City Life Magazine Sept/Oct 2021

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VAUGHAN’S COMINGOF-AGE WITH THE CORTELLUCCI VAUGHAN HOSPITAL

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NADYA TOTO INTERPRETS FEMININITY & STYLE FOR FALL

38

THREE BROTHERS: ONE DREAM & A WRISTBAND

58

A CHOICE BETWEEN EDUCATION AND VACCINE — OR IS IT?

SINCE 2003

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VOLUME 19 ISSUE 4 | SEPT/OCT 2021

CONTENTS

COVER STORY

50

WELCOME TO HOLLINGSWOOD: Canadian actor Benjamin Hollingsworth on starring in Virgin River, Netflix’s most streamed series, the art of getting into character, fatherhood and how he stays humble in Hollywood

34 20

64

20 A PASSION FOR DESIGN: Luxury home designer Gillian Segal on the first thing she notices when she enters a home, her love for the ’60s, and how incorporating unexpected marbles has come to define her work

38

34 Q&A WITH CANADA’S KNITWEAR

REVOLUTIONARY, NADYA TOTO: She’s the force behind her fashion brand, Nadya Toto, which illustrates her inventive and flexible approach to knitwear, all inspired by her grandmother

38 A WRISTBAND FULL OF HOPE: Can a

wristband change the world? These three brothers think so with their limited-edition, collectible works of art for your wrist

64 MAJOR FACELIFT: Over the last year, the 86-year-old David Dunlap Observatory has undergone a major facelift, while the city of Richmond Hill continues to make major progress on restoring the park to its former splendour

12

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Sept/Oct 2021

30 A CITY COMING OF AGE: As

Canada’s first smart-technology hospital to open in Ontario in 30 years, the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital reflects its generous philanthropic community and a city coming of age

60 THE END OF A 20-YEAR

WAR: Disheartening insight into what’s happening in Afghanistan after two decades of U.S. forces on the ground

58 A CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC:

Mandated COVID-19 vaccination policies: Should COVID-19 vaccinations be mandatory to enter certain institutions? A look at Seneca College

More stories inside … www.mycitylife.ca

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#

PUBLISHER’S NOTE PUBLISHER’S NOTE PUBLISHER’S NOTE PUBLISHER’S NOTE

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

STAY HUMBLE, STAY KIND

ʻʻTwo things define you: your patience when you have nothing and your attitude when you haveMichelle everything.ˮ Zerillo-Sosa Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

— George Bernard Shaw Michelle Zerillo-Sosa Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Michelle Zerillo-Sosa

Believe In a world that is fast becoming soulless Be challenged to find your own soul Then make it selfless.

When the television portrays only tragedy Be challenged to turn it off Spend your time working on your own humility.

If you’re surrounded by people who are envious Be challenged to cull the herd around you Fill your life with those who bring joyousness.

During the times you feel utterly hopeless Be challenged to claw your way out Fernando Zerillo Understand that genuine happiness is timeless.

Co-Founder/Creative Director Find your soul. Believe in yourself. Trust in your God. Fernando Zerillo Fernando Zerillo Love your family.

Share your plenty. Lean when you Michelle Zerillo-Sosa Co-Founder/Creative Director Fernando Zerillo need.

Live out loud.

Co-Founder/Creative Director Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Co-Founder/Creative Love heartily. GrowDirector your humanity.

Infect the world with your faith.

CONNECTING THE DOTS Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

has that areas ofIlove the “I“Neuroscience can’t change the proven direction ofonesimilar the wind, but canall. ofBeZOX. The “We all are so deeply we have noand option but We are extremely proud of interconnected; all the people who changed wristband at a time isto the foundation natural disasters extreme weather conditions, one could brain are activated both in the who suffers adjust my sails to always reach my destination” kind and dosuccess good any one and will beperson refl ected.

The ripples ofwas theGod ZOX wristbands brand was founded bycase, Jasonwhere Kuipers, who handcontribute to the offor each edition of City Lifethat ask the same question now.

In De Lio’s when deadly bacteria infected his body, nearly taking his life and Magazine. We understand that our lives, reshaped by the pandemic, made his fi rst wristband to match his lemon-lime Nikes.

He never kind heart are the highest blessings of the Universe.” and in the one who feels empathy. Thus, empathic

W

elcome to our Sept./Oct. edition of City Life Magazine.

— from The Wife by Iris Imeneo

The importance of family and the belief that the world could be

suffering is a true experience of suffering”

Dean resultingitinwould the amputation ofedged his legs? are neither as familiar nor as comfortable as they used to be. — AsJimmy a thought grow intoofaboth full-fl business, let alone one that article one ofWhether the questioned religious — Amithe’ Ray society, we have experienced a host of challenges that are foreign dIn run with hisyears two ago, brothers. you like theirleaders You Got This replied that God was in the firemen going up the stairs to rescue to us, but whichvery demand our commitment as we manage our way band or Stay Humble, Stay Kind what are delightfully heartwarming challenge we face shapes character; the way monk, contains seeds; it can be planted in a potthat of soil.

How metaphorical: — our Matthieu Ricard, Buddhist humanitarian, author the in the towers.

It’s have a response this date givesofme ver Michelle these pastZerillo-Sosa, many months, we have all been asked to Thpeople roughout history, there been timestowhen the milk human Publisher/Editor-in-Chief through this new the that the brothers share of workers people have gone wenormal. respond to adversity informs our confidence as we isacomfort. bookexperiences that grows your self-worth and aspirations, thenwho grows trees, Likewise, now, God is in the rescue bringing adhere to restrictions that are completely unfamiliar kindness has been interrupted, when women and men have been With deadlines through and overcome tough times, thanks, in part, to the kind movebecoming forward. harder to meet, coupled with the plants and fl owers.

Read the full story on page 43. relief to Puerto Rico, Mexico and Florida. And God was in the and to us.

We havehas been toany stayother awaydisease from friends or haveinchosen to become disconnected from them the convenance OVID-19 beenasked unlike in terms unwilling disappointment the uneven mandates that have forced to close shortage in supplies andour incover the workforce, we are all experiencing their bracelets.

In 2013, seriouson crash left Dr. Matthew Galati with lifeTake man, Dan Levy, actor, writer, director motivational doctors whoawords fought tocar save Paul De Lio. He was with the family its devastating on theunwitting world’s physical, social, retail spaces, allowing big-box storesof to kindness remain open, andoffamily because impact if we were carriers of oftheir compassion andwhile the thoughtful attributes anddespite empathy. and friends injuries. who for De Lio’s life later, forgoals his recovery. and producer of the hit TV show Schitt’s Creek. In 2020, the show, threatening When heto woke up,and hecommon couldn’t walk or unprecedented challenges.

Working as a prayed community achieve fortalk theand wellthe factthis that these companies often fail to comply with customer financial health. happens, the spirit of humankind is negatively impacted COVID-19, we mental could and do extreme harm to them. This universal When Today, just afamilies few after his ordeal, De citizens LioInitially is filled with wealthy familythat forced to relocate in a small town, was diagnosed withmonths traumatic brain injury (TBI). depressed Thabout e keyaisformerly to remind ourselves we are in this together; that being of our is what Vaughan, Ont., thrive on — an First and foremost is the loss of life. You needsince only and restrictions.

As gratitude. consumers,He weisbear some of theothers burden of supporting disconnect is antithetical to the existence of humankind, which, transformed. positivity and ready to that help find ways toform was nominated forand 15 Emmy Awards — the most nominations given integral about hispart prognosis, Dr. Galati eventually found hope in the we need to stay kind patient with one another. of our communal spirit we celebrate.

As Mayor speak to someone who has lost family member to COVID-19 small businesses with our dollars.

If we God don’tmaking “Buyresides Local, Bye, thetobeginning of time, has been defianed by the gathering togetherthe into of And so,motivation. in the spirit ofofreconciliation and amends, on June live with Dare I say, then, also init’s De aCanadian comedy show in its final season —byand won nine, becoming two books: My Stroke about a brain scientist’s recovery The get Benjamin Hollingsworth, who stars in 3,648 the Bevilacqua in fiaInsight, recent interview: community is a aasense ofactor the devastation caused this illness.

In Ontario, Local.”

Oneexplained controversial gure in32. this debate is“My Vladislav Sobolev, 30th of this year, Canadians right across the country rallied around tribes as means of survival.

Lio’s heart.

See his story on page seriesVirgin ever toRiver, sweep all fourinacting categories.

No doubt many community from stroke, andAre Spark: The excellence.

Revolutionary New Science of working Exercise and Netflonly ixlong-term-care series reminds us630 why the show is so popular that pursues We do this by hard, founder of We All Essential, a network of businesses fi ghting to home residents facilities have died, prompting Ofradios course, possible youtodo not agreeofwith thoughts What was at once a survival skill and a tribal quest like for nothing sustenance their to it’s actively listen the voices our my fellow Indigenous of us, while in lockdown with seemed but the Brain, which tells the story of an experimental gymactualizing program inour during the pandemic.

At a Lawyers time when we were all for sheltering inbe pooling the each ofstories ourknow members and Diamond &home Diamond to of fiwhat le a $500-million class-action put an end toresources lockdown casualties and the loss of one related jobs. ell, in the case Yolanda Gampp, this could on the whereabouts ofof God. We all that should not could well have been a gateway towards a deeper need connection, Canadians.

We listened to their and felt the crushing impact bad news keeping us company, enjoyed watching Schitt’s Creek for a a school district near Chicago.

To determine whether exercise could lawsuit on behalf of avictims who died to avoidable negligence.

COVID-19 has us of our abilityfor to connect withsensitive others. We place, the of small town Virgin River were doing the exact potential.” real possibility.

Ifdue you’re not yet familiar with full speak of robbed politics religion, these are and the citizens ongoing existence of humankind. that thecasually discoveries of the or thousand-plus remains of aIndigenous temporary escape fromher reality.

Notshe only for the excellent comedy, but academic performance, they hadtothe kids go for run every Th— e suit names major long-term-care across the province, as improve have a human needthe to express our feelings, supported and heard, work, isproviders a multi-millionaire YouTube topics (although weather isn’t exactly afeel safe topic anymore, opposite dropping off soup at the home of a sick friend and sharing Th e best example of this actualized potential was realized this We to have learned from studying people living in Blue Zones, often children onAtthe sites ofofmany Indian residential school sites is having morning. the end the year, on standardized testing for math also seethe the characters’ evolution toward sincerity and kindness. well as Ontario government and several municipal bodies (story on to share love and aff ection.

Th ese things are all a part of empathy, and bakerit(3.3 million subscribers, that is) … all winter, either).with But perhaps you will be interested in our story about hugs with one another.

Because was a reminder of what we were all the opening of Vaughan’s new Cortellucci Vaughan defined as longevity hotofspots, that older whooflive withcharacter, younger on all Canadians, of everyscored, race, colour and creed.

We cannot change Another standout the show was itspeople portrayal Levy’s and the respectively and first in the page 52).

Th tragedy the question of whether we, as a society, Hospital, when we Canada loseFaith, the district, ability to fulfinew l these needs, wethird lose our thanks toisbecame her incredible imagination. the science, Bahá’Í religion with 5Itto 7 empathy. million missing, the series araises binge-watching experience, reinforcing fiarstrelatively smart-technology hospital. has beenour a decade people tend to live longer than the norm. our past, but we can certainly do our utmost to shape both David.

Whereas many other TV series make LGBTQ characters world.

Dr. Galati began to research how the brain heals by creating is of is empathy a womanforwho up cakes for complicit a living — not adherents If you believe inand the betterment of own Despite practising everythingglobally. that happened in 2020 beyond we must have a Th lack the dreams elderly. Have we been in the innew the making. our faith infigures the inherent goodness ofor Hollingsworth’s views Inshocking fact, grandparents who live atpeople. home and of their and those of our children. on page tragic or the buttofshapes ofcare jokes, sideline them, Schitt’s Creek and making new connections.

With hisaccountability ndings, created traditional tiered fljust avours, but take cakescare that look like futures the cells world, in unity, love and service, might fi56. nd yourhe place remain inquisitive and optimistic asStory weyou demand from inadequacy inand our nursing homes? ongrandkids success, true happiness and the importance of staying humble We hope that you are inspired and motivated byand the stories in this live acandy healthier andwatermelons, longer existence.

We at City that youend enjoy this latestraces issue of magazine hotactually dogs, apples, in fland avours like the aour here.

Bahá’Í’s believe in of sexes, creeds, normalized David and his relationship with his ects boyfriend, rehabilitation plan including physical exercise that ledour toare marked Besides thehuge death toll, the long-term side-eff thePatrick. mental leaders.

ThLife ere ishope light atequality the of all the tunnel, as vaccines now and kind resonate.

His defi nition of happiness is fi nding joy and latest edition of City Life Magazine.

Dan Buettner, of chocolate the Zone aget National we may not live in a Blue we all74. do our ultimate redfounder velvet and …and You the idea. andeven in the harmony of Dr. science and religion.

Story on pageChanges Levy, who is openly that playing David made him feel and cognitive improvement.

Galati went onforward toZone, foundas Brain stress of adapting togay, thissays new wayBlue of life,cake COVID-19 has affected starting tothough be administered.

We must move a can society that fulfi llment all that he does. embrace the bountiful fruits of the fallaid harvest and aboth slow InAs this day age, we could all use more unity, love faith, mother of God, thisbusinesses. lady the power to tempt even part Geographic Fellow, as well asomething New Yorkhas Times Best Selling Author, towe adopt the many traits habits that can usand in living comfortable in his own skin, he had struggled with since Initiative, which research in TBI and supports survivors of our TBI. the Sweet fiin nancial stability ofaslocal Government-mandated looks out forand onefunds another, notand letting any disease compromise regardless of what form it takes.

May you enjoy this edition of the strongest-willed person with her cakes!

Her belief is that While shows like Virgin River help us dream of better days, we re-entry into a newly defi ned world, let us all remember to be patient discovered fi ve places in the world that are dubbed Blue Zones — a longer life, and also a more fulfi lling one. being bullied have by schoolmates in his youth.

Writing character who How’s that for adjusting sails? we face today shape our future. shutdowns hit small businesses hardest of all.a Is there a point empathy.

Remember, the the struggles anything isrights possible, and the love support ofJapan; family City Life Magazine.

It, like life, is yours to experience and do cannot escape life’s —economic most especially the one taking place into when going through life’s challenges and to remain humble when where people livetragedies the longest andwith thesurvival healthiest: Okinawa, Until next time, stay healthy, curious connected! haswhen full acceptance also allowed Levy to promote inclusivity and We hope you enjoy this latest ofand City Life Magazine.

Until the civil and ofand these business owners Until the next edition, we edition hope you remain healthy, safe and friends, the highest levels ofRead success arepeople attainable.

Read with what you adjusting will.

Afghanistan. ethe images at thecommentary.

Kabul airport showing running are flourishing. supersede recommendations of health offi cials?

In an on ideal world, and optimistic. engage inTh important social the full story page 60. we next time, keep your sails to reach your destination.

Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece, and Loma Linda, her story on page 38. there beisCanada no between theBlue health and safety ofare the Jordan Oram a contradiction Grammy-nominated cinematographer who has alongside a would U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17 plane in Zones, hopes of being California.

While is not one of the there Speaking of belief, we all pray that our faith need never be population as to aare whole and the well-being of small businesses. worked with some ofdevastating. the biggest names in entertainment, including shepherded aboard With the pullout of American things we can do try to live longer and more fulfi lling lives. tested the way Paul De Lio’s is. Many of us go through life cover features local business owners standing Drake andMarch/April Coldplay.

In his debut book, Thtakeover, eColeman, Journeyman, heour explores Our cover star,ever Zendaya Maree Stoermer actress, singer troops andOur personnel, and the recent Taliban Afghan people without having to question why tragedies strike lives or before a mural of Mr. Monopoly covering his mouth.

Much like theme of the male vulnerability.

Hespoke shares his own journey of loss, producer Netfl ixfuture. movie Malcom Marie (starring Michelle Zerillo-Sosa Zerillo-Sosa Michelle Zerillo-Sosa Fernando Zerillo areand inthe abject for their We to Sally Armstrong, a thefear lives of others in the world.

A& few years back, wealongside published Michelle Fernando Zerillo Michelle Fernando Zerillo Michelle Zerillo-Sosa Fernando Zerillo in the game of Monopoly, some business owners feel they have Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Co-Founder/Creative Director grief, depression, success and self-love, as well as his favourite selfPublisher/Editor-in-Chief Co-Founder/Creative Director John David Washington), shares what happens when two individuals an article aboutactivist, the defiauthor nition of God. I remember asking the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief journalist, human rights and Amnesty International Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Co-Founder/Creative Director Co-Founder/Creative Director been dealt a losing hand when it comes to dealing with shutdown refi nement tips, life lessons and affi rmations.

But the most surprising writer to pose thiscan question various religious leaders: “Where explore the various levels of human by learning how to Award winner, about what we do to toconnection help the Afghan people, who @citylifemag / @amorebagstoronto / @fernandozerillo @dolcetweets/ @amorebagstoronto @amorebagstoronto @citylifemag / @fernandozerillo regulations during this is pandemic.

In9/11?” our cover story, they share their @citylifemag // @amorebagstoronto @citylifemag @amorebagstoronto//@fernandozerillo @fernandozerillo feature ofand Th ehardship Journeyman that iton isasprinted on compostable paper thatof was God in moments such Given recent state patient empathetic. page 46. arebefacing great andStory tragedy under the newthe Taliban rule.

E O CAN YOU HAVE CYOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO?

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PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michelle Zerillo-Sosa • michelle@dolce.ca DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Angela Palmieri-Zerillo • angela@dolce.ca ART D E PARTM E NT CO-FOUNDER / CREATIVE DIRECTOR Fernando Zerillo • fernando@dolce.ca SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Christina Ban SENIOR UI/UX DESIGNER Yena Yoo WEB DEVELOPER Jordan Carter JUNIOR UI/UX DESIGNER Maria Korolenko DIGITAL CONTENT DESIGNER Marco Schirripa MULTIMEDIA DESIGNER Massimo Sosa

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City Life Magazine • Volume 19 • Issue 4 • Sept/Oct 2021 City Life Magazine is published by Dolce Media Group, 111 Zenway Blvd., Suite 30, Vaughan, Ont., L4H 3H9 T: 905-264-6789 • F: 905-264-3787 info@mycitylife.ca • www.dolcemedia.ca Subscribe online at www.mycitylife.ca or by calling 905-264-6789. City Life Magazine’s yearly subscription fee is $60.

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ISSN 1206-1778 Next Issue: Nov/Dec 2021 The opinions expressed in City Life Magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or advertisers. Dolce Media Group does not assume liability for content. The material in this magazine is intended for information purposes only and is in no way intended to supersede professional advice. We are proud to be a Canadian company that has successfully published magazines for the past 25 years without any government funding or financial assistance of programs to cover editorial costs. It has all been possible thanks to the wonderful support of our readers and advertisers. ©2021 Dolce Media Group • www.dolcemedia.ca • Printed in Canada

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Lumberland North’s physical showroom, located at 180 Bovaird Dr. W., in Brampton, spans 45,000 square feet

UNDER ONE ROOF Whether you’re looking for granite or quartz countertops, lumber expertise or bathroom vanities, Lumberland North is a one-stop shop for renovating your home

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ith a story that goes back 50 years, Brampton, Ont.based Lumberland North knows what its doing.

The list of companies for which its an authorized dealer include Toto, Victoria & Albert, American Standard, Fairmont Designs, Bagno Italia, Kohler, Brizo, Cabano, Fleurco, Delta, and Moen, to name a few. And, with its loyal customer base and sister store Vanity Source, which houses one of the largest displays of vanities in Ontario, the company is an important staple in the homerenovation sector.

Featuring on-site manufacturing and installation of quartz and granite, and one of the largest porcelain tile and slab varieties in Ontario, Lumberland North

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is a seamless experience through and through. “We’re a one-stop shop where we can start with the rough right up to the finishings of your home,” says Vince Cavallo, owner of Lumberland North and Vanity Source.

There are a number of reasons Lumberland North has become such a success. First, it has a wealth of knowledge and services. Taking a look at what the team offers is like exploring an à la carte menu. The store stocks all the material to build your home from the ground up, all the way to its final finishes.

The knowledge comes from the store’s staff members, who have been with the company for close to 25 years and know the products they’re selling inside out. It’s these pillars of knowledge

that have attracted a returning customer base, the public and contractors, as well as architects and designers who use the space as a staple in their projects.

As well as having such variety, Lumberland North puts a lot of time into ensuring it’s as up-to-date as possible. Cavallo travels to trade shows across North America and Europe, so the boutique’s on the cutting edge of what’s trending, both now and in the future. “We have our vignettes to show our customers how it looks as a finished product and we’re constantly changing that,” Cavallo continues. “As things fade out, new designs and styles come in. We change with those new trends.”

Even when it came to the pandemic, when people switched the time they spent travelling to staying at home,

Cavallo was prepared, being able to plan ahead so they’d have available stock, supplies and could cater to the surge in interest.

While it was Cavallo’s father, Antonio, and his brothers who initially founded the business, today Cavallo, owner, and his cousin, Massimo Careri, manager, together run the company. As well as being well-known in the industry, Careri’s been involved in the company for 40 years, travelling alongside Cavallo and making important business decisions every day.

“This is in our blood — helping people, talking to people, making relationships,” Cavallo says. “What we do is founded on passion. We love what we do.”

180 Bovaird Dr. W., Brampton, Ont. 905-792-2800 | www.lumberlandnorth.com www.vanitysource.ca @lumberlandnorth www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTOS BY CARLOS A. PINTO

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The Caputo Group is known for providing honest guidance, experience and direction, so its clients may realize and achieve their real estate dreams

THE CAPUTO GROUP:

BRINGING INTEGRITY, RESPECT AND EXPERIENCE TO REAL ESTATE

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hat sometimes elusive talent of leadership is made up of many ingredients sourced from inherent qualities, such as the ability to inspire, to educate, to listen and understand, and to have the internal drive for hard work in order to not only succeed, but also thrive.

Anthony Caputo, sales representative with The Caputo Group real estate in Bolton, Ont., personifies leadership.

From his dedicated service to clients looking to buy or sell homes, to his charitable involvement and community service as president of the Caledon Chamber of Commerce, and his passionate drive as a committed family man and father of four, Caputo’s success is rooted in his life and work ethic.

“Integrity and respect are my most important values, and I treat people the way they want to be treated,” says Caputo. “Success isn’t about the money you make. I look at success at how you’ve helped other people or your neighbour. That’s how you should measure success.”

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successful sales representatives in real estate since 2015, serving the ontario communities of Vaughan, Bolton, Caledon, Orangeville, Nobleton, King, New Tecumseth and Kleinburg. While he enjoys his luxury home designation, he also deals with first-time homebuyers in providing honest guidance, experience and direction in entering the market.

“Some people think they know everything about real estate, but having so much access to so much information can confuse the consumer,” said Caputo. “The most important part of the buying and selling process is the proper education by working with someone who lives real estate day-to-day. Visiting websites and apps doesn’t make you an expert, because those can’t bring the human emotion to the process.”

Caputo brings that human emotion outside of his work by donating time to Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Hospital for Sick Children, as well as sitting on the board of directors of Meaghan’s Music Room, a resource for those with mental and physical challenges to pursue their passion for music. This involvement reflects the values of the Caputo family,

which will become more involved with The Caputo Group this year, when his younger siblings Victor and Julie join the company as Caputo expands his team.

“Both are new agents bringing a lot to the table,” says Caputo. “Victor has been a firefighter and Julie a teacher, and both are bringing their life experiences of service and educating to the business, and we’ll be better able to service our clients as a result.”

The growth of The Caputo Group into a full-service real estate company means it has key credible partners and business relationships in all aspects of the business, including real estate investments, legal services, property management, rent-to-own options and connections to experienced mortgage brokers. The company will be moving to a new location next year and continuing to offer experienced, personalized and dedicated services to its clients to ensure complete satisfaction and the happy memories that only a home can provide.

12612 Highway 50, Bolton, Ont. 416-938-7771 | thecaputogroup.ca @thecaputogroup.realestate www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTO BY CARLOS A. PINTO

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West Coast Cognoscente

GETTING TO KNOW

GILLIAN

Luxury home designer Gillian Segal shares the first thing she notices when she enters a home, her love for the ’60s, and how incorporating unexpected marbles has come to define her work WRITTEN BY ESTELLE ZENTIL

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Q: Describe a typical day for you.

A: Busy. Every day tends to be a bit different. We could spend a full day in design development, on site at a photoshoot, sourcing a perfect fabric and the next day, be in back-to-back meetings with existing and potential new clients.

Q: What do you love most about being a designer?

A: There are so many aspects to this industry that I love, and I could go on forever about this. However, what first comes to mind is how I feel blessed to

be able to build such a close relationship with each and every client who walks into the GSD office. I may be biased, but I lucked out with the best clients, and I’m forever grateful for that.

Q: What is your definition of happiness?

A: Feeling fulfilled in my life and being surrounded by the people I love.

Q: Can you share some notes on what were the inspirations behind some of the projects you shared with us.

A: Every project starts with its own www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GILLIAN SEGAL

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ased in Vancouver, Gillian Segal Design’s body of work has been acclaimed both locally and internationally.

Run by Gillian Segal, her design firm strives to “create original work for our clients that pushes both design boundaries, while simultaneously feeling like it represents them.” Segal’s renowned modern eclectic esthetic, which seamlessly blends the old, while marrying her client’s vision, are what give her work what she calls the “GSDC flair.”

lighting help create ambience and move your eye around the room.

For a room to feel comfortable, Segal suggests adding drapery, artwork and different levels of lighting to create an appealing ambiance

Q: What advice would you share with your younger self, if you could?

A: Resilience is key, no matter where you are in life, what you are doing, or what field you are in. Failure happens, you need to learn from it and continue to push forward with a positive mindset.

Servicing clients in Vancouver and beyond, Gillian Segal Design offers a full range of interior design services, specializing in luxury residential, commercial and hospitality projects

but have anxiety or stress over not fulfilling work obligations. Other days, I feel like I am kicking ass at work, but have immense guilt at missing special moments with my girls. My passion for my career fulfills me and allows me to bring my whole self home to my daughters. With that said, none of this could be achieved without my village of an army, both professionally and personally.

Q: What travel destinations have helped shape you into the designer you are today?

A: Travelling a lot as a child with my family exposed me to so much, so I am forever grateful for that. Recently, trips to Europe have been hard to beat.

identity, which is mainly formed from the client, themselves. We put a great emphasis on the client driving the project and work our way back from there. We find inspiration through many different mediums, whether it’s a set in a ’60s movie, magazine, travel or Pinterest.

Q: How are you able to balance your career as a sought-after designer and a young mom?

A: It’s a challenge every day, and, to be honest, I don’t think “balance” exists.

Some days, I feel like a great mom, www.mycitylife.ca

Q: Who do you look up to in the architecture and design fields?

A: I am sure this is many designers’ answer; however, I have to credit Kelly Wearstler for being such a queen. I have so much admiration for her unwavering boldness and fearlessness in her work.

The career she has built is absolutely incredible, and the fact that she manages to juggle her empire while also being a mom is extremely inspiring to me.

Q: Name three things every room should have to be comfortable.

A: You can never go wrong with drapery, as it adds a soft, finishing touch to every room. Art is the heart and soul of the home and shows the personality of both the room and owner. Lighting is also important, as all different levels of

Q: If you could choose to be born in a different era, what would it be and why?

A: Sixties, hands down. The fashion, interiors, music, everything about the ’60s really inspires my decisions.

Q: What is the best gift you have ever received?

A: This may be sappy, but my daughters.

They truly inspire me to not only work hard, but also to be better in all aspects of life.

Q: What do you love most about the city you live in?

A: Besides how beautiful B.C., and, in particular, Vancouver, is. I was born and raised in this city. I feel very connected to it and all the natural beauty here, as well as the more laid-back, West Coast approach to life.

Q: What are your signature materials you tend to go to, when working on a project, which would identify the final work as your own?

A: Working with dramatic and unexpected marbles is something we have been told defines our work. I think more than one specific material; however, for us, it’s all about the mix and a layering of many items to create spaces that feel collected and soulful.

Q: What is your favourite room in the house?

A: It would be a toss-up between my kitchen and principal bedroom. Kitchen, being that a lot of my best memories have been created in this space with my family and friends, and I love to host.

And we always find ourselves milling around the kitchen island. However, my bedroom is one place I feel extremely safe and calm — it’s definitely a retreat for me.

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To complete “The Jervis” project, GSDC’s objective was to create a feeling of laid-back luxury, true to Vancouver’s style. By curating a selection of original and bespoke pieces from both local and international designers, the space stayed true to Segal’s signature style

When starting a new project, Segal takes inspiration from her client’s vision, as well as other mediums — whether it’s a set in a ’60s movie, magazine, travel or Pinterest

Q: If you could change anything about society, what would that be?

A: Stopping all the judgment and hate.

Q: What is your favourite book, movie and song?

A: Favourite book: Where the Crawdads Sing.

Favourite movie: Sabrina (the original with Audrey).

Favourite song: Totally depends on my mood. Probably something by Mariah Carey.

Q: What is the one thing you notice first when entering someone’s home?

A: I never am looking at one thing, but rather trying to understand the overall feel or vibe and what that says about them.

Q: Can you speak about what brand values or mission statements you offer your clients?

A: A personalized experience for every client. We pride ourselves on educating our clients in the design process, while making it as stress-free and fun as possible. We strive to create original work for our clients that pushes design boundaries, while simultaneously feeling like it represents them. Ultimately, we want to do everything we can to make our clients happy.

Q: In your opinion, what is the best invention of our lifetime and why?

A: This is a very tough one, but I think, in general, advancements in medicine that allow us to live longer and healthier lives. gilliansegaldesign.com @gilliansegaldesign

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Steeles Paint understands the impact of a fresh coat of paint

A SPLASH OF COLOUR Whether your kitchen’s in need of accents or a completely new colour, Steeles Paint is ready and waiting

Owner and founder Claudio Grisolia (left) has been joined in the family business by son Devon (right)

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industry and the insight to help you complete your project. We encourage all visitors to ask questions.”

As well as that, the Steeles Paint store includes a spray centre, where you can rent and repair paint equipment, as well as more specialized, environmentally friendly products.

4190 Steeles Ave. W., Woodbridge, Ont. 905-850-4040 www.steelespaint.com www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BENJAMIN MOORE

PHOTO BY CARLOS A. PINTO

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here’s a reason Steeles Paint has been in the business for more than 30 years. As Canada’s largest independent paint store, spanning 20,000 square feet, it’s become a goto destination for homeowners and industry professionals alike.

Stocking paints for both a new look and the equipment to get the job done, not to mention the country’s largest collection of Benjamin Moore paints, it’s a hub of inspiration for any project.

