“Medhat Sabet Mahdy, the former head of the Greater Toronto YMCA, died earlier this month. I want to honour his lifetime of service to the community, including his work to fight racism, help homeless youth, and build child care centres.”

“Mr. Speaker, the YMCA of Greater Toronto is grounded in six core values: inclusiveness, integrity, kindness, optimism, respect and well-being. Once in a lifetime, we may encounter someone who truly lives and breathes these ideals. Medhat Sabet Mahdy, the former president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Toronto, was one of those rare individuals. Earlier this month, sadly, he passed away. He was an inspiring community builder who was named to the Order of Canada in recognition of his more than 50 years serving the YMCA, which he transformed into a place for social infrastructure and health equity. He championed causes like combatting anti-Black racism and youth homelessness and expanding child care centres. His impact on Scarborough—Agincourt is ongoing through his work on the Bridletowne Neighbourhood Centre, a project that, when completed, will serve as a physical embodiment of his vision, compassion and unwavering commitment. Medhat’s life’s work will continue to resonate for generations to come. Smile on.”