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MPP Shurman, Thornhill, proud to be a part of largest multi-use facility groundbreaking ceremony

By Kim Zarzour
November 12, 2010
 
Shovels hit the ground this week marking the start of construction for the new World on Yonge project near Steeles Avenue and Yonge Street.
 
The project, by Liberty Development, is being billed as the largest single-phase residential, commercial and retail development in the Greater Toronto Area.
 
The 10-acre site will house a 20-storey office and hotel complex - York Region's tallest non-residential tower  - along with retail space and residential condominiums.
 
"This project is extremely important to the development and growth of Thornhill and the Town of Markham," said Thornhill MPP Peter Shurman, who took part in Wednesday's ground-breaking ceremony with federal, provincial, regional and municipal leaders.
 
Liberty vice president and counsel, Marco Filice, said the transit-oriented, mixed-use community will be in keeping with federal, provincial and regional development objectives, as well as those of the local community.
 
The project "supports the federal government's commitment to expand and improve public transit options, including an extended subway line, in the GTA," he said, "and it amplifies efforts to intensify retail and commercial uses along Yonge Street."
 
World on Yonge, located at the corner of Yonge and Meadowview Avenue, will include a new park, retail space at ground level, a landscaped urban courtyard, 10 floors of office suites and more than 100 hotel units on the top nine floors.
 
There are four residential towers planned for the site; the first two towers are 85 per cent sold out, Mr. Filice said. Suites range from $287,000 to $686,000.
 
Mr. Shurman said the development is expected to create more than 1,200 post-construction jobs.
 
"Integrated transportation hubs within buildings are becoming the norm in many jurisdictions such as London, New York, Washington DC," he said. "Liberty Development is jumping the curve and coming out ahead of the game. I am proud that they have chosen the riding of Thornhill to construct this new landmark of the future."
 
The developers say they are pursuing green initiatives and energy-saving opportunities including energy and water conservation and green roof technologies.
 
Area residents' groups will be watching the development with caution as concerns remain over how the development will impact Thornhill's aging infrastructure.
 
"It's a huge development," said Marilyn Ginsberg, past chairperson of Grandview Area Residents Association. "The infrastructure in general is old and out of date and inadequate."
 
A little over half of Liberty's planned development at Yonge and Steeles has been approved, she said, with the remaining buildings, which would face Doncaster or Meadowview, on hold awaiting mass transit approval.
 
"We don't have a subway and there isn't even a subway on the backburner," she said. The residents group wants to ensure project completion does not get the go-ahead without public transit.
 
Galleria Supermarket, meanwhile, is moving its popular Korean grocery store to a new location across Yonge Street to make way for the Liberty development.
 
The 48,000-square-foot supermarket closed its doors at 7171 Yonge St. last week, according to Chris Younger, manager of business development. The company hopes to open its new store across the street at the old Chapters store location, 7040 Yonge St., by the end of the month.
 
The relocation process has been "interesting", Mr. Younger said, "but the new place is going to be a great store" and will benefit from the large development going in across the street.

Shurman honoured by Italian community

November 5, 2010

The Port Colborne Italian Canadian Cultural Centre was in full force when the Ontario legislature designated June as Italian Heritage month.

On Oct. 7, MPPs from all political parties at Queen’s Park passed the Italian Heritage Month Act, which would designate June as Italian Heritage Month in Ontario. The law recognizes the important economic, political, social and cultural achievements of Italian Canadians.

It’s also an opportunity to remember, celebrate and educate future generations about Ontario’s rich history.
Frank Notte, a member of the Italian Canadian Cultural Centre (ICCC) of Port Colborne was invited to Queen’s Park by Conservative MPP Peter Shurman to watch the debate and passing of the legislation. Shurman, along with Liberal MPP Mario Sergio and NDP MPP Rosario Marchese co-sponsored the legislation.

Notte presented Shurman with a plaque from the ICCC thanking him for his efforts to acknowledge the contributions of Italian
Canadians.

