Markham Stouffville Review, December 2023
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STOUFFVILLE<br />
Vol.12 Issue 12 <strong>December</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
WWW.STOUFFVILLEREVIEW.COM<br />
WWW.MARKHAMREVIEW.COM<br />
WHAT’S INSIDE<br />
Affordable housing to be<br />
constructed in <strong>Stouffville</strong><br />
Downtown <strong>Stouffville</strong> will soon be home to its<br />
first family-focused affordable housing building.<br />
SE Health a ‘role model of excellence’<br />
The not-for-profit social enterprise, dedicated to<br />
how people live and age and at home, recently<br />
received an Order of Excellence from Excellence<br />
Canada.<br />
Advancing cancer care<br />
SEE PAGE 4<br />
SEE PAGE 5<br />
The Cancer Centre at Oak Valley Health’s<br />
<strong>Markham</strong> <strong>Stouffville</strong> Hospital has joined the<br />
Princess Margaret Cancer Care Network.<br />
This partnership marks a significant milestone.<br />
York Region announces new CAO<br />
SEE PAGE 9<br />
York Regional Council has announced that Erin Mahoney is its new Chief Administrative Officer. Her appointment follows the<br />
16-year tenure of Bruce Macgregor as CAO.<br />
Region working to fast track<br />
Bus Rapid Transit projects<br />
Naming of health centre recognizes<br />
donor’s transformational gift<br />
SEE PAGE 6<br />
York Region has developed a process it hopes<br />
will fast track the remaining 130 kilometres of Bus<br />
Rapid Transit projects, three of which are located in<br />
the City of <strong>Markham</strong>.<br />
SEE PAGE 7<br />
Close family and friends gathered at Oak Valley<br />
Health’s <strong>Markham</strong> <strong>Stouffville</strong> Hospital on Oct. 26<br />
to celebrate a transformational legacy gift made by<br />
the late C. Donald Brodie.<br />
SEE PAGE 11<br />
COMMUNITY<br />
The holidays come alive<br />
at <strong>Markham</strong> Theatre<br />
Every holiday season, <strong>Markham</strong> Theatre can<br />
be counted on for multiple opportunities to<br />
share a night out celebrating with family.<br />
Spreading joy this holiday season<br />
Santa and his helpers hope you will help<br />
The Salvation Army and the CTV Toy<br />
Mountain campaign which brings hope to<br />
families in need.<br />
Help shutout homelessness<br />
in York Region<br />
It is estimated that 1,400 men, women and<br />
children are homeless in York Region on<br />
any given night, but together we can change.<br />
this statistic.<br />
You don’t have to miss out on local news and<br />
information. Just check out markhamreview.com<br />
and stouffvillereview.com for fresh, original articles,<br />
updated daily. Did you miss a print edition?<br />
Catch up with our replica e-paper, available<br />
anytime on our website.<br />
SEE PAGE 2 SEE PAGE 3<br />
SEE PAGE 8<br />
Thursday, <strong>December</strong> 21 // 8pm<br />
Friday, <strong>December</strong> 22 // 8pm<br />
Saturday, <strong>December</strong> 23 // 3pm & 8pm<br />
flatomarkhamtheatre.ca<br />
905.305.7469<br />
230110 FMT_<strong>Markham</strong> <strong>Review</strong> - 23.24 Season - Elvis - NEW SIZE 10x1.75.indd 1 <strong>2023</strong>-11-15 5:24 PM
2 MARKHAM STOUFFVILLE REVIEW COMMUNITY DECEMBER <strong>2023</strong><br />
The holidays come alive at <strong>Markham</strong> Theatre<br />
BY JEFF JONES<br />
Every holiday season, <strong>Markham</strong><br />
Theatre can be counted on for multiple<br />
opportunities to share a night out celebrating<br />
with family. General manager Eric<br />
Lariviere and his staff take great care to mix<br />
tradition and a modern sensibility in their<br />
programming each year, and <strong>2023</strong> is no<br />
different.<br />
“Our goal is to try and reach out and<br />
have something for every single citizen in<br />
<strong>Markham</strong>,” says Lariviere.<br />
The holiday season hits full swing on<br />
Dec. 15 with A Next Generation Leahy<br />
Christmas. The Leahy family use this<br />
performance to give audiences a sneak peek<br />
into their home at Christmastime. The show<br />
features the beautiful music of Christmas<br />
as well as fun family favourites filled with<br />
the high-energy, infectious Celtic-based<br />
music people associate with the Leahy<br />
heritage. Despite ranging in age from 13 to<br />
21, these young people are professional and<br />
accomplished multi-instrumentalists who<br />
have been touring across North America for<br />
years.<br />
“It’s so much fun to see these young<br />
artists evolve onstage,” Lariviere says. “It’s<br />
been a couple years since we’ve had them,<br />
and it is always quite spectacular what they<br />
do.”<br />
Holiday spirit collides with rock ‘n<br />
roll royalty with Elvis: Wonderful World<br />
of Christmas from Dec. 21 to 23. Worldrenowned<br />
Elvis tribute artist Steve Michaels<br />
stars in the holiday show that fans wish<br />
Elvis had given. Expect faithful renditions<br />
of Presley’s holiday classics, such as Blue<br />
Christmas, Here Comes Santa Claus, and<br />
the gospel songs that were the cornerstone<br />
of Elvis’ identity and inspiration.<br />
“We love to work with Steve; his work<br />
is flawless,” says Lariviere, “and this show<br />
has an incredible appeal to many of the<br />
diverse communities in <strong>Markham</strong>. We’re<br />
excited to have it back.”<br />
Families looking for a post-Christmas<br />
thrill need look no further than Chris Funk’s<br />
Redefining Wonder. A ‘wonderist’ that<br />
merges magic, illusion, and live music.<br />
Funk has spent the last 15 years travelling<br />
the world and appearing on TV in NBC’s<br />
America’s Got Talent, CW’s Penn & Teller:<br />
Fool Us and Masters of Illusion. His two<br />
shows on Dec. 27 promise a multimedia<br />
experience that tells the story of Funk<br />
fostering a secret passion for magic while<br />
training to be an orchestral musician.<br />
“This is Chris’ first time in <strong>Markham</strong><br />
and we’re excited for his debut,” says<br />
