Markham 2020 – Strategic Directions for Our Economy

· Develop a broad Kindergarten to grade 12 outreach program to help local youth better understand and prepare for productive work in a rapidly changing world. (DAP -1)

· Work with local post -secondary institutions to identify specific opportunities for building and nurturing our talent pool (including seminars, career days, a course in entrepreneurship and videos of successful new entrepreneurs). (DAP -2)

· Leverage the multicultural and multilingual character of Markham’s population to attract international partners and new opportunities for economic development. (DAP -3)

Integrated Leisure Master Plan

· Develop a corporation-wide public engagement strategy, focussing on newcomers and visible minorities, seniors, youth and persons with disabilities to increase outreach/participation Develop a pricing strategy that will include a balance of no cost/low cost programs and services that are accessible to all residents . (DAP -12)

· Develop strategic plans for Markham Museum, Theatre and The Varley Art Gallery and present plans to newcomers and visible minorities, seniors, youth and persons with disabilities for comment. (DAP -13)

· Establish a stronger presence for Markham Theatre, Markham Museum and The Varley Art Gallery by taking offerings to the community, and contributing programming to major festivals and events. (DAP -21)

· Enhance the use of social networks to gain feedback on cultural offerings. (DAP -22)

· Obtain more current data on neighbourhood changes through collaborations with school boards and other community partners. (DAP -23)

· Partner with groups who provide specialized programming for seniors; develop a communications strategy specifically designed for seniors; engage seniors in planning our program delivery methods. (DAP -24)

· Develop a well-researched understanding of how to find and engage isolated individuals in the community. (DAP -25)

· Encourage targeted outreach in neighbourhoods where seniors’ programs are already located. (DAP -26)

· Seek out volunteers who speak the languages of newcomer communities and ask them to assist in delivering programs to newcomer seniors. (DAP -27)

· Inform seniors about subsidies they are entitled to by bringing forms or applications to them instead of asking seniors to figure it all out for themselves. (DAP -28)

· Promote programs that allow seniors to stay in the community. Develop new events and programs that suit all youth in the community by partnering with existing youth councils and cultural youth groups. (DAP -29)

· Develop new events and programs that suit all youth n the community by partnering with existing youth councils and cultural youth groups. (DAP -30)

· Pilot a project in underserved southeast Markham using integrated service delivery and community engagement concepts to help create customized youth programs. (DAP -31)

· Track awareness of available youth recreational opportunities and satisfaction ratings on an annual basis. (DAP -32)

· Develop learning place programs for teens and augment learning place programs for children focussing on literacy and life skills. (DAP-33)

· Promote Markham’s Language Line to newly arrived youth. (DAP-34)

· Build youth leadership opportunities in existing workshops and volunteer programs by increasing the number of schools active in our Healthy School Initiative. (DAP-35)

· Enhance Markham’s annual Youth Week celebration by developing new events and programs in partnership with existing youth councils and newcomers’ cultural groups. (DAP-36)

· Increase the number of programs and workshops held in neighbourhood schools to decrease the need for youth to pay for transportation to get to programs. (DAP-38)

· Provide free youth leadership training for low-income youth, reducing barriers while increasing employment opportunities. (DAP-39)

· Introduce specialized librarian positions which focus on teen programs at all library branches and create new dedicated teen spaces as the branches are renovated/expanded. (DAP-40)

· Launch a parent-child workshop to help teen parents develop early learning literacy skills at home. Seek out partnerships with organizations that serve at-risk teens, such as York Region Health Services, to connect with teen parents and promote early literacy through story times, outreach and other programs. (DAP-41)

· Seek out partnerships with organizations that serve at-risk teens, such as York region Health Services, to connect teen parents and promote early literacy through story times, outreach and other programs. (DAP-42)

· Ensure all community centres have dedicated spaces for youth’s exclusive use. (DAP-45)

· Continue to provide diverse recreational opportunities appropriate to the tastes of new Markham residents. (DAP-46)

· Support the settlement services of not-for-profit and government agencies and develop additional services for newcomers while improving promotion of our existing programs and services. (DAP-49)

· Build sustainable partnerships with emerging cultural groups to help meet the needs of newcomers; expand the number of local clubs and groups helping to plan and deliver programs; publicize the start-up funding we offer to help create innovative, neighbourhood-based programs. (DAP-51)

· Provide cultural sensitivity training to full-time and part time recreation, library and culture staff, building greater capacity to respond to newcomers’ needs in Markham facilities. (DAP-52)

· Tell stories of settlement from pioneer days to contemporary times at the Markham Museum so that all our communities’ stories are included. (DAP-53)

· Expand literacy programming in languages other than English through partnerships with community organizations. (DAP-54)

· Assess all our programs, services and delivery methods with the help of the Accessibility Committee. (DAP-62)

· Acquire funding to buy additional Kurzweil units for all library locations. (DAP-64)

· Create more partnerships with community service providers offering specialized and unique services to persons with disabilities. (DAP-66)

Growth Plan

· Provide for a diversified housing stock to serve the growing population, including intensification at appropriate locations. (DAP-4)

· Support the further application of sustainable community design, transit investment, infrastructure improvement, a diversity of housing and employment opportunities supportive of improved live-work opportunities. (DAP-5)

· Advocate for a better mix of housing to achieve better income to housing cost ratios, enabling newcomers to participate and volunteer. (DAP-50)

· Ensure that the design of all improvements to Markham buildings and parks address the needs of persons with disabilities. (DAP-60)

· Continue to advocate for the development of more assisted housing. (DAP-61)

Sustainability - Green Print

· Partnering with York food network to design a culture and food guide to support community to find culturally appropriate food. (DAP-6)

· Develop introductory civic courses for citizens unfamiliar with municipal processes and research potential of a youth shadow council to promote council future leaders. (DAP-7)

Business Plans

Contact Centre

· Identify and incorporate the needs of newcomers and visible minorities, seniors, youth and persons with disabilities into Markham’s corporate customer service strategy. (DAP-8)

Communication and Community Relations

· Develop clear language guidelines for all forms of Markham’s communications including but not limited to the website, program publicity, and public policies. (DAP-10)

· Create a youth communications strategy incorporating the use of Social Media. (DAP-37)

· Develop new strategies to lift language barriers preventing newcomers from participation by offering recreation, culture and library information in multiple languages. (DAP-47)

· Increase translation services offered in local community centres. (DAP-48)

· Design and establish accessibility features on the website as part of the Portal project. (DAP-63)

Accessibility Office

· Increase staff awareness and training regarding the province’s new Service Standard. (DAP-65)

Asset Management

· Undertake to ensure frequently used Markham facilities meet provincial accessibility requirements. (DAP-14)