Stouffville Review, March 2021

8 STOUFFVILLE REVIEW
(from page 7)
“There is just tons of interest and
development applications coming in for the
western approach — the gateway area of
town,” Lovatt says.
That should be welcome news to anyone
who has lamented the shoddy, boarded up
properties that greet residents and visitors
alike as they come to town from the west.
“There’s going to be announcements this
year that will, I think, blow people’s minds”
he enthuses as he rhymes off a bunch of other
developments that are all underway.
“Our development services staff are getting
run off their feet,” he says.
It’s better than no one wanting to be
Ensuring access to food,
medicine for low-income seniors
Program helps ensure that low-income seniors have access to food.
The Ontario government is extending
the Ontario Community Support Program
(OCSP) until 2022 to ensure that low-income
seniors and people with disabilities have
access to food, medicine and other essentials
during COVID-19. The program was established
in April 2020, and involves an innovative
partnership with the Ontario Community
Support Association (OCSA) and its large
volunteer base in communities across the
province. During that period nearly 800,000
deliveries have been made.
“The Ontario Community Support
Program is a made-in-Ontario success story
that shows the true Ontario spirit, and our
government offers our thanks to the army of
dedicated workers and volunteers,” Premier
Doug Ford said. “Through the generous and
tireless efforts of these people, Ontarians
with disabilities and older Ontarians have the
food and necessities they need to stay home
and stay safe.”
The OCSP operates in communities
here, that’s for sure.
Other priorities for the mayor and
council include updating the official Plan and
rebranding for the town, finalizing new town
ward boundaries in time for the next election
(there are still going to be six wards) and lobbying
for recovery resources.
Yes, there’s lots to do and the mayor
knows it. But still likes where all this is going.
“We’ve got a functional council, stable
town hall. People want to work here,” he
says. “There are some cool things that are going
to set the table, so to speak, for the town
moving forward, which I think are going to
be really helpful and exciting.”
across the province by matching volunteer
services with seniors, people with disabilities
and other vulnerable Ontarians through an
online registration system. Volunteers are
stepping up in significant numbers to give
their time and efforts to fellow Ontarians
who need support to meet the challenges of
COVID-19.
“This program is critical because it
keeps our seniors and people with disabilities
safe, by allowing them to receive essential
items like food and medicine right at
their door, without the need to go out during
the pandemic,” said Raymond Cho, Minister
for Seniors and Accessibility. “Extending
this program will ensure that we continue to
support our most vulnerable when they need
it most.”
During the Fall Economic Update, the
government announced plans to extend the
program until March, 2022, in recognition of
its positive impact on vulnerable Ontarians.
Police board welcomes
former probation officer
A former probation and parole officer,
who served on the executive board of the
Association of Black Law Enforcers, is the
newest member of the civilian board that
oversees York Regional Police (YRP).
York Regional Council appointed Norma
McCullough to the YRP Services Board
for a two-year term that began on January 1.
During her career with the Ontario Ministry
of Community Safety and Correctional
Services, McCullough was a member of the
Probation and Parole Officers Association
of Ontario and received the Correctional
Services Exemplary Service Medal.
“With a background in correctional
services and law enforcement, and extensive
experience working with diverse communities,
Ms. McCullough will help YRP achieve
its mandate to service and protect York
Region’s 1.2 million residents,” says York
Region Chairman and CEO Wayne Emmerson.
McCullough’s career and volunteer
work spans more than five decades. In addition
to working with Indigenous, Jewish,
Muslim, Black, and many Asian and
East Asian communities, she has served on
several advisory committees, including the
Centre for Addictions and Mental Health
Advisory Committee.
McCullough led a workshop on offender
rehabilitation in the community for the National
Black Police Association in Los Angeles,
Ca. and was a member of the Advisory
Committee for the Metro Addiction Assessment
Referral Program. She has served on
the YRP Community Advisory Council for
31 years, including a period as its chair.
McCullough was a member of the Richmond
Hill Rotary Club for more than eight
MARCH 2021
STOUFFVILLEREVIEW.COM
YRP Services board member Norma McCullough.
years and a member of the St. John Ambulance
Brigade in York Region for more than
a decade. She has served on the Association
of Black Law Enforcers’ executive board and
was the first Law Enforcers Service Officer.
A York Region residence since 1983,
McCullough earned a Bachelor of Social
Work (Honours) from York University, a
Bachelor of Arts (Criminology and Sociology)
from the University of Toronto and a
Certificate in Conflict Resolution from St.
Xavier University in Chicago, Ill.
The YRP Services Board is made up
of seven civilian members: one is head of
municipal council, three are appointed by
York Council and three are appointed by the
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. Its responsibilities
include establishing policies for the
effective management of the police service,
approving the operating and capital police
budget and developing a business plan for
the police service every three years.