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October 2, 2022

eNewsletter #175

Click here for last week's eNewsletter.

All prior editions of my weekly eNewsletter can be found here.

My campaign for Mayor of Markham is well underway. I would appreciate any support that you may be able to provide. Donations by Markham residents may* be eligible for the City's rebate program.

Thank you to those that have already reached out with words of encouragement and have made donations to my campaign.

Please forward my eNewsletter to others in Markham that may find it of interest.

If your group would like to meet with me, please email me at don.hamilton@rogers.com. 

It's Time For Change!

* Donors can receive one 75% rebate to a maximum of $150. A $200 donation could be eligible to receive a $150 rebate. Contribution rebates are based on the sum total of all eligible donations made to one or more candidates who are participating in the Candidate Contribution Rebate Program. further detail is available here

Bivalent COVID-19 Vaccines

All individuals 18 years of age and older who have completed their primary vaccine series (two doses for most) are now eligible. Learn more here including answers to:

• When should I get the bivalent COVID-19 booster?
• Do I need the bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine?

York Region Public Health has increased clinic capacity and you can book an appointment at york.ca/covid19vaccine, through the provincial booking system and participating pharmacies. For more information click here.

Now's Your Chance

Residential infill development means building on lands in existing established areas and includes the demolition and rebuilding of homes in neighbourhoods.

These are the projects that are typically of most concern to existing Markham residents.

Now is the time to provide your insight and feed back to the City to make Markham a better place to live, work and play. This survey is anonymous and will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Start the survey here. 

Volunteers Needed for the York Region Accessibility Advisory Committee

Are you a person with a disability or are you an accessibility champion? Do you work with York Region residents with disabilities? Citizen volunteers are needed for York Region's 2023 to 2026 Accessibility Advisory Committee of which I am a member.

The Committee advises York Regional Council and York Regional Police on how to make our programs, services, and facilities more accessible for people with disabilities. Who can apply to become a volunteer?

• a York Region resident with a disability
• a York Region resident with an interest in accessibility issues
• an individual who works with residents with disabilities in York Region.

Details and applications are available at york.ca/accessibility. Interested applicants must apply by Monday October 31.

It's Back Again!

Have you heard? Ladies Night on Unionville Main Street is 3 weeks away and will take place on Thursday October 20 from 5pm to 9pm. There will be specials, promotions, giveaways and entertainment too.

The first 250 participants to register for this free event will receive a gift bag including a Unionville wine glass. Register here for this fun event.

In Case You Missed It

• Art of Plenty Art Show and Sale to support the Varley Art Gallery - read more
• Young Markham artist featured at international glass jewelry exhibition in Venice - read more
• Markham residents can make use of a voters’ information tool in their own language to obtain information about October's municipal election - read more
• 'Stolen, not conquered': Georgina Island resident shares Indigenous history in York Region - read more
• Markham teen's viral TikTok podcasts describe life with arthritis - read more
• Construction noise from Highway 404 a nightmare for some Markham residents - learn why

Out of Town During Voting Days?

Are you going to be out of town during the voting period from October 14 to October 24. Markham offers you a safe, secure, eco-friend and contactless option to vote. Find out how to vote online at electionsmarkham.ca/howtovoteonline.

All registered Markham voters will be sent a Voter Information Letter through Canada Post this week (the first week of October). If you don't receive your Voter Information Letter by October 12 you should contact the Elections Markham team at vote@Markham.ca or 905-477-7000 x8683 for further assistance.

Have you checked yet to see if you are on the Voters List? Even if you voted in the recent Provincial election you might not be on the Voters List for the Markham election as the lists are taken from different sources. Learn more at electionsmarkham.ca/register. Registering to vote in the upcoming Municipal election is quick and easy.

The Elections Markham Voters Checklist has the resources that can help you get ready to vote - learn more. Voting runs for 10 days starting on October 14 to October 24 and there are several ways to vote in this election - more information.

Are you a new homeowner? Move recently? Try Elections Markham's Voter Information Tool - Find you ward, local candidates and other important election information - get started.

Other Items

Join the Markham Museum for Scaryfest on Saturday October 29 and Sunday October 30.

The Museum is looking for volunteers to help at various stations at Scaryfest with crafts and family activities for the event.

Volunteer orientation will take place Thursday October 13 at Markham Museum. You can sign-up here.

On Saturday I was pleased to attend the 100 day celebration of a new Markham based small business, The Bernese Barista. It's York Region's first dog friendly coffee shop.

Chanice and Victoria are young, local entrepreneurs bringing their love for coffee and dogs to 6 Nipigon Avenue near the corner of Kennedy and 16th Avenue. If you're in the neighbourhood or better yet out walking your dog, why not stop in and grab a coffee and support their new cafe.

The Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) Markham Unionville branch is an organization of over 150 women. Learn more about the group and their activities on their website - cfuwmarkham.org.

They meet at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church (143 Main Street North Markham) on the third Wednesday of each month. The doors open at 6:30pm and the meetings start at 7pm. New members are welcome. Here are their next few events:

• October 19 with guest speaker Elizabeth Zemelman – Healthy Eating Based on Canada’s Most Recent Food Guide
• October 26 - fun fundraiser fashion show for Yellow Brick House
• other upcoming events can be found here.

Salmon have been spotted migrating north in regional streams and rivers. Have you seen any? If so, you can help TRCA's monitoring team - learn more.

TRCA is calling on everyone to help our GTA salmon continue to thrive. Post your salmon sightings and learn more here.

The Unionville Recycling Depot will be closed until October 10 for scheduled maintenance with a planned reopening on October 11. 

To accommodate residents during the closure, there will be extended hours at the Milliken Depot. For depot locations and hours, please click here.

Thank to all those that participated in the 2 Terry Fox runs that took place in the City of Markham recently.  Markham residents appreciated the in-person return and have the chance to gather, walk and run in Terry's honour.

An extra special thank you to all those that worked behind the scenes organizing these 2 very successful events. The weather even co-operated and I'm not sure how they planned that.

Attendance was great at both events. The fundraising totals are still growing and the Markham-Unionville event is just under $80,000 and the Thornhill total is slightly over $60,000.

Mark the date in your calendar for next year - Sunday, September 17th.

You can now easily track the status of development applications in York Region with the Region's new Development Application Status Dashboard.

It is an interactive map that shows up-to-date information on active applications - learn more here.

Youth ages 9 to 12 are invited to participate in the 2022 York Region Tree Bee. Run by Forests Ontario, the Tree Bee program inspires kids to learn about trees, forests and the environment! This year's competition will be held in late November. Visit york.ca/treebee for more information.

Join Parks Canada and 10000 Trees on Saturday October 15 and Sunday October 16 as they spend the weekend planting trees in the Rouge National Urban Park. Register at 10000trees.com. If you know a high school student looking for volunteer hours, this is a great way get some time logged.

On Saturday morning I was at the 10000 Trees event in east Markham and then at the Trees for Tomorrow planting event in the Pomona Valley Park along with Ward 1 Councillor Keith Irish adding new trees to Markham.

There are still many wild areas in the City of Markham and urban coyote sightings are on the rise.

Negative interactions between humans and wildlife can lead to unnecessary relocation or destruction of wild animals as happened in Burlington this week. Learn more at markham.ca/wildlife.

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.

• York Region donates and give a nod to MZO request for emergency shelter - read more 
• Census data shows YR residents most likely to own their home - details

York Safe Inspection Program - details here

Community Meetings and Events

• What's on at the Library? - click here

• Varley - McKay Art of Plenty Art Show and Sale - October 4 - 16 - details
• Unionville Villages Association Meeting - October 6 at 7pm on Zoom
• MBT October Networking Breakfast - October 13 at 7:30am - details
• Markhaven Colours of Fall Luncheon and Fashion Show - October 19 - details
• CFUW Monthly Meeting - October 19 at 7pm - details
• MBT Women's Networking Luncheon - October 20 at 10:30am - details
• Main Street Unionville Ladies Night - October 20 - details
• Markham Concert Band - British Invasion - October 23 at 2pm - details
• Markham at the Movies - October 25 at 7pm - details
• CFUW Yellow Brick House Fundraising Fashion Show - October 26 - details
• Home Energy Retrofit Orientation Workshop - October 27 at 6pm - details
• Trick or Treating on Main Street Markham - October 29 12pm - 2pm - details
• Scaryfest at the Markham Museum - October 29 and October 30.
• Union Villa With Love - November 4 at 6pm - details
• Varley Gallery Lunch and Learn - November 16 at 12:30pm - register
• Aspirin & Elephants - Markham Little Theatre - November 16 - 19 - details
• MBT Business Excellence Awards - November 17 - details
• Holiday Tree Lighting at Markville Mall - November 18
• Home Energy Retrofit Orientation Workshop - November 24 at 6pm - details
• Festival of Lights - Main Street Markham - November 25 from 6pm to 9pm
• Markham Santa Claus Parade - Main Street Markham - November 26 at 11
• Markham at the Movies - November 29 at 7pm - details
• Home Energy Retrofit Orientation Workshop - December 15 at 6pm - details

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

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

It's Time for Change!

Don Hamilton

don.hamilton@rogers.com

www.donhamilton.ca

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