KeithIrish1

Keith Irish
Ward 1 Councillor

I am a 36-year resident of Markham’s Ward 1 having chosen Thornhill as the place I wanted to live after graduating from university. It’s here that I raised my family, operated a business and volunteered.

In my role as your Councillor, I’ve drawn upon my 25-plus years as a business owner and consultant to organizations experiencing change to guide me. That knowledge informs my role every day in service to you.

Markham is a well-managed city with great services and I am proud to live here, represent our community on Council, and work hard every day to make it better.

My background includes being elected at age 26 as a Public School Trustee on the York Region District School Board where I served for six years. In addition, I have served:

  • As a Board member and Chair, Planning & Finance Committee of the Markham Theatre
  • As a member of Markham’s Heritage Committee
  • As a member of the Parent Advisory Council of Thornhill Secondary School
  • As a member of the citizen panel responsible for rewriting the Thornhill Heritage District Guidelines
  • As an executive member of the Ward One South Resident’s Association
  • As a member, from 2014 to 2019, of Markham’s Advisory Committee on Accessibility
  • As a member of the Society for the Preservation of Historic Thornhill (SPOHT) since 1988

Since January 2017 I have been a member of The Heintzman House Board of Directors and served three years as Chair from 2018 to 2021. I count having coached hockey with the Thornhill Community Hockey League – playing at the Thornhill Community Centre and Clatworthy arenas – for six years, and sponsoring a team, as the highlight of my community involvement.

I began my career with Canadian Pacific Limited where I held a number of progressive management positions culminating in Senior Manager, Public Affairs with Canadian Pacific Railway. Before starting my own business in 1998, I served as Vice President with Canada’s largest independently owned public relations firm. Prior to that, I was Director of Corporate Communications in the Canadian office of one of the world’s largest public and government relations agencies.

For the past 26 years I have owned and operated my own Thornhill-based corporate communications consultancy, providing strategic communications counsel, advice and writing services to clients across a number of industries including retail, pharmaceuticals, technology, telecommunications, transportation, banking and renewable energy. I have written on a variety of subjects for “Special Editorial Reports” in The Globe & Mail. I am also a guest presenter for the “Introduction to Professional Practice” course at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) that introduces students to the practice of professional communications.

Keith’s 2022-2026 Committee Assignments

Standing Committees

  • Markham Council
  • General Committee (Chair)
  • Development Services Committee
  • Statutory Public Meetings
  • Budget
  • Land, Building & Parks Construction (Vice-Chair)

Advisory and Statutory Boards and Committees

  • Development Services Policy Sub-Committee
  • German Mills Community Centre
  • German Mills Meadow and Natural Habitat Liaison Committee (Chair)
  • Heintzman House
  • Heritage Markham (Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee)
  • Markham Enterprises Corporation
  • Markham District Energy Inc. (Chair)
  • Thornhill Sub-Committee

Keith’s 2018-2022 Committee Assignments

Standing Committees

  • Markham Council
  • General Committee
  • Development Services Committee (Vice-Chair)
  • Statutory Public Meetings (Chair)
  • Budget
  • Land, Building & Parks Construction (Chair)

Advisory and Statutory Boards and Committees

  • Flato Markham Theatre Advisory Board
  • German Mills Community Centre
  • German Mills Meadow and Natural Habitat Liaison Committee (Chair)
  • Heintzman House
  • Heritage Markham (Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee, Chair – 2021)
  • Markham Enterprises Corporation
  • Markham Fire Department Task Force
  • Public Library Board
  • Seniors Advisory Committee
  • Markham, Unionville, Milliken and Thornhill Sub-Committees