Page PB THE AURORAN, Thursday, Aug 31, 2017 THE AURORAN, Thursday, Aug 31, 2017 Page 1 Selling Aurora Homes For Over 20 Years Different Market SALES • LEASING • SERVICE Different C Strategy! A QUICK LANE • PARTS N Call Me to Learn More!N A W D O A T ’S Y 15815 Yonge Street, Aurora www.RealEstateAurora.com BIRTHDA Karen Walker Sales Representative, 14799 Yonge St., Aurora 905-727-3154 11--888080-24653--03481419 Residential Real Estate Services 150 Aurora’s Community Newspaper CMCA Vol. 17 No. 45 905-727-3300 theauroran.com FREE Week of Aug 31, 2017 AUDITED ENTER THE GUARDIANS – Movie lovers were able to get up close and personal with the Guardians of the Galaxy last week thanks to members of Marquee Theatrical Productions. They added that special touch to Thursday night’s screening of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which unspooled at Town Park for Aurora’s Movies in the Park program. The film series wraps up this Thursday, August 31, at Hickson Park with Trolls. Auroran photo by Glenn Rodger A new baby signals beginning of new chapter for sponsored Syrian family By Brock Weir very uncertain circumstances. girl. “Living in a hell hole for a while, SAVE THE DATE! She was pregnant in the camp and you would want to go anywhere too. 2017 Aurora Chamber A new life is the start of a new page by the time they were approached for Once they said yes, they started getting in many a family’s book, but for a local a refugee opportunity in Canada, they really scared because people were TECH EXPO Syrian family, Sunday night marked were a family of six facing a crucial saying, ‘Oh, you’re going to a country Thursday, October 19th the beginning of an important – and decision and, bravely, they decided to where the sun never comes out, where 2-7pm exciting – new chapter for them as they leap into the unknown. it is cold, dark and gloomy,’ but they King’s Riding Golf Club welcomed their first Canadian-born They became the first Syrian refugee said for the first time they set foot down b a b y. family sponsored by the Interfaith here it has been a positive, incredible When they left Syria, this family of Refugee Resettlers (IRR), a group and amazing experience.” five – a mom, Hanaa, dad Mehsen, and of volunteers from Aurora United Jumping into the unknown is three kids, including a toddler – had Church, Trinity Anglican Church, and always a scary prospect, but they to walk for 22 days, often in perilous the Newmarket Islamic Centre. needn’t have worried as they arrived circumstances, to reach safety from “They were willing to go anywhere,” at Pearson International Airport their war-torn homeland. says Mae Khamissa, a founding last winter. They were greeted by Reaching the Jordanian border, the member of the IRR, who was honoured the warmth of IRR’s enthusiasm family did their very best to provide to be selected as birthing coach for the some level of comfort for their kids in mother of the as-yet-unnamed baby Continued on page 19 Hospital security guard charged with two counts of sexual assault By Brock Weir A 24-year-old Aurora man faces two charges of sexually assaulting a 16-year- old girl and a 19-year-old woman. Charged is Pabiram Ravichandran of Aurora who was a contracted security guard at Southlake Regional Health Centre, according to York Regional Police. THE VEGETARIAN OPTION – Ribfest is all about the meat on the grill, but Kaylee decided to be a bit of a rebel, crunching into a freshly roasted cob of corn. Actually, corn was a very popular option “In July 2017, York Regional Police as Ribfest took over Machell Park last Friday through Sunday. For full coverage of the festivities, please began an investigation into a contracted see Page 6. Auroran photo by Glenn Rodger Continued on page 7 Page 2 THE AURORAN, Thursday, Aug 31, 2017 THE AURORAN, Thursday, Aug 31, 2017 Page 3 Province puts future of historic college building up in the air By Brock Weir La Salle College days, lost employment opportunities, and various issues of It has gone by many names over its first historical interest. century, whether it is De La Salle College, “There were two major institutions Pine Ridge hospital, or any number of that had a lot to do with the history of Provincial departments. Soon, it could your community and I think that should add another name to the list: history. be taken into consideration,” said Jeff The Province of Ontario has put the Andersen, who works at 50 Bloomington. wheels in motion to declare the building “One of the things we’re trying to find surplus and put the extensive property are grave sites of some of the brothers on the northwest corner of Yonge and that worked there and the proposals are Bloomington up for sale. going right over them. We would have Paving the way for a potential land to find the grave sites before we can sale, the Ministry of Infrastructure continue on. Take that storied history is seeking zoning amendments which into consideration.” would, in turn, allow for the building at Added Asha Fortini, “Once I left home, its core to be razed and paved over for a I really wanted to continue living in new housing development. The Provincially owned building, formerly De La Salle College and later Pine Ridge, is located at 50 Aurora, raise my family in Aurora, and This fall, Aurora’s Heritage Advisory Bloomington Road. Auroran photo by Brock Weir work in Aurora. I have been lucky that I Committee (HAC) is expected to go class action lawsuit was settled earlier “They are strictly hypothetical, but have been able to do so. It affords me quite through the Province’s application, after this year and the resulting $36 million they illustrate how modest residential a bit of work-life balance. On my lunch Council put the brakes on the process settlement will be used to provide infill could be accommodated on the hours I can run out and get that birthday following a Public Planning meeting this compensation for residents not only of site without negatively impacting the gift I forgot and I am shopping in Aurora. past spring. Pine Ridge, but eleven similar institutions important views and vistas, and it will I can grab my groceries on my way home Originally facing a motion to send the as well. complement the overall character of the and I am doing that in Aurora. It was a application from Public Planning directly Following its use as a hospital, the area and make good use of the existing very deliberate decision to work and to General Committee for subsequent facility was retrofitted for use by the urban infrastructure and services in the continue to reside in Aurora… it would Council approval, Councillors slowed Province as offices for a number of area,” said Amy Shepherd of IBI Group be a very crucial decision on if I would down the process asking not only for a ministries, including the Ministry of presenting the options to Council. continue to live in Aurora to work and further report from staff to address the Transportation. As this is, at the moment, strictly raise my family.” many concerns voiced by residents and Now, those days are all but over and a hypothetical situation, there is still While Council members agreed there employees at the building alike, but to the Province is seeking to strip the a process the Province will need to go are many more questions that need to be send it to HAC for their input as well. property of its “major institutional”, through. First the 13.3 hectares need to be answered before they can weigh in further, “There is a lot of stuff that needs to “minor institutional” and environmental formally deemed surplus and sold, a sale some expressed concerns that changing be looked at here,” said Councillor Jeff function area” status to permit cluster which will be offered in a hierarchy first existing zoning on the property is really Thom, voicing his concerns over heritage residential. While the majority of the to other Provincial ministries, then to the the Province asking the Municipality aspects of the property, and making the land currently owned by the Province Region of York, the Town, and followed for help in realising the maximum profit motion to send the matter to HAC. “I is deemed undevelopable due to by other non-profits. from the sale of their land. am not in favour, at least at this point in environmental protection, planners for This process, she estimated, could take “There is a lot of uncertainty over time.” the Province have outlined three different up to a year. the future development of the site,” said The building in question was built in scenarios on how to maximize the land Surrounding lands have already been Councillor Michael Thompson, drawing 1915 as the seminary De La Salle College, that can be developed. declared surplus, with the Town of parallels to a recent application to rezone which housed a Catholic order whose The first concept shows between 140 Aurora’s expression of interest in the the land on which the former south history is reflected in the natural feature, and 153 residential units, with 45 single land for new parkland the bid favoured Aurora Canadian Tire, now for sale, is Monk’s Walk, which is to be preserved detached houses and up to 108 units by the Province.