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THE ERA
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HEALTH & WELLNESS
Immunizations jump from 34 to 99% Teens? Check. Health department now to target 7-year-olds
i
BY LISA QUEEN
T
lqueen@yrmg.com
To read more about this issue and other local news, join 725,000 other viewers each month and click on yorkregion.com
wo thirds of 17-year-old York Region students were at risk of held 54 extra immunization clinics on being suspended for failing to evenings and weekends. be properly immunized, but By the end of the school year, more have finished off the school than 99 per cent of the year with the proper students had complied shots, medical officer 8,900 of more than with Ontario legislaof health Dr. Karim tion requiring parents Kurji says. to provide proof of Watch out, seventheir children’s immuyear-olds, you’re next. nization status against When the region nine vaccine-preventchecked in January, 17-year-old students in York able diseases unless 8,900 of more than were missing immunizations they are exempted for 13,000 17-year-old medical, religious or or had out-of-date records students in the region conscience reasons. were either missing The province immunizations or requires school-aged children to be had out-of-date records, putting them at vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, risk of being suspended from school. pertussis (whooping cough), varicella That works out to a 34-per-cent com(chickenpox), polio, measles, mumps, pliance rate. rubella and meningococcal meningitis. Worried the students would head off to post-secondary school and the workforce without the proper immunizations, the region sent out reminder letters and See page A8.
13,000
Staff Photo/Susie Kockerscheidt
Newmarket Hawks’ Dan Nicoletta is forced out at second base by Mike Wallace of the Bolton Brewers during a Greater Toronto Baseball League contest Tuesday night at McKnight Field in Newmarket. The Hawks went on to claim a 13-6 victory. For more sports coverage, check out our Your Region section or go to yorkregion.com
COUNCIL
Sponga’s council resignation had ‘nothing to do with BIA’
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Former councillor refuses to talk about his departure
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BY CHRIS SIMON
csimon@yrmg.com
owntown BIA board members did not push for Ward 5 Councillor Joe Sponga’s resignation, nor have they pursued legal action against him, says the business group’s chair. Since the veteran councillor stepped aside last week with an apologetic but vague statement that referenced potential lawsuits and code of conduct complaints, there has been significant speculation on what exactly drove him away from municipal politics.
❐ U REPORT: A heart-wrenching
Could a simple threat of legal action really push an emotional and passionate sitting councillor out of his seat? Only Sponga truly knows. And, so far, he has been unwilling to provide further clarity on the matter, despite repeated requests from The Era for an interview. Some of the speculation has revolved around members of the Main Street District Business Improvement Area. Illustration However, BIA chair Glenn Wilson says Sponga resigned from the BIA board of directors months Sponga’s decision likely had nothing to ago, following a nasty and bitter battle with other board do with the apparent power struggle See page A4.
members largely over the Main Street clock tower proposal.
POLICE NEWS
cancer battle story: bit.ly/29i4RWi
❐ HAVE YOU SEEN HIM?: Police release video of sex assault suspect: bit.ly/29yqZON ❐ SCHOOL REPAIR CASH: Ministry announces $41M to fix York schools: bit.ly/29ysg8H ❐ DINE SAFE YORK: Find out which restaurants and pubs aren’t meeting health standards. bit.ly/1KpTRrt
CANADA POST LABOUR DISPUTE
Police upset over Black Lives ban on its float BY JEREMY GRIMALDI
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jgrimaldi@yrmg.com
ork Regional Police have been a part of Toronto Pride festivities for years, but it appears that run may have come to an end. Last Sunday, the Black Lives Matter Toronto movement held a sit-in during the 36th annual parade, with a list of demands, including banning police floats in future and hiring more black people. Photo courtesy York Regional Police The sit-in lasted about 30 minutes, delaying the York police York Regional Police officers take part in last Sunday’s Toronto Pride float, before organizers accepted parade. the demands and the parade continued. cers says he was outraged at the The fallout has been fierce, demands. with a number of police bodies Although neither Black Lives expressing their dismay with the ❑ Comments about this issue? Matter nor Pride Parade memdecision Email newsroom@yrmg.com bers could be reached for com“Our attendance and visibility ment, media reports suggest at these events is important to us Pride Toronto’s executive director and is based on supporting the work with all our communities to now seems to be backing away LGBTQ community, both interbuild partnerships in celebrating from the ban, suggesting all that nally with our own members as diversity and promoting inclusivwell as externally for the citizens ity for all.” we serve,” the YRP statement read. The president for the union See page A2. “We believe that it is crucial to representing Toronto’s police offi-
GET CONNECTED
Workers to show up despite lockout warning
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BY LISA QUEEN
lqueen@yrmg.com
lthough Canada Post has warned it could lock out its unionized workers as early as tomorrow, employees plan on reporting for work, hopeful the doors will be open, a Canadian Union of Postal Workers leader says. “We’re meeting with our members and telling them to come to a regular work day on Friday, hoping that the corporation continues working. We want to continue to work,” according to Derek Richmond, the union’s Ontario region co-ordinator, third vice-president and lockout co-ordinator with Scarborough Local 602, which repre-
sents workers in York and Durham regions and North York and Scarborough. “Negotiations are ongoing, but I don’t have information on how they’re going. We’re being upbeat. We want to work. We’re relaying the message to our members that we want to come to work, we want to continue to deliver the mail. We’re coming to work Friday like it’s a regular workday. Everyone has that mentality, that it’s a regular workday Friday.” Richmond said he’s unaware of
See page A8.
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