Table of Contents S P EC I A L E D I T I O N
Our Community
Seniors’ Programs Seniors’ Programs................................................................................................................ 26
Art, Culture & Library Markham Public Library............................................................................................... 33 Flato Markham Theatre .................................................................................................. 34 Markham Museum............................................................................................................. 36 Varley Art Gallery ............................................................................................................... 38 Markham Guild of Village Crafts.......................................................................... 39
Fitness Fitness Classes...................................................................................................................... 110
Swimming General Swimming Information ..........................................................................117 Aquafit Programs ...............................................................................................................118 Lifesaving Club of Markham .................................................................................. 120 Lifesaving Society Swim Programs ................................................................... 121 Markham Swim Accessibility ................................................................................ 121 Swimming Programs ..................................................................................................... 122 Swimming Schedule ....................................................................................................... 125 Private Lessons .................................................................................................................... 137 Aquatic Leadership .......................................................................................................... 139 Aquatic Leadership Recert ........................................................................................ 141
Local Businesses
Getting Started
143
Spring 2017 Registration Dates
How to Register/Program Cancellation/Refund Policy..................... 40 Registration Form................................................................................................................ 41 Markham Map........................................................................................................................ 43
Summer Camps
Tuesday, February 7
General Programs (Drop-box):
Sunday, February 12
General Programs:
Tuesday, February 14
General Programs
Swimming (Drop-box):
Sunday, February 26
Adapted Programs .............................................................................................................. 62 Preschool Programs ........................................................................................................... 64
Swimming:
Tuesday, February 28
Summer Day Camps 2017 Summer Day Camps............................................................................................. 44
Environmental Benefits Statement
Markham Life is produced using environmentally safe practices in an effort to save trees, conserve water and energy, and reduce our carbon footprint. It has been printed on 25% post consumer waste recycled paper, using only vegetable based inks. Wood Use 30 tons less (209 fewer trees)
Wastewater 252,902 gallons less (1 fewer swimming pool)
Energy 484 million BTU’s less (5 fewer homes/year)
Solid Waste 38,217 pounds less (1 fewer garbage truck/year)
Greenhouse Gases 104, 872 lbs CO2 (10 fewer cars/year)
Environmental impact estimates were made using the Environmental Defense Paper Calculator. For more information, visit www.papercalculator.org. The Paper Calculator is based on research done by the Paper Task Force, a peer-reviewed study of the lifecycle environment impacts of paper production and disposal. The underlying data is updated regularly. Figures used in this statement represent pro-rated paper usage based on 4 issues of Markham Life (Annual Consumption). Markham Life (greenMarkham Special Edition) – January 2017
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Our Community
Mayor’s Message ...................................................................................................................... 2 Our City is Sustainable....................................................................................................... 4 We are an Award-Winning City ................................................................................ 5 Trees for Tomorrow – Surpassing Our Goals ................................................ 6 Markham Leads The Way for Pollinators .......................................................... 7 Markham Parks: Our Outdoor Living Rooms .............................................. 8 The Rouge Valley Trail System .................................................................................... 9 Solar Powered Markham ............................................................................................... 10 Power Up Quickly with City’s EV Charger ................................................... 11 Textile Recycling — Another Markham First ............................................ 12 Wildlife Services Help Keep Everyone Safe .................................................. 13 How Does Your Markham Garden Grow?..................................................... 14 Improving Energy Efficiency in Markham.................................................... 15 How You can Help............................................................................................................... 16 Markham Makes It Happen! ...................................................................................... 18 What’s Coming up in Markham............................................................................. 21 Contact The City of Markham.................................................................................. 22 Help Keep Markham Beautiful................................................................................ 23
Children’s Programs.......................................................................................................... 73 Pre-Teen Programs ............................................................................................................. 84 Teen Programs........................................................................................................................ 90 Teen Services ............................................................................................................................ 91 Adult Programs ..................................................................................................................... 93 Adult Cooking Programs........................................................................................... 100 Adult Workshops .............................................................................................................. 101 Family Activities................................................................................................................ 102 P.A. Day Activities ........................................................................................................... 103 March Break Programs ................................................................................................ 104 Skating and Hockey ........................................................................................................ 108
Our Community
Building a Sustainable Community In my 2006 Mayor’s Inaugural Address I proposed the development of a “Greenprint” for Markham; a comprehensive plan to improve our natural environment and enhance the overall quality of life in our City. This plan needed to address the three pillars of sustainability – Economy, Environment and Society. Moving forward, we committed to engaging government, busiFrank Scarpitti ness, non-government organizations, Mayor, City of Markham youth and citizens at large to make this happen. And, we did so through our award winning, online community consultation program – Click With Markham, which connected with over 5000 residents. It helped us launch our strategic plan – Building Markham’s Future Together, which included our groundbreaking Greenprint, Markham’s Community Sustainability Plan. Our Greenprint is a 50+ year plan with a bold vision for Markham and a strong leadership commitment as a municipality, and I’m very proud of our many significant accomplishments since 2006.
Environment Climate change is a real and present danger to our global community, as is the impact of our activities on the biodiversity of our environment. In this issue of Markham Life we highlight some of the programs we have established on energy conservation and efficiency, use of green technology, food security, environmental enhancement, protection of natural species, and waste diversion and recycling. Together these programs have dramatically reduced Markham’s carbon footprint and improved Markham’s natural environment. Markham’s vision is to establish a net zero energy, water, waste and emission community by 2050, and I’m very pleased that we have already made substantial progress towards this goal.
