Durham Region Police Community Alert
www.drps.ca/news/posts/community-safety-alert-for-high-risk-offender-released-in-durham-region/
"This individual has a history of serious criminal convictions, including Sexual Assault, Sexual Assault with a Weapon, Assault with a Weapon, Assault, Robbery, Possession of Explosives, Uttering Threats, and multiple violations of probation orders.
Keith Theodore CONSTANTIN, age 48, poses a significant risk to the community, especially children. "​

In addition to the range of events happening on the ground around Ward 1, such as the number of delightful dogs I get to see either when they are being walked, or at the front door like Walmart greeters, and finding out their names. (I frequently update the list I posted on my Blog Sept 16th) https://www.oshawarosemary.com/.../ward-1-residents-their...

I've witnessed a number of driveways being freshly sealed, and roofs being re-shingled, one young boy on his front porch practicing playing his French horn, three individuals painting their garage doors, many mowing their lawns, delivering pizzas, and many, many amazon drivers making deliveries, 7 on one short street in under 7 minutes, door to door drops almost timed with me and my election post card!
​
But, as included in the picture below, with my map of Ward 1, unfortunately there is a lot of litter left lying around, especially around the community mail boxes and on the regional rural roads. Also most regrettable are the number of power of sale homes secured.

📬 1. WATCH FOR YOUR VOTER LETTER 

This year it comes in a sealed envelope, not a postcard, because it holds private information and should arrive early October.

• If you haven't received the letter by Friday Oct. 9, you may need to be added to the Voters' List or have your details updated.
• You can add or update your details at oshawa.ca/voterslist by Thursday, Oct. 15
• After that, from Friday, Oct. 16, pick up your letter in person at City Hall, 50 Centre St. S., 10am - 6pm on scheduled days.
• Contact the Office of the City Clerk at 905-436-5639 or [email protected] for additional assistance.
  
  

 💻 2. VOTE ONLINE: OCT. 13 TO 26, 2026

Any time, on your own device, from anywhere in Canada. You'll just need your security code from your Voter Information Letter.

• There are 5 steps starting with go to the Voting Website and enter your unique Voting PIN and date of birth. Select Verify.
• Read the statement on the screen. Choose whether you want to vote or decline to vote. If you choose not to vote, your voting session is complete.
• If you choose to vote, select your preferred candidate for each position. Select Next to continue.
• Review your choices and make changes if needed. Select Submit to continue.
• Select Submit to cast your ballot or Back to make any changes. An on-screen confirmation will let you know that your vote was successfully submitted.

🤝 3. IF YOU WANT HELP VOTING ONLINE

There is a City YouTube instruction video here youtu.be/l0EpdsbC1b0?si=yBBXbcl0IpvJXUAh or you can attend at an Advance Voter Assistance Centre identified below, bring your letter with the code and bring your ID for staff to help on a City approved device:

• City Hall, 50 Centre St. S., Oct. 13 -17 & Oct. 19 - 23, 10am-6pm
• Thursday Oct 15, Northview Centre, 150 Beatrice St. E. 1-6pm
• Saturday Oct 17, Donevan Recreation Complex 171 Harmony Rd. S. 1-6pm
• Monday Oct 19, Delpark Centre, 1661 Harmony Rd. N. 1-6pm
  
  

 📝 4. VOTING DAY: MONDAY, OCT. 26

This is the ONLY day you can vote on a paper ballot.

• Go to Voter Assistance Centre in your Ward identified in the letter with your security code and remember to bring your ID
• Open 10am-8pm You can cast a paper ballot or get help voting online on a City device.
• NOTE: Registration for online voting must be completed no later than 6 pm on Voting Day (October 26) to cast a ballot online before 8pm
  
  

        Ward 1 Voter Assistance Centres:

• Columbus Community Centre, 3265 Simcoe St. N.
• Delpark Homes Centre, 1661 Harmony Rd. N.
• Kedron Public School, 1935 Ritson Rd. N.
• St. John Bosco Catholic School, 1600 Clearbrook Dr.
• Norman G. Powers Public School, 1555 Coldstream Dr.
  
