(I AM SHARING THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS ARTICLE FROM THE MARCH 26TH EDITION OF 'NEWMARKET NOW!' SEND YOUR FEEDBACK OR SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE EDITIONS BY SENDING COMMENTS TO COMMUNICATIONS@NEWMARKET.CA)

Here's what happened at the Council Meeting on March 26, 2018

2017 Newmarket Annual Water Quality Summary Report
Public Works Services presented a report to Council on the quality of the Drinking Water System for 2017. The findings from the 2017 report demonstrate that the Town of Newmarket meets all regulatory compliance requirements that are outlined in the Safe Water Drinking Act, 2002, and that the Town continues to provide safe drinking water to Newmarket residents. The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change conducted a Drinking Water System Inspection of Newmarket’s Drinking Water System and the inspection resulted in a 100 percent rating.

The Town of Newmarket continues to work closely with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the Region of York, consultants and other local area municipalities to develop short and long-term strategies to optimize system operations.

To view the full report, please visit newmarket.ca/waterwastewater and click on ‘Annual Water Quality Reports’.

2018 Civic Art Contest Awards
Newmarket Council along with Beth Hart, curator from the Elman W. Campbell Museum recognized the winners of the 2018 Civic Art Contest award recipients.
The winners of the 2018 Civic Art Contest are:

Acrylic and Oil: My Sister by Sonia Ganji from Huron Heights Secondary School
Dry medium: More than the sum of its parts by Julia Jaynes from Huron Heights Secondary School
Mixed media: Cold Dreams by Anna Vander Heide from Sir William Mulock Secondary School
Photography: It’s time to break the chains by Moira Banks-Batten from Pickering College

The Civic Art Contest included artwork submitted by local high school students. The contest helps to develop creativity, improve communication, create a better understanding of culture and helps students to make connections.

The artwork is on display until April 27 at the Municipal Offices (395 Mulock Drive) during regular business hours.

Preservation of the Bogart House
Newmarket Council has directed staff to work with the Developers to ensure the restoration and preservation of the Bogart House. A site visit to the Bogart House is being arranged with representatives from the Developer and Town, including the Newmarket Heritage Committee, to examine avenues to protect the Bogart House and options for restoration. The Bogart House is a designated heritage house and is one of the most important heritage buildings in the community. As such, Newmarket Council seeks full restoration and protection of this heritage house.

Minutes for the Town of Newmarket Council Meetings, outlining Council decisions, is available under Agendas, Minutes and Meetings on the Town of Newmarket website. For more information or to view the reports, visitnewmarket.ca

Save the date! Mark these events in your calendar:

M eet and Greet with Olympic Figure Skater Gabrielle Daleman - March 29
The Town of Newmarket will host a meet and greet to celebrate Newmarket figure skater Gabrielle Daleman, who recently competed and won gold in the Team Figure Skating competition in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Gabby will be wearing her Olympic gear and will bring her gold medal. There will be a photo opportunity and she will be signing autographs. We invite everyone to bring their skates and enjoy a free public skate on the Hyundai Rink.
Location and time: Newmarket Magna Centre (800 Mulock Drive) from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Eggceptional Easter Fun - March 31
Drop in to the Elman W. Campbell Museum for an eggciting afternoon! Meet the Easter Bunny, enjoy Easter displays and fun activities like egg decorating. Light refreshments will be served. Don't forget to bring your camera! This event is suitable for children aged four to 10. Pre-registration required, cost is $5 per participant.
Location and time: Elman W. Campbell Museum (134 Main Street South) from 1:30 to 3 p.m.

Metrolinx GO - Open House Meeting - April 5
Metrolinx is hosting a public meeting to provide information about the proposed Mulock GO Station and get feedback from residents. For more information please contact Jennifer Capan at 416-202-4732 or Jennifer.Capan@metrolinx.com
Location and time: Newmarket Municipal Offices (395 Mulock Drive) on Thursday, April 5 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. There will be a presentation at 7 p.m.

Newmarket Heritage Lecture Series: The Ghost Canal - April 5
Join us for an interactive discussion and lecture on the Ghost Canal (officially known as the Newmarket Canal). Decide for yourself if this was a viable plan, or if it was Sir William Mulock's 'madness'. Cost is $5 per person, and a portion of the proceeds go to the Newmarket Historical Society.
Location and time: Old Town Hall (460 Botsford Street) in the Snapd Auditorium on Thursday, April 5 from 7 to 8 p.m.

