The Deputy Mayor's Exchange - The Day of Reckoning Approaches

January 16 2022

The Deputy Mayor's Exchange

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The Day of Reckoning Approaches

February 3rd will determine whether York Region Council will or will not support GO-Metrolinx and their bid to have the Yonge North Subway Extension alignment travel under homes in Thornhill. For years, the City of Markham has been asking for a subway, a subway that would run directly up Yonge Street to Richmond Hill. In a move clearly designed to accommodate Langstaff Development interests, the proposed alignment deviates from Yonge to the middle of the Langstaff lands. This is a Markham wide issue. If the Provincial government can impose their will in Thornhill, then they can do so anywhere in Markham. This accommodation for future residents at the expense of current residents is simply wrong. Let me know your thoughts on this please.

In spite of the current cold weather my wife and I try our best to go for a walk each day. Today we saw a group of dancers beside Toogood Pond and a couple BBQing and having a picnic. Why not do the same? See photos below.

Tennis star Novak Djokovic has been denied entry to play in the Australian Open tournament. Sadly the City of Markham, the Region of York and private companies have recently terminated employees. What's the common thread here? A lack of being vaccinated. Please check below to see about available vaccination and booster appointments.

Best wishes to our Hindu community on Makar Sankranti and Happy Thai Pongal to the Tamil community. Both of these are harvest festival celebrations.

Email - dhamilton@markham.ca

In this issue

- Need to Get Vaccinated?

- Daily School Screening

- Flato Theatre Update

- LEAF Programs

- Community Associations

- Stay Safe and Warm

- Too Cold for Your Dog?

- Project Pollinator

- Winter Storm Reminders

- Other Items

- Upcoming Meetings

- York Region Update

- Community Happenings

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

Looking for more information?

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Find Your Ward Councillor

NOTE: As cases of COVID-19 increase, new mandates are being introduced.

New measures may have been introduced since the DME was written and items noted have changed or cancelled.

Click here to read the previous edition of The Deputy Mayor's Exchange.

Need to Get Vaccinated?

Vaccine appointments are available. You can check your eligibility and book an appointment at york.ca/covid19vaccine.

Currently there seems to be good availability for all appointments and additional slots being added all the time. Earlier today there were even same day appointments for booster shots and many locations are taking walk-ins now too.

first and second doses 5+? Walk in or book an appointment
third dose-booster? Book an appointment
if you require assistance for booking an appointment you can call Access York at 1.877.464.9675 - interpretation services are available
appointment are also available at select pharmacies and through the provincial booking system which includes the clinic at the Cornell Community Centre.
give vaccine-gta.ca a try if you are having trouble finding an available appointment

Daily School and Child Care COVID-19 Screening Reminders

from York Region

Educators and students are returning to the classroom on Monday and York Region Public Health (YRPH) continues to work collaboratively with York Region school boards to review health and safety guidance from the Province and strengthen infection control measures. To support the return to in-person learning, the following measures will be in place:

mandatory self-screening for students, teachers, staff and visitors
expanded access to rapid antigen tests
enhanced co-horting and cleaning requirements
higher quality masks for education and child care staff
temporary pause of high-contact indoor sports and music activities
enhanced ventilation in classrooms and child care centres.

Screening for COVID-19 by students and staff is more important than ever and must be completed daily using the updated COVID-19 school and child care screening tool. Parents and guardians must not send children to school or child care if they are showing any symptoms of COVID-19. Please follow the process your school has developed for confirming screening is completed each day.

Do you need more information on additional safety measures that will be in place to re-open schools in York Region? Visit york.ca/safeatschool for up-to-date information and to access the provincial screening tool.

More information about what to do if your child has symptoms and answers to questions about vaccinating your child can be found here.

Dr. Barry Pakes, York Region's Medical Officer of Health, answers top questions from parents in this video including vaccine safety, side effects for children and the waiting period between doses. If you have more vaccines questions, speak to your health care provider or call York Region’s Health Connection at 1.800.361.5653 to speak with a public health nurse.

