Caledon Village = a community looking for a village

Caledon Village as a community is blessed with a public school, recreational facilities, fairgrounds, theatre, a church and neighbourhoods with crescents, cul-de-sacs, and dead ends that provide for calm roads, safe for children and neighbours to mingle.

Then you look at the main intersection and wonder how such an eyesore could occur in Caledon. It's ugly and congested.

Much talk has been made about widening the intersection and adjoining highways to ease the congestion but little movement has been made in this area. Beyond property disputes and purchase of road allowances there also appears to still be an environmental issue on the corner with oil contamination.

This is a complicated matter, but it would be in everyone's interest if someone could step up, clean up the site and get the improvements completed. Who will take charge - the province, region, or Town? How much longer will we have to wait?

I believe that the Town of Caledon has little voice in this matter but the Town has a big voice as to what will occur after the widening is completed. With vision, both north and south corners on the east side could be turned into viable retail properties. The south corner in particular could be redeveloped in such a way as to have access from Charleston Sideroad all the way to the fairgrounds with interesting shops and convenience stores that even the commuters would stop and use. An ideal tenant would be an Agency LCBO store or a dairy with ice cream for summer months.

With proper planning, there would be potential for a strong retail developer to come into Caledon and put

together a concept (country village theme?) that would serve the community and also act as a draw for existing retailers.

It is ridiculous that in Caledon Village if you want more than bread, milk, or a donut, it is a 10-minute drive. Let's start planning now how to put the village back in Caledon Village.

Tim Forster

Candidate Ward 1 area councillor