Lariviere. “His combination of illusion and<br />
live music is really special. You have to<br />
check him out.”<br />
There are few traditions that mark the<br />
holiday season like The Nutcracker. Tchaikovsky’s<br />
music combines wonder, joy, and<br />
innocence effortlessly as its classic story<br />
reaches across generations. Ballet Jörgen’s<br />
The Nutcracker: A Canadian Tradition returns<br />
for three shows on Dec. 30 and 31. Acclaimed<br />
ballet choreographer Bengt Jörgen’s<br />
telling of the classic draws modern visual<br />
inspiration from the renowned McMichael<br />
Canadian Art Collection but keeps both the<br />
music and the story in place, despite other<br />
choreographers changing the story liberally.<br />
The result is a production that features a<br />
uniquely Canadian take on an international<br />
classic.<br />
“This production of The Nutcracker<br />
is always anticipated by so many local<br />
families,” Lariviere says. “Ballet Jörgen is a<br />
fantastic company that does beautiful work.”<br />
Beyond the theatre’s Diamond Season,<br />
independent producers are bringing a little<br />
magic to the theatre this holiday season as<br />
well.<br />
Kindred Spirits Orchestra is performing<br />
The Greatest Show, Stravinsky’s Circus<br />
polka, as the core of its Dec. 9 concert. The<br />
show will also feature Concertmaster of<br />
the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Jonathan<br />
Crow as a guest soloist performing Bartók’s<br />
Violin Concerto No. 2.<br />
“Kindred Spirits do a fantastic job of<br />
bringing the highest quality possible with a<br />
community orchestra,” Lariviere says. “We<br />
are truly grateful to have them with us.”<br />
The afternoon of Dec. 17 features A<br />
Swingin’ Christmas with Toronto All-Star<br />
Big Band, a community band that has been<br />
performing at the theatre since 2009. The<br />
show promises seasonal favourites as well<br />
as big band classics.<br />
“We are so blessed in <strong>Markham</strong> to have<br />
a robust cultural tradition, and the All-Stars<br />
have been part of that for years now,” says<br />
Lariviere.<br />
Tradition and holiday spirit are<br />
certainly alive and well at the Flato<br />
<strong>Markham</strong> Theatre this year.<br />
“Any show that you want to choose<br />
this month,” encourages Lariviere, “you’re<br />
gonna have a great time.”<br />
For more information or to buy tickets,<br />
visit markhamtheatre.ca
DECEMBER <strong>2023</strong><br />
COMMUNITY 3 MARKHAM STOUFFVILLE REVIEW<br />
<strong>Markham</strong>’s power grid gets<br />
$12-million boost<br />
Local Santa Danny Fantini will be out in his antique fire truck this holiday season collecting<br />
toys to help families struggling to make ends meet.<br />
Spreading joy this holiday season<br />
Santa and his helpers hope you will<br />
help The Salvation Army and the CTV Toy<br />
Mountain campaign which brings hope to<br />
families in need.<br />
The pandemic has left many more<br />
families struggling to pay for basic<br />
necessities, much less have money for<br />
presents for their children.<br />
When you support The Salvation Army<br />
and CTV Toy Mountain, you are making<br />
the joy of Christmas possible for families<br />
struggling to make ends meet.<br />
Based on the success of previous years,<br />
organizers are hoping to collect at least 1,000<br />
toys and about $2,000 in gift cards.<br />
Local Santa Danny Fantini will be out<br />
in his antique fire truck in <strong>Markham</strong>.<br />
You can visit Santa and his helpers at<br />
the Pride of Canada Carousel (corner of<br />
Birchmount Rd. and Enterprise Blvd.) on<br />
Saturdays and Sundays between 1 and 4 p.m.<br />
from Dec. 2 to 17.<br />
CTV News will be with Santa at the<br />
carousel on Dec. 15 during its 6 p.m. news<br />
program.<br />
Visit toymountain.ca for more information.<br />
As the demand for electricity continues<br />
to grow, Alectra Utilities will invest more<br />
than $12 million in <strong>Markham</strong>’s power grid,<br />
an investment that will impact more than<br />
30,000 homes and businesses.<br />
“With parts of <strong>Markham</strong>’s system<br />
reaching the end of its life cycle, renewing<br />
the deteriorating infrastructure is necessary<br />
to maintain reliability,” says Mike Matthews,<br />
Executive Vice President of Asset Strategy<br />
and Operations at Alectra.<br />
Alectra has earmarked $9.6 million<br />
to rehabilitate underground cables using<br />
an innovative technology called ‘cable<br />
injection,’ which repairs, protects and<br />
extends the life of underground cables<br />
without digging them up. Underground<br />
cables cost less to maintain and have a much<br />
longer lifespan than overhead wires, Alectra<br />
reports, but can start to break down over time<br />
from exposure to moisture in the ground.<br />
Cable injection can extend the life of an<br />
aging cable by up to 20 years by injecting<br />
a silicone-based fluid into the cable. The<br />
silicone forces out the moisture, fills in<br />
the weak spots and hardens to repair the<br />
cable and helps to prevent power outages,<br />
Alectra explains. For every kilometre of<br />
cable injection, it avoids about 13 tonnes<br />
of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that<br />
would have been created by its replacement.<br />
To date, Alectra has injected more than 820<br />
kilometres of underground cable across the<br />
17 communities it serves, avoiding more<br />
than 10,000 tonnes of GHG emissions.<br />
Alectra will also invest $1.5 million<br />
to renew overhead assets including pole<br />
remediation, $826,000 to replace and<br />
upgrade stations within <strong>Markham</strong> and<br />
$192,000 to construct new automated<br />
devices. “This series of infrastructure<br />
upgrades will stabilize the existing<br />
system and reduce outage impacts in the<br />
community,” says Matthews.<br />
Learn more at alectrautilities.com/<br />
improving-reliability.