“What sets Steeles Paint apart is our attention to detail,” says Claudio Grisolia, president of Steeles Paint.

“Our staff are the best in the business, with up to 30 years’ experience in the

www.mycitylife.ca

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JASON POLSINELLI:

‘VAUGHAN’S FINANCIAL GURU WITH A HEART OF GOLD’ With over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, Polsinelli has a unique take on wealth — considering a significant portion of his life has been spent working with it

Polsinelli is recognized as an industry leader in financial services, providing services to high-net-worth families, corporate treasuries, business owners and healthcare professionals

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www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTOS BY CARLOS A. PINTO

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ealth is a multi-faceted and a complex subject for every individual. Your financial goals, both short-term and long-term, require intricate planning in order to meet each of your goals and objectives.

Jason Polsinelli, of the Polsinelli Financial Advisory Group at Scotia Wealth Management, has never believed that wealth is just monetary.

Polsinelli has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. Recognized as an industry leader in Canada, he provides an extensive list of services available to affluent families, corporate treasuries, business owners and health-care professionals. His education includes an equally impressive list of attendance: he has an honours bachelor’s degree from York University and a master’s degree from Dalhousie University, all while also accumulating significant specializations from the Richmond School of Commerce, the Institute of Canadian Bankers, the Academy of Financial Divorce Specialists and the Canadian Securities Institute.

It feels only right that Polsinelli has a unique take on wealth as a dedicated career path. Upon being asked about what part of the wealth-management field he loves, he answers humbly, “Wealth Management is about helping people, and I am passionate about providing assistance and guidance to people to help them solve any challenges they face with their wealth management.” True to his sentiments, Polsinelli has a long history of doing just that: helping people and solving issues. He also has a dedicated history of volunteer and charity work to complement his financial-advisory experience. Polsinelli has been involved with a number of grassroots organizations and taken on different roles with each of them.

Want one testament to his many grassroots humanitarian compassions?

We need only look toward his actions during the pandemic. “I, along with a good friend of mine, Romina, we built the Vaughan Together platform to provide lunches and meals and care packages to the long-term residences in Vaughan for that pandemic period

that was a really hard hit for them between April to June of 2020.” He continues, describing his need to help, but not knowing how. “I didn’t know how to help because you couldn’t go near [the residents or the attendants].

They were in lockdown. So, in what way could I make it easier?” Most of the attendants were not sleeping or eating, some couldn’t even go home for risk of cross-contamination between their families and their work. “We contacted five residences over time and ended up funding their meals,” he concludes.

“Some were for a full week, some were at different times, [and then] other people started seeing the action … [and] other charities got involved, too.

It was a full gamut of help during that time period.”

Polsinelli clearly has a long-standing relationship with the people of his community. He has prioritized and advocated for his municipality and its betterment for years. It is in that compassion that he has found wealth beyond finance. He lays it out plainly for us, saying, “You learn over time that helping people with the means to enjoy the experiences in life, that’s the greatest amount of wealth.”

You may be prompted to wonder about his compassion for his clients at this point, since there is such a clear humanitarian within his DNA. Coming out of a family of (award-winning) hair stylists, Polsinelli adopted the best parts of that service world and combined it with his own advisory interests. He didn’t start out wanting to go into wealth management, but instead wanted to be a lawyer. He believes, though, that “[he] ended up in the right position. I have evolved from banking to investment advice to financial planning to delivering bespoke total wealth planning and wealth management.” For his day-to-day work, he is the first point of contact and needs to be well versed in many disciplines for every client who comes to him. He has experience with providing guidance to the needs of a diverse subset of clients, both individuals and corporate, from wills, trusts and estate planning, advanced retirement insurance, banking, finance and portfolio management; he has, on different occasions, even provided www.mycitylife.ca

Polsinelli clearly has a long-standing relationship with the people of his community.

He has prioritized and advocated for his municipality and its betterment for years

YOU LEARN OVER TIME THAT HELPING PEOPLE WITH THE MEANS TO ENJOY THE EXPERIENCES IN LIFE, THAT’S THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF WEALTH emotional support for some of his clients during difficult times. “In this field, you have to present a real sense of calmness,” he explains, “and let people know that we’ll solve current and future issues … and everything will be fine.”

Polsinelli Financial Advisory Group has grown significantly since 2019.

A portion of this growth has come, clearly, from the pandemic, with

people wanting to be prepared for any eventuality, but the other portion of this growth has, no doubt, come from Polsinelli himself. Anyone can just Google his name and you will see a host of accolades and achievements. He believes that “if you’re happy with what you [do], it’s making the world a better place,” and we agree with him. After all, “wealth is not just monetary; it is many different things.”

Polsinelli Financial Advisory Group is a personal trade name of Jason Polsinelli.®Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia, used under licence. Scotia Capital Inc. is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada. For more information, visit www.scotiawealthmanagement.com Sept/Oct 2021

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Natalie Papia founded Zilli Home Interiors to showcase furniture how she envisioned it

ZILLI HOME INTERIORS: FASHION-FORWARD FURNITURE

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rowing up in a family-owned furniture manufacturing plant with an eye for good design, founding Zilli Home Interiors seemed nothing but natural for Natalie Papia. After being behind the scenes for so long and leading sales and visiting retailers across the world, the urge to open her own space became too powerful to ignore. “I realized there 28

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was a void, and I wanted to open a retail store that would truly showcase furniture how I envisioned it,” Papia says.

Since its launch in 2009, the store has provided homeowners, designers and industry professionals with a curated, hand-picked selection of standout pieces. Whether you take a trip to its physical location at 672 Chrislea Rd., browse its website or follow the

company on social media, you’ll get a clear idea of the vision of Zilli Home Interiors.

As well as shopping by room (specifically, the living room, dining room, home office and bedroom), you can browse by style. In this case, that’s split into modern classic, sophisticated elegance, timeless classic and urban chic, with each offering a totally different www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTO BY CARLOS A. PINTO

For more than a decade, Zilli Home Interiors has provided exceptional pieces for homeowners and interior designers alike. Today, it’s one of Vaughan’s finest design destinations

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ZILLI HOME INTERIORS

take on design. Within that, you’ll find everything from desks to dining chairs, sideboards to entertainment consoles, available at different price points and sizes to suit your situation.

The store also offers an impressive number of accents, spanning coffee tables, mirrors, sculptures and vases to complete the look.

What ties everything together is a universal understanding and love for aesthetics. “Our customer is a savvy, fashion-forward person who loves design and is aware of their personal style,” Papia continues. “However, they need a bit of help when it comes to the home because it’s a larger undertaking.

They know what they like, but they need the help to define and create it.”

There are a number of key components that sets Zilli Home Interiors apart from other furniture outlets in ensuring that customers get the assistance they need to figure out the style they want. First, everybody who works there is a designer and is able to offer a true expert perspective.

“We don’t have a typical salesperson,” Papia explains. “We have a design consultant who will keep in mind not just what furniture we have, but, more importantly, what would work best in your home.” For anyone, choosing the right pieces can be demanding, especially if you’re doing a whole house. Zilli Home Interiors wants to ease that demand and instead make it seamless. As Papia says, “We make it easy by starting with one room at a time.”

Papia is quick to explain how much of a joy it is to work with the design experts who make Zilli Home Interiors what it is.

Whether it’s the warm personalities of the people, the fact that they all share the same vision to provide an enjoyable shopping experience for customers or just that they all love fashion and home furnishings, there’s a clear sense of camaraderie. “We motivate our staff through training, spending time together and just gathering around the door when a new piece arrives,” Papia shares. “That excitement is evident in our social media. Everybody feels that energy which, in turn, translates to our customers.”

Part of the process of understanding www.mycitylife.ca

The store’s physical space at 672 Chrislea Rd. focuses on living room, dining room, home office and bedroom pieces

WE’RE PROUD WE’RE ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE REALIZE THEIR DREAMS IN THE HOME AND MAKE IT A REFLECTION OF THEIR PERSONALITY AND STYLE Zilli Home Interiors has been serving homeowners, designers and industry professionals since it was founded in 2009

what works best in the home is Zilli’s in-home consultations, on offer to customers looking to furnish either their whole house or any given room. While Zilli Home Interiors offered the service virtually during the pandemic, now its experts are able to visit your space in person to get a better understanding of your needs. “We come to your home, measure, understand your lifestyle, functionality and then invite you to come back into the store,” says Papia.

“There, we would do a presentation for that given room and offer some options based on those findings.”

Whether they’re helping a young couple, a full family or empty nesters, Papia promises that each visit to the store promises something new. “We’re proud we’re able to help people realize their dreams in the home and make it a reflection of their personality and style.”

Particularly during the pandemic,

Papia has seen that care and attention to detail in people’s spaces changing.

Since reopening, she shares how demand has been exceptionally high, driven by the fact that the essence of the house has changed. “People have been sitting in their homes for so long, and they’ve identified areas that need a facelift,” she says.

“Right now, demand is exceeding supply, but we have a tremendous amount of product in store and on the way,” Papia says. “We’ve done a great job with pre-ordering and have great intuition and forecasting to back up our best-selling items. Come in, and we’ll find what you need.”

672 Chrislea Rd., Woodbridge, Ont. 289-268-0020 | www.zillihome.com @zillihome Sept/Oct 2021

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Pietro (Peter) Cortellucci, is part of the younger generation of the Cortellucci family, who strongly believes in the city of Vaughan and developing its ever-changing skyline

VAUGHAN: A CITY COMING OF AGE As home to the country’s first smart-technology hospital and first new hospital to open in Ontario in 30 years, the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital represents a marker for a city coming of age INTERVIEWS AND WRITTEN BY ESTELLE ZENTIL

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e live in a time in which citizens are asking their cities to be more than just streets, parks and structures. Today, cities must represent their communities and the hopes, values and ideals of community members.

Achieving this aspirational vision of

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the modern city represents noteworthy challenges and opportunities for city builders. But, as Maurizio Bevilacqua, the mayor of Vaughan, Ont., describes, the key is paying close attention to the vision of community put forward by citizens. “My community is a community that pursues excellence.

It does it in a very refined way, a very elegant way, and it does it by essentially working hard, pooling the resources of each member and actualizing its full potential.”

Perhaps the best example of the actualized potential meant by Mayor Bevilacqua is the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, which is Canada’s first smart- technology hospital and first new hospital to open in Ontario in the past 30 years. As a city landmark that captures Vaughan’s cultivation of a global mindset and renewed commitment to commerce, medicine and learning, the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital is the culmination of a decade-long pursuit of excellence by the government and the community.

As Mayor Bevilacqua explains, “This was the first file on my desk when I became mayor in 2010, and so it’s really, for me, a dream come true, as I’m sure it is for our community that has been waiting for a generation to have a hospital here in the City of Vaughan.

We went from no hospital to one of the best hospitals in the country, the first smart-technology hospital built in Canada, which tells you that, at the end of the day, patience is a virtue.”

Indeed, patience has clearly rewarded the city with the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital. Home to Mackenzie Health’s Woman and Child, and Inpatient Mental Health programs and the Inpatient Integrated Stroke unit, it also offers emergency and modern surgical services, advanced diagnostic imaging capabilities, specialized clinics and intensive-care beds, medicine, birthing, pediatrics and many specialized programs.

As with any complex, diverse and innovative project, the state-of-the-art hospital, unsurprisingly, didn’t come without any hurdles. “Sometimes in a journey you may find some friction between organizations and people, but, at the end of the day, you should always be guided by goodwill and also use a lot of common sense and intelligence to get through challenges ... With any program, there are some naysayers, but I’m always motivated by what is www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTOS BY JESSE MILNS

Community & Philanthropy

Representing their respectives families together, the Cortellucci family as a whole has made the largest single donation in Mackenzie Health’s history.

From left: Anthony Cortellucci, Joseph Cortellucci, Romina Cortellucci, Pietro (Peter) Cortellucci, Sabrina Cortellucci-Gagliano, Dino Gagliano and Gabriel Cortellucci

We hope that Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital will act as a bustling hub of health-care excellence for our residents and enrich the longevity of our community for years to come — Pietro (Peter) Cortellucci

positive and what I refer to as ‘the art of the possible,’ which means that, even though, in life, you may face some challenges, there’s always a solution if you’re all in and your heart is into it, and you use all your ability to make sure that this gets delivered,” says the mayor.

The Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, a 1.2-million-square-foot facility that cost $1.8 billion, will generate more than 1,000 jobs in the community. With a project of this scale, the generosity and collaboration that had to come together in order to make it come to life is not lost on the president and CEO of the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, Altaf Stationwala. “There are so many people who have their fingerprints all over this, and it’s a great thing that so many people wanted to touch it because if they weren’t touching it and pushing it and driving it, it would not happen.

The mayor and I started at around the same time in 2010, and the first file I www.mycitylife.ca

had on my desk was the new hospital in Vaughan, and it was the same file that he had. Our ability to connect with key donors, like the Cortellucci family, our ability to work with councillors, our MPPs, you know, all these things happen to keep this thing going, and more importantly, the strong advocacy of the community who really stood up and said, ‘You know, Vaughan deserves its own hospital; it’s time.’” In other words: a true community endeavour.

The hospital was named after the Cortellucci family, a family that has graciously and greatly influenced the success of the growing city of Vaughan (whose population is expected to increase by 35 per cent in the next 20 years) over the past decades and deeply understands what this hospital means for the community as a whole. “Our family has called York Region home for the last 30 years and we are so grateful to live, work and raise our children in a

city as vibrant, diverse and progressive as ours. Now, more than ever, it’s critical to invest in the health and well-being of our community. The new hospital will provide Vaughan citizens with exceptional health care, adding much needed capacity to our health system and doubling their access to care. We hope that Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital will act as a bustling hub of healthcare excellence for our residents and enrich the longevity of our community for years to come,” says Pietro (Peter) Cortellucci.

Mayor Bevilacqua echoed this sentiment, noting that, in collaboration with Mackenzie Health, ventureLAB, York University and the City of Vaughan, he hopes to solidify Vaughan as one of the epicentres of health care in Ontario.

The Cortellucci family is recognized by the community as one of Vaughan’s most philanthropic families. Stationwala expresses his gratitude toward these Sept/Oct 2021

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My community is a community that pursues excellence. It does it in a very refined way, a very elegant way and it does it by essentially working hard, pooling the resources of each member and actualizing its full potential

Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua has been a driving force in turning the dream of a hospital into reality. His experience, energy, consensus-building ability and leadership have been key to the realization of this important city building initiative

From left: Altaf Stationwala, Mayor Bevilacqua, Michael Cortellucci, Mario Cortellucci, Vilma Cortellucci Fiuza, Christine Elliott, Gabe Cortellucci, Doug Ford, Nicola Cortellucci

key community leaders, who have allowed the hospital to come to life: “Obviously, they’re significant leaders in the community. They have given in many jurisdictions, and they’re a family whose roots are deep in this community.

When I have met with the family on numerous occasions, they are the most humble, down-to-earth people you’ll ever meet, and so I do think they represent our values and what we stand for as an organization. We’re very proud and honoured to have their name on the Vaughan Hospital. I couldn’t think of a better family that signifies what Vaughan is about and what it means to give back to your community. With the mayor’s support and the work that we did with them over the years leading up to the announcement, it’s a historic milestone, the largest donation in the history of this organization, and it was quite the momentous unveiling — even though it was in the middle of a pandemic — but, in the history of Mackenzie Health, a very proud moment, and I’m very proud 32

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to have that family connected to our organization,” says Stationwala.

