The Pickering BLAISDALE B I L • SUNROOMS A R MONTESSORI I O S S • WINDOWS D S A L T E • ROOFING E M O N • DOORS SCHOOL Life is GOOD in a Lifestyle Home! Beijing OPEN Thurs. August 21, 2008 Visit our showroom @ 7:00 p.m. Westney Campus 239 Station St., Ajax 2008 HOUSE 20 O’Brien Court, Ajax 905-686-2445 Women’s softball team goes 2-0 / Mike Brown in the pool / 905-509-5005 www.lifestyleproducts.ca Durham athletes to watch for / 4-PAGE SECTION 11-14 Blaisdale.com 12 months - grade 8 ✦ 24 PAGES ✦ Pressrun 51,400 ✦ Optional delivery $6/Newsstand $1 ✦ THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2008 Get local 24/7 newsdurhamregion.com Hundreds of homes flooded ‘The toilet was just overflowing, it was like a geyser’ Region can’t guarantee it ‘will never happen again.’ By Reka Szekely [email protected] DURHAM — Dumpsters and mounds of garbage that were once prized possessions dotted Durham neighbourhoods on Tues- day as hundreds of residents tossed out the contents of their basements after a storm Monday caused a backup of sanitary sewer flow and flooding in their homes. The downpour overwhelmed pumping stations in Ajax, Whitby and Oshawa causing toilets, showers and floor drains to overflow in some neighbourhoods. “The toilet was just overflowing, it was like a geyser,” said Whitby resident Sue Lytwyn. Ms. Lytwyn and her husband Bil fought the flow, eventually opening the door of their walkout basement so the water could flow out. For the Annes Street residents, this was Jason Liebregts/ News Advertiser photo the third flood in eight years. They were Lawrie Road resident Jamie Derusha cleans up after his home flooded on Monday. A number of residents suffered damage to their homes after sew- also flooded in 2000 and 2005. Last time, the age pumps couldn’t handle the water following the storm. This is the third time homes in the area have flooded since 2000. couple’s insurance claim totalled more than $100,000. They estimate at least 30 homes on their street were affected this time. up through the floor drains in people’s base- some action, we need some answers. I love eventually rebuilt. In the meantime, flood- In total, Durham works commissioner ments,” he said on Wednesday. my neighbourhood, I still need my home.” ing will continue to be a threat to some Cliff Curtis said 100 or so homes were flood- Victoria Derucha, who lives on Lawrie But Mr. Curtis said the Region has worked neighbourhoods. ed and the early speculation was the storm Road in south Ajax where more than a dozen to improve the situation, disconnecting “There’s no guarantee it will never happen was more severe than a one-in-a-hundred- homes were affected, was also flooded in cross-connections where sanitary sewers again, if we get a big enough storm, it’s going years storm. 2000 and 2005 and she has questions for and storm sewers meet and deepening sew- to happen,” he said. “Some people would “Apparently last night we had so much Durham officials. ers. In older neighbourhoods where founda- point to climate change, I hesitate to do that, infiltration in the system that the pumps got “How do you go through 30 years and not tion drains pour storm waters into the sewer but we seem to be getting more severe and overwhelmed and then the sewers backed have any floods and we have three floods in system, Mr. Curtis estimates it will take 50 to up and if they back up high enough, it pops eight years?” said Ms. Derucha. “We need 100 years to disconnect them as homes are ✦ See Insurance, Page 2 DURHAM’S LARGEST SHOWROOM ÃÌ棂 110 HOPKINS ST. WHITBY, ON (DUNDAS & HOPKINS) 24 HOUR Once a year showroom EMERGENCY Instantaneous www.coolandheat.ca SERVICE clear out 905-430-2033 • 1-866-286-1203 Hot Water Heater SAVE THOUSANDS scratch & dented fi replaces, GET $500 IN (IGH%FlCIENCY air conditioners & furnaces. GOVERNMENT SAVE &URNACE REBATES #ENTRAL!IR Hurry in, they will go fast! UP TO GY$1500 COSTS! IN #ONDITIONER Save Money, Space ENER & Energy! &2/- /2fÈÓÉ" / P PAGE 2 THE NEWS ADVERTISER, August 14, 2008 durhamregion.com Insurance tough to get after flooding ✦ Insurance from page 1 “Five thousand dollars will buy me noth- ing. It won’t replace the flooring we’ve lost in more frequent thunderstorms.” the basement,” said Ms. Middleton. Despite The Region pays $400 to homeowners her family working until 3 a.m. bailing and whose basements flood from the sanitary pumping water, none of the rooms in her sewers. They can call the emergency works basement were saved. line at 905-576-9991 or 1-800-272-1104 to She said she’d sell the house if she thought ask for it. That’s cold comfort for Margaret she could, but that’s unlikely given that ho- Middleton of Lawrie Road in Ajax, who said meowners