Milton Villager Magazine Volume 2, Issue 3 - February 2015 www.MiltonVillager.com
If you would like to advertise in Milton Villager email rick@dilorenzo.com Publisher - Rick Di Lorenzo, rick@dilorenzo.com Photographers - Ann Kornuta, Denise Cooperwhite, Grant Rushton, Eva Mende-Gibson, Trevor Black Reporters - Stuart Service, Laura Steiner, Elizabeth Kogan, Genevieve Rushton-Givens, Julian Rushton-Givens, Jodie Sales, Kiran Razzak Graphic Designer - Tudor Maier Cover Photo - Fred Smith Printed in Canada. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily that of the publisher and no liability is assumed for omissions or errors. Follow us on Facebook at http://facebook.com/MiltonVillager Milton Villager Magazine is available at these fine local businesses: Grocery stores: Metro, Food Port, Real Canadian Super Store, La Rose Bakery, Little Kabul Fine Food, Food Basics, Sobeys Food: Hero Burger, Pizza Nova, Troys Diner, Coffee Culture, Heritage Fish and Chips, Symposium, Shoeless Joe’s, Luigi’s Lasagna & Pizzeria, Mama Mila’s Cafe, Quiznos, Empire Wok, Mr. Sub, Tim Hortons, The Hen and the Roost Recreation: Milton Sports Centre, Leisure Centre, Milton Centre for the Arts, Making Waves Swim School Shopping: Milton Mall, Home Hardware, Canadian Tire, Taylor Nursery
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2 | Milton Villager | February 2015
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Fred Smith, one of 13 members of his family who’ve served in the Canadian Forces dating back to his grandfather, shows a collage representing his military lineage.
By Stuart Service
helps wounded and homeless soldiers
C
anadian Forces veteran Fred Smith, who grew up in a military family, has lived in every province twice. He is currently a seven-year resident of Milton, which is the longest he’s lived at a fixed address. Smith is one of 13 members of his family who’ve served in the military dating back to his grandfather. At 24, he was deployed on a 1979 peacekeeping mission in the Golan Heights. While in downtown Syria during his six-month tour of duty, Smith sustained
both physical and mental injuries through traumatic events that changed the course of his military career. “After five and a half months of being there they had to get me out in a hurry,” he said, adding that he was sent home on the first flight out of Syria with his file and told to report to his medical officer for immediate help. “I had sustained an injury, which they call now PTSD, and they had to get me out of
that war zone. There was no help for us back then. There was nothing other than what they did, which was post me out of my unit. That meant that I would never get promoted again. That meant that I was broken and could no longer do my job as a soldier. Everything I dreamed for was gone. That was the moment everything in my life changed and I wasn’t liking it.” To that end, Smith became increasingly irritable, spending his last days of service drinking between shifts doing heavy labour at range control in CFB Gagetown. He wanted out. He told his medical officer he’d run over his superior if he saw him on the street. “I was a very broken and angry man,” he said. After Smith was released from the army he lived in and out of homelessness for the next 24 years. Substance abuse and alcohol were used daily to self-medicate and reduce the pain of his fears, shame, nightmares and flashbacks. He moved around Canada frequently, thinking that a change of scenery would be the answer.
Halton MP Lisa Raitt and Milton Mayor Gord Krantz held a lunch meeting at Casa Americo with Milton soldier Fred Smith, who shared insight and information about the issues facing veterans with the local political leaders.
4 | Milton Villager | February 2015
“This went on for years,” he said. “That life I was living resulted in suicide attempts and being in dangerous situations. I was robbed,
beaten up and experienced sexual abuse. It was a bad time. I should have been dead a dozen times and I really did want to die.” In 2006, Smith was informed that his 21-yearold son had put a rope around his neck and hanged himself. News of his son’s suicide drove Smith to attempt taking his own life. Smith passed Joseph Brant Hospital on his way to the Burlington Skyway bridge where he planned to speed toward the abutment. On his way to the bridge, Smith thought about his friend who’d suffered a spinal cord injury. He reconsidered suicide, fearing that if he didn’t succeed he’d add being a paraplegic to his problems. He pulled into the hospital to get the help he needed. “After three days at the hospital, a psychiatrist came to me and said ‘You’re full of military and childhood trauma and there is help for you,’” Smith said, adding that that was the moment he was diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder. “I wasn’t the person I used to think I was. I had a mental health issue I needed to be looked after. And that’s when my life changed.” Smith has come a long way after numerous lengthy stays at Homewood Health Centre in Guelph. “I’m a new man,” said Smith, who visits a psychologist weekly to make sure he stays on the right track.