  

Other wards: your location is listed on your Voter Information Letter and at oshawa.ca/elections.

🙋 5. CAN'T GET THERE? NAME A PROXY

If you want a paper ballot but can't vote in person, or you'll be outside Canada, someone you trust can vote for you on Voting Day.

• Pick up the Appointment of Voting Proxy form at City Hall, where staff will explain the steps.
• A proxy can vote for one non-family voter, or for any number of immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent or grandchild).
• Your proxy must bring ID and the completed, certified form, and take an oath at the Voter Assistance Centre.
• Your proxy can still cast their own vote too, as long as they haven't already voted online.
  
  

 📊 6. ELECTION RESULTS 

Unofficial results will be posted on the City's website all at once soon after voting closes, not poll by poll like before.

• Official results will be posted after the City Clerk certifies them.

NOTE: Oshawa's Annual Fire Prevention Week runs from October 4 to10 2026 The theme is “Charge into Fire Safety: Safe Charging is a Superpower" reminding families of the importance of charging lithium-ion battery devices safely and properly. See the link below for more details, and join Oshawa Fire Services on:

Saturday, Oct 3 for COMMUNITY SAFETY DAY at Fire Hall 5 Harmony & Coldstream 11 am to 3 pm

Sunday, Oct 4 at Oshawa Generals 6:05 pm game

Thursday, Oct 8 to Saturday, Oct 10 at the Oshawa Centre, Centre Court 10 am – 9 pm

Consider again the Sept. 18, 2026 CBC article on Windsor police, copied below. Windsor officers who previously drove past open drug use, or only asked people to “move along,” are now stopping to arrest and lay simple drug-possession charges.

Two takeaways from the article:

1. Public pressure brought the change.
2. Windsor’s nurse-police team is being celebrated as part of the response.

The Deputy Chief explained that the internal directive changed over the summer after heavy public and leadership criticism, including from the Windsor mayor, about visible downtown drug consumption.

The Windsor nurse-police team “works to improve police response times, reduce burden on emergency departments,” and responds to people struggling with mental health and substance-use challenges.

On Sept. 24, 2026, Lakeridge Health and Durham Region partners announced a new Durham Region Police-Hospital Committee to improve how people in mental-health and addictions-related crises are transferred into emergency care. That work could also help reduce police wait times and the burden on emergency departments, couldn't it?

With more public pressure, will Durham Regional Police Service follow Windsor’s lead and not drive by, but stop to arrest and lay simple drug-possession charges where the law allows?

CBC article:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/open-drug-use-charges-windsor-9.7349323
​
Lakeridge / Durham media release:
https://www.lh.ca/news-and-stories/posts/lakeridge-health-and-durham-region-partners-establish-committee-to-strengthen-mental-health-crisis-care/

The Sept 24, 2026 media release from Lakeridge health is Welcome Good News:

Lakeridge Healthcare, Police & Paramedics  Launch a New Durham Region Police-Hospital Committee, to Support Safe Coordinated Transition into Emergency Care for Individuals experiencing Mental Health/Addiction Crisis

The committee aims to improve how people experiencing mental health or addictions-related crises transition into emergency care, particularly when brought to hospital by police.

Priorities include safety, privacy, dignity, human rights, and consistent person-centred processes.

Partners will review emerging issues, improve local practices, coordinate training, evaluate transition processes, and identify barriers to timely care.

Patient and Family Advisors and other community partners may also contribute.

The overall goal is a safer, more coordinated and compassionate crisis-care experience for patients, health-care providers, and first responders across Durham Region.

Yes, it is an election year. That does not mean City Hall should go months as if on auto pilot without regular Council and Committee meetings.