Economy All communities depend on economic prosperity to create and sustain jobs, and create an environment that is business friendly and strategically focussed on emerging business sectors. Markham’s Economic Development Strategy – Markham 2020 has done just that. Launched in tandem with Building Markham’s Future Together, Markham 2020
identified both domestic and global economic trends, and it has served as our guidepost for targeting the emerging global economy. Our community now boasts over 1000 high tech and life science industries and over 400 corporate head offices. We have also reached out to developing economies in Asia and India through a number of “Today Markham’s business missions to forge partnerships and agreements bringing new ten-year record on investments and re-investment sustainability is to Markham. A business friendly the model for other climate is also essential and we have worked hard to keep low commermunicipalities to follow”. cial, residential and industrial tax Mayor Frank Scarpitti rates to attract and retain investment. Markham now has the lowest industrial and commercial tax rates and the third lowest residential tax rates of the 27 municipalities in the GTA. And, our nine-year average tax rate increase is the lowest among those municipalities. Markham has long been recognized for its strong fiscal stewardship. Financial sustainability is key to ensuring a strong, thriving community.
Society Markham is the most diverse municipality in Canada and we have embraced and encouraged that diversity through our leading Diversity Action Plan. In doing so, we celebrate our rich heritage as much as we welcome those newcomers that have chosen Markham as their home. However, we believe diversity means much more. As a society we have an obligation to ensure social equity through full and equal access to our services and programs regardless of age, race, religion, gender, or physical and intellectual capacity. Markham has remained committed to this philosophy in our program and service offerings through our Integrated Leisure Master Plan. The design of our parks and community centres, our many accessibility features, and our cultural celebrations and festivals, all make Markham a truly welcoming, remarkable and unique community to live, work and invest.
Front row (from left to right): Regional Councillor Nirmala Armstrong, 905.415.7534,
[email protected] Ward 4 Councillor Karen Rea, 905.479.7751,
[email protected] Ward 6 Councillor Amanda Yeung Collucci, 905.479.7746,
[email protected] Ward 1 Councillor Valerie Burke, 905.479.7747,
[email protected] Middle row (from left to right): Regional Councillor Joe Li, 905.479.7749,
[email protected] Ward 7 Councillor Logan Kanapathi, 905.479.7748,
[email protected] Mayor Frank Scarpitti, 905.475.4872,
[email protected] Regional Councillor Jim Jones, 905.479.7757,
[email protected] Ward 8 Councillor Alex Chiu, 905.479.7752,
[email protected] Back row (from left to right): Ward 3 Councillor Don Hamilton, 905.415.7549,
[email protected] Ward 5 Councillor Colin Campbell, 905.479.7750,
[email protected] Deputy Mayor Jack Heath, 905.415.7506,
[email protected] Ward 2 Councillor Alan Ho, 905.479.7760,
[email protected] 2
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Markham Life (greenMarkham Special Edition) – January 2017
Publisher City of Markham Executive Editor Dennis Flaherty Managing Editor Emma Girard Art Direction & Design John Li Advertising & Sales Christine Rogers, 416.571.3637
[email protected] Contributing Desginers Prachi Bhaumik, Daniel Epton Contributing Writers Michael Blackburn, Jim Cowan, Dennis Flaherty, Emma Girard, Heather Hogan, Jessica Yau Contributing Photographers Anil Mungal, Alex Urosevic Printing Canmark Communications Customer Service Inquiries Markham Life City of Markham Anthony Roman Centre 101 Town Centre Boulevard Markham ON L3R 9W3 905-477-5530
[email protected] Alternate formats of Markham Life are available upon request.
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Faisal Moola Suzuki Foundation Director General of David ada Region Ontario and Northern Can
Markham Life, an official publication of the City of Markham, is distributed four times annually to Markham households by the York Region Media Group through the Economist & Sun and Thornhill Liberal newspapers. Markham’s official source of information for events and activities can also be viewed at markham.ca. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of the Publisher.
Faisal Moola is an adjunct professor in the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Forestry, and his work is published regularly in books and journals on ecology, conservation biology and environmental policy. For the past decade, he has led a team of Foundation scientists, analysts and campaigners focused on the protection of Canada’s wild spaces and wildlife such as grizzly bears and caribou. Faisal has been at the forefront of some of Canada’s most iconic environmental battles, including successful efforts to permanently protect B.C.’s Great Bear Rainforest, to enshrine protection for endangered wildlife in law, and to establish Canada’s first urban national park on Markham’s border with Toronto. After several years on the West Coast, Faisal has returned to the Greater Toronto Area, where he spends as much time as possible rambling with his children across fields, farms and forests. Image Credit: David Suzuki Foundation, http://davidsuzuki.org
Markham Life (greenMarkham Special Edition) – January 2017
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Our Community
Volume 9, Number 1, January 2017 Date of Issue: January 26, 2017
n a pleasure to see how in Markham, it has bee y s someone who grew up an outsider, Markham ma changed for the better. To thriving and how w Markham has grown and kno y ma We . ming suburban city seem just an average boo uld also be proud of how proud of that - but we sho are we d -an is ’s past, current and future am diverse Markham rkh nt to climate change. Ma ilie res able. ing om bec is am Markh king our City more sustain have gone a long way to ma ns programs and initiatives t carefully thought-ou pla ves are all according to iati init and se er, the eth t tha Tog ure ned I have lear g Markham’s Fut y’s strategic plan, Buildin d that the that are included in the Cit ability Plan. I am please tain Sus ty uni mm Co ’s am rkh future: Ma e t, abl rin tain enp in the Gre goals for a sus and Markham have similar David Suzuki Foundation once completed, will fall ge National Urban Park, Rou the of tion por est • The larg ries. within Markham’s bounda ing and opening of the supporter of the recent nam e tim g lon a n eventubee has • Markham journalist. The park will ed to the environmental walk ter win a nd me om Bob Hunter Park, dedicat rec al Urban Park. I highly tion Na ge Rou the hin ally fall wit ing trail system. on the park’s excellent hik r panels on vation. By installing sola a leader in energy conser ble energy ewa ren of W 3M • Markham has been 1.8 m fro rkham now benefits Ma gs, ldin ements, is bui rov ed imp wn an y-o urb Cit rgy ng with efficient district ene e project. ang Ch te ma per year. This initiative, alo Cli and rgy ndation’s Clean Ene closely aligned with the Fou which goes sustainability initiatives, g record of leadership on ore sustainbef and lity rea I applaud Markham’s lon ed ept change was a generally acc agement back long before climate hensive community eng tegic plan. Their compre stra at home, any d foo w gro to s sse ability was part of ine bus encourage residents and initiatives are designed to ies and much, much more. terfl but ch nar Mo t por sup plant milkweed to and hip our City has shown, I’m proud of the leaders nt, ide and res nge am cha rkh ate Ma r As a forme sible to fight clim by acting locally, it’s pos for demonstrating how, able lifestyle. encourage a more sustain
