The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Thursday, D ecem ber 31, 2015 - The IFP - H alton H ills - w w w .theifp.ca Page 3 2010 Nissan Versa SL + HST/LIC • Auto/4 cyl • Certified & E-tested • A/C • Sunroof/Moonroof • Bucket Seats • Traction Control • Cruise Control $10,300 2008 Ford Escape XLT $10,200 + HST/LIC • Auto/6 cyl • Certified & E-Tested • A/C • Power Trunk • Power Seats • Fog Lights • Cruise Control e-mail: hassellsauto@bellnet.ca www.hassellautomotive.com 2011 Hyundai Elantra • Auto/4 cyl • Certified & E-tested • A/C • Sunroof/Moonroof • Heated Seats • Power Windows • Cruise Control $11,500 + HST/LIC CALL 2009 Saturn Astra XE • Auto/4 cyl • Certified & E-tested • Power Mirrors • Heated Seats • Keyless Entry • AM/FM CD Player $7,600 + HST/LIC 45 Mountainview Road North Georgetown, Ontario 905.877.7958 A heritage home in south Georgetown appears to have demolition in its future. A motion to approve remov- ing the home known as the Hunter farm house from the Municipal Heritage Register so that it can be torn down was endorsed by the Town's Gen- eral Committee (which is com- prised of all council members) at its meeting last week and will go before council for final con- sideration in the new year. The demolition comes at the request of developer SmartReit (Smart Centres), which intends to use the site at the south- east corner of 10 Sideroad and Ninth Line as a retail centre. But there may be a silver lin- ing to the story as the commit- tee's discussion on the topic led to it also recommending staff and Heritage Halton Hills committee take a look at how Brampton is preserving its buildings in the face of devel- opment through a Heritage Building Protection Plan. The document was brought to the committee's attention by Patricia Farley, president of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, Halton Hills branch, who suggested the Town should consider such a plan that would set out preventative measures developers must take once they purchase a heritage building. "I believe we must become proactive in order to prevent further losses," she said. She also went on to recom- mend that while these heritage homes purchased by devel- opers are still habitable, they should be offered to families in need of affordable housing, who could serve as custodial tenants in exchange for re- duced rent. She said the Hunter farm- house is a classic example of a gothic revival cottage, which is considered unique to Ontario, and emphasized the impor- tance of preserving local rural heritage. "We encompass this old township with wonderful farms, and I think that re- ally sets us apart," she said. "It would be shameful if our rural heritage was reduced to a few tree-lined laneways like we have on Eighth Line." Laura Nobre from Smart- Reit noted the house has been vacant for some time and is in rough shape. "The house is beyond a state of reasonable repair and pres- ents a major safety issue," she said. She added the company has made repeated attempts to secure the buildings on the property to prevent vandal- ism, but despite this, they've been set on fire. A barn on the property has already been demolished. SmartReit had a heritage im- pact assessment completed on the home by heritage planner Lashia Jones, who concluded it's not feasible to retain or relo- cate the house due to structural issues. Ward 4 Councillor Ann Law- lor asked if the company would be willing to salvage materials of the house. Nobre told her they would be happy to donate any useable material to the Town. Local and Regional Council- lor Jane Fogal voiced her sup- port for referring Brampton's Heritage Building Protection Plan to staff and Heritage Hal- ton Hills. "I like that idea," she said. "I want people to take a look at it and see if it's got value for us." Ward 3 Councillor Moya Johnson concurred it's high time for the Town to look at a policy to protect these heritage buildings. "We really need to do bet- ter than what we're doing," she said. Lawlor echoed the senti- ment and said she likes the sec- tion of Brampton's document that says it "will not tolerate de- molition by neglect." "We should have a look at how we can enact some of these principles," she said. The motion endorsed by the committee also stipulates that prior to demolition, SmartReit should consult with the Heri- tage Halton Hills to determine if any heritage attributes are in good condition and can there- fore be salvaged. The item will go before Town Council at its meeting on Mon- day, Jan. 11. NEWS Georgetown heritage home facing demolition By Melanie Hennessey Special to the IFP PATRICIA FARLEY Halton RIDE program reminds residents to party responsibly The month of December is a time of holi- day parties, work get-togethers, and fam- ily celebrations. Most events include the consumption of alcohol. The Halton Regional Police are well aware and ready to ensure people make the right decision through education and prevention or pay the price of being ar- rested for impaired driving. The third week of HRPS's Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) spot checks ran from Dec. 20-27. More than 3,200 cars were stopped in RIDE checks and seven impaired driving arrests were made through- out the Region. Milton/Halton Hills: 3 Oakville: 1 Burlington: 3 Halton officers will be out in full force the remainder of the month working diligently to reduce impaired driving everywhere. If you see a suspected impaired driver, please call 9-1-1. Officers will respond immediately to ensure the driver is investigated and dealt with accordingly. The advice and direction from the HRPS is simple: "Don't drive impaired, party re- sponsibly."