Mayor Bevilacqua presents Key to the City to Niagara University President Rev. James J. Maher

Feb. 13, 2019 5:00 p.m.

Honour reserved for distinguished individuals


“On behalf of the City of Vaughan and Members of Council, it gives me immense pride to present Niagara University President Rev. James J. Maher with the Key to the City of Vaughan,” Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua announced during the 2019 Vaughan Chamber of Commerce Mayor’s Luncheon before a crowd of more than 800 business, government and community leaders—the largest event in the Vaughan Chamber’s history.

 

This marks only the second time in Vaughan’s history that a Key to the City has been presented. This honour, founded by Mayor Bevilacqua, is reserved for distinguished individuals and Father Maher is among the select few.

Father Maher was formally inaugurated as Niagara University’s 26th President on April 4, 2014. Father Maher holds a bachelor of arts in sociology from St. John's University; both a master of divinity and a master of theology from Mary Immaculate Seminary; and a doctor of ministry from Immaculate Conception Seminary and Graduate School of Theology.
 
Founded in 1856, Niagara University, with its main campus located in Lewiston, N.Y., has relocated its bi-national presence with a new site in the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC). Mayor Bevilacqua worked closely with Father Maher and the university’s leadership team on this city-building priority. Located in the Cortel Group’s Expo City complex, the site is in the heart of the city’s emerging downtown core. The site includes state-of-the-art classrooms and welcoming student lounges, along with faculty and administration offices. Niagara University’s Vaughan site is walking distance from the VMC TTC subway station and further connected by vivaNext bus rapid transit service.    
 
Students studying in Vaughan can enrol in either the bachelor of professional studies in education or the master of science in education programs. These programs are fully accredited by the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) and prepare aspiring professionals for careers in primary-junior and intermediate-senior teacher positions, among other education-related employment opportunities. Programs at this site operate under the written consent of the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities.
 
The new Vaughan site is home to Niagara University in Ontario, which has been offering outstanding teacher training, education and opportunities to Canadian students since 1984. This move sees its more than 300 students, in addition to faculty and administrative staff from two other locations, relocate to Vaughan. Niagara University, Vaughan’s first university, has an extensive and proud history in Ontario.
 
QUOTE
 
“I am honoured to bestow Niagara University President Father Maher with the Key to the City. Our efforts to bring Niagara University to Vaughan started in early 2018, when Father Maher and I first began discussions on finding the best possible location for the post-secondary institution to undertake this exciting new chapter in its long and rich history. Father Maher is a trusted, respected and inspiring city-building partner. He has rightly earned this recognition.”
-        Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua
 
QUICK FACTS
 
  • The Vaughan Chamber of Commerce Mayor’s Luncheon was held on Feb. 13, 2019 at Paramount Eventspace.
  • Classes began at the new Niagara University Vaughan site in January 2019.
  • Niagara University currently has an entire student body of more than 4,000 individuals.
  • Council voted to re-establish the VMC Sub-Committee for the 2018-2022 Term of Council.
  • The VMC is the largest and most ambitious project in the City’s history and will include:
    • 1.5 million square feet of office space
    • 750,000 square feet of retail space
    • 12,000 residential units to be home to 25,000 people
    • employment targets of 11,500 jobs, of which 5,000 will be new office jobs
  • The Vaughan Metropolitan Centre TTC subway station has a daily usage of nearly 15,000 riders.
 
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