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Dear Residents,
I hope everyone enjoyed May! While we have been subjected to poor air quality recently, I hope June has brought you some good moments. Please see below in the newsletter where the city has provided tips on how to protect yourselves from wildfire smoke. It has been a busy month! Between some all day and late night meetings, I was happy to be part of the My MS Family Flag Raising event at the city in recognition of Multiple Sclerosis, an illness that many in York Region and in Canada live with. We also had our annual Markham Village Music Festival, which was a huge success. Congratulations to all those on the committee. It was nice to see so many people enjoying the music and visiting the street.
Perhaps this month's biggest news has been the Mayor's letter to the Province asking to make York Region one city. Therefore, the survey this month is about amalgamation. Please take a few moments to fill out the survey and share your comments.
We are trying something new in the below section called highlights. By clicking on these topics you will be taken to the section in the newsletter where these items are discussed. Not sure if I like this addition or not, highlights do not include general information and you may miss these items if you do not scroll down the entire newsletter and something may be important to you. Feedback is welcome if this is helpful or not. |
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Highlights of Newsletter
I hope everyone has a terrific summer!
Regards,
Karen Rea
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Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw - Update
City staff are recommending to hold an additional public meeting in September as it has been 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 the Comprehensive Zoning By-law. |
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The City of Markham has been undertaking a study to inform the development of a new secondary plan for the Mount Joy Corridor.
The consultant's report is now available for the proposed plan. This will be discussed on Monday, June 26th at 9.30 am
Presentation HERE Study recommendations and policy HERE This document will guide future development including a significant number of high rise buildings up to 40 stories. The corridor lies between 16th Avenue and Major Mackenzie along either side of Markham Rd. A public meeting will be held in the fall on this topic and I would encourage everyone to read the documents and participate in the process. Full Reports
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The province is hiring a facilitator to look at Regional and Municipal governments. All Municipalities in York Region are in a two-tier system. While each tier has some different responsibilities there are some processes that straddle both levels of government.
There are a number of options that could be considered:
Option 1. We could become a single-tier municipality and leave York Region but keep some shared services. Shared services could be healthcare, transit and Police, whereas the city could take over planning, housing and road maintenance. In this instance, York Region would become an administration centre only with a board of directors. Funding would be provided to the new service center based on the shared facilities between all municipalities.
Option 2. Amalgamation of one large city similar to Toronto
Option 3. Amalgamate some of the municipalities together but not all.
I have shared a few articles below for review but could not find any information that supports the idea of cost savings when municipalities amalgamate.
Click on the below links for each story:
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR RECREATION REGISTRATION
There’s a new Recreation, Culture and Markham Public Library program registration and facility booking system. Registration begins on August 15 and you will need to create an account. All fall programs with a start date after September 5 will need to be done in the new system. For those interested in registering for Summer and Pay-per-Play programs, that take place prior to September 4, please continue to use the existing EZ Reg system
Create an account today at markham.ca/RegisterNow.
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Provincial Changes - no updates at this time on Bill 23
Contact information for our MPP and Premier:
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Storing of material on city roads
When you are considering landscaping to your front or rear yard please remember that storing of any material, soil, gravel, bricks and/or a waste bin is not allowed on any city road without a permit. Not even for a couple of hours. Leaving materials on the road impedes traffic flow and some particles could end up in our catch basins, blocking our infrastructure.
Your landscape company will need to store all materials on your own yard/driveway or apply for a road occupancy permit HERE |
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Landscape machinery must have a parking permit if left on the street overnight. |
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The city is offering residents a new Green Bin option called "The Mighty Green Bin." The Mighty Green bin is larger than the regular green bin, holding 100L of green bin material. It's perfect for households which have a lot of green bin material. The larger bins are available at Milliken Mills Recycling Depot Only. Cost is $73.50 - residents can receive $10 off if you trade in one or more regular size green bins.
For a visual idea of the bin, please watch the City of Markham's Video here. |
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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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NEW NO RIGHT ON RED TIME-OF-DAY SIGNS (NROR)
The Region evaluated the feasibility of implementing time-of-day restrictions at the intersections where NROR were implemented. The critical hours at all intersections are during the morning and afternoon rush hour. Intersections near school areas, shopping centre's and parks have increased volumes in the middle of the day between 9 am and 4pm. The existing all-day NROR will be changed in June to include new effective hours. This means NROR restriction is only active during the hours listed on the sign. Majority of signs will be Mon-Fri 7 AM - 6 PM For additional details visit york.ca. |
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The City does not allow and will not permit open air burning if you live south of 19th Ave. and west of 10th Line. Details Here
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During this month, Environment Canada has issued Air Quality Alerts across Ontario and other provinces due to the raging wildfires. Here are some tips on how to reduce exposure to air pollution
- Reduce or reschedule outdoor activities
- If you experience shortness of breath, wheezing, severe cough, dizziness or chest pains, contact your healthcare provider. Keeping indoor air clean by keeping doors and windows closed if the temperature is comfortable
- Limiting use of exhaust fans when you’re not cooking
- Checking in on elders and those who may be more susceptible to smoke
For more information about Air Quality in Markham, please click here
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Do Not Pass - Wootten Way & Hwy 7
Please remember when you approach the intersection that there is only one southbound lane. DO NOT PASS signs are there to let drivers know that the single southbound lane is designated for all road users. York Region will replace the white dashed line on Wootten Way with a solid white line to support the DO NOT PASS signs and to reinforce to road users that the single southbound lane is designated for all movements. Squeezing into the curb lane is prohibited and is in contravention of the Highway Traffic Act.
YRP is monitoring the intersection and you will receive a ticket for disobeying the sign. |
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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.am a text block that looks great next to an image. Replace this text with yours. |
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Attention Markham Entrepreneurs and Businesses, We’ve Got News for You!
Running a business isn’t always easy but getting the help you need should be. Whether you’re thinking about starting a new business, expanding one, or searching for a location, we want you to know the City has a resource centre with information, events grant applications, newsletters and explore demographic date and much more at: www.markhambusiness.ca
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MS Family Flag Raising Event
On May 31st the My MS Family Flag Raising Event took place at the Civic Centre. My MS Family is an organization run by volunteers. Please join them on August 5th at Bloomington GO Station for their annual car show event, with music, food trucks and of course classic cars.
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As the summer holidays approach us, here are some events happening at Markham Museum from July to August. |
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As the editorial cartoonist of local papers for 40+ years, the art of Pat Wheeler paints a picture of Markham and Stouffville development from the 1960’s to 2010’s. Explore Pat’s sharp-witted art in this new exhibit at Markham Museum, opening June 21 2023. Learn more and plan your visit at MarkhamMuseum.ca |
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Night at the Museum returns this summer on the beautiful grounds of the Markham Museum. Everyone can enjoy great, family-friendly movies under the stars. Access to the grounds start at 8 PM with movies starting at 9:30 PM or sunset. Join us and the sponsors who made this all possible on July 12, July 26, August 9, and August 23. Night at the Museum is FREE but registration is required. Follow Markham Museum on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay up to date and learn more! |
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Markham Museum Summer Camps start the week of July 4th. There’s still space left in our half-day pottery camps for both children and teens the week of July 4th to July 7th! For more information regarding half day pottery camps and other available slots check out the City of Markham/Museum website |
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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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