S P E C I A L
E D I T I O N
Our Community
Our City is Sustainable TREES FOR TOMORROW
300,000+ trees planted
75+
New parks since 2006
since 2007
Green Road
1.83MW
pilot project endorsed in
solar capacity on
9 city facilities
2015
Markham Pan Am Centre rooftop solar panels
M
arkham is known for its leadership in promoting a healthier community through innovative sustainability projects and programs as early as 2008, when we first launched our strategic plan – Building Markham’s Future Together. With the launch of that plan, and the strong support of our community, in 2011 Markham published its visionary Greenprint, Markham’s Community Sustainability Plan. Markham is proud of its sustainability record, our focus on a healthier community, and our reputation across Canada for local leadership on climate change.
Our Vision A leader in developing liveable neighbourhoods, a healthier community and continuing prosperity.
Our Goal Protect the public and respect the natural and built environments through excellence in sustainable community, planning, infrastructure management programs.
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Markham Life (greenMarkham Special Edition) – January 2017
York U
model for smart growth & sustainability
What is Sustainability? WHAT: In 1987, the World Commission on Environment and Development’s Report defined sustainable development as “development which meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” On a larger scale, for example, sustainability of the environment means we actively take care of our resources – our creeks and rivers, our forests, our air, our wildlife, our food sources, and more. In Markham, sustainability means ensuring the three pillars are considered in our future plans and strategies: economic needs, environmental needs and the needs and desires of our society. WHO: You and everyone reading this can play a role in living a sustainable lifestyle. The environment is something we interact with every day and we rely on the earth’s resources for our survival.
We are an AwardWinning City
S P EC I A L E D I T I O N
Our Community
2014: 12,000 LED Streetlight conversions,
With every award, we minimize our carbon footprint
savings of
$1M per year
Since we started in 2011, Markham has won over 24 awards for our sustainability efforts TEXTILES
Parks and Recreation Ontario Award of Excellence
Over 70
stormwater ponds now in operation
New textile recycling program
WHERE: A safe, clean, healthy lifestyle can happen anywhere. Your habits and actions should follow you at home, on vacation, and even when you are on the go in your daily life. WHEN: The choices we make today will impact the environment tomorrow: five years, 10 years, and 100 years from now. NOW is the time to make a change. HOW: Read on! In this Special Edition of Markham Life, you will learn more about how you can help. A sustainable lifestyle is about every decision you make and any action you take that contributes to your personal quality of life and that of your community. It could be as simple as committing to bringing re-usable containers when ordering take out, choosing to take public transit and committing to social and charitable causes for the betterment of the community.
Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators Willis Award for Innovation
Canadian Society of Landscape Architects Innovation Award
2007-2015
2014
15 Recycling Council of Ontario Awards
to divert an additional 7% of waste
“Every single one of us can and should be much more conscious of the ways we can act to reduce our carbon footprint.”
2015
2016
2016
Ontario Professional Planners Institute Excellence
2014
“Every single one of us can and should be much more conscious of the ways we can act to reduce our carbon footprint.”
2014
Association of Municipal Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario E.A. Danby Certificate of Merit
Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Partners for Climate Protection Milestones 2&3
2013
International District Energy Association System of the Year Award
2013
Bicycle Friendly Community
2012
OPA Community Conservation Award
_ Justin Trudeau
Markham Life (greenMarkham Special Edition) – January 2017
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E D I T I O N
Our Community
S P E C I A L
“… during the next four years, we will plant more trees than we have planted in the last decade…”
W
hen Mayor Frank Scarpitti, in his first inaugural address in 2006, promised that “during the next four years, we will plant more trees than we have planted in the last decade,” he proposed a goal that everyone knew would be a challenge.
In pledging to make Markham “a greener and better place to live and work,” the Mayor set the stage for the City’s Trees for Tomorrow program, which, in its first four years, exceeded the original target of more than 75,000 by planting over 155,000 new trees. From the outset it was clear that a “standalone” tree-planting program would require a collaborative approach to meet its goals. Trees For Tomorrow adopted this approach to bring in other levels of government, public agencies (including the Toronto and Region C on s er v at ion Aut hor it y), non-government organizations, private sector donations and thousands of
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volunteer tree planters from the Markham community. City officials now predict that when the results for the Trees for Tomorrow program’s tenth year, 2016, are added, more than 343,000 new trees will have been planted – one per person in Markham. Restoration planting sites in Markham parks have also provided meaningful and rewarding volunteer opportunities to perform valuable stewardship work. More than 3,000 volunteers annually have been involved in Trees for Tomorrow, and their activities now include not only the initial planting but also post-planting maintenance, such as removing competing vegetation from around the ees, base of the young trees, mulching the treess with wood chips and removing invasive species. Volunteer stewardship events have contributed greatly to the early establishment and growth rates of the trees.
