February 9 2020
The Deputy Mayor's Exchange
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Interesting Times
It has been an interesting week to say the least.
First, the General Committee of Markham Council voted to no longer raise the flags of any foreign countries. It was a close vote 6-5 with two absentees. A crucial final vote will be taken at
Tuesday afternoon's Council meeting. Foreign country flag raising is a controversial topic because of alleged human rights violations by some countries. It will likely be Regional Councillor Joe Li who will cast the deciding vote.
Do you think the City of Markham should support the raising of flags of foreign countries at the Civic Centre? If you didn't
email me before, please share your thoughts with me now.
Fear of the coronavirus continues to invade our country and our community. In spite of the very low risk of contracting coronavirus, many have been staying away from restaurants, food stores and malls.
To encourage people to go out to and shop and dine, the
Chinese Cuisine and Hospitality Association of Canada
in cooperation with Federation of Canadian Chinese in Markham (FCCM) and Markham have introduced
Asialicious which will begin on February 14th. This is a commendable initiative. More
detail here.
Also this week was an attempt by Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas to restructure the makeup of York Regional Council. His motion suggested power be vested solely in the Mayors of the 9 Municipalities. That idea was turned down. Then I suggested having Regional Councillors directly elected by the residents of York Region with Regional, Provincial and Federal boundaries in alignment. These 10 Regional Councillors would no longer also serve on local councils. My motion failed too. The Chair of York Region has made three other suggestions involving either increasing or decreasing the number of Regional Councillor seats. More on this later!
The City of Markham continues to offer programmes during teacher job action days and for Family Day.
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In this issue
- Coronavirus
- Kids Programs
- YorkSafe Food Inspections
- Keeping Markham Safe
- Varley Gallery Updates
- UTC Presents Cinderella
- Metrolinx / GO Meeting
- Rouge National Park
- Summer Company
- Family Day Programs
- York Region Arts Council
- Spring Program Registration
- Start a Park Group
- What's Happening at MPL
- UVA Meeting Monday
- LEAF News
- York Region Update
- Community Meetings and Events
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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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Click here
to read the last edition of
The Deputy Mayor's Exchange.
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Coronavirus has been declared a emergency by the World Health Organization.
There is no evidence of community spread in Canada and the risk of acquiring the virus in the community remains low for York Region residents. To date, there have been no confirmed cases in York Region.
York Region Public Health continues monitoring the Novel Coronavirus outbreak originating in Wuhan, China. They are working closely with Ontario’s Ministry of Health, our hospitals and community health care providers. More information is available
here
.
Do you have any questions about Novel 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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The City of Markham is offering day camps and drop-in programs in response to pending school closures. These fun, creative, active and educational opportunities are available for children aged 4 to 17 at City facilities across Markham, including:
- Adventure Camp
- Basketball Clinic
- Crafts
- Family Movies
- Lego Camp
- Sports Camp
- STEAM Activities
- Storytime
Day camps and drop-in programs will be offered on a first come, first served basis. The City will closely monitor the strike situation and will increase participation numbers and programming, or cancel programs depending on the situation. Fees will be refunded with no penalty should schools remain open. Details
here
.
The Ontario Government has announced financial support to families for childcare during school closures due to a strike. More details about eligibility and how to submit an application can be found at
here
or by calling the Helpline at 1.888.444.3770.
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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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Enhancing fire safety education and prevention in the City of Markham -
from the desk of Fire Chief Dave Decker
February is a month for family time in the City of Markham. Markham Fire and Emergency Services would like to remind each resident of a family activity that can help make a fire safety difference in their community.
Plan and Practice a Home Escape Plan - Most fires in our community occur right at home and while they often start small, they can grow fast. Seconds count in getting you and your family out safely. Graphic decals like the one shown here have been placed on Markham fire trucks to help spread this important fire safety message throughout our City so that residents will "
Be Outside When We Arrive".
Practice a home escape plan this month that includes all members of your household. Test a smoke alarm to start the evacuation. Plan two ways for everyone to get out of your home quickly. Create a meeting place outside where you can call 911 in an emergency.
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Saturday February 15
Upcoming events with the Varley:
- Family Day Canvas Challenge - February 17
- Family Day Gallery Tours - February 17
- Lunch and Learn with Annie Wong - February 19 - 12:30pm - details
- PechaKucha Night Markham Vol. 24 - February 28 - 7:30pm - details
- Other Varley Gallery events - here
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After last season’s successful performance of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast to sold out audiences, the Unionville Theatre Company is preparing for this season’s show.
