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LN~ Auto AccesNorjes Uohoïstery Repirs Windshueicî RepairsQ b nî w î 781 MIN S. fiMîlton s Community Newspaper Sînce 1860 L.MILTON 81-485 CNA Named Canaida ' Top Communitv Netsspaper ww.miltorncanadianctiampion.com N EW S BMO robbed once again S PO0RT S AE2 peewees win away fromn finals A&E 4~~WDisney der Scornes full circle i ., i SAFETY FIRST: Fire chief Brian Ellsworth reminds ail home owners ta, replace the batteries in ail their smoke and C02 detectors this weekend when the dlocks spring forward. The officiai time change is 2 a.m. Sunday Lending his support is f ire safety mascot 'Beeper, the smoke detector. No tax dough to GO funding, says Region By Tim Foran CANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF You can send us the buis, but we're only going to pay you wbat we can. That's tbe message to GO Transit from, Halton Region and its municipal neigb- bours, wbicb bave stopped paying tbeir total expected sbare for new lines and tracks being built for the rapidly growing transit system, a sbortfall close to $60 million in the 905 municipalities atone. Halton Region will become the latest and last GTAH municipality to stop pay- ing its full share of GO Transits growtb capital budget according to a formula originally outlined b>' the dcfunict Greater Toronto Services Board (G [SB) in 2000. In 50 doing, Halton will follow the precedent set by ils neighbours in Hamilton, Peel, York, Durham and Toronto. GO recently invoiced Halton for $1 1.7 million for its share of the $393 million 2008-09 growth capital budget, but lialton bas onlly $6.7 million in GO tran- sitspcîfic clcvclopincnt charges to spend. I'hc rcr-natntng $5 mntllion sitnply won't bc paid to GO Transtt, tn accor- dancc witb a 2006 counicil rcsoluiion to not usc property tax dollars to make up asee GROWrH on page 4 SKD slateàd to shut down Expected to be bought out by Vuughan-based cornpaiiy By Tim Foran CANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF One of Miltons largest employers is on the verge of'sbutting its plant down for good, according to tbe union reprcsenting cmployecs of SKD) Automotive. The insolvent auto parts manufacturer, whicb rcceîs'ed crcdttor protcction from an Ontario court in January, is close to sclling its assets and customer accounts to Vaugban-bascd Martînrca, wbtcb plans to close the SKD-oxs ncd plant on Whcclabrator Way following completton of thc purchase, said Fil Faibo. a spokesperson for United Steelworkcrs of Canada, wbicb reprcsents thc hour>' unionizcd employees at SKD's Milton plant. Tbcrc arc ccîrrently 220 emploxees of SKD, witb 150 still working at the plant, said Faîbo. 'Tbcy're unccrtain,' Flbo satd of tbe Milton employees. "Tberes a lot of anxiety wben a plant shuts down. Its not a good feeling, especially for guys working therc (for SKD) for 25 years.' SKD's customcrs - Chrysler, Ford and Honda- are cctrrently paying the plant employees under an accommodation agrccment. A former customer of SKD, Gecral Motors, pulled its tooling front the Milton plant about two montbs ago. As of Dcccmbcr 1, 2008, SKD) employed 661 peo- plc, includtng 469 unionizcd cmployecs at its Milton, Brampton and two Mississauga facilities, according to a rcport froîn the mionitor overseeing SKD's restruc- turing process. Tbe compai> also bas operations in Michigan and Me4xico. The mionitor reccnîly rcported the company bas reccîved two offers for portions of SKDs business, but no "going concern- offcrs in wbicb a bstver would commit to continuing opcrations as normal and not -see DEED on page 14