NEWS RELEASE
TOWN OF NEWMARKET
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Former Newmarket Mayor Tony Van Bynen has been named the Community Influencer of the Year for 2018 by the Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO), while the Town received honourable mention recognition for the 2016/2017 Community Report: Where Character meets Community, and the economic development themed blog Where Work Meets Play. The honours were presented at the EDCO Awards of Excellence ceremony on Jan. 31, 2019 in Toronto.
“During his 12 years as Mayor, Tony Van Bynen was a driving force behind an era of economic growth in Newmarket,” said Mayor John Taylor. “His commitment to making Newmarket a community that is 'Well beyond the Ordinary,' led to many great accomplishments and positioned our Town to be recognized as one the best places to live and to work in the country.”
The Community Influencer of the Year Award is presented “to an elected official who has made a significant impact on their peers, the industry, their community and the overall influence of economic development.” The title reflects a number of accomplishments achieved in Newmarket under Tony Van Bynen’s leadership from 2006 to 2018, including:
- The foundation of the Newmarket Economic Development Advisory Committee (NEDAC)
- The re-location of manufacturing giant Celestica’s Toronto Operations to Newmarket
- The revitalization of Newmarket’s Main Street, which was named the best street across the country in 2016 by the Canadian Institute of Urban Planners
- The construction of the award-winning Newmarket Riverwalk Commons and internationally recognized HollisWealth Story Pod
- 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 the Soofa solar-powered bench network in the downtown core
- The first steps of intensification of Newmarket’s primary corridors at Yonge Street and Davis Drive (including the approval of Town’s Urban Centres Secondary Plan, investment in the vivaNext Rapid Transit system and a physical transformation of the area, including place making and public art)
- The acquisition of the Mulock Property, which will be Newmarket’s new “Central Park” and community green space at Yonge Street and Mulock Drive
“I feel honoured to receive the 2018 Community Influencer of the Year Award from EDCO,” said Tony Van Bynen. “Thank you to our outstanding staff, Council and community members who made our progress worthy of this recognition.”
EDCO is an independent, non-profit, incorporated association of persons engaged in economic development from both the public and private sector. For more information on the EDCO Awards, click here.
