Markham Stouffville Review, November 2023

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10 MARKHAM STOUFFVILLE REVIEW COMMUNITY NOVEMBER 2023 Theatre launches free online access for ‘Simply Series’ Flato Markham Theatre has launched its live stream of the 2022 Simply Series, a series of ten intimate and uplifting evenings with beloved Canadian artists, available to the public to enjoy for free online. The Simply Series, a truly unique and innovative program sponsored by Flato Developments and the Department of Canadian Heritage, is a fusion of storytelling and live performance, designed to focus on the close relationship between the artist and the spectator. Blending both the music and the story behind it, each show episode features live and pre-recorded elements, taped during the artists’ performance at Flato Markham Theatre. The series aims to highlight a selection of professional Canadian artists with unique stories to share in an intimate setting with their audience. These are more than stage performances – with meaningful stories of challenge and triumph revealing the person behind the music, these are shows with a special, personal touch, providing a one-of-a-kind experience that will all be accessible to music lovers in one place. You’ll want to check out the live stream footage of Canadian rock icon Gowan, whose Simply performance has been kept under wraps until now. Be the first to hear the personal storytelling of the beloved rocker and hear his soaring voice sing his megahits that have been inspiring generations of new artists for decades. The remaining featured artists in the project include Michael Kaeshammer, live with additional highlights and a full interview, revealing the vocal ability, sense of humour and handsome charm that has won over audiences at every show; Lata Pada, founder and artistic director of the awardwinning Canadian professional dance company Sampradaya Dance Creations, specializing in classical and contemporary dance works rooted in the Indian dance form of Bharatanatyam; Rob Tardik and Kimberley Black, whose performance revolves around the miraculous story of Kim’s survival in an attempted murder and deals with overcoming trauma, building resilience, and inspiring hope through the art of dance, storytelling, and music. Also featured is the versatile singer, writer and producer George St. Kitts, whose shows bring his audience back to a time filled with soul, rhythm, and joy; Ottawa-based jazz star Kellylee Evans, whose show combines the themes of mental health, resilience, imagination, and resourcefulness; Canadian Brass, a group that knows the fine art of playing music to tell a well-crafted story; and John McDermott, who chronicles his 30-year career in music with stories of love, loss, patriotism, family, sacrifice, and honour. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the hours of special storytelling that threads together music, love, joy, hardship, and real-life experience – for free. Visit the new Simply Series website simplyseries.ca. Visit markhamtheatre.ca for information on the 2023-2024 Diamond Season performers. More speed enforcement cameras on their way York Region plans to add 60 new automated speed enforcement cameras by 2027 and will create an in-house processing centre to handle the speeding tickets that will be generated as a result. The region decided to continue the automated speed enforcement system following a two-year pilot project in specific school areas along regional roads. Operating speeds decreased by about nine kilometres an hour and speed compliance more than doubled, it reports. Automated speed enforcement uses a camera and speed measurement device to enforce speed limits in identified areas. If a vehicle exceeds the posted speed limit in one of those areas, the automated speed enforcement system captures an image which is reviewed by a provincial offences officer. An image of the offence, licence plate and ticket with an associated fine will be mailed within the next 30 days. More than half of fatal collisions on regional roads are related to speeding. Automated enforcement helps to improve safety and change driver behaviour in our community, the region says.
