Seniors Needs On Main St. Newmarket

As I've traveled the streets during my door to door campaign, I've noticed that the concerns are quite varied, and depending on the resident's personal situation, that usually dictated what their main concerns were.

Seniors

With seniors living near Main St. South for example, the feeling was exasperation when the last bank closed up.

An older gent almost literally stumbled upon me as I stood outside what used to be the Bank of Montreal before stopping and realizing it was no longer there!

Geez this is terrible. Where do they expect seniors to go? There's nothing on Main St anymore for seniors and I've had to move away. No doctors office, no place to shop what do they expect seniors to do? Then I have to find a ride..." his voice trails off.

So what about the seniors? there are a fair number within walk shot of Main but with less and less reason to come and a budget for many they need catered to as well. transportation costs savings alone are a big deal for some.

So I'm hearing seniors want grocery shopping, doctors offices, a bank. Well the latter may be tough, but perhaps a credit union could be sought and little whispers tell me a grocers may be going in where the Bank Of Montreal is moving out of which would be good. 

I'd love to see fruit markets spring up along with the grocers and see know reason something can't be coordinated. My plan promises that I would be proactive to seek out good fits for Main St and this would be one such endeavour should the grocery store no pan our as well as look into the possibility of doctors offices or drop in clinics.

I've been know to fight for the rights of seniors and the disabled in the past and have no plans to turn my back on anyone should I be elected.

In addition, to help keep a grocer in business I will at ways of introducing a home grocery delivery service system for local area seniors, using a model of a successful running program in Quebec.

I'm Tom Pearson and....

I Really Do Care.

Car! Tom Pearson is an Events Specialist - Critical for Ward 5

No more parking woes for an even expanded Main St. Father's Day Sat Car Show if TP is in!

If you're a classic / car fan from the area, you may be familiar with the various car shows in and around town. The Highway 11 Cruisers Car Club host the bulk of them, including a Father's Day Saturday event held in a parking lot at Yonge and Mulock where one of their event sponsors, Parts Source, sits, while on Main St., on Father's Day Sunday, the Newmarket Car Club has previously featured the cars for the show there - however the number of cars in the smaller club limits Main St.'s event somewhat in size and subsequently out of town attendee numbers.

Highway 11 Cruisers C.C.'s Upper Canada Mall show got too big for the Mall to host

I'm a Bridge Builder

Having been acquainted with both Car Clubs for a number of years now, and having promoted Cruisers' annual New years Eve bash particularly, I believe I'm just the guy that can broker having them all together on one street - Main St - for the area's biggest annual car show and attraction the town has ever hosted - on Fathers Day weekend no less! Did I'm mention I'm trained in Group Facilitation by C.M.H.A.? I knew it might come in handy one day. Ha.

In fact I've spoken to both the downtown B.I.A. Chair Glenn Wilson and to the Highway 11 Cruisers President Danny Fachini in the past about adding the latter club to the Main St. mix since their two shows are so close together as they kind of compete against one another, so it would make sense if possible to do just one big show and that is exactly what I've been working on! And they are both receptive to the idea.

Imagine 300 plus cars on and around Main St and Sponsors

So much so in fact, the Cruisers could be willing to stop holding their Parts Source show that same weekend and bring 300 cars to Main St. to make it one of the biggest car show attractions in the G.T.A., if not the biggest, also drawing from all over York Region, Barrie, Brampton and the G.T.H.A.. Imagine a car show on Main with over 300 cars, entertainment and booths! The patios and shops would rock!

On top of that, I've even configured a way to add more parking! How?

Bill Nadeau live performance

The Cruisers end-of-season Sept show attracts up to 1500 people, and it's grown so large they were told they'd have to move from the Upper Canada Mall parking lot where they'd been for a number of years and so moved it to the Go parking lot on Green Lane. But, filled with cars for the show there is then limited parking. So what to do?  

