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Oakville B p * rfu'at'd-M /m m fC&m ftuM ty S i s t e ra c t Sports OFFICIAL MEDIA OF f o r a g r e a t W e e k e n d ! F V C TO ItY S H O E WHY PAY FULL PRICE FOR SHOES? Q.E.W. at Winston Churchill Turnoff A Metroland Publication Vol, 37 No. 59 W E D N ESD A Y , MAY 1 9 .1 9 9 9 64 Pages 7 5 C e n ts (plus GST) Facts of highway death & suicide prove elusive Police baffled by hit-and-run and later suicide By Howard Mozel OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Mi This was the scene Saturday on the QEW westbound at Burloak Drive as police investigated the hit-and-run death of an Oakville man. A short time later a motorist driving a badly damaged car was stopped in Newmarket and subse­ quently shot himself in the head while in the back of a police cruiser. Photos by Ron Kuzyk "ystery still surrounds the death of an Oakville man .on the Queen Elizabeth Way early Saturday morning and the subsequent suicide of another man believed to have been behind the wheel of the vehicle that struck him. Police are awaiting the autopsy results on 26-year-old Oakville resi­ dent Wilfred Jolicoeur, who was found dead in the westbound lanes of the QEW just east of Burloak Drive around 6 a.m. Saturday. At press time, the Ontario Provincial Police could not explain why Jolicoeur was walking on the highway. Shortly after the remains of Jolicoeur's body were discovered in Oakville, police stopped a badly dam­ aged 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass on Mulock Drive east of Yonge Street in Newmarket. The vehicle was pulled over without incident by York Regional Police offi­ cers after the OPP had broadcast an alert for a damaged Oldsmobile early Saturday morning. The car had serious front-end dam­ age and a smashed windshield. The car's driver and female passen­ ger were put in separate cruisers for questioning. While in the back of one of the York Region cars, the driver shot himself. Investigators found a non-police issue handgun in the back seat of the cruiser. The man later died in a Newmarket Candidates unite in desire to end poverty By Melanie Cummings SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Every other party but the their own is to blame for the poverty that exists in Ontario today, according to candidates of the three Ontario mainstream parties. Oakville Liberal candidate Kevin Flynn, and Sean Cain, of the NDP, blame the Mike Harris' track record on social programs for it. In defence, Tory MPP Gary Can- places the blame on the shoulders of previous Liberal and NDP govern­ ments. The Family Coalition's Adrian Ratelle remained neutral. At an all-candidates meeting orga­ nized by the Halton Violence Prevention Council, general questions were posed such as "Why are there poor people in Halton?", and demands for specific ways to address affordable housing shortages in the region. About 50 people attended the debate, Monday night at Glen Abbey United Church. Coalition organizers cited these sta­ tistics: -There are 7,675 poor children aged 0-14 living in Halton. That figure repre­ sents 11% of that age group in the region. -There are 2,443 households in Halton waiting for affordable housing. -In 1973 the richest 10% of families in Ontario made 21 times more than the poorest 10% of families. In 1996, the gap increased by a huge margin where the richest 10% of families earned 314 times more than the poorest 10%. -56% of Halton's General Welfare roll have received assistance for less than six months while 7% have been on it over three years. -45% of the region's welfare recipi­ ents are led by two-parent families. "Poor bashing, unfortunately, gets votes in this province," said Cain. His party promises to improve the economic lot of poor people in Ontario by investing $250 million into building 30,000 affordable housing units over the next four years. It would be funded through the $1.5 billion the NDP expects to reap from cancelling the Harris tax cut only to the richest 6% of Ontario residents. But Carr said the vast amount of tax money comes not from the wealthiest in the province but from the middle class. His party plans to increase the num­ ber of people in that income category by creating 825,000 new jobs over the next five years, as well as providing a 20% tax cut. Flynn said that in his capacity as a town and regional politician over the past 14 years in Oakville, he has repeat­ edly asked the government how many workfare participants actually found work afterwards. Flynn said he's never received an answer. "I'm not opposed to (workfare), but it hasn't been implemented well, the program needs to be revisited," said Flynn. He also wants to head off poverty by focusing on creating job opportunities for youth through educational invest­ ments. Children would also fare better by having a parent at home, according to Ratelle. By removing "discriminating tax barriers" that give more of a break to double income families than single income families, more parents could afford to stay home, said the Family Coalition Party candidate. hospital. The name of the 56-year-old' Markham man who killed himself has not been released. The province's Special Investigations Unit (SIU), which probes all serious deaths and injuries involving police, is looking into the sui­ cide, but is not directly involved with the inquiry into how Jolicoeur died. The OPP have since confirmed the car was the vehicle which struck and killed Jolicoeur. The couple were reportedly on their way to Florida for a vacation on Saturday. The investigation into Jolicoeur's death created a lengthy traffic mess on the QEW on Saturday as