Good Morning Markhamites
This is a reminder that York Region schools are closed on Friday for a P.A. day.
On Tuesday, the development services committee voted to reduce the speed limit in front of Bill Hogarth Secondary School on Bur Oak from 50 to 40 kph. Whether that will stop drivers from drag racing out of the school parking lot at lunch is anyone’s guess.
Today’s reading time is about 5 minutes.
Markham High Schools Are Some Of The Best in Ontario
The Fraser Institute released the rankings of Ontario high schools this week - Markham’s St Augustine Catholic High School ranks 4th in Ontario, with Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Unionville tied at 12th. Bur Oak comes in at 15 while Bill Hogarth debuts on the rankings at 19th. Most notably, Markville has fallen to 26 on the list, which is surprising as it usually ranks much higher in previous years. Father Michael McGiveney and Bill Crothers round out Markham’s schools in the top 50. Not only are these rankings measuring the quality of education your kids get while there, but they are also a powerful indicator of which neighbourhoods in Markham will be in high demand in the next few years.
Speaking of education, elementary teachers at Armadale Public School and Middlefield collegiate high school teachers have been teaming up to make the transition to high school more seamless for Markham students. They are hoping to collaborate to bridge the gap between the two systems.
Auto Thefts Making Markham 5th Most Expensive City In Ontario for Insurance.
According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, Markham is the 5th costliest city to be insured as a driver in Canada, behind Vaughan, Mississauga, Brampton and Toronto.
While we can all shrug this off and be thankful we don’t live in Toronto or Brampton, the genuine problem of auto theft is one of the critical reasons rates are so high in this city. Last year, Markham had $43 Million in auto theft-related auto claims. While the insurance board has applauded the efforts of the provincial government to crack down on thefts, more needs to be done from a federal and regional level to slow down this crisis. In the meantime, the IBC has left us with a bleak warning that if nothing more is done, drivers and consumers will begin to feel the squeeze next.
York Regional Police has this list of tips to safeguard your car against potential auto theft.
Community Notes
Shoppers Drug Mart, runners raise funds for MSH’s Women’s mental health services.
Markham McDonalds Franchisee leads all Canadians in McHappy Day Fundraiser
York’s population grows to 1.25M.
What’s Going On In Markham This Week
June 6
12:30 - 11:30 PM 421 Bentley Street, Unit 8 - Markham Talent Open Casting Call - Details here
June 7
Noon to Midnight - Pacific Mall Summer Carnival - Details here
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Rouge River Brewery - Live Music - Courtney Bowles
June 8
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM - Doors Open Markham - Details here
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM - Markham Village Farmer’s Market
Noon to Midnight - Pacific Mall Summer Carnival
June 9
All Day - Downtown Markham - Markham Cycling Day - Details here
Noon to Midnight - Pacific Mall Summer Carnival
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