WORKING FOR WARD 2
Motions of Council
2022-2026
A "motion of council" is a formal proposal put forward by a Member of a Council, requesting that the council discuss and take action on a specific issue, essentially initiating a decision-making process by presenting a proposed course of action that requires a vote to be approved.
Below is a comprehensive list of the motions which Local Councillor Nancy Henry has moved or seconded so far during the 2022-2026 term.
Educational Needs in Northeast Ajax
In January 2024, I sent a letter to the Chair of the Durham District School Board to advocate for educational infrastructure for the students of Northeast Ajax and the Castlefield Community.
I will continue to advocate for action in planning for a new school for the area in need.
Lobbyist Registry Motion
Moved by: Councillor Henry
Seconded by: Regional Councillor Dies
WHEREAS Section 223.9 of the Municipal Act allows municipalities to establish a lobbyist registry and code of conduct which governs lobbying activities directed at members of Council, advisory boards, staff, and individuals hired or selected to represent Town interests;
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AND WHEREAS lobbyist registries are an optional mechanism;
AND WHEREAS several Ontario municipalities, including the City of Toronto, the City of Pickering, and the Region of Niagara, have established a lobbyist registry framework;
NOW THEREFORE BE IS RESOLVED THAT: Ajax Council directs Legislative Services staff to report to Council, or the appropriate standing committee, no later than the end of March 2024, on lobbyist registry framework options, impacts, and associated costs.
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This motion was defeated on a 5-2 vote at council.
Requesting the Permanent Removal of Tolls on the Provincially Owned Portion of Highway 407
Moved by: Councillor Henry
Seconded by: Regional Councillor Crawford
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WHEREAS Highway 407 from Brock Road in Pickering to Highway 35/115 is provincially owned and tolls are set by the province; AND WHEREAS the province passed legislation, Bill 162, the Get It Done Act, 2024, to ban new tolls from provincially owned highways;
AND WHEREAS Highway 413, a timesaving highway running through York, Peel & Halton Regions, is being built at a projected cost of $10-billion and is included in the legislation to ban new tolls;
AND WHEREAS the provincially owned portion of Highway 407, which is almost exclusively in Durham Region, is excluded from this legislation and is the only tolled provincially owned highway in Ontario, resulting in unfair economic impacts to Durham Region residents and businesses;
AND WHEREAS the Province of Ontario has previously removed tolls on Highways 412 and 418 located within Durham, demonstrating the willingness to removing existing unfair tolls on provincially owned highways and should therefore include the provincial 407 as part of the proposed legislation;
AND WHEREAS the removal of tolls on the provincial Highway 407 would reduce the cost of living for Durham Region residents and drive economic growth, while ensuring fair and equitable treatment across all provincial 400-series highways; AND WHEREAS the Councils of Oshawa, Whitby, Pickering and Durham Region have passed motions requesting that the province remove tolls on the provincially owned portion of Highway 407;
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NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: Ajax Council hereby requests that the Province of Ontario remove tolls from the provincially owned portion of Highway 407; and A copy of this resolution be sent to the Honourable Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation, all local Durham MPPs, and all Durham local area municipalities.
Temporary Expansion of the Occasional-Use Parking Permit System
Moved by: Councillor Henry
Seconded by: Councillor Bower
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WHEREAS Ajax residents have expressed that their parking needs are changing and they would like more parking opportunities for visiting friends and family, and options when their driveways are inaccessible due to landscaping and home construction projects;
AND WHEREAS a Town-Wide Parking Master Plan to identify needs and solutions is scheduled to be initiated in 2026;
AND WHEREAS an interim solution, such as expansion of existing programs, could support residents’ parking needs until the Master Plan is completed;
AND WHEREAS the Town offers a program, the Occasional-Use Parking Permit (OUPP) system, which allows residents to apply online for up to 17 OUPPs per year, per license plate (first 5 permits are free, and the following 12 are $12 per permit plus tax), to park on residential streets for 24 hours, with some restrictions;
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NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: By-law staff be directed to temporarily increase the number of parking permits available through the Occasional-Use Parking Permit system to provide 10 free parking permits and 18 paid parking permits per year, per license plate, effective January 1, 2025, until the Parking Master Plan is completed.
