Chris led the design and launch of a new economic development and culture website for the City of Markham, aimed at showcasing local business success stories and attracting new investment. The site provides a centralized hub for economic resources, municipal services, and talent attraction, while also telling the story of Markham’s transformation into one of North America’s top tech and innovation hubs.
Explore the new website at MarkhamBusiness.ca
Chris modernized the City of Markham’s Economic Development and Culture Department by designing and implementing a new CRM system using the Zoho platform. The project consolidated data across teams, streamlined workflows, and improved reporting, enabling more responsive service to businesses and better tracking of economic development outcomes.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chris partnered with the Canadian Urban Institute and the Economic Developers Council of Ontario to develop and launch My Main Street—a province-wide initiative focused on revitalizing Ontario’s main streets.
The program supported community economic development and placemaking through targeted investments, local market research, and capacity-building for small business ecosystems. By grounding economic recovery in local data and inclusive growth strategies, My Main Street helped communities rebuild stronger, more resilient main street economies.
To help address the property tax challenges created by rapid intensification in Toronto, Chris and his team at MPAC worked with the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA) and the City of Toronto to advocate for more equitable tax policy for small businesses.
In designated growth areas, commercial properties were seeing assessment increases that far outpaced city-wide averages. As those rising assessments were passed on to tenants, many main street businesses faced unsustainable tax burdens. In response, Chris led efforts to analyze the issue and build support for a new solution.
The result was the creation of Ontario’s Small Business Property Tax Subclass—a new policy tool announced by the Province that municipalities could adopt to mitigate tax pressures on small business tenants. Chris and his team helped author the implementation guide, working alongside municipal partners to ensure the subclass could be deployed effectively across Ontario.
Chris led the redevelopment of MPAC’s Municipal Connect platform—a daily-use digital tool that provides Ontario’s 444 municipalities with vital property assessment data. After reviewing stakeholder feedback, he identified the need for a complete overhaul of the platform’s interface, functionality, and data security posture.
Working with internal teams and municipal partners, Chris spearheaded a fast-tracked redesign process rooted in extensive consultation, strong technical collaboration, and a clear focus on user needs. The new platform launched within six months—delivering improved performance, enhanced data capabilities, and meaningful annual operating savings.
