You can check out details of the latest decisions and discussions at Whitby Council in the monthly Council Highlights.

The April 2025 Council Highlights include:

• Council asks for staff recommendation on electing regional councillors by ward
• Public engagement set to start on future on Luther Vipond Memorial Arena
• Changes to Whitby’s 2025 Canada Day event
• Changes to Town’s Procurement By-law to help local businesses navigate tariff impact

Council Highlights is published following every regular Council meeting.

I’m thrilled to share that the Town of Whitby has partnered with local company Vintage Apparel Co. on an exciting fundraiser for the new hospital in Whitby! Custom hoodies are now available for purchase, with almost half of the funds from each sale going to this fantastic cause. There are three colour options to choose from and four style options: “My Whitby,” “My Brooklin,” “My Ashburn,” and “My Myrtle.” Visit https://shop.vintageapparelco.com/ to get yours today! You can also visit Whitby.ca/NewHospital to learn more about the new hospital and how the community can support the project.

Want to learn more about the new Habitat for Humanity project coming to Whitby? Habitat for Humanity GTA is hosting the “Making Homes Possible in Whitby Kickoff “event on May 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Centennial Building, 416 Centre St. S. This event marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter as Habitat for Humanity GTA prepares to build a new affordable housing community of 40+ units at Hickory St. and Dunlop St. in Whitby.

The May 8 event will include the opportunity to hear from project leaders, learn about eligibility requirements for families looking to partner and own a home with Habitat for Humanity GTA, and explore hands-on volunteer opportunities. Visit https://habitat-gtas-whitby-project-awareness-event.eventbrite.ca to RSVP.

May 1 to 7 is National Youth Week and there are lots of free, fun activities happening in Whitby! Check out drop-in sports, classes, a movie night -- even a pancake bar!

Visit https://www.whitby.ca/en/play/youth.aspx#Youth-Week-Activities for a full schedule of events.  

Several local businesses will also be offering promotions for youth ages 12 to 18 during National Youth Week, visit https://www.whitby.ca/en/play/youth.aspx#Youth-Week-Local-Business-Promotions-for-Youth-Ages-12-18 for details.

Work is continuing on the new Whitby Sports Complex and I’m so thrilled to see the facility taking shape. In April, I had the opportunity to join members of Council and Town staff to celebrate a major milestone – the concrete pour for one of the two arena ice pads. This state-of-the-art facility will be home to Durham’s largest swimming pool, a twin-pad arena, a gymnasium, and lots of flexible community spaces. The 13-acre outdoor park will feature a variety of recreational amenities, including pickleball, tennis, and basketball courts, a multi-purpose sports field, a playground, and a skatepark with a pump track. Work on the outdoor components is set to being this month with about 200 tradespeople on site. Visit connectwhitby.ca/SportsComplex for more information and to subscribe for project updates. 

The Mayor’s Tariff Task Force continues to meet, and on April 28 Council unanimously supported amendments to the Town’s procurement by-law, which prioritize the purchase of goods and services from Canadian suppliers whenever possible and restricts U.S. businesses from bidding on Town contracts. 

More details can be found here. 

These changes build on the Town’s ongoing actions taken to combat tariffs, protect the local economy, and keep jobs.

I’m also pleased to share that I met with mayors from across the province at Ontario’s Big City Mayors Annual General Meeting in March, and we approved a motion urging the federal and provincial governments to introduce municipal stimulus strategies that will fast-track major infrastructure projects. These investments are key to protecting local economies from the destabilizing impact of tariffs. Examples in Whitby include:

• Construction of new Mid-Block Arterial Road between Cochrane Street/Hwy 7 and Britannia Road
• Widening of Columbus Road between Country Lane and east town limits
• Construction of New Animal Services/Bylaw Enforcement building

Introducing a new signature event is one of the 62 action items in Whitby’s Community Strategic Plan, and we’re delivering on that this summer with the introduction of the new Home Sweet Home Festival! This event will take place July 26 in Downtown Whitby featuring live entertainment, food, vendors, interactive activities, trolly rides – even an Adventure Zone with a 300-foot zipline! Visit whitby.ca/en/play/home-sweet-home-festival.aspx to learn more and stay updated as the date draws closer. 