“The suffering is over, but I still struggle.” He’s building long-term relationships for the first time in his life. And he’s made peace with his resentments and left in its path tremendous pride for having served in the Canadian Forces. Smith has a new purpose in life after he started the charity Veterans Helping Veterans, which informs soldiers, veterans and families of the medical and financial benefits available to them through Veterans Affairs, the Royal Canadian Legion and private organizations who support men and women in and out of uniform. Among his specialties is helping wounded and homeless veterans to get off the streets. Within two days after meeting Smith, a homeless veteran -- which represent about 40 per cent of the people he assists -- can begin to receive the medical and financial support to start piecing their lives back together “If they want my help.” “You’ll find me on the streets looking for homeless veterans — any veterans, soldiers and families making sure they’re informed of what help is available to them,” he said. Smith’s approach is simple and effective. He sets up a display at soup kitchens, luncheons, homeless shelters, the Salvation Army; anywhere he thinks he can introduce himself
Fred Smith, founder of the charity Veterans Helping Veterans Help Themselves, spent more than two decades homeless. Smith has since gotten his life back together and has made it his life’s work to bring awareness to existing programs and resources to veterans, soldiers and families in need.
February 2015 | Milton Villager | 5
to a veteran, or a homeless veteran who might be walking in the same shoes as his past. He collaborated with his psychologist to create a display that Smith said “gets right to the throat” of the lifestyles and mental health issues that a homeless veteran may be experiencing, as well as the various programs that exist to treat those issues. “There are all kinds of opportunities that are available and it’s just a matter of doing the paperwork to get involved in them,” Smith said. “My job is to get them started,” he said, adding that he keeps no records to maintain the privacy of the more than 120 veterans he’s helped off the streets over the last three years. “This booth works. This brings people in. I think I have a lot to do with it too because I went through it. I tell them what life was like for me, what I had to do and what life is like for me today.” For more information on Veterans Helping Veterans visit: www.veteranshelpingveterans.wordpress.com
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6 | Milton Villager | February 2015
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Singing Techniques for Choir Singers
I
n 1968, Judy Hunter, an accomplished musician, founded the Milton Choristers. Originally created as a choir for women only, it quickly evolved into an auditioned 4-part community choir. The Milton Choristers’ repertoire includes both classical and contemporary music and maintains a high performance standard as well as a strong sense of camaraderie. Artistic Director Sheena Nykolaiszyn not only conducts the choir but is also a playing member and Assistant Conductor of the Milton Concert Band; Milton Philharmonic Orchestra and the Secretary/Librarian of the Philharmonic. Susan Edmonds, who also supports the group, is a talented piano accompanist who teaches full time piano and flute in her private studio and is a member of the Milton Music Teachers’ Association. The Milton Choristers is excited to share the news about an upcoming vocal clinic being facilitated by Cassandra Warner. Warner, a native of Milton, is an internationally known mezzo-soprano. A professional opera singer; she has an extensive background in performance and teaching. She has sung
internationally with opera companies and symphonies and has instructed for the Royal Conservatory of Music Outreach Program. Her vocal clinic in Milton will focus on proper warm ups for the body as well as the voice, and breathing techniques to strengthen the diaphragm. She will teach the participants short pieces of music as a group, with a focus on listening, breathing, and performance techniques. “I intend for the singers to come away from the experience with a better appreciation for the art of singing - with increased awareness as to how to take proper care of the voice as an instrument, how to sing with one another and how to perform a piece for an audience,” she says. Taking place at Knox Presbyterian Church (170 Main Street, Milton) on Saturday February 21, 2015 from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM, the clinic is open to singers from Milton and surrounding communities. The cost of the workshop is $15.00. To register: Email info@miltonchoristers.com or phone 905-875-1730.
