Mayor's Monthly Newsletter - February 2024

I’m thrilled to share that, starting this month, my newsletter is available as an email subscription, as well as continuing to appear on the Town of Whitby’s website. By expanding the ways this newsletter is offered, I’m hoping to connect with more Whitby residents. Click here to sign up and have my newsletter delivered right to your inbox!

The first annual progress report on Whitby’s new Community Strategic Plan has been released – and I’m so happy with the progress so far! The four-year plan was endorsed by Council in June 2023 and provides a roadmap for how Council and own staff will work together to deliver on what’s important to our residents. More than 3,000 people provided feedback on the plan as it was being developed. The plan includes 62 action items. After six months of progress, 57 items are in progress, one is complete and four have not been started. Visit connectwhitby.ca/communityplan to learn more!

Here are a few decisions made at the Jan. 29 Council meeting. Check out the full January Council highlights for more details.

• New Public Art Policy approved

On Jan. 29, Council approved a new Public Art Policy, which will help grow the Town’s public art collection. Community engagement was a key part of developing the new plan, including creation of a steering committee. The Public Art Policy includes sections on responsibilities, site selection, acquisition, installation, maintenance, storage, donations, de-accessioning, and general funding. Council also directed Town staff to report back on the establishment of a Public Art Program Reserve Fund.

• Council calls for 407 tolls in Durham to be removed during Winchester Road construction

Council approved a motion calling on the Province to temporarily remove tolls on Hwy. 407 in Durham Region for the duration of planned construction work on Winchester Road. Work to widen Winchester Road from Anderson Street to Baldwin Street will necessitate reducing Winchester Road to one lane of traffic in one direction over two construction seasons. This is expected to have a significant impact on traffic for residents and area businesses. A copy of the request has been sent to all Durham municipalities, Durham MPPs, and the Minister of Transportation.

• Update on Whitby’s Tourism Strategy

Council has received an update on Whitby’s Tourism Strategy outlining progress to date and plans for 2024. The four-year strategy was adopted in May 2022 and includes 33 action items. A total of 16 actions have been completed or are underway. Actions planned for 2024 -- subject to budget approval -- include: participation in the “Do Something Delicious” campaign through the Globe and Mail and Culinary Tourism Alliance; working with Central Counties Tourism to host influencers in Whitby; launch of a quarterly business-to-consumer e-newsletter starting in June 2024; implementation of a Municipal Accommodation Tax as a new revenue stream for tourism; and development of culinary experiences related to the Whitby Food Guide including a Food Tour and Brewery Tour.

There’s still time to have your say on Whitby’s 2024 Budget! Public engagement is open until Feb. 7, visit connectwhitby.ca/budget to share your thoughts. A special council meeting is scheduled for Feb. 15 for final approval of the budget. Public feedback has been a big part of planning this budget. As part of the 2024 Citizen Budget Tool, we asked residents to select one of five possible priorities they would dedicate $100,000 to. Family physician recruitment, economic development and job creation, and traffic calming were selected as the top priorities. As a result, a $100,000 investment in family physician recruitment was included in the budget target recommended by staff.

I recently had the opportunity to tour the Station No. 3 condo development under construction in Downtown Whitby. I’m very pleased to share that it’s progressing well and expected occupancy dates will be in the summer and fall of 2024. This project by Brookfield Residential will feature 160 residential units and 10,000 square feet of retail space along Brock Street. This is the largest residential development in Downtown Whitby in more than 30 years. I’m confident it will boost downtown revitalization efforts by increasing foot traffic and bringing new energy to the area. The name is inspired by Firehall No. 3, which was previously located on the site before being decommissioned.

For the past year, I have had the privilege of writing a monthly op-ed column that appears on durhamregion.com and in some editions of the Brooklin Town Crier. This column is one example of the many tools I am using to communicate with the community and share information on important Whitby issues like health care, homelessness, and food insecurity. The recent discontinuation of Metroland’s print newspapers in Durham combined with Meta’s decision to block news on Facebook makes it more challenging for residents to access local news and columns. You can check out my most recent column here.

Nominations open Feb. 1 for the Mayor’s Senior Volunteer Award. Each year, the mayor recognizes a senior who has made an outstanding contribution through community involvement. If you know someone 55+ who fits this description, nominations can be submitted until March 10. Nomination forms are available at the Whitby 55+ Centre and the Brooklin Community Centre as well as online here.

This is our monthly shout-out to those who 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

• A huge congratulations to Whitby resident Shauna Bookal, who has been selected as one of the 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women for 2024. The 100 women will be featured in a book set to be launched in September 2024. Shauna is the manager of equity, diversity, inclusion, and student experience with Ontario University Athletics and has a long history of working and volunteering in sports including with the Canadian Olympic Committee, and the Black Female Coach Mentorship Program with the Black Canadian Coaches Association. Visit 100abcwomen.ca to learn more and see the full list of 2024 honourees.

• Kudos to Bistro 67 for appearing on OpenTable’s 2024 list of Top 100 Restaurants with Healthy Bites. In past years, Bistro 67 has also been named one of Canada’s 100 Most Scenic Restaurants and one of the 50 Best Restaurants in Canada for Vegetarians. The teaching-inspired restaurant is located at the Galen Weston Centre for Food on the Durham College Whitby campus. If you haven’t been, I highly recommend giving it a try!

• I’m very happy to update that Coco’s Cocoa for Kids 2023 fundraiser brought in $14,457 for Sick Kids! Amazing work by 11-year-old Whitby resident Choen, who first launched his hot chocolate stand fundraiser last year and has grown it into an amazing success story.

Welcome to Whitby, Valhallan Esports Training! This new business recently opened at 114 Dundas St. E. offering competitive gaming and life skills programs for children and youth ages eight to 18. Players can have fun mastering video games while learning skills like teamwork, sportsmanship, and communication. Valhallan offers monthly memberships, workshops, and camps as well as the option to host birthday parties. The Whitby arena is the first Valhallan location in Ontario. Click here to learn more.

• February is Black History Month. On. Feb. 6, check out a talk with former Whitby MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes, the author of “Can You Hear Me Now?" at the Whitby Public Library Central Branch from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The evening will be moderated by Eleanor McIntosh. Independent bookstore, Blue Heron Books will be in attendance with books available for purchase. Click here for more information.

• Celebrate Family Day on Monday, Feb. 19 with family fun at Iroquois Park Sports Centre from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enjoy skating, swimming, face painting, a balloon artist, photo ops and more. Members of Council will be there to welcome you from 12 to 2 p.m. – come say hello! Visit whitby.ca/en/play/family-day.aspx for more information and a schedule of activities.

• Happy Lunar New Year to all those celebrating! This year’s celebration begins on Feb. 10 and continues for 15 days until Feb. 24, ushering in the Year of the Dragon.

• Feb. 28 is Pink Shirt Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about bullying. The day was started in 2007 by two teens who organized a high school protest to support a fellow student who was bullied for wearing a pink shirt. Pink Shirt Day is now recognized by the United Nations and observed in more than 25 countries. Visit pinkshirtday.ca to learn more or purchase a 2024 Pink Shirt Day shirt designed by Corey Bulpitt, an internationally recognized artist from the Haida Na7ikun-Raven Clan, known for his graffiti-influenced work.