Aside from the perennially popular stories about restaurants and other food services charged for public health violations, as well as articles about local crimes, here are the top stories of 2023 on NewmarketToday, based on page views.
1. Ontario Works recipients 'sitting at home, collecting your hard-earned dollars': Ford, June 26, 2023.
What can we say, this article from one of NewmarketToday's newest sister sites — The Trillium, a Village Media website devoted exclusively to covering provincial politics — that highlighted Premier Doug Ford's comments about Ontarians on social assistance attracted the most readers last year.
"I always say, if someone's on ODSP, I'll support them for life," Ford said in a speech at the Empire Club of Canada in Toronto, referring to the Ontario Disability Support Program. "What drives me crazy is people on Ontario Works — probably (300,000), 400,000 — that are healthy.
"It really bothers me that we have healthy people sitting at home, collecting your hard-earned dollars. We need to encourage them to contribute back to the province and find gainful employment," he said.
2. Homeowners with boxwood shrubs beware, invasive species has arrived, Aug. 24, 2023.
Clearly, our readers care about their gardens. A Newmarket-based landscaper called us to share a warning about the arrival in our area of the dreaded box tree moth.
Paul Barker, president of Newmarket-based Automatic Rain Landscape Irrigation, has seen plenty of evidence of the invasive species in boxwood shrubs in the GTA over 25 years. But it was only last summer that he was dismayed to see they had made their way into York Region, appearing in the garden of a client in Aurora.
The arrival of the pest means the affected shrubs must be destroyed, and “Then we will spray this every seven days for the rest of the year and then the next year," he said.
3. Major former Newmarket company shutting doors after 135 years, Feb. 7, 2023.
Readers were saddened to hear about the closure of the office furniture and supply company Inscape, once the thriving Office Specialty that was a major employer in Newmarket.
The company started in 1888 with a Newmarket factory and more than 400 employees. The Newmarket plant was closed in the 1970s, with operations moving to Holland Landing, which had an existing steel products plant.
The firm announced early last year it would be liquidating its assets and had received creditor protection. More than 80 longtime employees lost their jobs.
4. Southlake emergency department goes into lockdown, June 12, 2023.
Readers were gripped by our breaking news story about the temporary closure of the emergency department at Southlake Regional Health Centre.
York Regional Police secured the area after the hospital declared a precautionary "code silver" hold and secure in the department when a patient with gunshot wounds arrived.
5. York Region breaks ground on new road connecting Markham, Richmond Hill, Sept. 20, 2023.
With most of the roads at capacity in Newmarket and across York Region, stories about transportation issues and solutions are always reader favourites.
Last fall, York Region broke ground on a massive road project that will better connect Markham and Richmond Hill. The new four-lane road will go over Highway 404 and Rouge River.
6. Newmarket single mom ousted from her home, April 12, 2023.
While our regular When Ends Don't Meet series about local residents struggling to make ends meet and needed solutions always attracts high readership, this story about a widowed mom of four who was losing her rented home due to a 'renoviction' struck a real chord with readers and drew stark attention to the housing crisis in our community.
7. Beloved Newmarket restaurant closes, citing rent hike, June 30.
You love reading stories about Main Street Newmarket, which has seen an exciting renaissance with many new restaurants, retail outlets and amenities opening— but there have been some challenges, too, as the transition continues.
In this story about the closure of longtime restaurant, Soup-Pa, owner Ness Daniel told NewmarketToday, 'I can't work just for a landlord.'
Saying his rent was about to spike 15 per cent after an already challenging time for the restaurant sector, on top of inflation and a previous rent hike several years ago, Ness said he was forced to close.
“There’s a lot of places closed down on Main Street. I feel more are coming because of (rent increases) … It’s becoming unmanageable.”
8. Woman shares how she ended up living in a van in Barrie, July 30, 2023.
In another story reflecting the housing crisis and financial insecurity affecting communities across the province, Beverly, 52, shared how she is trying to make the best of a situation that saw her calling a van her home in the wake of the pandemic, despite being employed.
9. Automated speed camera issued 6,000 tickets in four months in Newmarket, Nov. 21, 2023.
The first four-month foray into automated speed enforcement in Newmarket, on Mulock Drive by Newmarket High School, led to more than 6,000 tickets collected — with a value exceeding $600,000.
York Region and Newmarket say they will ramp up automated speed enforcement in 2024 in the wake of a successful pilot program, which — never mind the cash — generally reduced speeds by about 10 km/h wherever speed cameras are active.
10. 'We are making history': York Region's first all girls school opens, Sept. 5, 2023.
The campus of St. Anne's School, St. Andrew's College's partner school, officially opened in Aurora last September, with students from Aurora, Newmarket, Bradford West Gwillimbury, and across the region.
The first all girls private school in York Region is 'making history,” headmaster Sabrina D'Angelo said. “Today is a testament to the power of dreams, dedication, hard work, and the unwavering belief in the potential of young women. We embark on an education experience that promises to provide countless opportunities that will change lives, shape futures, and leave an indelible mark on our community and beyond.”