Newmarket Mayor John Taylor said he is happy with how the town has progressed this year in areas including recreation, road safety and inclusivity.
Both Newmarket and York Region councils advanced a variety of projects throughout 2023. From progress on new recreation facilities to conflicts with the province, the councils tackled many issues throughout the year.
“We got our major projects, and we’re very focused. We’re moving things forward in a very thoughtful, practical manner,” Taylor said. “I’m really pleased with it. There’s always challenges and curveballs.”
NewmarketToday asked the mayor to reflect on local government in the past year and look ahead to 2024. Here is what he had to say:
Recreation
Newmarket has advanced several major recreation projects to be completed within the next two years.
After years of planning, in December, it announced the tender for Mulock Park, with an expected completion date of two years. The total cost of the Mulock Park works, including parking and renovations on the central house is expected to be $64.2 million.
“It’s great that we’re at tender because now, it just goes, and we’ll see a lot of activity,” Taylor said. “The park itself will now move at a very steady pace … It’s started. It’s funded. It’s going to be doors open in 2026.”
The town also launched consultations for a pickleball facility, now planned to be built at George Richardson Park, although the location is not yet finalized.
‘We’ve come to the realization that pickleball is growing so quickly, so exponentially, it really is becoming a key sport,” Taylor said. “We felt we really need to step forward boldly on pickleball as well.”
A brand new tennis facility is also in the works at the Shining Hill development site, expected to be completed next year, paid for by the Shining Hill developer. That will then allow the town to convert the existing downtown tennis facility into more parking.
The town also added one per cent to its 2024 property tax increase to fund future recreation capital projects.
Provincial dispute
Newmarket and Taylor found itself at odds with the province throughout the year over housing targets. Premier Doug Ford called Taylor out on the matter, with Newmarket concerned the housing targets were unrealistic due to sewage capacity. With the province proposing 12,000 by 2031, Newmarket eventually created its own housing target, 6,400 by 2031.
Taylor said the year will stand out in his memory for the provincial conflict, but things have looked more promising in recent months. The province has indicated it is willing to budge on aspects of its latest housing legislation, which concerned municipalities due to development charge reductions.
“There’s been ups and downs … times where you’re feeling less optimistic and more optimistic,” Taylor said. “I feel the province has, really in the last number of months, has started to really listen to municipalities and mayors more significantly.”
Taylor said the positions he took opposing the provincial government in 2014— from housing legislation to Greenbelt development to changing of regional governance structure — have borne out to be largely correct.
“I’m never going to be a person to criticize anyone or any government for listening and pivoting and taking a new direction when that shows there’s more collaboration occurring,” Taylor said. “That’s positive. I’m more optimistic than ever.”
The province has not weighed in on the Newmarket housing target, Taylor said. Regardless, he said Newmarket will be challenged to reach either target, which could render it unable to meet provincial criteria for a new infrastructure fund. The fund is desgiend to help municipalities build critical infrastructure for housing.
“I would suggest the province should consider revisiting the criteria for that funding,” Taylor said. “So more municipalities can access it.”
York Region progress
York Region also advanced on important projects, Taylor said, with more work on the Yonge-North Subway Extension.
After the province ultimately decided against the Upper York Sewage Solution, clarity and progress were also made on a new sewage solution for Newmarket and the northern York Region, expanding capacity at a plant in the Durham Region. Taylor also praised the region for dedicating more dollars in this year’s budget to addressing homelessness.
The region grappled with the possibility of changing its structure, whether by amalgamation or the possibility of dissolution previously proposed by Peel Region. The province has since gone back on dissolving Peel Region, which Taylor said makes it likely York Region’s structure does not see significant change.
“I am a full supporter of regional government,” Taylor said, adding that it always looks for ways to be more efficient. “If you want to dissolve a regional government and make it back down into a number of lower tiers again, I think you’re losing efficiencies and not gaining them. I think the regional level of governments is not duplicative.”
Traffic safety
The town advanced a new plan to bolster its efforts for traffic safety. In 2023, it moved to implement an automated speed enforcement program. Cameras are expected to be in place at several different school zones in 2024.
“Safe streets has been a focus of this council for well over six years,” Taylor said. “People want safe streets. They want people to slow down.”
Taylor said he is ready for the complaints that automated speed enforcement might bring. He believes the program will make a difference.
“There will be people who won’t like it,” Taylor said. “I’m going to get calls. There will be letters to the editor. People will call it a cash grab. The fact is, if you’re speeding in front of a school, I have no sympathy for you. We will move this forward. We will slow traffic down.”
Inclusivity
The town continued its efforts towards improving inclusivity and addressing anti-Black racism this year. It passed an action plan to address anti-Black racism and the recommendations from an advisory committee on the matter.
Taylor said the town will continue to support those initiatives, and we all as other efforts for inclusion such as the York Pride Parade and Indigenous inclusion.
“We’re going to continue to be one of the most inclusive and welcoming communities in Canada,” Taylor said.
That also includes accessibility, Taylor said. The town’s accessibility committee has raised issues with the downtown in that regard, exploring how much of it remains inaccessible.
Looking ahead
The town will continue advancing goals on addressing climate change, Taylor said. With the creation of a fund from the Shining Hill development agreement for emissions reduction, the town will work on using green projects, such as solar panels over the parking for Mulock Park.
Taylor said 2024 would feature plenty of progress on infrastructure projects. Events would also continue to be a focal point, he said, adding a tease for a new event getting announced soon.
Events are “something that’s highly valued. We will keep looking at new opportunities.”
The Postmark Hotel will also be opening in 2024, a significant development in Newmarket, Taylor said.
“It’s going to be another great piece of the downtown,” Taylor said.
The municipality has floated a downtown pedestrianization pilot in recent years. Taylor said there is a chance for discussion later in 2024 regarding it, a possible 2025 rendition of the pilot. He said the timing for such a pilot would not work in 2024, with the Postmark opening impacting traffic and the town still needing to complete the downtown parking lot expansion.
“I don’t think we should pursue that pedestrianization … until we have that parking piece behind it,” Taylor said.
