May 2020

ite s b e m w our eview.co ly rr d y . n w e ww bile-fri i s mo

More than 200 Airlines in one place!

Book the cheapest and Best Deal!

BestFlight.ca

Check All Inclusive Vacation Packages online Now

416 226 2626

SKYLIGHTS Bright Skylights Inc. Since 1985

416-705-8635

Joe Sousa s Installation s Leak proof guaranteed s No mess in your home

20% OFF for seniors

www.brightskylights.ca (replacing existing skylight) info@brightskylights.ca

YORK REGION

REVIEW

FREE MONTHLY COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

MAY 2020

RICHMOND HILL, AURORA, NEWMARKET, KING CITY, MARKHAM, STOUFFVILLE, VAUGHAN, THORNHILL, GEORGINA and NORTH YORK

GET a

FLU SHOT For Your

HOME Remove 99.7% of bacteria, viruses, mold & fungus in the air

Sales/Advertisement: 416-823-4948, yrpublishing@gmail.com We offer a package of a HEPA filter and UV light that to attaches your furnace hidden and out of the way.

These two in combination do the best job in cleaning the air of odors, bacteria, viruses, mold, fungus, and many other microorganisms.

Call us to find out more:

289-500-9199 Ocean Air Heating & Cooling Inc

Government Launches New Tool to Support Trucking Industry

TIM’S Immigration

ImmIgratIon and LegaL status In Canada

4Family Sponsorship and SUPERVISA 4PR Cards Renewal APPROVAL 4Citizenship applications RAte 93%* 4Visa and Restoration of Status *terms and 4REFUGEE status conditions apply 4LMIA application and Work Permit 4Study Permit Canadian Immigration Counsel, ICCRC licence R509475

Cell: 647.979.1402, Office: 416.645.7442 e-mail: timur@timsimmigration.com

25 Sheppard Ave West, office 316 (Sheppard/Yonge). North York

www.timsimmigration.com

Ontario Unveils Guiding Principles to Reopen the Province

On April 27, the Ontario government released A Framework for Reopening our Province.

Details were provided by Premier Doug Ford, Rod Phillips, Minister of Finance, Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, and Christine Elliott, Deputy The Ontario 511 app provides Premier and Minister of Health.

The Ontario government is offering a new free 511 app which will provide truck drivers immediate access to the information they need to stay safe, fed and rested while delivering essential goods across the province during the COVID-19 outbreak.

images from over 600 cameras and includes up-to-date highway information on construction, collisions and road closures. It also identifies open rest areas and locations throughout the province that offer food and fuel. The app includes an easy to use map view and features a drive mode that provides hands free audio alerts.

• Ontario 511 is a traveller information service that helps people plan their routes and travel safely and efficiently across the province.

•The Ontario 511 pilot app is available for free on the App Store and Google Play.

• Ontario is adding more places for truck drivers to safely stop and rest across the province. Parking and washrooms are now available at 23 ONroute travel plazas, 45 rest areas, 32 Truck Inspection Stations, 14 truck lay-bys and five Metrolinx Park n Rides.

• Every year, $1.26 trillion worth of goods are moved by trucks on Ontario’s roads.

Stage 1: For businesses that were ordered to close or restrict operations, opening select workplaces that can immediately modify operations to meet public health guidance. Opening some outdoor spaces like parks and allowing for a greater number of individuals to attend some events. Hospitals would also begin to offer some non-urgent and scheduled surgeries, and other health care services.

Stage 2: Opening more workplaces, based on risk assessments, which may include some service industries and additional office and retail workplaces. Some larger public gatherings would be allowed, and more outdoor spaces would open.

Stage 3: Opening of all workplaces responsibly and further relaxing of restrictions on public gatherings.

More Frontline Workers Eligible for Emergency Child Care

Ontario Supporting Frontline Heroes of COVID-19 with Pandemic Pay

The Ontario government is further expanding the list of essential workers eligible to receive free emergency child care during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Since emergency child care was introduced, almost 100 child care centres have reopened along with 40 Licensed Home Child Care Agencies in communities across the province.

The additional frontline workers who can now access emergency childcare services include: •Workers in grocery stores and pharmacies •Truck drivers (driver's licence Class A and Class D) •Workers in the food supply chain, including food processing •Workers in retirement homes •Auxiliary workers in health care settings, including cooks and cleaning staff in hospitals and long-term care homes •Interpreters and intervenors who support people who are deaf, deafened, hard of hearing and deafblind •Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) emergency personnel •Provincial officers and onsite staff in Ontario courts •Canadian Armed Forces and Department of National Defence staff working in Ontario •Additional workers supporting public safety and correctional services A list of emergency child care centres is available on Ontario.ca/coronavirus.

Child care for members of the Canadian Armed Forces and employees of the Department of National Defence who are working in Ontario would be provided by a Military Family Resource Centre.

In recognition of the dedication, long hours and increased risk of working to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, the Ontario government is providing frontline staff with a temporary pandemic payment.

This increase will provide four dollars per hour worked on top of existing hourly wages, regardless of the qualified employee's hourly wage. In addition, employees working over 100 hours per month would receive lump sum payments of $250 per month for each of the next four months. This means that eligible employees working an average of 40 hours per week would receive $3,560 in additional compensation.

Those eligible to receive the payment will be staff working in long-term care homes, retirement homes, emergency shelters, supportive housing, social services congregate care settings, corrections institutions and youth justice facilities, as well as those providing home and community care and some staff in hospitals.

Staff providing frontline clinical services, along with those providing support services, such as cleaning and meal preparation, will be eligible to receive the pandemic payment. The additional compensation is temporary and would begin flowing immediately (April 25) and continue for 16 weeks.

How to Avoid 9 Common Buyer Traps Before Buying a Home in York Region

YORK REGION - Buying a home is a major investment no matter which way you look at it. But for many homebuyers, it's an even more expensive process than it needs to be because many fall prey to at least a few of the many common and costly mistakes which trap them into either paying too much for the home they want, or process can help you avoid these common traps, losing their dream home to another buyer or, allowing you to not only cut costs, but also buy the home that is best for you. worse, buying the wrong home for their needs.

An industry report has just been released A systemized approach to the homebuying

entitled "Nine Buyer Traps and How to Avoid Them". This important report discusses the 9 most common and costly of these homebuyer traps, how to identify them, and what you can do to avoid them.

Order your free report today to learn how to avoid costly buyer mistakes before you purchase your next home. To order a FREE Special Report visit www.AvoidBuyerTraps.com Get your free special report NOW.

This report is courtesy of Andrew Friz, Broker, Right at Home Realty Inc., Brokerage. Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract. Copyright © 2019

Richmond Hill has expanded relief measures

For those who have been impacted financially by COVID-19 and need help, there will be no penalties or interest charged on late payment of property taxes or water bills through January 1, 2021.

In addition, the stormwater rate increase has been stopped, and the City intends to stop the rate increase for water/wastewater subject to York Region also waiving wholesale rate increases. The City’s NSF (non-sufficient funds) fee of $45 is waived for

the remainder of 2020.

Residents and businesses who are able should pay their property taxes by the scheduled due dates as this will help Richmond Hill to continue providing essential services.

Account holders on the pre-authorized debit program have the option to delay their May and June monthly tax withdrawals by contacting Access Richmond Hill at access@richmondhill.ca or 905-771-8800.

Newmarket Council approves Financial Relief Program to help residents and businesses in need

The Town of Newmarket has finalized a comprehensive Financial Relief Program to help residents and businesses. This program is an extension of the preliminary measures that the Town of Newmarket put in place in March to waive penalties and interest on the March and April property tax payments. The Town wants to provide financial relief to those most affected by the global pandemic by expanding tax and water bill relief, including; • No penalty and interest charges on property tax payments until January 1, 2021 • No penalty and interest charges for late payment of water/wastewater bills until January 1, 2021 • Reducing water and wastewater rates by 4.69 per cent beginning May 1, 2020 • Waiving all Non-Sufficient Fund (NSF) penalties until the end of June 2020 • Deferring the stormwater charges to November 2020 • No penalty and interest charges Aurora Ducks Swimming Club for all Town accounts receivable Paul Lau, president of Champion Swimming and Aurora Inc. is a not-for-profit swimming club, including development agreeDucks Swimming Club Inc. in Au- run by experienced swim coaches, ments, leases and sponsorships.

“It was extremely important for rora, partnered with Makerwiz to like Paul Lau. It is a place where create 100 face shields to donate swimmers can take their skills to the us to move forward with this Financial to our dedicated front-line staff next level, achieve their goals and be Relief Program to help our residents part of an amazing team of competiand health care workers. tive swimmers.

City of Richmond Hill created a This donation will help keep The face shields were delivnumber of videos and are sharing activered to York Region Paramedic Serv- our front-line staff and health care ices on April 28 and will be donated workers safe while providing essen- ities for you to stay active while at home!

Visit RichmondHill.ca/StayHome to directly to front-line staff and health tial services to our community, every find crafts, physical activities, connect day. care workers. with nature and embrace culture.

Face shields donation to health care workers

WETT Certified Metro Licensed #19424

416-727-6825

www.localchimneysweeps.ca

and businesses who are most in need, now more than ever we have to support each other and our community,” says Newmarket Mayor John Taylor.

“If your finances are not significantly impacted by COVID-19, we urge you to please continue to pay your taxes according to the scheduled dates if you can. This will help the Town as we continue to use our resources to support those who need it most.”

For residents and businesses currently enrolled in the Pre-Authorized Payment (PAP) program, payments will continue to be withdrawn by the Town on the scheduled payment dates. PAP participants that would like to withdraw from the program can do so by emailing taxes@newmarket.ca. Please note that residents and businesses that withdraw would need to reapply to the program in the future.

If you have any questions on the Financial Relief Program or the Town’s response to COVID-19, please contact the Town of Newmarket at 905-895-5193.

See page 15

Coronavirus pandemic is an opportunity to 4 SOCIETY

York Region review

free monthly community Newspaper

MAY, 2020

Create affordabLe CItIes

Every crisis shows cracks in the current system and points a glaring spotlight on the inequities that were overlooked before. As rents are due at the end of each month, Canada’s rising neighbourhood and income inequality is hard to ignore.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these problems as cities become less affordable. Will the country continue the mistakes of previous decades, leading to even more unequal cities? Or will this crisis offer an opportunity to create truly just cities?

Through the Neighbourhood Change Research Partneracademics, NGO ship, advocates and municipal policymakers teamed up to document and analyze inequality, income polarization and poverty across seven Canadian cities. The team’s findings show that as governments shifted from traditional welfare state supports to neoliberal policies, cities became increasingly unequal and segregated.

Rising housing prices

As the country transitioned to a service and knowledge economy during the 1980s and 1990s, it drew more Canadians to cities for work. At the same time, governments deregulated labour, land and financial markets, and promoted private housing construction — all while abandoning the building of social and rental housing.

Old warehouses and urban cores were gentrified during that period. Construction, real estate and finance became increasingly important to the Canadian economy — especially for large Canadian cities.

After the global financial crisis in the late 2000s, low interest rates and federal government guarantees for private mortgage lenders removed financial risk from banks and stimulated a real estate bubble that increased consumer debt levels.

Housing prices rose with these changes, and a greater share of new residential units became small condominiums or apartments. This was particularly the case in downtown neighbourhoods. Meanwhile, buyers in suburban areas continued to prefer detached houses that became more expensive and harder to afford.

Increasing inequality

As a result, income inequality across cities increased.

Gini coefficients, the gold standard for measuring inequality by social scientists, show this among individuals and among neighbourhoods between 1980 and 2015.

Inequality, however, is experienced differently across

Canadian cities. Toronto saw increasing neighbourhood incomes in its urban core, and declining incomes in its aging inner suburbs that have been outflanked by growth in newly developed areas outside Toronto. Similar patterns were seen in Vancouver and Calgary.

In other cities, things are less extreme. Halifax, for instance, experienced hot spots of inequality.

Across the seven cities studied by the Neighbourhood Change Research partnership, between 13 per cent and 32 per cent of neighbourhoods lost ground.

That is, the incomes in those neighbourhoods decreased relative to the average income of a city’s neighbourhoods between 1980 and 2015. Winnipeg had the lowest share of neighbourhoods experiencing decline, while Calgary had the most.

Neighbourhoods losing ground tended to house racialized groups and immigrants in larger cities like Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver. Neighbourhood decline tended to occur in areas with urban Indigenous peoples in Winnipeg, refugees in Hamilton and seniors in Halifax.

Social housing

Government policies affect what is built in neighbourhoods and how income inequality is experienced across cities. Until the 1970s, federal programs supported the building of affordable housing in Canada, but a growing faith in the market

to address housing needs undermined that commitment to affordability. By the 1990s, responsibility for social housing was transferred to the provinces.

Many of them lacked the resources and the political commitment to invest in social housing.

The federal government instead encouraged building housing. owner-occupied Provincial policies also pushed

A future housing strategy

In 2017, Canada announced a National Housing Strategy. Since then, $55 billion spread over 10 years has been promised to pursue it. In the face of the COVID-19 outbreak, the federal government implemented new stimulus policies, including a new Insured Mortgage Purchase Program that allows the federal government to buy up mortgages.

The stimulus money aims to ensure that the banks, lenders and construction companies remain profitable during the COVID-19 recession in the hopes that finance and real estate can continue to drive economic growth in the country. But this promotes additional risky lending to buyers of owner-occupied housing with the potential to further imbalance housing markets in Canadian cities, increasing debt levels and making rental housing even less affordable.

A better policy would be to immediately build social housing and affordable rental units.

Governments should also continue pandemic-induced policies like limiting loopholes for eviction from commercial and private rental housing. Otherwise, we will face a wave of “renovictions” and rents will continue to be out of reach as entrepreneurs buy up properties in the economic recovery period of the outbreak.

Canada is ripe for implementing bold policies that build affordable housing to meet the diverse needs of its population.

Stimulus spending can have long-term impacts if it protects workers, allows tenants the right to remain in their units and invests in new public transit lines that make cities more sustainable. To fix inequality, we should also consider adopting a universal basic income and other redistributive policies.

We have a real chance at building socially just cities.

