Council Highlights - March 2025

Whitby Council is again calling for the removal of tolls on Hwy. 407 East. On March 24, Council approved a motion requesting that the Provincial government “expedite the removal of all tolls on the entirety of Highway 407 East, in accordance with the 2025 Protect Ontario Plan, starting April of 2025 to align with the resumption of construction that will reduce traffic capacity on Winchester Road.” The motion notes that, at a media appearance in October 2024, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he had requested that the Minister of Transportation review reducing or eliminating tolls on Hwy. 407 East. The motion directs the mayor to send a letter and a copy of the motion to Premier Ford, as well as the Minister of Transportation, all Durham Region MPPs, and various area municipalities. Whitby Council has previously passed motions calling for the removal of tolls on Hwy. 407 East in December 2024 and March 2024.

At Council’s Feb. 24 Committee of the Whole meeting, two motions were discussed that relate to banning hate symbols. The first directs the Town’s CAO to bring forward a by-law “that would have the effect of banning the display of Nazi symbols and iconography…on any Town property including the property of any agencies, boards, or commissions,” with an exemption noted for educational and research purposes. The motion notes that the penalty for violation of the by-law should be ‘the maximum possible allowed under provincial statute.”

The second motion directs Town staff to establish a policy framework to reinforce the provisions of the Criminal Code of Canada and the Ontario Human Rights Code to clarify that as the owner of Town property and facilities, all forms of hate propaganda, “including the display of hate symbols that promote or incite hatred or violence,” are banned in Town facilities and on Town property. Council voted to refer both motions to Town staff for future reports back to Council.

On March 24, Council voted not to implement inclusionary zoning in Whitby’s Protected Major Transit Station Area, located near the Whitby GO Station. Inclusionary zoning is a tool that requires affordable housing units to be included in certain mid to high-rise residential developments. When the Town received $24.9 million in funding from the Federal Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) in January 2024, exploring inclusionary zoning was one of nine initiatives the Town was required to complete by the end of 2026. To implement inclusionary zoning, the Planning Act requires a Housing Needs Assessment Report. The Town used HAF funding to retain consultants to undertake the report, which concludes that inclusionary zoning would be difficult to implement due to several constraints. For example, rising construction costs and fluctuations in interest rates have significantly increased expenses for developers and builders at a time when the prices of residential units have remained stagnant or declined. “Developers currently face significant financial hurdles in advancing new residential projects at full market value,” a Town staff report notes. “This presents a challenge when considering the implementation of inclusionary zoning, since introducing affordability mandates would further constrain development feasibility, thereby potentially leading to reduced housing supply in the PMTSA.” Council will explore alternative means of creating affordable housing.

At a special Council meeting on March 17, Council voted in favour of a one-week pay suspension for Councillor Chris Leahy and Councillor Steve Yamada. This follows the findings of an integrity commissioner report that concluded both councillors violated the Council Code of Conduct in October 2024 when they made unsupported allegations of racism against members of Council and Town staff at public Council meetings. More information can be found in a March 17 media release, including a link to the full report and a link to Mayor Roy’s statement.

Council has received an update on the proposed planning process and timeline for the Cullen Central Park Master Plan and subsequent park development. Work on this initiative is now expected to start in 2028 after being delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent reprioritization of Town projects. Cullen Central Park is a key recreational space in Whitby featuring the Park of Reflection honoring Wounded Warriors, summer camps, bocce and pickleball courts, a picnic shelter, and an extensive trail network. The next step is to develop a Park Master Plan, which will address issues like accessibility, parking, play areas, trails, signage, and sustainability. Public consultation will be a key part of the process, including input from Council, Advisory Committees of Council, Town departments, cultural organizations, youth groups, nearby landowners, and Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority. The Town’s 10-year capital forecast includes funding for the Cullen Central Park Master Plan and its implementation, with $200,000 allocated for planning in 2028 and $4.8 million earmarked for construction in 2029. If Council approves the budget in 2028, staff will initiate the Master Plan process.

Whitby Council is calling on the federal government to add 34 programs offered at Durham College to the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada list of fields of study.

As of November 2024, public college students and non-degree university students are only eligible for a post-graduation work permit if they graduate from programs on the list, which are linked to occupations in long-term shortage.

The motion notes that this change has “negatively impacted post-secondary institutions in Ontario, including Durham College, by reducing international student study permits and limiting eligibility for Post Graduation Work Permits to programs in fields of study identified as having national labour market shortages, irrespective of local labour market needs.” Durham College has compiled a short list of 34 programs for inclusion on the list. Council is also calling on the provincial government to enact a recommendation in the Blue Ribbon Panel report, commissioned by the province, which calls for long term, sustainable funding for the post-secondary sector. The report notes Ontario’s colleges are funded at 44 per cent of the national average, with tuition revenue first cut by 10 per cent in 2019 and then frozen for the past six years. A copy of the resolution will be sent to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada; the Minister of Colleges and Universities, all Durham Region MPPs, and all Durham Region municipalities.