We acknowledge that the City of Pickering resides on land within the Treaty and traditional territory of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation and Williams Treaties signatories of the Mississauga and Chippewa Nations. Pickering is also home to many Indigenous persons and communities who represent other diverse, distinct, and autonomous Indigenous nations. This acknowledgement reminds us of our responsibilities to our relationships with the First Peoples of Canada, and to the ancestral lands on which we learn, share, work, and live.

As we enter this holiday season, I extend heartfelt wishes to everyone across our great region and city. I’d like to acknowledge many of our community’s time-honoured religious and cultural celebrations. For some, this time is marked by Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, or other cherished traditions. For others, it is a moment of reflection, rest, and renewal; independently or with those closest to us. Whatever the celebration, we are united by the values of kindness, generosity, and hope for the year ahead.

May this season bring peace to your home, joy to your heart, and strength to our shared community. Let us continue to honour the diversity that makes Pickering and Durham Region so vibrant, and carry forward compassion and respect into 2026.

I wish you and your loved ones health, happiness, and harmony in the year to come.

Answering your questions - A segment dedicated to answering some of your most pressing questions! Often times I have residents requesting the same information over a hot topic, issue or event. Connecting with our neighbours and sharing information to Pickering residents is some of my favourite duties associated with being your Councillor. This platform will allow me to do just that!

Send an email to mbrenner@pickering.ca with your questions on City & Regional matters to see if your inquiries were chosen as a hot topic in our next eNewsletter release.

Kingston Road Sidewalks

One of the most asked questions I receive is about when the sidewalks on Kingston Road will be completed and what’s taking so long?

I have reached out to both City of Pickering and Durham Regional staff who have provided an overview as to why it is taking so long and when future sections will be started.

The reason it has been taking so long, is the need to co-ordinate with the construction of each section of the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) lanes. Construction rolls out from the west, moving eastward along Kingston Road. Both Durham and Pickering recognize that one of the most challenging sections which ranks high in risk, is the tunneling under the rail tracks east of Fairport Road. Design work for this section is underway. Up to date information about sidewalks along Kingston Road can be found here.

What has been the latest discussions around the replacement bridge and road closure of Twyn Rivers Drive?

Unfortunately the City of Toronto is not set to replace Twyn Rivers Drive bridge until 2027. I had the opportunity to discuss this with City News reporter Nick Westoll back in July 2025. Follow the link to watch my full interview here.

What is the status of the proposal to redevelop the Rougemount Plaza South East Corner?

Following an information meeting in May 2022 attended by more than 400 community members, the owners of Rougemount Square Plaza (375 Kingston Road Corporation and 401 Kingston Road Corporation) withdrew their original applications for a single building with two towers of 25 and 31 storeys. Since then, the owners have acquired additional properties east of the plaza, extending to Evelyn Avenue (375-417 Kingston Road and 4 Evelyn Avenue). Part of the land assembly includes properties owned by the Ministry of Transportation, which the owners are in the process of acquiring.     

On November 18, 2025, the City received new applications for an Official Plan Amendment and a Zoning By-law Amendment for the full land assembly. The latest proposal is for a two-phased, mixed-use, high-density development comprising two buildings with four towers, totalling 1,356 residential units and approximately 2,912 square metres of ground-level commercial space. The proposal also includes a 0.18-hectare public park at the southeast corner of Kingston Road and Evelyn Avenue.

Phase 1 will be developed on the eastern portion of the site and will include one building with two towers of 31 and 32 storeys, along with the proposed public park. The plaza will remain in operation until Phase 1 is complete, allowing existing tenants the option to relocate to Phase 1.

Phase 2 involves demolishing the plaza and constructing one building with two towers, each 33 and 34 storeys high. These heights are taller than the previous proposal of 25 and 31 storeys. 

A private internal road adjacent to Highway 401 will connect the two phases. This road will have two restricted right-in/right-out accesses onto Kingston Road, in addition to the existing access from Rougemont Road.

Please note that this is the applicant’s proposal, not a City of Pickering application. I have requested the City Development Department to host a Public Information Meeting on Thursday, March 5, 2025, at the Chestnut Hill Recreation Complex. This meeting will allow the community to learn more about the proposal and provide early feedback in the planning review process. To ensure proper notification, I have requested an expanded circulation to include all of the South Rosebank and North Rougemont communities.



Please save this critical Open House date to share your concerns with the applicant and City staff. Further details will be available on the City’s website at pickering.ca/devapp in early January 2026, including all submitted materials and information, as well as details of the upcoming Public Open House.

If you can, please watch for more updates.

Join us as we have an assortment of great events to engage in all year round. The City of Pickering's Events Calendar and Festival Page are great resources to see upcoming City and Community Events. 

I would like to highlight some events that are proudly being offered:

Wednesday, December 31, 2025: New Year's Eve

Celebrate New Year’s Eve with us at Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex! Bring the family for an evening of fun, music, and activities before the big countdown. In the lobby, enjoy family games, crafts, and music. There will also be FREE swim & skate! At 8:30 pm, Mayor and Council will welcome guests and lead the countdown and balloon drop as Auld Lang Syne plays. Any additional details will be placed on the website here.

Saturday, January 10, 2026: Mayor's New Year's Levee

Join us at Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm. An annual New Year's event at City Hall, a tradition to welcome the year, connect with residents, and celebrate community milestones. It's a free, family-friendly afternoon with live entertainment, refreshments, and activities, serving as a platform for reflection. Any additional details will be placed on the website here.