Cassandra Warner
February 2015 | Milton Villager | 7
By Jodie Sales
Hugh Beaty - Extra Ordinary W
hen you meet Hugh Beaty, you know you’ve stumbled across something special - something extra ordinary. A World War II veteran, the 96 year old has lived in a white farmhouse on Fourth Line in Milton for his entire life. Throughout his years, he has witnessed the kind of change that most of us only dream about. In winter 2014, Mark Cullen, a well-known Canadian gardener, sat down with Hugh to capture his stories and the result is a powerful book full of tales about perseverance, romance and making a difference in the lives of others.
pages of the book, you will discover a beautiful photograph of Melba sitting beside an empty chair reserved for Hugh, taken while he was overseas during the Second World War. When asked about the photo of Melba, his eyes sparkled for a moment before tearing up. They were married over 60 years and her impact on his life can be felt on each page of the book. “It’s a terrible thing,” he says about life without your partner. Hugh Beaty is passionate about helping others. He’s quiet, humble and unassuming, but he opens up when asked about the people he’s helped along the way.
Hugh’s childhood sets the tone for the story by chronicling his life during the Great Depression. Speaking with Hugh it is clear that what he values most in life - relationships - doesn’t cost money. Hugh maintains an optimistic view on that period of his life recalling that his family was always warm and never went without food (a benefit of life on the farm). “Those were simpler times,” he said fondly. Listening to Hugh share his stories, one can’t help but wonder how much those experiences shaped his desire to help others.
SHARE Agricultural Foundation (Sending Help and Resources Everywhere) is an organization close to Hugh’s (and Melba’s) heart. In 1977, Hugh and Melba sold their cattle and set out for the adventure of their lifetime. It was a two-year mission to Brazil, arranged through SHARE, where he gave locals a hand up, not a hand out, by passing along his knowledge of cattle farming. He is quoted in the book saying, “We forget to look outside of ourselves, to see the needs around us.” Not only has Hugh seen the need, but he has responded to it by taking nineteen trips with SHARE to help agriculturally based communities in Central and South America.
On May 23, 1942, Hugh married a young woman named Melba. As you flip through the
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A few years ago, wanting to do something local, he donated eight scholarships to high school students in Milton asking the schools to pick the students, who, as he puts it, “…were working hard, not the smartest ones in the world, but working hard at it.” He also wanted the students to have leadership qualities and come from families who could use a little extra help. Two of the recipients were twin girls, “They wrote a letter back saying they were the first ones in their family who’d ever gone on to post-secondary education. I got a great kick out of that.” Hugh doesn’t look for recognition for the things he’s done for others. For him, it’s simple. He’s just happy to help. Extra Ordinary is the title of the Hugh Beaty story, and it couldn’t be more appropriate. He is a shining example of a life well lived, in the service of others. Copies of the book are available at Milton Home Hardware and proceeds go to the SHARE Agricultural Foundation. You can donate to SHARE, or learn more about the organization at www.shareagfoundation.org.
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Milton Film Festival By Sarah Voisin | Photos by Grant Rushton
A Community Bonded by a Love of Cinema “A precocious young girl pushing against the restrictions of Saudi Society, a middle aged gay man who loses his job and his home because of who he loves. A mayor of a small east coast village trying to save his community. A mouse who becomes friends with a bear. These are just some of the lives that we have the privilege to inhabit this weekend ... through the power of film.” Milton Film Festival’s Grand Gala took place in the Escarpment Hall of the Milton Centre for the Arts this past Saturday evening. The festival is in its proud second year, with 2015
featuring award winners such as Boyhood, and The Grand Seduction by well known Canadian director Don McKellar, as well as local shorts such as Bamboozled (Mike Martins). Screening Saturday evening was A Mile In These Hooves ( James Brylowski), a quirky, heartwarming film about a pair of friends set out to break the world record for the “longest distance travelled in a two-person costume”. The event drew a pleasing crowd, attracted by a love of cinema and a love of sharing it with their neighbours. In attendance this year were noted guests such as Canadian filmmaker Barry Avrich, author and journalist Ron Base, and our Ontario MPP Indira Naidoo-Harris, who commented in her speech on her love of the art and sharing the passion with the people around her. Community was the focus of the night’s sentiments. Jennifer Smith, the chief coordinator of the weekend’s events, remarked that after all the planning, the big pay off for her is the response of the public, the enjoyment they receive experiencing the films “the way they were supposed to be ... in the company of other human beings on a big screen.” The Milton Film Festival wholeheartedly commits itself to the belief that film plays a part in
10 | Milton Villager | February 2015
creating community. This binding power is especially important in Canadian communities like Milton whose identity is drowned out amidst the roaring tide of mainstream media.
