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7 durhamregion.com This Week | Thursday, April 7, 2022 2 Family Owned Locations To Serve You Covid restrictions prevented many families from holding a funeralor celebration of life for their loved one. Now that restrictionshave been lifted, we would like to give you that opportunity, evenif we have never served your family before. We have large, spacious facilities all on one level and also offercateringContact us for more information $950(+ Tax) Celebration of LifeIncludes: Staff, Use of Facilities (3 hours), Streaming Services. Were You Unable To Hold A FuneralBecause Of Covid Restrictions?We Can Help Newcastle Funeral Home386 Mill St S, Newcastle 905-987-3964 (24 Hours) Morris Funeral Chapel4 Division St, Bowmanville 905-623-5480 (24 Hours) Family Owned And Operated Since 1953Family Owned And Operated Since 1953 733 KINGSTON RD. E. AJAX MON-WED/SAT: 9AM-6pM, THURS/FRI: 9AM-7pM SUN AND HOlIDAyS: 10AM-5pM @macmillanorchards1953 GONE SOON!!! Get Your Fill While You Can IF YOU KNOW... YOU KNOW! ment on these options until April 14. Bridgeman said in May, staff will make a recommendation to council, and once council chooses a scenario, Phase 2 of the growth management study will commence, which is "how does that quantum of land get deployed across the region?" The group is asking Durham councillors to choose Community Land Need Scenario 5: No urban boundary expansion. The Town of Ajax declared its support for the same scenario on March 28 and is encouraging the public to #BoostScenario- Five. Stop Sprawl Durham is asking for no new land for employment needs and a minimum of 80 people and jobs per hectare in designated growth areas. "It's a fine line between being anti-sprawl and being anti-development," said Marc Gibbons, a Port Perry resident who has run for council in the past. "I think that's a clear distinction that needs to be made." The group is asking for "gentle density." The group's asks to the region include designing safe walkable and bikeable communities and building affordable housing where a car-free lifestyle is possible. Gibbons believes there's a misconception that new subdivisions and sprawl will bring an influx of cash. He asks, rather than simply building subdivisions filled with single- family dwellings, why not have a mix of all forms of housing? "We shouldn't be expanding unnecessarily," said Whitby resident Despina Melohe. "I believe we need to intensify and increase the density. Rather than building out, we should be building up." She's concerned for her children's future. "Will they find employment? Will they have enough water or fresh food? Will they be dealing with an unstable climate? Social unrest?" she said. She feels communities need to be as self-sufficient as possible. "What if supply chains break down?" she said. "We need to look at those things." She said the Class 1 soil in Ontario is mainly around the GTA and "we need to protect it just for our survival." "I do understand we need homes," said Oshawa resident Tammy Melville. "We need an area for people. I just thing they're taking every spare piece of land out there." She found people became reacquainted with nature during lockdown and the benefits were clear. "We need these greens spaces not only for mental stability," she said. "We need trees for oxygen." Her husband, Tod Melville, believes residents should learn about Envision Durham because "it affects all of us ultimately." "When they start investing a little bit of time in it, they'll realize how important it is," he said. Visit durham.ca/envisiondurham to learn more and find a link to the survey. STORY BEHIND THE STORY: When a new group was formed to keep an eye on Durham's municipal comprehensive review, DurhamRegion.com chatted with some members. NEWS 'IT'S A FINE LINE BETWEEN BEING ANTI-SPRAWL AND BEING ANTI-DEVELOPMENT' Continued from front Marc Gibbons is a local resident who's concerned about sprawl in Durham. The province has given the region population and jobs targets it has to meet by 2051. The region is currently planning how to meet those numbers. Susie Kockerscheidt/Metroland SCAN THE CODE to read more Durham news online.