They created a shuttle service provided by one of their sponsors - a car dealership in town - and this is exactly what we'd do for an event on Main as excess parking could be added by shuttling people from the HUGE Tannery Mall parking lot on Davis Drive which sits empty mostly on weekends and evenings. Light bulb moment!

Tom Pearson id proposing to bring sponsors and show to Main instead

Yes, that's right, in one fell swoop, and no extra $, I've just added hundreds of additional parking spots and dollars to the event for Main. We could even have the Tim Horton's Train making additional shuttles along Tom Taylor Trail which would make for a short but fun and scenic ride to the edge of Riverwalk Commons where visitors can easily walk over to the event.

I, in fact, see the car show getting so large and renowned, it may be wise to add Riverwalk Commons to the mix for cars and booths, as I'm sure their various event sponsors including Parts Source, Maple Leaf Sports and New Roads would love the opportunity to be included for more exposure there. In past big shows the Cruiser's have brought attractions like the Toronto Rock (M.L.S.) and other goodies to their shows along with their spectacular variety of cars and this show would become

a flagship town and Main St. event for years to come attracting hundreds more to Main St from out of town.

Cruisers at U.C. Mall in 2014

I'm very excited about this and am itching to make it so. These types of special events are right up my alley, having put on dozens of events myself including 20 in the past 10 years at Riverwalk and Fairy Lake and also at Canada's largest (Toronto) convention centre. Danny knows it and he is excited about the possibility too, and it sure sounded like their numerous club members are too when I addressed this at a recent Tues Cruise Night. And we can then look forward growing it each year, adding much needed extra revenue to the town coffers and the businesses and which is attractive to young and old alike!

Monday Madness meets Motor Cars

Danny and I also discussed the possibility of once a month car shows on Main St. that would again include live street entertainment, like Bill Nadeau, which we could run on an off night such as a Monday or Tuesday to bring additional business again onto Main through the summer. We can only propose it but I think it too would fly!

Cool vendors too

I'm Tom Pearson, I'm running for Ward 5 Councillor in Newmarket and if you put me in, there is no doubt I will use my experience and connections to create more business for Main, and for entertainers, restaurants and shops like you have not seen! I'm a doer, not just a talker, and my track records speaks to that. And I really do care.

Just remember to vote Oct 17 (or before) and let's get these parties started!

Watch for some cool cars to adorn my campaign fundraiser and kick- off party on Mon Sept 12...Staytuned for the Main St locale! Click here for more of my platform and ideas.

Happy New Year!

Main St. Newmarket - Movies Location and More

Nearby movie production location sees beautiful sunsets over Newmarket

Back portion now empty...how about a  Doctor's office?

Main St Newmarket has come a long, long, way for those who have been around to remember. In fact, at one time it was considered somewhat of a dive some years ago before the beautification process began, but she is now well on her way to being a beacon of pride for the town - but we cannot rest on our laurels.

Our Main St has even been featured in a number of feature films including Tommy Boy, the remake of Carrie and most recently Regression with Emma Watts and Ethan Hawke, but they have been few and far between which I believe, through diligence, we can increase that frequency - provided the town doesn't lose its Town Clock which acts as the connector for dating films made there.

I'd like to see more productions shot on Main St

Having been involved with films for a number of years (Film School Grad) including being an award winning documentary Film Maker myself and an Associate Producer of feature films - raising $1,000,000 for productions over 4 years - and including back end credits on feature family films like Super Cross, Hansel & Gretel ( Howie Mandel, Taylor Mumsen) and Miracle Dogs shot at the famous Cleveland Clinic which went # 1 on Animal Planet Channel USA, I feel we need to be more pro-active in attracting Producers to our town for use as a location while adding much needed dollars to the coffers of the town and businesses.

This studio and animals just outside of Newmarket used for movie Night of the Museum with Ben Stiller

I plan to put more than just bugs in Production and Locations Managers ears to get them to consider us - which includes making them aware of additional studios we have available in the area should they need, such as the location at the end of Vivian Road which had scenes from The Titanic including the infamous love scene with DiCaprio and the "top of the world!" scenes as well as Night of the Museum, not to mention the video game Tomb Raider which flew 50 people in from around the world to play in a live version for its launch! Big, big money!

