This week voters in Newmarket-Aurora got a taste of what it means to have Chris Ballard MPP representing us provincially on the government side of the legislature when a new post secondary campus was announced for Markham and Magna announced it is moving to King.
He is deomstrating that he is just as effective as a MPP as he was as an Aurora Councillor.
The truth is, we really could have used the jobs in this riding but Ballard didn't deliver.
Although still 3 years away, I am excited for Newmarket-Aurora's prospects in the next provincial election.
As the new leader of PC Party, Patrick Brown has close ties to this riding. He has represented Barrie both federally and municipally and he knows the ins and outs of Central Ontario well.
He knows that the Markham York campus is a bad idea. The Markham area has many post secondary options within a short commute - York (main and Glendon campuses), U of T (Scarborough, Downtown, and Mississauga campuses), Ryerson, UOIT, Centennial College, George Brown College, Durham College, Humber College, Seneca College and so on.
Placing a campus in Markham was a 'gas plant' move by Kathleen Wynne. Wynne's government is more concerned with retaining a Liberal seat than they are serving the needs of the province.
Real leaders look beyond elections but then again nobody would ever mistake the current crop of Liberals at Queens Park for Winston Churchill.
The PCs wanted the campus further north and supported plans a campus servicing Central Ontario.
Unfortunately our Mayor and Council went off in pursuit of a Seneca/ York campus partnership last year when perhaps they didn't comprehend the Liberal Arts "fit" that York was seeking. York passed over Newmarket for the southern York Region cities when creating it's shortlist of hosts. Ultimately, York decided on Markham.
From reading the pitches under consideration by the province, I personally believe that the Lakehead University - Georgian College partnership would have been a much better choice for our town.
Specifically, we could have leveraged Newmarket's highly anticipated broadband internet service with Lakehead's proposed "Design and Advanced Technology" campus. Ultimately Lakehead-Georgian chose Barrie but I personally believe Newmarket could have fit the bill and given the York-Seneca bid some real competition.
The jobs of tomorrow are in design and advanced technology. Innovation is something our workforce is good at. Such a campus would have helped ensure that our workforce continues to excel.
But the Ontario Liberals have opted for another liberal arts university/ college campus instead.
Chalk it up as another wasted opportunity for Newmarket and the province due to failed leadership.
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