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July 10 2022

Edition 10

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Are You Ready for Traffic Chaos?

The intersection of Markham Road and 16th Avenue will be closed from Friday July 15 at 7pm to Monday July 18 at 7am. The closure is require to facilitate regional sanitary sewer work that is taking place along 16th Avenue.

This closure and lane restriction will install a temporary sewage bypass pipe across the intersection.

Details of the road closure and detour routes can be found here. 

Another Road to Avoid

If you happen to travel on Woodbine Avenue from the 407 south to Denison, you might want to avoid it in the evenings and early mornings this week.

Night paving will be occurring on Woodbine Avenue from 7pm to 7am starting today until Friday July 15.

More information can be found here.

Watch Your $peed!

On Highway 7, near St. Patrick's school in Markham, this week I saw signs indicating that an automated speed enforcement camera is coming soon.

Now I don't exactly know when that might be but it should be within the next 90 days and may coincide with the start of school.

Learn more about these automated speed zones.

Also York Region has recently approved adding 15 more Red Light Cameras bringing the total to 55 by 2026. According to a Regional report, red light cameras are helping to reduce collisions by approximately 50%. All of the current camera locations are noted in this article including these Markham locations:

• 14th Avenue and Birchmount Road
• Warden Avenue and Carlton Road / Baycliffe Road
• Woodbine Avenue and 16th Avenue
• Woodbine Avenue and Steelcase Road
• Warden Avenue and 14th Avenue.

Should York Region Tax Vacant Homes?

There may be approximately 4,000 vacant residences in York Region. Housing affordability is a major issue.

One solution to consider is a vacant homes tax and York Region is looking for your opinion. You can share your thoughts on a vacant homes tax on non-principal residences at york.ca/vacanthomestax.

In addition to the survey you can provide your comments at a virtual town hall meeting on Monday July 11 from 5pm to 6pm - reserve your space here. Some additional information can be found in this article. 

Have You Been Yet?

Summer is a great time to get out and explore the Rouge National Urban Park. It's a great gem right here in the City. The RNUP has kicked off their summer season and provides a perfect setting for memorable and safe experiences. Whether you are looking for adventure, fun for the whole family or a chance to explore nature – there is something in the park for everyone.

• guided walks and hiking
• learn to camp
• water sports
• fishing

Whether you are out in the RNUP or outdoors really anywhere, you should be cautious of black-legged ticks that carry Lyme disease - learn more.

If you are interested, the RNUP has various volunteer opportunities that are currently available and they are also currently hiring for several positions.

Learn the Facts About Single-Use Items

We all have a role to play in reducing waste and single-use items. York Region is advocating for change and educating and encouraging businesses and residents to take action to reduce single-use items. Single-use plastics:

• are designed to be used once and tossed away
• are often not recyclable
• are made from fossil fuels like natural gas and crude oil and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions
• can take hundreds of years to break down
• are often littered and can harm people and wildlife.

We all need to reduce our use of single-use items when possible; every single action adds up to huge impacts. If everyone in York Region refused or avoided using one single-use item, that would be over one million single-use items avoided. Together we can make a difference.

The more we refuse-reduce-reuse, the less we waste. For ways to reduce your use of single-use items visit york.ca/reducewaste.

Monkeypox

Human monkeypox used to be a rare infectious disease caused by the Monkeypox virus. It was typically found in parts of Central and West Africa, but cases of monkeypox have recently been found in many countries around the world, including Canada.

The risk of infection is low for the general population. For updates on cases in Ontario, visit Public Health Ontario. For updates on number of cases of monkeypox in Canada, visit the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Do you have questions about Monkeypox? Learn more about prevention, symptoms and provincial eligibility for vaccination at york.ca/monkeypox.

• York Region reports two confirmed cases of Monkeypox

The City's New Diversity Action Plan

The City of Markham, in partnership with Ted Rogers School of Management Diversity Institute, invites you to the launch of the Diversity Action Plan and Markham’s Eliminating Anti-Black Racism Action Plan.

Join the City as they present the detailed plans the community helped to create to help remove barriers of racism, discrimination and access - learn more.

You're invited to celebrate this moment as the City continues to build an inclusive community in the City of Markham - register here.

• July 13 from 4:30pm to 6pm with free entertainment and refreshments at the Aaniin Community Centre (5665 14th Avenue, Markham)

TNATB is Back This Week

This week Main Street Unionville will be hopping as Thursday Night at the Bandstand returns and hopefully the weather will cooperate. This popular, free summer live music series returns this year for a 4-event series in July and August at Unionville’s Millennium Bandstand at the corner of Main Street and Fred Varley Drive. 

The shows will run from 7:30pm to 9pm. 

