|
John Webster A Strong Voice for Markham Ward Five |
you are here: Home>Issues
Issues that affect the quality of life in Ward 5
From the many correspondences and conversations I have residents of Ward 5, a number of issues come up time and again. Here I will attempt to keep you up to date with the issues that affect our quality of life, both from a 'Town Wide' point of view, and also from our local neighbourhoods.
This list begins with the Top Ten Issues that have emerged as the biggest concerns of Ward Five residents. Following that is an alphabetical list of the issues that I'm most often asked about. For simplicity, I've grouped them by neighbourhood where it is appropriate.
Please click on the issue to find not only the relevant information, but also my opinion. Do not hesitate to provide me with your feedback by clicking on the Contact page.
Issues
(The items marked 
are either new or have been updated during the past 30 to 90 days)
There are many other issues affecting Ward Five
Health Care
Markham-Stouffville Hospital has not received as much funding as have other Regional Hospitals. I will speak out loudly to ensure the Region does not continue to under fund Markham.
Trucks, Trucks and More Trucks
Our streets are not highways. Through traffic and trucks are not welcome on Main Street Markham, any more that they are on the 9th Line. The completion of the Bypass, as under construction, is imperative. However, it also needs to take the commuters off Highway 7 by continuing south as quickly as possible. I will champion this effort.
The 9th Line is technically a Regional Road, but in nature it's really a residential road and should not be a shortcut for commuters from the north of York Region to tear through our neighbourhood. Yes, there must be easy access to the Markham-Stouffville Hospital and yes, emergency vehicles need easy access to the residential area, but that doesn't mean we need to have a major inter-urban highway in our midst.
Our Youth
Markham is blessed with a many good opportunities for recreation and culture, but there's a need to help our youth in other ways. Encouragement and mentoring by local businessmen in the Markham Board of Trade has had a wonderful effect. We need to encourage similar projects in each of the communities in Ward Five.
We need drop-in centers and after-school programs. We need to provide facilities and programs that active young people are looking for. In cooperation with the school system, we need to help our youth learn how to find a job or learn skills, as well as to create a fertile ground for the growth of the entrepreneurial spirit.
Parks
Our parks don't seem to receive the attention they require. Weeds, long grass, litter are not acceptable. We need to find creative ways to use our allotted budget to create the kind of community that we desire. Parks are public property. That means we all own them, and with some encouragement, we will treat them as though they were ours.
Annual "Pitch-in Days" are wonderful, but we need to be vigilant all year long in attitude and deed to keep our public areas clean and beautiful at all times. Let's extend the Character Community that the students are learning in school to the entire extent of Ward Five.
Safe Cross Walks and Crossing Guards
There are school children crossing unprotected, busy streets to get to school. This is unacceptable! We're designing our communities so kids don't have to play on the streets, and then force them into unsafe areas to get to parks and playgrounds. This must stop!
Welcome
This web site provides a forum where I can bring you up to date on issues and events at the Town of Markham that affect the quality of living in our Ward.
To contact me regarding any issue please click here for the contact page.
Please visit this page to see what some residents of East Markham have to say about John.