A Year to Remember
Mayor Steven Del Duca issued the following statement to mark the first full year of the City of Vaughan’s 2022-2026 Term of Council:
“Last year, to the day, when I took to the podium at the City of Vaughan’s inauguration ceremony for the first time as Vaughan’s Mayor, the theme of my speech was unity, of coming together. Our city is a leader, not just in the Greater Toronto Area, but in Canada – and its position as one of the strongest economies and best places to live is powered by you – our residents, our businesses, our staff and our Council.
“Together, over the past year, we have accomplished so much, and today, I look back on the first chapter of our story with great pride. Of the many achievements we championed as a community, these are among the highlights for me as I reflect on the first year of the 2022-2026 Term of Council.
Enacting the Nine-Point Action Plan to Fight Traffic Gridlock
“I vividly recall my first keynote speech as your Mayor: it was at the 2023 Vaughan Chamber of Commerce's Annual Mayor's Luncheon in March. I was excited to share my vision and solutions for a congestion-reduced city with Vaughan’s business leaders and residents. The Nine Point Action Plan to Fight Traffic Gridlock was borne of the recognition that traffic congestion is holding our city back. It compromises our quality of life, undermines our economic success and damages our greenspaces. It means missed family dinners, arriving late to soccer practices and delayed deliveries, which, in turn, slows production.
“The Nine Point Action Plan includes projects that will change the face of our city’s transportation network, and projects that we’ve always talked about but were too big or complex to tackle. The best time to deliver on many of these projects was 30 years ago; the next best time is today. We’re already seeing great progress. This summer, we came together to mark the official start of the Kirby Road Extension project, which will connect the road between Dufferin and Bathurst and provide another critical link to Richmond Hill. It is a great first step forward as we seek ways to keep Vaughan moving.
Taking steps to enhance community safety
“We know gridlock is a concern for residents, but we also know that community safety is, too. Everyone wants to feel they’re safe in their homes without worry about the safety of their property, either. Our Council has made community safety a top priority for Vaughan like never before. For the first time, the City of Vaughan’s Service Excellence Strategic Plan includes community safety as a strategic priority area and includes objectives like enhancing community safety in collaboration with partners at all levels of government, continuing to provide comprehensive fire protection and emergency services and continuing to implement the By-law strategy.
“It’s important to work with other levels of government and community safety partners because it’s a shared priority, and we can’t do it alone. I wrote the federal government to ask them to review global best practices on the protocols used by our border services and to modernize our country’s bail system to ensure repeat dangerous offenders are kept off our streets. The federal government recently took steps to strengthen the bail system to keep communities safe, so, our collective efforts are working.
“Earlier this year, York Regional Police’s Crime Trend Dashboard indicated that auto thefts have seen a year-over-year increase of more than 50 per cent. To address this, Council endorsed my Member’s Resolution and the City distributed thousands of key fob bags for vehicle keys. These protective pouches reduce a would-be thief’s ability to intercept a key’s radio-frequency signal, making it less likely for them to steal the vehicle. Key fob bags are still available at Vaughan City Hall and our community centres for residents to claim. Council will continue to prioritize community safety alongside our partners, residents, businesses and staff.
Expanding housing options
“Vaughan has always been a destination of choice that people dream of calling home – a place where future generations want to raise their families, start businesses and enjoy an unrivalled quality of life. Throughout this past year, we have taken concrete steps to ensure a stable, more affordable housing supply is built in Vaughan. We signed the provincial government’s Housing Pledge to facilitate the construction of 42,000 new homes by 2031.
“Our Council also worked closely with the federal government to secure $59 million to build more housing units as a part of its Housing Accelerator Fund. Vaughan was only the second Ontario municipality to receive this funding, which will expedite the creation of 1,700 new housing units and incentivize thousands more over the next three years. It’s the most significant housing investment in our city’s history.
Recognizing outstanding individuals
“One of the things that makes our city special is the people who live and work here. We are fortunate that Vaughan is a community where a helping hand is offered to those who need it the most. Throughout the year, our Council had the opportunity to highlight the incredible people making a positive difference in Vaughan.
“We named three civic heroes, Joe Formusa in Ward 3, Dave Elfassy in Ward 4 and Matthew Shoychet in Ward 5. We also awarded recognizable TV personality Dina Pugliese with a Key to the City, which also marked the first time I had bestowed a Key to the City as Mayor.
