It’s National Public Works Week!
Enjoy FREE family-friendly activities at the Open House on May 24
It’s time to recognize the City of Vaughan’s 450 Public Works professionals who keep our community clean, safe and beautiful 365 days a year! The City is celebrating National Public Works Week until Saturday, May 24 – and you’re invited to join us!
This year’s theme is “People, Purpose, Presence,” which highlights three cornerstone ideals that motivate public works professionals to serve in their communities every day. From repairing potholes and cutting grass, to collecting waste and providing safe drinking water, among many other services – meeting the needs of people is what gives public works its sense of purpose.
To kick off the weeklong celebrations, the City raised the National Public Works Week flag at Vaughan City Hall and the Joint Operations Centre this morning, and will illuminate City Hall orange this evening in observance.
Then, you’re invited to join us – rain or shine – for a day of family-friendly activities at our Open House on Saturday, May 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Joint Operations Centre (2800 Rutherford Rd.).
During the event, you can:
- meet our Public Works teams.
- check out some of the City’s fleet vehicles, like snowplows, street sweepers and a shredder truck.
- pick up FREE mulch (up to three bags per vehicle for Vaughan residents; bags will be prefilled and provided by the City).
- bring gently used clothing for the Cornerstone donation bin.
- get your face painted for FREE.
- step right up for carnival games.
- enjoy live entertainment.
- participate in giveaways.
- and more!
If you cannot attend the event, there will be an additional mulch giveaway at the Joint Operations Centre on Friday, May 23 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
While this event is sure to be lots of fun, the City’s Public Works team takes their work seriously. Enhancing operational performance and fostering a culture of continuous improvement are central to the mission of our Public Works employees. Their achievements continue to receive national recognition for innovative thinking, development of new best practices and a commitment to Service Excellence.
As we recognize National Public Works Week, we are sharing the stories and experiences of some of the women on this important team. You can visit the City’s website to learn more about the women of Public Works who are committed to keeping the city safe, clean and beautiful.
For more information on National Public Works Week in Vaughan, visit vaughan.ca/PublicWorksWeek.
QUOTES
“I am proud to say our team of Public Works professionals is one of the best in the country. Every day, they work around the clock to ensure we have clean water to drink, beautiful parks to visit and safe roads to travel on. During National Public Works Week, let’s show our appreciation to our staff who do incredible work to keep our city running smoothly for our residents, businesses and visitors. They continue to go the extra mile to deliver Service Excellence to everyone, and their fingerprints can be seen on every inch of our community. On behalf of the City of Vaughan and Members of Council, thank you to our Public Works team for their passion and commitment to moving our city forward.”
– Mayor Steven Del Duca
“The City of Vaughan’s Public Works professionals are the unseen heroes that work behind the scenes to help keep our city moving. Because of this talented group of people, everyone living, working or visiting Vaughan gets to enjoy a quality of life that is second to none. From providing reliable drinking water and disposing of waste safely, to plowing snow and maintaining parks, roads and bridges, I want to thank Vaughan’s Public Works crews for the outstanding work they do every day on the job. Happy National Public Works Week!”
– Zoran Postic, City Manager
“Each and every day, the City of Vaughan’s Public Works teams work across Vaughan to ensure we continue to live in a safe, clean and beautiful community. This means maintaining our parks, forests and gardens, operating our water, wastewater and stormwater systems, enhancing our transportation network and so much more behind the scenes that you may not always see. National Public Works Week is a time to learn about and celebrate their incredible work, and I encourage all residents to join us in thanking Vaughan’s hard-working Public Works professionals for everything they do.”
– Emilie Alderman, Deputy City Manager, Public Works
QUICK FACTS
- Since 1960, the third week in May has been celebrated as National Public Works Week in Canada.
- The City of Vaughan’s Public Works portfolio has three departments: Environmental Services; Transportation and Fleet Management Services; and Parks, Forestry and Horticulture Operations.
- Public Works provides quality services that directly impact residents and businesses across the city every day. Services include seasonal maintenance of municipal roads, sidewalks and pathways; maintenance of parks, boulevards and open spaces; forestry and horticulture services; fleet management; traffic services; administration of the crossing guard program; management of garbage and recycling collection; and water, wastewater and stormwater services.
- Environmental Services is responsible for 11 sanitary lift/pumping stations, two water booster/pressure elevating stations, more than 150 stormwater ponds, more than 975 kilometres (606 miles) of storm sewers, 1,000 kilometres (621 miles) of sanitary sewers, more than 1,248 kilometres (775 miles) of active watermains, more than 10,500 fire hydrants, 16,500 maintenance holes and 22,000 catch basins.
- Transportation and Fleet Management Services is responsible for 2,200 lane kilometres (1367 miles) of roads, 97 traffic signals and approximately 26,000 streetlights, 133 hectares (328 acres) of boulevard maintenance, 1,114 kilometres (692 miles) of sidewalks and approximately 25,000 traffic signs.
- Parks, Forestry and Horticulture Operations is responsible for more than 225 parks, more than 90 kilometres (56 miles) of trails, more than 270 playgrounds, 413 sports playing facilities, 1,190 kilometres (739 miles) of sidewalks, 750 hanging baskets, 750 planters, 130,000 street trees and 800 garden beds.
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