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Thursday, M arch 12, 2015 - The IFP - H alton H ills - w w w .theifp.ca Page 3 e-mail: hassellsauto@bellnet.ca www.hassellautomotive.com CALL 45 Mountainview Road North Georgetown, Ontario 905.877.7958 2008 Pontiac Montana SV6 • Auto/6 cyl • Certified & E-tested • A/C • Power Door Locks/Seats • Power Windows/Mirrors • Cruise Control $11,900 + HST/LIC 2009 Hyundai Sonata $7,500 + HST/LIC • Auto/4 cyl • Certified & E-tested • A/C • Steering Wheel Controls • Driver/Passenger Airbags • Cruise Control Warranty + HST/LIC $9,400 2009 Mazda5 GS • Manual/4 cyl Certified & E-Tested • A/C • Alloy Wheels • Split Rear/Bucket Seats • Cruise Control WarrantyWarranty NEWS A native of Peterborough, Helson moved with his family as a child to Vancouver, where his father ran a tug-boat service, then back to Ontario where he completed high school before the family bought a dairy farm in Paris and supplied eggs to the Loblaws grocery chain. His tug-boat sailing skills came in handy when serving in World War II in the Royal Canadian Navy, patrolling the north Atlantic hunting enemy submarines. A graduate of the Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph with a degree in chemis- try and microbiology, Helson was hired in 1946 as a chemist by Chicago-based Baxter Laboratories and worked at their operation in Acton, meeting a girl from Georgetown named Marg who would become his first wife. And although he enjoyed working for Baxter, Helson said he longed to interact with the public, so he obtained his law de- gree from Osgoode Hall in Toronto, beginning a long and distinguished career that affected the lives of thousands of clients. During his tenure with the law firm now known as Helson Kogon Ashbee Schaljo & Associates, five of his partners or col- leagues became judges. Helson said he was of- fered a judgeship at one point but turned it down because Marg "wasn't fussy" about the idea. "I didn't care one way or the other," said Helson, who's been a staunch supporter of the Liberal Party and notes that his father went to school with former Prime Minister Lester Pearson. "I spent a lot of time in the courts and I enjoyed that interaction with the public. I was involved in local politics as the town's lawyer very early in the game. I always liked working with the mayor and councillors. It was a good practice and lots of fun." He was an original board member for both the Georgetown Hospital and its fun- draising foundation for more than half a century and is the lone surviving founding member out of 15 for the North Halton Golf Club. In 2011, Helson made a $1 million dona- tion to the Georgetown Hospital Foundation in order to get a CAT Scanner in memory of Marg, who had to travel to Brampton or Guelph for testing during her illness. Helson, and Marg who died in 2008, were ardent supporters of the local arts commu- nity to organizations such as the George- town Little Theatre, Globe Productions, Choral Society, Bach Chorale and many other groups. Helson has been recognized for his con- tributions with two Arts Alive awards, a key to the Town and a Queen's Jubilee medal. An avid art collector for much of his life, Helson donated 105 pieces of art to the Town in 2013 that are now on display in the fully renovated Helson Gallery at the Georgetown Library & Cultural Centre. "I just wanted the pictures to have a home because I've got a lot of them," he added. "Georgetown has been so good to me and I always wanted to give something back. I go to the gallery as much as I can. It's always evolving and we're still buying things for it." On most days now, Helson goes for long drives with Rose Anna, armed with his cam- era. He scoffs at the suggestion of spending winters in a warmer place, like Florida, refer- ring to his longtime passion for skiing and the outdoors. "We're going full tilt all the time," beamed Helson, having lost little of his quick wit. "Every day, we see one of my wife's fam- ily (members) because I enjoy seeing the kids very much. I never had any myself and they're just a lot of fun. Not only the grand- children, but their mothers and fathers too." Helson will receive his Citizen of the Year award on Tuesday, March 31 in the Alcott Hall of the Mold-Masters SportsPlex with a dinner beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are $40 each. Call 905-873-8469 for more info. The award has been presented by the Georgetown Lions Club since 1972 to the volunteer who enhances the quality of life for all residents of Georgetown. Georgetown Citizen of the Year Awards Evening Tuesday,March 31 Tickets, $40 Call 905-873-8469 Continued from page 1 IFP publisher Dana Robbins said the new website is a "mas- sive leap forward for us as a digital news gathering organi- zation." "It will provide our many readers with a state-of-the-art site where they can satisfy all their online news, information and advertising needs, whether those needs are intensely local, national or international. It's the website an ambitious com- munity like (Halton Hills) de- serves," said Robbins. "There's more space for our advertisers and links to our print edition, flyers and WagJag. We are sure our readers and ad- vertisers will find the new web- site more functional when it comes to meeting their needs," said IFP General Manager Steve Foreman. Continued from page 1 Website is state-of-the art: Publisher DANA ROBBINS T-BONE CRASH ON WINDSOR DR.: The lone occupants of two vehicles involved in a T-bone collision at the intersection of Prince Charles Dr. and Windsor Dr. Friday morning suffered only minor injuries. One of the sport utility vehicles, a Chevrolet Tracker, ended up on the front lawn of a residence on the northwest corner of the intersection, which is a two-way stop. The accident occurred at around 11 a.m., with Halton EMS, Halton Regional Police officers and the Halton Hills Fire Department responding. A woman driving the Nissan SUV remained in the driver's seat for several minutes until helped into a waiting ambulance by EMS responders. Photo by Eamonn Maher Helson has been a hospital supporter for more than half a century