Photo: Canmenwalker · CC BY 4.0One councillor per 28,580 residents: Markham is more thinly represented than 97% of Ontario municipalities
Brown's Corners sends one MP to Ottawa from Markham—Unionville, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP): Michael Ma (Liberal Party of Canada). Provincially, Brown's Corners votes in Markham—Unionville; the open record doesn’t name its MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, so the legislature’s own list is linked below. City council runs Brown's Corners; in October 2022, Markham chose Frank Scarpitti as mayor. Ontario’s councils were renewed on 26 October 2026, but the only open list so far is 2022’s, so that is the term shown.
What stands out in how Brown's Corners is governed
Many residents per seat
The middle municipality in Ontario has a seat for every 1,540 residents; Markham council has far more people behind each. Council size ↓
Low spending per resident
Most of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities spent more per resident in 2024 than Markham council: 83% of them. Council money ↓
Compared with the province’s municipalities of 1,000+ residents (2021 Census; MAMH, MMAH and Statistics Canada).
Three governments, and who does what
Brown's Corners is governed by Markham, with Ontario and Ottawa.
The city council decides local matters.
Spends most on social services and child care, then roads and transit (2024 return).
Schools, health care, highways, municipal law.
ola.org ↗Passports, pensions, EI, defence, immigration.
ourcommons.ca ↗Who to ask
Green: municipal. Gold: provincial. Grey: federal.
Markham is a lower-tier municipality: York Region, the upper tier, has its own council and services over it.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Brown's Corners, from the most recent elections.
- 1Markham councilelected October 2022Frank Scarpitti
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioMarkham—Unionville
- 3House of CommonsMarkham—Unionville
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada
Who was elected to Markham council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Frank Scarpitti
- Keith Irish
- Isa Lee
- Amanda Yeung Collucci
- Andrew Keyes
- Reid McAlpine
- Karen Rea
- Ritch Lau
- Juanita Nathan
- Jim Jones
- Joe Li
- Michael Chan
- Alan Ho
13 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Scarpitti | Mayor | 44,172 | 64% | Yes |
| Keith Irish | Councillor | 6,095 | 74% | Yes |
| Isa Lee | Councillor | 6,549 | 81% | Yes |
| Amanda Yeung Collucci | Councillor | 4,921 | 79% | Yes |
| Andrew Keyes | Councillor | 5,120 | 73% | Yes |
| Reid McAlpine | Councillor | 5,007 | 57% | Yes |
| Karen Rea | Councillor | 8,563 | 92% | Yes |
| Ritch Lau | Councillor | 3,012 | 36% | No |
| Juanita Nathan | Councillor | 5,388 | 48% | No |
| Jim Jones | Local and Regional Councillor | 26,578 | 13% | Yes |
| Joe Li | Local and Regional Councillor | 25,823 | 12% | Yes |
| Michael Chan | Local and Regional Councillor | 30,095 | 14% | No |
| Alan Ho | Local and Regional Councillor | 24,735 | 12% | Yes |
Frank Scarpitti won 64% of the votes cast for mayor. Each ward chooses its own councillors on Markham council, while the whole municipality votes for the mayor.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Brown's Corners voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
Turnout for Markham council on 24 October 2022 was 32% of electors, lower than the Ontario norm.
How Brown's Corners voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Brown's Corners votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Markham council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
Markham votes next on 28 October 2030: the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 sets municipal elections on the fourth Monday in October every four years. The Legislative Assembly of Ontario was last elected on 27 February 2025, and the House of Commons on 28 April 2025. Why not 2025? Elections Canada publishes those counts under non-commercial terms, and its open data stop at the 2021 election.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Brown's Corners votes in Markham—Unionville for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Provinces and territories run schools, health care and municipal law; each riding elects one MPP.
MPP: see the legislature’s list
ola.org ↗Ontario’s southern ridings copy the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), and the town is placed by them. Brown's Corners is in Markham—Unionville, one of the ridings that each elect a MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Michael Ma represents Markham—Unionville in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Markham—Unionville · Liberal Party of Canada · member since 11 December 2025
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
Michael Ma’s party, the Liberal Party of Canada, has 71 of the 122 seats from Ontario.
The MP’s record
On today’s boundaries, the 2021 vote in Markham—Unionville would have put the Liberal Party of Canada first with 48%, 5.8 points ahead of the runner-up (Conservative Party of Canada). Michael Ma was elected to the Commons for the first time in April 2025. Michael Ma won the seat as a Conservative Party of Canada candidate and moved to the Liberal Party of Canada on 11 December 2025.
MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada · MPs’ records: Wikidata (CC0), positions held and party memberships, read 8 November 2026
Markham—Unionville changed hands in 2021, to Paul Chiang (Liberal Party of Canada)
These are the 2019 and 2021 results on the 2013 map of Markham—Unionville; its boundaries changed for the 2025 election.
