About Regional Government

In 1973, the Province of Ontario passed the Regional Municipality of Durham Act to establish Durham as one of five Regional governments in the Greater Toronto Area. The Act annexed and amalgamated 21 former municipalities of the counties of Ontario, Northumberland and Durham to form eight area municipalities: Ajax, Brock, Clarington, Oshawa, Pickering, Scugog, Uxbridge and Whitby. Members of the first Regional Council were elected late in 1973 and the Regional Municipality of Durham began operating on January 1, 1974.

The regional system of municipal government consists of two tiers. The first tier is the regional level, which operates at a broader scale to provide planning, servicing and financing for the Region. The eight area municipalities constitute the second tier, and operate at a more local scale, handling services such as local planning, fire protection, tax collection and parks and recreation.

Durham Region lies just east of Toronto in the area of Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe. The southern part of Durham has experienced rapid growth of its residential, industrial and commercial sectors in the past decade. North Durham is predominately rural lands with a thriving agricultural sector and the environmentally important Oak Ridges Moraine. With access to ample greenspace, Lakes Ontario, Scugog and Simcoe, as well as urban amenities, Durham Region offers a high standard of living for both city and rural dwellers.

This unique mix of urban and rural lifestyles is supported by an excellent transportation network, public utilities and social infrastructure.

Regional Government

Located in Whitby, the representatives are the Mayors and Regional Councillors from the eight municipalities. The main Regional Government responsibilities are listed below.

Regional Responsibilities:

Borrowing of Money for Capital Expenditures of Upper and Lower Tier Municipalities
Child Care Centres
Delegated Authority for Local Municipal Official Plans and Amendments
Durham Region Official Plan and Implementation
Economic Development and Tourism
Emergency Management
Family Counselling
Industrial, Commercial, and Residential Development Approvals
Land Ambulance Services
Land Division Consent Applications
Long Term Care and Services For Seniors
Municipal Water Supply and Sanitary Sewerage Systems
Ontario Works Programs and Services
Police Services
Property Tax Policy
Provincial Offences Court, Prosecution Services, Administration and Collection Of Fines
Public Health Programs And Services
Regional Roads, Bridges and Traffic Signals
Regional Waste Disposal Sites And Household Hazardous Waste Depots
Social Housing
Solid Waste Management, Diversion, Recycling, Composting, Processing And Disposal, Promotion and Education of Waste Reduction
Blue Box Collection
Garbage, Food and Yard Waste Collection in Ajax, Brock, Clarington, Pickering, Scugog and Uxbridge
Strategic Land Use Planning
Transit and Specialized Transit Services
Water and Sewer Billing