Markham Life (greenMarkham Special Edition) – January 2017
The Trees for Tomorrow program has done much more than just plant trees, however. It has also: •
•
•
provided public education and outreach to promote community engagement through increased awareness and appreciation of the many benefits of trees, restored more than 145 hectares of future woodland habitat in the Bob Hunter Memorial Park and other sites within Rouge National Urban Park, and restored and naturalized 38 sites in Markham’s parks with the planting of native trees, shrubs and wildflowers. A Streetscape Manual has also been develop developed. It provides tree plan planting requirements and st standards for subdivision and site plan submissions, and, in partnership with York Region and the Toronto and District Conservation Authority, an Urban Forest Study that provides critical data to help plan the urban forest of the future.
O Other important pollinators include bees, bbeetles, flies, mosquitoes, moths and bats.
S P EC I A L E D I T I O N
Our Community
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arkham declared itself Canada’s first Monarch-Friendly City last April, and committed itself to a range of actions that should increase the populations of monarchs and other pollinators in the City. The David Suzuki Foundation is a key partner in establishing this program in Markham. Markham took another important step toward meeting the City’s commitment to becoming a friendlier place for monarch butterflies and other pollinators by establishing its first milkweed nursery at the Milne Dam Conservation Park. “I am proud to report that the creation of this nursery is the first of its kind hosted and supported by a municipality in Canada,” Mayor Frank Scarpitti said at the official opening on October 4, 2016. “The City of Markham is creating habitat space and vital food sources for monarch butterflies and other important pollinators to help them thrive.” Pollinators, those living things that fertilize plants by moving pollen from one flower to ave a direct impact another, have ent of the food on 75 per cent we eat.
However, pollinator populations are declining rapidly. For example, the David Suzuki Foundation estimates that the Eastern Monarch butterfly population has decreased by more than 95 per cent since the 1990s. The loss of pollinators like the monarch will ultimately reduce our food production. In addition to the milkweed nursery – milkweed is the only plant monarch caterpillars eat, and so it is crucial to their development – the City has created pollinator-friendly spaces at the Markham Civic Centre and other locations. It’s also encouraging community garden leaders to plant pollinatorfriendly spaces in gardens, providing milkweed seeds at festivals so residents may plant monarch-friendly gardens on their properties, and hosting gardening workshops with pollinator themes under the Markham Homegrown Workshops program. Residents can help support pollinator populations by including in their gardens plants that bloom throughout the growing season, providing pollinators with a source of food throughout the spring, summer and fall. For more information on Markham’s pollinator-friendly initiatives, go to markham.ca/pollinators.
Did You Know? There are more than 800 varieties of bees native to Canada, and they are our most common pollinators. They are different from the European honeybees. •
•
European honeybees are yellow and black, live in colonies or hives, and sting. Canadian native bees come in a wide range of colours, live in the ground, are solitary and don’t sting.
Canadian bees improve soil quality. Their tunnels improve soil texture, increase water supply to roots, and mix nutrients into the soil. Pollinators are essential to important commercial crops, including apples, peaches and other tree fruits, melons, pumpkins, cucumbers, coffee, canola and many more!
Markham Life (greenMarkham Special Edition) – January 2017
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Our Community
S P E C I A L
Another example of community engagement is the pebble path at Dollar Hamlet Park, which sprang from resident requests for a pebble mosaic that has long been a cultural tradition in Asia. This installation is a creative reinterpretation that can be appreciated by anyone. The same can be said for structures such as pavilions, shade structures and splash pads, which draw on cultural symbols and decorative motifs from Asia, Europe and elsewhere, while also mixing in a good helping of modern art. Design forms, shapes and colours ensure that a park’s physical elements are both visually delightful and have meaning within today’s context. The City believes that: “If we create great public spaces, then regardless of our cultural background, we should feel welcome and included.”
Sustainability: A Park’s Hidden Value
A
sk people to describe an urban park, and they’ll probably tell you about grass and trees, playgrounds and paths, ponds and playing fields.
In Markham, parks are all these things, and so much more. The City realizes that to meet the expectations outlined in its Diversity Action Plan, “Everyone Welcome,” it needs to include diversity goals when planning and designing its parks. By committing to creating “Parks That Matter;” a more thoughtful approach to ensuring the needs of seniors, youth, newcomers, visible minorities and people with disabilities are considered when establishing or refurbishing park facilities. It also means providing a range of recreation and leisure opportunities that appeal to existing and 8
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newly-arrived Markham residents who are from culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds. As one resident said, “The park should be a place with meaning, a place that’s for everybody (and) that will bring the community out for a reason.” The steps to achieving these goals include: • • • • •
undertaking comprehensive community design and park planning, engaging in an extensive community consultation program, accommodating a full range of social, cultural and environmental needs, demonstrating leadership and innovation in park design, and creating usable, memorable, meaningful and sustainable places.
As a result of this process, Markham has been reshaping its ideas about parks and the facilities they contain. For example, the fact that some newcomers view parks as “outdoor living rooms” has led to providing spaces for social interaction with options for social seating and family engagement in some of our newer parks.
