Financial stresses hit residents, businesses, and the City of Markham
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 others who have recovered after weeks of illness, we are thankful for your steady return to health and wish you continued strength and wellness. In addition to our human suffering, we are faced with huge economic impacts to the country, province and our city. Personal financial stresses have hit many small business, restaurants, and salons to name a few. Many our favorite places to shop have been hit hard.
The City of Markham has not been spared from financial stress during this difficult time. In late March Markham Council introduced a number of measures to provide some financial relief for residents and small businesses. You can read more about these measures here. To ensure the safety and health of our residents and city staff, Markham also closed community centres and libraries. Many residents have asked why Markham is not able to offer property tax reductions or refunds, and our staff has prepared a PDF that helps answer this question. You can read it here.
The closing of our facilities, services, and recreation programming, along with the measures noted above, is estimated to cost the city approximately $4 million per month. This shortfall is very concerning to me. Provincial legislation currently prohibits municipalities from carrying a fiscal deficit – unlike the federal and provincial governments, our budgets must balance.
Our current situation is temporary, and we will soon return to normal, but Markham Council will have to address how will we make this loss up. The options we will be considering include; raising property taxes, reducing service levels, using some of our reserve funds, postponing or cancelling some capital projects. Ultimately it will likely be a combination of these measures.
I would like your input
As your elected representative, and Vice Chair of Markham’s budget committee, I am your voice. I have prepared a quick survey (below) to gather input from residents. Perhaps you have an opinion on how we should proceed and I would be very grateful to hear from you.
Together we will get through this.
Andrew
P.S. At Markham’s next Electronic General Committee meeting staff will be reporting on the economic situation we face together as a community. The agenda link will provide some information on the reports being presented. The meeting begins at 9:30am on Tuesday, May 19th. There are also opportunities for you to speak. Instructions on how to do so are on the weblink.
Swan Lake Park is home to over 90 species of birds and animals
News Review Media – February 25, 2020
The Friends of Swan Lake Park, a group of Markham residents committed to saving Swan Lake and Swan Lake Park, announced the official launch of its new website www.friendsofswanlakepark.ca and its first public meeting on March 9 to discuss the issues in the Park.
Swan Lake Park is situated at 25 Swan Park Road in Markham, which is north of 16th Avenue, midway between Markham Road and 9th Line.
The Park, situated at 25 Swan Park Road, is home to over 90 species of birds and mammals. “Swan Lake is dying, most fish have died, and plants cannot survive in the murky water. The lake contains bacteria that can be harmful to animals and humans, and seven invasive plant species are overtaking the Park,” suggests the group.
Fred Peters, a spokesperson for Friends of Swan Lake Park, says the group is working with Markham and other government agencies to develop a sustainable plan that addresses all essential elements within Swan Lake Park.
A number of factors continue to contribute to the poor water quality in Swan Lake. In addition to the fact the lake has no natural circulation – it was created from an old quarry – the lake also has a very high level of phosphorous, caused mostly by waste produced by the high population of geese on the lake.
Controlling the Canada Goose population in Markham has been a challenge across the City, and is not unique to Markham. Some municipalities have implemented a program of culling geese as a means of controlling the goose population. While the practice of culling is effective relative to other measures, it is also controversial and often met with strong opposition from some conservation and animal rights groups.
Should Markham be raising foreign national flags at the Civic Centre?
Markham officials under fire over Chinese flag raising
Hoisting of the flag sparks protest, call for end to practice and demand for public apology
Oct 31, 2019 by Heidi Riedner, Markham Economist & Sun
The hoisting of the flag of the People’s Republic of China in Markham has raised some serious questions.
The city, its mayor and some of its councillors are under fire from some area residents who say a recent flag raising celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China under Chinese Communist Party leadership was simply wrong on a number of fronts.
That has sparked a call for an end to the practice of foreign flag raisings at the Civic Centre, a public apology from Mayor Frank Scarpitti and an accounting of public dollars in support of a third-party event after Markham security forces and York Regional Police had to be called in to deal with the ensuing protest.
“We need to stop this practice and it needs to stop now,” Annette Cacorovski said, adding no foreign flags should be raised at any time, but “particularly at this volatile and hostile time.”