In many ways, the Cortellucci family represents the community’s values as a whole. “Giving back is in our blood.

It’s how our nonni raised us, it’s how our parents raised us, it’s how we plan to raise our kids. Growing up, our nonna, Maria, would recount stories about what life was like in her small village in Italy and the hardships her family faced moving to Canada. Yet, she always shared these memories with a warm, gentle smile. At their core, her stories were about persevering, working hard, living gracefully and always caring for your neighbour. These lessons have guided our family into the present day,” says Pietro.

Fundamentally, these are the lessons that unite many Canadians in a shared sense of what it means to be Canadian.

Or, in other words, what it means to be part of a community. “On the surface, our family may construct homes with brick and lumber, but we strive to do

more than just build buildings — we strive to build communities. We truly believe a community grows from the heart and generosity of its citizens ... It’s important for us to share our legacy not just with our family, but also with the many families living in our community.

We are so profoundly grateful to live and work in a city like Vaughan and be able to give back to our community. We hope we can inspire others to invest in the health and future of our residents,” says Pietro.

If the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital represents the realization of a decadelong community ambition, then, equally, it will serve as a symbol of Vaughan’s perseverance and drive for excellence.

As Mayor Bevilacqua explains, “Building a hospital is a labour of love ... if you’re motivated by love, compassion, understanding and a nurturing spirit, great things can in fact happen because it is that purity of the soul that really makes things happen at the end of the day.” www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTO BY CARLOS A. PINTO

— Maurizio Bevilacqua, the mayor of Vaughan

Q&A

Altaf Stationwala

Q: Can you speak on how Vaughan is emerging as an epicentre of healthcare excellence in Canada? Can you highlight the smart technology/ innovation that can be seen throughout the hospital?

AS: One of the unique things about the CVH [Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital] is that it’s the first net new hospital to be built in this province in over 30 years, so that, by its very nature, being something that is not a replacement hospital, or a hospital moving from one location to another, sort of creates a unique opportunity. So, for us, it was actually building out the medical staff, not having to merge two organizations together, but really growing from within and growing to a second site, so all of our departments and everything that is structured is actually quite aligned across the two hospitals ... Another feature that the patients told us about is that when they’re lying on their bed, and the windowsill is at a certain height, they can look out, but they can’t look down.

So, the window heights are one foot above the floors, so even when you’re lying on your back, you can actually look down. Then we said that if the patients are looking down, we don’t want them to see an ugly roof, and so we created green roofs everywhere, so all you see is landscaping and green features. Another unique thing that came about with this building is that because we’re located next to Canada’s Wonderland and because they do fireworks, we didn’t want the fireworks to disturb patients who are resting at 10 or 11 o’clock at night, so the glazing on the Major Mackenzie site is actually extra thick, so it actually ensures that the firework noises aren’t travelling through the glass. All of this is driven, first and foremost, from the patients and their families.

Q: How would you explain your job to a friend? www.mycitylife.ca

AS: I’ll use hockey as an analogy. I really see my job as a coach: I have a team that are super stars, but they ultimately have to perform as a team, so it’s always keeping that balance to the board, to the leadership, to the frontline manager, to the front-line staff members — everybody has to do their part. And it’s that ability to step away and make constant adjustments to understand, “What do we have to do to be successful?” The adjustments are things that are thrown at you out of the blue, like a pandemic, so how do you redeploy the team to keep the construction of the hospital going while dealing with the pandemic? I’ll give you an interesting analogy of the adjustments that we made. So, in the first wave, PCL, who is our constructor, the trades were too afraid to come to work, and we said, “Well, we have part of our team that can help your team get this across the finish line by helping you understand the best way to keep your staff safe. The same infection control nurses who are helping our front-line staff supported PCL and we said that these are some of the things you can do: screening everyone who comes through the door, hand hygiene, creating separation of space at work, have trades work at different times during the day.

Because of that work, that team effort, we actually still got the project done in August when it was scheduled to finish, and substantial completion was achieved. So, that’s how I would describe my job. I don’t actually execute or deliver on anything, I don’t touch a patient, I don’t do any of these things, but I have to have the ability to see what’s working.

And what’s not working, and, when something is not working, you’ve got to make adjustments.

Q: Where do you see the future of the community of Vaughan, particularly when it comes to health care?

PHOTO BY TYNAN STUDIO

with president and CEO of Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital,

AS: I think Vaughan will be a city to itself. It is obviously a city to itself, but, it will basically almost be a standalone epicentre of everything that matters, whether it’s around economic development and the kinds of businesses that it attracts, whether it’s around residential and the kinds of homes we create, whether it’s around the core social services, whether it’s universities or health care, it’ll be more and more of a contained community and really be everything that a resident needs. Yes, we live next to this giant called Toronto, and it does offer a lot of things, for sure, and it’ll always be where the nature of things are. So, if you want to be a hockey fan, unfortunately, you have to support the Toronto Maple Leafs, but maybe Vaughan will have its own NHL team that can actually win. Maybe that could be the future of Vaughan. I do see it being a city that offers more and more of what a resident needs, and where do I see the growth for us? We’re going to offer more advanced treatments and care. There will be more tertiary and quaternary space, where you don’t need to go to Toronto for services because we can offer it here.

Q: What do you love most about your job?

AS: I love the fact that I work and live in this community, and I’m giving something back. And, if I was to ever need care, or my family, this is the hospital we would come to, either of the hospitals, so, you know, I think that’s what I find most rewarding by far, and it’s unique. How many people get to be the CEO of the hospital in their community? www.mackenziehealth.ca @mackenziehealth Sept/Oct 2021

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fashion

NADYA TOTO:

CANADA’S KNITWEAR REVOLUTIONARY For more than 30 years, Nadya Toto has been the creative force behind her fashion brand, Nadya Toto, which illustrates her inventive and flexible approach to knitwear through quintessential Italian style inspired by her grandmother

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e spoke with the Canadian fashion designer from her atelier in Montreal, broaching topics such as how her Italian grandmother, whom she calls “the goddess of the sleeve,” has greatly influenced her collections, her fascination with Valentino and Missoni starting from an early age, dressing stars such as Angelina Jolie and the power of thinking simplistically.

Q: Your clothing celebrates femininity, while combining both comfort and refinement. Have you always wanted those qualities to come through in your style?

NT: It really started when I was young, when I was home. My parents were working, and I was always with my Italian grandmother. My grandmother actually had a house of couture in Italy, in the ’30s, the ’40s. And she came here, 34

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INTERVIEW AND WRITTEN BY ESTELLE ZENTIL

and she taught me what was refinement by doing incredible things, handmade, just out of the ordinary, very beautiful things. It all started there.

Q: Can you tell us what your nonna was able to teach you that you weren’t able to learn in school?

NT: To me, she was the goddess of the sleeve because, in the early days, the jacket, if you look at the ’30s and the ’40s, the women’s jackets were so wellconstructed; the shoulder pads were very particular after the Second World War. She used to dress the German soldiers’ wives in Italy, during the war, even after the war. Those jackets, like you see in the movies, were so perfect.

She taught me the sleeve. The sleeve is something that not many people can master. Not even at school, believe me.

Even today, it’s still a big challenge for me, and I always rework it, rework it

until it’s ... is it perfect? I don’t believe in that. I try and that, to me, is the first thing that I remember.

She was a bit of a rebel. If you would say “white,” she would say “black.” She was always the opposite of everything — a rebel, I guess. She used to cut in the fabric with no pattern, and I’m like that. When I do my collections, I don’t make the patterns. You usually are supposed to make a pattern right away. I open my roles and I just cut. It’s a little crazy, so she taught me that.

Q: What did your path look like in becoming a designer? Did you always know you wanted to pursue this while you were in school? Was your family supportive?

NT: I have an artistic family. In some ways, everything was homemade.

My father was an engineer and made everything with his hands. He built our www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NADYA TOTO

Nadya Toto created her first ready-to-wear line in 1989, the same year she graduated from school in Montreal. Since then, her collections continue to embody femininity, refinement and comfort

In her fall collection, Toto is honouring her Italian grandmother by including a black-and white-image of her on one of the T-shirts

country home; it took him 20 years.

My mother is a ceramic artist. She does ceramic art, and, so, my whole family, even the lampshades were made in crochet, everything you could imagine, so I grew up in that surrounding, and, I guess, a big influence for me on my future. I guess they helped me very much, not financially. I started from scratch.

Q: You say that when you were a teenager, your room was covered with photos from the collections of Valentino and Missoni. There’s obviously a clear pattern with those designers; they have the knitwear and the jacquard. Was that something that www.mycitylife.ca

you were drawn to because of your grandmother?

NT: I think so, yes. She always made things not in the norm. She would cut special cuts. For example, she would cut a jacket and she would make one side of the collar as a normal collar, and the other one she’d go wider. She was very not of her time, avant-garde. I love that, and that’s what made me be different.

Missoni was a big influence, still is a big influence, for me. I always believed it.

I remember when I did my first show in 1989. I remember I had done some jackets, because you’d actually go with “la société,” you go with what’s in the trend, what’s in. And at that time, jackets were so in, very constructed,

shoulder pads. I remember doing my first collection, but it wasn’t me.

Then, in 1990, I did fashion week in Toronto and I did knits, and buyers did not understand, believe me. They didn’t get it. Everyone was so structured, and then I come out with a collection full of knits that I weaved here in Montreal and I continue doing that. So, I could say that I am the revolutionary Canadian designer in knitwear in the ’90s, for sure, and I still am. And more and more, I started to abandon the structure, the jackets, the pants — it was not for me.

So, I think, the important thing is to continue to do what I love and what my heart says. I don’t look at other collections.

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from the sky. I haven’t taken a day off in two and a half years, even on weekends.

The pandemic was really positive for us.

I think it was a good reflection for many people all over the world — it was a reflection.

Q: What makes you proud to be a Québécois designer?

NT: My brand was created here, and I always believed in it. I’ve grown, and, yes, I’m very proud because I’m made here. This is who I am. Mind you, I go to Italy, and they call me “the American,” and then when I’m here, they call me “the Italian.” So, I don’t know where I belong anymore. Most of all, I’m proud of the trust that I have with my stores and all these years. I’ve been selling to these stores for many, many years that are still around, and that’s so beautiful.

Toto’s line is an independent woman-run brand based in Montreal that values the slowfashion ethos

Q: Can you speak on the “zero kilometre” concept and how this contributes to your company acting sustainably?

NT: We all need to work for a better world. We have to be more conscious. A lot of people are not conscious enough these days. It’s one, it’s a lot of things; it’s not just one thing. I do try my best for our environment here at the atelier.

I’m close to Charbonnel, so everyone is around here, so everything is made here. I believe in that so much, and I always did. Today, I can see the demand, also from the buyers and stores, to buy Canadian.

Q: Can you also tell us about the scrapping process that you’ve implemented?

NT: Yes, we used to throw out our fabrics. There are so many scraps. So now I’m helping out these young designers 36

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that make recycled collections.

Q: How has the pandemic affected your business, as well as your views on life?

NT: At the beginning, I felt a little anxious because it was an unknown for everybody. We didn’t know what was going to happen to the world … That being said, it gave me an incredible energy of survival, in a way. With that energy, we have done spectacular things that I’ve never done in my 32year [career]. I am very excited for our spring/summer 2022 collection. We worked harder because of that energy, so it made us evolve even faster. We created incredible things we haven’t done in the past. The online business boomed unexpectedly. We are shipping everywhere around the world … from Russia, to Australia, to Japan, everywhere. Everywhere. It just fell

Q: You said that to stay small but united, that’s the key to becoming “rich.” Can you expand on this idea and what it means to you beyond the clothing world?

NT: When people actually physically come into my atelier, they come and they’re like, “Well…,” and I say, “We’re small, but we’re big.” I think that it’s my motto, like everyday I think like that … because when you think simplistically, and you appreciate every small thing, then every big thing happens right after.

And I always thought like that. I never thought of becoming somebody else I’m not. And we do one piece at a time, and I think we enjoy what we do. We’re a small team and we love each other. And we come in and we smile because life is about the small moments — that’s all it is. They’re the most precious things.

Every small thing is important to me.

Think small, I believe in that.

Q: How would you describe your own style?

NT: Black, black, black. I would say I’m erased from what I make. It’s very profound. I need to be a blank canvas.

When you’re a true curator, you have to disassociate a bit. I dress a lot of important women, and they tell me, “How come you’re not wearing one of your dresses?” And I say, “How can I wear my dresses when I’m working?

I’m full of holes on the cutting table.” www.mycitylife.ca

Q: What do you believe are the skills to become a successful designer?

NT: The first thing would be to have lots of talent, that’s important. Second of all, if you want to be a creator — because, to me, a designer is a creator — you have to make sure to create a product that you don’t see elsewhere because the world is full of too much clothing, everywhere. I always say to these young designers out there, “For you to succeed, you have to make a collection that’s true to you and not seen around ... Today, if I open a store, and I’m a buyer and I have a big budget, it’s my choice to buy anyone I want in the world, so why would I choose you?” That’s what I would tell a young designer.

Q: What does style mean to you?

NT: Style to me is personal. I think, today, women are unique. It’s the way you see it interpreted. Even though I show femininity and refinement, I dress the women of the world, and so I see all kinds of women wearing that one dress. You would see it so different on so many different women, and that’s extraordinary because it’s their personality and their way of showing it.

Q: Who are some women you’ve had the pleasure of dressing?

NT: Just recently, I love dressing Hélène Florent. She’s an actress from Montreal. She’s going on the red carpet soon, but she’s an incredible true actress. Angelina Jolie is the same thing. When they’re not acting, they’re a completely different person. They’re so natural, no makeup, so beautiful. I love that aspect, and I love dressing Hélène, and it reminds me of Angelina, too, because I love her simplicity.

Q: What is the definition of success to you?

NT: Failure.

Q: What is your morning routine?

NT: Feed the dog. Take the dog out.

Make breakfast for my daughter, make breakfast for me and bring my daughter to the train station because we live in the woods. I built my house in the woods, during COVID-19. And then I’m at work; I start at 7:15 a.m. www.mycitylife.ca

Toto’s fall/winter 21/22 season celebrates romanticism reinforced with retro touches like gigot sleeves

Q: Did you move from the city to the country?

NT: I did, I did. One of my dreams was to design my house in a forest and, three years ago, I found the forest on the Island of Montreal. I’m still on the island, but I’m far away, near the water.

So, I actually built the house that I designed.

Q: What’s your favourite beauty product?

NT: Armani silk foundation. The quality is incredible.

Q: Where do you love to travel?

NT: Besides Italy, Italy is my favourite.

My family and I have a house in Abruzzi, on the water side, and so that is my favourite of all, and my second favourite is Antigua.

Q: What’s one place you love in your city?

NT: Il Cortile, because it reminds me of Italy. It’s right in the heart of downtown Montreal.

Q: What is the definition of happiness to you?

NT: To love. The four-letter word.

LOVE. To love. www.nadyatoto.com @nadyatoto

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Entrepreneurship ZOX was founded by three brothers: Brandon, Jason and Jordan Kuipers

CHANGING THE WORLD, ONE WRISTBAND AT A TIME When Jason Kuipers handmade a wristband to match his lemon-lime Nikes, he never thought it would grow into a full-fledged business, let alone one he’d run with his two brothers

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hen we virtually met with the three brothers who founded ZOX, it didn’t take long to realize that there’s no one else they’d rather be in business with. Growing up in the small town of Hudsonville, Mich., Jason Kuipers is the oldest, followed by Brandon and Jordan. Throughout the conversation, the closeness they share is clear. “You can trust family implicitly,” says Jason. “Even when people get involved with friends, people grow apart over time or become more interested in the money. As a family, there’s nobody 38

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you can trust more. We’re always thinking about who else in the family could work for us.”

