of the Brantford Blast on Dec. 12, his helmet accidentally came off and he fell backwards
smacking his head on the hard ice.
Those who witnessed the event say Sanderson was
out-cold then regained consciousness.
As a result of the injury the young player fell into a
deep coma
Sanderson’s death has forced hockey associations to
re-think their helmet and fighting rules thoroughly and
has sparked serious debate in the hockey world.
The Port Perry native was in his first season with the
Whitby Dunlops at the time of his death.
Messages of condolences from close friends, teammates, family and even complete strangers who had
never heard of the small town team were strewn across
the team’s website.
See TRAGIC Page 5
Photos supplied
Left:Combat Officer Darryl Dawson and his new fiancée posed for a picture at his graduation ceremony recently. Dawson shipped out to Kandahar
on Monday on a volunteer tour of duty. Right: Darryl Dawson’s graduation photo.
By Cynthia McQueen
The Oshawa Express
On Monday evening Darryl Dawson
shipped out to Kandahar.
Dawson lost one of his best friends in
Afghanistan a couple of weeks ago.
Many of his classmates have been
wounded.
And still he finds the bravery to volunteer for his tour of duty one year early.
He left behind his mother, father and his
new fiancée, Angela Briggs.
While the emotional rollercoaster must
be one of immense proportions for the combat engineer, especially since asking his
long-time girlfriend for her hand in marriage the Saturday before he shipped out,
Dawson’s mother is in a league of her own.
“It’s emotional, but I believe he’s a really good soldier. He finished top of his class.
He won all kinds of awards. So I have to
believe that he’s going to be okay,” said
Darryl’s mother, Debbie through tears.
The hardest part of saying goodbye for
Debbie was to come later when she wished
her son well by telephone before his 14hour flight to Dubai.
As for when she’ll talk to him again,
nothing is certian since Darryl’s position as
a combat officer is all field work.
“He’ll be out in the field. They do have
satellite phones. But, I told him you have to
email your mother, because I think I’m
going to need to know that he’s okay,” says
Debbie.
See A MOTHER’S Page 5
Photo supplied
Don Sanderson of the Whitby Dunlops died in the early
morning hours of Jan. 2 at Hamilton General Hospital.
2008: Talent, waste, crime, and as always death and taxes
By Kate Strachan and Cynthia McQueen
Columnists for the Oshawa Express
Oshawa not only became the winner of
the title for highest taxes this year, but it is
also home to the most sought after NHL draft
pick in the league, John Tavares.
Despite these claims to fame, and
attempting to create more opportunities for
tourism in the city with miniatures, a la
Cullen Gardens, Oshawa remains in a precarious position.
With a proposed ethanol plant, which
could turn the harbour front into what some
feel would be an eyesore aesthetically and
physically (due to the smell), and the near-by
garbage incinerator, this year in the city has
been a little stinky.
GM blames a green restructuring shift for
their financial crisis, yet has no plans for
releasing a cleaner burning vehicle until
2010.
Something is rotten in the city of Oshawa.
Early in the year, it’s difficult to determine which way the winds of change are
blowing, but with a financial loan things are
looking up.
See CHANGES Page 7
Charges increase since last year
Suspects nabbed in robbery
The suspects accused of beating a pregnant clerk during a violent dairy store robbery are now both in custody.
On Dec. 5 uniform patrol officers in
Oshawa arrested a 26-yearold man with no fixed
address, as he was walking
on Celina St. at approximately 2:40 a.m. He was arrested
and charged with robbery,
threatening death, breach of
recognizance,
and
two
counts of breach of probation
in connection with a violent
attack of a taxi driver on
Ritson Rd. in Oshawa in the
early morning hours of Dec. 2.
In that incident, the suspect refused to
pay a fare and allegedly punched a taxi
driver on the side of the face several times
before robbing him of a quantity of cash.
Further investigation revealed that he
was also one of the two males involved in
the assault and robbery at Reid’s Milky
Way Convenience store on Cedar St. in
Oshawa on Dec. 1. The suspect, currently
residing in the Lindsay jail as a result of
the Dec. 5th arrest, now faces
charges of: robbery, disguise with
intent, breach of recognizance,
and two counts of breach of probation in connection with the
Reid’s robbery.
On Dec. 23 officers from
Oshawa arrested the other suspect
in the Reid’s incident. A 24-yearold male, of Oxford St. in
Oshawa was arrested without
incident at an Oshawa address
and is charged with: robbery, disguise with
intent, and three counts of breach of probation.
Anyone with information regarding
either violent incident is asked to contact
Det. Dellipizzi at 17 CIB, 1-888-579-1520
ext. 2766.
Crash leaves one dead
A 17-year-old girl died at Sunnybrook
hospital following a crash just two days
after Christmas.
The collision occurred on Dec. 27 in
Pickering. The 17-year-old was a passenger
inside a 1990 Volvo, the car was traveling
northbound on Westney Rd. when, for reasons unknown, it crossed the highway and
was struck by a 2002 GMC Yukon.
Upon impact, the Volvo burst into flames
while the Yukon ended up upside down, off
the highway into a creek.
The driver, a 49 year-old Whitby man
and the occupants of the Yukon were taken
to Markham-Stouffville hospital with minor
injuries. The driver, an 18-year-old man and
one of the four passengers inside the Volvo
were taken to the same hospital with serious
injuries.
Upon arrival at Markham-Stouffville
hospital, the 17-year-old female with serious life-threatening injuries was transported
to Sunnybrook where she succumbed to her
injuries on Dec. 28.
The other three passengers inside the
Volvo were taken to Lakeridge Health
Oshawa with non life-threatening injuries.
Police and investigators had the roadway
closed for several hours following the crash.
Road and weather conditions were poor
according to police.
Alcohol may have been a contributing
factor leading to the crash as well. Charges
are still pending.
Boy approached at arena
Police are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying a man who approached
a nine-year-old boy at a Pickering arena and
offered him a ride in his van.
On Dec. 15 a father and son arrived at
the Don Beer arena on Dillingham Rd. in
south Pickering at about 4:30 p.m. for the
boy’s hockey practice. The boy was sitting
on a snow bank on the north side of the
arena while his father proceeded inside with
the hockey equipment.
An unknown man was walked out of the
arena, got into a vehicle in the parking lot
and then drove toward the boy.
The man drove up close to the boy, introduced himself as “Steve” and began a conversation. He offered to give the boy a ride
to find his parents. The boy became concerned, ran into the arena and found his
father.
The unknown male is described as:
white, about 50 years old and six feet tall,
with grey/brown short hair and a moustache. He was wearing a green wool vest
and was driving a magenta mini van (possible Toyota brand) with pin stripes running
up the side. The two rear windows were tinted a dark colour.
Images of the unknown male/vehicle are
available on the police website www.drps.ca
under Media Release.
Investigators want to determine the identity of this unknown male and understand
why he approached the boy.
Armed robbery in Cannington
Durham Regional Police are looking
for three men after a convenience store in
Cannington was robbed at gunpoint.
On Dec. 27 just before 11 p.m., three
masked men dressed in dark clothing went
into the store. One man was holding a
shotgun. They ordered the lone employee
to open the cash register.
Cash, lottery tickets and cigarettes was
emptied into Tupperware-style containers,
which the suspects brought with them.
The suspects then left the store, got
into a grey vehicle parked on the main
street (possibly a 2001 or 2002 Mazda
MX4), and sped off. No one was injured in
the robbery.
All three suspects are described as
male, white, about 5’5” tall and 135-140
lbs., all were dressed in black or dark
clothing and had their faces covered.
Suspect two is described as having facial
acne.
Elderly man hit by truck in parking lot
A 79-year-old Oshawa man is in critical condition after he was struck while
walking in a shopping center parking lot
in Oshawa on Dec. 22.
At about 12:40 p.m., Durham Regional
Police along with emergency services
were called to the Rossland Square
Shopping Plaza at Rossland Rd. and
Wilson Rd. in Oshawa for a report of a
pedestrian struck.
Witnesses reported a green GMC pickup truck was driving through the lot when
it attempted to make a left turn in front of
the A & P store. The Oshawa man was
struck by the pick up truck as he crossed
the parking lot, from the store. The victim
received serious injuries to his head and
torso. He was transported to the
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in
critical condition.
The driver of the GMC pick up, a 22year-old woman was not injured.
The intersection was closed for several
hours whileofficers investigated.
Anonymous tips can be made to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Tipsters may be eligible for
cash rewards.
Page 2
Big numbers for R.I.D.E
Durham Police wrap up
the 2008/2009 R.I.D.E
campaign by nabbing
another 20 impaired
drivers over New Years
The final numbers are in. And they are
alarming.
Overall 152 people in Durham Region were
charged with impaired driving this holiday season.
Durham Regional Police rounded off their
seven week R.I.D.E. program this past weekend charging another 20 drivers with drinking
and driving throughout the New Year’s weekend.
