| durhamregion.com | This Week | Thursday, December 1, 2022 | 16 Adorn your Home with Quality Windows and Doors 119 Consumers Drive, Whitby AdornHome.ca Made in Our Whitby Factory! • Window • Doors • Custom Glass Call us Today! 905-665-9565 Candlelight Services 7:00 pm, Tuesday, December 6th In our Chapel alongwithmusic of the season Food Drive Until December 20th Drop off non-perishable goods at our location. Call905-665-0600 for event details and toRSVP for the event. As part of our continuing service, Mount Lawn hosts a number of feature events each year. Join us this holiday season as we help strengthen the bonds between family members and keep your loved one's memories close forever. Special Events Mount Lawn Funeral Home&Cemetery byArborMemorial 21 Garrard Road, Whitby, ON • mountlawn.ca Durham's regional government could see significant changes in the coming years after the provincial government introduced a new bill in the legislature Wednesday, Nov. 16. As part of Premier Doug Ford government's drive to build 1.5 million homes in the next 10 years, the province has brought in the Better Municipal Governance Act, 2022, which will see provincially appointed facilitators tasked with assessing how best to extend the strong mayor tools in Durham, Halton, Niagara, Peel and York regions. Currently, strong mayors' powers only apply to the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa, but the premier has said he intends to extend the legislation to include other large municipalities in Ontario over the next year. It's not clear whether Durham municipalities will be included. Strong mayors can override a majority vote of council on issues of provincial priority and council can only prevail over a mayor's veto with a two-thirds majority vote. The province said the facilitators will work with local governments to "assess the best mix of roles and responsibilities between upper and lower-tier municipalities and ensure they are equipped to deliver on the government's commitment to tackle the housing supply crisis." Facilitators, the province said, will "consider how best to extend strong mayor powers to existing two-tier municipalities that are shovel-ready and committed to growth and cutting red tape." "These bold actions are necessary if our government is to keep its commitment to Ontarians and remove the obstacles standing in the way of much-needed housing," said Steve Clark, minister of municipal affairs and housing. The Ford government has passed or introduced several measures in the past few months, including the More Homes Built Faster Act, the Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act and previous housing supply action plans. REGIONAL GOVERNMENT COULD SEE BIG CHANGES TIM KELLY tkelly@durhamregion.com COUNCIL