Markham's library misreads the situation and a community divided over the high-rise development boom.
October 17, 2023
Hi Markhamites
Both school boards have a P.A. day this Friday. What’s the catch? It’s supposed to rain Thursday to Saturday, so you might want to consider indoor activities.
Reading time is less than 3 minutes.
Markham Public Library apologizes after Manager tells staff not to “Actively promote” Islamic awareness month.
CP24 reports that a leaked email from a Markham Public Library Employee instructed other employees to take down library displays promoting Islamic Heritage Month as directed by Catherine Biss, the CEO of the library, and an unnamed city councilor.
The Library has since responded to this email leak with a post on Instagram and X stating that displays will go on as planned. While this is a significant first step, The Library also says that the email is inaccurate - It’s unclear what part of the email they’re referring to.
The Library has since deleted comments from the post and turned commenting off.
According to our last census in 2021, 7.9% of Markham’s population practiced Islam.
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The influx of high-rise development has Markham residents divided.
YorkRegion.com Reported a growing divide in Markham over the infill development planned for areas like Markville Mall, South Cornell, and Highway 48 between Mount Joy and Major Mac.
This has left many residents wondering what this will do to our infrastructure, given that the provincial government has passed development charges on from developers to taxpayers via Bill 23. Others are worried about the increasing cost of housing in the city, where an average house has a price of $1.3 Million.
At the crux of this issue are the population growth goals outlined by the province and dictated to the municipalities. Markham’s population is expected to almost double by 2050, and development will have to come from increasing density within our existing city limits, with the greenbelt being closed for development once more.
When in doubt, build up…
Public consultations are ongoing, which are slated for October 24 at 7 p.m. in person or online.