Premier Ford and the provincial government have approved development on rural and environmentally sensitive land in Northeast Pickering, but approval alone doesn’t make it smart, affordable, or sustainable. Building a brand-new community there means starting from scratch, building roads, water and wastewater pipes, transit, fire and paramedic stations, in an area that currently has none of these basics. Experience shows developers don’t cover the full cost; when the real bills arrive, residents are left paying through higher property taxes.

Building in Northeast Pickering would also bring serious environmental risks. These lands are on the headwaters of Carruthers Creek which act as a natural “sponge” that absorbs rainfall before it flows downstream. The 2021 TRCA Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan explains that replacing fields and forests with pavement and rooftops would send much more stormwater into the creek, raising flood risks in existing Pickering neighbourhoods and in Ajax, especially as severe storms become more frequent.

We don’t need to expand onto farmland to meet growth targets. The community of Seaton is already approved and can accommodate about 70,000 residents and 30,000 jobs but is only partially built. We can also add homes and workplaces along Kingston Road and near Pickering GO Station, where services and basic necessities to sustain communities already exist. That is a cheaper, greener, and better alternative for taxpayers, and both current and future residents of Pickering.

The City of Pickering is currently working to finalize its Secondary Plan for Northeast Pickering which is a detailed blueprint for how this area would grow over the next 30 years. The Secondary Plan will determine what gets built, where roads go, and how services are provided. The City of Pickering is targeting Fall of this year for public input, giving residents a chance to have their say before the plan moves forward. This is our opportunity to tell City Council that Northeast Pickering should not be paved over for costly sprawl that destroys farmland, threatens our environment, and leaves taxpayers with the bill. Stay tuned for more details on how you can have your voice heard.

To learn more about Northeast Pickering and how it may affect you as a resident of Pickering and Ajax, please visit https://www.stopsprawldurham.com/nep