Every regular 2026 September meeting was cancelled:
Corporate & Finance Committee, Mon. Sept. 14
Economic & Development Committee (including a Planning Act public meeting) Mon. Sept. 14
Community & Operations Committee Mon. Sept 21
Safety & Facilities Committee, Mon. Sept. 21 and
Oshawa City Council, Mon. Sept. 28

The Finance Committee notice says the meeting was cancelled “due to a lack of agenda items.” The other notices give no reason.

The next scheduled Council event is the newly elected Council’s swearing-in on November 18. The Standing Committee meetings rotation is not scheduled to return until November 30.

July through October is one-third of the year. Finance Committee meetings were also cancelled in May and June. Elected members of Council will have had no Finance Committee meeting for half of 2026!
​
Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs still receive their full annual stipend under the Oshawa City Council Remuneration By-law 39-2005 https://www.oshawa.ca/.../councilremunerationby-law39...

There is no reduction when meetings are cancelled. That remuneration is paid by taxpayers. In my opinion the By-law should be amended so the extra pay is reduced when scheduled meetings do not take place.
September Council meetings were held in the election years of 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. Cancelling the full September cycle this year, with almost no explanation, is a break from past practice.

I contacted senior staff, including the City’s CAO, twice over the past two weeks concerning the Committee cancellations and filed a Notice of Motion within the required timeline for the Sept 28th Council meeting. Council and the public still have not been given a clear answer by the Mayor and staff why these meetings were no longer required.
​
Meetings exist so elected members can do their oversight job and so residents can see what work is being done. An election does not pause that responsibility.

About the Region of Durham's Simcoe St. Rapid Transit options. A constituent wrote me last week asking for my thoughts on the ongoing studies and whether I am leaning toward the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) or the Aerial Cable Car (gondola) concept.

My direct answer: I do not believe either of these two multi-million dollar options is in the City of Oshawa’s best interest.

A quick sidenote before going into why I stated the above: I know many of my constituents have valid concerns regarding DRT bus schedule timings, routes, and specific stop gaps, especially in the new growth areas north of Conlin Rd. I am actively working with DRT on those operational issues separately, but this post is strictly focused on the capital expenditure and long-term planning of the Simcoe Street corridor. Therefore I want to keep this post specific to these two rapid transit options.

Now back to the focus of this post:

I certainly do not support the aerial cable car aka gondola project. Not only for its outrageously expensive estimated billion dollar+ cost, but its maintenance costs too. Although novel and some initially may think exciting, the gondola option to carry people, not vehicles, in suspended cabins, negatively impacts privacy for area residents and a poor visual aesthetic of the structures, not to mention the safety issues with equipment failure, power outages and vandalism.

I do not support the bus rapid transit on Simcoe St. either, which is just as expensive with a lot of property expropriations. Although it may work well enough on Hwy 2 in Pickering and Ajax, Simcoe St. Oshawa is entirely different.

Oshawa Council was never given the opportunity to vote on either option. In my opinion, rather than Simcoe St., Ritson Rd. would and should have been considered as an alternate spine route corridor to study for north/south Oshawa transit improvements.

The initial phase for the current project which was announced in 2020 has had a shared $12 million cost: with $5 million federal, $4 million provincial and $3 million municipal to commence the 10 km bus service study and mid- term upgrades.

Accomplished so far has been the Visioning and Feasibility Studies with its public consultation meetings, the purchase of 8 new buses, and installation of new bus shelters and traffic signal upgrades.

The January 2025 Region Committee of the Whole meeting Report 2025-COW-3 was pivotal.
https://pub-durhamregion.escribemeetings.com/filestream...

Region Council was asked to endorse the aerial cable car option, but a motion was made to delay it for further consideration.

The motion instead of endorsing the aerial cable car option ended up by a vote of 13-9 being to refer the report back to staff for a defined project scope and conduct consultations with Oshawa Council.

I’ve heard the next vote on this matter is not expected until late 2027. This was from the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, which was supporting the cable car option (from something written by former GOCC president Jason King)

Considered in the context of the GO train expansion east to Bowmanville with construction work breaking ground in January 2026 with the Simcoe St. bridge replacement start, and the plan for its full service toward 17,000 daily trips, is targeted for 2041, a 15 year horizon, improved transit in Oshawa should be on the radar.

