Enhancing the virtual experience for citizens

Sept. 15, 2020 10:00 a.m.
​COVID-19 has not slowed city-building down – it has energized it

Although some of the City of Vaughan’s physical doors remain closed, city-building has not slowed down. Many virtual offerings have been introduced or enhanced to offer a new, efficient and streamlined experience for residents and businesses. Essential services continue uninterrupted, traditional services have been reinvigorated, digital platforms have been enhanced and in-person programs and services have been modified or are now offered virtually – either through online, teleconference or over the phone. These ways – and more – are how the City continues to deliver Service Excellence throughout the global pandemic.
ESSENTIAL SERVICES
Essential services remain intact. These include fire and emergency response, waste collection, water/wastewater services, by-law and enforcement services, building inspections and the Access Vaughan contact centre at 905-832-2281 or accessvaughan@vaughan.ca, among many others.
 
WASTE COLLECTIONS
Residents can receive customized notifications about their collections by downloading the Recycle Coach mobile app. To ensure that waste is collected, comply with the safe set-out requirements at vaughan.ca/waste. Bins containing materials that do not comply will be tagged and left behind. For one-on-one video coaching on how to divert more materials into blue boxes and green bins, book a Waste-less Virtual Visit session by contacting 905-832-2281 or accessvaughan@vaughan.ca.
 
While the City’s Joint Operations Centre remains closed for in-person visits, residents can purchase garbage tags by calling Access Vaughan at 905-832-2281. A new temporary bin exchange program is also being offered, which allows residents to replace broken City blue boxes and green bins through home delivery. To request an exchange and arrange a delivery, call Access Vaughan.
 
EVENTS
Some events are resuming virtually, including the 2020 Order of Vaughan, the annual Remembrance Day ceremony and the Vaughan Accessibility Champion Awards. The annual Vaughan Culture Days events are also scheduled to begin on Friday, Sept. 25 with a variety of virtual cultural programming and limited in-person opportunities across the city. Event details will be released on vaughan.ca once confirmed.
 
Citizens are also invited to join the virtual conversation that is shaping the future of the Garnet A. Williams Community Centre. An online Public Information Session will take place on Thursday, Sept. 10 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. for interested participants to hear about the community centre’s upcoming major renovation. An online survey will also be shared after the information session to collect high-level feedback on design concepts. Other virtual public engagement opportunities are also in the works for a variety of other city-building projects.
COUNCIL MEETINGS
Electronic-participation Committee of the Whole and Council meetings resume in September. Upcoming agendas can be viewed at vaughan.ca/CouncilMeetings. While Vaughan City Hall remains closed to the public, visit vaughan.ca/HaveYourSay to learn more about how to participate virtually, including live deputations via teleconference or telephone. Email or written communications are also accepted. Citizens can watch the meetings by tuning in to the live broadcast at vaughan.ca/LiveCouncil.
 
BUILDING STANDARDS
The City’s Building Standards department continues to provide essential city-building services such as building code enforcement, processing of building permits, conducting inspections and issuing occupancy permits. The department has also launched a new digital permitting portal enabling citizens and building industry professionals to apply, track and pay for permits online. Discover the portal at vaughan.ca/PermitPortal.
 
Additional online permitting options launched by the Development Engineering department for pools, grading for sheds, home additions and more can now be submitted and approved through the platform at vaughan.ca/DEPermits.
 
DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
The City’s Development Planning team has innovated its processes to ensure planning approvals and shovel-ready projects can move forward throughout the pandemic. These include new digital development applications, electronic-participation Pre-Application Consultation and virtual Heritage Vaughan and Design Review Panel meetings.
 
Several projects are underway that will guide development for intensification areas, such as the Vaughan Mills Centre and the Yonge Steeles Corridor, with a focus on safety, active transportation and sustainability. Work also continues on the Maple and Kleinburg Nashville Heritage Conservation District Plan Reviews, as well as a heritage inventory update.
 
RECREATION SERVICES
As modified in-person and online summer camp programming – including the Virtual Summer Adventures Series – comes to an end, frequent enhancements continue to be made to the department’s new webpage featuring virtual recreation resources for all ages, abilities and areas of interest. Available online programming includes:
  • Vaughan Playschool educational reading, writing, math and science worksheets for children aged three to five years old.
  • easy-to-follow at-home workouts from Vaughan Fitness instructors featured six days a week on the RecVaughan YouTube channel.
  • general activities such as cooking, arts and crafts, colouring and more. 
A series of fall virtual recreation programs will be considered after Thanksgiving weekend.
 
Recently reopened facilities – with limited scheduling – include select pools, arenas and fitness centres. Fall recreational programming for citizens continues to be reviewed. Visit vaughan.ca/recreation for updates, including the launch of the Fall 2020 Recreation Guide. 
 