Markham Life (greenMarkham Special Edition) – January 2017
Parks are great places to enjoy the outdoors, especially in an urban setting, but they are so much more, incorporating many features that contribute to the sustainability of our communities. Take, for example, the sustainability features built into the South Unionville Park that opened last fall. While visitors may focus on the new tennis courts, below ground there are large diameter storm sewer pipes to provide greater on-site water storage, and other measures to restrict run-off and reduce the risk of flooding. Pedestrian lighting is in keeping with Markham’s commitment to green energy, with two solar powered LED light standards. Planners were able to preserve 1,200 square metres of the existing 2,000 square metre wood lot, and planted 90 additional trees and shrubs to increase the park canopy by 5,000 square metres. All plant materials are drought-resistant native varieties and have been incorporated into existing tree stands, which have also been pruned for public safety and plant vigour. The park features a roofed shelter with seating for local cultural activities, and there are more benches throughout the site, in keeping with the idea that a park is for everyone.
S P EC I A L E D I T I O N
B
ecoming the kind of sustainable, inclusive community that Markham envisions in its strategic plan, Building Markham’s Future Together, means ensuring that City facilities are appropriate and accessible for its increasingly diverse population. That idea was the starting point for the City’s Rouge Valley Trail system that will eventually stretch for 170 km, according to the Pathway and Trail Master Plan.
Markham’s Official Plan sets out policies related to active transportation (such as walking and cycling) for recreation and transportation purposes. These policies led to the 2007 Cycling Master Plan and, in 2008, the Pathways and Trails Master Plan, which together established the vision and direction for an interconnected system of pathways and trails. In addition to accommodating a wide variety of users, the plans called for trails and paths that: •
• •
• •
•
provide a diversity of experiences that allow appreciation and enjoyment of the natural, cultural and heritage environment. encourage residents to walk, run and cycle for fitness, fun and transportation. connect neighborhoods to key destinations and provide recommended crossing points of significant physical barriers, such as river valleys and highways. showcase natural features, species and habitats. provide improved connections to other existing and planned pedestrian and cycling routes. give users with a diverse abilities or disabilities appropriate accessibility to the natural environment, whenever that is practical.
Our Community
The Rouge Valley Trail System: Linking Markham from Top to Bottom To ensure that the Rouge Valley Trail system actually meets these goals, both master plans included the requirement for comprehensive public consultation. In September 2010, the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the project was awarded to a multi-disciplinary consultant team. The consultation process was designed to engage key stakeholders and the broader public, ensuring inclusive community participation in the planning process. •
•
•
Early in the consultations, a Community Liaison Committee (CLC) was established with representatives from more than 20 interest groups and local ratepayers’ associations in Markham, councillors and staff. The committee helped to identify important issues and opportunities, and provided input to the recommended trail alignment alternatives. The Agency Working Group, a broadly based committee of agency representatives, meets as needed and includes the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and York Region. The role of the Milne Working Group, which participated in the Milne Park pathway design study conducted in 2008 and 2009, was also considered A in the EA study.
A Rouge Valley ress Trail Progress Report
A
n important component of the Rouge Valley Trail is the 15 km pathway that will link 16th Avenue and Kennedy Road to the Bob Hunter Memorial Park in the Rouge National Urban Park.
• Two of the project’s four phases, from Carlton Road and Main St. Unionville to Drakefield Road, and from Tuclor Lane to 14th Avenue, are complete and total about 6 km. • An existing path, from Main St. Unionville north along Toogood Pond, is being widened for cyclists and pedestrians. • Three pedestrian bridges and a crushed limestone pathway should be completed in Milne Conservation Park in 2017, and a pedestrian bridge linking that park to Tuclor Lane is scheduled to be completed by 2018. • There is a plan to connect the section from south of 14th Avenue to an existing walkway at Tree Line Court, providing an additional link to the Rouge Valley Trail system.
Markham Life (greenMarkham Special Edition) – January 2017
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Our Community
S P E C I A L
Solar Powered Markham I
t’s good news when the city can do something that’s good for the environment and puts money back in its taxpayers’ pockets, but that’s exactly what’s happening with Markham’s investment in solar power. The recent completion of the 450 kilowatt (kW) solar array at the Markham Pan Am Centre raises the City’s solar portfolio to 1.83 megawatts (MW), which is among the largest hosted by a municipality in Ontario. That reduces our carbon emission footprint by 99 tonnes per year, which is the equivalent of taking 21 cars off the road.
And for Markham taxpayers, all those shiny solar panels are producing revenue of about $300,000 a year. Along with the City’s investments in energy conservation, increased efficiency within City assets have avoided utility costs of $1.2 million annually since 2012, and made Markham a leader in municipal energy.
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The City’s other eight solar panel installations include: • • • • • • • •
Angus Glen Community Centre & Library (250 kW) Markham Civic Centre (9.6 kW) Fire Station 99 (10 kW) Milliken Mills Community Centre & Library (100 kW) Mount Joy Community Centre (285 kW) R.J. Clatworthy Arena (120 kW) Thornhill Community Centre & Library (350 kW) 8100 Warden Avenue (250 kW)
The solar program and other dly environment-friendly programs such as the installation of chargers for electric vehicles, the use of energy efficient LED lighting for streets and public buildings, and a range of water ms conservation programs are driven by the Greenprint, Markham’s Community Sustainability Plan, and Council’s strategic goal, contained in the Building Markham’s Future Together Strategic Plan, of creating a safe and sustainable community.
