King Township Council Meeting - October 14, 2025
- JA
- 14 minutes ago
- 6 min read
Quick Links
Mayor's Comments
• Sip & Savour on October 23rd from 6-9pm will be an evening of True North fun, food, and fundraising in support of the King Township Food Bank! Celebrate Canadian culinary traditions from coast to coast to coast, with bite-sized delights inspired by every region. Enjoy toe-tapping entertainment, warm company, and a festive atmosphere designed to make your spirits soar. For tickets and event details, visit ktfb.ca
• Residents should expect delays with the mail service due to the uncertainty with Canada Post. You can pay bills in person at the municipal office or pay online. Complete this form to register for ebilling and email it to serviceking@king.ca to receive bills via email.
• Sidewalkable Saturday returns for its fourth year, showcasing the incredible businesses and restaurants on historic Main Street, along with lots of family fun and activities! On October 18, visit the charming heart of Schomberg from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to explore the popular tourist destination for residents and visitors alike.
• King Township is partnering with the King Environmental Action Team (KEAT) to deliver Powering King, a first-ever Community Energy Expo focusing on energy conservation and retrofit solutions for both residents and businesses. The free, family-friendly event will take place on Saturday, Oct. 25 at Zancor Centre. Drop in any time between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Pre-registration is not required.
• The Night at the Creepy Creek on October 25th from 5-8pm. Featuring a Halloween crafts, a haunted hike, mystic fortune teller, candy and more! The event takes place at the Cold Creek Conservation Area. Order tickets here.
• Haunting on King Road: A haunted night at the King Heritage and Cultural Centre featuring spooky stories, performers, treats and more on Fri., Oct. 27 from 5 to 8:30 pm. Order tickets here.
Water & Wastewater
King’s objective is to always maintain and operate the water distribution systems to deliver safe drinking water to protect public health and the collection of wastewater to protect the environment. Water is an expensive service that must meet a lot of regulations to maintain it and King must be fiscally responsible and collect rates that support the full cost recovery including the operations, capital assets, and future assets.
King’s water rates consist of two components:
1) Variable Water/Sewer Use – is calculated on bi-monthly tiered system water consumption in cubic meters.
2) Fixed Water/Sewer Maintenance – based on the size of the pipe going to the property
72% of the Water and Wastewater rates go to York Region who buys the water from Toronto or Peel. King keeps 28% to support operations.
York Region increased their rate by 3.3% from 2025 to 2026 but King has been able to keep its increase to 2.99% by estimating the number of new homes in King City that will start paying for the service.
King’s increase is on the low end compared to the other municipalities in York Region.
Laskay Successionist Presbyterian Cemetery
Council approved the transfer of ownership of this abandoned cemetery to King.
Following an incident in 2022 that resulted in damage to the Laskay Secessionist Presbyterian Cemetery (refer to Report Number: GMS-PL-2024-20), the Township undertook a comprehensive review and restoration initiative. This included the completion of Stage 1, 2, and 3 archaeological investigations to confirm the extent of the cemetery and its burials, with approvals from the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism and the Bereavement Authority of Ontario. Following these investigations, a legal land survey was completed to confirm the property boundaries, and a patio encroachment was removed. In addition, the lands were assigned a property address, a damaged tree was removed, and a fence was erected on the eastern boundary to physically delineate the boundary and protect and preserve the lands from any future encroachments.
The Township then retained the services of Memorial Restorations Inc. to complete comprehensive restoration and maintenance works at the cemetery in May 2025 to the monuments. These restoration efforts not only addressed the specific damages resulting from the 2022 incident but also included broader restoration and maintenance needs, returning the cemetery back to a state of pride and respect.
The recent focus and lessons learned from the Laskay Successionist Presbyterian Cemetery has prompted the Township to begin reviewing the status of all pioneer cemeteries (about 14 in King) with a team consisting of the Township Clerk, Manager of Parks, and Township Heritage Planning staff. Future restoration works, boundary determinations, enhanced protections, and ownership clarifications are planned to ensure proper legal land registration and long-term care for these important heritage sites across the Township.
The Township will incur legal and administrative costs associated with the court application and title transfer, which are expected to be approximately $15,000. These costs will be accommodated within existing budgets, drawing from a combination of allocations within the Clerks and Legal Divisions. A portion of the cost of the restoration was covered by a settlement agreement reached with a neighbouring property.
New Business
Schomberg Scarecrows - Registration is now open for the 2025 Scarecrow Contest. Three categories: Residential, Business, and Not-for-Profit Organizations. Be sure to have your scarecrow completed and registered by Monday, October 20th, so our judges can cast their votes. Winners will be announced on Wednesday, October 29th.
Halloween on Main St! Main Street is getting ready for Halloween and wants you and your scary friends to come on down. There will be treats and spooky decorations and maybe a ghost or two. Watch for the BOO STOP signs! Click here for more.
Seniors Windrow Program - The program helps seniors aged 65+ and individuals with disabilities who live alone, clear snow from the end of their driveway. Applications can be submitted in person, by mail or by completing the online form. Late applications will not be accepted.
LSRCA Conservation Awards - Every day, caring and selfless people engage in positive environmental actions that contribute to a more sustainable and healthier watershed. They do it for no other reason than the fact that they care about the world they live in. They are heroes in the true sense of the word.
The LSRCA Awards take the opportunity to recognize their efforts and celebrate their successes. Their actions help clean up Lake Simcoe, restore the banks of our rivers and streams, improve the health of our soil, conserve our precious water resources and contribute to healthier communities.
This year two King residents were presented with The Healthy Land Award. This award celebrates improvement projects that help to support and protect natural heritage features including woodlands, wetlands and their functions; wildlife habitat; biodiversity and ecological restoration; soil erosion; and trail development.
Doug Pegg
For more than four decades, Doug has nurtured his 15-acre property into a thriving haven for nature and future generations. When he purchased the land in 1979, it included a hardwood woodlot, two fish-bearing streams, and remnants of a heavily grazed farm. What began as a modest severance has grown into a lifelong commitment to restoration, conservation, and family stewardship.
In 1981, with the support of the Conservation Authority, the first 3200 trees were machine planted. From there, Doug and his family took the lead, hand-planting thousands of seedlings, tending to young trees with watering, mowing and relocation, and carefully expanding plantings to more than 9,000 native trees and shrubs, across 32 different species. His dedication has transformed the open fields into a diverse and resilient landscape.
Most recently, Doug reinforced the riparian buffer with live stakes and potted plants, helping to stabilize banks, filter runoff, improve water quality, and provide habitat for fish and other aquatic species.
Today the property is more than restored land, it’s a living legacy. Shade trees, thriving wetlands, and cool, clean streams now sustain wildlife, protect water, and offer peace and recreation.
Peter & Betty Homenuck
For more than 40 years, Peter and Betty have shown remarkable dedication to land stewardship on their 25-acre property, planting close to 10 thousand trees by hand. With additional support from the Conservation Authority, 2 thousand seedlings were planted in 2000, 850 in 2007, and thirty-three hundred in the spring of 2025. Bringing the total number of seedlings planted on their property to nearly 20,000!
By planting a mix of white pine, spruce, tamarack and cedar, the Homenucks are restoring healthy ecosystems that provide vital habitat, support biodiversity, and build resilience against climate change. These trees will sequester carbon, buffer extreme weather impacts, stabilize soils, prevent erosion, and filter runoff for years. And they’re helping to restore ecological balance while also supporting a wide range of wildlife.
Another fun fact: this is the second Conservation Award that the Homenuck’s have received for the work they’ve done on their property. The first award they received was in the year 2000.