It is an exciting and busy time in the City of Markham. The number of items on my agenda is long but important.
In early April, I hosted Smart Markham — Building Our Smart City Together, a forum leading to a vital digital strategy and technology blueprint for our city. In Thornhill we are about to embark upon the much-needed construction work to replace and upgrade old storm sewers and reduce the risk of flooding.
In February, I had a council resolution that made the very crucial funding of the storm water system in Thornhill and throughout Markham a citywide investment rather than a Thornhill-only levy, saving taxpayers roughly $300 annually.
We have nearly completed all of the debris cleanup from December’s ice storm but now have to address the trees infected by the emerald ash borer. We are in the midst of a proposal to partner with York University to bring a satellite campus to Markham. This is very exciting and would be tremendous for our city. Work is also progressing on the Thornhill Revitalization Study examining the most suitable land uses in the Bayview and Green Lane neighbourhood to make this area an environmental showcase for the next 10 to 15 years and beyond.
I look forward to the discussions ahead on these and many other important issues to the residents of Thornhill. Thornhill needs strong, capable leadership that gets things done!
As always, I welcome your thoughts and comments. You can email me at hshore@markham.ca, and you can find more information at www.howardshore.ca.