The new Annex building slated to be built on the corner of Yonge and Eagle Streets appears to be in doubt according to a story published on line today: http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/5461194-put-new-facility-in-southern-york-urge-regional-councillors/
I hate to say it, but Councillors Jones and DiBiase are making a whole lot of sense. If 80% of the people who need the services live in southern York Region, then it only makes sense that the services be located there and not Newmarket.
It is hard to believe that many on York Region Council, particularly members from Markham, Vaughan and Richmond Hill, (who hold the majority of seats on Council) would be opposed to making this change.
But what would such a move from Newmarket to Richmond Hill mean for the local economy. Not only would Newmarket lose another 1500 jobs, (joining an already long string of plant closures we've seen over recent years), but the spin off business to restaurants, retailers, and other businesses that rely on these employees as customers would be a tremendous loss.
On Davis Drive, where many businesses are holding on by their finger nails already due to York Region's ill conceived bus lanes (and this project is coming very soon to Yonge Street too), a loss of 1500 customers could be the death knell to a number of small businesses and their employees' jobs.
The ripple effect could be huge.
It is surprising that Newmarket-Aurora MPP, Chris Ballard, himself once an Aurora Councillor, has not commented on the impending "gutting" of the Newmarket economy by the Regional government. One might have expected more leadership from him.
But for a Mayor like Tony Van Bynen who just a few months ago was promising to boost the economy with broadband internet, such a wave of job losses would cap off his legacy as the man who was in charge when the Newmarket economy imploded.
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