Stop the Spin: Pickering Is Not the Fastest-Growing City - And Here’s Why That Matters

Stop the Spin: Pickering Is Not the Fastest-Growing City - And Here’s Why That Matters By Councillor Lisa Robinson Let’s cut through the false narrative shall we: If you’ve listened to Pickering’s Mayor lately, you’d think we’re on track to become the next Toronto. He’s been proudly declaring that Pickering is the fastest-growing municipality in Ontario, as if that’s something to celebrate without question. But here’s the truth: it’s not accurate - and more importantly, it’s not honest. According to the Region of Durham’s own Monitoring of Growth Trends report (May 2025), from 2020 to 2024, Pickering’s population increased by about 16,500 people. That might sound impressive on its own - until you look beyond the headlines. In the same period: · Oshawa grew by over 17,700 people - that’s more than us. · Whitby is close behind, adding 16,100 new residents. · Clarington also saw solid growth with over 8,500 people. So why is the Mayor still standing at podiums pounding his chest, claiming we’re leading the charge? The reality is simple: we’re not. We’re somewhere in the middle, maybe, and even that depends on how you count. And that’s where the real issue lies. A closer look at how these numbers are calculated shows a major flaw in the narrative. Much of what’s being called “growth” is actually just construction - not people. The Region includes housing completions in its estimates, regardless of whether the units are finished, occupied, or even livable. Some of these buildings are still under construction. Others are completely empty, used for short-term rentals, or have been bought up by speculators. Yet all of them are baked into the data as if they represent real families, neighbours, and taxpayers. That’s not real growth, it’s fiction dressed up as fact. It’s like counting every chair at a dinner table and calling it a party - even if nobody showed up. Let’s apply a little common sense. Just because a home has five bedrooms doesn’t mean there are five people living in it. It could be a vacant property, a staged model home, or a one-person household. The Region’s model doesn’t count people - it counts buildings. It doesn’t count toothbrushes in bathrooms, it counts blueprints. And let’s talk about what residents actually want, because no one seems to be asking them. The people of Pickering are tired of the condo craze. They don’t want 30-storey towers looming over our streets. They don’t want a mini-Mississauga popping up in their backyard. They moved here for space, for family living, for community, not for endless concrete and glass. Yet council continues to greenlight development after development without a serious plan to deal with the consequences. We don’t have the infrastructure to support this rush to urbanize. Our roads are clogged, our schools are full, our hospitals are strained, and our emergency services are under-resourced. We don’t have enough police, firefighters, or even paramedics to keep pace with the population we already have - never mind the tens of thousands more being promised in planning documents. What good is "growth" if it leaves people stuck in traffic, waiting hours in emergency rooms, or wondering whether first responders will arrive in time? It’s time we stopped confusing cranes and condos with community. Growth should be about people - real people - not inflated projections and real estate marketing. But that’s exactly what the Region relies on: projections, not population counts. They use birth rates, immigration figures, and building permits to guess how many people might be here. And when those assumptions are off, and they often are, the ripple effects go far beyond just the numbers. Because when you build policy, infrastructure, and taxes on top of flawed estimates, residents end up paying the price - quite literally. It means overbuilt subdivisions with empty units. It means roads and schools planned for families that never arrived. It means taxpayers funding services based on phantom growth. This isn’t just about correcting a political talking point — it’s about demanding honest leadership. The people of Pickering deserve more than spin. We deserve facts. We deserve transparency. And we deserve leaders who will speak plainly about what’s really happening, not just regurgitate developer-friendly soundbites. So the next time someone tells you that Pickering is the fastest-growing city in Ontario, ask them to prove it. Not with projections. Not with housing completions. With real numbers. With lived reality. Let’s build a city where families thrive, not just where developers profit. A city rooted in truth, transparency, and community. Because real growth isn’t just measured in buildings - it’s measured in people, purpose, and progress. And it’s time Pickering started telling that story. Councillor Lisa Robinson, The People’s Councillor Strength Does Not Lie In The Absence Of Fear, But In The Courage To Face It Head-On And Rise Above It - Councillor Lisa Robinson 2023