September 8 2019
The Deputy Mayor's Exchange
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While no one likes new (or old for that matter) taxes, the City is now collecting a 4%
Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT)
from every visitor to Markham hotels. The plan is to use 50% of these funds towards
promoting Markham as a diverse meeting, tourism, and entertainment destination. The other 50% will be directed to the City’s Lifecycle Replacement and Capital Reserve Fund which supports the replacement and rehabilitation requirements for the City’s current and future tourism related infrastructure such as public art pieces and revitalized parks. The
City needs 6 directors to help administer the process. Interested?
I hope that you can take a bit of time to join Council and like minded members of the Public on September 23rd to help
Build Markham's Future Together. Council has been working on this policy document all summer and we need your input on what we have done so far.
A "must do" at this time of the year is to take a walk through one of our beautiful
York Region forests. My wife and I wait for the leaves to change and then we go for our walk. Take your cellphone just in case you get lost (like we did one year).
Stay in touch and enjoy the fall weather!
Click here
to read the last edition of
The Deputy Mayor's Exchange.
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In this issue
- Seeking Directors for DMC
- Have Your Say
- YorkSafe
- Fall Tree Planting
- Taste of the Season
- York Regional Forests
- Electronics Recycling Days
- Traffic Light Technology
- What to Pack for Lunch
- Markham Library Events
- Varley Gallery Events
- Ninth Line Construction
- Repair Café
- Q & A - Tax Payment Options
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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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The City of Markham is seeking seasoned professionals and tourism-related business leaders to serve as Directors for the
Destination Markham Corporation (DMC). The application deadline is October 1
st
.
In 2018, Markham Council approved the implementation of a Municipal Accommodation Tax on all Markham hotels (16 total) effective January 1, 2019 and the establishment of the new Destination Markham Corporation. The mandate of the DMC is to market and promote Markham as a four-season destination, with the goal of enhancing the overall growth of Markham’s tourism economy with increased visitation and visitor-related spending.
DMC will be governed by 9 Directors who will be responsible for the overall stewardship and management of the Corporation. The members will be comprised of 3 non-independent Directors (the Mayor and 2 members of Council) and 6 independent Directors to be appointed by Markham Council.
More information about this opportunity is available
here
.
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Let’s build
Markham
’s future together. Join the community engagement meeting on September 23 at the Markham Civic Centre. Learn about the City's strategic goals, how Council and senior staff will make thoughtful decisions about Markham’s future and provide your ideas.
markham.ca/strategicplan
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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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The fall offers ideal weather conditions that help newly-planted trees adjust and thrive in their new environments.
Here
are three beneficial reasons for planting this fall.
Did you know that there is a program to help Markham property owners plant trees and shrubs at a subsidized price? More information is available
here
.
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Fall is harvest season in Ontario and with that comes an abundance of delicious fresh produce. Why not take the opportunity to taste something new or try a different way to prepare your favourite foods. Here are just a few of the YRFN events in September.
Click here
for all of their workshops and classes.
- Easy Eats in Markham! - Join York Region Food Network at Aaniin Community Centre's kitchen for a free cooking workshop for youth, aged 13 to 16 years. Youth will learn to make tasty snacks like fresh hummus, baked cheese scones and delicious bruschetta. Spaces are limited. Register here.
- Tuesday September 10 2019 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm
- Aaniin Community Centre, 5665 14th Avenue, Markham
- SafeFood Handling Certification - Looking for a job in the food sector or planning on volunteering with local school and community food programs. Free training. Lunch included. Spaces in this training are limited. To register, contact Dallyn at 905-841-3101 ext. 203 or dallync@yrfn.ca.
- Monday September 23 from 9am to 3pm
- York Region Food Network, 350 Industrial Parkway S., Aurora
- Eat Think Vote - If you could talk to the next federal government about food in our community, what would you say? Eat Think Vote is a campaign that creates opportunities for community members to speak with federal candidates ahead of the upcoming election. Join York Region Food Network and federal candidates in Markham-Stouffville over dinner to discuss food issues that matter to you! Free event which includes dinner. Register here
- Monday September 23 from 6pm to 8pm
- Whitchurch-Stouffville Museum and Community Centre, 14732 Woodbine Avenue, Whitchurch-Stouffville
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Fall is an excellent time to get out and explore the York Regional Forests. Celebrate
National Forest Week
from September 22 - 28. With this year's theme
“
Canada's Forests: Diverse Outdoor Classrooms
”, why not get out and learn more about these local treasures.