a lack of distribution and exposure. Events like MFF help bring films from the minds of creators to the community at large, adhering a sense of identity and pride unique to our town.
For Ron Base, MFF host, the value lies in providing the community access to independent films that would never gain a run in a community with one small commercial movie theatre. “We’re starved out here for offbeat, different films, foreign films.” Canadian cinema, as noted by Jennifer, “is by definition independent film” and suffers under
Canadian films are definitely on the rise, with more commercial films like The Grand Seduction finding firm ground with the mainstream, and it’s thanks in part to events like MFF and the hard work of the organizers that encourage artists by giving them a platform for showcasing their work, and more importantly, bring smiles to the faces in the audience.
Activities Registration Day
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21st, 9:30 am to 2:00 pm Featuring math, science and music as well as sports! Come out for information and to register all ages for a wide variety of local clubs, specialty tutoring, music lessons and more! For a list of participants, visit miltonmall.com and click on Spring & Summer Activities Registration Day under Mall Events. Corner of Ontario and Main miltonmall.com
February 2015 | Milton Villager | 11
By Laura Steiner | Photos by Trevor Black Girls from the Milton Bats softball team volunteering from left to right, Jessie Brown, Abigail Wiliszawski, Emma Poulton, Sara Falkins, Emma Trabucco
Shop for Transitional Housing “How do you afford the nice clothes you need to go out job searching?” Milton Transitional Housing (MTH) Executive Director Donna Danielli asked in a recent interview. It’s a question that hits home with everyone, especially those living in poverty. On January 24, Milton’s fashionistas had a chance to find an answer to that question as Southside Community Church hosted the first ever Fashionista Flip. Tickets for the event were $10 each. And all items were going for $2 each no matter the
item. Clothing was organized by size, and placed on racks along the outside of the room. In the middle of the room were tables covered in shoes, jewelry and purses. At the entrance customers were given a giant clear shopping to fill with items. The event drew people from as far away as Mississauga. Andrea heard about the event from her friend on the organizing committee. “We had to bring our fashionista selves to come to Milton and do some shopping.” She bought several items including a pair of silver
Customers enjoy finding bargains and helping a good cause.
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Laurie Hatton (right) found out that Andrea Pitts (left) picked the leather jacket she donated and was happy to see some one picked it.
Shanon Pearson and Marlene get ready to leave with all of the clothes they have found.
jeans, and a red dress. “I brought a couple of friends with me today, and I’ll be bringing a much larger crowd with me next time.” Laurie Hatton sat on the organizing committee for Fashionista Flip. For her it’s about finding the hidden gems. “There are so many things here that have so much life in them.” You could definitely find treasures. I ended up buying a tunic top at the event. Hatton agreed the question of affordability played a role for those in poverty. “There’s a lot of people who can’t afford to go out and buy clothing in the stores. And then there are people like myself where we could if we wanted to, but that’s not where I choose to spend my money.” Hatton went onto say she loved shopping in places like this “because I can still get fabulous items.” Any items remaining went into the Southside Community Church’s Good for Nothing store to be sold off for donations. Fashionista Flip is the first of three fundraisers for Milton Transitional Housing over the next few months. The Coldest Night of the Year is next, coming up on February 21. Empty Bowls is the third coming up in April. For more information visit their website at: www. miltontransitionhousing.ca.
Audrey Peddie, Karen Mistruzzi Canning, Jill Buckles, Brenda Morrow volunteering at the front desk
Angela Andreoff and Andrea Pitts, show that they were real fashionistas with all of the stuff they found.
Line Galarreau,(left) Laurie Hatton, (center) and Andrea Pitts having a good time at the Milton Fashionista Flip fundraiser.
February 2015 | Milton Villager | 13
Wendy, Claudette, Lorna, Cheryl, Margot
By Laura Steiner | Photos by Grant Rushton
Coldest Night Fundraiser
O
n January 15 Southside Community Church provided a warm backdrop for Milton Transitional Housing (MTH) as they launched their second annual Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser. The session was an informational evening for team captains, and participants. The walk this year takes place on February 21, and will be based out of the Lion’s Hall above the Milton Memorial Arena along Thompson Road. There are 3 different routes: a 2km, a 5km, and 10km routes along the sidewalks of the Dempsey neighbourhood, with rest stops and hot drinks offered along the way. Event organizers are looking for 30 team captains. Returning from last year is Carey DePass. DePass was a Captain in last year’s event, and
believes it’s about a delicate balance between reaching the goal, and having fun. “If you notice it’s three weeks before, you’ve got to get on the phone and say hey when are you going to raise money. At the same time you have to make it enjoyable, tell them what the final goal is to help Milton Transitional Housing (MTH).” DePass’s team raised $800 last year for the walk. 2014’s overall total was $32,000. This year’s goal is $50 thousand, and to have 300 walkers participating. All the money raised stays in Milton. It costs $18 thousand to host a single family including rent, and a case manager. “A success story for us is when they leave us after the two years, and they don’t go back into the system. They go into long-term, stable housing of their own.”
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MTH Executive Director Donna Danielli explained. The agency has had three graduates over the last year. To register go the website: www. coldestnightoftheyear.org and select the “registration option.” Entry fees are: $25/ participant. However the entry fee is waived for kids raising over $75, and adults raising over $150. Danielli believes it’s important for participants to imagine what living on the street is like. “You get out and experience what it might be like to be homeless. You’re out there for the 2, 5, or 10k that you’re walking. For some people that’s their life, day in, day out.” For more information on Milton Transitional Housing visit their website at: www.miltontransitionalhousing.ca
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February 2015 | Milton Villager | 15
By Ann Kornuta
S
tudents from Irma Coulson Public School gathered together on January 15th at Longos Supermarkets to Bake for a Change. These grade 8 students are hopeful that the skills they learned that day will go towards creating delicious goodies for a bake sale that will be run by the students themselves in a mini We Day event this spring. “They are going to use these tips and tricks that they have learned today to hold their own bake sale where they are hoping to support communities, families and international communities,” Ilyse Hoffer, Manager on the Educational Program Team for Free the Children said. “I think the most important thing that the young people will take away from an event like this is the hands on experience that they can use to set themselves up for success in their bake sale in the spring.” The group of grade 8 students were excited for a chance to get messy and
took turns adding ingredients as they learned cooking skills that will stay with them as they grow. Students Brooke, Katie and Myra talked about working as a group and how this experience is helping them to plan out their bake sale. “I believe that baking for change is important because its another thing about food that not too many people around the world have food,” Myra said. “It’s kind of a way to be thankful for what food we have and what we have been given here in Canada” “It’s a great way for all of us to get together as this group and to celebrate for all the things we have done and raise awareness,” Katie said. Overseeing the students was Teacher Librarian Laurie Tsotsos who stressed the importance programs such as these and their impact on a student’s life.
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“I think its really important to give the kids an opportunity to work together and give hands on experience on how they can create an initiative as a group to help someone on a global or local level,” Laurie said.
“This is a great opportunity for them because they can now start to plan it and what they are getting here is a felt experience they are experiencing it hands on. We can give them recipes for them to do it, but thats not going to give them the same passion is this where they come together.” The students are already on their way to get set up for their spring bake sale. “The first thing I hope they take away is the passion and the energy to do this,” Laurie said. “This is driven by them and not me and they have already taken over the staff room.”
