Background
Elected in 2020 as the YRDSB Trustee for Richmond Hill Ward 1/2/4 , I have been living in Jefferson Side/Jefferson Forest Community (JFC) of Richmond Hill Ward 4 for nearly 12 years. During this period, I have actively participated in and organized various community events, including charity, sports and culture exchanges. I obtained my Bachelor's degree (1996) and Master's degree (2000) in computer science. I immigrated to Canada in 2001 and have taken some different senior positions in the government, the world's top 100 companies, and the top five banks of Canada. In my professional career, I have been awarded many honorary titles such as “Top 1 Contributor” and "The Best of the Best".
Achievment as a trustee:
- Actively strengthen communication between parents and YRDSB, and promptly respond to the questions that parents have related to YRDSB and education, including education quality, traffic problems, student psychological problems, bullying problems, etc.
- Listen to the opinions of parents, participate in the relevant policy meetings, and reflect the requirements and concerns of parents when formulating policies.
- Participate in the financial budget meeting, review the financial budgets of various departments, and put forward reasonable requests from parents.
- During Covid-19, work with parents, school boards and schools to respond to education-related issues in a timely manner, including education model shifts, health issues, psychological issues, and more!
Why am I running for RH Ward 4 Councillor?
As a long-time resident who has lived in Richmond Hill for 12 years, I am deeply concerned about some decisions made by current council that failed to meet the expectation from our communities, especially for the over-developed housing plans in the past few years, which leads to many complaints and concerns from residents. In recent years, City of Richmond Hill has been facing the increased traffic issues, housing over-developed issues, community safety and security issues, and economic development issues. If I can be elected to be the Ward 4 councillor, I would present the interest of residents, listen to the voices of the citizens and work hard with residents and staff to mitigate the issues that the residents care about!
Hobbies
I like music and can play Piano, Guitar, Guzheng, and Flute during my leisure time; I also love sports and exercises, including running, cycling, swimming, ice skating, skiing, tennis, badminton, table tennis etc.
Ukraine Charity Donation
In 2022, when the war broke out in Ukraine and Ukrainian immigrants came to Canada, I participated in and organized community residents, held charity event, donated money and materials, and made a contribution to the new immigrants from Ukraine who were traumatized by the war.
Garbage Cleaning in public facillities
In 2022, I organized garbage cleanup activities in 12 parks in the community, including William Neal Community Park, Meander Community, Autumn Grove Park, Laurentian Park, William Harrison Park, Rocking Horse Ranch, Philip Ridge Park, Macleod Landing Park, Moraine Hill Park, Monticello Park and more!
KDA Contribution
During 2021, I organized and participated in public protests to send a clear message to Richmond Hill City Council: Stop approving irresponsible overdevelopment. Since 2019, Richmond Hill Council has pushed and approved a number of overdevelopment projects that far exceed the provincial government's development guidelines, and some even set national density records.
COVID19 Personal Contribution
During the COVID19 epidemic in 2020, Jefferson Community, Oak Ridge Community and other Richmond Hill communities worked together to actively donate and distribute the personal protection equipment (PPE) for our first line medical staff in local hospitals, nursing homes, and police stations.
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Contribution to Seniors' Activities
From 2018-2020, actively organized and participated in the life and health activities of the seniors in the community, including healthy eating, cherry picking, dance, chess and card music and other activities!
Contribution to Women‘s Activities
From 2020, I organized online JFC women's dancing program for women's health to encourage them for their well-being matter.
From 2016, I organized and participated numerous activities to engage women to participate in community activities and events for their critical value in our communities.
Contribution to Youth‘s Activities
Richmond Hill Youth Table Tennis program
In 2019, with the support of our ward 1 and ward 6 councillors Greg Beros and Godwin Chan, we organized city-wide table tennis training and hosted in our Oakridge community centre and Rouge Woods community centre.
JFC Children's Running Program
Since 2018, I regularly organize and encourage children in my community to participate in long- distance running exercise.