4 MARKHAM STOUFFVILLE REVIEW COMMUNITY DECEMBER <strong>2023</strong><br />
Time to focus on yourself!<br />
Struggling with a health<br />
or wellness goal?<br />
Wellness coaching can<br />
make the difference<br />
Affordable housing to be<br />
constructed in <strong>Stouffville</strong><br />
Downtown <strong>Stouffville</strong> will soon be<br />
home to its first family-focused affordable<br />
housing building.<br />
The Whitchurch-<strong>Stouffville</strong><br />
Community Housing Development project,<br />
located at 5676 Main St., will offer one-,<br />
two- and three-bedroom units to address<br />
the needs people from a range of economic<br />
backgrounds, including women and their<br />
children, families, seniors and those living<br />
alone.<br />
“Addressing housing affordability<br />
requires innovation solutions, collective<br />
action and the support of all levels of<br />
government,” says Whitchurch-<strong>Stouffville</strong><br />
Mayor Iain Lovatt, who also serves as<br />
Vice-Chair of Housing York. “Providing<br />
affordable housing options in downtown<br />
<strong>Stouffville</strong> is an excellent example of how<br />
all levels of government can come together<br />
to make a positive impact on our residents.”<br />
The 141-unit rental project is expected<br />
to be completed by summer 2024. It<br />
received $11.4 million in federal funding<br />
through the third round of the Rapid<br />
Housing Initiative, $7.5 million through<br />
the National Housing Co-Investment<br />
Fund and more than $13 million through<br />
the Investment in Affordable Housing<br />
Extension and the Ontario Priorities<br />
Housing Initiative, including $2 million<br />
in administrative funding. York Region is<br />
providing more than $16 million in capital<br />
investment.<br />
“Investing in housing makes a<br />
significant difference in the lives of<br />
Canadians and their communities,” says<br />
<strong>Markham</strong>-<strong>Stouffville</strong> MP Helena Jaczek.<br />
“Housing is a foundation for Canadians<br />
to build better lives for themselves. These<br />
types of investments will bring about<br />
positive change in communities across<br />
Canada, including right here in Whitchurch-<br />
<strong>Stouffville</strong>.”<br />
The governments also announced<br />
a second project, Inn from the Cold<br />
Transitional Housing on Yonge Street in<br />
Newmarket. The three-storey building<br />
with 44 beds for both emergency and<br />
transitional housing will provide housing<br />
for the community’s most vulnerable and is<br />
expected to be complete by fall 2024.
DECEMBER <strong>2023</strong><br />
COMMUNITY 5 MARKHAM STOUFFVILLE REVIEW<br />
SE Health a ‘role model of excellence’<br />
SE Health in <strong>Markham</strong> is being recognized as a “role model of excellence.”<br />
SE Health in <strong>Markham</strong> is being<br />
recognized as a “role model of excellence.”<br />
The not-for-profit social enterprise,<br />
dedicated to how people live and age and<br />
at home, received an Order of Excellence<br />
from Excellence Canada, a not-for-profit<br />
organization that certifies and recognizes<br />
organizations that are innovative, customerfocused,<br />
competitive, financially and environmentally<br />
sustainable.<br />
Recognized organizations are also<br />
good corporate citizens, actively pursue<br />
strategies to improve the mental and<br />
physical health and wellbeing of their<br />
employees, and create a healthy workplace<br />
culture that attracts and retains the best<br />
people.<br />
“This is an incredible honour and we<br />
are thrilled to be a four-time recipient of the<br />
Canada Award of Excellence – the highest<br />
level of achievement under the Canada<br />
Awards for Excellence,” says Farah Ismail,<br />
Senior Vice-President, and Chief Legal,<br />
Privacy and Compliance Officer at SE<br />
Health.<br />
“This award is a testament to our<br />
exceptional people and their dedication to<br />
quality care; our commitment to innovation;<br />
and the many ways we bring hope and<br />
happiness to each other and the people<br />
we serve, every day. We thank Excellence<br />
Canada for this recognition and we look<br />
forward to continuing our journey of<br />
excellence for years to come.”<br />
The Organizational Excellence<br />
Award uses a data-driven assessment to<br />
find gaps and opportunities for continual<br />
improvement in all private and public sector<br />
organizations, businesses, and institutions.<br />
Through Organizational Excellence<br />
Standard implementation and certification,<br />
organizations adopt best practices for<br />
sustained excellence and peak performance.<br />
SE Health was established in 1908 by<br />
four nurses and offers a variety of services.<br />
Home health care services, for example,<br />
include assistance with personal care like<br />
bathing and medication management, help<br />
at home like meal planning and preparation,<br />
and nursing care due to illness, disability,<br />
hospitalization and more.<br />
The Canada Awards for Excellence is<br />
an annual awards program established in<br />
1984 that recognizes outstanding achievements<br />
by organizations in the private,<br />
public and not-for-profit sectors. This year,<br />
12 awards were presented in the following<br />
award categories: Organizational Excellence,<br />
Excellence, Innovation & Wellness®;<br />
Healthy Workplace® and Mental Health at<br />
Work®.<br />
I would like to extend congratulations<br />
to all of these organizations that have met<br />
the rigorous standards and requirements<br />
through the Canada Awards for Excellence<br />
program,” says Chair of Excellence Canada<br />
Shirlee Sharkey. “You are all truly role<br />
models of excellence.”<br />
The awards were presented at the<br />
<strong>2023</strong> Performance Excellence Summit and<br />
Canada Awards for Excellence on Friday,<br />
Nov. 17.<br />
