September 29 2019
The Deputy Mayor's Exchange
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I almost had to put on long pants as I washed the car this morning. There is a definite fall feel in the air. The chill reminded me that I need to make an appointment for the changeover from summer-to-winter tires ... yikes! At least we're not as bad as Calgary which received snow over the weekend. I hope my Calgary based son has his snow tires on.
The City continues to prepare its
2020 Budget and part of that is estimating the cost of snow removal on roads and sidewalks.
I hope you enjoyed the Markham 225 celebrations on Saturday. That late night boom-boom-boom was the sound of fireworks at the close of Applefest and Markham 225.
We can now look forward to a longstanding tradition that celebrates Markham's agricultural roots ... the
Markham Fair. Do come out and see the hens, chickens, roosters, rabbits, pigs, cows, horses and other fabulous farm animals. Watch the sheep get sheered. Check out the pie/cake baking contest winners. I wish they would ask me to be a judge!
See you at the Fair!
Click here
to read the last edition of
The Deputy Mayor's Exchange.
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In this issue
- York University in Markham
- YorkSafe
- Markham Fair 175!
- Morgan Pool Revitalization
- Official Opening
- Recycling Hours Are Changing
- Listeria Alert
- Thank You York Paramedics
- #LetsCooks30 Challenge
- Seniors in York Region
- Updates from the Varley
- Waste Reduction and Diversion
- Opioid Action Plan
- Small Business Month at MPL
- Toward a Greener Markham
- International Older Persons Day
- Walk to School Month
- Strategic Plan Survey
- Fall in Love with York Region
- Have Your Say
- Contribution Rebate Update
- Community Meetings and Events
- Q & A - MATM
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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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This week York University officially launched a new academic program in Markham at IBM Canada's headquarters. Classes started at the beginning of the academic term in September as plans continue to establish a
York University campus in Markham Centre.
The new location will offer third and fourth year
School of Administrative Studies students at York University’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies to take Bachelor of Commerce courses with the bonus of work-integrated learning opportunities.
More information about this new York University learning venue can be found
here
.
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Find the current listing provided by YorkSafe health inspections
here. Again there are some Markham establishments on the list.
You can review all locations in York Region
here.
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Next weekend is the 175th
Markham Fair
. It is Canada's largest 4 day agricultural fair and it's right in our own backyard. There's always lots to see and do. Here are just some of the things that you can see:
- Midway Rides
- Monster Truck Madness and Demolition Derby
- Old MacDonald’s Farm – Animal Displays
- Horse Shows
- Homecraft Exhibits – Pies, Quilts, Photography and more
- Children’s Entertainers – Magicians, Clowns, Jugglers and more
- Live Bands
- Great Food
- RCMP Musical Ride
- Ontario Provincial Police Golden Helmets Motorcycle Precision Team
and there's free parking. Need more reasons?
Click here
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Date:
Wednesday October 2
Time:
11am to 12pm
Location:
Morgan Pool, 11-17 Parkway Ave
Click
here
for the project details
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Please join us for the official opening of the Jeanne Ker-Hornell Parkette and Boardwalk.
Date:
Saturday October 5
Time:
3pm - 4pm
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Starting Tuesday October 15, all four of
Markham’s Recycling Depots will be making a scheduled shift to Fall/Winter operating hours. These hours will be in effect until March 2020.
Each facility will have signage posted indicating the Fall/Winter operating hours. The City's
website
will be updated accordingly to reflect these changes.
The revised operating schedule below:
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YR Investigates Listeria in Chicken Salad Sandwiches
This week there was a
news release
from York Region Health advising of a possible listeria outbreak from chicken salad sandwiches sold in York Region. The sandwiches were sold at Highland Farms and Classic Mobile food trucks in Markham and Richmond Hill.
The full media release can be found
here
. More information on
listeria
.
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While no one ever wants to go for a ride in the back of an ambulance, unfortunately this week my Mom had to take a trip to
Markham Stouffville Hospital
. She's on the mend now and I would like to extend a personal thank you to York EMS for your great work and assistance.
York Paramedics are fully trained and equipped to meet whatever situation they might face. This is just some of the equipment
York Paramedics
use to deliver care.
York Paramedics have 8 different types of vehicles, repair and maintain over 100 vehicles and 1500 pieces of equipment. More information is available
here
.
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Can you cook one meal every day for 30 days? For the month of October, challenge yourself to cook one meal or more each day for 30 days!