Community Open House: Shaping the way you play - April 19
Come out and give us your feedback on the vision for Newmarket outlined in Newmarket’s Recreation Playbook and the future growth and intensification outlined in the Secondary Plan. Your input is needed for amenities such as a skate park, splash pads, park improvements and arts and culture opportunities, along with the Yonge and Davis corridors. Staff from various departments across the organization will be available to speak with residents, answer any questions and listen to feedback.
Location and time: Newmarket Municipal Offices (395 Mulock Drive) on Thursday, April 19 from 5 to 8 p.m.

Albert Chiarandini: Painting the Way - Until April 20
This exhibit is a glimpse into the distinguished life and artistic practice of the renowned Italian-Canadian painter Albert Chiarandini. Admission is free.
Location and time: Open now until April 20 during gallery hours (Tuesday to Friday from 4 to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) at Old Town Hall (460 Botsford Street)

Volunteer Appreciation Night - April 17
Volunteers play a very important role in our community. Join us as we recognize our volunteers for all of their outstanding contributions to making Newmarket even better. This event is open to all volunteers in Newmarket, pre-registration is required and seating is limited. Please email Deanna Smith at dsmith@newmarket.ca or call 905-895-5193 ext. 2607 to register.
Location and time: Newmarket Community Centre and Lions Hall (200 Doug Duncan Drive) from 6:30 to 9 p.m. (doors open at 6:15 p.m.)

Heritage Art Contest - April 16 to April 20
Call for entries for the Town of Newmarket's 2018 Heritage Art Contest! Entries must be original two-dimensional artwork created in any medium and must focus on the heritage of Newmarket. This may include, but is not limited to, the Municipality’s culture, society, economy, history, significant events, architecture or natural environment in Newmarket’s past or present. The contest is open to all residents of Ontario.
Location and time: Submit artwork from April 16 to April 30 to the Newmarket Recreation and Culture Department at the Municipal Offices (395 Mulock Drive). Artwork will be on display the first week of May to July 31, 2018, at the Municipal Offices.

Civic Art Contest Display - Until April 20
Check out the incredible artwork created by our local high school students. The arts curriculum is based on developing creativity, communicating, understanding culture and making connections. The Elman W. Campbell Museum and the Town of Newmarket are proud to be community partners.
Location and time: On display until April 27 at the Municipal Offices (395 Mulock Drive) during hours of operation.

2018 Spring and Summer Activity Guide
Are you ready for Spring? Look for your Town of Newmarket Spring and Summer Activity Guide online at play.newmarket.ca. Registration is now open.
The Mindful Project - Second Annual Mental Health Exhibit: Beam On
In honour of Canadian Mental Health Week and National Youth Week, the Mindful Project will be showcasing its second annual art exhibit and will explore the expressive and cathartic process of creating and sharing art. The Old Town Hall Gallery is calling all artists to submit their pieces related to mental health and wellness. Themes include situational or personal trauma, forms of mediation, meditation and relaxation. Submissions are being accepted until March 29 at 4:30 p.m. The exhibit will run from May 1 until June 28.

2018 Summer Camp Guide and Registration
Camp registration for residents and non-residents is now underway. View the 2018 Summer Camp Guide and register online at play.newmarket.ca

For up-to-date weather and cancellation details of Town-run outdoor events, please call 1-877-PLAY936 (1-877-752-9936) on the day of the event no more than two hours prior to the start time. Children under 12 years of age must be accompanied by an adult at all events. Please contact the Town at 905-895-5193 or visit newmarket.ca/events for more information.

2018 Supplementary Capital Budget
Newmarket Council approved a Borrowing By-law that would allow the Town of Newmarket to obtain a $26 million loan from Infrastructure Ontario with repayment terms of 30 years to finance the additional expenditure of the 2018 Supplementary Budget. This will account for a 2.6 per cent increase on the tax base, which works out to $47 per year for 30 years for the average assessed home in Newmarket. The additional expenditure will be used to finance the purchase of the Mulock Farm/Estate located at the northwest corner of Yonge Street and Mulock Drive. For more information, including financial reports and schedules, please click here.