“I was deeply honoured to represent Port Colborne’s Italian community at Queen’s Park to witness June being designated as Italian Heritage Month,” said Notte. “We are grateful to MPP Peter Shurman and MPPs from all three political parties for officially recognizing the contributions made by Italian Canadians to help make Ontario and Canada a better place.”

Notte served on the Board of Directors of the ICCC from 2000 – 2003. During his tenure, he created the ICCC’s coat of arms, and helped oversee the largest renovation of the organization’s history.

Tony DiGiulio, President of the ICCC said June is an appropriate month to have designated as Italian Heritage Month.

“Every June, our membership celebrates the founding of the ICCC, which occurred on June 16, 1935,” DiGiulio said. “June 2 is also Italy’s national holiday – or Festa della Repubblica – that celebrates the founding of the post-World War II Italian republic.”

The ICCC, originally known as the Italian Mutual Benefit Society, was established on June 16, 1935. The organization was established to preserve Italian traditions, offer nominal financial support in times of need for its members and help new immigrants integrate into Canadian society. Today, the ICCC is one of Niagara’s premiere banquet facilities.

MPP Shurman proud to support the Italian community

SNAP Vaughan East.com

Progressive Conservative MPP Peter Shurman (Thornhill) was thrilled at the quick passage of Bill 103 in the Ontario Legislature today. An Act to proclaim the month of June Italian Heritage Month was a Private Member’s Bill of MPP Mario Sergio (York West) which Shurman co-sponsored along with MPP Rosario Marchese (Trinity Spadina).

 

“I am very pleased that my fellow MPPs at Queen’s Park agreed to pass this Bill today and officially make the month of June in Ontario Italian Heritage Month,” Shurman said.

The Bill was introduced on September 16, 2010 and was scheduled for second reading debate today. With the unanimous consent of the Ontario Legislature, the Bill moved directly to third reading and was passed with all party support.
“I congratulate the Italian-Canadian community of Thornhill and Ontario on this official recognition. I am honoured to have taken part in seeing this Bill become law,” Shurman said.

Government making it harder to live in Ontario

 By ANTONELLA ARTUSO, QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU CHIEF
 
The cost of energy and gasoline prices — both slapped with a harmonized sales tax in Ontario — are sparking the province’s nation-leading hike in consumer prices.
 
StatsCan revealed Friday that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Ontario increased 2.9% in September, the highest in the country.
 
For the third month in a row, Ontario has led Canada in increases to the CPI, which measures the inflationary pressure on common household needs.
 
The agency points to price hikes for electricity and passenger vehicles as the cause in Ontario.
 
“As well, drivers paid 5.9% more for gasoline,” the report notes.
 
Tory MPP Peter Shurman said Ontario families are aware of this issue, and are raising it with politicians at the door.
 
Hydro ratepayers have seen dramatic increases in their bills, he said.
 
Gasoline, which prior to the HST was retailing for about 94-to-95 cents a litre in the summer, is now up to $1.08.
 
Jobs are scarce and are being replaced with part-time work, he said.
 
And now the CPI is showing increases of almost 3% in September compared to the previous year.
 
“You can’t expect people to be able to meet the needs on the family,” Shurman said.
 
The provincial government has said that any additional costs to consumers caused by the HST will be short-term as prices eventually adjust downward.

HST causes energy prices to spike

Owen Sound Sun Times
 
The cost of energy and gasoline prices -- both slapped with a harmonized sales tax in Ontario -- are sparking the province's nation-leading hike in consumer prices.
 
StatsCan revealed Friday that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Ontario increased 2.9% in September, the highest in the country.
 
For the third month in a row, Ontario has led Canada in increases to the CPI, which measures the inflationary pressure on common household needs.
 
 
The agency points to price hikes for electricity and passenger vehicles as the cause in Ontario.
"As well, drivers paid 5.9% more for gasoline," the report notes.
 
Tory MPP Peter Shurman said Ontario families are aware of this issue, and are raising it with politicians at the door.

