Thornhill ratepayers president earns hero award

Councillor Shefman called Taraday-Levy “extraordinary”

Yorkregion.com
May 8, 2017
By Simone Joseph



One of Pam Taraday-Levy’s greatest gifts as a leader is her ability to maintain her composure, said Ward 5 Councillor Alan Shefman in Vaughan council chambers.

“Pam is a leader who always wants to do the right thing. She’s a diplomat, amazingly pretty calm,” he said.

Shefman nominated her for a civic hero award in recognition of her volunteer efforts. She was presented with the award by Vaughan Council Tuesday.

Taraday-Levy became president of Thornhill’s SpringFarm Ratepayers Association close to three years ago.

Calling her “extraordinary”, Shefman pointed out that rather than just constantly making negative comments like “no we don’t want it” and just blindly opposing big development or developers, Taraday-Levy will work with an organization to find a solution that is good for local residents and the developer.

Esther Bobet can sum up this quality in Taraday-Levy: non-confrontational. Bobet, who is on the ratepayers association executive, also said that Taraday-Levy is a visionary who leads by example but also encourages others to take ownership of projects.

“She shows how one person can inspire others. Pam is a great example of what can be achieved,” said Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua.

Since becoming president of the SpringFarm Ratepayers Association, Taraday-Levy has seen membership grow to more than 1,000 people.

The City of Vaughan is home to a number of ratepayers groups that monitor local issues and bring them to the attention of council.

Under Taraday-Levy’s leadership, the association has worked hard to gauge public opinion on the proposed development at SpringFarm Marketplace (Sobeys Plaza) in the Clark and Hilda avenues area.

More than 300 people responded to a survey asking residents’ opinion on the Sobey’s plaza development.

“The leadership of Pam Taraday-Levy shows how one person can engage and inspire others by becoming a champion for a cause ... Mrs. Taraday-Levy is a great example of what can be achieved when passionate and dedicated individuals give of themselves to make a difference," said Mayor Bevilacqua.