Of those charged, 45 were G1 and G2 class
drivers who breached the no alcohol clause on
their license.
A total of 10,468 vehicles were stopped in
an effort to eliminate drunk drivers from
Durham’s roads.
Of those drivers, 903 were asked to perform
a roadside Breathalyzer test which lead to the
drunk driving charges as well as 168 12-hour
suspensions to drivers that registered a WARN
signal on the roadside Breathalyzer.
The numbers for 2008/09 are up even higher from last year’s alarming 113 impaired driving charges.
Four more officers assisted in this year’s
program compared to 2007/08.
While the R.I.D.E program is aimed at targeting impaired drivers, the police were on the
look out for other offences and laid 204 charges
for other highway traffic offences and 21 criminal code offence charges.
The Durham police would like to remind
citizens that R.I.D.E is a year-round enforcement initiative and that operating any form of
vehicle, boat, off-road vehicle and snowmobile
while impaired by alcohol or drugs will not be
tolerated. A list of all those charged with
impaired driving can be found on the Durham
Regional Police website under “What’s New”.
www.drps.ca
Guns on Oshawa streets
It was an unusually busy night for
police just two days after Christmas.
Oshawa police were called out to two
separate attempted gunpoint robberies
within minutes of each other.
Only one was successful.
Police are now looking for multiple suspects.
On Dec. 27 around 11:30 p.m., officers
from Oshawa were called to the intersection of Ritson Rd. S. and Olive Ave. for
reports of a street level robbery.
The victim of the first report told police
a man confronted him at approximately
11:10 p.m. on Ritson Rd. S.
The robber drew a handgun and pointed
it at his face, demanding his possessions.
The victim ran away and the suspect didn’t
chase after him.
About 10 minutes later, a 16-year-old
male was waiting at a bus stop on Olive
Avenue just east of Ritson when a man
armed with a handgun approached him.
The suspect pointed the firearm at the face
of the victim and demanded his possessions.
The suspect grabbed the victim's iPod
and wallet before running north with three
other men.
In both incidents, the man armed with
the handgun was described as white, 17-20
years old, about 5'8"-5'10" tall and 180
lbs., with blonde/light brownish-red hair
and light skin. He was wearing a dark
coloured plaid lumberjack jacket with
blue, brown or black colours, and blue
jeans.
In the second incident, the three other
men involved were described to police.
The first man was white, 17-20 years
old, 6' tall, 190 lbs., wearing a baggy white
T-shirt and blue jeans, with black boxers
showing;
The third male was black, 5'7" tall, 1720 years old, wearing a dark-hooded
sweatshirt, blue jeans and wearing a blue
bandana over his face
The fourth man was black, 17-20 years
old, 5'7", wearing dark clothing.
Another male is also sought as he was
in the area was described as white, 17-18
years old, 6', 190 lbs, short hair, light goatee, baggy white t-shirt, and blue jeans.
Over 350 kilograms of cocaine seized
Biggest bust in recent memory
Over 350 kilograms of uncut cocaine des- ties with associated turf wars and killings,"
tined for sale on the streets of Oshawa won’t says DRPS Chief Mike Ewles.
make it thanks to the hard work of the Durham
Tests conducted on the cocaine determined
Regional Gang Enforcement Unit.
that the drugs were 77 to 79 per cent pure
Working with the Canadian Border cocaine.
Services Agency (CBSA) and the Royal
The cocaine was found hidden inside boxes
Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Gang of hot sauce on a 40-foot freight container.
Enforcement Unit determined drugs found on There were 1,250 boxes of hot sauce on the
street gang members and drug users in Durham ship, and 551 contained cocaine.
Region were smuggled into Canada from
Police have determined that the drugs were
Guyana.
destined
for
“Project Falcon” set
Etobicoke.
out to identify the
One shipment of
source of the drugs and "Cocaine is a highly addictive products laced with
resulted in the largest
cocaine was seized
poison that tears families
seizure of high-quality
on Dec. 24.
cocaine in recent memPolice have since
apart,”
ory.
arrested an Etobicoke
The cocaine was
- Chief Mike Ewles man found unloading
seized from a freight
all 1,250 boxes of the
Durham Region Police hot sauce from the
container in St. John,
New Brunswick in
first shipment into a
early December.
storage facility in
Once cut, the highly addictive stimulant Toronto.
would have produced over 400 kilograms of
Investigators are not ruling out any further
cocaine with an estimated street value of $54.5 arrests.
million dollars.
"The magnitude of this investigation and
"Cocaine is a highly addictive poison that the volume of cocaine seized is the biggest our
tears families apart.
police service has ever been involved with,"
It is often the root cause of many crimes, says Ewles,
especially at the street level. Some people
"I am extremely proud of our Gang
engage in a life of crime to support their addic- Enforcement Unit and also very appreciative
tion. It is also a commodity that supports crim- of the support and assistance provided by both
inal gangs and wreaks havoc in our communi- the CBSA and the RCMP."
JAN 7 2009
Two new programs at the College
Durham has energy on the mind
The one-year Energy Audit Techniques
program will allow students the opportunity to learn skills required to assess the
energy performance of residential, small
commercial and industrial buildings while
improving the efficiency of their systems.
The two-year Renewable Energy
Technicians program introduces students to
the field of renewable, sustainable and
alternative energy solutions.
The program includes two semesters of
Durham College is power hungry.
co-operative education as well.
But, for a different kind of power: green
“On behalf of everyone on campus, I
energy.
would like to
Due to the rapidly
express
how
growing demand in the
excited we are to
energy sector, Durham
launch
these
College is introducing
unique programs
two new energy proat
Durham
grams.
College,”
says
“These innovative
Don Lovisa, presprograms are a direct
ident of Durham
reflection of the growCollege.
ing need to address alternative energy
“Developed to meet the increasing
sources and how they will be managed and needs of the emerging energy sector in
maintained without negatively
Durham Region and beyond,
affecting the environment,” says
both programs will directly
Marj Rempel, dean of the School
respond to the industry demand
of
Applied
Sciences,
for graduates with skills in the
Apprenticeship, Skilled Trades &
renewable energy field.
Technology.
In addition, we are further
“With the addition of these
supporting Durham Region’s
programs, we are speaking to the
growing reputation as the enerfuture of energy utilization,
gy capital of Ontario by providmaintenance and management
ing professionals who will
while demonstrating our commitgreatly contribute to the growth
ment to the development of gradof this sector and the regional
uates who are ready to work in
economy,” adds Lovisa.
the existing energy sector,” says
These programs will be
Don Lovisa
Rempel.
hosted in the Whitby campus of
As of September 2009, stuDurham College in their 40,000 square foot
dents can take the Energy Audit Techniques state-of-the-art Skills Training Centre.
and Renewable Energy Technicians programs.
The growing demand
in the energy sector
allows Durham
College to add more
programs
JAN 7 2009
Page 3
Lookback
on ‘08
Something is rotten in the city of
Oshawa and it’s not the week old Tim
Horton’s donuts. Some would argue it
was a tough year for Oshawa.
This year brought with it some fairly
unfriendly, environmentally and otherwise, announcements.
Announcements like the proposed
ethanol plant on what was beautiful
waterfront property, a proposed garbage
incinerator in our neighbouring region of
Clarington, thousands of job losses in
the manufacturing industry (Oshawa’s
specialty) and the increasing number of
murders.
Our fourth, fifth and sixth murders of
the year took place at a birthday party no
less.
The murder count in Oshawa looks
like it’s trying to compete with
Toronto’s.
And our police force has been arguing and quibbling over a few percent
increase in an already healthy salary.
Something in this picture is askew.
Considering all this, we could call it a
rather lousy year.
We could play devil’s advocate and
look at the many positive things that
took place in the city that tells you to,
“Prepare to be amazed.”
There is the fact that Oshawa will be
one of 200 lucky cities to see the
Olympic torch pass through it on its way
to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympic
games.
Of course, there was the auto sector
bailout, which by the grace of the money
gods has saved a dying industry from
itself. Let’s hope they use the money
wisely and invest in what people want –
greener, cleaner machines.
City Hall is in the midst of a $12.3
million renovation, which will positively
impact the ever-changing gentrification
of our downtown core.
Durham College and the University
of Ontario Institute of Technology continue to expand by what seems like the
second.
Despite a dispute by one councillor
over the intellectual property rights of
the name, our education industry continues to add new programs and bring students to the city.
But wait. Is that such a good thing?
Thousands of students are facing a housing bylaw that could leave them homeless.
Council members signed a charter
that set guidelines they would pledge to
follow as “Oshawa’s leaders.” However,
many in the community have been calling them to task on the same claiming
that the councillors don’t respond as it is.
A wonderful family moved into
Oshawa’s first Habitat for Humanity
house. Since then the Nolans have
become great spokespeople for the project.
Overall there were a lot of big
changes in Oshawa last year, some good,
some bad.
Let’s let sleeping dogs lie and look
forward to prosperity in 2009.
Page 4
600 Thornton Rd. S.
Oshawa, ON L1J 6W7
[email protected]
phone: (905) 571-7
7334
fax: (905) 571-0
0255
JAN 7 2009
Volume 4, Number 11
Publisher
Greg McDowell
Advertising Director
Kim Boatman
Sports Editor
Wally Donaldson
[email protected]
Contributors
Bill Fox
Jennifer Weymark
Glen Goodhand
Reporters
Cynthia McQueen
[email protected]
Katie Strachan
[email protected]
Letters to the Editor
Land needed for shelter re-build
To Whom It May Concern:
The outpouring of public support in the wake of the fire
at the Durham Humane Society has been incredible. While
not wanting to minimize that support, what is really needed at this point is land on which to build a new shelter.
Conspicuously silent through all this has been the
municipal governments of Durham Region. I don’t think
any of these places would deny the necessity of a humane
society operating in their area, but then why are they so
silent on aiding in rebuilding.
While any one government putting up funds may seem
out of reach financially, consider this: aside from the big
eight (Brock, Scugog, Ajax, Pickering, Clarington,
Uxbridge, Whitby and Oshawa), there are no fewer than
twenty cities, towns and villages in Durham Region.
This is just one suggestion, but perhaps each of the big
eight could contribute $75,000 (a mere 0.0007% of
Oshawa’s 2008 budget alone), and maybe each of the
smaller governments could pitch in $10,000. These very
reasonable donations would raise $800,000.
This would be enough to buy a parcel of land to build
a shelter of suitable size to properly service Durham
Region.
Other private contributions have ensured that once the
land is available, a shelter could be built very quickly. All
that is needed is the land. The absence of a proper animal
shelter in Durham Region is going to be felt quickly and
painfully as abused, abandoned and unwanted animals
have nowhere else to go but to the streets.
The municipalities of Durham Region have reasonable
solutions available. They just need to act, and act soon.
Kelly Dyck
Amusement over Council charter
Dear Editor:
It was with considerable amusement, laced liberally
with cynicism, that I read Kate Strachan's account of
Oshawa's mayor and councillors’ signing the Charter of
Conduct, a document which will allegedly guide the conduct of our local politicians. Most amusing was Mayor
Gray's statement, "It shows a sense of respect towards the
community that we serve."
If Gray really felt that way, he would have replied to
my frequent written requests over a year and a half for
information regarding a community garden which was
promised for the North Oshawa Park three years ago.
Without a commitment to act, Gray's words and his pre-
cious charter are just so much fatuous nonsense. So
what's new with this council, many will ask.
My main fear is that our local councillors commitment
to the public they are supposed to serve will be diluted
even further following the next municipal election, given
that they will then serve on an at-large basis. In other
words, no given area will be the responsibility for a particular councillor and consequently, even less accountability
will be the result.
The next municipal election, however, could present a
bright spot in Oshawa's continuing story of job losses. Up
for grabs will be the best-paid, part-time jobs in the
Region.
Bernie Gotham
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“Very easy solution” for GM
Dear Editor:
Now that all GM workers here in Oshawa are at home
with an enforced vacation, would it not be the perfect time
to address the problem of non-GM cars being driven by
25 per cent of the GM workers? There is a solution to having these workers eventually losing their jobs. A very easy
solution, I might add.
A blitz re non-GM cars in GM parking lots from BC to
Newfoundland will turn these labour woes around.
Yes, it will take time, but only four people can do the
necessary work. All GM dealerships would be checked as
well. Some of this work could be done by phone/computer methods rather than by direct contact.
This would work. Will I be contacted? Who knows?
I tried to bring this solution forward last July, but
nobody was interested in good old-fashioned legwork.
Fast forward to Christmas and New Years, and all of a
sudden the employees are at home watching the TSN
channel. They are "feeling nervous" about the long
Christmas layoff. Well, 25% of those "feeling nervous"
have a non-GM car in the driveway.
I would ask these workers to do some soul searching
and ditch the competitor's cars and start to assist GM,
rather than go against them with a Ford pick-up, etc.
Can't have it both ways, from where I stand.
My plan of attack is still with me to lower layoffs, and
boost GM earnings. Anyone interested?? I'm in the book.
Philip Dawson
Letters to
the Editor
The Oshawa Express publishes
every Wednesday in the City of
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JAN 7 2009
A mother’s tough job
From ONE Page 1
Before her final words of encouragement
for her son, Debbie remembers another tough
moment when friends and family joined the
Dawsons at a restaurant in Napannee to send
Darryl off.
A woman in the restaurant thought it was a
wedding and when she asked a server, she
approached Debbie in the bathroom and
began to cry.
“I said to her don’t cry,” recalls Debbie.
However, Debbie herself was moved to
tears when she had to travel the highway
when the last fallen soldier was brought home
last Wednesday.
“I have to tell you I’ll never travel that
highway again the same day. There were people all over the bridges. That was hard. You
don’t want to do that,” says Debbie.
Normally, the Dawson family goes to the
highway every time there is a funeral procession and we hangs a flag in support of the
troops.
“We see the same people there every
time,” said Debbie.
Unfortunately, there are those that do not
support the war, who at times have hurled
insults towards Dawson herself to which she
responds, “Support our troops, not the war.”
While it certainly is an emotional time for
Debbie, she remains involved with as many
supportive efforts for the troop as possible.
Debbie has remained involved with
Wounded Warriors and Captain Mike
Johnston
I do a lot of speaking engagements for the
soldiers throughout southern Ontario through
the lioness club.
To raise money for Mike McTeague, a 20year-old reservist who was injured when a
suicide bomber travelling on a bicycle detonated a bomb about 30-km west of Kandahar
City. The incident killed four Canadian soldiers and an unknown number of civilians
including children.
McTeague like many soldiers wounded in
Afghanistan was sent to Germany to recover
and what many soldiers found was that the
care was amazing, and the staff even brought
the soldiers magazines and movies.
Wounded Warriors helps raise money to
buy the soldiers these helpful reminders of
home.
Dawson raises money for the program and
says, “It’s good for me. It makes me feel like
I’m doing something for my son.”
One in ten soldiers will be injured in
Afghanistan, which translates into more than
800 over five years.
As a surprise from the Durham Regional
Association of Realtors, of which Debbie is
the current president, they raised more than
$1,200 worth of Tim Horton’s gift certificates
for Darryl to give the troops when he arrives.
Since then the money has continued to
come in.
Debbie Dawson and Darryl Dawson pose for a photo in front of the armories.
Photo Supplied
Easy to be critical in 2009 - hindsight’s 20/20
One of my resolutions for 2009 is to be less
critical. I learned in my forty years as a teacher that
there were a lot of criticisms about the teaching
profession. While some might have been well
founded, others were way out of line in my opinion.
When confronting critics, I would always
respond with, “Would you like to change places
with me and deal with 100 or so teenagers on a
daily basis?” Invariably those of us who are parents know that dealing with one teen and trying to
motivate one teen can be stressful enough, let
alone one hundred.
I am critical of the policing crisis in Durham
Region right now. I personally would not want to
be in police enforcement. With growing violence,
drug use, etc. I would not feel safe pulling over a
driver for some simple act like running a yellow.
Every day these people, much like fire-fighters
put their lives on the line. While fire-fighters
know a little more of what to expect, a police officer can never be sure of what the immediate
Tragic death
sparks
helmet debate
response may lead to.
I feel safer for my
wife, my family, etc.
when we have a strong
police presence in our
community.
I am very critical of
our Regional Chair,
Roger Anderson, who
was himself a police constable with Durham
Region police for ten years from 1978 to 1988. I
wonder why he left the force? Two years after
leaving policing he started his own real estate
company. Now of all people, he should be supportive of police efforts to increase the size of the
force, offer competitive wages to encourage the
best officers to join our police, etc. Wouldn’t you
think?
Mr. Anderson, in my opinion is out of touch
with reality.
He continually calls for the expansion of highway 407. While I have no objection to the expansion I would much rather he would be screaming
to get the extension toll free. Does he not realize
that it is a pay highway?
Perhaps as he owns his
own real estate company,
he merely wants to make
Durham Region more
accessible.
Now I have never met
Mr. Anderson, so he
might be a very fine individual but it seems to me that there must be a lot
of conflict of interest issues that he must be careful about.
Similarly I think the incinerator is a done deal
with Mr. Anderson seemingly pro-incinerator.
Perhaps if he had young asthmatic grandchildren
living down wind of the incinerator he might have
second thoughts. I wonder too if the development
of the incinerator would add value to the industrial lands nearby? Just wondering.
I am critical that the wonderful spirit of concern and compassion after the tragic Humane
Society fire, would not
spread more to other
areas
concerning
human life?
