Caledon can evolve into a City

November 22, 2018 · 0 Comments

EDITORIAL

“If there is one thing the history of evolution has taught us it’s that life will not be contained. Life breaks free, it expands to new territories and crashes through barriers, painfully, maybe even dangerously, but, uh… well, there it is.” – Dr. Ian Malcom, Jurassic Park 1993.

You can now add UPS to the list of major companies such as Amazon, Canada Tire, Agrocrop Exports and Mars Canada who have announced their intent to develop in Caledon.

A town of about 70,000 – per recent census numbers, Caledon is going to continue to grow. At this rate, it’s inevitable. Perhaps it’s time the Caledon re brands itself as the City of Caledon removing the Town moniker.

More families and individuals will want to move here with all this development happening around and job vacancies at every corner.

Most of it was happening in Bolton. Just look around Highway 50 and you’ll see big cooperation already established in that location. Now with Amazon in the mix and a possible asphalt plant (whether you’re for or against it, I’ll leave that up to you) that centre is going to have more people in the area.

Growth wasn’t only happening in Ward 5. Drive by Caledon East in Ward 3 and you’ll see new houses freshly built and plans for more. There was a recent residents meeting for the proposal of new townhouses and a plaza. In no time that area will have an influx of new homebuyers and renters.

Expansion is also happening in Ward 2. Just take a look at Southfields. That area continues to boom with new houses, plazas and schools being built. Families from Brampton are making their way up here, while staying close to their families.

The news of the UPS facility will only bring more people there as it sits by Acklands Grainger’s building.

Caledon certainty has enough lands for new houses, stores and schools to be built. It’s about time it catches up with the rest of the Greater Toronto Area. Take a look at Mississauga, Vaughan, Oshawa and Burlington. These cities nested in the Golden Horseshoe continue to house thousands of residents who want to eat, drink and work in Southern Ontario. They want to build their homes and spend their lives in these cities.

The nifty thing about Caledon is that it’s situated a corner of the GTA and doesn’t have the feel of a large urban centre. It still has that town community vibe while remaining close to the big city lights.

I grew up in the suburbs of Durham Region. I had a great childhood knowing that I was close to Toronto yet remaining a little far off in the distance.

I feel the same way here in Caledon. Now on the West Side, I still have that feeling that I reside in a small community setting while remaining close to other metropolises.

Now I know not everybody wants new houses or plazas being built. They want their prestigious agricultural lands to flourish while ensuring its conservation areas and provincial parks remain. I believe it is possible to find that balance where historic sites and natural. Why hid all these natural wonders, such as Bruce Trail and the Cheltenham Badlands to ourselves? We should be celebrating our ponderous sites to as many people as we can, showing it off to the world instead of keeping them held in a small pocket of the GTA for ourselves only.

Many people who come live, work and play here would be able to enjoy these sites and the dozens of other sites and recreational facilities we have while contributing to the community.

Now, I’m not going to sit here saying development will only produce great outcomes. To say so would be naïve and rather ignorant.

I understand more truck traffic will occur and more accidents may happen with the congestion of vehicles on the road. I like to see all perspectives in any issue and welcome any calls – you email me at any time with your concerns.

What I’m saying is that the more people we have, the more taxpayer dollars the Town will have, the more they can offer and provide to the community. I still find it strange that there is no public transit system in the town. I also find it stranger that Peel Region Police only cover Brampton and Mississauga while Orangeville has their own police system and their smaller, both in area density and population than Caledon.

More people will want to move here, live here and spend their days here. Whether or not you like it, growth will continue and it can’t be stopped.