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The Whitchurch-Stouffville Chamber Commerce sent an e-mail to members yesterday praising the town and saying it had lobbied for quick approval. Preparation of the site has begun and construction is to start shortly. Novopharm is own by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, an international company special- izing in generic drugs. “Stouffville provides an ideal location for our company with extensive expansion opportuni- ties and a location that is acces- sible to our employees," Novo- pharm president and CEO Allan Obennan said. The 20,000-square-foot expansion will include laboratory facilities to work on new generic drugs that will be sold in North America and Europe. Manyof the drugswillbe made at the Stoufl‘ville plant, increasing its output to seven billion tablets and capsules annually. The plant, once owned by Johnson 8: John- son, employs 300 people. ‘ Whitchurch-Stouffville coun- cil approved the plan Tuesday, allowing the pharmaceuti- cal company to “expedite the local approvals process," Mayor Wayne Emmerson said in a media release. BY HM MASON Staff Writer A research and development centre employing about 80 sci- entists and technicians will open this year at the Novopharm plant on Main Street NEW CENTRE WILL EMPLOY 80 SCIENTISTS AT PLANT ' 138WDL.W5 Novopharm to make new drugs in Stouficville i‘i‘Wi-fiib S §I§1 INf'I “DING (:(T THURSDAYJANJZ 2008 I SERVINGTHE COMMUNITY OF WHITCHURCHâ€"STOUFFVILLE I 28 PAGF For more. go to novopharm.com THURSDAY, JAN. 1 7, 2008 I SERVING THE COMMUNITY OF WHITCHURCH-STOUFFVILLE I 28 PAGES/$1 INCLUDING GST WEN 02/05 without discount SERVICE. point. BY IOE FANTAUZZI Staff Writer A spate of robberies over the past few weeks in Whitchurch- Stoufl’ville should not be seen as a sudden trend nor a change in trend, according to a veteran York Regional Police officer. Since Dec. 31 three hold-ups. two of them have been at gun- RATES Discouth Giant Tiger robbed at gunpoint TREND T0 SPATE 0F WHITCHURCH-STUUFFVILLE HULDUPS: POLICE Ally Sindrey, 2, listens to children’s librarian Anne Houle read to during a children’s story session at the Whitchurch-Stouffville Public Library last week. Session for children ages six and younger are oflered free of charge. Call 905-642-READ for more information. For an additional photograph, see page 5. qunn Mutual AutOmoblle Insurance Comom. Cm “Stouffville is becoming a bigger centre now, we have these bigger chains that are involved so they’re really not the rural setting that used to be 33 years ago when I started," hold-up unit Bet-Sgt. Bob Wasâ€" sink said. stressing the robberies are being committed by difierent The most recent was Satuday's armed robbery of Giant Tiger on Main Street. Jon St Dunk. Mom 5402 Main Street Stouffville, 0N MA 1H3 Bus: 9056425400 Ion stdams.pien@statefarm com adian'Hoad Office Aaron, Ontario BELAXING HEAD Sandy Monk h: Mcy Inc Sandy MacKenzie, Agent 6338 Main Street Stouffville. 0N MA 168 Bus 905642-4546 sandy. mackenzie b30b@statefarmcom \people. “Stouffville is really not that far north of Toronto. We do have police protection there â€"â€" it’s no different than any other area. (Ontario Proâ€" vincial Police) follow that route, too, so it's not like you're in the middle of nowhere where you’d never see a police officer, so I don’t think that's the problem.” Fhe Dec. 31 robbery, at a new INSUIANCI SYA'I IAIM The man went into the station and was joined by three other men. Sunoco gas bar near.Stouffville Road and Woodbine Avenue in Gormley took place after a vehicle. believed to have been stolen in Toronto, pulled in and a man got out and started pumping gas at about 4:20 am. Jim Thomas. Classified . . . STAFF PHOTO/SJOWEiRD WITTEVEEN BANK. 905â€"640â€"4646 pagr 8 6312 Main St