Highlights in this edition... | | COVID-19 pandemic disclaimer Due to the rapidly changing nature of the pandemic, information in this edition of the King Bulletin may be outdated once published. For the latest information on the status of programs and services, please visit www.king.ca/covid19. | Mayor's Message On behalf of council, welcome to the April edition of the King Bulletin. I’m extremely pleased to let you know King Township is tentatively scheduled to open a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Trisan Centre in Schomberg the first or second week of April. The opening date is largely dependent on adequate vaccine supply to York Region. This has been in the works for a while and is the culmination of a lot of hard work by King Township staff—led by the King Township Fire and Emergency Services department—and several community partners. I’ve been to the Trisan Centre to tour the facility and everything is almost ready to go, including three new state-of-the-art refrigeration units for storing three different vaccines. The goal is for everyone to be processed efficiently so the entire procedure takes as little time as possible and is as stress-free as staff can make it for residents. There will be more than a dozen staff members and volunteers on hand and plenty of signage to help guide you through the process from intake to getting your vaccination. I’d like to thank the Dr. Joseph Gergis Medicine Professional Corporation and the Regional Municipality of York for working with us to provide this invaluable service to our residents. To register once the clinic is open please visit York Region’s vaccination clinic registration at http://bit.ly/YRcovid19. Sincerely, Mayor Steve Pellegrini | Comprehensive Stormwater Management Master Plan Although the second Public Information Centre on the Comprehensive Stormwater Management Master Plan is done, you can still submit comments on the plan. For more info visit https://speaking.king.ca/stormwater-master-plan. There you will find a comment sheet to fill out and submit. There will be a two-week period for the public to submit comments following the Public Information Centre earlier today (April 1st). Visit Speaking Page | | Draft Revised Community Improvement Plan Adopted By Council The Community Improvement Plan for King City, Nobleton and Schomberg is an exciting action-oriented program that is being used to promote beautification, property improvements and economic development in the three communities. The Township's Draft Revised Community Improvement Plan has been officially adopted by council. The document can be found in the Document Library at www.speaking.king.ca/community-improvement-plan. | | "GREY-Lockdown" York Region moved back into the "Grey-Lockdown" level as of 12:01 a.m. on April 3. The Township has, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, been offering all administrative services to our businesses and residents virtually. You can visit our website at www.king.ca, call us at 905-833-5321 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) or email us at serviceking@king.ca. | | King Township remains open for business. Many services—including things like building permits, planning applications, garbage bag tags and the payment of water bills—can all be accessed online. We have also introduced virtual recreation programming and will continue to offer as many outdoor recreation programs as possible in the coming weeks. You can visit our website at www.king.ca, call us at 905-833-5321 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) or email us at serviceking@king.ca. COVID-19 Information Hub Disclaimer Due to the rapidly changing nature of the pandemic, information in this edition of the King Bulletin may be outdated once published. For the latest information on the status of programs and services, please visit www.king.ca/covid19. | COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics (York Region) York Region, in partnership with local hospitals, continues to follow the Province’s three-phased Vaccine Distribution Plan. For eligibility requirements and more information please visit york.ca/COVID19Vaccine. | 2021 Pet Licences A friendly reminder to get your 2021 pet licence(s) before April 15th. Get your licence(s) early to avoid late fees. Pricing: - Dog licences are $20 before April 15th.
- Service Dogs are free with documentation.
- Cat licence fees are waived.
- Seniors (65+) receive a $5 discount.
- Replacement tags are $10.
| | Any cat or dog over the age of 3 months requires a licence. Pet tags must be worn at all times. Have questions? Email clerks@king.ca | | Friendly reminder to be a responsible pet owner! Keep pets on-leash and pick up after them by bringing dog waste bags with you and discarding them in Township bins, or at home. Pet waste (and kitty litter) can be disposed of in compostable bags inside your green bin. king.ca/pets How do I properly dispose of pet waste? Pet waste (including kitty litter) is considered organic material, and can be disposed of in compostable bags inside of your green bin. Make sure to pick up after your pet when out in public too. If there are no Township bins available to dispose of pet waste or if they are full, bring it home. For more information about disposal of pet and other waste, visit: king.ca/waste. It is a requirement under the Animal Control By-law to pick up and properly dispose of pet excrement. Failure to do so could result in a fine. | King Receives Provincial Funding King Township will receive $775,972 from the Government of Ontario this year to help offset expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement was made by MPP (King-Vaughan) and Minister of Education Stephen Lecce on behalf of Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board. The Government of Ontario is providing $500 million to municipal governments to support municipal operations. This new funding is on top of Safe Restart funding King has received in the past (Phase 1 - $574,400 in 2020; Phase 2 - $243,000 in 2021). | | In 2020, King also received Ontario Community Infrastructure Funds of $608,548 to make repairs and upgrades to the municipal water system in Schomberg. | Federal Broadband Funding Announcement Deb Schulte, Minister of Seniors and Member of Parliament for King–Vaughan, on behalf of the Maryam Monsef, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development, recently announced an investment of $2.27 million to bring high-speed Internet to rural residents in the communities of Pottageville, Nobleton and Lloydtown in King Township. With an additional investment of nearly $1.7 million from Vianet, this project will connect 485 underserved households to high-speed Internet. | | "Access to reliable, affordable high-speed Internet is one of the largest issues we deal with in King Township. Our residents need to be able to connect with family, friends and workplaces, while our business community needs it to remain competitive, especially during the current pandemic,” said Mayor Steve Pellegrini. “On behalf of council, I'd like to thank the Government of Canada for the significant investment in King through the Universal Broadband Fund. I'd also like to thank Vianet for its additional investment. Vianet has been a tremendous partner in helping to connect King's residents to high-speed Internet over the last several years. I know the almost 500 households in Pottageville, Nobleton and Lloydtown will benefit greatly from this great news." | Gypsy Moths - What are they? Gypsy moths are destructive pests. They get their name from their ability to travel by attaching to various objects. They appear in late July or August. | | Gypsy moth caterpillars (larvae) change looks as they grow. Young caterpillars are black or brown and about .6 cm (.24 inches) in length. As they grow, bumps develop along their backs with coarse black hairs. The caterpillar is easily recognizable in the later part of this stage: charcoal grey with a double row of five blue and six red dots on its back. Feeding ends by early July, and mature caterpillars can be as long as 6.35 cm (2.5 inches). Should I be concerned? Gypsy moths are a concern because the larvae feed voraciously, mostly on the leaves of deciduous (leafy) trees, but also on some conifers (evergreens). During the larval stage, a single gypsy moth caterpillar can eat an average of one square metre of leaves. How can I get rid of gypsy moths? Egg masses | It is important to be thorough when looking for egg masses as they can be difficult to locate. Common hiding places include: the underside of branches, tree trunks, fences, firewood, outdoor furniture, swing sets, boats, trailers and under the eaves of buildings. One egg mass can have up to 1,000 eggs. When an egg mass is found, it should be scraped off with a paint scraper or steal brush. While a knife may be used, it is easier to damage your tree with a knife than using a paint scraper or steel brush. Then soak the egg masses in a bucket with hot water and soap for a couple days before disposing or drop into a bucket filled with hot water and household bleach or ammonia. | | Remove picnic tables, swing sets, and lawn furniture from around the bases of trees, because these objects provide the insects with protection from the heat of the sun. Want more information? Contact us by email at environmentalstewardship@king.ca or call 905-833-6555. | Events, Activities & Programs | King Community Clean Up Get outside and celebrate Earth Week! Take part in the Township-wide clean-up day challenge! Do you part and help us clean up our parks, streets, ditches and neighbourhoods. Pick up your clean up supplies at the following locations during Earth Week and receive a free pack of native wildflower seeds. Register your clean up location today. Date: Saturday, April 24 Age: All Ages Fee: Free Supply Pick Up Locations: - Municipal Office Centre - Friday, April 23 9:00am - 10:00am
- Trisan Centre (parking lot) - Friday, April 23 12:00pm -1:00pm
- Nobleton Arena - Friday, April 23, 1:30pm - 2:30pm
- Cold Creek Conservation Area Visitors Centre - April 23 and 24 9:00am - 11:00am
Registration: Email environmentalstewardship@king.ca or call 905-833-6555 for more information. | Spring Wildflower Planting Bring the family out to plant native wildflowers and create habitat for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Together we will create a pollinator garden. | | Community Electronic Recycling Description: Do you have old electronics collecting dust at home? Bring your unwanted electronics to the Community Electronic Recycling to ensure they are disposed of safely, recycled and kept out of landfill. Residents will be required to unload their own items. Date: Saturday, May 29 2021 Location: Parks Yard, Schomberg Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm Fee: Free | | For more information contact environmentalstewardship@king.ca or call 905-833-6555. Accepted Items include: televisions, monitors, desk tops, phones, printing, copying and scanning equipment, stereos, speakers, digital media, video game consoles, projectors, microphones, cameras, calculators, lighting, power tools, small appliances, stationary and portable audio/video systems | In-person Summer Camps King Township’s Community Services Division is preparing for the delivery of both in-person and virtual camps for the upcoming summer season. The Township plans to post its full summer camp program roster on the new virtual community guide platform for both in-person and virtual programming Monday, April 19, 2021 with registration tentatively set to open for all Township residents on Monday, May 10 at 7 am. | | These dates and times are subject to change based on Provincial and Regional public health guidelines. The Township will continue to make ongoing public updates regarding summer camp programming which can be viewed on the municipal webpage at www.king.ca. | Although our Municipal Offices remain closed to the public, staff will be offline Fri., April 2nd and Mon., April 5th, returning at 8:30 a.m. on Tues., April 6th. For urgent matters during this time, contact our 24/7 after-hours service at 905-833-5321. If you do not have an urgent concern, you can still do business with us on our website at www.king.ca, or send an email to serviceking@king.ca where staff will respond when the Township reopens. | Seasonal Operations & Updates | Reduced Load/Half-Load Restrictions The annual reduced load or "half-load" period to limit vehicle weights to 5,000 kg per axle starts on designated Township roads effective March 1, 2021 to May 31, 2021 per Traffic By-law 2017-103. For further information, call 905-833-5321. View the half-load restrictions map. | | Municipal Water Flushing In the spring and fall the Public Works Department flushes all water mains and hydrants in King City, Nobleton, Schomberg and Ansnorveldt. As a result, residents over the course of the next few weeks may experience low pressure and/or discoloration. This process contributes to the safe, effective delivery of municipal water and does not affect the quality of your water in any way. Should you require further information please contact ServiceKing by email at serviceking@king.ca or by phone at 905-833-5321. | | Spring Street Sweeping King has tentatively scheduled street sweeping for an April 19 start (weather depending). Three sweepers will be utilized at the same time in King City, Nobleton and Schomberg before moving out to other areas of the Township. The intent is to be completed by the long weekend in May. | | Recycle Coach App Download the new Recycle Coach app on your mobile devices for all your waste and recycle needs. Never miss another collection! Download the new Recycle Coach app and get pick-up reminders and lots more! Visit king.ca/waste for more details. | | Textile Donation Bins The bins are open and accepting donations. Information about bin locations or how to schedule an at home pick up is included in the link below. View More | Yard Waste Pickup Yard waste collection starts the week of March 29th, 2021 and will be picked up bi-weekly through the last full week in November. There is no limit on the number of containers that can be put out. Residents are able to use rigid open-top containers (i.e. blue boxes) to help alleviate the need for trips to the store for yard waste collection bags. Please have yard waste out to the curb by 7:00 AM on your regularly scheduled collection day. If you require additional information or have questions, please contact ServiceKing at 905-833-5321 or email serviceking@king.ca. | Waste Collector - Cleaning our your CLUTTER We know that a lot of people who are off work or working from home may be looking to de-clutter their homes during the pandemic. We’d like to remind you of a few things: Extra bag tags can be purchased at king.ca/onlineservices. Please do not dump garbage of any kind in any park or municipal receptacle. Household garbage and medical