Turnout in Markham—Unionville was 52% in 2021, against 63% nationally. Back in 2019 a different party held it: Bob Saroya (Conservative Party of Canada), on 49%. Paul Chiang (Liberal Party of Canada) took Markham—Unionville in 2021 with 49% of the vote, 2,999 votes ahead of Bob Saroya (Conservative Party of Canada).
All 4 candidates in Markham—Unionville, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Chiang | Liberal Party of Canada | 21,958 | 48.6% |
| Bob Saroya | Conservative Party of Canada | 18,959 | 41.9% |
| Aftab Qureshi | New Democratic Party | 3,001 | 6.6% |
| Elvin Kao | Green Party of Canada | 1,306 | 2.9% |
Federal results: Elections Canada, 43rd and 44th general elections and the 44th’s transposition to the 2023 ridings, via open.canada.ca. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Markham council spends less per resident than most
The 2024 financial return: spending by service and revenue by source, per resident, compared only with Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities.
Spending per resident by service, 2024
What pays for it
Shares of revenue, town and province.
Local taxpayers carry a smaller share than elsewhere: 16% of revenue, where the province’s returns show 42%. Markham council carried $6.7M of long-term debt, $18 per resident against a typical $440. In 2024 the median among Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities was $1,901 a resident; Markham council spent $1,381. Residents are also served by York Region, which spent $2,226 each across its area, chiefly on social services and child care. 1,208 full-time positions are funded, 3.3 per thousand residents. At 37% of spending ($509 a resident), water, sewers and waste leads the budget.
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water, sewers and waste | $185.8M | $509 | 37% |
| Recreation and culture | $107.4M | $294 | 21% |
| Roads and transit | $72.5M | $198 | 14% |
| Police, fire and protection | $64.6M | $177 | 13% |
| General government | $52.7M | $144 | 10% |
| Planning and development | $21M | $57 | 4% |
| Social services and child care | $212K | $1 | 0% |
| Public health and paramedics | $18K | $0 | 0% |
Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Markham council beside its neighbours
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
Beside its neighbours, Markham council is the bar in colour; the headline above has the comparison with the province.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Brown's Corners is run
Check or update the federal list.
elections.ca ↗Every MP lists an office.
ourcommons.ca ↗Ridings, registration and voting dates.
elections.on.ca ↗What this data can and can’t tell you
- Election results. Ridings changed in 2023: the 2019 and 2021 results are on the old map, and the 2021 vote on today’s map is Elections Canada’s own estimate from polling divisions.
- Which riding. The 2021 Census homes of a place’s residents fix its ridings, and one is shown once it holds 5% of them.
- Who holds each seat. MPs come from Wikidata’s records of the 45th Parliament, which can lag a resignation or a by-election by some days.
- Not on this page. Band councils, and which party runs the council: the open lists carry no party, and most councils have none.
- Council money. The 2024 Financial Information Return, totals after adjustments by service, per resident with the return’s own population. A lower tier’s figures leave out its county’s or region’s spending, so lower tiers are compared only with lower tiers.
- Council size. The 2021 Census population is shared over all council seats, including the head of council’s, for this ratio.
Questions about how Brown's Corners is run
Who is the MP for Brown's Corners?
For Brown's Corners, it’s Michael Ma (Liberal Party of Canada), who holds Markham—Unionville.
Which party won Brown's Corners in the 2021 federal election?
Markham—Unionville went to Paul Chiang (Liberal Party of Canada) in 2021. Since 2025, Michael Ma has been the MP for Markham—Unionville.
Who is the MPP for Brown's Corners?
Look up Markham—Unionville on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s site: that riding, which takes in Brown's Corners, has one MPP.
Who heads the council in Markham?
Frank Scarpitti was elected mayor in October 2022, for the 2022–26 term of Markham council.
How much does Markham council spend?
In 2024, Markham council spent $504.2M in all, for some 365,051 residents, of which $185.8M went on water, sewers and waste, the biggest line.
Which regional body is Markham part of?
Markham is part of York Region, the upper tier, whose regional council runs services such as water and policing.
How is Markham council elected?
Markham council: the mayor is chosen by the whole municipality, the councillors ward by ward.
What was the turnout in Brown's Corners?
Turnout for Markham council reached 32.1% in October 2022 (Ontario median: 35.5%).
Sources: MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada · Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada · Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario) · Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Next municipal election: the province’s municipal election act · Municipality types: Statistics Canada census subdivisions · Federal results: Elections Canada, 43rd and 44th general elections and the 44th’s transposition to the 2023 ridings, via open.canada.ca. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · MPs’ records: Wikidata (CC0), positions held and party memberships, read 8 November 2026. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).