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6 MARKHAM STOUFFVILLE REVIEW COMMUNITY DECEMBER <strong>2023</strong><br />
Advancing cancer care across Canada<br />
The Cancer Centre at Oak Valley<br />
Health’s <strong>Markham</strong> <strong>Stouffville</strong> Hospital has<br />
joined the Princess Margaret (PM) Cancer<br />
Care Network.<br />
This partnership marks a significant<br />
milestone, positioning Oak Valley Health<br />
as the fourth cancer centre in Canada<br />
to become part of the PM Cancer Care<br />
Network.<br />
Together, they aim to bring expertise<br />
and access to a comprehensive range of<br />
cancer services, clinical trials, and groundbreaking<br />
research to the vibrant <strong>Markham</strong>,<br />
<strong>Stouffville</strong>, and surrounding communities.<br />
The partnership will also break<br />
down barriers to provide seamless access<br />
to cutting-edge clinical trials, advanced<br />
molecular testing and profiling, and the<br />
invaluable opportunity for second opinions<br />
at Oak Valley Health.<br />
Dr. Keith Stewart, Vice President<br />
of Cancer at UHN and Director of<br />
the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre,<br />
said: “This partnership represents<br />
a transformative bond between our<br />
institutions, revolutionizing our approach<br />
to patient care. We are thrilled to establish<br />
collaboration for clinical trials, molecular<br />
testing, and knowledge exchange that will<br />
benefit the patients of Oak Valley Health.”<br />
The Cancer Centre at Oak Valley<br />
Health is a growing program with 14<br />
systemic therapy chairs, supported by five<br />
medical oncologists, two malignant haematologists<br />
and three nurse practitioners,<br />
Dr. Andrea Bezjak, medical director, Princess Margaret Cancer Care Network; Elena Pacheco,<br />
vice president and chief operating officer, Oak Valley Health; and Dr. Keith Stewart, VP of<br />
cancer at UHN and director of the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.<br />
as well as a strong inter-professional team.<br />
The clinic has seen an 11-14 per cent annual<br />
increase in patient volumes, with growth<br />
across most care bundles. Oak Valley<br />
Health prides itself on its partnerships with<br />
regional and tertiary centres, which supports<br />
ongoing academic excellence, quality,<br />
and safety for patients and families. Oak<br />
Valley Health supports timely access to care<br />
for all of its patients close to home and with<br />
a family and patient-centred approach.<br />
“This partnership gives Oak Valley<br />
Health the opportunity to collaborate and<br />
share the expertise and resources of a<br />
renowned cancer centre, Princess Margaret<br />
Cancer Centre, while allowing our patients<br />
to receive care close to home,” says Terri<br />
Stuart-McEwan, Vice President, Clinical<br />
Programs and Chief Nurse Executive at Oak<br />
Valley Health. “This partnership is about<br />
an integrated approach to improving cancer<br />
care, patient outcomes, and experiences.”<br />
Dr. Andrea Bezjak, a radiation<br />
oncologist and Medical Director of<br />
the Princess Margaret Cancer Care<br />
Network, encapsulated the partnership’s<br />
vision, stating, “Our aim is to address<br />
currently unmet needs of patients through<br />
facilitating collaborative care and research.<br />
This partnership is not a substitute nor<br />
replacement to existing initiatives and<br />
relationships but moves forward the Ontario<br />
Health mandate at a local level.”<br />
“With the additional supports that will<br />
come from this partnership , we will have<br />
more resources for multidisciplinary care,<br />
improved ease to participate in and refer<br />
for clinical trials, and have the opportunity<br />
to work closely with some of the brightest<br />
cancer experts in the world,” says Dr.<br />
Mateya Trinkaus, a medical oncologist and<br />
oncology lead at Oak Valley Health. “This<br />
is an excellent opportunity for our cancer<br />
centre, hospital, and communities.”<br />
Both the Princess Margaret Cancer<br />
Centre and Oak Valley Health are cancer<br />
centres aligned with the provincial priorities<br />
outlined by Ontario Health (Cancer Care<br />
Ontario). This partnership heralds a future<br />
dedicated to innovation and excellence in<br />
cancer care for <strong>Markham</strong> and surrounding<br />
communities.<br />
The existing members of the<br />
Network, including Southlake Regional<br />
Health Centre, Grand River Hospital,<br />
and Newfoundland and Labrador Health<br />
Services, stand as a testament to the value<br />
of the Princess Margaret Cancer Care<br />
Network.<br />
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DECEMBER <strong>2023</strong><br />
<strong>Markham</strong> company one to watch<br />
in Deloitte’s Fast 50 program<br />
COMMUNITY 7 MARKHAM STOUFFVILLE REVIEW<br />
A <strong>Markham</strong> company has been<br />
named among the ‘Companies to Watch’<br />
in Deloitte Canada’s Technology Fast 50<br />
program, which recognizes the “worldclass<br />
achievements” of Canada’s leading<br />
technology companies.<br />
EAIGLE placed No. 9 on the list of 15<br />
Companies to Watch. The end-to-end AI<br />
platform enables enterprises in the supply<br />
chain and retail sectors leverage vision<br />
data to address security, transportation and<br />
operational challenges.<br />
Its AI-powered solutions provide realtime<br />
curated alerts, operational insights, and<br />
automation, all aimed at helping enterprises<br />
identify potential breaches and inefficiencies<br />
and take corrective actions. Its solutions<br />
work seamlessly with existing hardware,<br />
making it easy for enterprises to integrate its<br />
platform into their infrastructure. Its clients<br />
include the City of Toronto, the Toronto Zoo,<br />
Walmart and Cadillac Fairview.<br />
Awards in the <strong>2023</strong> Technology Fast<br />
50 program are presented in five categories:<br />
Technology Fast 50, Enterprise – Industry<br />
