City of Pickering

What City of Pickering does

The City of Pickering is a municipal government entity — The Corporation of the City of Pickering — established under Ontario provincial legislation and headquartered at One The Esplanade, Pickering, Ontario, Canada. The municipality serves residents, local businesses, and visitors within Durham Region's eastern Greater Toronto Area (GTA) corridor, delivering a comprehensive suite of civic services across four functional areas: Property, Roads & Safety (fire services, animal services, transit, utilities, property taxes, housing support, parking, garbage and recycling, zoning); Parks, Recreation & Culture (arenas, pools, library, parks and trails, festivals, waterfront, recreation programs); Business, Building & Development (building permits, business licences, planning and development, economic development); and Council & City Administration (budgets, accessibility, accountability, elections). The City maintains an elected Mayor and Council governance structure and operates within a shared-services framework with the Region of Durham for police, transit, waste management, and social services.

The City operates a digital services platform comprising an Online Service Portal (under development) for resident service requests and status tracking, the Let's Talk Pickering community engagement platform for public consultation, and a Maps and Open Data geographic information system offering. Smart City Technology initiatives include connected device networks for real-time data collection on crime reduction, pollution monitoring, traffic congestion, and disaster preparedness. Physical infrastructure comprises City Hall, multiple recreation complexes (Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex, East Shore Community Centre, Dunbarton Indoor Pool, Dr. Nelson F. Tomlinson Community Centre, George Ashe Library and Community Centre), the recently opened Dorsay Community & Heritage Centre, and the forthcoming $266.365M Seaton Recreation Complex & Library. The City also holds minority stakes in Elexicon Corporation / Elexicon Energy, an electricity distribution utility, which it is exploring divesting via a confidential RFP process joint with the Town of Ajax.

Revenue is generated through a diversified municipal model: a City portion of residential and commercial property taxes (30.30% of total tax bill, with the 2025 residential rate at 0.01288240 and the City portion up 3.75% in 2025), transaction-based user fees and service charges (e.g., $5.00 FOI application fees, building permits, business licences, recreation drop-in fees such as $4.36 per pickleball session), non-tax gaming revenue from the Ontario Lottery Gaming Corporation under a Municipal Contribution Agreement ($42.4M cumulative since casino opening in July 2021, revenue-shared with Region of Durham), and ancillary funding streams including the Enbridge Gas Municipal Climate Action Incentive ($10,000 in both 2023 and 2024 for community-facility energy projects). Existing debt stands at $53.1M, with $213.8M in additional borrowing planned for Seaton, and the City's overall revenue base is expected to expand materially as the Seaton Community development adds 70,000 new residents and 35,000 new jobs over the coming decade, driving a 45% population increase by 2034.

Name

City of Pickering

Legal name

The Corporation of the City of Pickering

Website

https://pickering.ca

Company type

Public

Founded year

1811

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The City of Pickering is a municipal government in Durham Region, Ontario, delivering essential civic services — including property taxation, fire protection, transit, recreation, planning and development — to residents, businesses, and visitors through City Hall, recreation facilities, transit, and digital service platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Commuter Rail Systems (485112), Support Activities for Rail Transportation (48821)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Municipal Tax & Revenue Administration (Local) (BPAIACAD), Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Property tax administration
• Recreation programs
• Public transit services
• Community engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

Pickering

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Taxes: Primary revenue source for municipal services. The City portion of residential property tax bill represents 30.30% of total property tax. City portion increased by 3.75% in 2025, translating to 1.14% on total tax bill.
2. Casino Gaming Revenue: Non-tax gaming revenue payments from Ontario Lottery Gaming Corporation (OLG). Since opening in July 2021, OLG has issued $42,429,023 to the City of Pickering for hosting the facility. Revenue is shared with Region of Durham.
3. User Fees and Service Charges: Fees for various municipal services including FOI requests ($5.00 application fee), building permits, business licences, recreation programs, and other municipal services under User Fee By-law
4. Climate Action Incentive Funding: Municipal Climate Action Incentive funding from Enbridge Gas - $10,000 received in both 2023 and 2024 for energy-related projects in community facilities

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The City of Pickering is a municipal government entity that delivers essential public services to residents and businesses within its jurisdiction in Durham Region, Ontario. Core offerings include property tax administration, fire and emergency services, transit, recreation facilities and programs, parks and trails, libraries, waste management, by-law enforcement, building permits and development approvals, and community engagement programs. Services are funded primarily through property taxes, supplemented by user fees, casino gaming revenue, and grants.

