Conversations in the Community

Welcome to our Conversations in the Community page! This is your one-stop destination to learn more about some of the topics generating interest in our community.

More importantly, the City of Pickering is dedicated to fostering an informed and involved community, actively engaged in municipal affairs. We value the significance of accurate information that provides clarity and context. Our aim is to ensure residents have municipal information readily available!

Council Meetings – Notice of Format Change (January 2025)

After considerable deliberation, we have decided to return official City meetings to a fully electronic format due to escalating threats of violence, harassment, and intimidation in our Council Chambers.

This difficult decision was made by the City Clerk in consultation with the Chief Administrative Officer, Corporate Security Specialist, and the Mayor, in alignment with the City’s Procedure By-law, in order to safeguard the safety and well-being of Council members, staff, and residents.

We have previously held fully electronic meetings during the pandemic, and as we return to this format, all residents will have the opportunity to live stream the meetings online at youtube.com/@CityPickering/streams or participate as a delegate by contacting the Clerk’s Office at 905.420.4611 or visit the Council & Committee Meetings page and complete the online delegation request form.

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Scam Alert

The City has been alerted to anonymous flyers circulating in the community, including some soliciting money (e.g., from organizations like "The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms") and spreading misinformation. These materials contain false and misleading claims and are not associated with official City business.

Protect yourself and your family members with these steps:

Verify Information: Always confirm the legitimacy of communications through official City channels, such as pickering.ca or by contacting our Customer Care Centre at 905.683.7575 or by email.
Learn About Fraud Prevention: Access educational resources and tips to safeguard against fraud and financial crimes through the Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS.ca/Fraud).
Exercise Caution: Do not share personal information, allow strangers into your home, or engage with suspicious requests.

Reporting Fraud:

For fraud and financial crimes, contact the Durham Regional Police Service Non-Emergency Line at 1.888.579.1520.
It is also recommended that you report the instance of a scam, fraud, or cybercrime to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1.888.495.8501.

Stay vigilant and informed to protect yourself, your family, and your community.

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Let’s talk about Council Meeting etiquette, filming and photography, and more!

Watch our short video or take a read below.

Council Chambers play a central role in the democratic process for local municipalities, serving as a dedicated meeting space to conduct decision-making, welcome diverse community perspectives, experiences, and opinions, and foster meaningful engagement. That is why it is important to have clear rules governing the activities that take place within Chambers to ensure we can provide a respectful, safe, and welcoming environment for all participants.

How are Council and Committee Meetings, conduct of Council Members, and the calling of meetings governed?

The Municipal Act mandates that municipalities have a Procedure By-law to govern the calling, place, and proceedings of meetings. For Pickering, Procedure By-law 8019/23 outlines rules for all meeting types, including responsibilities for chairing a meeting, recordings, points of privilege, motions, voting, and more. Adherence to these rules ensures proper decorum during official meetings and provides the framework for Council’s decision-making process.

Enhanced Safety & Security Measures

Over the past year, we’ve received feedback from Members of Council, staff, and meeting attendees, expressing concern and discomfort around increasingly unruly, disruptive, and intimidating behaviours from visitors to the Council Chambers.

The City takes these concerns very seriously and has implemented measures to ensure meetings are free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and conflict.

Consequently, to ensure the safety and security of attendees and officials, the City has introduced paid, off-duty police officers in addition to regular contracted security personnel at various Council and Committee Meetings, which has cost the City over $18,000.

While substantial, this measure underscores our commitment to a secure and respectful environment for all participants.

Filming/photography in Council Chambers

To further ensure the comfort and protect the privacy of all in the public gallery, visitors are not permitted to take pictures or video of the proceedings, or of other attendees, inside the Council Chambers.

We appreciate that guests to our Chambers do not want to be unknowingly filmed, with the potential of having their image posted to social media afterward.

This rule does not apply to City staff, and exceptions can be made for credentialed media outlets by a two-thirds majority vote of Members present.

For the convenience of those who cannot attend in person, all Committee and Council meetings are directly livestreamed to YouTube, unedited.

Credentialed Media Filming/Photography Request

Filming and photography are not generally permitted in the Council Chambers during Committee and Council Meetings.

Credentialed Media who wish to film or take photos at an upcoming Committee or Council Meeting are asked to submit their request by 12:00 pm on the date of the Meeting. Requests must include a scanned copy of media credentials.

Email requests to Corporate Communications

At the discretion of Council and/or Committee, permission may be granted by a Two-Thirds majority vote of the Members present, at the beginning of the meeting being considered for filming.

Delegations

Members of the public who wish to provide verbal comments or opinions on a matter before a Standing Committee or Council are known as delegations.

Delegations may only speak to matters that are listed on the meeting agenda (with limited exceptions).

Who is eligible to speak at Council/Committee meetings?

residents of the City of Pickering;
an owner of a business in Pickering; or,
a Pickering taxpayer.

Those that are not eligible to make a delegation at a Council or Committee meeting may submit written comments or email the Clerk's Office.

