Justin Trudeau meets Markham mayor on pandemic, transit, housing investments

City says prime minister's visit reinforces partnership on key initiatives

Yorkregion.com
May 3, 2022
Yoyo Yan

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Markham April 29 and met with Mayor Frank Scarpitti to discuss a number of topics, including the current COVID-19 pandemic, the recently announced Canada Growth Fund and investments in housing and transportation.

As one of Canada's premier municipalities and the most diverse city in the country, the prime minister's interest in Markham and York Region provides a great opportunity for partnership on many shared priorities, the city said in a statement.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Markham has received a total of $18.47 million in safe-restart funding from the federal and provincial governments.

"With the recent announcement of the federal government's new Canada Growth Fund, Markham will be able to more easily attract private sector investment," it said.

The federal investment toward the Yonge North Subway Extension will aid with economic recovery, reduce commute times and also help create a more sustainable transportation system for riders in Markham and York Region, according to the statement.

Recently, the Government of Canada launched the procurement process for the High Frequency Rail project to connect Quebec City and Toronto. Scarpitti stressed the importance of Markham's desire to have a station located along the line in the eastern portion of the city and in proximity to the Rouge National Urban Park.

"The new rail service is intended to deliver faster, greener, more frequent and more reliable passenger rail between the most densely populated corridor in the country. Markham is an ideal candidate for a station given its importance in the technology sector and as a destination to Canada's newest and largest urban National Park."

In addition, Scarpitti highlighted the opportunities Markham and York Region have provided in regards to the federal Rapid Housing Initiative.

Scarpitti presented the prime minister with a Toronto Blue Jays jersey with local hometown hero Jordan Romano's name and number on the back. Markham native Jordan Romano currently leads the MLB American League in saves and is a rising star in Canadian baseball.

"This important visit reinforces the Prime Minister's commitment and priority on key initiatives when it comes to strengthening the partnership between the Federal Government and municipalities," the city said.