For those not familiar with the company, ZOX produces limitededition, collectible works of art for your wrist. Whether it’s ZOX’s You got this band or the Stay humble, stay kind band, they serve as wearable daily reminders.

Despite its strong foundation, the idea for ZOX started organically. “It was about making a wristband to match sneakers,” Jason says. “I still, to this day, don’t know why I did it, but it was solving a simple need. For almost

anybody who’s looking to start a business, you’re looking at things that you wish existed and go from there.”

When the brothers decided to embark on making the idea a business reality, they were, because of their age gap, in different stages of life. When Jason was working in media buying and advertising, Brandon was still in high school. Jordan, the youngest, was still in middle school and would finish basketball practice before returning home to ship out orders.

“Coming out of high school, there was pressure to go to college and do www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ZOX

INTERVIEW BY ESTELLE ZENTIL | WRITTEN BY JOSH WALKER

If you don’t try, you don’t fail.

I think that’s a huge stopping point for people. You’ve got to shift your mindset to the only failure is not trying — Brandon Kuipers

Every ZOX bracelet is hand-stitched and comes with a collectible card

the norm,” Brandon shares. “It was right on the cusp of when there was an upward trend of entrepreneurship, but people didn’t understand or know what it meant to have your own business.”

He goes on to share how he moved to Arizona, where his older brother was based, where they produced their first Friends and family band. This band, known for its trademark XO mark, is never sold, but rather given away to members of ZOX’s VIP community.

It was 1,000 of these wristbands that were given out for free at the brand’s beginning, almost as a social experiment to see how far their reach went.

“It’s a huge challenge of self-doubt when you’re starting out,” Brandon continues. “Key to that is pushing through, persevering and really digging into yourself. If you don’t try, you don’t fail. I think that’s a huge stopping point for people. You’ve got to shift your mindset to the only failure is not trying.”

Jason adds how the brand’s beginnings started not with each brother having an assigned role, but more a case of everyone pulling together to help with everything. “You just figure it out as you go,” he says. “I told both www.mycitylife.ca

Brandon and Jordan that nobody wants to be successful as much as you. I’ve had friends just sit around and wait for someone to offer them a dream job or opportunity, but that doesn’t work. You have to go out and figure things out for yourself.”

Since then, the brand has moved from strength to strength, with the brothers sharing experiences of seeing the products worn by people in the wild, or hearing heartwarming stories from customers who’ve overcome tough times, thanks to the words on the bands.

In one instance, Jason shares a story of seeing someone wear one while visiting the Greek island of Santorini. There are, however, a number of pillars that contribute to the success of ZOX. The first is collectibility. Every bracelet you order is hand-stitched with a tag that has a laser-cut serial number specific to the product. It also arrives with a collectible card to verify the band’s authenticity, complete with a quote that relates to the band you’ve purchased. ZOX even introduced a rarity scale, running from Grails to Essentials, to help shoppers understand how many of each rarity tier were released, and where people can find a

sold-out strap. “What we realized from early on is that in order to protect a brand and the viability of growth for a brand, you have to build a moat around it,” Jason continues. “There needs to be things that are unique to it. A lot say they’re rare, but never talk about how many are made.”

Collaboration is another important ZOX pillar, with the brand engaging in a number of partnerships with artists and creatives. “It’s important for people to get the same feeling we did in seeing our art become something you can wear,” Jason explains. “Over the years, that’s translated to experiences with big artists, as well as individual programs we have internally.” One such internal initiative is inviting upcoming artists to submit their own work, have it voted on by the ZOX community, with the winners having their work translated to ZOX products for both exposure and income.

A third important pillar is community.

As ZOX is founded on inspiring personal stories, not to mention a secondary market of people trying to source and collect the rare bands, the brand prides itself on being a place where people can come together. “With Sept/Oct 2021

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ZOX being such an international and inclusive community, we have people from every single solitary viewpoint, who would typically clash,” Jason says.

“If you take all those things together, lump them in and say what is the thing that’s united on every single front, it’s this idea that love wins. We’re able to show through the actions we’ve taken every single time that love wins. That’s how we’re changing the world with kind words.”

As well as wanting to change the world with the power of words and art, the brothers all share how the business is committed to having a positive impact on the environment. Particularly when the trio were thinking about collectibility, they wanted to ensure every stage of the production was put in place with care. As a result, every elastic wristband ZOX sells takes the equivalent of an eight-ounce water bottle from the ecosystem, and the collector cards are made from biodegradable PVC, leading to the elimination of almost 44,000 pounds of plastic production annually.

“If you’re a company, you have that responsibility to take care of the environment and give customers something that is beyond reproach,” says Brandon. “That’s something we’ve really pushed for the past three years, making everything to the point where we’re above reproach. With everything we sell, it needs to be something I can personally put my name on and say I believe this is good for the world and won’t leave a negative impact on our planet.”

This aspect of responsibility translates from planet to people, and, as well as taking steps to make their footprint more sustainable, every ZOX order provides a year of clean drinking water to someone in need via a donation to the Thirst Project. To date, the brand has raised million in total, including US$740,000, which has gone toward building wells through the Thirst Project.

Even within their own business, they’re always looking for opportunities where they can put the well-being of people first. As well as looking at

ways they can give employees who might be fulfilling orders industry experience in social media, writing or designing clothes (if that’s what they’re interested in), the brothers are looking at the potential of automation not as something that takes jobs away from people, but rather offers better jobs they wouldn’t have had before. “Every single one of us exchanges a piece of our life for a thing we purchase,” says Jason.

“To the same extent, employees need to feel the piece of life they’re trading for income is worthwhile.”

When we asked the brothers what the future holds for ZOX, the word that emerged was “experience,” and the trio is looking at how they can introduce exactly that to every single aspect of the business, including how it’s packaged and shipped out. With mention of gamification and exploring ways customers can be involved with the fulfillment side of things, it sounds like ZOX is only getting started. www.zox.la @ZOX

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A DV E R TO R I A L

Canaroma’s new showroom at 25 Torbarrie Rd. spans 20,000 square feet and includes a range of bathroom styles and designs

FROM SHOWROOM TO SHOWPIECE

With more than 40 years in the business, Canaroma Bath & Tile has just opened its new showroom and shows no sign of slowing down

C

anaroma began in July 1979, when brothers-in-law Frank Piacentini and Roy Mancini saw how showrooms in Italy were moving beyond the idea of displaying individual bathroom components, like faucets, sinks and showers, to presenting settings complete with an ensuite bathroom and powder room. Inspired by the concept and how much closer it brought people to the final product, they decided to bring the approach to Canada.

Since then, Canaroma has embedded itself in the design community, earning a reputation for its stunning range of products and commitment to customers.

Its roots are so firmly embedded with its journey from Italy to North America that the name comes from a play on the words “Canada” and Italy’s capital, “Roma.” It’s a testament to the ethics and values the brand holds today and the approach it takes when it comes to business.

Headed by Piacentini and Mancini, alongside their sons, the business is family run, and the owners work hard to ensure that ethos runs throughout. “What we’ve instilled in our families is that we care for our business,” Piacentini says. “We have heart, hard work, honesty and respect.

That’s what I look for when hiring people. I try to create that family environment.”

While Canaroma’s beginnings stretch

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back to the late 1970s, the products it stocks are the most modern and upto-date and, with the company being originators in Canada when it comes to showing the bathroom as it would appear in the home, have a habit of staying ahead of the curve.

The new showroom is a testament to that.

As well as being ideally situated in Toronto at 25 Torbarrie Rd., its 20,000 square feet showcase the variety of brands, fixtures and styles Canaroma has to offer. Whether it’s an extensive tile gallery, elaborate fixtures, a working water station, its Slab Hall, exclusive Versace boutique or vanities from around the world, there’s something for all tastes.

“It’s so elaborately done,” Mancini says. “It’s beautiful and shows the products really well. If you want to see faucets, there’s a faucet area. If you want to see sinks, there’s a sink area. We also have vignettes, so you can see complete bathrooms, with a shower, vanity, toilet and tiles,” Mancini continues. Where most showrooms include shower bases as they are, he describes how Canaroma goes to the next level, cutting its thin bases into the concrete itself, so viewers get a true sense of how it would appear in a real-life setting.

“From the moment you walk in the front door to when you pick up your

product, we create the best experience for the customer,” Piacentini continues.

While the product is a driving force of this experience, it also comes down to attention to detail, the family environment already mentioned and the expertise of the people working there.

For that reason, you’ll meet tile specialists and technical experts, and they’ll even connect you with installers, if that’s something you need. As Mancini says, “We have people who have been selling in our industry for years. All of our sales people are knowledgeable. It’s more than just selling a product at the best price.”

What also makes Canaroma so individual is its exclusivity. The establishment carries 12 international brands no one else does in Canada, including Baden Haus, Q’in and Sherle Wagner; as well as a wide range of other brands that are semi-exclusive.

Canaroma also has the largest boutique in Canada for Dornbracht, Zucchetti and Fantini, and Versace floor and wall tiles.

All of these are curated from extensive research, trips to international shows and having a finger on the pulse of what’s new and upcoming. Canaroma Bath & Tile covers all sorts of different styles, colours and materials, whether that’s contemporary, traditional or something else entirely.

“You have to have passion to do it and really love it,” Mancini says. “After 40 years of doing this, I [still] love going to shows and looking at new products. When we first started, bathrooms in Canada were a room you just used. Today, people come into the home, and both the kitchen and bathroom are showpieces.”

www.canaroma.ca @canaromatoronto www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTOS BY CARLOS A. PINTO

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ON THE RISE: YORK REGION’S CONDO BOOM SHOWS NO SIGN OF SLOWING

real estate

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It has become an omnipresent part of our cityscape — the construction crane. In its mid-year release for 2021, Rider Levett Bucknall reported the GTA had the most construction cranes in the air for any metropolitan area in North America, by far. With more than 330 currently in place, the GTA had an astounding 43 per cent of all cranes on the continent. Vaughan plays a big part of this total, with more cranes going up every day as Ontario’s York Region experiences an unprecedented condominium boom. City Life takes a look at four projects that are underway.

WRITTEN BY RICK MULLER

Vincent Condos

Development by Rosehaven Homes, Townwood Homes and Guglietti Brothers Investments

Launched this past summer and currently in pre-construction, this 40-storey tower at 2901 Highway 7 and Jane St., in the heart of Vaughan, Ont., at the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, is developed by Rosehaven Homes, with a scheduled occupancy of early 2026.

Vincent Condos will be a towering statement of contemporary style, designed by KIRKOR Architects and Planners, and features 447 suites in sizes ranging from 388 to 855 square feet, anticipated to start from the $400s and all with a modern feel and layouts practical for everyday living and entertaining.

Its location is ideal in that it is surrounded by fine dining, cafés, bars, shops and businesses, and adjacent to parks, trails, golf courses and schools.

As it is in the centre of a major transit hub, Vincent Condos will be only minutes from York University and an easy commute to downtown Toronto.

Vincent Condos’ amenities include a 24-hour concierge, a fully equipped fitness centre and yoga studio, a private dining room, private party room, spectacular 60-foot lap pool, children’s playroom, pet spa, co-working space, sports simulator and smart parcel locker system. www.thevincent.ca www.rosehavenhomes.com

The Rose Hill Condos This six-storey luxury boutique condo by Capital North Communities is located at 197 Woodbridge Ave., in the heart of downtown Woodbridge, Ont., overlooking the Humber River and nestled nearby the natural beauty of Nort Johnson District Park. Designed

by Sweeny & Co Architects Inc., The Rose Hill Condos contain 85 suites offered in 24 different floor plans, in sizes ranging from 519 to 1,824 square feet.

Priced from the $480s, the project has an estimated occupancy of spring 2023.

The building features private terraces and large balconies, designer kitchens and large windows for an abundance of natural light. Amenities include a rooftop terrace for private entertaining, party room and lounge area, and a fully equipped fitness centre and full sauna. The Rose Hill Condos are ideally situated near some of the best dining, shopping and entertainment options in Vaughan. Access to the bus routes of the York Region Transit services is just steps from the front door, allowing easy transit to York University or Seneca College campuses and connecting to nearby Vaughan Metropolitan Centre and the Toronto-York Spadina subway for easy commutes to downtown Toronto.

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Sept/Oct 2021

Development by Capital North Communities www.therosehillcondos.com www.cncommunities.com www.mycitylife.ca

Hillmont at SXSW

Development by Primont Homes

York Region’s reputation as an outstanding area to live, work and play has caused an explosion of new condominiums

Currently in pre-construction with its estimated completion in summer 2025, Hillmont at SXSW is the next phase of the 42-acre master-planned SXSW community at Islington Avenue and Highway 407 in Vaughan. Developed by Primont Homes with inspired architecture by Quadrangle Development, the two 19- and 22-storey luxury contemporary towers will be located at 7082 Islington Ave. and will be close to transit, shopping and dining.

The interior spaces by Figure3 are designed to reflect the project’s natural ravine setting by incorporating warm tones, varying textures and a neutral colour palette, with a generous use of stone, woods and metals conveying a feeling of tranquility throughout its public spaces and suites. The two towers will rise from a shared podium surrounded by landscaped gardens, designed

by NAK Design Group, and a 30-acre ravine.

Starting at the $600s, the suites range in size from 615 to 1,341 square feet and feature large, curving balconies as extensions of indoor living space. Amenities are curated to promote an engaged and social living environment and include splash pads, a yoga studio, library lounge, fully equipped fitness studio, outdoor barbecue area and think space lounge. www.hillmontsxswofficial.com www.primonthomes.com

Mobilio Condos

Development by Menkes Developments Ltd

www.mycitylife.ca

The latest project by Menkes Developments, one of Canada’s most successful and prolific developers, Mobilio Condos will be opening next year in the core of the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, at Highway 7 and Jane Street. This project represents the first phase of the Mobilio master-planned community, a carefully thought-out community, which perfectly balances residences, amenities and green spaces.

Turner Fleischer Architects Inc. has designed the two 20- and 21-storey towers, and the first contains a total of 550 suites, all of which are currently sold out.

The buildings are located just south of the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre subway station, allowing for easy access to the entire GTA. The project is located near fine dining, retail shops and an abundance of entertainment options, which make Vaughan such an attractive place to live, work and play.

Featuring a 24-hour concierge, the buildings’ amenities include a bar, games room, movie theatre, co-work lounge, meeting room, kids’ playroom, social TV and party room with kitchen and bar area, outdoor play area and an outdoor terrace with barbecue for entertaining and hospitality. www.menkes.com Sept/Oct 2021

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A DV E R TO R I A L

A PASSION FOR REAL ESTATE To date, Michael Vennare has sold $250 million worth of properties and been named one of the top 100 real estate brokers in Ontario

A

s the saying goes, if you actually did it, it’s not bragging. So if you take a look at the impressive stats and listings that Michael Vennare currently has online for his company, Analyst Realty, you’ll know you’ll be in good 46

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hands. “Michael is a performance-based agent providing customers the best prices when selling or buying! When it comes to making a deal, Mike is a shark in shallow water and knows exactly when to strike,” says Natalie Schiabel, a recent Analyst Realty client.

416-438-7653 or 416-642-4235 Michael@AnalystRealty.ca 38 – 3560 Rutherford Rd., ON www.analystrealty.ca

www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTO BY CARLOS A. PINTO

MICHAEL VENNARE:

Michael’s approach to real estate is one that has been moulded by his deep passion and performance for his clients at the top echelon of luxury real estate.

