Events

Valarie K. Wafer - Rotary International Director 2020-22

Valarie Wafer joined Rotary in 2005 in order to fuel her passion for making an impact that matters. Valarie was District Governor of RI district 7070 covering the Greater Toronto Area in 2013/14. Now residing in Thornbury, her home club is the Rotary Club of Collingwood South Georgian Bay, RI district 7010. 

Valarie has continued to serve Rotary in a number of international roles. She is an International Trainer, a member of the Host Organizing Convention Committee Toronto 2018, representative of the Rotary International President, and is an elected member of the Rotary International Board for 2020-2022. 

During Valarie’s tenure as a Rotarian she has participated and led many initiatives including a mission to Kosovo with Gift of Life International. She has also served as the Vocational Training Team leader to Australia in 2010 focusing on youth mental health, a National Immunization Day in India in 2012, and has travelled to Kenya and Tanzania to audit long-term Rotary Foundation grant activity.

In her non-Rotary life, Valarie had a 27-year career as a restaurant owner in Toronto. The brand, Tim Hortons, is the most recognized and iconic franchise in Canada. The Wafer’s operation was best known for its inclusive hiring practices and accessibility, especially in the area of employment.

Valarie, and her husband of 34 years, Mark are Paul Harris Fellows, Bequest Society members and Major Donors to The Rotary Foundation. 

Tickets are $40 pp. Please bring exact change or a cheque.

Please RSVP for numbers to Bill King (lyonrex@rogers.com or 416-223-4646) by Sunday, November 20.

Tickets for attendees are $30 pp. Please bring exact change or a cheque.

RSVP for numbers to Bill King (lyonrex@rogers.com) by Sunday, November 27.

Richard Carleton was appointed CEO of the Canadian Securities Exchange in July 2011.  During his tenure, Richard and the CSE team have positioned the exchange to take a leading role in the provision of public capital to entrepreneurial companies; since 2014, the CSE has set a series of records for new listings, capital raised by issuers and trading turnover.  An early advocate for the cannabis industry, the CSE is the global exchange leader in the sector.  Recognized by the Financial Post Magazine as one of Canada’s “25 Cannabis Industry Power Players”, and a recipient of the American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp’s “Captain of Industry” Award in November 2018, Richard is a frequent speaker on early-stage company finance issues around the world. 

In addition to his responsibilities with the CSE, Richard is a director of two private companies: Tetra Trust Company, Canada’s first qualified custodian for cryptocurrency assets, and Blue Ocean ATS, LLC, a US broker dealer which operates an ATS providing after hours trading in US equities.  Richard is also a member of two not-for-profit boards:  the Empire Club of Canada, and the Private Capital Markets Association.  He was also recently named to the Ontario Securities Commission’s “Market Structure Advisory Committee”. 

A member of the Law Society of Ontario since 1987, Richard is a graduate of the University of Ottawa (B.A. ’81) and the University of Toronto (LL.B. ’85). He has also completed the executive development programme at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.  

Join Rotary Club of Willowdale's traditional Christmas celebration luncheon for The Salvation Army.

We raise funds for the after school program of Yorkwoods Community Church.

For reservation, lease contact Bill King at:

email: lyonrex@rogers.com or

telephone: 416-223-4646

This is traditionally a really fun event. You are encouraged to invite friends, relatives and members of other clubs - all are welcome.

Tickets for attendees are $60 per person.

It is suggested that you bring two cheques, one for tickets and the other (optional), a donation to the Salvation Army made out to The Rotary Club of Willowdale with Salvation Army in the message line.

Please RSVP for numbers to Bill King lyonrex@rogers.com or 416-223-4646). Final numbers are needed by Sunday, December 11.

Emily Alfred is the Waste Campaigner for the Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA), a non-profit organization that has been working to build a greener city for all for over thirty years. Emily works with communities, researchers, businesses and elected officials to research, implement and advocate for zero waste programs and policies at the municipal and provincial level. This includes working with resident and staff teams in high-rise buildings, and convening the Reusable Toronto initiative to advocate for a shift from single-use foodware to reusable alternatives.