Happy New Year!  January was such a busy month with frequent snowfalls that I wasn't able to get a newsletter out and suddenly its February. With Valentines Day approaching, I hope everyone can take some time to enjoy moments with family and friends - and perhaps celebrate by visiting one of our many wonderful local restaurants.

 

Winter has certainly been a challenge this year. I have included a detailed update on winter maintenance in this newsletter, along with links to previous workshops to help provide context on how these services are delivered.  

 

Despite the weather. it's a busy month ahead in our community. Outside of our trail system and ice rinks, there are many great events taking place; events at the Markham Museum,  performances at Flato including from our local theater groups and the MDVA is hosting an evening with an Elvis impersonator. More details can be found below.  

 

Looking ahead, York University is working with the City and the Markham Village BIA to bring back Science Rendevous in May to help kick off the Farmer's Market. Planning is well underway for the Markham Village Music Festival, and for the first time, Markham is hosting the Indy in August. 

 

I hope you find something of interest in this newsletter, and as always, please reach out if you need any additional information. 

 

 

Karen Rea 

Anything highlighted provides a link to a document or report. 

 

 

What a winter we have had so far! On the bright side, all this snow has been great news for skiers and snowboarders and anyone who enjoys the outdoors. During the last snowfall I had the chance to snowshoe around the neighbourhood before the plows arrived and appreciate how peaceful and beautiful a winter day can be.

Of course, winter also brings less enjoyable tasks—especially shovelling driveways and keeping our streets and sidewalks clear.

 

After major snowfalls, I hear from some residents that would like city wide windrow removal service (the pile of snow left at the end of driveways by plows).

The estimated cost is about $5 million per year, which would require a 2–3% tax increase. This increase would apply to all residents, including those in condos, private roads and rear lane homes, who would not benefit from the service.

There are also practical challenges:

• Additional specialized equipment and staff would be required

• Overall plowing times would increase

• In many areas, there is not enough space to push snow between driveways, requiring loaders and trucks to haul snow away

• Higher risk of damage to curbs, hydrants, and boulevard infrastructure

• Additional land would need to be purchased for snow storage (not including in cost)

Help for Seniors

We recognize that clearing windrows can be especially difficult for seniors and residents with disabilities. Markham offers a free windrow removal service for those aged 60 and over, as well as eligible disabled residents. Occasionally, a windrow may be missed. If this happens, please contact us and we will arrange for it to be cleared. Please also keep in mind that, depending on when snow stops falling, windrow removal may not always occur in time for morning commutes or appointments. For windrow application and additional information click here.

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Recent Snow Clearing Concerns

Since the first snowfall in November, there have been concerns about plowing quality, including streets not being cleared fully from curb to curb. In particular, some cul-de-sacs did not receive an initial plow, and wide bends were not always properly cleared.

Heavy and frequent snowfalls have added to the challenge. In many cul-de-sacs, the large amount of snow collected in the centre “bulb” area made it difficult for regular plows to clear effectively. Back-to-back storms also limited the ability to remove built-up snow in between events.

The proper process is for a regular plow to do an initial plow as close to the curb as possible, with a loader returning later, to remove excess snow from the middle of the street.

City staff have been working closely with our contractors to address these issues, and I’m pleased to report that service has improved following the most recent storm. 

 

The City has declared two significant weather events this winter, which means roads and sidewalks require extended time to be cleared. While we all want to move around as quickly as possible, these conditions make it take longer to complete the full network.

We ask for your patience as City staff, contractors, and our customer service team work to address any concerns and as quickly and safely as possible to restore our network. 

 

Please see below links for additional information on our winter maintenance.