Click to See my short video featuring pics shot during the movies!

This studio was actually built just for the Titanic Movie

Through TPE I can connect prospective productions to this location which boasts 100+ acres, a 5 bedroom house and 20,000 sq feet of studio space including additional kitchen facilities for in-house craft services need be. In fact I've been involved in a number of productions at this locale over 2015-16 and am excited about the prospects of making our local "North Hollywood North" productions more plentiful, adding much needed work for local film production crew workers and talent. Contact me if interested.

More productions would mean not just more work for local crews, but local restaurants and caterers as well

But Main St. also needs to mind its units upkeep, such as when a business fails or closes we need to fill the gaps, and not with just anyone, and be proactive to get the right fit which I've mentioned we need do in my platform, and with VR Business Broker training and experience, I think I'm just the man who can do that. If you've read any of my blogs on Main St. previously over the years you will find that is a common theme of mine. Why wait for a business to try their luck when we can be proactive and work from a wish list of businesses / services we'd like to see on Main that will attract visitors? No offense, but tarot card reading sites or more used clothing places are not what we need there to attract more business. Art gallery types, studios, doctors office to name a few fits.

Former Tequila Club 185 closed - TP has set up the owners with a qualified interested party

Proactive

Two weeks ago I found out the Tequila 185 Club location had closed down beneath Made In Mexico. The next week I had a qualified potential new club owner meeting up with the building owner and looking at the empty spot. He's now asked to see the lease offer already knowing some particulars so that is good and my experience has me ensuring to qualify any potential business or tenant before setting up a meeting and that is what I've done here. I don't like to waste anyone's time, including mine, as I'm very busy.

Whilst walking along Main later that same day, a senior approached where the bank recently moved out and was quite verbal about his disgust.

TP wants to add Highway 11 Cruisers to the Main St. show along with Newmarket Car Club, making it the areas largest!

"Where do they expect seniors to go to bank?", he'd asked, " all these restaurants on Main now, but what about seniors? We have to travel everywhere for anything and get a ride or pay for transit which is terrible here, and its just outrageous", he continued, mentioning doctors offices also as a deterrent for seniors living on or near Main St.

Which got me thinking - doctors offices! I may not be able to convince rich banks to remain but yea, why don't we have any doctor's offices on Main St? And if we did, where would any go? Light-bulb moment - What about the empty food bank location that is now becoming available?

Apparently the developers plan to reveal its history underneath...

I believe we need make a "wish list" of businesses ( see my 2014 blog) and services we'd like to see on Main and not only pursue them, but offer some sort of rebate for the first year or two to ensure they have a better opportunity to survive the start up stages.

If you weren't lucky enough to catch these guys on Main recently don't despair..I plan to make Main more atmospheric

I'm Tom Pearson, I'm running for Newmarket's Ward 5 Councillor, and I believe if people really take the time to have a look at my political experience, combined with my community building initiatives success, business experience, and ideas, they will choose me. I didn't just show up in the ward election time, I've been there for years. And I've not just been "fingering the pulse of the community" but been up to my elbows in it for 20 years, making it better. Because I really do care.

This business owner welcomes my idea to art up this wall and its opposite to help curb Graffiti

The Great York Region Restaurant Race could be a Multicultural Event

Anyone remember The Great York Region Restaurant Race? It raised $100,000 in its life span in Newmarket and was a live event that pitted mostly Newmarket restaurants against one another in friendly competition of taking orders and delivering drinks through obstacles set up outdoors. At one point it was held at the Upper Canada Mall parking lot and they dumped tons of sand there for effect.

I arrived representing Muskoka Moes ( now Mama Mia's location) dressed as Elvis, in a Limo as I was the General Manager, and sang a tune introduced by then local karoke Host Bubba Blight. He would go on to become a Councillor.

