The City of Vaughan showed its multicultural stripes last week by talking diversity and equity issues with its citizens. The Community Equity and Diversity Committee, led by Ward 5 councillor Alan Shefman, was host to the second annual Vaughan Diversity Workshop on Nov. 16 at Dufferin Clark Community Centre.
The City of Vaughan has commenced legal action against Maple residents Gino and Mary Ruffolo for allegedly breaching the terms of a 2006 settlement by — among other things — annoying city staff.
Former mayor Michael Di Biase says he feels “comfortable that just retribution” has been meted out after last week’s dismissal of Vaughan City Clerk John Leach.
A group of earthly angels and green prophets are looking to help a few Vaughan schools overcome the dull shades of concrete and asphalt in their schoolyards.
A heated and contentious debate about the appropriate role of Vaughan in advocating specific products flared up again last week. The debate began in September when Regional Councillor Joyce Frustaglio asked council to defer receiving information on BluWood, a product used in the construction industry, until last week’s committee of the whole meeting.
With a simple show of hands, councillors effectively repainted Vaughan’s future an Earth-friendly shade of green and made the city a provincial leader in energy-efficient construction. Council voted Monday to adopt new rules requiring homes in future subdivisions to be built to Energy Star standards – Energy Star certified homes consume 30 to 40 percent less energy than homes built to minimum code in Ontario.
It struck Strac Ivanov during his daily commute from Newmarket to Toronto that he was in the midst of a major problem that needed fixing: thousands of 905ers were, like him, losing hours travelling to and from work.
A Woodbridge man confined to a wheelchair is asking council for help with his unique parking situation. In a deputation made at Monday’s committee of the whole meeting, Adib Odisho requested an on-street parking permit because neither the garage nor the driveway of his home can accommodate the extra metre of paved surface required for his van’s wheelchair lift. Overnight parking is prohibited on residential streets in Vaughan.
Before Pat DiFiore bought his Kleinburg house last year, the first thing he wanted to see was the garage – his red 2004 Dodge Viper was in need of a good home too. However, there was something wrong – the garage would only fit two of his three cars.
Tempers flared and accusations flew in council chambers Monday as the long-running dispute about the closure of King High Dr. at Dufferin St. was raised once more. About 50 residents, fearing a closure would increase traffic on their roads, filled the room in support of a lobby group voicing their disapproval.
The city has received a response from Canada Post following a Sept. 10 council resolution calling on the national mail carrier to tackle the growing nuisance of junk mail littering the ground around its super mailboxes, says Councillor Alan Shefman.
The first referendum question asked of Ontario voters in 83 years has yet to grab the attention of people in the ridings of Toronto-Danforth and Beaches-East York, observers say.