As Council Members we have a commitment to participate in a number of Committee and Council meetings annually.

The Executive Committee typically meets virtually once monthly on the first Monday of the month at 2:00 pm. Likewise, the Planning & Development Committee meet virtually on the same day of the month at 7:00 pm. The last Monday of the month typically, we meet virtually for Council meetings at 7:00 pm.

Please follow the links below for the City's website calendar, to view the most up-to-date scheduling.

As part of our commitment to open, transparent, and accessible municipal government, we continue to post online recaps of the decisions made at our Council Meetings to help residents better understand municipal affairs and directions set by Council. 

Members of the public may observe the meeting proceedings by viewing the livestream. The official meeting minutes are also publicly available through the City's website calendar and Corporate Records webpages. For more information on attending meetings and registering as a delegate, you may visit the City's website.

A breakdown of our Council Meeting Highlights are available on the City's website here. Alternatively, you may check out the City's Facebook page.

Each month the City of Pickering Building Services division generates an activity report which includes statistics of new applications received within the month, permit fees received to date, estimated construction valuations, projected building permit revenues, and comparisons to the previous year.

You may view the Building Permit Activity Report for November 2025.

For more information, visit the Building Services webpage here.

Visit LetsTalkPickering.ca/Development to learn more about the planning process.

On November 24, 2025 Parks Canada has issued a notice of Rouge Beach being closed for construction. They advise that access to Rouge Beach and the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail is temporarily closed until 2027 as part of planned improvements to the area for the Rouge Beach Improvements Project. Visitors are asked to follow posted detour signage and respect all closure notices for their safety. Parks Canada thanks area residents and visitors for their patience and understanding. A link to this notice can be read online here.

Upon becoming aware of the closure and the impact it has on residents who use this bridge to access the GO Train, I have reached out to Parks Canada through a Motion that Council endorsed asking them to pursue options to address your concerns. To view the motion, please click here.

The Region of Durham Council continues to be a champion for our community, and leverages it's voice through memberships with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). It advocates for change on current Provincial legislation that negatively impacts our residents.

The Region plays a significant role in providing essential services and resources to all of their corresponding municipalities. Check out the December 17, 2025, Durham Region CAO Briefing Notes summary to learn more. 

Community groups contribute to the diversity and vibrancy of Durham Region. One way the Region demonstrates its support is through flag raising and proclamation ceremonies—recognizing significant observances, cultural celebrations, communities, causes or organizations. These efforts strengthen bonds, encourage respectful dialogue and promote inclusivity.

The Region of Durham is launching a new Your Durham page that will highlight flag raising and proclamation ceremonies, as well as Regional half-mastings. This initiative began on November 12, 2025, and all related content will be shared on the Region’s new Your Durham page. Community groups and residents are encouraged to subscribe to durham.ca/YourCommunity to receive updates, and view photos and videos from flag raisings, half-mastings and proclamations.

Join us as we celebrate the diversity and vibrancy of Durham Region and build stronger relationships with community groups. With the launch of the new Your Durham webpage, we are creating a space that is welcoming, informative and accessible. To read this article online, click here.

Durham Regional Council held 2 Special Meetings on December 11 and 12 to review proposed business plans and budget. The recommended increase was 6.6%. At the December 11-12 meeting, Committee recommended a 3% Cap with the difference being transferred from Durham’s Reserve Account. This carried 15:13 On December 17 the recommendation of the Committee of the Whole was amended to a 4.8 Cap and referred the Budget back to staff to find the funds to offset the difference between 6.6 to 4.8. This carried 15:14.

Regional Council will debate this again January 28. For more information visit YourVoice.Durham.ca/Budget

Durham Region Transit (DRT) is one of the most popular and reputable regional services offered to our residents.

To stay up-to-date on the latest news with DRT, subscribe to their eNews page here.

Metrolinx is making adjustments to GO Transit services that began on November 22 and November 23, 2025, including changes to Durham Region GO train and bus service. 

GO train:

Since November 23, weekend service on the Lakeshore East line will reduce to 30-minute frequency

• Due to limited train crew availability and the need to rebalance resources, service on the Lakeshore East and Lakeshore West lines will be reduced to a 30-minute frequency on weekends. 
• This will be a temporary service reduction as trains were previously operating every 15 minutes from mid-afternoon to late evening.
• As always, they will continue to monitor ridership and service demand and make adjustments when possible. 

GO bus:

Metrolinx is also adjusting some bus schedules to best align with rail changes and meet demand as the holiday season begins

• Since November 24, weekday GO bus service will be temporarily reduced on some routes serving post-secondary institutions due to lower demand as classes end and holidays begin.
• While they still have service to get students to their exams, some trips on GO bus route 41 (Hamilton-Pickering) will not run through January 3, 2026. 

Schedules are changing on many routes. Metrolinx encourage customers to please plan ahead and check schedules before travelling. More information about upcoming service changes is available at: gotransit.com/en/service-updates

The Lobbyist Registry is up and running, and it is now mandatory for those that lobby Public Officer Holders. The team from the Clerks Department has played a lead role in not only preparing the Lobbyist Registry By-law, but also the tools that will assist Public Office Holders and Lobbyists to understand the definition of a Public Officer Holder.

Connect with our Customer Care team, Monday to Friday (8:30 am - 4:30 pm), by telephone at 905.683.7575, or email customercare@pickering.ca.