Enjoy outdoor ice rinks at these community centres

Now that winter is here, don’t lock yourself away! Bundle up

and get outside. There is so much to do in the City of Vaughan during the winter

months. Try skating at one of our five outdoor rinks, tobogganing at the Uplands

Golf and Ski Club or taking in the fun at WinterFest on Feb. 21 at Vellore Village

Community Centre.

Our team will also be busy providing all the services that keep your community

running smoothly and safely throughout the snowy months. This newsletter has

the information you need on everything from winter operations and garbage

collection, to frozen pipes and our tree replacement program.

The online version of Vaughan at Work and more information about our public

works operations are available at vaughan.ca/atwork. We hope you enjoy

this newsletter and welcome your feedback at corpcomm@vaughan.ca.

#VaughanAtWork

VAUGHANatWORKA P U B L I C W O R K S N E W S L E T T E R

City of Vaughan Public WorksJoint Operations Centre2800 Rutherford Rd.Vaughan, ON L4K 2N9

T: 905-832-2281E: accessvaughan@vaughan.ca

WINTER 2015–16

What Goes Where?

Garbage 101Environmental sustainability is a team effort. Please remember to use your green bin (organics) and blue box (recyclables), and participate in yard waste programs. Items that can’t be placed in these bins should go into your garbage which ends up in a landfill. Garbage is collected every other week, but there are some guidelines that you need to know.

Acceptable Containers:

• Use garbage bags that are no more than 0.66 metres (two feet) by 0.9 metres (three feet).

• Use regulation-sized rigid garbage cans with handles and removable lids. The diameter of the garbage container can’t be more than 0.5 metres (1.5 feet) and its height can’t be more than 0.9 metres (three feet).

Size of Garbage:

• The total weight of any one container and its contents can’t be more than 20.4 kilograms (45 pounds).

• Garbage items can’t be longer than 1.5 metres (five feet).

• There is a three-item garbage limit on collection day.

Placement of Containers:

• Waste containers must be set out prior to 7 a.m. on collection day.

• Place containers on the right side (when facing your house) of your driveway approximately 0.9 metres (three feet)from the curbside.

Unacceptable Containers:

• Oversized, broken or damaged containers• Cardboard boxes• Containers with attached lids

• Grocery-type shopping bags

• Laundry-type baskets or similar containers

For more information on garbage collection, visit us online at vaughan.ca/waste or call Access Vaughan at 905-832-2281.

Reminders

n Chancellor Community Centre

n Dufferin Clark Community Centre

n Father E. Bulfon Community Centre

CHRISTMAS TREE COLLECTION

• Christmas tree collection takes place on your regular collection day during the weeks of Jan. 5 and Jan. 12. If you miss your Christmas tree collection, you can drop off your tree at the Bloomington Yard Waste Depot, 1351 Bloomington Rd., in Richmond Hill at no charge.

• Christmas trees larger than 2.13 metres (seven feet) cannot fit into the collection vehicles and need to be cut in half.

• Christmas trees buried in or on top of snowbanks may not get collected. Please make sure your tree is accessible.

WASTE DAY REMINDERS

Please remember that green bins (organics) and blue boxes (recyclables) are collected every week. Garbage collection is every other week. There is no yard waste collection during the winter months.

HOLIDAY WASTE COLLECTION

Holidays mean a change of routine for everyone and that includes when garbage and recycling will be picked up in the City of Vaughan. For some residents, waste collection will be picked up one day later. Waste collections scheduled for:

n Friday, Dec. 25 will be picked up one day later on Saturday, Dec. 26

n Friday, Jan. 1 will be picked up one day later on Saturday, Jan. 2

n Friday, March 25 will be picked up one day later on Saturday, March 26

DOUBLE-UP DAYS

Double-Up Days take place on your regular garbage collection day during the weeks of Jan. 5 and Jan. 12. On Double-Up Days, you may dispose of up to six items of garbage without the need for paid garbage tags.

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Depot:

York Region HHW Vaughan Depot2840 Rutherford Rd., Vaughan

Leaf and Yard Waste

Bloomington Yard Waste Depot1351 Bloomington Rd., Richmond Hill

Reusable and Recyclable Drop-off Centre:

York Region McCleary Court Community Environmental Centre130 McCleary Crt., Vaughan

For more information, visit york.ca/waste or call 1-866-665-6752.

YORK REGION DROP-OFF DEPOTS:

UNSURE HOW TO DISPOSE

OF A WASTE ITEM?

Check out our online waste look-up tool at vaughan.ca/waste or download Vaughan’s My Waste App.

n Garnet A. Williams Community Centre

n Vellore Village Community Centre

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vaughan.ca #VaughanAtWork

Take Pride, Take Action. Recycle Unwanted Mail.Please remember to recycle your unwanted mail at home in your blue box. Place lighter items at the bottom of your blue box to prevent them from blowing away.

Too BIG: Too HEAVY:over 0.5 m/1.5 ft

over

0.9

m/3

ft

Container may be the correct size, but overloading it can make it too heavy.