- Register and follow #LetsCook30 to get quick and easy low cost recipe ideas sent to your email
- Challenge yourself to try new recipes over the month: it doesn’t matter if it is breakfast, lunch or supper
- Enter a weekly and grand prize draw by sharing photos of your home-cooked meals using #LetsCook30 and tagging @YorkRegionGovt on social media
Ready to mix it up and try some new ideas? There are plenty of tasty new things to make or cook up some of your tried and true favourites. Learn more about the
challenge with the
#LetsCook30 Starter’s Guide
. There are also weekly prizes for those that participate in the challenge.
More information on the
#LetsCook30 challenge is available
here.
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One in five residents will be over the age of 65 years of age by 2031
York Regional Council received an update on the
performance of the Region’s two long-term care homes
and implementation of the Region’s
Seniors Strategy
, which looks at the changing senior population, redefines the Region’s role in serving seniors and sets a collaborative course for action to best support the aging population over the next 10 to 20 years. By 2026 there will be more seniors than children in York Region.
In addition to the two long-term care homes which have 192 long stay long-term care beds, six short stay respite beds and 34 convalescent care beds, the Region operates five
Adult Day Programs
, where participants receive support, benefit from social inclusion and provide their caregivers with respite.
York Region’s
Seniors Strategy
was launched in 2016 in response to the changing needs of growing population. Pressures in the areas of finance, health, aging in place and staying safe and connected to the community led to the identification of the Region’s four key roles in serving an aging seniors population.
Actions to meet these priorities are well underway, benefiting residents and caregivers:
- Keeping seniors healthier, longer: Piloted seven Nature’s Classroom programs with 121 seniors to provide social networking opportunities, awareness of Regional programs and services for seniors and increased physical activity
- Connecting seniors and their caregivers to the right programs and services at the right times: Developed and distributed 10,000 Personal Medical Information kits for seniors and caregivers to organize their health care information and post on their refrigerators for First Responders in case of medical emergencies
- Supporting age-friendly, complete communities: Conducted a needs assessment to identify potential programs and services to be offered through the Unionville Seniors Hub project
- Balancing seniors needs with the needs of all residents: Established income and asset limits for subsidized housing to ensure that the Region’s limited supply of affordable rental housing is accessible to those most in need
Full details are available
here. More resources for seniors can be found
here.
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Art classes at the Varley are designed for all levels of experience. Whether you're picking up a paintbrush for the first time, or returning to collage, calligraphy or watercolours, there's something for everyone at the Varley.
Learn from qualified and professional art instructors in a fun and supportive environment.
Registration Closes Soon
Using the barcodes provided, click the “Register Now” button above to sign up for programs at the Varley Art Gallery of Markham. If you require additional support, please call our Contact Centre at 905-477-7000 ext. 4731.
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Sunday, October 6, 2019
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Concert will begin promptly at 7:30 pm
A unique musical experience at the Varley Art Gallery
Poetry of the Pipa with Wen X. Zhao 琵琶行
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York Region remains at the forefront when it comes to sustainable ways to manage waste, achieving 94% diversion from landfill.
The
2018 Annual Solid Waste Diversion Report
summarizes all waste collected through curbside collection programs and municipal public drop-off depots. Highlights of 2018 waste diversion efforts include collecting:
- 99,065 tonnes of green bin organics
- 83,526 tonnes of blue box recyclables
- 42,287 tonnes of yard waste
- 1,219 tonnes of household hazardous waste
- 1,124 tonnes of electronic waste and
- 123,229 tonnes of energy from waste converted
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York Region has long advocated for an Ontario-wide effort to reduce litter and waste in our communities. The Region’s Integrated Waste Management Master Plan, the
SM4RT Living Plan
, sets the stage for waste reduction and reuse activities across the Region. It focuses on the four R’s of reducing, reusing, recycling and recovering energy-from-waste. Energy-from-waste captures the energy produced from waste after all diversion efforts have been maximized. This process also lowers greenhouse gas emissions, recovers metals and reduces the volume of waste going to landfill. In 2018, York Region’s waste produced enough electricity to power over 3,000 homes and supplied enough industrial steam to heat over 6,000 homes.
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A pilot project is being conducted at 3 intersections in York Region with the goal of e
nhanced safety. The features will include no right turns on red, exclusive left turn signal and added warning signage for motorists to yield to pedestrians.
