2021 Aurora newsmakers: Southlake hospital, blocking development in Henderson Forest made headlines

#2021Newmakers: Mayor fighting Queen's Park on MZO, closing of longtime businesses also important stories

Yorkregion.com
Jan. 4, 2022
Lisa Queen

Here are six newsmakers that captured headlines in Aurora in 2021:

SOUTHLAKE REGIONAL HEALTH CENTRE:

It’s not surprising a hospital caring for residents from the sprawling communities of northern York Region and southern Simcoe County would make news in any given year.

Add in the second year of the pandemic and it’s no wonder Southlake Regional Health Centre captured many headlines in 2021.

Southlake kicked off the year by opening a mass vaccination centre at the Ray Twinney Recreation Complex in Newmarket.

Premier Doug Ford described the facility as “absolutely incredible” following a tour Jan. 27.

But news out of the centre wasn’t always so positive.

In early March, hundreds of older adults were left waiting outside in bitter temperatures for vaccinations.

Fortunately, officials remedied the situation by the following day.

York Region’s mass vaccination clinics closed in August.

In January, Southlake President Arden Krystal contracted COVID-19.

In July, 96 per cent of registered respiratory therapists and registered nurses in Southlake's intensive care, cardiovascular care and cardiac units signed a letter warning a staffing model is “putting patients at risk.”

As the issues continues to unfold, Southlake agreed in December not to move ahead with hiring new nurses in the intensive care unit without providing additional training needed to care for critically ill patients.

In July, Southlake began publicly rolling out its hopes for a new $2-billion hospital to replace the existing “chronically overcrowded” facility on Davis Drive, which would be repurposed.

In November, an independent panel of nursing experts urged Southlake to hire more registered nurses to help resolve long-standing problems with violence, staffing and workload.

Also in November, Southlake awarded its staff and doctors a “Power of Many” award for rising to the challenge during the gruelling pandemic.

On Dec. 14, Southlake was scheduled to make a court appearance in relation to the latest charges laid under the Occupational Health and Safety Act regarding incidents of workplace violence. Both the hospital and Krystal were charged, believed to be the first time a hospital CEO has been personally charged.

HENDERSON FOREST AURORA RATEPAYER ASSOCIATION:

The association proved what a group of dedicated residents is capable of achieving. After a four-year battle, association members were thrilled with a Jan. 26 ruling from the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) to reject a bid to build two estate homes in the Henderson Forest on the Oak Ridges Moraine. The properties are of enormous ecological value, according to association president, George Skoulikas, vice-president Wendy Kenyon and resident Maricella Sauceda, who helped spread the word about the issues on social media.

MZOs:

Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas went toe-to-toe with Queen’s Park over a provincially-issued ministerial zoning order (MZO) in the town’s south end. MZOs give the province far-reaching powers to fast-track development. The province plans to build a 128-bed long-term-care home at 100 Bloomington Rd. But the MZO also allows densely packed housing development on the site, Mrakas said.

UPPER YORK SEWAGE SOLUTION:

In June, the provincial government introduced legislation to establish an expert advisory panel on the seven-year-old contentious issue that has already cost York Region more than $100 million on an environmental assessment and design work on the project. The decision left many in the region fuming. A sewage solution is necessary to accommodate future growth in Newmarket, Aurora and East Gwillimbury. But the Chippewas of Georgina oppose the sewage plant because they fear the impacts on Lake Simcoe. Claire Malcolmson, executive director of the Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition, is worried about both the environmental impacts of the UYSS or the alternative of directing sewage to Lake Ontario.

CLOSINGS:

Aurora said goodbye to some long-standing and prominent community fixtures, namely century-old Caruso and Company, Merlin’s Hollow, which welcomed thousands of visitors to its gardens over 40 years, and Graystones Restaurant after 54 years.

AURORA TOWN SQUARE:

The town closed the chapter on Library Square by renaming the ambitious downtown revitalization project Aurora Town Square and giving the space a new logo.