NOVEMBER 2023 Hub to provide accessible seniors-focused programs 11 MARKHAM STOUFFVILLE REVIEW BY CONNOR SIMONDS Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Exciting developments are underway in York Region as plans for the Unionville Commons Seniors Hub takes shape. The project aims to provide enhanced services for seniors, promoting community well-being and inclusivity. Jennifer Strong, acting director of Integrated Business Services with York Region, states, “York Region’s senior population is growing faster than any other age group,” and with the senior population on the rise, there is a growing need for localized and accessible services. Community hubs have emerged as effective spaces for bringing people together and offering a range of programs and opportunities. The Seniors Hub and Community Centre align with York Region’s Seniors Strategy, which focuses on creating multi-service centres that adapt to the changing needs of seniors. The opportunity to establish the seniors hub arose during the redevelopment of the Unionville Home Society campus. Collaborating with Unionville Home Society and Minto Communities, the project includes a 265-unit affordable rental building for seniors. Located on the ground floor of Unionville Commons, at 4310 Highway 7 East, the hub and community centre will become a centre for seniors-focused services, programs, and amenities. According to Strong, “The City of Markham is home to the highest share of York Region seniors, and it is estimated that between 2021 and 2051, the number of seniors living in the City of Markham will grow by 113 per cent,” underscoring the pressing need for this initiative. “In the coming months, we will begin recruiting residents from Unionville Museum will use grant to keep seniors ‘socially connected’ Commons, community members, and key partners to create the Seniors Hub Advisory Group; the group will provide feedback and advice to York Region on the planning, operations, and continuous improvement of the hub and will also support ongoing consultation opportunities with community members and agencies,” says Strong, reflecting the commitment to involving the community in the project. In addition to the seniors hub and community centre, Unionville Commons is making significant strides in construction. The development features two towers, an eight-storey and a 12-storey building, providing a total of 265 apartments for seniors. Designed with seniors’ specific needs in mind, the building offers universal accessibility and on-site parking. Outdoor spaces, gardens, and pedestrian walkways will contribute to the residents’ overall well-being. York Region’s commitment to building age-friendly communities is evident in the Unionville Commons development and the seniors hub and community centre. Funding for the capital construction costs will be supplemented by contributions from the federal and provincial governments through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The hub and community centre operations are designed to be self-sustaining, avoiding the need for regional tax levy contributions or subsidies from Housing York Inc. Affordable membership fees will ensure accessibility for the community. “York Region received funding to support capital costs to build the seniors hub through the Community, Culture, and Recreation funding stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program,” says Strong. The collaboration with the City of Markham underscores the shared dedication to meet the needs of the growing senior population and create a vibrant and inclusive community. Strong concludes by stating that the design and construction of the seniors hub is anticipated to begin in 2024, with operations commencing in 2025. She also notes that “In 2024, we will initiate a public process to bring in partner organizations; these partners will provide seniors with programs and services at the hub that are tailored to the community and easy to access.” Local dignitaries at the Sept. 23 government funding announcement at Markham Museum. The Markham Museum will use a community grant to encourage older adults to take part in pottery classes and group tours of an exhibition that shares experiences of the Chinese community. The museum has received about $24,500 through the provincial government’s 2023-24 Seniors Community Grant Program and will use it to focus on seniors who may face a variety of barriers to participation, such as economic, language, lack of opportunities and accessibility. “Seniors Community Grants are keeping our seniors fit, active, healthy and socially connected close to home in their communities,” Minister for Seniors and Accessibility Raymond Cho says. “Our government is proud to invest in these projects with local organizations to meet the needs of seniors, provide the supports seniors need and deserve that also help to battle social isolation.” The ministry reports investing more than $22 million in Seniors Community Grants to more than 1,200 grassroots projects that have helped seniors stay socially and physically active in their communities since 2018. Markham Museum is home to more than 20 historic buildings on 25 acres of parkland. It offers year-round exhibits, public programs, signature events and research facilities. It will use the Seniors Community Grant to offer three main programs, including four sessions of five-week pottery handbuilding courses at the museum between October and March. It will also offer 10 two-hour introduction to pottery hand-building classes in the community. Finally, it will offer six group tours of the Standing in the Doorway: Lived Histories and Experiences of the Chinese Community exhibition and related activities. Two of the tours will offer accessible busing at no cost. “Markham’s commitment to inclusion has always extended to seniors in our community,” says Mayor Frank Scarpitti. “With this additional funding, the Markham Museum can extend its already robust series of programs for people of all ages. Programming specifically for older adults focuses on their particular interests and the ability to access the museum site.”
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