Willowdale Monthly Newsletter December 2025

December 31, 2025



Dear Willowdale Friends,

Happy holidays! I hope you had a safe, warm and fun-filled holiday season no matter what you celebrate.

As we begin a new year, we look back on 2025 with appreciation for all we’ve accomplished together and the resilience, innovation and everyday acts of kindness that strengthen our neighbourhoods.

From enacting new policies to welcoming new businesses to our community, 2025 has been a year of progress and shared purpose.
 

VIRTUAL HEALTH TOWN HALL UPDATE:
Please accept my sincerest apologies for the unforeseen technical issues have postponed my town hall on health care, originally scheduled for December 11. An explanation of the cancellation can be read here.
The town hall will be rescheduled in early 2026. Please keep an eye on my web site or stay tuned for a phone call letting you know of the new date.
 


Around Willowdale

It was my honour to welcome students from Dewry Secondary School to the Ontario Legislature where they performed a beautiful Christmas concert for all MPPs and members of the public. It certainly put people in the holiday spirit. Thank you Dewry S.S.!

AllStar Wings comes to Willowdale!

We welcomed another business to Willowdale. AllStars serves award winning wings and cold pints – a great spot to catch a game and cheer for your favourite sports team. Welcome to Willowdale!


I hope you were able to attend the annual Christmas market co-hosted by NeighbourLink North and Yonge North York at Mel Lastman Sqaure. Thanks to all the staff and volunteers who keep this wonderful tradition alive.


Another annual tradition that took place at Mel Lastman Square was the lighting of the menorah during Chanukah – a symbol of hope, resilience and the triumph of light over darkness.


I recently visited the Willowdale Lawn Bowling Club. For over 60 years, the club has offered this fun, social and low-impact sport that people of all ages can enjoy. It’s not as easy as it looks!


Thank you to those who nominated a neighbour to receive a congratulatory scroll in recognition of their beautiful Christmas decorations. Your decorations add a little extra sparkle to Willowdale and reminds us how beautiful this time of year can be.

2025 – A Year in Review

As we look back on 2025, I’m proud of all of the accomplishments our government has made in its work to protect Ontario, including some great wins for Willowdale:

  • Working closely with North York General to build a new Patient Care Tower and a new Long-Term Care home with private beds and en-suite bathrooms.
  • Two school expansions completed in Willowdale: McKee Public School and Hollywood Public School and building a new Catholic school at St. Antoine Daniel on Finch Avenue.
  • Over $10K in seed grant funding awarded from the Ontario Trillium Fund to local, community-oriented organization.
  • TTC expansions to keep Willowdale moving: we are building the Ontario Line, opened the Finch LRT and extending the Yonge Line north to Richmond Hill.
  • Reducing traffic congestion in our neighbourhood and across Toronto by removing bike lanes, improving the Yonge St-Highway 401 interchange, and investing in new regional highways.
  • Helping Ontarians become families through $250M in funding to improve access to fertility treatments, including allocations to serve Willowdale.
  • Invested $2.1B to help 2 million more Ontarians to find a family doctor by 2029. Already connected 400,000 people to primary care teams.
  • Extending the One Fare program, saving transit users up to $1,600 a year.
  • Investing $1B in home care so seniors can age in place, living independently at home longer.
  • Making homeownership more accessible by removing HST for first time home buyers on new home purchases.
  • Beer, cider, wine and ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages can now be purchased in convenience stores.
  • Investing $125 million over two years to add four new community surgical and diagnostic centres to deliver orthopaedic surgeries.
  • Announced “Destination Niagara” – our plan to unlocking the region’s full potential and making Niagara a world-class, multi-day destination that shines on the world stage

Thank you for being part of Willowdale’s journey. I’m excited for what’s ahead in the New Year – here’s to an even brighter 2026!

Stan Cho
MPP for Willowdale