$1.00 Your Independent Local News Source Vol 3 No 36 Wednesday, July 2 2008 Plans for Durham $45 million transit hotel move raises bus fares forward By Courtney Duffett The Oshawa Express By Jessica Verge Hilton but will be a recog- The Oshawa Express nized brand name, which Durham residents can expect transit fare Vrancor is expected to increases starting in July. A $45 million hotel will announce in the fall. Regional council approved an average improve the image of Regardless of the name, increase of 3 per cent in most fare categories, Oshawas downtown, hopes Parkes is certain itll be a which will take effect July 1. an Oshawa councillor. beautiful structure. The increase was recommended to support This is a very, very sub- The design is utterly increasing operating costs and minimizing the stantive development, says spectacular, she says. impact of funding transit services with proper- Louise Parkes, councillor This is a really good ty tax increases, according to Neil Killens, for Wards 5 and 6 and chair builder. deputy general manager of support services for of the development services While the city has Durham Region Transit. committee, who toured agreed to provide up to (Taking the bus) is a far more economical Oshawa with Burlington- $300,000 or 50 per cent of means of getting to and from places, says based Vrancor the total cost (whichever is Killens, despite the rise in fuel prices. Development less) for any envi- See FARE Page 5 Corporation before ronmental clean- they decided on up, Parkes says the site currently almost all funds Councillors known as Queen used to construct Market Square. the building will Parkes expects come from the pri- not convinced construction on the vate sector. plot of land cover- Meanwhile, by Sarnia ing 67 to 75 plans for other Simcoe St. N. will Louise Parkes downtown hotels begin next spring, are currently on ethanol tour including a reme- hold. By Jessica Verge diation of the site, which is Feroze Virani of The Oshawa Express considered a brownfield Heathrow Properties Inc. after previous industrial use announced plans to open A tour of Sarnias ethanol refinery gave led to contamination. hotels at two sites: 63 King local councillors a sneak peek at the inner Vrancor currently has St. E. and 11 Simcoe St. S. workings of the plant proposed for Oshawas two Hilton Garden Inn and began construction on waterfront but it didnt do much to change hotels in the the former last year. opinions about the planned location. Toronto/Burlington area However, Parkes says Im absolutely disgusted at the location, and Niagara-on-the-Lake that construction has since says Oshawa Mayor John Gray of FarmTech with 10 properties currently ceased as the Simcoe prop- Energy Corporations proposal to build an under construction or in erty is going to house the ethanol plant at the Oshawa harbour. development throughout University of Ontario Photo by Courtney Duffett/The Oshawa Express And after seeing a working ethanol plant Southern Ontario. The deal Institute of Technologys firsthand, Grays belief didnt waver. He main- on the Oshawa site closes Faculty of Education tains that locating such a refinery at Oshawas this month. instead and thats where Aiming for the top harbour is a bad idea. Parkes says the Oshawa Viranis attention has A Black Rock Climbers employee helps Lauryn Langley, 6, climb the wall during Canada I had that confirmed for me, he says, hotel likely wont be a turned. Day festivities at Lakeview Park in Oshawa. For more Canada Day photos see page 10. See MAYOR Page 5 Local couple trails impaired driver from LCBO store Police are recognizing an Oshawa The driver of the Neon was involved couple after they helped with the arrest in a minor rear end accident when she of an impaired female driver with her forced the complainants vehicle to four-year-old in the back seat of the swerve out of the lane to avoid rear-end- vehicle. ing her, when she unexpectedly locked The episode began at the LCBO at up her brakes. The vehicle was stopped Taunton Road East and Harmony Road and investigated near Copperfield Drive North in Oshawa around 5:20 p.m. on on Harmony Roar North. June 23. A concerned couple observed The driver, a 29-year-old Oshawa three intoxicated women denied service woman, was arrested for impaired oper- at the LCBO store. One of the ation of a motor vehicle and women, the driver of a 2003 the passenger, a 29-year-old Dodge Neon, was accompa- Whitby woman was arrested nied by her four-year-old son. for public intoxication. The After being turned away third female who returned to Photo by Jessica Verge/The Oshawa Express from the store, the three the liquor store was also The