A Final Word

by ALLAN THOMPSON

I'm a firm believer in service to the community and in 2003, after a lifetime of Caledon community volunteer service, I decided to put my name on the ballot for Municipal council.

But in doing so, it came with a couple of promises to my family—including the promise to make a difference in our community.

As my almost two-decades of public service and my second term as Mayor comes to an end there are many projects and initiatives our collective Councils have achieved over that time for which I am truly grateful, among them:

 The establishment of the Caledon Council Community Golf Tournament (CCCGT) which has raised almost $1.5 million for our community since its inception in 2004;

The successful hosting of the Equestrian events for the 2015 Pan Am Games;

New or improved community centres in SouthFields and Caledon East;

Paved shoulders along our roadways for improved safety and active transportation;

Regular improvements for our beloved Caledon Trailway;

Improved concierge-style service at the Town Hall with Service Caledon;

Televised Council meetings; 

Critical support for our volunteer firefighters; and

The unprecedented commitment for improved broadband connectivity

 Specifically during my two terms as Mayor there were three key priorities that I worked as hard as I could to achieve for our Town:

Connecting Caledon to high speed Internet;

Planning Caledon for Caledon with a made-in-Caledon Growth Plan that is preparing and protecting our Town for the growth that is to come; and

Renewing our relationship with our Indigenous partners

 Despite the global pandemic, as my final term comes to an end:

We are one signature away from the funding agreement that will complete the Connecting Caledon Plan for broadband connectivity;

This past Friday, the Provincial Government approved most of the mapping changes Caledon asked for on the Region Official Plan and that means we can move forward with our Made in Caledon Plan; and

After years of building a trusting relationship and the presentation of a wampum belt in 2018, Chief Stacey Laforme of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nations and I signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding on October 28, 2022

As I prepare to hand the torch to the new Mayor and Council I can say with all sincerity that I know we have done a good job in preparing Caledon for a bright future.

On November 15, as I retire from public office and on to what will come next, I am incredibly proud of everyone on our Caledon team—Councils, staff, our business community and volunteers—everyone who has worked with me to realize these priorities.

Thanks for the memories.