Newmarket first in Canada to expand Soofa solar-powered bench network

After a long winter, spring has officially sprung and with warmer weather around the corner, Newmarket residents can get outside and enjoy all that Newmarket has to offer including the Soofa solar powered benches. The Town of Newmarket is proud to lead the way in innovative technologies by expanding its Soofa Bench program with eight additional units throughout the downtown area. This is a big step forward towards Newmarket being recognized as a smart city by using data-driven technology to improve quality of life.

The Soofa Bench is an innovative bench that charges mobile devices using solar power, while creating a social space for neighbours to gather. The Town unveiled its first Soofa bench in Riverwalk Commons in 2016 and is now expanding its network for smarter place making.

The expanded Soofa program enables Newmarket to join the Soofa Beta Cities network along with a number of major cities in the US, including New York, Boston, Austin, Los Angeles and more. Newmarket is the first municipality in Canada to be a part of the network. Through the network, the Town of Newmarket will work with Soofa as an early adopter of leading-edge technology and will advise on new product development to solve problems facing cities and towns, big and small. For more information, check out our media release.

Want to be a candidate in Newmarket's Election?

Those interested in becoming a candidate in Newmarket’s Municipal Election can file a Nomination form in-person with the Town Clerk as of Tuesday, May 1, 2018. Eligible candidates should first schedule an appointment by emailing elections@newmarket.ca to file their nomination.

To run for office in Newmarket, an individual must be:

a Canadian citizen; and
at least 18 years of age; and
a Newmarket resident; or
an owner or tenant of land in Newmarket, or the spouse of such owner or tenant; and
not legally prohibited from voting; and
not disqualified by any legislation from holding office

The last day for individuals to file their Nomination form is 2 p.m. on Friday, July 27, 2018. Further information and forms, including the required Nomination form will be made available by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs closer to the opening of the nomination period.

There are opportunities available for those interested in running for Council in the Municipal Election. One way to get involved is by signing up for the Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s webinar - So You Want to Run for Council. This online, work-at-your-own pace webinar covers many topics on how to run an election campaign and more. This course costs $75 and more information can be found by visiting municipaleducation.ca

Another way to get involved is by attending a Candidate Information Session which will be held on Tuesday, April 17, 2018 at the York Region Administrative Centre in the Council Chambers located at 17250 Yonge Street beginning at 5 p.m. This Information Session is for all individuals interested in running for Municipal Office. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs will be leading it, and will cover the following content:

Roles and responsibilities of elected officials and staff
Eligibility to run for various offices
Nomination process, including key dates
Campaign finances and compliance audits
Third Party Advertisers
…and more!

For more information on all things related to Newmarket’s 2018 Municipal Election visit newmarket.ca/vote

Flood Safety Information

Floods can happen everywhere, making them one of the country’s most common natural disasters. Flooding poses a greater threat in low-lying areas, near water, downstream from dams. Even the smallest streams, creek beds or drains can overflow and create flooding. During periods of heavy rain or extended periods of steady rains, be aware of the possibility of a flood.

Here are some resources to help you be prepared for a flood:

Please visit cyfs.ca for more information.

Town launches public education campaign highlighting safety in Newmarket school zones

With children back to school from March Break and the spring season upon us, Town of Newmarket Bylaw Officers will be making their way around town, conducting a public education campaign in school zones.

The objective of this public education campaign is to educate Newmarket drivers on the rules of the road in school zones and ensure that they are obeying traffic signs, adhering to the kiss and ride program, looking and listening for crossing guards’ stop signs and whistles and respecting neighbours’ properties who live in the vicinity of a school zone.

The Town of Newmarket’s traffic safety mascot, Safety Cone Sam reminds commuters to keep the following school zone, pedestrian, cyclist and motor safety tips in mind as children walk, bike or are driven to school. For more information, view our Public Service Announcement.

By working together, sharing information, ideas and being engaged in our community, we can achieve results for Ward 6 together.

Newmarket Council Meeting on March 26, 2018

Want to be a candidate in Newmarket's Election?

Flood Safety Information

Town launches public education campaign highlighting safety in Newmarket school zones