Chainsaw-wielding mayor enrages museum board
Politician apologizes after personally cutting down dozens of trees without permission on the historic site of the Sharon Temple
EAST GWILLIMBURY, Ont. — As views go, Mayor James R. Young enjoys an enviable one from his office in the East Gwillimbury Civic Centre, which sits next to one of Ontario's most prized architectural sites: the Sharon Temple, an architecturally rare frame structure erected more than 175 years ago, and now a museum.
The view became all the more clear on Oct. 24, when a town works crew - aided by a chainsaw-wielding Mr. Young and a council colleague - cut dozens of trees from the national historic site north of Newmarket without clear permission.
At a council meeting yesterday afternoon, a contrite Mr. Young apologized to outraged members of the museum's board, including former Toronto mayor John Sewell, before they had a chance to unleash their ire. |