October 27 2019
The Deputy Mayor's Exchange
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A kinder gentler Premier Ford?
In several editions of the DME, I have made mention that the Provincial Government was reviewing the structure of municipal governments in Ontario.
From the
April 6th DME, my comments included the following:
"Our Provincial Government has been making many changes on a number of different files. Among the changes being considered is revamping Regional and possibly local municipal government. Who knows what local and regional government will look like when they are finished! ....Will regional government disappear? Will City government disappear? ....A big concern for Markham residents should be what happens to our very healthy reserve funds. Our past fiscal prudence may all be for not if an amalgamation forces a sharing of our reserves with other municipalities."
Well, wonder no more as the Provincial Government
announced on Friday that they had completed their review and basically it will be the
status quo with no large scale changes to existing municipal governments. The changes that were announced include:
- funding to municipalities to conduct reviews to improve delivery of services and find efficiencies
- begin consultations on aligning provincial and municipal fiscal year ends which should help when establishing budgets
- shift responsibility of voters list to Elections Ontario to avoid duplication of efforts of the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation and Elections Ontario
I must admit that I am disappointed that the Province couldn't find a more efficient delivery model for local municipal / regional government.
Here are some links to further commentary on this announcement:
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In this issue
-
Happy Halloween
- Remembrance Day Services
- Time to Check
- YorkSafe
- Active Transportation Open House
- Why Not Walk to School
- YRT -
My Transit
- Markham - Smart21 Community
- Do You Want to Quit Smoking?
- Be a Tree Bee
- YSE Work Continues
- For Our Feathered Friends
- Take a Fall Bike Ride
- Last Chance for Input
- York Region Updates
- Community Meetings and Events
- Q & A - Lake to Lake Trail
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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.
Correction Notice
- in last week's DME, the flag raising of the Republic of China, which is Taiwan, should have been the People's Republic of China. I regret the error.
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Make sure to take extra care when you are out driving on Thursday, especially on residential streets.
Did you know?
Teal coloured pumpkins
at someone’s door indicates they are giving out treats that are allergen free or non-food treats. Kids with mobility challenges would be very grateful if you could walk down your front steps to ground level to hand out candy.
There are several events around the City that are an option to traditional door to door trick or treating. Here are just 2 of them:
- Frankenweenie Halloween Special - Aaniin Community Centre
- Heintzman Haunted Halloween - 6pm to 9pm - Boo! Trick or treat at the Heintzman House this year! The historic estate will turn into a spooky haunted house and we will be handing out loot bags (while supplies last)
Ever wonder what to do with your pumpkin after Halloween?
Heintzman House is hosting a Pumpkin Parade. Let your candlelit jack-o-lantern shine for one more night.
Bring your carved pumpkin to display outside for a chance to win prizes. All pumpkins dropped off between 6:00pm and 6:30pm are eligible to win.
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On
Remembrance Day, we honour those individuals who served their country to maintain our freedom. These solemn ceremonies are attended by many to show their respect to these Canadian heroes. Please join us in remembering at one of these ceremonies:
- one of the most powerful and moving ceremonies takes place outdoors at the cenotaph at Crosby Memorial Arena (Main Street Unionville and Carlton Road) at 10:45am on November 11th.
- there is also an outdoor service on November 9th led by the Markham Veterans Association starting at 10am (7 Washington Street Markham) with a parade to Veterans' Square and Cenotaph in Markham Village
- the City led indoor service at the Flato Markham Theatre on November 11th at 10:30am
A
lso, please note that
YRT will honour War Veterans on Remembrance Day by offering free travel for veterans plus one companion on Monday November 11.
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As we move back to Standard Time next weekend (November 3rd), it is also a good time to check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home.
Smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a fire in half. Test them monthly to make sure they’re working and while you're at it, check to make sure your detectors haven't passed their expiry date. More information about fire safety can be
found here
.
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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 Active Transportation Master Plan is moving into Phase Two and the City has some ideas to share with you. The City took your comments and feedback from the Phase One public engagement in the spring and incorporated it into a draft Walking and Cycling Network Map.
You are invited to a Public Open House for the
Active Transportation Master Plan
on Monday October 28 from 5:30pm to 8:30pm at Pan Am Centre. There will be 3 guest speakers for presentations and an interactive panel discussion to explore creating a walking and cycling culture in Markham
which will begin at 6:30pm.
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I was happy to attend the official Markham
Active School Travel
Pilot Program Launch earlier this week. It is a great initiative by many including
Green Communities Canada
, YRP, City Bylaw Staff, parents and administers from both
YRDSB
and
YCDSB
. Also a special thank you to Peter Miasek, from the City's Cycling and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, a resident who has volunteered many hours moving this project forward.
Rates of walking and cycling to school have declined sharply in Ontario communities in recent decades. In Markham we have recognized this for quite some time and have been working closely with the School Boards and local partners to reverse this decline and make active transportation the new norm again.
The Markham Active School Travel pilot was built on a local partnership and
funding from Green Communities Canada and the Government of Ontario. This funding has made it possible for this pilot to expand to 9 schools across the City, all in different communities. The pilot is testing different tools including pedestrian and traffic enhancements to encourage more active school travel.
The outcome is to improve sustainability of the program and to get more kids walking/cycling to school.
The City is committed to
creating walkable and active communities
to promote sustainable travel. We all know walking and cycling is great for the environment and physical health but what we need to realize is that taking this step each day and building it into our routines results in many other benefits creating stronger and safer communities, stronger students who are academically, mentally, socially and emotionally equipped for today’s and future challenges.
This project is conducting data collection and the preliminary results are encouraging. We look forward to learning the results and building on this work in the future as a City and with our local partners including both schools Boards and York Region.
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YRT
will honour War Veterans on Remembrance Day by offering free travel for veterans plus one companion on Monday November 11.
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Markham has recently been named as one of the municipalities on the Smart21 Communities of 2020 list by the Intelligent Community Forum! We continue to rank as a top intelligent community, using technology to
increase quality of life.
Read more
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There are a number of
options available
to York Region residents who want to quit smoking. One of the options is a STOP on the Road workshop where the resources come to a community near you. Why not have a look at the free tools that are available to help.
Call 1-877-464-9675 ext. 73052 for more information.
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Tree Bee is less than a month away. Teachers and parents of students in Grades 4 to 6 are invited to register students to participate in Tree Bee - the tree identification competition.
Teams have a chance to register and compete for the grand prize!
Get students excited about forests as they learn to identify trees and test their tree knowledge against other teams in the Tree Bee Championship. The championship team will win an environmental grant, to help their school or eco-group become even more green.
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As part of the preliminary planning, design and engineering phase, geotechnical investigations continue.
Work begins on
Monday, October 28, for approximately two weeks at each bore hole location from
7am – 7pm on Yonge at Elgin Street and on Clark Avenue just east of Yonge. What you need to know:
- Crews will use a drill rig to bore holes and extract soil samples. At the end of each work day the roadway will be restored.
- There will be a temporary lane closures through the work areas. Please watch for signs and slow down through the work zones.
- There will be construction-related noise and dust from equipment and trucks.
- Allow yourself enough time to get to your destination.
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For the latest news and updates,
visit
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Discover the wide variety of birds that visit or live in the York Regional Forest. Build a bird box or bird feeder to take home (bird box kits supplied). Free event for all ages.
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Have fun, enjoy the view and be safe!
Before the weather turns to winter and there are still some beautiful fall leaves to enjoy, why not take a bike ride. Invest a few minutes before you ride to make sure your bike is road ready. Use this
checklist
to help keep your bike in tip-top shape and why not try out a new route with one of these
cycling maps
.
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Building Markham's Future Together (BMFT) is the strategic plan for the 2020 – 2023 term of Council. It provides a framework for City decisions and plans. The Plan is reviewed at the start of each Council term to update priorities for the City.
Help build Markham’s future together by letting us know what’s most important to you! We want to hear from Markham residents, business owners, workers, students and community stakeholders. Complete the
online survey
for a chance to win.
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Highlights of the most recent Regional Council meeting can be found
here. Other information and news can be found in these
links:
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 saw a sign for the Lake to Lake Route on John Street. What is it?
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Answer:
T
he
Lake to Lake Cycling Route and Walking Trail
is a 121 kilometre recreational and commuter trail that will connect Lake Simcoe to Lake Ontario.
The 4.2 kilometre section through Markham is complete. It is a multi-use pathway along Leslie Street (from Highway 7 to John Street) and John Street to the existing German Mills Settler’s Park trail through the park.
The project will provide an active transportation network connecting existing trails, transit hubs and other attractions like beaches, community centres, and parks. In addition to the link above, more information can be found
here
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Working together to make Markham better!
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