Newcastle Bond Head Ratepayers Association

The Municipality is proposing to close and sell Given Road in Newcastle.  The portion of the road runs west of Rudell Road and north of King Ave. West in Newcastle.  The road will be sold to the adjacent property owners and the develop of the property.  The land will be redeveloped are part of the subdivision planned for the area.  ie. Where the trees have all be cut along King Ave across from the fire hall.

Virtual Public Meeting scheduled for Monday, March 29 at 7 PM via Clarington.net/calendar

To participate, register via clarington.net/delegations

Council approves a plot of land for Newcastle Community Garden

Newcastle will soon have a community garden. Council voted to establish a community garden on the open space located at 1780 Rudell Road, between the Diane Hamre Recreation Complex and St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Elementary School. The plot of land will accommodate approximately 70 individual garden beds. The Municipality will sign a memorandum of agreement with the local garden association, allowing those interested residents who do not have access to an outdoor space to grow vegetables and plant flowers.

The Newcastle Community Garden will join Clarington’s two existing gardens, the Bowmanville Garden Allotments located on Haines Street south of Highway 2, and the Liberty Allotment Gardens on Liberty Street south of Baseline Road in Bowmanville. More than 50 residents have expressed interest in establishing a garden in Newcastle.

For more information, read report PWD-014-21.

Building Division Update

Building permit activity in Clarington throughout 2020 was very strong and is currently maintaining a steady pace in 2021. The following tables provide a year-end update on the building permit activity for 2020 and include a comparison to 2019.

In 2020, 1,350 building permits were issued, with the residential sector the strongest.

Issued Permit Activity

* Residential – refers to the construction and permit activity as a result of new residential dwelling units, accessory structures (detached garage, sheds, etc.) and additions (decks, new additions to a home, etc.).

Staff Announcements

New Energy and Climate Change Response Coordinator

We are very excited to announce that Doran Hoge is staying permanently in his role as Energy and Climate Change Response Coordinator in Planning and Development Services.

Doran joined the Municipality on contract in April 2019, coordinating the development of the Clarington Corporate Climate Action Plan and championing the Inter-Departmental Climate Change Working Group. In addition to these responsibilities, Doran has worked with other departments and leveraged key partnership and funding opportunities to develop the Municipality’s electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure plan. Before arriving in Clarington, Doran worked as the Climate Change Programs Coordinator at the Region of Durham. Doran has a PhD in Environmental Sociology from the University of Guelph, and in December 2020, he completed his Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification.

In his role, Doran will adopt an integrated approach to prepare for and respond to the impacts of climate change and reduce the Corporation’s greenhouse gas footprint. He will continue to collaborate with the Interdepartmental Climate Change Working Group and staff across all departments to implement the Clarington Corporate Climate Action Plan (CCCAP). Doran will also coordinate the Municipality’s role in Regional community-scale climate actions.

Congratulations, Doran.

Principal Planner – Development Review

Tracey Webster has accepted the recently approved Principal Planner position in the Development Review Branch.

Over the past four years, Tracey has been a co-lead on the comprehensive Zoning By-law Review Project – ZONE Clarington. To formulate the new Zoning By-law, Tracey has reviewed and analyzed Clarington’s existing Zoning By-laws, those from other municipalities, Official Plans and Provincial policy documents. Tracey was part of the team that created Zoning By-law 2005-109, which covers the Oak Ridges Moraine in Clarington and is the template for the new Zoning By-law. Tracey has more than 15 years of experience in Clarington’s Development Review Branch, processing major residential, industrial and institutional developments and minor variances. Tracey has been applying planning policies, analyzing studies and reports, and combining input from other departments and organizations to review the development applications. In some cases, Tracey had to negotiate with applicants and members of the public to find consensus, which was reflected in the ultimate recommendations made to Council.

Before joining Clarington, Tracey worked for the Town of Whitby and the City of Cambridge. She is a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners and Ontario Professional Planners Institute. Tracey has an Honours Degree in Geography from Trent University and is an Applications Specialist in Geographic Information Systems. Tracey has been advancing her education by taking a Project Management Foundations program. Tracey is a mentor to young planners, assisting them in achieving the requirements needed to obtain the Registered Professional Planners membership.

