$1.00 Your Independent Local News Source Vol 2 No 32 JUNE 20 2007 Buildings face wrecking ball Councillor questions road changes to Gibb Street and Olive Avenue in Oshawa By Jessica Verge The Oshawa Express Nearly 30 downtown Oshawa buildings may face demolition if a decades old idea comes to fruition. A study completed in May examining the feasi- bility of connecting Gibb Street and Olive Avenue determined a technically preferred alignment that would result in the removal of 29 buildings and impact another 66 properties, including a portion of Sunnyside Park, with modifications required for Photos by Jessica Verge/The Oshawa Express porches, staircases, driveways and lawns. The notion of connecting Gibb Street and Olive Avenue has been on the books since the 1960s, first Fiesta fun at Oshawa city hall and then, following its forma- Above, a young dancer represents the Carribbean community at the Fiesta tion, the Region of Durham, whose staff members Parade this past weekend. At right, Mikayla Pereira, left, and Fatima Araujo now control the fate of the project. from the Northern Portugal pavilion make a few slight adjustments before The proposed connection, which has been they head off in the parade. For more on the Fiesta Parade and Fiesta Week, endorsed by the majority of Oshawa councillors, see page 11. would result in a new roadway connecting Olive Avenue to Gibb Street from Ritson Road to Stevenson Road and is aimed at increasing east- west road capacity. Task force attracts 30 “We definitely confirmed there is a need,” says James Garland, project manager in the Region of A doctor shortage persists task force has recruited 28 fami- Health and has been in contact Durham’s works department transportation design despite some strides in attracting ly physicians, five of whom with 116 new physician candi- division. physicians to the area. opened an office practice dates. Without the connection, Oshawa would experi- Oshawa has welcomed near- between January and May 2007. However, Oshawa is still ence significant congestion by 2012, Garland ly 30 new family doctors since Also between January and experiencing a doctor shortage. added. While a final estimated cost has not been 2004 thanks to the efforts of the May 2007, the task force recruit- “We now need 27.5 more determined, he says it will be a multi-million dollar local Physician Recruitment ed two physicians who will open new physicians,” said task force project with construction expected to begin in Task Force. practices this summer, referred member Fred Ball. 2011. Since September 2004, the 10 specialists to Lakeridge See OSHAWA Page 6 The environmental study is currently in its fourth phase, which includes public meetings, con- firmation of the route, identifying the specific addresses that will be impacted and finalizing the Senior dead after church crash report. It will be available to the public for 30 days. A 72-year-old Oshawa man the roadway and struck the front hospital, the driver, Augustine If the finalized study meets Ministry of the died in hospital after the vehicle door area of the church. Mullan, 72, of Edenwood Drive, Environment standards and is approved by region- he was driving collided with a Damage to the front of the succumbed to his injuries. al council, the Region of Durham will move ahead church in Oshawa Sunday morn- church located on the northwest An investigation into the cir- with forming a detailed design and acquiring prop- ing. corner of the intersection was cumstances of the collision are erty, though they have been acquiring affected Witnesses reported that a quite extensive. still ongoing. Road and weather properties since the idea was first brought forward man was operating a 2006 The driver and his female conditions were favourable at more than 30 years ago. Dodge Caravan westbound on passenger were both transported the time of the collision and But not everyone approves of the connection. Taunton Road at the Simcoe to Lakeridge Health Oshawa by alcohol is not a factor, police “I think it’s completely unnecessary,” says Street intersection at 9:40 a.m. Durham EMS with what said. Investigators have not Ward 2 regional councillor Robert Lutczyk. “There and was in the process of chang- appeared to be minor, non life- ruled out a medical episode as a See OSHAWA Page 6 ing lanes when the vehicle left threatening injuries. While at the contributing factor. Pioneer Cemetery tour set for weekend Local residents can pay their respects to nal purpose. ried Stone’s daughter, Mary, with whom he Victorian Strawberry Social for $6. Oshawa pioneers with a tour through one of While the cemetery has been there since settled in Oshawa and had seven children. For information, call the church at 905- the city’s oldest cemeteries. the 1830s, the land was donated to the Ritson died in 1862 and his wife died 10 728-8143 or Alice Sheffield at 905-723- The Oshawa Historical Society is offering Wesleyan Methodist Church in 1837 for a years later. 