Product overview

The City of Pickering operates a digital platform offering citizens access to municipal services through multiple channels. The primary offerings include an Online Service Portal under development for citizen service requests, the Let's Talk Pickering engagement platform for community consultation, and Maps and Open Data services. Core civic services span Property/Roads/Safety (animal services, fire services, transit, utilities, parking, property taxes), Parks/Recreation/Culture (recreation programs, arenas, pools, library, festivals, waterfront), Business/Development (building permits, business licences, economic development), and Council Administration (elections, budgets, accessibility). Major infrastructure projects include the Seaton Recreation Complex & Library. The City also maintains a Public Art Program with various cultural installations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Service Portal
• Maps and Open Data
• Let's Talk Pickering
• Property, Roads & Safety Services
• Parks, Recreation & Culture Services
• Business, Building & Development Services
• Council & City Administration Services
• Public Art Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Average total residential property tax increase for 2025 is approximately 5.26% for Pickering homeowners
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and major.

• Enbridge GasminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Municipal Climate Action Incentive Offer (MCAI) program partnership. City received $10,000 in both 2023 and 2024 funding. Data received is aggregated at postal code level, not household-specific. Funding supports energy-related design work, education, and outreach programs in community facilities.
• Ontario Lottery Gaming Corporation (OLG)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2021OLG operates the Pickering Casino under a Municipal Contribution Agreement. Since opening in July 2021, OLG has issued non-tax gaming revenue payments totaling $42,429,023 to the City of Pickering for hosting the facility. This revenue helps offset residential tax load and funds capital projects.
• Region of DurhammajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPickering shares a portion of casino gaming revenue with the Region of Durham as part of the Municipal Contribution Agreement with OLG. The Region also provides shared services including police, transit, waste management, and social services.
• Elexicon CorporationmajorOthersCity of Pickering owns holdings in Elexicon Corporation (through Elexicon Energy subsidiary). The City announced a confidential RFP in 2024 to explore potential sale of its municipal holdings. Elexicon delivers electricity to Pickering and other municipalities. Final decision would be made by municipal councils.
• Southbridge Health Care LPminorOthersPrivate operator undertaking Orchard Villa Long-Term Care redevelopment. City involvement is limited to regulatory oversight - reviewing building permits, conducting inspections, ensuring compliance with Ontario Building Code. Not a City-led initiative.
• Town of AjaxmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint holders of Elexicon Corporation shares. Both municipalities retained Borden Ladner Gervais LLP to undertake confidential RFP to explore potential sale of their jointly-owned holdings in Elexicon Corporation.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Town of Ajax: Neighbouring Durham Region municipality jointly holding Elexicon Corporation shares with Pickering, providing directly comparable municipal services, transit links, and shared regional governance arrangements.
• City of Whitby: Adjacent Durham Region municipality offering a directly comparable bundle of property-tax-funded services, recreation facilities, transit, and economic development, competing with Pickering for residential and commercial growth.
• City of Oshawa: Largest municipality in Durham Region, operating the same municipal service stack (transit, recreation, permits, property tax administration) and competing for the same residential and industrial tax base as Pickering.
• Town of Clarington: Durham Region municipality with overlapping recreation, transit, and property-tax-funded services, sharing the Region's planning and infrastructure framework with Pickering.

Broad incumbents

• City of Markham: York Region municipality of similar scale serving a fast-growing community with full municipal services, comparable digital-portal initiatives, and a broadly similar tax-base profile, making it a natural benchmark.
• City of Mississauga: Larger Ontario municipality operating an equivalent suite of property, roads, safety, recreation, and digital services at significantly greater scale, used as a reference point for service sophistication and operating benchmarks.
• City of Brampton: Large, fast-growing Ontario municipality pursuing comparable digital modernization, transit expansion, and recreation infrastructure programs funded through property tax and development charges.
• City of Vaughan: York Region municipality with comparable population scale and growth trajectory, offering the same combination of municipal services, recreation complexes, and active digital service-portal development.
• Regional Municipality of Durham: Upper-tier regional government that shares casino revenue, transit, police, waste management, and social services with Pickering; the governing entity above Pickering's local municipal layer and a primary counterpart for shared-service decisions.

Others

• Granicus: Vendor of digital service-portal, citizen-engagement, and council-meeting-streaming platforms used by hundreds of North American municipalities - functionally analogous to Pickering's in-development Online Service Portal and Let's Talk Pickering engagement stack.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CityofPickering
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CityPickering
• Facebookfacebook.com/CityofPickering
• Instagraminstagram.com/cityofpickering
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/city-of-pickering

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about City of Pickering