Leaders, Companies-to-Watch, Clean<br />
Technology and North American Fast<br />
Technology 500.<br />
The Companies-to-Watch category<br />
ranks Canadian technology companies<br />
with the potential to be future Technology<br />
Fast 50 candidates by their revenue<br />
growth percentage over their last three<br />
years of operation. The winners must<br />
have a minimum of $50,000 in 2019 and a<br />
minimum of $2.5 million in 2022. EAIGLE’s<br />
revenue grew by 884 per cent in that time.<br />
Technology Fast 50 ranks the<br />
fastest-growing technology, media and<br />
telecommunications companies by revenuegrowth<br />
percentage over their last four years<br />
of operation. This year, the average threeyear<br />
growth of the Technology Fast 50<br />
winners is 2,213 per cent. An emerging trend<br />
among winners is generative AI.<br />
“This year’s thriving cohort of winners<br />
have delivered outstanding revenue growth,<br />
despite prevailing uncertainties in the<br />
economy and marketplace,” says Anders<br />
McKenzie, partner, and national leader for<br />
the Technology Fast 50 program at Deloitte<br />
Canada.<br />
“With their bold vision for the future,<br />
impactful technologies, competitive drive<br />
and passion for pushing the boundaries, these<br />
companies are paving the way as catalysts<br />
in their respective sectors, delivering growth<br />
and value to the Canadian economy both at<br />
home and beyond. It is truly inspiring to see<br />
how they not only improve today’s world,<br />
but also shape tomorrow’s.”<br />
Region working to fast track Bus<br />
Rapid Transit projects<br />
York Region has developed a process<br />
it hopes will fast track the remaining 130<br />
kilometres of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)<br />
projects, three of which are located in the<br />
City of <strong>Markham</strong>.<br />
Those projects are Enterprise Boulevard<br />
from Birchmount Road to Kennedy Road,<br />
Kennedy Road from YMCA Boulevard to<br />
Hwy. 7 and Hwy. 7 from Kennedy Road to<br />
York Durham Line – all in <strong>Markham</strong> – as<br />
well as Jane Street from Hwy. 7 to Major<br />
Mackenzie Drive in Vaughan.<br />
A report from the Commissioner of<br />
Public Works also recommends prioritizing<br />
the Hwy. 7 BRT project from McCowan<br />
Road to York Durham Line/CP Havelock<br />
to Phase 1 subject to analysis of associated<br />
costs and funding from senior levels of<br />
government.<br />
The BRT framework identifies priority<br />
projects in three phases for implementation,<br />
factoring in transit ridership, rapid transit<br />
network connectivity, land use density,<br />
project readiness and project cost.<br />
To date, 34 kilometres of BRT lanes<br />
have been constructed and are in operation<br />
across the region. Construction of the<br />
remaining 130 kilometres hasn’t yet been<br />
identified for capital construction funding<br />
by any level of government. However, the<br />
region believes improving the readiness of<br />
the Phase 1 projects – including environmental<br />
assessments and preliminary engineering<br />
work – will better position those projects for<br />
funding from senior levels of government.<br />
The new process builds on focus area<br />
actions identified in the 2022 Transportation<br />
Master Plan (TMP), which looks ahead 30<br />
years and considers the region’s transportation<br />
infrastructure needs to support growth<br />
and the changing needs of travellers.<br />
The framework also lines up with goals<br />
identified in the <strong>2023</strong> to 2027 Strategic Plan,<br />
including reducing car travel, especially<br />
during rush hours; investing in a safe,<br />
effective transportation system that connects<br />
people, goods and services; and delivering<br />
and promoting environmentally sustainable<br />
services.<br />
York Region reviews the TMP every<br />
five years to ensure the regional transportation<br />
network meets the needs of motorists,<br />
pedestrians, cyclists and transit riders.
8 MARKHAM STOUFFVILLE REVIEW COMMUNITY<br />
DECEMBER <strong>2023</strong><br />
Protecting families from fire,<br />
‘silent killer’<br />
Megan Bozek denied goal by netminder Shayna Mathieu-Moor in 2022 HHTH game.<br />
Help shutout homelessness<br />
in York Region<br />
It is estimated that 1,400 men, women Hockey Helps the Homeless (HHTH)<br />
and children are homeless in York Region on invests in solutions that ensure fewer<br />
any given night, but together we can change individuals and families end up on the<br />
this statistic.<br />
streets.<br />
On <strong>December</strong> 15, many hockey<br />
HHTH helps organizations and<br />
players will participate in the Hockey Helps programs committed to ending homelessness<br />
the Homeless York Region Tournament, through housing, transportation initiatives,<br />
raising awareness and funding for our local mental health support, education, health and<br />
homeless support agencies, Blue Door and wellness, training and employment, but your<br />
360 Kids. The fundraising goal for York help is needed. Be a game changer today by<br />
Region is $300,000.<br />
supporting the cause and helping bring hope<br />
There’s more than one story when it to our most vulnerable.<br />
comes to how people end up homeless and Visit hockeyhelpsthehomeless.com for<br />
3rd that’s <strong>Review</strong> why quarter there is pg more Ad.qxp_<strong>Review</strong> than one way quarter to pg Seminar more information Ad 11/15/23 or 2:56 to make PM a Page donation. 1<br />
help.<br />
Are YOU prepared?<br />
There are some things your family<br />
should never have to worry about.<br />
Your funeral is one of them.<br />
Whitchurch-<strong>Stouffville</strong> Fire & Emergency<br />
Services (WSFES) has received 288<br />
combination smoke and carbon monoxide<br />
alarms to help keep vulnerable families safe<br />
from fire and the ‘silent killer’ through Safe<br />
