Welcome to the website of York Branch
The York Branch website aims to keep members informed on branch activities; provide information on meeting schedules, branch advocacy and other areas of interest. Be sure to check back periodically for updates.
Branch President's Reports
Update – Sep 2025
Back to work! Your Branch board of directors has had its first meeting after the summer break. All in all, a good summer reported, with visits and travelling. The main immediate business of the board was to address the vacant president position, and to finalize plans for our fall general meeting.
We still mourn the untimely passing of our president-elect, Keith Chang. This was a great shock to his family and to us, as he went from apparent good health to hospice care in such a short time. As an unfortunate side effect this left the branch without a president. The board decided that in view of the circumstances the past president, Fred Conway, would carry on until our AGM in the spring, at which time a new President must be found.
Plans for the fall meeting were reviewed. The FMM is set for Oct. 7 at the Aurora Legion Hall. This is really a social meeting, but will include an update on business and a light luncheon, with what we expect will be an entertaining and relevant presentation: “Logging Out: Preparing Your Digital Life for End of Life”. Many people are encountering the problem of what to do about social media accounts of deceased loved ones.
We should be able to provide an update on Association business, which took a shocking twist just prior to the Annual Meeting of Members (AMM) in the spring. The national board removed the president, and the presidents of two Alberta branches, for cause. The national board also cancelled the scheduled election of the Association president, which will now take place at a special virtual meeting in November after a new round of nominations. The AMM parliamentarian enjoyed explaining the protocol: the AMM has been in recess since the spring and will finally end with that virtual meeting. Only the branch delegate – normally the president – can vote.
We are assured that Association business continues smoothly. We are now in the planning and implementation phases of the strategic plan. A restructuring of the Association is still under consideration, motivated largely by the number of struggling branches. Federal Retirees has launched its Mega Recruitment Drive, which offers cash prizes (there is a draw) for members providing referrals leading to a new member. Advocacy activities are ongoing: the CEO (the national board’s only employee) has announced a campaign to make sure that the new government does not leave older Canadians behind, and has already been contacted by the new Minister for Seniors.
Given the difficult international situation which we are all facing, all levels of government and all Canadians, we must also think of the health of our country. We were government workers who served Canada for many years, serving the state, and will be called upon to help face difficult times. We will need to avoid seeming self-serving, but rather ready to do our part.
10225 Yonge St
Unit R116
Richmond Hill, ON
L4C 3B2
strong>e-mail: federalretirees.york@gmail.com
Website: federalretirees.ca/york
Web Content
We are constantly reviewing and updating our webpage hoping to make it friendlier and allow our readers to quickly search for information about the branch: its activities and the newest published items. Please check out the Latest Updates section to find the most current submission.
Frank Froude
Web Content Editor