The Candidates
Interview Project

Alireza Izadjoo                                    

Running for Councillor: Ward 4

• The CEP (Community Energy Plan)

  • has real targets with dates e,g, regarding heating houses and transportation. 

  • already have the right ideas, like home energy loans, but they’re not officially funded.

• To accelerate implementation, finish what’s already been approved before adding new promises. For example: 

  • fund the Home Energy Loan that was approved in 2020, 

  • restart the bike plan that’s been on hold since 2021, etc. 

  • should report the progress against 2031 targets every three months.

• Incorporate a climate lens into all of our routines and decision making. Every staff report and budget should show its effect on emissions next to its cost.

• I would launch the Home Energy Loan. A family could borrow for a heat pump, insulation, of energy-efficient windows and pay it back on their property tax bill.

• I would support enforcing the building codes that we already established in 2020, the New Official Plan for Green Building Standards.

• Install solar panels, green roofs, heat pumps, geothermal in municipal buildings. We should shift away from fossil fuels whenever we have the chance and there’s a budget for it.

• Intensification is not desirable when the infrastructure (e.g., sewerage pipes) is not ready for the load or when it means paving over green spaces. 

• We could file a motion with Metrolinx to bring back the weekend morning trains. Also, what Newmarket could do is to pressure York Region to time the buses to the trains better. They should be much more frequent and the routes should be much more efficient and accessible.

• We should review all walkways for any gaps or dark stretches so as to make it safer for people to walk. We should also invest in extending bike lanes to connect with all public transit.

• I would prioritize by using the town’s own risk data. For example, for flooding we should start with the oldest water mains and the homes that are at greatest risk for flooding. For this, we should be funding via our water and wastewater management. The cost should be borne by the town, the region, and the province.

• We need to plant a lot more trees. For new developments, we should have minimum green space mandates.

• I would definitely support forming a formal council advisory committee on climate action. Its role would be to track the town’s progress against the goals that are in place and help them stay on the right track. Newmarket is already setting goals, but they need to actually achieve those goals. 

• To engage with the community for a climate-resilient future I would use public trackers, send newsletters, and hold town halls to show the goals that the town has set, the stage that we’re at, and whether we are on track to reach our goals.

• I would continue Newmarket’s climate work by learning from those who are presently in charge of the town’s Climate Action Plan (e.g., the town’s Manager of Climate, Environment, and Sustainability).

Jairan Jahani

Running for Councillor: Ward 4

• The most important part of our CEP (Community Energy Plan) is that it covers residential, government buildings, businesses, offices, and transportation; it’s all-inclusive. 

• The NEER (Newmarket Energy Efficiency Retrofit) initiative makes sure that housing gets more efficient. 

• If Newmarket accelerates climate strategies, they have to be affordable and make a better quality of life, in general. I’d like is to know which resources are coming and what would be affordable for residents. 

• We need to get innovative about how we fund programs.

• Right now, I don’t believe that we are incorporating a climate lens in a way that is as transparent as it should be, especially for the initiatives that are being approved. We should make sure that we are clear on the objectives and that we are measuring our achievements to those objectives. In other words, we need to have clear Key Performance Indicators.

• If we want to retrofit existing buildings to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, the first step would be education. We cannot successfully implement an initiative if there’s resistance against it. We should know who finances the retrofitting. If I am financing it, it should be of benefit, cost-wise, to me in the future—as an investment. Residents should know that upfront. 

• The building codes should be reviewed to make sure there are green objectives when building occurs. At the same time, it should be practical financially.

• Our municipal buildings should be the role model for others, with the installation solar panels/green roofs/heat pumps/geothermal. The results should be clearly shown to the public.

• Intensification not desirable when it worsens the quality of life for the residents in the area.

• Presently, bus schedules are not convenient. If you use the bus, you spend the whole day travelling to and from your destination. We should create an alliance between neighbouring towns to make York Region change how they do things so that using public transit is a more appealing option.

• We definitely need to make biking a better option, and we need to have more lanes for bikes. But we also need to make biking safer. Denmark is a great example of how this could work. We need to have everything that’s necessary available and accessible for it. 