Let’s not waste it.

urban growth and increased pressures on local governments to allow developers to build luxury units.

By the 2010s, Canada transitioned from having some of the most affordable housing markets around the world to among the least affordable.

Many Canadians now find themselves shut out of living in the country’s largest cities.

Planning policies and regulations played a key role. As early as the 1970s, Toronto and Vancouver encouraged urban infill and densification in downtown areas that inadvertently stimulated gentrification. It is a trend followed by other cities.

Canadian planners increasingly promoted urban revitalization and regeneration, supported by planning philosophies associated with new urbanism, sustainability, social mix and smart growth — all of which contributed to income polarizaHoward Ramos, Professor tion across neighbourhoods. of Sociology, Dalhousie University In recent years, proAlan Walks, Professor, grams have been created to Geography, University of Toronto renew public housing as seen Jill L Grant, Professor with Toronto’s Regent Park.

Emeritus, School of Planning, These initiatives apply a mix of Dalhousie University neoliberal and new-urbanist ideas to generate massive neighbourhood “For almost a century, there has been broad change. consensus in America that families should The effecspend no more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Until recently, most renting families tiveness of this met this goal. But times have changed... Today, approach is the majority of poor renting families in America yet to be spend over half of their income on housing, and at least one in four dedicates over 70 percent to seen. paying the rent and keeping the lights on”.

Matthew Desmond, “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City”

Between 1999 and 2016, mortgage debt accounted for 84% of total increase in family debt.

In 2016, 63% of Canadian families owned their homes, up from 60% in 1999. Homeownership is on the rise largely beof population cause aging, as older people are more likely to own their homes.

The proportion of families who have paid off their house is decreasing. Between 1999 and 2016 – from 46% to 43%. Without population aging, the proportion would have declined from 46% to 36%.

This is because older people are more likely to have paid off their houses.

The median mortgage debt among families with a mortgage doubled in real terms between 1999 and 2016. (1999 - $91,900; 2016 - $180,000).

Most families with a mortgage have a fixed mortgage rate. (Fixed – 74%, variable – 21%, combination – 5%).

Canadian home sales and listings down in March Statistics by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) show national home sales and listings were down sharply between February and March 2020.

Home sales recorded over Canadian MLS® Systems dropped by 14.3% compared to February. Transactions were down in the vast majority of local markets in March. Among Canada’s largest markets, sales declined in the GTA (20.8%), Montreal (13.3%), Greater Vancouver (2.9%), Calgary (26.3%), Edmonton (13.2%), Winnipeg (7.3%), HamiltonBurlington (24.9%) and Ottawa (7.9%).

“March 2020 will be remembered around the planet for a long time. Canadian home sales and listings were increasing heading into what was expected to be a busy spring for Canadian REALTORS®,” said Jason Stephen, president of CREA.

MAY, 2020

free monthly community newspaper

york region review

advertising: 416-823-4948 yrpublishing@gmail.com

From April 3 to 24 representatives from more than 12,600 businesses visited Statistics Canada's website and took part in the online questionnaire about how COVID-19 is affecting their business.

Readers should note that unlike other surveys conducted by Statistics Canada, crowdsourcing data are not collected using a probability-based sample design. As a result, the findings reported below cannot be applied to the overall Canadian economy.

Over half of all businesses see a decline of 20% or more in revenue Nearly one-third (32.3%) of businesses who responded to the survey reported that their revenues from the first quarter of 2020 were down by 40% or more from the same quarter a year earlier. Another 21.2% of businesses reported their revenues had decreased by 20% to 40% over the same period.

Businesses in the accommodation and food services (72.6%), arts, entertainment and recreation (66.7%) and retail trade (60.3%) sectors were most likely to report a decline in revenue greater than 20%. In contrast, just over two-fifths of businesses in each of the agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (42.0%) and the utilities (40.4%)

5

was larger than in any of the three significant recessions experienced since 1980.

Provincially, employment fell in all provinces, with Ontario (-403,000 or -5.3%), Quebec (-264,000 or -6.0%), British Columbia (-132,000 or -5.2%) and Alberta (117,000 or -5.0%) reporting the largest declines.

Employment decreased more sharply in March among employees in the private sector (6.7%) than in the public sector (3.7%).

Greatest employment declines among youth Among youth aged 15 to 24, employment decreased by 392,500 (15.4%) in March, the fastest rate of decline across the three main age groups. The decrease was almost entirely in part-time work, and brought the employment rate for youth to 49.1%, the lowest on record using comparable data beginning in 1976.

In core-age population, more losses among women than men Among people in the core working ages of 25 to 54, the monthly decline in employment for women (5.0%) was more than twice that of men (2.0%). Nearly half of the decrease among women was from part-time employment.

Largest employment losses among vulnerable workers

sectors reported either no change or an increase in revenue.

Across the country, over half of businesses in Alberta (57.7%), Ontario (56.3%), British Columbia (54.8%), Newfoundland and Labrador (53.5%) and Saskatchewan (52.8%) saw declines of 20% or more in revenue. In contrast, close to one-third of businesses in Prince Edward Island (33.1%), the territories (32.4%) and New Brunswick (30.3%) reported either no change or an increase in revenue.

Over one-quarter (28.6%) of businesses requested credit from financial institutions to cover operating costs due to revenue shortfalls caused by COVID-19. Financial institutions either fully or partially approved over three-quarters (77.3%) of these requests.

Just under two-thirds (64.8%) of businesses reported being highly affected by lower demand for their products or services.

Businesses in the accommodation and food services, arts, entertainment and recreation, and retail trade sectors were most likely to be highly impacted by lower demand for their products or services.

Sharp decrease in employment In March, the number of employed people fell by more than one million. The employment rate, or the proportion of people aged 15 and older who were employed, fell 3.3 percentage points to 58.5%. This was the lowest employment rate since April 1997.

It is expected that the sudden employment decline observed in March will have a significant effect on the performance of the Canadian economy over the coming months. The employment decline in March

In general, workers in less secure, lower-quality jobs were more likely to see employment losses in March. The number of employees in temporary jobs decreased by 14.5% compared with a decline of 5.3% among employees with permanent jobs. Decreases were observed across all types of temporary work, led by those in casual employment (23.5%).

Fewer Canadians report that they have excellent or very good MENTAL health, particularly women, but overall Canadians report better PHYSICAL health According to the recent Canadian Perspectives Survey Series (CPSS), 54% of Canadians aged 15 and older reported excellent or very good mental health during the COVID-19 period. This compares to the findings from the 2018 Canadian Community

Health Survey (CCHS) when 68% of Canadians aged 15 and older said that their mental health was excellent or very good.

Women in particular were more likely to report poorer mental health as compared to men. About half of women said that their mental health was excellent or very good (49% compared to 60% of men). In 2018, women were also less likely than men to report excellent or very good mental health although the difference was not as large (66% compared to 71% for men).

More Canadians reported that their physical health was excellent or very good – 69% of Canadians compared to 60% in 2018.

Youth are less likely to report excellent mental health All age groups except individuals aged 65 and older were less likely to report excellent or very good mental health during the COVID-19 period. However, the difference between 2018 and 2020 was particularly evident for younger adults. For example, among those aged 15 to 24, 42% reported excellent or very good mental health during the pandemic compared to 62% in 2018.

In contrast, those aged 65 and older who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 reported similar rates of excellent/very good mental health compared to 2018 (71% vs. 72%, respectively). It is important to note that the CPSS was not conducted in long-term care residences.

Younger participants are more likely to be concerned about social effects of the pandemic Younger participants were less focused on personal health worries, and more focused on social stressors resulting from the pandemic, such as family stress from confinement or the possibility of civil unrest.

Previous research has shown that younger people have a higher degree of social interactions, but a lower level of trust in their neighbours and strangers.

Specifically, participants aged 15 to 24 were more likely to report that they were very or extremely concerned about stress from confinement at home (41%). These figures compared with 30% or below among participants aged 55 and older.

Younger participants aged 15 to 24 were also more likely to be very or extremely worried about the possibility of civil disorder (43%). This compared with 24% among participants aged 75 and older.

Young women are more likely to be concerned about violence in the home In a previous Statistics Canada survey conducted in the early stages of the pandemic, 10% of women and 6% of men reported that they were concerned about the possibility of violence in the home.

Results from crowdsourcing echo this finding, as women in all age groups were more likely than men to report being very or extremely anxious about the possibility of violence in the home.

Young women aged 15 to 24, however, were significantly more likely to report that they were very or extremely anxious about the possibility of violence in the home (12%), relative to men in the same age group (8%).

Youth are also more likely to feel the economic pinch of the crisis Young participants were also more likely than older participants to report that the current crisis would have an impact on their job or finances. These findings echo the most recent report from the Labour Force Survey, which indicated that young workers were the most impacted by job losses in the aftermath of the crisis.

Specifically, close to one-half of participants aged 15 to 24 reported that the COVID-19 pandemic would have a "moderate" or "major" impact on their ability to meet their financial obligations. This compared with an overall rate of 34% for all participants.

Similarly, youth were also more likely than older participants to think that they would be losing their job or self-employment income as a result of the pandemic (43%, compared with 28% for all participants). The results above were similar for both men and women.

6

SOCIETY

York Region review

free monthly community Newspaper

MAY, 2020

advertising: 416-823-4948 yrpublishing@gmail.com

Ceramic photos Restoration Laser etching

RITUAL MONUMENTS

CEMETERY HEADSTONES Factory Outlet

Price n direct from factory Creation Installation n Repair

416.831-3314

Why Canadians and Americans are buying guns during the pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a surge in gun sales. Estimates based on background checks show that an estimated 2.6 million guns were sold in the United States in March. That is an 85 per cent increase over the same period last year.

While there are no official numbers, gun stores in Canada have also reported increased sales. This has spurred some news media to draw comparisons between the two nations’ gun-sales spikes, potentially stoking the fears of the Canadian public.

This angst has been echoed by gun control groups in Canada that have expressed concerns regarding the impact of “increased access to guns” on public health.

But few have noted the three key differences between the American and Canadian COVID-19 gun-sales spike.

due to concerns about self-defence, given fears of looting, violence and the government’s capacity to deal with the crisis.

With the absence of a gun-carry movement in Canada, this same shift has not taken place. The conditions under which guns can be used for selfdefence in Canada are narrow, and the government stringently regulates not only firearms ownership, but the discourse surrounding guns.

Self-defence is not a legal reason to acquire a firearm in Canada, and cannot be listed as a reason for firearms ownership on a Possession and Acqui-

No. 2: How are they buying them?

No. 3: Who is buying what?

Another key difference between the bump in sales in Canada versus the U.S. is the requirements to purchase guns and ammunition. South of the border, most firearms legislation is made at the state level, with big differences in gun laws across the country.

In many states, the only requirement to purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer is a federal background check, though states like California and Massachusetts have much stricter laws.

In Canada, the bump in sales is

sition License (PAL) application.

Though no research exists at this time, owners of gun stores who were interviewed by the media noted that Canadians are likely panic-buying due to a fear of shortages rather than a fear of violence, since the Canadian supply chain is heavily dependent on the United States.

That means gun owners who might have waited to buy firearms and ammunition for target shooting over the summer or hunting this fall are buying them now.

limited to those who have already passed through the RCMP’s extensive licensing regime. This process often takes up to six months and includes a weekend-long course, passing a written and practical test and reference checks.

Canadian gun owners are subject to continuous automatic background checks as long as they hold the licence.

So if somebody is legally purchasing a gun in Canada, it means the RCMP could find “no reasons why, in the interest of public safety, they should not possess a firearm.”

Many of the people buying guns in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic reported that it was their first time purchasing a gun. Furthermore, the majority of guns sold during the current boom have been handguns rather than long guns.

Though it’s a bit early to speculate, this could very well lead to even less support for gun control in the U.S., given that gun owners are unsurprisingly the least likely group to support gun control.

In Canada, on the other hand, it is likely that only a small minority of gun purchases during the Canadian spike were first-time buyers given the time frame required to acquire a firearm licence in Canada.

Statistics on the breakdown of handguns versus long gun purchases during the Canadian pandemic spike don’t exist, but we can guess that most of the new guns purchased in Canada were long guns being used for hunting or sports shooting.

That’s because gun owners wishing to own handguns must have a special Restricted Possession and Acquisition License (RPAL) and maintain a membership at a shooting club, which can cost hundreds of dollars per year and limits handgun ownership to serious target shooters.

Of Canada’s 2.2 million licensed gun owners, only about a quarter have licences that allow them to purchase handguns.

And so it’s clear there are major differences between the gun purchase spikes in Canada and the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. This will hopefully set anxious Canadian minds at ease and let everyone get back to focusing on more pressing problems .

No. 1: Why are they buying?

Canadians and Americans buy guns for different reasons. Over the past few decades, the United States has witnessed a transformation in its civilian gun culture. While in the past, gun ownership was mainly related to hunting and sports shooting, changes in laws and gun advertising have led to a rise in gun ownership for self-defence.

In the 1970s, only 20 per cent of gun owners indicated self-defence as their primary reason for gun ownership.

In the 1990s, following the explosion of laws that allowed Americans to carry guns outside the home, 46 per cent listed self-protection.

More recent studies have shown that 76 per cent of gun owners now report protection as their primary motivation for gun ownership.

The surge in first-time buyers suggests that many Americans buying guns during the pandemic are doing so

Trudeau says feds banning 1,500 there terrorizing our streets”.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford types of “military-style” guns - order takes effect immediately...

“We know that the overwhelming “The problem is not the legal gun majority of firearms used crimiowners, we need to target the nally in Canada are smuggled in ilsmugglers and we need to throw legally from the United States. the book at these gangsters out Instead of addressing this, Ottawa

will instead spend vast sums of money to criminalize law-abiding Canadians. That money would be far better used to pursue the smugglers and drug gangs that plague our society” .

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney.

Noah S. Schwartz PhD Candidate, Political Science, Carleton University

“I am extremely disappointed by (Friday’s) announcement by the federal government of a firearms ban that only serves to penalize law-abiding gun owners” Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe

Residential

MORTGAGES vika.agranat@gmail.com

Cell. (416)939-4525 88 Glen Cameron Road, Thornhill, ON, L3T 1P7

Contact us now for best mortgage rates and services Brokerage #10261, Licence #MO8006234

What does a post-pandemic economy look like? Health researchers are indicating that managing this virus will be a long-term game. That means COVID-19 will impact the economy for months, maybe years, but reopening businesses cannot wait until the virus is completely eradicated.