I first got involved though, several years previous while Entertainment Editor for Coverstory, covering the restaurants and clubs entertainment in print and had sat on the organizing committee for the Great York Region Restaurant Race from its beginning, run as part of the Persechini Run-walkathon. I also started Sing a Tune for a Tuney as an added fund raise option for restaurants to participate in pre-event fundraising.I had previously participated in a similar one run in Toronto, it's a great way to raise funds and it makes for a fun event for everyone.... and I'd like to resurrect a form of it.

Multicultural festival needs a boost and I'm also pushing for more grassroots committee members in all YR.

Multicultural Festival and More

With all the restaurants on and around Main St., I think its very reasonable that such an event could be held again, and my thoughts are what better way to bring it together than using the Multicultural Festival as its launch pad?

I attended this years Multicultural event at Riverwalk and it could use an infusion of liveliness which I believe such an addition could muster. Even if the restaurant race portion was held also on nearby Main st for the duration of ' competition", maybe even have the start or finish area at Riverwalk, then patios on main could fill up with spectators and patrons cheering on their fave team as they went through the obstacles carrying their drinks, possibly even using them to place orders as part of the obstacles! And music piped out to keep the atmosphere festive. It's a hoot, and would seem a natural way to invite not only Main St's great representatives of diverse restaurants, but restaurants of every nationality and flavour from across town as other restaurants could set up food booths at Riverwalk, alongside the other Multicultural booths, and maybe also hand out passes or discount coupons and info about their restaurants or suppliers. Beer reps too.

We'd fill this area with patrons cheering on the restaurant race teams as they go by.

Think about it. What other reason to people seek out other nationalities or cultures but through getting Chinese or Indian or Mediterranean other ethnic cuisines from their favorite restaurant. So let's bring them all on board and raise some money while attracting hundreds to Main st. and Riverwalk Commons. Staff attendees alone will boost local businesses! And I know the beer guys would go for it as far as sponsorships and supplying..well...beer!.

Click here for highlights of the Multicultural as well as the south Asian/Caribbean Festival by TPE.

The Friendly Nneighbourhood Youth Roadhockey Challenge will bring business to Main St off season

I have produced 20 public events at Riverwalk Commons and Fairy Lake Park over the past 10 years and dozens more inside locations and have produced live and trade-type shows, even at Canada's largest convention centre, so I don't have a learning curve to go through in regards to not only permits, but how to produce and market a successful event.

It is also not my first kick at the Multicultural can - all one need do is look at Character Matters and now in TV commercials portraying road hockey as a great way for cultures to meet. Our Friendly Neighbourhood Road Hockey Challenge was the first- before the hospital tourney and before Tim Horton's or Scotia bank ever got involved. It is they who have tried to copy our model and i take that as a compliment just as i did when we made page 3 of the Toronto Sun because we'd put road hockey on our Main st. while they were banning it. The first time I saw a mom with a burka come out to watch, and her little girl trying to play with a tree branch before we gave her a real 'hockey stick", I knew I was onto something more than just kids and youths playing games. It was started to create a bridge into the broader community and that is exactly what it does. I'm a bridge builder. That's what I do. Because I really do care.

Using a crosswalk we make and a Wrap on a wall people, would love to get a famous shot of themselves crossing

No music band crosses more cultures than The Beatles who are loved across the world and now symbols of peace. What better theme to draw visitors too including Markham where they attend in droves whenever their Bealtlemanians play in town. I also have plans to bring BEATLE MAIN ia to OUR town, turning Main st into a 60's era mecca with booths maybe Timothy St w into Penny Lane and top notch clone Beatles entertainment.

Vote Tom Pearson for Ward 5 Councillor because i have the know how and experience to do the job better than anyone else and because I Really Do Care.

Read more of my ideas for the Town of Newmarket and my background here.

