Stouffville Sun-Tribune n www.yorkregion.com n Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012, 20
Margaret May, 83, was town council watchdog BY SANDRA BOLAN
sbolan@yrmg.com
For almost three decades, whenever there was a council meeting, Margaret May could be found in the gallery’s last row sitting in the corner seat, paying attention to every word being said and tracking where every municipal penny was going. Miss May, as she was known throughout Whitchurch-Stouffville, stopped coming to council meetings about a year-and-a-half ago. She never got to take her seat in the new council chamber. “She was so disappointed the last year she wasn’t well enough to attend,” said longtime friend Dave Probert.
Miss May died Aug. 14. She was 83. “I had a lot of respect for her. She was a very genuine individual, in my view. (She) was an unofficial overseer of the municipal body,” said Marc Pourvahidi, the town’s treasurer and director of finance, as well as the target of much scrutiny from Miss May. “I valued her comments. Not necessarily agreed, but valued,” Mr. Pourvahidi said. She kept the town’s bureaucrats on their toes, according to Councillor Rob Hargrave, who when first elected, garnered assistance from Miss May on the importance of development charges and town reserves. “If you don’t have a Miss May out there, things can become complacent. She’s asking
More trips, more options GO is adding more trips and making some service adjustments across its network to serve you better and make your travel experience more comfortable, starting September 1 71 – Stouffville GO Train: • New weekday 3:18 p.m. northbound train trip from Union Station making all stops to Unionville GO Station • The 7:07 a.m. and 7:42 a.m. southbound train trips from Lincolnville will now have 12 coaches instead of the current 10, offering a more comfortable ride and more seats
71 – Stouffville GO Bus:
about the little facts that may become the bigger ones,” he said. “I think she made the town better for it,” Mr. Hargrave said. Miss May was born in Murray Township, near Trenton, in 1929. She had a passion for government. She spent about 34 years with the federal government, including 14 as an employment counsellor. She had a classics degree from Queen’s University and one in journalism from Carleton University. She also studied law and accounting. Miss May also loved research. Whether it was genealogy, geography, archeology or municipal affairs, ask her something and she would find an answer for you, in between answering multitudes of her own questions. When Mr. Probert first met Miss May back in 1982, he noted she would often disappear for days at a time to the Bancroft area to do geological work. She was in her 60s at this point. “She became a close friend because of her intelligence. She was unique. Margaret is a unique and wonderful lady,” Mr. Probert said.
‘If you don’t have a Miss May out there, things can become complacent. She’s asking about the little facts that may become the bigger ones.’ Mr. Probert was one of the few people in town who was able to call Miss May by her given name of Margaret. People were only able to do so on her invitation. The pair met one “slushy, rainy night” at a council meeting when they were held at 19 Civic Ave. Miss May asked Mr. Probert for a ride home. She did not like walking back to the Testa Villa apartment building in the dark, he said. It appeared she didn’t often ask for help, let alone accept it when it was offered. Mr. Hargrave recalled seeing her pull her buggy along Main Street and asked her a number of times if he could drive her home. She always refused, except once, on a wintery day
• New 7:00 p.m. and 7:05 p.m. northbound trips from Union Station
• Changes to the 8:40 a.m. southbound weekday trip from Centennial GO Station • New weekday 8:55 a.m. southbound trip from Unionville GO Station
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when the weather was particularly miserable. Along with having her own seat in the council chamber, Miss May had an “office” in Basically Bagels — the table just inside the Main Street eatery. That is where she could be found every Monday to Friday from noon to 1 p.m. “It was just her place. Her little greasy spoon,” Mr. Probert said. Her 75th birthday party was even held there. Miss May’s health started to deteriorate last year. She had a “slight stroke”, according to Mr. Probert at the time and she moved to Buckingham Manor, across Main Street from the bagel shop. “She loved it. Absolutely loved it,” he said. Earlier this year, Miss May was treated for cancer at Southlake Regional Health Centre. It was then that Miss May left very detailed instructions for Mr. Probert regarding what to do when she died. But Miss May battled back and soon returned to Buckingham Manor. Miss May was re-admitted to Southlake Aug. 9. She died the following day from a brief battle with cancer. At her request, there will be no service, only a private internment in the Belleville Cemetery. Miss May did not marry, nor did she have any children.
Dr. Bette Stephenson Centre for Learning
• Changes to 3:00 p.m. and 3:10 p.m. northbound trips from Union Station • Weekday 3:00 p.m. northbound trip from Union Station will be discontinued
MARGARET MAY: Stouffville woman known for her shopping buggy and town council attendance died.
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