RCH_S_OCT04

Page 1

11685 Y ong #A3 e St (1 Ligh 06 t North of 19th )

THE LIBERAL ■

$1 STORE SALES /40 PAGES

Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012

Flying Chinese flag causes local flap

We’re Hiring! Experienced & Newer Agents CALL GARY or LEVON

905-508-9500 info@remaxinfinite.com Gary Chahinian Broker/Owner

905-881-3373 881-3373

Levon Nazarian Broker of Record/Owner

THE GREAT ESCAPE It may have been all in fun, but Matthew Karanicolopoulos learns how to safely climb out an escape window with the help of volunteer Mike Hermanovsky at Saturday’s fire hall open house. October is fire prevention month, where fire officials share life-saving lessons with families. If you missed the fun, take heart. A new fire hall opens in Richmond Hill Oct. 20, with similar family activities. For story and more photographs, see page 3.

BY KIM ZARZOUR

kzarzour@yrmg.com

An attempt to foster diversity in Richmond Hill and Markham has caused division, instead, among Chinese-Canadians. The two municipalities held ceremonies recently to recognize National Day of the People’s Republic of China. TRADE TRIP It was, said Richmond Hill Mayor TO CHINA Dave Barrow, a gesMayors head east next month ture of goodwill “in to drum up business/p. 14 recognition of a which45,000 Another flagpole needed?/ country of our residents call p. 6 their homeland”. Some ex-pats, however, say Canadian municipalities should not be involving themselves in international politics, or raising the flag for a Communist regime. Several residents with Chinese backgrounds sent letters to local, provincial and federal politicians expressing their concern and started a petition in an attempt to cancel ceremonies. “We must never forget this is the same party, the same people, who slaughtered thousands of students in Tiananmen Square and never said ‘I’m sorry, I did wrong’,” said Richmond Hill’s Zhuofu Li, who immigrated from that country 20 years ago. “The problem is, our politicians seem to forget who they’re dealing with. They want to turn See ‘NOTHING WRONG’, page 12.

Publicationmail agreement #40051189

R I C H M O N D H I L L’ S C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R S I N C E 1 8 7 8

STAFF PHOTO/ STEVE SOMERVILLE

Battles brew in schools, homes as teachers vote BY KIM ZARZOUR

kzarzour@yrmg.com

As York Region’s elementary teachers head to the polls for their strike vote tonight, classrooms, staff rooms and family rooms are increasingly divided over the prolonged school labour dispute. Unions aren’t just battling with the province, but teachers are clashing over whether or not to cancel extracurriculars and parents disagreeing on how to deal with the loss of school clubs and teams. Tonight’s vote for the region’s 4,800

elementary teachers will take place at Markham Fairgrounds, the first time in the federation’s history the entire region votes together. Local president David Clegg is predicting record-high support for a strike mandate in keeping with what’s occurring elsewhere in the province. Many teachers say they’re angry, not so much with the province’s wage freeze under Bill 115, but the loss of collective bargaining rights and the changes to sick day benefits.

Roxiane Alexander, a Richmond Hill resident and elementary teacher in Toronto, said the legislation “essentially stole teachers’ sick bank, which believe it or not we need because we get sick when parents send their children to school ill instead of keeping them home”. A strike mandate tonight doesn’t necessarily mean teachers will walk off the job. Bill 115 allows the education ministry to step in to prevent or stop a strike. But it See PRESSURE, page 8.

VISIT YORKREGION.COM FOR BREAKING NEWS, PHOTO GALLERIES AND MORE / HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR TO MBECK@YRMG.COM

SHUTTER SALE ON NOW

Sun Shades WINDOW FASHIONS

PALM BEACH SHUTTERS Free INSTALLATION

255 Bass Pro Mills VAUGHAN

10909 Yonge St RICHMOND HILL

905-738-8955

905-770-9705

CERTIFIED INTERIOR DECORATORS

FOR YOUR

Custom Drapery NEEDS!

www.sunshadesblinds.ca NS

• TORONTO • AURORA • RICHMOND HILL • OAKVILLE • VAUGHAN • MISSISSAUGA •


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
RCH_S_OCT04 by Richmond Hill Liberal - Issuu