Rotary Club of Oshawa-Parkwood Address 2023

On January 31, 2023, Regional Chair and CEO, John Henry spoke at the Rotary Club of Oshawa-Parkwood.

 

Good evening, everyone.

I’m very happy to be here with you all today, in person.

It’s hard to believe that we’re already a month into 2023. Time is moving quickly, and we have lots of exciting initiatives on the go this year in Durham Region.

Before I provide an update from the Region, I’d like to thank the Rotary Club of Oshawa-Parkwood for making this event possible.

I have witnessed first-hand the amazing work you do for our community by serving our residents and recognizing the value of establishing relationships and strengthening collaboration within our local communities.

As we emerge from the pandemic, the importance of community involvement and being of service in our local neighbourhoods cannot be understated, and I thank you all for your commitment.

Now, it is my pleasure to provide you with an update from the Region today—both on the past year and the year ahead.

As you may know, last October we held a municipal election where a new Regional Council was elected.

Our new council is committed to working on behalf our residents’ best interests and doing what is best for the communities, people, businesses and organizations of Durham Region.

Together, it is our responsibility to uphold the public’s trust and ensure that we work together to respect and uphold that trust over the next four years, as guided by our Strategic Plan.

The past few years have been challenging for all of us, with the pandemic being one of the biggest tests we have ever faced.

But, we continue to meet these challenges head on and there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic, thanks to the hard work of our staff and community.

We’re focused on modernizing and adapting to create a more responsive municipal government to address our community’s evolving needs.

In December, Durham Region accepted the TECHNATION Ingenious Award for our Smart Home Device Voice Service—an innovative platform where Durham Region residents can

can interact with their Google Home or Amazon Echo device to find out information about Regional services.

This new service is part of the larger myDurham 311 initiative, aimed at improving Durham’s customer service by creating a consistent, convenient and personalized experience, beginning with a clear point of contact–regardless of how customers choose to interact with the Region.

In December we also launched the 311 phone service in Durham Region—making it easier and more convenient for people to get the information they need, when they need it.

Customers can now call one number, 311, for answers to questions about services like roads and traffic, transit, waste and recycling, water and sewer, and more.

This is down from the 60 publicly listed phone numbers we had before we launched 311, making it much easier for our customers to get answers to their questions quickly and accurately.

I’m very proud of the myDurham 311 enterprise initiative and look forward to sharing more exciting updates this year as we move toward achieving our vision for a smart, connected and accessible region.

And we’re well on our way toward that vision.

In 2022, Durham Region was recognized as one of the top Smart21 Communities of the Year, for the second year in a row—a wonderful recognition of the important work being done to create the Durham of tomorrow.

We ranked in the top 15 of North American communities’ Most Open Cities via Open Data Initiative.

And most recently, we were recognized as one of the top seven Intelligent Communities in the world alongside cities from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Taiwan and Vietnam.

In partnership with technology provider Visual Defence, we won a Smart 50 Award for using Artificial Intelligence to optimize road maintenance—a first of its kind in Canada.

We also worked with our partner to develop an app called ROVER, which can be installed on a smartphone that is mounted to the windshield of a Region’s road patrol vehicle, to automatically detect, identify and capture images of potholes using AI, so that we can fix them more efficiently.

Our commitment to innovation allows us to address the biggest challenges we face, while ensuring we remain successful in our current areas of strength.

This includes successfully managing tax dollars responsibly to support all of the great work our departments do.

I’m proud to say that the Region has maintained its Triple A credit rating from Moody’s, an important achievement that reflects Regional Council’s long-standing commitment to long-term financial planning, fiscal sustainability and taxpayer affordability.

We are currently one of only eight Canadian municipalities to have been awarded the Triple A rating by this agency.

The accreditation also supports Durham’s reputation as a leader in fiscal management and gives our stakeholders confidence that we are managing their tax dollars responsibly.

We know this is a time of economic uncertainty.

We also know that Durham is one of the most in-demand regions to live, within one of the most in-demand countries in the world.

We are seeing that love of our community translate into fantastic support for locally owned and operated businesses, and continued interest in Durham Region.

We continue to support the local business community through many successful initiatives, including the award-winning Downtowns of Durham campaign, which saw more than 61,000 visits last year from people wanting to learn more about the businesses in their communities. 

Through an economic development lens, we are seeing strong demand for commercial and industrial investment into our communities, with a high volume from both international and domestic developers.