Recession worsening for Toronto residents: TD

By CBC News
 
For many Torontonians, the economic recession hasn't lifted and might even be getting worse, according to a Toronto Dominion Bank report.
 
For many Torontonians, the economic recession hasn't lifted and might even be getting worse, according to a Toronto Dominion Bank report released Friday.
 
The bank found that while the city's economy helped the rest of the country cope with the recession - one in eight jobs in Canada is located in Toronto - an increasing number of people are turning to social assistance as jobless rate climbs over nine per cent.
 
Worse, the report said, is that little improvement is expected in the coming years.
 
Thornhill MPP Peter Shurman, the economic development critic for the Ontario PC party, said the news isn't surprising.
 
"This is not a question of recovering from a recession," Shurman said.
 
"This is a question of hundreds of high-paying manufacturing jobs beginning to disappear in large numbers well before the recession and now being replaced by, generally, part-time service jobs."
 
TD's report confirms Shurman's observation. Despite 110,000 jobs being added to the GTA's economy since September 2009, many Torontonians report being "underemployed" and working unwanted part-time jobs to make ends meet.
 
TD predicts by 2012, the jobless rate might begin to decline but will likely remain around the relatively high rate of 8.5 per cent.
 
Charitable and community organizations, the report said, are being called on to help more people in need but increasingly have to work with fewer resources.
 
The number of people using welfare more than doubled during the economic recession and is continuing to climb in 2010, with many stuck on a waiting list.
 
"We're not recovering any time soon in the province of Ontario," said Shurman.
 
The bright spot in Toronto's economy remains the financial services sector, which continues to grow, the report said.

Like some Halloween ghoul, eco fees may yet rise from the dead, the Ontario Tories warn

By Antonella Artuso, Queen's Park Bureau Chief

Conservative MPP Peter Shurman said the environment ministry’s plan From Waste To Worth still calls for future eco fees on automobiles, mattresses, furniture and small household items such as toys.

“When Dalton McGuinty and Environment Minister John Wilkinson said they want the eco tax program to be simpler and easier for families, it just means they want it buried and hidden so that families don’t know they are being dinged again,” Shurman said Wednesday.

Grahame River, a spokesman for Environment Minister John Wilkinson, says that those ideas for additional eco fees are truly gone.

“We are not introducing eco fees on automobiles or any other products,” Rivers said. “The ‘Waste to Worth’ was a discussion paper, under the former (environment) minister, for consultations with industry and environmental groups. As mentioned, we are not expanding eco fees.”

The Liberal government has established a pattern of promising not to raise taxes, and then reversing course after an election, Shurman said.

One auto manufacturing organization is warning that an eco fee could add up to $1,000 to the cost of each vehicle, he said.

Wilkinson announced Tuesday that he would not reintroduce eco fees brought in over the summer on thousands of common household items.
Pre-existing eco fees on batteries, paint, tires and electronic equipment would stay in place, he said.

PC Leader Tim Hudak had promised to scrap the July 1 eco fees, but has so far committed only to reviewing the earlier ones to determine if those programs are effective.

It was the former government of Mike Harris, which included Hudak, that ushered in the waste diversion legislation that created the possibility of charging eco fees to industries.

Arguing that companies which produce hazardous products should share the cost of disposing them, the Conservatives set up a legislative framework to charge fees to the manufacturers.

“The funding stream is the centrepiece of this piece of legislation,” Tory MPP Julia Munro said at the time.

Under the Dalton McGuinty government, a series of new fees were introduced and, in some cases, directly added to the price consumers paid for those goods.

When in opposition, the Liberals were critical of the bill, arguing that the industry-run program should be kept on a far shorter leash.

“We want a system that is government-controlled and that the government supervises on behalf of all the people of Ontario, not a system where the government wants to set all the rules but then have the rules and regulations somehow administered by the industry itself, and that’s really what’s happening here. That is really a total abdication of responsibilities.” said John Gerretsen, then opposition MPP and later the environment minister who oversaw the eco fee program.