Estimated lost wages from the locked-down Canadian economy range between $3 billion to $6 billion per month. Many Canadians are worrying about more than infection; concerns about affording rent and everyday necessities are pervasive. Restarting businesses is not only important for the social well-being of Canadians but also for restoring investor confidence in the market and generating much-needed tax revenue.

Germany has just started to make small steps by reopening small shops. Understanding when and how to reopen businesses may be the most challenging task of this pandemic. Reopening too soon risks a second wave of infections and a far greater negative economic impact.

However, not allowing companies to promptly reopen will lead to a deep recession and is already fuelling societal unrest. Successfully re-establishing businesses in a COVID-19 economy requires government, health-care and business leaders working together to implement a phased return to employment.

The first phase is the one in which we now find ourselves: working from home or unemployed. Many professional and business-to-business companies have learned to facilitate working from home using web-based technology over the past few weeks.

This has been critical in reducing COVID-19 transmission, but it’s not sustainable in the long term. So what’s next?

Phase 2: Resuming small-scale operations The next phase is a suppression approach involving reopening and supporting businesses where virus transmission can be easily controlled.

Workplaces that have adequate space for physical distancing, easy access to soap and water

and the ability for continuous cleaning of all public areas should be encouraged to reopen. These businesses can learn from those that remained open during the lockdown.

This might require that businesses operate with reduced hours until they can assure regular and thorough cleaning of their workplaces.

In a pandemic, short-term age discrimination may also be justified. Employers should be encouraged to rehire younger people after they’ve been tested, while governments continue to provide financial

new cleaning and social and physical distancing practices needs to be ensured.

Phase 4: Domestic tourism

The final phase should focus on rebuilding domestic tourism and Canada’s reputation as a safe country for its citizens to explore. Airlines and hotels should have appropriate cleaning and hygiene practices ready to go. Reopening the border could be considered for those countries that have also controlled

restarting the coronavirus economy:

4 possIbLe steps

support to older workers and those with chronic health conditions, since younger people are less likely to be hospitalized due to COVID-19 infection.

Success in this early phase is dependent on rapid testing of employees displaying symptoms, including a potential self-testing kit and the quick return of results. Employers must keep reminding employees to stay home if they are not feeling well, while governments must continue to provide easy and quick access to insurance for lost wages.

In the meantime, employees have a responsibility to limit their social exposure when they’re not at work. The goal must be to keep the transmission rate a low as possible.

Phase 3: Expanding to social events The next phase should begin within a month of lowering the infection rate to acceptable levels, a number that still hasn’t been established. There is ongoing development of models of transmission in differentsized and types of groups, and as more is learned on how to ensure low infection rates, businesses and organizations can expand operations carefully.

This could mean allowing more customers into stores and restaurants at one time, allowing small social gatherings and reopening some education and recreation facilities. Professional sports leagues could resume, either with relatively few or no spectators.

Whatever the expansion looks like, maintenance of

transmission of the virus.

During this phased-in approach, governments need to go beyond providing financial stimulus packages. Businesses also need to be supported in training workers on safety and sanitation precautions, and must facilitate the development of technologies that monitor workplace social distancing and tracking of interactions that could lead to virus transmission.

Governments and health-care experts must also continually monitor and provide updates on transmission rates. Success is dependent on everyone being informed.

Public trust in business is critical. Canadians have effectively responded to this pandemic. To ensure ongoing co-operation, they need to know there’s plan for getting people back to work.

COVID-19 will not be the last health threat to the Canadian economy. Our focus needs to shift from controlling risks through economic shutdowns to managing health-related threats in the workplace. Otherwise disastrous economic downturns will continue.

The response to COVID-19, in fact, should become a learning opportunity on how to develop more illness-proof economies.

Loren Falkenberg Senior Associate Dean, Business, University of Calgary Jillian Walsh Graduate Student, Health Economics, University of York

8 COMMUNITY

York Region review

free monthly community NEWSPAPER

MAY, 2020

advertising: 416-823-4948 yrpublishing@gmail.com

How faith communities are responding to the coronavirus pandemic Faith communities play an important role in people’s daily lives. According to the Pew Research Center, 63 per cent of Canadians identify with a religious faith while at least 55 per cent of Canadians report that religion is at least somewhat important in their personal lives.

Recent media articles have highlighted how religious leaders are connecting with their community members via livestreamed services or even Twitter sermons. However, research on faithbased humanitarianism suggests that faith communities play a much broader role during times of crisis.

My survey of faith communities shows how they are uniquely positioned to support people and foster resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of their moral authority and wide networks, they provide sources of solidarity, knowledge, authority and meaning.

campaign to assist at-risk families in the region during the pandemic.

Finally, yoga studios and meditation apps offer a more secular form of spiritual solidarity for people unaffiliated with a formal religious institution. Many of these are offering free online classes as a way to support people through these challenging times.

Sources of knowledge These same wide networks enable faith communities to have direct access to what is happening at the local level. This is particularly important in

Sources of authority It sent a strong public health message when Pope Francis cancelled his Sunday blessing at a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square. This weekly ritual has rarely been cancelled since 1954.

Likewise, the Dalai Lama released a public letter of support for Indian Prime Minister Modi’s strict measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in that country.

In Canada, the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto has issued public health updates to Jewish organizations

Sources of solidarity

Faith communities can readily engage in acts of solidarity that build community resilience. They can easily identify vulnerable community members and quickly mobilize to provide support.

Sikh temples regularly hold a langar, a community kitchen offering free meals to temple visitors. Now some temples in Surrey, B.C. are offering a free take-out langar as well as organizing grocery deliveries to seniors and people with disabilities.

The Sikh Awareness Foundation has launched a “No Hungry Tummies” initiative to provide hot meals to vulnerable community members throughout B.C. Khalsa Aid is providing free grocery essentials at various pickup points throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

Similarly, the Ahmaddiya Muslim Youth Association has launched a nationwide Neighbourhood Helper campaign.Canadians can request assistance by signing up online or calling a helpline; youth members will support them by picking up groceries or medications.

The UJA (United Jewish Appeal) Federation of Greater Toronto has expanded its annual Global Seder

WORLD Putin & Trump release rare joint statement on Elbe Day 75th anniversary

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have released a rare joint statement, marking the 75th anniversary of the historic meeting between Soviet and American troops on the Elbe River.

The meeting that occurred on April 25, 1945 “heralded the decisive defeat of the Nazi regime,” which was ultimately destroyed a couple weeks after.

But most importantly, it clearly showed how the two nations can cooperate, the statement reads.

The “Spirit of the Elbe” is an example of how our countries can put aside differences, build trust, and coop-

contexts that are closed to outside observers.

For my current research on Canadian Christian missionary organizations, I attended Missions Fest Manitoba in February, a conference in Winnipeg that attracted representatives from over 100 Christian organisations. A handout from one organization described how they maintain direct contact with members of underground house churches in China, which are illegal churches not sanctioned by the Chinese government.

As a result, the organization was able to get detailed knowledge about what was happening in Chinese communities during the early days of the coronavirus crisis. They also provided funds for medical supplies to be disbursed to community members, even while the Chinese state was suppressing information.

In such cases, faith communities act as first responders as well as information channels. erate in pursuit of a greater cause.

On Elbe Day, the allies who had been fighting the common enemy for years already finally met each other in person. Soldiers of the Red Army 5th Guards, led by General Alexey Zhadov, shook hands with their brothers-in-arms from the US First Army of General Courtenay Hodges at the bomb-shattered bridge over the famous German river. The meeting on the Elbe represented a culmination of tremendous efforts by the many countries and peoples,” the TrumpPutin statement reads. “This common struggle required enormous sacrifice by millions of soldiers, sailors, and citizens in multiple theaters of war.”

with the goal of facilitating a consistent community-wide response.

These voices have strong moral authority within and beyond their communities, so have the ability to influence the public to listen to public health recommendations.

Unfortunately, this is also the case when leaders choose to ignore public health recommendations, which can have significant negative consequences. For instance, many U.S. churches continue to remain open for services and draw hundreds of worshippers. This is despite state bans on public gatherings and numerous previous examples of coronavirus hot spots stemming from large religious gatherings.

Sources of meaning

According to a draft paper re-

leased by University of Copenhagen economics professor Jeanet Sinding Bentzen, Google searches about prayer skyrocketed during March as the coronavirus went global. Even people who do not consider themselves to be religious are turning to prayer as a way to cope with the crisis.

Faith communities help people create meaning in times of great uncertainty or anxiety. Kenneth Pargament, a psychologist of religion and health, has argued that “the language of the sacred – forbearance, mystery, suffering, hope, finitude, surrender, divine purpose and redemption” - can help people cope with situations beyond their control.

For example, the executive director of the Muslim Association of Canada advised the organization’s members that “we should see this as the time to embody the defining quality of a believer: to be of benefit to God’s creation.”

Similarly, the Dalai Lama advised Buddhists to chant the “Tara mantra” in response to the pandemic. Chanting mantras is a practice that Buddhists use to cultivate compassion for themselves and all sentient beings. The Tibetan Canadian Cultural Centre in Toronto requested its members to recite as many of these mantras as possible and report back their totals to get a full community count.

Faith communities outside of formal religious institutions also help people to create meaning. Jack Kornfield, a popular teacher of mindfulness meditation practices, has created a pandemic resources page on his website. It includes guided meditations on how to cultivate a steady heart or respond to difficult emotions during difficult times.

It is important to understand what increases the resilience of individuals and communities during times of challenge and uncertainty. These examples suggest that many Canadians will experience the COVID-19 pandemic within a framework that is shaped by a faith community. More importantly, they demonstrate how faith communities are at the forefront of community-led responses to the pandemic.

During this time of crisis, people may find strength, hope and purpose through their connections to faith communities.

Andrea Paras, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Guelph

May 8-9th - 75th anniversary of the End of World War II

MAY, 2020

free monthly community Newspaper

9

york region review

advertising: 416-823-4948 yrpublishing@gmail.com

Ontario helpingToronto businesses Campus

overcome the

Eddfield Avenue (Yonge & Sheppard) 21 challenges unique Kindergarten to grade 12

New Website Accepting Proposals for Temporarily Changing Rules and Regulations

416-250-0648

The Ontario government is launching the COVID-19: Tackling the Barriers website to help businesses overcome the unique challenges created by the global pandemic. Businesses working to retool their operations to produce health-related products, or those that Mj.Mackenzie) (Bathurst want to continue their operations in this & new environment of physical distancing, can submit any potential roadblocks to the website. The province is prepared to allow temporary changes to provincial rules and regulations in order to remove any barriers that are hindering business and negatively impacting Ontario's supply chain.

The website builds on steps the government has already taken to help businesses respond to COVID-19, including: • providing $10 billion in provincial tax deferrals, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board premium deferrals, and other business supports; •providing more than $900 million in urgent relief to small businesses and their landlords through a new program, the Ontario-Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program (OCECRA); Ave.West, Unit 212 (Yonge & Steeles), 180 Steeles •providing $50 million to help businesses such as manufacturers and distilleries retool so they health-related products and supcan produce Mackenzie), & Major (Bathurst Gate 11 Headdon plies, such as ventilators, gowns, face masks and hand sanitizer; •permitting 24-hour construction for critical infrastructure; •permitting 24-hour deliveries in every municipality across the province to help grocery stores and pharmacies keep their shelves stocked; and •allowing restaurants and bars to sell alcohol with food takeout or delivery orders.

Small class sizes

Accelerated Math and

Language programs

French from Kindergarten

Physics, Chemistry, Biology

Richmond Hill Campus

as separate subjects from gr.4

Preschool to grade 8

Graduates receive OSSD

Extracurricular clubs and sports

11 Headdon Gate

Close home-school contact

905-780-6565 T.416-225-3550 Outdoor

Happy,stimulating environment

prestige@prestigeschool.com

MATH SCHOOL

playground

Helping students since 1993

905-881-7424

416-878-3488

TUTORIAL SERVICE GRADES 1-12

Registration for the 2018-19 school year continues to be accessible at both Prestige School campuses

our website www.yrreview.com is mobile-friendly

Credit Courses for students in grades 9 to 12 Chemistry Physics SCHOOL PRESTIGE

WE OFFER TUTORING IN:

Mathematics Biology Science EnglishIndependent Private School Computer Science Visual Arts Awakening the genius in every child Toronto Campus

Small class sizes

Accelerated Math and Programs Remedial Avenue 21 Eddfield Language programs Kindergarten to grade 12 MATH SCHOOL Enrichment Programs Challenging416-250-0648 French from Kindergarten Helping students since 1993 Biology Chemistry, Physics, Homework Support and Test Preparation from gr.4 as separate subjects 905-881-7424 Richmond Hill Campus Ratio Extracurricular clubs 416-878-3488 Low Teacher/Student and sports 11 Headdon Gate contact home-school TUTORIALClose SERVICE GRADES 1-12 Consultation Free Initial Preschool to grade 8 Graduates receive OSSD (Yonge & Sheppard)

180 Steeles Ave.West, Unit 212 (Yonge & Steeles),

(Bathurst & Mj.Mackenzie)

905-780-6565

11 Headdon Gate (Bathurst & Major Mackenzie),

Outdoor playground

WE OFFER TUTORING IN: work: of Hours Happy,stimulating environment prestige@prestigeschool.com Mathematics Physics Chemistry Monday – Friday 4:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Biology Science English p.m.

3:00 – a.m.