Durham’s top growth areas—energy, electric vehicles and advanced mobility technology—are strong industries, and there are many career opportunities in Durham as a result of these growing sectors.

Durham is the clean energy capital of Canada and is leading the way in the research and development of electric vehicles.

Because of existing high employment rates in these industries, continuing government focus, and expected significant growth and new investment in these sectors over the next few years, we are expecting a strong job market in Durham Region.

We’re confident that the booming growth that Durham has seen over the last number of years will continue, with even more companies recognizing that Durham Region is an ideal place to start, relocate, or build a business.

Much like supporting local businesses, we continued our work to support the most vulnerable residents in Durham.

Over the course of the pandemic, we have seen some of our most vulnerable residents face hardship and challenges—struggles with mental health, addictions, and affordable housing.

We also saw an increase in homelessness across the region in 2022. As of October, there were 173 people experiencing chronic homelessness right here in Durham Region.

The pandemic has had sweeping effects on the complex social issues that lead to homelessness, and it’s an issue that we don’t take lightly.

We continue to work to implement At Home in Durham, the Durham Region Housing Plan, while responding to the community’s needs.

In recognition of this, we continued to advance housing initiatives such as the Oshawa Micro-Homes Pilot and Beaverton Supportive Housing projects.

We partnered with the City of Oshawa to address these complex social issues and have acknowledged concerns from residents, Oshawa downtown businesses, organizations and visitors directly related to these ongoing issues, and that more action is needed.

The Oshawa Micro-Homes Pilot was approved by Regional Council for expedited development in July of 2020 due to an urgent need for affordable and supportive housing.

The project includes 10 micro-home units that will offer temporary transitional housing, with various supports. These supports include financial assistance, employment services, mental health and addictions supports, life skills teaching and more.

We are working diligently to ensure all residents feel safe and supported.

I’m happy to say that the proposed design for the Beaverton Supportive Housing Project earned a Canadian Architect Award of Excellence last April.

This is the first time a Region of Durham facility has received this honour.

We believe that everyone deserves access to affordable housing and the care they need to live a happy and healthy life. We will continue to work toward our ultimate goal of ending homelessness in Durham Region.

Another one of our goals is Environmental Sustainability, which we made great strides in over the past year.

We have several projects to prioritize this goal, including the LEAF Backyard Tree Planting Program.

To date, we’ve seen more than 1,700 trees and shrubs planted on both public and private lands through subsidized tree planting that boosts the Region’s efforts to combat climate change.

And we continue to add to that number each year.

Last July, we were pleased to welcome the Township of Brock and the Municipality of Clarington to the LEAF program, strengthening the partnership that will help the environment and our communities today and in the future.

We’re continuing to advance low-carbon fleet transitions, including Durham Region Transit’s first battery electric buses and the development of a long-term fleet transition road map.

We have seen many Durham Region Transit improvements for residents who use Durham Region Transit each day, including adding new routes, overnight service, new connections and our successful new Durham Transit OnDemand service.

We have a plan that is focused on rebuilding ridership in a post-pandemic world.

We’ve also updated the Regional Cycling Plan to support the increased demand for trails and cycling infrastructure; and advanced several sustainability initiatives.

We’ve also worked to advance an innovative initiative in the Port of Whitby that will use heat from wastewater to reduce emissions by close to 90 per cent at a proposed mixed-use development with 1,500 homes—showcasing how investment in municipal infrastructure can reduce emissions in the community.

We have also begun implementation of Durham’s Nuclear Sector Strategy.

Durham has always been a proud nuclear host community at the forefront of nuclear innovation, producing low-cost electricity safely, reliably, and virtually without carbon emissions.

This strategy will play an important role in the Region meeting its goal of achieving Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The Region also plays a significant role in the provincial Energy Sector, producing one-third of Ontario’s electricity.

Our existing economic cluster of Nuclear Supply chain companies, and our post-secondary institutions are continuing to drive advancements in energy innovation not just for Canada, but for the world.

Durham has been accelerating energy innovation through advancements in micro-grids, electric-vehicle infrastructure, geothermal energy, fuel cells and smart technology.

Electrification projects with Durham Region Transit and partners like Oshawa Power, Ontario Tech University, and Ontario Power Generation or OPG, are already underway.

These projects highlight how our region is becoming a test bed for clean and smart technologies of the future.