These enhanced safety features are also being installed in 2019 at the following three additional locations:
- Major Mackenzie Drive and Bayview Avenue in the City of Richmond Hill
- Yonge Street and Clark Avenue in the City of Markham
- Bathurst Street and Clark Avenue in the City of Vaughan
Drivers are reminded to slow down and always obey the posted speed limits. By increasing safety measures in intersections and highlighting the dangers of speeding and distracted driving, the campaign aims to ensure all road users, including cyclists and pedestrians, remain safe when travelling across York Region. More information is available
here
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Like many communities across Canada, York Region is experiencing the growing impact of opioid harms. Through the meeting of York Regional Council,
the Opioid Action Plan
was shared this week with York Region Board of Health.
The Plan as contains recommendations for action based on four key pillars: prevention, first response and enforcement, treatment and harm reduction. Further information is available
here
.
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October is Small Business Month in Canada and the Markham Public Libraries have a number of events to help small businesses succeed. It’s a month dedicated to honoring Canadian entrepreneurs.
Why not attend one or more of these
sessions?
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In May 2018, City Council endorsed Markham’s Municipal Energy Plan (MEP) - a roadmap to achieve net zero energy and emissions by 2050.
More information and detail can be found
here
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York Region will be celebrating the
International Day of Older Persons
with a
special day at
the
York Regional Forest.
Older Persons Day is a United Nations initiative held on October 1 to educate the world on the positive impact seniors make in our communities and examine the issues that affect their lives.
Event details include a day at the Bill Fisch Forestry Stewardship and Education Centre.
York Region is committed to supporting the health and well-being of our aging population through a strategy that defines a role in serving seniors and sets a course of action and support for the next 10 to 20 years.
Date:
Tuesday October 1, 2019
Time:
11am to 2pm
This event is rain or shine.
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Have you made plans to walk your child(ren) to school on October 2nd
#IWALK
DAY? Join the fun and participate by walking to school or the bus stop.
Click
here
to plan an IWALK Day celebration at your school.
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Building Markham's Future Together (BMFT) is the strategic plan for the 2020 – 2023 term of Council. It provides a framework for City decisions and plans. The Plan is reviewed at the start of each Council term to update priorities for the City.
WE NEED YOU!
Help build Markham’s future together by letting us know what’s most important to you! We want to hear from Markham residents, business owners, workers, students and community stakeholders. Complete the
online survey
for your chance to win.
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York Region is a vibrant place to live, work, visit and invest. With nine unique local cities and towns, York Region offers something for everyone on
World Tourism Day
and all year long. Whether you’re into outdoor activities, culinary delights, family fun or arts and culture, there are plenty of reasons to love York Region. Here are just a few ways to explore our great region:
Love adventure
Love art and culture
- Theatre lovers can catch a performance on one of our many local stages, while world-renowned art galleries offer hidden treasures for the art lover to discover. For exciting festivals and events, the York Region Festival Trail runs throughout most of the year and features live music, food and lots of family fun.
Love food
Love golf
- The leaves may be changing, but it’s still warm enough to hit the links. With more than 50 private and public golf courses across all nine local cities and towns, York Region offers something for golfers of all skill levels. Find your favorite course using the York Region Golf Course Finding Tool.
Love the great outdoors
- Made up of more than 2,300 hectares of protected land, York Region’s 18 forest tracts are open to the public 365 days a year with no cost to enter. From walking and cycling to bird watching and horseback riding, our 120 km of forest trails are an outdoor wonderland.
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The initial meetings for the 2020 Budget have started and there is still time to provide your input. More information about the meetings can be found
here.
Understand your City Budget and stay informed. The Budget Committee and General Committee discuss the draft budget during this series of meetings. All meetings are open to the public.
More information can be found here:
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Cheques are in the mail! Rebate payments for contributions made to participating candidates during the 2018 Municipal Election have been mailed and should be received by contributors over the coming days.
Contributors who do not receive their rebate by the week of October 7 should contact the Election Office at 905-477-7000 x2097 or
vote@markham.ca
to verify their mailing information.
Reminder:
- Only contributors who applied to the City prior to June 27, 2019 are eligible to receive a rebate
- The maximum rebate that any contributor may receive is $350
- Contributors are eligible for one rebate, regardless of how many campaigns they contributed to
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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.
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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Answer:
Markham at the Movies (MATM) is Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) quality movies that are shown at the Flato Markham Theatre once a month from September to May at a cost of $10 per person. MATM is made up entirely of volunteers who are dedicated to bringing the top from TIFF to you!
Check it out!
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Working together to make Markham better!
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