Cacorovski is referring to the current state of relations between Canada and China, which have soured since the December arrest of Chinese Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver on an extradition request by the United States.
China then arrested Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, and continues to detain them to this day, on vague charges related to national security.
The Chinese government also toughened the sentence of a Canadian held on drug charges — changing a 15-year prison sentence to a death sentence — and blocked Canadian canola exports to China.
Recent tensions in Hong Kong have sparked protests on Canadian soil, including in Markham.
Peggy Leung — who is of Hong Kong descent and who organized protests at Queen’s Park and Toronto’s city hall against what she considers gross human rights violations — said the Markham event raises questions about inclusivity, diversity and a society reflective of the democratic values Canadians hold dear.
“This was not a celebration of Chinese culture; this was support for the Chinese flag and the state it represents,” she said. “The city may have been doing it since 2014 and there may have never been an issue before, but there’s never been hostages before, nor terrible tensions to this extent before.”
She questions why the Markham event went ahead when scheduled flag raisings planned for the same weekend in Richmond Hill and Vaughan were cancelled, despite pleas from residents to the contrary and advance warning protests were being planned.
Residents also feel they were duped by the city, after the event went ahead as scheduled despite emails stating it had been cancelled and flyers that the city said erroneously stated financial support via Celebrate Markham.
All three flag raisings were being conducted by the Federation of Chinese Canadians in Markham (FCCM) — the same group that also organizes and runs the “Taste of Asia” event each year in Markham.While Toronto Mayor John Tory became one of the first Canadian mayors outside of Vancouver to weigh in on the conversation about China when he boycotted the ceremonial raising of the Chinese flag in his city, Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti, as well as councillors Jack Heath and Amanda Colucci, attended the FCCM event in Markham.
“It’s not only highly inappropriate with two Canadians still being held, but also could be considered tacit endorsement of China and its policies,” said Martin Leung. “That’s the major reason we are against it and we think it was the wrong message for our politicians to send.”
Markham Council and staff have received numerous concerns about the City’s flag raising policy, which can be reviewed here. In response to these concerns Council has requested staff to bring forward the flag raising policy for discussion and review at a future Council meeting.
Ward 5 Community Safety Meeting Re-cap
Community Safety evening with Councillor Keyes, Pastor Mavis, and YRP Officer Hinds
On May 27th Ward 5 Councillor Andrew Keyes held a Community Safety Meeting at the Rhenish Church of Canada. Constable Brian Hinds of York Regional Police joined Councillor Keyes for a discussion about how residents can better protect themselves and their property. 40 residents from both Cornell and Greensborough attended.
The event included a slide presentation from Constable Hinds, followed by a question and answer session. Representatives from Home Depot were also present to help answer questions related to home security and video surveillance options.
A very special “thank you” goes out to Pastor Mavis and the Rhenish Church of Canada for hosting this community event.
Home Safety Presentation Highlights
While it is unlikely residents can completely protect themselves from home break ins and property damage, there are some “best practices” that can be adopted to help improve your home and personal safety.
Communicate with your neighbours – Get to know your neighbours and inform them if you plan to be away from home for a while.
Neighbourhood Watch groups are also very effective in bringing residents together and sharing information. Captains of the groups liaise with York Region Police directly. Though social media does offer great opportunities for posting incidents seen and or experienced, we do not really know who is on the site. Many residents voiced this concern to us at the meeting. Perhaps criminals are on the sites as well. Read more.
Report any suspicious activity to the police – If something looks wrong, it doesn’t hurt to err on the side of caution and let the police know if you see something suspicious.
Natural surveillance techniques – Burglars do not want to be seen, so consider landscaping choices that do not provide too much cover around your home entrances and windows. Keep trees and bushes trimmed.
Motion activated lighting – Although many break-ins occur during the day (when most people are not home), having motion activated lights creates a deterrent and alerts people that something is happening – it gets attention.
Video Surveillance Cameras – Cameras will deter many thieves but that is not the only reason for having them. After a crime is committed video footage often provides valuable evidence that can be used to capture and convict the criminals.
