(I AM SHARING THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS ARTICLE FROM THE MAY 31st 2018 EDITION OF 'NEWMARKET NOW!' SEND YOUR FEEDBACK OR SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE EDITIONS BY SENDING COMMENTS TO COMMUNICATIONS@NEWMARKET.CA)

vivaNext update on current projects in Newmarket

Town of Newmarket Council received a presentation from vivaNext highlighting the progress of the Yonge Street Newmarket Rapidway expansion. vivaNext is currently making progress on the implementation phase and the project is on target for having the rapidway open at the end of 2019.

Residents and business owners can stay up-to-date with the project by subscribing at vivanext.com/subscribe and by following vivaNext on social media @vivaNext

Residents who have any questions or concerns regarding the project can contact Newmarket's vivaNext Community Liaison, Sophia Bittar at 905-806-0713.

2018 Property Tax Due Dates

Town of Newmarket Council approved the Property Tax Rates and By-Law for 2018. This By-law will allow the Town of Newmarket to levy and collect property taxes for 2018.

The due dates for the final three installments for the residential levy will be:

Thursday, July 26
Tuesday, August 28
Tuesday, September 25

Property taxes can be paid by any of the following methods:

Telephone or online banking
Pre-authorized payment plans (with pre-registration)
In-person at a Customer Service kiosk at the Municipal Offices or a Customer Service Kiosk at the Magna Centre, Ray Twinney Recreation Centre or Old Town Hall
By mail or dropped off in-person (cheques) at the Municipal Offices
Credit card (online only) at plastiq.com (service charge applies)

Residents are encouraged to use online or telephone banking as it is the safest, most secure and efficient manner of payment.

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

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Save the date! Mark these events in your calendar:

Rogers Spray Pad - now open
The Rogers Spray Pad is now open for the season!
Location and time: 170 London Road, daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Discovery Walking Tours - June 7
This walking series will keep you spellbound as you learn from local guides. You can get in on the action by sharing your stories and asking questions. Walks are 1 hour in length. Free admission. Register online at play.newmarket.ca. The walks are as follows:

June 7: Native plant discovery

Location and time: Walks will depart from Old Town Hall (460 Botsford Street) at 1 p.m.

An Evening With the Stars - June 16

The York Simcoe Amateur Astronomers (YSAA) will set up various types of telescopes for everyone to use and enjoy, as we spend an evening looking at the stars. Be sure to bring blankets and chairs! YSAA members will be on site answering your questions and helping you get a great view of Jupiter and it's moons: Venus, Saturn and Mercury.
Location and time: George Richardson Park from 8 p.m. to midnight.

Late Night Paint Night - June 28
Bring your creativity and imagination to Late Night Paint Night. Join this fun and social evening. Create your own masterpiece with step-by step instructions from painting instructor Judy Horan of Art Circle. No experience is required and paint, brushes and canvas included. Beverages available to purchase on site. Cost is $35 per person.
Location and time: Old Town Hall (460 Botsford Street) from 7 to 10 p.m.

Beam On Art Exhibition - Until June 28
In honour of Canadian Mental Health Week and National Youth Week, The Mindful Project will be showcasing the 2nd annual Beam On art exhibition with over 30 artists. Admission is free.
Location and time: Old Town Hall (460 Botsford Street), Tuesday to Friday from 4 to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon.

Heritage Art Contest Winners - On display until July 31

Winner: Radial Railway Arch by Ave Richardson.
Honourable Mentions: Botsford Street in Black and White by Malcolm Watts and Back Door, William Stickwood House by Sheila Dalton.
View the entire exhibition at the Municipal Offices.
Location and time: Municipal Offices (395 Mulock Drive), Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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.

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Recycle your used batteries at a Town of Newmarket facility

Residents can now drop off their used batteries (single use) to the following Town of Newmarket facilities:

Municipal Offices (395 Mulock Drive)
Newmarket Operations Centre (1275 Maple Hill Court)
Magna Centre (800 Mulock Drive)
Ray Twinney Recreation Complex (100 Eagle Street West)
Newmarket Seniors’ Meeting Place (474 Davis Drive)

Primary batteries such as AA, AAA, C-cell, D-cell, Button Cell, 6-volt and 9-volt batteries will be accepted.
For more information, visit our battery recycling webpage on the Newmarket website.

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Bike Lanes in Newmarket

The warm weather means more cyclists are travelling around Town on our bike lanes. Help ensure safety for cyclists, motorists and pedestrians by following the rules of the road.

Please remember:

Bike lanes are to be used for bicycles only. No other forms of transportation are permitted in bike lanes.
Parking in a bike lane is not permitted.

Learn more about bike lanes in Newmarket by clicking the links below:

Do you have further questions or comments about bike lanes? Call 905-895-5193 or take our traffic mitigation survey which outlines our cyclist safety strategies here.

Public Works: What’s in the Works?

Below are highlights of what the Town’s Public Works staff is up to this spring/summer season.

Newmarket facilities

Ray Twinney Recreation Complex:
Renovations at the Ray Twinney Recreation complex are now in its final stages.

Completed: new roof, new seats at the ends of Rink 1. Both lounges have a fresh new look which includes flooring, kitchen counters, bar area, new floor, feature wall and repainted.
On-going: new family change room and HVAC upgrade for Arena 1

All renovations will be completed in the next few months.

Outdoor facilities:
The water feature at the Tim Hortons Skating and Water feature is now open for the season. The Rogers Spray Pad is now open and the Gorman Outdoor Pool will be open in June.

Spring/summer initiatives at Newmarket parks

Playground and park improvements will take place at Environmental Park, Beswick Park, Whipper Watson Park and George Richardson Park (south playground) this season.
Tennis courts are now open for the season.
All permitted sport fields will be open by the end of May.
Flowers will be blooming around Town as part of our annual flower program during the last week of May. This program will be completed in early June.
Forestry staff will be pruning street trees throughout the year and will take part in two tree planting seasons – one in the spring and one in the fall.

Water and wastewater initiatives

Hydrant painting has begun in Wards 1 and 7.
Watermain swabbing will begin at the end of June. This annual routine distribution system maintenance work will help reduce the effects of water degradation and ensure safe and high quality drinking water in Newmarket.

For more information on other water and wastewater initiatives, visit newmarket.ca/waterwastewater.

Maintenance on roads
Street sweeping has begun in Newmarket and will take approximately four weeks to complete. Contractors will begin in the southern areas of Town and will work north towards the Newmarket/East Gwillimbury boundary. Once the initial clean up has taken place, the Town will continue the upkeep into the fall.

For more information on other Public Work Service initiatives, visit newmarket.ca or call 905-895-5193.

Living with Wildlife

When natural food sources are scarce, wildlife will search for food which often leads to sightings in residential areas.
To reduce the potential of wildlife encounters here are some tips:

Limit food sources
Keep barbecues clean and covered when not in use
Secure garbage in durable plastic containers with locking lids
Store garbage indoors until collection day
Maintain compost in containers that keep wildlife out while allowing for ventilation

For more information regarding living with wildlife, visit newmarket.ca/wildlife

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

Newmarket Council Highlights of Monday May 28th 2018