This notion translates into Vennare’s impressive selection of properties throughout Vaughan, Toronto, King, Peel and beyond.

His professional journey started in finance, working as an assistant investment advisor with TD Wealth Management. Armed with his experience analyzing market trends, being able to drive good negotiations and with a passion for the buying and selling process for homes, he soon decided to branch out into real estate.

Licensed in Real Estate since 2013, and founding Analyst Realty in 2019, his business is driven by a simple saying: “Minimize risk, increase leverage and create wealth.” By taking the role of an investment advisor, it’s dedicated to helping people analyze the market so they can best figure out what they want to do next. Whether someone’s a firsttime homebuyer, a current homeowner looking for a change or an investor looking for future developments, Analyst Realty has the expertise to offer.

What makes Analyst Realty particularly effective is its ability to be with you every step of the way. When it comes to buying, that spans everything from choosing the right neighbourhood to maximizing value for the property when it’s purchased. When it comes to investing, that spans analyzing the available data to calculating the potential return on investment.

On a mission to treat clients like family, and as a true family man himself, with a loving wife, Christina, and two beautiful boys, Jaxon and Jayden, Vennare truly understands the importance of finding a home, increasing your wealth both literally and figuratively.

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Time to fall in love with this season’s picks — starting with exploring new art, designing your dream home, and getting behind your dream car WRITTEN BY ESTELLE ZENTIL

EDITOR’S PICKS

www.mycitylife.ca

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7. COOL CONSOLE Modern, contemporary and warm, Zilli’s Runway Console offers storage solutions, adjustable shelving, and wire management—all encased in a chic taupe lacquer finish with convex geometric door fronts. @zillihome / zillihome.com 8. PARTY LIKE AN ANIMAL As a one-stop luxury kids’ party rental boutique, The Petite Party will provide you with the tables, custom backdrops, props, decor and more to celebrate your little one—no matter what theme you (or they) had in mind! @thepetiteparty / @bonandcopartystudio / @sohosweetcarts 9. TOMAYTO, TOMAHTO Let’s face it, tomatoes in any form make any savoury recipe that much better. When it comes to perfecting your next Neapolitan style pizza or pasta sauce, Martelli’s San Marzano Tomatoes have got you covered. @martellifoods / martellifoods.com 10. DARING DIFFUSER Maison Lumière’s THEM diffuser comes in a chic premium matte black vessel filled with exotic notes like orange marmalade and mysterious base notes like brown sugar and tobacco. @maisonlumiere.ca / www.maisonlumiere.ca 11. DREAM ABODE If you’re looking to design your next dream home, look no further than architect Richard Librach, who helps clients realize their dreams and deliver upon their vision. @richardlibracharchitect / www.rlarchitect.com 12. PEAU PARFAITE Infused with magnesium, manganese and selenium, L’Elixir des Glaciers illuminates skin from the inside, comfortably remineralizing your skin for the cooler season ahead. @valmontcosmetics / www.lamaisonvalmont.com 13. ADD A LITTLE POP Toronto-based pop artist Michelle Vella, known for her colourful, bold and energetic portrayals of pop culture icons, is bound to spice up any room in your home, a perfect way to shake things up with Fall. @michellevellart / michellevella.com

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WELCOME TO

HOLLINGSWOOD On-screen and off-screen, Benjamin Hollingsworth has a lot going on. Hollingsworth currently stars on Virgin River, Netflix’s most streamed series, and recently welcomed his third child.

City Life caught up with the actor from his home in Vancouver on a Friday afternoon — that is, once we got the audio to work INTERVIEW AND WRITTEN BY ESTELLE ZENTIL

Friday, July 30, 4:00 p.m. EST [Zooming in] Benjamin Hollingsworth: Hey, how are you doing?

CL: Good! How are you?

BH: Good, I’m just going to put my earbud in!

CL: ...Oh no! I can’t hear you, Benjamin!

BH: Sorry. I’ve done thousands of these, but it just decided to have a life of its own.

I just got back to the gym, so I wonder if they [earbuds] just got connected to my phone?

CL: No worries! Totally understandable.

BH: Unbelievable! I might have to start the computer or something. I just turned it off of Bluetooth, and now it’s jumped back on, so I might’ve lost control of my computer. But we’re good, I think? OK, can you hear me?

[Disconnected and re-hopped on Zoom call]

I don’t know what that was, but I think we fixed it. Let’s start from the beginning.

Let’s pretend that that never happened.

Just when you think you have it figured out, the audio doesn’t work!

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Once we got our Zoom to cooperate, Hollingsworth confirmed that he was, indeed, a real-life person, who also has to deal with technical issues. “People are always so surprised. They’re like, ‘You’re so normal,’ and I’m like, ‘Of course, we’re normal. We’re humans, we’re people, too.’

I think the ones who lose touch with that and become bigger than themselves and think of themselves as this A-list movie actor or this big TV star, they don’t have the longevity.”

This sense of humility is something Hollingsworth recognizes as being one of the key attributes to a successful actor.

“I’ve had the privilege of working with some very talented people. I find the most talented are the ones who are most grounded, because, at the end of the day, we’re playing people, real-life people.”

Hollingsworth’s career is the result of natural talent meeting hard work. Starting out as a guest star on Degrassi in his teens, Hollingsworth secured a leading role in the film The Joneses, which turned into holding three seasons on CBS’s Code

Black, and so much more in between — to now starring in Netflix’s most streamed series, Virgin River. “Longevity is the true measure of a successful career because it shows that your talent is what sets you apart. It’s not your looks, or luck. It wasn’t just being in the right place at the right time … the only linking quality is that they’re hardworking and talented,” says Hollingsworth.

Our conversation touched on a broad range of topics — his acting method, his plant-based diet, what a date night looks like having recently welcomed his third child, Juniper, and the importance of Canadian storytelling.

CL: What do you think is the recipe for

making a series binge-worthy?

BH: First, I think, really, it was timely

when our second season came out in the middle of the pandemic. Everyone was kind of closed off from one another, and this was a story about a town that’s exactly the opposite. Everyone’s there with each other, and there’s a sense of www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTO BY @COLLINSTARK | GROOMING BY @JESSICASTARK_

Hollingsworth previously spent three seasons on CBS’s Code Black and starred opposite Liam Neeson in Cold Pursuit

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‘‘ ”

LONGEVITY IS THE TRUE MEASURE OF A SUCCESSFUL CAREER BECAUSE IT SHOWS THAT YOUR TALENT IS WHAT SETS YOU APART community, and that’s what we were all missing, that sense of, you know, when you aren’t feeling well, someone would come bring you some soup, or if someone was having a hard time with something, there would be a friend who would come by and give them a hug and make sure that they’re OK. It just kind of reminded people that that still exists in the world, and that one day we’d get back to that. I think that was kind of like a warm, cosy, fuzzy blanket for a lot of people. I also think the writing on the show, the plot twists, the way they end episodes kind of leaves you wanting a little more. So, I think a combination of the two makes it something people can’t get enough of.

CL: What is your relationship with your character, Dan Brady? How are you similar/dissimilar?

BH: Well, you always try to find a way to relate to the character you’re playing, and you always try to bring certain elements of yourself into the character. That being said, Brady’s a very different guy than I am. I’m generally a lot nicer than Brady and I come from a loving, caring family, and he was kind of brought up without one. So, you find similarities based on experiences you’ve had in life, and even though I don’t know what it’s like to have fought in a war as a Marine, like Brady has with Jack, I do know what it’s like to play hockey with guys, and that’s sort of war, in a sense, that same kind of camaraderie. So, what you do is you draw from life experience you’ve had to give you an idea of where that character is coming from. There’s also, you know, 52

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different techniques. You sometimes draw characteristics from animals, and I do think Brady is kind of a stray dog, or a lone wolf, and so I use those characteristics that that animal has and I apply that to Brady, and that kind of grounds it in a very textured way.

CL: Is it more fun playing a character

who follows a different plot than the book that the series is based off of ?

BH: Yeah, I think it keeps the audience on their toes. It also allows me to not be confined to some idea of what people have read in the book. We found a whole audience not only for those who love the books, but also for those who have no idea that it was even based off the books. Because my character has a much smaller role in the book and also a different kind of vibe to him in the book, I am kind of able to make my own choices and I’m not confined to some sort of idea of what the character should be. And I never like to be confined. I’m an actor who loves to run off of impulse and my instincts and what my gut says is right at the time.

CL: What has been the funniest thing

to happen on set so far?

BH: We were shooting the lumberjack

episode, which was up on top of a mountain in Vancouver called Grouse Mountain, and we were supposed to be there in the summertime, and it was snowing at the top of the mountain.

Essentially, we couldn’t shoot; we had to wait and wait and wait, and then the fog rolled in, during which time I was like, “OK, great.” There’s this hike that goes

up the mountain; it’s this really intense hike. They call it the “Grouse Grind,” and it takes an hour. It’s all straight up vertical, and so I was like, “You know what? I’m just going to get a workout in.” So, I did that hike a few times, which warmed me up, and then I was able to shoot. But, you know, we have to take off all the layers and pretend that it’s summertime. And we’re there in short sleeves, and to not be shivering on camera, it makes our jobs a little hard. That was funny-ish, I guess. I’m originally Canadian. I was born in Brockville[, Ont.,] and spent my highschool years in Peterborough, Ont., but I’ve been in L.A. for the last 15 years, and I’ve totally wimped out and became acclimated to the weather down here, so it was a little more difficult than it would have been if I was back in my high-school days.

CL: Congratulations on welcoming

your third child into the world. How do you manage both your personal and professional life?

BH: Three kids alone are stressful, but managing them with a career is even more difficult. I think it’s easier when you’re on a show. We shoot in one location, and it’s kind of the same throughout the year, and that makes it easier. What’s tough is during my hiatus, when I’m not shooting Virgin River. You know I just got back from Calgary. I was shooting a series for Paramount Studios, a television series called Joe Pickett out there. That was difficult because my family was here, and I was still having to go back and www.mycitylife.ca

RAPID-FIRE WITH HOLLINGSWORTH

While Hollingsworth is on hiatus from Netflix’s Virgin River, he’s shooting his arc on Joe Pickett, a Spectrum Originals drama based on C.J. Box’s novels

Q: What’s your favourite book?

A: The Great Gatsby Q: How did you choose your children’s names?

A: Hemingway was the name of a restaurant we had our second date at in L.A. and it also happens to be the last name of my favorite author.

Gatsby is not only a nod to my favourite book but also the name of a restaurant in Paris where we ate the day he was conceived ;) We love the name Juniper and the fact that the Juniper tree grows where everything else struggles. The berries also have many healing qualities.

Q: What’s your favourite love story?

A: Come on. I’ve got to answer this in public? Fine, OK, The Notebook. Go on, laugh it up but Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling - two Canadians at the top of their game is pretty hard to beat.

Q: What’s your favourite quote?

A: “Love isn’t finding the perfect person, it’s finding an imperfect person and loving them perfectly.” - Sam Keen Q: What’s your favourite cologne?

A: The One by D&G Q: Who’s your favourite designer?

A: Scotch and Soda Q: What’s your favourite fall treat?

A: I love homemade pumpkin pie with whip cream. My grandmother used to make them when I was very little and it’s one of my favourite memories of her.

Q: Winter or Summer?

A: Summer in Canada and winter in L.A.

PHOTO BY @COLLINSTARK | GROOMING BY @JESSICASTARK_

Q: Salty or sweet?

A: Sweet

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Q: How did you make your first dollar?

A: Shovelling snow off driveways in Peterborough, Ontario.

Q: What’s your favourite holiday?

A: Christmas.

Hollingsworth pictured with his wife, Nila, and children, sons Gatsby and Hemingway, and the newest edition to his family, daughter Juniper

Q: What’s your favourite movie of all time?

A: Snatch or Fight Club or Se7en. Basically, Brad Pitt movies in the ‘90s.

Q: Who’s your favourite character of all time?

A: John Candy in Uncle Buck or Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire Q: What is your go-to shower song?

A: Journey’s - Don’t Stop Believin’ Q: What’s your favourite sports team?

A: The Leafs as painful as it’s been, it’s ingrained into my soul. I will always believe. And, WHEN we do win the cup we will have found a solution to global warming as hell will have frozen over.

Q: What should every man try at least once in his life?

A: Fatherhood.

Q: What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?

A: “Dreams are made possible if you try.”

- Terry Fox Q: What’s a hidden gem from the city you’re from?

A: Oh so many. Of course the Peterborough lift locks are pretty famous, but there’s a place on top of a hill downtown where you can drive up to at night and see the whole city. It’s a pretty famous old school make-out spot. Not that I’ve been.

Q: What’s your favourite day of the year and why?

A: Thanksgiving. Family, giving and tradition are wonderful things to celebrate. Oh and did I mention pumpkin pie?

Q: What is one thing you want to teach your kids as they grow up?

A: Imagination and empathy are imperative when navigating life. Follow your heart. If you learn to listen to it, you will find it has most of the answers.

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‘‘ ‘‘

PHOTO COURTESY OF BENJAMIN HOLLINGSWORTH

Q: What movie has the greatest ending?

A: Has to be Titanic.

I’M AN ACTOR WHO LOVES TO RUN OFF OF IMPULSE AND MY INSTINCTS AND WHAT MY GUT SAYS IS RIGHT AT THE TIME forth. Being away from the kids is the hardest thing, and I think you don’t have to do that as much when you’re on a TV series, but when you’re doing films all the time, going back and forth is really difficult, not being able to see the kids or taking the kids with you. Then you’re three kids deep with no baby equipment or preschool or nannies and, you know, you’re there trying to work. My driver will show up from anywhere between 4:30 a.m. and 5 a.m., and I’ll work until 10 p.m. or even midnight, so the days are really long, and sometimes I’ll leave before they wake up and go home after they’ve gone to bed. It’s hard when they don’t see you for a few days in a row, so that is the difficult part. But then it’s also one of the best things on the weekends, when I’ve worked really hard and see their little faces be so excited, and that really charges my batteries, so to speak.

CL: What other ways do you recharge your batteries? Do you have any health rituals when it comes to your diet and overall mental health?

BH: As of late, gyms were kind of closed while I was filming Virgin River. And if you’ve seen season 3, I’ve taken off my clothes a little more than normal and so I needed to whip myself out of pandemic shape and into television shape. That was a little difficult with the gyms being closed. So, what I did was I carried my kids everywhere and I pushed them in the running stroller. I carried them on hikes and I biked them uphill with my bike stroller, the bike trailer, and it was just a lot of practical-style body-weight stuff. I usually play hockey, but it was closed, and so that was difficult. And we have this little league of actors, most of which are Canadian, there are some Russians and some Americans, and we get together and we play, and I love that. www.mycitylife.ca

And among us, we get to be physical, and there’s no better workout than hockey, so there’s that. And recently, I’ve been taking on more of a plantbased diet. I’ve stopped eating red meat basically and kind of moved toward a pescatarian, plant-based diet. That was really great for helping me lose weight and becoming more aware of some of the stresses that eating meat causes [not only] on the environment, but also on our bodies. I was able to lose quite a bit of weight fairly quickly just shifting my diet.

CL: I heard you had taken inspiration

from your wife, who is vegan, right?