the westbound lanes, between Burloak Drive an4 Bronte Road, were closed for more than eight hours. Any witnesses to the hit-and-run are asked to contact Constable Marino of the OPP's Burlington Detachment at 681-2511. Anyone with information about the suicide is asked to contact SIU at 1- 800-787-8529. Local man charged in traffic death By Declan Finucane SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER An Oakville man has been charged by Peel police in connection with a deadly May 1st car race along Egl inton Ave. that claimed the life of a 61-year-old Erindale grandfather only one block away from his church. Vinko Bandula, of Sweetbirch Crt., died after his Oldsmobile Cutlass was struck by a speeding Mustang at Mississauga Rd. and Eglinton Ave., only steps away from his destination -- the Croatian Parish Church just south of the intersection, where he had volunteered as a caretaker and attend­ ed services as a parishioner for the past 10 years. Bandula was on his way to clean up after a social function at the church when the Mustang, which was racing eastbound on Eglinton Ave. along with a dark-colored car at speeds in excess of double the posted 60 km/hr. limit, collided with die front passenger side of his car at about 8:55 p.m. as it turned left onto southbound Mississauga Rd. According to reports, Bandula may not have been wearing his seat belt He was pronounced dead at the scene. After the initial collision, the Mustang then slammed into a traffic light pole, its driver suffering minor injuries. Allan Wallbanks, 26, of Grand Blvd., Oakville, is charged with crimi­ nal negligence causing death. He is scheduled to appear in Brampton court June 29th. Town wants fast action on long-term care beds By Howard Mozel OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Town Council is appealing to the province to fast-track the Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH) application for long-term care beds at the adjacent high school site. On Monday night Ward 2 councillor Kathy Graham put forward a recommendation that Queen's Park "be requested to amend its criteria to give priority to applicants who have zoned lands and support services presently in place." John Oliver, president and CEO of Halton Healthcare Services (HHS), explained last year that the local zoned land at the old Oakville Trafalgar High School (OTHS) site seemed like a "natural leg up" in the process. It was not part of the Ministry's selection criteria, however, since private care oper­ ators, who likely did not own zoned land when they applied, would have been at a distinct disadvantage. The province recently announced that accommo­ dation for 320 more seniors would be provided in Halton. This brings Halton's total of new long-term care beds to 970. INSIDEThe stakeholders involved with the latest application include HHS - which encompasses the high school site since it already features a vari­ ety of facilities such as a cafeteria and office space. She hopes that the government - comprised of whichever party wins the election - will change the today's paper Editorial............... ................... A6 OTMH and Milton District criteria. R1 Hospital (MDH) - plus Extendicare. Last year HHS made applications for new beds for OTMH and MDH. HHS was informed by the Art & Entertainment_____ ... Business..................................... ,.B5 Rft The OTHS site is ideal province in December that it "won the competition" May 24th................. .................. C1 since HHS already owns but that they must develop 96 beds in Halton Hills. Homes & Gardens................... ...C8the zoned land that is ready Ward 3 councillor Tedd Smith, who has been a Spni+ft .................... ....... m for development and has a supporter of the OTHS site ever since the high Classified................................... D3 proven, working partner- school was sold, agreed with Graham's suggestion. nn ship with an established nursing home operator. "I was really upset when the (contract) was awarded to Georgetown," he said. . Special Supplements;Councillor Kathy Graham: need for Graham agreed that the beds urgent HHS plan is a natural: Halton has a need f°r long­ term care beds; the OTHS lands are zoned and ready to be used; and OTMH has all the support ser­ vices required to support long-term care. "The need here in Oakville and Halton is urgent," said Graham, who said there are countless loved ones now at home who need 24-hour care. Graham said "it only makes sense" to expedite Ward 6 councillor Kurt Franklin said he finds it very hard to understand how OTMH, which has the high school site ready to go, did not get the beds. 'To not take advantage of a site like this ... is not good management," said Franklin. Mayor Ann Mulvale said she has spoken to provincial officials and area MPPs in an effort to see the plan through for the benefit of area residents. "We are continuing to speak to the healthcare needs of Halton," she said. For Home Delivery: Pacific Linen, The Sports Authority, Patriot Computers, Eaton's, Canadian Tire, The Brick Partial delivery: Clargreen Gardens, White Rose, CIMS Guardian, Jade Gardens, Holland Park, Pennington's, Future Shop, Sheridan Nurseries Canadian Publications Mail Product Agreement #435-201 Th e '99 Saturn SL1 Automatic and air conditioning. $2,500 down payment 206/mth. + taxes Lease based on 36 m onth term. $2500 dow n paym ent, 60,000 kms over term , optional end value plus taxes on approved credit. ____ ! k . # .... ... . " J J A D if f e r e n t K in d o f C o m p a n y . A D if f e r e n t K in d o f C a r . 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