Markham Life (greenMarkham Special Edition) – January 2017
Energy Conservation Tips By reducing the demand for electricity, you help reduce the need for costly investments in additional power generating facilities. You can contribute to energy conservation in Markham – and save some money on your utility bills – with just a few simple actions. •
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• •
Discover the on- and off-peak times of electrical usage here (http://www.powerstream.ca/customers/rates-supportprograms/time-of-use-pricing.html). Right now, you can save more than 50 per cent on your electricity bill by doing common household tasks such as laundry and dishwashing at off-peak times. Use a programmable thermostat to raise and lower the temperature in your house according to your household’s schedule, so you aren’t heating or cooling an empty house. Take advantage of LED light bulb sales. Find out more about fitting your home with solar panels at http://microfit. powerauthority.on.ca
For more energy-saving tips and ideas, check out PowerStream.ca and Enbridge.com websites. To find out how efficient your home is, go to http://knowyourenergyscore.ca/ home-energy-conservation/.
S P EC I A L E D I T I O N
Our Community
E
lectric vehicle (EV) owners living in or visiting Markham can now enjoy high-speed charging by plugging in to Ontario’s first municipally hosted EV Fast Charger at the Markham Civic Centre.
City’s EV Charger Rebates for at home/ business charging stations: www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/vehicles/electric/charging-incentive-program.shtml
Rebates for eligible cars: www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/vehicles/ electric/electric-vehicle-rebate.shtml
At the Fast Charger’s official opening in September, 2005, Mayor Frank Scarpitti noted that the facility supports the City’s commitment to creating safe and sustainable communities through environmental protection.
Fast Facts •
There are three publically accessible Level 2 chargers in Markham, including one at the Centennial Community Centre GO Station, which can deliver full charges in approximately four hours.
•
EV users can charge their vehicles at the Markham Civic Centre’s level 3 fast charger for $10 per hour, charged by the second. The unit is compatible with CHAdeMO and Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) vehicles only, and users must be members of FLO network.
•
To encourage EV purchases, the Province of Ontario offers rebates of up to $13,000 per vehicle and $1,000 for home charging stations. It also issues green licence plates that allow EV drivers to use highoccupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes when alone in the car.
“We have an enviable record for programs such as energy conservation, recycling and tree planting,” he added. “Taking this step to promote electric vehicles will reduce greenhouse gases and create a healthier environment for us all.” The fast charger is a good investment for Markham, as it is expected to pay for itself in four to five years, and thereafter will generate revenue for the City’s taxpayers. The level 3 charger is about 10 times faster than level 2 chargers, providing nearly a full charge to most EVs in 30 minutes or less. The charger is being provided in partnership with PowerStream, Nissan Canada and AddÉnergie. The fast EV charger is one of many initiatives flowing from the Greenprint, Markham’s Community Sustainability Plan.
Markham Life (greenMarkham Special Edition) – January 2017
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NEW!
Starting April 17, textiles are banned from Markham’s garbage collection
E D I T I O N
Our Community
S P E C I A L
Textile
Recycling — Another Markham First I
n Markham, recycling paper, plastics, cans and organics has become second nature. However, the clear garbage bag is a tempting and quick solution to our bulging closets of soiled or unwanted clothing.
That Choice Comes at a Cost Studies show that people typically produce 30 to 40 kilograms of textile waste per year and that 85 per cent of this is never reused or recycled . York Region’s garbage bags audits indicate nearly seven per cent of our garbage is clothing, shoes, bedding and other household textiles. For Markham, that represents almost 4,500 tonnes of textile waste sent to landfill annually. Most of this could be reused or recycled. There is a massive demand for second hand clothing globally, especially in developing countries. Shoes, including single shoes, can be shipped overseas for redistribution. Items that can no longer be worn are re-purposed, as recyclers turn them into industrial 12
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rags, furniture padding, insulation, car seats, recycled fabrics and more. The North American trend toward inexpensive, low cost, “disposable” clothing – otherwise known as “fast fashion” – is also creating a flood of textile waste. This fast fashion is designed and priced to be bought, worn and quickly thrown out. Its low purchase cost is achieved through cheap labour in countries such as Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and the Philippines. China, the leading world producer of clothing, accounts for nearly 33 per cent of the world’s textile exports. In addition, fast fashion, with its complicated supply chain, is responsible for a significant amount of greenhouse gas creation, and is a huge contributor to pollution in many other forms. Cotton, for example, requires large amounts of pesticides and herbicides to grow. It takes 2,700 litres of water to produce a single cotton shirt and up to 20,000 litres of water to produce a pair of jeans. Man-made fibres such as polyester or nylon, while not as sive. water-intensive, are energy intensive. le By using recycled feedstock – textile fibres recovered by recycling – the water and carbon footprint of clothing manufacturing can be slashed by up to 95 per cent.
Markham Life (greenMarkham Special Edition) – January 2017
Donating Textiles Easier Than Ever Markham, partnering with the Salvation Army and Canadian Diabetes Association, is creating new smart textile donation bins, featuring solar lighting and built-in sensors to monitor when containers need to be serviced or emptied. More than 50 textile donation bins have been placed at locations such as large multi-residential properties, community recycling depots, fire stations and community centers. By the end of 2017, there will be almost 75 donation bins across Markham. The Salvation Army and Canadian Diabetes will service the bins at no cost to the City. They will sort through the donations and send resalable items to the Salvation Army’s Thrift Store and Value Village locations, where p proceeds help suplo port local food banks, shelt shelters, children’s ca camps and addicti tion treatment f facilities.
