January 19 2020
The Deputy Mayor's Exchange
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Stay Safe
Need a safe and fun activity for your elementary school children during a school closure? The City of Markham Recreation department is responding to school closures by
offering programming suited to ages 4 through 17. See below for more details. Please tell your neighbours and friends who may be interested in these activities!
Why not
go for a swim at the newly renovated Milliken pool? The water is always warm as toast! Children's swim passes are currently on sale (10 swims for $15).
If you prefer colder temperatures, stop by the Civic Centre
ice rink for a quick spin. You can rent skates and a helmet at nominal cost.
You may not be aware of the many
bank robberies that have taken place recently in Peel Region and now in York Region. Some of these have been armed robberies where shots have been fired. I noticed at my bank this weekend that the branch now has an attendant who will open and close the locked door to the bank during normal banking hours and that there was increased YRP presence near an area bank.
Please be careful if you use your neighbourhood financial institution. Perhaps we should all start using online banking services.
Have a good week!
Click here
to read the last edition of
The Deputy Mayor's Exchange.
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In this issue
- School Strikes or Closures
- Special Transportation Meeting
-
YorkSafe
- Markham at the Movies
- Books of Condolences
- Be Prepared
- Love to Read?
- The City is Hiring
- Milliken Pool Reopens
- Prepare to be Safe
- Cinderella
- Love Your Hydrant
- Make a Splash
- York Region Update
- Community Meetings and Events
- Q & A -
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Please forward this update to anyone that may find it of interest.
Make sure you are on the list for future updates.
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Looking for more information?
Any of the
blue text,
blue buttons and most of the graphics have links to further detail.
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A variety of fun, creative, active and educational opportunities are available for children aged 4 to 17 at City facilities across Markham, including:
- Adventure Camp
- Basketball Clinic
- Crafts
- Family Movies
- Lego Camp
- Sports Camp
- STEAM Activities
- Storytime
The City of Markham is planning to offer these day camps and drop-in programs in response to the following pending school closures:
Day camps and drop-in programs will be offered on a first come, first served basis. The City will closely monitor the strike situation and will increase participation numbers and programming, or cancel programs depending on the situation. Fees will be refunded with no penalty should schools remain open.
The Ontario Government has announced financial support to families for childcare during school closures due to a strike. More details about eligibility and how to submit an application can be found at
here
or by calling the Helpline at 1.888.444.3770.
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On January 22 at 9am, the City will host a special Development Services Committee meeting focusing on transportation. This workshop will focus on alternatives to road widening that are being proposed for Markham.
The guest speaker will be
Ian Lockwood
, a livable transportation engineer, who specializes in active transportation, place-making and helping cities through collaborative planning, design and engineering. Like many other municipalities, Markham is faced with ever increasing congestion. This workshop is open to the public to learn about transportation issues that we are all facing. There will also be staff
from York Region in attendance. Details of this special meeting can be found
here
York Region has reviewed possible changes to 16th Avenue in Markham which include widening the road to six lanes to accommodate transit and HOV lanes, adding cycling and pedestrian facilities, streetscaping and adding paved shoulders. More details
here
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The reporting system for YorkSafe is being updated and as a result the data from inspections may not be available through this process. Details can be found
here
.
To view all locations in York Region and to find out if they have had a YorkSafe violation, click
here.
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Parasite, the January film for MATM, h
as received 141 film awards to date. It is the winner of the 2020 Golden Globe Best Foreign Language Film and has been nominated for 6 Academy Awards including: Best Picture, Best Director, Best International Feature Film, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing and Best Production Design.
This film will be shown on
Tuesday January 28 - 7:00 pm at the Flato Markham Theatre. More information about MATM or to purchase ticket -
click here
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Many innocent lives were tragically lost on Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752. All 176 people on board the plane lost their lives including several members of our community.
Members of the public are invited to sign books of condolences to honour the victims of UIA PS752. The books are set up at the
Markham Civic Centre
in the Great Hall and will be available for signature until Friday January 24.
We are all heartbroken and stand together with everyone who has been affected by this tragedy.
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York Region
and the
City of Markham
road crews prepare well in advance of any winter storms to make certain the resources are ready and available when winter weather hits.
Were you ready for the winter storm this weekend? Would you know where to find a working flash light or radio in case the power goes out. Every home and business should have an emergency plan.
