Agreement for 1635 Dundas shelter approved

Council voted Nov. 27 to approve a revised and final agreement between the Town of Whitby and the Region of Durham for the operation of a low-barrier shelter at 1635 Dundas St. E.

The former Sunnycrest Nursing home, now referred to as 1635 Dundas, was purchased by the Region of Durham as part of a system of supports to help people experiencing homelessness.

1635 Dundas will open with 45 shelter beds to meet the urgent need for shelter.

The agreement states that the total number of shelter spaces of any kind will be capped at 45 – regardless of future phases at 1635 Dundas -- and that the location will not include a safe consumption site.

The Region will provide on-site security at 1635 Dundas 24 hours a day, seven days a week for as long as the shelter operates, while a mobile security team for Durham shelters will patrol the 1635 Dundas property and immediate vicinity day and night.

Click here to read the full agreement or visit yourvoice.durham.ca for more information about the 1635 Dundas project.       

New “market model” food bank to be housed at Iroquois Park Sports Centre

Whitby Council has authorized Town staff to enter into a lease agreement with Feed the Need in Durham to open a new “market model” food bank in former office space at Iroquois Park Sports Centre. Food insecurity is a growing issue in Whitby and across Durham Region. According to the 2022 Price of Eating Well in Durham Region report, 15 percent of households in Durham are categorized as food insecure. One of the gaps that has been identified in Whitby is food banks that are open in the evenings and weekends to serve people working individuals and families. Feed the Need in Durham opened a “market model” food bank at its Oshawa location in July 2022, offering evening hours and a grocery store-style food bank that serves an average of 150 families per week. The lease of space for the new Whitby food bank is being provided at no cost. Feed the Need also received a $15,000 grant from the Mayor’s Community Development Fund to purchase shelving, a refrigerator, a freezer, and supplies for the new food bank. Hours of operation will begin with one four-hour time slot one weeknight per week and extend to include a weekend time slot within the first six months of operation. Further expansion of hours will be based on need and resources.

Funding needed for new schools in West Whitby

On Nov. 27, Council adopted a resolution that calls on the Province to provide funding for much-needed new schools in the rapidly growing West Whitby area.

The West Whitby area that borders Highway 412 currently has no elementary or secondary school, students are attending nine holding schools where 41 portables are being used to accommodate them. There is currently no capital funding approval from the Province for construction of new schools in West Whitby – the Durham District School Board has been unsuccessful in securing the funds from the Province over the last two funding cycles despite the board identifying West Whitby schools as a priority.

A copy of Council’s resolution will be shared with the Minister and Deputy Minister of Education and all Durham MPPs.

Council authorizes paper ballot voting for 2026 municipal election

Council has authorized the continued use of in-person “vote-anywhere” paper ballot voting for the 2026 municipal election, as well as optical scan vote tabulators and the option of a special mail-in ballot as an alternative voting method.

This is the same approach used for the 2022 election, a report from Town staff notes an exit survey conducted during the 2022 election indicated 98 per cent of voters in Whitby are satisfied with paper voting.

Since 1997, and for the past eight general municipal elections, the Town of Whitby has used optical scan vote tabulators with paper ballots.

Starting in 2014 and continuing through the 2022 election, electors had the opportunity to vote anywhere due to the Town deploying a voters’ list system that allowed for real-time updates.

The 2026 municipal election will take place on Oct. 26, 2026.