News and Announcements

September 22, 2022 - Premier Doug Ford will be breaking ground on a new, 233,000 square foot, multi-unit, industrial complex developed in partnership by SmartCentres and Lastman’s Bad Boys in Pickering’s Innovation Corridor, with the lead tenant, Lastman’s Bad Boy, taking 130,000 square feet for its new, state-of-the-art, corporate head office and distribution centre.

September 2, 2022 - Today, Mayor Dave Ryan and Members of Council, along with Jennifer O’Connell, Member of Parliament for Pickering-Uxbridge, announced over $17 million in federal funding for two City of Pickering net zero community infrastructure projects - the Pickering Heritage & Community Centre and the Redman House Program Centre improvement project.

This new, 44,000 square foot facility will host new and improved recreation and leisure programming for the community as well as library services, and will also include a community theatre and a museum that will house community exhibits.  As a key milestone of Pickering’s sustainability journey, the community centre will be the City’s first net zero facility, featuring enhanced insulation, triple glazed windows, solar panels, air source heat pumps and other similar features that in combination will meet the net zero design targets for the project.

August 19, 2022 - Pickering Council has green lit a ‘Build Back Better’ enhancement project for the Pickering Soccer Centre, following the roof collapse and subsequent flooding damage that occurred earlier this year.  This exciting and innovative undertaking will see the installation of a new and modernized roofing system, as well as a fundamental change to the soccer pitch configuration to facilitate the installation of a permanent, multi-purpose hard court surface that will accommodate four integrated pickleball courts within an official sized futsal court.

The ‘Build Back Better’ project was developed in partnership with the Pickering Football Club, which has leased the Pickering Soccer Centre from the City since 2014.  The City and Pickering Football Club executive have been meeting regularly over the past half year with respect to the roof replacement as well as brainstorming how to provide more functionality and sports and recreational opportunities for the community.

April 26, 2022 - After a 28-year career in municipal politics, 19 of which spent as Pickering’s longest serving mayor, Mayor Dave Ryan announced at last night’s City Council meeting that he has decided to officially retire at the end of this term of office when the new Council is sworn in on November 21.

March 31, 2022 - A new project is underway at Pickering Museum Village.

The museum received $100,400.00 from the Digital Museum of Canada and $33,000.00 from Young Canada Works to create a free virtual exhibit and educational resource. The website invites users to explore the evolution of blacksmithing in Ontario and includes curriculum links and lesson plans for grades 7-12.

Available in both English and French, the website will feature an interactive timeline that takes users on a journey from the 1860s to today to discover how blacksmiths adapted their trade to meet the changing needs of their communities. The website will launch December 2022.

March 22, 2022 - As a result of the City of Pickering’s advocacy on broadband investment and Bell Canada’s recent expansion of pure fibre Internet in Pickering’s hamlets and rural areas, Grammy award-winning producer, Boi1da, can now collaborate with top music artists like Drake, Eminem, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, and Jack Harlow directly from his home studio in north Pickering.

Two and a half years ago, global hip-hop and entertainment icon, Drake, took to social media to call on the ‘Mayor of Pickering’ to fix the Internet issues where his regular producer, Boi1da, lives and works. In turn, the City of Pickering issued a clever, tongue-in-cheek response referencing a myriad of Drake’s song titles and lyrics to address the connectivity issue, while also communicating some of the City’s key accomplishments and priorities.

September 28, 2021 - The City of Pickering, together with the Indigenous Relationship Building Circle (IRBC), has approved the installation of an orange crosswalk at a prominent intersection in Pickering.

The commemorative crosswalk will stand to honour the lost children, survivors, their families, and communities affected by the residential school system.

June 21, 2021 - The City of Pickering has finalized an agreement with William F. White International Inc. (WFW), a Sunbelt Rentals company, for the lease of City-owned lands, which will be used as a movie and television filming backlot, commencing October 1, 2021 for up to a 9-year period.

The lands, located north of Green River, have been transformed into the largest backlot of its kind in Canada and are currently the principal filming site for a major streaming service’s new television series. As of October 1, 2021, WFW will be taking over exclusive operation of the backlot at a lease of $30,000/month, until December 31, 2026, with an option of two further renewal terms of two years each. This agreement could potentially generate approximately $3.5M in lease revenue for the City.

February 1, 2021 - City Pickering Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Marisa Carpino, as its permanent Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).

An executive search consultant conducted a nation-wide search that attracted nearly 100 candidates.  Carpino’s proven leadership track record, as well as her vision for a progressive, prosperous, and inclusive Pickering ultimately won the endorsement of the Mayor and Council.

July 14, 2020 - Last night, members of the Planning & Development Committee refused a condominium development proposal for Liverpool Road south. This unanimous decision will be formalized at the July 27 City Council meeting.

The applicant, Pickering Harbour Company Ltd., originally proposed a mixed-use development at 505 and 591 Liverpool Road, consisting of two 23-storey buildings, containing 498 residential units, and 1,900 square metres of grade related commercial uses, which was subsequently revised to two 15-storey buildings, containing 377 residential units, and 1,400 square metres of commercial space.