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Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012
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yorkregion.com
905-853-8888
Province limiting environmental rights: report Natural Resources Ministry a chronic offender: commissioner BY L.H. TIFFANY HSIEH
thsieh@yrmg.com
Provincial government officials are defying the will of the legislature and ignoring your right to be involved in environmental policy development, according to a report released by Ontario’s environmental watchdog yesterday. A number of ministries are limiting the public’s right to know and be involved in environmental protection, environmental commissioner Gord Miller said. He singled out the Natural Resources Ministry as a chronic offender for repeatedly refusing to post important proposals on a searchable online database, something required under the Environmental Bill of Rights to guarantee the public at least 30 days to comment on proposed government initiatives or notification of decisions.
‘He would have been gagged if he was working for the federal government.’ Gloria Marsh
York Region Environmental Alliance executive director
While the ministry has denied every application for review or investigation of suspected illegal activities in the last five years, the Northern Development and Mines and Municipal Affairs and Housing ministries have denied every application they have received since the bill came into effect 18 years ago. The Energy Ministry, on the other hand, failed to post a full proposal notice on the online registry when it announced its review of the Feed-inTariff program, which offers financial incentives to promote renewable energy. That review was posted as an information notice, which doesn’t give the public the right to comment, Mr. Miller said. The flouting of the public’s rights extends beyond refusal to use the online registry, he added. Many ministries, such as Infrastructure, are not subject to the bill. Mr. Miller said he is astounded by the level of disregard and contempt shown and hopes the report will open up more democratic decisionmaking. Mr. Miller is right on the money, York Region Environmental Alliance
See PUBLIC, page A10.
STAFF PHOTO/SUSIE KOCKERSCHEIDT
Danielle Gauci uses a tanning bed at the Tanning Zone in Aurora. A proposed bill would limit tanning beds to people 18 and older.
Proposed youth tanning bed ban fires up teens BY TERESA LATCHFORD
it comes to the ability to make educated decisions. She did her research and decided to use indoor tanning beds modestly, stressing it was her decision to make. The proposed law could force more youth outside, where conditions aren’t as controlled, resulting in more sun burns and could mean more students with fake identification, she said. “The fact is, if youths want to use tanning beds, they will find a way.” Recent Dr. John M. Denison Secondary School graduate Vanessa Hart is thrilled to hear support for the bill. She successfully organized a tan-free prom this year in the local high school, where students
tlatchford@yrmg.com
The proposed law that would ban youths from using tanning beds continues to gain momentum. With the Liberal government announcing it will back the private member’s bill tabled last April by New Democrat MPP France Gelinas, the law will have enough support to go through. The province is confident it is the right move to help curb skin cancer and escalating health care costs. But 16-year-old Rachel Cooke isn’t convinced. The Newmarket High School student, who does most of her tanning in the winter, doesn’t think people give teenagers enough credit when
took a pledge to come to prom without a tan. Other local schools, such as Sacred Heart Catholic High School, did the same. Many teenagers simply don’t understand the short and long-term risks associated with the use of indoor tanning beds, she said, pointing out most youths aren’t thinking that far into their futures. While she sees the bill as a giant step forward in the fight against skin cancer, she hopes advocates will continue to raise awareness and educate the public on the subject. Canadian Cancer Society staff member and cancer survivor Janice Hodgson has worked
Married couples dominate York households: census BY CHRIS TRABER
ctraber@yrmg.com
Compared to Ontario, York Region has more married partners, multi-family households and persons per private household and fewer common-law couples, people living alone and seniors 85 and older. The data, from Statistics Canada’s latest 2011 census numbers focusing on families, households, marital status and living arrangements, were released Wednesday. Distilling information from 9.4 million Canadian families, up 5.5 per cent over the 2006
AFTER BEFORE
count, the census surveyed just fewer than 1.04 million York residents and 12.5 million Ontarians. From a growth perspective, York’s population grew 15.7 per cent since 2006 — a rate three times that of the province. While married couples remain the predominant family unit at 67 per cent, the statistics suggest our society is in transition, Statistics Canada demography division sociologist Anne Milan said.
See ABOUT, page A10.
See PARENTS, page A9.
4-car collision closes Woodbine Woodbine Avenue north of Newmarket was shut down for several hours yesterday afternoon after a four-vehicle collision. Police, fire fighters and EMS responded to the collision at Woodbine and Boag Road in East Gwillimbury at 2 p.m. Injuries were reported, but police hadn’t released the extent of them. Go to yorkregion.com for updates.
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