Real Estate 1 PORTS PMNT Sewhat' înor peewees [ai T ~ eacher of the llonth on the Market short against Ba I assioflate abou PumowMiisa* Yi. ocal &u-w ofi i Gasoline & Diesel Fuels 1J 1~_____________ METROLANO COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER VOL. 145 NO 77 TUESOAY OECEMBER 7,2004 $1 tO (GST încluded)p 44 PAIGES "U,ýînçConîmuniî<ation to BuildBetter Commiunities" F~~ 71Landowner tells icourt trees cleared for use by farmer ,,Helping hands Milton Lions Club volunteers Rikki Proctar (le11), 10, her friend Chanelle Belanger (centre), 11, and Rikki's younger brother Brady, 6, help unload donations collected during the Milton Fire Department's food drive for the Salvation Armny Food Bank Saturday. By STEPHANIE THIESSEN The Champion While the words 'golf course' have becn uttered by nearly every witness to date in a case investi- gating tree-clearing activity on an environmentally-sensitive proper- ty, it scarcely came up at ail in court Thursday. For the firsi lime, court heard from George Vastîs hinîself, the Burlmngton resi- dent facîng nearly $1 million in irree ut- ting charges sîemming from clearing acîiv- îîy last year on bis Fourth Line property ihat borders Milton and Oakvîlle. 'Did you ever itd to huild a golf course on tis property?- asked defence lawyrr David Crocker. "Neyer, sir," Mr. Vastis replird. Through Mr. Vastis' tesiimony, the defence paînîrd a pîcture of a hardworking and environmentally-concemned Greek immigrant who didn'î know bis land fr11 in an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA). and was therefore protecird from trer rut- iing under Halton Region's trer conserva- tion bylaw. It was a farc ry front the shrewd, do- whai-ii-takes businessman portrayed by Crown Attorney John Olah in previous monîhs. Justice of the Peace J. Woloschuk heard the case -whîch has bren ongoing for more than a year -ai Milton provincial court. Me. Vaulis and the numhered company of which he's presideni were charged in June of last year wiih 40 counts of destroyingr trees in an ESA and destroying trees in a woodlot. Two more tree-cuîtîng charges wrre added in July of lasi year. Its alleged Me. Vastîs was respomsible for destroying trees from April 4 tri 1l, 2003 and again July 14 and 15, 2003. He could be fined UP to $840,000. Mr. Vastis pleaded flot guilty to the charges tin June. Court heard Thursday thai Mr. Vastîs was in the business of buying raw land -often in Halion -and puiting UP gas stations. He said the land in question -located on Fourth Line. south of Britannia Road and north of Hwy. 407 between Regional Road 25 and Trafalgar Road - would be a good location for a gas station since James Snow Parkway is siaird tri connect with Hwy. 407 ai the property. He told court he djdn't know of any des- ignaîjons associaird with the land and wau- nit advjsed of any restriions te, the une of the propenty. -Ail 1 knew is il was farmland,*'he said. He said he was in for a shock when he walked the forest of his newly-purchased land and saw thati h was in an unruly state with piles of neglected appliances and debris. Many trees had bren eut, he said. see NO on page 5 nside Comment ........... 6 Champion Country . .15-20 Business .......21,23 Dateline .......... 25 Classified .......28-31 * h.aif n 4ffll Kahn IiI, Flue Jow@uII.1 .JS Il1Agm www.miltontoyota.com