Honouring Veterans with a Crosswalk Installation at Veteran’s Point Garden
Moved by: Councillor Henry
Seconded by: Councillor Tyler Morin
WHEREAS the Town of Ajax has a proud military history, serving as the home of the largest shell filling plant in the British Commonwealth during World War II, was named in honour of the Royal Navy ship H.M.S. Ajax, and has celebrated veterans who served aboard the ship by naming local streets in their honour;
AND WHEREAS numerous communities throughout the province including Pickering, Bowmanville, Hamilton, Belleville, Petawawa, and Chatham, are introducing special crosswalks in recognition of our veterans;
AND WHEREAS installation of a crosswalk at Veteran’s Point Garden would be an opportunity for the Town of Ajax to continue contributing to honouring veterans;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT 1. Operations and Environmental Services, with support from Public and Strategic Affairs and Transportation Services, be directed to work in consultation with Royal Canadian Legion Branch 322 to design and install a crosswalk at Veteran’s Point by October 2025;
Recognizing the Intimate Partner Violence Epidemic
Moved by: Councillor Henry
Seconded by: Regional Councillor Crawford
WHEREAS Intimate partner violence (IPV) is physical, sexual and emotional abuse and aggression that occurs in an intimate relationship;
AND WHEREAS on the morning of September 22, 2015, Carol Culleton, Anastasia Kuzyk and Nathalie Warmerdam were murdered by a former partner;
AND WHEREAS on June 28, 2022, a five-person jury established as part of a coroner’s inquest into the events of September 22, 2015 delivered 86 recommendations;
AND WHEREAS specific legislation addressing family and domestic violence has been passed by six provinces and three territories; however, Ontario has not implemented this type of legislation;
AND WHEREAS the Violence Prevention Coordination Council of Durham (VPCC), which represents 35 local agencies including Luke’s Place, Herizon House, and the Durham Rape Crisis Centre, has seen a significant increase in demand for assistance from local IPV support providers, with IPV victim support up 32% over four years and sexual violence victim support up 277% over four years;
AND WHEREAS the City of Ottawa, Renfrew County, and Lanark County have passed motions declaring an IPV epidemic, and acknowledging the 86 recommendations in the Renfrew County Inquest;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
1. The Ontario Government declare an IPV epidemic, as per recommendation #1 of the Renfrew County Inquest;
2. The Region of Durham declare an IPV epidemic and integrate IPV into the Region’s Community Safety and Well-Being Plan, as per recommendation #10 of the Renfrew County Inquest.
Joe Dickson Park
Moved by: Councillor Henry
Seconded by: Regional Councillor Lee
WHEREAS The Town of Ajax celebrates its history through street and public space naming practices, which identify and highlight legacies important to understanding the foundations of Ajax as a community;
AND WHEREAS Louis Joseph “Joe” Dickson was a committed public servant who began his political career as a Catholic school board trustee and was first elected to Ajax Council in 1983, serving as both a local and regional councillor until 2007;
AND WHEREAS Mr. Dickson went on to represent the riding of Ajax-Pickering in the Ontario legislature from 2007 until 2018;
AND WHEREAS Mr. Dickson was also a passionate businessperson and community advocate, sponsoring more than 1200 sports teams over 55 years; AND WHEREAS Mr. Dickson passed away on April 6, 2022 at the age of 82, resulting in an outpouring of condolences and stories of remembrance from residents and community stakeholders who knew and respected him;
AND WHEREAS in Summer 2023, an unnamed neighbourhood park within the Mulberry Meadows Subdivision (Sundial Developments) will open at the north-west corner of Ainley Road and Turnerbury Avenue and has been designed as a significant recreation focal point for the local community and will include a junior/senior playground, gazebo, fenced leash-free area, basketball court, fitness equipment, paved walkways, pedestrian seating, and other public amenities;
AND WHEREAS Council deems it appropriate to commemorate Mr. Dickson’s dedication and legacy of public service to the Town of Ajax.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
1. Staff be directed to name the park at Ainley Road and Turnerbury Avenue the “Joe Dickson Park”; and
2. A copy of this motion be shared with the Dickson family.
