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Election Results

Thank you for your support in the past election which has returned me to represent you at Town Council for another term.  But the election results are more than who won and who lost; It is the changes that will be made as a result of the conversations on the phone and at the doors of the residents.  I've listened to what has been said, and changes have, and will be made to better serve the Ward.

Who is John Webster?

John was born in June, 1948. He and his wife Mary have raised three children and have two grandchildren. They live on Parkway Ave., in the farm house that John's grandfather built in the late 1920's. Back when it was a farm, Parkway Ave. was the farm lane. John remembers leading cows down the lane with his uncle Carman Lewis.

John's grandfather was Superintendent of the Methodist Church, which is now St. Andrew's United Church. John, his grandmother, mother and wife have all sung in the church choir. His uncle was Secretary Treasurer of the Elmwood and St. Andrew's Cemetery located on Highway 7 just east of Highway 48. John is a trustee.

The Webster family has a history of community service, including his Uncle Carman, who is a charter member of the Markham Lions Club, and John who is a charter member of the Optimist Club of Markham.

In 2002, John was honoured to receive the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal as a distinguished Canadian, from the government of Canada, presented to him by the Minister of Defense,The Honourable John McCallum.

John has been active in many charitable and not-for-profit causes in Markham. Some of the highlights:

Markhaven Foundation

• Member of the Board of Directors
• Member of the Planned Giving Program Committee

Burkholder Memorial Scholarship Fund

• Member of the Board of Directors

Town Crier

• Appointed The Official Town Crier for The Town of Markham in 1987
• Represented Markham in competitions in Canada from coast to coast as well as in England, Belgium and The United States
• Host of the 1993 World Town Crier Championships, bringing many tourists and tourist dollars to Markham
• Won 4 World Trophies in The Bermuda International Competition
• The current North American Champion, a position previously held for 7 consecutive years
• The Current Provincial Champion
• The Current Winner of the Bobby Burns World Championship
• President of The Ontario Guild of Town Criers for 5 years

Optimist Club of Markham

• Charter member
• Member of the Board of Directors or a Committee Chair each year
• President 1987, 1997 through to 1999
• Governor for Central Ontario 2002-2003
• Currently an active member of the executive.

Markham Board of Trade

• Former Chair Membership Committee
• Former Chair Tourism Committee

Markham Village Festival

• Formerly Chair of Crafts
• Formerly on Board of Directors
• Formerly Chair of World Championship Event

Canadian Band Directors’ Association

• Formerly Vice President
• Formerly on Board of Directors

Markham Arts Council

• Member of the Board of Directors, involved with launching the organization
• Helped create the Markham Theatre for The Performing Arts
• Producer of promotional television program for Council
• Special Events coordinator

Markham Fair

• Chair Youth Class
• Formerly on Entertainment and Concessions Committees

Communities in Bloom Committee

• Involved in all aspects of the program. (Each year the town earned top trophies in our class.)

Scouts Canada

• Leadership roles in Scouts, Venturers, Rovers as well as the Group committee

The Markham Concert Band

• Charter Member
• Formerly on the Board of Directors

Former Tenor in St. Andrew’s United Church Choir

Chair of the Community Advisory Committee, Salvation Army W. P. Archibald Centre