9:00 Saturday Computer Science Visual Arts Helping students since 1993

MATH SCHOOL 180 Steeles Ave.West, Unit 212 (Yonge & Steeles), 905-881-7424

Remedial Programs Challenging Enrichment Programs Homework Support and Test Preparation Low Teacher/Student Ratio Free Initial Consultation

Credit Courses for students in grades 9 to 12

Remedial Programs Challenging Enrichment Programs Homework Support and Test Preparation Low Teacher/Student Ratio Free Initial Consultation

WWW.PRESTIGEPRIVATESCHOOL.CA

11 Headdon Gate (Bathurst & Major Mackenzie), 416-878-3488

TUTORIAL SERVICE GRADES 1-12

WE OFFER TUTORING IN:

Mathematics Physics Chemistry Biology Science English Computer Science Visual Arts

for students Credit Courses Hours of work: 9 to in grades Monday – Friday 4:00 p.m.12 – 8:30 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Hours of work: Monday – Friday 4:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

WWW.PRESTIGEPRIVATESCHOOL.CA

10 CHILDREN

York Region review

free monthly community Newspaper

MAY, 2020

advertising: 416-823-4948 yrpublishing@gmail.com

Try these 8 tips to reduce parenting stress during the pandemic Parenting can be tough at the best of times, but family life has changed dramatically during social isolation that’s been mandated by COVID-19. The good news is that children thrive in an incredible variety of settings. Emerging evidence suggests that a little stress, particular in the context of a supportive parentchild relationship, can actually be beneficial because it builds resilience when taking on future challenges.

As clinical psychology scholars, our research looks at how parent-child relationships can promote healthy development, particularly in the context of stress.

Here are a few researchbased strategies to make this unprecedented time more enjoyable.

1. Notice what’s going well

that to your advantage by setting up extra incentives to prevent problems.

3. Get down to their level

Getting in multiple chunks of high-quality playtime throughout the day can help kids manage their emotions and behaviour, build cognitive skills and support parent-child bonds.

It’s easier to participate when you are sitting on the floor and can give play your full attention. If you’re having a hard time being distracted, try being over-the-top with silly voices, jumping jacks or getting messy. Imaginative play can be a welcome escape for adults too.

4. Give good directions

When you need something done, it’s wonderful to only ask once.

Living in close quarters, it’s Increase the likelihood of this by giveasy to pay attention to all the things ing good directions: get close to your going wrong, which can make chil- kids and make eye contact first. Ask dren more resistant to helping out. them to do a specific, time-limited Praising your kids and letting them task, with no more than two or three know you appreciate their effort pays steps, depending on child ability. “I

a more pleasant day.

Identify what you might do to take a break — hand off parenting to a partner if possible, splash cold water on your face or take in a breath of fresh air. Even five deep breaths and reminding yourself about your love for your kiddo can provide the space you need to tackle the situation with a clear(er) mind.

overtime by promoting more positive behaviour and enriching your relationships.

You have permission to praise anything that you want to see more of. “Thanks for saying please when you asked for (your third) snack,” or “Nice job sitting so calmly!”

2. Plan (a little)

Children benefit from being able to predict small things and having some control. If you’re into making a daily schedule — great — but it might work just as well to chat about choices for upcoming activities a couple times each day.

If a task needs to happen, like schoolwork or cleaning, try sandwiching it between child-chosen activities. Research suggest that child choices can increase pro-social behaviour. Look for patterns and use

need to you put away this game then come to dinner.” Wait there and count to 20 to make sure you receive a response. If not, try “Dylan, can I get an OK to cleaning up the game? It’s dinner time.”

Make sure the demand is realistic given their mood and energy.

Using a “when-then” statement can be a powerful way to maintain control. “Dylan, when you clean up the game then you can choose an ice cream for dessert.” If that sounds too much like a sugary bribe, offer a family movie or playing with Super Soakers.

5. Take a step back

sometimes helpful for parents to offer a brief apology and gently move into new activities.

It’s equally important not to force an apology from your child, which can have the unintended consequence of making things worse.

When you’re in this “resetting” mode, try think back on the points above — getting down to their level, being 6. Choose not to react (when you goofy or noticing small positives will can) make it easier to move on with your day.

Sometimes planned ignoring of a minor challenging behaviour is 8. Be generous with affection the most effective way to move through the day. Another option is to Across species, physical comdescribe what you’re seeing and offer fort is a powerful way to manage some choices. stressful events. As much as your “Wow, you have a lot of en- sheer quantity of family time might ergy and just kicked the door.… Can not make extra squeezes or handyou show me your 20 best clucking holding automatically appealing, chicken moves?” Saying the unex- that’s often exactly what kids need to pected can move kids into playful manage big emotions that are simcompliance. mering under the surface.

If exhaustion is making this We hope this list provides hard, try a grandparent-approved some assurance that you can offer adage: “Add water or fresh air.” This your kids exactly what they need to can include ice cubes, baths, feel loved, safe, and supported. If coloured water, a walk around the you’re reading this, chances are that block or even spotting birds or dog you’re already providing just that. poop piles from an open window.

7. Reset and move on

Pay attention to what your body feels like or your thoughts (when you can’t) sound like right before you react. If Unpleasant outbursts or harsh you can step away from an escalatwords can happen to everyone. It’s ing situation, chances are you’ll have

Leslie E. Roos Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba

Jessica Flannery Doctoral Candidate in Clinical Psychology, University of Oregon

Allencourt Family Restaurant

Fish & Chips

614 Major Mackenzie Dr. East , Richmond Hill Phone 905-884-5952

We serve ALL DAY BREAKFAST Richmond Hill’s best kept secret for over 60 years Fish and chips Souvlaki Home Made Burgers and more.

Licensed under LLBO

6

IV therapy helps your immune system fight viruses during a pandemic period

The first IV vitamin drips were developed and administered by Dr. John Myers in the 1970s. His research led to the popular Myer’s Cocktail.

Through an IV vitamin drip, the body is receiving a higher concentration of vitamins. While vitamins that are ingested are broken down in the stomach and digestive tract, their absorption is limited to a maximum of just 50% of the dose taken. However, if the vitamin is given through an IV, it is absorbed at a much higher percentage - 90 %.

Variations of IV therapy have been prescribed by doctors and administered by qualified nurses for over a century. It is a quick and efficient way to deliver fluids or medication into the body’s circulatory system. These types of infusions generally take 30-90 minutes, and are performed by a licensed medical professional. A pharmacist will usually mix the solution as per the doctor’s orders. A qualified nurse will need to access a vein and secure the needle in place. The nurse or healthcare profes-

sional will then monitor the vitamin infusion to ensure the vitamins and minerals are administered properly.

Vitamin infusions are being used as a supportive or complementary treatment for a wide variety of health concerns. Conditions that have responded positively to the Myers’ cocktail treatment include asthma, migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, muscle spasms, pain, allergies, and sinus and respiratory tract infections. A number of other disease conditions, including angina and hyperthyroidism, have also shown promising results to IV vitamin infusions.

Many people are also using IV vitamin therapy for quick rehydration after an intense sporting event or travel as well as for curing a hangover or for improvement of skin clarity.

The most popular reasons for receiving an IV vitamin treatment is to relieve stress, rid the body of toxins, balance hormones, boost immunity and improve overall health.

IV vitamin therapy is a valuable treatment option when provided by a medical professional and it fits many clients, bringing a great boost to their quality of life.

Olga Mishchenko, IMG (MD), RPN, Medical Aesthetics We have special promotions right now! Contact “NewM Perinatal and Family Care Clinic” for an appointment and more detailed information: “NewM Perinatal and Family Care Clinic” Facebook Group Phone: +1 (289) 338-6870 Email: NewMclinic@gmail.com Website: NewMclinic.com

Come dine at Richmond Hills hidden little gem.....The Allencourt DINE IN OR TAKE OUT

kipling gallery

contemporary fine art and event space 141 Trade Valley Drive, Unit 1, Vaughan, ON L4H 3N6, 905.265.2192 www.kiplinggallery.com

our website www.yrreview.com is mobile-friendly

12 COMMUNITY

York Region review

free monthly community Newspaper

MAY, 2020

advertising: 416-823-4948 yrpublishing@gmail.com

PLANTING MORE URBAN TREES SHOULD BE A PRIORITY

Martin Bush We know that planting trees will help slow the pace of global warming and lessen the impacts of climate change. Trees absorb carbon from the atmosphere as they grow and sequester a significant fraction of the greenhouse gases emitted by the combustion of fossil fuels.

But many of the world’s largest forests in Amazonia and tropical Africa are being depleted of hardwoods and destroyed to make way for pasture or commercial plantations.

Moreover, Canada’s boreal forests are under attack from invasive insects and frequently ravaged by fires, to the point where these forests are now a source of carbon dioxide rather than a natural sink.

While the world’s natural forests clearly need to be much better protected, the beneficial impacts of planting trees in urban areas should not be underestimated. Not only do urban trees draw down concentrations of carbon dioxide produced by vehicles running on gasoline and diesel fuel, they reduce levels of fine particulate matter (PM10) that have a negative impact on our health, and they create a microcli-

tional 2.3 million new trees.

This effort could of course be spread over a number of years - between say now and 2030.

For a municipality like Markham the target should be about three quarters of a

the city is home to about 400 corporate head office and 1500 high tech and life science companies. These companies should play a leading role in meeting the city’s tree canopy target.

Green credentials are good

million trees planted over the decade. These numIf every resident planted next bers are large, but certainly just one tree a year for feasible. Just look along most streets in Markham and three years, the city of it’s easy to see how we could Markham could easily reach easily double the number of and exceed the target of 40 trees in the city. In most new sub-divisions, the saplings percent tree canopy cover. are spaced much too far apart. School playing fields Toronto has pledged to raise and parks should be ringed its tree canopy cover to 40%- with thick stands of trees. So -essentially doubling the too, should municipal and number of trees in the city. commercial car parks - some So, how many trees are of which have absolutely no there in Toronto? For the trees at all.

This tree-planting prolarger GTA the published figure is about 34 million trees, gram can be shared and cowith the which corresponds to an av- ordinated erage canopy cover of 26 community. With a population of over 350,000 people, percent.

With a bit of math, we if every resident planted just can figure out that if Toronto one tree a year for three proposes to double its years, the city of Markham canopy cover from 20 to 40 could easily reach and expercent, the city will need to ceed the target of 40 percent plant on average an addi- tree canopy cover. Moreover,

for business.

When fully grown, these new trees planted across the province will remove about 5 million tonnes

mate that can lower summertime temperatures by as much as 2°C. A recent study of 27 US cities found that reforesting each city’s best sites could significantly lower average annual PM10 concentrations while also reducing maximum daily summer temperatures. Planting more urban trees brings significant health benefits to local residents - in addition to providing a substantial carbon sink.

The Treepedia website estimates Toronto’s present tree canopy cover at just under 20 percent. Montreal and Vancouver do better: each clocking in at about 26 percent respectively. The record is held by Tampa, Florida, which has an impressive canopy cover of 36 percent.

Like several major cities across North America,

benefits of having a Vertical garden for Home or office

Concrete buildings and architectures are replacing forests and greenery as the population increases and people move to cities. This leads to an increase in air pollution, resulting in health and other problems.

While gardens are one option to increase the land cover in many cities, real estate rates are high. Hence the owners of buildings and other property are opting to have a vertical garden so that they can enjoy having a garden, though they do not have to use up much ground or floor space. Some of the benefits of having a vertical garden are discussed.

One of the main benefits of a vertical garden is that people in the area where it is installed will breathe cleaner air.

This is a photo of a parking lot in Markham that doesn’t have a single tree. This is why I believe we could grow lots more trees in urban areas in the region. In my opinion, it should be a permitting requirement (a bye law) that large parking lots have a minimum number of trees.

Plants utilize carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and convert it into oxygen.

Human beings require oxygen for breathing and emit carbon dioxide. Hence having plants can increase the level of oxygen in the area. Higher oxygen levels make a person more alert and the person will be more energetic. Though the amount may vary depending on the plants selected, a square meter area of vertical garden will typically extract two kg of carbon dioxide from the air, and produce 1.7 kg of oxygen in a year.

Another advantage of using a vertical landscape is that it will take comparatively less floor or ground space.

In most cities the real estate rates are very high, so having a conventional horizontal garden is expensive for the property owner.

On the other hand, the vertical space in many properties is not utilized. The oxygen produced depends on the area covered by the plants, it does not matter if they are growing horizontally or vertically.

The plants in the vertical garden

of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year - equivalent to taking over a million fossil-fuelled cars off the road. Not only is that an important contribution to Canada’s commitment under the Paris Agreement, it means a healthier urban environment with cleaner air and cooler summer temperatures - at a time when climate change threatens more frequent and dangerous heat waves. Moreover, as electric vehicles become more common on the streets of our towns and cities, the health benefits of cleaner urban air will become even more significant.

With Canada’s boreal forests under constant attack from invasive insects and wild fires, the urban environment is a much safer haven for millions of trees. But we are running out of time: there needs to be much stronger action on greening the urban landscape.

martin bush has a PhD in chemical engineering and fuel technology from the University of Sheffield, UK, and an MSc in Protected Landscape Management from the University of Aberystwyth, in Wales, UK. For the past 35 years, he has led programs in Africa and the Caribbean focused on natural resources management, renewable energy, disaster preparedness, and climate change management. He has worked as resident team leader on projects in Madagascar, Mali, Guinea, Sudan, Egypt, Djibouti and Haiti. He returned to Canada in 2018 after leading a European programme in Djibouti, East Africa, focused on climate change adaptation.

Dr Bush’s most recent book : Climate Change and Renewable energy: How to end the climate crisis was recently published by Palgrave MacMillan in Canada. He also writes a regular blog at www.climatezone.org.

have a cooling effect on the area around them, since they release water when tem-

peratures are higher. This can reduce the electricity bill, since less cooling will be required.

Noise pollution can adversely affect the productivity and also increase the stress levels. The plants in the vertical garden, along with soil and other planting media, moisture can provide sound insulation, partially blocking noise from outside entering the area. Studies indicate that being surrounded by plants can improve the mood of a person and also boost his productivity, so many businesses are opting for a vertical garden in their premises.

The vertical gardens add a touch of greenery to the office, building or property where they are located creating a positive impression on the visitor that the business cares about the environment. Hence businesses and others are opting for one or more vertical gardens in their premises.

Kent Chee

EcoBalance is a Malaysia living wall supplier specializing in design and installation of artificial green wall, vertical garden, moss wall and vertical landscape. https://www.eco-verticalgarden.com

MAY, 2020 free monthly community newspaper

york region review

advertising: 416-823-4948 yrpublishing@gmail.com

How the rich reacted to the bubonic plague has eerie similarities to today’s pandemic The coronavirus can infect anyone, but recent reporting has shown your socioeconomic status can play a big role, with a combination of job security, access to health care and mobility widening the gap in infection and mortality rates between rich and poor.

