Aside from the perennially popular stories about restaurants charged with public health violations, events and local crimes, as well as our local news home page, here are the top stories of 2024 on NewmarketToday, based on page views. Thanks for your loyal readership and engagement in a year that saw continued growth for our hyper local news site.
1. 'Life turned upside down': Man left jobless after 'misunderstanding' in Loblaws facility hiring, Dec. 11, 2024
The sad plight of Adam Squires, who was left not only without the new job he thought he had been promised but without any job at all, captured the attention of tens of thousands of our readers. The 44-year-old had given his employer notice after his seemingly successful job interview at the massive new Loblaws logistics and distribution centre on Newmarket's border.
“I was so excited. I was literally the happiest I’ve been in 20 years or more for a job,” he said, adding he told his wife, "This is life changing for us.’”
But not in the way he had anticipated.
When he didn't receive a follow-up email from the recruiter who he said had told him he was hired, he showed up at the East Gwilllimbury facility on start day, only to be told his recruiter no longer worked with there and there was no job for him.
We wish Squires the best as he continues to pursue a job at the facility, and in the meantime, the story contains a good lesson about offers of employment.
2. Boy, 9, sick from rare tick-borne virus after camping in northern Ontario, Sept. 10, 2024
Stories about health and wellness are always popular and this one, in particular, about a rare tick-borne illness garnered tens of thousands of page views. A nine-year-old boy was in hospital for two months before recovering from Powassan virus following a camping trip in northern Ontario.
Public Health Ontario issued a warning about the virus passed to humans from the bite of a blacklegged tick, or the less common groundhog tick or squirrel tick. Most people who become infected are asymptomatic, however, some show mild to severe symptoms such as fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, weakness or muscle and joint pain. Severe disease may result in meningitis and/or encephalitis with symptoms that may include confusion, loss of co-ordination, difficulty speaking, paralysis, seizures or coma.
3. 'Cash grab': Newmarket resident upset after 3rd speed camera ticket, July 5, 2024
Without a doubt, you love to read about traffic woes and speeding — especially stories about the speed enforcement cameras behind the tickets and fines for the transgression. Newmarket resident Michelle Meadus reached out to us after getting three unpleasant surprises in her mailbox. Thanks to a York Region automated speeding camera on Bathurst Street, near St. Nicholas Catholic Elementary School, she had received two tickets dating back to May and June for travelling 63 km/h and 64 km/h in a 50 km/h school zone. A few days later, she got another ticket for going 66 km/h.
Given that most of Bathurst has a 60 or 70 km/h speed limit, and the school is not actually on the street, she said the tickets are unfair and “just a cash grab.”
“Speeding can be really bad on here, but I’m feeling pretty frustrated because like most people ... (I'm just) driving with the flow of the traffic.”
York Region has expanded its system of rotating speed cameras throughout its nine municipalities, while the Town of Newmarket installed 14 cameras in community safety zones.
4. Beer Store warning customers about biggest price hike in 40 years, March 10, 2024
Just ask Premier Doug Ford, the people care about their beer. Thes every year based on inflation, but The Beer Store lets consumers know this year’s federal government’s alcohol excise tax increase, at 4.7 per cent on April 1, would be the biggest in 40 years.
Their campaign was successful, with the federal government soon announcing a cap at 2 per cent for two years.
5. York Region speeders will no longer have their day in court, Sept. 19, 2024
Like we said, you love to read stories about traffic and the penalties for violations.
With all the automated speed enforcement and red light cameras tickets, York Region switched to an administrative monetary penalty system.
The system, already used in Newmarket and other municipalities, uses a hearing officer for appeals, as opposed to the court system where drivers once had their day in court to dispute speeding tickets on regional roads. Under the AMPS system, a hearing officer appointed by the region reviews appeals. The decision by such an officer is final, with the bylaw specifying that it is not subject to review by any court.
6. Top 3 high schools in York Region are in Markham, Richmond Hill, and Thornhill, June 4, 2024.
While not in the top rankings, high schools in Newmarket, Aurora fared above average in the Fraser Institute's ranking of 689 public, Catholic, independent schools.
The highest-ranking secondary schools in York Region are in Markham, Richmond Hill, and Thornhill, which posted stellar overall results, according to the report by the Fraser Institute that provides parents and students a way to see how a school performs and compares to other schools in Ontario.
7. Woman, 93, homeless after retirement residence sends her to Southlake, Feb. 8, 2024
At 93 years old, Margaret Marshall was effectively homeless.
Her daughter, Ruth Hall, had been told by The Elden of Bradford that Margaret was being transferred to Southlake Health within an hour. “Just like that,” Ruth recalled.
When Ruth went to Southlake, she found her mother shivering and crying, sitting among “at least 100 people” in the emergency room waiting area in nothing but a robe, slippers and urine-soaked incontinence pad.
This heart-rending story highlighted the cracks in our health-care and long-term care systems for the elderly.
8. 'Walking pneumonia spiking in York Region, Ontario, Dec. 7, 2024
Another health-related story garnered tens of thousands of page views, with York Region one of the areas experiencing a high rate of the "walking pneumonia" sweeping the province.
Public Health Ontario published a report in late November highlighting increased cases caused by the bacteria mycoplasma pneumoniae. Ontario had seen an 18.3 per cent positivity rate among samples tested, more than triple any amount in the last five years, with the next highest in that span being 5.8 per cent in 2019.
9. Markham doctor named regional family physician of year, Nov. 14, 2024.
This story about an exemplary physician was broadly read and shared. Dr. Aleem Hussain, named the 2024 Regional Family Physician of the Year for Central Ontario by the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP), was nominated by his peers for the distinction, which is presented annually to family physicians across Ontario who provide exemplary care to their patients and contribute to excellence in family medicine.
10. Police charge Newmarket landlord with mischief in dispute with tenant, March 12, 2024
Stories about housing and housing challenges always capture your attention. This unusual story highlights the battle between a tenant and landlord, which ended in vindication for the tenant. Brie Twa was elated on learning her former landlord would be 'facing the music' after having her possessions disposed of and an illegal eviction.
Forced out of a tenuous rooming situation in Newmarket at the start of February before a planned move-out date, Twa had found herself sleeping in her car temporarily while she worked out a living arrangement. After months of dispute, she received a call from York Regional Police saying the landlord is facing two charges of mischief.