Newmarket's Clock Tower Issue a Non-Issue Really

Clock Tower a symbol for what is happening to our town

For many, it seems the clock tower development issue is an important one. It's just too bad none of us matter in the scheme of things. And that has to change. Firstly our opinions and council vote on the issue matter not one iota right now - something I'm keen on changing for future town / Main St. development by striking up a committee tasked to identifying loop-holes in our Planning Act - presently used by developers to control what is being built in our town, on our farms and on our Main Street. B.C. has recently legislated one such loop-hole, making it tougher for residences to be made vacant, boarded up and neglected to forcing zoning changes for condo building, without penalties.

Right now, we can complain all we want but the decision will still come down to an adjudicator deciding, based on the law and no one's opinion. So that is number one. This needs legislated through our provincial parliament and to get it there we would need a committee comprised of various individuals including M.P.P.'s, municipal politicians, York Region Legal Clinic and Real Estate Lawyers among some partners at the table.

The Clock Tower attracts movie productions to Newmarket right now

I have a long standing, amicable, working relationship, with Dennis Bailey, CEO of the YR Legal Clinic and I'm sure I can get them on-board. This would be similar to the non-partisan "Square-Table" on Poverty" that I organized and chaired which had representatives from every level of government and included Belinda Stronach and Frank Klees as well as Regional Councillor Taylor, only our focus will be closing or narrowing loop-holes in our Planning Act that are frequently exploited by developers on unsuspecting towns and cities. Until we do this, any and all of our town's Main Street buildings and farm residences will continue be at risk.

Why Have An Official Plan if they can just do what they want? Why invite the public to participate in the plan process if they are just going to do what they want anyway? Tom Pearson

Nothing stops a developer now from buying up Main St and boarding it up until we do as they wish. Only TP has a plan.

Evening entertainment attractions need addressing

Unfortunately Sparro Restaurant closed down after less than a year. Did parking woes play a part?

TP has a graffiti plan

As far as my opinion goes, my opinion is we follow whatever our official plan states before the town's desire to amend it - which means 3 floors,  however, as I say, our opinion matters not in the process - only that of the law.

Not everyone understands how planning works, as we invite the public to the first meeting if they wish to participate, as interested parties, as participants and they can attend all planning meetings from then on unless asked to leave by the adjudicator. At that point anyone not named as a participant or interested party can no longer attend unless invited to do so, even a Mayor.

So that official plan is then formed, taking a number of variables into effect, such as for parking and access to highways, infrastructure and a number of variables most may not be privy to, so councils have no right simply waltzing in and changing a plan such as this - which also has the provincial stamp on it after its been approved. I feel there should be stringent criteria before official plans can be amended by a council as they can be used to appease developers or council's own wants over the town's Plan's or residents wishes without going through the proper process. We have a planning process for good reason, like to protect against future councils, mayors and property owners from imposing their personal wills on us - another loop-hole that needs addressing, again through amendments to the Planning Act and in some cases amending The Heritage Act as well.

Just outside Newmarket sitting empty

Right now no laws stop this from happening, on YR Road

In fact the Heritage Act and heritage bylaws designed to 'protect" heritage buildings are in fact being used by developers to destroy, not save, heritage homes. How? Well a heritage home not yet designated for it can be emptied of residents, then left empty and its repairs ignored until such time as they apply for demolition. Since the property has no official designate they may very well be granted a demolition permit without going through the process. even buildings designated are right now being held, unused, just waiting until they are no longer repairable - with virtually no process in place to hold the owners accountable. For example a tree growing in to a roof left unattended to will eventually destroy the roof and expose the home to the elements further ensuring it's demise. And we have nothing in place to stop this! Main St is not an exception - look at at Davis and Main - how long have those historic buildings been boarded up? Years and years now of eyesore-hood because no one has acted. But I will.



The developer is obliged, by corporate law essentially, to try and get the biggest return possible on that property within our laws and that is what they shall do. And we cannot fault them for that, so whatever is decided we must all get along and move forward, and I will support whatever decision the legals decide. I worry though about brick colour esthetics or a claim again in a few years that is not " sustainable", and then them applying to expand again (more loop-holes). 

 

Did you know the Town of Newmarket cancelled its after hours bird and reptile rescue service recently?

