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Caledon Council wants to protect local lands with eye on future GO Transit investment

September 24, 2020   ·   0 Comments

Written By ALYSSA PARKHILL

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

Staff at the Town of Caledon brought forward a report on Tuesday (Sept. 22) to request that lands designated in Mayfield West and Bolton be protected in the future, and set as “high priority” as potential future locations for GO transit stations. 

Two areas in Caledon known as the Bolton Go Lands and the Mayfield West Transit Hub are two designated locations for future transit, such as GO stations. Staff is asking that an interim control bylaw be sent to the Region of Peel, securing the two locations for future transit growth. 

The Region of Peel has currently identified these locations as low priority. Town staff is determined to make sure that an opportunity to develop future transit in the future will be there. 

Some Caledon councillors, including Ward 3 and 4 Regional Coun. Jennifer Innis, expressed their passion for this implementation and how important it is for the protection to be there.

“This is the last opportunity. This is the last location for GO trains. So, I don’t know how any member of Council couldn’t support protecting these lands, and making sure the region knows that this is a priority, because if we lose this opportunity, whether it’s in 10 years, 15 years, 20 years or even 50 years, however long it takes us to get those GO trains, we won’t ever get one,” Coun. Innis said. “If the lands are gone, they’re gone.”

If these lands are protected, it will, eventually, help the Town in a number of ways, including improving transportation, providing better access to employment areas, assist the municipality in reaching provincially-mandated density and population targets, reduce emissions, reduce traffic and bolster its environmental sustainability. 

The report is aimed towards the Region of Peel Settlement Area Boundary Expansion and Peel 2041+, which identify locations to accommodate employment and community growth until the year 2041. That particular initiative commenced in 2013.

Coun. Innis made a notice of motion to allow Council to debate, converse and have time to think about the importance behind the report, and allow the public to give their viewpoints on the topic.

“The last stop of the GO train is in my wards, and I as a councillor for the area, wouldn’t be able to live with myself if we lost the opportunity to have the GO train go through Caledon,” she remarked.

Mayor Allan Thompson shared similar sentiments of the timely matter of getting these lands put on high priority. 

“We had a couple opportunities before in Bolton, and we’ve missed both. This is our last stop to get this to be effective for all of us. Three strikes and we’re out,” he stated. “We have to step up and I can assure you that if this was Brampton or Mississauga, we wouldn’t be having this same discussion to take this to the region to make sure that we’re trying to protect our two growth areas that definitely could have access to transit. Our Bolton residents deserve to have rail transit along with the rest of Caledon, and I think this is our only chance that we can get this.”

Council all agreed, apart from Ward 5 Regional Coun. Annette Groves, to bring this conversation to next week’s Council meeting to allow further discussions and to hear the public’s perspective on the matter. 

For more information, please visit Caledon.ca. 

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