Welcome new supporters! Thank you for signing the Christmas MZO petition, or visiting our website and subscribing to our updates. Don't forget to share these newsletters within your networks! If you'd like to volunteer to be a Council Watchdog in Oshawa, Ajax, Scugog, or Brock, please reply to this email. What does a CW do? Reviews agendas and listens/watches municipal council/committee meetings to flag items for action that relate to unnecessary sprawl. Council Watchdogs look out for new threats to Greenbelt/natural heritage areas and farmland, decisions incompatible with climate mitigation policies, removal of mature trees, compromises to safe active transport networks, unethical behaviour of elected officials, and more. They then share this info back to the Stop Sprawl Durham steering committee for discussion and news blasts. Let us know if you can help! |
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Today, Monday, January 9 at 1 pm, Pickering Council will be holding a special council meeting to discuss the financial implications of development within the Duffins Rouge Ag Preserve. This is a meeting to listen to and track the results of, as the cost of urbanization and servicing will be significant. Hard questions need to be asked about how these plans will be paid for. Are your councillors asking them? Will property taxes go up? You can follow the livestream here (and post-meeting video). And the agenda is here. We will all need to scrutinize the hastily assembled reports that will be the outcome of this session. |
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Proposed Urban Boundary Expansions |
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While specific comments on the map might prove helpful, we believe broader feedback on the process is urgent at this time. We have prepared a letter that you can submit to the Envision Durham team and elected officials directly. |
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Are you on Twitter? Be sure to follow (and share) FRAME TO FRAME NATURE who post daily images from the Ag Preserve. |
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You can continue to oppose development in Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve (DRAP) by calling your MPP and members of Pickering Council. Don't let anyone off the hook! The Ag Preserve is almost 5000 acres of rare class 1 soil and precious natural heritage, which had been conserved in perpetuity until the Province threw the Preserve's protections out the window late last year! We can reach housing goals with the currently designated growth areas in Durham. The newly added Greenbelt parcels are unnecessary and will add cost and complications to water and wastewater servicing plans (a critical first step to increasing the housing supply). As mentioned above, a lively discussion about the cost to service DRAP will take place on Monday, January 9th at a Special Pickering Council Meeting. |
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Need help understanding the impact of Bill 23 on municipalities? The Town of Whitby is sounding the alarm. Read more here, and be sure to tune in to your local budget committee meeting; ask tough questions and see if your city or town can tackle the financial challenges without raising your taxes. |
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Click on the images below to access the articles. |
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Carruthers Creek Flashback! |
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Email and phone messages are good but personal meetings are better. Don't be shy to ask for one with your local leader (MPP, Mayor, Regional or Ward Councillor) to discuss your concerns about sprawl, climate change, affordability, flooding, wildlife habitats, or all of the above. Take a friend for support! Need help? Ask us! |
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