Profile of Councillor David L. Cohen

• Born in Hamilton on February 28,1954
• Married Grace with 3 Children
• Councillor Cohen is Richmond Hill's longest serving Councillor having served for 18 years at writing will complete his seventh term as Ward 3 Councillor on  on November 30, 2010.
• Completed BA in Arts in 1975
• Strong Advocate of Residents
• Received Special Recognition as Richmond Hill Councillor of the year by the Richmond Hill Post
• Received Special Recognition by the Richmond Hill Markham Chinese Business Association for his work and support in connection with SARS relief
• Received Special Recognition by being named Honourary Advisor to Carefirst Community Services ( Seniors Services ) in connection with their programs in Richmond Hill
• Received Special Recognition by being named Honourary Advisor to Spirit of Life ( Chinese Ethnic Services for people with Developmental Disabilities ) 

Personal Focus   

David is married to Grace and has three children, his oldest is Laura from his first marriage. His two younger children attend public schools in Richmond Hill.  David has always lived in the Ward he represents and currently lives in Bayview Hill.  

David was born in Hamilton, Ontario. He attended McMaster University, University of Windsor where he received a BA and Ryerson Polytechnical Institute where he took courses in Journalism.  

David has been employed, now on a part time basis since 1984 by the Government of Canada (Public Services Commission) whose Human Resources Department  has permitted David’s involvement in politics.

David is active in community activities and raising awareness for those with Developmental Disabilities.  A long time Reena board member, David is a past president of the Autism Society of York Region (1996) and Chair of Family and Friends Against the Closing of Thistletown (1995). David currently is trying to organize a Chinese Heritage Agency for the Developmentally Disabled. “One Voice”, the name will change will someday provide services that keep Chinese Heritage in mind.  He started to from this group in 2006 with the help of leaders of “Spirit of Life” and “Under the Banyan Tree”.  

When David has time, he is a Toronto Blue Jay fan, an audiophile, an oenophile.  

David likes to travel. In recent years, he has been in Scotland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Estonia, Finland, France,  Russia, China, Hong Kong. He will be in Pakistan in early 2007. He also travels in the America’s and recently has been to Atlantic Canada provinces, Vancouver and various locations in the United States.  

David has been active in working with Seniors. He is a founding organizer of the Richmond Hill Chinese Seniors Association and the Founder of the Bayview Hill Seniors Program. David Cohen is an Honorary Advisor to Carefirst Seniors who provide programs throughout the GTA including Richmond Hill. David Cohen has been helping the York Region Indian Seniors Club form.  

David is actively involved in multiculturalism. He is presently Chairing on behalf of Mayor Barrow, a Committee that is outreaching to our communities by holding special events. He also is a Council liaison to the Richmond Hill Intercultural Community Committee. David Cohen is working with a GTA Committee to provide programs in May for Asian Heritage Month.  David sits on a Sick Kids Hospital Asian Heritage Outreach Committee. David Cohen is a member of the Richmond Hill Rotary Club.

Current Committees

• Town of Richmond Hill Council, Council Committee of the Whole, Budget Committee of the Whole, Planning Committee of the Whole
• Town of Richmond Hill Gridlock Task Force - Chair
• Rouge Park Alliance- Council representative
• Bayview Hill Seniors Program- Chair
• One Voice Committee- Chair
• Richmond Operations Centre Steering Committee
• Smart Commute Hwy 404 - 7 - Council Representative
• Buttonville Airport Steering Committee - Council Representative
• Bayview Hill Elementary School Parents Council - Community Member
• Doncrest Public School Parents Council - Community Member
• Christ the King School Council - Community Member
• Richmond Hill Engages Our Community (RHEACH ) - Community Member
• Sick Kids Hospital Asian Outreach Committee - Member
• Reena Board, Reena Foundation Board – Member of both boards
• Richmond Hill Markham Chinese Business Association – Council Representative
• Canada Pakistan Business Council – Member
• Richmond Hill Chamber of Commerce Government Action Committee
• Richmond Hill Intercultrual Community Committee- Council Representative
• Special Needs Faith and Culture Committee- member
• Rotary Club of Richmond Hill- Member

Details of Cohen’s Committee Involvement 

David Cohen is a hardworking Town Councillor. David Cohen answers concerns quickly and effectively and even operates a Chinese Language Help number. 

Town Focus 

David Cohen is elected to sit on Town Council which meets several times a month and the Mayor is the Chair.  The subcommittee that most items come to before they reach Council, where bylaws and final decisions are made is  “Committee of the Whole”, Council discuss’s in more depth, the various topics at this location. It meets several times a month and all local Councillors are Chair for six months during the three year term. Council, with the Mayor as Chair, meets as well in a number of meetings as either Council Public Meetings which delve into Planning Act applications or Special Meetings of Council which delve into the problems of the day separate from Council meetings.  All Councillors and the Mayor sit on these Committees. 

Facility Planning and Task Force 

David Cohen is a Councillor who sits or has sat on most of the major projects of the Town’s subcommittees.   

David Cohen is on the Operations Centre Expansion Committee. During the previous Term of Council he sat on the Richmond Hill Theatre Steering Committee which is under construction and chaired the Bayview Hill Community Centre Expansion Committee which recently opened a new expansion. David sat through last term on the OakRidges Community Centre and Park expansion committee. David continues to sit in on this committee.

David Cohen chairs the Gridlock Task Force which works with traffic issues. Two other Councillors  sit on the Committee which reports to Committee of the Whole. It generally meets once a month.

