Meeting No. 3

Attendance

Councillor J. Virgilio

S. Chait, Director, Economic Development

C. Biss, CEO, Markham Libraries

J. Ryerson, Director, Varley Art Gallery

C. Felepchuk, IBM

K. Bray, Markham Board of Trade

K. Janzen, Seneca

D. Lane, Soft Growth Ventures, Inc. (via telephone)

C. Raynor, Committee Clerk

The Knowledge Community Sub-Committee convened at the hour of 4:35 p.m. with Councillor J. Virgilio in the Chair.

1. ADOPTION OF MINUTES – OCTOBER 26, 2005

THE KNOWLEDGE COMMUNITY SUB-COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS:

That the minutes of the Knowledge Community Sub-Committee meeting held on October 26, 2005, be adopted.

CARRIED

2. DRAFT CHARTER

Councillor J. Virgilio and Mr. D. Lane presented a draft charter for discussion. There was general agreement that the draft captured the essential elements of the mandate. The Committee noted that the charter allowed for the involvement of a diverse number of groups and the incorporation of metrics. It was agreed that this draft will form part of the forthcoming report to Council.

3. DRAFT MISSION STATEMENT

Councillor J. Virgilio and Mr. D. Lane presented a draft mission statement for comment. The Committee agreed that was broad enough so as not to create any exclusions and that it will also go forward as part of the forthcoming report to Council.

4. CREATIVITY WEEK 2006

Mr. J. Ryerson, Director, Varley Art Gallery, presented information relating to how the Town might become involved in Creativity Week 2006. It was noted that the following activities might provide good value at limited cost:

· Engaging a speaker on creativity to talk at the March 2006 meeting of the Markham Board of Trade;

· Involving schools through the downloading of materials from the website. (It was also noted that some schools, notably Unionville High School are already involved in some creativity initiatives. Additionally, it was suggested that the Youth Committee operated by the Markham Board of Trade may be able to assist);

· Utilize the Markham Arts Council to involve local arts organizations;

· Obtain media buy-in via the Economist and Sun and Rogers Television;

· Create a Markham-branded website linked to the national Creativity Week website;

· Sponsor the Da Vinci Award for entrepreneurship.

There was some discussion as to whether to engage Ms. E. Huggins, Organizer of Creativity Week to manage the involvement of the Town. It was suggested that her fee might be in the region of $12,500 although this may be subject to negotiation. The additional costs that might be incurred include $5,000 for the creation of Markham-branded materials, and $2,500 for the sponsorship of the Da Vinci Award.

The Committee noted that Council will need to see a detailed breakdown of the potential costs and benefits of this involvement. It was noted that the involvement will be scaleable and that this will allow Council to select a level of involvement with which they are comfortable.

5. BOARD OF TRADE CREATIVITY AWARD

The Committee was advised that the Board of Trade already has a similar award and that the most practical approach will be to amend the criteria of that award rather than creating a new one. New criteria will be developed in the near future.

6. CIVIC CENTRE LECTURE SERIES

There was general discussion surrounding the potential for developing an ongoing series of creativity-themed lectures. Representatives from Seneca College and the York Region District School Board suggested they may have relevant contacts who could be engaged. It was also suggested that IBM may have speakers able to present on a variety of associated topics. A full list of potential topics will be provided to the Committee at a future meeting.

There was a suggestion that the Markham Libraries might be able to conduct a variety of “How To…” seminars in conjunction with the lecture series.

7. COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

There was brief discussion surrounding the composition of the Committee. It was agreed that invitations should be extended to representatives from the provincial and federal governments, as well as a representative from the field of environmental issues.

There was agreement that the terms of reference for the Committee be amended to allow for twelve (12) members and three (3) members-at-large. It was noted that voting rights for the members should be explicitly included in the final terms of reference.

ADJOURNMENT

The Knowledge Community Sub-Committee meeting adjourned at the hour of 5:45 p.m.

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