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Public Service, Vision and Leadership

Experience, Leadership, and Vision You Can Trust

For more than 35 years, Jim Jones has helped plan, build and shape Markham through a career in municipal, regional and federal public service.

35+ yearsof public service
1988first elected to Markham Council
ChairDevelopment Services Committee
Jim Jones
Election day: Monday, October 26, 2026Vote for up to four Regional CouncillorsEvery Markham ward can vote for Jim
Career

Municipal, regional and federal public service

1988

Markham Council

First elected to Markham Council in 1988, Jim served as a Ward Councillor until 1997.

1997

Member of Parliament

Elected Member of Parliament for Markham in 1997, serving in the House of Commons until 2000 — including work on the Industry and Finance committees and as Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Health.

2003

Regional Councillor

Returned to municipal government as a Markham Regional Councillor, representing Markham on both City Council and York Regional Council.

Today

Committee Chair

Chair of Markham's Development Services Committee, serving on numerous committees concerned with development, transportation, technology and community services.

Government should not merely respond to today's problems — it should anticipate tomorrow's opportunities.

Jim's simple principle, throughout his career
Planning & transit

Planning Markham for growth

Much of Jim's public service has focused on the relationship between land-use planning, transportation, housing, employment and economic development.

Light rail train beside new transit-oriented housingMarkham Centre & Langstaff

Growth around high-capacity transit

He has been involved in the evolution of major growth areas such as Markham Centre and Langstaff, advocating that growth should be concentrated around high-capacity transit and supported by employment, public spaces, community facilities and infrastructure.

As early as 2009, Jim was advancing motions calling for coordinated planning of the Yonge Subway, GO Rail, Highway 407 Transitway, VIVA/YRT and development at the Richmond Hill/Langstaff Gateway.

That philosophy has evolved into what Jim now describes as a Rail-Integrated Corridor Economy: rather than planning individual stations and developments in isolation, governments should master-plan entire transportation corridors around housing, jobs, universities, healthcare, recreation, technology and major destinations.

Since 2009

Championing the Highway 407 Transitway

Jim has been a persistent advocate for the Highway 407 Transitway and for integrating transportation investment with economic development.

In 2009, he moved proposals calling for:

  • Long-range planning of the entire 407 Transitway
  • Electrified rail technology
  • Connections with GO and subway lines
  • Transit-Oriented Development around stations
  • A planning horizon extending 50 years and beyond

His broader vision: transform the 407 corridor from simply a transportation route into an east-west economic spine connecting communities, employment centres and the major north-south transit corridors of the GTHA.

GO trains on the rail corridorStouffville GO

Reimagining the Stouffville GO Corridor

More recently, Jim has championed comprehensive master planning of the Stouffville GO Transit Corridor — moving beyond the traditional commuter-rail model toward frequent, two-way, all-day rapid transit, while planning complete communities and economic destinations around stations.

The City of Markham's published material describes Jim's proposal as seeking a comprehensive corridor capable of unlocking economic opportunity, generating jobs, increasing ridership, providing a range of housing choices and creating complete, walkable communities.

When Jim presented the initiative to Markham's Development Services Committee, municipal staff described the concept as aligned with provincial and regional planning and with good planning principles.

A future Yonge North Subway station platformRichmond Hill/Langstaff Gateway

Yonge Subway and Integrated Transit

Jim has also advocated for the Yonge North Subway Extension and, importantly, for coordinating the subway with GO Rail, the Highway 407 Transitway, VIVA/YRT and surrounding development.

His focus has consistently been on the interchange between transportation systems rather than treating each project independently — particularly important at the Richmond Hill/Langstaff Gateway, where several major transit systems converge.

Building complete communities

Jim's planning philosophy can be summarized in four words:

Plan communities — not just buildings.

He believes new housing must be accompanied by:

🚆Transit💼Employment🌳Parks🏫Schools🏥Healthcare⚽Recreation🛍️Shopping🏛️Public spaces🤝Community facilities

Concentrate growth on transit corridors

This means concentrating appropriate development around major transit corridors while protecting established neighbourhoods and environmentally sensitive lands.

Population growth with economic growth

Housing without employment can increase commuting and congestion; complete communities should give more residents the opportunity to live, work and participate in community life closer to home.

Economy, taxpayers & environment

A modern economy, built responsibly

Toronto and the GTHA skylineFormerly at IBM Canada

Economic Development and Innovation

Before entering politics full-time, Jim worked for many years in the technology sector, including at IBM Canada — and has placed particular emphasis on technology, innovation and economic competitiveness.

His vision: strengthen Markham as one of Canada's major technology and innovation centres by attracting investment in:

Artificial intelligenceRoboticsAdvanced manufacturingCybersecurityLife sciencesDigital healthcareClean technologyResearch commercialization

Technological change should create tangible benefits for residents: better jobs, greater productivity, stronger infrastructure and a more competitive economy.

Growth Pays for Growth

Protecting Taxpayers

Running through Jim's approach to development and infrastructure is a commitment to financial discipline. His principle is: Growth Pays for Growth.

Major projects should have sound business cases, measurable public benefits and appropriate contributions from developers, senior governments and the private sector — rather than automatically placing additional costs on existing taxpayers.

The same applies to AI and data-centre development: Markham should welcome investment and jobs, while major industrial electricity and infrastructure users bear the costs of their operations rather than transferring them to households.

Hands holding young green plantsPilot first

Environmental Leadership

Jim argues that economic development and environmental protection should reinforce one another. His agenda includes:

Solar powerGeothermal & district energyBattery storageEnergy-efficient buildingsElectric transportationWater conservationGreen infrastructureClimate-resilient design

He advocates testing emerging technologies — autonomous transportation, urban vertical farming and circular-economy technologies — through carefully controlled pilot projects before taxpayers are asked to support large-scale implementation.

A record of thinking ahead

Across more than three decades: long-range planning

Jim has repeatedly argued that transportation, housing, employment, infrastructure, technology and environmental planning cannot be separated.

Markham Centre & Langstaff→Yonge Subway→Highway 407 Transitway→Stouffville GO Corridor→Today's emerging AI economy

Today, as Regional Councillor and Chair of Markham's Development Services Committee, he continues to advance that approach. His objective for the next chapter of Markham is straightforward:

Protect the quality of life residents enjoy today while building the transportation, communities, jobs, technology and economic opportunities their children and grandchildren will need tomorrow.

Jim Jones — 35 Years of Public Service · Experience to understand where Markham has been · Vision to see where Markham needs to go

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🏙️Planning Markham for GrowthPlanning Markham's future now🚆TransitStouffville GO to electric LRT▶️Jim's Video Gallery12 pillars, in his own words