This is a colour ad. Vol. 11 No. 6
YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER COVERING NORTH DURHAM
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015
Annual Port Perry
Polar Plunge
Saturday, February 7 @ 2 p.m.
April Reimer brings #TweetSweet to R.H. Cornish DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard
NORTH DURHAM: Students at R.H. Cornish Public School had a special visitor on Wednesday, Jan. 28, as April Reimer, wife of Toronto Maple Leafs goalie James Reimer, made a presentation at the Port Perry school to talk about TweetSweet, her ongoing campaign to combat on-line bullying. Mrs. Reimer launched TweetSweet after she became the victim of social media harassment by Toronto Maple Leaf supporters. The initiative strives to have young people spread positive messages through online social networks, as she explained to The Standard. “TweetSweet started because of what I went through last season,” said Mrs. Reimer. “It’s a way to make social networks a better place. All you have to do is say something kind of positive to someone else and add #TweetSweet, it could be on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. And, twice a month I’m giving out Leafs tickets to a home game at Air Canada Centre, so TweetSweet just might get someone sweet seats.” As she explained to the Grade 6, 7 and 8 students, cyberbulling is a recent invention that has far reaching implications. “You bring your bullying home, and
Students at R.H. Cornish Public School heard a presentation from special guest April Reimer, wife of Toronto Maple Leafs goalie James Reimer. Mrs. Reimer recently launched #TweetSweet, which aims to combat bullying online and promote positive messages. DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard it’s on-line so the whole world can see it,” said Mrs. Reimer, adding that last year she had to involve police after receiving harassing calls and text messages on her cell phone. “My Twitter story made national news.
The other half of the story that not a lot of people know is that some fans managed to get my personal cell phone number and would text and call me,” she told the students. “Even at age 12, if you do something like that, you could potential-
ly have a criminal record that could follow you the rest of your life.” During her presentation, Mrs. Reimer provided students with tips on how they can get help if they are a victim of cyberbullying. According to Mrs. Reimer, more than 50 per cent of teens have been bullied on-line, with 25 per cent bullied on a daily basis. “It’s a lot easier to say mean things to a screen rather than to someone’s face. Sometimes, we forget that there is a real person on the other side of that wall,” explained Mrs. Reimer during a portion of the presentation that had her sit on the opposite side of a blackboard as students read actual, mean spirited messages she had received on-line. “I’m 25-years-old, and I’m a cyber bullying victim. This is not a high-school or middle-school issue, this is a life issue. It affects everybody, even adults,” added Mrs. Reimer. “Sticks and stones is a lie, words do hurt. But, you can get help. You have a choice and you have a voice. For every bad message, I probably received 1,000 good ones. The change can start with you.” For more information about the #TweetSweet campaign, please visit www.tweetsweet. ca, which includes helpful links if you’ve been the victim of cyberbullying.
Development plan pitched for Scugog gateway site BENJAMIN PRIEBE The Standard
SCUGOG: A parcel of land along Port Perry’s Simcoe St. gateway - 21 Oyler Dr., which over two decades ago was the site of a Johnson Controls plant - has fallen under the eye of councillors - as a potential developer makes their case for a future mixed-use construction project on the vacant lands. On Monday, Jan. 26, Scugog councillors heard representatives of the Stockworth Development Group offer their take on the township’s future Gateway Regenera-
tion Area development - which could see a combination of commercial storefronts and residential spaces. “I was happy with the presentation that John Benesford and Peter Smith from Stockworth made to Council,” Mayor Rowett told The Standard. “Right now we’re just in talks about the project, it has to be finalized and we will hold a public meeting in the near future.” Although the currently industrial-zoned property was slated to remain industrial, the proponents have asked for it to be re-zoned as a combination of com-
mercial and industrial lands - in order to further beautify Port Perry’s gateway area and bring an improvement to the local tax-base. “The plans ask for 250 units of residential space, most likely in condominium-style homes - as well as a front-line of one or two story commercial storefronts,” said Mayor Rowett. “This way, we can improve the gateway features of Port Perry, focus the intensification that the Region of Durham has asked for, and increase our tax-base in one fell swoop.”
THE GRASS REALLY IS GREENER
TURN TO PAGE 3
PORT PERRY
OPTICAL