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PressReader
offers over 7,000 publications (newspapers and magazines) in over 60+ language from 120 countries. Get FREE access with your library card and
start reading now
!
This is just one of the services that
MPL
offers to residents. Find out more
here
.
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The Legal Services Department at the City of Markham is currently recruiting for an Assistant City Solicitor to join their growing team.
Check out
this video to learn more!
In addition to this position, there are a number of other positions (full, part-time and seasonal) with the City that are posted
here
.
York Region is also looking for applicants for full time and seasonal positions. The details are
here
along with recruiting information for EMS. York Regional Police is also currently
recruiting
for civilian and uniformed positions.
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The change rooms have been renovated allowing the City of Markham to better meet the needs of its users. A new feature of this facility are the universal change rooms. In a universal change room, everyone shares the common amenities and there are changing stalls for privacy. Depending on the time of day, the universal change rooms will function as gender-specific change rooms. Staff are available onsite to answer any questions you may have.
Visit
markham.ca/swimming
for more information about Markham’s swimming programs and facilities.
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Last Sunday morning, as I am sure you are aware, there was an emergency alert sent regarding the Pickering nuclear facility. Thankfully the alert had been sent in error and was a false alarm.
In the highly unlikely event of a nuclear accident, a potassium iodide (KI) pill is a key component to keeping you and your family safe. Most homes in York Region are eligible to receive free KI pills. Visit
preparetobesafe.ca
to check your eligibility and to order KI pills.
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After last season’s successful performance of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast to sold out audiences, UTC is preparing for this season’s show.
The Broadway version of Cinderella will be presented by this community based group. UTC, "engaging theatre for the community from within the community" have been mentoring youth and providing a safe, diverse and inclusive program that fosters community for the past 41 years.
Flato Markham Theatre
- February 20th to 23rd 2020
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Keep neighbourhood hydrants clear of snow this winter. The home you save could be your own!
Love Your Hydrant is a public education program joint initiative between the City's Waterworks and Fire Departments. The goal is to educate and inform residents about proper care of neighbourhood hydrants by keeping them clear of snow, shrubs, and debris and to encourage residents to report water theft, damaged or vandalized hydrants.
Fire hydrants are owned and regularly maintained by the City's Waterworks Department. Hydrants are connected to water mains allowing our Firefighters to access the water supply in emergencies.
What You Need to Know:
- Hidden, broken and damaged hydrants can delay firefighting efforts and can lead to serious consequences.
- Water theft poses a serious health risk and this can cause contamination of our drinking water supply.
- Those found tampering, damaging, vandalizing hydrants and stealing water can be charged and/or fined.
What You Can Do:
- Report theft, damage, tampering by calling 905.477.5530. Only the City of Markham Fire and Waterworks Departments can use fire hydrants. Any others can be charged and/or fined.
- Keep all hydrants clear of snow, grass, shrubs, debris. (1.2 metres)
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Now Hiring
Lifeguards and Swim Instructors
Looking to get paid doing something you love while staying fit? Land a great job with flexible hours. Adults and youth wanted. Apply now and start this spring.
Some of the perks you’ll enjoy:
- A flexible work schedule
- Free access to any aquatics drop-in program
- Exclusive discounts
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Not certified?
Check here
to find out what you need to join Team Markham!
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York Region Council meetings resumed last week. Highlights from the last meeting in December can be found
here.
A calendar of York Region meetings and other information is available
here.
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Community Meetings and Events
All City of Markham meetings are listed on the City's website at
Upcoming Council and Committee Meetings
. Unless noted differently on the link above, meetings are held at the Markham Civic Centre and are open to the public. If you aren't able to attend in person, meetings are live streamed.
The calendar of York Region meetings is available
here.
You can listen to meetings on line. The details from past meetings are available online.
- Upcoming Markham Public Library Events - here
- Upcoming Varley Gallery Events - here
I'd be pleased to highlight other community meetings in future newsletters. Please forward the details to
dhamilton@markham.ca
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If you have a question that you would like answered, please send me an email with your question.
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Question: Why does the City of Markham offer special programming for kids when teachers are on strike? Couldn't this be seen as taking sides in the dispute?
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Answer: The City of Markham offers this programming to try and fill a gap for parents who might otherwise have to miss a day of work (and pay). Municipal governments have no direct role in negotiations between the Provincial government and the teachers unions.
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Working together to make Markham better!
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