Markham election
Ward 1 Thornhill All-Candidates Meeting – Thoughts on the Candidates
Sharing the video from the Ward 1 meeting. Interesting to compare how everyone answered the questions. Some definitely came across better than others.
MAYOR
🏆 Frank Scarpitti – Pretty clear choice for Mayor. He knows the city, has the experience, and seemed comfortable answering the questions.
❌ Martin Ross – Didn’t really convince me he’s ready to run Markham. Big difference between the two.
REGIONAL COUNCILLORS
🥇 1. Amanda Yeung Collucci – Came across really well. Clear answers, straight to the point, and seemed to know what she was talking about. Has a strong presence and brings a different perspective from some of the longtime politicians. Her business background and council experience are a good combination.
🥈 2. Jack Heath – Solid and steady. Pretty much what you’d expect from someone who’s been around municipal politics for years.
🥉 3. Jim Jones – Knows York Region issues well. His experience definitely shows.
✅ 4. Paul Chiang / Joe Li / Don Hamilton – Honestly, this one’s a toss-up.
Paul Chiang was okay. Nothing particularly memorable.
Joe Li seems to bring everything back to his Swiss waste collection system. Would be nice to hear him talk more about other issues.
Don Hamilton was his usual self. Nothing surprising.
WOULDN’T MAKE THE LIST
❌ Alan Ho – Really didn’t come across well. Seemed to be yelling most of the time, and it was hard to follow what he was saying. Not impressed.
❌ Michael Huang – Even less convincing than Alan Ho. Didn’t seem ready for the job.
❌ Joe Tay – Think he needs more experience before moving into a regional role.
OTHERS
⭐ Richard – Actually spoke pretty well. Seems to have potential, but probably needs more experience in municipal politics.
⭐ Stephen Edgell – Good to see him putting his name forward and participating. Just don’t see him having much of a chance of winning this time.
WARD 1 COUNCILLOR
✅ Keith Irish – Probably going to win again. He’s established in Thornhill, and incumbency helps.
SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE
✅ Cindy Hackelberg – Spoke well, seemed knowledgeable, and has a good background. Solid choice.
OVERALL
Interesting meeting. Some candidates clearly know the issues better than others, and some are just better at explaining their positions.
Worth watching the video and making up your own mind.
Who would you pick for the four Regional Councillor seats?