Having attended the Pickering Forward Planning Department Open House Townhall as part of the Policy Development for a new Pickering Official Plan on February 6^th, 2025 at the George Ashe Library & Community Centre, this transformative session was nothing less than impressive. Approximately 40 community members from across Pickering were in attendance to take part in meaningful discussions that focused on sustainability and the natural environment. 

Some of the key highlights raised by residents stressed the importance of protecting community character along the Kingston Road corridor. Valuable conversations around wide multi-purpose pedestrian-friendly boulevards, and architectural design controls that enable a blend of structural forms, were raised. Another important item that was discussed, was the impact and process of tree removal during development, through an environmental lens, to ensure appropriate mitigating options are explored.

As Pickering continues to move forward with growth in Central Pickering, the redevelopment along Kingston Road and corresponding infill, I will do my utmost to bring these and other important items to the table, while always keeping in mind that whatever we do today, will impact tomorrow.

During the coming weeks Pickering Forward will launch its next phase of this important policy review of our Official Plan. And while there was some skepticism that voices may not be heard, the City’s Planning team assured our residents that all concerns are up for discussion and deemed important.

To learn more about Pickering Forward, check out pickering.ca/PickeringForward

I would like to take a moment to offer my utmost gratitude to the City of Pickering and Region of Durham staff who work tirelessly at all hours of the day & night, to ensure our community is safe. As our city continues to grow, so does our operations and staffing compliment to deliver the best quality service to our residents. We thank you for your patience during the more challenging months as we battle the elements, and we look forward to continue serving our great community.

Our newly renovated website offers tremendous resources related to the order of snow clearing operations, an interactive winter map, snow safety tips, link to Region of Durham Traffic Watch, and much more. Visit the website for additional details.

I had the pleasure of attending the Grand Opening of Jersey Mike's Subs, located at 570 Kingston Road, Unit 8, in the Steeple Hill Shopping Centre West plaza. A few of my fellow colleagues joined in on the fun as we met and thanked the CEO and staff. This franchise is new to Pickering and marks the 8th location to open in Canada. The company is slated to have 300 stores operate in Canada over the next 10 years.

Join us as Pickering and the Region of Durham celebrate together. We have an assortment of great events to engage in all year round.

The City’s Events Calendar is a great resource to see upcoming City and Community Events. 

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

Tuesday, March 11, 2025 - March Break Free Public Skate & Swim

• Sponsored by Ontario Power Generation (OPG), the City of Pickering will be hosting a Free Public Skate on Tuesday, March 11 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at the Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex Arena located at 1867 Valley Farm Road. Visit the website for additional details and applicable rules.
• Sponsored by Ontario Power Generation (OPG), the City of Pickering will be hosting a Free Public Swim on Tuesday, March 11 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex Arena located at 1867 Valley Farm Road. Visit the website for more information.

Sunday, March 23, 2025 - 55+ George Lake Big Band Event

The City of Pickering proudly presents the return of George Lake Big Band. Attendees can expect a wonderful afternoon, full of live music and entertainment for your listening and dancing pleasure. Light refreshments are included with ticket purchase. Tickets are $8.25 each and go on sale Monday, February 24 at the following locations:

• Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex (905.683.6582)
• East Shore Community Centre (905.420.6588)
• George Ashe Library & Community Centre (905.420.2370)

Visit the website for additional details.

Tuesday, March 25, 2025 - 55+ Spotlight Series Seminar: Pickleball Rules

This free session will be held at George Ashe Community Centre (470 Kingston Road) and will not be a drop-in play experience, but an informative Q & A opportunity to ask your questions! The Pickleball Instructors will be available to talk tips & tricks and try to answer any questions you may have about the game. Registration is required, visit the website for more information.

This year, 2025 marks the 25th Anniversary of Pickering as a City. Pickering was first a Township in 1811 until 1973, and then a Town in 1974 until 2000, when it then became a City.

For two consecutive years, Pickering has been placed on Canada's 100 Most Livable Cities by the Globe and Mail.

