Regional Municipality of Durham


The Regional Municipality of Durham, informally referred to as Durham Region, is a regional municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada. Located east of Toronto and the Regional Municipality of York, it forms the east end of the Greater Toronto Area and is part of the Golden Horseshoe region. It has an area of approximately. The regional government is headquartered in Whitby.
The southern portion of Durham Region, on Lake Ontario, is primarily suburban in nature, forming the eastern end of the "905 belt" of suburbs around Toronto, while the northern portion comprises rural areas and small towns. The city of Pickering, town of Ajax, and the township of Uxbridge are part of the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area, while the communities of Oshawa, Whitby, and Clarington comprise the Oshawa Census Metropolitan Area.

Administrative divisions

Durham Region consists of the following municipalities :
MunicipalityFormer county2021 Population
City of OshawaOntario175,383
Town of WhitbyOntario138,501
Town of AjaxOntario126,666
Municipality of ClaringtonDurham101,427
City of PickeringOntario99,186
Township of ScugogDurham, Ontario21,581
Township of UxbridgeOntario21,556
Township of BrockOntario12,567

It also contains one First Nations reserve: Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.

Local government

History

The Region of Durham was established in 1974 as one of several new regional governments in the Province of Ontario, primarily in fast-growing urban and suburban areas. It encompasses areas that had been part of Ontario County and the United Counties of Northumberland and Durham, and was the culmination of a series of studies into municipal governance in the "Oshawa-Centred Region" that had begun in the late 1960s.
The boundaries of the region were different from what had been anticipated and announced in late 1972. For example, it was widely expected that Pickering would be annexed to Metropolitan Toronto, which residents had supported in a ballot question. In addition, the region was proposed to extend further east to include Hope Township and the town of Port Hope, and did not include the northern townships of Scott, Brock and Thorah.

Climate

Under the Köppen climate classification, the Durham Region has a humid continental climate. On average July is the hottest month while January is the coldest month.

Demographics

As a census division in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Regional Municipality of Durham had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of. With a land area of, it had a population density of in 2021.

Services

The regional government, within its geographic area, has sole responsibility for the following:
  • Durham Regional Police Service provides local policing for all municipalities.
  • *The Ontario Provincial Police patrol provincial highways
  • Durham Region Transit provides public transit service
  • Main roads, traffic lights and controls
  • Strategic land use planning
  • Subdivision and condominium approval
  • Water supply and distribution
  • Sewage collection and treatment
  • Collection of recyclable materials
  • Waste collection, except in Whitby and Oshawa
  • Waste disposal
  • Public health and social services
The region also provides services in:
Local municipalities have responsibility for:
  • Local planning
  • Local streets and sidewalks
  • Fire protection
  • Parks and recreation
  • Tax collection
  • Building inspection and permits
  • Public libraries
  • Licensing
  • Waste collection in Whitby and Oshawa

    Economy

With a current population of 700,000, the population is expected to exceed one million by 2041. Of considerable potential impact to the future of the economy in Durham Region is the proposed federal airport in north Pickering. The federal government acquired 18,600 acres of land in Pickering under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in 1972 for the construction of a future airport. However, the project has remained in limbo since and much of the land has been leased for farming. In January 2018, a report released by Urban Strategies, Inc. indicated that the Pickering airport lands provide the best opportunity to meet the growing demand for air travel and goods movement in the Greater Toronto Area, demand that Toronto Pearson airport will eventually be unable to accommodate.
As of December 2016, Durham Region had over 250 energy, environment, and engineering related businesses that employed over 11,000 individuals, making Durham Region the top employer of energy sector professionals in the Greater Toronto and Hamiton Area. Durham Region's agricultural sector is one of the largest primary goods-producing sectors in the region. The agriculture sector is supported by local organizations such as who assist in the marketing, promotion, and advocacy for local food. The film industry is active and growing in Durham Region, due to increasing demands for locations and talent across Ontario. In June 2015, a major film studio development was announced in Pickering. Canada’s largest film industry backlot opened in Pickering in late 2021.
The innovative technology sector is emerging in Durham Region, supported by a in Oshawa and a technology accelerator in Whitby. Whitby is the location of the headquarters of 360 Insights a significant employer in Durham Region.
83 per cent of Durham residents over 18 have a certificate, diploma or degree.
The unemployment rate is 5.4% as of March 2022. Emerging employment sectors in Durham Region include sustainable energy, local food production, bio-sciences, next-generation automotive, logistics, advanced manufacturing, construction, and technology.
Major employers in Durham Region include General Motors of Canada, Ontario Power Generation, Lakeridge Health, Durham District School Board, Durham College, the Ontario Ministry of Finance, Minacs Worldwide, TDS Automotive, and University of Ontario Institute of Technology.

