RC116 JanFeb 2025 - Magazine - Page 7
CORINNE LYNDS
PARK NAMED IN HONOUR OF ONTARIO’S
FIRST INFRASTRUCTURE MINISTER
THE CITY OF TORONTO o昀케cially opened David Caplan Park at 125
Consumer’s Drive—directly across from the former MPP’s
old constituency o昀케ce—in commemoration of his devoted
service and important contributions to the community, the
City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario.
Caplan, who passed away in 2019, was 昀椀rst elected as
the trustee for the North York Board of Education in 1991.
He also served on the Metropolitan Toronto School Board
from 1994 to 1997 and departed when he was elected as
the Member of Provincial Parliament for Oriole in 1997. He
was elected shortly after as the MPP for Don Valley East
in 1999 and re-elected in 2003, sitting until 2011. He served
as Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal (2003-07) and
Minister of Health (2007-09).
As Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal, Caplan
was responsible for leading the modernization of the
province’s infrastructure and planning for future population and economic growth. He released a long-term
$30-billion plus infrastructure investment strategy called
ReNew Ontario—in May 2005—coincidently a day before ReNew Canada magazine was launched. The strategy
RENEWCANADA.NET
used a private 昀椀nancing model to expand and build new
hospitals, schools, colleges and universities, and transit
and transportation systems across Ontario.
“David was there at the beginning of Ontario’s infrastructure industry—forging new ways forward to build
public infrastructure for our continued economic growth
and quality of life,” remembered Todd Latham, Actual Media’s president and founder of ReNew Canada. “He was a
big man in heart and in practice, and I know I’m not alone
in saying that he is still missed.”
David Caplan Park at
125 Consumer’s Road
in North York was
officially opened with
a ceremony held on
October 18, 2024.
“David was there at the beginning of Ontario’s
infrastructure industry—forging new ways forward
to build public infrastructure for our continued
economic growth and quality of life.”
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025 – RENEW CANADA 7