When we speak of the future in Durham, OPG comes to mind with their work on the advancement of Small Modular Reactor technology right here in Durham Region.

Nuclear energy has always been a vital part of our history, and we are excited about the technological and economic impacts of being the global centre for this emerging sector.

With innovations in energy and technology, we will continue to drive advancements in intellectual property and innovation, and we will stimulate new business growth adding jobs and new, global, economic opportunities.

I’ve touched on our accomplishments and priorities from 2022 and now I’d like to share our vision for the year ahead.

As always, we remain focused on the future to ensure a prosperous tomorrow for our great communities.

One of our top priorities for 2023 continues to be managing the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s encouraging to see things steadily improving, but we continue to remain vigilant.

Last year, we expanded eligibility for COVID-19 second booster doses for individuals 18 and over; and expanded vaccine eligibility to children six months to five years of age.

We also began the distribution of bivalent booster vaccines.

In addition to managing the pandemic, another key priority for the organization is continuing to bring Diversity, Equity and Inclusion into our very core.

Working across the organization and with the community, our recently established DEI office provides a dedicated focus to our efforts to address systemic racism, promote community development and advocate for equity for all residents.

In February we’ll celebrate Black History Month, in partnership with Durham Regional Police Service, the City of Pickering, Municipality of Clarington, Canadian Jamaican Club of Oshawa, The Power to Be International, Congress of Black Women and DurhamOne at an in-person event on February 2 at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa.

The evening will showcase Black excellence through the arts displaying talent from local artists, engaging the community in discussion and celebrating Canada’s Black communities.

I’m also very excited to say that in a few short days, Durham Region will the host the 2023 Ontario Parasport Games, which will attract approximately 550 participants and result in an anticipated local economic impact of between $500,000 and
$1 million.

This is the second time Durham Region has hosted these important Games.

In 2019, we offered an inclusive and accessible environment for more than 300 athletes who competed in 11 sports at eight venues.

It’s another direct and positive impact for Durham’s economic future, and an exciting event to showcase our region.

We’re also committed to improving accessibility of our services, programs and facilities which is outlined in our 2022-2025
Multi-Year Accessibility Plan.

We will continue to reach out to the community and rely on advice from our Accessibility Advisory Committee to support our ongoing accessibility efforts with this plan.

Building an inclusive environment is central to the Region’s strategic plan, which aims to build a healthy, inclusive, age friendly community where everyone feels a sense of belonging and prioritizes service excellence.

This push for equity is seen in many different areas of the Region, including Durham Region Transit through the Transit Assistance Program, or TAP.

TAP aims to improve transit access and affordability for customers currently receiving Social Assistance in Durham Region.

Through TAP, residents can pay as they go, or pay monthly, and have unlimited access to DRT services for the month.

We’ve also worked to improve service on Durham Region Transit this year, including the addition of new routes, overnight service, new connections and the award-winning Durham Transit OnDemand service, recognized with the P.J. Marshall Municipal Innovation Award this past summer.

We’re committed to improving our services, and that goes hand-in-hand with listening and engaging with our residents.

This is highlighted in another one of our main priorities for this year: Community engagement.

We remain committed to service excellence for our communities in 2023 and beyond.

In November, we hosted the 2023 Budget Town Hall to listen to residents’ questions and feedback on the Region’s budget.

We had more than 14,000 participants at the event by phone, online and in person to provide feedback on priority areas, ask questions and learn about the region’s 2023 business plans and budgets.

And, these numbers continue to grow each year.

The 2023 Business Plans and Budgets are an important step in bringing critical investments forward and incorporating the excellent feedback we have received.

Another significant way that we’re committed to engaging with the community is with the recent relaunch of Your Durham, the Region’s online engagement platform meant to inspire conversation and encourage community participation anytime, anywhere.

Your Durham is a digital platform where residents can share their opinions, provide feedback, exchange ideas, and stay up to date on Regional programs, services, and events.

One of the challenges that we face when thinking about community engagement is how in Durham—like many Canadian municipalities—our broadband connectivity is not equally shared.

As we know, broadband access is vital infrastructure that is essential for communication, education, and economic competitiveness.

It’s a challenge that we continue to address through our Broadband Strategy and ongoing work to ensure our residents, businesses and institutions, have access to fast, reliable and affordable broadband services.

In 2021, we began work to expand broadband infrastructure in north Durham.

In the region’s urban areas, Internet Service Providers are keeping pace by deploying the latest fibre-optic broadband technologies.