“Earlier this month, I was proud to preside over my first investiture ceremony for the Order of Vaughan, where we invested five incredible city-builders and philanthropists into the Order, including Gary Gladstone and Wali Mohamed for their work in the not-for-profit sector; Jumol Royes for his work in media and communications; Sunder Singh for her work in equity and diversity; and Gary Thompson for his work in public service.
“The City of Vaughan also recognized the Honourable David C. Onley, who passed away at the age of 72. Mr. Onley was a celebrated journalist, champion for accessibility and former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and our Council approved a plan to rename our accessibility ramp at City Hall in his honour. The Honourable David C. Onley Accessibility Gateway will serve as an inclusive pathway into City Hall for everyone with visible or non-visible disabilities.
“It was an honour to celebrate the life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II this year, whom the world lost after a remarkable 70-year reign. She was an inspiring figure for so many, and her commitment to public service and charitable causes will be an enduring legacy. I, and my Council colleagues, alongside British Consul General to Toronto Younis were proud to rededicate the fountain outside City Hall in Queen Elizabeth II’s honour. It will serve as a tribute to her incomparable commitment to duty and service.
Celebrating our community
“Council celebrated a series of firsts this year, including hosting the inaugural Mayor and Council New Year’s Levee; ringing in the Lunar New Year together and recognizing South Asian and Tamil Heritage Months for the first time with a pair of wonderful community events.
“As we look back at the many ways we came together as a community for the greater good, I’m honoured to say the Spirit of Generosity, the initiative that has, over the past decade, supported the work of more than 200 not-for-profit and community organizations, had another successful year. With contributions from residents and businesses that generously contributed to the 2023 Mayor’s Gala and the 2023 Mayor Steven Del Duca Annual Charity Golf Classic, we were able to continue the important work of this meaningful cause.
“I am honoured to serve as the steward of this incredible initiative and am committed to ensuring its legacy continues.
Leading innovation
“Our bold vision for the city of Vaughan is to be a destination of choice for innovators, dreamers and clinicians. We see a city powered by research, innovation and commercialization in health and health technologies.
“We are leading a first-of-its-kind initiative to develop a parcel of land, alongside our partners at Mackenzie Health, York University and ventureLAB, into a centre of excellence in the health technology and life sciences sectors. It will undoubtedly become a magnet for development. The Vaughan Healthcare Centre Precinct has seen incredible momentum this year and only promises to accelerate in the future.
“The City also received funding from the provincial government to bring an Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network Demonstration Zone to the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, where companies can test the transportation solutions of the future under real-world conditions.
Bringing Vaughan to the world
“Vaughan is a world-class city, and our global reach will only extend more broadly as our community continues to grow. Just a week after the inauguration, we welcomed an international delegation from Baguio, Philippines, to mark the 25th anniversary of the friendship agreement between our two cities. That was followed by an economic and cultural mission to Baguio, which was led by Local and Councillor Gino Rosati to further strengthen our enduring relationship and expand our international connections in the region.
“In the spring, we welcomed a 17-person delegation from Sora, Italy, including the Mayor, city staff and entrepreneurs to celebrate our more than 30 years of friendship. This remains one of the City of Vaughan’s longest standing official relationships with another municipality. Vaughan is proud of our deep Italian heritage and takes great pride in our strong ties to Italy.
“In the fall, we undertook a mission to Cologne, Germany and Milan, Italy to share the strength of our city’s food processing and agri-food clusters. With participation in Anuga 2023, the world’s largest food and food-processing industry conference, and various site visits in northern Italy, our delegation was able to develop new relationships to develop this key sector and support exciting potential for our local economy.
Fostering a greener Vaughan
“I, and my Council colleagues, take immense pride in how green of a city Vaughan has become. Sustainability remains at the core of our city-building efforts, and we’ve demonstrated strong leadership in the fight against climate change. Over the past year, we’ve opened a number of new parks, and trails for our residents to enjoy, and made upgrades to others. We must ensure that our treasured green spaces remain healthy and vibrant for the generations of Vaughan residents to come.
Looking to the future
“These are just some of the highlights of the past year. There are many more, with even more to come.
“I made it a priority to host Town Hall meetings in each of our City’s five wards this year because I wanted to hear directly from you. I wanted to better understand the things that keep you up at night, and the things that you hope we can achieve, together.
“I believe our city’s future is bright and filled with promise and opportunity. All that we’ve accomplished must be attributed not just to our Council and staff, but to you, our residents, our businesses and everyone who works every day to make our city a great place to live, work and raise a family.
“It remains the greatest honour of my life to serve as your Mayor. I look forward to the next three years and working alongside each of you to make our city the best it can be.”
