Mayor Roy’s Statement On The Canada-Ontario Partnership To Build

This week’s announcement of the Canada-Ontario Partnership to Build is a positive step in addressing the housing affordability crisis, and an example of what’s possible when all levels of government work together on shared solutions.

I am encouraged to see the federal and provincial governments committing to funding the infrastructure needed to support housing growth. This signals a more balanced approach -- one that recognizes the cost of building complete communities should not fall disproportionately on homebuyers or property taxpayers.

At a time when affordability is out of reach for many, any step that helps ease that burden is welcome.

It will be important to understand how funding will be allocated, how projects will be prioritized, and how quickly municipalities can access these resources to deliver infrastructure.

The inclusion of funding prioritized to municipalities that discount development charges on new homes by up to 50 per cent is particularly significant.

Ontario’s Big City Mayors has been clear that any changes to development charges must be matched with sustainable infrastructure funding from senior levels of government. This announcement reflects that advocacy and is an important step toward resetting how we fund growth in rapidly expanding communities.

It will also be critical to respect municipal capital planning processes and ensure project vetting is efficient. Requiring alignment across three levels of government, while well-intentioned, could introduce complexity and delays. We must ensure processes are streamlined so critical infrastructure can be delivered without unnecessary barriers.

I have upcoming meetings scheduled with provincial and federal representatives, and I look forward to gaining greater clarity on how this initiative will be implemented and what it will mean for Whitby.

The path forward will require continued collaboration across all levels of government, and meaningful input from municipalities, to ensure these investments translate into real results.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Erin Mikaluk
Manager, Communications and Creative Services, Town of Whitby
Phone: 289.314.6913
Email: mikaluke@whitby.ca

Office of the Mayor

Jillian Follert
Public Affairs Coordinator, Office of the Mayor
Phone: 289.314.9101
Email: follertj@whitby.ca