National Post from Toronto, Ontario, Canada • 9

TORONTO A9 NATIONAL POST, FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 2008 national postcom Four chfldren fall ill after contact with chemicals at Royal Canadian Yacht Club Four children were taken to hospital after a swim at the Royal Canadian Yacht Gub on the Toronto Islands exposed them to pool chemicals. "They came into contact with pool cleaner, apparently, and they were all taken to the Hospital for Sick Children in stable condition and it's not believed to be life-threatening," said Lyla Miller, a spokeswoman for Toronto's Emergency Medical Services. The children, who HOSPITAL VISIT was totally a tiny little thing," he said. "It's just like going into your backyard pool and the chlorine level was a little high. And they got a little sore throat and they got some blurry eyes, as simple as that" A spokeswoman for the yacht club said that the children are "absolutely fine.

We were just taking precautionary measures," said Brenda Harrison. Jenny Wagler, National Post are reportedly eight or nine years old, were taken back to the mainland by speedboat Three children were walking, and one was wearing an oxygen mask and being carried. The children are part of a summer camp program at the RCYC, said Mike Milner, the club's director of sailing. "It EXPLOSION AFTERMATH ill Councillor apologizes for outburst 'SHUTUP' REMARK Maria Augimeri has reputation for short fuse working-class ward use recreational facilities. But Ms.

Augimeri is no stranger to controversy. She burst into tears during a public meeting to discuss closing community centres to stave off a budget shortfall, crying: "This is a farce." She was rebuked by the city integrity commissioner last year for acting in an "irresponsible and reckless" manner for actions during the most recent municipal election campaign. She left a voice mail message at the office of former Liberal MP Judy Sgro falsely alleging that the opponent in a neighbouring ward where her former assistant was running "was under active police investigation." Nevertheless, council voted recently 39-2 to pick up her $6,300 legal bill in the matter. After partisan bickering among councillors derailed the official council photo shoot in 2007, Ms. Augimeri threatened not to participate, saying she she had no friends on council.

She did show up two minutes after the shutter snapped, and was later digitally added into the shot Several times in the last few days, Ms. Augimeri has insisted she has strong support in her ward, earned during a quarter-century of elected service, and that her constituents embrace her tempestuous ways. "They know my ups and downs," she said. National Post ahanesnationalpost.com Mai CHRIS YOUNG FOR NATIONAL POST Councillor Maria Augimeri says she has the support of her constituents. calls for an apology from the Mayor yesterday.

Stuart Green, a spokesman for Mayor David Miller, said his office was besieged by angry phone calls from Tbrontonians who felt the councillor's tantrum exacerbated a tense situation. "The Mayor believes that yesterday's incident at the news conference was regrettable," Mr. Green said, reading a statement "He understands that emotions are very high in the area but everyone needs to come together at this time. He also believes the councillor should apologize but ultimately it will be up to her to do that" Ms. Augimeri did apologize more or less in a live appearance on news channel CP24 yesterday evening.

She explained she was tired, hungry and overwhelmed from spending two days in airports returning to the emergency in her ward from a holiday in Europe that never got under way. the disaster in her ward as a "holocaust" Given the chance to retract those comments moments later, Ms. Augimeri repeated them. "It's a holocaust without the human element" she said. Ms.

Augimeri is a political veteran who started her career pre-amalgamation as a North York councillor in 1985. She was first elected as a school board trustee after lecturing at York University in sociology, where she authored three books about Italian-Canadians. She is known as a strong ward councillor, left-leaning with a passion for helping children. "It blew up, the situation," she explained. "I was very angry that the information for which the press conference was set up did not get out to the community.

First people took potshots at You cannot imagine being there." Asked if she would apologize to Tony Di Santo, the leader of a local ratepayers' association who was confronting her over their competing community meetings scheduled for last night, Ms. Augimeri said: "I've publicly apologized to everyone in the world todayf i The TV appearance also raised new questions about her judgment when she referred to She was born in Italy and speaks fluent Italian, coming to Canada as a young child. Ms. Augimeri grew up in subsidized housing with a widowed mother and told the Toronto Star in 2006 that she was stung by comments critical of her for opposing a particular community housing project for single mothers in her ward where she wanted to see a library. "I'll never forgive them for what they did to me; never," she said "They don't know what it's like to go hungry." Ms.

Augimeri was lauded recently for brokering a deal with a local school board to let underprivileged kids in her By Allison Hanes In 25 years as a city councillor, Maria Augimeri (York Centre) has carved out a reputation for her short fuse and her colourful language. She has called Premier Dal-ton McGuinty a "coward" and a "man of inaction." She once called fellow Councillor Frances Nunziata (York South Weston) "stupid" over a difference of opinion. But her latest outburst on Wednesday telling a heckling constituent to "shut up" during a live press conference at the site of Sunday's propane depot explosion shocked Toronto residents and prompted SONY Cji' mm THE PEAL MAKER 3IHCE 1904 y-WTOK I I ButMnHOTVintr i-1 I I 't -it 10.000:1 Control I I 1 PC2HDMIInpu(t I I BuNt-m HO Tuner 16,000:1 Contrast i PC Input 4 3 HDMI rg- 209l rm Panasonic Panasonic STiTVPjn IFull- I BuilWn HDTuner I I BuilMnHDTuner I InffiWij 1 i 10,000:1 Contrast I 1 1,000,000:1 Contrast I I TP I or 9 until .1 I I nn i a a i n-ks. ii I I II Built-in HO Built-in HDTuner 0 1 nnn nnn-1 rnntrmt Built-in HD Tuner 1,0:9,000:1 Contrast 1.000.000:1 1 Tuner Contrast I 4 HDMI wwi wmi i iiiwui wt i imvii 1 SD Input 3 HDMI 2 PC Input 4 HDMI I i PC Input ng. $2699 ng 2499 Built-in HDTuner urn Built-in HD Tuner 30,000:1 Contrast PC Input i HPVI 3 HDMI 4 it- I fv Built-in HD Tuner 30,000:1 Contrast PC Input 3 HDMI SAMSUNG Hem Thotra WlrtlwSpaakira(Riar) 1000W Total Cutout SONY Homo Thutre S-Dih Chmgww lOOOWTotalCaitput' SAMSUNG Homi Thutu WlrtlsM SpNksrs (Rssr) iooovyToiiOtiif I.J Mil II I I IN 15! IFull iFull 1 Full TjTjTmJ Bullt-ln HO Tuner TJIELJ Built-in HD Tunsr mTT 30,000:1 Contrast is 25,000:1 Contrast "liiM A BulrMn HD Tuner 30,000:1 Contrast J.

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