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Regional Councillor John Taylor and Mayor Tony Van Bynen are reportedly seeking a meeting with Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca to press the case for the proposed new GO Rail Station at Mulock Drive.

What will come out of it?

Very little.

As I have long suspected, the new GO rail station at Mulock Drive is illusory. There are no detailed background or other policy papers lying behind the circles on the map. I am told the proposal originated at the Region and it looks as if it was simply picked up by Newmarket staff and pasted into the Town’s planning and transit policies without a second thought. In this way serious policy is made.

So far as I can tell, there is no mention of the proposed GO Rail Station at Mulock Drive in the text of the Regional Official Plan. But there is a circle on the transit map at Mulock along with other proposed stations on the Barrie Line.

Mulock Drive gets a circle on a map in York Region’s Transportation Master Plan 2009 which is now being updated. But there is nothing in the text that takes the proposal forward.

Regional councillors were told in a report by region staff on 10 September 2015 that:

“Existing and potential future GO stations are identified in the current York Region Official Plan (ROP 2010) and 2009 Transportation Master Plan, setting the context for more intensive uses. GO train stations are identified as key locations for intensification in the Regional intensification matrix second only to Regional Centres and Corridors…

and importantly

“Staff are currently reviewing the priority order for new stations within the limits of the Regional Express Rail service on the Barrie and Stouffville rail corridors. On the Barrie rail corridor these locations are Concord (Highway 7), Kirby Road/Keele Street and 15th Sideroad/Bathurst Street.

The Mulock proposal, supposedly advanced by the Region, doesn’t even rate a mention in the latest “priority order for new stations” that went before councillors last month.

The report tells us that existing stations at Vaughan, King, Aurora, Newmarket (at the Tannery) and East Gwillimbury “provide for intensification opportunities”. The Newmarket GO rail station is designed to have very limited parking so I wait to see how the promised mobility hub study squares that particular circle.

Our next door neighbour, East Gwillimbury, is going to see explosive growth along the Green Lane corridor in the near to medium term. A year ago, Newmarket councillors were told that 21,000 people are expected to be living in the Green Lane Secondary Plan area by 2031 and a whopping 38,000 by build-out. This will have a huge impact on us here in Newmarket. Making sure the GO rail station can handle this population boom is an obvious priority.

The Metrolinx presentation to Newmarket councillors on 9 November is an opportunity for our councillors to stir themselves, engage with the issues and ask detailed questions about the momentous impact RER will have on our town.

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I see that the litigious and delusional former Newmarket councillor, Maddie Di Muccio, is back in Court tomorrow trying to get a pound of flesh from the Era. The newspaper had the temerity to publish a report on her predilection for spending public money to settle private scores. 

Her rotund husband, John Blommesteyn, condones her indefensible actions saying the accusations are all “lies”.   This is entirely in character for a man who shakes his fist at the Moon.

The Settlement Conference is being held in room 2002 at 1.30pm at the Small Claims Court on Eagle Street West. It is not open to the public.

Di Muccio v Taylor

The case of Di Muccio v Taylor is still undecided. The earlier hearing on 4 September 2015 was abruptly cut short by the irascible trial judge, Vincent Stabile, for reasons unknown to me.

It was thought the re-scheduled trial would come on tomorrow but 15 October is, apparently, simply the deadline for re-filing the paperwork. Taylor re-filed his defence with the Court on Monday of this week and now waits for a Court date.

I am astonished that Di Muccio’s action is still alive – so far as I know. I fully expected the President of the York Region Taxpayers Coalition to drop her libel suit against Taylor rather than lose and face a very public humiliation. There is simply no chance of Di Muccio getting the $5,000 damages she is claiming from Taylor who, she says, made her an object of ridicule and contempt.

She doesn't need Taylor's help to achieve that status.

The whole thing is a complete waste of court time.

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The niqab has dominated this Federal Election like no other issue yet, curiously, the word does not rate a single mention in the 159 page Conservative Platform released today. But it has not been overlooked. We are told on page 152 that aspiring citizens will have to show their faces while taking the Oath of Citizenship.

In his bid for re-election, Stephen Harper hired the Australian, Lynton Crosby, to advise him on how to craft a winning campaign out of – let’s be honest – fairly unpromising material.

It looks as if the niqab is the dead cat of the 2015 Federal Election.

Crosby’s dead cat strategy was described in these terms by London Mayor, Boris Johnson, in 2013:

“If you’re losing an argument, if you’re in a weak position, throw a dead cat on the table…

“Everyone will shout ‘Jeez, mate, there’s a dead cat on the table!’; in other words they will be talking about the dead cat, the thing you want them to talk about, and they will not be talking about the issue that has been causing you so much grief.”

I learn from the Toronto Star today that only two women in the entire country have sought to take their citizenship vows whilst veiled. Whatever your views on the niqab – for, against or indifferent - it is perfectly clear a mountain has been built out of a molehill.

The Prime Minister insists on new rules for those wishing "to join the Canadian family". But what about enforcing the rules for those who have freely chosen to leave it?

Conrad Black renounced his Canadian citizenship to become a member of the British House of Lords. And when he was released from a US prison after serving three years for fraud he was given a temporary one year resident permit to enter Canada expiring in May 2013.

He is still here.

I wonder why.

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The Provincial Government is currently reviewing the operation of the Municipal Act and is inviting comments from all who are interested. York Region has produced a response which is truly feeble.

Tomorrow (8 October 2015) our regional councillors and Mayors will rubber stamp a steady-as-she-goes staff report which urges them not to rock the boat.