Ontario Government back-tracking on Eco-Fees

By: Dianne Saxe, PhD Lake Superior News
 
In a prepared statement Environment John Wilkinson said, "On July 1st, a new program run by Stewardship Ontario took effect to divert household hazardous waste from landfills. Ontarians quickly recognized that the program that started July 1 was flawed because it applied to some products that made little sense to consumers -- and forced consumers to pay fees, in some cases inconsistently, on some routine household purchases.
 
Programs that existed prior to July 1, 2010, which currently divert, recycle and dispose of electronics, tires and household hazardous wastes such as paint and single-use batteries, will continue. To help ensure these programs are fair and transparent, and that money is used solely to keep hazardous waste out of landfills.
 
Peter Shurman (PC) MPP – Thornhill, stated to Lake Superior News that:
 
This his just the latest example of McGuinty Government backtracking  which wouldn’t have been necessary had he been “in touch” with Ontario families in the first place and known that they are no longer able to afford additional taxes; 
 
Dalton McGuinty thought he could sneak this tax through under the radar while we were all focusing on the introduction of the HST on July 1st; 
 
This was undoubtedly McGuinty creation and the decision to reverse in an election year was his too…and a re-elected McGuinty Government would bring the Eco-Tax right back; 
 
This type of backtrack was nothing less than the government dipping into our pockets once again and having to recant…we’ll continue to remind Ontario families of such behavior during the election campaign.
 
Wilkinson went on to say that they will establish a special team that will investigate incorrect or misleading fees being charged by retailers to Ontarians
 
Ontario will continue to make progress in diverting hazardous waste from landfills to protect our water and land for future generations. The province will begin to provide funding to municipalities to properly manage, recycle and dispose of fire extinguishers, rechargeable batteries, compact fluorescent light bulbs, needles, mercury-containing devices and pharmaceuticals.
 
These changes will ensure that Ontario strikes the right balance between consumer protection and effectively managing waste. 

Ontario Scraps Eco-Fees For Now, MPPs Cautious of Eco-Fee Return by a Different Name

By: The Canadian Press
 
Eco fees slapped on thousands of household products failed to strike the right balance between protecting the environment and protecting consumers, Premier Dalton McGuinty admitted Tuesday as the province announced it would scrap the program.
 
“I'm confident that we have found a better way to strike that balance that is much more sensitive to what our families are going through right now,” Mr. McGuinty said after an unrelated event.
 
“They're very sensitive to additional costs, they're very anxious about the economy, and our responsibility is to be sensitive to that.”
 
The eco fees kicked in July 1, the same day the much-publicized harmonized sales tax took effect in Ontario. But there was no advance warning and consumers felt blindsided by a dizzying array of charges on 9,000 products including bleach, household cleaners and laundry detergent.
 
The government decided to dramatically scale back the recycling program after the complaints, and after realizing most of containers for the products involved can be put into Blue Boxes for recycling as long as they're empty, said Environment Minister John Wilkinson.
 
“What was announced on July 1 wasn't working for people and it wasn't working for us,” admitted Mr. Wilkinson.
 
“We are now entering into an agreement with municipalities about some materials that are definitely hazardous and we have to make sure that they stay out of our landfill.”
 
Municipalities will be given about $8-million a year to help them deal with old fire extinguishers, rechargeable batteries, compact fluorescent light bulbs, needles, pharmaceuticals and any mercury-containing devices, Mr. Wilkinson added.
 
That works out to less than $20,000 per municipality, so it's local property taxpayers that will be on the hook for the recycling, not the manufacturers, warned the New Democrats.
 
“The consumer's still going to pay, but they're going to pay through their property tax bill,” said NDP critic Howard Hampton.
 
“The producers of the waste will get off scot-free here. That's wrong.”
 
The Opposition said the Liberal government had no choice but to back off the eco fees after upsetting so many consumers.
 
“They thought they could get this through on the same day the HST was in our focus, and they didn't get away with it,” said Progressive Conservative critic Peter Shurman.
 