But rushing into any such a high cost project should be something to be extremely wary of putting together if its not going to function well and over burden taxpayers.

The context also of the former Knob Hill property Oshawa GO train site for all its ‘transit oriented development’ planning, in my opinion makes a Ritson Rd. bus transit spine more ideal, and probably less expensive than the two mega capital projects currently on the table.

Information and resources on our bus service:
​
While this post focuses on the long-term planning of the Simcoe Street corridor, I want to emphasize that public transit remains a critical priority for our community.

There are certainly immediate improvements needed regarding daily bus schedules, route coverage, and stop locations. For instance, I am fully aware that our new growth areas in Ward 1, specifically north of Conlin Road and east of Harmony Road, are currently lacking DRT bus stops.

Please know that I am actively raising these local operational issues.
In my experience, Durham Region Transit leadership has been highly responsive to the many and varied concerns raised, and DRT staff work to provide the best service possible under growing demands. Even though I am not on Durham Region Council, as an Oshawa City Councillor I will continue to collaborate with DRT to get these localized gaps resolved.

If you have specific feedback regarding your daily commute, or want to get involved in shaping future transit accessibility, please utilize the resources below:

Contact DRT Customer Service at 1-866-247-0055 or email [email protected]
​
Note: DRT is hosting its annual ACCESSIBILITY SPOTLIGHT Forum on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Courtyard by Marriott Oshawa in Harmony Room C (1011 Bloor Street East). Light refreshments will be provided, but registration is required. Link to Register is here
https://www.durhamregiontransit.com/.../accessibility.../

Follow-up to this weekend’s coverage of Windsor police now charging people for using illegal drugs in public even while prosecution remains uncertain.

Windsor officers are no longer driving past people openly using illegal drugs on the street. They are stopping, arresting, and laying charges.
When asked how local prosecutors would respond to more simple-possession charges, Windsor’s police chief said that remains to be seen. Police services will track the numbers and report on how many charges are laid and how many make it through the courts.

On a positive note, Windsor Police’s Nurse Police Team (NPT) which has an officer and a hospital nurse working together on the street reports success with offering help to vulnerable people.

Plank 6 of my Oshawa re-election campaign platform is Reclaim Our Public Spaces. Sidewalks, parks, trails must be clean, safe, and usable. That is the city’s most basic job.

Open-air illegal drug use needs enforcement and treatment. It should not be shrugged off with calls for compassion when real compassion is not passive but requires action.

Oshawa residents keep writing to Council about this. Hyperlinked here is the latest email I received Friday, September 18, 2026.

Illegal drug dealing and open use will keep damaging our public spaces, neighbours, and businesses until we have the law enforced and take our streets back.

A year ago, in Sept. 2025, Council approved my motion CNCL-25-63. It formally asked the federal Minister of Justice, the Ontario Attorney General, and Durham Regional Police to act against open, flagrant use of illegal drugs in public spaces because it:

• endangers children who see it
• undermines people trying to recover from addiction
• draws dealers and increases crime where drugs are bought
• is still not being actively prosecuted despite how serious it is

 
Passing a motion does not end the job. Follow-through can. It's why I am writing here that the new Oshawa leadership elected for the 2026–2030 term must reclaim public spaces so families feel welcome downtown again  at the McLaughlin Library, the RMG Art Gallery, Parkwood Estate, restaurants, music at the Biltmore and 44 Bond, Memorial Park Bandshell, and the Regent Theatre.

The City has a real opening now with Ontario’s Safer Municipalities Act, 2025, and the province investing over $500 million in 29 HART Hubs across Ontario in 2026. The two  HART Hubs both in Oshawa and in Whitby bring more hope. Oshawa’s HART Hub is expected to open a new permanent facility on Bloor St. E. and will soon offer 45 overnight rooms and wrap-around services. Durham Regional Police’s Project Atlantis, also launched in 2025 and expanded in 2026, posted promising arrest stats in last month.

