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BY LII. TIFFANY HSIEH thsieh@yrmg.com Stoufiville’s Emma Rose Gmnonâ€"Iemaitre has a class to call her own, but the seven-yea:- old who the class is named after won’t be staying with her friends at La Garderie dag Moussaillons, the only French day-care centgejn Markham. , a oenembny that celebrated the com- pletion of La Garderie’s long-awaited expansion last Thursday, the new classroom that took two years to build was officially dedicated as the Class of Emma Rose. “We had many obstacles (during the con- struction), from getting permits from the town to problems with the gas line," said Nicole Wil- liams, who has been the director of La Garderie for 16 years. “As captain of this ship, it is very satisfying." ' located at the French elementary school Sainte Marguerite Bourgeoys, which also cel- ebrated its 20th anniversary last Thursday, La Garderie received more than $400,000 from York Region’s Best Start Funding for the construction of the new classroom. The expansion allowed the day care, on John Button Boulevard in the Woodbine and 16m avenues area, to take on 24 more kids. “The day care first opened with a capacity of 42 children," Ms Wflliams said. “When I started here, there were 18 kids enrolled, the centre struggled financially and faced closure at one point: Today, La Garderie is at capacity with 143 children and a wait list of more than 100 is grow- ingevery day- A _ V“We Wanted to dedicate the new classroom to Emma Rose because she has been an impor- tant part of the family hete,” Ms Wlllia_ms “(She) has made (15 all better people and her legacy will never be fgrgotten.'_’ Emma Rose was diagnosed with Hurler syn- drome, a genetic disorder also known as muco- polysaccharidosis type I (MPS I), shortly after she came to La Garderie six years ago. It was here that she begin walking as a tod- dler and stopped walking last July, when her health declined. “It has been a hard yeaI this year. Emma was hospitalized a lot. "-The support we got from the day care was amazing â€"â€" we never felt Emma was not accept- ed here,” said an emotional Carole Grenon, EDUCATION: New French day Care named for Stouffville girl b A black-tie gala fundraiser called A Night of Enchantment will take place at Le Parc Banquet and Conference Centres in Concord on Oct.23, at 7 pm, to launch the Emma-Rose Fund. Details will be posted on www.cmma-roseca shortly. To purchase tickets, at $125 per person, mail Lara Pietrolungo at lara@emma-rose.ca. Day care blooms for Emma Rose ECéNfifiI‘ST SUN MARKHAM GET INVOLVED pre‘sentg... pup A Ms Grenon, along with her husband, Jim Lemaitre, and their daughters Adele, 9, and Emma Rose, will move this summer for the much-needed family and financial support. Emma Rose’s mother. “I'll never be able to thank them enough . . . if I could take them to Quebec, I would," Ms Grenon said. Four years ago, another special bond devel- oped at La Garderie between the Grenon- Lemaitre family and Lara and Rudy Pietrolungo, who are also parents .at the day care. Ms Pietroiungo, Who is the manager of Sickâ€" Kids' international program development, said Nicole Williams (clockwise, from top left), Iim Lemaitre, Carole Grenon, Emma Rose and Adele Grenon-Lemaitre celebrate the opening of a new French day care. WW4 if she had been looking for ideas to raise aware- ness and funds for children’s diseases. - “When I met them, it just clicked,” she said. The Emma-Rose Fund, she explained, will raise awareness of MP8 diseases and donate its proceeds to the SickKids Foundation and the Canadian MPS Society. “Like all childhood diseases, MP8 is not only physically and emotionally draining, but it is also a financial nightmare,1' Ms Pietroltingo “Parents are continuously searching for fund- ing to help support their expenses for medi- cal equipment, medication, child care, medical appointments and hospitalization.” STAFF PHOTO/LN. TIFFANY HSIEH Markham Museum (Hwy. 48 just north of l6th Ave.) july u 12,2009 Imam-5.00m Premier McGulnty vlslflng hospital, Sun-Trlbune today Dalton McGuinty’s trip to the riding of Oak Ridges-Markham today includes a stop at the oflicâ€" es of the Stouflville Sun-Tribune. Whitchurch-Stouffville News Digest The Ontario Premier will meet with editors and reporters from the York Region Media Group this afternoon at The Sun-Tri- bune on Main Street. Details are being kept under wraps, but the Premier’s oflice confirmed he'll be at Markham Stoufiville Hospital this mom- ing to make an announcement, joined by Oak Ridges-Markham MPP Helena )aczek OnWednesday, Ms laczek said we'll have to wait and see what the announcement is about. It's no secret the hospital has been anxiously awaiting an announcement for funding for its long-awaited and much- needed expansion. The hoépital was built to serve a catchment area of 1 10,000. It’s now serving 300,000. 7 The proposal is to build a new addition to the south and the west of the existing building. It will double the size of the cur- rent facility. Numerous areas of the existing building will also be renovated. When all is said and done, the hospital would have a new emer- gency department, improved and expanded ambulatory care clinics, more inpatient beds and operating rooms, a new diagnos- tic imaging department, materâ€" nal child area and mental health unit. Have something to say about these or other stories? E-mail us at jmason@yrmg.com Otherdetailsoer. McGuinty's visit were not released as of yesâ€" terday. Members of the Stouffville Lions Club were told to expect a possible visit during their annual beef barbecue in Memorial Park tonight. Visit yorkregion.omn for more on these and other stories SDUND‘UFF Jl