Markham Introduces Millie: Canada’s First Municipal Mascot and latest version of City’s leading-edge AI Chatbot

MARKHAM, ON – April 9, 2025 – Markham is once again making history! The City of Markham is excited to announce Canada’s first municipal mascot, Millie the butterfly, introducing a new approach to how the City interacts with its residents. Millie will also be the face of Chatbot 3.0, an enhanced virtual assistant available on the City’s website that is powered by cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Chatbot 3.0 provides a new level of interactivity and convenience to markham.ca visitors.

The City’s goal with Millie is to build connections with families and children as they work to build a life-long relationship with Markham. Millie is the host of our annual award-winning Markham-Milliken Children's Festival and also represents Markham's growth as a municipality. The several colours of Millie's wings are meant to represent the diversity of Markham's residents. Be on the lookout this year for Millie, as they will be attending various City events and programs.

Millie's mission is to bring people together and represent the values of hope, inclusivity, and acceptance. Much like Millie’s hometown of Markham, Ontario, butterflies are known for transformation, creativity, and infinite potential. Markham has always been customer-focused, and Millie aims to bring exceptional services to the people with a smile.

“Millie is a vibrant symbol of our dedication to uniting the community. Updating our Chatbot ensures our city remains a trailblazer in technological innovation,” said Mayor Frank Scarpitti. “Our priority is providing our residents with seamless 24/7 access to accurate information whenever they seek it. We are relentless in our pursuit of innovation in the AI space, continually exploring new ways to serve our community better and embody the attributes of Canada's high-tech capital. Markham has proudly received numerous national accolades for our pioneering use of artificial intelligence, including awards for Elections Markham and pothole detection technology for our road maintenance. Markham exemplifies what it means to be the city of the future!”

Enhanced Chatbot 3.0 Features and Benefits

• Leverage several leading AI technologies: Millie utilizes a combination of technologies, including Comm100, Open AI and IBM Watson assistant, to deliver precise answers by crawling data from our official website, ensuring that users receive the most up-to-date and relevant information. The service still allows users to speak to a virtual agent.
• User-Friendly Interface: With Millie as the face of our chatbot, users can enjoy a more engaging and personable interaction, making it easier to find information and connect to our contact centre agents if further assistance is needed.
• 24/7 Availability: Millie is available around the clock, providing assistance whenever you need it, day or night via the City of Markham website at markham.ca.

In 2020, Markham was the first municipality in Canada to use the AI-enabled virtual agent “IBM Watson Assistant for Citizens” to offer 24-hour customer service for residents looking for reliable, consistent, and accurate COVID-19 information.

In 2022, the “Elections Markham Virtual Assistant, powered by Watson Assistant,” was launched, making it easy for voters to find information about the 2022 Markham Municipal Election. After supporting both the municipal election and receiving a total of more than 42,791 COVID-19 inquiries, the COVID-19 Virtual Assistant was retired in 2023, making way for the improved all-purpose Virtual Assistant 2.0. The service combines technologies from both Comm100 and IBM to provide a virtual assistant with live chat features.

The City of Markham has always been at the forefront of technological innovation, continuously striving to improve the quality of life for our residents. The introduction of Millie is a testament to our commitment to leveraging technology to enhance public services. This initiative builds on the success of our previous virtual assistant, which has been instrumental in providing efficient and effective support to our community.

— 30 — 

Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti's Office: 
At mayorscarpitti@markham.ca. 

All other media inquiries / interview requests for the City of Markham:   
media@markham.ca.  

About Markham: Markham, an award-winning municipality with over 366,000 residents and the largest of nine communities in York Region, is home to over 650 corporate head offices and more than 1,500 high tech and life science companies. Markham is a leader in attracting foreign direct investment with more than 234 foreign companies located in the City. Founded in the 1790s, today Markham is Canada’s most diverse community and enjoys a rich heritage, outstanding community planning and services, and a vibrant local economy.  

Stay Connected: Visit our newsroom or search #MarkhamNews and #MarkhamEvents for the latest information on City programs, services and events.