DAN CEARNS The Standard

SCUGOG: The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has decided that no charges will be laid against a Durham Police officer who shot and killed a man at a Canterbury Common residence in January.

The announcement was made early on Monday, Sept. 26. SIU Director Tony Loparco explained, in a statement, that the officer’s actions were reasonable.

“The officer was faced with a dangerous and dynamic situation that unfolded quickly over a mere 52 seconds. His fear for his own safety was both subjectively and objectively reasonable, and his actions were directed towards self-preservation,” he said. “His decision to fire his gun was reasonable in the circumstances, and he only did so when he had no other options.”

The incident occurred on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 16 at a home on Waterbury Cres. According to the SIU, the officer in question was responding to a 911 call about a distraught male, who was reportedly armed with a knife and was trying to kill himself. The SIU report also states he had a female cornered in the house.

The report goes on to state that when the officer arrived on scene, a frantic young woman approached the officer stating “‘He’s going to kill us, you have to get up there.” Shortly after, the man, later identified as 59 year-old Gerald Rattu, advanced on the officer with the knife, and there was a confrontation.

Mr. Rattu repeatedly challenged the officer to shoot him. The police officer fired twice, striking the man once. The man then fell into a nearby snowbank. The officer then applied pressure to the wound.

In a press release, Director Loparco said that before the shooting, the officer “considered alternative use-of-force options to his firearm”. However, he thought none of them would be effective in the situation.

Mr. Rattu was declared dead at Lakeridge Health Port Perry.

DAN CEARNS The Standard

UXBRIDGE: With a new fire hall set to be completed by the end of this year, Uxbridge Council decided, on Monday, Sept. 26th, to declare the current fire hall site, at 17 Bascom St., surplus.

According to a report by clerk Debbie Leroux, staff have already received an appraisal for the current fire hall, with a valuation slightly over $1 million.

A decision will be made, by Council, on how the proceeds will be allocated during the 2017-18 budget deliberations. Regional Councillor Jack Ballinger thought Council had already made a decision, on the possible sale funds.

“My understanding was, I thought the proceeds were going towards the cost [of the new fire hall],” he said.

However, Mayor Gerri Lynn O’Connor clarified what the recommendation meant.

“That hasn’t changed. All I am saying is, put it in for budget discussions,” she said.

The clerk will now receive prices on real estate services, and will bring them back to Council to decide whether employing a real estate company is the avenue they want to go in.

Ward 2 Councillor Pat Molloy expressed his concern, with the Township receiving quotes from real estate companies and brokers.

“It is not like you are going to somebody regarding what it would cost to build something. People can throw out any number they want, anybody can say anything,” he said.

Ward 3 Councillor, Dave Barton, questioned if the Township wanted to go through a real estate company, or try to sell it themselves. However, Council decided to receive the prices from the firms, or brokers, and go from there.

DAN CEARNS
The Standard

SCUGOG: 'Never Enough Wool' in Port Perry is inviting everyone to come help them celebrate their 10th anniversary this Saturday, Oct. 1.

There will be cake and punch served in the afternoon, with an official cake cutting ceremony scheduled for 2 p.m. That day, they will also start a store wide sale, which will run until Monday, Oct. 10th.

Carol McGavin started 'Never Enough Wool' after she learned her favourite wool shop in the community, Yonder Yarns, was closing.

“I needed a place where I could buy yarn and wool and hang out with other people that liked to knit and crochet, and were as crazy and fun loving as I am,” Ms. McGavin said. “So I wrote up a business plan and everything fell into place.”

Shortly after it opened, a regular knitting group was set up, which has seen its membership base steadily increase over the years.

“We started with a Thursday night knitting group, and then we had a Wednesday afternoon knitting group, and then a Tuesday night class, and then a Tuesday afternoon class and then officially Saturday and then Thursday afternoon, and now pretty much anytime we are open you will find people sitting here knitting or crocheting,” Ms. McGavin said.

