Population, OPA 203 explained
By Mayor Marolyn Morrison

As mayor, it is my responsibility to ensure that all residents are aware of issues that have the ability to have a long lasting effect on our Town and our way of life.

When the Town plans its official plan and what we should look like into the future, we have numerous public meetings and we try to totally involve our residents in our future planning. That is exactly what we did to arrive at our 2021 population and employment numbers of 84,444 and our population and employment numbers for 2021 to 2031 of 108,000.

Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing with you how our population numbers were conceived. It is my hope that this series of columns will provide you with an understanding of how municipalities arrive at their decisions and how developers try to influence council's decisions.

In 1974 Caledon became a Town under regional government, along with the cities of Brampton and Mississauga. The creation of the Town of Caledon, as part of regional government in 1974, posed significant challenges for planning a cohesive municipality that could adequately and equitably provide services to its residents. These challenges included the large geographic area of 700 square kilometers, the dispersed communities and the fact that the largest community with the most services was located in the southeast corner of the town.

In response to these challenges, the Town adopted the tri-nodal growth strategy in which the three rural service centres of Bolton, Caledon East and Mayfield West would provide services and a focus for growth in the east, centre and west of Caledon. Bolton and the new community of Mayfield West would be the largest centres and eventually would be similar in size. Caledon East would grow, but remain smaller than Bolton and Mayfield West. The Official Plan containing the tri-nodal growth strategy was approved in 1997. After lengthy public consultation, the population forecast up to 2021 in the Official Plan was set at a population of 84, 444 for the entire Town (the break down is 26,500 for Bolton, 13,100 for Mayfield West and 8,400 for Caledon East with the remaining population going to our villages and rural areas).

In 2005 a study team, comprised of The Butler Group Consultants Inc. (a planner) and Watson & Associates Economist Ltd., was established to look at future growth with a time frame of 2021 to 2031. The study team confirmed that the existing 2021 population forecast of 84,444 was fiscally, environmentally and socially sustainable and did not recommend any change, although it was recommended that some population numbers be reallocated from the Palgrave Estate Residential Community and the Villages and provided to Mayfield West and Bolton. This means that Bolton residential boundary's would not expand before 2021, but would receive an additional 1,500 population to allow for infill and intensification. The Mayfield West population would increase by 3,900.

The Town's Official Plan Amendment (OPA) 203 was developed to include these figures in the official plan. OPA 203 is addressing our 2021 population numbers, as well as 2031 population numbers (I will expand on this in next week's column).

A statutory public information meeting for OPA 203 was held June 12, 2006. Council endorsed the amendment by a vote on Aug. 1, 2006. Council also requested the Region of Peel to initiate a Regional Official Plan Amendment to include the population numbers in the regional plan.

August 1, 2006 in a planning report to do with future growth, council endorsed the report including that the Town's 2021 growth numbers of 84,444 are fiscally, environmentally and socially sustainable and should not be changed. There are many pressures on the Town of Caledon by varied development interest. Many of these interest have previously purchased the land north of the Mayfield Road, known as the Peel Plain.

February 6, 2007, council agreed to review a report prepared by Solmar Development Corp. and potentially reconsider the population forecast. Solmar has requested an increase in the population forecast to allow for development of lands in South Albion- Bolton, west of Coleraine Drive. Council directed that Town staff review the Solmar report and a report from the Chamber of Commerce that is also in support of an increased population forecast for South Albion-Bolton and report to council November 6, 2007.

At that time, council will decide whether to reconsider the population forecasts.

Remember that it is never too late to let us know how you feel about issues. That is why we are here - to represent you. And let me tell you, from what I have been hearing from all over Caledon, people are happy with our moderate growth and do not want higher growth numbers.