January 12, 2020
The Deputy Mayor's Exchange
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It's Been a Difficult Week
This past week, 57 Canadian lives were needlessly taken when Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 was struck by an Iranian surface to air missile. Although this event took place half a world away, it has affected us locally. Among the dead was a City of Markham Public Art Committee members as well as one of our
York Region staff members. Books of condolence are available for signing at the
Markham
Civic Centre in the Great Hall. We offer our support to their families, friends and loved ones during this difficult time.
Thanks goes out to our
Markham Fire Services personnel and City Operations staff for doing their jobs so well this weekend. Among their many calls for help was one from a stranded motorist caught in a torrent of water and the
rescue made the evening NEWS!
Also our appreciation goes out to our Emergency Preparedness and Contact Centre staff who worked 24/7 this weekend watching for any issues that might have arisen from the storm. They cover Police, Fire, power outages, road flooding, snow and ice on roadways, water main breaks, road cave-ins etc. Thank you for keeping us safe!
I hope that you have a good week.
Click here
to read the last edition of
The Deputy Mayor's Exchange.
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In this issue
- Special Transportation Meeting
-
YorkSafe
- Keeping Markham Safe
- Markham Sports Leagues
- Top Books at MPL
- LEAF
- Flooded Basement?
- Winter in the Park
- Subway Work Continues
- Thai Pongal Celebrations
- Master Leisure Plan
- York Region Update
- Community Meetings and Events
- Q & A - Emergency Plan
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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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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 discuss and 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. Once available the 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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Fire Safety in High Rise Buildings
Begins with You!
- Learn what to do if a fire happens in your building.
- Know the fire safety features in your building and the emergency procedures outlined in the building's safety plan.
- Know the locations of all available exit stairs from your floor in case the nearest one is blocked by fire or smoke.
Markham Fire would be pleased to
make a presentation to your condominium on fire safety. For more information, contact me.
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Don't miss a shot! Find out what's happening this season!
Join the City of Markham’s new sports leagues where fun is #1! All skills levels are welcome.
Register as a team or individual! Registering as a team means you get to organize your own team with your friends and have total control over your roster. Signing up as an individual means you'll be placed on a team of other individual registrants which is a great way to meet new people! You can request to play with any friends that also register as individuals.
Why Join?
- Play with your friends and make new ones
- Rekindle an old sports passion
- Try something new
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While Michelle Obama’s
Becoming
was by far the most popular title read or listened to in 2019, Markham’s most popular titles list included a lot of children’s books. Often the list is dominated by the usual authors (John Grisham, Nora Roberts, Danielle Steele, James Patterson), but this year’s list has some new faces.
How many have you read?
See the list
here
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While you wouldn't know it by the horrible weather this weekend, spring and summer will be here before you know it.
LEAF
(Local Enhancement and Appreciation of
Forests) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and enhancement of the urban forest. They offer a number of programs that help you plant and care for your trees. One of the most popular programs with Markham residents is their
subsidized trees
for homeowners.
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How did your basement survive all the rain we had this weekend?
Severe weather and aging infrastructure can unfortunately lead to a flooded basement. While the City is investing millions to update sewer systems, you may be able to further protect your property if you qualify for the City's Private Plumbing Protection Rebate Program.
The program offers financial support for property owners who make certain improvements to their plumbing system. These measures can be implemented to help protect your property:
- Backwater Valve Installation
- Weeping Tile Disconnection and Sump Pump Installation
- Sanitary and Storm Lateral Relining and Repair
You may be able to receive a rebate of up to $2,500 toward this work. If you have already completed these improvements, you may also be eligible to claim a retroactive rebate. More information is available
here.
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Winter is a great time to visit
Rouge National Urban Park
. Dress for the weather with insulated boots with boot traction, bring a pair of binoculars if you have them, and you’re all set! You might be surprised to find that wildlife is still active in winter. How do you know animals are around?
The absence of thick foliage gives a better chance to observe and hear animals from a distance, and tracks in the snow makes it much easier to determine which species are out.
Footprints are common, but you might also see wing prints, since birds of prey will lunge down in the snow to get to prey. An experienced observer can tell not only what species have left these tracks, but also whether they were running or walking when they left them.
Remember to stay on official trails to help wintering wildlife stay undisturbed.
Enjoy winter in the Rouge with a
guided walk
or join in on Family Day for
WinterRouge
and find out more about how wildlife make it through the cold months!
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As part of the preliminary planning, geotechnical investigations continue to take place at various locations along Yonge Street and some side streets from Finch Avenue to Highway 7. Over the next several weeks, crews will begin geotechnical testing at various locations in Vaughan, Richmond Hill and Toronto, for the Yonge Subway Extension. Work will take place between 7am and 7pm daily and will last for approximately
two weeks at each location. W
hat you need to know:
- Crews will use a drill rig to bore holes and extract soil samples. At the end of each work day the roadway will be restored.
- As part of this work activity, there will be temporary lane closures through the work areas.
- Please watch for signs and slow down through the work zones.
- There will be construction-related noise and dust from equipment and trucks.
- Please give yourself enough time to get to your destination, and remember to reduce your speed through the work zones.
- As with all infrastructure projects, some work may be re-scheduled due to weather and other variables.
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The Markham Tamil Organization (MTO) cordially invites you to their 11th Annual Tamil Thai Pongal (Harvest Festival) celebration, which will be attended by many living across Markham and York Region.
The evening program features Tamil arts, culture and highlights their traditional Thai Pongal (Tamil Harvest Festival) theme. Thai Pongal is a Thanksgiving Harvest Festival which celebrates a successful farming year and an opportunity to thank the sun and farm animals for their assistance. Thai Pongal is the only festival celebrated around the world by all Tamils and their entire communities.
Location:
Bill Hogarth Secondary School - 100 Donald Sim Ave, Markham
Date:
Friday, January 17, 2020
Time:
Reception begins at 5:30pm with the event starting at 6pm
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Markham City Council recently endorsed the updated
2019 Integrated Leisure Master Plan (ILMP)
, which builds upon the achievements of the original
2010 ILMP
. The update identifies priorities and sets the direction for service delivery through 2031 in order to meet the evolving needs of a diverse, growing community while keeping pace with leisure trends.
Parks:
- Leveraging access and opportunities offered by the Rouge National Urban Park
- Undertaking a comprehensive plan to add shade elements in parks
- Building more cricket pitches and off-leash dog areas
Recreation:
- Providing more intergenerational programming and planning to serve under represented groups
- Undertaking more neighbourhood-based or place-based planning
- Planning a community centre in the north part of West Markham
- Refreshing the Milliken Mills Community Centre and Library including creating gymnasium space
Culture:
- Increasing integration of cultural programs with parks, recreation, culture and library spaces
- Conducting a new theatre feasibility study
- Implementing the Public Art Master Plan
Library:
- Expanding digital literacy programs
- Developing library services for Markham Centre and the north part of West Markham
- Delivering alternative library service and funding models for intensified areas
Further information can be found
here.
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York Region Council meetings will resume later this 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: Is the City of Markham prepared for an unforeseen disaster/emergency?
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Answer: Yes. The City of Markham, in cooperation with all emergency services, has an Emergency Preparedness Team that can take immediate action in case of any disaster. It should be comforting to know that
there are plans in place to keep us as safe as possible. Now is also a great time to evaluate your emergency plan.
Are you ready?
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Working together to make Markham better!
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