“We have incredible and active seniors in Pickering. They may be seniors but after seeing they at the Pickering Recreation Centre, dances and banquets and other venues it is more appropriate to call them the young at heart.

The South Pickering Seniors Club, the Lawn Bowling Club, the Pickering Ajax Italian Social Club, both Royal Canadian Legions in Pickering, and many other organizations do a great job and partner with the City to provide many facilities and programs tailored to seniors in Pickering. It is a pleasure to continue to work with them to pursue new opportunities.

Veterans are a special group to me as you may recall from my 2005 Newsletter.  They have provided us with special privileges - freedom and democracy - and made special sacrifices. It is my honour to attend the annual Remembrance Day and D-Day Services in Pickering as well as many other events at the Royal Canadian Legions in both Claremont and South Pickering.”   - David Pickles

PICKERING - Ward 3 City Councillor David Pickles is urging the provincial government to implement a new property tax rebate for seniors this year.

Coun. Pickles and Ward 2 City Councillor Doug Dickerson have been advocating for a reduction on the education portion of property taxes for seniors for years.  Coun. Pickles said many seniors in Pickering have been paying education taxes for more than 40 years.

He was pleased to see the 2008 provincial budget indicates seniors on low incomes will be eligible for provincial tax rebates to partially offset their porperty taxes.  Individual seniors who own their own homes will quilify for the credit if their income is less than $50,000 a year, and those earning less than $35,000 a year will receive the maximum amount.  Couples who are sniors and own homes will qualify if their joint income is less than $60,000, and those who earn less than $45,000 qualify for the full credit.

“It's what we've been looking for,” he said in an interview.

But, he want it impelmented sooner.  Rebates of up to $250 will begin in 2009 and will be increated to $500 in 2010.

“If this is the case, I would urge you to bring these measures in place for 2008 to provide assistance to residents who are in need of assistance this year, as well,” he wrote in a letter to Premier Dalton McGuinty and Minister of Finance Dwight Duncan.

Councillor Pickles presents poinsettias to Dorothy Duggan (top) and May Borland (bottom) at the 2002 Poinsettia Tea.

PICKERING -- The Royal Canadian Legion shouldn't have to pay the harmonized sales tax when it purchases poppies for Remembrance Day, Pickering council unanimously agreed Monday.

Council supported the City of St.  Catharines' support of MP Malcolm Allen's private member's bill asking that the Legion be exempt from the new HST on purchases of red lapel poppies.

“By charging five per cent GST on the purchase of poppies, a tax that cannot be recouped through the donation box, the federal government is inadvertently having a negative impact on the services offered to veterans,” said St. Catharines Mayor Brian McMullan in a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Ward 2 City Councillor Doug Dickerson said asking the Legion to pay the HST on poppies “just doesn't make good sense”.

Pickering council unanimously supported the letter