You might have noticed the new #DurhamHealthMatters hashtag appearing on social media in recent weeks.

As the Province mandates growth, the need for additional healthcare infrastructure, family doctors, and mental health support in Durham is becoming more pressing – and we want to get the word out.

This campaign aims to educate our residents about the seriousness of the issue and keep our region’s needs on the Province’s radar.

Learn more here: whitby.ca/en/live/durham-health-matters.aspx

Coming soon: Whitby's 2023 Halloween Home Decorating Contest!

Whether you like to make your house super scary for Halloween, or you prefer cute pumpkins and cartoon inflatatbles, keep an eye out for details on Whitby's 2023 Halloween Home Decorating Contest. Information will be released the first week of October including contest rules, how to enter and prizes up for grabs. Watch the Town of Whitby's website and social media channels for more.  

Two public meetings are taking place this month on the Region of Durham’s project at 1635 Dundas.

• The Region of Durham will host a public engagement session on 1635 Dundas on Tuesday, Oct. 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. in Council Chambers at Region of Durham Headquarters, 605 Rossland Rd. E.

There is limited space to attend in-person and registration is full as of Sept. 14.A livestream will be available at durham.ca and questions can be sent to engagement@durham.ca

• A special Whitby Council meeting will take place Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers at Town Hall, 575 Rossland Rd. E.

The meeting will include a presentation by the Region of Durham on 1635 Dundas, as well as the opportunity for members of the public to speak and ask questions. Members of the public are not required to register in advance in order to speak at the Oct. 10 meeting. 

Click here to read my statement on the Sept. 25 decision to defer a motion on an interim control bylaw for 1635 Dundas. 
whitby.ca/en/news/whitby-mayor-s-response-to-1635-dundas-interim-control-bylaw-deferral.aspx

Whitby's newest park is open! I’m thrilled to share that Des Newman Park, located at 105 Des Newman Blvd, is ready for the community to enjoy. The 10-acre park is the largest park investment in the Town’s history. Some of the features include: a fitness area donated by Mattamy Homes, lit multi-purpose field, multi-skills court, half-court basketball, pickleball courts, bee-themed playground, sand play area, splash pad, walking trail, and native plants to support pollinators.

The community asked for a honeybee and pollinator theme, which can be found throughout the park design including a honeycomb-inspired hexagon-shaped shade shelter, yellow and black playground with a large bee climber, bee cut-outs and roofs with floral details, and a splash pad that integrates flowers and nature-inspired elements.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the 2023 Mayor’s Gala a huge success – the event raised $140,000!

The gala is one of two annual fundraisers for the Mayor’s Community Development Fund.

The fund provides support to local groups and initiatives in the community through lead grants of up to $25,000 and community grants of up to $5,000.

The 2023 lead grant recipients for the Mayor’s Gala are Lakeridge Health Foundation, which received a grant of $25,000, and Melly's Place, which received a grant of $15,000.

A huge thank you to the organizers, volunteers, sponsors, attendees, and supporters who made this year’s gala possible. 

We're proud of these Whitby community-builders!

This is our monthly shout-out to residents and groups that make Whitby proud. If you know a person or group that has accomplished something noteworthy or is helping to make Whitby a better place, let the mayor’s office know! Email Jillian Follert at follertj@whitby.ca

• Congratulations to the Whitby firefighters who completed the recent Canadian Firefighter Memorial Ride. The annual three-day ride from Hamilton to Ottawa raises funds and awareness for the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation. This year’s ride honoured Bob Vesey, a retired Whitby firefighter who died in 2022, and whose name will be added to the Canadian Firefighter’s Memorial. Whitby firefighters John Harrison, Ed Conboy, Kevin Grant, and Josh Girard took part in the 2023 ride alongside firefighters from across Canada.

• A big kudos to members of the Rotary Club of Whitby-Sunrise who recently worked with members of four other Rotary Clubs to package 4,000 pounds of lentils for distribution by Feed the Need in Durham. The event was hosted by the Rotary Club of Uxbridge and directed by GlobalMedic.

• Three cheers for Whitby Legion Branch 112 member Doug MacLean who was recently awarded the Royal Canadian Legion Meritorious Service Medal. Doug was named a life member of Branch 112 in 2013 in honour of his many contributions. Since that time, he has continued to take on different roles with the branch including poppy chair and house chair and current roles as canteen chair and 1^st vice-president. 

The idea for Brooklin General Store came to owner Rudy Yadav when she realized that driving to Toronto to buy sustainable items was in itself, not sustainable.

“Spending nearly two hours driving from Brooklin to Toronto didn’t align with my goal to live more sustainably. I wanted a place near home to purchase my everyday products, like dish soap, laundry detergent, and body lotion,” Yadav says. “That’s where the idea of Brooklin General Store and bringing sustainable living to Brooklin originated from.”

Located at 61-A Baldwin St. in Brooklin, the store is a lively hub where people come together to connect, exchange product recommendations, and celebrate the joys of sustainable living.

Products are “carefully curated for intentional living: and include personal care, cleaning supplies, plants, linens, kitchenware, home goods, grocery items, and more.

The store will soon be expanding to include more retail and workshop space.

Visit brooklingeneralstore.ca or follow the store on Instagram to learn more.

• Get in the Halloween spirit with Ghost Walks of Whitby! Downtown Whitby has an interesting history that includes some spine-tingling ghost stories. Walks take place Oct. 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and 8:30 to 10 p.m. and include spooky stories told by a guide as well as live re-enactments by Beech Street Theatre Company. Not recommended for children under age 13. Visit whitby.ca/en/play/ghost-walks-of-whitby.aspx for more information.

• This month is your last chance this season to check out the Whitby Farmer’s Market and Brooklin Farmer’s Market. The Whitby Farmer’s Market takes place Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. until Oct. 18 at Celebration Square just outside the main branch of the Whitby Public Library. The Brooklin Farmer’s Market takes place Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. until Oct. 7 in the municipal parking lot at 3 Vipond Ave. in Brooklin. Check out whitbyfarmersmarket.ca/ for details.

• An Islamic Heritage Month Celebration takes place Oct. 7 from 1 to 4 p.m at the Whitby Public Library main branch. This event is a partnership between the Whitby Public Library, the Town of Whitby, and Muslim Women of Durham Region and will feature the work of local artist Asmaa Abdelatti along with information displays, colouring, crafts, and henna for the whole family. You can also check out an Islamic storytime and craft at the Brooklin library branch on Oct. 21 from 2 to 4 p.m

• If you’re interested in helping to divert waste from landfills, The Town of Whitby and Whitby Public Library have teamed up to host some great events for Waste Reduction Day on Oct. 21.  Check out waste-themed story times and crafts for kids; bring your broken or damaged item to the Repair Café and get help fixing it from local experts; drop off “hard to recycle” items like printer cartridges and disposable razors; and take part in a community swap where people swap clean, reusable, portable items they no longer need. Click here for the full schedule and more information.