Our Newmarket: Four Years of Progress Together
Serving as your Ward 6 Councillor is about being responsive to the everyday issues that matter close to home, but it is also about helping make decisions that shape the future of our entire community.
The Town of Newmarket's 2022–2026 Community Report provides an opportunity to look back at four years of progress and some of the work I have been proud to support as a member of Council.
Over this term, our Council has focused on creating great places and spaces, strengthening our community, investing in infrastructure, supporting environmental sustainability and continuing to deliver the services residents rely on.
For me, one of the most exciting examples is Mulock Park. What began as a vision to protect an important piece of Newmarket's history and green space is becoming a 16-acre destination for our entire community. The restored Mulock House, new trails, skating, gardens, public art, hundreds of new trees and community gathering spaces will create something that generations of Newmarket residents will enjoy.
We've also continued investing in the connections that bring our community together. New and improved trails and paths, parks, recreation facilities, road improvements and safer ways to walk and cycle are all part of building a community where people can stay active and connected.
Environmental leadership has also been an important part of this term. In southwest Newmarket, our partnership with Shining Hill will see more than 1,000 new homes built with heat pumps, more than 80 acres of environmentally sensitive land transferred into public ownership, more than 5,000 trees planted and new trails and recreational amenities incorporated into the community.
We've continued to invest in the experiences that make Newmarket special too. Our events bring tens of thousands of people together each year, support our local economy and give residents opportunities to connect with neighbours, friends and family. Being recognized three times in four years as Ontario's Municipality of the Year for events is something our entire community can be proud of.
But progress isn't only measured by major projects.
It is also measured by how quickly we respond when a resident needs help, whether our neighbourhoods feel safe, whether our public spaces are accessible and welcoming, and whether people feel connected to the community they call home.
That is the part of municipal government I value most.
Over the past four years, I have tried to bring the Ward 6 perspective to the Council table while also making decisions that are in the best interests of Newmarket as a whole. At the same time, I have remained focused on the local issues residents bring to me every day.
There is still more work ahead, and there always will be. Communities don't stand still.
Looking back at the 2022–2026 term, I am proud of how much we have accomplished together and even more excited about what these investments will mean for Newmarket in the years ahead.
Thank you to the residents who have shared ideas, raised concerns, volunteered, participated in community events and helped shape the decisions we make.
Building a great community is never the work of one person. It happens when residents, Council, Town staff, community organizations, businesses and volunteers work together.
Serving as your Ward 6 Councillor has given me the opportunity to work on the issues that matter right here in our neighbourhoods while also helping shape the decisions that move Newmarket forward. As I look back on the past four years, I am proud of what we have accomplished together and remain committed to the work ahead, both close to home in Ward 6 and across the community we are all proud to call home.