September 04, 2008 - 04:30
By Kristen Calis

PICKERING -- A Pickering senior with a fear of losing his hobby has been given a glimmer of hope.

John Tennant and his wife, Jean, have been taken to court for apparently breaking a Pickering zoning bylaw in regards to running a business from home. The 81-year-old, long-time Pickering resident claims fixing lawnmowers and bikes for neighbours is only a hobby and the most he'll accept in the form of payment is a cup of coffee.

Former Pickering councillor turned community activist Maurice Brenner has gotten on board to see what he can do to help the Tennants. He accompanied the couple to the Whitby Ontario Court of Justice Tuesday and was able to convince the court to adjourn until late October.

In the meantime, Mr. Brenner will either request a mediated settlement through an agency such as the Community Justice Alternatives for Durham or request council to review the position of the City based on the age of the bylaw (originally written in 1962 and amended in 2004).

"Having read it, much has changed and I would doubt the Council of the day nor today intended it to be applied in this fashion," Mr. Brenner said in an e-mail.

The Tennants' councillors, Ward 2 City Councillor Doug Dickerson and Ward 2 Regional Councillor Bill McLean, said they've received complaints over the past couple of years in regards to noise and pollution from the mowers. But Coun. McLean said the bylaw needs to be changed in order to accommodate volunteers doing the community a service. He hopes to convince Council to amend that bylaw to avoid similar problems in the future.