“Ontario families have had enough taxation and what you heard today was the minister saying they're not going to have to deal with an eco tax.”
 
Despite the government's announcement Tuesday, not all eco fees are being scrapped.
 
Programs that existed prior to July 1 which divert, recycle and dispose of tires, electronics such as television sets and household waste such as paint and single-use batteries will continue to charge eco fees to consumers.
 
“We don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater,” said Mr. Wilkinson.
 
After the disastrous start to the new eco fees on July 1, the Liberal government quickly realized it had made a mistake and announced a 90-day review of the program, which resulted in Tuesday's decision to permanently scrap the fees.
 
In addition to putting consumer voices on the industry-led bodies that handle the recycling programs, such as Stewardship Ontario, the government has also set up a toll-free hotline – 1-800-889-9768 – for consumers who feel they've been misled or charged inappropriate eco fees.

Opposition seizes on move as latest example of flip-flop by McGuinty government

By Karen Howlett
 
Ontario's Liberal government has officially buried a controversial program that slapped "eco fees" on thousands of household products, marking its latest hasty policy retreat in the face of a consumer backlash.
 
Just last week, the government pulled the plug on plans to build a 900-megawatt gas-fired power plant in Oakville, west of Toronto, after residents complained that it would be too close to homes and schools. That policy reversal raised eyebrows because Premier Dalton McGuinty has made green energy the centrepiece of his economic policy.
 
Last year, Mr. McGuinty kick-started a battle for supremacy with British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell in the burgeoning market for solar, wind and other power projects by vowing to make Ontario the go-to jurisdiction for green-energy investments. But in the countdown to next October's provincial election, he is displaying a new readiness after seven years in office to let politics, rather than policy, dictate his decisions, opposition critics say.
 
"We are in an election year," Progressive Conservative MPP Peter Shurman told reporters. The government's announcement on Tuesday that it is permanently scrapping a program that imposed fees on aerosols, cleaning products and thousands of other potentially toxic items is just the latest example of a "turnaround or a flip flop ... in the face of what they see out there as a losing proposition."
 
Environment Minister John Wilkinson acknowledged on Tuesday that the government didn't get it right in its attempt to divert household hazardous waste from landfills.
 
"The program ... didn't make sense and the fees were inconsistent and confusing," he said at a news conference. "Instead, as we were told loudly and clearly by consumers, we need to make it simpler for them to do their part."
 
The government gave recycling agency Stewardship Ontario the go-ahead to begin collecting fees last July 1, ranging from a penny for a 59-millilitre bottle of hand sanitizer to $6.66 for a fire extinguisher. But it did not tell the public that the eco fees would be slapped on thousands of new items. The government stopped charging the fees three weeks later, after consumers and retailers complained that the program was mired in confusion, and launched a review that culminated in Tuesday's announcement that it is cancelled.
 
But critics say the government is giving companies that create the hazardous waste a free pass by not making them responsible for diverting toxic substances from landfills. Instead, the government is providing municipalities with $8-million in funding to help them dispose of fire extinguishers, rechargeable batteries, fluorescent light bulbs and other items unsuitable for recycling bins.
 
Homeowners will foot the bill through their property taxes because the funding, which averages $18,000 for each of the province's 440 municipalities, is not nearly enough to cover the cost of a waste diversion program, said New Democratic Party MPP Howard Hampton.
 
"Whoever produces the waste should pay for it," he told reporters. "But this is all being passed on to the ordinary taxpayer."
 
Energy sector officials said the policy reversal on the Oakville power plant will have more far reaching consequences because it has led to uncertainty over the province's energy policies.
 
Mr. McGuinty has said he has no idea how much it will cost the government in penalties to kill the $1.2-billion Oakville plant. But energy officials said electricity consumers will ultimately be on the hook for the penalty. Other investors may seek a premium from the government for projects, because of the uncertain environment, they said.
 
"People are not sure what the government's energy policy really is," one executive said. "I think people are very, very concerned."

 


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