Koffee with Kevin: Mayor’s Town Hall
Mayor Kevin Ashe, City of Pickering mayor, held another Town Hall at Heaffles recently. Given it was held on a business day afternoon, the turnout was a very respectable close to a hundred people.
Mayor opened his remarks with some poignant facts about the City of Pickering:
- Celebrating 50th anniversary as an incorporated town in the region;
- Mayor Kevin’s father, George was first mayor of the city;
- Mayor Kevin is the City’s 5th mayor;
- Pickering is the 3rd best city in the province in growth;
- Pickering is ranked as the 3rd best city to live in Ontario
Mayor Kevin touted his worthwhile old chestnuts about the dynamic growth of the City’s businesses:
- Kubota’s Canadian head offices;
- FGF Brands largest production facility in Canada;
- Soon opening the Jerry Coughlan Health Centre;
- Re-opening the Soccer Dome/Pickleball Centre;
- Approving the latest budget at just 3.9% tax increase;
- Casino revenue taps out at over $18 million annually;
- Dynamic growth 5th tops municipality in Ontario;
- Opening Queen’s University Medical Training Centre.
Once the mayor concluded his very valid horn-tooting, he opened the floor to questions.
Community communications need to improve
Ashe agreed that City communication with residents needs improvement but the onus rests more on the residents than the City. The City’s website www.pickering.ca has improved tremendously in the last year but it is only as good as its users and that continues to be problematic for the City. However, the City has a Digital Strategies team that has updates coming out by the end of February.
Traffic chaos and growing problem
Mayor Ashe agreed that traffic problems should be addressed and they are, both municipally and regionally. The growing population means the problem is growing and the city is very aware of the need to address the issue. Improvements to City Transit may reduce car use within the City but residents seem to be very attached to their cars. One hope is that the new ONE FARE system created by the province may encourage more people to trade personal vehicle use for public transit.
Housing needs
Ashe acknowledges that the problem of affordable housing is in a crisis state in Pickering as it is in other municipalities. Though housing is a regional responsibility, Pickering continues to assist builders with infrastructure costs to encourage the construction of more units of affordable-cost housing. The MZO, Metro Zoning Office has approved the casino lands for the development of an additional 16,000 units, 1% of which are to be at reasonable affordable cost.
Health burdens
Pickering’s population is aging and in relatively good health but the City recognizes that this is an area that needs attention and ongoing commitment. The opening of the new Jerry Coughlin Health Centre is a step in the right direction. Ashe continues efforts at building a hospital in the municipality. As the gerontological demographic continues to grow, Pickering is hoping to meet its health challenges by promoting things like pharmacies expanding their medical facilities to include services that were previously the sole responsibility of doctors.
Homeless problems
The homeless are a concerning problem for the City. DARS, Dedicated Advocacy Resource Support, is a community volunteer organization that assists the City’s homeless. They provide warming centres, dinners, food bank assistance and job training to help the homeless transition.
Pickering Town Centre
The shopping centre at the heart of the City is central to the City’s future plans. The City recognizes that it is constantly growing and that the mall will need to grow to suit the new potential clients. Mayor Ashe often addressed the City’s “smart planning” looking to the future and meeting its needs far down the road, more than ten years ahead.
Crime and car theft
Crime and car theft are growing astronomically, not just in Pickering but across the province and the nation. Ashe emphasizes that City plans include better facilities like lighting and sidewalks to enhance security for residents. “Eyes on the Street” is a City wide-program where residents are encouraged to report suspected criminal activity they witness. Mayor Ashe pointed a finger at the need to modify and upgrade the bail system in our courts. He recently had a video presentation with the Durham Regional Police Chief, Peter Moreira.
Car theft has reached incredible levels and residents are urged to use their garage facilities for their cars as well as using protective devices such as Faraday bags and boxes to secure their car keys. One resident talked about the University of Toronto study called CRIB which reports how serious crime has become in the province.
