WHAT’S ON
GIRLS LOVE TO SHOP
OUR VIEW
AND WE DON’T MEAN PAGE A3 AT THE MALL
WE HAVE TO GROW UP, LITERALLY PAGE A6
CHECK OUT WHAT YOU CAN DO PAGE A5 THIS WEEKEND
Don’t miss our specials on page A2!
as low as
*$29/mo
*OAC Publicationmail agreement #40051189
Thursday, May 19, 2016
$1 store sales / 44 pages
905-853-8888
HOUSING
www.tholiver.com 905.727.4258
PUPPY LOVE
Have deep pockets? You’ll need them to buy in hot York Resales at all-time high as house prices climb 13.5% BY LISA QUEEN
H
lqueen@yrmg.com
ere’s good news if you’re planning on putting your house up for sale any time soon. The average price of a resale home in York Region increased by 13.5 per cent in 2015 to $777,927, Paul Bottomley, York Region’s manager of policy, research and planning in the economic development department, said during a presentation on the state of the region’s economy. That has jumped from $491,883 for the average resale home only five years ago. Meanwhile, the price is almost 70-per-cent higher than what the province deems is the maximum affordable homeownership threshold for the region. That stood at $459,000 in 2015.
i
Watch for our in-depth GTA-wide housing series, Through the Roof, starting next week.
“There is an increasing gap between this affordable threshold and the average resale price, with the gap increasing considerably over the last few years,” Bottomley said. If the price of new homes were included, which sat at an average of $987,106 at the end of 2015, the gap between the affordable housing threshold and the cost of buying a home in York would be even higher. The typical price of a resale home in the region is 25-percent higher than the Greater Toronto Area, where the average is $622,217.
STAFF PHOTO/STEVE SOMERVILLE
Emily and Kate Jenkins show their pups, Devin and Chloe, some love Saturday during the Paws in the Park event held at Sheppard’s Bush park in Aurora.
See page A9.
PUBLIC PURSE
WHAT’S ONLINE If you owe money for a ticket, be prepared to face a crack down. The region wants its money — $46M worth.
DON’T SEE IT IN THE PAPER? CHECK OUT MORE STORIES ONLINE INCLUDING:
Region ready to lower boom on ticket scofflaws
D
BY LISA QUEEN
lqueen@yrmg.com
❐ DRIVING IMPAIRED: Nearly 140 people nabbed in past month: bit.ly/1TnMIsB ❐ SPECIAL DELIVERY: Paramedic delivers own baby on the road: bit.ly/1TnMxgW ❐ UNION CASH: Ontario gave $80M to teacher unions: bit.ly/1TnMUYK ❐ DINE SAFE YORK: Find our which restaurants and pubs aren’t meeting health standards. bit.ly/1KpTRrt FILE PHOTO/STEVE SOMERVILLE
COUNCIL
o you have a ticket for speeding, not wearing your seatbelt, being drunk in a public place or selling alcohol or cigarettes to a minor that you figured you could just blow off? Think again. With $46 million in unpaid fines on the books, York Region is about to crack down on people who don’t pay their provincial offences penalties. Regional council is expected today to approve what it is calling “aggressive steps” to make deadbeats pay their tickets.
“Unpaid fines are lost revenue to the hard-working taxpayers of York Region,” Richmond Hill Mayor Dave Barrow, chair of the region’s finance committee, said. Allowing people to not pay their fines “makes a mockery of the whole justice system,” Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti, chair of the region’s police services board, said. “We have to do whatever it takes to get this money into our coffers. It’s about increasing the revenues, but it’s about increasing the revenues because we’ve spent a lot of money to make sure our bylaws and the ProvSee page A7.
COUNCIL
Council parks pilot project for downtown Decision paves way for new retirement home
BY TERESA LATCHFORD
C
tlatchford@yrmg.com
ouncil has nixed a plan to put patios and planters on Yonge Street in downtown Aurora this summer. Originally brought forward by Mayor Geoff Dawe, the Yonge Street pilot project called for a portion of Yonge on either side of Wellington Street to be reduced from four lanes to two to allow the installation of patios or bumpouts, planters and parking to create a space that would attract FILE PHOTO more people to the downtown Aurora was looking at implementing a parking pilot project, but decided core. against proceeding Tuesday. “A similar program has been implemented in other municipatio policy would be applicable. palities like Barrie and Markham,” “We keep taking about revitalCouncillor Michael Thompson ization and bringing people back said. to the core, but nothing has been ❑ Go to: bit.ly/1R9iHrO for In the other municipalities he done,” Councillor Sandra Hummore articles. Comments? examined, business owners who fryes said. “We have a lot of great Email tkibble@yrmg.com want to use the patios or bumpideas but nothing has been done. outs are required to enter into a I’m looking forward to this so we lease agreement and have liability these questions,” Thompson said. can actually see it.” insurance. He questioned if that “It seems to be a challenge to get At a recent public open would also be the case in Aurora. these details on how this program “This has been in front of us will run and it’s crucial.” for a year and I continue to ask Staff confirmed that the town’s See page A9.
Site in southern Aurora deemed suitable for facility BY TERESA LATCHFORD
D
tlatchford@yrmg.com
espite one councillor’s pleas to protect environmentally significant land on the Oak Ridges Moraine, the town has deemed it acceptable for a long-term care facility and retirement home to operate in southern Aurora. The property, located off Yonge Street, was originally earmarked
i
Comments on this issue? Email tkibble@yrmg.com
for school and park use but the local school boards indicated low demand didn’t require the site. Currently, owners Rod and Brian Coutts have asked zoning be revised to allow a retirement home and long-term care facility to be See page A8.
GET CONNECTED
SAVE UP TO 20%
ON OUTDOOR SPEAKERS
905-898-7133 www.liptons.ca C
M
Y
save on selected models of weatherproof outdoor speaker boxes, in-ceiling, and rock type speakers.
Full installation available at your location: call or drop by for a quote.
BRUTTO CONSULTING ILLUSTRATION