Whitby Council Highlights - February 2026

Council has approved a motion calling on the federal and provincial governments to remove the GST and HST from all newly built or substantially renovated homes purchased from the builder as a primary residence in Ontario up to $1.5 million. The motion notes the federal and provincial governments have proposed new GST/HST rebates for first-time homebuyers, who represent about five per cent of buyers. The Ontario Homebuilders’ Association estimates that a full HST exemption would stimulate the construction of an additional 53,000 new homes, on top of the roughly 80,000 homes already expected to be available for sale by 2026 -- bringing the total to approximately 132,000 units.

Council has directed Town staff to develop a seasonal waterfront parking management program for all municipal waterfront parks and surrounding streets, to be in effect annually from May to October. The program will implement paid parking for non-residents, while maintaining free parking for Whitby residents using a digital registration system.

The motion notes Whitby’s waterfront parks are “experiencing increasing congestion during peak usage months from May to October, creating challenges for visitor experience and resident access.”

Staff were directed to report back to Council by April 2026 with proposed bylaw amendments, a fee structure and an implementation plan to ensure the program is operational for the 2026 summer season.  Seasonal programs that require paid parking for non-residents are used by several Ontario municipalities, including Ajax, Pickering and Oshawa.

A new report highlights the Town of Whitby’s success in obtaining grant funding in 2025, noting that over $21.5 million in grant commitments were secured from the federal and provincial governments.  As of the end of 2025, over $40 million in grant funding applications remain pending. Grants are an example of an alternative revenue source that allows the Town to fund projects and initiatives without added pressure on property taxpayers. Examples of successful grants in 2025 include $798,486 from the Infrastructure Canada – Green and Inclusive Community Buildings fund to support a deep energy retrofit at Whitby’s 55+ Centre, and $19.9 million from the province’s Housing Enabling Core Services Fund to support the expansion of Columbus Road from Country Lane to Ashburn Road.

A new report notes that 100 per cent of the 62 action items in Whitby’s 2022-2026 Community Strategic Plan are now underway or complete. This includes 15 complete items and 47 progressing through various stages of work, with 83 per cent of those nearing completion. Council approved the plan in June 2023 following extensive public consultation. The plan provides a roadmap for how Council and Town staff will work together to deliver on community priorities over the four years of this Council term. The report received for information by Council on Feb. 2 is the third annual progress report. Examples of completed items include repurposing the historic waterfront Pumphouse as a gathering place, delivering a Parks and Recreation Master Plan, implementing electric vehicles in the Town’s municipal fleet, and advocating for a new paramedic station in Whitby. More information is available at https://connectwhitby.ca/communityplan

Council has approved several changes to the procedure bylaw to require more notice for motions introduced by members of Council.

Under the current rules, late motions can be brought forward during a meeting if a member of Council puts forward a motion to waive the rules of procedure and there is support from two thirds of Council.

Under the new rules, if a motion is late but submitted to the Clerk before 8 a.m. the day of the meeting -- and it is of an urgent nature -- a member of Council can put forward a motion to waive the rules to introduce it.

If the late motion is submitted after 8 a.m. the day of the meeting, the rules of procedure may not be waived to allow the motion to be introduced, and the matter must wait until the next meeting to be considered.

The report notes “by prohibiting the ability to waive the rules of procedure for motions submitted after 8 a.m., Council will eliminate attempts to surprise other members with late motions and circumvent staff’s review.”

Currently, members of Council can request that the rules of procedure be waived to allow delegations to speak to late motions that do not appear on the agenda. Under the new rules, delegations will not be allowed, and members of Council will not be able to ask to waive the rules for them to be heard. “Allowing delegations on late motions that do not appear on the published agenda creates an information asymmetry,” the report notes. “It privileges those who may have ‘insider’ knowledge of late motions while effectively excluding the broader public who rely on official notice periods through the published agenda to exercise their democratic rights.”

Council has directed Town staff to prepare a report and associated by-law for Council consideration, that requires owners of multi-residential rental properties without in-unit air conditioning to provide an air-conditioned common space, accessible to all tenants  between June 1 and September 14. The motion notes that common spaces should be cooled to no more than 26 C, except in instances where multi-residential properties do not have existing common spaces or if the building construction and/or ventilation system make cooling a common space impossible. Town staff were asked to prepare the report and by-law in time for the requirement to take effect by June 1, 2026, and ensure public notice is provided to multi-residential property owners and tenants through the Town’s communications channels. The report will also include an assessment as to whether investments for cooling centres could trigger an above guideline rent increase for tenants living in the buildings. The motion also notes that "all multi-unit property owners are encouraged to upgrade all units to have air conditioning over the next five years."

Council has approved amendments to the Procedure By-law to allow members of the public to use personal devices to record Council and committee meetings. Council and committee meetings are already livestreamed, and meeting recordings are also available to the public on the Town's website. A memorandum to Council notes the goal of the amendments is to “modernize the Town’s approach to transparency while maintaining a safe and orderly environment for Council and Committee meetings.” The by-law has also been amended to put safeguards in place to ensure recording by members of the public is not disruptive. For example, members of the public are not allowed to use recording devices “in a manner that is disruptive to the proceedings, creates a hazard, obstructs the view of others, or may be reasonably perceived as an attempt to intimidate, harass, or impede any person’s participation in the meeting.”