Recognizing Vaughan’s outstanding leaders
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Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua announces four appointments
to the Order of Vaughan
The
Honourable Maurizio Bevilacqua, Mayor of the City of Vaughan, will preside over
the Order of Vaughan investiture ceremony on Monday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. at
Vaughan City Hall. The Mayor will bestow the honour upon four respected
citizens who have made a meaningful impact on Vaughan’s civic life.
The Order of Vaughan inaugural ceremony took place in 2016 during the City’s 25th anniversary year. The award was created to pay tribute to individuals who dedicate their time and talent to the city’s ongoing success. It recognizes leaders within the following categories: arts and entertainment, media and communications, athletics, health and wellness, business, philanthropy, public service, education, science and technology, not-for-profit, equity and diversity, accessibility, and environment and spirituality.
Helping to lead city-building initiatives, it is important to recognize the individuals who are instrumental in moving the city forward. The Order of Vaughan demonstrates Vaughan’s ongoing success and commitment to reach new heights through collaboration and dedication. From the emerging downtown core to the construction of Canada’s first smart hospital, the people who call Vaughan home are helping to enrich a purpose-driven city. Inspired by the diversity and well-being of Vaughan’s citizens, community growth has led to the opening of Niagara University, a 900-acre North Maple Regional Park and a place where more than 225,000 jobs and 12,000 small businesses can thrive.
QUOTE
“Each honoree is committed to making a difference in the lives of others, and I am grateful for their significant contribution to our city and beyond. It is a pleasure to present the Order of Vaughan – the City’s highest civic honour – to four exceptional individuals who give selflessly to make a meaningful impact in our society. They represent the very best of Canadian citizenship and are deserving of this recognition. Vaughan citizens share common values and beliefs to create an environment where generations can live meaningful and purposeful lives. Thank you to the invaluable efforts of these leaders, we continue to realize our full potential with a quality of life that is second to none. Their talents and experience are diverse, but what unites them is their unwavering dedication to champion positive change and make the world a better place.”
-Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua
Citations for the list of recipients are below.
The Order of Vaughan inaugural ceremony took place in 2016 during the City’s 25th anniversary year. The award was created to pay tribute to individuals who dedicate their time and talent to the city’s ongoing success. It recognizes leaders within the following categories: arts and entertainment, media and communications, athletics, health and wellness, business, philanthropy, public service, education, science and technology, not-for-profit, equity and diversity, accessibility, and environment and spirituality.
Helping to lead city-building initiatives, it is important to recognize the individuals who are instrumental in moving the city forward. The Order of Vaughan demonstrates Vaughan’s ongoing success and commitment to reach new heights through collaboration and dedication. From the emerging downtown core to the construction of Canada’s first smart hospital, the people who call Vaughan home are helping to enrich a purpose-driven city. Inspired by the diversity and well-being of Vaughan’s citizens, community growth has led to the opening of Niagara University, a 900-acre North Maple Regional Park and a place where more than 225,000 jobs and 12,000 small businesses can thrive.
QUOTE
“Each honoree is committed to making a difference in the lives of others, and I am grateful for their significant contribution to our city and beyond. It is a pleasure to present the Order of Vaughan – the City’s highest civic honour – to four exceptional individuals who give selflessly to make a meaningful impact in our society. They represent the very best of Canadian citizenship and are deserving of this recognition. Vaughan citizens share common values and beliefs to create an environment where generations can live meaningful and purposeful lives. Thank you to the invaluable efforts of these leaders, we continue to realize our full potential with a quality of life that is second to none. Their talents and experience are diverse, but what unites them is their unwavering dedication to champion positive change and make the world a better place.”
-Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua
Citations for the list of recipients are below.
QUICK
FACTS
- Recipients will receive an Order of Vaughan pin and certificate.
- Up to 10 nominees will receive the Order of Vaughan each year. To be eligible for consideration, a nominee must be a living person at the time of nomination and have made a significant contribution to the City.
- Recipients are chosen by the Order of Vaughan Selection Committee.
LEARN
MORE
- Order of Vaughan nomination form
- Order of Vaughan webpage
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Order of Vaughan
Recipients – 2019
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Max
Eisen
Education |
Max Eisen was liberated from Auschwitz
on May 6, 1945 and has devoted much of his life speaking about the need to
eliminate racism and bigotry. Today, he continues to dedicate his time and
effort travelling across the country to share his experience as a Holocaust
survivor with thousands of Canadians, speaking to students, teachers, law
enforcement professionals and the community at large. In 2016, Mr. Eisen
published his memoirs entitled By
Chance Alone: A Remarkable True Story of Courage and Survival at Auschwitz,
which won the 2019 Canada Reads Award. He has become a beacon of hope and a
source of inspiration. Through his personal experiences and life's work, he
has demonstrated an exceptional capacity to promote the importance of the
noble values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law. Mr. Eisen continues to
share his story and educate generations of young people so they may better
understand the Holocaust. In June 2019, Mr. Eisen was recognized by Mayor
Maurizio Bevilacqua for his contribution to the City of Vaughan and the
world, with a Key to the City.
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| Eric
Jolliffe Equity and Diversity |
Eric Jolliffe has led the
transformation of the York Regional Police through his role as Chief of
Police by emphasizing community outreach and relationship-building programs.
As a result, multiple community partnership opportunities for learning,
understanding and collaboration have formed with ethnocultural, religious,
marginalized and vulnerable communities. Chief Jolliffe remains vigilant
against prejudice, discrimination and hate while building and maintaining a
community that is welcoming, inclusive and one of the safest in the country.
His leadership has inspired the creation of the Human Rights Education Centre
Global Classroom – the first of its kind in the world to be recognized and
supported by the United Nations – at the Community Safety Village of York
Region. The mission of this centre is to inspire progressive action for
peaceful coexistence through education, empowerment and investment in
children and youth. Chief Jolliffe continues to align diversity and inclusion
in the workplace and community. He remains a champion for social justice and
human rights.
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Dr.
Vincent Maida
Public Service |
Dr. Vincent Maida is a pioneer in
developing palliative care services in York Region. He created the first
palliative care unit in 1997 at the William Osler Health System and Vaughan’s
first home-visiting palliative medicine service. He has served as a member of
the Hospice Vaughan Board of Directors since 2012 and has been named Medical
Director of the new Hospice Vaughan – The Mario and Nick Cortellucci Hospice
Palliative Care Centre of Excellence. Dr.
Maida was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2002) and the
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012), for his work in palliative
care and wound management, and overall contributions to Canadian society. He
is the inaugural winner of the William Osler Award of Excellence in 2001, as
well as the first doctor at William Osler Health System to win the award a
second time in 2009. In 2007, he was declared one of Ontario’s “most educationally influential
physicians” through a poll carried out by the Ontario College of Physicians
and Surgeons. As an advocate for high-quality and accessible end-of-life care
as a fundamental human right, Dr. Maida has been an innovative force in the
research, education and creation of palliative care.
|
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Caroline
Riseboro
Not-For-Profit |
Caroline Riseboro is a passionate
advocate for children’s rights and equality for girls. In 2016, she became
President and CEO of Plan International Canada, making history as the
youngest person to ever to lead a major Canadian charity. In her role, she
calls on Canadians to take a stand anywhere children are oppressed, and girls
are not equally valued. Her work was instrumental in the 2018 G7 Summit,
where Plan International Canada appealed to global leaders, successfully
securing a historic $3.8-billion commitment to the education of children in
crisis and emergencies by the G7 Presidency. In June 2019, Ms. Riseboro’s
work played a pivotal role in the second historic $1.4-billion funding
announcement by the Government of Canada to promote the health and rights of
women and girls around the world. Ms. Riseboro is breaking traditional
barriers to gender equality by amplifying the voices of youth and engaging
boys and men. In addition to the many programs she has launched, she
spearheaded the Girls Belong Here program to mark International Day of the
Girl, which enables girls to see themselves in powerful positions by spending
a day with leaders. She has received seven Stevie Awards for Women in
Business, including Canadian Female Executive of the Year, and has been
recognized as one of Women’s Executive Network’s (WXN) Most Powerful Women in
Canada for two years in a row. A champion for empowering girls and youth, Ms.
Riseboro is a trailblazer for youth, gender-inclusive leadership and the
assurance that every individual can leverage their inherent power for the
betterment of society.
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