March 1 2020
The Deputy Mayor's Exchange
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The Good,
the Sad
and the Ugly
Under the "Good" column, the last of the trains horns were finally silenced this week. The Mayor thanked Council, City of Markham staff and Metrolinx for their participation in getting this done. I would like to acknowledge the long standing commitment by local resident Paul Morrison and more recently the very active community leadership of Shanta Sundarason who kept this challenge front and centre for Markham Council. This was a community effort.
For Thornhill residents, your local Councillor, Keith Irish, is holding a series of meetings that you are cordially invited to attend. See below for information.
Under the "Sad" column, on Saturday afternoon, I attended a celebration of life for Ruth Brock, a longstanding member of the Markham Agricultural community. The Brock family has been known in Markham for years and Ruth's participation on various committees and her commitment to building a better community will be sorely missed.
Under the "Ugly" column, the COVID-19 Coronavirus continues. The spread of the virus is also affecting world stock markets, business and industry. York Region had its
first confirmed case of the virus brought to us by a traveler to Iran and as of Sunday night
3 additional cases have been confirmed. Remember to follow the good hygiene steps of washing hands, using sanitizer and coughing and sneezing into your sleeve.
For those with a continuing interest in the "flying of foreign flags" issue you may want to read
this article.
Have a healthy week!
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In this issue
- COVID-19 Coronavirus
- See Tracks Think Train
- Sustainable Neighbourhood Grants
- Work Here, Close to Home
- Attention Thornhill Residents
- March is Nutrition Month
- Environmental News
- Agriculture in Markham
- Invasive Species
- Markham Life
- Many Faces of Markham
- 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.
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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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Click here
to read the previous edition of
The Deputy Mayor's Exchange.
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York Region's first positive case of COVID-19 was confirmed this week. The Richmond Hill woman had returned from Iran. She had developed symptoms prior to her return and was symptomatic on the flight. She traveled from Pearson on the GO bus to Richmond Hill Centre. For further information or to see if you may have been exposed click
here
. On Sunday,
3 additional cases
of COVID-19 have been identified in York Region
York Region Public Health continues active follow-up of all close contacts of these positive cases. Individuals that were not in direct or close contact with the infected individual are not considered at risk.
The risk to York Region residents continues to remain low and there is no evidence of community spread within York Region. York Region Public Health continues to collaborate with local hospitals, emergency services and other health agencies to ensure prompt reporting and follow up of all individuals who may require testing for COVID-19.
Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Visit
york.ca/covid19
or
Ontario.ca/coronavirus
for more information. You may also contact Telehealth Ontario at 1.866.797.0000 for medical advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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On Monday morning, the City of Markham along with
Metrolinx
and
York Region
announced the completion of upgraded safety features and the end of mandatory train whistling at 13 Markham rail crossings from Steeles Avenue to Major Mackenzie Drive East.
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This project has taken a long time to complete and was one of the initial issues that was heard at Council when I was first elected as Ward 3 Councillor. Trains must whistle when approaching public road crossings under Federal regulations. In order to eliminate the whistles, it required the railway companies and road authorities, which were the City, York Region and Metrolinx, to collaborate to find the best option for making the crossings safe and comply with Federal requirements.
Markham has implemented all mandatory upgrades as well as additional safety measures to 13 rail-crossings. Each crossing is now equipped with either maze barriers or pedestrian warning gates and further supported by tactile walking plates, visual signage and bells in order to meet Metrolinx’s safety requirements. These fully accessible pedestrian warning systems advise pedestrians, motorists and cyclists of approaching trains and assist in keeping them safe. For more information, visit
Markham.ca/antiwhistling
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A community initiative by the Markham Environmental Sustainability Fund Program
The Sustainable Neighbourhood Small Grant programme is now accepting applications for resident-led sustainability projects within the City of Markham that promote education, understanding and participation in environmental sustainability.
It is a new funding program under the Markham Environmental Sustainability Fund Program and supports the City’s green Markham initiative.
Any Markham resident is welcome to apply for a grant up to $500.
More information about the grant is available
here
.
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Tired of the commute? Looking for a part time position? Or perhaps a student looking for a summer job?
- Positions at the City of Markham can be found here.
- Markham Public Library is also currently recruiting to fill several positions. Interested? Have a look here.
- There are also positions available at York Region. Details are here.
Looking for the latest innovation and startup-related news, events, resources and jobs? The YR Innovation Portal is your digital hub for all things innovation in York Region.
Learn more
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Keith Irish, Ward 1 Councillor, will be hosting the following Community Information Meetings and events over the next few months. Further details of each meeting can be found
here. If you would like to submit a question, please do so
here.
