Jumol Royes has received the Order of Vaughan, the city’s highest civic honour, in recognition of his community work and advocacy. The article highlights his communications and community-engagement roles, volunteer advising for the 482 Collective, and contributions through Vaughan’s Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce, including efforts to establish the rainbow crosswalk at city hall. Royes’s feelings about the award are complicated by the history of Benjamin Vaughan, the city’s namesake, but the honour recognizes his tangible impact on inclusion and support for vulnerable communities.

Vaughan has allocated $81.7 million over five years to plan and develop pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. New multi-use lanes and improvements to Woodbridge Avenue indicate that implementation is beginning, but advocates and cycling businesses say the city must improve snow clearing, protected lane design, bike storage and parking, particularly around the Hwy. 7 and Jane subway station. Concerns remain that painted lanes are unsafe at intersections where vehicles turn at speed, although transportation officials argue that infrastructure can gradually build public confidence and encourage cycling for recreation and commuting.

Vaughan reporter Brian Capitao says the year’s most consequential story for him was a false report that the city was considering aerial gondolas. His fact-checking showed how misleading claims can spread farther than corrections, underscoring the value of professional local journalism. Capitao connects the problem to shrinking newsrooms, layoffs, low willingness to pay for online news, and public hostility toward reporters, citing Pierre Poilievre’s criticism of a Canadian Press journalist. He argues that if government incentives and subscription support do not help news outlets recover, blogs may fill the gap and leave the public less informed.

Brian Capitao highlights Vaughan resident Gennaro Rotondaro as a 2023 newsmaker after Rotondaro won the traditional alfajores de maizena cookie world championship in Argentina for a second time. The piece emphasizes his family recipe, passion for baking and international recognition, and describes the underlying feature as a multimedia human-interest story.

Woodbridge Avenue in Vaughan has reopened following reconstruction between Islington Avenue and Kipling Avenue. The work, supported in part by more than $2 million in federal funding, included road rehabilitation, water-main and sewer upgrades, improved lighting and traffic signals, bridge work, parking areas, and streetscape enhancements. Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca and Ward 2 Councillor Adriano Volpentesta said the improvements are intended to support local businesses, improve residents’ quality of life, and make Woodbridge Village more accessible for visitors and community events.

LifeLabs has opened a new Patient Service Centre at 270 Purple Creek Rd. in Vaughan, near Teston Road and Pine Valley Drive. The centre will operate seven days a week and is intended to improve access to diagnostic services for the growing Purple Creek neighbourhood. Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca attended the opening, while LifeLabs president and CEO Charles Brown highlighted the company’s commitment to innovation and community care. Residents will also have access to LifeLabs’ MyCareCompass portal for test results, appointment booking and health navigation.

The Garnet A. Williams Community Centre in Vaughan has reopened after undergoing renovations, marking a significant development in the local community.

Peel Regional Police are investigating a robbery at the White Carat Co. jewelry store in Bramalea City Centre, Brampton. Three suspects allegedly used hammers to damage display cases and steal merchandise while a fourth suspect waited in a vehicle. No store staff were physically injured. The store had reportedly been robbed for the second time in a month, and police are asking anyone with information to contact investigators or Crime Stoppers.

A man in his 30s was shot several times in a nightclub parking lot near Dixie Road and Eglinton Avenue East in Mississauga at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday. He was hospitalized in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries. Peel Regional Police said the suspect fled in a dark sedan and appealed for witnesses or anyone with information to contact investigators.

The City of Vaughan plans to invest significantly in infrastructure, with a proposed 3% property tax increase for 2024. The capital budget includes $81.7 million for pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, $57.3 million for North Maple Regional Park Development, and $43.4 million for water main replacement and road reconstruction.