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Elexicon Holdings

Earlier this year, the City of Pickering announced the undertaking of a confidential Request for Proposal (RFP) to explore the potential sale of its municipally owned holdings in Elexicon Corporation (Read Joint Statement, July 3, 2024).

At this time, no sale has been made, the RFP process is still underway, and once complete, the City will provide an update on any next steps. The final decision to proceed with a sale will be made by the respective municipal councils.

In 1994, Ontario had approximately 307 municipally-owned electric utilities. Over the past 30 years, this number has significantly decreased to around 50, due to ongoing consolidation efforts, including share sales and mergers. Municipalities recognized the financial opportunities presented by selling electric utilities amid this consolidation trend. In our case, leadership has been aware of the shifting landscape, and discussions have naturally evolved over time.

That said, the City of Pickering is in the business of providing its residents with critical and valued municipal services, such as snow-clearing, parks, roads, community facilities, by-law enforcement services, and 24-hour fire and emergency response. The ownership of an electric utility is not a core City service or responsibility, and the City’s decision to explore selling is reflected in the current merger trend.

Similar to personal investing and other business investments, the City has a responsibility to regularly evaluate the performance of its assets and investments. This allows us to ensure they continue to align with our strategic goals and how to best serve our community. After a thorough review, we believe that now is an opportune time to explore the potential sale of our shares in Elexicon Corporation, due to existing market conditions and the potential economic opportunity that a sale may generate.

Commitment to Fiscal Prudence

Through the City’s annual budget process, staff and Council exemplify their commitment to fiscal prudence, and effective, efficient municipal operations, by taking a thoughtful and measured approach in planning for the evolving service, program, and infrastructure needs of Pickering’s growing community.

The Municipal Act requires every Ontario municipality to prepare and approve a balanced budget each year. The City of Pickering has always met this requirement.

Furthermore, the City posts its financial statements annually, along with the corresponding independent Auditor’s Report, which year-after-year, presents fairly.

In fact, in 2022, not only did Deloitte, the consultant, return a clean audit report, but noted that the City’s financial position is healthy and strong, and that the City is able to meet its current and future financial commitments. Read Report FIN 15-23 for details.

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Digital Strategy

Advancements in technology have tapped into every area of our lives, and with this, understandably, comes concerns about security and privacy.

It is important that governments take a strategic approach to using technology to improve public service delivery, and this is exactly what the City of Pickering has done with its recently endorsed Digital Strategy.

The strategy establishes an organization-wide commitment and clear accountability, actions, and timelines to pave the way for the City’s digital transformation efforts.

The City is committed to providing accessible, trustworthy, and convenient digital services to support Pickering’s diverse population and growth, while ensuring continuous and robust privacy and security measures.

We this, we invite you to learn more about how the City is modernizing its services and interactions with residents, while leading with digital security and data privacy investments.

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Universal Change Room

We've heard a lot of social media chatter this year about our universal change room, located in the Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex (CHDRC). We decided to clear up some misconceptions by going behind the scenes and taking audience members on a tour of the amenities. Check it out for yourself and get the facts!

Our facility’s universal change room provides a safe, inclusive, and accessible space for all facility users. Accommodations to use the membership change rooms will be considered upon request at the CHDRC front desk.

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Casino Revenues

Staff work to seek out additional funding opportunities to help relieve the residential tax load - the Casino is one of them!

Since opening in July 2021, Ontario Lottery Gaming Corporation (OLG) has issued non-tax gaming revenue payments, totaling $42,429,023, to the City of Pickering for hosting the facility, as part of its Municipal Contribution Agreement with OLG. Pickering also shares a portion of this revenue with the Region of Durham.

People often wonder why these casino revenues can't be used to offset the property tax bill for residents. We sat down with the City's Director, Finance & Treasurer to explain. Jump to 46:47 of the video for more - watch on YouTube.

To summarize, if the casino funds don't materialize one year for whatever reason, the City would be left with a deficit. OLG's recommendation for spending the funds is to bank them in Year A and spend in Year B - providing adequate time for strategic planning to meet the City's needs. In 2024, a significant portion of the casino revenue is going towards capital projects, to reduce the City's debt, to support community grants, and to make up the development charge shortfall from Bill 23. View page 6 of the Staff Recommended Draft 2024 Draft Capital Budget and 2025-2027 Forecast for a breakdown.

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Pickleball

As Pickering's love for Pickleball continues to grow, the City has identified a number of current and proposed outdoor and indoor pickleball courts to suit user needs.

Outdoor Courts

Existing

There is one existing dedicated court at Amberlea Park, and shared courts at Claremont Memorial Park (4), Rick Hull Memorial Park (1), Village East Park (2), and Diana, Princess of Wales Park (3). The shared courts mean that others sports, like tennis, basketball, and ball hockey, can also be accommodated.

