08/18/2025
The Northeast Pickering Secondary Plan is a 30-year blueprint to build a brand-new community far from existing services. Starting from zero means paying for new roads, water and sewer lines, transit, and fire and paramedic services among other necessities. History shows that developers do not fully cover these costs. When the bills come due, the gap lands on residents through higher property taxes and fees.
It also raises everyday risks: paving over the Carruthers Creek source area pushes more water downhill during big storms, which can mean flooded basements, road closures, and higher insurance costs in Pickering and Ajax. There’s a smarter, lower-cost path available for the city: finish Seaton and grow along Kingston Road and around Pickering GO where pipes, roads, and transit already exist. It’s cheaper to service, faster to deliver, and better for taxpayers.
Stay tuned this Fall for the Secondary Plan meeting where you can have your voice heard! In the meantime, please consider signing this petition to let the city and province know that development in Northeast Pickering is a bad idea.
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...
