WHEN GENDER COLLIDES WITH WORDS PAGE A3
RESPECT KEY TO GENDER EVOLUTION PAGE A6
FORD FUSION ENERGI
THE ERA
NEWMARKET SHOWROOM 16700 Bayview Ave., Unit 15
www.northerncomfortwindows.com
OUR VIEW
NEWMARKET
Voted the BEST Window Company 10 Years in a Row with Top Choice Awards! See Our Ad In This Paper
905.853.9400
GENDER IDENTITY
$1 STORE SALES / 24 PAGES
■
Thursday, Oct. 6, 2016
■
GET UP TO
102 MPG!
905-853-8888
18001 LESLIE ST,
(South of Greenlane) Newmarket
905-853-5000
SOCIAL ISSUES
Local Muslim family endures bigotry BY CHRIS SIMON
csimon@yrmg.com
Sometimes, outlying incidents have the biggest effect on our lives. That appears to be the case with Newmarket resident Aicha Harrachou, who is still clearly shaken after allegedly becoming a target for harassment because of her religious beliefs. The proud and dedicated Moroccan-born Muslim woman, who wears a traditional hijab on her head, has lived in Newmarket for about a decade. During that time, she’s developed a good relationship with neighbours and has rarely felt discriminated against in northern York Region. However, an incident at Upper Canada Mall Sept. 21 has left Harrachou proudly defending her belief structure. Harrachou says she was deliberately targeted by a fellow shopper, who followed her through
a portion of the mall around Sears. The woman then approached Harrachou — who was talking on a cell phone at the time — and kicked her shopping basket. “She was giving me bad looks; I ignored her and just walked away,” Harrachou said. “She passed by me and kicked my basket. I was so upset. I told her she wasn’t going to get away with this and we need to call the police to see what’s going on. I don’t know you. Why are you doing that to me? The lady was laughing at me. I was crying and shaking. She’s not native; if you look at her background, (perhaps) her grandparents, she’s an immigrant like me.” Following the incident, Harrachou found two security guards and pleaded her case to contact York Regional Police. At that point, one guard allegedly attempted to dissuade her from making the call. During the argument, the shop-
per in question apparently left the mall, Harrachou said. “I was told to just ignore this,” she said. “I’m not going to ignore this. It’s not right. I have a right to shop like her.” Strangely, that was the second time members of the family were targeted for harassment based on religion within days — Youssef Mazouni’s pregnant wife, Siham Asri, was sworn at and told to “go back” to where she came from by someone in the parking lot of the Aurora Walmart Sept. 17. Harrachou is Mazouni’s aunt. “There was a big black pickup truck next to our (van),” Mazouni said. “I had picked up McDonald’s… I suggested to my wife that she sit in the back and eat with our girls so they don’t make a mess. She opened
See page A10.
Susie Kockerscheidt/Metroland
Aicha Harrachou says she was the victim of discrimination at Upper Canada Mall last week. Her nephew and his wife also say they were the target of similar bullying outside Aurora’s Walmart recently.
WARD 5 BYELECTION
Candidates swing for fences at debate BY CHRIS SIMON
S
GET CONNECTED
csimon@yrmg.com
ometimes, even the big games can have a sluggish feel. Perhaps it was the competition for the evening’s viewership — the Toronto Blue Jays were busy advancing to the American League Divisional Series, after all — or maybe it was the format that shied away from debate and confrontation because seven candidates were vying to be heard, but Tuesday’s Newmarket Chamber of Commerce Ward 5 byelection meet and greet and questionand-answer period had the feel of a ball game in the dog days of summer.
❑
For the full story, go to yorkregion.com
The entire line-up seemed healthy and eager to play at Newmarket Theatre, with Tom Pearson hitting lead-off, followed by Ron Eibel, Peter Geibel, Ian Johnston, Darryl Wolk, Bob Kwapis and Tracee Chambers in the Q&A batting order. It was a traditional baseball crowd in attendance, pleasantly clapping after answers and being respectful of the candidates. But the crowd was half full to start and, sometimes, without a raucous atmosphere, it’s hard for the players to perform at their peak for long stretches of the game. With a long game so reliant on intricacies, it happens.
File photo/Metroland
Ward 5 candidates met for Tuesday’s Newmarket Chamber of Commerce byelection meet and greet at Newmarket Theatre. But Pearson got the first inning off to a quick start, smacking a single when he mentioned “important assets were disappearing in town and I don’t see a process I trust.” Eibel belted a double off the outfield
wall by expressing disappointment at the current town administration. “A lot of people I’ve spoken to think local government doesn’t speak on their behalf anymore,” he said. “I’m like you; they’re insulated from everyone. They’re
TELL US what you think about this issue. Email newsroom@yrmg.com.
in their own bubble. I’d like to break that bubble.” Then Wolk drove a couple runs home by bringing the Main Street clock tower and cost-of-living into play. “I’m running in this election because our heritage district is under threat from developers and the clock tower proposal has the potential to change our Main Street forever,” he said. “We must build on the success of Main and our historic downtown. I’m also concerned with our high cost of living. Hydro rates are skyrocketing; our sports user fees are among the highest in the province. We cannot afford the status quo.” Up next, Kwapis and Chambers jumped on pitches and knocked the starting pitcher from the game early. Chambers expressed deep concern over the clock tower proposal and called herself an independent thinker who has often been referred to as a “refreshing change”. It was as if the crowd knew the game’s outcome ahead of time, after having more than an hour to discuss issues with the candidates in the theatre lobby before the Q&A. The game seemed out of reach quickly.
COMMUNITY
Chicken confidential: breaking municipal law 1 egg at a time BY SIMON MARTIN
smartin@yrmg.com
Some laws are made to be broken. That’s at least how Dave Farlow sees it. The King Township resident walks around on egg shells worried that bylaw officers will get wind of his backyard chickens. That’s why he’s using a fake name for this interview. “I’m always worried about getting caught,” he said. Farlow has been tending to backyard chickens since 2012 and can’t recommend it enough for others to try, even though it is against the law. Growing up on a farm, Farlow said the motivation to get backyard chickens was simple. “I wanted to be closer to my food,” he said. After reading a few books on raising the animals, Farlow built a coop and got his neighbours on board so they wouldn’t turn him in. Bylaw works on a complaint basis, so Farlow said it’s important to have a good relationship with your neighbours if you do something like this. He finds the town’s bylaws outdated. “I think they are worried about the thin
GET CONNECTED ❑
TELL US what you think about this issue. Email newsroom@yrmg.com.
edge of the wedge,” he said. “That if they give an inch, people will take a mile.” Farlow’s three chickens produce roughly 14 eggs a week. “That’s good healthy food with minimal effort,” he said. What is of greater importance for Farlow is that the chickens in his backyard have a far better life than those at a factory farm. They can roam free in his backyard in the evening before heading into the coop for the night. “We have great enjoyment watching them,” he said. Farlow is one of many York Region residents flouting municipalities’ bylaws in order to raise chickens. Albert Wong (not his real name) is another Mike Barrett/Metroland
Backyard chicken egg enthusiasts worry they will get their wings clipped by the authorities if they reveal their identities.
See page A10.
“Over 50 Award Winning Years in York region”
MARKETS LIKE THIS SELLERS NEED
Bill Jenkins BROKER C
M
Y
EXPERIENCE, TRUST AND KNOWLEDGE. ®
Call Bill & Brenda Jenkins today! 905-727-1941
15004 YONGE STREET, AURORA
Brenda Jenkins SALES
REPRESENTATIVE