3183. history buffs a guided tour of the Pioneer chapel and burying ground. At one point, In 1949, a memorial was erected by Cemetery, located on Bond Street just east of there were up to 133 stones in the cemetery Simcoe Street United Park and west of Are, as well as the Simcoe with the earliest recorded burial being Church “in memory Street United Church, which owns the title of Sabrina Dearbourn, age 24, in 1830. The last of those whose names the cemetery, on June 23 at 1 p.m. burial was Barbara Hurd Woon, age 86, in are inscribed hereon The tour is part of the church’s 140th 1906. One of the most notable names buried and of others not anniversary celebrations. Built in 1867 as the in the cemetery is John Ritson. recorded who also Wesleyan Methodist Church, the 66 Simcoe One of the city’s earliest settlers, Ritson sleep here.” St. S. church is the oldest standing structure came to Oshawa after running into some The tour will in downtown Oshawa still used for its origi- trouble in Ottawa. He was refused payment begin at the church for work and would and include demon- not accept an offer of strations of the land in lieu of cash. Casavant pipe organ Eventually he accept- and steeple bell, ed $100 as well as a which was once used horse and wagon, as a back up town fire which broke down in bell and can be heard front of Benjamin at least as far north as Stone’s house on Harmony and Kingston Road. Taunton. The tour Stone had built a will continue with a schoolhouse at which walk to the pioneer Ritson became the cemetery and con- The Pioneer Cemetery dates back to the 1800s and is one of first teacher. He mar- cludes with a Oshawa’s oldest cemeteries. Suspect nabbed after Whitby Robbery Police have arrested a second suspect after a Whitby The female suspect was stopped inside the store and store and coffee shop were robbed earlier this month. held for police by the store clerk and a citizen. The Durham police executed a search warrant at an female suspect, 25, was charged with two counts of rob- address on Ronlea Avenue in Oshawa and arrested a 26- bery, obstructing police and breach of probation. year-old man. A 26-year-old man of no fixed address will be On June 5 at around 1 a.m., Durham police were charged with two counts of robbery, three counts of called to the Coffee Time restaurant on Taunton Road breach of recognizance, two counts of breach of proba- and Thornton Road in Whitby for a report of a robbery. tion and obstructing police. And on June 5 around 10:15 p.m., police were called Anyone with information is asked to contact police at to the Market Basket Variety store on Sawdon Drive in 905-579-1520 ext. 5360. Whitby. Cabbies attacked in South Oshawa Two teens are in custody after a pair of violent rob- The male victim, a City Wide taxi driver reported beries involving two different Oshawa taxi drivers. that he picked up two males at the taxi stand on Bond The attacks occurred within days of each other and Street just west of Simcoe Street in Oshawa. One both were in the same area of Oshawa. In the most male sat in the front passenger seat and the other male recent incident, Durham police were called to the area sat in the rear of the taxi, behind the driver. of Whiting Avenue in south Oshawa shortly after 1 The victim drove the males southbound on Centre a.m. on June 13. Street and continued onto Simcoe Street before The driver of a Taxi Taxi cab reported that he was pulling onto the dead end of Whiting Avenue, near the directed to the dead end of Whiting Avenue by two bike path. male fares he had picked up at a sports bar on Simcoe The male in the back seat grabbed the victim Street South in Oshawa. When they arrived at Whiting around the neck in a chokehold and demanded all his Avenue a male suspect in the back seat wrapped his money. The victim complied and turned over a small arms around the victim’s neck and applied a choke- amount of Canadian money. hold while the victim in the front seat produced a The suspects fled the cab and were last seen run- knife and demanded money. The victim complied and ning westbound towards the creek and bike path.