Barb Harvel is Carol’s business partner. She said her favourite part about the business is being able to teach the customers.

“I love teaching the new techniques to people, I love watching a new knitter go out on his or her own and just understand what he or she is doing,” she said.

Ms. Harvel also said the immense support from the community is what has kept 'Never Enough Wool' successful over the years.

“We wouldn’t do this without the community support, it is so much fun,” she told The Standard.

Ms. McGavin agreed with her business partner.

“We have people who come in and they could be having a rotten day, or I could be coming in during the day and be having a rotten morning, and people come in and we talk about the wool and suddenly it is a bright sunny day. The support from the community is just amazing,” she said.

'Never Enough Wool' is located at 26 Water St. For more information, visit www.neverenoughwool.ca.

SCUGOG: The driver and passenger of a motorcycle both suffered serious injuries after it collided with a car, in north Durham yesterday afternoon.

On Tuesday, Sept. 20th, at approximately 12:25 p.m., officers in North Division responded to Simcoe St. near Old Simcoe Rd. in Scugog Township, for a collision that had just occurred. A northbound motorcycle, driven by a 54-year-old male from Oshawa with a 51-year-old female passenger, collided with a green Hyundai, which had pulled out of a private drive and into the path of the motorcycle.

The motorcycle driver was airlifted to a Toronto-area trauma centre for serious, non-life threatening injuries. The passenger was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the Hyundai, a 22-year-old male from Toronto, was not injured.

The road was closed for approximately three hours as officers conducted their investigation.

22 year-old Dwight Moase is being charged with Careless Driving.

Anyone with new information is asked to contact Cst. Kelly of North Division, at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 2672.

Anonymous information can be sent to Durham Regional Crime Stoppers, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or online at www.durhamregionalcrimestoppers.ca. Tipsters may be eligible for a $2,000 cash reward.

Clarington September 24th, 2016 - The Highway of Heroes Durham LAV Monument, honouring the sacrifices of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, was unveiled today during an official community celebration in the Municipality of Clarington. The ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, including Major General David Fraser, BA, MA, CD, MSM, MSC, CMM; Hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence, John McKay; Hon. Erin O’Toole, Member of Parliament for Durham; Roger Anderson, Regional Chair and CEO of the Region of Durham; and Adrian Foster, Mayor of the Municipality of Clarington.

The monument is part of a national initiative to honour the men and women of the Canadian Forces who served in Afghanistan, and is a tribute to the community who came together in the sun, rain, sleet and snow on the bridges over the Highway of Heroes. The Highway of Heroes Durham LAV Monument was erected at Clarington Fields and can be seen from the Highway of Heroes.

“This is a chance for our community to come together and honour those brave soldiers who fought for the same freedoms we enjoy here in Canada,” said Clarington Mayor, Adrian Foster. “Our community gathered religiously at the overpasses during the funeral motorcades carrying our fallen soldiers from the repatriation ceremony in Trenton to Toronto; this is a chance for us to record history and remember their bravery and sacrifice.”

"As we have seen with the Korean War, if we do not write histories and commemorate the service and sacrifice of Canadians shortly after the mission, there is a risk that we will not live up to our pledge, 'lest we forget’. Today, our community helps Canada remember those who served and paid the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan,” added Durham MP, Erin O’Toole.

The LAV Monument unveiling ceremony was timed to coincide with the Wounded Warriors Canada Highway of Heroes Bike Ride. The cyclists finished day one of their ride at the LAV Monument unveiling. Wounded Warriors Canada is a Durham Region based national charity, that supports Canada’s ill and injured veterans. The Highway of Heroes Durham LAV Monument Committee drew inspiration from, Bowmanville’s own, Trooper Darryl Caswell’s service and sacrifice for his country.

Trooper Caswell was one of 158 Canadian soldiers who died in action in Afghanistan.

The Municipality of Clarington has been working closely with MP Erin O’Toole, as well as the Highway of Heroes Durham LAV planning Committee, on the monument project. Many local businesses and a local builder, Halminen Homes, generously donated their services in-kind to help erect the monument.