The question is whether Oshawa and DRPS will take the same kind of step Windsor police are taking. 

The picture below is of a section of Metcalfe St. opposite Memorial Park a commenter posted on a post of mine on Our Oshawa August 11, 2026 with the words "it's drug city here today."

Region of Durham Works Dept staff today wrote a welcome response to the public's concerns about the unsafe Harmony/ Britannia intersection:
 
"Durham Region is actively working with the subdivision developer to complete the roadworks and install traffic signals at the Harmony Road and Britannia Avenue intersection.

Work recently commenced on the addition of turning lanes, installation of concrete curbs, and full-width asphalt paving on Harmony Road through the intersection area.  The developer is leading this work and expects to complete construction by November 20, 2026, as noted on the information signs placed on Harmony Road.

Once these improvements are completed, the Region will move forward with the installation of traffic signals at Harmony Road and Britannia Avenue. It is anticipated this work will be completed by early 2027. The Region is actively exploring opportunities to expedite construction and implement the signals sooner if possible.

We also note that the Region is advancing design of the future Harmony Road widening ahead of the original schedule to meet growing traffic needs in the community.

I wrote back asking if they could indicate more about the Harmony road widening design and construction timeline and distance, if it will go the length to Hwy 407E. Hope to hear back from Works staff with a continued positive response. 

I am revising this post because City Staff cancelled all 3 meetings for this Monday.… including the evening Planning Act Public meeting which had three large projects on the. Agenda.! Most unusual especially considering for Planning Act meetings the City sends out notices to nearby property owners, which they did for all 3 projects. Now the City is sending them notices of the cancellations.

What is even more irregular is the fact that with the cancellation of the Monday Finance Committee meeting there will have been no public finance committee meetings between the last one held in April and the next expected on in November -more than half the year!
We will see if the other two standing committees scheduled for September 21st will proceed .. but clearly the last council meeting of this term looks like to will be a short one on Sept 28th. Below are the Notices originally )published Aug 20th of the Public meetings for the 3 big projects:. It will be interesting to see if/when they will be rescheduled. 

1. one new 10 storey on the corner of Simcoe & the Niagara Dr. (north intersection ) with 525 units;

2. two new one storey commercial buildings with approx. 25,899 sq.st at the Menkes Development site opposite Kedron Dells at the north east corner of Ritson & future extension of Nancy Diamond Blvd

​3. plan of subdivision Britannia Rd E of Grandview for 125 singles and 212 street townhouses (previously approved for 172 singles, 74 semis and 72 towns (so amendment required to change part of Official plan for Kedron Part II from low density to Medium)

Below is DRT's video heralding the new Harmony
Rd N southbound bus stop at Dyas Blvd south of Nancy Diamond Blvd. starting next week when DRT is rolling out its "major service updates as part of the first phase of the Driving Durham 2030 Service Strategy."...

The news update reads that for this Harmony Rd N and Nancy Diamond area "Additional bus stops will be explored once surrounding develop is completed to the point where bus stops can be built."

I am calling on my Ward 1 constituents to help get the word through to DRT that the new Oshawa communities in the area require more than this one bus stop. For example, a bus must continue on Grandview north of Conlin to Britannia Ave E. with a stop on Grandview for starters and a stop on Coppermine at Britannia!!

email or call DRT at [email protected] or
1 866-247-0055

ALSO NOTE: for 13 to 19 year old bus riders with the discounted Y10 monthly youth pass you can save more than $200 during the school year while enjoying unlimited transit travel. Enrolment is now open, with the September pass available for purchase and customers required to enroll and purchase their first pass by September 10, 2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1QFT7ZADs5/

​Link
for
video
click
here

Oshawa is facing a critical infrastructure crisis. In my Ward One, our roads remain incomplete, sidewalks are missing, and drivers and pedestrians are being put at serious risk. We regularly hear that projects are deferred and delayed because of City funding shortages.