Get Outside and Enjoy the Winter!

Markham has many great ways to stay active safely this winter.

Explore 6 outdoor ice rinks (as noted above), 9 outdoor tennis courts, 95 maintained pathways, outdoor recreation activities, virtual fitness and culture programs and more.

Additional detail is available at markham.ca/GetActive.

A local dance group practicing in the park

Enjoy the scenery while out for a walk

Have you ever gone on a winter picnic?

Flato Markham Theatre Update

Due to the ever changing COVID landscape, the Flato Markham Theatre has had to pushback their reopening date and remain closed to live performances until the Provincial restrictions change.

At this point, no Diamond Season performances have been rescheduled and any updates will be communicated to ticket holders by phone or email. Although the re-opening is delayed until at least January 26, the staff is working hard behind the scenes to be ready for the eventual restart and welcoming you back to performances at the Theatre.

Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests - LEAF

LEAF's backyard tree planting program offers native trees and shrubs to property owners at subsidized costs as low as $50 per tree. They provide information about how and where to plant and even offer full service tree planting. Have you taken advantage of this program yet? Details about the program are available here. Homeowners replacing dead or dying ash trees will also be eligible for the Region's Emerald Ash Borer Rebate.

LEAF is a great resource about native plants and all things green. Here are a couple of recent items from them:

staff picks - top 4 native species from their planting team - read more
3 easy and therapeutic nature based activities to help beat the winter blues - details here
white pine - Ontario's provincial tree - read more

Community Associations

Are you involved with your local residents associations? These local groups can help Markham residents become involved with local issues and have a voice in decision making at both the City and Regional level. There are many pressing issues facing Markham communities and these groups can help provide input that shape outcomes. Some of the local organizations are highlighted in this recent article. Are you looking to get involved with a local group? Further details of the groups in Markham can be found here.

Stay Safe and Warm During Extreme Cold

Environment and Climate Change Canada has already issued a couple of Extreme Cold Warnings and likely there will be a few more before the winter is done. These advisories are declared when very cold temperatures or wind chill pose increased health risks. Follow these tips to stay warm and prevent cold weather injuries:

dress appropriately in layers; wear hats, neck warmers, gloves, socks and windproof and waterproof clothing
check your local forecast for weather warnings and limit outdoor activities
recognize the signs of frostbite and hypothermia.

To prevent frostbite, look for the four P’s:

Pink – areas will be reddish in colour; this is the first sign of frostbite
Pain – affected areas will become painful
Patches – white, waxy feeling patches show up indicating skin is dying
Prickliness – the areas will feel numb

Should frostbite set in, get out of the cold and slowly warm up affected areas.

Hypothermia is when body temperature drops dangerously low, starving your brain of oxygen and affecting your ability to think clearly or move well. Don’t ignore shivering and look for the "UMBLES" (mumbles, stumbles or fumbles) which may indicate hypothermia.

If you believe someone is suffering from extreme frostbite or hypothermia, you should call 911 immediately. Additional information on extreme cold is available at york.ca/extremecold or contact York Region Health Connection at 1.800.361.5653. More tips can also be found at markham.ca/coldsafetytips.

Emergency shelters and transitional housing is available in York Region:

Any individuals and couples experiencing homelessness in York Region that are seeking shelter during cold weather should contact the Transitional Shelter Intake Line at 1.877.464.9675 x76140 or email TransitionalShelter.Line@york.ca.
Families with children are asked to contact the Family Shelter at Leeder Place at 1.888.554.5525.
Women and children who are fleeing violence can find shelter at Sandgate Women’s Shelter and Yellow Brick House.

For more information on York Region’s emergency and transitional housing services is available at york.ca/emergencyhousing.

How Cold is Too Cold for Your Dog?

from the Ontario SPCA

No matter what the weather, your dog probably enjoys having a romp outside and that includes during the winter! But as their caregiver, it’s important you know when your dog is too cold and needs to get back inside. Signs that indicate your dog is too cold include:

shaking or shivering
hunched posture with a tucked tail
whining or barking
change in behaviour, like seeming anxious or uncomfortable
reluctance to keep walking or tries to turn around
Seeks places for shelter
lifts paw off the ground

Do you know how to recognize frost bite on your furry friend? Do you know what to do if your animal started showing signs of hypothermia? Learn more here.

