Council Highlights - May 2025

Council voted May 26 to award a contract to Thomas Brown Architects for the detailed design of the new Fire Station 6 in West Whitby. Construction is expected to be completed in Summer, 2027.

In order to tender for construction in 2025 following completion of detailed design, Council has also approved construction funding for the new fire station. The Town’s Master Fire Plan identifies the need for a new station to address response times and depth of coverage due to increased residential, commercial, and industrial development in West Whitby.

In 2024, Whitby continued to be one of the busiest fire departments in the Region, responding to 7,383 emergency calls. The Town has hired 20 new firefighters to support the new fire station -- they will be temporarily housed at Station 4 until the West Whitby station is complete.

On May 26, Whitby Council voted to change the way the Town elects its four regional councillors—from the current at-large system to election by ward. The change would see one regional councillor elected from each of the Town’s existing four wards.

The decision follows an April 2025 direction from Council for staff to prepare a report examining the pros and cons of both approaches. The resulting report emphasized that the choice isn’t about identifying a “right” or “wrong” system, but rather selecting the option that best fits Whitby’s unique context.

The report also looked at how municipalities across the GTA elect their regional councillors, considerations around representation, campaign dynamics including campaign finances, managing constituent inquiries, and the accessibility and accountability of the at-large versus by ward models.

As the next step, Council will vote on changes to Whitby’s Council Composition By-Law. The move to elect regional councillors by ward will take effect for the 2026 municipal election with electors being able to vote for the positions of mayor, local ward councillor, and regional ward councillor. Following the election, the new council composition will be in place for the next term of Council beginning November 15, 2026.

Council has voted to adopt a recommendation from Town staff to use the Ontario Ombudsman as Whitby’s default closed meeting investigator. In 2008, Council appointed Local Authority Services (LAS) -- an arm of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario -- as the Town’s closed meeting investigator. LAS then awarded closed meeting investigator services to Aird & Berlis LLP, commencing for the 2020 calendar year.

In February 2025, Council directed Town staff to review the pros and cons, financial or otherwise, of retaining the existing closed meeting investigator contracted through LAS versus using the Ontario Ombudsman. There is no cost to municipalities to use the Ontario Ombudsman, while the Town of Whitby’s most recent closed meeting investigation in 2024 cost $13,276. However, a Town report also notes Aird & Berlis LLP has a demonstrated track record of completing investigations within a few months of receiving a complaint, while the Ontario Ombusdman can take up to a year to complete an investigation.

Clarington, Oshawa, Ajax, Pickering, and Scugog use the Ontario Ombudsman whereas Brock, Uxbridge, and the Region of Durham use LAS. Of the 444 municipalities in Ontario, 268 use the Ombudsman and 90 use LAS as their closed meeting investigator, with the remaining 86 municipalities having arrangements with alternative providers.

Council has also adopted two amendments to Whitby’s Procedure By-law -- the playing of the national anthem as part of the opening protocols for regular Council meetings; and permitting recorded votes at standing committee meetings.

Council has voted to amend Whitby’s private transportation by-law to remove the requirement of a signed contract to allow accessible taxis to move across municipal borders to serve people with disabilities.

All eight Durham municipalities are taking similar action in an effort to address the shortage of accessible taxis in the region. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant financial impact on the taxi industry, resulting in a decline in the number of licensed accessible vehicles. A Regional Working Group identified the need for each Durham municipality to amend its by-laws to permit cross-jurisdictional transportation for licensed accessible vehicles.

Under the current rules, a municipally licensed taxi can only cross into another city/town for the purpose of dropping off a customer -- they cannot pick up new fares outside of the licensed area. Exceptions can be made for people with disabilities, but they are required to draw up a written contract.

A Town report says the by-law change “will provide residents with the flexibility to travel independently within the region, ensuring equitable access to essential services.”

PMSAR is a registered Canadian charity that has been operating since 1967 with a team of volunteers that contributes thousands of hours annually to ensure the safety of people swimming, boating and taking part in other activities on Lake Ontario.

The group conducts about 30 search and rescue missions annually from Port Credit to Port Hope, working in coordination with the Canadian Coast Guard as well as police, fire and paramedics.

PMSAR relies heavily on community funding and donations and is need of additional funds to secure a new vessel at a cost of about $2 million.

The motion approved by Council also encourages all Durham municipalities and the City of Toronto to bring forward similar motions.

Council has approved timelines for the Town’s 2026-2028 multi-year budget process. Staff will begin work on the budget in June, with an online budget survey available for the public to complete from June 6 to 27. That will be followed by more public engagement from July 14 to August 1 in the form of a participatory budget tool on the Town’s website that allows participants to select and rank/prioritize possible capital projects for inclusion in the budget.

The budget book, considering budget engagement results and outlining budget pressures identified by staff, is planned to be released on Oct. 27 followed by the mayor’s budget memo on Nov 7. There will be a further opportunity for community engagement online and at a public budget meeting in November. The budget is expected to be adopted in December.