November 24 2019
The Deputy Mayor's Exchange
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It was a fine brisk morning atop the City of Markham Santa Claus Parade float this past Saturday. There were many marching bands, community groups, clowns and others who participated. A good time was had by all. It was gratifying to see the big smiles on the children's faces as Santa went by! Don't forget the Unionville Olde Tyme Christmas Candlelight Parade on Friday December 6th starting at 7pm on Main Street Unionville.
York Region is beginning its
budget process just as the City of Markham is close to concluding theirs. It looks like the City tax increase will be very close to 2%. The Region is planning for a 2.96% increase which I would like to see more in line with inflation. We'll see how successful I am in convincing the other 20 Regional Council members.
Councillor McAlpine and I met informally with residents of the condos at Austin and Bullock Drive this week. There's lots happening in the area: a new Porsche dealership, re-positioning of stores from other locations to the mall, a City secondary plan to provide parameters for development on the Markville Mall site. Thanks for the warm reception and the excellent questions! We're always happy to meet with residents.
Check out the events list below. Some are fun and others need your input so we can continue to build a better Markham.
Have a good week!
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In this issue
- Emergency Alert Test
- Kennedy Road Open House
- YorkSafe
- Active Transportation Open House
- Markham Votes Online Mostly
- Protecting Our Waterways
- Markham 1900 - 2000
- The Gift of Health
- Seniors Dental Program Details
- Funding for Entrepreneurs
- Japanese Performing Arts
- Do You Have a Library Card?
- Cabin Fever
- 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.
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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On Wednesday November 27th at 2:55pm, a national test of the Alert Ready system is taking place. While you may be familiar with Amber Alerts made on the Alert Ready system, it can also be used for all other emergencies including natural, biological and terrorist related threats. This emergency alerting system is made across radio, television and cell phones to communicate immediate alerts and what action should be taken.
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If you are a pedestrian, cyclist, transit user or motorist on Kennedy Road you are invited to attend an
Open House
to meet the project team, review the recommended plan and share your experiences about Kennedy Road.
The open houses will be held on:
Monday November 25
between 6:30pm and 8:30pm
Milliken Mills Community Centre
Monday December 2
between 6:30pm and 8:30pm
Markham Pan Am Centre
Can’t attend?
Visit
york.ca/KennedyRoad
to view the proposed improvements and complete the online survey. Information will be posted on November 25, 2019.
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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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M
arkham
's Active Transportation Master Plan is having an open house session and sharing what we've learned from Markham residents.
Tuesday November 26
Centennial Community Centre
5pm - 8pm
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In the 2018 Municipal Election, the City of Markham
was a leader in embracing digital technologies. The vast majority of votes were cast online and the 2018 Municipal election had the highest voter turn out in decades.
Find out
just how many people decided to vote online and what that means for the future. Did you know that the City election contribution rebates amounted to approximately $500,000 in the last municipal election? Do you think that is your tax dollars being well spent?
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Did you know that November 19th was World Toilet Day? No, I didn't either.
UN-Water and United Nations marked November 19 as
World Toilet Day
to raise the awareness and dialogue on fresh water and sanitation issues.
While in York Region we have access to safely managed sanitation, our Region remains committed to protecting our water sources and infrastructure so we can provide clean, safe, affordable water to our growing communities.
Every action makes a difference. Did you know
wastewater
is produced every time we take a shower, do laundry or flush the toilet? This water is collected in sewers and pumped to Water Resource Recovery facilities for treatment before being returned to the environment.
Canadian municipalities spend millions every year cleaning sewers from incorrectly flushed debris. When items such as wipes, dental floss or personal hygiene products are flushed down the toilet, they can block sewers, causing possible sewer backups and flooded basements. All are extremely costly to municipalities and taxpayers. There are only three things that belong in the throne – Number “1”, number “2” and toilet paper.
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Looking for a Christmas gift that showcases Markham? The Markham Historical Society has published a book “
Markham 1900-2000, Our Past Inspires Our Future” which documents Markham’s history during the period 1900 to 2000.
Markham 1900-2000 highlights the changes that have taken place in Markham over the last century as the population grew from 10,000 to over 200,000 and changed from an agricultural community to the high-tech capital of Ontario.
This is a perfect gift for friends, business associates and clients. All proceeds from the sale of this book benefit the
Markham Museum.
Markham 1900-2000 is available at Markham Museum or
online.
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Get a 3-month Markham Fitness Centre membership for the price of 2 months and start your journey with a free personalized fitness plan. It’s the perfect gift for yourself or someone you love.
Unlock your exclusive membership benefits at
here or visit one of the 5 local fitness centres for more information.
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York Region Public Health is working with the Ontario Ministry of Health to provide dental care services to eligible seniors. Details can be found
here
.
Apply now -
Once you have completed your enrollment and received your dental card, you will be able to access:
- Oral hygiene instruction (brushing, flossing, denture care)
- Nutrition counselling related to oral health
- Denture cleaning
- Fluoride varnish application
- Assistance with referral to other public health units that are providing dental treatment
A wide range of preventive and treatment services will be available in York Region beginning mid to late 2020 -
more information.
Until the full range of services is available in York Region, individuals needing services beyond basic services will be referred to other public health units that are providing dental treatment.
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York Region's Entrepreneurship and Innovation Fund will support and drive the growth of the innovation ecosystem throughout York Region.
The fund strives to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship throughout the area by supporting promising early stage start-ups, accelerators, incubators and community partners.
Applications for funding are open until mid-December. More information is available
here
.
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A commemorative event for the 90th anniversary of Canada-Japan diplomatic relations.
The Shigeyama Kyogen troupe bills itself as “Otofu Kyogen,” as tofu is something that can be enjoyed by everyone at any time, never gets boring and is always tasteful. They are on their way to Markham to to treat you to Japan's traditions and laughter.
This is a free event but pre-registration is required.
Details here
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Markham Public Library
goes beyond just a place to borrow books. It's a place where you can borrow toys, digital equipment, household items, video games and much more.
With your MPL card, you can also enjoy hundreds of exciting programs all year long. Get your
library card
now.
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Do you have a Lynda.com eLearning account through MPL? If so, you need to check
here.
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Are you a parent or caregiver looking for something to do with your child now that the weather has turned cold and it is harder to get outside? Visit an
EarlyON
Centre and enjoy free, high-quality drop-in programs for families and children from birth to 6 years old.
Find out more information and a location close to you -
here
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Highlights of the most recent Regional Council meeting can be found
here.
A calendar of York Region meetings and other information is available
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 send me an email with your question.
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Question: I just received my Municipal Property Assessment (MPAC) notice in the mail. Does that mean my home is only worth the amount shown on the notice?
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Answer: The number you see on your MPAC notice has little to do with what your home is worth if you were to sell it. In all likelihood your home is worth more on the sellers market than the assessed value shown on your MPAC notice. If you would like to know what your home is worth on the real estate market call a reputable Realtor.
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Working together to make Markham better!
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