Community Project Zero. <strong>Markham</strong> Fire and<br />
Emergency Services (MFES) has received<br />
594 alarms, which will be distributed to<br />
vulnerable residents deemed high-risk in<br />
<strong>Markham</strong>.<br />
The Enbridge Gas public education<br />
campaign is delivered annually in partnership<br />
with the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire<br />
Safety Council (FMPFSC) to promote the<br />
installation of the alarms in homes in communities<br />
in which Enbridge operates.<br />
As its name suggests, the goal of the<br />
campaign is to bring fire and carbon monoxide-related<br />
deaths to zero. When properly<br />
installed and maintained, combination smoke<br />
and carbon monoxide alarms help provide<br />
the early warning to safely escape from a<br />
house fire or carbon monoxide exposure.<br />
Carbon monoxide is a toxic, odourless gas<br />
that’s a by-product of incomplete combustion<br />
of many types of common fuels.<br />
“Properly maintaining fuel burning<br />
equipment is the best way to reduce potential<br />
exposure to carbon monoxide and an alarm<br />
is a critical second line of defence for<br />
protection,” says Matthew Banks, Station<br />
Operations Manager, GTA East Operations,<br />
Enbridge Gas. “When we implement these<br />
strategies together, we protect our loved<br />
ones from carbon monoxide poisoning, also<br />
known as the ‘silent killer.’”<br />
Enbridge Gas invested $315,000 in Safe<br />
Community Project Zero this year, which<br />
will distribute more than 10,000 alarms to<br />
homes in need – including to older adults,<br />
persons with disabilities and low-income<br />
households – in 50 communities across Ontario.<br />
Since the program’s founding in 2009,<br />
it has provided more than 86,000 alarms to<br />
Ontario fire departments.<br />
“Across Ontario there is a renewed<br />
focus on the importance of having working<br />
smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in your<br />
home. The objective of Safe Community<br />
Project Zero is to deliver these alarms to<br />
areas where they are needed most,” says Jon<br />
Pegg, Ontario Fire Marshal and Chair of the<br />
FMFSC.<br />
“It’s a program that fire departments<br />
can adopt to help educate their communities<br />
about the requirement for all Ontario homes<br />
to have a carbon monoxide alarm if they<br />
have a fuel-burning appliance or an attached<br />
garage.”<br />
WSFES Fire Chief says the donation<br />
will assist it “immensely” in its community<br />
outreach programs. “Only working smoke<br />
and carbon monoxide alarms will alert us<br />
in the event of emergencies such as a fire or<br />
carbon monoxide exposure,” he says.<br />
People of all ages are preplanning.<br />
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DECEMBER <strong>2023</strong><br />
York Region announces new CAO<br />
COMMUNITY 9 MARKHAM STOUFFVILLE REVIEW<br />
BY CONNOR SIMONDS<br />
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter<br />
York Regional Council has announced<br />
that Erin Mahoney is its new Chief Administrative<br />
Officer. Her appointment follows the<br />
16-year tenure of Bruce Macgregor as CAO.<br />
Mahoney’s impressive background and<br />
steadfast commitment make her an ideal<br />
choice to lead York Region into a new age of<br />
growth and innovation.<br />
Throughout her distinguished 15-year<br />
career with York Region, Mahoney has been<br />
an invaluable member of the leadership team,<br />
consistently showcasing dedication, vision,<br />
and a profound understanding of the organization’s<br />
mission and values.<br />
“Ms. Mahoney has consistently demonstrated<br />
exceptional dedication, direction, and<br />
a deep understanding of our organization’s<br />
mission and values,” shares Wayne Emmerson,<br />
CEO of York Region. “I am confident she<br />
will help us continue to achieve our strategic<br />
goals and deliver on the exceptional programs<br />
and services our residents and communities<br />
deserve and expect.”<br />
Mahoney’s journey within York Region<br />
began in her role as Commissioner of Public<br />
Works, where she made significant contributions<br />
to the region’s success. Her strong<br />
educational background, with a Bachelor<br />
of Science from Memorial University of<br />
Newfoundland and a Master of Engineering<br />
from the University of Western Ontario,<br />
coupled with her key leadership positions<br />
in the private sector, equips her to lead with<br />
competence and innovation.<br />
Furthermore, Mahoney’s involvement<br />
in various boards and volunteer agencies underscores<br />
her commitment to the community,<br />
aligning perfectly with York Region’s vision<br />
of strong, caring, and safe communities. Her<br />
ability to collaborate, lead with empathy, and<br />
make pivotal decisions with confidence has<br />
naturally positioned her as the guiding force<br />
for the region’s future.<br />
As the CAO, Mahoney undertakes<br />
the crucial responsibility of overseeing the<br />
day-to-day operations of York Region’s 15<br />
core services, the backbone of the community.<br />
With over 5,000 full-time and part-time<br />
employees under her leadership, she will play<br />
a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s<br />
future direction and, by extension, the communities<br />
it serves.<br />
The CAO serves as the linchpin connecting<br />
the council’s vision with the daily lives<br />
of residents, ensuring the delivery of highquality<br />
programs and services. Mahoney’s<br />
appointment signals a strong commitment to<br />
preserving and enhancing the region’s reputation<br />
as a municipal service delivery leader and<br />
a top employer.<br />
“In collaboration with York Regional<br />
Council, I’m deeply committed to leading our<br />
organization to deliver results for the people<br />
and communities we serve, building on our<br />
strengths with innovative ideas and collaborative<br />
teamwork,” shares Mahoney.<br />