Nolan family, joined by Habitat for Humanity Durham and sponsors, turns the sod on the site of their future Dean Avenue home. women had an argument out- charged with being intoxicat- side the LCBO and two of the ed in a public place. The child women left the scene in the was picked up at the scene by Neon with the child placed in his paternal grandparents. Habitat for Humanity the rear seat. The third woman Investigation into the inci- walked away but returned and dent resulted in the driver of was arrested. the vehicle being further charged with makes Oshawa The complainants contacted police exceeding .08, dangerous driving, theft and followed the Neon south on and possession of stolen property under Harmony Road North where the driver $5,000 (from the liquor store), failing to crossed over into the northbound lanes provide the necessities of life and aban- familys dreams real multiple times. At Beatrice Street East doning a child. By Jessica Verge urgent need for better housing. and Harmony Road North, the driver The passenger was further charged The Oshawa Express We feel we have the right family, says went into a four-wheel lock up and nar- with uttering threats as well as abandon- Valerie Cranmer, chair of the family selection rowly missed rear-ending stopped traf- ing a child based on her ability to have For Ken and Diane Nolan, the reality that and partnering committee for Habitat for fic. stopped the endangerment to the child. theyll finally be homeowners, after 21 years Humanity Durham. of marriage and four children, feels surreal. This fall, the NolansKen and Diane and Its still like a dream, says Diane Nolan, their children Kapri, 14, Austin, 13, Chelsea, Durham and Kingston cops after learning last week that her family was 8, and Saleen, 6will move into a four-bed- chosen as the occupants of Oshawas first room, two-bathroom bungalow on the east Habitat for Humanity home. side of Dean Avenue, which means the family team up to bust predator The Nolans, of six wont have to A 25-year-old Kingston man has been search at his residence and seized two whove been renting a share a single bath- charged with Internet luring after police computers and a quantity of storage rundown house near room anymore. Its say he set up a meeting with a 13-year- media from the Kingston home. the Oshawa Centre the perfect design, old girl at a Kingston bus station. The 25-year-old has been charged for the past 12 years, says Nolan, an On June 24 around 11:30 a.m., with luring, invitation to sexual touch- applied in April to the Oshawa native. Her Durham police, with help from the ing, attempting sexual assault and non-profit organiza- husband, who origi- Kingston Police street crime and sexual attempting sexual interference. tion, which aims to nally hails from assault units, arrested the man at a bus The accused was held for bail hearing provide safe, afford- Ireland, suffers from station in Kingston. at the courthouse in Oshawa. able housing across a lung disease that The investigation began in April 2008 Police have information that the the globe. makes it difficult to when a Port Perry family contacted accused has had contact with other And safe housing climb the stairs in police and reported that a 25-year-old young girls in a similar way in Canada was exactly what the their current home. man had invited their 13-year-old and the United States. As a result, police Nolans were looking And owning a home daughter to travel to Kingston by bus to are asking anyone who has had contact for, having had peo- provides the security meet him for a sexual purpose. The man with the accused or the online name ple break into their renting doesnt, adds set up the arrangements during conver- theleprecahun16ster to call police. backyard in one An illustration of Oshawas first Habitat for Nolan, who used to sations that had taken place on the Police are reminding parents to instance and attempt Humanity home. worry how she would Internet over MSN Messenger and ensure that their computers are in the to steal their van in pay the rent if some- Hotmail. living room or kitchen of their residence another. thing happened to Ken, whos on disability. Police, with the permission of the and they do not allow young children to I dont feel safe anymore, says Nolan of Habitat for Humanity tailors mortgages to family, then took over the online identi- use a web cam. Furthermore, children their current living situation. the income of the families, allowing them to ty of the 13-year-old female victim as should only chat online with people they When the call went out for Habitat for pay what they can afford while pitching in part of the investigation.