Highlights from our 2017 events and custom project outreaches: Bike to Work Day 2017 (top centre), Cycling 101 workshop at Honda Canada (bottom left), custom project outreach at IBM Canada (bottom centre circle), and custom project outreach at AMD (bottom right).
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Happy New Year from SCMRH!
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Happy 2018! SCMRH would like to thank you for your continuous support for the program and for making your communities more sustainable in 2017. We hope you've all had a great start to 2018. As you know, with a new year comes new resolutions ... so why not make sustainable transportation one of them?
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Thank You for Participating in Carpool Week 2018
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Thank you to our Smart Commute Markham, Richmond Hill workplace Champions and employees who participated in Carpool Week (February 5 – 11)!
Between January 29 and February 11, we encouraged our workplace employees to find a ride match and log their carpool trips on the
Smart Commute Online Tool
for a chance to win a $500 travel voucher courtesy of VIA Rail and 1 of 4 $25 gift cards courtesy of SCMRH
. During these weeks,
SCMRH organized 11 outreach events (6 Carpool Mix ‘n Mingle outreaches and 5 carpool information outreaches)
at our workplaces to promote Carpool Week and logging carpool trips on the tool.
We are pleased to announce that
the SCMRH network logged 394 carpool trips (a 57% increase from 2017)
! We would like to thank all our workplace Champions and employees who tried carpooling to work and logged their carpool trips. We’d also like to
congratulate the grand prize winners of the Great SCMRH Carpool Challenge (logging their carpool trips on the Smart Commute Online Tool); Natasha McLarty (Town of Richmond Hill), Kimberley Wong (Honda Canada), Barry Morrison (York Region District School Board), and Brian Gomez (AMD), for logging their carpool trips and being our grand prize winners of the Great SCMRH Carpool Challenge
!
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Highlights from Carpool Week 2018: Carpool Mix 'n Mingle at LEA Consulting (left), Carpool Week outreach event at AECOM Markham (centre and bottom circle), and Carpool Week outreach event at Town of Richmond Hill.
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The Celebration of Your Designation:
A SCMRH Workplace Designation Recognition Event
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Workplace Designation Recognition Event photo op: Wincy Tsang (SCMRH), Aubrey Iwaniw (Metrolinx), Karen Mortfield (Richmond Hill Board of Trade), and Darryl Young (York Region), presented attendees with their platinum, gold, silver and bronze designations at the event.
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On Wednesday, February 14, SCMRH hosted the 1st Annual Workplace Designation Recognition Event. During the event, attendees got the opportunity to hear from SCMRH workplace Champions from AMD, Honda, Cole Engineering, and Compugen, who shared their sustainability successes and challenges, while offering tips on how to achieve a higher workplace designation. SCMRH staff also provided tips on how to obtain a higher designation level. Attendees were presented with their platinum, gold, silver, and bronze designations for 2018.
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How can Smart Commute help you promote sustainable commuting to your workplace employees? SCMRH offers a variety of Custom Service Packages to encourage your workplace employees to try a sustainable mode of commuting. SCMRH services include:
Standard Services, Enhanced Services, Custom Solutions, and Corporate Sponsorship
. For more information on how you can become a SCMRH workplace, check out
our services packages
or please email
info@smartcommutemrh.ca
!
Also, stay tuned for our Welcome Package, which will be launching in Spring 2018!
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Last Mile Markham Lunch and Learn
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Philippe Reiter from AMD (fourth from the left) with fellow panelists at the Last Mile Markham Lunch and Learn on December 5.
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On December 5, SCMRH workplace Champion Philippe Reiter, Social Business Community Manager at AMD, attended as one of the panelists at the Last Mile Markham Lunch and Learn at the Markham Pan Am Centre. During his presentation, Mr. Reiter discussed AMD's involvement with the SCMRH program, the need for seamless, reliable, and convenient transit systems for individuals with families or other commitments to meet their obligations without having to use their car. Mr. Reiter also touched upon the work culture's challenge to accept flexible working arrangements, the growth within and need for shuttle services in the business area, and the need for vibrant urban streets with street-level amenities to promote walking.