Manufacturing and energy industries

Durham Region is a major centre of the automotive industry in Canada. Oshawa is the Canadian headquarters of General Motors and home of what was once GM's largest plant in North America. In addition, the Canadian headquarters of Volkswagen is located in the region, BMW was located in the region until moving to Richmond Hill in 2010. The worldwide recession and spike in oil prices resulted in large-scale layoffs at GM beginning in 2008, along with the closure of the Oshawa Truck plant in 2009. This dramatically reduced employment levels at GM, and also resulted in significant employment losses and closures in the auto parts industry. On November 26, 2018, General Motors announced that no future product would be allotted to Oshawa beyond 2019 and that manufacturing operations would cease in December 2019. In October 2019, General Motors announced the construction of a 55-acre autonomous vehicle test track in Oshawa to be named the Canadian Technical Centre McLaughlin Advanced Technology Track. GM Canada then reopened the plant in Oshawa and began manufacturing trucks in November 2021.
Durham Region is the Clean Energy Capital of Canada. Ontario Power Generation is the largest employer in the region. OPG is Canada's largest owner of nuclear power plants with responsibility for operating the Pickering A, B, and Darlington nuclear generating stations, all of which are located in Durham Region. In June 2019 OPG announced it would be building a new corporate campus in Durham Region, in the Municipality of Clarington, by 2024. In 2023, Ontario Power Generation announced they were changing plans and had purchased the former General Motors Canada head office building and were updating it to be their new corporate headquarters. Ontario Tech University offers the first accredited program of its kind in Canada with an undergraduate degree program in Nuclear Engineering. It is also a leader is Energy Systems and Nuclear Science programs. The Clean Energy Research Lab is a facility focused on pioneering clean energy research.

Tourism

Tourism is a significant economic sector in Durham Region. Durham Region currently hosts more than four million visitors each year, who spend over $300 million. A casino resort is under development in Durham Region which will include a casino resort, convention centre, film studios, indoor waterpark, cinemas, restaurants, office tower and an amphitheatre. The Pickering Casino Resort opened in July 2021, and the Hotel opened in January 2023 and construction of various associated amenities is ongoing.

Shopping

Major shopping centres located in Durham Region include:
The top tourist attractions in Durham Region include Lake Ontario, Lake Scugog and Lake Simcoe, in particular for fishing. Outdoor activities such as hiking and skiing are popular in the region, in particular in Uxbridge, Ontario, which calls itself the Trail Capital of Canada. Darlington Provincial Park, Jungle Cat World, Parkwood Estate, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and the Canadian Automotive Museum are other popular attractions.

Transportation

400-series freeways

  • traverses the region from west to east, entering in the Rouge Valley and exiting east of Newtonville.
  • , a privately owned toll freeway, enters the region south of Highway 7 and travels east to Durham Regional Road 1 before transitioning to a provincially owned highway, Highway 407E. This route travels generally parallel to Highway 7 until the community of Brooklin in Whitby extending east to Highway 35 / 115 towards Lindsay and Peterborough.
  • , part of the Highway 407E project, connects south to Highway 401 parallel and east of Durham Regional Road 23.
  • , opened on December 9, 2019, runs between Durham Regional Road 34 and Road 57 from Highway 401, southwest of Bowmanville, north to near Hampton, connecting with the extension of Highway 407.