When told there isn’t enough money in the budget to fix these hazards in and around the City's massive new housing developments I've strenuously complained, and continue to complain.

In a recent Blog post about the accident on Harmony Rd. N. at Britannia Rd E on August 17 I described how it seems to be a textbook case on how both a lower tier and upper tier municipality need to better prepare for growth!. But there is another facet to the problem.  Oshawa's willingness to walk away from tens of millions of dollars in revenue—leaving residential homeowners to pay the price.

The "Oshawa Gamble" Explained
Oshawa stands alone as the only lakeshore municipality in Durham that charges zero local development charges (DCs) on industrial construction.

Development charges are standard fees meant to ensure that "growth pays for growth." They force developers to pay upfront for the roads, pipes, and emergency services their new buildings require.

According to the City's own April 2024 Staff Report CNCL-24-34, giving developers a 100% free pass cost Oshawa taxpayers $15.5 million in lost revenue in the preceding decade. Worse still, staff calculated that continuing this exemption our city would forego an additional $20 million in future revenue over the current by-law cycle. That is a combined $35.5 million hit to our local infrastructure pocket.

The Mayor’s Narrative vs. The Regional Reality
The Mayor and four other members of Council fiercely defend this corporate handout. Following the recent Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference just a couple weeks ago in Ottawa, Mayor Dan Carter boasted about Oshawa’s:

"...targeted development charge exemptions that have been in place for more than a decade."

The establishment argues that sacrificing this upfront cash guarantees "long-term gains" and that businesses wouldn't come here without it. But the data proves them wrong.

A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats

The Durham Workforce Authority labour market data reveals that the corporations moving into Durham Region share the same profile across all five lakeshore municipalities. Massive logistics hubs, advanced manufacturing, and e-commerce giants are flooding into our region—not because of Oshawa's tax discount, but because of regional macro-trends.

A rising economic tide is lifting all boats in Durham. Our neighboring municipalities all charge full development fees, yet they are experiencing the exact same industrial boom:

• Ajax & Pickering: Charged full fees and secured massive e-commerce and clean energy logistics hubs.
• Whitby: Maintained standard fees while rapidly expanding its corporate and data center footprint.
• Clarington: Located even further east than Oshawa, Clarington charges a standard industrial fee—yet their industrial growth is breaking records.

Corporations are moving to Durham because of the Highway 407 extension, raw land availability, and our premier technical talent pipeline at Ontario Tech University and Durham College. They would have gladly paid Oshawa’s infrastructure fees, just like they did everywhere else.

Behind the 8-Ball: The Provincial Squeeze
What makes the current council's stubbornness truly regrettable is the shifting provincial landscape. The Province of Ontario is actively decreasing and capping municipal development charges.
Because past councils were stuck on maintaining corporate exemptions during the peak years of the industrial boom, Oshawa completely missed its window of opportunity to build a massive infrastructure reserve. Now, with provincial restrictions tightening, even a new council voting to eliminate the exemption will find it incredibly difficult to play catch-up. The city has been left structurally disadvantaged by its own leadership.

The Cost to Ward One
By giving a multi-million-dollar gift to highly profitable developers, City Council forced a dangerous compromise:

1. Skyrocketing Taxes: Oshawa now struggles with the highest effective residential property tax rate in the entire GTHA to cover basic city budgets.
2. Neglected Neighborhoods: Growth did not pay for growth. While big developers pocketed the savings, crucial local infrastructure projects—like the unsafe roads and missing sidewalks right here in Ward One—were left completely unfunded.
   
   

My Stance: We need to stop underselling Oshawa. It is time to end the unnecessary corporate giveaways, protect Oshawa homeowners from skyrocketing property taxes, and fight for the provincial support and local accountability needed to make our neighborhood streets safe.

Sign up ONLINE or IN-PERSON for fall SWIMMING PROGRAMS TODAY  Aug 18th!