February 2015 | Milton Villager | 17
Great beer on tap at
L
ongtime pals and owners of Orange Snail Brewers, Kevin Greer and Damion Orsi, have been sampling their home-brewed beer to friends and family in Milton for years. “We’ve both been brewing for eight years and working on our recipes,” Damion said. “Beer is our passion,” Kevin said. “Over the years this has evolved from brewing on our stovetops to pretty much a makeshift brewery in my garage at one point.” After years of research and development, Kevin and Damion created three beers now on
sale at their new microbrewery located off of Steeles Ave E. at 295 Alliance Road Unit 16: Iron Pig, Rattle ‘n’ Nemo and 16 Jasper IPA.
progress coming soon. Orange Snail Brewers plans to launch seasonal products including a light refreshing wheat beer for the summer.
The delicious beers are brewed with brand new equipment and sold in 2L growlers for $12 following $8 initial bottle deposit. Kevin added that kegs will be offered in the future, as well the sale of smaller bottles later in the year if the demand for them is there.
The beer is currently only available at their storefront, however Kevin and Damion hope to eventually offer their brews at local restaurants and bars in the future. They’re also pursuing to keeping their small family-run business local. Among their locally-sourced wish-list items are honey, maple syrup, pumpkins, and hops, and a few surprises to come!
Also sampled at the grand opening was a 3.4% stout, an unnamed prototype recipe-in-
Photo by Jeffrey Poulin
18 | Milton Villager | February 2015
offers 3-year, unlimited mileage warranties on all 2015 models
A
cross Canada Mazda is adding to all 2015 model products an unprecedented, three-year warranty of full coverage to all sales of their new cars. The 2015 Mazda unlimited mileage warranty on all newer vehicles includes three-year comprehensive coverage, three-year roadside assistance, five-year powertrain coverage, and seven-year perforation coverage.
“Unlimited kilometers,” said Achilles Pelitis Jr., owner of Achilles Mazda of Milton, emphasizing the ‘unlimited’ part of the offer. “This is truly a message of confidence that only a car company that believes in their product can make.” Achilles has introduced his business to new and repeat customers with his twitter account, @AchillesMazda. Social media played a major role in keeping Acton residents informed of the company’s progress during its 2010 move to Milton at 1195 Steeles Ave. E.
“Since then, It has taken a life all its own,” Achilles said. “Thousands of followers and clients are spreading the word of our excellent service. It helps us promote, find talent, resolve issues, and creates our voice and presence online.” When asked what makes his after-sale car service so effective, Achilles said its the common purpose of his staff to provide the finest automotive experience that ignites
passion in the people served at Achilles Mazda of Milton.
“Whether it is sales or service, we are only doing our job properly when we create an experience for which our clients and guests return to do business with us again. All our activities after-sales embody this purpose and goal.”
Achilles has been selling a lot of Mazda3s, which represents half his annual volume. The CX-5, Mazda’s compact crossover SUV, represents about a third of sales. With the option to add All Wheel Drive, Achilles said the CX-5 is the optimal winter vehicle that can get its drivers out of any situation.
mechanic by trade, and decided to open an allin-one repair facility, snack bar and gas station. Les made his dream of being car dealer come true when he took in the Mazda brand. “The rest is history,” Achilles said.
He said the root of the stellar online reviews written about his Mazda franchise stem from his philosophy of treating customers the same way he wants to be treated.
“Part of our longevity, of course, I would like to think is what my parents had done, how we’ve always treated our customers and clients and friends over the last four decades.”
“You would have to try really hard to get stuck in this vehicle.”
Rounding out the balance of the Mazda’s lineup is the CX-9, MX-5, Mazda2, Mazda5 and Mazda6, which is Achilles’ favourite car on the lot.
“The Mazda6 is a true touring car. It is comfortable, roomy, efficient and powerful. There is a reason it is the reigning Canadian Car of the Year,” he said. “It is truly a pleasure to drive.”