The wealthy work remotely and flee to resorts or pastoral second homes, while the urban poor are packed into small apartments and compelled to keep showing up to work. As a medievalist, I’ve seen a version of this story before.

Following the 1348 Black Death in Italy, the Italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio wrote a collection of 100 novellas titled, “The Decameron.” These stories, though fictional, give us a window into medieval life during the Black Death – and how some of the same fissures opened up between the rich and the poor. Cultural historians today see “The Decameron” as an invaluable source of information on everyday life in 14th-century Italy.

Boccaccio was born in 1313 as the illegitimate son of a Florentine

banker. A product of the middle class, he wrote, in “The Decameron,” stories about merchants and servants. This was unusual for his time, as medieval literature tended to focus on the lives of the nobility.

“The Decameron” begins with a gripping, graphic description of the Black Death, which was so virulent that a person who contracted it would die within four to seven days. Between 1347 and 1351, it killed between 40% and 50% of Europe’s population. Some of Boccaccio’s own family members died.

In this opening section, Boccaccio describes the rich secluding themselves at home, where they enjoy quality wines and provisions, music and other entertainment. The very wealthiest – whom Boccaccio describes as “ruthless” – deserted their neighborhoods altogether, retreating to comfortable estates in the countryside, “as though the plague was meant to harry only those remaining within their city walls.”

Meanwhile, the middle class or poor, forced to stay at home, “caught the plague by the thousand right there in their own neighborhood, day after day” and swiftly passed away. Servants dutifully attended to the sick in wealthy households, often succumbing to the illness themselves. Many, unable to leave

Florence and convinced of their imminent death, decided to simply drink and party away their final days in nihilistic revelries, while in rural areas, laborers died “like brute beasts rather than human beings; night and day, with never a doctor to attend them.”

After the bleak description of the plague, Boccaccio shifts to the 100 stories. They’re narrated by 10 nobles who have fled the pallor of death hanging over Florence to luxuriate in amply stocked country mansions. From there, they tell their tales.

One key issue in “The Decameron” is how wealth and advantage can impair people’s abilities to empathize with the hardships of others.

Boccaccio begins the forward with the proverb, “It is inherently human to show

SOCIETY 13 pity to those who are afflicted.” Yet in many of the tales he goes on to present characters who are sharply indifferent to the pain of others, blinded by their own drives and ambition.

In one fantasy story, a dead man returns from hell every Friday and ritually slaughters the same woman who had rejected him when he was alive. In another, a widow fends off a leering priest by tricking him into sleeping with her maid. In a third, the narrator praises a character for his undying loyalty to his friend when, in fact, he has profoundly betrayed that friend over many years.

Humans, Boccaccio seems to be saying, can think of themselves as upstanding and moral – but unawares, they may show indifference to others. We see this in the 10 storytellers themselves: They make a pact to live virtuously in their well-appointed retreats. Yet while they pamper themselves, they indulge in some stories that illustrate brutality, betrayal and exploitation.

Boccaccio wanted to challenge his readers, and make them think about their responsibilities to others.

“The Decameron” raises the questions: How do the rich relate to the poor during times of widespread suffering? What is the value of a life?

In our own pandemic, with millions unemployed due to a virus that has killed thousands, these issues are strikingly relevant.

Kathryn McKinley Professor of English, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Ignaz semmelweis, the doctor who discovered the disease-fighting power of hand-washing in 1847

Hand-washing as a health care prerogative did not really surface until the mid-1800s, when a young Hungarian physician named Ignaz Semmelweis did an important observational study at Vienna General Hospital.

After becoming disillusioned with the study of law, Semmelweis moved to the study of medicine, graduating with a medical degree from the University of Vienna in 1844. Having graduated from this prestigious institution, he believed he would be able to pursue a choice practice. He applied for positions in pathology and then medicine, but received rejections in both.

Semmelweis then turned to obstetrics, a relatively new area for physicians, previously dominated by midwifery, which was less prestigious and where it was easier to obtain a position. He began working in the obstetrics division of the Vienna Hospital on July 1, 1846.

The leading cause of maternal mortality in Europe at that time was puerperal fever – an infection, now known to be caused by the streptococcus bacterium, that killed postpartum women.

Prior to 1823, about 1 in 100 women died in childbirth at the Vienna Hospital. But after a policy change mandated that medical students and obstetricians perform autopsies in addition to their other duties, the mortality rate for

new mothers suddenly jumped to 7.5%.

What was going on?

Eventually, the Vienna Hospital opened a second obstetrics division, to be staffed entirely by midwives. The older, First Division, to which Semmelweis was assigned, was staffed only by physicians and medical students. Rather quickly it became apparent that the mortality rate in the first division was much higher than the second. Semmelweis set out to investigate. He examined all the similarities and differences of the two divisions. The only significant difference was that male doctors and medical students delivered in the first division and female midwives in the second.

hands of students and attending physicians.”

No midwives ever participated in autopsies or dissections. Students and physicians regularly went between autopsies and deliveries, rarely washing their hands in between. Gloves were not commonly used in hospitals or surgeries until late in the 19th century.

Realizing that chloride solution

Washing away germs from the dead Remember that at this time, the general belief was that bad odors – miasma – transmitted disease. It would be two more decades at least before germ theory – the idea that microbes cause disease – gained traction.

Semmelweis cracked the puerperal fever mystery after the death of his friend and colleague, pathologist Jakob Kolletschka. Kolletschka died after receiving a scalpel wound while performing an autopsy on a woman who’d died of puerperal fever. His autopsy revealed massive infection from puerperal fever.

Contagiousness now established, Semmelweis concluded that if his friend’s “general sepsis arose from the inoculation of cadaver particles, then puerperal fever must originate from the same source. … The fact of the matter is that the transmitting source of those cadaver particles was to be found in the

rid objects of their odors, Semmelweis mandated hand-washing across his department. Starting in May 1847, anyone entering the First Division had to wash their hands in a bowl of chloride solution.

The incidence of puerperal fever and death subsequently dropped precipitously by the end of the year.

Unfortunately, as in the case of his contemporary John Snow, who discovered that cholera was transmitted by water and not miasma, Semmelweis’ work was not readily accepted by all.

The obstetrical chief, perhaps feeling upstaged by the discovery, refused to reappoint Semmelweis to the obstetrics clinic.

Semmelweis’ refusal to publish

his work may have also contributed to his downfall. With little recognition during his lifetime, he eventually died from injuries sustained in a Viennese insane asylum.

Taking an old lesson to heart Although Semmelweis began the charge for hand hygiene in the 19th century, it has not always fallen on receptive ears. The medical field now recognizes that soap and running water are the best way to prevent, control and reduce infection. But regular folks and health care workers still don’t always follow best practice guidelines.

Hand-washing appears to get a bump in compliance in the wake of disease outbreaks.

Take the example of the first major outbreak of SARS, which occurred in the Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong in March 2003. Health authorities advised the public that hand-washing would help prevent spread of the disease, caused by a coronavirus. After the SARS outbreak, medical students at the hospital were much more likely to follow hand-washing guidelines, according to one study.

I suspect the current pandemic of COVID-19 will change the way the public thinks about hand hygiene going forward. In fact, White House coronavirus advisor and NIAID Director Anthony Fauci has said “absolute compulsive hand-washing” for everyone must be part of any eventual return to pre-pandemic life.

Leslie S. Leighton Visiting Lecturer of History, Georgia State University

14 CRIME Suspects are innocent until proven guilty

WITNESSES SOUGHT FOLLOWING A SHOOTING IN VAUGHAN

On April 24, shortly after 7 p.m., York Regional Police responded to a report of sounds of gunshots on Bachman Drive, which is in the area of Major Mackenzie Drive West and Jane Street. When officers arrived they located shell casings, but no vic-

tim.

Shortly after 7 p.m., police also received a call from a hospital advising that a male had arrived suffering from a gunshot wound. Investigators attended the hospital and were able to identify the victim, a 25year-old man from Toronto. His injuries are non-life-threatening.

Investigators continue to canvass the area where the shooting occurred for video surveillance and are releasing an image of a suspect vehicle. Anyone who may have witnessed this incident or has information that may assist, or anyone that may have video surveillance of the incident or information on the suspect vehicle are asked to come forward.

SUSPECTS SOUGHT FOLLOWING ARMED ROBBERIES IN MARKHAM,RICHMOND HILL On April 21, at approximately 2:25 a.m., two male suspects wearing masks entered a gas station located in the area of 16th Avenue and Woodbine Ave. in Markham.

One of the suspects was armed with a handgun and they demanded cash. The suspects obtained a quantity of cigarettes and cash and fled from the scene in a vehicle.

The second incident occurred at approximately 2:45 a.m., at a gas station located at Bayview Ave.and 16th Ave. in Richmond Hill. The two suspects entered the store wearing masks and demanded cash and lottery tickets. One of the suspects was armed with a handgun. The suspects obtained a quantity of lottery tickets and cash and fled from the scene in a dark-coloured sedan.

Suspects described as: males, black, approximately 25 years old, 5’10” and 5’2”, thin build.

STUNT DRIVING AND CANNABIS CHARGES LAID IN VAUGHAN

On April 20 at approximately 8 p.m., an officer with the Road Safety Bureau was conducting speed enforcement on Major Mackenzie Drive West, in the area of Islington Avenue, when he spotted a car travelling at a high rate of speed.

The officer confirmed that the vehicle was travelling at 119 kilomteres per hour in a posted 50-kilometre-per-hour zone. The vehicle was stopped and the officer found the driver had a G2 licence which required no presence of alcohol or drugs in their body.

The driver was found to be in possession of cannabis, which he had also consumed. A roadside test confirmed the presence of THC. The driver was charged, his licence was suspended for seven days and his vehicle was impounded.

Further investigation revealed that this same driver had been charged with stunt driving on February 2, after being caught speeding 128 kilometres per hour in a posted 60-kilometre-per-hour zone in Vaughan.

FOUR PEOPLE CHARGED FOLLOWING THEFTS OF VEHICLES

On April 13, York Regional Police was called to a residence in the area of Huntington Road and Major Mackenzie Drive West after a white Lexus RX350 was reported stolen out of the driveway overnight.

On April 14 investigators were contacted by the Toronto Police Service after the

York Region review

free monthly community Newspaper

MAY, 2020

advertising: 416-823-4948 yrpublishing@gmail.com stolen vehicle was located in the area of Steeles Avenue and Islington Avenue. When investigators arrived on scene, they also located a second white Lexus RX350 that was reported stolen from Vaughan a few hours earlier.

Investigators located the suspects, arrested them and laid several criminal charges against them. The investigation is ongoing to determine if the suspects are responsible for additional vehicle thefts in the region.

Charged: • Darick CRUZ REYES, 19, Montreal • Ali SALAME, 30, Montreal • Victor KAZIBWE, 20, Toronto • A 17-year-old male, Toronto.

To prevent the theft of your vehicle, keep the doors locked and do not leave keys inside. If possible, park your vehicle in a locked garage, as the majority of the vehicles are stolen from driveways.

These four suspects have been charged.

Charged: Mahamad MOHAMED, 26, Markham • Hanad AHMED, 25, Markham • Harun ALI, 28, Toronto • Mahommed KABIR, 24, Markham.

Investigators are releasing an image and video surveillance of the fifth unidentified suspect and are seeking public assistance to identify him. The video is available for viewing at the following link: https://youtu.be/1H7uWUXLs1w Suspect Description: male, black, 20 to 25 years, 6’ to 6”2”, slim build.

DANGEROUS DRIVING AND DRUG TRAFFICKING CHARGES LAID AFTER DRIVER FLED FROM POLICE

Overall crime in York Region has decreased approximately 18 per cent in the past five weeks, from March 1 to April 17, compared to the same time period in 2019.

The categories of crime that have decreased over this time period include: Traffic violations35% decrease Impaired driving23% decrease Weapons offences 14% decrease The types of incidents that have increased include: Stunt driving, 50 km/h over the speed limit 64% increase Thefts of vehicles - 28% increase Domestic incidents - 22% increase.

Please note that these statistics are unaudited, are subject to change and are not official crime statistics.

On April 18 at 10:40 p.m., an officer on patrol in Markham attempted to stop a vehicle for speeding in the area of Highway 7 East and South Town Centre Boulevard.

The vehicle did not stop for the officer and fled at a high rate of speed. The vehicle was not pursued. The officer continued to investigate the area where the vehicle was last seen and a man was observed walking, who matched the description of the driver who had fled. The officer attempted to arrest the suspect who once again fled on foot. He was eventually placed under arrest in a nearby construction area. The vehicle that the suspect had been driving was also located nearby.

Further investigation revealed that the accused was prohibited from driving and that he was in possession of cocaine, cannabis and more than 50 rounds of ammunition.

Charged:Umainesan MANUEL, 28, Toronto.

CHARGES LAID AFTER SUSPECT INTENTIONALLY COUGHED ON MONEY AT CONVENIENCE STORE IN MARKHAM

FIREARMS AND DRUG TRAFFICKING CHARGES LAID AFTER DRIVER ARRESTED FOR IMPAIRED DRIVING

CHANGES IN CRIME IN YORK REGION

On April 12, a man made a purchase at a convenience store located at 6605 Highway 7 East. During the transaction, a 17-year-old store employee asked the man to step back from the counter to maintain physical distance. The store had taped off lines on the floor where they were requesting patrons stand during transactions, as per health recommendations. The man became upset with the request and intentionally coughed on money, which he threw onto the counter. He then told the employee he hoped he would get COVID and laughed while exiting the store. The money had to be separated for proper disinfection.

On April 20 the suspect was placed under arrest and has been charged.

Charged: Ryan SANDERS, 39, Markham.

Charge:Mischief. Mr. Sanders is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Newmarket on August 7, 2020.

CHARGES LAID AND SUSPECT SOUGHT IN GAS STATION ROBBERIES IN MARKHAM

Investigators with the York Regional Police #5 District Criminal Investigations Bureau have charged four men in a series of thefts and robberies from gas stations in Markham and are seeking assistance from the community to identify a fifth suspect.

On April 2 shortly after 2 a.m., three men entered a gas station located at 550 Bur Oak Avenue and began stealing cigarettes. When the employee asked them to stop, one of the suspects threatened to kill him. The suspects fled in a vehicle that was described as a blue Dodge Charger, driven by a fourth suspect.

Investigators were able to link the suspects to nine other similar incidents that had occurred at gas stations in Markham since February 10. On April 14, three of the suspects were arrested. On April 18, a fourth suspect was placed under arrest.

On April 16, at about 1:45 a.m., an officer conducting general patrol observed a vehicle stopped at an intersection in the area of Islington Avenue and Highway 7 in Vaughan. When the officer approached, he observed a driver and a passenger, both asleep in the vehicle, with it running in a live lane of traffic. Officers were able to safely wake up the driver who was arrested for impaired driving. When he was searched, officers located a loaded handgun. The passenger was also woken up and found in possession of a second loaded handgun. Inside the vehicle, officers located drugs, a scale and a quantity of cash.

Charged:Fahad YONAN, 21, Brampton Kemani WHYTE, 21, of Toronto.

WITNESSES SOUGHT FOLLOWING FIRE AT RESIDENCE IN VAUGHAN

On April 16, shortly after 1 a.m., York Regional Police attended a residence on Retreat Boulevard and found smoke coming from the residence. Firefighters with the Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service entered the home and located an adult male who was deceased. No one else was located in the residence.

The investigation is ongoing. Investigators will be canvassing the area for video surveillance and are asking anyone who may have witnessed anything suspicious or anyone who may have residential video surveillance in the area to please come forward.

WITNESSES SOUGHT FOLLOWING GAS STATION ROBBERY IN RICHMOND HILL

On April 15, shortly after midnight, police were called to a gas station located at 8760 Bayview Avenue, in the area of Bayview Avenue and High Tech Road, for a report of a robbery. When officers arrived, they found an employee in the gas station who was not physically injured. Investigators have determined that two men entered the

gas station and made a demand for cash, as well as the victim’s keys. The employee complied and the suspects stole the victim’s car and drove away.

Stolen Vehicle: 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe, black Plate: BFES680

CHARGES LAID IN CONNECTION WITH ATTEMPTED BANK ROBBERY IN VAUGHAN

On March 11, shortly before 2 p.m., police were called to a bank located 7766 Martin Grove Road for a report of a robbery.

When officers arrived, they found employees in the bank who were not physically injured.

Investigators have determined that a man entered the bank and made a demand for cash. The employee did not comply and the suspect left.

Investigators released images of the suspect and received a number of calls and tips from the community, which assisted in identifying him. On April 15 the suspect was arrested and is now facing charges.

Charged: David BESHA, 26, Brampton.

CHARGES LAID IN CONNECTION WITH BREAK IN AND FIRE IN GEORGINA

On April 9, shortly after 4 a.m., York Regional Police responded to a call for a fire at a school located on Glenwoods Avenue.

When officers arrived, they found a smashed door window on the south side of the school.

A fire had been set inside one of the lockers and was extinguished before further damage could be caused. A trophy was also removed taken from a school display case, however, it has been recovered.

The suspect has been arrested and is now facing charges in connection with the incident.

Charged: Isaiah POOLE, 18, Georgina.

SUSPECTS SOUGHT FOLLOWING COMMERCIAL ROBBERY IN MARKHAM

On April 10, at approximately 4:30 p.m., police were called to a store located on Ferrier Street, which is the Warden and Steeles Avenue area, for a report of a robbery. When officers arrived, they found two victims with minor injuries who had been assaulted during the robbery.

Investigators learned that the store owner was contacted by a male suspect who wanted to attend to purchase some items despite the store being closed. The owner allowed the male to enter but while inside the suspect unlocked the door and three armed suspects entered the store with their faces covered. The suspects assaulted the store owner and obtained a quantity of cash and products from the store. A concerned citizen saw what had occurred and called 9-1-1.

The suspects were seen fleeing from the area in a dark-coloured van.

The suspect who attended the store not wearing a mask was described as male, Chinese, in his 20s.

CHARGES LAID IN ONGOING BREAK-ANDENTER INVESTIGATION

York Regional Police have laid 35 charges against two men in connection with multiple break and enters across the GTA. The investigation began on January 23, when officers responded to reports of break and enters at two homes in Vaughan and two homes in Richmond Hill. Investigators were able to link the four incidents and connected the suspects to a stolen van they were operating.

On April 1, both of the suspects were arrested. As part of the investigation, search warrants were executed on the suspects’ residences. A number of stolen items were recovered and officers were able to link the accused to several other break and enters in the GTA. The owners of the property recovered during the warrants have not been identified. If you were a victim of a break and enter over this time period, please review photographs of the property at the following link: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmMsPDFz Charged: • Zviad GOGOCHURI, 34, Toronto • Tomike KOCHIASHVILI, 29, Pickering.

MAY, 2020

free monthly community newspaper

york region review

advertising: 416-823-4948 yrpublishing@gmail.com

CHARGES LAID FOLLOWING HOME INVASION ROBBERY IN MARKHAM

On April 30, shortly after midnight, police were called to a residence on Snow Creek Street, which is in the area of 16th Avenue and Donald Cousens Parkway, for a report of a home invasion robbery. When officers arrived, they found six victims, all adults, one of whom was suffering from nonlife-threatening injuries.

Investigators learned that around midnight, three suspects armed with handguns, forced their way into the back door of the residence. There was an altercation with two of the occupants of the home and a suspect struck one of the victims with a handgun. During the altercation, the gun discharged, but no one was struck by the bullet. The suspects searched the home, then fled in a vehicle.

A short time later, officers located a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle with three men inside driving in the area of 16th Avenue and Cairns Drive.

The vehicle was stopped and the three men were placed under arrest and have since been charged.

Charged: Rayan ABDU, 23, Mississauga Liban MUHUMED, 21, Mississauga Yaphet FASSIL, 22, Newmarket.

TWO MORE PEOPLE CHARGED IN 2018 HOMICIDE IN RICHMOND HILL

On December 24, 2018, at approximately 9:30 p.m., police responded to Barnwood Drive in the area of Bayview Ave. and Stouffville Road after several calls came in reporting sounds of gunshots. When officers arrived, they located a 33-year-old male victim. He was transported to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The victim was identified as Soheil RAFIPOUR. On March 17-18, 2020, investigators with the Homicide Unit arrested and charged two men with ties to the tow truck industry.

Charged: Mohamad EL-ZAHAWI, 38, Toronto; Abdelaziz IBRAHIM, 23, Hamilton.

Charges: First Degree Murder.

On April 28, 2020, investigators arrested and charged an additional suspect.

On April 30, 2020, a search warrant was executed at a residence in the Town of Brechin, in the Township of Ramara, where a fourth person was arrested. She is now facing charges in connection with the incident.

Charged: Thomas SLIWINSKI, 41, Brantford Marena LEACHMAN, 21, of Brantford Charges: First Degree Murder.

CHARGES LAID FOLLOWING CONVENIENCE STORE ROBBERY IN VAUGHAN

On April 8, shortly before 9 p.m., police were called to a convenience store located at 93 Woodbridge Avenue, for a report of a robbery. When officers arrived, they found an employee who was suffering from injuries. She was transported to hospital for treatment.The investigation revealed that the suspect entered the store and assaulted the employee. The suspect stole cash then fled on foot. The investigation led officers to a nearby apartment building where the suspect was located and taken into custody.

Charged: Edward Dalton MOOTOO-TENNASSEE, 42, Vaughan.

SUSPECT AND WITNESSES SOUGHT FOLLOWING FAIL-TO-REMAIN PEDESTRIAN COLLISION IN VAUGHAN

On March 3, just before midnight, police were called to the intersection of Steeles Ave.W. and Weston Rd, for a report of a fail-to-remain collision. When officers arrived at the scene, they learned that the victim, a 34-year-old man from Toronto, had been crossing the street in his wheel chair when he was struck by the back wheels of a transport truck making a turn to go north on Steeles Avenue.

The vehicle, described as a transport truck with a red cab and white trailer, did not remain at the scene and was last seen going north on Weston Road.

The victim was transported to hospital with serious, but non-life threatening, injuries.Investigators have exhausted all leads and are appealing to the community to assist.

minister appoints Investigator to examine peel district school board

On April 28, Minister of Education, Stephen Lecce, announced he has appointed Arleen Huggins to conduct an investigation into the Peel District School Board's compliance with the Minister's binding Directions to the Board issued on March 13, 2020.

school year with confidence," sai Minister Lecce.

ontario provides urgent relief for small businesses and Landlords

The Ontario government is partnering with the federal government to provide urgent relief for small businesses and landlords affected by the COVID-19 outMs. Huggins is a practising break. The province is committing lawyer with thirty years experience in $241 million through the new Onemployment law, human rights law, tario-Canada Emergency Commerworkplace harassment and discrimina- cial Rent Assistance Program tion investigations. She is a former (OCECRA).

President of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers. Ms. Huggins was also on the founding Board of the African Canadian Legal Clinic and has served on the Doctors Without Borders Human Resources Committee.

With the issuance of 27 binding Directions to the Board on March 13, 2020, the Minister provided clear direction with specific timelines and deliverables to address systemic discrimination, particularly anti-Black racism, as well as dysfunctional governance, leadership and human resources practices within the PDSB. "When it comes to confronting racism and discrimination, I will not accept delay or inaction," added Minister Lecce. The PDSB is responsible for 257 schools in Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon.

school Closures extended

On April 26, Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced that all publicly-funded schools will remain closed until at least May 31, as part of an effort to keep students, staff and families safe from COVID-19.

At the same time the government is taking steps to ensure learning can continue. In March the province unveiled its Learn at Home portal. (https://www.ontario.ca/page/learnat-home). It offers all students highquality resources, featuring made-in-Ontario math and literacy resources, in both English and French.

Elementary resources are designed to help young students learn at home with interactive activities that encourage participation through entertaining and stimulating digital content.

High school content was designed with a focus on STEM courses and ensures core competencies and skills are reinforced.

The government has also partnered with Rogers Communications and Apple to help meet the educational needs of students and families. iPads are being purchased and distributed by Ontario school boards, pre-equipped with free Rogers LTE wireless data.

Apple is providing ongoing support in French and English to teachers, parents and students, with a collection of resources to support learning and working from home. To date, over 20,000 iPads have been sent to targeted families in need. The free Rogers wireless data will be available until the end of June.

"Regardless of what transpires over the coming weeks, Ontario's students will be able to complete their

` In a joint survey with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Statistics Canada reported that nearly four in 10 Canadian businesses (39.7%) say they can survive no more than 90 days being partly or fully open with social distancing measures in place.

A full 17.5 per cent of businesses said they can tolerate no time at all under these conditions.

The total amount of provincialfederal relief that would be provided is more than $900 million, helping to ensure small businesses are ready to reopen when the emergency measures are lifted.

Details of the new program were announced by Premier Doug Ford.

The OCECRA will provide forgivable loans to eligible commercial property owners experiencing potential rent shortfalls because their small business tenants have been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. To receive the loan, property owners will be required to reduce the rental costs of small business tenants for April to June 2020 by at least 75 per cent and commit to a moratorium on evictions for three months.

As part of Ontario's Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19, the government has implemented a series of cash flow supports amounting to $10 billion to help support jobs and the economy, including: • Doubling the Employer Health Tax exemption for 2020, cutting taxes by $355 million, benefiting roughly 57,000 employers; • Eliminating penalties and interest to businesses who miss filing or remittance deadlines for various provincially administered taxes for five months starting April 1, 2020, providing up to $6 billion in

Community 15 cashflow for about 100,000 Ontario businesses; • Postponing the planned property tax reassessment for 2021, providing stability for Ontario's property taxpayers; • Deferring the upcoming quarterly (June 30) remittance of education property tax to school boards by 90 days, providing municipalities with the flexibility to, in turn, provide property tax deferrals of over $1.8 billion to local residents and businesses; • Implementing the new Regional Opportunities Investment Tax Credit for businesses that make eligible capital investments in designated regions of the province where employment growth has significantly lagged behind below the provincial average.

Ontario has also suspended time-of-use electricity rates for eligible small businesses, as well as residential and farm time-of-use customers, holding electricity prices to the off-peak rate of 10.1 cents-per-kilowatt-hour, for 24 hours per day, seven days a week for 45 days, for all time-of-use customers, who make up the majority of electricity consumers in the province.

By switching to a fixed off-peak rate, time-of-use customers will see rate reductions of over 50 per cent compared to on-peak rates.

The Ontario government has also worked with the federal government to develop the Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Loan that will enable up to $40 billion in lending, supported through Export Development Canada and the Business Development Bank. This program will help businesses meet cash flow requirements through guaranteed loans.

ontario enables auto Insurance Companies to provide driver rebates during CoVId-19

The Ontario government is enabling auto insurance companies to provide temporary insurance premium rebates to drivers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The province has amended a regulation under the Insurance Act to help ease the financial pressure on working people and families during this public health crisis.

By amending this regulation insurance companies would be able to provide auto insurance premium rebates to consumers for up to 12 months after the declared emergency has ended.

• "We are in an unprecedented time and people are experiencing extraordinary financial pressures," said Rod Phillips, Minister of Finance. "My message to insurance companies has been clear: they should provide relief that reflects the financial hardships their dedicated customers are facing due to the COVID-19 outbreak."

"All of us will remember how companies treat us during these unprecedented times. I often remind business leaders that their customers from the past five years are likely to be their customers for the next five years," said Phillips.

Ontario is the first jurisdiction in Canada to remove existing restrictions on rebating so auto insurers can provide additional consumer relief.

16 PSYCHOLOGY

York Region review

free monthly community NEWSPAPER

MAY, 2020

do people become more selfless as they age?

Looking for something to bingewatch while you’re hunkering down at home? Consider checking out the popular TV show “The Good Place.” Over four recently concluded seasons, the series follows the adventures and mishaps of four utterly self-centered characters on their quest to become decent and selfless human beings.

