Item - 2024.NY12.30

North York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council approve the naming of 125 Consumers Road to David Caplan Park and the placement of a plaque in the park to commemorate David Caplan and his contributions to the City of Toronto.

Born and raised in Toronto, David Caplan left behind an extraordinary legacy of accomplishments. Having lived most of his life in the North York area and raising his two sons, Benjamin and Jacob with his wife Leigh, he found himself drawn to public service very early on in life and later served the residents of North York for many years.  

His many accomplishments include being elected as the trustee for the North York Board of Education in 1991 (including being appointed as vice-chair of the Board in 1993). He also served on the Metropolitan Toronto School Board from 1994 to 1997 and departed as its Vice Chair when he was elected as the Member of Provincial Parliament of Oriole in 1997. He was elected shortly after as the MPP for Don Valley East in 1999 and was known to residents as one of the most accessible and hardworking MPP's, re-electing him once again in 2003.  After his career in politics, he continued on as the vice-chair of Global Public Affairs in Toronto and later became the Chief Operating Officer of the Ontario Road Builders Association serving from 2017-2018.

David Caplan's passion, commitment and years of devoted service is worthy of commemoration and celebration and 125 Consumers Road is the perfect location to do so as it stands directly across his old constituency office here in North York. The naming is also in alignment with the City's guiding principles for commemoration by sharing the story of an individual who made such an important contribution to the community, the City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario.