Leaving a lasting mark on Markham

Leaving a lasting mark on Markham

Councillor Alex Chiu retiring after 10 terms and 33 years

“There was no handbook to help or guide me in my new job” – Alex Chiu, Ward 8, Councillor of Markham

By Irish Mae Silvestre
The Philippine Reporter

The Markham that Ward 8 Councillor Alex Chiu knew was a very different one compared to what it is today.

“The atmosphere in Markham when we moved here in 1981 was like a small quiet town,” he recalled. “Our neighborhood on the south of Steeles Avenue was mostly corn fields.”

Over the next three decades, he’d see that small town flourish into the diverse city that it has become today.

Up until last August, Chiu was getting ready to campaign for the next term. However, concerned about the effects of the stress that campaigning and another four years in office would bring, he decided to withdraw his candidacy and announced his retirement during a council meeting on September 12.

“It was not an easy decision,” he stated in an email. “But, after I made up my mind, I felt relaxed and satisfied.”

His wife, Alicia, a retired medical technologist, could not be more pleased. “He’s very passionate about Markham, that’s why he wanted to continue to serve Markham council,” she said. “Now that he has decided to retire, we’re very happy about it; we can go and travel and take longer vacations. We don’t have to worry about him going to work.”

From left: Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti, Alicia Chiu, Alex Chiu and Cherrie-Marie Chiu.

A Life in Politics

While Chiu was born in the Philippines, his parents were originally from Guangdong, China. He grew up between two cultures, exposed to the Filipino culture in Candaba, Pampanga, while speaking Cantonese at home.

Chiu moved to Chicago in 1966 where he met Alicia and got married in 1972. A year later, the couple moved to Canada in 1973 where they juggled busy careers while raising their two children, Christopher and Cherrie-Marie.

When he decided to run for city councillor, his wife asked him to reconsider. “Before [Alex] started his career as a politician, my dad warned him already,” recalled Mrs. Chiu, who said that she comes from a political family in the Philippines. “My dad had been the president of the labor union in the Philippines for a long time and my uncle was also a councillor in Batangas. That’s why my dad asked him, ‘Do you know what you’re getting into?’ Because Alex is a quiet person. He doesn’t say too many words, he just wants to get his work done.”

But Chiu was determined and became the first elected official in Markham who was a visible minority. “It was a big adjustment for me the first year I was elected,” he recalled. “There was no handbook to help or guide me in my new job.” In addition to working as a councillor, Chiu also had a full-time job as a systems analyst for Volkswagen Canada. “At the time, my job was considered part-time only so in the afternoon, I always had to rush to the city to attend all meetings,” he said.

Chiu said that some of his proudest achievements were helping establish Milliken Mills Community Centre and “championing the change of ‘town’ to City of Markham.”

Chiu also continues to advocate for Filipinos in Canada and back home.

When Filipino youths were banned from Scarborough Town Centre in the mid-nineties, he campaigned to end what he saw as a racist practice. “The reason I did that campaign was because I saw the unfairness in that case,” he said. “And I would have done it for any nationality.”

He also led fundraising efforts that helped build homes for victims of typhoon Haiyan. Today, as a result of Chiu’s work and a collaboration with the local community, there are three villages in the Philippines called Markham –one with GK in Palo, Leyte (20 homes), one with ANCOP in Leyte (20 homes) and another in Las Piñas (52 homes).

“Alex’s heart is always with the Filipinos,” said Mrs. Chiu.

Alex and Alicia Chiu visit Markham GK Village in Leyte.
(Photo courtesy of Gawad Kalinga Canada)

The Next Chapter

In a field mired with controversy, Chiu has somehow managed to stay out of the spotlight.

When asked how he managed to avoid the attention, Chiu stated that it’s about “doing your job quietly without too much fanfare.”
Indeed, Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti described him as “a man of few words, but he gets things done.” Scarpitti declined to be interviewed, instead referring to his statement in a press release.

“I was first elected to Markham Council in 1985, the same year as Councillor Chiu,” he stated in the press release. “His actions exemplify the best in all of us, defining what it means to give back by always showing up when your community needs you.”

“It has been a wonderful 33 years. My wife reminds me that I promised her only six years of service. My daughter reminds me that I was going to retire three years ago,” said Chiu in a press statement. “My son, who I lost to ALS almost two years ago, reminds me that life truly is short. It is now time to perfect my golf swing, travel the world, and focus on my vegetable garden.”

In the meantime, Mrs. Chiu said that she has thrown herself into vacation planning with upcoming trips to the Philippines, New Zealand and Australia.

But before he swaps meeting rooms for golf courses, Chiu is overseeing his final project: a life-sized monument of Dr. Jose P. Rizal by artist Mogi Mogado in the Box Grove Community Park. It’s set to be officially unveiled on June 9, 2019 to coincide with the Philippine Independence Day celebrations.

It seems you can take the man out of city hall, but you can’t completely take city hall out of the man.