Markham's First Sustainability Fair

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Markham’s first Sustainability Fair was held at the Markham Civic Centre on October 24, 2009 – the International Day of Action against Climate Change.  During the fair, 150 participants explored the “Now”, “Wow” and “How” of making Markham economically, socially, culturally and environmentally sustainable.

Kids take part in activities and educational booths at the October 24, 2009 Sustainability Fair

The Sustainability Fair included educational booths and activities from Markham area organizations. Participants were welcome to test drive electric bikes, make their mark on the community art project, watch a demo on solar panels and learn more about other sustainability initiatives already at work in our community.

A number of Town of Markham initiatives were also showcased including waste reduction, natural lawn care, the bicycle network, the design of Markham Centre, fire safety, the hybrid and biodiesel fleet, the volunteer garden at the Markham Museum and the Town-Wide Greenway System. 

 

Watch video clip of Dr. Avi Friedman, Markham Sustainability Keynote Speaker 1:38 mins. | *System Requirements/Technical Help

Keynote Speaker

Attendees were then treated to an inspiring keynote address from
Dr. Avi Friedman that examined the relationship between our individual health and how we design our communities. 

Dr. Friedman observed that the
way that we have designed communities in the past has discouraged physical activity, causing negative implications to ripple through the social, cultural, environmental and economic fabric of our community.  He challenged the audience to think differently about how communities can be designed to allow residents to walk to a neighbourhood store for their groceries, let children play hockey in our streets, encourage pedestrians and cyclists in our transportation network and support community gardens where people can grow healthy food.

Group Discussion

Guests broke into small groups to discuss the 12 proposed themes of sustainability in Markham

Participants were then invited to join small group discussions on the 12 proposed themes for the Green Print Community Sustainability Plan, where they were asked to provide insight and ideas, and to answer three questions:

How do you think Markham is performing on
    this topic?

What should Markham be aiming for in
    the long term?

What changes should Markham implement
    to get there?

Here's what we heard from residents

If you were not able to attend the Sustainability Fair, you can still answer these questions and provide your feedback on the Sustainability Goals online.

 

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Thank you to the following participating organizations:

PowerStream Enbridge Markham Environmental Advisory Committee (and Phil Ling) North American Native Plant Society

Earth Rangers Markham Arts Council Smart Commute Eco Health Foods Local Food Plus York Region Food Network