Whereas the Durham Meadoway project, currently led by the Region of Durham, proposes a 35-kilometre active transportation corridor and linear park from Rouge National Urban Park at the Durham/Toronto Boundary to Harmony Road in Oshawa, located partially within the Gatineau transmission corridor and includes lands in the Town of Whitby; and,
Whereas the Durham Meadoway Visioning Study sets the overall vision and framework for this new active transportation corridor, identifying connections to the surrounding communities and types of experiences, amenities and gateways that can be achieved along the proposed multi-use path; and,
Whereas the Visioning Study sets the first stage of planning for the Durham Meadoway project, which is an important yet initial step in the process; and,
Whereas the Region of Durham supports a coordinated approach to advance the Durham Meadoway multi-use path component of the project to construction in the next five to seven years, allowing for the Durham Meadoway to connect end-to-end; and,
Whereas advancing the design of the Durham Meadoway project has the potential to open up future funding opportunities from federal and provincial levels of government, as well as private or non-profit sources; and,
Whereas the next stage of planning involves further design work to set a preliminary alignment for the multi-use path and defined locations for nearby amenities and gateways along the route, both within transmission corridor lands as well as other publicly owned lands and rights-of-way; and,
Whereas the Region of Durham will be seeking funding from local municipalities to pay for their share of the Durham Meadoway Environmental Assessment;
Now Therefore be it Resolved:
- That Whitby Council confirm, in principle, its support for the Durham Meadoway Visioning Study as an initial step in planning for the Durham Meadoway project;
- That Whitby Council support the preparation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Town of Whitby and the Region, City of Pickering, Town of Ajax, and City of Oshawa to set the administration, collection of fees and technical guidance for a Municipal Class EA Study to advance planning for the Durham Meadoway by undertaking preliminary design work for the multi-use path, gateways and related amenities; and,
- That the final draft MOU and cost sharing agreement for the Municipal Class EA Study be presented to Whitby Council prior to September 1, 2024 for consideration as part of the Town’s 2025 budget.