West Thornhill Phase 3A Flood Control Construction
Thursday, March 12 at 7pm
Fireside Lounge, Thornhill Community Centre
Langstaff Gateway Development Project
Wednesday, March 25 at 7pm
North Hall, Thornhill Community Centre
Pomona Mills Park Community Clean-Up
Sunday April 26 from 1oam to noon
Pomona Mills Park - Please meet on the east side of Henderson Avenue at Forest Park Crescent. Gloves and garbage bags will be provided.
Community Safety
- members of York Regional Police, District 2, will discuss crime prevention tips, measures to combat dangerous driving in residential neighbourhoods and crime stats specific to Thornhill.
Wednesday, April 29 at 7pm
North Hall, Thornhill Community Centre
Fire Prevention and Emergency Preparedness -
members of Markham’s Fire Department and Emergency Preparedness team will discuss fire prevention, emergency preparedness and emergency response times for Thornhill.
Wednesday, May 27 at 7pm
Centre Hall, Thornhill Community Centre
Thornhill Community Centre Open House
- please join City recreation staff for the annual Open House with program demos, a magic show, face painting, balloon animals and a free BBQ.
Saturday, May 30 from 11am to 1pm
Thornhill Community Centre
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How you eat is important, too
Food has the potential to enhance our lives and improve health, but there are many factors that impact healthy eating – including how we eat. Healthy eating is about more than food. It is also about where, when, why and how you eat. This includes consideration of food culture and traditions, food availability and sustainability. It’s about having a healthy relationship with food which includes feeling good about eating, enjoying a variety of food and having the knowledge, skills and confidence to eat healthy. More information can be found
here
.
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York Region launched 2 initiatives to focus on reducing the impact to our environment.
The Region's first
battery electric buses
are now operating in Newmarket. The Region has recently purchased 6 green buses and will now road test these vehicles and gather data on the benefits including a reduction in fuel and maintenance cost and gaining experience and knowledge in the field of electric transit vehicles.
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We often don't think about Markham's Agricultural Community. While we know that agriculture was important to Markham's history, its contribution to the community is still important today.
More information about agriculture in York Region can be found
here.
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While Invasive Species week was actually last week (February 24 - 28), it is important to note that there are a number of non-native species, both plant and animal, that are threatening the Ontario environment.
What are
invasive species
?
Invasive species are plants, animals, and micro-organisms introduced by human action outside their natural past or present distribution whose introduction or spread threatens the environment, the economy, or society, including human health (Government of Canada, 2004).
Once the nice weather gets here, you should check your yards and gardens for the following. Below are a few examples you may find close to home. More information on other invasive plant species is available
here.
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Japanese Knotweed is
an invasive plant that was introduced in the 1800s as a garden ornamental plant. It’s very aggressive roots can grow through asphalt and concrete and even the foundation of your house.
Report sightings
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Phragmites,
also known as European Reeds, a
re an invasive grass that aggressively reproduce and out competes other plants. It is an destructive invader that is threatening Ontario’s valuable wetlands.
Report sightings
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Dog Strangling Vine is an
aggressive plant that threatens the Monarch Butterfly. The Monarch will lay its eggs on the vine mistaking it for Milkweed and the Monarch is unable to complete its life cycle.
Report sightings
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Wild Parsnip is
a member of the carrot family which was likely brought to North America for its edible root. Unfortunately, the sap of the plant can cause severe burns on contact with skin.
Report sightings
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You can help identify invasive species in your neighbourhood by being a citizen scientist.
EDDMapS
(
E
arly
D
etection and
D
istribution
Map
ping
S
ystem) was developed to track invasive species and has over 45,000 records for Ontario. What's looming in your neighbourhood?
Find out more
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The Spring edition is now available. Get your City news, information about Markham’s programs and services, and more.
Details here
Also highlighted in Markham Life are two youth council members, Katrina and Katrine.
Read their story
and find out how you can get involved in the community.
Try something new
this Spring and expand your horizons. Your new passion is just around the corner.
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Does your child have talent? The City is seeking art submissions from students in Grade K to 8 at Markham schools for Many Faces of Markham "Eliminating Exclusion". Submissions are due March 13 and winners will be announced on April 19 at the Many Faces of Markham event. The event will also feature live cultural performances.
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A calendar of York Region meetings and other information is available
here
.
More information about the items highlighted in the Council Highlights can be found
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
: What is the cost of one of those big electric buses that York Region just put into service?
Answer:
If you have to ask then you can't afford it ... but seriously they are about $1.2 million dollars each! They come with air-conditioning, power steering but no power windows! Details of the bus purchase can be found
here
.
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Working together to make Markham better!
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