There is something special about being part of a community that is always looking to improve itself for its residents and businesses.  Newmarket’s vision is to be a community that is Well Beyond the Ordinary. Several years ago, Newmarket embarked on new era of economic development which saw advances in innovation, collaboration and urbanization unfold throughout Town.

Many of the Town’s recent and current economic strategies and initiatives have been led by Newmarket’sformer Mayor, Tony Van Bynen. Mr. Van Bynen worked closely with Council, local businesses and community partners on countless projects to position Newmarket as a leader in overall economic development practices. We are proud to say that for his many contributions, Mr. Van Bynen has been recognized by the Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO) as the Community Influencer of the Year for 2018.

The Town also received recognition for the 2016/2017 Community Report: Where Character meets Community, and this very blog you’re reading: Where Work Meets Play. The honours were presented at the EDCO Awards of Excellence ceremony on January 31, 2019 in Toronto.

What does it mean to be a Community Influencer of the Year? The award is given to an elected official who has made a significant impact on their peers, the industry, their community and the overall influence of economic development.  We would agree the Mr. Van Bynen did this and more. 

Under Tony Mayor Van Bynen’s leadership, Newmarket saw:

• The re-location of Celestica’s Toronto Operations to Newmarket, which will realize hundreds of jobs in our Town

• The revitalization of Main Street, which was named the best street in Canada by the Canadian Institute of Urban Planners in 2016 and has been featured many times on this very blog.

• The construction of Newmarket’s Riverwalk Commons which was central to the revitalization of Newmarket’s downtown core

• The Town’s Secondary Plan which maps out our growth and development for the next 40 years

• The purchase of the Mulock Property, which will be Newmarket’s new “Central Park” and community greenspace at Yonge Street and Mulock Drive

• The creation of Newmarket’s Smart City Council, CreateIT Now, NewmakeIT and a Smart City Framework

• The launch of Envi, Newmarket’s community-owned high-speed broadband network

• The integration of Soofa solar-powered benches in thedowntown core

• The foundation of the Newmarket Economic Development Advisory Committee (NEDAC)

• The vivaNext rapid transit projects in our urban corridors

• The beginning of Newmarket’s Market Davis Campaign

During his time as Mayor, Mr. Van Bynen was part of a number of teams that helped to make Newmarket’s vision a reality, and he helped establish a blueprint for extraordinary projects and progress in the years to come.

Congratulations to Mr. Van Bynen and thanks for helping to make Newmarket even better! We are proud to be part of the community that you have led successfully for the past 12 years.