THE Thinking of We FIT Hardwood? YoYour Lifefe Give your home a Group Fitness Classes new look for Fall News Advertiser We are Durham’s flooring experts Before Work, After Work and Canada Hardwood PICKERING Everywhere in Between! Flooring Inc. search PickeringFIT 1547 Bayly St., Pickering 905-420-3285 Friday, October 28, 2011 cityofpickering.com www.canadahardwoodflooring.ca REGION 3 Crunching numbers Council looking at 2.35-per cent tax hike MUSIC 15 Songwriting Workshop coming to St. Francis Centre SPORTS 17 RYAN PFEIFFER / METROLAND PICKERING -- Mary Cook, here with SilverStone Gallery director Gary Faulkner, is participating in Pickering’s new Cultural Directory as a Rocking member of PineRidge Arts Council, which runs the gallery. the house Annandale curlers fare well Pickering to showcase local culture at Oshawa event ORGANIZATIONS, ARTISTS AND MORE TO BE LISTED IN NEW DIRECTORY MOYA DILLON directory of cultural and tourism information recreation for the City of Pickering, said the facebook.com/newsdurham [email protected] for residents and visitors alike. As part of the new directory is reflective of a general shift City’s cultural strategic plan, staff are com- towards cultural tourism that is occurring twitter.com/newsdurham PICKERING -- Cultural assets across Pickering pleting GIS mapping of the different cultural across the North American tourism industry. will now be easier to find thanks to the cre- assets throughout the community, which will “Cultural tourism is place-based rather than Pressrun 53,400 • 24 pages ation of a cultural directory. then be made available in a comprehensive attraction-based,” Ms. Carpino said. • Optional 3-week delivery The City of Pickering Cultural Directory web directory complete with profiles. $6/$1 newsstand and Mapping initiative will be a web-based Marisa Carpino, acting manager, culture and See PICKERING page 8 Full, Partial & BPS Dentures Implant Dentures Deegan Denture Clinic Same Day Relines & Repairs Soft Liners Michael Deegan DD 134 Harwood Ave. S.,Ajax House Calls Available (In the Ajax Plaza in the corner by Home Hardware) Complimentary Consultations Saturday Appointments Available “Denture Services – A FamilyTradition for Over 30Years!” 905-683-6074 2 AP PAID ADVERTISEMENT October 28, 2011 October 28, Toronto Gold, Silver and Diamond Buyers paying on the spot for valuables next week in News Advertiser • Pickering & Whitby! By David Morgan STAFF WRITER BUYING ALL Pickering & Whitby area residents are in for a rare treat when the Toronto Gold, Silver and Diamond Buyers (TGSDB) GOLD & SILVER host an event here November 1st - 5th at both locations. The company has identified this region as prime territory JEWELLERY CHECK IT OUT! for purchasing valuable diamonds and precious metals— especially gold and silver. The TGSDB estimates that local residents have millions of dollars worth of valuables that they In addition to scrap gold, fine jewellery and diamonds, WHO INTERNATIONAL GOLD, no longer need or want. That is where the TGSDB comes coins are always a big hit. Offers will be made on most SILVER & DIAMOND BUYERS in—they specialize in buying those items from local sellers coins dated 1967 and earlier—gold coins, silver dollars, throughout Canada. half dollars, quarters, nickels and dimes. Enright explains, WHAT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TO Items like gold coins, sterling silver, tea sets and old or “Canadian coins made before 1967 are worth more than SELL THEIR GOLD, SILVER, broken engagement rings are in high demand and are being their legal tender amount because they can contain up to DIAMONDS & TREASURES purchased in massive quantities. Another great way to see 92.5% silver. Rare dates and mint marks can make them even PICKERING your profits add up quickly is through selling scrap gold. This more valuable. We recently paid $78,000 for an amazing WHERE COMFORT INN can include mismatched earrings, class rings, herringbone coin collection. One couple brought in a rusty coffee can 533 KINGSTON RD. necklaces, etc.—anything that contains gold can dramatically filled with silver coins, sawdust, and a dead spider. Thecan DIRECTIONS: 905.831.6200 raise the amount of cash you walk away with. had been in the basement for years. We were happy to send Currently on a national tour, TGSDB has included them home with a check for more than $700!” WHITBY Pickering & Whitby on its list of stops for a limited Pickering & Whitby area residents should start collecting WHITBY CURLING CLUB engagement. Residents are urged to mark their calendar for their valuables now to bring to the free event, which runs next 815 BROCK ST.N this special opportunity to meet one-on-one with gold, silver Tuesday - Saturday. Offers will be made and cash will be (BETWEEN HWY 2 & MANNING) and diamond specialists. paid on the spot. Attendance is expected to be high, but no DIRECTIONS: 905.668.5021 Because of TGSDB’s low overhead, extensive resources appointment is needed. Enright encourages everyone to take and massive volume, the company is often able to pay out advantage of this special opportunity to meet directly with WHEN NOVEMBER 1ST - 5TH more than other dealers and retailers. Many customers are specialists at the Toronto Gold, Silver and Diamond Buyers. TUESDAY–FRIDAY 9AM–6PM surprised at how much they are offered for seemingly small He concludes, “It’s a great chance for people to cash in their SATURDAY 9AM–4PM amounts. “I had two bent herringbone necklaces, a class ring, old diamonds, jewellery, coins and scrap gold. This is a Saturday and some outdated earrings that I brought to a show. I walked seller’s market. We’re only here till , so don’t miss INFORMATION 217.787.7767 out with $425 in less than 15 minutes,” said a satisfied guest. out!” Providing an economic boost to each region it visits, the TGSDB projects to pay out $350,000 at each event—a testament to the high volume of items they purchase and the prime prices being paid. Offers are made based on rarity, What We Buy: collectability, condition and market value. NOW HIRING Company spokesman Matthew Enright says, “We just paid $4,700 for a loose 1.25 carat diamond. Our mission WE ARE A MULTI-NATIONAL is to pay local residents on the spot for sterling silverware, COMPANY WITH HUNDREDS OF loose diamonds, fine jewellery, coins and precious metals— especially silver and gold.” The company has seen a huge WELL PAYING JOBS AVAILABLE influx of gold lately. “Customers have been scrambling to cash into the record-high value of gold,” adds Enright. For LOCAL AND NATIONAL those who are unsure if their item is genuine gold or silver, or simply costume, the company will test it for free. “The best POSITIONS AVAILABLE strategy is to bring all items to the show for a free evaluation by our specialists. It always amazes me how a small handful MANY SALARIES STARTING AT of gold and silver can turn into hundreds of dollars in just a $45,000 AND UP few moments. We test and weigh items right on the spot,” Enright says. At a recent show, a small-town dentist had a nice TO LEARN MORE ABOUT POSITIONS pay day. “I have been collecting dental gold for years from AVAILABLE & TO APPLY, STOP BY THE patients who didn’t want their extracted teeth. It really added SHOW OR VISIT US AT up—my check is for over $31,000!” While most people don’t have buckets of dental gold at their fingertips, they do WWW.THRASSOCIATES.COM have $750 worth of scrap gold scattered throughout their homes, according to industry specialists. durhamregion.com REGION 3 AP Durham looking at 2.35-per cent tax increase October 28, 2011 October 28, Cops would get quarters would soon need to be expanded to accommodate Ajax Mayor Steve Parish said the recommendation is “very more staff. modest,” adding the increase isn’t “gouging.” almost $7 million more “Increasing the size of Durham Region’s headquarters “I’m surprised Coun. Aker, with his experience, is say- astounds me,” Mr. Milosh said, noting the building only ing what he says. We don’t have funds in the bank. Those KEITH GILLIGAN opened in 2005. funds are almost 99.9 per cent committed. We can’t raid our News Advertiser • [email protected] Growth in the size of the Region is “a significant strain on reserves,” Mayor Parish stated. taxpayers. Our tax bill is starting to resemble a mortgage. Pickering Councillor Bill McLean said going below two DURHAM -- Regional residents are facing a 2.35- It should be more like house insurance. It should be an per cent would mean “something has to be cut.” per cent increase on the Durham portion of their tax expense and not a burden.” Clarington Councillor Willie Woo supported the 2.35-per bill in 2012. Whitby Councillor and finance committee chairman Don cent increase, saying, “Staff has done a good job to hold the That works out to a $54 increase on the region- Mitchell defended the staff report with the budget target, rate to the rate of inflation.” al portion of the tax bill on a home assessed at saying, “This is a guideline to staff. This is a ceiling. We don’t The final budget is expected to go to Regional Council on $300,000. know the floor, but this is the ceiling.” Feb. 15 of next year. The increase could decrease as regional council- lors go through departmental budgets early next year. Councillors voted 20-2 to approve the target dur- ing a meeting on Wednesday, with Oshawa Coun- cillors John Aker and Tito-Dante Marimpietri voting against the target. “We’re all interested in keeping taxes as low as possible. We can do better than a 2.35-per cent increase,” Coun.