Project Pollinator

Pollinators support our ecosystem that clean the air, stabilize soils, protect from severe weather and support other wildlife by cross pollinating, a process that allows plants to produce vegetables, fruit and seeds needed to create more plants. York Region is planting a meadow to support pollinating bees and butterflies. Learn more about the project here.

Overnight winter parking restrictions are in effect until April 15.

During a winter storm please don't park on City streets as the plows can't easily move around parked cars making it difficult to clear the roads.

You can learn more and check the plowing status at markham.ca/winter.

Winter is here!

You can help Markham Operations keep the City sidewalks clear. Please don't obstruct any portion of the sidewalk with parked vehicles. Blocking the sidewalk may receive a penalty notice of $150.

Track the progress of Markham plows at markham.ca/winter.

Other items

City of Markham is developing new Age-Friendly Design Guidelines and they want to hear from you to make Markham a great place for everyone - from age 0-99!

Join the Virtual Open House on January 20 from 6pm to 7:30pm. More information about the project and details on how to register for the open house can be found here.

The City of Markham's new outdoor ice rinks are open and ready for you! Go out of for a skate or play some pick up hockey. Here is the daily schedule for shared ice use:

Pick-up hockey:

Sunrise to 10am
1pm to 3pm
8pm to 10:30pm

Leisure skating:

10am to 1pm
3pm to 8pm

The Victoria Square and Huntington Park will be lit at night and starting Monday the Milliken Mills Park location will be too. All of the details on all skating options can be found at markham.ca/skating.

As a reminder, please stay safe and stay off ponds, stormwater ponds and waterways as the ice is unsafe. While the ice may appear thick, it can be unpredictable and some areas may have little to no ice.

There are a number of items in the latest York Region update from Metrolinx. You can read the entire update here but here are a few highlights that may be of interest:

On January 5, Metrolinx hosted a presentation and Q&A session with the YNSE project team to share information about refinements made to the northern segment of the route and progress being made on the project, including plans for early works at Finch Station. Topics included the adjusted alignment, Transit Action Ontario’s route proposal and Metrolinx’s analysis and updates on sound demonstrations. If you weren’t able to join the call, click here to watch a video recording. More information about the meeting along with responses from Metrolinx on a number of questions can be found here.
Adjustments are being made to the GO Transit schedule to allocate available resources - read more

Are you a newcomer in York Region? Join in for the "Opening Doors: Helping Newcomers Successfully Settle in York Region” meeting. This is a free virtual event on February 17 to learn about settlement, employment programs and services you may need. More information and registration details can be found here.

Tomorrow night the Unionville Villagers Association (UVA) will host their monthly meeting.

Monday January 17 at 7pm on Zoom (Meeting ID: 842 3743 8536 Passcode: 725377)
Guest speakers - Sean Bell, Vice President of Canadian Insurance Brokers and Sheldon Williams, Owner, Nacora Insurance Brokers

This meeting could be very important to attend if you live in the heritage area of Unionville. There will be flood plain zoning classification changes which could impact your house insurance qualifications and changes in the cost of coverage for your home.

The Ontario government is introducing a $10,000 grant for eligible businesses that are subject to closures under the modified Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen.

Online applications will open this week on January 18, 2022. Learn more here.

For your convenience, curbside pickup is available at all of the Markham Public Library open locations. When you arrive at the library, just call 905.513.7977 and the library staff will grab your holds and take them out to you at the entrance of the library.

MPL continues to offer an extensive lineup of online programming - have a look.

Do you have a sewer grate on the road by your house?

When I have been out walking I have seen many grates that are covered with leaves and other debris. Please take a minute and clear off the grates so water can drain and avoid flooding.

Find more helpful tips in the FAQ on markham.ca/winter.