Real estate agents Jacqueline and Jim Wong have lived in their quiet residential Markham neighbourhood for 14 years.

Over that time they’ve seen the demographics of their community change greatly, particularly in the past five years with the increase of Chinese and South Asian people moving to their city and buying homes.

Jacqueline Wong, who emigrated from Malaysia more than 30 years ago, points to her own street as an example. About 85 per cent of the people who have bought homes in recent months are Chinese. The draw: “They feel very comfortable with Markham.”

What’s more, there’s no municipal land transfer tax, it’s close to Toronto, housing is more affordable and it’s very safe, she said.

“It’s a great community,” added her husband, Jim Wong, who came to Canada from a small village in China in 1960. “It’s very attractive for young families.”

Safety and a sense of peace was the magnet for Ramanathan Lambotharan, a Sri Lankan family physician, who has lived and worked in Markham for over a decade.

“I think Markham is an amazing place to live,” he said. “The feeling that comes to mind is security and it’s truly multicultural.”

Neither the Wongs nor Lambotharan are surprised by the fact that Markham is now Canada’s most diverse community with the highest proportion of visible minorities than any other city, according to Statistics Canada’s National Household Survey.

A total of 72.3 per cent of the population comes from visible minorities. People from China make up the bulk of the community at 52.9 per cent.

Two other emerging visible minority groups are prevalent in Markham — the South Asian population with 26.4 per cent and the black community with 4.5 per cent.

In 2006, according to Statistics Canada, Markham’s Chinese population was at 34.1 per cent and South Asian at 17.2 per cent.

Other GTA communities — Brampton, Mississauga and Toronto — aren’t far behind when it comes to visible minorities.

And while some dispute the accuracy of the National Household Survey —many groups suggest it underestimates visible minorities and foreign born individuals — no one disputes that the face of Markham is evolving.

Go anywhere in Markham and the region’s diversity can be seen in the faces in shopping malls and those behind the wheels of cars that tear along congested Highway 7.

And signs on many of the strip malls along Highway 7 are bilingual —English and Chinese.

There are even some Chinese roads, like Sun Yat Sen Ave., Filipino streets, like Rizal Ave., and South Asian byways, such as Karachi Dr. and New Delhi Cres.

“I do believe that we did a lot of things to accommodate new immigrants when they move to Markham,” said Regional Councillor Joe Li.

“We make them comfortable. We’re the only municipality that hosts a national day for every community. When you walk into the city hall, you see the diverse workforce in the city and if you look at council you can see the diversity there, too.”

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Markham council has three ethnic Chinese members from different parts of the world and one Sri Lankan councillor — that’s four out of 13, Li proudly points out.

What’s more, many people tell him they feel at home in the region. They see familiar faces, can converse in their home language, can shop and eat like they did back home, he said.

And so far, there is no tension within the growing South Asian community. “They live side by side in harmony.”

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