When we were kids, the rule was "Be home before the street lights come on." Times have changed, but we all still have concerns about the safety of our kids and the well-being of our community. I've been contacted by a number of residents concerned about a group of youth, some in cars hanging out at some of the parks...possibly smoking pot then driving. That is a concern for sure. The youth are teenagers likely from Cornell area but ... Read More
Markham has rats as do most Cities and Towns in the GTA. Development displaces many creatures, as we know. Where do they go? We want to relocate raccoons because they get in our garbage. Squirrels break tree branches, ransack gardens and bird feeders. Recently we saw a bear walking through a subdivision, a moose in Unionville, and deer still hit by cars. Coyotes and foxes are killing rabbits but this is where they lived before we moved here. We ... Read More
Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti recently introduced a motion at York Region Council that would see the wearing of masks made mandatory in all public indoor places. This would include all shopping centres and retail locations, schools, daycare centres, libraries, community centres, and more. You can read more about the Mayor's motion here: York Region council considering law to make face masks mandatory In addition, much has been written on the subject of mandatory face masks, both for and against ... Read More
Do You Support Restoration of Swan Lake and Swan Lake Park? A local group of residents, the Friends of Swan Lake Park, are lobbying Markham Council to support the restoration of Swan Lake and Swan Lake Park. The group wants Council to address poor water quality issues in the Lake, the invasive plant species in Swan Lake Park and to commit to a long term restoration plan for all of the environmental elements in Swan Lake and Swan Lake ... Read More
Dear residents, neighbours and friends of Ward 5, Markham City Council has been asked by staff to consider a temporary measure that would see a selection of 4 lane roadways reduced to 2 lanes to accommodate dedicated cycling lanes. This issue will be discussed at the upcoming Development Services Committee meeting on Tuesday, June 8th. The full staff report can be reviewed at this link: Traffic Operational Changes Related to COVID-19 Markham Roads Being Considered Markham staff has ... Read More
The Great Outdoors...a cure to all that ails us 2020 has been very stressful and challenging for most of us. The year certainly has not been what we expected or hoped for. Though the weather has not been the greatest, the stay at home orders throughout Ontario, across Canada and most of the world has been upsetting and possibly frightening. We have certainly had to rethink the time we do leave the house, curbside pickup, shopping for groceries and even ... Read More
Dear residents, neighbours and friends of Ward 5, There have been numerous tragic consequences of the pandemic, namely many of our most vulnerable, our beloved seniors and special needs residents have been hardest hit. Many have lost their lives. We will mourn with the families who have suffered these loses. Thankfully Markhaven has announced there are no cases of COVID in their facility over the Victoria Day long weekend. We must continue to be vigilant to ensure it stays that way. For ... Read More
Ward 5 Councillor Andrew Keyes was spotted pulling out household garbage from a beautiful wooded area in our Ward 5 community. He and his assistant Michelle were practising physical safe distancing while cleaning and greening. While they were able to collect a lot of trash, there were many items they couldn't collect ... bricks, concrete, tiles, yard waste, fencing, lumber FOLKS, we have to do better. We can not dump our household waste, renovation material, hazardous items (yes paint cans and ... Read More
#stayathome – Loss of human 'touch' greatest impact of working from home during COVID-19 crisis Heidi Riedner, Markham Economist & Sun - February 25, 2020 It hasn’t exactly been business as usual during stay-at-home measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The challenge of staying connected has meant a shift in day-to-day operations for those still working. Markham Stouffville Hospital President and CEO Jo-anne Marr, for example, tweeted that communication is key during the fight against COVID-19. “We’re holding ... Read More
Join Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti and Dr. Karim Kurji, Medical Officer of Health, York Region to answer your COVID-19 questions, along with Andy Taylor, Chief Administrative Officer, City of Markham. Let’s talk and share some insights. Get the latest on the COVID-19 pandemic and learn about Markham’s response. Date: Tuesday, April 14th Time: 7:00pm Place: Online Via Zoom The Town Hall event has passed, by you can view it at this link: YouTube - https://youtu.be/PDM25L8yrhs