• July 14 - Epic Eagles
• July 28 - ABBA Revisited
• August 11 - Elton Rohn
• August 25 - Magic of Motown

More information is available here.

Coming Soon 🎬🎞️

Well here's a bit more good news as Markham at the Movies will be back again this Fall. Plan a Tuesday evening out with friends at the Flato Markham Theatre to enjoy one of TIFF's award winning International and Canadian film selections. Mark your calendar for September 20, October 25, November 29, January 24, February 28 and March 28. All films start at 7pm.

Check their website at markhamatthemovies.com for information on the upcoming films or by emailing at hello@markhamatthemovies.com.

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.

Free wood chips are available for self-service pick-up at various locations across the City. Make sure you bring your own shovel and containers. This free mulch is for residential use only. The mulch is available in the parking lots at: 

• Armadale Community Centre
• Bayview Reservoir Park
• Bishops Cross Park
• Markham Centennial Community Centre
• Milliken Mills Park
• Mount Joy Community Centre
• Rouge River Community Centre
• Toogood Pond
• Victoria Square Park

If the wood chip mulch pile is empty or low, please send an email with the parking lot location to contact@markham.ca and the City's team will have a fresh load delivered. After this Spring's wind storm the City has lots of mulch to give away!

The Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests (LEAF) offers many programs that work towards their goal of improving communities one tree at a time.

One of their most popular programs is their backyard tree planting program which offers native trees and shrubs to property owners at a reduced cost - learn more.

LEAF is also offering a new free four part webinar series where you can discover over 35 tree and shrub species found in the GTA. Event attendees may be eligible to receive free native shrubs - learn more. The webinars include:

• Look-a-Like Species - Tuesday August 9 at 7pm
• Native Shrubs - Thursday August 11 at 7pm
• Edible Species - Tuesday August 16 at 7pm
• Urban Wildlife - Thursday August 18 at 7pm

LEAF has information on invasive plants that might be in your backyard. These invasive species are of concern in southern Ontario because of their growing threat to biodiversity.

Learn how you can reduce these plants in your backyard and in the community - read more.

Looking to plant native plants in a small space?

LEAF has just what you are looking for. Their Small Yard Shrub Bundle includes four small but might shrubs for you to plant in your yard.

Learn more about these colourful plants - details here. 

The Varley Art Gallery of Markham invites Ontario based professional artists to submit an expression of interest for an upcoming mural project to celebrate the Gallery's 25th anniversary.

The deadline for submissions is July 22.

For more details on the project and instructions on how to apply can be found here. 

Happy Campers Wanted - Spots still open for the Teen Police Academy and Leo McArthur Leadership Academy camps hosted this summer at the York Regional Police Community Safety Village.

If you know a high school student looking for a way to spend a week in August? Learn more here.

Upcoming Meetings

• Special DSC Meeting - July 8 at 10:30am - details - to be rescheduled as meeting was cancelled due to Rogers outage on Friday - check Markham.ca for new meeting time

• Development Services Meeting - July 11 at 9:30am - details
• Special Development Services Meeting - July 11 at 3:30pm - details 
• Council Meeting - July 14 at 1pm - details - this is our final Council Meeting until Fall. Among the items on the agenda should be consideration for approval of the Hughes Farm property.

• 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.

• York Region June Council highlights including:
• COVID-19 update
• 2022 Fiscal sustainability update
• Vacant Home Tax
• Annual Waste Report
• Council accomplishments 2018 to 2022
• Safety on York Region roads
• and more
• Temporary intersection closure and lane restrictions on 16th Avenue and Markham Road
• Track the status of York Region development applications
• York Region releases long-term plan to match the increasing demand for paramedic services
• York Region keeps corporate Greenhouse Gas emissions down in 2021
• York Region plans for more than 2 million residents and 1 million jobs by 2051

Community Meetings and Events

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

• TNATB - Epic Eagles - July 14 at 7:30pm - details
• Let's go out to the ball game - July 16 - details
• YRP Community Safety Data Portal Training - July 26 at 12 pm - details
• TNATB - ABBA Revisted - July 28 at 7:30pm - details
• Night It Up - August 6 - 7 - details
• MBT Good Morning Markham - August 11 at 10am - details
• TNATB - Elton Rohn - August 11 at 7:30pm - details
• Markham Jazz Festival - August 19 - 21 - details
• Markham Garden Club - Never Seen Plants - August 22 at 7:30pm - details 
• MBT After 5 Networking - August 25 at 5pm - details
• TNATB - Magic of Motown - August 25 at 7:30pm - details
• YRP Community Safety Data Portal Training - September 13 at 12 pm - details
• Terry Fox Run - Sunday September 18
• Markham at the Movies - September 20 at 7pm - details
• 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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