Council looks at potential of transit-oriented Caledon Station

By Rob Paul

As the Town of Caledon continues to grow and develop, the increasing demand for diverse development options are becoming evident.

With plans to expand and develop in Caledon as part of the Future Caledon Official Plan, Council met with Glen Schnarr, President of Glenn Schnarr and Associates, Aaron Wisson of Argo Development Corporation, and LRK Principal Planner Jim Constantine regarding the Macville Lands at Caledon Station. 

The process began in 2012 and has since led to the approval of the Macville Lands to build a community centred around a new GO Station—which was announced earlier in 2021.

“As a consultant I've worked in the Town of Caledon on many interesting projects over the 35 years we've been in business and none has been more exciting than this one,” said Schnarr. “We're here because of the time and effort invested with Council and the community to bring housing, infrastructure, employment, and transit to the Town of Caledon through the Macville Lands at Caledon Station.”

Caledon Station would total approximately 450 acres of land and would be located north of King Street, east of the Gore Road, and west of the CPR rail tracks—it would be surrounded by Whitebelt lands to the north and west and employment lands to the southeast. The priority with developing Caledon Station is to make it the most transit accessible area in the Town. 

“The future Caledon GO Station will be located within the community of Caledon Station along the CPR tracks, just east of Humber Road—a very unique opportunity,” Schnarr said. “This is an incredible opportunity to establish Caledon's first transit-oriented community as a result of its close proximity to the planned Caledon GO Station.

“Caledon Station will provide a broad mix of residential buildings and housing options that will integrate with public transit and the future transit hub. It will provide a connected and well-designed pedestrian and cycling network and it will also connect to Bolton's downtown and to Caledon's nearby trails and conservation areas. The complete community represents really the only opportunity for Caledon to leverage and expedite the delivery of the planned GO Station. We're thrilled to be advancing the plans for Caledon Station to finally recognize Caledon Council's vision and to meet growth plan conformity targets set by the province and as directed by the Region.”

Caledon Station won't only be the hub for transit in the area, but it will have additional focuses on providing outdoor green space, local business opportunities, and residences that are specific to the needs of Caledon's community.

“Caledon Station is a new community defined by nature and designed for neighbourhood,” said Constantine. “It's a master plan with a mix of uses, connecting residents with extensive parks, trails, and cycle friendly pathways. It's all anchored by a dynamic hub with shops, restaurants, and workplaces nestled around the new Caledon GO Station. It's a place with a station that will become a destination. Caledon Station will be distinctive in the Region, rooted in and respectful of the rich history of this incredible community of communities. We've listened to the land—which connects nine major trail systems and five conservation areas—and celebrated the landscape that surrounds and makes Caledon a great place.”

The key piece to the development of Caledon Station is the GO Station to allow for residents to easily travel and commute from the Town southwest to Toronto, which will potentially lead to more growth in the community and increase tourism.

“The Caledon GO Station will be the last stop on the Union to Kleinburg line,” Constantine said. “This is a complete multimodal transit hub—buses, bicycles, and autonomous vehicles will intersect. It will connect the Region's workforce attracting talent and helping recruit new businesses to Caledon, strengthening the Region's workforce and business space. It connects Caledon to the GTA, downtown Toronto, Pearson Airport, and the world.

“This transit hub is uniquely positioned to bring people to the great green backyard that makes Caledon's unique in the GTA. Hike and bike to the Badlands, cross-country ski, fish in the Humber, golf, head over and visit Cambium Farms. Taking the rails to the trails provides a new way to visit Caledon and access all that Mother Nature has to offer, but without the traffic and negative impacts experienced today. The station hub will act as a base camp for tourism, providing a place for services, refreshments, and accommodations for day trippers arriving by train, as well as local residents. The GO Station will be a link to the GTA that brings people to work here, live here, and start a business here. Transit will help achieve the critical mass necessary to support businesses and generate economic prosperity.”

Something that has been prioritized is taking away the need for vehicles and putting an emphasis on walking, biking, and hiking in Caledon Station, on top of providing travellers with the option to use the train.

“This is a pedestrian, bicycle, transit rider-centred community design with connections to two schools, a library, and parks throughout,” said Constantine. “As we emerge from the pandemic, there will be an increased demand by people for high walk score and high bike score communities that are walkable, clearly lit, and have clearly identified biking facilities. There are 13 parks and 28 acres of green space, ponds and trails that will be a hallmark of Caledon Station. There will be parks in proximity to every home and an active public realm that interconnects neighbourhoods.”

There will be a multimodal loop that connects each neighbourhood to the GO Station and will link five neighbourhood parks. There will be multiple parks within Caledon Station that will offer different options for residents—a multi facility community park, central park, west gateway park, and the five neighbourhood parks.

“The multi facility community park for active recreation and all ages will have all-season activities from pickle ball in the summer to ice skating in the winter,” Constantine said. “Central Park is located in the heart of the community, its connected along a green spine to the GO Station and will be a place for community gatherings and social activities. The more intimate green spaces (neighbourhood parks) provide places to meet neighbours and play areas for young children and are all a short stroll from home. West gateway acts as an arrival point coming in from the Gore Road and provides a special setting for community history by hosting a relocated and restored heritage building. This building can serve as a unique amenities space for local programming—community health and wellness workshops, fitness classes, life-long learning courses. We look forward to working with stakeholders to program amenities and infrastructure, including two schools and a library.”

As Canada continues to work towards net-zero emissions by 2050, the plans for Caledon Station have made keeping it green a focal point with a “smart city” implementation. 

“Reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions is one of the key elements of our future readiness strategies,” said Constantine. “The community will provide high-performance internet, free Wi-Fi hotspots, and charging stations for smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles. Our smart municipal infrastructure means this community runs better. We're committed to supporting the Region's environmental targets related to wildlife habitat, community diversity, and water management. The innovative transit hub will diminish car reliance.”

With Caledon's growing population needing more cost-effective housing options, the plan is for Caledon Station to offer diverse residential settings connected by walkable streets and surrounded by green space.

“Each of the four neighbourhoods will range from single family detached homes to townhomes for empty nesters seeking to downsize,” said Constantine. “These neighbourhoods surround the east-west spine called ‘the Avenue' and wrap to Central Park with mid-rise condominiums that invoke the character of a grand boulevard. ‘The Hub' (directly to the west of the GO Station) nestles buildings around the GO Station, some with shops and restaurants on the ground floor with entrepreneurial energy flowing from the adjacent innovative employment district (south of the GO Station). The plan places first-time homeowners and single professionals in this area close to transit, dining, entertainment, and jobs.”

There's still much more to come in hashing out the details of developing Caledon Station, including working with Peel for funding of water and sewer and staying connect with Metrolinx and the Province for extending the GO Station railway.

“They've indicated for many years their intention to do that (extend to Caledon),” said Schnarr. “The only variable is the timeframe for that extension. The Province of Ontario has endorsed the whole idea, so the way we look at is that it's not a question of whether, it's a question of when? With a properly planned development that is transit supported, the when should become sooner than later.”

Having received the proposal from the consultants, Caledon's Acting Chief Planning Officer Ed Sajecki said there are some tweaks he will look at with them to address more specific needs in the Town such as senior housing opportunities and looking into geothermal energy options.

The next steps in the process of working toward starting the development of Caledon Station will be with a community engagement program that will run from June through August, a Caledon Station residents' meeting on June 10, the submission of the draft plan of subdivision and zoning by-law amendment this summer, a Town of Caledon statutory public meeting in September, and more discussions with the Region of Peel and the Caledon Town Council.