BH: Yes, she’s vegan, and she was born

vegetarian. She’s never even tasted meat in her life, so she doesn’t know what it tastes like, and we’re raising our kids vegetarian as well. And, you know, before it was hard. When we first met, I was such a carnivore. I had to have meat every single day, three times a day — even at breakfast. If I didn’t have meat, it wasn’t breakfast. If lunch didn’t have meat, it wasn’t lunch, and slowly over the years I started eating less and less. But I think, just recently, there’s been a lot of advancements in Beyond Meat burgers and Impossible burgers and dietary alternative styles of meat, where I can eat a Beyond Meat burger and not feel that heavy kind of feeling that you would after downing a massive burger. Things are changing really quickly, and I wouldn’t be surprised if 10 years from now, more and more people have these options at every single restaurant. There will be a plant menu as well as a normal menu.

CL: What’s your idea of a perfect date night?

BH: A date would be a good start.

Three babysitters to take care of our kids, that’s No. 1. Then, you know, I love doing a sunset cruise with some wine, a charcuterie board with different cheeses.

I think it’s pretty great with some fruit and stuff. Just having some time without the kids. Usually, what we do is, we’ll have a combination of one of our parents or a grandparent and a nanny, and maybe we can skip out of town for one night, but we bring our youngest because she’s still breastfeeding. But, www.mycitylife.ca

just even that feels amazing, and we’ll do a little mini-vacay for one night.

CL: What makes you most proud to

be Canadian, and where do you see Canada’s film industry going in the future?

BH: I think it’s really important to tell Canadian stories and I think throughout my career, even over the last decade, Canadian television has changed. I started my first TV guest star on Degrassi, way back, and even that, around that time, there was very much a stigma around Canadian TV being not as good quality. It was kind of asterisked by a Canadian show, and now most of the good American TV is filmed up here in Canada; it’s filmed in Toronto or it’s filmed in Vancouver.

And vice versa: when I’m in L.A., a lot of the great talent is Canadian, and we’re down there working. It is more the lines, whether you’re a Canadian or Australian, or British, or Irish, or a Scottish actor or whether you’re American; it’s all kind of one now — it really is. It’s just a very international feel in L.A. Then every single one of those countries that I just mentioned, they have their own kind of bustling film industry, and so a lot of those actors go home and they like to work at home. I’m no different; I love working in Canada.

One of the reasons why I took Virgin River is because it was shot in Vancouver and I got to move out with my kids and my wife there. It’s just a beautiful area, and so that actually goes into where I choose a role. Where it films makes a big difference for me.

CL: What do you think are the most

important qualities and values to have in the acting world? How do you stay humble and grounded?

BH: I think that I’ve met a lot of terrific actors and I’ve had the privilege of working with some very talented people.

I find the most talented are the ones who are most grounded, because at the end of the day, we’re playing people, real-life people. When you meet Matt Damon or Marcia Gay Harden, who’s an Oscar winner. I’ve had many conversations with Ben Stiller, Edward Norton, Paul Rudd, and they are just the most downto-earth people who were grounded,

who were humble and who treated other people like they would treat anyone. People are always so surprised, they’re like, “You’re so normal,” and I’m like, “Of course we’re normal. We’re humans, we’re people, too.” And I think the ones who lose touch of that and become bigger than themselves and think of themselves as this A-list movie actor or this big TV star, they don’t have the longevity. When you talk about Christopher Plummer, for me, there’s no luck in longevity. Longevity is the true measure of a successful career because it shows that your talent is what sets you apart. It’s not your looks or luck; it wasn’t just being in the right place at the right time. Those people who have a 50-, 40- or 30-year career, the only linking quality is that they’re hard-working and talented. So, for me, it’s about the work, about putting in the time, putting in the effort and making sure that when I got to work, it’s not just that I know my lines.

I know the way the character thinks and the way he reacts and the way he feels and what’s affecting the character that scene, and so all of that texture is what goes into making a performance real. If you’re not in that headspace, you’re not going to be grounded. I’m always happy to meet anyone who’s a fan and I’m very happy to be a working actor at all because there are tons of people who are talented and hard-working and who aren’t working because it is a very, very difficult career to have longevity in, and so I’m very grateful for the opportunities and the chances I’ve had.

CL: What’s your definition of happiness?

BH: My definition of happiness is being

able to wake up in the morning and look forward to going to work. I think if you can find joy in what you do and find fulfillment in what you do, you’re bound to be happy because you’re not only being productive and you’re making a living, you’re supporting yourself or your family, but you’re [also] fulfilling your inner spirit, your soul. And if you can do that, you’ll have a full tank and you’ll be very happy. I’ve been very lucky to be able to do that and I’m one of the happiest guys you’ll know. @hollingsworthb Sept/Oct 2021

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food

A FRESH PERSPECTIVE As Summer Fresh celebrates its 30th year in business, its founder and president, Susan Niczowski, discusses her earliest food memory, balancing sacrifice with success and the endless appeal of hummus INTERVIEW BY ESTELLE ZENTIL WRITTEN BY JOSH WALKER

W

ith more than 85 products spanning dips, salads, hummus and snacks, it’s likely you’ve experienced Summer Fresh foods. When Susan Niczowski founded the brand 30 years ago, she created 17 salad recipes. Not only are those recipes still going strong in their products today, but the brand has become a staple in Canadian stores and fridges alike.

“I’ve always had a passion for fresh, prepared foods. My father was into photography, and he would take pictures of me roasting fresh green tomatoes on the barbecue at three or four years old,” Niczowski says. “I wanted to create fun specialty food items, and I wanted it available to general consumers in everyday retail stores. Food’s all about 56

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breaking bread together, health and wellness.”

Niczowski attributes her first food memory to her father, later describing how he would cut up various types of meats for charcuterie boards or offer breads with different mustards and horseradishes so she could taste the difference in each.

The next step in Summer Fresh’s foundation came when Niczowski was in Mexico as a teenager and discovered the term entrepreneur. “We flew home, and I had to look it up in the dictionary.

I didn’t realize I was going to be an entrepreneur until many years after graduating from school,” she continues.

“I felt there was a need in the market for fresh, prepared gourmet foods that are all-natural with no preservatives

and are good and easy for you. Who has the time after working a 10-hour day to go home and cook? It’s important we feed our families and ourselves good, nutritious foods.”

Summer Fresh filled that gap, offering a range of products Canadians could eat, safe in the knowledge that they were equal parts tasty and healthy.

It’s a business Niczowski built with the support and help of her family. “My mum stood by me 365 days of the year.

My sister, being a microbiologist, was able to manage the plant aspect of it.

You have to focus on your strengths and then surround yourself with people who can help with your weaknesses.”

After three decades in the business, the passion that drove the business initially is still going strong, and www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTO BY CARLOS A. PINTO

The Summer Fresh recipes were born from Susan Niczowski’s own experience with food

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SUMMER FRESH

Today, with 30 years experience and more than 85 products, Summer Fresh is a staple in many Canadian homes

Niczowski is still as excited about the ingredients Summer Fresh uses, making a point to not just taste but use the products every day.

Hummus is a particular standout.

“Hummus isn’t just a dip you eat with crackers or vegetables. I put two tablespoons into my salad every day. It’s a great source of protein, which is important for fuelling your body. Hummus in North America is consumed as a party food or snack, but, across the world it’s eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner,” she continues. “You can use it as a marinade, as a potato topper, on a burger. There are endless ways to serve it.”

It’s a passion for food she also ensures her employees are sharing. “I’m a true believer that you should love what you do, because it’s like playing,” she says.

“We try to treat and teach everybody to have respect and be part of the Summer Fresh family.”

That’s not to say the success has come without sacrifice, though, and Niczowski is open in discussing the struggles that come with starting a business and the balance you have to strike. “When my friends would go out www.mycitylife.ca

We try to treat and teach everybody to have respect and be part of the Summer Fresh family to dinners or parties, I had to either be in school or work. They couldn’t understand why I had to cancel or join later,” she shares. “Once you got married, you have to have an understanding with your partner that you’re a career woman and want to do something for yourself, and sometimes that means not being home for dinner. There definitely has to be an understanding.”

There’s also a philanthropic side to Summer Fresh, with the company working with a number of hospitals, retirement homes and organizations

so they can give back. Even in the pandemic, Niczowski explains how the company donated thousands of pounds of products to frontline workers and people in need and even sent their employees fresh fruit boxes so they didn’t have to wait in line at the store.

This effort of giving back is built on the belief that everyone should be able to eat good quality food and is rooted in her parents’ personal experience in Macedonia. “My parents grew up in Macedonia during the civil war and ended up living in foster homes in Poland,” she says. “The Canadian Red Cross were able to locate them in Poland. It gave them an opportunity to grow and get an education. That is why giving back to the community has always been one of the forefronts of our family.”

Today, you’d be right to call both Niczowski and the Summer Fresh brand a success. For Niczowski, it’s just par for the course. “I never think of myself as being successful. I’m only as successful as my next sale. I just think about how we’re going to move forward.” www.summerfresh.com @summerfreshisfresh Sept/Oct 2021

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Life Choices

IT IS A PERSONAL CHOICE — OR IS T?

As the number of COVID-19 cases decreases, businesses and educational institutions are reopening. Should COVID-19 vaccinations be mandatory to enter these institutions?

WRITTEN BY CECE M. SCOTT

L

ike politics and religion, the topic behalf of two of its students if the college the equipment that is needed for the of one’s COVID-19 vaccination does not change its position relative to course at home. Unfortunately, this was status is controversial — a yes or allowing unvaccinated students on not permitted. My program requires lab work and the oversight of inno answer that leaves people on both campus.)

Crystal Love, one of the people the person attendance for certain projects, sides of the jab shaking their heads. The unvaccinated say the vaccine is too new, justice centre is representing, is in her which doesn’t allow for the course to be that it is unproven and does not stop a second year of a two-year veterinary completed online,” Costa says.

Allison Kindle Pejovic is the legal technician program at Seneca. vaccinated person from getting She is not an anti-vaxxer, and, counsel at the justice centre representing COVID-19 and that it merely in fact, both she and her Love and Costa in their fight against mitigates the effects of both three children have had the Seneca College’s mandated COVID-19 contracting the disease and “other” traditional vaccines. vaccination policy. dealing with it.

“We are bringing a charter challenge However, Love considers the There are all kinds of COVID-19 vaccine to be in a to Seneca’s vaccination policy on the scientific and medical facts basis that our clients’ constitutionally different class altogether. that support and strongly CRYSTAL LOVE, STUDENT “The COVID-19 vaccine is protected rights have been infringed, recommend getting a double marketed as decreasing the severity of specifically, their rights to conscience, dose of AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna privacy and their rights to life, the disease’s symptoms, but you can or Janssen ( Johnson & Johnson). liberty and security as a person.

Since the first vaccine was injected still give and transmit it. Even They also potentially may have into a group of select people in Ontario double-vaccinated people are been discriminated against and Quebec on December 14, 2020, ending up in hospitals. I need based on their vaccination those who are pro-vaccine have been to see more data; the vaccine status,” Pejovic states. “The lined up on one side of the cause, has not been tested enough, first and foremost reason for while the people who choose not to be and we have not been given vaccinated quote a litany of reasons as to enough information on it,” ALLISON KINDLE PEJOVIC these students refraining from LEGAL COUNSEL getting their COVID-19 Love says, her voice cracking why they are not doing so. vaccines is that the vaccines are in As a woman, I understand the worries with emotion. “I am not afraid of around getting the vaccine as it relates to coronavirus, but I do worry about it as clinical trials until 2023, and there either being pregnant or planning to be I would for other health conditions. I do is no long-term safety data. They so in the near future; it is, without doubt, not want to be thought of as a reckless know that at their age, their chance of a worrisome issue. There are as many person, but I worry people may assume surviving COVID-19 is 99.95 per cent based on a seroprevalence study out of factors at play for those who choose not this opinion of me themselves.”

Mariana Costa, the other student Stanford University by professor and to get vaccinated as there are for those named in the justice centre’s letter physician-scientist Dr. John Ioannidis. who have chosen to do so.

Another dynamic at the heart of the to Seneca, is in her final year of the In September 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention matter, as outlined by the Justice Centre Fashion Arts Program at the (CDC) estimated that people for Constitutional Freedoms in a five- college. She has already in their age group infected page, July 30, 2021, letter to David completed more than half with COVID-19 would have Agnew, president of Toronto’s Seneca of the three-year program a 99.98 per cent survivability College, is stated thusly: “Furthermore, online, due to COVID-19, rate. This evidence should not this [COVID-19] vaccine requirement but the program’s last two be in dispute.” is unconstitutional as it violates sections semesters require hands-on On the opposing side of 2, 7, 8 and 15 of the Canadian Charter participation.

MARIANA COSTA, STUDENT Ioannidis’s study is a joint article “I reached out to the of Rights.”

(The justice centre intends to launch college to ask if I could continue my published June 2, 2021, in the Journal of a legal action against Seneca College on final year online, given that I have all the Royal Society of Medicine (Volume 58

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Sept/Oct 2021

www.mycitylife.ca

114) and authored by Dr. Mohammad Razai of London (U.K.), Pippa Oakeshott, Aneez Esmail, Charles Shey Wiysonge, Kasisomayajula Viswanath and Melinda C. Mills, wherein a 5Cs model to address vaccine hesitancy was recommended.

The report states that, “One of the biggest hurdles to vaccinations is hesitancy: a delay in acceptance, or refusal, despite availability.”

The group offered a 5Cs model to tackle vaccine hesitancy. These include: confidence, (importance, safety and efficacy of vaccines); complacency (perception of low risk and low-disease severity); convenience (access issues dependent on the context,time and specific vaccine being offered); communications (sources of information); and context (sociodemographic characteristics).

As far as Seneca College is concerned, its decision stands firm. In a July 23, 2021, article in the Toronto Star, Agnew wrote: “In the past few weeks, I have been asked innumerable times if it was a difficult decision to require students and employees to be vaccinated as a condition of coming on campus in

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September at Seneca. Honestly, in my 12 years as president, it was one of the easiest decisions.”

While the president’s office declined to comment for this article, in an August 24, 2021, Toronto Star article, Agnew wrote: “Note that ‘mandatory’ vaccination policies fall into two camps: those with frequent testing for the unvaccinated and those that don’t.”

Agnew went on to say, “Here’s why Seneca is not offering testing as an alternative to getting vaccinated.

The foundation of every public health strategy to defeat a virus is vaccinations.

Full stop.”

With the number of COVID-19 infections rising in the last few weeks – in mid-July, 2021, there were fewer than 120 cases reported for that day, but on August 28, 2021, the one-day total of new COVID-19 cases had jumped to 835 - is it time to once again have a public open-ended discussion to clear up the many bits of misinformation that have occurred over these past many months?

The Justice Centre is a charity funded by private donations, and its

lawyers represent all of their clients pro bono. Pejovic says that the desired outcome of the Love/Costa judgment is: “a declaration from the court that the actions of Seneca College are unconstitutional and have violated our clients’ Charter rights, and that the requirement be lifted so that Love and Costa can finish their programs and pursue their chosen careers.”

So, what will Love and Costa do while they are waiting for a decision as to whether they can resume their studies on campus?

“I am not sure quite what to do,” Love says, her voice dusted with tears. “I was hoping that the college would change their mind, but it doesn’t look like that is going to happen. I just want to get back to school and finish my program.

I did very well and I loved it. In the end, I think we should be given a choice.”

At the end of the day, the elephantin-the-room question still remains: “At what point does an individual’s freedom to choose supersede the well-being of the masses?”

Finding the right answer is what keeps many of us up in the night.