Mahoney has outlined the following key<br />
priorities for York Region:<br />
Strategic Growth Support: With a projected<br />
population of over 2 million people and<br />
990,000 jobs by 2051, her commitment is to<br />
ensure that growth benefits communities and<br />
is financially sustainable.<br />
Homelessness and Housing Strategy: Acknowledging<br />
the central role of homes in our<br />
York Region CAO Erin Mahoney.<br />
lives, she prioritizes efforts to make housing<br />
affordable and accessible, allowing communities<br />
to thrive.<br />
Asylum Seeker Support: She emphasizes<br />
that no one should be left behind and is<br />
working with other levels of government to<br />
provide emergency housing and wrap-around<br />
supports for asylum seekers.<br />
Peel Transition and Servicing Agreements:<br />
The region anticipates engagement<br />
with the Peel Transition Panel to ensure<br />
long-term water and wastewater capacity and<br />
discuss shared interests, including Highway<br />
50.<br />
Ontario’s Governance <strong>Review</strong>: In the<br />
face of potential governance changes considered<br />
by the province, she highlights York<br />
Region’s long-standing history of delivering<br />
leading services as a continued focus.<br />
She underscores the strength of the<br />
C<br />
region’s workforce and its commitment to<br />
M<br />
the community as key elements in achieving<br />
these priorities.<br />
Y<br />
When asked about the role York Region<br />
plays in creating strong, caring, and safe communities,<br />
Mahoney emphasizes a commitment<br />
to realizing this vision. She notes that CY<br />
the region’s 15 core programs and services<br />
go beyond providing amenities; they help<br />
K<br />
neighbours connect, boost community pride,<br />
and build lasting trust. Her actions and strategies<br />
align with this vision, aiming to ensure<br />
that every resident feels supported and proud<br />
to call York Region home.<br />
Addressing challenges on the horizon,<br />
Mahoney acknowledges the need to adapt<br />
to a growing population with changing<br />
needs, ensure financial sustainability during<br />
uncertain times, stay updated with technological<br />
advancements, and navigate potential<br />
governance changes. She intends to set a clear<br />
path that adapts to changes and looks ahead,<br />
focusing on assessing opportunities, forging<br />
strong partnerships, and exploring smart<br />
ways to fund priorities to ensure York Region<br />
remains strong and vibrant.<br />
“As I step into this role, I’m here to lead<br />
our team and deliver on our commitments<br />
to the people and communities we serve to<br />
make York Region a truly strong, caring and<br />
safe community,” Mahoney adds. “With new<br />
ideas and our shared commitment, we can<br />
shape a thriving and inclusive York Region.<br />
The diversity of voices and experiences of<br />
our residents make our region unique, and<br />
I’m dedicated to ensuring they are heard and<br />
considered in our decisions and directions. I<br />
value their trust and think that together, our<br />
future possibilities here at York Region are<br />
boundless.”<br />
Mahoney’s vision and leadership are set<br />
to usher in a new era of growth, innovation,<br />
and community strength in York Region.<br />
Her commitment to strong, caring, and safe<br />
communities and her collaborative approach<br />
promise a bright future for all residents.<br />
CM<br />
MY<br />
CMY<br />
Help us be prepared for<br />
all of life’s moments.<br />
When an emergency visit to<br />
<strong>Markham</strong> <strong>Stouffville</strong> Hospital<br />
revealed a football-sized<br />
tumour in Aryan’s chest, his<br />
life took an unexpected turn.<br />
Hopeful, Aryan put his trust<br />
in the medical team at MSH<br />
and immediately started<br />
chemotherapy treatment<br />
against the aggressive cancer<br />
that threatened his life.<br />
Thankfully, the chemotherapy<br />
did its job and Aryan beat<br />
cancer.<br />
Give today.<br />
mshf.on.ca<br />
Life’s hopeful moments like<br />
these are only possible if our<br />
hospital is properly equipped<br />
and prepared to respond to<br />
situations like Aryan’s.<br />
This holiday season, help<br />
patients like Aryan by<br />
donating in support of<br />
life-saving equipment and<br />
technology.
10 MARKHAM STOUFFVILLE REVIEW COMMUNITY DECEMBER <strong>2023</strong><br />
Season of Giving, Season of Care:<br />
Bringing Decades of Care Close to Home<br />
Sandi Lofgren (pictured second last) with her husband and family<br />
For more than 30 years,<br />
four generations of Sandi’s<br />
family have relied on the<br />
compassionate care of Oak<br />
Valley Health’s <strong>Markham</strong><br />
<strong>Stouffville</strong> Hospital (MSH).<br />
The most time Sandi spent at<br />
MSH was due to her mother,<br />
Doreen, who was admitted to<br />
the hospital nearly 75 times<br />
battling various critical illnesses<br />
over her 79 years of life.<br />
Following a standard night<br />
out with her husband, Doreen<br />
had her first extended stay at<br />
MSH after she suddenly began<br />
experiencing excruciating chest<br />
pain and shortness of breath.<br />
Doreen was rushed to MSH’s<br />
emergency department where<br />
diagnostic testing revealed she<br />
was suffering from a pulmonary<br />
embolism. The condition she<br />
presented prompted a stay in<br />
the intensive care unit. Knowing<br />
that pulmonary embolisms are<br />
often fatal, the team at MSH had<br />
to act fast. “Without the quick<br />
work of the health care providers<br />
at MSH, I could have lost my<br />
mother that night,” says Sandi.<br />
In the last three to four years of<br />
her life, Doreen suffered from<br />
Myelodysplastic Syndrome<br />
(MDS). MDS is a disorder<br />
of the bone marrow that<br />
compromises a person’s ability<br />
to produce red blood cells.<br />
Diagnosed by a haematologist at<br />
MSH, Dr. Henry Solow, Doreen<br />
