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Milton's Community Newspaper Since 1860 R E AL E ST AT E See what's on the market inside S PO0RT S BR qualifies 4 for OFSAA badminton C O M M U N t T Y Meet our Teacher of the Month M " ---. Museum begs for mercy on development fees M L ORAA Nt AAINCAPO TDENTURE EILS CLNI 159 MAI ST., By Melanie Hennessey CANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF llefty Town, Rcgion and school board dcvelopment tees have stopped the Halton Ccîunty Radial Railway's expansion in its tracks, derailing two decades of fundraising efforts for the trne heing. The Ontario Electric Railway, Historîcal Association, which operates the railway museumn in rural Milton, has been told it'il have to fork over $94,000 in tees before it can build the Sir Adam Beck Centre - a 19,800- square-foot building that would house and preserve many histonic railway cars thai are currently sîtting outdoors. 'e're basically up agaînst a wall, and unless we gel the rail cars inside vety soon, there won'î be anything lefi t0 restore in the future," said associa- tion general manager Tom Twigge- Mofecey ai a press conference Thursday momning. 'hi is a dîsgrace thai non-profit groups are required 10 pay development charges to provide facîlîties which ben- efit the public.' Former Ontario education mînîster and railwav museum supporter John Snobelen joined in on the press confer- ence and also decrîed the level of municipal tees, dubbîng them -unrea- sontable- and -unconscionable." 'Charging development tees 10 a not-for-profit organization is intolera- hIe," he said "This bas becoine like crack and cocaine to the GTA. T he association bas raîsed $425,000 for the pro fici os cr thc pasi 20 vears. Site preparation. irack ssork and con- tînued fundraîsîng efforts have used S1 175,000 of that to date. The building structure will cosi $250,000, and addiîîonal funds wîll be needed to enclose the building wtth a roof and outer walls. But, Twigge-Molecey said pubic per- ception now is that any donations made will go toward development tees, not the museumn. lis really put a stranglehold on our ability to fundraise," he remarked. He acknowledged that the projeci bas received grants fromn the Milton (ommunity Fund and Halton Healthy Comînunîîy Fund. 'W er craîîly very appreciatîve of the support we've receîved," he said. 'But now, îhey're clawing it ail back." Mayor Gord Krantz, who Snobelen bas met wîîh on the issue, said he'd be receptîve to waiving the fees for the museum, but questîoned whether the Town bas the jurisdiction to do so. "l think thaïs a question that bas to be answered," he said, noting its provincial legislation that lays out the parameters for developmenî charges. Town Director of Corporate Services and Treasurer Linda Leeds told The Champion the Towns current develop- ment charge bylaw doesn't allow tees to be waived for non-profit groups. "Basically we have to follow our bylaw - the samne as anybody else," she saîd. She noted if the Town wanted to exempt non-profit groups from devel- Ssee RAILWAY on page A7 Inside4àý Today's Champion OPINION A6 1110H SCHOOL REPORT A10 CHAMPION couNTRY Ail DATELINE CLASSIFIED A24 wwhaltonsearch.com www.miltontoyota.com GORRUDIS www.gorrudsautogroup.corn erg et A19