Welcoming new firefighters to the Town of Whitby

I recently had the privilege of helping to welcome 13 new firefighter recruits to the Town of Whitby, with another 13 set to join Whitby Fire in the coming months. These firefighters will staff the new Fire Station #6, which will be located in West Whitby, one of the town’s fastest growing areas. Whitby's population is expected to grow from about 150,000 to 190,000 by 2031, and the Town has committed to a provincial housing target of building 18,000 new homes within that period. It’s incredibly important that our infrastructure and services grow alongside our population. This new fire hall will be instrumental in ensuring residents have timely access to emergency services. 

Camp Molly is a free, four-day camp dedicated to inspiring female and non-binary youth ages 15 to 18 by showcasing firefighting as a viable and rewarding career. The camp is named in honour of Molly Williams, North America’s first known female and first known black firefighter. The program offers comprehensive training in fire suppression, auto extrication, firefighter survival, communications, fire prevention and more. Camp Molly is being offered in 10 locations for summer 2025 – including Whitby from July 24 to 27! Camper registration is open until June 12 and volunteers are also needed. Visit CampMolly.ca to learn more.

I recently had the honour of helping to welcome three new inductees into the Whitby Sports Hall of Fame at the annual 27^th annual Induction Gala. Established in 1997, the Whitby Sports Hall of Fame recognizes athletic excellence in our community. Visit whitbysportshalloffame.com to read about this year’s inspiring inductees Clare Osborne (Builder, Baseball), Denise Daleman-Robinson (Builder, Soccer) and Tami Rayner (Builder, Lacrosse). All three have achieved incredible success and supported countless athletes over the course of their careers. 

In April, I was pleased to join a delegation of municipal leaders and experts from Durham Region at Hannover Messe in Germany. This event is the world’s biggest tradeshow for industrial and energy technologies, and it provided an amazing opportunity to showcase Durham on the world stage, attract investment to our community and help local businesses that primarily trade with the U.S., diversify and make trading connections with European Union countries. During the event, the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association announced Project Arrow 2.0 --  the next phase of Canada’s first, original, full-build, zero-emission concept vehicle -- will be created in Durham at Ontario tech university and tested at the ACE Climatic Aerodynamic Wind Tunnel, which is amazing news for our community. Other highlights included meetings with Invest Canada and the Business Council of Canada, and Durham-based business start-up Ekstera winning the startup pitch competition for their Stirling engine technology. 

This is my monthly shoutout to those who make Whitby proud. If you know a person, group, or organization that has accomplished something noteworthy or is helping to make Whitby a better place, email follertj@whitby.ca

• Thank you to the organizers and volunteers from Project Ramadan who recently gathered in Whitby to pack 600 food hampers for families in need in our community! Food insecurity is a growing crisis in Whitby and across Ontario and efforts like this truly make a difference.

• Shout out to all the organizers and volunteers helping to make Whitby beautiful through community litter clean-ups this spring! Examples include the Lupin Park ravine clean-up that took place April 26, Whitby Meadows Community Clean-Up at Lynde Shores Park on April 27 and the upcoming Cambridge International Academy Shoreline Community Clean-Up set to take place at the waterfront on May 10. 

• Kudos to all those helping to plant trees in Whitby this spring! A huge thank you to Town of Whitby Forestry staff, the team from LEAF and all the volunteers who took part in the LEAF Community Tree Planting at Rosedale Park on April 26. And another big thank you to the youth and volunteers with Whitby Scouting who will be planting trees at Whitby Civic Park on May 3 as part of their annual Scoutrees event. 

Because You Asked is an opportunity to provide helpful context and information about issues the community is asking about. Got a question? Email Jillian Follert at follertj@whitby.ca

Spring is when I most often receive questions about waste containers and litter, as the snow melts and reveals debris that has accumulated over the winter.

The Town collects over 320 metric tonnes of parks waste each year with our Roads and Parks teams conducting regular litter collection year-round in parks, trails, parking lots, traffic islands, roadsides and in Downtown Whitby and Brooklin.

In the summer, garbage is collected from waste receptacles in parks seven days a week, 10 hours per day by two crews that also pick up litter and debris in and around parks. This level of service is reduced in the winter to coincide with lower park usage.