SCMRH would like to thank Mr. Reiter for his continued support and effort in implementing the Smart Commute program at AMD and for being an advocate for sustainable commuting options in Markham.
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Instagram Winter Giveaway Contest
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Congratulations to Sonia Singla, the winner of our #InstagramWinterGiveaway contest!
Throughout the month of December, we launched our Instagram Winter Giveaway contest, which encouraged residents and employees of Markham and Richmond Hill to tell us what mode of sustainable transportation they were commuting with this winter.
Sonia Singla, a former SCMRH workplace employee, told us that she is taking transit this winter as her sustainable mode of winter commuting. SCMRH has had a strong influence on Sonia's decision to choose transit. In 2017, Sonia took part in the Transit Pilot project, which encourages workplace employees to try taking transit to and from work once a week for five months. By taking part in the pilot, Sonia has a new found love for transit and chooses transit as her primary mode of transportation.
We'd like to thank everyone who sent in their submissions. We look forward to bringing you more contests throughout 2018!
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Out and About in Markham and Richmond Hill
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Sonya De Vellis and Samantha Maurice attending RHBOT's Annual Holiday Celebration on December 6. Photo courtesy of Snapd Richmond Hill
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Richmond Hill Board of Trade - Annual Holiday Celebration
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On December 6, SCMRH attended the Richmond Hill Board of Trade’s (RHBOT) Annual Holiday Celebration at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts. We had the opportunity to network and connect with old and new colleagues, while promoting the SCMRH workplace program to business owners in Richmond Hill. The event showcased exhibits from a wide variety of small businesses in Richmond Hill, live music, food samples, and door prizes. This year, RHBOT collected personal care items to be donated to 360 Kids, an organization created to help youth overcome crisis and transition to a state of safety and stability.
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Markham Board of Trade - Annual Christmas Lunch
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On December 7, SCMRH attended the Markham Board of Trade’s (MBT) Annual Christmas Lunch at York Downs Golf and Country Club. SCMRH had the opportunity to celebrate the upcoming holiday season with existing and new members of MBT and promote the SCMRH program, enjoyed a seasonal buffet lunch, took a photo with Mr. and Mrs. Claus, and were captivated by the magical styling of magician, illusionist, and mentalist, Magic Dan. Additionally, MBT collected donations of toys and non-perishable food items to the Markham Fire Station’s (Station 95) Toy Drive.
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Calvin Cheung, Sonya De Vellis, and Samantha Maurice attending MBT's Annual Christmas Lunch on December 7.
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York Region and Metrolinx News
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Photo courtesy of: Toronto Transit Commission
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The York-Spadina Line 1 Subway Extension is officially open! The 8.6 km Toronto to York subway extension opened on December 17.
All six stations are fully accessible, Wi-Fi-equipped PRESTO-enabled, and are staffed by new Customer Service Agents.
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Photo courtesy of: Metrolinx
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Save even more with PRESTO when you combine your GO or UP trip with TTC! Starting on January 7, adults can save $1.50, while students and seniors can save $0.55. This discount is just another way PRESTO makes it easier to take transit.
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Interesting Reads and News
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Video courtesy of: City Lab
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One French city shocked its citizens by making transit free! Click the video above to see what French city is making this sustainable change!
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- Madrid is preparing for its greenest year yet by taking major strides to implement sustainable transportation options to better improve air quality. Click here to read more about these improvements.
- You can work from home! A decade ago working from home seemed like a distant dream. Today, it's the future of work. Read more about benefits of teleworking with an article brought to you by Forbes.
- North American cities rarely make the list of the world's best biking cities. So what makes a city great for cycling? Read more to find out.
- Since 1986, there has been a decline in the number of students who use active transportation to get to school. Click here to find out how you can be the change to turn this trend around.
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