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York police have issued 62,399 speeding tickets this year and have placed a significant emphasis on pedestrian enforcement and safety, the chief said. Children afe especially vulnerable as they are not always looking out for themselves, he said. Kids also have more difliculty than adults estimating the speed of an approach- ing vehicle. Chief La Barge said he often sees students crossing busy intersections wearing iPods or talking on cellphones. He supports fining drivérs, but for the cameras to be effective, demerit points or the loss of driving privileges should be included, he said. The placement of cameras in areas with many pedestrians, such as construction or school zones, made sense to York Regional Police Chief Armand La Barge. The proposal is not about increasing rev- enues for the province, rather slowing down drivers, Mr. Caplan said, adding he hopes the program pays for itself. Under the bill, demerit points would not be attached to fines. The proposal is different from the provin- cial photo radar, loathed by drivers following its introduction in the 19905, Mr. Caplan said. His bill does not call for unmarked vans snap- ping photos of speeding drivers. Instead, the areas in which cameras are placed would be clearly marked. Municipalities would deCide where the cameras would go, MI. Caplan said, noting police can’t be at every school zone or con- strucfion zone. It would allow stationary cameras to be placed in school and construction zones, as well as near senior citizens’ homes. BY 10E FANTAUZZI jfantauzzi@yrmg.com Smile, you’re on safety camera. Or, you will be, if private member's legisâ€" lation, to be tabled Monday by MPP David Caplan, passes into law. Of the 22 fatal vehicle crashes so far this Safety camerascould monitor school, construction zones Children considered especially vulnerable at busy intersections The province has the technology to make the roads safer, so it should be used, associa- tion spokesperson Karen Renkema said. An Ontario Road Builders Association survey of 328 Ontarians indicated 67 per cent support for safety cameras near schools, community centres and construction zones. Also this week. a provincial association representing road builders said it supports the private member’s bill. “At what point does it stop being a safety measure and begin being an income stream for the province?" he asked. “Put the money into live officers.” People Will “smarter; up” and learn where the cameras are in an efiort to defeat them, Mr. Adams-Luchowski said. Outgoing Richmond Hill public school board trustee Peter Adams-Luchowski also argued for more police presence to crack down on speeders in school zones. He suggests posting more officers at speeding hotspots. The officers don’t need to be stationed in those areas all day, but rather at specific times, he said. “My prediction is it will do very little, i anything, to slow people down,” he said. The proposal does not impress Progres- sive Conservative Newmarket-Aurora MPP and transportation critic Frank Klees. Mr. Caplan’s proposal is little more than a tax grab, Mr. Klees said. “If photo radar could have prevented that from happening, then it is well worth the controversy that would undoubtedly hap- pen when, or if, it was re-introduced here in Ontario," Chief La Barge said. was a contributing factor in four collisions: he added. year, which have_ resglted 23_ deaths, speed {At what point does it stop being a safety measure and begin being an income stream for the province?’ STAFF PHOTO/ST EVE SOMERVILLE Services provided: I "" I : Warranty Approved Oil Changes, Includes checking all fluid levels, belts, hoses, tire condition and pressures. (We stock all oil and filters for all makes and models) In an e-mail to the York Region Media Group, Dean Leland. a spokesperson for Empire Theatres, said they continue to The screens would be the closest for Stoufi'ville residents. ' However, no “reel” progress has been made since. It was two years ago that Markham council approved the site plan application for a new, 10-screen movie theatre and retail plaza from Mississauga’s ECL Proper- ties Limited. It's still coming, but you'll have to wait a little longer for the much-anticipated opening of Empire Theatre at Major Mackâ€" enzie Drive and Markham Road. Tire Rotate Install Tires Balance Tires Nitrogen fill Tires â€" 4 for just 519"5 Coolant Flush coouua a. Mum‘fifiiâ€"ifi" 905-727- 24 Hour Emergency Service 0 www.3ummersandsmlthnom - Transmission Service - Power Steering Service - Brake Service ~ires â€" 4 for just ‘19"5 - Fuel System Service 1 â€" Battery Service - Tire Repairs (A member of Welcome Wagon) Book Your Amintment Today 905-640â€"7098 To enter, call 416-845-0579 or 905-640- 3713. The parade starts at 2 pm. on Tenth Line at Aintlee Drive, heads south to Main Street then west through downtown, endâ€" ing at Teva Canada. The Stoufiville Kinsmen’s annual Santa Claus Parade is set for Dec. 4 and this year's theme is “Christmas on the Farm." Santa parading down Maln St. Santa comes to Stoufiville two weeks fmm today. No firm date has been set. for opening he said. work through the approth process with mega“? anc} wit_h the developer. 0@fOQBFS.C( L.H. Tifi'any Hsieh