There are over 400 waste receptacles located in Whitby’s parks and trails. The Town is moving towards the installation of more in-ground waste receptacles with almost 100 of these units currently installed in our parks.

The in-ground containers greatly increase capacity -- they can hold up to 1,100 litres of garbage and need to be emptied less frequently.

They have also proven to greatly reduce public dumping, due to the small round opening as opposed to an open top. The in-ground containers also reduce odour and are more pest and animal resistant.

The Town has close to 100 streetside waste and recycling containers located in Downtown Whitby and Downtown Brooklin, which are serviced twice weekly. There are also dozens of waste and recycling containers installed at high visibility locations throughout the town that are maintained by a third party at no cost to the taxpayer.

Waste containers at bus stops and in bus shelters are the responsibility of Durham Region Transit.

We’re also incredibly grateful that many members of our community volunteer to help keep our Town beautiful.

Every year, dozens of groups volunteer to complete community cleanups though  the Town’s Anti-Litter Cleanup Program.

Click for more information if you’re a resident, business or community group looking to schedule a one-time clean-up, or adopt a park, trail or road to keep clean for a minimum of two years.

The Town will provide those who register with a free cleanup kit that includes bags and gloves and will also collect the waste following the event.

In an effort to reduce blowing debris, the Town also sends out alerts on the Waste Buddy App reminding residents to secure loose items in their blue bins or consider holding onto blue box material until the next collection.

The Town also works year-round to discourage illegal dumping by enforcing bylaws and issuing fines when violations occur. Staff monitor trouble spots and often partner with Durham Region Police Service for help with surveillance.

Town staff also collaborate with local retailers to remove shopping carts from public right of ways and proactively remove marketing signs from roadsides.

Curious Fox Bookshop is an independent children's bookstore located in Downtown Whitby. It aims to guide young readers throughout the entire reading journey, from board books and picture books to chapter books, novels and  young adult, as well as carrying juvenile non-fiction books and offering a parenting section with a special emphasis on neurodiversity. Opened last summer, owner Sarah Parker says Whitby was long overdue for its own bookstore and hopes the Curious Fox can be a safe space and community hub. As to why the fox? "They're curious creatures, just like young readers!" Sarah says. "It's also an homage to the many red foxes in the neighbourhood. And since the fox is a common character in children's literature, it seemed like the perfect fit." Located at 108-420 Green St., the store actually faces Ontario Street, just east of Brock St.  Visit curiousfoxbookshop.ca for more information and to shop online. You can also follow the shop on Instagram @curiousfoxbookshop

• The Whitby Farmer’s Market opens for the 2025 season on Wednesday, May 14 and continues every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Civic Square. Learn more at whitbyfarmersmarket.ca

• Trafalgar Castle School hosts its 118^th annual May Day celebration on May 24 from 12 to 2 p.m. Explore the grounds and check out carnival games, food and products from local vendors.
• On May 10, join the Town of Whitby and Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority for a Birdwatching Experience event to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day! Enjoy crafts for kids, bird ID tips, trivia, a bird hike, and more. The events runs from 10 a.m. to noon at Lynde Shores Conservation Area, 623 Halls Rd. S. in Whitby) Registration is limited, visit https://webforms.whitby.ca/Sustainability/World-Migratory-Bird-Day-2025 to register.
• Food Truck Frenzy 2025 takes place May 24 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and May 25 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the south parking lot of Iroquois Park Sports Complex. This popular annual event is hosted by the Rotary Club of Whitby to raise funds that go directly back into our community. Check out more than 30 food trucks as well as a maker’s market and kid’s zone. Entry is $5 per person and free for children 14 and under. Learn more rotaryfoodtruckfrenzy.com

Did you know there are two ways to subscribe to my monthly newsletter? Go to whitby.ca/subscribe to receive an email notification each month when the newsletter is published on whitby.ca -- or click here to subscribe via Constant Contact and get the newsletter right to your inbox.

Here’s a sneak peek of what’s coming up in the June newsletter:

• Updates on how to support the new hospital
• How to support the new Habitat for Humanity build in Whitby
• Upcoming Coffee Mayor Roy dates for summer 2025
• New for summer 2025 --  “Milkshakes with Mayor Roy”