A lifetime of giving back
Volunteer Joan Osler contributed greatly to North Toronto
Long-time volunteer and community leader Joan Osler has lived her entire life in North Toronto, but more importantly, she has spent most of those years helping to make her community better for others.
Osler has worked to improve North Toronto life in many sectors, with some of her most recognizable work coming during her 26-year stay as executive director of People and Organizations in North Toronto (POINT). During that time, she joined with a team of dedicated volunteers and worked tirelessly to turn North Toronto from an under-serviced community to a flourishing neighbourhood with plenty of programs for local residents.
"When I joined in 1972, there were no services for people of any age in North Toronto," Osler said. "We managed to get a community centre in North Toronto (North Toronto Memorial Community Centre), the Anne Johnston Health Centre and saw the start of groups like SPRINT (Seniors Peoples Resources in North Toronto) and HINTS (Housing in North Toronto for Seniors)."
Community work always came naturally to Osler, whose mother instilled in her a strong volunteer spirit at a young age. As early as 16 years of age, she was helping others at her mother's urging.
"I got my driver's license and my mom said, 'Good, you can go drive and do the shopping for a blind couple,' so I did that once a week for a while," she said. "She really taught me the value of volunteering, which unfortunately doesn't seem to happen enough now."
While Osler's impact is obvious throughout North Toronto, her proudest achievement resonates in schools across Ontario. She was one of five founding members of Prologue to Performing Arts, an organization that has brought professional dancers, musicians and other performers into schools to share their craft with students. During its 40 years, Prologue has brought the arts to more than a million students.
"One thing I was concerned about was that the only children going to the theatre were children from wealthy families," she said. "I wanted to ensure that all children had that opportunity."
She has also given freely of her time to the Canadian Opera Company, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, Sistering, the Junior League of Toronto, the North Toronto Hockey Association and a number of other local organizations.
While Osler has been a driving force behind many local organizations, she said she has been helped along the way by the efforts of community members, who gave selflessly of their time to bring about positive change.
"I've been fortunate to work with so many great volunteers and got a lot of support from professionals," she said. "For instance, at POINT, we never did anything on our own. We always got help from the agencies we were trying to help out, like Public Health or (the department of) parks and recreation."
Her work within the community has helped her forge a lifetime's worth of friendships with the people in her community. Though she has been retired from her post at POINT for nine years, she said, "The friendships I made there still carry on today."
She remains active within the community, working with the lunch program at St. Clement's Anglican Church. She also enjoys spending time in the summer months at her cottage in the Georgian Bay area.
Osler was to be recognized for her work in improving the quality of life for North Toronto residents at a gala dinner at the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club Thursday, June 21.