I am critical of our Afghanistan involvement.
While I support our troops and trying to keep them
alive and out of the way of ridiculous road side
bombings and suicide attacks, I wonder is there a
magic number of fatalities where the government
might finally realize that the cost in young
Canadian troops is not worth the results. After all
it was Mr. Bush and oil interests that encouraged
our involvement. I think our troops could be put
to better use in many other nations at war ... PeaceKeepers in the Gaza strip immediately comes to
mind!
I am critical that we are still dealing with
increased numbers of impaired drivers! Perhaps
the penalties have to be even more severe?
Sorry, there goes, I broke my
resolution...Already.
You can send YOUR criticisms to me at
[email protected]
From HOCKEY Page 1
Sanderson, a Kinesiology student at York
University in Toronto, wore the number 40
proudly on his jersey.
Now according to the Dunlops site, his
teammates and members from opposing
AAA teams will wear that same number
proudly on their helmets.
More than a dozen memorials and tributes have been set-up on Facebook to send
their condolences and talk of the memories
of the defencemen.
Police in Brantford have launched an
investigation into the young man’s death.
The Whitby Dunlops will host “Tribute
to Don” night at Iroquois Park on Jan. 17.
The memorial will take place before their
game against the Brantford Blast at 6:30
p.m.
The 21-year-old was laid to rest at the
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in
Port Perry on Monday. Hundreds attended
the visitation and the funeral.
Family, friends and team members went
to Crabby Joe’s in Port Perry after the funeral as a celebration of Sanderson’s short,
remarkable life.
JAN 7 2009
Page 5
Walk for Alzheimer’s raises over $20,000
By Katie Strachan
The Oshawa Express
The Alzheimer Society of
Durham Region kicked off
Alzheimer Awareness month with a
jump in their step and over $22,000
in their pockets.
The 10th annual Manulife Walk
for Memories took place over the
weekend and although the weather
was frigid, supporters came out in
droves.
“Durham has the highest rates of
dementia in the province of
Ontario,” says Laurie Docimo, Fund
Development Convener of the
Durham Alzheimer Society.
Alzheimer’s disease and related
dementias are a stark reality for over
Photo by Katie Strachan/ The Oshawa Express
Dozens of walkers make their way down the icy hill for the second half of their
two-kilometer walk to raise funds for Alzheimer’s disease. The 2009 walk was
the 10th annual event.
Page 6
6,000 residents of Durham and
according to the Society; those numbers are expected to rise to over
6,500 by 2010.
According to Docimo, about 50
per cent of patients with Alzheimer’s
are in long-term care homes.
The two-kilometer walk through
the winter wonderland of Camp
Samac raised money for programs
and services to support those living
with Alzheimer’s disease and related
dementias in Durham Region.
The money will also allow more
research to be conducted in order to
find better treatments and a cure for
the disease.
While the Annual Walk kicks off
awareness month, the Alzheimer
Society of Canada will also release
the data from its newest study.
The Rising Tide will provide upto-date information on the growing
commonality of dementia in the
country.
“The Rising Tide report will confirm some of the huge challenges
we’re seeing demographically in
Durham Region,” says Chris Braney,
Executive Director of the Alzheimer
Society of Durham Region.
The study will also reveal that
more people under the age of 65 are
being diagnosed with dementia related diseases.
“Alzheimer’s
isn’t just an older
person’s disease.
People who are
in their 40’s are
being diagnosed
with early forms
or early onset,”
says Docimo.
From left: Ralph Page, Norma Jean Page and their granddaughter Rebecca Sims
have participated in the walk for Alzheimer’s disease for about four years. The
frigid temperatures didn’t bother them.
The year 2009 is a special year
for those who use, work or volunteer
at the Durham Society. The agency
has been providing help and hope to
residents of Durham for 30 years.
They not only offer support to
patients diagnosed with the disease
or other related diseases but they
also offer support to their caregivers
and families.
For more information on the society or to donate call 905-576-2567 or
visit www.alzheimerdurham.com
For more information on the
Manulife Walk for Memories visit
www.walkformemories.ca
“We encourage people to speak to
their employers about matching
donations. Most people don’t know
that most employers will match the
donations they make to the
Alzheimer’s Society,” explains
Docimo.
The Society of Durham Region
will be hosting a lecture, which will
focus on new treatment developments for patients.
It will be held at the Oshawa and
District Shrine Club Hall on Jan. 29
at 6:30 p.m.
JAN 7 2009
Changes in the city, changes in the air
From 2008 Page 1
torn down later in the year to make
way for a home for cancer patients.
Tavares makes an
impression
Oshawa filmmaker debuts at TIFF
Local hockey hero John Tavares
helped Canada bring home the
fourth straight gold medal for
Canada’s 2008 world junior team.
As of Monday, Tavares helped the
2009 junior team win yet another
gold.
Tavares is currently the number
one NHL draft pick for 2009 and has
remained a strong team player for
the Oshawa Generals while maintaining his title as the number one
scorer in the league.
Oshawa native Bruce W. Harper
debuted his film, The World’s Most
Fabulous Object at the children’s
portion of the Toronto International
Film Festival.
Harper co-wrote the film as a
media arts student at Sheridan
College.
Two new reactors up our outage
Energy from waste: Wasted
debate
Despite strong resistance from
the community in Clarington and
beyond the proposed Energy from
Waste facility was approved by the
region and is moving forward.
Human impact studies have yet
to be completed. The company
building the facility has not yet been
chosen.
Doctors from the surrounding
community are not in support of the
incinerator based on the human
health impacts.
Oshawa’s favourite Argo makes
good
Andre Talbot, is not only wide
receiver for the Toronto Argonauts
but he’s also a Paul Dwyer High
School graduate and a well-paid
Canadian Football League (CFL)
player.
Talbot was second in the CFL
2008 verall performance receiving
53 for 803 yards.
Police crack 34-yyear-o
old cold
case
Photo by Courtney Duffet/The Oshawa Express
Canadian Autoworkers protest manufacturing job loses in Oshawa. Thousands rallied.
GM truck plant puts thousands
out of work
As a result of a strike by US auto
suppliers, General Motors had to
shut its doors leaving 3,000 Oshawa
autoworkers jobless.
Following these initial 3,000 job
cuts, more strikes, closures and hundreds more layoffs continued
throughout the year culminating in
the auto industry crisis.
Automakers in Canada and the
US appealed to both governments
and received bridge-financing loans
totalling $17.4 billion from the US
government and $4 billion from the
Canadian government.
Tax hike makes city highest
taxed in GTA
tribute, the Generals retired old 88.
The Philadelphia Flyers captain captured the Red Tilson Trophy for the
league’s most valuable player while
playing with the Generals from
1989-1992
At a cost of $26 billion, Ontario
Power Generation released plans to
build two new nuclear reactors. The
announcement was a welcome one in
the wake of GM layoffs.
The construction of such a site
would result in 3,500 jobs for
Oshawa.
See SAYING Page 8
Civic goodbye
Oshawa City Council votes in
favour of demolishing the Civic
Auditorium, where the Oshawa
Generals played before the GMC
was built. But the building remains
standing today.
Rundle house tumbles
Despite the city’s attempts to
save Rundle House, the historic
building at 364 Simcoe St. N. was
Photo supplied
The Rundle House was demolished to make way for a homestay for cancer
patients.
Oshawa
city
council
approved a 4.44 per cent tax
hike making Oshawa residents
the highest taxpayers in the
Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
At the same time, the budget
included plans for $12.3 million
dollars worth of renovations to
city hall, a move not all councillors were supportive of.
City Hall’s renovations
remain incomplete.
Councillor charged with libel
Photo supplied
Beverly Smith and her daughter
Rebecca before her murder in 1974.
First Step Methadone Clinic
charged Oshawa city councillor
Louise Parkes with libel for
comments made on KX 96 FM.
The clinic claims that Parkes
made untrue statements that
affected the reputation of the
clinic,
which
provides
methadone maintenance therapy for drug addiction.
Lindros’ jersey retired
Police re-opened Beverly Smith’s
murder case. The young mother was
murdered in her north Oshawa home
on the evening of Dec. 9, 1974. Her
10-month old daughter, Rebecca
was just feet away from her.
Police caught a break in the old
murder case and arrested 56-yearold Alan Smith in February. Smith,
an old neighbour, was charged with
murder.
No. 88 was the number that
helped Eric Lindros rise to stardom while he was a member of
the Oshawa Generals. And in
Photo by Wally Donaldson/The Oshawa Express
Rocco Tulli shakes hands with Eric Lindros as his
jersey is retired at the GM Centre.
Ontario’s best lecturer at UOIT
Christopher Dicarlo, an assistant
professor at the University of
Ontario Institute of Technology, was
named one of the top 10 finalists in
the TV Ontario’s 2008 Big Ideas
Best Lecturer competition. He later
went on to be crowned as the winner.
