[ OUR CITY ]
WITH YOUR
MEMBERS OF
COUNCIL
+
A
We asked
Council to
speak to
their most
memorable,
challenging
and rewarding
moments in
office. Here's
what they
had to say.
12
Celebrate Vaughan / 2016
MICHAEL DI BIASE
MARIO FERRI
Deputy Mayor + Regional Councillor
Regional Councillor
Q. What was your most memorable
Q. What was your most memorable
A. Early in my career I realized I had a
passion for Public Service. I became involved in politics because serv ing my community was a priority. My most memorable
moment was when I was first elected in
1985 as Local Councillor for Ward 2. I was
a proud member of Local and Regional
Council when Vaughan was designated
a City on January 1, 1991.
A. Over the course of
moment as a member of council?
Q. What was your most challenging
moment as a member of council?
A. Being a member of Council for one of
the fastest-growing municipalities means
you face many challenges in moving the
city forward. One of the toughest challenges, which I experienced, was moving
the Vaughan Hospital project forward. I
worked diligently with my colleagues to
conceive the Vaughan Hospital project
in spite of the many challenges such as
receiving provincial support and finding
a suitable location to build a hospital.
Q. What was your most rewarding
moment as a member of council?
A. My most rewarding moment as a
member of Council was in the summer of 2011 when Council received
the announcement from Minister Deb
Matthews, Minister of Health and LongTerm Care, that the Vaughan Hospital
was approved. It was also confirmed by
Minister Matthews that the new hospital
in Vaughan was included in the province’s
infrastructure plan. This was extremely
rewarding because it meant that Vaughan
residents would have faster and easier
access to high quality healthcare services
much closer to home.
moment as a member of council?
my 19-year
career as an elected official with the City
of Vaughan, I have experienced many
memorable moments, with the most
recent being October 27, 2014 when I
was re-elected as one of three Regional
Councillors for the City of Vaughan.
Once again, the honour and privilege was
bestowed upon me to work in unison with
my fellow Councillors, empower constituents, promote employment and leave
a legacy of opportunity.
Q. What was your most challenging
moment as a member of council?
A. As a Member of Council, being appointed Chair of the Strategic Planning
Committee of Council in the year 2000
was a challenging moment as Vaughan
was experiencing a major transition from
a small town to a City of Choice. This
fundamental paradigm shift demanded
a re-engineering and a rethinking of the
City’s corporate goals and management
structures, in order to meet these
emerging needs.
Q. What was your most rewarding
moment as a member of council?
A. The most rewarding moment for
me as a Member of Council happened
on January 1, 2003 marking the official
closure of the Keele Valley Landfill Site
in Vaughan, the largest dump in Canada.
Having led the 15-year battle to close this
dump, the community was finally freed
from the suffering and agony caused by the
thousands of daily truck trips, dust clouds,
the noxious odours and sweeping seagulls.