A multi-use and multi-generational hub built for all Pickering residents
Pickering is growing. Our population is forecast to increase by 45 percent by 2034, fueled in part by new development in central Pickering and intensification in Pickering’s City Centre.
This growth comes with opportunity – and responsibility. We must invest in new community amenities like arenas, libraries, parks, gyms, and pools.
The new Seaton Recreation Complex & Library will bring needed modern recreation, leisure, and library amenities to our community, for all residents to access. We recognize that our existing recreation and library facilities are in extremely high demand. Waiting lists are long, peak-hour crowds strain capacity, and many community members drive farther than they’d like just to access basic programs.
This new facility is the first of its kind in more than 40 years. It will complement the Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex, enhance our library branch network, and help relieve long-standing pressure on facilities city-wide.
It represents more than bricks and mortar – it is a bold investment in our city’s future and quality of life. It will include state-of-the-art amenities from outdoor basketball, skateboarding, and pickleball, to NHL-sized ice pads, pools, a fitness centre, gymnasium, full-service library, and more – creating a vibrant hub where every member of our community can gather, connect, and feel at home.
What Council approved and what’s next
On September 29, 2025, Council advanced the Seaton Recreation Complex & Library to detailed design. After the detailed design is complete, the project will be tendered for construction (Spring 2027) through a competitive bidding process. Staff will then present Council with the results of the tender process for its consideration. The total estimated project cost is $266.365 million, net HST (2026 dollars), including previously-awarded design, contingencies, and other related costs.
The tax impact – in real numbers
Here’s how this will affect the average homeowner:
(Please note that these numbers are estimates only, and subject to change)
The estimated total future increase to the City’s property tax levy is 11.71% when the project is built out and operating. That estimate combines 6.21% for construction-related debt over 20 years, and 4.95% for ongoing operations of the new facility.
Numbers at a glance:
- 2025 total property taxes on an average home assessed at $586,000: $7,549
- Of that total, the City of Pickering share is 30.30% or $2,285
- Applying the 11.71% increase to the City share equals about $267 per year.
- That is about $22 per month for the average home once the full levy and operating costs are in place, in addition to the regular property taxes for other critical City services.
Understanding your residential property taxes:
2025 Residential Taxes - $7,549.09 on a Property Assessed at $586,000
The residential property tax bill consists of three components as follows:
| Service Area |
Allocation |
| Region of Durham |
57.82% or $4,366.45 |
| City of Pickering |
30.30% or $2,285.91 |
| Boards of Education |
11.88% or $896.73 |
As shown above, for every dollar paid – the City only retains 30.30 cents.
How we will pay for it responsibly:
- Phase in and timing – As the design advances, staff will pursue grants, subsidies, and partnerships to reduce reliance on taxes. The numbers above are conservative estimates intended to ensure financial prudence.
- Operating model – The 4.95% tax increase for operating costs reflect staffing, utilities, maintenance, and lifecycle costs for a complex of this size. Right-sizing spaces and co-locating the library and indoor-outdoor amenities improves utilization and lowers duplicative costs over the long term.
- Design efficiency – By co-locating the library, pools, arenas, and program spaces, we reduce overhead, share mechanical systems, staffing, and parking, and achieve economies of scale.
- Hiring of dedicated Project Manager – This project manager will collaborate with City staff, architects and engineers to ensure that the project's design is feasible, practical, and aligns with the budget and schedule. Their goal is to prevent project issues that could lead to costly changes during construction, ensure a smooth transition from design to construction, and support the City during the project without permanently increasing staff levels.
Engagement, transparency, and what we heard
From the earliest visioning to today’s schematic design stage, we’ve made it a priority to share information widely – and listen deeply. Through the City’s website, Let’s Talk Pickering online engagement platform, public open houses, surveys, and targeted stakeholder sessions, we’ve shared concept designs, project updates, and draft plans. Residents have been invited to review, comment, and prioritize features across recreation, leisure, and library spaces. Every submission has been reviewed and considered in shaping the approved design. View a summary of what we heard on page 60 of the Report to Council.
The groundwork for this facility stretches back further. During development of the Recreation & Parks – Ten Year Plan (2024–2034), which now serves as Pickering’s guiding blueprint for facilities and services, residents told us what matters most: equitable access, flexible multi-use spaces, accessibility, and geographic balance. That feedback has meaningfully shaped the plan’s framework.
We see the urgency in the data. Many of our current programs are already oversubscribed. Between fall 2024 and summer 2025, the waitlist for aquatics alone included 3,081 participants. That isn’t just a number – it’s families who may not be able to access swim classes, children who can’t learn to swim, and seniors without warm-water therapy space.
Why this new recreation complex and library matters
- Capacity and equity – As our city grows north and intensifies in the core, a Seaton-area located complex provides geographic balance so all residents can continue to access arenas, aquatics, fitness, programs, and a modern library within a reasonable travel time. This also alleviates peak-time crowding in existing facilities.
- Health and safety – Indoor walking tracks, warm-water therapy pools, and multi-generational programming align with Pickering’s goals of an inclusive, welcoming, safe, and healthy community.
- Smart design for long-term value – Co-locating major amenities on one site reduces overhead, enables shared parking and staffing, and supports flexible programming that adapts to trends like pickleball and year-round learn-to-swim demand.
Quick reference
(Please note that these numbers are estimates only, and subject to change)
- Project cost: $266.365 million, net HST (2026 dollars).
- City estimated levy impact when in place: 11.71% of the City levy in total, made up of 6.21% debt and 4.95% operating.
- Average home example: About $268 per year or $22 per month on the 2025 average home, applied to the City portion of the bill.
- Largest multi-purpose recreation project in over 40 years – advancing to detailed design after public concept input.
- Read Report CAO #14-25 regarding the Seaton Recreation Complex & Library Project Update, Financial Analysis & Next Steps for details.
- By the end of this year, the City’s total debt load will be $53.1 million. Based on the current funding strategy, it is estimated that the City will have to borrow an additional $213.8 million.
Selected Facility Design Details
Council approved Report CAO #14-25 that moved the Seaton Recreation Complex & Library into the detailed design stage of the project.
The approved schematic design (view here) includes the following amenities:
Indoor amenities:
- 25-metre, eight lane rectangular pool, plus a separate warm water pool;
- triple gymnasium supporting basketball, pickleball, volleyball, badminton, and other sports;
- arena with two NHL-sized ice pads;
- an indoor/outdoor walking track;
- multi-purpose program rooms and children’s program areas;
- fitness centre with weight-training space and group fitness studios;
- full-service library;
- administrative and office spaces; and
- supporting spaces such as program viewing, reception area, lobby, mechanical and storage.
Outdoor amenities:
- four dedicated pickleball courts;
- two dedicated tennis courts;
- destination playground;
- splash pad;
- community-size skateboard park;
- one basketball court;
- community gardens;
- approximately 500 public parking spaces, including accessible spaces; and
- rough-in services for future provision of:
- extra basketball court;
- four extra dedicated pickleball courts;
- full-size illuminated soccer pitch; and
- outdoor washroom pavilion.
