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Dear Residents,
I hope everyone had an enjoyable summer. The summer has been a busy one for our ward and a busy one for the province, with the recent revelations about development plans for the Green Belt in Ontario.
Our public meetings have started back up again and I encourage everyone to check our calendar for topics of interest that will be discussed and that you may want to participate in. Our agendas are posted 10 days ahead of time. Council Calendar
On Monday September 18th, 2023 at 7 PM we will be holding another meeting regarding our Comprehensive Zoning By-Law which I encourage all of you to read.
We will be having our Tree-Bylaw update in the fall, along with the preferred Secondary Plan for Mount Joy and the Markville Secondary Plan, which has recently become a contentious topic.
There are a number of events happening in Markham and Ward 4 this month. Please scroll down to the newsletter for more information. Some notable events are the Applefest happening at Markham Museum and the start of the Markham at the Movies season. The season kicks off with the British rom-com -
What's Love got to do with It?
My semi-annual mailed newsletter was sent out to all residents in ward 4. If you did not receive the newsletter please reach out and we can arrange to drop one off for you or you can access the newsletter on my website HERE
Regards
Karen |
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Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw - The City is holding an additional public meeting as it was identified that there were interested parties that did not receive notice of the statutory public meeting which was held in May. This is an important document that makes changes to policies, or provides updates to by-laws and definitions on what residents have to comply with when living in the city. Please be advised that Recreational Vehicle parking will be part of our city parking strategy and will NOT be part of this project. Click Here: Comprehensive Zoning By-law |
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Province-wide assessment update postponed
On August 16, the Ontario government filed a regulation to amend the Assessment Act, extending the postponement of a province-wide reassessment through the end of the 2021-2024. This means that property assessments for the 2023 and 2024 property tax years will continue to be based on fully phased-in January 1, 2016, current values.
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Markville Secondary Plan Study
Please visit yourvoicemarkham to sign up for updates and to review meetings that have already taken place. Ahead of the secondary plan being endorsed by Council, Cadillac Fairview has submitted an application to redevelop their lands. The application includes; 4200 residential units, parks and roads. For further information on the proposed plans please visit MappIt |
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We are aware of the traffic congestion and that schools are over capacity in this area. Future meetings will be held for public input and to share additional information once obtained from all stakeholders. |
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Update on 144 Main St N Markham
The application submitted by 144 Main St N was approved by the Ontario Land Tribunals on August 18th. Tribunal Report
A site plan has not yet been submitted and new drawings are not available at this time. |
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Provincial Changes - no updates at this time on Bill 23 - At this time, we still have not received any confirmation that changes will be made to Bill 23 to reduce the impacts it will have on Municipalities.
Despite experts saying that the land in the green belt is not needed for housing and the process was flawed, the provincial government has still not reversed their decision. We all agree that we need more housing but we need the right type of housing. We need purpose built rental and we need social housing. BILD (the voice of the building industry) commissioned a report that identifies we will need 300,000 additional rental units in the next decade. Report Here
With the announcement of the removal of the GST from the Federal government for purpose built rentals hopefully this will help encourage the building industry to build what is truly needed. I believe that a percentage of these units need to be for affordable units. We have almost 15000 people on the wait list for subsidized housing with more people being added to the wait list than York Region can place each year.
The housing crisis will take multiple solutions to resolve and building more housing alone will not address the affordability and more importantly the need for affordable rental units.
A video that I have shared before and worth watching is below. School of Cities University of Toronto explains why we are in a housing crisis and possible solutions.
Contact information for our MPP and Premier:
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Ward 4 Pop-Up Off-Leash Dog Park at Mint Leaf Park is now open. The park is part of the city's pilot project for pop-up off-leash dog parks. You can find more about the project here.
Residents are encouraged to fill out this survey after using the dog park or use the QR code at the park. |
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10,000 Trees Community Tree Planting Events in Markham
This year 10,000 Trees will be having two events in Markham. We will be looking for 175 volunteers for the event on Sept 23rd at Monarch Park and 600 volunteers for the morning and afternoon session at Rouge National Park
Please see attached poster HERE
Registration is required for both events, you can register at www.10000trees.com
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Participating in Public Meetings
All public meetings are now hybrid and livestreamed from the city website.
Residents can attend in person at the council chambers or you can attend virtually. Written submissions can be emailed to clerkspublic@markham.ca by 5pm the day before the meeting.
Residents who wish to speak on a topic can fill out an online request to speak form or email clerkspublic@markham.ca. If someone does not have access to email they can call the clerk's office at 905.479.7760 on the day of the meeting to make a deputation (speak).
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Please be aware! The City of Markham is not currently calling residents selling anti-flooding devices. If someone calls marketing such services, they are NOT working on behalf of the City of Markham. For information on how to prevent floods in your home and the City’s plumbing rebate program, visit: Subsidy Program
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Compost Giveaway!
The City’s compost giveaway will be at the below locations:
Wed Sept 13 & 27th Angus Glen Community Centre
Fri Sept 15 & 29th – Thornhill Community Centre
Sept 20 & 22nd – Milliken Mills Park
Online Registration is required. Please Click Here on how to register for the giveaway. Maximum one registration per household. Proof of registration must be presented at the event. Two (2) bags of compost ONLY per registration. Compost is available to Markham residents only – not for commercial use.
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Join us at the museum for Applefest. Exhibitions, rides, games and family activities. Don't forget to check out Lorne Smith's famous apple fritters.
Save money and pre-purchase tickets for $10.00 or on the day tickets will be $14.00
Children 2 and under are free.
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Markham Extrication Fundraiser
Get ready for an exciting day where you can explore an incredible lineup of BMW and Porsche cars, along with an array of impressive race cars. Whether you’re a car enthusiast or just someone who appreciates the beauty of these vehicles, you’re in for a treat. |
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When: September 23 9.00 AM-1.00 PM Where: Pfaff Autoworks 89 Bullock Drive, Markham
Parking available across the street in the Loblaw's parking lot. Additional information HERE |
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Hockey Legends Opens in Markham!
Hockey Legends opened on September 9th on Main Street, Markham! The facility uses the latest sports technology for hockey enthusiasts to develop their goal tending, goal scoring and hockey skills.
For more information on Hockey Legends, please visit their website HERE
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Speeding continues to be a concern on many of our local roads. I have just received some new slow down signs. If you would like a sign for your front yard, please email Savindi and we will make arrangements to have one installed for you. SJinasena@markham.ca |
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Aggressive driving continues to be a concern in the city, our own local ward and across the entire GTA. Moving violations are under the jurisdiction of York Regional Police (YRP) and reports can be filed through RoadWatch. For general concerns you can use the community concerns online reporting HERE |
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Visit YourVoiceMarkham.ca to learn about great projects our staff are working on! Consider joining the conversation by registering on the site or sign-up to follow specific projects that interest you. Share your ideas and opinions! |
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Markham Food Bank Needs our Help
The Markham Food Bank has seen a great increase in the number of families using the food bank during the pandemic. Help our community members in need during these challenging times.
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If you have any municipal inquiry, please send an email to customerservice@markham.ca or call 905.477.5530. Our staff can investigate and address your concerns. |
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