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Dear Residents,
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year. We had a busy December with some passionate debates on a number of topics at Council and it looks like 2022 is starting off the same way. Thornhill residents are in a fight to save their properties from having a subway built underneath their homes and the Province has designated the Langstaff area as a Transit Oriented Community (TOC) which gives City staff and Council some considerable concerns.
I have a virtual community information meeting being held on February10th at 7pm regarding
347 Main St N (the car dealership) and I moved a motion, seconded by Councillor Irish, to abolish the former Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), which was changed to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) and now known as Ontario Land Tribunals (OLT).
More information on all of these topics are included further down in the newsletter.
I also wish to happily report that I will be participating in the 360Experience once again this year to bring awareness to and raise funds for programs that help our at-risk youth. This year, I have teamed up with some City staff to expand our participation recognizing the added stress due to Covid. If you are able, please help support and sponsor me whilst our expanded City team get outside in the wintery cold weather in an effort to raise funds and bring awareness to youth homelessness.
You can use this link to make a donation - Donate Here
Stay safe and warm,
Karen Rea
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Community Information Meeting - Thursday Feb 10th 7pm
Please see attached notice regarding a proposal to build 15 townhomes at
347 Main ST N. If you are interested in attending this virtual meeting, please
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Motion to abolish the OLT, formerly known as LPAT & OMB
In 2016, I was part of a working group of 17 elected officials who worked together to request the government of Ontario to overhaul what was called the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) and I can proudly say we were successful. The changes provided municipalities with increased control over land use.
Even though these changes were made only a few years ago and received unanimous support from all parties, the current Ontario government has overturned all of those positive changes and reinstated the rules and authority of the outdated OMB.
It is now time to address this reversal of the will of the people and municipalities and abolish what is now known as the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT).
Municipalities should have their Planning honoured as the final say on how we wish to grow, and not have decisions appealed to OLT, an unelected body that is completely unaccountable to the residents.
A provincial level tribunal should not be able to overturn the decision of Council when we are making decisions that conform to our Official Plan that is ultimately approved by the Province. Municipalities have and will continue to work with developers to fit development plans within local community planning.
This motion will be debated at development services committee on Monday Feb 7th at 9.30 am.
Please, email your comments to clerkspublic@markham.ca and if you are able, please attend to make a virtual deputation.
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Transit Oriented Communities
The Province has decided that they know best and has alternate plans for an already dense and tall Langstaff community. What seems to be happening is that the province is going to grant developers more height and density in exchange for money to build the Yonge North Subway Extension. We have done years of planning for a livable community and it could all be tossed out of the window. Our secondary plan calls for heights up to 50 stories and approximately 30 towers across the entire subject land - the Provincial plan will allow up to 80 stories and although they have approximately the same number of towers it is only using half of the land. Double the density, no additional jobs and an inadequate amount of community facilities including; schools, community centres, libraries and parks.
Our City planning staff and Council have serious concerns with the proposal and have sent this motion (this is the draft motion until the minutes are updated) to the Premier and Ministers.
This may not be ward 4 but everyone should be concerned, as this could make other areas in the City vulnerable of changes imposed on us by the Province.
to make your views known on this topic.
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Vacant Home Tax - update
On November 29th, we had a lively debate regarding whether the city should support a vacant homes tax in prinicple. The commitee did not support moving forward with this idea, the motion failed with a vote of 5-8.
However, Regional Council authorized staff to move forward with a feasiblity study for a Vacant Home Tax. Staff will begin public consultation on the design of a Vacant Homes Tax and a final report will come back to Council sometime in 2022. Click here for report
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Lobbyist Registry - update
On Dec 7th, general committee passed the motion to implement in principle a Lobbyist Registry system and staff was asked to bring a report back with further details the first quarter on 2022. Unfortunately, when it was later presented at Council on Dec 14th, some members of Council switched their vote on this matter, and the motion was deferred yet again until after the Municipal election with a vote of 8-5.
General Committee minutes HERE
Despite this setback, I would like to thank the community for all of the virtual and written deputations. I am still hopeful we will achieve positive change here, as I believe a lobbyist registration system keeps the business and issues with government transparent and will keep Markham taxpayers informed on when and who City Councillors and staff are meeting with.
This is a common vehicle within government and just another tool of being more accountable. Municipalities such as
Brampton, Hamilton, Peel, Ottawa, Toronto and Vaughan are a few that already has a Lobbyist Registry.
We will now have to wait until after the election to have the debate again.
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Hwy 413 - update
At the same Council meeting, the motion presented not to support the building of Hwy 413
passed with a vote of 11-2. Presentation.
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Markham has 2,250 km of major roads which is equivalent to travelling from Toronto to Montreal four times.
We thank you for your patience as Markham Operations continues to clear our roads. To track the status of plows using the Winter Maintenance App at markham.ca/winter
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Help us help you. Please don’t park on the street.
Our plows need room to get by and can’t properly clear roads if cars are in the way.
Parked cars on roads may result in them being plowed in and/or being ticketed.
Learn more at markham.ca/winter
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10-20 Fincham update
The site plan was revised from the original proposal of 7 - 3 story townhomes and 10 - 3 story semi-detached homes to
7 - 3 story townhomes along 16th avenue and 7 - 2 story traditional style townhomes on the inside. One single detached house will be built on Fincham, similar to the existing houses along the street. Drawings are not available at this time.
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Markham's Age-Friendly Design Guidelines Survey & Ideas Challenge |
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The City of Markham is developing new age-friendly design guidelines to provide direction for new and redeveloping communities.
Tell us how we can make homes, buildings and neighbourhoods safer, more social and more accessible for everyone, regardless of their age or ability.
Ends Feb. 14, 2022 |
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During these challenging times due to COVID-19, getting outdoors and staying active is so important.
Explore 6 outdoor ice rinks, 9 outdoor tennis courts, 95 maintained pathways, outdoor recreation activities, virtual fitness and culture programs, and more ⛸
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New gathering limits are in effect starting Monday, January 31 at 12:01 AM:
10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors
Do your part. Every action counts.
Learn more: markham.ca/covid19
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Buddy Services is a non-profit organization that provides services to seniors in the GTA.
To learn more about what they offer,
please visit their website at:
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Markham Stouffville Hospital along with the Ontario Music Therapy Academy are conducting research in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
In an effort to raise funds for this research, candles are being made and sold.
All proceeds will go directly to support the research and further advancements for the unit as a whole.
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Like most of you, I was also plowed in after the storm last week. We had 46 cm of snow fall within a very short window of time, tallying as the most since 1965. I want to thank all the residents for their patience as we cleared the roads and sidewalks and for those that kept their cars off the streets which made it easier for us to plow.
Our staff and contractors worked day and night to make our streets navigable and safe. It took over a week for us to get back to normal and remove all the excess snow in laneways and from our Main Streets.
A big thank you goes out to all our City Staff that worked tirelessly to help us get back to normal, the amount of snow and the pandemic made it a challenge for all of us. |
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A reminder as temperature drops, please stay off Markham’s ponds, storm water ponds and waterways as the ice is unsafe. Ponds may contain salt from nearby roads and other debris which can speed up thawing.
Ice may appear thick, but it is unpredictable and some areas may have little to no ice.
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Thin ice may be visible in the morning but as the temperatures rise, is often gone by the afternoon. Skate safely and find a rink near you: markham.ca/skating
Stay Safe Video
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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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