Registration for Oshawa's Fall GENERAL RECREATION PROGRAMS AND WINTER HOLIDAY CAMPS REGISTRATION OPEN in 2 days, on Thurs. Aug 20th  at 9 a.m.

IN-PERSON registration is available at the Civic Rec Complex; Delpark Homes Centre; Donevan Rec Complex; & South Oshawa Centre.

ONLINE registration is available through activeOshawa Online see link below:​
Home - activeOshawa Online

​

A multi vehicle accident that occurred on Harmony Rd. N. at Britannia Rd. E on Mon Aug 17th evening was finally cleared at 8:30 pm. This is a big-problem-intersection with a high volume of traffic, many dump trucks going up and down Harmony as well as across Britannia, with poor sight lines due to it being near the crest of a hill.

Last month the Region indicated it would be putting in turn lanes this month and will be adding temporary traffic lights. This needs to be expedited!

But it seems it will take more than 3 months as the Region posted last week there will be lane restrictions on Harmony Rd. N. between AUGUST 24th and NOVEMBER 20th, 650 metres both north and south of Britannia Ave E.

The whole area around Conlin Rd. E. and Ritson Rd N and Harmony Rd N is a hot mess with missing infrastructure and drivers and pedestrians at risk.

I’ve pressed the City and Region for 5 years to address the difficulties with opening up the area to new home occupants when so many services, street lighting, traffic lights, sidewalks, city bus stops have not been installed or completed. As well, there is limited school transportation since buses have been unable to drop off or pick up school children in whole subdivisions due to missing accessible road connections.

It seems to be a textbook case on how both a lower tier and upper tier municipality need to better prepare for growth!

The Oshawa Environmental Advisory Committee annual FREE TREE GIVEAWAY registration begins today Aug 17, 2026 Note Registration is required to receive one free tree (note very limited quantities available - FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED). To register, complete the online form between Monday, August 17 and Friday, August 21. Three species are available for selection: White Pine –Sugar Maple – Burr Oak
You must be able to pick up your tree Saturday, Sept 12th morning. or identify the name of the person making the pick-up for them during the registration process. Annual OEAC tree giveaway returns this fallwww.oshawa.ca/news/posts/annual-oeac-tree-giveaway-returns-this-fall/Annual OEAC tree giveaway returns this fall   www.oshawa.ca/news/posts/annual-oeac-tree-giveaway-returns-this-fall/

Great news! The Conlin Rd E. and Grandview St. N. intersection is now more open... (in addition to the north/south sections of the roundabout which were opened a month ago) today the east route is open (see aerial photo below) — construction on the west side (between Harmony and Grandview is still closed and will take longer) but also included below is a picture I took this morning looking west and showing how the construction on that section is progressing.
​
What imo is most exciting today is the fact that the Multi Use Path (MUP) is now complete to Mackie Park from Grandview and from Kurelo! So the kids in the area finally have a safe and accessible path of travel to the park which has been missing for so many years!

 some links for your information: (above)  greenbelt.ca/programs/oak-ridges-moraine-trail-strategy/

and below: www.oakridgestrail.org/

This summer the Region of Durham held a Public Information Centre at the Kedron Church, initiating a Schedule C Municipal Class Environmental Assessment for the reconstruction and widening to 4 & 5 lanes of the 1.75 kilometre section of Ritson Rd. N. from Taunton Rd E. to Conlin Rd. E.

I posted the Region's Notice of the meeting back in early June. Region staff are now preparing a report with the comments from those who attended and/or submitted comments. 

When I asked about the plan for traffic lights at the south end of the Waste Transfer Station, saying that the traffic exiting from the Waste Station north side is very problematic turning north, wanting to know how will it work with the planned concrete median on Ritson Rd.  Region staff indicated that the south end driveway will be for both access and egress as other Region staff in another department are currently working on a new design for the interior of the Waste Transfer Station.  Imo this is a good idea as the Waste Station is overdue for a revamp.

​