Unionville forum will let residents question six hopefuls for Ward 3
Unionville residents will get an early look at who might replace Coun. Reid McAlpine on Markham council when all six Ward 3 candidates are invited to appear at a public meeting on Oct. 5.
The Unionville Residents Association has scheduled the forum from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Unionville Presbyterian Church on Village Parkway. According to the association, each candidate will introduce themselves, outline priorities for the ward and take questions from attendees as time permits.
"All six registered Ward 3 candidates will be invited to introduce themselves, outline their priorities for the ward and answer questions,"
The vacancy in Ward 3 comes as Mr. McAlpine prepares to step away after eight years on Markham council. The contest is drawing a diverse field of contenders, reflecting the steady interest in neighbourhood representation in a ward that includes much of historic Unionville.
Who’s running
The official list of registered candidates for Ward 3 comprises six names. The association and election notices identify them as:
- Marina Antonoglou
- Annie Chan
- Kristian Chan
- Ron Lynn
- Jack Ng
- Thomas Psarianos
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Forum | Oct. 5, 7–9 p.m., Unionville Presbyterian Church |
| Online voting | Oct. 16–26 |
| In-person voting | Oct. 23–26 |
What this means for neighbourhoods
Local forums such as this one serve multiple functions in Markham’s municipal landscape: they give residents an opportunity to gauge how candidates might respond to neighbourhood concerns and allow candidates to demonstrate familiarity with local planning issues, traffic and community services. With online voting slated to begin on Oct. 16 and in-person voting available from Oct. 23 to Oct. 26, the URA forum comes well ahead of the ballot period and could influence residents who are still assessing their choices.
For many Unionville voters, council representation is judged on small-scale issues — park maintenance, local transit connections, and heritage conservation — as much as on broader policy debates at Markham’s council chambers. The outgoing councillor’s eight-year tenure leaves a set of ongoing files that a successor will inherit, including any local development proposals, infrastructure priorities and community programming in Ward 3.
How residents can engage
Members of the Unionville Residents Association will have the opportunity to pose questions directly to each candidate during the forum. The URA has also invited residents to submit questions in advance by email to info@unionvilleresidents.com, which can help shape the evening’s agenda if time is limited.
Markham electors who want a full list of municipal and school board candidates can consult election listings on YorkRegion.com, which provides candidate information for mayor, regional councillor, ward councillor and trustee contests.
The Oct. 5 forum will be one of the first direct, public occasions for comparison, but the race will continue through the online and in-person voting windows later in October. For Ward 3 residents, the coming weeks offer both face-to-face scrutiny of the candidates and multiple ways to cast a ballot once nomination campaigns close.
Local debates and voting schedules are part of the municipal rhythm in Markham: engagement at this stage can determine which of the six candidates will take on the portfolio left by a councillor stepping down after nearly a decade on council.