JAN 7 2009
Page 7
Saying goodbye to 2008 and looking ahead
From CHANGES page 7
Heavy rainfall floods
apartments and
strands drivers
Two weeks of heavy
rainfall in June, flooded
at least one apartment
building displacing 100
residents.
During the rainfall,
Photo by/ The Oshawa Express
motorists were stranded
Cars were submurged in water on in pond-sized puddles.
trial tenants, Farmtech has submitted the re-zoning applications.
The Crombie Report was released in September in support
of revitalizing and cleaning up the harbourfront for recreational use.
Mother stabs teen
A 34-year-old mother was arrested in September for allegedly stabbing a 15-year-old girl who was apparently bullying her
teenage daughter. The woman was accused of punching, kicking and stabbing the victim several times on Olive St. in
Oshawa. The young girl recovered from her injuries.
Taunton Rd.
Bylaw could give students makeshift homes
Harbour front debate: Proposed ethanol plant
At least one member of Oshawa city council, councillor
Brian Nicholson was concerned about the environmental
impacts of proceeding with Farmtech Energy Corporation’s
proposed ethanol refinery.
Local activist Bruce Wood also took on the issue expressing
his concern for the health and safety of local residents.
While the harbour front has yet to be rezoned for such indus-
University of Ontario
Institute of Technology
and Durham College
students set-up camp at
city hall to protest a
housing
bylaw.
If
passed, the bylaw could
force 1,500 students
from their homes.
Photo by Katie Strachan
Students camp out City Hall
four corners.
Oshawa goes blue in election race
Election fever hits Oshawa. Conservative Jim
Flaherty won the Whitby-Oshawa riding as Member of
Parliament. Fellow Conservative Colin Carrie joined
Flaherty on Parliament Hill as Member of Parliament
for Oshawa.
Just for laughs: Hall of famers
Oshawa comedians, Barry Authors and Howard
Swinson were inducted into Oshawa’s Hall of Fame.
The duo began their comedy
tour in 1949.
Young mother murdered
Amber Francis-Young was found murdered in an Oshawa
home on Bloor St in October. A 25 year-old man was charged
with her death. A 30-year-old Oshawa man also faces charges.
Francis-Young left behind a 13 month-old son.
Habitat for Humanity: Nolans new home
The Nolan Family moved into Oshawa’s first Habitat for
Humanity home on Dean Ave.
The family pledged to always be involved with Habitat
homes.
Lesbian couple
assaulted in
front of school
Jane Currie
and
Anji
Dimitriou were
physically and
verbally assaulted
while their son
looked on at
Gordon
B.
Attersely Public
School.
Mark
Photo by Yinuo Zhang/The Oshawa Express
Scott
was
charged with two Jane Currie and Anji Dimitriou at the rally
counts of assault. held near City Hall. Hundreds came out to
While the cou- show their support for the couple.
ple did seek out
the elevation of
the charge to hate crime, the attorney general determined the
crime did not meet the strict definitions of a hate crime according to the Canadian Criminal Code.
Scott appears in court again Jan. 8.
Mountain lion far from home
Two separate sightings of a mountain lion were reported in
a local Pickering park. There have been no reports since.
Bobby Orr jersey retired
Greens mourn: Pat
Gostlin killed by drunk
driver
The hockey superstars jersey was retired before a game held
at the General Motors Centre in front of a packed crowd.
In the early hours of Oct.
26, the Green Party’s local
candidate Pat Gostlin was
killed.
A
25-year-old
Bowmanville man was later
charged with impaired driving causing death. Gostlin
was 58-years-old.
City officials announce that the Olympic torch will be making a stop in Oshawa Dec. 16 before reaching Vancouver for the
2010 Olympics. Oshawa is just one of 200 stops for the flame.
Torch for sports comes to Oshawa
Birthday party mayhem
Three members of the Kelly family died while celebrating a
birthday when Gino Petralia attacked the family at knife-point.
Leslie Kelly died at the scene. Her three-year-old son Nathan
died Dec. 3 and her husband Rick succumbed to his injuries
days later. Gino Petralia killed himself at the scene of the crime.
Humane society burns down
The Oshawa Humane Society’s building caught fire in
December. Over 180 animals died inside the shelter just one
week before Christmas. The cause of the tragic fire is speculated to be old electrical wiring, but remains uncertain.
Photo by/The Oshawa Express
Pat Gostlin, green party candidate was killed by a drunk
driver while driving home from
a halloween fundraiser.
Photo by Yinuo Zhang/The Oshawa Express
The Durham Humane Society building burnt down to the ground just
one week before Christmas.
Page 8
JAN 7 2009
2009 and I’m still on cloud 9
By Katie Strachan
The Oshawa Express
After years of saying we were going to visit a
physic, my future mother-in-law, Kim, got word
of a physic fair at a local hotel. We convinced my
mom to come, which wasn’t so hard to do as she’s
in to “that kind of stuff.”
We also brought along our friend Cathy.
I mean what better way then to start a fresh
year by hearing what you have to look forward to,
or in some cases, things not to look forward to.
After walking around the small fair (only
about 10 physics to choose from) we had made
our decisions.
I would see Jane, and so would my mom. Jane
was a soft-spoken woman who caught our eyes.
My future mother-in-law decided on Ginger
Ella because she giggled at her when she walked
by.
Cathy chose, Alex, a Scottish man who had
been conducting readings since 1940!
Being new to this whole thing, I persuaded my
mom to go first, after all she was ‘the pro.’
I watched as my mom listened intently to what
Jane had to tell her. As I glanced to my left, I could
see Kim with her hands around a crystal ball.
I thought, a crystal ball? They really use those
things?!
I might add I was a bit skeptical at first. Mind
you, after I had 40 minutes to look around the
room at strangers getting their ‘readings’ done I
began to worry about what my future would hold.
I am getting married next year to the most
amazing guy in the world, and we’re currently on
the hunt for our ‘dream home.’
With all that being said, this is a big year for
me and as you can imagine I didn’t want any bad
news to sink the cloud I’m on.
After plenty of time spent worrying about
what she would have to tell me, the wait was over.
“Pick six cards from each of these piles,” she
told me.
I did just as she said.
JAN 7 2009
She began with a palm reading. After about
thirty seconds under a fluorescent lamp I was
marked from fingertip to fingertip in blank ink.
“You are exactly like your mom,” she began
telling me.
I thought this was great. If I could pick anyone
in the entire world to be just like it would be my
mom.
She explained that I would be very rich at a
very young age. Bonus! And that I would live a
long and healthy life.
She told me I had a great number of guardian
angels around me. That’s not so bad, who doesn’t
need a few extra guardian angels in the world we
currently live in.
She told me, “There is a big celebration for
you next year.”
You got it sister! Probably the biggest celebration of my life, my wedding to my wonderful
fiancé who would later say to me “I can’t believe
you spent $50 to hear someone tell you that you
have angels around you.”
He absolutely doesn’t believe in physics.
Now I know what you’re thinking, she probably saw my gorgeous, I might add, engagement
ring.
But wait! I took my ring off well before I even
entered the hall. Trust me, I was thinking the same
thing.
It was time to reveal the cards I had chosen.
First, Joy. Weird…. That’s my mom’s name.
Second, third and fourth were the angel of new
beginnings. Hello? I’m about to leave my fantastic parents, buy a brand spankin’ new house and
get married.
After all the cards had been flipped over. Jane
began telling me about how it was odd that three
of the six cards I had drawn had white lilies on
them and how lilies symbolize the past.
I must say I recently had to put down my dog
(hardest thing ever). Her name was Lilly and wait
for it; she was pure white. Goosebumps anyone?
I met up with my future mother-in-law after
who began telling me that Ginger told her she
would be getting an addition to the family next
year. That’s me!
That she wouldn’t be happy until she got that
house on the lake. Before leaving to go to the fair
Kim had just shown us a house on the lake that
she had made an appointment to look at. (They’re
in the market for a big
move as well).
And that someone
would be moving out
of the home very shortly. That’s Daryl and I.
We’re buying our
dream house remember?
As for my mom,
Jane marked a small
‘x’ on her palm. She
asked my mom if she
had lost a close girlfriend in the recent
months.
My mom’s very
close friend, Heather,
just lost her battle with
cancer in May. She
told my mom that this
was surely her friend
Heather who was with
her always.
I must say my mom
is kind of a ‘scardy
cat.’ She always talks
about someone shouting her name in her
sleep.
Jane asked my
mom if she ever hears a
woman say, “Joy” in
the middle of the night
because if she did it
was
most
likely
Heather visiting her.
I think that put my
mom at ease, which was nice. As Jane said, “Your
mom is a wonderful lady.” Overall the day was
intriguing, the physics didn’t reveal any horrific
moments that were upon any of us. And as for me,
I think I’ll stay on Cloud nine. Thank you very
much.
