Making 'live, work, play' an achievable goal in Caledon

"Growth is inevitable. It is necessary for any community that wants to offer exceptional quality of life."

Town of Caledon Progress

Report 2006-2007

Caledon - a place to live, work and play.

That sentiment has been touted by everyone - local business people, the Chamber of Commerce, the mayor and council.

Who wouldn't want to live and work in their own community? Who prefers to commute, fight traffic and fritter away time that could be better spent with family and friends? Yes, those are rhetorical questions.

It's estimated that 50% of Caledon's workforce comes from outside our borders. What are we missing and why aren't we retaining (or attracting) Caledon's native brain power and talent pool? How do we rectify the situation?

The sentiment if you build it, they will come rings true.

To attract high-calibre businesses to our community - a necessity in terms of muchneeded commercial revenue - you need a labour pool. Caledon doesn't have one. To entice world-class operations to our neck of the woods you need infrastructure, access to major transportation networks and a warm welcome. We have these, sort of.

To be a "player" you have to think big, or at least be able to envision long-term strategies and benefits. You can't simply retire to the dugout and refuse to play, especially when the playoffs are looming!

The reality is, we're surrounded by expanding municipalities - from our Brampton and Mississauga partners to the south, to our progressive colleagues in Vaughan to the east. From the shores of Lake Simcoe and Georgian Bay and along the 400 corridor, progress is evident. The GTA is in a building boom, thanks to a robust economy.

There's nothing new about urbanization and development pressure. Caledon has dealt with it over and over. The last time the alarms bells were sounded happened just before the big box stores arrived south of Bolton. There are plans for more development of this nature. The last time we checked, society hasn't fallen into the abyss because of it.

For the no-growth supporters in our midst, just glance to the south from Mayfield Road. Brampton is moving closer at breakneck speed and literally thousands of acres are being primed for development. Erecting a wall around Caledon is not the answer.

The key is to make lemonade. Secure our own interests; ensure development is well thought out and planned, and bolster the municipal and business coffers. Of course, balancing work and play are important, too.

What's needed is a "planned, productive approach" and a "properly blended" planning direction, according to one councillor. We need white belt progress "controlled by Caledon and not the OMB," says another.

If you plan a "complete community," from the ground up, it won't fall victim to the same planning oddities that have plagued Bolton over the years. We're much better armed in creating our own mosaic today. Mayfield West is a prime example.

The Town has an opportunity to do just that, with a willing, taxpaying corporate partner. Solmar Developments is proposing its Humber Station Villages, a multi-year, multi-phase project that could ultimately see almost 6,500 homes southwest of Bolton.

Protectionists see this as a burdensome threat, complaining about traffic congestion, and a strain on infrastructure. We can't prohibit the massive incoming population to the south from using our roads.

For immediate consideration is planning a community of a little more than 20,000 people. The big crunch is only a few decades away. Over the next 40 years, the province is urging us to prepare for a swell of upwards of 750,000 souls. That's equivalent to 27 Boltons or a handful of projects like Humber Station Villages. If the current proposal is approved, that leaves us with perhaps a dozen more to go. That's a very big picture. We can plan for it, or stick our fingers in our ears and hum.

And the notion of waiting to move ahead with the western section of Mayfield West, and something like Humber Station Villages until 2021 just doesn't fit the scenario.

The Chamber of Commerce and its members firmly believe such a no-growth plan will decimate local business. That's 400-plus voices that can't be ignored.

We stress the term, live, work, play in Caledon yet we do nothing to retain our talent pool. Caledon's native sons and daughters go off to school and secure jobs outside of Caledon because there simply aren't many local opportunities, particularly for white-collar workers. Most never return because there's no new stock of housing. It's an evident, and sad, brain drain. Without addressing this issue, the catch phrase - live, work, play - is meaningless.

How can we shut the door on them for the next decade, and tell them to go elsewhere?

This community has spawned some great artists, musicians, writers, inventors and environmental experts. We don't want to see this mass exodus continue. If we build it, they may stay! Children running and playing - with their grandparents. Imagine three generations living in the same neighbourhood - now that's a community!

We need to impress upon our citizens that it's important to shop locally and support local businesses. Citizens can, and should, provide input into municipal planning matters. It's important to look at all of our options. If one of those options is a development like Humber Station Villages, then the movers and shakers need to consider it, and move forward.

The idea of live, work, play is wonderful. Let's work on it together!