Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti meets with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Markham Mayor and the Prime Minister of Canada discussed Markham and York Region priorities.

For Immediate Release
July 20, 2018

Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti meets with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

I was proud to welcome The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada to the Aaniin Community Centre & Library, Markham’s newest, state-of-the-art facility celebrating our strong diversity and national identity. Aaniin means ‘hello’ or ‘welcome’ in Ojibway in recognition of Canada’s Indigenous Peoples and honours Markham’s partnership with Eabametoong First Nation, also known as Fort Hope. The Prime Minister’s visit was to dedicate the Official Opening of the Aaniin Community Centre & Library.

During the meeting with the Prime Minister, we discussed Markham and York Region priorities, including the urgent need to build the five-stop Yonge Subway Extension, which will relieve traffic congestion and improve the overall rapid transit network in the GTA.

I reiterated our support of the Federal Government during NAFTA negotiations, which is key to fostering continued investment in our communities and growing our economy. Markham is a hub for international talent and is Canada’s second largest technology ecosystem, a key player in Ontario’s innovation corridor. The City of Markham is also part of the region-wide Toronto Global bid to win Amazon HQ2.

We discussed the Missing Link proposal, which would re-route freight traffic from the west end of the GTA potentially doubling the amount of freight trains carrying hazardous material through our community.

I shared our concerns around the upcoming cannabis legalization and the many unanswered questions municipalities still have around safety, enforcement and soaring policing costs. I applauded the Federal Government’s revenue sharing with the Provinces but called on the Prime Minister to continue to pressure the Provinces to share the revenue with municipalities to offset the increased costs.

I also took a moment to thank the Prime Minister for federal support through the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure program, which has helped build and create several legacy projects such as the new Veterans Square and Cenotaph, a space to honour the brave men and women who fought valiantly for our freedom.

Meetings like this are tangible evidence of the Prime Minister’s commitment to strengthening the relationship between the Federal Government and municipalities, and I look forward to more productive meetings in the future as different levels of government work together to the benefit of the residents of Markham and York Region.

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Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti's Office: Lama Nicolas, Senior Communications Advisor at lnicolas@markham.ca or 41-671-2890.

For all other media inquiries / interview requests for the City of Markham:
Erynn Sally, Media Relations Coordinator at esally@markham.ca or 416-737-2684