ECONOMIST & SUN M A R K H A M
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ROADS
Drivers battle construction season Simultaneous projects put crimp in commute
Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012
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Get over $100 in savings when you donate $3 to Muscular Dystrophy Canada.
Owen McGonigal, MDC Goodwill Ambassador
5706 Hwy 7 and Galsworthy,Markham 905.294.5000 8322 Kennedy Rd, Unionville 905.415.0756
TO REACH US: 905-294-2200
Report in sync with arena plans Conference Board of Canada study on growth of professional sports points to new NHL team in GTA BY AMANDA PERSICO
apersico@yrmg.com
Build it and they will come. That’s the sentiment behind the latest and final instalment of the Conference Board of Canada’s
Playing in the Big Leagues series, which analyzed the professional sports marketplace in Canada. And it seems Markham is ahead of the curve when it comes to getting shovels in the ground and
players on the ice. Based on the report, the professional sports scene will shift dramatically in Canada’s favour. The report predicts another three National Hockey League
teams, one in Hamilton, another in Quebec City and a third in the GTA. “The future is bright for profesSee NEW, page 19.
TUG OF WAR
BY AMANDA PERSICO
apersico@yrmg.com
Sometimes travelling from point A to point B in Markham is more a chore than a journey. The options are often slim for commuters, searching for routes that don’t include heavy traffic or construction. Currently, Markham commuters face construction along three major east-west routes, including Major Mackenzie Drive, 16th Avenue and Hwy. 7 — not to mention construction along Main Street Markham — all going on at the same time. The numerous detours are tolerable seeing that many commuters are still on summer vacation and school hasn’t started, said Markham resident Brenda Di Nallo, who travels from the Williamson Road area west toward the Allstate Parkway area each day.
Markham Irish Canadian Rugby Club member Frederique Rajotte bowls over an Oshawa under-18 rugby girl but can’t escape the clutches of another in a quarterfinal game at Austin Park in Markham. Markham won 43-0 and went on to claim bronze in the Toronto Rugby Union Under18 Girls League in a game Thursday night at Fletcher’s Field.
‘CAN LIVE WITH IT’ “It’s the summer, you can live with it,” she said. “But come September, that’s a different story. Why wasn’t the construction spaced out? There aren’t many other choices for drivers.” Ms Di Nallo used to zip down Main Street Markham to Hwy. 7 and then straight to work. When construction started for the VivaNext rapidway, she went north along with other drivers to 16th. Now, she ventures farther north See ‘PAINFUL’, page 5.
STAFF PHOTO/SJOERD WITTEVEEN
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