“Stay the course”: Mayor offers advice to candidates, reflects on two terms of leadership

September 15, 2022 · 0 Comments

By Zachary Roman

Allan Thompson never wanted to just be a bum in a seat.

Thompson will soon be finishing his second term as Caledon’s Mayor, ending a 19-year run as a member of Caledon’s municipal government. Before becoming Mayor, Thompson served as an Area Councillor, then as a Regional Councillor

“I’ve always wanted to make sure I make a difference,” said Thompson. “If I can have any advice to Council moving forward, it’s stay the course. [Town staff] have a really good plan in place that’s supported by Council, and I’m really hoping the new Council sticks to it. It’s like herding cattle or sheep, you can keep them all together, but as soon as they start to break apart, you’ve lost it.”

The Province has mandated significant growth for Caledon, the specific target being a population of 300,000 by 2051. Thompson said Caledon is going to be able to deliver on what the Province is asking because of Caledon’s strong new Official Plan.

Formal adoption of the plan has been delayed until the next Mayor and Council are in office, so they’ll have a chance to look at it. The delay has also allowed the Town to advocate to the Province about having more of a say in its own land planning.

Thompson has recently been compiling a list of farmers under the age of 45 in Caledon. He wants the Town to keep working with the farm community going forward, and said he remembers he was one of the youngest farmers around when he was that age.

Thompson said the next generation of farmers see the value of farming in Caledon, and are also exploring value-added experiences that tourists and residents alike can enjoy on farmland, such as apple picking, small craft breweries, and sunflower field experiences.

“With the pause this fall, we’re going to be meeting with those young farmers and asking for their input,” said Thompson. “What is the future, what do you see?”

Things like that are why Thompson says Caledon is in a good place, and he thinks it’s an exciting time for a new Council to be coming to the table. He said while developers may be a bit frustrated by the current pause in the official plan process, they’ll still be there when the plan is complete and officially adopted. Thompson said it’s important to have the infrastructure like water systems and roads in place before more new developments come to Town.

Thompson has never been shy to voice his support for the proposed Highway 413, a highway that environmental advocates have criticized. Thompson said with the growth that’s coming to Caledon, the highway will be necessary for moving goods and services. He added that if the highway is built, it’s the first step towards public transit connecting Caledon to York Region, as well as Mississauga and Oakville.

He said public transit along the proposed Highway 413 route will begin as bus transit and eventually transition to light rail transit.

Caledon’s tax base is about 20 per cent commercial and 80 per cent residential, said Thompson, and he hopes it can trend to more commercial in the future. He’s worried with the residential developments already in progress, the Town may not achieve that goal as soon as it may like. He explained big buildings in the manufacturing and commercial sectors are really what help pay for amenities in Caledon like sports parks and recreation facilities, not housing developments.

Thompson said he can’t say more at this time, but he’s been working with a university to get a campus coming to Caledon in the future. It would focus on life sciences, specifically agricultural research, and Thompson said the payoff to having that kind of institution in Town would be huge in terms of innovation.

It’s a slow process to get a university coming to Caledon, and Thompson said for the entirety of the eight years he’s been mayor he’s been working to make it happen.

Both times he was elected, Thompson said it was a humbling experience that the public had faith in him to lead. He said he’d tell whoever is the incoming mayor that it’s an incredibly important responsibility and should not be taken lightly.

“It isn’t just going around taking pictures and cutting ribbons, it’s really about making Council work,” said Thompson, adding the worst thing someone could do in municipal politics is try to run a slate of candidates.

Thompson said what he loves about municipal politics is that there are no parties involved; that individuals are elected to best represent their constituents. He likened it to Council being the Board of Governors of a business, and Caledon’s taxpayers are the shareholders.

Doing your homework is an important part of being a Mayor or Councillor, said Thompson, explaining he could read upwards of 1,200 pages of documents a week between his municipal and regional government work.

He said it’s extra important to be prepared as Mayor, as sometimes a Councillor might come to a meeting not knowing about what they’re seeing on the agenda. Thompson said it’s the mayor’s job to be the one with the knowledge and the one to give council the best advice possible.

“There’s so much happening in the next four years that candidates are putting their names forward for. I’m telling (the future Mayor and Council), you won’t be able to sit down and read a great book because you’re so focused (on council). You really have to be dedicated and focused,” said Thompson. “I really find that frustrating sometimes, that Council is not as prepared as they should be.”

That’s why during his term as Mayor, Thompson introduced the General Committee and Council meeting format, so everything that passes through council will be seen and discussed twice. He said having a “sober second thought” is critical as the decisions council makes have a big impact on Caledon’s future.

Something that’s important for future mayors to consider is the fact that when they open their mouths to speak, they now speak for the Town of Caledon, said Thompson.

He said it differs from being a Councillor, where you can speak your mind more freely. He said being the Mayor is more about leading Council; advising them and letting them advise you.

Thompson said a diverse Council of all ages, backgrounds and life experiences will only serve to benefit the Town. He added sometimes the best ideas come from the most unexpected places.

Part two of The Citizen’s interview with Mayor Thompson will be published in the September 22 edition of the paper.