VAUGHAN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
Vaughan Public Libraries’ (VPL) fully digital library service continues to be enhanced to engage and educate residents of all ages. The web hub features a variety of free online resources, including eBooks and audiobooks, films and television programs, music streaming services, e-learning courses, bilingual materials and more. Further content, such as virtual story time, is available daily on VPL’s Instagram.
 
Wi-Fi has been extended to reach the parking lot of VPL’s recently reopened resource libraries – Bathurst Clark Resource Library, Civic Centre Resource Library and Pierre Berton Resource Library. The Curbside Pickup program will continue to operate out of the remaining closed branches to provide customers with quick and convenient access. Reserve books and arrange a pickup date at vaughanpl.info/curbside.
 
BY-LAW AND COMPLIANCE, ENFORCEMENT SERVICES
By-law officers continue to operate, patrol and respond to calls on a priority basis. Online payments of administrative monetary penalties, such as parking tickets, can be made online via payvaughanticket.com. To arrange an alternative method of payment or schedule a dispute appointment, call 905-832-2281 within 15 days of receiving it. Scheduled disputes are being conducted over the phone until further notice.
 
Event, filming and lottery permits continue to be assessed on a case-by-case basis. These permit inquiries should be directed to Access Vaughan at 905-832-2281 or accessvaughan@vaughan.ca. On-street, visitor and overnight parking permits can be attained online at vaughan.ca/parking. Permits are also required for licensed establishments looking to create a patio or expand their current patio to accommodate physical distancing requirements. To begin the process, licensed businesses must complete an online registration form. Further information and eligibility requirements are available on the City’s website.
 
VAUGHAN ANIMAL SERVICES
Vaughan Animal Services continues to serve Vaughan, Richmond Hill and the Township of King communities through regular patrols and response to service calls. The Vaughan Animal Services shelter remains closed, with limited access for adoption and pet recovery services by appointment only. Book an appointment by contacting 905-832-2281 or animal.services@vaughan.ca. Vaughan pet licensing and tag purchases are also available online. For general information, please visit vaughan.ca/AnimalServices.
 
BUSINESS SUPPORTS
Virtual programs and new services are being offered to further support local businesses, including: 
  • The new vaughanbusiness.ca website with a dedicated COVID-19 information page.
  • Virtual business advisory services to support with registering a business, business planning, accessing government assistance programs and more. Local businesses can access these services through this online form.
  • Sector-specific eNewsletters to keep businesses up to date on government announcements, funding and relevant programming. Businesses can subscribe here.
  • Online resources such as the #ShopVaughanLocal campaign and the Open For Business directory.
  • Access to all events and webinars hosted virtually for businesses across York Region via vaughanbusiness.ca/events.
  • Season two of the Vaughan Rising Podcast, which examines the resilience of Vaughan’s businesses community and talks to leaders who are pivoting, innovating and doing what it takes to make it through to the other side of the pandemic.
  • Activate!Vaughan Health Innovation Challenge, in partnership with the Province of Ontario, Mackenzie Health, the Mackenzie Innovation Institute, SE Health, Sterling Industries, The HUB and ventureLAB. Entrepreneurs can register at vaughanbusiness.ca/activate by Monday, Oct. 5 to present innovative business solutions that will deliver high-quality, effective and patient-focused care.
  • The next cohort of the Digital Boost Vaughan Small Business Resiliency Program is set to begin. The program provides free training and mentorship to help local businesses adapt to the changing environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Register by Monday, Sept. 21 at vaughanbusiness.ca/DigitalBoost to secure a spot.
OTHER SERVICES AND PROGRAMS FOR CITIZENS
Many services and programs continue to be offered online or via telephone, including:
  • Kid-friendly pollinator activities, which include a scavenger hunt, crossword puzzle and Whose Home? interactive game.
  • The City’s Art Integration Collection in a digital art gallery on Flickr, which features the 78 art acquisitions by local and GTA-based artists housed permanently in the collection.
  • The Service Vaughan reporting tool at vaughan.ca/ServiceVaughan for non-emergency service requests about garbage, roads, traffic lights and more.
  • visitvaughan.ca – a new visitor website that offers an exploration of all there is to see and do in Vaughan. The “explore online now, visit later” platform, developed in partnership with the Tourism Vaughan Corporation and Central Counties Tourism, offers interactive content, including museum tours, cooking lessons, educational webinars, roller-coaster rides and more. 
LOOKING FOR MORE INFORMATION?
For more information, contact Access Vaughan at 905-832-2281 or accessvaughan@vaughan.ca. Residents can also visit:
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