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Stouffville `best place in region,' Hargrave says From page 1. 3 | Stouffville Sun-Tribune | Thursday, January 7, 2016 Whitchurch-Stouffville will be welcoming refugee families from Syria. This is a great opportunity for people in WhitchurchStouffville to support newcomers and strengthen our community. My work in Ottawa in the year ahead will be focused on improving health and healthcare for Canadians. We aim to improve access to home care, mental health care and prescription medication for those in need. Helena Jaczek, MPP for Oak RidgesMarkham What are your wishes for 2016? My wish for 2016 is that we continue to strengthen Ontario's economy and ensure that people in Whitchurch-Stouffville and across the province can find secure and fulfilling employment. I'd like to see Ontario continuing to invest in people's talents and skills, as well as in public infrastructure, including roads, highways, bridges, transit, schools and hospitals, all the while continuing to ensure that environmental protections are in place so that future generations can enjoy the beauty of our province. What will happen this year that will impact Whitchurch-Stouffville residents? My constituents in Whitchurch-Stouffville tell me they want to see improved transit for the region and this coming year, I'm pleased to say they will continue to see the investments in transit that are being made by the Ontario government. GO riders on the Stouffville line can expect to see a boost to their train service as we add more frequent trains and as we move towards two-way, all-day service in the future. In 2016, Whitchurch-Stouffville residents will see yet another new elementary school built. With an ever-growing population, it is important that we invest in our children by ensuring they have the best possible learning environment. With a provincial investment of $10.7 million, WhitchurchStouffville will have a new 615-pupil, highquality learning facility. Something that I continue to fight for is the Rouge National Park. The province wants to ensure the appropriate protections of the lands are in place and with the new federal government's commitment to strengthening the quality of life for all residents. We as a council have the legislative and ethical responsibility to help build "Complete Communities" by also considering many interlocking recommendations as expressed in the recently released executive summary "Planning for Health, Prosperity and Growth in the GGH: 2015-2041." Ward 5 Councillor Iain Lovatt What is on your wish list for 2016? 1. Shovels in the ground early 2016 for the leisure centre/library expansion. 2. Industry attracted to WhitchurchStouffville - something significant that has a positive impact on lowering our residential tax base. 3. Main Street redevelopment - designed and planned - more business brought downtown. 4. Much needed roadwork underway and planned in Ward 5 to repair some very neglected roads. 5. Peace and prosperity for all residents and businesses of Stouffville. What will happen this year that will impact Whitchurch-Stouffville residents? Not to be cheeky, but I don't have a crystal ball. Hopefully nothing negative! Ward 6 Councillor Rob Hargrave What are your wishes for 2016? The Canadian economy rebounds. Sunshine and warm weather for Strawberry Festival 2016. A strong leader for world peace comes forward. What will happen this year that will impact Whitchurch-Stouffville residents? The best place to live in all of York Region is Stouffville. We have amazing water parks, 23 km of trails and one of the lowest tax rates in the region. There really isn't a negative issue in the community. Let's all embrace our great community and by working together we will make it an even better place to live. Councillors Maurice Smith (Ward 2) and Rick Upton (Ward 4) did not provide responses to The Sun-Tribune prior to our publication's deadline. JANE PHILPOTT: Health minister concerned with needs of exisiting residents and refugees. the protection of these lands, I'm optimistic we will all soon be able to enjoy Rouge National Park. This year we reaffirmed that Ontario is a province where our differences don't divide us -- they make us stronger. In the coming days and weeks, we will be seeing these values in action as more planes arrive at airports across our country with refugees from Syria, as we work toward the goal of bringing 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada by March. Some of these newcomers will make Whitchurch-Stouffville their new home. I've already seen the generosity of many people in Whitchurch-Stouffville and I know we will help our newest residents settle in. Whitchurch-Stouffville Mayor Justin Altmann What are your wishes for 2016? I wish that in 2016 we continue to provide for our community great prosperity for our businesses to grow and succeed in a growing town that is home to 46,000 of the most open-hearted, grateful, family oriented, giving residents making our town the gem it is. What will happen this year that will impact Whitchurch-Stouffville residents? For growth to occur that provides our community with a great balance of the amenities needed for future growth and convenience of our residents. HELENA JACZEK: MPP says residents will see improvements to GO transit and new school. Ward 1 Councillor Ken Ferdinands What are your wishes for 2016? I hope that 2016 will usher in changes that provide for health, prosperity and all the success you seek. What will happen this year that will impact Whitchurch-Stouffville residents? As we enter a development phase centered on expanding our most highly utilized civic assets, we can expect competing interests will be active, since tough choices will have to be made. (With the recent release of the 2016 draft budget) I am hopeful this council will have the discipline to manage our resources in a manner that is needed to balance service levels while providing for a sustainable and affordable future. The goal is to make sure that all the development charge-funded projects are paid for before the land budget is exhausted and construction-starts fall to a fraction of what they are today. Gormley is expected to have 800 parking spaces with more land available for expansion. For those of you who would like to utilize rapid transit, this new terminal has the potential to provide the benefits of a subway, as now you will have an alternative to the state of gridlock that currently exists on Highway 404 during peak travel hours. JUSTIN ALTMANN: `Open-hearted' Whitchurch-Stouffville residents make town a `gem,' mayor says. Ward 3 Councillor Hugo Kroon What are your wishes for 2016? I suppose the most important thing I could wish for is a satisfactory resolution of the "Co-ordinated review of the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, Greenbelt Plan, Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan and the Niagara Escarpment Plan". A mouthful, I know, but this review is vitally important to the continued well-managed growth and future of our town. How, and more importantly, if we move forward as a town is fully dependent on the outcome of this process. The province has lots of plans and expectations for us, as expressed in the Provincial Policy Statements, but we need to have a comprehensive road map before us to show us the way. Hopefully, the review will lead us in the right direction. We can't afford to wait too long and I expect the province to provide that guidance so that we, along with the Regional Municipality of York, can make competent and responsible planning decisions to lead us into the future. What will happen this year that will impact Whitchurch-Stouffville residents? Ultimately the outcome of the review and resultant implementation framework will have a major impact on the town in areas such as agriculture, the environment, urban expansion, densities and intensification, the cost and delivery of required infrastructure, transportation and most importantly READERS' CHOICE AWARDS - VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE NOMINEES! Vote in the paper today or on yorkregion.com