Report to: General Committee Report
Date:
SUBJECT: 2009-2011 Milliken Children’s Festival Relocation Report
PREPARED BY: Jason Tsien, x3930
RECOMMENDATION:
That this report is to be received as information;
And that the Milliken Children’s Festival be temporarily moved in 2009 to 2011 from Milliken Mills Community Centre to the Markham Civic Centre;
And further that the Recreation Department be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.
PURPOSE:
To inform Council on the decision to temporarily move the Milliken Children’s Festival from Milliken Mills Community Centre to the Markham Civic Centre for the period of 2009 to 2011 due to the scheduled construction of the Milliken Reservoir.
BACKGROUND:
The Milliken Children’s Festival (MCF) is
York Region’s largest children’s festival and attracts an estimated 20,000
visitors annually and in 2008, MCF celebrated its 10th anniversary. Currently, the Milliken Children’s Festival
is held at Milliken Mills Community Centre located at
The search for a new festival location started in May, 2008. Working closely with MCF festival chair, Logan Kanapathi, town staff and ten community leaders, eight sites were reviewed and weighed against the following criteria.
1.
Transportation
2.
Available parking space
3.
Site layout
4.
Volunteer accommodation
5.
Storage/facility
6.
Proximity to Ward 7 & 8
7.
Proximity to residents
In reviewing possible sites around
Potential sites included:
- Town of
- Town of
- Unionville GO Train Station
- And
The community volunteers visited and completed the scoring per site using the seven criteria (see Appendix 1.)
- Transportation - Markham Civic Centre is along a major transportation line on
Hwy 7. Participants can take alternative forms of transportation to the
festival. Therefore, keeping the
festival highly assessable to all participants.
- Parking space - There is sufficient parking available surrounding the Markham
Civic Centre and busing would be made available from the Unionville GO
Train Station,
- Site layout – Since the festival is on a weekend, the site layout is
desirable in that the West end of the Civic Centre’s parking lot provides
sufficient space for the festival and green space is available to provide
shelter for participants.
- Volunteers
Accommodation - The big concern is the ability
to accommodate the 400+ volunteers that enables the functioning of the
festival. The existence of a
cafeteria and shelter within the Markham Civic Centre will allow supplies
to be stored and a place for volunteers to rest and eat.
- Proximity to
Residents – since 95% of the MCF volunteers
are high school students, they rely on alternative forms of transportation
other than their own vehicle. It
becomes essential that the festival be placed in an area such as the
Markham Civic Centre where it is easily assessable.
- Creation of a People
Centre – The Milliken Children’s Festival can
increase exposure of the Markham Civic Centre and Markham Theatre as more
than just a service centre, but rather as a people centre. Along with its annual 20,000
participants, the Milliken Children’s Festival can gather people to
celebrate
- Cost – Placing the festival at the Civic Centre will not increase
festival funding that is supported by the Town of
On October 24th, the committee of community volunteers voted to move the festival based on the site reviews to the Civic Centre location for the period of 2009 to 2011. Staff did not take part in the vote.
ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PRIORITIES:
N/A
DEPARTMENTS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
Asset Management
Corporate Communication
RECOMMENDED
BY: ________________________ ________________________
Glen Taylor Brenda Librecz
Acting
Director of
Services and Fire Services
ATTACHMENTS:
Appendix 1: Alternative MCF site evaluation
Appendix 2: Timeline of MCF alternative site
Q:\Recreation\EVENTS\EVE006\Milliken Children's
Festival.doc