jan-2018

72 73 M ayor Frank Scarpitti grew up in Markham and has spent the last 30 years championing its evolution as a hub of emerging technology, with a strong emphasis on history and the environ- ment. As the Mayor is quick to acknowledge, the disciplines of heritage, sustainability, and high- tech innovation are not mutually exclusive in his thriving Greater Toronto Area (GTA) municipality. On average 100,000 people move to the GTA each year and that’s projected to continue for the next 20 years; taking a population of just over five million to more than seven million. Many of those people will be moving into the Markham and York Region. “My parents moved back to Markham in 1965,” Scarpitti explains. “That small town of 10,000 has changed dramatically, but I still see a strong com- munity spirit. I grew up a few minutes’ walk from Milne Conservation area, a great outdoor play- ground to experience nature and use your imagi- nation. I hearken back to that as a foundation for MARKHAM, ONTARIO MARKHAM, ONTARIO CANADA’S MOST DIVERSE COMMUNITY