Townsend Smith Foundation and Hillcrest United Church attended the Committee of Adjustment on Tuesday, September 7, 2022 to ask for confirmation that a hospice could be built at Trafalgar Road and 5 Side Road, Halton Hills.

We were successful at the Committee of Adjustment. A hospice can be built on the site where Hillcrest United Church currently exists.   The decision of the committee is still subject to a 20 day time period for appeals – we are hopeful there won’t be any.

Before explaining what this all means, we want to take a moment to highlight a few of the outstanding acts of kindness and volunteerism that lead us to this result:

• Glenn Wellings of Wellings Planning Consultants Inc., along with his colleague Sarah Burjaw, researched, opined on and worked with various levels of government in submitting and reviewing this application. All of this work was done free of charge and this work was extremely time consuming and immersive. Townsend Smith Foundation is especially grateful for this act – Thank you Wellings Planning Consultants Inc. 
• David de Sylva, a local and a residential developer within North Halton, was engaged by Townsend Smith Foundation for $1. Mr. de Sylva, being much more knowledgeable and experienced in these matters, guided Townsend Smith Foundation in finding property, engaging experts, and explaining each step. Mr. de Sylva, in addition to personally donating his time, engaged experts at his own cost to make sure Townsend Smith’s fundraising burden was minimized. Thank you Dave de Sylva.
• The congregation of Hillcrest United Church has spent many years thoughtfully considering their next steps and engaging their community. It has been through the vision and leadership of Jean Howden, Verna Bird, John Field and their many volunteers at Hillcrest United Church, that we are at this critical point in our journey. Thank you to the Hillcrest United Church for engaging with hospice.
• Board member, Victoria Hughes, began her presentations to Hillcrest United Church and her meetings with Mr. de Sylva more than 15 months ago.  Her passion, tenacity and perseverance has been an inspiration to her fellow board members.  Thank you, Victoria Hughes for bringing all the parties to the table and coordinating their efforts.   
• This application included over 60 letters of support. The outpouring of honesty, passion and compassion has been overwhelming. Thank you to every single person who took the time to voice their support and ask “What can I do to bring a hospice to North Halton?”

Finally, thank you to North Halton. Hospice needs a community filled with heart, and Townsend Smith Foundation is honoured to be in such a community. 

What does the result at Committee of Adjustment mean and what is our next step? FUNDRAISING! Every dollar matters, every fundraiser drives us to our goal, every volunteer spreads the need for a hospice, every major donor propels us forward.