Achilles Mazda moved to Milton in 2010, after 33 years located in Acton. Les Pelitis, Achilles’s father, emigrated from Greece and settled in Acton in the early ‘70s. Les was a
February 2015 | Milton Villager | 19
By Rick Di Lorenzo | Photos by Grant Rushton
Tea at the Oz 3rd Annual Tea Party for Autism and National Service Dogs
O
n Sunday, January 25, the 3rd Annual Tea Party for Autisim and National Service Dogs was held at the Best Western Milton bringing businesses and community members together to help raise both funds and awareness. The theme for this year’s fundraiser was the Wizard of Oz, and as expected the venue and participants were ready for having Sunday Tea at the Oz. Event organizer Mary-Anne Scaturchio-Selwa was suitably decored in her sunday best looking remarkably like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. With decor and guests suitably stepped with Oz folkore you could easily close your eyes and think of rainbows, forget-me-nots, misty meadows and sun-dappled pools.
include, “providing increased safety for the child, providing comfort when the child is upset and reducing social stress levels, allowing greater participation in education, as well as social and leisure activities.” After the successful event Scaturchio-Selwa went online to thank everyone who came out to support the fundraiser and the amazing job of all involved.
“The Tea Party was a great success once again!” attendee Angela Hickman said. “It was great hearing about what Project Autism does for families living with autism.” According to the Autism Canada Foundation, service dogs can assist a child living with autism in many ways. Some of the benefits
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February 2015 | Milton Villager | 21
Rouzbeh (Ray) Noori
SHARING THE GIFT OF
By Chris Perkins | Photos by Ann Kornuta
N
o one likes getting a ticket. But we generally want the police to hand them out; to other people. We all witness bad driving every day, and probably see drivers who “deserve” a ticket. But it’s never us. To paraphrase the comedian George Carlin: “Anyone who drives slower than you is an idiot and anyone who drives faster than you is a maniac”. There are three tenants of traffic management – Education, Enforcement and Engineering. The police have a big part to play in the first two. Police agencies in general and most particularly here in Halton have been relentless in their attempts at spreading the message of public safety as it applies to our road use. Far more people are killed and seriously injured on our Milton and Halton Hills streets in traffic collisions than in violent acts. The cost is enormous, not just to the individuals and the families involved, with life altering consequences, but to the health service, commerce, and the economy in general.
SAFETY
Milton & Halton Hills Police have used media releases and alerts, electronic message boards, public service messages via the internet, traffic safety campaigns, social media, transit advertisements, even simple traffic stops and verbal warnings in an effort to educate people. But there comes a point when enforcement is the next logical step in the continual effort to influence driving behaviour. Collisions should never be termed “accidents”, and are almost entirely preventable. The fear of getting a ticket drives people’s behaviour far more readily
It makes sense to repeat, over and over and over again the dangers of poor driving habits.
22 | Milton Villager | February 2015
than the thought of getting into a collision. A collision is what happens to other people. It will never happen to me. It’s always the other guy. But to everyone else, you are the other guy. Everyone has an opinion about traffic enforcement. Traffic Ticket Myth #1: Police agencies have “quotas” for traffic tickets and high producing officers win toasters. One of the five core functions of policing as prescribed by the Police Services Act is
enforcement. Police officers are public servants; employees who have certain performance standards. The employer (the tax payer) expects police to enforce laws. This is true for all laws, whether Provincial (such as the Highway Traffic Act) or Federal (the Criminal Code). Widget companies produce widgets. Police officers enforce the laws. Conversely, police officers who do nothing else but write lots of tickets are not doing their jobs.
Traffic Ticket Myth #2: It’s nothing more than a revenue grab.
voluntary tax. Drive safely and within the law, and you don’t pay a cent!
Money recovered through Provincial legislation fines is directed to and distributed by the Province. Police Services do not receive a cent from this revenue. It is precisely because of the optics of this that the money does not flow back to policing. Even if you are a stalwart believer of this fallacy, look at this way: it’s a
The premise of traffic enforcement is not to annoy or harass, it’s about doing what’s right. It is sharing the gift of safety. You have the choice of how to receive this gift. Heed the advice and the warnings; be educated; be responsible….or risk your life and the lives of others and get a ticket in the bargain.
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