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rpair ~j j MILTON 876-4785 A Metroland Community Newspaper Vol. 142 No. 70 Fniday, November 16, 2001 32 Pages $1 .00 (GST included) 'Group home bylaw amendment shelved following opposition Photo by GRAHAM PAINE Milton District HIgh Sciiooi students Ashleigh Mule (lit) and younger sister Rachelle work on Isbellng smre of the 244 glft boxes asmbled for needy chlldren &round the iworld. 'Local high sehool students spread some holiday. cheer By RICHARD VIVIAN The Champion Milton District High School students took an early look at the holi- day season last week, preparing gift boxes for needy children around the world. "Widi ail dis awful things going on in dis world disse days, it's an opportuity for our kids in Our little part of dis world to reach out t0 kids in odier areas of dis world," high school principal Ian Jones told The Champion. "Our kids reaching out acros diose miles, 1thdink, is a tremen- dous connection." kn four days, students and staff prepared 244 gift boxes and raised $1,720 in 'The Great Mustang Shos Box Challenge'. Evsry cîsass in dis sehool partiel- pated. Gifi boxes and money wll be dlttributed 10 cbildren in count- tries suffering from natural dis- asters and/or limes of war dirougis dis Samaritan's Purse organization. The content of each box was essentially left to dis students and teachers to decide, bus dis age and tex of dis recipient wsrs pre-dscidsd. Gifts ranged fromt amail gamtes and doils 50 hygiene pruducts and socks. Ail contenta were donatsd by students and staff. "There wasn't a limit on what you wanted to pus in, in terrus of dis expense or sophistication of il, it jusl ail had to go in a shoe box," Mr. Jones said. This is dis first ysar dis sehool bas participated in dhis annuai campalgn, and diey had little notice t0 complets disir boxes, explained Mr. Jones. Widi st Fniday as disir dead- lins, staff and students first heard of The Challenge sarlier diat week. 'lys been in education .33 years - I've dons diis stuff lots of times - but t0 get dhis kind of response fromt dis many people in such a short time, it's absolutsly outstanding. I'm absolutely knocked out," Mr. Jones proclaimsd. WMi dis size and twiftnets of the sehools participation this year, The Challenge wili make a retumrn n nsxt ysar, Mr. Jones said. "Tbere's no question about diat." Town staff directed to review bylaw, prepare a report By RICHARD VIVIAN The Champion An amendment to Milton's group home bylaw was shelved Monday mght after the Town's administration and planning com- mittee heard concems from local group home operators. Town staff wiI now review dis existing bylaw and prepare a report for council, mincuding information on how odisr munic- ipalities are taclCling dis situation. The report is sxpected t0 take about six mondis. "Whsn council gave staff dis direction it did (to tighten dis current bylaw), you per- haps didn't undestand dis impact it would have on people widi inteliectual disabili- ties," John Bedeli of Commssnity Living Nordi Halton (CLN}l) told dis comnuttes. CLN}I provides support and services t0 individuals widi inteliectual disabilities. It currently operatet five group homes in Milton, serving 21 residenta. If approved. dis amsnded bylaw would create new barriers for people widi intel- lectual disabilities as it would be harder for dism 10 fmnd a residence, Mr. Bedell argued. "These are people from dis community who want to live and make disir home here. Please don't pus up disse barriers." Under dis rules of dis proposed bylaw amendmnent, group homes would have 10 be approved by council shrough site-specif- ic zoning and a public meeting mut be held widi neigbbours infonning diemt of dis intendsd purpose of dis property. Alto dsmonstrating opposition to dis bylaw waa Julie Anderson of the Bob Rumble Association for dis Deaf. Ms Anderson told dis commisses diat dis wording of dis bylaw amendruent wossldn't onty restrict individuals in where diey live, it would alto remove toms of dis organiza- tion's flexibility in services. "ýSupporive independent living sbould flot be considersd a group home," shte argued. "It is our intention to work with council to overcome dicte barriers." In an astempt to clarify the intent of the amendment, Councillor Wally Hunter told the speakers council had only been looking for a way 10 regulats commercially-run group homes. "Thse intent is flot to exclude group homes like yossrs, but radier to provide some protection for homeownsrs in resi- dential areas," he explained. "Ail residents have a right to know what commercisl businesses are bsmng established around diem." Concerros over dis wording of dis amsndmsnt wers also rscsived fromt Halton Region indicssing dis amendment ian't in lins widi dis Regional Officiai Plan (ROP). Because dis amendment doesn't comply widi dis ROP, regional council approval would be rsquired befors dis amsndmsnt cossld be institssted. Town coundil stili has to address dis mas- ter and la sxpected to do so Monday. Comment ........ 6 NS Report ....... 8 Lifestyles ......14 Sports....... 24-26 Dateline ....... 30 Classitied .... .27-29 r pý7ý