Congratulations, Tracey.

Planner I – Development Review

We are pleased to announce that Aibelle Babista has accepted the full-time Planner 1 position in the Development Review Branch. Aibelle graduated from the University of Waterloo, where she received a Bachelor of Environmental Science (Honours) in Planning and Urban Design degree.

Aibelle joined the Planning and Development Services Department as a summer student in May 2018 in the Special Projects Branch, researching policy and zoning projects. In August 2019, Aibelle accepted a contract Planner 1 position to assist with the Zoning By-law review and Neighbourhood Character Study. She has been providing support to Senior Planners in the Community Planning Branch, organizing numerous secondary plan meetings and review currently underway.

Congratulations, Aibelle.

Trees for Rural Roads – Application Deadline March 31, 2021

The Municipality of Clarington, Central Lake Ontario and Ganaraska Region Conservation Authorities, and other funding partners have teamed up to offer the Trees for Rural Roads program. This annual program was established in 2012, offering native trees free of charge to rural Clarington residents for planting along municipal roadways abutting private land. In addition to the environmental benefits, the program contributes to local historic preservation and community engagement through volunteerism. To date, more than 6,500 trees have been planted using this program.

The deadline to apply for the 2021 program is March 31, 2021.

The Municipality will continue to adhere to all Provincial Regulations and guidance from Durham Region Public Health. If the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic requires cancellation of the 2021 program, successful applicants will be pre-approved for participation in 2022. The health and safety of our residents and staff are our utmost priority.

Program guidelines and the 2021 application form are available at www.clarington.net/TreesForRuralRoads.

Questions? Contact Amy Burke at aburke@clarington.net or 905-623-3379 ext. 2423.

The municipality has decided to postpone the registration of winter activities.  The posting is a follows…

Due to COVID-19, we will be postponing our Winter Registration by a week. Residents will now be able to register on Wednesday, December 16, 2020, at 7 a.m. for all recreation, fitness and swimming lessons. You can register online at www.clarington.net/BeActive or call 905-987-5667 ext. 2552. We apologize for the inconvenience this delay may be causing, and we appreciate your continued support.

Clarington is making available activity kits for children this year.  You can register for your kits via the links below.

Register for New Year Celebration Activity Kits

Celebrate the New Year with your family and Clarington by picking up a free activity kit to join in the virtual party. Limited quantities are available on a first-come, first-serve basis with a limit of two kits per family. To register for your kit, choose your pickup location from the menu below and click the Eventbrite link to select your pickup timeslot.

The Municipality is putting together New Years family events this year.  Here how you can join in the activities.

Clarington’s Community Funding Program provides opportunities to Clarington’s not-for-profit and volunteer-based organizations to grow and make a difference in our community.

Clarington is looking for three people to volunteer on the new Community Funding Program Review Committee. Appointees to this position will review grant applications from eligible organizations who contribute to the community.

For more information about the Community Funding Program, visit www.clarington.net/Funding.

Applicant requirements:
Successful applicants will be knowledgeable about not-for-profit and charitable organizations, our community and local events. They will be able to commit to 25 volunteer hours or more in January and February 2021 to review and and make recommendations on the grant applications.

• View the Committee Terms of Reference (PDF)
• View the Committee Application Form (PDF)

How to apply
Submit your application by November 29, 2020. For additional information, contact communitydevelopment@clarington.net.

Here is an opportunity to help improve services for people with disabilities in our area at the regional level.  Region is taking a survey how services are and can be improved.

Are you a person with a disability who has used Durham Region services? We invite you to tell us about your experience.

Our goal is to learn more about the services that residents access; what Durham Region has done well; and how Regional services can be improved.  Don’t have a disability?  We would still like to hear from you!

Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts in this short survey.

Thank you for being part of Your Voice Durham. We value your input, and remain committed to delivering service excellence to our growing and diverse community.

Kind regards,

The Project Team

Whitby, Ontario – As part of Durham Vision Zero’s goal to eliminate fatalities on our roadways, Durham Region has activated more red light cameras at select locations throughout Durham Region to help improve traffic safety.