S P EC I A L E D I T I O N
Our Community
Wildlife Services Help Keep Everyone
Safe
I
t’s a problem as old as cities themselves: everyone loves seeing cute feathered or furry creatures in the heart of urban areas, but not nesting in their attics or nibbling on their carefully tended gardens. The City of Markham receives about 5,000 calls each year regarding wildlife, many from property owners seeking to keep wildlife out of their homes and away from their property. Help is available, as the City provides education, rescue and rehabilitation services through external service providers. •
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Consider a free “wildlife audit.” An Animal Control Officer will visit your property and provide information on ways to humanely wildlife proof your home or discourage wildlife from visiting your property. Public education is an important part of the City’s wildlife program. In addition to information sessions about ways of living in harmony with wildlife in an urban setting, the City’s service th provider is partnering with Markham’s Recreation Services and providing an education session to the Junior Animals and Nature Campers this summer.
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Through our wildlife service providers, the City also rehabilitates approximately 300 animals per year and operates a successful barn cat program. After careful screening and inspection, this program relocates feral cats from homes to bettersuited farms and barns. This is better for the cats and preserves wildlife within the urban area, where feral cats hunt birds and small animals.
Another urban wildlife problem is bird strikes – birds flying against buildings, especially at night when structures are brightly lit – killing thousands of birds annually. Markham identified the development of Bird Friendly Guidelines as a priority in the Greenprint, Markham’s Sustainability Plan and Markham’s new Official Plan. Growing awareness of this problem amongst City Council and staff led in February 2014 to Council endorsing our Bird Friendly Guidelines, a set of design-based solutions to make glass on buildings more visible to birds. The guidelines help p planners, architects, designers, builders and building owners make use of available treatments to reduce bird strikes on both new and existing buildings.
The City has implemented the guidelines by retrofitting municipal buildings (including the Markham Civic m Centre and Markham nd Pan Am Centre) and incorporating birdfriendly design in new municipal buildings st such as the South-East Community Centre and courLibrary. It is also encouraging best practices in private o learn more sector developments. To idelines, check about Bird Friendly Guidelines, out markham.ca.
You Can Help! p! • • •
If you find an injured jured bird, call the 68.7722 OSPCA at 1.888.668.7722 Visit ontariospca.ca Visit Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP, www.flap.org) for do-it-yourself retrofits for your home under “How Can I Help?”
Markham Life (greenMarkham Special Edition) – January 2017
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Learn how to save seeds from your garden! Sign-up for a Homegrown Workshop.
E D I T I O N
Our Community
S P E C I A L
M
arkham residents interested in the local food movement need look no further than their own backyards for inspiration and opportunity. It’s a great way to stay active, engage the kids and promote a healthier life style. And the City, in keeping with the sustainability goals of the Greenprint, Markham’s Community Sustainability Plan, offers lots of resources for everyone from the novice to the experienced gardener. Learning how to grow your own food at home is as easy as attending a Homegrown Workshop. This series, with topics varying every year, covers such things as growing from seeds, container gardening, worm composting, attracting pollinators and preparing a garden for winter. The sessions, usually 90 minutes long, are held on weekday evenings and cost $5. Register on EZ Reg or by calling 14
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the Contact Centre at 905.477.5530. Courses are usually offered and listed in the spring, summer, and fall issues of Markham Life. For those who don’t have their own gardens or are just looking for more space, an allotment garden can offer the perfect alternative. Parcels of land, each 20 by 7 feet, may be leased at the City-managed Kirkham Allotment Garden, located close to Markham Road and 14th Avenue. Registrations usually open in midFebruary; visit Markham.ca/sustainability to find out more. And for anyone interested in starting a local community garden, learn more by emailing
[email protected]. The program requires at least 10 committed volunteers, a long-term vision for the garden, and funding options. The process from application to shovels-in-the-ground can take up to a year, so start a plan today! The Markham Public Library also helps aspiring gardeners with its Markham Homegrown Seed Library. Like a book library, borrowers take out seeds, grow the crops and then return new seeds to the library at the end of the season. Best of all, there are no late fees, and all that’s required to join is a library card.
Markham Life (greenMarkham Special Edition) – January 2017
Seed libraries are operating at the Milliken Mills Branch, 7600 Kennedy Road, and the Cornell Branch, 3201 Bur Oak Avenue. The Library also includes a gardening component in its popular Enviropacks – a backpack filled with a selection of books, activities and other educational tools designed for children ages 7 to 12, families and educators.
S P EC I A L E D I T I O N
Energy by sector
Energy use by fuel
1%
33%
29%
22%
Residential Commercial Industrial
To help us accomplish these tasks, the MEP, once adopted, will: •
identify opportunities in Markham to save water and energy, generate electricity, improve transportation, and more;
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recommend short-, medium- and longterm targets and identify how we can reach them together;
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help ensure accurate and frequent reporting of our progress;
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incorporate how we will communicate and work with the community and stakeholders to achieve these targets; and
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be consistent with and help inform other Markham strategies, plans, policies, and programs to make our community even more sustainable.
3% 34%
10%
The MEP stems from the Greenprint, Markham’s Community Sustainability Plan, which sets a community target of net zero energy, water, waste and emissions by 2050. For energy, this means reducing our energy use while producing more clean energy throughout the City.
47%
To find opportunities for energy conservation in homes and workplaces, the City formed the MEP Stakeholder Working Group, which will provide input to the MEP.
19%
Transportation Local energy production
Natural Gas Electricity Gasoline Diesel
Fuel Oil Propane Solar Other
Energy consumption, 2011 ≈ 29.69 PJ
Emissions by sector
Emissions by fuel
1%
Where are we now? The City has gathered a great deal of information on energy use and GHG emissions in our municipality. For example, it was found that in 2011: •
Most energy used by sector in Markham came from residential (34 per cent) and transportation (33 per cent);
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Natural gas (47 per cent) and gasoline (29 per cent) are the two most common fuel types, producing the most emissions (44 per cent and 40 per cent respectively); and
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Buildings (49 per cent) and transportation (37 per cent) produce the most emissions in Markham;
4%
13% 49%
44%
40%
37% 11% Building Transportation
Waste Fugitive emissions
Natural Gas Electricity Gasoline Diesel
Fuel Oil Propane Other
Overall, the City’s largest opportunities for reducing emissions are in buildings and transportation. See page 11 to read more about the City’s Electric Vehicle initiative.