Page 9
Offers for Tavares may be frequent but not enticing, says Gens coach
By Wally Donaldson
The Oshawa Express
They say timing is everything. Although
Oshawa Generals coach Chris DePiero continues to deflect all inquiries about the status of
John Tavares, as of this publication, the
Ontario Hockey League (OHL) schedule could
very well be an omen.
With the trade deadline scheduled for
Friday, how ironic that the Generals are slated
to play the Knights in London that very
evening - a community that, based on immense
publicity, has already opened its doors to welcome its newest member to the family, short of
a ticker-tape parade.
Tavares has been earmarked for London by
many major news outlets for players and draft
picks since the unfolding of potential trade
talks a few months back which would plant the
arguably best junior hockey player on the planet into a competitive playoff position with
another team.
The Hockey News (THN) has Tavares posi-
tioned for Windsor. There have been very few
comments made of Tavares staying in Oshawa.
One outside source has Tavares heading to
another OHL organization, along with a current Generals defenceman, for players and
draft picks.
DePiero has heard it all.
Yet, he remains firm.
“There is no deal done. John is still a member of the Oshawa Generals,” said the Oshawa
skipper following Sunday’s 5-2 win at GM
Centre over the Kinston Frontenacs. “We have
talked about different scenarios, but the main
thing to this point was getting through five
games this past week.
“We will sit down more seriously and try to
get a gauge of what direction we need to go.”
And although DePiero admits to taking
more than a few calls about the availability of
Tavares, he is adamant, “The offers we have
received are not do-able deals. Nobody has
come to the table with an offer where we say
as an organization, “This looks good, so let’s
do this deal.”
Generals score a win with flair
Overtime goal in
Barrie,
powerplay tallies
at home
music to coaches’
ears
By Wally Donaldson
The Oshawa Express
It wouldn’t have come as a major
surprise if coach Chris DePiero had
closed his eyes and crossed his fingers just seconds prior to midnight
on New Year’s with just one resolution in mind.
“No different than any other
coach,” he notes with a huge grin.
“Just asking for more consistency
out of the guys. I find the biggest
thing is getting the players to challenge themselves. We didn’t play
well (last Friday) in Kingston, but
we did show character with the win
(on Saturday in Barrie).
“The guys went out and laid it on
the line and I’m really proud of
them. It gave us an opportunity to
come back (Sunday night) and give
it another big effort.”
Generals did just that, winning
two of three games in the new year.
It began with a 5-0 clunker in
Kingston against the Frontenacs, but
they redeemed themselves one night
Photo by Wally Donaldson/The Oshawa Express
Jeff Hayes (21) of the Oshawa Generals competes for the puck with Nathan Moon
of the Kingston Frontenacs during last Sunday’s Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
game at the GM Centre.
later with a hard-fought 5-4 overtime win over the Colts in Barrie.
The Fronts came into Oshawa
last Sunday hoping for a repeat performance, but the Generals would
have none of that before 4,450
patrons at the GM Centre.
Generals used the powerplay to
their advantage en route to a 5-2 victory over the Doug Gilmour
coached Frontenacs, lifting them to
fifth position in the Eastern
Conference, just one point ahead of
the Sudbury Wolves.
“Psychologically, we have to
experience success in order to continue it, so even though we have
experienced those ups and downs,
the really good teams in any sport
minimize those downs. And this is
something we’ll be striving for
heading into the new year.”
With shooter John Tavares clearly making his mark with the
Canadian junior squad in Ottawa,
DePiero received a solid outing
from 2005 fourth-round pick Matt
Seegmiller last Sunday night. The
Oshawa blueliner tallied his first
goal of the season and chipped in a
helper.
Pickering native Andy Andreoff
was also influential, firing his sixth
goal of the campaign with 1:14 left
on the clock, followed by Tyler
Taylor’s empty net tally to seal the
deal. Brett Parnham and Nick
Esposto also scored for the
Generals, who were deadlocked at
1-1 after 20 minutes and headed into
the final stanza sporting a slim 2-1
advantage.
Defenceman Michael Del Zotto
and Robert Kousal contributed two
assists apiece.
DePiero says he and his coaching
staff will be staging pow-wow sessions with the players individually,
the focus on trade deadlines. “Once
the roster gets solidified, we will be
holding one-on-one sessions with
the players.”
The loss to Kingston obviously
didn’t sit well with the Oshawa
skipper. But neither did the scheduling.
“I didn’t like it at all. It was way
too much of a break. We were done
December 14 and all of a sudden,
we come back on the 28th to play
our first game. We’ve played only
five games since the start of the
break and we’re 2-2-1.”
Blueliner David Corrente provided the heroics for the Generals in
Barrie, not only firing his first goal
of the season, but notching the overtime winner with only 59 seconds
elapsed. Indeed, Generals trailed 42 with less than a minute left on the
clock before Parnham closed the
gap and with just four seconds left,
Del Zotto launched the contest into
a short-lived overtime frame.
Generals are in Belleville tonight
and in London Friday evening
before returning to the GM Centre
on Sunday night for a match up with
the Peterborough Petes. Game time
is 6:05 p.m.
Kiwanis tourney Tam rink best on ice in bantam girls event
Stephanie Matthews and
Laura Arbour and her Toronto Tam Heather
champs with
foursome of vice Kristy Hurst, second Hailey her Toronto Highland rink
and lead Emily Rose scored a 7-3 vic- of Julie mackey, Veronica
overtime victory Procak
tory in the main event over Oakville’s Katelyn Carpani and Maddison
It took an overtime period, but the Oshawa
Kiwanis major midgets edged the Toronto
Nationals 2-1 to claim top prize at the
Burlington Golden Horseshoe AAA Hockey
Tournament.
Kiwanis advanced to the final by blanking
the Burlington Eagles 5-0.
In round robin play, Kiwanis defeated the
Halton Hurricanes 2-1, Brampton Battalion 4-1,
the Nationals 4-0 and Brantford 99’ers 5-1.
Members of the team are Jeremy Kolodziej,
DJ Torrenueva, Luke Calberry, Rob Mann,
Andy Shure, Cory Robbins, Mark Keenan, Josh
Gilray, Charles Cooper, Ryan McCrory,
Andrew Downey, Jordan Saunderson, Joe
McLellan, Mitch MacCulloch, Jesse Pipher,
Nicholas Kucera, Luke Laszkiewicz, Adam
Szwed. Coaching Staff: Rob MacGregor, Scott
McCrory, Terry Calberry, Steve Junkin, Mark
Robbins.
Page 10
Wasylkiw to capture the Toronto Curling
Association
(TCA)
Bantam
Girls
Championship at the Oshawa Curling Club.
Wasylkiw curled with vice Emilie
Metcalfe, second Erin Jenkins and lead
Brenda Holloway.
Sarah Jane Sass of Toronto Leaside won
the second event with a 9-5 victory over
Midland’s Carly Howard, the daughter of former world champion Glenn Howard.
Sass was joined by Nicole Seto, Sierra
Wong and Meaghan Hawa. Howard curled
with Danielle Loney, Holly Donaldson and
Joan Moore.
Third event winners were the Westmount
curling rink of skip Cassie Savage, Megan
Arnold, Margot Flemming and Carly Shane,
defeating Kendall Haymes, Joanna hayward,
Megan Simoneau and Vivian Do of St.
Catharines.
Brown won the fourth
event,
defeating
the
Manotik foursome of skip
Cassandra
Reganold,
Alexandra Ashton, Jordan
Mark and Taryn Ahern.
Courtney Chenier of
Home Granite took the consolation prize, defeating
Chelsea Brandwood of
Glendale.
Chenier curled with
Siobhan Christo, Jenn
O’Shaughnessy
and
Deanna
Caldwell.
Brandwood had Claire
Greenlees, Riley Sandham
and Alexa Sullivan on her
team.
Photo by Wally Donaldson/The Oshawa Express
Carly Howard, daughter of former world curling champion Glenn
Howard, keeps an eye on the rock during a recent Toronto Curling
Association Bantam Girls Curling Championship outing.
JAN 7 2009
Oshawa rink captures coveted McLaughlin bonspiel
By Wally Donaldson
The Oshawa Express
If there is one refined aspect about the rink
skipped by Chris Meech, there are no
favourites when the four curlers step on the ice
as a solid unit.
Case in point was the result of last weekend’s 65th annual McLaughlin Curling
Bonspiel at the Oshawa Curling Club when
three of these competitors switched positions
as the ‘spiel progessed.
It was a winning formula as Meech of the
host rink, along with vice Ron Moore, second
Derek Ferlatte and lead Brad Greentree captured top prize in the main event with a hardfought 7-5 victory over the Tom Clancy foursome out of the Oshawa Golf Club.
Meech, Moore and Ferlatte each skipped
two games during the three-day event with
Greentree maintaining his ground as a lead.
