February 23 2020
The Deputy Mayor's Exchange
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This Wednesday is
Pink Shirt Day across Canada where we stand up against bullying and harassment of all kinds. Do you look good in pink? I think everyone does!
The City of Markham continues to offer assistance to parents and kids during any school closures.
For a list of programs offered by the City and other information for parents, see
markham.ca/SchoolClosures
.
The City will also be offering March Break camps for kids. See below for details.
I've been asked by residents to comment on the protests that have caused trains to stop running country wide. While this is clearly not a municipal jurisdictional matter, no member of any level of government should support any illegal action that causes hardship to others and damages our economy. I certainly understand that there are two sides to this story but resolution must come through dialogue and negotiation not illegal blockades. Please call or email your local Member of Provincial and Federal Parliament to express your views on this important matter. You can find your
Federal MP here and locate your
Provincial MPP here here.
I hope that you have a great week!
Click here
to read the previous edition of
The Deputy Mayor's Exchange.
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In this issue
- Wednesday is
Pink Shirt Day
- YorkSafe Food Inspections
- Markham at the Movies
- March Break
- Bike Rescue Program
- Wash Your Hands
- Black History Month at MPL
- Winter Smart Commute Week
- Family Movie Night
- Repair Café
- Pechakucha Night
- Love Your Hydrant
- COVID-19 Coronavirus
- York Region Update
- Community Meetings and Events
- Q&A - Municipal Tax Rates
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Please forward this update to anyone that may find it of interest.
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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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Wednesday February 26
This year’s
Pink Shirt Day
is “Lift each other up”. It is a simple but powerful message encouraging us to look beyond our differences and celebrate the things that make us unique. When we lift each other up, we see past the things that separate us and see instead the things that unite us as people.
The Markham Public Libraries will be also be participating in
Pink Shirt Day
. The first 25 people wearing pink on February 26, at any of the MPL branches, will receive a prize. So show your support and wear
pink
!
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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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The January showing of Parasite at the last MATM was their first sold out screening. Parasite won multiple awards including the Best Picture prize at the recent Academy Awards.
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February's edition of MATM happens on
Tuesday February 25 at the Markham Flato Theatre.
The Farewell
(
in English and Mandarin with English Subtitles)
will be shown which has received 32 awards and 156 nominations. MATM tickets ($10) are available at the door or
here
.
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Looking to keep the kids busy during March Break?
The City of Markham is offering fun, educational, creative and active camps for all ages and abilities. Before and after care is also available at most locations. Details
here
The Markham Public Library also has a week filled with family activities, entertainment and registered programs and camps. Scavenger Hunts are available all day, at all branches! See their
March Break Schedule
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This program is open to any community member interested in learning how to fix mechanical issues on bikes in a comfortable and inclusive environment. Refurbished bikes will be available for sale at a Spring Fundraiser at the hub.
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It's cold and flu season. Do you know the difference between cold and flu?
Find out here
Make sure to practice
regular hand washing
and use sanitizer because they are two of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of viruses and germs.
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Black History Month at MPL
In celebration of
Black History Month
, the Canadian Multicultural Inventors Museum will be hosting an exhibit at the Milliken Mills Library on February 25 that features inventions by black inventors. It is a one-day only event so don't miss out.
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February 24 - 29
This week is Winter Smart Commute week. It encourages commuters to try a sustainable mode of travel to work or school.
Learn more
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Akeelah and the Bee
February 27 - 5:30pm
Aaniin Community Centre and Library
Join the
Markham Public Libary
as they celebrate Black History Month with a family movie, Akeelah and the Bee. A heart warming film about a talented child with a dream of participating in the National Spelling Bee, with her family and supportive community.
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Milliken Mills Library
Saturday, February 29
10am to 1pm
The Repair Café brings together people with items to repair and volunteer fixers willing to share their skills and tools. They inspire people to repair items as an alternative to just throwing them away. All you need to do is show up with your broken items (only one item per person) and it will be repaired for free. Details
here.
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Spring must be coming soon as the
York Region Food Network
will be hosting their annual Seedy Saturday event. Bring your packets of seeds and a seed story to share. In addition to the seed exchange, there will be speakers, a resource table, workshops and vendors. Everyone is welcome and admission is free.
More information is available by email
jessicat@yrfn.ca
or call
905.841.3101 ext. 208.
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Markham Village Library
February 28 - 7:30pm
Pay-What-You-Want
Linking our community 20 seconds at a time, The Markham Public Library and the Varley Art Gallery have collaborated to host PechaKucha Nights in the City of Markham.
Engage with artists and innovators, passionate students and entrepreneurs from across York Region to hear about their projects, experiences, struggles and successes to get where they are today.
More Information Here
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The Love Your Hydrant is a public education program between the Waterworks and Fire Departments to inform residents about proper care of neighbourhood hydrants by keeping them clear of snow, shrubs, and debris. It was also to encourage residents to report unauthorized use (water theft), damaged or vandalized hydrants.
Fire hydrants are owned and regularly maintained by the City of Markham Waterworks Department. Hydrants are connected to watermains allowing our Firefighters to access the water supply in emergencies. Remember only the City of Markham Fire and Waterworks Departments can use fire hydrants. Any others can be charged and/or fined.
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
- Keep clear of snow, grass, shrubs, debris
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York Region Public Health continues to monitor the COVID-19 Coronavirus and to date there have been no confirmed cases in York Region.
Do you have any questions about COVID-19 Coronavirus? York Region Public Health has created a resource with up-to-date information and answers to some of your questions. Details can be found
here
.
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Markham Fire Emergency Services Cadet Graduation
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New exhibitions opening at the
Varley. Have you been?
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Celebrating Black History Month at the Markham Civic Centre
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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 email with your question
.
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Question
: Why is Toronto's tax rate at 4.24% so high compared to Markham's rate at 1.95%?
Answer:
Every municipality sets its own budget and tax rate based on their needs and wants. More detail on how Markham and other municipal governments develop their budgets can be found in this
video.
Markham is proud to have one of the lowest tax rate increases across the GTHA. The low rate is in part due to the hard work of our budget committee and the fiscal prudence shown by its staff. Details about Markham's 2020 Budget can be found
here
.
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Working together to make Markham better!
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