- National Forest Week Festival - September 21 - 10am - 3pm - Hollidge Tract, 16389 Highway 48 - Enjoy a variety of events including wagon rides, face painting, guided walks and much more. Take home a tree seedling and pollinator friendly plant. Open to all. Registration required for guided walks.
- Tree Identification Workshop for Beginners - September 24 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm - learn how to identify Ontario trees and shrubs. Spend time practicing and testing your plant identification skills during this hands-on session
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With the back to school routine and the cooler weather, many are now cleaning out their homes and trying to get reorganized. If your fall reorg also includes getting rid of old or unwanted electronics, there are several
recycling days coming soon.
All events run from 8am to 4pm, rain or shine.
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We see stop lights all the time. Have you ever wondered about the technology that is out on our roads? Red light and traffic cameras, detectors, communication systems are just some of the components. Learn more
here
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This update has been provided by York Region Health
The ring of the bell marks a new school year. With excited kids running off to school, parents are running back into the kitchen to begin packing lunches. Coming up with ideas for healthy school lunches can be a challenge.
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Follow these tips for packing a healthy lunch and snacks that your children might actually eat:
- Plan it out - Don’t rush to pack lunches on your way out the door. Take a few minutes the night before to plan and put together lunches for the next day. As a family, prepare a list of favourite lunch and snack foods. If your child is tired of the same old routine, introduce a weekly menu with different choices.
- Make it complete - Use Canada’s Food Guide to choose foods from three or four food groups for lunch and one or two food groups for snacks, including at least one fruit or vegetable with each meal and snack. Your child’s likes and dislikes may change from day-to-day. Add variety by offering different fruits and vegetables each day and offer new foods more than once, even if it’s come home before in their lunch bag.
- Get them involved - Let your child help plan, prepare and pack lunches. They will be more excited about eating their lunch if they are involved. Your child can help to:
- Wash and cut fruits and vegetables
- Make sandwiches and wraps
- Fill their reusable water bottle each morning
- Sort food into containers and put it into lunch bags
- Skip the juice and sugary drinks - Go for water, milk or fortified soy beverages and keep them cold with two ice packs. Send water in a reusable bottle labelled with your child’s name.
Have a healthy school year knowing children who eat better, learn better! For information on healthy lunches visit
york.ca/nutrition
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There's always something going on at the Markham Public Libraries. Here's a sampling of the upcoming events. Detail on other events can be found
here.
- Markham YorkU Scholars Hub - Join the Markham Public Library and York University as we bring to Markham a taste of the university experience. Each month YorkU faculty will bring their amazing research and provide an opportunity for our community to learn something new.
- Anti-gravity: Would an Anti-apple Fall Up? Thursday September 12 - 7pm at the Markham Village Library. Register here
- Science Literacy Week from September 16 - 22. All week long the Libraries are celebrating with science-based activities including:
- Catch Me If You Can - September 16
- Obey Newton: It’s the Law! - September 17
- The Planet Up Close - September 18
- Sticky Science - September 19
- Science Literacy Fair - September 21
- Lit on Tour event - Join authors as they read from their latest works at the Markham Public Library. These books will be available for purchase with a book signing to follow the event. Click here for more information.
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There's a lot happening at the Varley Gallery this fall. Take the opportunity to visit the Gallery and see the new exhibit opening in mid-September. Here's a sampling of events that are happening soon:
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Starting soon, Ninth Line will undergo road improvements from Fincham Avenue to Tiers Gate. Work will include repaving, upgrading crosswalks and installing new left-turn lanes. Temporary lane restrictions will be in place.
Details here
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Do you have a household item that's broken and you want to bring it back to life? Let the volunteer fixers repair your item at the
Repair Café
! Bring broken furniture, small electrical appliances, toys, clothing or bicycles on Sunday September 15 from 1pm to 4 pm at the Markham Village Library. Register
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.
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:
I can't afford to make one large tax bill payment to pay my property taxes. Do I have any other budget friendly options?
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Answer:
The City collects
property taxes
on behalf of the City of Markham, York Region, and the Province of Ontario for education.
There are several payment options available including payments spread over 11 installments. For more information click
here.
The 2019 final tax bills for commercial, industrial and multi-residential properties were mailed this week.
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Working together to make Markham better!
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