Councillor Karen Rea - Ward 4 November update

Dear Residents,

Happy November! I hope you have been able to enjoy the fall colours! It's hard to believe the year is almost over.

I am pleased to announce that our annual Festival of Lights is back on Main St N. and the following morning we will have our Markham Santa Claus Parade.

We have some important meetings coming up that if you are available. I would encourage you to attend and express your thoughts, concerns and ask questions. You can attend in person, virtually (via Zoom) or send in comments via email.

The first meeting is about the Mount Joy Secondary Plan. A "Secondary Plan" is an urban planning term used to describe the detailed land use plan and that provides more specific guidelines for a particular area within a municipality, such as, employment areas, residential areas, height restrictions, parks and open spaces. The Mount Joy area is along the Markham Rd corridor between 16th Avenue and Major Mackenzie Dr. The proposed plan calls for a minimum density of 33,000 people and 6,000 jobs. This meeting is on Tuesday, November 21st at 7pm.

The second meeting is about the re-development of Markville Mall. This meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 5th at 7pm. The update to the Secondary Plan for the entire Markville area will be on our development services meeting on Monday, December 11th at 9:30am.

Even though some of these areas may not be in the immediate vicinity of where you live, all of these developments will impact how we move around the city. I encourage everyone to be part of the discussion in these and all other major development areas.

I am looking forward to seeing you on Main St. at the Festival of Lights and the Santa Claus Parade for an enjoyable and memorable community event.

Regards

Karen

Mount Joy Secondary Plan Public Meeting

The Mount Joy Secondary Plan Public Meeting will be held on November 21st, at 7.00 PM. This picture shows what the Markham Rd corridor could look like. The video showing Mount Joy can be found on our agenda for October 31st. Click Video Modelling for Mount Joy area starts at 2.30.48

Further information can be found HERE

Markville Secondary Plan Study and the Cadillac Fairview (CF) Application

Our Public Statutory meeting for the CF application will be on December 5th at 7pm. The Markville Secondary Plan update is scheduled for December 11th at 9.30 am.

CF Plans can be viewed on MappIt

Residents have inquired about the budget and the impacts of Bill 23 and other provincial changes that affects our revenue.

Under Provincial Bill 3 -The Strong Mayors Building Homes Act, 2022. The budget has now become the Mayor's Budget and Mayors with these powers have until February 1st to present a budget to council. We will be having a presentation about the Strong Mayor powers on November 21st at 9.30 am at our general committee meeting to try and understand the changes that the Province has once again imposed on many Municipalities. Presentation

We had a great turnout for the Markham District Veterans Remembrance Day service and parade last weekend to honor and remember those that have lost their lives in the line of duty. Thank you to all the volunteers that helped put the event together.

If you are looking for something to do, why not join the Markham District Veterans Association. The club would be happy to welcome new members. A talented group of volunteers and board members organize a host of different activities for members to enjoy and socialize; from Grey Cup, Meat Draws, Karaoke, dinners and more. Come check out what the legion has to offer and be part of a fun social club.

Join us for our annual parade on November 25th. Parade starts at 11 am and runs along Main St Markham from Hwy # 7 to 16th Avenue. Please remember that we will have road closures on Main St N and Hwy # 7 from Main St. to Wootten Way from 8 am until approximately 2 pm.

Please be advised that our Keep Markham Beautiful bylaw prohibits anyone from blowing and leaving leaves on City property including our roads. Leaves can be mulched, composted or placed in yard waste bags for pick up. Please help and remove leaves from drains in order to allow proper drainage and prevent your street from flooding. If you have a lawn contractor, please ensure they abide by the city rules.

The final Markham at the Movies screening for the year is taking place on November 21st at 7.00PM at the Flato Markham Theatre.

The Eight Mountains - an epic journey of friendship and self-discovery set in the breathtaking Italian Alps, The Eight Mountains follows over four decades the profound, complex relationship between Pietro and Bruno. Based on the 2016 award-winning best-selling novel of the same name by Paolo Cognetti. Italian with English subtitles.

Tickets are $15.00 at the door or box office.

Between now and New Year's the Markham Museum is offering Family Pottery Workshops. Fee includes all supplies and instruction for one adult and one child, with the option to add 2 more participants for an additional fee. A great way to make festive memories together! All family programs are visible HERE.

Short Term Accommodation (STA) Rooming Houses

We are all aware of the housing crisis and renting out your property daily/weekly is removing housing stock that could otherwise be available for long term residents. The city does not allow short term accommodation or rooming houses as-of-right anywhere in the city.

The city defines short term accommodation as occupying a unit by a tenant for a period of less than 30 consecutive days. You may rent up to two bedrooms in a house provided the lodging rooms do not contain separate bathrooms and cooking facilities. This type of rental must be for more than 30 days and have a rental agreement or lease. Please be aware that if a tenant is occupying a dwelling unit for more than 30 days they would be subject to the Residential Tenancies Act, and the occupancy can only be terminated in accordance with that Act.

Provincial Changes - no updates at this time on Bill 23

Contact information for our MPP and Premier:

Paul Calandra Logan Kanapathi

Premier Doug Ford Billy Pang

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).

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

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!

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.

For donations, visit Canada Helps - Markham Food Bank

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.

Contact me!