To learn more about the history and progression of our great city, how Pickering will be celebrating this year, and to share some of your own special memories and stories, visit:

https://letstalkpickering.ca/pickering25.

We are thrilled to announce the latest and exciting steps in bringing Pickering's new Seaton Recreation Complex & Library to reality.

This state-of-the-art facility, slated for Pickering’s growing community of Seaton, will be the largest project in the City’s history and represent the first multipurpose recreation complex built in Pickering in over 40 years.

Subscribe to the project page at: LetsTalkPickering.ca/Seaton, for news and project timelines, and more.

We are thrilled to share with you the 2024 Key Infrastructure and Capital Projects video, showcasing some of the incredible work we accomplished last year. It’s truly rewarding to see these plans come to life and to witness the real and meaningful difference they make in our community.

These achievements were only made possible thanks to the many individuals and teams across the organization who contributed their time and expertise towards the research, design, planning, and implementation of these key projects. It’s a true reflection of what we can accomplish together.

Please take a few moments to watch the video and celebrate all that Pickering has accomplished. 

For the second year in a row, The Globe and Mail has recognized Pickering as one of Canada’s most livable cities, which is testament to the hard work, dedication, and commitment of Pickering Staff to our community.  

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.

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 December 2024 and January 2025.

For more information, visit the Building Services web page here.

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

On Wednesday, February 5, members of the Durham Region Transit Executive Committee (TEC) met to discuss various Durham Region Transit (DRT) initiatives and updates. Details and highlights include:

• TEC Vice-Chair: Commissioner Schummer will continue to serve as Vice-Chair of the Transit Executive Committee.

• DRT at the Oshawa Generals Game: DRT was proud to sponsor the Oshawa Generals game on Sunday, February 9, 2025. Residents are encouraged to ride to and from Oshawa Generals games with ease by taking DRT.

• DRT Year in Review (2024): DRT and its employees remain committed to advancing the public transit network to be convenient and reliable; and one that continues to contribute to economic development and livable communities across the Region of Durham. Below are a just few of DRT’s notable highlights from 2024:

• 70,000 calls through DRT Customer Service.
• 60,000 new revenue service hours added to the transit network.
• 13.1 million customer trips.
• 18.9 million revenue service kilometres.
• Made arrangements for long-term transition to a battery electric fleet.
• Implemented an Outreach Worker program, in partnership with Social Services, to support unhoused and at-risk residents intersecting with DRT.
• Began the High School Ambassador pilot program at Ajax High School.
• Launched the One fare program in partnership with the Ministry of Transportation, eliminating double fares for customers transferring between DRT and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC).

• DRT Accessibility Forum: DRT hosted its annual Accessibility Forum on January 14, 2025. The purpose of the event was to highlight DRT’s accessibility features and provide an opportunity for riders and the community to share ideas to enhance accessibility across the transit network.

• Uxbridge Local Area Transit Plan: A series of Public Information Centres were held for Uxbridge residents in late January. These in-person and virtual sessions gave riders an opportunity to provide feedback on transit services in Uxbridge and surrounding areas, help inform DRT’s Local Area Transit Plan. Through 2025, DRT is developing the next five-year service strategy, and this input will help inform the strategy.

Visit DurhamRegionTransit.com/TECFebruary2025.

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 January 29, 2025, Durham Region CAO Briefing Notes summary to learn more. 

Council adopted the Durham Region’s 2025 Strategic Plan. This important document will act as a compass to guide the Region’s work for the next 10 years.

The Strategic Plan is ambitious. It considers the stories, priorities and voices heard throughout the year-long consultation process that shaped it. Five strategic directions have been identified to achieve the vision of “Connected communities. Connected to you.”

1. Connected and Vibrant Communities
2. Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action
3. Healthy People, Caring Communities
4. Resilient Local Economies
5. Strong Relationships

You can view the new Strategic Plan here, and additional details at the website: durham.ca/StratPlan 

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.