Parkview celebrates 60th anniversary with fundraising gala
Parkview Services for Seniors celebrated its 60th anniversary with a fundraising gala on Sept. 25 at Station Creek Golf Club.
The event celebrated Parkview’s past, reflected on its achievements, and looked ahead to the future of senior care in York Region.
The gala included catering services, speeches, a harp performance, a historical photo gallery, and raffle prizes.
Dr. Jane Philpott, the gala’s keynote speaker, shared insights from her over 30 years of experience working in healthcare. She discussed the fact that approximately 2.5 million adults in Ontario and 6.5 million people in Canada lack access to primary care. In response, she developed Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan to connect every Ontarian to primary care by 2029.
Parkview Services for Seniors provides long-term care at Parkview Home and offers independent living in Parkview Village. First established by the Mennonite community six decades ago, the non-profit organization has since expanded to incorporate over 240 staff members, 350 residents, and 50 volunteers across 12.5 acres of land.
Hamlet Nation said that although he has only been Parkview’s CEO for about a year, he has felt the organization’s long-lasting impact on the Stouffville community.
“I’m happy that I’m leading an organization with strong historical and community roots because that helps me in terms of building on that foundation,” he said. “So, you’re not recreating or starting from scratch. There’s a solid foundation there.”
Nation said that Parkview’s leadership, integrity, and dedication towards its values helped it survive over the past 60 years.
“They were very focused, they were very mission-driven, very compassionate, very focused on creating a space that seniors could thrive,” he said about Parkview’s founders. “And a lot of that early investment in terms of acquiring property and looking at when we needed to expand – we have benefited from visionary leadership.”
Parkview compiled a photo montage featuring various people describing their appreciation for Parkview and its staff. It also released a bimonthly newsletter known as The Pulse, as well as its Heart of Parkview Program to recognize its top employees monthly.
To learn more about Parkview Services for Seniors, head to www.parkviewhome.ca.
Photo: Dr. Jane Philpott was the keynote speaker for Parkview’s 60th anniversary fundraising gala. (Story and photo submitted by David Yin)