“It’s a formula that has worked for us up to
this point,” beamed Meech last Sunday afternoon after winning the Pickering Canadian
Tire event. “That’s how we play Skip’s Choice
(top competitive club competition every
Monday night) and that’s why we do so well.”
The camaraderie plays an integral role,
says Meech.
“We really get along. . . probably even
moreso now that we won this,” he laughs.
The bonspiel took on an even greater meaning for Moore, who had a visit from his mother, Elsie, soon to be relocating to Oshawa from
Barrie.
“It was really terrific,” noted Moore,
adding, “She came here to see me make my
first shot and after I did, I looked behind the
glass and my mother had this huge smile on
her face. And then she left.”
Photo by Wally Donaldson/The Oshawa Express
Jeff Gray, right, representative of Pickering Canadian Tire, presents the R.S. McLaughlin trophy to (leftright) second Derek Ferlatte, vice Ron Moore, skip Chris Meech and lead Brad Greentree.
The Meech contingent scored three in the
seventh end for the two-point lead, good
enough to better a competitive Clancy rink
comprising vice Brian Bill, second Ian
Johncox and lead Mark Lalonde.
It marked the first trip to the well for
Meech, although Moore and Ferlatte were
part of a foursome with Al Steffen and skip
Nelson Brouse previously as runners-up in the
main event.
Don Beaton and his team from Port Perry
captured the Ontario Motor Sales second event
crown, scoring a convincing 9-3 victory over
the Emil Hanzelka foursome from the Oshawa
Golf Club.
It marked for the Beaton brothers of Don
and Willie, Mark Howsam and Roger
McKnight their 35th straight involvement in
this prestigious Oshawa competition.
They won the main event two years suc-
cessfully in 1980 and ’81.
Comprising the Hanzelka foursome were
John Quackenbush, Bill Showler, Brian Lopez
and John Sliuk.
Hans Top and his downtown rink needed an
extra end before disposing of club mate Brian
Trigg in the third event final for the Peacock
Lumber Trophy.
Top, vice David Zatzman, second Rick
Rosnak and lead Don McNairn scored a 6-5
victory over Trigg, vice Paul Reid, second
Paul Wolfenberg and lead Bob Ryall.
Chris Lovell and his Oshawa rink of vice
Greg Park, second Wesley Forget and lead
Craig Woods also needed an extra end to
defeat Ray Grant and his rink from the
Uxbridge Curling Club 6-5 for the fourthevent W.B. White Insurance Trophy.
“I started playing here back in 1950,” the
senior Grant recalled. “I curled with my dad
two years in a row during the mid-50’s and
then I brought in my son, Randy. That’s three
generations of curlers who have played in this
bonspiel.”
Randy threw second rocks and was joined
by vice Bob Harper and lead Steve Gornik.
Jeff Gray and his Oshawa foursome scored
a dramatic 8-7 victory over the Brouse contingent for the fifth-event Port Perry Auto Glass
Trophy.
Gray, along with Bruce Welsh, Stuart
Bailey and Dave Hughes stole three in the
final end to upend the Brouse rink of Chris
Daffern, Larry Debrouwer and John Parker.
Bob Rodgers and his Oshawa Golf Club
rink of John Kellington, Rob Rodgers and
Todd Backus emerged a 5-3 winner over Rod
Evans and his Oshawa downtown rink of Todd
Johnson, Wally World and Ed Kwaka for the
sixth-event Oshawa Tire Trophy.
Sanderson tragedy sobering moment for hockey hiearchy
A most tragic story about the untimely death of
Don Sanderson has not only shaken the hockey
community, but served notice among the many
existing leagues throughout the country as to how
a hockey fight must never result in a death again.
It has placed people like Canadian Hockey
League (CHL) president David Branch on the
ropes, although he firmly noted on the Fan 590
radio program last Monday morning, “Fighting
should never be used as a tool to sell hockey.”
And there are keen individuals within the
Senior A loop - the league where the Port Perry
native was a member of the Whitby Dunlops - who
must also search for answers, this despite a no
fighting rule which does exist within its framework.
Sanderson lost his life following a typical hockey fight during a Dec. 12 game against Corey
Fulton of the Brantford Blast. The helmet of
Sanderson flew off during the skirmish and while
falling to the ice, his head smacked hard, knocking
him unconscious. He did recover briefly, but subsequently went into a coma.
Brain surgery was performed in Hamilton and
he was on life support until his death early Friday
morning.
JAN 7 2009
Steve Cardwell, president of the Dunlops, will in
all probability be asking a
plethora of questions with
family members within
this six-team league.
And Rocky Varcoe, a
high profile Whitby businessman and owner of the
rival expansion Baltimore Clippers, is more than
willing to participate.
“It’s only a six-team league and you do get intimate with the players,” said Varcoe, a spectator
during last Sunday night’s Ontario Hockey League
(OHL) contest at the GM Centre. “We as a team
always look over the teams we play next and we
know who will be coming out competing each and
every night. Don Sanderson was one of those players.”
League owners received an email following the
Sanderson incident and Varcoe says his initial reaction was one of surprise.
“Our team has played 16 games this year and
we’ve been involved in four fights,” he says.
“Fighting is a novelty in our league. It’s not often
that something like this (fighting) happens. I’m
thinking that the last time
there was a death after a
fight was something like
1904 and we, of course,
never anticipated anything
this serious.
“I really don’t know how
it will effect the league, not
at this point. We have had
two team meetings already about this. One is how
we’re going to go address going forward and how
we can change the style of our game. When you
think about it, though, there’s not really a whole lot
we can do.
“Chin straps are important in our league and we
see players with them way too low. We do our best
to encourage our players to strap them up. But
these players are grownups. They are men. They
have played competitive hockey most of their
lives, so it is a difficult situation for us.
“The Sanderson incident was a sobering
moment for us and I am hoping we can learn
something from it.”
Varcoe stresses the Senior league is not one that
“breeds the tough guy.”
“Fighting is a part of hockey, though. There are
people who believe that fighting is a tool to win
hockey games and it is a tool to take command or
change the flow of a game. And yet, when you
look at international or Olympic hockey, it really
isn’t a part of it.”
Hockey, being a high emotional game, results
in action and, therefore, reaction, said Branch on
radio.
“There has been tremendous progress in that
whole area of the game. There has been a revolution where when you take a look at the roster of
(Ontario Hockey League) teams, the players who
dress can all play the game. There is no longer that
poor guy sitting on the end of the bench who is
pushed out onto the ice to address a certain situation.
“Fans sometime think fighting is great and we
all get excited when there is a fight. But, boy, there
is deafening silence when someone gets injured.
The mood can change very quickly.
“I am a firm believer that we’ve got the greatest game in the world and when presented properly, it is so entertaining. And we don’t need the
fighting to sell our game.”
Amen.
Page 11
[email protected]
Wofee and Wagee are best friends. They love being walked and then
coming home to relax on the couch.
The Oshawa Express would like to remind its readers to still send in Echo
Baby pictures to run bi-weekly to the Express Perfect Pet feature.
ARIES March 20 to April 19
You can look forward to many
social get-togethers during this year
of personal growth. Extremely
ambitious, your career ambitions will be fulfilled. Postpone any travel plans.
TAURUS April 19 to May 20
A slow down in your house of
career can cause frustratration.
Avoid misunderstandings with coworkers by commmunicating clearly.
Developing your speaking skills could result
in a career move. Avoid an .
GEMINI May 20 to June 21
You could travel for business or
educational reasons or take a trip of
a lifetime this year. Best to book
travel plans in February, since January is filled
with delays. Put business decisions on hold.
CANCER June 21 to July 22
Pay bills early and put off making
major purchases, since overall
money will come in at a slower
rate until early February. Choose your words
carefully when communicating with loved
ones.
LEO July 22 to August 22
If you indulged over the holiday, it
is time to clean up your act. Find
ways to revise your health and work routines.
Do what you can to be of greater service to
your clients.
V IRGO August 22 to Sept 22
Whether single or married, Venus
in your partnership sector puts
romance back into your relationship. If you have children, plan activities.
LIBRA Sept 22 to Oct 23
This month, you are totally involved
with your home and family. If you
are in the midst of home repairs, the
project could slow down. Creativity, love, children and fun are this year’s themes.
SCORPIO Oct 23 to Nov 22
You will be kept busy running
errands, staying in touch, sending emails or just gathering facts. Make
sure your computer data is backed up. Over the
next three weeks, slow down on the road and
drive with care.
SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 to Dec 21
The emphasis this month is on material security and what you value in
life. Deal with unexpected expenses
and take steps to improve your financial situation. Your goals will fall into place by mid
February.
CAPRICORN Dec 21 to Jan 19
More energetic, your level of activity
will increase. The odds favor a raise
or a promotion during the year.
Write down your goals and do something special
for you. Deal with transportation delays.