Total building & transport emissions ≈ 1,542,450 tonne CO2e Markham Life (greenMarkham Special Edition) – January 2017
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Our Community
Improving Energy Efficiency in Markham
S
ince 2014, the City of Markham has been developing its Municipal Energy Plan (MEP), a long-term citywide strategy to improve energy efficiency while reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
E D I T I O N
Our Community
S P E C I A L
How YOU can help •
Unplug your devices even when
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they are turned off, or use power bars with timers to avoid phantom power.
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Use a programmable thermostat
Sort properly when using your blue box and green bin.
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Use water efficiently and time your showers by setting a playlist of your favourite sing-along songs.
Take showers over baths.
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Pack your work lunches and snacks in reusable containers.
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Organize a litter clean-up
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Clean out your closet and drop off your textiles to one of Markham’s textile donation containers, find out where at markham.ca.
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Revamp your closet by shopping
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Visit Markham’s Recycling Depots. The depots accept items for recycling that you cannot throw away in the blue box, such as styrofoam, batteries, plastic bags and metal.
to $13,000 per vehicle and $1,000 for home
Leading the way... 1st
municipality to connect & use solar FIT program in 2010
All new City facilities built to
LEED Silver minimum
In 2008, Markham Council adopted
81%
highest curbside municipal waste diversion rate in Canada
Markham Life (greenMarkham Special Edition) – January 2017
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Community Gardens to increase local food production
Extreme weather resiliency, $29.84M invested in city-wide Flood Control Program
Zero Waste
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Make your home bird-friendly and use stickers or old CDs on your windows. Visit Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP, www.flap.org) for do-it-yourself projects.
Consider buying an Electric Vehicle. The province offers rebates of up
at one of Markham’s many thrift shops. Remember to buy quality, local, and classic pieces when possible.
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Attend a Markham Homegrown Workshop and learn how to grow your own food at home. Call Markham’s Contact Centre at 905.477.5530.
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Get on to one of Markham’s many Multi-Use Pathways. Take a walk, a run, or a bike ride.
around your community. Contact Markham’s Contact Centre at 905.477.5530 if you need free supplies.
Buy bulk or bake snacks at home so you don’t have any wrappers. Bring your own containers for take-out or leftovers when eating out.
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compost pile in your backyard.
to adjust the temperature in your house by 2-3° according to your family schedule: home, away and while sleeping.
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charging stations. Get green licence plates and use HOV lanes when you’re alone in the car.
Challenge your family to become zero waste: start a
Markham District Energy reducing GHG emissions
by
50%
Markham Centre - North
America’s largest development of LEED certified buildings
1st
municipality to host EV fast charger in 2015
Glossary
CARBON FOOTPRINT is a measure of the impact on the environment by the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a result of the activities of a particular individual, organization, or community. ELECTRIC VEHICLE (EV) is powered by an electric motor rather than a gasoline engine. Electric cars are cheaper to operate than gas cars, require less maintenance and reduce society’s dependence on environmentally damaging fossil fuels. There are two types of electric cars: • Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) are powered 100% by electricity and have zero tailpipe emissions. • Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) have small battery packs for short all-electric driving
distances before a gasoline engine or generator turns on for longer trips. ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY is avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance. EMERALD ASH BORER (EAB) is a small, emerald green, wood-boring beetle native to China and eastern Asia. Though it is not harmful to people, the EAB attacks and kills all North American species of true ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees. The EAB has affected Markham’s ash trees. LED LIGHTS or light–emitting diodes, are semiconductor devices that produce visible light when an electrical current passes through them. LED lighting is more efficient, versatile and longerlasting. Be sure to pick the right colour of bulb. Markham recommends 2700K (warm yellow bulbs) which is closer in colour to the traditional incandescent bulbs. LOCAL FOOD is defined as food produced in the same province in which it’s sold, or food sold across provincial borders
within 50 kilometres of the originating province or territory. The local food movement includes efforts in a city’s community and allotment gardens, farmer’s markets, growing food in backyards, and much more. PARKS are classified by size, scale, function, and amenities. The largest are city-wide and community parks. More typical neighborhood parks include active parks, urban squares, parkettes and urban parkettes. PHANTOM POWER Electronics and appliances still draw power even if they’re turned off. This is called phantom power and it can account for up to 10% of your electricity bill! SOLAR POWER is obtained by harnessing the energy of the sun’s rays. Markham has 1.83MW of solar capacity on rooftops of city-owned facilities. THRIFT SHOP is a shop selling second-hand clothes and household goods. Thrift shopping can off-set the demand for new goods. Donating used goods helps keep items out of the landfill.
Opposite page: One of several community gardens in Markham. Below: Create a pollinator-friendly space in your home garden.
Markham’s Future Vision It does not stop here. Markham will continue to work on sustainable programs to ensure our community stays healthy. What will you do?
2045 2035 20km multi-use pathway from Yonge Street to Rouge National Urban Park
2025
Flood Control Program complete
2030 100% LED streetlights by 2030 or sooner
Making Markham a Water-Wise Community
Markham Life (greenMarkham Special Edition) – January 2017
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Our Community
ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION is any form of human-powered transportation to a particular destination. As long as it is “active,” you can choose the mode: walking, cycling, in-line skating, skateboarding, etc.
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