The LAV, or light armoured vehicle, was used primarily by the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan for protection and transport. The LAV seen at today’s ceremony was loaned to the Municipality of Clarington.

The actual vehicle hull, which will make up the permanent monument, is currently undergoing a rigorous decommissioning process, that takes months. The decommissioned LAV hull will be delivered sometime in Spring.

UXBRIDGE: The Uxbridge Historical Centre is the recipient of one of 150 ‘150th Celebration Gardens’ being distributed across Canada, by the Canada Garden Council, in collaboration with Vesey’s Bulbs of PEI, in celebration of Canada’s sesquicentennial in 2017.

Staff at the Historical Centre are thrilled to have received one of these Gardens, as we understand the Canada Garden Council, the organization behind the 150th Celebration Garden program, received more than 400 applications.

The garden, consisting of 500 red and 500 white tulip bulbs, generously donated by Vesey’s Bulbs of PEI, will be planted on Saturday, October 15th, from 10a.m. to 12 noon, on the grounds of Uxbridge Historical Centre, in a new garden bed. More details about this event will be announced shortly.

Everyone, from seniors to school children and the public, is invited to attend the planting ceremony and take part in the planting, as the Uxbridge community makes preparations to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday next year.

Uxbridge Historical Centre staff and garden volunteers would like to thank the organizations that made this possible: the Canadian Garden Council, Vesey’s Bulbs, Canada Post, the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association, the Niagara Parks Commission, GardenMaking magazine, Landscape Ontario, the Ontario Garden Council, Baxter Travel Media, Enterprise Canada, Gardens BC, the Quebec Gardens’ Association and VIA Rail Canada.

KAWARTHA LAKES: Fall is a great time to explore Kawartha Conservation areas. Rolling hills, scenic valleys make the region perfect for autumn enjoyment.

With clear sunny skies forecast for the first weekend of fall, it is a great time to get out and explore the rolling hills, scenic valleys and wetland boardwalks of Kawartha Conservation’s watershed.

Home to several kilometers of trails, boardwalks and scenic lookouts, Kawartha Conservation offers residents, visitors and families, four conservation areas and one natural area in which to hike, bike, walk and explore.

“We’re very fortunate to offer some of the most scenic conservation areas and lookouts anywhere in the Conservation Ontario network,” said Kawartha Conservation CAO Rob Messervey. “Our lookouts at Windy Ridge Conservation Area and the Fleetwood Creek Natural Area, in particular, offer spectacular views of the Oak Ridges Moraine and the changing colours.”

The Durham East Cross Forest Conservation Area, Pigeon River Headwaters Conservation Area and Ken Reid Conservation Area, round out the plentiful hiking and biking opportunities, across the Kawartha Conservation watershed.

“Fall is really a special time here in the Kawarthas, and our conservation and natural areas are a wonderful place to experience first-hand the changing seasons, see countless migratory birds and waterfowl, and experience the great outdoors with family and friends,” said Mr. Messervey.

For more information on Kawartha Conservation, or for maps and directions to each of the conservation areas, visit Kawartha Conservation online, at www.kawarthaconservation.com.

DURHAM: – September 21st, 2016 – Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) will close a number of trails in the Main Tract in Durham Regional Forest from September 26th to November 18th, 2016, inclusive. The Main Tract of the Durham Regional Forest is located between Concession 7 and Lakeridge Road, south of Goodwood Road, in the Township of Uxbridge.

In order to promote the growth of saplings and the overall health of the Durham Regional Forest, LSRCA will be conducting selective thinning during the course of this closure. Thinning is a requirement of the restoration plans for this property and will ensure a healthy mature forest is protecting our watershed.

Details of the affected areas will be posted on signs at the Main Tract, on LSRCA’s website, and in the display panels at the Durham Regional Forest Main Tract and Timbers Tract. Warning signs will also be posted in the work area. Trail users are asked to observe the warning signs in the posted areas for their own safety.