The deeper question this philosophy-laced comedy raises is: Can people be truly selfless?

The technical term for this behavior is altruism – the willingness to help others, even at a cost to your own well-being. And if the answer to that question is yes, then are those of us who are selfish able to transform ourselves into kind and selfless individuals?

I’m a psychologist who uses brain science to understand how people make decisions. With my team at the University of Oregon, I am investigating why many of us behave altruistically, whether human beings become more altruistic with age and even whether it’s possible to learn how to be altruistic.

Stumped philosophers Whether people do altruistic deeds because of their altruistic nature or out of ulterior motives is a question that has stumped philosophers, religious thinkers and social scientists for centuries, because selfishness can inspire seemingly altruistic acts.

For example, people may give away money to show off their wealth, to appear trustworthy or simply to feel good about themselves.

Even Pamela Hieronymi, a University of California, Los Angeles philosopher who informally served as a consultant for the hit TV show, has expressed serious skepticism about whether anyone can turn from selfish to selfless.

Brain patterns

How do scholars like me study

WORLD

denmarK to aLLoW gatHerIngs of 500 peopLe from maY 10

Starting on May 10, authorities will lift the ban on gatherings of more than 10 people which had been in place.

The new limit will last until at least September 1 this year, reports state broadcaster TV2.

The Ministry of Health insisted that it would continue to monitor the situation closely and that the limit for public gatherings was subject to change at any moment.

The announcement follows similar lifting of restrictions throughout April: small businessess were permitted to reopen on Monday, April 27, as did schools and day care centers. However, the country's borders will remain closed for the time being, as will restaurants, bars and gyms.

what goes on in people’s brains?

My team had participants in a series of experiments lie in MRI scanners, looking at a screen that described different scenarios. Sometimes my colleagues and I told them that US$20 was being transferred to their bank accounts.

At other times, the same amount would go to a charity, such as a local food pantry. Participants simply observed these $20 transfers, either to themselves or to the charity, without having any say in the matter.

All the while, we scanned what neuroscientists consider the brain’s reward centers, specifically the nucleus

determined that these people could be neurally defined as altruists.

Then, in a separate stage of the experiment, all of these same participants had the choice to either give some of their money away or to keep it for themselves. Here, the neural altruists were about twice as likely as the others to give their money away.

We believe that this finding indicates that purely altruistic motives can drive generous behavior – and that brain imaging can detect those motives.

Aging and altruism

growing evidence of more altruistic acts in the elderly. For example, the share of their income that 60-year-olds give to charity is three times as much as for 25year-olds. This is significant even though they tend to have more money in general, making it easier to part with some of it.

People who are 60 and up are about 50% more likely to volunteer. They are also nearly twice as likely to vote as those under 30.

However, our results are the first to clearly demonstrate that older adults do not just act like they are nicer people, which might easily be driven by selfish motives such as making it more likely that they will be remembered fondly once they are gone. Rather, the fact that their reward areas are so much more responsive to experiencing people in need being helped suggests that they are actually, on average, kinder and genuinely more interested in the welfare of others than everyone else.

The road ahead

accumbens.

This region, which is a little bigger than a peanut, plays a role in everything from sexual gratification to drug addiction and related neural sites. It becomes active when something happens that makes you happy and that you would like to see repeated in the future.

The experience of money going to the charity boosted activity in those reward areas of the brain for many of our participants. And exactly this observation, we argue, is a manifestation of people’s true altruistic nature: They felt rewarded when someone in need becomes better off, even if they didn’t directly do anything to make a difference.

We found that in about half of our study participants, activity in these reward areas was even stronger when the money went to the charity than when it landed in their own bank accounts. We

most us fIrms don’t Want to WInd doWn operatIons In CHIna oVer pandemIC

Around 70 percent of 25 firms with global revenue of over half a billion dollars have no relocation plans, despite the effect the coronavirus outbreak has had on their business, according to a joint poll conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce in China and the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai.

The results of the March survey, published in April, also show that around 40 percent of the respondents would rather keep their long-term supply chain strategy for China unchanged.

While more than half of the firms polled say it’s too early to make any decisions on relocation, only 4% of the companies are planning to shift all production outside of China, while 12% intend to move part of their facilities. “Companies are considering adjustments to their business strategy, but there is no mass exodus,” Ker Gibbs, the president of AmCham Shanghai, said.

In a related study my colleagues and I conducted, there were 80 participants who were between 20 and 64 years old, but otherwise were comparable in terms of their backgrounds. We found that the proportion of altruists – that is, those whose reward areas were more active when money went to the charity than to themselves – steadily increased with age, going from less than 25% through age 35 to around 75% among individuals 55 and older.

Also, older participants tended to become more willing to give their money to charity or to volunteer in this experiment. And when assessing their personality characteristics through questionnaires, our group found that they exhibited traits such as agreeableness and empathy more strongly than younger participants.

These observations align with

sHops, HaIr saLons and booKstores reopen In spaIn as rate of CoVId-19 InfeCtIons & deatHs drop

Shops, hair salons, beauty parlors, bookstores, and hardware stores with premises less than 400 square meters (4,305 square feet) are allowed to reopen on condition they maintain quarantine measures and distancing rules.

The visits have to be prearranged by phone or email, however, and the stores must reserve a priority schedule for people over 65 years old during certain hours.

The stores were also ordered to provide hand sanitizers and trash bins, while their workers must disinfect the premises two times a day – and outlets like clothing stores must disinfect each item sold.

As part of the continuing meas-

These findings raise lots of additional, important questions that we cover in an article we published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, an academic journal. For example, additional research is needed in which people are followed across time to make sure that the age difference in generosity truly reflects personal growth, and not just generational differences. Also, we need to generalize our results to larger samples from more varied backgrounds.

Most importantly, we don’t yet know why older adults appear to be more generous than younger folks. My colleagues and I are planning to look into whether realizing that you have fewer years to live makes you more concerned about the greater good.

For the lead characters in “The Good Place,” the journey toward selflessness is an arduous ordeal. In real life, it may simply be a natural part of growing older.

Ulrich Mayr Lewis Professor and Department Head of Psychology, University of Oregon

ures to limit further coronavirus infections, masks are now mandatory on all types of public transportation. People must also wear masks inside their own cars if the driver and all passengers are not living together. At least half of the seats on buses must remain empty, with social distancing strictly observed.

Spain is the second hardest-hit country in the world in terms of confirmed Covid-19 cases, after the US. The death rate in Spain has decreased to near pre-lockdown lows in recent days, with 164 people dying in the last 24-hour period reported on April 27 – the same death toll as the day before. In total, 25,428 people have died from the novel coronavirus across the country.

The number of newly-recorded cases per day has, meanwhile, dropped below 400 for the first time since early March, with 356 new infections registered on April 27. In total, the country has had more than 218,000 cases of Covid19 since the start of the outbreak.

MAY, 2020 free monthly community newspaper

PSYCHOLOGY 17

york region review

advertising: 416-823-4948 yrpublishing@gmail.com Bright Skylights Inc. Since 1985

Skylights

Electricity Saving

416-705-8635 Joe Sousa Installation Leak proof guaranteed No mess in your home www.brightskylights.ca info@brightskylights.ca

MATHEMATICS TEACHER

with professional experience of over 30 years. We can help you to understand and love Math.

Even the most complicated concepts can be explained in an easy and interesting way.

Tel: (647) 996 – 6172, Irina

Travel Insurance Travel free with smart Choices Travel insurance for snow birds

C ALL : 416.319-1472

RETIREMENT INCOME SOLUTIONS FOR CANADIANS Professional Chartered Life Underwriter 416-319-1472

universal Heating & Cooling

BIGGEST SALE EVER! SAV E $100 0

FURNACE from $1450 insured, multi-licenses

416.445.1718 LOCAL CHIMNEY SWEEPS

www.localchimneysweeps.ca 7 days a week No mess guaranteed 416-831-3314

1 71 0 M I D L A N D AV E . U N I T 1 5 , SCARBOROUGH

416-727-6825

“If you can’t be better than your competition,” Vogue editor Anna Wintour once said, “just dress better.”

Indeed, new research suggests that women don’t just dress to be fashionable, or to outdo one another when it comes to enticing men. They also dress for other women.

But Wintour’s quote misses some of the nuances that go into the outfits women choose with female friends, co-workers and acquaintances in mind. It’s not just about dressing better. In fact, my colleagues and I found that women can be motivated by another factor: avoiding the slings and arrows of other women.

few decades have researchers started to seriously look into how women actively compete with one another.

The competition isn’t necessarily nice. Like men who compete with one another, women can be aggressive toward other women they’re competing with. But it’s rarely the physical kind. Instead, social scientists like Joyce Benenson, Kaj Bjorkqvist and Nicole Hess have shown that women are more prone to rely on social exclusion and reputation-damaging gossip.

So we wondered: Do women

Dressing defensively

First, we studied whether people would expect women to be aggressive toward attractive, scantily clad women.

We asked 142 people to read a scenario about two women, Carol and

How women dress for other women

The psychology of women’s wardrobes My social psychology lab explores how women navigate their social relationships with other women.

With my co-authors, Oklahoma State graduate student Ashley M. Rankin and Arizona State University graduate student Stefanie Northover, I recently studied what goes into women’s fashion choices.

Of course, both men and women consider a variety of concerns when selecting their outfits: cost, fit, occasion. Existing psychological research on women’s clothing choices tends to center on how women dress for men – the makeup, shoes and colors they select to impress the opposite sex.

But we posed a different question: How might women dress for other women? For over a century, psychologists have been interested in competition between men. Only over the past

We reasoned that women would be aware of this dynamic – and some would try to avoid it. So we tested this theory in a series of experiments.

ever dress defensively – to mitigate the chance that other women might go after them?

We know that women who are physically attractive and who wear revealing clothing are more likely to be targets of same-sex aggression. For example, psychologists Tracy Vaillancourt and Aanchal Sharma found that women behaved more aggressively toward an attractive woman when she was dressed in a short skirt and lowcut shirt than when that exact same woman wore khakis and a crewneck.

Sara, who met for coffee after connecting on a friend-finder app that was like Tinder, but for platonic relationships.

We asked the participants how they thought Carol would treat Sara during an otherwise uneventful coffee date.

Although the scenarios were the same, some people saw a photo of Sara that depicted her as an attractive woman wearing khakis and a crewneck; others saw a photo of her wearing a low-cut shirt and short-skirt; and a third group saw her in the more revealing outfit, but the image had been photoshopped to make her look less physically attractive.

We found that when Sara was attractive and revealingly dressed, people expected Carol would be meaner to Sara.

We then wanted to see whether women would also act on the awareness of this dynamic, so we ran a series of experiments with college-aged and adult women. For a set of two studies, we instructed female participants to imagine that they were going to meet new people in a professional setting, like a networking event, or at a social gathering, such as a birthday party. They were also told to imagine the event as either single-sex or

Advertising in the York Region Review: yrpublishing@gmail.com, 416-823-4948

Our website www.yrreview.com is mobile-friendly

mixed-sex.

In the first, we asked women to draw their ideal outfits for those events, and we later had undergraduate research assistants measure how much skin was revealed. In the second, we asked women to choose outfits from a menu of options – akin to shopping for clothes online. Each of the possible outfits had been rated for modesty by a separate set of participants.

In both studies, women chose more revealing outfits for social events than professional ones. This wasn’t surprising. But interestingly, women chose less revealing outfits to meet up with an all-female group – regardless of whether it was a professional or social setting.

But wouldn’t the more revealing clothing in mixed-group settings simply reflect their desire to attract men?

Not exactly. Not all women dressed the same for other women.

The women who rated themselves as more physically attractive were the ones who chose more modest outfits when meeting up with a group of women. This supports the idea that they were dressing defensively – to avoid bringing attention to themselves and being targeted by the other women.

Because same-sex aggression is more likely to come from strangers than friends, in our final experiment we asked 293 young women, aged 18 to 40, what they would wear to meet up with a prospective female friend. Again, we found that more physically attractive women indicated that they would dress with more discretion.

Together, these findings show that women don’t always dress to impress. Nor do they dress to aggress.

Instead, there’s a more subtle social dance taking place – one that involves humility, hesitance and heightened awareness.

Jaimie Arona Krems Assistant Professor of Psychology, Oklahoma State University

18 FUN KNOWLEDGE

York Region review

free monthly community NEWSPAPER

MAY, 2020

How to spot a conspiracy theory when you see one Anyone who engages critically with the phenomenon of conspiracy theories soon encounters a conundrum. Actual conspiracies occur quite regularly. Political assassinations, scandals and cover-ups, terrorist attacks and a lot of everyday government activity involves the collusion of multiple people in the attempt to bring about a desired outcome.

This poses a crucial question. How do we differentiate between genuine plots and conspiracies, and those that we usually associate with the term “conspiracy theory” – namely an erroneous or misguided way of thinking? How do we know, for example, when questions about the origins of coronavirus are legitimate concerns and when they should be dismissed as a conspiracy theory?

One approach is to rely on common sense. A precedent for this was set by the US supreme court judge Potter Stewart when, in 1964, he found himself having to define pornography. Faced with a tricky concept which lacks clearly defined parameters, and whose boundaries are abstract and disputed, Stewart simply said: “I know it when I see it.”

Another approach is to embrace an agnostic position towards all claims of conspiracy. This involves arguing that while some conspiracy theories may currently sound implausible, there is always a chance, no matter how slim, that they could be proved to be true at some point in the future.

For that reason, the argument goes, we should treat even the conspiracy theories we don’t believe as unproven rather than untrue.

Neither of these approaches is satisfactory, however. They are ways of

sidestepping the problem of definition rather than solving it.

Having researched conspiracy theories for many years, I would argue that we can do better. There are fundamental differences between the kind of conspiracies that do happen and that we do need to worry about, and the far-fetched claims typically expounded by conspiracy theorists.

and in most instances unrelated. They cannot be reduced to a single, common denominator.

