The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

City purchases tour train railway lands and station r I the uptown core of Waterloo is becoming one big jigsaw puzzle, and the City of Waterloo seems to be the key player. On the heels of celebratâ€" ing its new partnership with Research In Motion Ltd. last week to construct the new Perimeter _ Institute _ for Theoretical Physics on what will soon be the former site of the Waterloo Memorial Arena, the city has now announced its purchase of the â€" Waterlooâ€"St. _ lacobs Railway lands and station, located at the corner of Erb and Caroline Streets. {clck hare) y â€" "Carumenee="" 3â€"K Motors Authorized BMIW Retoiler : 527 timg 5i. N. Wat Teleghone (519) 885â€"5090 _ Eâ€"mail info@bkmot "We now have full control of the area as we move forâ€" ward with the new research center, Looking For a New Keye Tang (left) and Jeremy Tse, members of the youth group from the Central Ontario Chinese Cultural Centre, spent much of Saturday afternoon serving up hot dogs and sausages to hungry shoppers outside the Beechwood Zehrs store in Waterloo. All proceeds from the barbecue went to the Wheels Around the World campaign to raise awareness for hospice palliative care. By AnoreA Baicey Chronicle Staff Gomfort for All Seasons Mayor McKinnon . *9090: â€"<â€" as shown Tube steak, anyone? Eâ€"mail info@b kmoters.com told _ Waterloo _ council Monday night. According _ to _ Greg Romanick of development services, the deal, which cost the city $225,000, has been in the works for a number of months. "In light of the plans for Waterloo Park, our objective was to increase its visibility as it relates to the core," Romanick said. "And by obtaining these lands, we now have more of an opporâ€" tunity to do so." ‘849 as shown â€"Zâ€"BOY COMFORT NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE While the city now has full control of the lands and the station, the ownmers of the Railway will retain conâ€" trol of all operations of the train. The fate of the threeâ€" yearâ€"old tourist train has been uncertain as of late since capital costs in the range of $40,000 to maintain the popular train have become unmanageable and forced the four current ownâ€" ers to derail all operations this season. According to station masâ€" ter Mar Brown earlier this year, the owners have been seeking about five or six more inventors to help offset some of those costs. However, at that time she chose not to comment on whether they have had any success with their search. Neither Brown nor anyâ€" one else at the station was available for comment after the city‘s announcement. Council, however, couldâ€" n‘t be more pleased with the deal. "It‘s a very strategic piece of land for the uptown," said Coun. Sean Strickland PAGE 3 ANDREA BAILEY PHOTO Mayoral candidates debate issues facing Waterloo‘s seniors aterloo‘s two mayoral candidates Wspoke to a full house at Luther Village Monday, outlining their platforms on a number of issues facing the city‘s senior population. Couns. Lynne Woolstencroft and Mike Connolly took turns responding to questions on maitters such as the city and regional transit systems, the future of the Waterloo public library, and â€" the regionwide smoking bylaw. _ And while there seemed to be room for consensus on certain â€" matters, it was proven that local residents will have two very different candidates to choose from Nov, 13 when the election polls open. "I have a clear vision of Waterloo as a community," Woolstencroft stated in her opening remarks. "My goal is to balance neighbourhood needs with city needs; and Luther Village is one example of a healthy community project." Woostencroft, who is also a member of the Waterloo 55â€"plus advisory committee, told the greup part of her political focus is on managing the anticipated growth in the city‘s senior gommaaaaes population with the influx of [ 5) aging baby boomers over the -3*,' next number of years. 7" w That focus, she said, includes better accommodaâ€" tion through more accessâ€" friendly buildings and effiâ€" cient transit systems. "I want to deal with the problems before they start," she said. Connolly agreed now is the time to face these issues head on, and he believes there should be a specific strategy in doing so. A step in the right direcâ€" tion, he said, is to provide seniors with free Grand River Transit bus passes which could be used during nonâ€"peak hours of the day. "Transit is such and integral part of the quality of life in this city," he said. "So many of of buses are half empty dur â€" ing those hours of the day. I believe that by allowing seniors to use these passes, we will increase ridership and benefit the environâ€" ment all at the same time." Woolstencroft said she is not convinced By Anorea Baicey Chronicte Staff _ Lynne Woolstencroft mayvoral candidate Monâ€"Wed 10â€"6 Thursâ€"Fri 10â€"8 Sat 10â€"5 Sun 1â€"5 FREE PARKING lhan .(/))( I'yél/ x Purniture // rar Iimest LA-Z-BOY’ ~(/(‘I//(’{'I/ 46 King St. N., Waterloo 886â€"2040 Mike Connolly mayoral candidate free transit service is the right approach Instead she chose to promote the idea of what‘s being called the Smartcard, a debitâ€" style card which could be used in the place of bus fare or tickets. Woolstencroft also said that because transit seems to be viewed as a class issue, in that the system is mainly utilized by those who are "generally not business people" and who are sometimes part of society‘s lower economic standing, what‘s really needed is more education. _ h He stated that restaurants nnolly who are willing to construct a ndidate smoking room:. completely separate from the nonâ€"smokâ€" ing area, after it‘s been proven that the smoke would not affect the nonâ€"smokers at all, should be allowed to permit smoking if they see fit. Woolstencroft also said she cannot see spending dollars on a new Waterloo public library when an expansion of the existing location on Albert Street could be just as viable. come from this," she said "I‘m looking at modifying the building we have and increasing the numbers of books and staff," she said. Tolephone (519) 805â€"5090 Looking For a New h (cick here} P $â€"L Motors Authorized BMW Retailer â€" 527 King St. M. Wet Connolly also felt better education was needed on another matter, the regionâ€" wide smoking bylaw which prohibits smoking in all of the region‘s restaurants, bars, bingo halls and bowling alleys. He said that while he has no qualms with the bylaw itself, he feels certain concesâ€" sions could be made on the part of the Region of Waterloo‘s enforcement of the rule. "If we can come to a comâ€" promise | that would not affect the nonâ€"smokers, 1 can‘t see why we wouldn‘t ‘amend the bylaw}. "I feel we can get together on â€" this matter without impeding on your health and your rights." Woolstencroft, however, said she has no plans to take a second look at the bylaw given the risk to public health she feels an amendment may pose. â€" _ "L am not prepared to spend money on the respiraâ€" tory problems that would Continued on page 5 Lâ€"mail info@b kmotors.com