NEWMARKET VOTES: Up your environmental game, advocates tell next council

Mulock Park, anti-Black racism strategy, historic investment in recreation, tree planting are expected highlights

Yorkregion.com
Oct. 26, 2022
Lisa Queen

Want to run a few errands around Newmarket?

Or maybe visit friends or family in town or get to school or work in the community?

Just jump in your car and Newmarket’s road network will get you there.

But it’s much tougher if you want to reach those destinations on foot or bicycle.

Peggy Stevens and Dave Kempton are members of Drawdown Newmarket-Aurora, a community group fighting climate change, and Cycle Newmarket, which advocates for a more cycle-friendly Newmarket.

While they aren’t talking on behalf of the groups, they want to see the incoming 2022 to 2026 council commit to implementing the town's active transportation plan, even when faced with opposition from residents upset about losing on-street parking to bike lanes.

While recreational trails are great for a leisurely stroll or bike ride, Stevens and Kempton feel the town is dragging its feet on implementing the plan, which would create a destination-bound network of paths for walkers and cyclists.

“The town has quite an ambitious active transportation plan. But they aren’t following it,” Stevens said

“If you’re in a climate emergency, why are you pushing back on the active transportation, which is actually helpful to the climate emergency and (instead) catering to the car culture, which is counter?”

The town has created less than 20 kilometres of bike lanes, Kempton said.

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“It’s pathetic,” he said.

Walter Bauer is also a member of Drawdown Newmarket-Aurora.

He compared pro-environment policies in Newmarket, Aurora and Richmond Hill, such as encouraging nonvehicular transportation and creating an electric vehicle charging station network, and found Newmarket needs to up its game.

Kempton, Stevens and Bauer also want to see the town introduce a carbon budget to offset environmentally harmful developments.

Despite their concerns, they believe council is committed to decisions that promote environmental policies.

“I think their heart is in the right place,” Bauer said.

Mayor John Taylor, who was acclaimed in the municipal election, said environmental stewardship will be a priority for the next council.

While decision-making rests with council, he said one example could see the town bring in a 10-year program to plant 25,000 to 50,000 trees, a move that would help address climate change.

Putting an “environmental lens to everything we’re doing,” Taylor believes the town is embracing practices such as low-impact developments and better storm water management strategies.

The next term will be ambitious, Taylor said.

Highlights include:

• Continuing the largest investment in parks, recreation and trails in the community’s history. That includes moving forward with an outdoor rink at the Ray Twinney Recreation Complex, creating a park on the former Hollingsworth Arena property and the Mulock Drive multi-use path, which allows for a wide range of recreational uses such as cycling, walking, jogging and wheelchair access and provides a connection to key destinations such as schools, the Magna Centre, town offices, the future Mulock GO station, existing trails and Mulock Park.

• That investment also includes Mulock Park, a formal name for which is expected in the first year of the upcoming term.

“I think it’s going to be the best large park in the 905,” Taylor said of the park at the northwest corner of Yonge Street and Mulock Drive. Anchored in the arts, including rotating Art Gallery of Ontario exhibits in the historic Mulock House, the park will feature many amenities.

• The future Shining Hill development, a 1,300-home subdivision west of Yonge Street. A landmark deal between the town and the developer will see the project include 80 acres of environmentally significant lands conveyed to the town, trails, 12 racquet sport courts and club house, a Habitat for Humanity project, a community garden, dog park and a number of environmental initiatives including a $1 million fund for initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

• A continued focus on diversity and inclusion, including an anti-Black racism strategy.

• Economic development initiatives that promote Newmarket as a cultural centre and innovation and technology hub.

• A possible pedestrian-only pilot project on Main Street.