Friday, June 23, 2017 3 Brooklin Town Crier A Special BTC Feature Farewell Sue: Thanks for All You've Done By Lorri Busch Waiting in a booth at Coffee Culture, I wasn't surprised to see Sue Pitchforth come through the door in a hurried state. Most days this business woman is rushing from one appointment to another for her decor and staging business, Decor Therapy Plus. Since making the decision to relocate to Ottawa, her dance card has become much fuller. Saying goodbye to a community she has given her heart and soul to isn't easy. For close to a quarter of a century she has been involved with countless community and business groups, has managed dozens of local fundraising projects, and has helped steer Brooklin into the vibrant community it is today. When her family first arrived in 1994, Brooklin was a quiet farming village of less than 5000 residents. She and her husband Mike had left their life in Mississauga seeking a smaller place to raise their young son, Chris. They longed to live somewhere with more of a community feel, where they could get to know their neighbours and the kids could play outside. Brooklin's new housing development by Tribute Homes offered village life within the GTA. Friendly greeting "We were the second people to move into Tribute. There were two houses in the entire subdivision so we called it Little House on the Prairie," Pitchforth said with a chuckle. "I remember the first weekend we moved, we're walking along Cassels and John and Jean Medland were on the other side of the street smiling and they waved. "Mike says 'Why are they waving at us?' Coming from Toronto, you don't really see that. They crossed the street to welcome us to Brooklin. I thought, perfect, this is where we want to be. This is the type of environment we want to live and raise Chris in," she said smiling. Group 74 Pitchforth joined Group 74, a local women's service club, and in 2001, she volunteered to step in as president, serving in the position for 16 years. As Brooklin's population grew, the group looked at ways to bring together the original Brooklin residents with the new. Pitchforth suggested an event where everyone could meet and discover the community. In 1999, the Brooklin Harvest Festival was born. "The first few years we had more booths than people, but we persevered," Pitchforth said. Hockey teams, scouts, guides, churches, any group that wanted to take memberships were invited to set up a booth. Its popularity grew and the festival expanded onto Roebuck St. and Cassels Rd. The group partnered with the Town of Whitby to help host the growing event. Move festival Pressure mounted from a long list of vendors who wanted the festival moved to Optimist Park, but it remained in the heart of Brooklin, Grass Park. Pitchforth worked with the Town and in 2015 the festival expanded onto Baldwin St, boosting business for local shops and restaurants. Harvest Festival became the second largest event in Brooklin, drawing thousands to the village. A report submitted to the town showed Pitchforth personally spent 500 hours organizing the event each year. By 2016, it had grown too big for Group 74 to manage and was handed over to the Town. Councillor Pitchforth In 2003, Pitchforth was chatting with then North Ward Councillor, now Mayor, Don Mitchell. She was well known by council for her involvement on various committees and with community groups. With an election looming and Mitchell going after a regional spot, he suggested she consider running for North Ward Councillor. "The thing about Sue was she was really engaged when she came to town," Mitchell said. "She was just a very active and community minded person. She was always very informed and current. When she spoke, it was worth listening to." Pitchforth won and represented Brooklin for seven years. During her tenure, she sat on several committees and won the respect of colleagues and the community for her hard work. A strong advocate of "one downtown," with retail kept in the downtown core, she oversaw the building of the community centre. She worked with Mayors Marcel Brunelle and Pat Perkins who both gave her great opportunities, including the chance to chair various committees. "Marcel called me into his office," she recalled, "and he goes 'I am going to put you on Public Works.' 'What! (continued on page 5)