Waste over 20.4 kg/45 lbs

Managing Melting Snow

We continue to work hard to replace trees in Vaughan that have been damaged by the ice storm and pests such as Emerald Ash Borer. This year we replaced approximately 3,800 boulevard trees in Vaughan. Tree removal, planting and assessment will begin again in the spring.

The approach towards rebuilding Vaughan’s tree canopy will be revisited and adjusted every year. If you prefer not to wait, we also have a program that allows you to pay for and replace the City-owned tree on the boulevard in front of your home. Visit vaughan.ca/trees for more information.

Winter is here and the City of Vaughan is ready to provide residents with the very best in seasonal services. As an innovative city committed to your health and safety, we take pride in providing programs and services that stand up to the demanding winter months.

Did you know that Vaughan is the only municipality in the GTA that provides windrow-clearing service to all residents? A windrow is the snowpile at the end of your driveway that is cleared after a heavy snowfall. We are proud to continue offering this premium service because we know how important it is to you and your family. We also use a de-icing product that is environmentally-friendly and helps keep roads safe to drive on.

This winter you will see many City staff hard at work clearing ice and snow from streets and sidewalks. The safety of our

SIDEWALKS. Plowing begins as soon as five centimetres (two inches) of snow accumulate. All sidewalks are expected to be cleared within 24 hours after snowfall has ended.

WINDROWS. Windrow machines are designed to clear about 80 per cent of snow left by plows at the end of the driveway within four hours after the plow has passed.

YORK REGION. The Region is responsible for plowing major streets in Vaughan, such as Bathurst Street, Dufferin Street, Keele Street and Major Mackenzie Drive, to name a few. Visit york.ca for more information.

city is a team effort and I want to take this opportunity to thank the community for making Vaughan a great place to live, work and play. As a city of choice, we take pride in being a progressive and environmentally-responsible community that offers an excellent quality of life.

I encourage you to read this newsletter. It’s a valuable resource with information on winter maintenance, the City’s tree strategy, the holiday waste collection schedule and organized outdoor activities.

On behalf of the City of Vaughan, I wish everyone a safe and enjoyable winter season.

Sincerely,

Hon. Maurizio Bevilacqua, P.C. Mayor

Salt. Plow. Windrow. Repeat.

When temperatures plummet you may find a drop in your water pressure or that you have no water at all. This could mean you have a frozen water pipe. If you suspect your pipes are frozen, call Access Vaughan at 905-832-2281. The City will send a licensed water operator to determine if and where the water service is frozen.

Here are some helpful tips for lowering the risk of frozen pipes in your home:

• Insulate pipes that are near outside walls, in crawl spaces or attics.

• Seal any leaks that allow cold air inside.

• Apply low-wattage pipe wrap heating.

• If you’re away, have someone check the house daily to ensure the heat is on.

Lowering the Risk of Frozen Pipes

Message from the Mayor

Rebuilding the Tree Canopy

• If shutting off the main water valve coming into the house, drain the water from the pipe by opening the lowest tap in the house.

Clearing the WayHelp keep the community safe and winter operations running smoothly with these Do’s and Don’ts during a snowfall:

DO keep garbage and recycling bins at least 0.9 metres (three feet) from the curb.

DO clear fire hydrants of snow if on or near your home or business.

DO remove ice and snow from the sidewalk in front of or along your property within 24 hours after snowfall ends.

DON’T shovel snow or ice onto the road.

DON’T park on the street as that makes it difficult for plows to clear and emergency vehicles to pass.

Winter is “snow” reason to panic

DO remove hazards that may be unsafe to plow crews (landscaping features like fencing, hedges, basketball nets, decorative stones and bird baths).

DO stay up to date on salting, snow removal and windrow clearing:

• Bookmark vaughan.ca/SNOW

• Follow @VaughanSNOW on Twitter

• Call our SNOW hotline: 905-879-SNOW (7669)

• Email our SNOW account: snow@vaughan.ca

Discover more winter tips and snow- removal info at vaughan.ca/snow.

The City of Vaughan operates an extensive winter services and road maintenance program to keep the public safe during the winter months.

SALTING. As soon as snow or ice begins to accumulate, our goal is to complete a first round of salting on main roads within four hours, and residential roads – including narrower streets like the laneways found behind townhomes – within 12 hours.

PLOWING. Crews are out as soon as five centimetres (two inches) of snow accumulate. All roads are expected to be cleared within 16 hours after snowfall has ended.

Do you know about stormwater management?

Stormwater is rainwater and melted snow that runs off streets and other hard surfaces. Driveways, buildings and roads prevent stormwater from soaking into the ground, which creates an excess of water that travels to our waterways faster than our storm-sewer systems can handle. This stormwater runoff can contribute to:

• spoiled water quality

• habitat loss

• stormwater system damage

• property damage and increased flooding

By collecting this runoff in any of the City’s 143 stormwater management ponds, we are able to filter out the debris and pollutants (such as salt or oil) it has picked up on the way and improve water quality. These ponds also decrease the risk of flooding by controlling how quickly it is released back into our waterways.

The City is working on a study that will help identify future needs for maintaining our stormwater system. For more information, visit vaughan.ca/stormwater.