May was another busy month at both Durham Region and the City of Pickering, and as your Ward 1 Regional Councillor, I am proud to be your representative and voice at both the Regional (Upper-Tier) and City (Lower-Tier). Some would ask, what is the difference which will be the focus of this months eNewsletter. Durham Region since its creation is made up of 8 member Municipalities. Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, Clarington, Brock, Scugog, and Uxbridge. Some would compare Durham Region as a Human Shared Service’s Board that provides shared services through the Regional Tax Base to each of the 8 member Municipalities. The Region is represented by a Regional Chair that is elected at large during the Municipal Election, the remaining members of Regional Council are elected in their respective Municipalities either by Ward or at Large. These Regional Councillors when at the Regional level are required to represent the entire Region, but when at their host Municipality function as City Councillors doing City Business.

While there may be some overlap of services where efficiencies can be found, to the most part there is a distinction between the 2 levels. Currently the Province of Ontario is reviewing Regional Governments, and where overlap can be removed to increase efficiencies. A facilitator has been appointed to conduct an audit and will make recommendations as to how to better align and maximize efficiencies. The Government has made it clear however it will not be abolishing Regional Government in Durham. Watch for more updates as they become

available!

Where: Visit durham.ca/BikeMonth to register for a series of local activities including the Bike Month Pledge, Region-wide Cycling Contest and Bike Month Bingo.

Why: Bike Month is one of the largest celebrations of biking in Canada, bringing families, employers, commuters and community organizations together all month long at hundreds of events across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Bike Month promotes cycling as an integral part of the regional transportation network and provides opportunities to showcase the benefits of cycling and encourages more people to replace car trips with bike trips.

Note: Residents can take part in activities and be entered into prize draws to win great prizes. For more information visit durham.ca/BikeMonth.

With only weeks until the July 1st Canada Day weekend, residents have been questioning when the work will be completed. I have a few key updates that I would like to share with you all, please see below:

The final inspections are now complete! As one of Pickering’s first annual outdoor washroom facilities, it was crucial to take the necessary precautions to ensure proper installation of plumbing and insulation materials. These measures were taken to withstand freezing temperatures during the winter months. Our NEW fully accessible year-long washrooms are ready to open!

Spectator Seating Area:

Work is continuing along the West Trail running East from Beachpoint Promenade to the spit.

One of the new features is an outdoor spectator area, where you can relax and enjoy some of the beautiful activities that take place on the Bay!

Boat Dock:

A new accessible dock is being installed in the same location where the old boat launch was located. This dock was designed to ensure it is accessible and able to accommodate smaller non-motorized recreational water craft such as canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards. Stay tuned for news on an official opening!

Low Profile Lighting:

I'd like to thank staff for their diligent efforts with this highly-anticipated project. They have taken great care to ensure safety and respect for the natural features of the waterfront remain a top priority. Currently we are waiting for the shipment of light poles to be delivered (unfortunately there is a shortage which is the cause of the delay). These new fixtures will create non-intrusive lighting that will run parallel along the closed road, which is will be transformed into a multi-purpose trail!

Pickering's Farmers' Market is back!

I was pleased to attend the first Farmers' Market event of the year on Tuesday, June 13. It was a beautiful day with some fantastic vendors and friendly faces. It was nice to get outdoors and purchase some local goods from communities near and far. The Farmers' Markets will be held every Tuesday until October 3 from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm, weather permitting. It is conveniently located just off Valley Farm Road in the North West parking lot of the Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex. Come out to chat with your neighbours and enjoy all the amazing local finds in Pickering!

Here are some of the terrific vendors for 2023:

Albion Hills Farm, Forsythe Family Farm, Maple Grove Orchards, Stapleton Farm,

Willowtree Farm, Ana's Fizz+, Betty Lou’s Country Crafts, British Baked Goods,

Chandler Honey, Cupcake Goodness, Durham Distillery, Lago of All, Mad Mexican,

Munchies Gourmet Kettlecorn, My Sister’s Gift House, Pillitteri Estates Winery,

Portobello Road, Purple Tongue Hot Sauce, Rouge River Crafts & Candles,

Sweet Bites Bakery, Super Natural Vegan Cuisine, The Joy of Harvest, and Top That!

For more information visit:

2022 was a special year for many of our Ward 1 talented leaders who were recognized by Pickering as part of our 2022 Civic Awards!

I would like to extend a special congratulations to the following individuals:

In an effort to better meet your needs, I am changing from a combined Town Hall format to one without City Councillor Robinson. The NEW focus will be a “Ward 1 Community Town Hall”.

The first Community Town Hall will take place Wednesday July 12th at 7:00 pm (weather permitting), at the Rotary Frenchman’s Bay West Park just off of Beachpoint Promenade at the open air green roof. This meeting will be Co-Chaired by Pickering’s longest serving Neighbourhood Association President: Paul White, President of the Fairport Beach Neighbourhood Association. Paul and his team will walk us through the history of this Waterfront community which will be followed by a Question and Answer period about the final phases of our Master Plan!

For future Town Hall Meeting information, including dates & locations, please contact the Council Office by email at council@pickering.ca or by telephone at 905.420.4605.

The 2023 Budget Summaries are now available online. Council met back in April 2023 to discuss and vote on this year's Budget.

For more information, you may wish to visit the City's Budget webpage linked here.

On May 1, 2023, Council reviewed a Report on Nuisance Activities prepared by the City's Municipal Law Enforcement Services within the Corporate Services Department. If you wish to read the Report BYL 05-23 and corresponding By-laws, follow the link and jump to pages 8-14 of 366.

What's Happening in Regional Public Works:

See the attached newsletter from the Region of Durham's Work Department. In this March/April 2023 edition there is a letter from John Preseta the Commissioner of Works, details about the Ontario Good Roads Conference, the National Public Works Week Open House, and more.

Regional Council & Committee Meetings:

All meetings of Regional Council and its Committees are open to the public and agendas are posted on the Durham Region Council Calendar, located here.

Durham Region CAO Briefing Note summary to learn more. 

New One Stop Service Portal launches in Durham!

The myDurham 311 Customer Portal launched on March 11, 2023, as a new single self-service portal for customers within Durham Region to submit service requests or follow up on existing service requests. The portal is available 24/7 Visit myDurham311.ca

Durham Region has launched an online self-service portal so residents can request a service or report an issue to the Region. Residents can use the portal to submit and track requests for many Regional services such as waste and recycling, water and sewer, and traffic inquiries. The self-service portal is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at myDurham311.ca.

Residents can use the self-service portal to request a recycling blue bin or a garbage bag tag exemption, report a water issue, tell us if you see a traffic light not working properly, and more. The following list outlines the requests that are now live via myDurham311.ca:

·       Waste Diversion Kit Request

·       Waste General Inquiries    

·       Waste - Request School Programs and Outreach 

·       Bag Tag Exemption Form Request 

·       Report Water Issues

·       General Traffic Inquiry 

·       Pedestrian Safety

·       Emergency Management Inquiry Submission 

·       Contact the Office of the CAO 

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