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WARD 5
5 people declare candidacies for Ward 5 seat
T
BY CHRIS SIMON
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csimon@yrmg.com
he words have barely finished their echo through Newmarket’s council chambers, but a slew of candidates have already declared an intention to run in Ward 5’s byelection. Last week, former regional councillor candidate Darryl Wolk, anti-poverty advocate Tom Pearson, traffic safety advocates Ian Johnston and Bob Kwapis and former Ward 5 councillor candidate Ron Eibel registered to run in the Oct. 17 by-election. Council called for the vote July 25, about one month after the seat was vacated by longtime councillor Joe Sponga. Eibel finished fourth in Ward 5 in the 2014 municipal election, earning 61 of the 3,198 votes cast. At the time, he mentioned high taxes, never-ending construction on Davis Drive, traffic calming and a lack of understanding about municipal politics as the biggest issues facing the ward. He says the clock tower and increased accountability, following the reconstruction delays at Old Town Hall, have become major issues since. “I look at being councillor as being the voice of the people as a man of the people,” he said. “I have no political agenda/affiliation. I am just a guy, like most people in my ward, who has a 9 to 5 (job), commutes out of town and has to weigh
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JAZZY SOUNDS
WANT MORE? For more information on Pearson, visit tompearson4newmarketcouncil.blogspot.ca. Further details on Wolk can be found at votewolk.com.
any major purchase carefully.” Kwapis, who has lived in Newmarket for more than 20 years, worked in the telecommunications sector for most of his career. Johnston finished third in Ward 6 during the 2014 election, gathering 280 of 3,180 votes. He is a real estate and mortgage agent and lists the Main Street Clock Tower proposal, traffic, crime, affordable housing and upgrades to parks and recreational facilities as the most pressing issues facing the ward. “People should vote for me because I have been here in the same area for over 50 years,” he said in a statement on his website, electianjward5.wordpress.com. “I have attended most all public council meetings for last 20 years and had numerous meetings with town officials on a number of issues.” Meanwhile, Pearson calls himself the See page A7.
Staff Photo/Susie Kockerscheidt
Phil Thomson of North of Dixie performs during the Newmarket Jazz+ Festival on the weekend at the Ray Twinney Complex. For more jazz festival photos, see page A8.
PEOPLE
Couple could miss dream vacation if passport snafu can’t be fixed Name change seems to be a sticking point for Canadian government BY CHRIS SIMON
F
csimon@yrmg.com
rances Antoniou can pay her federal taxes and drive in Ontario. She just can’t travel outside the country, according to the Canadian government. The Newmarket woman last owned a valid passport in 1978. She never had reason to renew, until her husband, Phil Iacovides, began planning a one-month trip to see his family in Cyprus, an island in the Eastern Mediterranean. They also plan to visit their son, who is working as a chef in London, England, for a few days.
However, a lot has changed since that last passport was used. Most importantly, perhaps, is her name: When her family immigrated to Canada in 1961, she went by ‘Francesca Palioportas’. In the decades since, she has obtained an Ontario driver’s licence and health card, paid income taxes and voted. However, when she tried to get a passport in preparation for the trip, the name change became a sticking point for the Canadian government. “I could go to Jamaica and those places when you didn’t need a passport,” she said, looking over documents in her backyard recently. “It makes no
sense. This is worse than silly. (Antoniou’s) been my name for most of my life. (The passport is) still being processed. It might not get approved. No one is assisting us.” The government says passports should take between 10 and 20 businesses days to process — once a completed application form is submitted — depending on how it is submitted. But Antoniou says she tried to file the application at a government office about six months ago and was told the old name had to match. See page A7.
Staff Photo/Chris Simon
Newmarket resident Frances Antoniou shows off her longexpired passport and a valid driver’s licence.
METROLAND IMPACT SERIES - PART 2
Impaired driving a mistake that can last a lifetime BY ANDREW PALAMARCHUK
apalamarchuk@insidetoronto.com
E
very morning Kevin Brooks wakes up, there’s a wheelchair beside him that reminds him of his “nightmare”: killing his friend in a drunk driving crash. It began as a typical warm Saturday in June 2000. Brooks, then 21, was hanging out with his high school sweetheart and watched her ride in a horse show. He then went to his youngest sister’s ballet recital. After the event, Brooks attended a house party where he thought he’d have a few beers and then call it a night. But that never happened. “I ran into some old school hockey friends I’d grown up with, and one thing led to another, and we were down to have a wild night,” Brooks said. And they hopped from one party to another. At one point during the night, Brooks returned home to get more beer. He wasn’t yet “blackout drunk” and stopped in front of his car thinking something bad could happen. “We all have that voice inside that warns us at times,” Brooks said. “That was one moment where I was still consciously aware of what was going on and had that opportunity to make the better
Supplied
Kevin Brooks’ crumpled car after the crash that killed his friend and left him paralyzed. Brooks made the wrong decision to drink and drive 16 years ago. Now he shares his story hoping that others will make a better choice. choice and chose not to.” Brushing off the warning, Brooks continued drinking and partying hard. “By the time we were leaving the last house party, we were all really drunk,” said Brooks. “We were double digit drinks for sure. I’d say
well over 10, probably pushing 20.” Three of Brooks’ buddies got in a cab, but before it left, one friend, Brendon, got out and opted to travel with Brooks. “I was like the stubborn idiot who wanted to drive drunk,” Brooks said. “From what
I’ve heard, people were trying to get my keys away from me, but I had an extra pair in the glove box. ... In hindsight, too bad somebody didn’t just punch me out.” Brooks and Brendon were speeding to another party. “Going 110 to 130 in a 70 zone, just stupid. Beers are open, tunes cranked, totally not paying attention,” Brooks said. “I don’t remember what happened. I missed a corner, and the car hit a road divider and went airborne, hit the ground and rolled multiple times.” Weeks later, Brooks woke up in an intensive care unit and learned that he had been in a crash and that he was paralyzed from the chest down. “A little bit later, I asked about who was with me and found out my buddy Brendon passed away. That was the worst thing I’d ever heard in my life,” Brooks said. “He’s gone and dealing with that was a nightmare.” Brooks contemplated suicide but was confined to a bed, too weak to even move. With the support of his family, best friend and Brendon’s family, Brooks’ outlook began to change. “It allowed me a chance not to totally give up,” he said of the support. After a two-month hospital stay, Brooks was transferred to a rehabilitation centre See page A7.
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