• Education is very important. There needs to be a combined effort between York Region, the School Boards, and Newmarket.

• We need to plan ahead for future emergencies; Climate Change is an emergency. We also need to learn from past experience (e.g., extreme weather events such as floods, storms, fires) and find out what has been missing in our responses to them and apply that knowledge in our planning.

• We have to protect our green land. If we need development, we can find old buildings that are decrepit and aren’t being used and use them for new development—housing and other community developments. We can also “green up” our plazas with more plants and greenery. We should find ways to create more incentives for decision makers, such as property management, to do this.

• Yes, we should form a formal council advisory committee on climate action! Its role would be to manage and be responsible for the CEP (Community Energy Plan).

• I would make sure that I listen and understand community views on issues and try to find ways to educate them as to the benefits of climate safety by having regular meetings, town halls, workshops, etc. The goal would be to provide more understanding through education so that we can create a synergy with residents and council to get real results for our Community Energy Plan.

• I would make sure that I clearly understand the results from the town’s previous climate actions and also learn from best practices of other nearby towns. We should apply the most efficient ways and methods in our future plans.

Trevor Morrison

Running for Councillor: Ward 4

• Supports the Climate Action Plan: continuity of public engagement, environmental initiatives (e.g. increasing the tree canopy, stormwater management, use of solar panels, promotion of active transportation), and implementation of the Community Energy Plan (CEP). 

• Newmarket must take a fulsome look at all departments and review how they deal with adaptation and resiliency, especially within Community Energy Plan. 

• Newmarket should always look at how to achieve our climate strategies in a cost-effective, timely manner; if we can go faster, we should. 

• Newmarket should prioritize the most impactful strategies and look at how to accelerate them via the Community Energy Plan.

• Believes that staff is always looking at things through a climate lens, and that there is often cross-departmental collaboration. Having staff actively involved with and receiving input from knowledgeable people such as the town’s Manager of Climate, Environment and Sustainability will ensure that environmental aspects are properly considered and implemented.

• Newmarket should be looking at updating buildings by improving HVAC systems and increasing our use of heat pumps, geothermal, solar, LEDs, etc.

• Newmarket can encourage developers to use green development standards (e.g., Energy Star products, green roofs, heat pumps, etc.). Our staff is very good at having those conversations with them about these things.

• Supports the installation of solar panels/green roofs/heat pumps/geothermal, where suitable, in municipal buildings. Newmarket has already started to do that. (e.g., The Magna Centre has solar panels. Mulock Park has geothermal energy.)

• There are many factors for intensification (e.g., the size of the neighbourhood, the existing density, the location) that come into play. So, every site has to be evaluated independently, and there should always be community input.

• Public transportation is through York Region so, as a town, Newmarket provides feedback regarding local routes, as well as on changing their fleet to electric buses.

• Newmarket is increasing the number of bike lanes, multi-lane paths, and bike maintenance stations to improve connectivity. This can make it easier to get to work, activities, and shopping. Newmarket also needs to continue to approach this through education.

• With any new infrastructure project, long-term resilience and capacity are essential in determining the final plan. Newmarket is using more resilient materials, new technology, and updated climate data to determine the most effective means of utilizing tax dollars efficiently.

• Newmarket is increasing the tree canopy. Tree planting is constantly occurring with the goal of achieving 35% coverage. 

• Newmarket is always utilizing tools such as Low Impact Development (LID) and ongoing maintenance and monitoring to ensure that stormwater is accounted for.

• Supports having an active climate action committee to provide updates and recommendations to council on a regular basis, to allow consistent input to staff and council, ensuring that environmental sustainability remains a priority.

• He would commit to providing climate-related information at every public ward meeting that he holds, every e-newsletter that he sends, and via social media. He would also engage with different organizations at various events.

• Final statement: “It is clearly evidenced that positive, impactful climate actions are essential for long-term environmental and people’s health—including social health. I would continue to consistently implement and update the town’s Climate Action Plan, as well as my ward’s specific initiatives. Consistent engagement will instill increased public awareness for the residents of Ward 4 and actions toward environmental sustainability.”