JFC Children's Skiing and Skating program
Since January 2018, I coordinated with the ski program with Yiluchi Ski School to provide professional ski training for more than 60 children in my community. In the Spring Festival of 2018, coordinated with the Richmond Hill House League, a special public meeting was held for children in my community to strengthen the publicity and participation of hockey program. There are also many children in my community who join the house league later on.
JFC French tutoring/reading activities
From July 2017, I started to teach French, English and Math to children in my community every weekend in Richmond Hill Central Library. We read French books together plus learning grammars and homework. During COVID 19 period, I launched the online teaching classes, which covers Grade 4 to Grade 8 level French and more than 120 children’s joined this program.
JFC Children's Charity Concert (Sick Kids Hospital)
Since January 2017, working with my community, I participated in the organization of my community kids charity music concert for Toronto SickKids Hospital. More than 50 children from my community joined the charity concert and all the donations were sent to Sick Kids Hospital. Due to COVID 19, we cancelled the 2020 charity concert.
JFC Children's Badminton Program
From 2017, I started to work with BlueSky Badminton Club to provide badminton training for children in my community
JFC Children's Choir and Children's Dance
Since 2015, I have participated in organizing the Christmas parties for my community. The performance of the Children's Choir and Dance Team is always one of the most popular performances in the party. .
Contribution to Adults' Activities
From 2016 to now, I organized many community sports activities, including badminton, table tennis, basketball, etc., to enrich the community culture and make our own contributions to our communities.
Commitments
As an experienced community organizer, I love our community. With the encouragement and support of many residents, and after thoroughly consideration, I decided to run for the election for Richmond Hill Ward 4 councillor. I commit to serve this community better as a competent city councillor. As an immigrant, especially a Chinese immigrant, I share the same dream with everyone. If elected, I will:
(Here are my commitments:)
- Bring respect for residents and professionalism to Council
- Fight for balanced housing instead of high-density sky-scrapers
- Continue to organize and expand Neighbourhood Watch programs for Ward 4 with York Region Police
- Focus on improvement of public transit and snow removal
- Improve staff service quality for residents and optimize the services you get for your tax dollars
- Fight to bring business and jobs to RH. STOP treating our city like it is just a “bedroom community”
The detail approaches:
-Establish a joint committee, including citizens, municipal governments, developers, local businesses, etc., to jointly participate in the decision-making of major municipal development projects.
-Use social media channels to build bridges of communication between communities, residents, and municipalities.
-Schedule regular public hearings to understand residents' expectations and requirements.
-When formulating policies, invite more residents to participate in, negotiate, and jointly formulate policies that meet the interests of residents.
-Continue to strengthen cooperation with the Ward 4 community, including West Brook, Jefferson and Mill Pond communities, and the York Regional Police Department to vigorously promote community safety and promote community safety awareness.
-In West Brook and Jefferson communities, promote the community guardianship plan, and strive to complete the neighbourhood watch plan of the two communities within one year.
-Interact regularly with community residents, distribute leaflets, and contact and arrange the person in charge of the neighbourhood watch plan.
-Cooperate with the provincial government to speed up the construction of subway, bus system, and other transportation construction.
-For the current traffic problems in the city, hold a public meeting to discuss with the citizens the feasibility and plan of improving traffic, including Stouffville, 19th Street, Leslie, Bayview, the construction of railway crossing bridges, etc.
-Discuss with snow shovel companies and citizens how to provide snow shovel services more efficiently and in a timely manner, and set up a third-party service monitoring and evaluation committee.
-Protect green space, in urban development, ensure the green space and environmental sanitation of the community.
Promote and support the promotion of various community sports culture, enhance community cohesion, and improve sports infrastructure, including tennis courts, parks and entertainment facilities
-Improve the service quality and work efficiency of the municipal government, change the service status, optimize the process, and control the cost.
-Establish a joint committee, including citizens, city government, developers, local businesses, etc., to oversee government services and efficiency.
-Actively promote the sustainable development plan and policy.
-Actively introduce high-tech companies, encourage traditional industries, provide preferential policies in terms of system, finance, taxation, land, etc., and attract investment for more local jobs.