Aurora Votes 2026: Mayoral candidates talk tourism as Aurora looks to be a draw

September 24, 2026 · 0 Comments

Aurora has often been promoted as a great community to work, play, and raise a family – but, over the last 10 years, significant strides have been made to make the community a destination for people throughout the GTA and beyond.

With three hotels now operating in the southeast quadrant of Leslie Street and Wellington Street East, there are more opportunities than ever before to welcome short-term and long-term visitors.

This week, Aurora’s four Mayoral candidates share their views on how to capitalize on these efforts, being asked, “What more can Aurora do to increase tourism into the community? What are some opportunities (future or missed) that you would like to explore?”

Here is how they answered:

SHAWN DEANE – “Aurora’s current tourism and economic development efforts are strong, and I believe the Town is on the right track. As Mayor, I would continue to promote and refine existing resources such as ExploreAurora.ca, the Sport Tourism Package, the York Region Tourism Fund, the Chamber of Commerce, and our Economic Development Corporation. Local tourism has also benefited from new hospitality infrastructure in recent years, including additional hotels and a new theatre. Our Economic Development staff already assist event organizers by connecting them with these resources and available facilities, and I would encourage them to keep looking ahead for new opportunities. This includes developing creative marketing programs that reflect emerging trends within community organizations, while remaining mindful of competing events in neighbouring municipalities—such as the recent Markham Indy. Finally, during these recessionary times, the Town must be especially attentive to the return on investment from its advertising budget. I would request a formal review to ensure that our promotional spending remains balanced, effective, and fiscally responsible.”

JOHN GALLO – “Aurora has many of the ingredients for a stronger tourism economy, but we need to do a better job of connecting and promoting them. Our historic downtown, cultural facilities, trails, parks, restaurants, festivals, sporting events and community events can become part of a more coordinated strategy that gives people a reason not only to visit Aurora, but to stay, eat, shop and explore. I would like to see us build stronger partnerships with local businesses and community organizations and develop more destination events that attract visitors from across York Region and beyond. Sport tourism is another opportunity. When families come to Aurora for tournaments and competitions, we should be connecting those visitors with our restaurants, shops and other attractions. I also believe our trails and natural assets are underutilized as tourism opportunities. Aurora has an extensive trail system that can be promoted as part of a broader cycling, walking and outdoor experience. Tourism doesn’t always require building something new. Sometimes it means taking what we already have, connecting it better, marketing it effectively and giving visitors a reason to come back.”

TOM MRAKAS – “Aurora is in a strong position, and I don’t think residents always realize it. Our Visitor Growth Plan, built with Central Counties Tourism, found that our restaurants, shopping and sports facilities are already drawing visitors from outside Town — an asset we haven’t fully leveraged yet. Sport tourism is a real opportunity: our Sport Tourism Strategy has already brought events like international hockey matchups to the Aurora Community Centre, filling hotels and restaurants for a weekend at a time, and I want to keep bringing more tournaments and marquee events to Town. Arts and culture tourism is also starting to pick up, with Town Square becoming the destination we always knew it could be — theatre, charity events, movie screenings, even films being shot on location here. That’s exactly the kind of momentum we’re going to keep pursuing aggressively. We already have proven draws that bring people in from across the region every year: RibFest, Saturday Night Fever, the Chamber Street Festival, Concerts in the Park, our Haunted Forest, the Christmas Market, Santa Under the Stars, and our Canada Day parade and festivities. We’ll be looking at adding more events that build on that success, along with a signature culinary festival concept staff have been exploring. I want the Visitor Growth Plan’s framework to translate into real wins: better wayfinding, stronger Chamber partnerships, and metrics that track visitor length of stay. Tourism dollars spent here support Aurora businesses directly.”

YAFANG SHI – “Aurora Town Square is intended to be the centerpiece of the downtown revitalization initiative. The Aurora Public Library is fully funded by the Town, with two Councillors serving on its board. The Aurora Cultural Centre is substantially funded by the Town, with two Councillors also serving on its board. Both institutions are facing human rights proceedings before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario following the censorship of work by racialized women artists. Aurora should build a vibrant cultural hub that becomes the soul of its downtown and supports local tourism. The Town and its institutions must respect and comply with the Ontario Human Rights Code. Meanwhile, residents in the surrounding neighbourhood are adversely affected by a commercial restaurant operating inside the heritage Aurora Armoury, with one resident describing the impact as a ‘nightmare.’ The Town should preserve heritage buildings and prioritize community uses. Mississauga, for example, preserved the Small Arms Inspection Building and transformed it into an arts and culture hub. Aurora could learn from this model. Concerns about the Aurora Armoury should guide future heritage decisions, including those regarding Victoria Hall. Aurora’s heritage buildings are valuable community assets and could play a greater role in our tourism strategy.”

(Editor’s Note: The case regarding the Aurora Public Library was launched by Shi, following a photography exhibition hosted at APL in 2023.)

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter