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The

Markham 

Exchange

August 14 2022

Edition 15

When You've Been Given Lemons ... Make Lemonade 🍋


It was amazing to see two of our local neighbourhood kids raising money for seniors by operating a Charity Fundraiser Lemonade stand. It's also nice to see that parents are instilling a "give back to the community" attitude in their children. Well done Jesse and Tate, future community leaders.

Don't forget that Markham Jazz Festival is this coming weekend. Join in the FREE entertainment on Main Street Unionville. See below for more details.


Everyone seemed to enjoy Elton Rohn as part of the Thursday Night at the Bandstand series. There's only one more concert to go, on August 25th with the Magic of Motown. 


Enjoy the summer weather!


email - don.hamilton@rogers.com

In This Issue


  • Boost Your Protection
  • All That Jazz!
  • Scams on the Rise
  • Student Immunizations
  • Batteries Aren't Garbage
  • Keep Our Roads Safe
  • What Uses Less Water?
  • In Case You Missed It
  • Other Items
  • Upcoming Meetings
  • York Region Update
  • Community Meetings and Events

Please forward this update to anyone that may find it of interest

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Find Your Ward Councillor

Please continue tor remember the Ukraine and its suffering people in your thoughts and prayers.

Click here for my last eNews

Boost Your Protection, No Matter Your Age

 

As COVID-19 wastewater signals begin to stabilize following the recent seventh wave of infection, it's a great time to consider your vaccination status and ensure you're well protected as the cooler Fall weather approaches. Individuals aged 18 and older are now eligible for a fourth dose (second booster) and York Region expects a new bivalent COVID-19 vaccine to be released later in the Fall providing additional protection against the Omicron variant. Consider your unique health status and risk factors when deciding when to get your fourth dose but if you've only received two doses it's recommended that you get your third dose as soon as possible.


Children over the age of six months are also newly eligible for a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine from Moderna which has shown to be safe and effective for this age group. York Region is running appointment-only specialized vaccination clinics for this special age group regularly over the coming weeks and months.


Appointments can be booked at york.ca/covid19vaccine or through the provincial booking system, the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre and participating select pharmacies. Questions about COVID-19 vaccines for yourself or your children? Visit york.ca/covid19vaccineinfo or speak to your primary care provider. 

All That Jazz!


Next weekend the 25th anniversary edition of the Markham Jazz Festival will takeover Main Street Unionville, August 19-21, with performances on three stages. Best of all the performances are free.


A free shuttle bus will run to and from the Markham Pan Am Centre to make parking easier for visitors - details.


More information about the Festival and the performances can be found here.

Scams on the Rise


York Regional Police have seen a spike in grandparent scams across York Region with at least 13 reports made since August 4. More than $50,000 has been lost in the past week. Since 2019, the total reported loss for victims in this type of scam is just under $1 million - story here


YRP is asking for help to get the word out about these types of scams especially to seniors and newcomers to Canada. Check out yrp.ca/fraud for tips on how to avoid becoming a victim. 


If you have been the target of a fraud, call YRP at 1.866.876.5423 or report it online at yrp.ca/reportit.

Student Immunizations


According to York Region Public Health there's a higher than normal number of students behind on their routine immunizations. This is due to the disruption caused by the pandemic as school-based immunization clinics haven't been running and many doctors offices have been closed or been open with restricted hours. 


Over the past two years, a large focus of YRPH was placed on the COVID-19 pandemic response and associated COVID-19 vaccinations being offered through our mass immunization clinics.


YRPH is currently planning the resumption of all previous activities and have prioritized the resumption of Grade 7 vaccination clinics to ensure all students are caught up before they leave the elementary school system.


York Region Public Health will be offering school-based immunization clinics for students in Grade 7 and up in both elementary and secondary schools, including York Catholic District School Board, York Region District School Boards, French schools and private schools in York Region ensuring all eligible students will have convenient access to routine immunizations. These clinics will also allow secondary school students to get caught up on immunizations they may have missed due to the pandemic and related school disruptions over the last two years.


More information about these student catch-up immunization clinics and how to book an appointment is available on york.ca/immunizationsAll other students, aged seven years and under, may obtain immunizations through their health care provider.

Batteries Aren't Garbage


Recently there was a fire at the Georgina Transfer Station waste depot.


Luckily no one was hurt, but among the debris was a burnt car battery. Batteries are hazardous and should never be put in the garbage. In addition to the fire at the waste depot, batteries have shown to be the cause of some garbage truck fires too.


In addition to recycling depots, you can also take your old batteries to many places for safe disposal and recycling.

Keep Our Roads Safe for Everyone

 

The cycling community continues to grow in York Region. Drivers, please slow down and share the road, especially on rural roads. Make sure to give cyclists at least one metre of space when passing and when approaching a group of cyclists slow down and wait until it's safe to pass. Have patience – it may slow you down but unsafe driving around cyclists can cost them their lives. Cyclists, please ride safely and responsibly.


If you’re cycling on a rural road, remember these safety tips:

  • ride tight to the right side of the road
  • ride with front and rear lights
  • ride with no more than one cyclist beside you
  • anticipate having to stop
  • carry identification


Learn more about sharing the road safely at york.ca/slowdown.

What Uses Less Water – Handwashing or the Dishwasher?

 

Believe it or not, running a full dishwasher is significantly more water-efficient than washing dishes by hand. The average dishwasher uses about 22 litres of water compared to 103 litres to wash dishes in the sink. Be water smart and only run the dishwasher with a full load, and make sure dishes are angled so water can reach them.


Learn more ways to minimize your water footprint at york.ca/savewater

In Case You Missed It


  • have your say as Markham develops their Parks Plan - learn more here
  • support team helps 18 families flee Ukraine and start new lives in Markham and the group is looking for donations from the community - read more
  • about 3,500 people call YRP every year to report impaired drivers - details
  • 2 drivers share their terrifying roadside experiences - details

Other Items

York Region has gathered information that may help residents and service providers support people affected by the conflict in Ukraine including:

  • Federal and Provincial government services and supports
  • York Region settlement services and supports
  • additional settlement services and supports
  • how residents, organizations and businesses can help.


As new information and details become available, the resources will be updated at york.ca/supportUkraine.

This year's Terry Fox Run will take place in person on Sunday September 18. There will be two events in the City of Markham with runs taking place in Unionville and Thornhill.


The Unionville event is seeking volunteers before and on Run Day. All activities are eligible for community service hours if you know a high school student looking for hours. If you're able to help, more information is available here.

There will be temporary lane closures on 16th Avenue between Ninth Line and Highway 48 / Markham Road as work continues on the rehabilitation of the York Durham Sewage System. The work involves installing a temporary sewage bypass pipe, rehabilitating two access shafts, relining the trunk sewer along with other work.

 

The sewage bypass pipe is being installed underneath the Metrolinx railway crossing, located east of Highway 48 / Markham Road on 16th Avenue. For safety at the railway crossing, the westbound traffic cannot be diverted into the eastbound lanes. As a result, the westbound lanes of 16th Avenue between Ninth Line and Highway 48 / Markham Road will be temporarily closed nightly from Sunday to Thursday between 9pm and 5:30am. The road will be open to local traffic and emergency services only. The lane closures will only affect westbound traffic travelling from Ninth Line to Highway 48 / Markham Road. During all other times, three lanes of traffic, one westbound and two eastbound, will be open between Highway 48 / Markham Road and Ninth Line. The work is expected to start on Monday August 15 and be completed by the end of October. More information can be found here.

York Region is making culvert improvements on Woodbine Avenue, 140 metres south of Denison Street. This work is scheduled to begin in early September and be completed by the end of October. The work will improve the water flow rate through the culvert.


The work will take place on weekdays from 7am to 7pm and will require lane reductions from seven to five through the road work area - more information.

The Markham Public Library is calling Markham youth and giving them a chance to be published in the Markham Youth Magazine. This youth-led magazine is a platform for those aged 10-18 to showcase their creative works. 


More information about this initiative can be found here.

Thank you to TME Reader Susan who emailed me this week with some additional information on Monarch butterflies and Monarch Watch and their Waystation program - more information is available here.


Next Saturday (August 20) is National Flight of the Monarch day


Monarchs only live about 2-5 weeks and will spend much of their adult loves trying to lay as many eggs as possible - up to 300 per female to be exact - learn more.

All dogs must be leashed on public property and within City parks unless in a designated Off-Leash Dog Park.


For a list of locations and our Off-Leash Dog Park Code of Conduct, click here.

Markham small business owners, are you looking to grow and expand your business?


A Starter Company Plus grant might be right for you.


Starter Company Plus features not only a $5000 grant but also exclusive training, education and more. Click here for more detail.

⚠️SCAM ALERT⚠️


Alectra has advised that there are scams targeting local customers.


Please be aware that Alectra will never ask for payment of Bitcoin or any type of cryptocurrency and they’ll never threaten disconnection without warning. 

Stay safe!

Want to make a difference in your community?


This October run for City Council or School Board Trustee in the 2022 Municipal Election.


This is the last week to register. Applications must be submitted by Friday August 19 at 2pm - details.

Did you know that August is National Fishing Month?


You can have fun fishing in the Rouge National Urban Park with a valid license.


If you do go fishing, don't forget to dispose of any fishing line to keep wildlife safe.


Find out more about fishing in the RNUP here.

Are you passionate about democracy?


Join the Elections Markham Outreach Team and help spread the word about the 2022 Municipal Election. Students over 16 year of age are eligible to apply and their hours will qualify towards their Community Service Hours.


Apply today at ElectionsMarkham.ca/volunteer.


Positions are also available to work at Voting Places - details here.

The City's Outdoor Water-Use Bylaw is in effect to help ensure the City or town has enough water supply for emergency services. 


Homeowners may choose to water their lawns between 6am and 9am or between 6pm and 9pm but not both.

  • even-numbered street address can water their lawns on even-numbered days during this time
  • odd-numbered street address can water their lawns on odd-number days during this time


More information is available here.

Have you seen them around town? Speed display boards notify drivers if they are going too fast.


Learn more about speed boards and how you can have your street considered as a location - details.


More information about Markham traffic can be found at markham.ca/traffic including details on YRP's Road Watch program where you can report an aggressive driver.

Upcoming Meetings


Council and Committee Meetings will resume in September. Should the need arise before then an emergency meeting will be convened.


  • General Committee Meeting - September 6 at 9:30am - details
  • Special Development Services Committee Meeting - September 6 at 2pm - details
  • Development Services Public Meeting - September 6 at 7pm - details
  • YR Committee of the Whole - September 8 at 9am - details
  • Development Services Committee Meeting - September 12 at 9am - details
  • Council Meeting - September 13 at 1pm - details
  • Housing York - September 15 at 9am - details
  • YR Accessibility Advisory Committee - September 21 at 4pm - details
  • YR Housing Affordability Task Force - September 22 at 9am - details
  • YR Regional Council - September 29 at 9am - details


Markham Committee Meetings - details

York Region Update


York Region Council meetings and live streaming details can be found here.


Details of upcoming York Region meetings and past sessions are available here.


  • YR to donated decommissioned ambulances to support emergency rescue agencies - details
  • Monkeypox vaccine clinics - details
  • CWELCC deadline for licensed child care operators is September 1 - details

Community Meetings and Events



  • Movies on Main - Jurassic World Domination - August 16 at dusk - Unionville Bandstand
  • Night at the Markham Museum - August 18 at 7pm - details
  • Markham Jazz Festival - August 19 - 21 - details
  • Markham Garden Club - Never Seen Plants - August 22 at 7:30pm - details 
  • Movies on Main - Encato - August 23 at dusk - Unionville Bandstand
  • MBT After 5 Networking - August 25 at 5pm - details
  • TNATB - Magic of Motown - August 25 at 7:30pm - details
  • Night at the Markham Museum - Sing - August 25 at 8pm - details
  • Night at the Markham Museum - Jonny Starkes - September 1 at 7pm - details
  • eWaste Drop-Off - Thornhill CC - September 10 - 11 from 8am to 4pm - details
  • Markham - Milliken Children's Festival - September 10 - details
  • YRP Community Safety Data Portal Training - September 13 at 12 pm - details
  • eWaste Drop-Off - Markham Depot - September 17 - 18 - 8am - 4pm - details
  • Terry Fox Run - Sunday September 18 - Unionville and Thornhill
  • Markham at the Movies - September 20 at 7pm - details
  • eWate Drop-Off - Aaniin CC - September 24 - 24 from 8am to 4pm - details
  • UVA Community BBQ - September 24 from 5pm - 7pm
  • Markham Garden Club - The Magic Six - September 26 at 7:30pm - details
  • Markham at the Movies - October 25 at 7pm - details
  • Markham at the Movies - November 29 at 7pm - details


I'd be pleased to highlight other community meetings in future newsletters.

Please forward the details to don.hamilton@rogers.com.

Working together to make Markham better!

Don Hamilton


don.hamilton@rogers.com

www.donhamilton.ca

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