'I want us to be known as one of the most inclusive communities in Canada': Newmarket's changing demographics

Yorkregion.com
June 19, 2023

With Canada Day on July 1 only days away, it’s an opportune time to look at the changing fabric of Newmarket.

The town’s current population of about 91,500 residents has jumped by approximately 10,000 over the last decade.

Not surprisingly, the cultural makeup of the town is shifting, with more than a third of the population made up of immigrants.

In 2011, only 8.75 per cent of residents didn’t count English or French as their mother tongue. The most common non-official languages were Italian, Russian, Spanish and German.

By 2021, that percentage had jumped to 23.2 per cent, with Mandarin, Iranian, Persian, Russian and Cantonese being the mostly commonly spoken languages apart from the official ones.

Meanwhile, while the town used to be made up overwhelmingly of homeowners, now almost a quarter of residents are tenants.

With skyrocketing house prices, it’s likely 50 per cent or more of high school students today will never afford a home, according to Mayor John Taylor, who adds that if the rental housing crisis is not addressed, businesses unable to hire needed employees who can’t afford to live in the community will suffer.

Newmarket has an aging population. The average age of residents is 41, compared to 39 in 2016.

In recent years, Newmarket has welcomed a growing 2SLGBTQ+ community and has become home to one of the largest Pride festivals and parades.

“The town has changed and evolved considerably in many ways. Change is a tricky topic for a lot of people. It brings challenges and opportunities in all of its forms,” Taylor said.

“The one thing I really want to stress, as we move forward as a town, I want us to be known as one of the most inclusive communities in Canada. When you talk about inclusivity and diversity, we often make the mistake of only thinking of country of origin, so new Canadians. It’s much more than that (and includes residents of different physical and developmental abilities).

Newmarket is home to a growing Asian population, according to Centre for Immigrant and Community Services executive director, Alfred Lam, and Clement Kuo, manager of the Newmarket centre.

Industrialized nations need immigrants due to their aging populations, decreasing workers-to-retiree ratio, low birth rates, inability to meet the demands of the labour force and a lack of skilled professionals, Lam said.

Attracting newcomers is key to Newmarket’s future success, he said.

It’s important not to paint all Asian newcomers with the same brush and to recognize residents of different backgrounds have specific needs, Lam said.

“So, the question is more than just supporting a ‘growing Asian’ population, but rather building a community where each individual person feels respected and welcomed, regardless of their particular cultural background,” he said.

In addition to building Canada’s economy, immigrants add to the vibrancy of a community and the country, Lam said.

“When good people come together, we build good cities and communities. And when you have enough good communities coming together, you build a better and stronger nation. We are always better together,” he said.

“We also need to be aware that there is still a strong anti-immigrant sentiment among parts of our population, which has sometimes generated toxic rhetoric and false narratives about our immigrant communities. As much as Canada is known to be a welcoming and compassionate country, we cannot ignore the sins of racism in our past such as the head tax against Chinese labourers, the Japanese internment camps during the Second World War and, of course, our dark and shameful history with the Indigenous communities. It remains to be seen how well we have learned the lessons from our past.”

Kuo applauded Taylor’s goal of Newmarket becoming one of the most diverse communities in Canada.

“Newcomers need opportunities to build their social networks and friendship circles. We need to create opportunities for families to gather, where seniors can make new friends, where children and youth can get involved with sports and recreation, and so on,” he added.

“At the heart of a diverse community is a place where every individual person feels safe and a genuine sense of belonging.”