The Province’s consultation paper has a section on "local representation" in which it specifically raises the issue of council chairs such as York Region's Wayne Emmerson who are not directly elected by the people in an election at large. 

The consultation paper says: 

"For regional municipalities, some of the changes they may make include: changing the method for how the head of council (eg regional chair) is elected; changing the way in which members of the upper tier council are selected (for example, directly elected to the upper tier)”

This fundamental issue is left unaddressed in the Region’s recommended response. In defending the status quo the staff could have said a region wide election for chair would, for example,  cost candidates too much money (John Taylor has previously voiced concerns about this) or that indirect election has its merits having thrown up stars such as Wayne Emmerson and Bill Fisch before him.

Mayors such as Tony Van Bynen go on the regional council automatically by virtue of their position, trousering around $50,000 in the process. Over the past year I could count on the fingers of one hand the times Van Trappist has made a contribution to the debate. Maybe he is influential behind the scenes. But should this practice of placing mayors on the regional council by virtue of their office continue or should there be open elections for all regional council seats? Again, this is left unaddressed.

The provincial consultation paper has three broad themes: Theme 1 is accountability and transparency. York region has no code of conduct for members saying this would merely duplicate what is already in place in the lower tier municipalities.

Suspended without pay

So, take the case of regional councillor Michael Di Biase who, earlier this year, was suspended without pay for 90 days from Vaughan Council for improperly interfering in the council's tendering processes. Throughout this period of suspension in Vaughan, Di Biase presumably continued to get his pay from York Region. Is that OK?

On the broader issue of transparency, York region must have one of the worst records in Canada. Its committee of the whole meetings - where important business is transacted - are not broadcast. And council meetings are broadcast in sound only - straight out of the 1950s. Making meetings accessible is an issue everywhere.

Theme 2 is all about municipal fiscal sustainability. The staff recommend a lot of detailed financial stuff which seems fair enough to me. They want powers to invest in US dollar securities and such like. It is though unfortunate that more isn’t done to discourage people from keeping property empty for long periods of time. Taxation should encourage the efficient use of property.

New taxes

York Region staff also want powers to impose new taxes. I am not necessarily against this. Councils have got to get their cash from somewhere.

"Two direct taxes that could, in meeting growth plan targets, be of interest to the region would be the vehicle ownership tax and parking tax. A vehicle ownership tax could not only provide the Region with additional revenue, but it should also help to encourage use of the rapid transit system. As Regional Express Rail comes online and services such as park-and-ride become more prevalent, a parking tax could become a revenue source to help fund transit investments."

Theme 3 looks at responsive and flexible municipal government. I see the Regional staff want to clarify powers regulating transit providers. In 2001 the Region took over responsibility for transit from the local municipalities.

"One issue that proved challenging is that there was no clear guidance on the status of contracts entered into by the local municipalities in connection with their local transit services. There were over one hundred associated contracts including bus service providers, maintenance contracts and advertising contracts. Many of these contracts did not contemplate that the authority for transit services would be assumed by a different entity."

All in all, the response is disappointingly thin. We shall see tomorrow if our regional councillors and mayors amend the submission in any important way or if they are content to let regional staff do their thinking for them.

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If the Town is remotely serious about getting a new GO rail station at Mulock Drive it should buy the land it needs now. The site, already identified by Newmarket planners as a suitable location, is up for sale.  It was the home of the former Magna armoured vehicle facility.

The 15 acre site at 402 Mulock Drive is almost directly opposite the Town’s HQ. It is on the market for $7,995,000. The property details describe it as being adjacent to the hydro corridor and on the rail line though the spur is not currently in use. It is available immediately.

Metrolinx is now actively working on its new stations strategy for the Barrie line and will be drawing up a shortlist over the winter months 2015/16. They say the new station shortlist will be based on public consultation and further analysis.

Circles on a map

Who knows if there is anything more to the Town’s pitch for a new station at Mulock Drive than a few circles on the map? Are there background papers? Has any serious work been done? How has the proposal been developed and taken forward? Have any steps been taken in closed session to buy the land that is now available? If not, why not? The Chief Administrative Officer, Bob Shelton, may well have warned councillors of the perils of going down that road, telling them the Town is not in the business of railways. After all, he told them years ago in secret session that the Town was not in the business of running golf courses. And the open spaces of Glenway are now being built over.

A new GO rail station at Mulock Drive would be transformational - though getting the thumbs up from Metrolinx would be no easy matter. If the Town is coming from a standing start I fear it will be impossible.

Regional Express Rail promises fast frequent services and every station slows the journey down. Aurora, Mulock, Newmarket and East Gwillimbury come in quick succession. The arguments in favour of Mulock have got to be persuasive.

Safeguarding the GO rail station site

When Metrolinx gave its presentation to York Region's Committee of the Whole on 10 September, our Regional Councillor, John Taylor, asked if there were any provisions for safeguarding land that might be needed for a future GO rail station. The answer is no. New stations are not funded beyond those already planned.

York Region’s response to the Metrolinx Regional Express Rail plan does not flag up Mulock Drive as a priority. Indeed it is not mentioned at all except by way of another circle on Map 11 of the Regional Official Plan where it is one of “a number of new stations recommended for inclusion in the GO Transit network”.

All this shouldn’t come as a bolt from the blue to councillors. The Town’s Planning Department has an important horizon scanning function and they have been drawing little circles on maps of Mulock Drive for years.

Planning chief, Rick Nethery, must have known what was coming down the track. It’s time he shared his insights with the rest of us. Time is running out.

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