Traffic 

David Cohen is involved.  Chair of the Gridlock Task force, which reviews how to resolve traffic problems, he also is the Town liaison on  “Smart Commute Highway 404- Hwy 7 “ which works with local business to get them to use other transportation methods or alter their schedules to reduce rush hour gridlock. Recently, in partnership with Markham, this group has started a trial free bus to restaurants at lunch for workers in our business park. 

Seniors 

David Cohen founded and Chairs the Bayview Hill Seniors Program. It is a partnership of the Town of Richmond Hill, Carefirst Community Services and CICS. 

Youth 

David Cohen sits on three school Council’s that meet once a month. Bayview Hill Elementary School, Christ the King Catholic School and Doncrest.  David’s involvement has led to changes to make things safer for school drop offs and has aided the schools through his involvement. All meet once a month. 

Business and Jobs 

David feels that a good business climate is good for Richmond Hill. David Cohen was  Council’s representative on the Richmond Hill Chamber of Commerce last term. He currently is Council’s representative in the Richmond Hill Markham Chinese Business Association and is involved in the Canada Pakistan Business Council as a member.  David Cohen also gets involved with the Scarborough York Region Chinese Business Association and other groups that promote business as time permits. David Cohen was the Councillor who represented the area while Beaver Creek Business Park was built between 1988 and 2006 as well as the Highway 7 Business Corridor east of Bayview. 

Special Needs 

David Cohen is an active volunteer.  He has sat on the Boards of both Reena and Reena Foundation for many years. They administer programs and long term care for those with developmental disabilities such as autism. 

Through his involvement with Reena, David has worked to improve things for others. Noticing the lack of ethnic services in this area for people of Chinese Heritage, David is leading a creation of a Chinese Ethnic Service called  currently “One Voice” Two outstanding agencies are involved “Under the Banyon Tree” and “Spirit of Life” are the key players in this project.  Our initial planning meetings are ongoing. 

David is a past president of the Autism Society of Ontario, York Region Chapter  and  he Chaired a group of parents who protested and stopped Bob Rae and the NDP Provincial Government from Closing Thistletown Regional Centre. 

David Cohen is the only Richmond Hill Councillor on RHEACH, a group trying to improve the coordination of mental health services in Richmond Hill. Partnership is the word and with the School Boards and many agencies we are working to make life better for people of Richmond Hill through awareness and through finding partners to bring the programs closer to the community. 

Community, Diversity and Care 

David Cohen believes that Council represents the community.  The services must reflect the community. Many social services are provided by other levels of government, but not without funding, fundraising and support. 

Councillor David Cohen wants to work with all communities.  He sits on two groups that bring cultural groups together. The Interfaith group of the developmental needs community and the Richmond Hill Intercultural Community Committee. (RHICC). 

David Cohen works with the ethnic and religious communities. As previously mentioned, David is working in the Jewish and Chinese communities as it relates to special needs and the RHEACH program reaches all communities. 

David Cohen has a good working relationship with the following agencies that provide general help to various ethnic groups.  SSN, the South Asian Network who are beginning to provide health and social service awareness to the York Region South Asian Community.  International Development and Relief Fund is a group who raise money for outstanding causes in south Asia.  He has been active in their events.  He  worked with both CICS and TASA which are the main new immigrant agencies of the Chinese Community  and provide some services for South Asians.  I am working regularly with Carefirst, which both provides Chinese Seniors Support and provides Multilanguage facilitation services both the Chinese and South Asian Community.  I am an honourary advisor of Carefirst as to its Richmond Hill operations.  I am working with the Al-Masjid –us-Saifee on Bayview to get better parking and the Richmond Hill Muslim Association regarding finding a permanent location. He also helped Beit Rayim Synagogue prior to it choosing a new location. David has a good working relationship with both the Richmond Hill Chinese Community Church and  The Richmond Hill Chinese Baptist Church. David moved the motion which caused Richmond Hill Council to be the first community in Ontario to acknowledge the Persian New Year.  You will see David in all the communities  involved with many more fine agencies and groups. 

Sustainability, the environment, and parks

David believes that parks are for people. Over 18 years, the Town has created over 100 parks and has built many kilometers of walkways.  David Cohen is a founding member and on the Don Watershed Remediation Committee of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority for 10 years. David Cohen is the Council Representative on the Rouge Park Alliance which works on safeguards and public use of the Rouge River Corridor.

David Cohen has never voted in favour of any motion that would change the form or function of significant environment lands on the Oak Ridges Moraine. To help him with his decisions, he has used the expertise of the staff and consultants of The Town of Richmond Hill, York Region, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and the Province of Ontario, along with various Committees recommendations of the Community and experts. It is a balanced approach that achieves the best objectives for our community. 

Sustainability is a hot topic and one being analyzed by most clear headed governments around the world.  The technology in many cases is not proven so it is necessary to seek out and learn. I have supported our staff taking such directions.  I have attended two conferences in the past three years dealing with sustainability  Open Spaces People Places  and United Nations World Urban Forum in 2006. A balanced approach, utilizing our past and current knowledge is the best approach to dealing with this issue.   

David Cohen has been involved in the construction and ongoing growth of the Bayview Hill Community Centre. He was active in its expansions for pool, fitness facility, and seniors program.  David Cohen is looking at ways to make the Rouge Woods Community Centre more useful. 

Fundraising and Involvement