AQUARIUS Jan 19 to Feb 19
After the hectic holiday season, you
need quiet time just to dream. Since
the month will be busy, be sure to
recharge your batteries. Double check appointment times.
PISCES Feb 19 to March 20
You could be asked to take on a leadership role in a group or organization
or a team leader position at work.
You shine best when working with others to
make the world a better place.
Dec. 24 Word Game answers
The Stars Say is provided by Joan Ann of Oshawa. For personal readings, call
905-725-9179 or visit her website at www.astroconsultation.com
PRIZE: Bring in your completed and correct Express Crossword puzzle before the answers run in the following Wednesday edition and you will receive an Express T-shirt. Limit is one t-shirt per person for the
year.
Page 12
JAN 7 2009
Jan.7, 14, 21
Jan. 13
The County Town Singers of
Durham Region are holding new
member auditions FOR ALL
PARTS on Wednesday January 7,
14 and 21, 2009 from 7:30 PM
to 10:30 PM at the Whitby
Seniors Centre 801 Brock St S. in
Whitby. Contact Julianna at 905668-5743 for more details.
Join us in the Nonquon Room at
the Northview Branch on the second Tuesday of each month for a
fantastic independent film, followed by a fascinating discussion
on its themes, artistry, and social
impact. Tuesday, January 13:
This Film is Not Yet Rated (2006)
(97 minutes) Free registration at
any branch
Jan. 9
Join the Oshawa Library for coffee & news. It runs once a week
every Friday at the Northview
Community Centre. 9 a.m. to 10
am and another from 10:30 to
11:30 am. Come and join a lively discussion group highlighting
the week’s local, national, and
international events. Refreshments
will be served. Free limited registration at any branch
Jan. 12, 19, 26
The McLaughlin Branch of the
Oshawa Public Libraries, in partnership with the Durham Region
Diabetes Network, will be presenting a series of workshops
from Jan. 12 to Feb. 9. Each session covers a different topic led
by a Diabetes Educator and will
take place in the auditorium from
6:30 to 8:00pm. For more information and to register please
contact Jennifer Lobban at the
Oshawa Community Health
Centre, 905-723-0036 ext. 268.
Jan. 16
Pre-tteen dance at the Northview
Community Centre. A great time
out with your friends! Dances run
6:30pm - 9:30pm. Tickets cost
$8.00 and will go on sale one
week prior to each dance, and
can be purchased at the recreation facility. Pre-Teen Dances are
for Grades 5-8 only. Participants
cannot be attending high school.
Pop, pizza and snacks are available for purchase.
Jan. 21
Welcome Wagon is hosting a
free 50 Plus Changing Lifestyles
Showcase. Admission is free and
there will be exhibits and demonstrations focusing on leisure,
health, travel finance, legal
issues, hobbies, and more. Free
give a ways to all attendees and
door prizes. 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Registration is requested at
www.welcomewagon.ca or 1866-873-9945
Dec. 24 Crossword answers
JAN 7 2009
The Oshawa Express would like to remind readers to
send in their jokes and interesting quotes. Please send
them to The Oshawa Express 600 Thornton Rd. S,
Oshawa, ON L1J 6W7 or e-mail them to
[email protected].
If you need to de-sstress
after the holidays then
put on some comfy
clothes and come stretch
out
with
Melissa
Dodson, a registered
Yoga teacher and
owner of My Home or
Yours Yoga. All participants must bring their
own mats and/or towels. Free registration at
any branch. Free parking after 6:00 pm. 7:00
pm. McLaughlin Branch
Auditorium.
Gordie is 90 years old. He has played golf
every day since his retirement, which was 25
years ago.
One day he arrives home looking rather upset.
”That's it,” he tells his wife. “I'm giving up golf.
My eyesight has gotten so bad that once I've hit
the ball I couldn't see where it went.”
His wife sympathizes and makes him a cup of
coffee. As they sit down she says, “Why don't
you take my brother with you and give it one
more try.”
”That's no good” sighs Gordie, “your brother's
103 years old. He can't help.”
”He may be 103,” says the wife, 'but his eyesight is perfect.”
So the next day Gordie heads off to the golf
course with his brother-in-law in tow. He tees
up, takes a mighty swing and squints down the
fairway.
He turns to his brother-in-law. “Did you see the
ball?”
”Of course I did!” replied the brother-in-law. “I
have perfect eyesight”.
”Where did it go?'” says Gordie.
”I don't remember.”
Are you the next big thing?
Think you have what it takes to win the battle of the
bands? Come on out to the Oshawa Public Libraries
Battle of the Bands!
The Oshawa Public Libraries are
looking for the most talented musicians in town to compete in Oshawa’s
first ever Battle of the Bands competition.
The competition will be held Feb.
21 at the McLaughlin Branch of the
Oshawa Public Libraries.
Competitors will be divided into
three categories based on their age:
Kindergarten through grade eight,
grades nine through 12 and the adult
category.
The Oshawa Libraries are currently
accepting applications for participants of all ages
wishing to rise to the challenge and show off their
skills.
A panel of judges will choose the top bands from
the entries to compete at the concert in February.
All entries must be received at the library by Jan.
17, 2009.
To enter the competition visit
www.oshawalibraries.on.ca and
click on Battle of the Bands.
Each age category has only one
grand prize, which will be awarded
to the winner.
Adults have the chance to compete for ten hours of free studio
time at Wellcraft Music Group in
Oshawa, while the teens are competing for five hours studio time.
The contestants enrolled in the
Kindergarten through grade eight
category, will win an exciting prize
package.
For more information call Tiffany Balducci at 905579- 6111 ext. 5238.
Page 13
Oshawa Minor Hockey Association
Good luck players competing in the Spirit Challenge
Welcome Minor Hockey Fans,
On behalf of the members of the Oshawa Minor Hockey
Association, I extend a warm welcome to all participants,
hockey parents, friends and family to the Spirit Challenge.
Our hockey community is proud to be able to host a tournament that enables teams from across Ontario and the United
States to meet and enjoy competitve play.
This tournament wouldn’t be possible wihtout the committment of our sponsor, Spirit Sportswear, the community
and our association volunteers. Your host committee, guided
by Chair Annette Heenan, has made this tournament a premiere event for Peewee and Minor Bantam AAA hockey.
Our heartfelt thanks to Spirit Sportswear who stepped up to
provide their support for this tournament.
We hope that all of you will enjoy this tournament and
remember your time here for many years to come.
We wish all the competitors good luck, good sportsmanship, most of all have fun playing the great Canadian game.
Bob Crystal
President,
Oshawa Minor Hockey Association
Page 14
JAN 7 2009
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Compensation is each month.
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Circulation Dept.
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1-888-666-0951
Caught something amazing on
camera?
See something newsworthy?
Email Express Reporter Katie with
your story at
[email protected]
Sorter/Bundler
Assist with sorting and
bundling newspapers for
busy publishing office.
Must be organized and
able to insert quickly.
HELP WANTED
AUCTION
AUCTION
BARBARA MARGARET SOIHTU / NOTMAN
HELP WANTED
Quietly passed away at the Oshawa General
Hospital on December 11th, 2008. The family is
having a Memorial Service for her at St.
Gertrude's Roman Catholic Church, 690 King
Street East, on January 17th., 2009 at 10:00am.
All are welcome! For directions, call Karl at 905
576-5126.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Hospital for
Sick Children in Barbara Soihtu's name would be
appreciated.
Calling MOMS and DADS
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Discover first hand about joining independent associates for a company offering
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600 Thornton Road South, Oshawa, ON L1J 6W7
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email: [email protected]
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HOME
Two Women Cleaning
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Excellent rates
Call Bonnie
905-720-0420
McCARTHY Carol
(23 year employee of the City
of Oshawa )
Passed away peacefully, after a
courageous and brave battle
against cancer, at Lakeridge
Health Corp. Oshawa, on
Wednesday, December 31,
2008, Carol (nee Ney). Dearly beloved wife of
Don for 42 years. Loving mother of Stephen and
his wife Nancy, Catharine and her husband Billy
Keddy. Devoted Nana to Chris. Beloved daughter
of Margaret and the late Ellwood Ney. Dear sister
of Marilyn Marchildon of Barrie and Sharon NeyDurocher of Chicoutimi . Fondly remembered by
nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives and friends.
Relatives and friends will be received at the
McINTOSH-ANDERSON FUNERAL HOME LTD.,
152 King Street East, Oshawa (905-433-5558) on
Saturday, January 10, 2009 from 1-3 p.m. followed by a Memorial Service in the chapel at
3:00 p.m. Donations made in memory of Carol to
the “Oshawa Hospital Foundation” - R. S.
McLaughlin Durham Regional Cancer Centre
would be appreciated by her family.
SERVICE DIRECTORY Ads Call 905-571-7334
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Jan 7 2009
Call Jeff: 905-697-2106
Page 15
Page 16
JAN 7 2009