But I do hope they do their homework this time, as last time around we had numerous seniors displaced who had to move after the owner decided it wasn't " sustainable". All, presumably, after they'd done the math to find the maximum $''s they could get from a full seniors residence.

So with that in mind, I believe they can build something "sustainable" within the 3 floors designation of the original Official Plan, but that that, is a pipe dream.

Picture this Street off Main as Penny Lane for Beatle MAINia

With new high-rise buildings on Davis within walking distance of Main slated to open in 2017, and future redevelopment of a few other sites around Main, I believe we can achieve the  intensification sought without building grandiose, sky-scraper types all around our historic Main St. and we need to get that control back. We can't turn back time but we can act responsibly now that we are where we are.

Meantime we need an informed decision made now before we lose anymore time and ultimately tax $'s.

Click here for TP's up-to-date clock tower development info - Soil sample now in!

You can read more on Tom Pearson's vision for Ward 5 and for Newmarket here. 
Email: TomPearson4Council@gmail.com

Vote Tom Pearson for Newmarket Council  - I Really Do Care

Tom Bits - Parking Issues around Main St

Parking Issues Around Main St and Riverwalk Commons

One of Ward 5's most talked about issues revolve around the lack of parking. Issues about parking further arise when we bring into the mix the possibility of apartments or condos which begin to merge the two somewhat, but at the end of the day, we will have units with visitors and we do want more parking. So what do we do?

There are a number of options worthy of discussion, most of which have been covered previously in Council or by the other Ward 5 Candidates running, but they, without exception, cannot be implemented for some time until certain issues have been worked out, which could take years.

So for the purposes of getting to my point and without getting into ideas about the firehouse as an option or a heritage land swap with the town or even the tennis bubble - moving that facility to another - but instead I want to hone in on a complimentary idea that would go towards reducing the parking woes, and at the same time, create a few jobs and $ for the town coffers. How you ask?

Firstly, we set up a bike share program with bikes located at strategic spots, such as at the Tannery Mall parking lot, near the trail bike paths at the municipal building, at Fairy Lake, at Bayview Park,  Yonge St, near transit stops etc. Strategic locations. Such programs are operating successfully in places like Hamilton in cooperation with their Smart Drive initiatives and I feel our community would support such a program that relies somewhat on memberships to survive to do just that. Local bike shops could be hired to supply bike maintenance, of which Ward 5 happens to have just such a shop! This is something we could add immediately that could ease some of the congestion in summer, especially if combined with a mini train shuttle run from the Tannery Mall parking lot to Timothy St. along Tom Taylor Trail.

Read my platform to find out how we can avoid this happening in future Main St. development

Think about that. Why not use the Tim Hortons Train for a practical use on weekends by shuttling back and forth on that one stretch that could connect people from the empty Tannery Parking to the main RiverWalk Commons area? That's outside the box but it could work and a fun ride for families. And I'll bet the Tannery won't mind working something out to kick back to the town to help maintain the train shuttle I'm sure, instead of a near empty parking lot weekends - which I often see running for just fun anyway at town events so why not just change its route?

 

Ive already discussed with BIA reps and Car club members also about expanding the annual Car Show by 300 cars while shuttling overflow visitors from the Tannery using a shuttle from a car dealer sponsor- immediately adding hundreds of spots for out of towners.

After all the variables are in place - including fully knowing what we are working with - I will post my opinion on what I believe may be the best long term optIon . Until then there are just too many variables to speculate on, but to me a natural move has the tennis club moving to a new location, opening up a whole realm of possibilities. But meantime, my proposed measures could go toward reducing it.

Sparro did not survive parking and other woes. We need be proactive to find the right fits for around Main St.

I have real fear about the directions this mayor has blindly taken us down and question the motives behind his support for a 7 story addition to the town clock. This council needs someone actually from the area to help protect our assets and preserve OUR town's character and history.

To read my full scope of opinions on the issues and for more information on Tom Pearson, Candidate for Ward 5, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada then please click here.

Vote Tom Pearson for Council - I Really Do Care