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THE PLIGHT OF THE AFGHAN PEOPLE With the pullout of American troops and personnel and the recent Taliban takeover, Afghan people are both bereft and fearful for their future

T

WRITTEN BY CECE M. SCOTT

he images and live video streams documenting the frenzied scene at Afghanistan’s Kabul airport on August 16 are such that, once seen, they are impossible to forget, involving inconceivable moments of human suffering, tragedy, fear and despair.

Hundreds of Afghans — most of whom appeared to be men dressed in their traditional clothing of a perahan tunban (shirt/pants) — ran desperately alongside a U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17 plane in hopes that by their very efforts the pilot would turn the aircraft around and shepherd them all aboard. One image shows a man climbing upwards towards what looks like a small vent on the side of the C-17 airbus, his 60

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very being emitting the hope that he might be able to wiggle through its opening. At least a dozen people stood on the landing gear while others clung to the wings of the departing plane; eventually, two people tumbled to their deaths when the Boeing aircraft took to the skies. Anyone who saw these images will forever have them tattooed on both their heart and their memory bank.

Fleeting snapshots of the interior of one of the evacuation planes leaving Kabul showed an estimated 640 people aboard, double the suggested payload.

In the midst of this chaotic milieu, Ashraf Ghani, the elected president of Afghanistan, fled with his inner circle to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The story of Afghanistan is a complex,

multi-layered history of insurgency and occupation, a country whose people carry some of the blame for what has gone wrong, but also a country that has been steeped in rampant corruption and manipulated by its neighbour, Pakistan, with whom it shares a 2,430-km border along its southern and eastern edges.

After two decades of U.S. forces on the ground in Afghanistan — 2001 to 2021, which followed a decade of Soviet control dating from 1979 to 1989 — in just a short period of time, one that is measured in weeks and months, the ragtag group of militants that make up the Taliban seized control of Kabul, the country’s capital and the central hub of the Afghanistan government. The timing of the Taliban’s August 15 takeover of Kabul was both pragmatic and relevant, as the United States prepared to withdraw their military forces and cease all operations

by August 31, 2021.

“How dare the world walk out on the Afghan people like that? How dare they?” asks Sally Armstrong, a journalist, human rights activist, author and Amnesty International award winner, who first started reporting on Afghanistan in March of 1997. “Where are the Afghan people going to get food? They dare not leave the house.

People don’t want to be seen bringing food because it looks like they’re harbouring someone, and the Taliban are going door-to-door. My fixer sent a video of them executing a guy down the street from him. It’s so awful. I’m absolutely gutted.”

The evacuation efforts to get Afghans out of their country involves a host of countries, including Canada, Britain, Australia and the United States.

Since August 14, the United States has facilitated the evacuation of over 100,000 people. Canada has evacuated 3,700.

As Afghans crowded, mostly maskless, outside the Kabul airport — some sitting on slabs of rough concrete while others stood, some deep in a sewage canal, at the ready, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever hope might www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTO BY MEANDERING IMAGES

Humanitarianism

PHOTO BY EVE CHAYES LYMAN

Former National Public Radio journalist Sarah Chayes speaks with some young Afghan boys

be floating beyond the margins of the fortress-like wall — an extremely devastating event occurred. On August 26, a huge explosion at the Kabul airport killed an estimated 170 Afghans, with at least another 200 Afghans wounded. Also, 13 U.S. service members were killed and 15 U.S. service members wounded. It was one of the deadliest incidents for U. S. service members in a decade.

How, one is forced to ponder, can a disparate group like the Taliban take control of a country in such a short period of time with virtually no pushback from that country’s militia?

“There’s never been a war fought in the history of the world where one small, fairly ragtag band walked across the country and knocked everyone off,” Armstrong says. “Why isn’t anyone talking about who got paid off ? Why isn’t anyone talking about how much money was given to the Afghan army members to disappear, members who hadn’t been paid, by the way? It was such a set-up. How many deals were made with the army, with the tribal elders, with the warlords?”

Corruption is an unequivocal thread that weaves all levels of Afghan society together in a tight cycle of payouts and protection.

Sarah Chayes, a former NPR (National Public Radio) reporter who left journalism and stayed behind in Afghanistan for years concurs: “I was on the personal staff of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff working in Washington, in the Pentagon, with top secret security clearance,” Chayes says. “As a part of the interagency process, in 2010 it was decided that we should have a policy around corruption. But in 2011, a decision was www.mycitylife.ca

Pakistan, and I mean the military, the de facto rulers of Pakistan, not the people, is the country that ginned up the Taliban in the first place made that in fact we were not going to address it. That the only corruption that should be addressed was the corruption perpetrated by the police, which was the responsibility of the military, thus absolving the State Department of any responsibility.”

The other key factor that looms insidiously in both Armstrong’s and Chayes’ analysis of the situation in Afghanistan is the role that Pakistan has in their neighbour’s governance.

“Pakistan, and I mean the military, the de facto rulers of Pakistan, not the people, is the country that ginned up the Taliban in the first place. They are the ones who reconstituted the Taliban around 2003. And they are the ones who provided

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Sept/Oct 2021

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nuclear technology to North Korea and Iran. This is an exceedingly dangerous country that is getting missed on the global stage,” states Chayes.

Armstrong wholeheartedly agrees.

“Pakistan has been waging a proxy war against Afghanistan ever since the Soviets left. Where did the Taliban come from? They came from Pakistan.

Where do they stay now? They stay in Pakistan. Whose airports do they fly out of when they’re going to these peace talks? Pakistan airports. And Pakistan keeps cutting deals to make sure the government of Afghanistan cannot function. On top of that, the warlords and tribal chiefs have no interest in working with the government. That old expression, ‘A house divided against itself cannot stand,’ certainly applies.”

The biggest question now is what is going to happen to the Afghan people, most especially those people who are known to have helped journalists and others ‘friendly’ to their cause – the fixers and the interpreters – those Afghans who wanted the world, through the eyes and ears of outside reporters, to hear their story.

“I think that at the moment men’s lives are more at risk than the women’s.

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lives are at risk. And while women will be oppressed and certain prominent women targeted, I don’t believe that you are likely to see the mass slaughter of Afghan women,” Chayes says.

Armstrong, however, is worried about the future of the Afghan women, many of whom have attained successful careers as lawyers, doctors, pharmacists and teachers after the Taliban were ousted by U.S.-led forces in 2001.

During the previous Taliban rule, women had virtually slid backwards into the Dark Ages. Young women were not allowed to attend school, and women in general could not leave their homes unless accompanied by a husband, brother or son. Windows were painted over so that the women in the household could not be seen.

“The women thought that their world had ended, and for them it had, because the Taliban took no discussion.

To disobey the Taliban was to die,” Armstrong states. “A woman who was caught with a man who was not her husband, brother or son was taken to the stadium and tossed to the ground where Taliban men would make a circle around her and throw rocks at her until she was dead. The Taliban rule is, you must not throw a rock so big as to kill her quickly.”

But once the Taliban were ousted women came into their own with the power to support, sustain and nurture

PHOTO BY PETER BREGG

PHOTO BY EVE CHAYES LYMAN

Sarah Chayes, (with the child in her lap) sharing tea with Afghan women

Sally Armstrong, a journalist, human rights activist, author and Amnesty International award winner, has been reporting on Afghanistan since 1997

their daughters and sons towards a better life.

“I am hearing from these women and they are devastated and in shock with the current situation. They don’t know where to turn. And as much as you think they’d blame the people who left them, and they do, they understand that they too are part of the problem,” Armstrong continues. “Their country cannot come together under one flag, and they have to learn to do that. In the meantime, they’re dealing with 6-yearolds and 16-year-olds and elderly mothers, the same things you and I deal with. But for them, it is a matter of where they get their food when the Taliban is patrolling the streets. Their kids are no different to ours, they get croup, and forget to do their homework, and now, they’re under house arrest again.”

It is in the parsing of these realities and the acknowledgement that there are concerned people out there who do not support the rancorous vision of the Taliban, that the people of Afghanistan must tap into, while at the same time taking responsibility and accountability for what they need to do as a nation to defend, protect and advocate for themselves.

“How can the Taliban survive this latest coup in a country where 65 per cent of the population are under the age of 25 — young men and women www.mycitylife.ca

To find out how you can help Afghan refugees on an economic and social basis, visit www.lifelineafghanistan.ca www.mycitylife.ca

A DV E R TO R I A L

TRAINING WITH J.P. PHOTO BY CARLOS A. PINTO

who, if they have heard of the Taliban, certainly have never been punished by them? How can the Taliban sustain their autocratic rule in a country where universities are flourishing, where people are using the Internet to find out that other people don’t live like this?”

Armstrong asks. “And these young people are finding out that the Taliban version of Islam is baloney. There’s nothing in the Quran to support what the Taliban are doing.”

With new threats from the terrorist group ISIS-K, a group believed to be even more militant than the Taliban, permeating the already volatile Afghanistan situation, global citizens can no longer deny what our eyes have seen, or what our ears have heard.

Certainly, there are a vast number of Canadians who want to help the Afghan people come to Canada and live a better life.

“We already have a team in Afghanistan,” Armstrong says. “And we have finally put together a list of all of the amazing Canadian women and some men who have been contacting me saying, ‘What can we do?’ We have this huge team of hardworking, brave, experienced activists, and we’re dividing up the jobs.”

Armstrong and Chayes are both tough and willing to embrace danger to bear witness to stories that need to be told. Veteran journalists, they have literally and figuratively been in the line of fire on untold occasions. And so, their clear and unfettered passion and belief in the merit and goodness of the people of Afghanistan are such that it becomes a call to action for all of us to be champions and advocates for the Afghan people’s sustained and future well-being.

In the meantime, on August 29, a U.S. military drone blew up a vehicle in Kabul that was loaded with explosives.

The Taliban has stated that they will let anyone who has the correct travel documents depart safely. The United States and 97 other countries plan to hold the militants to their word — if that is even conceivably possible.

J.P.

Castillo, the owner of Majestic Strength

Castillo owns Majestic Strength, a specialty, first-class personal training studio. City Life recently had the opportunity to sit down and chat with him about how his views on training have changed over the years and how he’s learnt to put things in perspective for himself and clients, taking a more holistic world view after his daughter was born with Down Syndrome.

CL: Who are your clients?

J.P.: Over the years since I started working in commercial gyms. I’ve been training the average person who’s looking for tightening and weight loss as opposed to power, performance and speed. Now, I also work with seniors, people with disabilities and people who have health conditions.

CL: Can you tell us about your daughter and her struggles?

J.P.: My daughter has Down Syndrome.

She’s been diagnosed with global delays, autism as well as celiac disease. In her case the gluten allergy had destroyed her small intestine. In addition to the delays in development she has more delays because of a lack of absorption of nutrients. It’s a change of perspective. You start focusing on what’s really important in life. We can’t get all stressed out about traffic jams, or getting the wrong change — there’s bigger things going on.

CL: How has a holistic world view changed your training philosophies?

J.P.: The more I became involved in the

J.P. Castillo is the owner of Majestic Strength. Recently City Life had the opportunity to discuss with him his various training methods, his ability to work with clients from all walks of life and how his daughter has changed his world view

holistic side of things, the less it became about how big your MUSCLES are and how FAST you are. It became all about HEALTH first. My ultimate focus has become that what we do is driven by a health-first approach. All of a sudden it’s not, “I’m going to look good in a bikini” but instead “Can I function in my day? Can I get up & down the stairs?”

CL: How would you describe your training style?

J.P.: Newcomers expect a workout that will kick their butt and be super difficult. I don’t really buy into that part of it anymore.

When people come into my studio they are practically crawling on their hands and knees from having life kick their butts. It’s difficult enough for people to get to the gym. They don’t need me to beat them down and bury them any further. I am a firm believer in building somebody up. A lot of people have a very negative image of the gym and eating healthy. That’s the culture of the beast that’s been created in this industry.

If you want to come to my studio I’ll do a physical assessment and try to gauge where the client needs improvement and what areas we need to focus on. But it’s critical we identify what level the client is at when they walk in the door.

29-281 Woodbridge Ave., Woodbridge, Ont. @majesticstrength

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David Dunlap Observatory

THE RICHMOND HILL DAVID DUNLAP OBSERVATORY PARK RETURNING TO FORMER SPLENDOUR Over the last year the 86-year-old David Dunlap Observatory has undergone a major facelift while the city of Richmond Hill continues to make major progress on restoring the park to its former splendour

T

he City of Richmond Hill is continuing to make significant progress restoring the Richmond Hill David Dunlap Observatory (RHDDO) Park to its former splendour. Richmond Hill’s acting mayor, Joe DiPaola, had a chance to comment on the continuing development of the site. “The Richmond Hill David Dunlap Observatory Park will be a destination park where visitors come to see Canada’s historic observatory, celebrate the stars and enjoy acres of natural parkland. Already a popular and cherished landmark in our community, I am amazed by the work that was done to these buildings to restore these historic treasures.” The

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RHDDO property is a 76.5-hectare site located in central Richmond Hill between Bayview Avenue to the east, the CN rail line to the west, 16th Avenue to the south and Hillsview Drive to the north.

During the last year, complex work was cautiously carried out on the 86-year-old buildings to restore the exterior heritage features to their initial state. This consisted of refurbishment of wood windows and doors, repairs and preservation of metal surfaces, replacement of metal roofing and flashing, masonry and concrete repairs and renovation. Ward 6 Councillor Godwin Chan, chair of DDO Park Project Steering Committee, is

enthusiastic about the project. “I am excited to see the progress taking place at the Richmond Hill David Dunlap Observatory site where the buildings have been restored to their former glory.

The revitalized buildings add to the natural beauty of the park that can be enjoyed by all residents in the future.”

Karen Cilevitz, Ward 5 Councillor and vice-chair of DDO Park Project Steering Committee, is also passionate about the project. “I am proud that the unique Richmond Hill David Dunlap Observatory is enroute to becoming a vibrant and inclusive place where our community can gather, learn about astronomy and appreciate natural green spaces.” The City of Richmond Hill www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE RICHMOND HILL DAVID DUNLAP OBSERVATORY

WRITTEN BY MYLES SHANE

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The David Dunlap Observatory nearing completion

I am excited to see the progress taking place at the Richmond Hill David Dunlap Observatory site where the buildings have been restored to their former glory. The revitalized buildings add to the natural beauty of the park that can be enjoyed by all residents in the future — Ward 6 Councillor Godwin Chan, the chair of DDO Park Project Steering Committee

owns the 40 hectares of parkland, the Observatory Dome facility with the original 1.88-metre telescope and the Administration Building.

Supplementary efforts were made to protect the structures for the future, such as the installation of new foundation waterproofing and drainage systems, upgrades to existing municipal services, and improvements to electrical systems. The restoration work is an integral part of the RHDDO Park Master Plan and was finished on time and within budget.

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filming location. For example, scenes from the well-liked Netflix series The Umbrella Academy were filmed on the site. This site is a vital part of Canadian history and Richmond Hill’s rich heritage. A number of important studies have taken place at the observatory, including the first direct evidence that Cygnus X-1 was a black hole.

The city is also progressing on other projects recognized in the first stage of the plan, setting the groundwork for the improvement and development of this destination park that will draw visitors from the entire the GTA. Woodlot restoration work already

ongoing will protect and improve the natural areas in the parkland and return the woodlands to a healthy forest.

More than 8,000 trees and shrubs have been planted and fencing has been installed to guard the recently planted trees from browsing deer and to permit tree growth.

Later on this year the city will commence building a 2.25-km trail system so residents can enjoy more of the natural beauty of this park during all seasons.

For more information about the history of the RHDDO visit RichmondHill.ca/RHDDO. www.mycitylife.ca

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