“Harden” your home entrances – Criminals want to get into and out of your home as quickly as possible. Anything you can do to slow them down will deter them and possibly stop them from entering. Reinforced door frames and security window films are relatively inexpensive and effective solutions.
You can read about other community safety issues in the Ward5Markham.ca “Frequently Asked Questions” section under “Safety”.
Updated: Community safety, break-ins, and vandalism
Over the last few months there have been a number of incidents of car break-ins, spray painted graffiti on private property, and more recently mail boxes being broken into in the Cornell community. The good news is that York Regional Police have made a number of arrests of individuals likely connected to some of these crimes, and they are continuing to investigate these incidents.
In addition to the property damage and material costs associated with these incidents, residents are also naturally concerned about community safety and would like to see action taken to address their concerns.
Ward 5 Councillor Andrew Keyes has been discussing this issue with residents and with York Regional Police and is looking at ways community safety and crime prevention can be improved across Ward 5 and the City of Markham.
Community Safety Meeting
Councillor Keyes is currently working with York Regional Police to arrange a Community Safety Meeting. At this meeting residents will be invited to get an update on recent events and learn about options available to help deter and prevent break-ins and other crimes. The date and location of this meeting should be announced shortly, so please stay tuned.
Video Surveillance Opportunities
In addition to working with York Regional Police, Councillor Keyes is investigating the possibility of assisting residents that wish to install video surveillance equipment around their homes. Many homes have installed video surveillance cameras, but there is more that can be done. In an effort to help reduce the cost of purchase and installation of video cameras, Councillor Keyes has reached out to the major manufacturers of these devices to see if either a bulk purchase discount or a rebate can be offered to residents interested in this option.
It’s unlikely neighbourhood crime can be completely eliminated, but there are measures we can take to make improvements and make our neighbourhoods safer.
Update – April 29th, 2019
CHARGES LAID IN ONGOING RESIDENTIAL BREAK-AND-ENTER INVESTIGATION IN MARKHAM
Investigators with the #5 District Criminal Investigations Bureau have charged a 22-year-old man with more than 100 criminal offences in relation to a residential break-and-enter, vehicle entries and theft of mail occurrences in the City of Markham.
The investigation began on April 6, 2019, when a residential break and enter was reported to police that had occurred at a home on Walkerville Road, which is in the area of Cornell Park Avenue and Bur Oak Avenue. The suspect was described as being male, Asian, 5’6” and was wearing dark clothing. As the investigation progressed, officers linked a suspect with the same physical characteristics to other criminal offences that had occurred in the area.
Full release from York Regional Police: https://www.yrp.ca
Snow windrow removal in Markham: Yes or No?
It seems that each winter the question of whether or not the municipality should extend snow clearing service to include windrow removal comes up in Markham. This year is no exception.
What is a “windrow”?
A windrow is the pile of snow left at the end off your driveway after the street snow plow passes by.
Markham is certainly not the only municipality dealing with this issue. Here’s an excerpt from a recent article in York Region:
The topic of whether town employees should be used to clear that heavy, slushy or sometimes frozen line of snow at the end of residential driveways left behind by snowplows has been discussed by council twice this month and still awaits a final decision.
“It seems unfair that those who wouldn’t be using the services, like those in condos or apartments, have to pay for the service,” Abas said. “Also, many of us are able to clean our own windrow.”
Service levels and timing also have to be considered, since most people would want the windrow removed by the time they go to work, so many would be clearing it themselves.
Read the full story here: www.yorkregion.com
The decision to add snow windrow removal to the standard service level for Markham is often discussed in terms of cost to the taxpayer. It’s estimated that adding windrow removal would increase property taxes significantly. However cost is not the only concern. Other jurisdictions that have added the service have experienced increased delays in having their roads cleared, as windrow service requires the use of slower moving machinery.
Markham staff have been asked by Council to once again prepare a report that will look at the costs and implications of windrow removal for all residents. This report is expected to be presented in the spring as part of a broader snow removal workshop for Council.
Did you know Markham DOES provide windrow removal service?
The City of Markham offers windrow removal service for residents with special needs (those who are either 60 years of age or older or have disability). If you or someone you know needs help there is an application available online at: Markham Snow Windrow Removal Application.