Proposed Courts

Dave Ryan Community Park (4) – Dedicated Courts – Construction 2024/2025
Beechlawn Park (2) - Shared with Basketball – Construction 2024
Shadybrook Park (4) - Shared with Tennis – Construction 2024
Stonepay Village Green (2) - Shared with Basketball – Construction TBD

Indoor Pickleball Programming

There are a number of dedicated hours per week for Pickleball at the following locations:

East Shore Community Centre (Drop-in)
Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex (Drop-in)
Dr. Nelson F. Tomlinson Community Centre, East Shore Community Centre, George Ashe Community Centre (Registered)
Dunbarton High School (Drop-in and Registered)

Proposed indoor Pickleball programming

Pickering Soccer Centre (6 courts) – 2024: Staff are exploring more suitable flooring options for Pickleball. Staff have arranged for various flooring options to be tested by the Pickleball Club.
Indoor Warehouse Space (6-8 courts) 2024-2025: Staff are investigating the option of a warehouse space on Sandy Beach Road.
Seaton Interim Program Space - Taunton Rd & Peter Matthews Drive (3 courts) 2025: Staff are investigating a commercial plaza space for interim recreation programming.
Future Seaton Community Centre (6 courts) 2028 - Based on community consultation, this new community centre will include multi-sport courts suitable to accommodate Pickleball.

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15-Minute Cities

There are some falsehoods circulating on the Internet about 15-minute cities, including claims of government restrictions and limitations placed on resident movement, travel, activity and more.

For planning and developing new communities, 15-minute cities simply means being able to access many of the essential services one might need, all within a 15-minute commute of home. Think pharmacy, grocery, retail, transit, and other basic services.

While the City is committed to advancing service delivery and citizen experience that is accessible, trustworthy, and convenient and supports our diverse population and growth, it has not had any discussions or entered into any formal agreement with any external agencies or senior levels of government with respect to becoming a 15-minute city.

Ultimately, we want to make Pickering a more livable City where residents can have easy access to the facilities and services they rely on!

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Smart Cities

Some theories claim that smart cities involve government misuse of data and tracking, restrictions and limitations placed on resident movement, travel, activity and more.

When really - smart city technology speaks to the world’s ever-expanding network of connected devices to collect, share and analyze real-time data on urban environments. The data gathered can help cities combat crime, reduce pollution, decrease traffic congestion, improve disaster preparedness and more. Essentially, improving human wellbeing through technological advancement.

The City is committed to advancing digital service delivery and citizen experience that is accessible, trustworthy, and convenient and supports our diverse population and growth. These efforts are being driven internally, and not by external agencies or senior levels of government.

The City of Pickering is demonstrating its commitment to digital advancement by advocating for increased broadband accessibility and providing free public Wi-Fi, ensuring seamless connectivity for residents. Simultaneously, initiatives such as implementing energy-efficient LED street lights and modernizing online service processes exemplify the City's dedication to sustainability and citizen-centric convenience.

While the City aims to create a more connected community, it acknowledges concerns about privacy and security and is committed to the safe and ethical collection of data for all of its municipal government service delivery, activity, and decision making.

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Protecting Frenchman’s Bay

The City of Pickering is committed to preserving the unique character of its waterfront, and most recently has announced its efforts to pursue opportunities to buy the bay and return the treasured asset back into public ownership.

It is important that Frenchman’s Bay and the surrounding lands be in public ownership in order to safeguard from aggressive and overly ambitious development proposals; maintain public access and recreational use; and enhance environmental stewardship of the Bay and surrounding lands. Despite the land owner rejecting our proposals to purchase Frenchman’s Bay, the City will continue to seek opportunities to return this treasured asset back into public ownership. Learn more.

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Pickering’s Integrity Commissioner – what you need to know!

Did you know that the City of Pickering is mandated to have a Council Code of Conduct and has the authority to appoint an Integrity Commissioner under the Municipal Act?

The Integrity Commissioner is an independent and impartial official who provides advice, education, and complaint resolution pertaining to the ethical conduct of municipal council members.

The Integrity Commissioner conducts inquiries into requests made by a member of the public, Council, or a Member of Council, into whether a Member of Council has contravened any applicable code of conduct.

This supports our commitment to transparent and accessible government, and we want you to be informed on the process! Find out more at pickering.ca/integrity.

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City of Pickering YouTube

Are you subscribed to the City of Pickering's YouTube channel?

On there, you’ll discover a diverse array of content under three unique categories: Videos, Shorts, and Lives.

Videos – meticulously crafted, edited, and curated long-form content, tailored to provide residents and stakeholders with in-depth insights into various aspects of the City. These videos are professionally produced, ensuring an enriching viewing experience. Some recent videos:

Shorts – bite-sized, easily consumable snippets, typically under 60 seconds - designed to captivate and inform. These vertical videos are optimized for sharing across multiple platforms, including Instagram reels, maximizing reach.

Lives – experience real-time events such as the City of Pickering’s official Council Meetings, Committee Meetings, and special occasions through these live streams. These streams offer an unfiltered glimpse into municipal government affairs and operations. To ensure transparency and immediacy, these unedited live streams are made available under this category as soon as the live broadcast ends, for those who were unable to tune in.

Ensure you never miss a moment by subscribing to our channel at YouTube.com/@CityPickering

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Contact Us

One The Esplanade
Pickering, Ontario
Canada L1V 6K7

905.683.7575

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