More importantly, these conspiracies rarely work out according to plan. This is because between any one case of collusion and the wished-for outcome are all kinds of unforeseen and unforeseeable elements. It’s impossible to entirely prevent cock-ups, errors and betrayals. Or control the actions of other individuals and organisations with competing (and often concealed)

The first important difference is in the very nature of the alleged conspiracy. Consider the myriad political scandals that have rocked the United States over the past half century. From revelations about the CIA’s domestic spying programme and the Watergate scandal in the 1970s, to the more recent findings about extraordinary renditions, mass surveillance or Russia’s attempted interference in elections. Comparable scandals are to be found in other countries around the world.

What these very real instances of secret collusion have in common is that they involved different actors, with disparate aims and goals, limited to certain locations and time frames. In other words, plots and cover-ups exist in the world, but they are multiple,

goals and agendas. As the philosopher Karl Popper argued, the relevant question when explaining dramatic historical events is not “who wanted something to happen?” but “why did things not happen exactly in the way that somebody wanted?”.

What actual conspiracies are like

How conspiracy theories differ

Conspiracy theorists, of course, see the world very differently. The premise of their argument is not that conspiracies happen, but that they are the motive force in history.

Conspiracy theorists are not even interested in the multitude of conflicting conspiracies. Theirs is the quest for spurious connections between disparate historical actors or events. Their plots are overarching and are not limited by

GERMAN LAWYER SENT TO PSYCHIATRIC WARD AFTER MOUNTING SERIOUS RESISTANCE TO “UNCONSTITUTIONAL” COBVID-19 LOCKDOWN

WORLD A GERMAN MEDICAL LAW SPECIALIST WHO LAUNCHED A RIGOROUS FIGHT AGAINST GOVERNMENT-MANDATED CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN RULES WAS TAKEN TO A MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY AFTER EXPRESSING FEARS SHE WAS BEING TARGETED BY “KILLERS”.

Beate Bahner had repeatedly claimed that measures taken by Berlin to stem the spread of Covid-19 threaten nothing less than the nation’s constitutional order itself. The lawyer, from Heidelberg, was forced to spend a couple of days in a local psychiatric ward after her encounter with police went terribly wrong.

She had already been under police investigation over “calls for an illegal action” after

urging Germans to go on a nationwide demonstration against the lockdown – in open defiance of the ban on public gatherings.

Bahner called police herself when she feared that a car which seemingly blocked her own vehicle in at a parking lot might be driven by “killers” sent to hunt her down. When the officers arrived, she told them she felt persecuted.

What happened next was described by the lawyer as some sort of a nightmarish ordeal.The police handcuffed her and pushed her to the ground “with brutal force,” Bahner said, in an audio recording attributed to her and which has since been widely circulated online. The officers drove her to a psychiatric ward, where she had to wait for a doctor, who, according to her, “had to first get some instructions from the top or from America.” Bahner said she then had to spend a night in a “Guantanamo-style High Security Ward of Psychiatry,” lying on the floor of her room and without

time or geography. And they supposedly explain absolutely everything.

This is one reason why conspiracy theorists are notoriously poor at uncovering actual conspiracies. Throughout history, most revelations of illegal activities and cover-ups came to light as a result of solid journalism, official state-sponsored inquiries, or the actions of whistleblowers. The driving force behind many revelations about real conspiracies has been freedom of information acts – a key institution of political transparency.

Meanwhile, not a single scandal has been brought to light by conspiracy theorists.

They are too busy chasing the Illuminati, the New World Order, the “military industrial complex”, or supposed Jewish influence in world affairs.

In fact, conspiracy theorists are inherently ambivalent towards revelations about actual conspiracies. Conspiracy theorists see actual conspiracies as small and inconsequential, useful only as evidence that things are not as they seem and, therefore, as potential proof that a lot of other, much more sinister (albeit less plausible) claims might also be true.

On the other hand, the way that real cases of collusion are usually brought to light presents a problem for the conspiracy theorist. It undermines their overall argument, by providing evidence that politicians, large business corporations, or the intelligence agencies are not all-powerful and all-controlling. It highlights the importance in everyday life of mistakes and unintended consequences.

approaches to evidence

This brings us to what is probably the most important difference between conspiracy theories and investigations into actual conspiracies. For those interested in actual conspiracies – including investigative

access to a toilet.

The police, however, paint quite a different picture. They said that the woman encountered by the patrol responding to the call “gave a very confused impression,” prompting the cops to take her to a clinic. “She fought back and kicked an officer several times,” a police spokesman told German media.

Both the police and a local public prosecutor’s office repeatedly stated that the incident has nothing to do with the ongoing investigation against Bahner. The lawyer was discharged from the mental health facility after a couple of days.

Bahner is known in Germany as an experienced specialist on medical law, penning several books on related issues. However, as Berlin introduced increasingly restrictive social-distancing rules aimed at stemming the spread of the disease, the lawyer became one of the staunchest lockdown opponents, prompting German media to dub her the “coronoia lawyer.”

Bahner repeatedly claimed that coronavirus is virtually harmless to most people and could only affect about five percent of the population. Furthermore, the German govern-

journalists, historians, prosecutors or judges – the existence of a plot is a testable hypothesis. The approach to evidence demands that sources are checked and claims verified. If there is an absence of proof or if evidence contradicts the hypothesis, this is not automatically considered to be part of a cover-up.

For the conspiracy theorist, the opposite applies. The idea of a plot is not a hypothesis, but a fundamental, unshakeable principle. The possibility that the basic premise of the conspiracy theory may be wrong, or that it might be proven wrong by new evidence, is not even entertained. theories Conspiracy are essentially irrefutable: logical contradictions, evidence showing the opposite, even the complete absence of proof have no bearing on the conspiratorial explanation because they can always be accounted for in terms of the conspiracy.

The lack of proof about a plot, or any positive proof against its existence, is turned around and taken as evidence of the craftiness of the secret cabal behind the conspiracy. It is seen as confirmation of the conspirators’ ability to conceal their machinations.

Awareness of the differences between inquiries into real conspiracies and conspiracy theories is important because contemporary conspiracy culture thrives on the perception that somehow this distinction is fuzzy, or even non-existent. Yet the difference could not be more real – or socially and politically relevant.

Conspiracy theorists are traders in illusion. They offer a certain amount of comfort, which is what makes them appealing in the first place. But they invariably lead to a dead end, away from genuine solutions to societal problems, which are more diverse and more complex than any conspiracy theorist cares to imagine.

Jovan Byford Senior Lecturer in Psychology, The Open University ment’s quarantine measures - including closing all non-essential businesses, canceling festivals and sports events, and banning all public gatherings – harm the nation much more than the virus, the lawyer argued.

She slammed the measures as “blatantly unconstitutional” and said they violated Germans’ “fundamental rights” to an “unprecedented extent.” Bahner even filed a lawsuit with the German Constitutional Court, demanding it overrule every single order by the German federal and regional governments related to the lockdown, since they “are capable of endangering the existence of the Federal Republic of Germany.”

The court, however, deemed her application inadmissible on procedural grounds and dismissed it. Bahner responded by publishing a post on her website declaring all lockdown measures ineffective “immediately” and calling on the public to take to the streets to protest the regulations Bahner is now facing a probe over her call for protest action. Her crusade against the lockdown might, meanwhile, become outdated, as Berlin plans to ease some restrictions in May anyway.

20%

Since 1985

Skylights give you:

natural light in the room g electricity savings g a modern look to your home g adds value to your property g

off for seniors (replacing existing skylight)

Skylights Leaking?

We can replace them!

No mess in your home g Licensed & Insured Leak-proof guaranteed g 10 years Guarantee

INSURANCE & INVESTMENT

INDIVIDUAL, GROUP AND FAMILY INSURANCE PLANS iLife (Term and Permanent) iCritical Illness iDisability iHealth and Dental iNo Medical Life Insurance iTravel, Super Visa

Call Joe: 416-705-8635 www.brightskylights.ca “Bill Gates seeks to microchip humanity!”

Russian Oscar-winning director pushes vaccine conspiracy… loosely-based on REAL patent

INVESTMENT PLANS iRetirement Savings RRSP iTax-Free Savings TFSA iSavings for Education RESP

416.270.8591 spetlaha@yahoo.com

UNIVERSAL HEATING AND COOLING Biggest sALe eVeR! sAVe $1000

FURNACE FROM $1450 INSTALLED! NOW IS THE BEST TIME TO BUY!

install tankless hot water & boiler 4lowest price - we do all processes to get maximum rebate4insured 4multi-licenses 4metro license # H23605 www.universalhc.ca

rated A+ IN BBB 25 years of service 24/7

Call for free estimates

Tune-up & Clean furnaces or a/C

plus 22pt. Check List Carbon Monoxide CO Levels $69.95 *10 years warranty

416.445.1718

Russian director Nikita Mikhalkov claims billionaire Bill Gates might be seeking to implant humanity with microchips under the guise of vaccination, seeking to control people and ultimately “solve” overpopulation.

The ongoing coronavirus crisis has produced a number of wild conspiracy theories, as some are trying to find the “secret” reasons behind the pandemic. A handful of them revolve around Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his efforts to develop a vaccine against Covid-19.

One Microsoft patent that recently received international recognition has been found by many “truth-seekers” to be particularly alarming. The patent WO/2020/060606 describes a “Cryptocurrency system using body activity data” – basically, a device which can be used to “mine” some digital coins using one’s body. Or, rather, “award cryptocurrency to the user whose body activity data is verified,” as the patent abstractly puts it.

The patent did not escape Nikita Mikhalkov, renowned Oscar-winning film director, who pushed quite a theory in a new

issue of “Besogon TV” (roughly translated as “demon banisher”, dubbed, “In whose pocket the state is?”

The episode was aired by the Rossiya 24 TV channel, but was then quietly taken down from its schedule and not repeated – something Mikhalkov has taken for an act of “censorship.”

Mikhalkov claims the very name of the patent has an occult meaning in it, accusing Gates of actually seeking to implant humans with microchips to control them, and tying it to his potential vaccination program.

“The 060606 part is somewhat alarming.

You probably understand this, right? Is this a coincidence or an intentional selection of such a symbol, which in the apocalypse of John is called the “Number of the Beast - the 666” Mikhalkov then goes on a rant about a dystopian future where digitized (and microchipped) society is split into two unequal parts, namely the elite and the human drones they control.

Like any other theory peddled by a celebrity, the new issue of “Besogon TV” went viral online, getting around 700,000 views in less than a day.

Mikhalkov’s conclusions might be quite far-fetched, and the patent WO/2020/060606 is not directly linked to Gates, who has technically stepped down from Microsoft’s board to focus on running his and his wife’s Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Neither does it mention microchipping, instead describing “sensors” coupled with a “device” to register the body activity.

Advertising in the York Region Review: yrpublishing@gmail.com, 416-823-4948

Our website www.yrreview.com is mobile-friendly

HOME FOR SALE! Lucky Charm "8", upgraded home by Aspen Ridge. 9'ceiling, gleaming dark H/W floor w/matching stairs & iron pickets, 4th B/R converted to den(can be put back to B/R), master ensuite w/soaker tub & sep. shower, upgraded tall kitchen cabinets, raised b'fast bar, gas F/P, fully finished basement with 2 pc bathroom.

Beautiful landscaping. Best school zone. $999,000.

Hadi Mirazimi Broker.

HomeLife/Bayview Realty Inc.

Office: 905.889.2200 Cell: 416.669.4234

Fax: 905 889 3322 Email: Hadi.Mirazimi@gmail.com Freehold 3 B/R, 3 W/R Townhouse steps to Yonge St.

34 Nottingham Drive, Richmond Hill, L4S 1Z6 SOLD OVER ASKING PRICE!

NIRAJ PANCHOLI, REALTOR® ASQ – CQT (Toronto); Mechanical Engineer (INDIA)

905.660.5128

Cell: 647-866-2790

Email: ncpancholi@gmail.com Website: www.niraj-pancholi.c21.ca Century 21 People’s Choice Realty Inc. Brokerage

Multi Award Winner Agent since 2011 #42 of TOP 75 PRODUCERS IN CANADA & CENTURION PRODUCER

MOTEL KING: SEPCIALIZING IN SELLING MOTELS

MOTELS FOR SALE IN ONTARIO

12 Room Motel Near North Bay Asking $849,000 27 Room Motel Northern Ontario Asking $2.2M 41 Room Motel 4 Hrs form GTA Asking $2.2M

14 Room Motel Near Sudbury Asking $699,000 12 Room Motel Near Peterborough Asking $750,000 35+Room Motel 4 hrs North Asking $2.3M

42 Room Motel Northern Ontario Asking $1.3M 18 Room Motel Near Pembroke Asking $799,000 60+Room Motel Thunder Bay Asking $2.2M

60+Room Franchise In New Brunswick Asking $3.2M 50 Room Motel West of GTA Asking $3.5M 16 Room Motel Sault Ste Marie Asking $1,050,000

50+ Room Franchise 3 hrs form GTA Asking $4.5M 40+Room Franchise Northern Ontario Asking $3.8M 150+ Room Franchise In Saskatchewan Asking $13M

70+ Room Franchise 3 hrs form GTA Please call 35+Room Franchise 4 hrs from GTA Asking $2.5M Call for other motels & Hotels for Sale

Dental Services:

info@concorddental.ca www.concorddental.ca

aHygiene

Direct billing to insurance companies Free consults for ortho or implants!

aFillings

aEmergencies

aCrown And Bridge

aImplants

aRoot Canal Treatment

aWhitening

aSmile Makeovers

aOrthodontic aDentures

5 MOTEL LISTINGS REQURIE URGENTLY: 15 TO 80 ROOM: Buyers with 40% down payment ready to Close ASAP MOTEL & BUSINESS OWNERS: Call us if you are planning to sell any Motel, Hotel or Any Business, Commercial or Investment properties: We have Buyers for all.

e.W s Av

Al n

es

s

St .

Dufferi

Visit my website: niraj-pancholi.c21.ca for NEW & SOLD Listings

le Stee

CONCORD DENTAL 1520 Steeles Ave.West Unit 120, Concord, L4K 3B9 n St.

CONTACT US: 416.823.4948, yrpublishing@gmail.com. The York Region Review is published every month.The newspaper is not responsible for the information or content shown in advertisements. All original materials and layouts, published in The York Region Review are property of our newspaper and can not be reproduced, reprinted, altered without written permission. Publisher: York Region Review Corp.