waste dumped in municipal receptacles may put our staff and others in danger, attract animals and create an unsightly mess. Please do your part to dispose of all waste responsibly through curbside collection or at a public waste depot. For information on York Region waste depots, visit www.york.ca. | Yellow Brick House Mayor Steve Pellegrini is supporting the Yellow Brick House charity by helping to raise awareness about their annual gala. Yellow Brick House's Break The Silence Virtual Gala aims to raise $125,000 through online auction, live fundraising, and sharing heart-warming stories that demonstrate the incredible impact that community support has on their programs and services. Date: Friday, May 7, 2021 | Time: 7PM To register, see prize draws, or more information visit https://www.yellowbrickhouse.org/gala2021/ | | Arts Society King - Studio Tour Each Spring toward the end of April, the Studio Tour King takes place in King Township, presented by Arts Society King (ASK). This year, we're going virtual! Unfortunately, due to the pandemic and Public Health restrictions, the studio tour cannot be in-person but will be held virtually instead. The 16th Studio Tour King has been extended and will take place from April 12th to 25th with the preview from April 5th to 11th. The studio tour may include fine paintings, (in acrylic, oil, and watercolour), wood working, photography, fibre arts, metal works, mixed media, etc. Studio Tour King will feature many artists and artisans in studios around King Township including King City, Nobleton and Schomberg. As of April 5th, you will be able to visit the ASK website to see the participating artists, their biographies and up to twelve photos of their artwork which is for sale. There will be a link to their website and social media accounts for additional artwork available. If you are interested in purchasing any item, please contact the artist directly for their payment options and to arrange for delivery of the item. Virtual Studio Tour King 2021 | Council Meeting Highlights Couldn’t watch the latest live stream of the March 29 council meeting? You can see all the highlights in our live tweet thread by viewing our Twitter page. | | New King Township Public Library Website The Library worked with the same vendor—Upanup—that the Township did. This resulted in cost efficiencies and two websites that complement each other. Visit www.kinglibrary.ca to take it for a spin. You can also take a virtual tour of the beautiful new King City branch. Watch this quick video for an introduction to all the great features and information on Library services and programs on the new website. | | | King's First Digital-Only Community Guide By moving to a digital-only format, King Township will continue to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by cutting down on potential waste and the destruction of trees for paper. This digital guide is the first of its kind for King and will include information such as Township programs, events, municipal services and more, designed to be quick and easy to navigate for all residents. It will provide township staff with the ability to make real-time changes to program and event information that wasn’t possible before with a print guide. All of King’s program, event and facility information will remain up-to-date and as accurate as possible. | | | Highway 400 Rolling Closures at Lloydtown-Aurora Road for Girder Installation April 14 - 15, 2021 Highway 400 lane reductions to a single lane in both northbound and southbound directions, scheduled for April 14 - 15, 2021. OPP officers will be conducting rolling closures for 15 minutes. Inclement weather contingency date: April 16, 2021. The two consecutive nights will be consisting of the following: - Highway 400 Southbound 2-lane closure from 21:00 to 05:00
- Highway 400 Northbound 2-lane closure from 22:00 to 06:00
- OPP assisted rolling closure Northbound and Southbound from 22:00 to 05:00
- Highway 400 Northbound off-ramp at Lloydtown-Aurora Road to be closed from 22:00 to 05:00
| Notice of Road Construction Update: King Horn Bridge, King Road and Jane Street King Horn Bridge, King Road and Jane Street, Township of King York Region is resuming work on replacing the bridge deck for the King Horn Bridge, located on King Road, east of Highway 400 in the Township of King. Work is anticipated to begin on April 5th and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2021. This work may be rescheduled due to weather conditions or delays related to COVID-19 Public Health guidelines. York Region will provide advance notice whenever possible. King Road will remain open to traffic; however, lanes will be reduced from four to two to accommodate construction. York region will make every effort to minimize disruptions and we thank you for your patience and understanding. See all Service Alerts | Service King ServiceKing staff are available to answer any inquiries 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday. While staff are offline, our 24/7 after hour service will be available. | | You can still do business with King on our website at www.king.ca, by phone at 905-833-5321 or by email at serviceking@king.ca. Current method of payment options: | | | | |