Photo: ChadPerez49 · CC BY-SA 3.0Council seats in Markham are spread thin, 28,580 residents each, more than in 97% of Ontario municipalities
Upper Cornell is part of Markham, which elected Frank Scarpitti as mayor in October 2022. The council shown is the one elected in 2022, since Ontario voted again on 26 October 2026 and no open file of the new councils exists yet. Upper Cornell is in Markham—Stouffville for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, whose current MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) no open source we can use records yet. Upper Cornell is in Markham—Stouffville, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), and the seat belongs to Helena Jaczek of the Liberal Party of Canada.
What stands out in how Upper Cornell 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
Markham council spent less per resident in 2024 than 83% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. Council money ↓
Low federal turnout
More electors stayed home in Markham—Stouffville than in 67% of Canada’s ridings at the 2021 election. The 2021 turnout ↓
Compared with the province’s municipalities of 1,000+ residents (2021 Census; MAMH, MMAH and Statistics Canada).
Three governments, and who does what
Upper Cornell 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.
Two councils serve Markham: its own, and that of York Region, the upper tier.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Upper Cornell, from the most recent elections.
- 1Markham councilelected October 2022Frank Scarpitti
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioMarkham—Stouffville
- 3House of CommonsMarkham—Stouffville
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 |
Councillors on Markham council are elected by ward, the mayor by the whole municipality. Frank Scarpitti became mayor on 64% of the votes cast.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Upper Cornell voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
On 24 October 2022, only 32% of electors voted for Markham council, a weaker showing than most of Ontario.
How Upper Cornell voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Upper Cornell 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 | – |
Voters last chose the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on 27 February 2025 and the House of Commons on 28 April 2025. The next council election in Markham falls on 28 October 2030, the fourth Monday in October every four years under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. The 2025 results are left out because elections.ca’s terms forbid commercial reproduction; the open catalogue’s latest is 2021.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Upper Cornell votes in Markham—Stouffville 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 ↗Markham—Stouffville takes in Upper Cornell and elects its MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Southern Ontario’s ridings are the 2013 federal ones by statute, which is how this page places the town.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Helena Jaczek represents Markham—Stouffville in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Markham—Stouffville · Liberal Party of Canada · first elected 2019
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
Helena Jaczek’s party, the Liberal Party of Canada, has 71 of the 122 seats from Ontario.
The MP’s record
Had the 2021 ballots been cast in today’s Markham—Stouffville, the Liberal Party of Canada would have led with 52%; Helena Jaczek held it for them in 2025. The current Parliament is Helena Jaczek’s 3rd, counting from a first win in 2019. Helena Jaczek came to the Commons from the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. In Ottawa, Helena Jaczek has been Minister of Public Services and Procurement (2022–2023) and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Southern Ontario (2021–2022).
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
In 2021, Markham—Stouffville re-elected Helena Jaczek of the Liberal Party of Canada
Markham—Stouffville as it stood from 2013: the 2019 and 2021 counts, before the riding was redrawn for 2025.
39% had elected Helena Jaczek there in 2019. Helena Jaczek won the 2021 race in Markham—Stouffville for the Liberal Party of Canada, polling 51% and beating Ben Smith (Conservative Party of Canada) by 9,033 votes.
All 5 candidates in Markham—Stouffville, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helena Jaczek | Liberal Party of Canada | 29,773 | 51.0% |
| Ben Smith | Conservative Party of Canada | 20,740 | 35.5% |
| Muhammad Ahsin Sahi | New Democratic Party | 4,961 | 8.5% |
| René De Vries | People's Party of Canada | 1,869 | 3.2% |
| Uzair Baig | Green Party of Canada | 1,049 | 1.8% |
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’s borrowing is light: $6.7M long term, $18 a resident where the median is $440. On top of that comes York Region: $2,226 a resident across its area, led by social services and child care. At $1,381 for every resident in 2024, Markham council sits below the $1,901 median of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. The largest line is water, sewers and waste: 37% of the total, $509 a resident. Full-time staff number 1,208, about 3.3 to every thousand residents.
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.
The headline above gives the figure; the bars set Markham council beside nearby councils, with the provincial median as the tick.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Upper Cornell 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
- Council size. Seats count the head of council and the councillors, and residents are the 2021 Census count; a neighbourhood shows its city’s.
- Council money. Figures are the 2024 Financial Information Return’s totals after adjustments, per resident on the return’s population. Lower tiers stand beside lower tiers only: their county or region spends on top.
- Not on this page. No party tally for the council, which the open lists don’t record, and no band councils.
- Who holds each seat. A member who resigned or switched parties last week may still show here: the names are Wikidata’s.
- Which riding. The 2021 Census homes of a place’s residents fix its ridings, and one is shown once it holds 5% of them.
- Election results. Official counts for 2019 and 2021 are by the 2013 ridings; Elections Canada also re-counted the 2021 ballots onto the 2023 ridings by polling division, and that estimate is what “today’s boundaries” means here.
Questions about how Upper Cornell is run
Who is the MP for Upper Cornell?
Markham—Stouffville’s MP, Helena Jaczek of the Liberal Party of Canada, represents Upper Cornell.
Which party won Upper Cornell in the 2021 federal election?
Helena Jaczek (Liberal Party of Canada) took Markham—Stouffville in 2021 and is its MP today.
Who is the MPP for Upper Cornell?
Markham—Stouffville is the riding; its sitting MPP is on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s own list of members for Upper Cornell and its neighbours.
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?
The council of York Region sits above Markham’s and runs region-wide services, police and water among them.
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 Upper Cornell?
In October 2022, turnout for Markham council was 32.1%, against 35.5% for the typical Ontario municipality.
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).