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t J'Sd(". January T 2016 12 By David Lea METROLAND WEST MEDIA GROUP People who purchase bags of illegal â€" cigarettes are being asked to stop J traband Z < @ launched a joint cam 8"'3 aimed at raising and think about where their money is going Crime Stoppers of Halton and the National Coalition Tobacco recently Against Con (NCACT) paign in Oakville Z awareness of how il 5 legal ehaliton.com V w C € & & New | | | | cigarettes _ are being used to fund â€"criminal activity across southern Ontario. "Contraband tobacco products, mainly cigaâ€" rettes, are not manuâ€" factured in accredited facilities nor do they pay excise, income or any other taxes. Access to illegal cigaâ€" rettes is fuelling youth smoking. Contraband tobacco also funds orâ€" ganized crime," said Crime Stoppers of Halton Chair Norm Bellefontaine. This is not a as many think. Norm Belietontaine Cha#r, Haiton Crime Stoppers "This is not a victimless crime as many think. We are all affected from the loss of tax revenues, the inâ€" crease in health risks to our youths and crime in our neighbourhoods. Crime Stoppers fully supports the efforts of the coalition to end conâ€" traband tobacco availability and encourages lawâ€"abiding citizens to provide _ anonymous tips related to manuâ€" facture, storage, sale and usage of contraâ€" band tobacco." NCACT spokesperson and former Toronto police officer Gary Grant said contraband tobacco is a major problem globally, but is shockingly prevaâ€" lent in Ontario, where one in every three cigarettes purâ€" chased is contraband. Grant said Halton is situated along, what he called, the "Contraband Corridor." It, he said, runs along Hwy. 401, from Windsor to Cornwall, and @G® Agencies team up to butt out contraband tobacco sales \ S MWega\ Cigarettes Fund Grifing Activity in Your t NE Crime Stoppers of Halton Chair Norm Beliefontaine (right) and National Coalition Against Contraband Tobacco spokesperson Gary Grant launch a campaign against contraband tobacco. Graham Paine / Metroland West Media Group (Follow on Twitter @haiton_photog) On November 1, 2013, Exâ€" pert Mortgage launched the "85â€"Alive" program in Ontar io. The concept was simple: as long as you had a pulse, Expert Mortgage would proâ€" vide you with a home equity loan, up to 85 per cent of the value of your property. No job required. Bad credit, OK. The reason why Expert Mortgage could offer a "no questions asked" lending program, while the major banks could not, is that they represent over 200 private lenders who lend strictly on property value. These subâ€" prime lenders specialize in mortgage clients who have had some bad luck, and need a helping hand until they get back on their feet The program has been so successful that Expert Mortgage can barely keep up with the volume of calls. To help fund this unâ€" expectedliy large number of borrowers, it has part nered up with dozens more private lenders program provides emergency mortgage loans to homeowners Licensed Mortgage Agent Lisa Pulcini, Expert Mortâ€" gage‘s "B5â€"Alive" representaâ€" tive for Milton, says, "We‘re seeing mostly homeowners behind on mortgage and property taxes,. The banks are refusing to restructure their loans. Many of these people have lost jobs due to the bad economy... or they‘re selfâ€"employed. Unless you are a perfect applicant, the bank doesn‘t want to talk to you"* But not everyone conâ€" dones Expert Mortgage‘s easy lending criteria. A lo cal real estate agent with 25 years of experience, who has asked to remain anonymous, says, "When this market turns down, it‘s going to get ugly! It‘s utter financial suicide for Expert Mortgage to be giv ing money away so easily to clhents without the ability to make payments. I‘d be surâ€" prised if they‘re still in busi ness five years from now." Nonetheless, homeown ers like Anita P don‘t see a problem with the program. When questioned on how she plans on making payâ€" ments on her mortgage when she has no income, Anita responds, "We were four months behind on our mortgage and they saved our house. My husband has been unemployed for nine months. He won‘t be un:â€" employed forever. We used the 85â€"Alive loan to pay off all our debt. We also had $25,000 left over that we put in the bank for emergencies And to make life easy, they worked it out so we have no mortgage payments for 12 months." for more details on the "85â€"Alive" program, contact Lisa, AccessMyEquity com, 1â€"800â€"762â€"5191 Expert ar y e Lic #12079 Pa" J, SCOTE EARLY FUNERAL HOME Email or call us and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Kim &‘REBECCA 905â€"878â€"2669 Hunter The Fieldstone Centre A full range of family services: * Individual & Family Counselling * Marriage Counselling * Lawyer for Separation & Divorce * Family Mediation * Wills & Powers of Attorney All Services are Contidential Te Fietostone CentrRe Serving Milton for * Muyvlc J. Sn-uu\ A & 8 w m S w Counsaling & Psychotherapy 905â€" 854â€"080 1 were Drélaynelonner com family low, Smail Bumnes & Meditor 905â€"854â€" 4942 warat entre com over 20 years * www