For more information on the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority and its forest management practices, please call 1.800.465.0437 or visit www.LSRCA.on.ca.

The mission of the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority is to work with our community to protect and restore the Lake Simcoe watershed, by leading research, policy and action.

DAN CEARNS The Standard

NORTH DURHAM: Mail it in, drop it off, call, or donate online. The Standard Newspaper’s annual partnership with the United Way is once again upon us. Your community newspaper is offering this opportunity to “give where you live”. In these difficult and challenging times, neighbours helping neighbours is more important than perhaps at any time in our history. The United Way supports those less advantaged or facing difficulty in hard times. We will do our part in assisting the local campaign and ask all the members in our community to assist to the extent that you are able. When we all do a little, together, we can accomplish a lot.

Earlier this month, the Campaign for the United Way in Port Perry and Scugog kicked off, with the 9th annual edition of the “Tour de Perry” trike race and BBQ. The event attracted the largest number of teams ever, and community members and public officials were treated to a fun time on a sunny day, in front of the Township Offices in Port Perry.

The event marks the beginning of the campaign, which allows all members of the community to come together in a common cause, to support many local charities, and in so doing, make this a better community for all. The ability for a community to mobilize to help those less advantaged is more important today than perhaps at any point in the past.

From poverty, to helping families in crisis, from caring for seniors, to helping those facing insecurity, the United Way is uniquely positioned to help. Housing, help for children at risk, and seniors support are all important, but any addressed in isolation are not solutions. The solution is a mobilized community capacity, to help provide a broad range of services in an efficient and effective pattern, so that the trajectory of people’s lives can be changed for the better. In so doing, we create a more prosperous community, which benefits everyone.

The United Way in Port Perry provides direct assistance to North House, Community Living Durham North, Big Brothers and Big Sisters North Durham, Community Care Durham, and Precious Minds. Our local residents are served in a myriad of ways by our United Way contributions. Every dollar raised in the community stays in the community, benefitting the organizations that benefit the community.

Your contributions will support your neighbours, co-workers, maybe a family member, or perhaps someone who will never know your name. We hope you will be proud of your role in making this a better community for all, as we know those you help will be forever grateful for it.

For more information on the United Way and its role in the community, please visit www.unitedwaydr.com or contact Cheryl Henderson at 905-985-9399.
Thank you.

KAWARTHA LAKES: This fall, more than one million households in Central Ontario will be randomly selected and invited to participate in the Transportation Tomorrow Survey, a travel study looking at travel habits and preferences of residents. Results from this survey, which represents a partnership between the Ontario government, the Toronto Transit Commission, Metrolinx/GO Transit, and 19 municipal/local governments, will help in the long-term planning of the transportation system in these regions.

"This survey will randomly invite households from Kawartha Lakes to participate. The results will look at today’s travel patterns and help us to plan responsibly for the community’s future needs,” comments Bryan Robinson, Director of Public Works. "We encourage anyone who is selected to participate to take the time to fill out the survey."

The Transportation Tomorrow Survey will provide core data to support highway improvements, development proposals, improving transit services, and determining needs for GO transit improvements.
Randomly selected households will receive an official, letter letting them know they have been selected to participate, and provide a secure access code they will need to complete the survey online.

They can participate in the survey (which will take about 10 minutes to complete) online, at the project website www.TTS2016.ca, or by calling the survey hotline, at 1-855-688-1133 (toll-free).

Questions will focus on trip information for each household member, including origin, destination, time, reason for travel, mode of transportation, as well as some basic demographic questions. All personal information will be kept confidential and used for statistical purposes only.

The survey is being conducted by R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd., one of the largest independent consulting firms in Canada, in conjunction with the University of Toronto's Data Management Group. The survey will run until the end of 2016 and the results will be released in 2017.

The Transportation Tomorrow Survey has been administered every five years since 1986. More information is available at the Ministry of Transportation’s website http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/transit/transportation-tomorrow-survey.shtml