Council Meeting Highlights: June 26, 2023

A Special Meeting of Council was held from 5 pm to 6 pm for ‘Education and Training’ to allow for the City's Integrity Commissioner to educate Council, staff, and the public on the City's new Lobbyist Registry.

Regular Meeting of Council

Council decides not to implement urban farming pilot project at this time

In an effort to support sustainability and access to food, the City reviewed the potential of a pilot project that would permit backyard egg production (chicken farming) and vertical farming.
Staff carried out an extensive stakeholder consultation involving all levels of government. Staff and stakeholders have identified serious public safety risks due to the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI). This is the primary reason for the recommendation not to proceed. As well, the introduction of an urban farming pilot project would require additional staff resources and shelter space to process, monitor, and ensure animal welfare.
Staff reported on their recommendations to the Executive Committee on June 5, 2023. Read Report AS 01-23.

Council endorses commission of new public art piece for West Shore Community Centre Skate Spot

The newly installed Skate Spot in the West Shore Neighborhood provides a public site for a community mural, which has been awarded to fatspatrol (Fathima Mohiuddin) & Mural Routes in the amount of $31,979.00 (HST included).
This public art piece will be created with the help of the community (West Shore Neighborhood Association, local youth, and the City’s programming team), and be reflective of the neighborhood and the recreational activities that take place in this location. The art is expected to be completed and unveiled by October 2023. Read Report CS 18-23 for details.

Council endorses commission of new public art piece for Rotary Frenchman’s Bay West Park

The Rotary Frenchman’s Bay West Park (RFBWP) Master Plan includes eight interpretative nodes that include public art and interpretative elements as part of the planned park design. This artwork will be located in one of the eight designated interpretative nodes.
This portion has been awarded to SpruceLab Inc. in the amount of $80,000.00 (HST included).
The submission by SpruceLab Inc. is in collaboration with the Indigenous-led artist collective Dbaajmowin.
SpruceLab Inc. made the following statement:
“The art installation is inspired by the principle of ‘respect’, and the Haudenosaunee Teaching to think and act in ways that consider seven generations back and seven generations into the future. Dkibi (‘a spring’, in Anishinaabemowin, Eastern dialect, ‘kih-bih’) is a story about Water, which has always played a critical role in the natural and cultural histories of the Pickering area. Water is a creative force through time, from carving the nearby slopes of the ancient Lake Iroquois, to the ever-flowing groundwater that replenishes wells. When water rises to the surface, a spring is formed, showing it as a life force.”
The art installation will take place in fall 2023. Read Report : CS 20-23 for details.

Council endorses commission of temporary public art for Millennium Square, as part of the Winter Wonderland event

The commission for temporary public art for Millennium Square has been awarded to Studio Jordan Shaw in the amount of $25,000.00 (HST included).
Winter Wonderland will take place on Saturday, December 2nd and Saturday, December 9th, 2023 and will include a vendor’s market, ice carving and sculptures, fire pits with s’mores, wagon rides, and roaming characters. The art will remain on site until January 31st, 2023. It will then be stored and utilized at future winter events and activations.
The artist has proposed ‘Same Material/Different Time’ - an analog interactive light installation that invites participants to explore the physicality of their surroundings and experience the transformation of a tree to a sail using a technique called anamorphic projection.
The installation will take place in November 2023.
Read Report CS 21-23 for details

Council approves moving forward with Recreation & Parks Master Plan and Arena Strategy

The City has selected Monteith Brown Planning Consultants, the top-ranked Proponent, to be awarded this project in the amount of $224,820.00 plus HST.
The plan will provide a strategy and direction for future recreation and parks facilities. It will be designed to adapt to changes in the City’s demographics and growth areas, as well as the social, educational, cultural, and sport and recreational needs of the community, with a focus on accessibility, diversity and inclusion.
Council approves phase two of asphalt resurfacing on various City streets
This includes the following streets as part of the 2023 Roads Projects Capital Budget:

• Gwendolyn Street – from Rouge Valley Drive to Fawndale Road
• Fuschia Lane – from Grenoble Boulevard to Modlin Road
• Petunia Place – from Gwendolyn Street to North Terminus
• Falconcrest Drive – from Dunbarton Road to Rambleberry Avenue

Read Report ENG 10-23 for details.

Notice of Motion – Pickering recognizes the Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Epidemic

The City has declared an IPV epidemic and calls on the Ontario Government to do the same, as per recommendation #1 of the Renfrew County Inquest. The City will also integrate this into its Community Safety and Well-Being Plan.

Council approves exploring a dedicated outdoor pickleball court in Pickering (the first of its kind)

Staff will work with Pickering Pickleball Club to investigate the following three locations as possible options for the construction of eight Pickleball courts (equivalent to the space required for two tennis courts):

• Alex Robertson Park
• Diana Princess of Wales Park
• Petticoat Creek Conservation Park

Staff will report back to Council in late 2023 on the recommended option, including a work plan for community/stakeholder engagement, that will enable engagement, design and construction to be considered during the 2024 Capital Budget process.
View the June 26, 2023 Meeting Video
View the June 26 Meeting Minutes