Caledon’s Voice and Future

Written by ALLAN THOMPSON

The Provincial Government has begun public consultations for the review of Regional Governance. What this means is they are looking at how the lower tier municipalities such as the Town of Caledon and the upper tier, such as the Region of Peel, operate and whether there are ways we can govern more efficiently. This is your opportunity as residents, businesses and community stakeholders to share your thoughts on local and regional government.

 The issue of Regional Governance has been a little like ground hog day, it keeps coming up repeatedly. What's different this time is that the Province seems intent on making changes; a good example of this is the recent restructuring of the City of Toronto's ward boundaries.

 For me this is about the future of Caledon and our place and representation in Peel.  We currently have five members of Town Council who sit at the Regional Council table. Effective rural representation is sometimes misunderstood because it is different from representation by population. Land size, rural roads and infrastructure, headwaters and other significant environmental features all factor into what appropriate and effective representation for municipalities under 100,000 residents should be.

 Caledon's voice needs to be heard and our interests represented. We make up 56% of the land base in Peel, including prime agricultural, we have a unique mix of rural and urban and a rich cultural and natural heritage. I'm asking, urging, residents to get involved to help ensure we have a “made in Peel” solution.

 Here's how you can participate:

There are two ways to participate: online or by written submission.

To complete the online survey, visit ontario.ca/form/survey-regional-government-review.

To provide written comments, email regionalgovreview@ontario.ca or send them by mail to:

 Local Government Policy Branch

Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing

777 Bay Street, 13th Floor

Toronto ON M5G 2E5

 As your Mayor, I'm proud of our tradition of strong community and citizen engagement; on this issue it's more important than ever before.