Use of these technologies include ongoing programs to build fibre to the premises for close to 90,000 households in Oshawa and Clarington.

We’re working to create the underground backbone infrastructure necessary to facilitate high-speed broadband to underserved areas and bring the region in line with some of the best-connected communities in the world.

While we aim for improvements in community engagement, we also continue to be committed to improving community safety.

Each and every resident deserves to feel a sense of belonging.

The Community Safety and Well-Being Plan continues our work in ensuring that the needs of Durham Region residents are met.

By coming together and working with our community partners, we can share best practices, collaborate and continue our work on community safety and well-being.

We put this into practice this past June, when we came together with York Region, Halton Region, Peel Region, the City of Hamilton and the City of Toronto to host a Community Safety and Well-Being Symposium.

It was a chance to work collaboratively, to raise awareness about priority risk areas, share best practices, discuss the escalation of violence and gun violence across the GTHA, and identify action items.

These conversations will help inform the implementation of the Region’s Plan and make Durham Region a safer place for everyone.

Another priority for 2023 is to continue our work on making the GO Lakeshore East Extension a reality, after many years of planning.

We’ve worked closely with elected officials and staff from many different government agencies and organizations, to bring this convenient transit option to Durham Region.

As Durham Region focuses on recovery from the pandemic, this project has the potential for major economic impacts.

It will support the development of transit-oriented communities, increase housing supply, create jobs, and play a key role in investment attraction.

Residents and visitors will have access to frequent, reliable and accessible transit that will help them optimize their time, spending less time travelling and more time with family and friends.

It marks a significant milestone for the eastern municipalities in Durham—one that will help to transform the way we connect with each other for decades to come.

Along with a fostering a strong economy, comes the Region’s responsibility to manage growth, including supporting affordable housing and planning for major infrastructure on a regional basis.

Durham Region shares the provincial goal of increasing housing supply. However, the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022 (Bill 23) is concerning.

Durham Regional Council, local area municipalities, and Indigenous communities were not consulted on changes to land use planning activities, development charges, conservation authorities, or other items relevant to municipal governments.

Yet, Regional governments play a critical role in infrastructure planning and delivery; helping to support growing communities.

One of the largest concerns with Bill 23 is that it reduces the development charges we can recover for new infrastructure like water and sewer pipes, transit, roads and more.

In fact, we estimate the Region will have about $281 million less in revenue over five years.

Given critical projects we are already planning for through our lang-range capital plan, funds in reserve cannot absorb the cost impacts of Bill 23.

This means that existing property taxpayers and ratepayers of Durham Region will now be asked to fund future infrastructure to support new homes in our community.

Or, the Region may have to reduce service levels.

Despite this, we are working with the province to identify solutions; including how to work together to increase the supply of different types of housing for all residents and income levels.

To help ensure transparency, we’re working to include information about all property tax and water and sewer rate increases—resulting from Bill 23—in the upcoming 2023 Regional property tax bills.

If you’re interested in learning more, I encourage you to visit Durham DOT ca SLASH Bill 23.

We know that successful urban planning requires a vision—a bigger picture. It’s about shaping communities that balance growth with services, while protecting the environment for our residents.

It’s the foundation of our Regional Official Plan, and the basis for Envision Durham—our vision for growth to 2051.

As our region continues to grow, it’s important that for us to maintain strong, responsive and sustainable services, and that is especially important for waste management.

Our Long-Term Waste Management Plan will help us to achieve our waste goals by reducing the amount of waste we create, and managing generated waste as a resource, balancing financial needs and environmental sustainability.

We will build innovative systems in collaboration with our residents and stakeholders to ensure a healthy, safe and happy community for all.

We also remain committed to making our roads a safer place for motorists and pedestrians through Vision Zero, a plan with an end goal of zero road fatalities in Durham Region across all modes of transportation.

Our immediate goal is a minimum 10 per cent reduction of fatal and injury collisions by the end of this year.

I’d like to close by saying thank you for the opportunity to share some of our successes and priorities with you today.

We’ve achieved a lot over the past year and know that there is much more vital work to be done.

I could not be prouder of the work our staff have accomplished and the dedication all employees have shown.

It’s about working together to deliver service excellence through leadership, collaboration, innovation and environmental stewardship.

I’m looking forward to continuing this work throughout the rest of 2023 and beyond.

Thank you.