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Food bank use continues to climb: report
Drivers on the section of Hwy. 7 near Leslie Street can finally see what the construction mess and gridlock is all for, as giant frames for a transit station are hoisted into place for the Viva rapidway in the middle of the highway. So while traffic is not rapid right now, drivers are being told faster transit will be worth the summer of construction pain.
‘Numbers keep going up; it’s scary’ BY AMANDA PERSICO
apersico@yrmg.com
It comes as no surprise to social service agencies, food bank use across the nation remains high with close to 900,000 Canadians turning to them for assistance. According to Food Banks Canada’s annual 2012 report, food bank use remains about 26 per cent higher than before the recession started in 2008. And that trend is reflected in York Region, with food bank uses slightly higher in 2011 compared to 2010. Food bank use in the region has increased by more than 20 per cent since 2008. And there’s no indication the trend will change in the near future, York Region Food Network executive director Joan Stonehocker said. “It is the same story,” she said. “Nothing dramatic has changed. The numbers keep going up. Nothing is changing and that is the problem.” This year’s report focused on the improvements to healthy eating. Food banks are working hard to get healthy food options to its users. The York Region Food Network has several programs to foster healthy eating, including community gardens to grow fresh vegetables, food box programs, community kitchens and outreach programs. “But healthy food needs a distribution system,” she said. “There is a system already in place at the grocery store, but people can’t afford it.” There is also an increase in users on special diets, who can’t be accommodated, Ms StoneSee ‘SCARY’, page 9.
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Transit gain worth the pain: engineer BY L.H. TIFFANY HSIEH
thsieh@yrmg.com
Traffic gridlock on Hwy. 7 in Markham and Richmond Hill is no laughing matter these days, but road construction there and across the region will proceed full steam ahead this summer. “We know it’s messy and disruptive,” Paul May, chief engineer for York Region Rapid Transit Corporation (YRRTC), said of the Hwy. 7 rapidway currently under construction. “We think the end result will justify the disruption,” Mr. May added. The $235-million vivaNext project to transform Hwy. 7 into a rapidway for Viva buses is a large and complex project, with “a lot of anticipation of the end product”,
Mr. May said. While the work impacts nearby businesses, there is positive feedback from residents, too, said Dale Albers, YRRTC’s chief communications officer. “They recognize the need for rapid transit,” he said. Once complete, Viva vehicles will travel 40 per cent faster in a transit-dedicated rapidway lane, while regular traffic will continue to be in gridlock, Mr. Albers said. “They’ll have the same condition as before,” Mr. May added. While similar construction is being done on the Davis Drive rapidway in Newmarket, where work began recently, other road improvements are happening as a part of York Region’s 30-year transportation
master plan. Several are growth projects aimed to increase capacity for all users, including transit, cyclists and pedestrians, said Brian Titherington, director of roads. Mr. Titherington said while residents are always concerned about road construction and the disruption that comes along with it, the objective is to create a footprint that is multi-use and will increase mobility. For example, on Ninth Line in Markham, sidewalks and a cycling facility are being added. He said a project typically takes five to seven years to complete and involves working with conservation authorities to take See WOODBINE, page 29.
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