began to receive regular blood<br />
transfusions for two years until<br />
they were no longer effective<br />
and she sadly passed away in<br />
2019. “We were accessing the<br />
hospital all times, day or night,<br />
and it just was this feeling<br />
that they were there for us.”<br />
Sandi’s family has experienced<br />
many other life moments at<br />
MSH, from providing end-oflife<br />
care for her grandparents,<br />
to supporting her during the<br />
birth of her children, to seeing<br />
her dad through a prostate<br />
cancer diagnosis and total hip<br />
replacement surgery. Sandi knows<br />
that MSH will always be there for<br />
her family in their times of need.<br />
“We feel safe and confident in the<br />
care that we know we can receive<br />
at our hospital close to home,”<br />
says Sandi. “That’s probably why<br />
my dad has never moved from<br />
where he is. I don’t think he<br />
wants to leave his home because<br />
he’s down the street from the<br />
hospital where he knows how<br />
much they care for their patients.”<br />
Donations help fund the<br />
essential equipment and<br />
technology that will ensure MSH<br />
can continue to be there for<br />
Sandi, and for so many grateful<br />
families in our community.<br />
This holiday season, MSH<br />
Foundation is asking for donor<br />
support to purchase equipment<br />
like an ultrasound machine,<br />
bladder scanner, cordless<br />
drill sets, sagittal saws and<br />
cuddly teddy bears to provide<br />
comfort and care to patients.<br />
Give generously today at<br />
lifesavinggifts.ca to ensure MSH<br />
is always ready for all our life’s<br />
moments.<br />
Sandi’s parents, Arthur and Doreen<br />
Burkholder of <strong>Markham</strong>
DECEMBER <strong>2023</strong><br />
11 MARKHAM STOUFFVILLE REVIEW<br />
Naming of health centre recognizes donor’s transformational gift<br />
Close family and friends gathered at Oak<br />
Valley Health’s <strong>Markham</strong> <strong>Stouffville</strong><br />
Hospital (MSH) on Oct. 26 to celebrate a<br />
transformational legacy gift made by the late<br />
C. Donald Brodie.<br />
In recognition of this monumental donation,<br />
the hospital proudly named and<br />
officially unveiled the C. Donald Brodie<br />
Medical Centre at 377 Church Street on its<br />
campus.<br />
Affectionately known as Don, he was<br />
born and raised on a farm in York Region.<br />
Built by his ancestors in 1832, the farmhouse<br />
he grew up in was the foundation of his family’s<br />
heritage. His parents, Charles Norman<br />
Stuart and Rose Anne Brodie, instilled a deep<br />
appreciation for community in Don and his<br />
sister Cora through their life’s work.<br />
“Don was my little brother and he was<br />
my best friend,” says Cora. “Everyone who<br />
met him was greeted with a warm smile and<br />
open arms. He wanted nothing more than to<br />
help people and give back to his community.<br />
Don’s gift to <strong>Markham</strong> <strong>Stouffville</strong> Hospital<br />
will help so many people in our community<br />
for generations to come, and I’m glad that his<br />
generous legacy will be remembered in the<br />
community he<br />
cared for so much.”<br />
In 2006, Don and Cora became residents<br />
of <strong>Markham</strong>. Don played an active role in the<br />
community through his involvement with the<br />
<strong>Markham</strong> Fair Board, Club 35 Senior’s Club<br />
of Richmond Hill and the <strong>Markham</strong> Lion’s<br />
Club where he received the Melvin Jones<br />
Award for his outstanding commitment. He<br />
was also a dedicated member of St. Andrew’s<br />
Oak Valley’s <strong>Markham</strong> <strong>Stouffville</strong> Hospital officially<br />
unveiled the C. Donald Brodie Medical<br />
Centre at 377 Church Street in recognition of<br />
the transformation gift left by Don Brodie. His<br />
sister Cora poses for a photo with MSH Foundation<br />
CEO Suzette Strong and Oak Valley<br />
Health CEO Jo-anne Marr.<br />
United Church in <strong>Markham</strong>.<br />
“This extraordinary generosity sends a powerful<br />
message to other residents and will serve<br />
as an inspiration for other caring individuals<br />
in <strong>Markham</strong>, <strong>Stouffville</strong>, and beyond,”<br />
<strong>Markham</strong> Mayor Frank Scarpitti says. “We<br />
are so privileged to have had the commitment<br />
and dedication that Don poured into the<br />
City of <strong>Markham</strong> and especially, <strong>Markham</strong><br />
<strong>Stouffville</strong> Hospital. His legacy will continue<br />
to transform lives for generations to come.”<br />
Don and the Brodie family have been<br />
committed supporters of organizations that aid<br />
the less fortunate, both locally and internationally.<br />
The transformational gift left to MSH<br />
by Don will impact patients and health care<br />
for MSH for years to come.<br />
“Because of Don, we will establish more<br />
specialized programs that respond to the<br />
complex challenges of our patients, we will<br />
implement more cutting-edge research and<br />
techniques, and we will revolutionize the<br />
services that we provide. We are all truly<br />
inspired by Don’s generosity,” says<br />
Dr. Caroline Geenen, Chief of Staff, Oak<br />
Valley Health.<br />
This monumental gift will support<br />
extraordinary patient care by funding the<br />
acquisition of priority medical equipment,<br />
innovative technology and emerging hospital<br />
needs that government funding can’t cover.<br />
“Don’s historic gift is more than an investment<br />
in MSH, it is a testament to the values<br />
inspired by the Brodie family,” says Suzette<br />
Strong, CEO, MSH Foundation. “Don’s<br />
legacy will make a lasting impact and create<br />
positive change in the lives of countless<br />
people living in our community—for that we<br />
are profoundly thankful.”
12 MARKHAM STOUFFVILLE REVIEW DECEMBER <strong>2023</strong><br />
WISHING YOU<br />
THE BEST OF THE<br />
HOLIDAY<br />
SEASON!