The Regional Municipality of Durham

The Regional Municipality of Durham, commonly known as Durham Region, is an upper-tier government located immediately east of Toronto within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). It governs eight lower-tier municipalities—including Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax, and Pickering—and is responsible for delivering essential shared services such as water and wastewater treatment, waste management, regional roads, and policing via the Durham Regional Police Service. Characterized by a unique blend of bustling urban centers, historic lakeside towns, and extensive rural agricultural lands, the Region plays a critical role in managing sustainable growth, social services, and economic development for its diverse and rapidly expanding population.