The Broadway version of Cinderella will be presented by this community based group. UTC, "engaging theatre for the community from within the community" have been mentoring youth and providing a safe, diverse and inclusive program that fosters community for the past 41 years.
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Flato Markham Theatre
February 20th to 23rd 2020
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Metrolinx (GO) has plans for the Stouffville Go corridor including twinning the tracks and electrification of the line. Thanks to Ward 3 Councillor Reid McAlpine for
this report
.
Learn more
at the upcoming
Public Meeting
on Tuesday February 18 at 6:30 pm at the Markham Village Community Centre (Highway 7 and Markham Road).
Getting to and from the Unionville GO station is challenging at the best of times. Now that construction is underway you might want to consider alternatives to driving to get to the station. Metrolinx has put together this
handy guide
.
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The RNP has a fun event planned for Family Day February 17.
Winter Rouge
is back, and bigger and better than ever! Join them as they celebrate five years of this free, outdoor family-fun event inspired by all things winter in Ontario. More information
here.
Every month, even in the winter, there are a series of guided walks in the Rouge.
Here are the details of the upcoming walks.
More information about the Rouge National Park can be found
here.
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Are you a student interested in business and entrepreneurship?
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Monday February 17
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Make memories with your loved ones on Family Day! The City of Markham is offering a variety of registered and drop-in programs for you to enjoy.
There are also a number of other events happening on Family Day. See the Community Events section below for additional information.
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YRAC has a love and appreciation for local artists. Learn more about some of their upcoming programs and events.
Launch of the Micro Grant Program
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to support the creation, development and presentation of artistic work in York Region. The
Micro Grant Program
(MGP) offers York Region-based artists and arts workers funding to produce and create their work. YRAC will be hosting an information session on Tuesday February 11 from 2pm - 4pm. Learn about the Micro Grant Program.
Register here
Arts Mentorship Program
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is well under way and participants have been meeting, exchanging ideas and learning about developing meaningful goals and connections in their communities. The Arts Mentorship Program is a nine-month program that pairs an artist with a mentor in their creative discipline. Throughout this time, artists meet with their mentors, get one on one support, and attend group sessions to gain professional development as they move through the industry.
Learn more
Luna Festival
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Support women in film by attending the
Luna Festival
which will be making its stop in Aurora on March 8, 2020. Applications for the next film festival are also open and now is the time to
apply
to get your film in the circuit for next year.
Details about all their programs can be found
here
.
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Less than one week to go
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The deadlines for Spring program registration are coming soon. There's lots of things to do.
- General Programs - Something of all ages and interests - February 11 - learn more
- Fitness Classes - Become a fitness club member and enjoy great perks - learn more
- Swimming Lessons - new swimmer discount 25% - learn more
- Summer Camps - win a free week - there are over 150 different fun, educational, creative and active camps for kids of all ages and abilities. Register for summer camp between February 4 and 29 to be entered in the draw. For every summer camp you register for, you will receive one contest entry. Ten lucky winners will be announced in March! Learn more
- March Break will be here before you know it. The City offers various camps for the week. Click here for more information
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Ignite the power of your neighbourhood park! Vibrant parks don’t happen by magic.
Do you have a g
roup of neighbourhood friends that you like to meet in our local parks? Are you looking to become more involved in your community?
Perhaps you should attend the upcoming session where you can learn how to start a new community group in your local park. You'll get practical tips, insight into Markham’s park systems and inspiration from other park groups who have become effective voices and catalysts for community change.
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MPL
is looking for your feedback regarding their collection to help ensure they meet the needs of the community. MPL is always looking for ways to make your library experience better. Your responses are valuable and directly impact the work of MPL. Complete the Collections Survey online during the month of February for a chance to win a tablet. Take the
Collections Survey
now.
Some of the other things happening at the Libraries this month include:
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The
Unionville Villagers Association February meeting will take place at the historic
Unionville Train Station February 10. There will be a reception with refreshments starting at 6:30pm with the meeting to begin at 7:15pm.
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LEAF (Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and enhancement of the urban forest. They offer programs that help you plant, care and give.
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York Region Council meetings resumed last week. A calendar of York Region meetings and other information is available
here
.
Highlights from the most recent meeting can be found
here including:
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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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Working together to make Markham better!
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