have to disclose flooding history. she feels sick every time it rains because of The Lytwyns in Whitby also fear they’ll the possibility of flooding. Ms. Middleton lose their insurance. said she was told about the 2000 flood before They thought the problem was solved she bought her home. after construction work on their street a “We were told it flooded, but we were told couple of years ago and went ahead and it was a one-in-a-million chance of it hap- fully finished and furnished their basement. pening again,” she said. They lost almost everything. After the 2005 flood, her insurance com- The toughest part, said Mr. Lytwyn, is ex- pany paid out $98,000. After that, she lost plaining it to his four-year-old daughter and her insurance. seven-year-old son. And despite calling every company she “My son said, ‘what did I do wrong for me could think of, she couldn’t get more than to lose my toys twice’.” $5,000 worth of coverage. As a result, she Walter Passarella/ News Advertiser photo and her family, including her adult children, newsdurhamregion.com Work crews remove the flood-damaged contents from the basement of one of the homes on were doing all the cleanup work themselves Watch video from the cleanup Annes Street in Whitby. Many homes on the street had basements flooded with sewage backing up after all the rainfall. on Wednesday. at newsdurhamregion.com Investment Corner An information guide for financial planning For competitive RRSPs, RRIFs, RESPs, Mutual Funds,GIC & High Yield Savings account rates Dundee Private Investors Inc. 244 Kingston Rd. E., Ajax, ON L1Z 1G1 905.427.7000 • www.richardsprice.com For your Retirement Planning WHAT YOUR SAVINGS & GICs ARE EARNING: Richard S. Price Minimum $1,000 / $5,000 investment may apply; non-redeemable GIC Senior Financial Advisor Institution Savings 6 mth. 1 Yr. 3 Yr. 5 Yr. Royal Bank 0.20 1.80 2.25 2.85 3.20 IF RICHARD PRICE (Since 1977) ISN’T DOING YOUR FINANCIAL/INVESTMENT CIBC 0.20 1.85 2.25 2.85 3.20 2.25 2.85 3.20 PLANNING THEN WHO IS? Scotiabank 0.10 1.85 TD Canada Trust 0.05 1.85 2.00 2.60 2.95 Dundee Bank 3.05 2.85 3.15 4.20 4.45 DUNDEE INVESTMENT SAVINGS ACCOUNTS of Canada • No account fees Best Rate GICs N/A 3.71 4.02 4.40 4.60 US$ • Daily interest from fi rst dollar (no minimums, C$ Numbers current as of August 13, 2008 All GIC rates are annual and subject to change without notice at any time. no hidden conditions) Dundee (C$) Investment Savings Account is provided by Dundee Bank of Canada. Annual rate in effect as of July 18, 2008; subject to change without notice. 2.05% • Convenient: available for next day investment 3.05% Other banks rates current as of August 13, 2008 • CDIC insurance-eligible (C$ version only) Sponsored in part by Dundee Wealth Management is a DundeeWealth Inc. Company For more information, please contact Dundee Bank of Canada is a Schedule I Canadian chartered bank and a member of the Scotiabank Group Richard S. Price, Senior Financial Advisor If you have RSPs at another Dundee Private Investors Inc. Financial Institution, 244 Kingston Rd. E., Ajax, ON L1Z 1G1 bring them in for a 905.427.7000 • www.richardprice.ca 2007 complimentary 2nd opinion. Award Winner Investment Corner prints every other Thursday. Contact Michael Briggs at 905.683.5110 ext. 238 or [email protected] if you have a business which can assist the public with their fi nancial planning. durhamregion.com THE NEWS ADVERTISER, August 14, 2008 PAGE 3 A/P Charges laid after laser pointed at police chopper Air 1 crew Members of Air 1’s crew in a statement Tuesday. Air 1 was at an altitude of tics Act. years (involving Air 1),” he were temporarily blinded “We take incidents of 1,200 feet when the blind- He was released Mon- said. blinded by and the pilot had to take this nature very seriously.” ing light struck the craft, day after posting a $10,000 “I know there are others ‘intense’ light evasive action after what Seriously enough that police said. bond and surrendering his involving other aircraft as was described as an in- the accused man, a 31- On-board infrared tech- passport. well.” tense green light struck the year-old visitor from Co- nology pinpointed an indi- Officers struck by the Police released informa- By Jeff Mitchell helicopter, police said. Staff lombia, is facing charg- vidual standing in a drive- laser were checked out tion on the latest incident [email protected] Sergeant Al Mack, head of es that could result in a way below and that infor- by doctors and found to to highlight the extreme the air support unit, said $100,000 fine and up to mation was passed along have no permanent dam- danger caused by such be- AJAX — Charges under the action could have had five years in prison.